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Memory decline has been observed in the aging population and is a risk factor for the later development of dementia. Understanding how memory is preserved in older adults has been an important topic. The present study examines the hemodynamic features of older adults whose memory is comparable with that of young adults. In the present study, 45 younger and 45 older adults performed the visual memory task with various difficulty levels (i.e., the items to be remembered), and their cerebral hemodynamics at each level were measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The results showed that older adults exhibited higher activation than younger adults under more difficult but not easier levels. In addition, older adults whose performance is comparable with that of young adults (i.e., being able to remember six items) showed more right-lateralized activation. However, those unable to do so showed more left-lateralized activation. The results suggested that high-performing older adults possess successful compensatory mechanisms by recruiting cognitive resources in a specialized brain region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children who experience difficulty in learning at mainstream schools usually are provided with remediation classes after school to facilitate their learning. The present study aims to evaluate an innovative eye-tracking training as possible alternative remediation. Our previous findings showed that children who received eye-tracking training demonstrated improved attention and inhibitory control, and the present randomized controlled study aims to evaluate if eye-tracking training can also enhance the learning and memory of children. Fifty-three primary school students with learning difficulty (including autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, specific learning disorder, specific language impairment and borderline intellectual functioning) were recruited and randomly assigned to either the Eye-tracking Training group or the after-school remediation class. They were assessed on their learning and memory using the Hong Kong List Learning Test before and after 8-month training. Twenty weekly parallel sessions of training, 50 min per session, were provided to each group. Children who received the eye-tracking training, not those in the control group, showed a significant improvement in memory as measured by the delayed recall. In addition, the Eye-Tracking Training group showed significantly faster learning than the control group. Also, the two groups showed a significant improvement in their reading abilities. In sum, eye-tracking training may be effective training for enhancing the learning and memory of children with learning difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) perform poorly in working memory (WM) tasks, with some literature suggesting that their impaired performance is modulated by WM load. While some neuroimaging and neurophysiological studies have reported altered functional connectivity during WM processing in individuals with autism, it remains largely unclear whether such alterations are moderated by WM load. The present study aimed to examine the effect of WM load on functional connectivity within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in ASD using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Twenty-two children with high-functioning ASD aged 8–12 years and 24 age-, intelligent quotient (IQ)-, sex- and handedness-matched typically developing (TD) children performed a number n-back task with three WM loads (0-back, 1-back, and 2-back). Hemodynamic changes in the bilateral lateral and medial PFC during task performance were monitored using a multichannel NIRS device. Children with ASD demonstrated slower reaction times, specifically during the "low load" condition, than TD children. In addition, the ASD and TD groups exhibited differential load-dependent functional connectivity changes in the lateral and medial PFC of the right but not the left hemisphere. These findings indicate that WM impairment in high-functioning ASD is paralleled by load-dependent alterations in right, but not left, intrahemispheric connectivity during WM processing in children with ASD. A disruption of functional neural connections that support different cognitive processes may underlie poor performance in WM tasks in ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A positive effect of photoneuromodulation (PNM) has been found on cognitive and emotional functions in healthy populations. However, the hemodynamic changes associated with improved cognitive functions (i.e., memory and executive functions) are unexplored. Therefore, the present study investigated the hemodynamic changes associated with PNM using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). In this experiment, 33 young healthy adults were recruited and randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. A single PNM stimulation was applied to the forehead in the experimental group, while a sham stimulation (same procedure without machine activation) was performed for the control group. Before and after the stimulation, all participants performed an n-back task with 0-and 3-back conditions to assess their working memory function, and their hemodynamic responses during the tasks were measured by fNIRS. A significant group (experimental vs. control) × time (before vs. after PNM) interaction in memory-related frontal activation was found. Specifically, only the experimental group had a significant reduction in frontal hemodynamic levels during the difficult task. Additionally, the memory-related frontal activation was significantly correlated with the immediate and delayed recall of the Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test assessed at baseline. Therefore, PNM may reduce the cognitive efforts needed to complete tasks with high memory loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have shown that healthy aging is associated with functional brain deterioration that preferentially affects the prefrontal cortex. This article reviews the application of an alternative method, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), to the study of age-related changes in cerebral hemodynamics and factors that influence cerebral hemodynamics in the elderly population. We conducted literature searches in PudMed and PsycINFO, and selected only English original research articles that used fNIRS to study healthy individuals with a mean age of ≥ 55 years. All articles were published in peer-reviewed journals between 1977 and May 2019. We synthesized 114 fNIRS studies examining hemodynamic changes that occurred in the resting state and during the tasks of sensation and perception, motor control, semantic