Browsing by Author "Goghari, Vina"

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
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    A functional neuroimaging family study of facial emotion perception in schizophrenia
    (2014-09-12) Spilka, Michael; Goghari, Vina
    Deficits in facial emotion perception in schizophrenia may be a vulnerability marker for the disorder. Previous neuroimaging studies investigating these deficits were limited by confounding task demands that may recruit other impaired cognitive processes in schizophrenia. We used a family study design along with a passive viewing task to investigate brain activation abnormalities underlying facial emotion perception in schizophrenia and examine whether such abnormalities are associated with the genetic vulnerability for the disorder. Schizophrenia patients, nonpsychotic relatives, and healthy controls passively viewed images of facial emotions during a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Region-of-interest and whole-brain analyses revealed hypoactivation in face processing areas for both schizophrenia patients and unaffected relatives compared to controls, and hyperactivation in relatives for frontal regions involved in emotion processing. Our results suggest that activation abnormalities during facial emotion perception represent genetic vulnerability markers for schizophrenia, and may be accompanied by compensatory mechanisms in relatives.
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    Analysis of face gaze in schizophrenia: use of facial features and spatial frequencies
    (2012-09-27) Clark, Cameron; Goghari, Vina
    Deficits in facial emotion perception have been linked to deficits in functional outcome in schizophrenia. However, the specific ways in which emotion perception is abnormal in schizophrenia and its relationship to functional outcome remain poorly understood. To better determine the nature of facial emotion perception deficits in schizophrenia, we utilized the ‘Bubbles Facial Emotion Perception Task’ to identify differences in usage of visual facial information in schizophrenia patients (n = 20), and controls (n = 20), when differentiating between angry and neutral facial expressions. As hypothesized, schizophrenia patients required more facial information than controls to accurately differentiate between angry and neutral facial expressions, and relied on different facial features and spatial frequencies to differentiate these facial expressions. Additionally, a positive relationship of moderate strength was found between the degree of divergence from ‘normal’ visual facial information usage and lower overall social functioning.
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    Near and Far Transfer of Working Memory Training Related Gains in Healthy Adults
    (2013-10-03) Savage, Linette; Goghari, Vina
    Enhancing intelligence through working memory training is an attractive concept, particularly for middle-aged adults. However, investigations of working memory training benefits are limited to younger or older adults, and results are inconsistent. This study investigates working memory training in middle age-range adults. Fifty healthy adults, aged 30-60, completed measures of working memory, processing speed, and fluid intelligence before and after a 5-week web-based working memory (experimental) or processing speed (active control) training program. Baseline intelligence and personality were measured as potential individual characteristics associated with change. Improved performance on working memory and processing speed tasks were experienced by both groups; however, only the working memory training group improved in fluid intelligence. Agreeableness emerged as a personality factor associated with working memory training related change. Albeit limited by power, findings suggest that dual n-back working memory training not only enhances working memory but also fluid intelligence in middle-aged healthy adults.
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    On the Malleability of Human Cognition: Working Memory Training and Transfer
    (2017) Clark, Cameron; Goghari, Vina; Campbell, Tavis; Longman, Richard Stewart; Goodyear, Bradley; Ramasubbu, Rajamannar; Yang, Lixia
    Training working memory (WM) to increase WM capacity and fluid intelligence (Gf) has received much experimental attention in recent years, though its efficacy remains highly controversial. The current study investigated the effect of a randomized six-week online WM intervention on cognitive abilities and patterns of neural activation in a community-recruited sample of healthy young adults, in relation to both a processing speed training active control condition, as well as a no-contact control condition. Results of this randomized trial are discussed in three parts: Chapter 2 examines group-level fMRI activation patterns for tasks of WM and Gf before the training intervention. Consistent with previous research, results indicate large areas of fronto-parietal activation in response to increasing task demands for our WM task, which largely subsume more circumscribed regions of activation for our Gf task. These results are discussed in terms of a task-general central network which may underlie performance of WM, Gf, and perhaps even goal-directed behaviour more generally. Chapter 3 investigates potential differences in a wide range of cognitive test scores before and after WM training, processing speed training, or no-contact. Results revealed support for the null hypothesis across all cognitive tests administered. Because these results are consistent with experimental trials of equal or greater methodological rigor, we suggest that future research re-focus on promising interventions known to increase memory performance in healthy young adults; and/or examine alternative populations in which WM training may be efficacious. Chapter 4 examines potential differences in pre- and post-training patterns of neural activation for WM and Gf tasks in our WM training, and processing speed training groups. Results indicated significant post-training reductions in activation for the WM trained group in relation to the processing speed group for the WM task, but not the Gf task. These results suggest that WM training does not affect patterns of neural activation for Gf tasks. We suggest that future research investigate neural correlates of WM training in populations for which WM itself is impaired; and/or WM training interventions in populations that have returned more promising results compared to those with healthy young adults.
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    Persistent Effects of Paediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: The Role of Resilience
    (2016) Laliberté, Christianne; Yeates, Keith; Brooks, Brian; Tomfohr-Madsen, Lianne; Goghari, Vina
    Objective. This study examined the relationship of multiple mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) and psychological resilience to persistent post-concussion symptoms (PCS). Methods. Participants (N = 65), ages 8-18 years, who sustained multiple mTBIs (n = 24), a single mTBI (n = 22), or an orthopaedic injury (OI; n = 19) were recruited from a children’s hospital in Calgary, Alberta. Resilience was measured using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and PCS were measured using the Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI). Results. The multiple mTBI group and low psychological resilience were significant predictors of PCS. Conclusions. Sustaining multiple mTBIs may increase a child’s risk of persistent PCS; however, high psychological resilience may serve as a protective factor, regardless of the number of injuries a child sustains. Results of this study provide support for interventions aimed at increasing psychological resilience in order to improve outcomes for children suffering from persistent PCS after mTBI.
