TY - JOUR A1 - Heinzel, Stephan A1 - Lorenz, Robert C. A1 - Pelz, Patricia A1 - Heinz, Andreas A1 - Walter, Henrik A1 - Kathmann, Norbert A1 - Rapp, Michael Armin A1 - Stelzel, Christine T1 - Neural correlates of training and transfer effects in working memory in older adults JF - NeuroImage : a journal of brain function N2 - As indicated by previous research, aging is associated with a decline in working memory (WM) functioning, related to alterations in fronto-parietal neural activations. At the same time, previous studies showed that WM training in older adults may improve the performance in the trained task (training effect), and more importantly, also in untrained WM tasks (transfer effects). However, neural correlates of these transfer effects that would improve understanding of its underlying mechanisms, have not been shown in older participants as yet. In this study, we investigated blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal changes during n-back performance and an untrained delayed recognition (Sternberg) task following 12 sessions (45 min each) of adaptive n-back training in older adults. The Sternberg task used in this study allowed to test for neural training effects independent of specific task affordances of the trained task and to separate maintenance from updating processes. Thirty-two healthy older participants (60-75 years) were assigned either to an n-back training or a no-contact control group. Before (t1) and after (t2) training/waiting period, both the n-back task and the Sternberg task were conducted while BOLD signal was measured using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) in all participants. In addition, neuropsychological tests were performed outside the scanner. WM performance improved with training and behavioral transfer to tests measuring executive functions, processing speed, and fluid intelligence was found. In the training group, BOLD signal in the right lateral middle frontal gyrus/caudal superior frontal sulcus (Brodmann area, BA 6/8) decreased in both the trained n-back and the updating condition of the untrained Sternberg task at t2, compared to the control group. fMRI findings indicate a training-related increase in processing efficiency of WM networks, potentially related to the process of WM updating. Performance gains in untrained tasks suggest that transfer to other cognitive tasks remains possible in aging. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. KW - Aging KW - Working memory KW - Training KW - Transfer KW - Neuroimaging KW - fMRI KW - Updating KW - Executive functions KW - Fluid intelligence Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.03.068 SN - 1053-8119 SN - 1095-9572 VL - 134 SP - 236 EP - 249 PB - Elsevier CY - San Diego ER - TY - GEN A1 - Heinz, Andreas A1 - Beck, Anne A1 - Rapp, Michael Armin T1 - Alcohol as an Environmental Mortality Hazard T2 - JAMA psychiatry Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.0399 SN - 2168-622X SN - 2168-6238 VL - 73 SP - 549 EP - 550 PB - American Veterinary Medical Association CY - Chicago ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Liu, Shuyan A1 - Schad, Daniel A1 - Kuschpel, Maxim S. A1 - Rapp, Michael Armin A1 - Heinz, Andreas T1 - Music and Video Gaming during Breaks BT - Influence on Habitual versus Goal-Directed Decision Making JF - PLoS one N2 - Different systems for habitual versus goal-directed control are thought to underlie human decision-making. Working memory is known to shape these decision-making systems and their interplay, and is known to support goal-directed decision making even under stress. Here, we investigated if and how decision systems are differentially influenced by breaks filled with diverse everyday life activities known to modulate working memory performance. We used a within-subject design where young adults listened to music and played a video game during breaks interleaved with trials of a sequential two-step Markov decision task, designed to assess habitual as well as goal-directed decision making. Based on a neurocomputational model of task performance, we observed that for individuals with a rather limited working memory capacity video gaming as compared to music reduced reliance on the goal-directed decision-making system, while a rather large working memory capacity prevented such a decline. Our findings suggest differential effects of everyday activities on key decision-making processes. KW - Decision making KW - Games KW - Working memory KW - Video games KW - Cognition KW - Cognitive impairment KW - Music cognition KW - Learning Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0150165 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 11 IS - 3 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Public Library of Science CY - Lawrence, Kan. