Attention deficits linked with proclivity to explore while foraging

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 291(2017)

Published: Feb. 21, 2024

All mobile organisms forage for resources, choosing how and when to search new opportunities by comparing current returns with the average environment. In humans, nomadic lifestyles favouring exploration have been associated genetic mutations implicated in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), inviting hypothesis that this condition may impact foraging decisions general population. Here we tested pre-registered examining human participants collected resources an online task. On every trial, chose either continue collect rewards from a depleting patch of or replenish patch. Participants also completed well-validated ADHD self-report screening assessment at end sessions. departed resource patches sooner travel times between were shorter than they longer, as predicted optimal theory. whose scores on scale crossed threshold positive screen significantly who did not meet criterion. meeting achieved higher reward rates individuals not. Our findings suggest attributes confer advantages some environments invite possibility reflect adaptation over exploitation.

Language: Английский

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What Is Mental Effort: A Clinical Perspective

Biological Psychiatry, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 95(11), P. 1030 - 1037

Published: Feb. 1, 2024

Although mental effort is a frequently used term, it poorly defined and understood. Consequently, its usage loose potentially misleading. In neuroscience research, the term to mean both cognitive 'work' that done in meeting task demands, subjective experience of performing work. We argue conflating these two meanings hampers progress understanding impairments neuropsychiatric conditions, because work have distinct underlying mechanisms. suggest most coherent clinically useful perspective on experience. This makes clear distinction between arising from changes apparatus, as dementia brain injury, those difficulties carrying out work, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, other motivational disorders. review recent advances suggesting has emerged control switches so minimise 'costs' relative 'benefits.' consider how can contribute our increased perception clinical populations. more specific framing will offer deeper mechanisms differing groups, ultimately facilitate better therapeutic interventions.

Language: Английский

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Sex mechanisms as nonbinary influences on cognitive diversity

Hormones and Behavior, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 162, P. 105544 - 105544

Published: April 20, 2024

Essentially all neuropsychiatric diagnoses show some degree of sex and/or gender differences in their etiology, diagnosis, or prognosis. As a result, the roles sex-related variables behavior and cognition are strong interest to many, with several lines research showing effects on executive functions value-based decision making particular. These findings often framed within binary, females described as less optimal than male "defaults"-- framing that pits males against each other deemphasizes enormous overlap fundamental neural mechanisms across sexes. Here, we propose an alternative framework which factors encompass just one subset many sources valuable diversity cognition. First, review literature establishing multidimensional, nonbinary impacts related chromosomes endocrine cognition, focusing value- based decision-making tasks. Next, present two suggestions for interpretations analyses data can be implemented by behavioral neuroscientists without devoting laboratory resources delving into underlying differences. We recommend (1) shifting away from performance metrics towards strategy assessments avoid fallacy is worse another; (2) asking how much variance explains measures whether any mosaic rather assuming separate inextricably correlated. Nonbinary frameworks will allow neuroscience represent full spectrum brains behaviors.

Language: Английский

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Hyperactive ADHD symptoms are associated with increased variability in thought content in less constrained contexts

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: March 21, 2025

The current study used two complementary methods to examine whether hyperactive and inattentive ADHD symptoms are differentially linked thought dynamics under contexts that differ in the extent which constraints placed on ongoing thoughts. First, participants voiced aloud their thoughts real-time (i.e., Think Aloud task), conditions varying levels of exerted Individuals with more displayed heightened variability content only less constrained condition. Second, completed seven days ecological momentary assessment during they received six probes daily asking were freely moving (as a proxy for variability) question captured different constraints. Hyperactive positively associated responses corresponded lower Across approaches, we provide converging evidence hyperactive, but not inattentive, increased deliberate Together, these results support Dynamic Framework Spontaneous Thought highlight importance considering context ADHD.