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    Reactive and Proactive Mechanisms of Response Inhibition in Gambling Disorder
    (2017) Sharif-Razi, Maryam; Goghari, Vina; Hodgins, David; Crockford, David; McGrath, Daniel; MacQueen, Glenda
    Response inhibition, one component of cognitive control, refers to the ability to inhibit automatic responses and has been found to be impaired in gambling disorder. Recent models of cognitive control distinguish between two mechanisms: reactive (ability to stop in response to a stop-stimulus) and proactive control (ability to anticipate and prepare for a stop). Previous studies have focused on reactive modes of control in gambling disorder. Thus, the primary aim of this study was to assess the mechanisms of response inhibition in individuals with gambling disorder (n=27) and community controls (n=21) using a variant of the traditional stop-signal task. Second, the relationship between trait impulsivity, and reactive and proactive control was examined. No group differences in reactive or proactive control were found. However, one domain of trait impulsivity (premeditation) was associated with worse proactive control in the gambling group. Implications for impulsivity-focused approaches to treatment and future directions are discussed.
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    The Effects of Prenatal Cortisol Concentrations on Working Memory Performance in Preschool Children
    (2016) Cameron, Emily; Tomfohr-Madsen, Lianne; Giesbrecht, Gerald; Goghari, Vina; Campbell, Tavis; MacMaster, Frank
    Working memory has been shown to predict future cognitive and academic outcomes, making the successful development of working memory crucial. Extensive animal literature has reported a relationship between elevated maternal cortisol in utero and poorer working memory performance in offspring, while this association has not been replicated in humans. The current study aims to investigate the effect of maternal cortisol exposure on working memory development in preschool aged children. Maternal salivary cortisol was collected over two consecutive days at three prenatal assessments. Child working memory was assessed at age 3-4 years. Results indicated that there was no association between a working memory composite score and maternal cortisol; however, the current study was underpowered. Individual subtest analyses revealed significant three-way interactions for two subtests with infant biological sex and gestational age. Future research should investigate the relationship between prenatal cortisol and working memory under varying conditions of stress in children.
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    Theory of Mind Reasoning and its Relationship to Executive and Social Functioning in 10-Year-Olds
    (2014-06-27) Cassetta, Briana; Goghari, Vina
    Theory of mind (ToM) is the ability to make inferences about mental states, though little research has examined ToM development in middle childhood. Recent studies have distinguished inferencing about beliefs (cognitive ToM) and emotions (affective ToM). ToM has also been associated with executive and social functioning. The current study examined advanced cognitive and affective ToM in 10-year-olds (N = 56) using false-belief and irony tasks. In addition, working memory, inhibition, and set-shifting abilities were assessed, along with empathy and bullying/victimization. Results show that cognitive ToM is more advanced than affective ToM in this age group. While cognitive false-belief was positively associated with inhibition and set-shifting, irony comprehension was negatively associated with these executive functions. Finally, affective false-belief was associated with less instances of bullying. Taken together, cognitive and affective ToM may develop at different rates and be differentially related to functioning.
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    Working memory and processing speed training in schizophrenia: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
    (2016-01) Cassetta, Briana; Goghari, Vina
    BACKGROUND: In most domains of cognition, individuals with schizophrenia are generally found to be one standard deviation below the mean of the controls. As a result, examining the impact of cognitive remediation in individuals with schizophrenia has been a burgeoning area of research. However, the state of the literature remains unclear as to which domains of cognition should be targeted to produce the most widespread and durable benefits for individuals with schizophrenia. One suggestion is that targeting lower-level cognitive processes that are important for higher-level and more complex aspects of cognition may produce the most widespread benefits in cognition and everyday functioning. Relatively few studies have examined the effects of working memory or processing speed training in schizophrenia, as most studies examine broad-based remediation programs. Thus, a need exists for targeted working memory and processing speed training studies to better understand the mechanisms of cognitive enhancement in patients. This study aims to 1) investigate near-transfer gains (that is, the transfer of learning to related contexts) associated with working memory and processing speed training in schizophrenia patients; 2) investigate far-transfer gains (that is, the transfer of learning to new contexts) associated with working memory and processing speed training (that is, gains in other neurocognitive domains and social cognition); and 3) investigate real-world gains associated with training (that is, gains in daily functioning). METHODS/DESIGN: A double-blind randomized controlled trial with a three parallel group design will be conducted. A random sample of 81 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder will be recruited through outpatient clinics at Foothills Hospital and community support programs in Calgary, Alberta. Participants will be randomly assigned using a computer-generated program in a 1:1:1 ratio to a working memory-training group, a processing speed-training group, or a no-training control group. Training will be completed at home for 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week, for a total of 10 weeks. Neurocognitive, social cognitive, and daily functioning measures will be administered both pre- and post-training to detect training-related gains. The primary outcome measures will include working memory and processing speed (near-transfer measures), as well as fluid intelligence (far-transfer measure). TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current controlled trials NCT02478827 (ClinicalTrials.gov, registered on 15 June 2015).