processing, word retrieval, attentional shifting, inhibitory control, memory, and emotion and motivation in healthy older adults. This review, which was not registered in a registry, reveals an age-related reduction in resting-state cerebral oxygenation and connectivity in the prefrontal cortex. It also shows that aging is associated with a reduction in functional hemispheric asymmetry and increased compensatory activity in the frontal lobe across multiple task domains. In addition, this article describes the beneficial effects of healthy lifestyles and the detrimental effects of cardiovascular disease risk factors on brain functioning among nondemented older adults. Limitations of this review include exclusion of gray and non-English literature and lack of meta-analysis. Altogether, the fNIRS literature provides some support for various neurocognitive aging theories derived from task-based PET and fMRI studies. Because fNIRS is relatively motion-tolerant and environmentally unconstrained, it is a promising tool for fostering the development of aging biomarkers and antiaging interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of the Dejian mind-body intervention (DMBI), on depressive symptoms and electroencephalography (EEG) changes in relation to emotional processing in patients with depression. Seventy-five age-, gender-, and education-matched participants with depression were randomly assigned to receive either Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) or DMBI or were placed in a control group. Overall depressive syndrome, specific mood-related symptoms (Hamilton Psychiatric Rating Scale for Depression, Beck Depression Inventory), and EEG data were collected individually during a resting state and during affective image viewing before and after 10 weeks of intervention. After intervention, both the DMBI and CBT groups showed significantly reduced levels of overall depressive syndrome and mood-related symptoms (Ps ≤ 0.002) than the control group. In addition, the DMBI group demonstrated a significantly greater extent of elevation in fronto-posterior EEG theta coherence on the right hemisphere when viewing different mood-induction (neutral, positive, and negative) stimuli than the CBT and control groups (Ps < 0.03). The elevated intra-right fronto-posterior coherence when viewing mood-induction stimuli correlated with improved mood levels after the intervention (Ps < 0.05). Our findings also showed that, only in the DMBI group, there was a significant suppression of theta source activity at the posterior and subcortical brain regions that are known to mediate negative emotional responses and the self-absorbed mode of thinking. The findings of reduced depressive symptoms and elevated frontoposterior coherence suggest that the DMBI can enhance emotional control in depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating studies have reported facial emotion recognition or facial perception impairments in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To clarify the specificity of the emotion recognition impairment, this study examined the relationships between facial emotion recognition and facial perception abilities in ASD. Twenty-two adolescents with high-functioning ASD (20 males) and 22 typically developing (TD) adolescents (16 males) aged 11–18 years undertook a facial emotion labeling task and a facial perception test. We found that adolescents with ASD had deficits in recognizing negative facial expressions, which correlated with both facial perception deficits and severity of social impairment. In addition, the emotion recognition deficits remained after adjusting for facial perception performance. Thus, our findings suggest an emotion-specific impairment in facial emotion recognition in ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to explore the cognitive profiles of subarachnoid haemorrhage patients who returned to the community, along with the associated risk factors. We recruited 40 Chinese patients with spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage 7–27 months after the initial presentation. They had all been discharged to their homes or to care homes for the elderly. For cognitive assessment, we employed the Cognitive Subscale of the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog) for global cognitive function, the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) for frontal lobe function, and the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT) for everyday memory function. An ADAS-cog of more than 21/85 (poor global cognitive function) was noted in 14 (35%) patients. A FAB of less than 12/18 (poor frontal lobe function) was noted in 13 (27.5%) patients. An RBMT score of less than 15/26 (poor everyday memory function) was noted in 17 (43.6%) patients. Poor cognitive function was found to be associated with chronic hydrocephalus (in terms of FAB), with clinical vasospasm (in terms of RBMT), and with cerebral infarction (in terms of RBMT). Poor cognitive function was common and occurred in up to 43.6% of the patients, with the verbal and behavioural memory aspects predominantly affected. We did not find a significant association between cholinergic dysfunction and cognitive dysfunction. Organization of future drug trials and cognitive rehabilitation should take into account the association between frontal lobe dysfunction and chronic hydrocephalus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The “Triarchic body-pathway relaxation technique” (TBRT) is a form of ancient Chinese mindfulness-based meditation professed to give rise to positive emotions and a specific state of consciousness in which deep relaxation and internalized attention coexist. The purpose of this study was to examine the EEG pattern generated during the practice of this mindfulness exercise, and compare it to music listening which has been shown to induce positive emotions. Nineteen college students (aged 19–22 years) participated in the study. Each participant listened to both the TBRT and music audiotapes while EEG was recorded. The order of presentation was counterbalanced to avoid order effect. Two EEG indicators were used: (1) alpha asymmetry index, an indicator for left-sided anterior activation, as measure of positive emotions, and (2) frontal midline theta activity, as a measure for internalized attention. Increased left-sided activation, a pattern associated with positive emotions, was found during both TBRT exercise and music conditions. However, only TBRT exercise was shown to exhibit greater frontal midline theta power, a pattern associated with internalized attention. These results provided evidence to support that the TBRT gives rise to positive emotional experience, accompanied by focused internalized attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]