scholarly journals Prenatal Malnutrition Leads to Deficits in Attentional Set Shifting and Decreases Metabolic Activity in Prefrontal Subregions that Control Executive Function

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 532-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill A. McGaughy ◽  
Ana C. Amaral ◽  
R. Jarrett Rushmore ◽  
David J. Mokler ◽  
Peter J. Morgane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Metabolic Activity ◽  
Set Shifting ◽  
Attentional Set ◽  
Attentional Set Shifting ◽  
Prenatal Malnutrition

Cortisol to Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate Ratio and Executive Function in Bipolar Disorder

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Kalliopi Tournikioti ◽  
Maria Alevizaki ◽  
Ioannis Michopoulos ◽  
Aimilia Mantzou ◽  
Constantin Soldatos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Visuospatial Memory ◽  
Set Shifting ◽  
Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate ◽  
Attentional Set ◽  
Attentional Set Shifting ◽  
Bipolar Patients

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with impairment in cognitive domains such as verbal memory and executive functions. Very few studies have assessed dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) in BD and its relation to cognitive functioning despite evidence showing its regulatory effects on glucocorticoid action. The aim of our study was to explore the association of cortisol, DHEA-S, and cortisol to DHEA-S ratio with visuospatial memory and executive functioning in BD. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Cognitive performance of 60 bipolar I patients and 30 healthy subjects was evaluated by using Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery tasks targeting visuospatial memory (spatial recognition memory) and executive functions (planning [Stockings of Cambridge; SOC] and attentional set shifting [ID/ED]). Morning serum cortisol and DHEA-S levels were measured in patients. Main effects of cortisol, DHEA-S, and cortisol/DHEA-S ratio for each neurocognitive task were explored in multiple regression analyses correcting for demographic and clinical parameters as well as treatment-related factors (current use of antipsychotic and mood stabilizer medication). <b><i>Results:</i></b> Bipolar patients showed poorer performance than healthy subjects in planning and attentional set shifting but not in visuospatial memory. Cortisol to DHEA-S ratio predicted worse performance in planning (SOC). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This is the first study to assess memory and executive function in BD in relation to DHEA-S and cortisol to DHEA-S ratio. We report an association of cortisol to DHEA-S ratio with worse performance in planning in bipolar I patients, which warrants further investigation.

scholarly journals BDNF haploinsufficiency induces behavioral endophenotypes of schizophrenia in male mice that are rescued by enriched environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Harb ◽  
Justina Jagusch ◽  
Archana Durairaja ◽  
Thomas Endres ◽  
Volkmar Leßmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prepulse Inhibition ◽  
Sensorimotor Gating ◽  
Enriched Environment ◽  
Fear Learning ◽  
Set Shifting ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mature Adult ◽  
Attentional Set ◽  
Attentional Set Shifting ◽  
The Brain

AbstractBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is implicated in a number of processes that are crucial for healthy functioning of the brain. Schizophrenia is associated with low BDNF levels in the brain and blood, however, not much is known about BDNF’s role in the different symptoms of schizophrenia. Here, we used BDNF-haploinsufficient (BDNF+/−) mice to investigate the role of BDNF in different mouse behavioral endophenotypes of schizophrenia. Furthermore, we assessed if an enriched environment can prevent the observed changes. In this study, male mature adult wild-type and BDNF+/− mice were tested in mouse paradigms for cognitive flexibility (attentional set shifting), sensorimotor gating (prepulse inhibition), and associative emotional learning (safety and fear conditioning). Before these tests, half of the mice had a 2-month exposure to an enriched environment, including running wheels. After the tests, BDNF brain levels were quantified. BDNF+/− mice had general deficits in the attentional set-shifting task, increased startle magnitudes, and prepulse inhibition deficits. Contextual fear learning was not affected but safety learning was absent. Enriched environment housing completely prevented the observed behavioral deficits in BDNF+/− mice. Notably, the behavioral performance of the mice was negatively correlated with BDNF protein levels. These novel findings strongly suggest that decreased BDNF levels are associated with several behavioral endophenotypes of schizophrenia. Furthermore, an enriched environment increases BDNF protein to wild-type levels and is thereby able to rescue these behavioral endophenotypes.

scholarly journals Automatic Intra-/Extra-Dimensional Attentional Set-Shifting Task in Adolescent Mice

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariasole Ciampoli ◽  
Diego Scheggia ◽  
Francesco Papaleo
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functions ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Set Shifting ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Attentional Set ◽  
Attentional Set Shifting ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting ◽  
Sorting Test ◽  
Set Shifting Task

Adolescence is a developmental period crucial for the maturation of higher-order cognitive functions. Indeed, adolescence deficits in executive functions are strong predictors of increased vulnerability to several mental disabilities later in life. Here, we tested adolescent mice in a fully-automated attentional set-shifting task equivalent to the humans’ Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery Intra-/Extra-Dimensional set-shift task (ID/ED). Compared to an adult, adolescent mice required more time to complete the task (≈16 days), and a higher percentage failed to finish the entire task. Nevertheless, adolescent mice completing this demanding task showed an increased effort in solving the extradimensional shift stage (EDS) compared to previous stages. Moreover, we found that this paradigm can be used to detect early cognitive dysfunctions in adolescent genetically modified mice. Thus, this automatic paradigm provides a further tool to assess attentional control in adolescent mice, and the development of dysfunctional executive functions from adolescence to adulthood.

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