Cerebral metabolic correlates of attention networks in Alzheimer's Disease: A study of the Stroop

Abstract

Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) show difficulties with attention. Cognitive neuroscience models posit that attention can be broken down into alerting, orienting, and executive networks. We used the Stroop Color-Word test to interrogate the neural correlates of attention deficits in AD. We hypothesized that the Word, Color, and Color-Word conditions of the Stroop would all tap into the alerting and orienting networks. The Color-Word condition would additionally tap into the executive network. A ratio of Color-Word to Color naming performance would isolate the executive network from the others. To identify the neural underpinnings of attention in AD we correlated performance on the Stroop with brain metabolic activity. Sixty-six patients with probable AD completed [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose PET scanning and neuropsychological testing. Analysis was conducted with SPM12 (p<.001 uncorrected, extent threshold 50 voxels). Performance on the Word, Color, and Color-Word conditions directly correlated with metabolic rate in right inferior parietal lobules/intraparietal sulci. The Color-Word/Color ratio revealed associations with metabolic rate in right medial prefrontal cortex and insula/operculum. Overall findings were largely consistent with the hypothesized neuroanatomical substrates of the alerting, orienting, and executive networks. As such, attention deficits in AD reflect compromise to multiple large-scale networks.

Mild cognitive impairment in de novo Parkinson's disease: A neuromelanin MRI study in locus coeruleus

“…TMT‐B time provides a measure of executive function associated with working memory . SCWT, an executive function test that measures executive inhibition of irrelevant responses, which might be associated with alerting, orienting, and executive network, did not correlate with the CNR of the LC. Consistent with our findings, a previous study investigating the association between TMT‐B and other neuropsychological measures via multiple regression analysis indicated performance in the TMT‐B test only weakly correlated with that of SCWT .…”

Foreign language learning can improve response inhibition in individuals with lower baseline cognition: Results from a randomized controlled superiority trial

“…The STROOP is a valid, reliable, and widely used measure of selective attention, representing the monitoring aspect of executive attention ( Melrose et al, 2017 ). Our outcome of interest was the “naming interference tendency”, which is obtained by subtracting the median reaction time of the naming baseline condition from the naming interference condition.…”

“…Six of these studies reported significant cognitive improvements after learning a foreign language ( Bak et al, 2016 ; Pfenninger and Polz, 2018 ; Bubbico et al, 2019 ; Wong et al, 2019 ; Long et al, 2020 ; Meltzer et al, 2021 ). Most notably, these improvements occurred in tasks measuring aspects of executive attention (e.g., the STROOP task, Simon task, Test of Everyday Attention) ( Melrose et al, 2017 ). However, two of the four studies applying these tasks had only a quasi-experimental design ( Bak et al, 2016 ; Long et al, 2020 ), and one was a pilot study without a control group ( Pfenninger and Polz, 2018 ).…”