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Garbusow, Maria A1 - Schad, Daniel A1 - Sebold, Miriam Hannah A1 - Friedel, Eva A1 - Bernhardt, Nadine A1 - Koch, Stefan P. A1 - Steinacher, Bruno A1 - Kathmann, Norbert A1 - Geurts, Dirk E. M. A1 - Sommer, Christian A1 - Mueller, Dirk K. A1 - Nebe, Stephan A1 - Paul, Soeren A1 - Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich A1 - Zimmermann, Ulrich S. A1 - Walter, Henrik A1 - Smolka, Michael N. A1 - Sterzer, Philipp A1 - Rapp, Michael Armin A1 - Huys, Quentin J. M. A1 - Schlagenhauf, Florian A1 - Heinz, Andreas T1 - Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer effects in the nucleus accumbens relate to relapse in alcohol dependence JF - Addiction biology N2 - In detoxified alcohol-dependent patients, alcohol-related stimuli can promote relapse. However, to date, the mechanisms by which contextual stimuli promote relapse have not been elucidated in detail. One hypothesis is that such contextual stimuli directly stimulate the motivation to drink via associated brain regions like the ventral striatum and thus promote alcohol seeking, intake and relapse. Pavlovian-to-Instrumental-Transfer (PIT) may be one of those behavioral phenomena contributing to relapse, capturing how Pavlovian conditioned (contextual) cues determine instrumental behavior (e.g. alcohol seeking and intake). We used a PIT paradigm during functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the effects of classically conditioned Pavlovian stimuli on instrumental choices in n=31 detoxified patients diagnosed with alcohol dependence and n=24 healthy controls matched for age and gender. Patients were followed up over a period of 3 months. We observed that (1) there was a significant behavioral PIT effect for all participants, which was significantly more pronounced in alcohol-dependent patients; (2) PIT was significantly associated with blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) in subsequent relapsers only; and (3) PIT-related NAcc activation was associated with, and predictive of, critical outcomes (amount of alcohol intake and relapse during a 3 months follow-up period) in alcohol-dependent patients. These observations show for the first time that PIT-related BOLD signals, as a measure of the influence of Pavlovian cues on instrumental behavior, predict alcohol intake and relapse in alcohol dependence. KW - human Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer KW - nucleus accumbens KW - relapse in alcohol use disorder Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.12243 SN - 1355-6215 SN - 1369-1600 VL - 21 SP - 719 EP - 731 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sebold, Miriam Hannah A1 - Schad, Daniel A1 - Nebe, Stephan A1 - Garbusow, Maria A1 - Juenger, Elisabeth A1 - Kroemer, Nils B. A1 - Kathmann, Norbert A1 - Zimmermann, Ulrich S. A1 - Smolka, Michael N. A1 - Rapp, Michael Armin A1 - Heinz, Andreas A1 - Huys, Quentin J. M. T1 - Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer Effects Rely Less on Model-based Reinforcement Learning JF - Journal of cognitive neuroscience N2 - Behavioral choice can be characterized along two axes. One axis distinguishes reflexive, model-free systems that slowly accumulate values through experience and a model-based system that uses knowledge to reason prospectively. The second axis distinguishes Pavlovian valuation of stimuli from instrumental valuation of actions or stimulus–action pairs. This results in four values and many possible interactions between them, with important consequences for accounts of individual variation. We here explored whether individual variation along one axis was related to individual variation along the other. Specifically, we asked whether individuals' balance between model-based and model-free learning was related to their tendency to show Pavlovian interferences with instrumental decisions. In two independent samples with a total of 243 participants, Pavlovian–instrumental transfer effects were negatively correlated with the strength of model-based reasoning in a two-step task. This suggests a potential common underlying substrate predisposing individuals to both have strong Pavlovian interference and be less model-based and provides a framework within which to interpret the observation of both effects in addiction. Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_00945 SN - 0898-929X SN - 1530-8898 VL - 28 SP - 985 EP - 995 PB - MIT Press CY - Cambridge ER -