Model-based lesion mapping of cognitive control using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test
Jan Gläscher1,2, Ralph Adolphs3,4, Daniel Tranel5
1Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, W34, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany. glaescher@uke.de.
Nature Communications
|January 4, 2019
Summary
Computational models reveal right prefrontal cortex lesions impair cognitive flexibility. Damage here reduces sensitivity to punishment, increasing errors on tasks like the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Computational Psychiatry
Background:
- The frontal lobes' role in cognition and behavior remains complex.
- Computational models offer a powerful framework for understanding decision-making.
- Neuropsychological tasks are crucial for assessing frontal lobe function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cognitive processes and neural correlates underlying performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test using a model-based approach.
- To identify specific brain regions associated with deficits in cognitive flexibility.
Main Methods:
- Applied computational modeling to data from the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test.
- Utilized voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping in 328 patients with focal brain lesions.
- Analyzed the relationship between lesion location, task performance, and computational model parameters.
Main Results:
- Lesions in the right prefrontal cortex correlated with increased perseverative errors.
- Reduced sensitivity to punishment, a key model parameter, was associated with these lesions.
- Findings link cognitive flexibility to the detection of environmental changes via punishment sensitivity.
Conclusions:
- Model-based analysis of neuropsychological tasks provides insights into cognitive deficits.
- The right prefrontal cortex is critical for cognitive flexibility, mediated by sensitivity to punishment.
- This study highlights the utility of computational approaches in neuroscience research.
Related Concept Videos
01:38Cognitive Dissonance
37.5K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
37.5K
01:27Language and Cognition
797
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
797
01:25Cognitive Therapy
1.0K
Cognitive therapy, pioneered by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s, is a structured approach to addressing psychological distress by focusing on the influence of thoughts on emotions and behaviors. All cognitive therapies involve the basic assumption that human beings have control over their feelings, and that how individuals feel about something depends on how they think about it. Unlike psychoanalytic methods that delve into unconscious processes or humanistic approaches emphasizing...
1.0K
01:23Cognition and Behavior
371
Social psychology examines the complex interplay between individual mental processes and social interactions. Historically, the field was divided into two domains: social behavior and social cognition. Researchers focusing on social behavior analyzed actions within social contexts, such as conformity, aggression, or cooperation. Meanwhile, social cognition researchers investigated how people perceive, interpret, and mentally represent their social environments. However, modern perspectives no...
371
01:21Cognitive Learning
1.1K
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
1.1K
01:39Mitochondrial Protein Sorting
5.8K
Mitochondria are double-membrane organelles of the eukaryotes involved in cellular metabolism, signaling, ATP synthesis, and programmed cell death. Each of these processes requires specific proteins and enzymes that must be correctly sorted to the right mitochondrial subcompartment for the proper functioning of the organelle.
Most of these mitochondrial proteins are encoded by the nucleus and imported to the mitochondria as unfolded or loosely folded precursors. Mitochondrial precursors...
Most of these mitochondrial proteins are encoded by the nucleus and imported to the mitochondria as unfolded or loosely folded precursors. Mitochondrial precursors...
5.8K