Language: Английский

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Distractibility and Impulsivity in ADHD as an Evolutionary Mismatch of High Trait Curiosity

Evolutionary Psychological Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 10(3), P. 282 - 297

Published: Aug. 1, 2024

Abstract Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by symptoms that include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Recent research suggests individuals with ADHD might exhibit higher levels of curiosity, which may be linked to their tendencies toward distractibility This paper proposes an evolutionary mismatch hypothesis for high trait curiosity in ADHD, positing ‘hypercuriosity’, have been adaptive ancestral environments scarce resources unpredictable risks, has become mismatched industrialized societies where are more stable information rich. The theory predicts will demonstrate heightened novelty-seeking exploratory behaviors, manifesting as labeled impulsivity modern environments. explores the potential benefits consequences mismatch, implications practice. limitations addressed, such need targeted on differences among subtypes. Future directions proposed refine test hypothesis, ultimately contributing nuanced understanding informing development strength-based interventions. theoretical framework offers novel perspective value traits manifestation societies.

Language: Английский

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Dynamics of spontaneous thoughts: Exploration, attentional profile and the segmentation of the stream of thoughts

Consciousness and Cognition, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 124, P. 103735 - 103735

Published: Aug. 23, 2024

For a long time, clinical knowledge and first-person reports have pointed to individual differences in the dynamics of spontaneous thoughts, particular extreme case psychiatric conditions (e.g. racing thoughts Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD; rumination depression). We used novel procedure investigate this variability by combining verbal fluency tasks introspective thought content. Our goal was twofold. First, we tested hypothesis that greater segmentation stream would be associated with trait inattention, line subjective ADHD patients. Second, whether increased an tendency for exploratory behavior, following recent theoretical claims on mechanisms underpinning generation thoughts. results support both hypotheses, shedding light factors contributing thought.

Language: Английский

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The Creative Awareness Theory: A Grounded Theory Study of Inherent Self-Regulation in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Journal of Clinical Medicine, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 13(19), P. 5963 - 5963

Published: Oct. 7, 2024

The aim of this study was to determine why and how adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience variable impairment identify the processes strategies ADHD use develop positive self-regulation skills.

Language: Английский

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Protocol and preregistration for the CODEC project: measuring, modelling and mechanistically understanding the nature of cognitive variability in early childhood

BMC Psychology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 12(1)

Published: July 26, 2024

Abstract Background Children’s cognitive performance fluctuates across multiple timescales. However, fluctuations have often been neglected in favour of research into average performance, limiting the unique insights abilities and development that variability may afford. Preliminary evidence suggests greater is associated with increased symptoms neurodevelopmental disorders, differences behavioural neural functioning. The relative dearth empirical work on variability, historically limited due to a lack suitable data quantitative methodology, has left crucial questions unanswered, which CODEC (COgnitive Dynamics Early Childhood) study aims address. Method cohort an accelerated 3-year longitudinal encompasses 600 7-to-10-year-old children. Each year includes ‘burst’ week (3 times per day, 5 days week) measurements five domains (reasoning, working memory, processing speed, vocabulary, exploration), conducted both classrooms at home through experience sampling assessments. We also measure academic outcomes external factors hypothesised predict including sleep, mood, motivation background noise. A subset 200 children (CODEC-MRI) are invited for two deep phenotyping sessions (in 1 3 study), structural functional magnetic resonance imaging, eye-tracking, parental questionnaire-based demographic psychosocial measures. will quantify developmental changes using Dynamic Structural Equation Modelling, allowing us simultaneously capture multilevel structure trials nested sessions, days, classrooms. Discussion CODEC’s design allows range different domains, ages, temporal resolutions. deep-phenotyping arm test hypotheses concerning role mind wandering, strategy exploration, brain structure. Due nature, we able measures baseline long-term outcomes. In summary, combining sampling, design, phenotyping, cutting-edge statistical methodologies better understand causes, consequences Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov - NCT06330090

Language: Английский

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Protocol and preregistration for the CODEC project: Measuring, modelling and mechanistically understanding the nature of cognitive variability in early childhood

Research Square (Research Square), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: July 29, 2024

Background Children’s cognitive performance fluctuates across multiple timescales. However, fluctuations have often been neglected in favour of research into average performance, limiting the unique insights abilities and development that variability may afford. Preliminary evidence suggests greater is associated with increased symptoms neurodevelopmental disorders, differences behavioural neural functioning. The relative dearth empirical work on variability, historically limited due to a lack suitable data quantitative methodology, has left crucial questions unanswered, which CODEC (COgnitive Dynamics Early Childhood) study aims address. Method cohort an accelerated 3-year longitudinal encompasses 600 7-to-10-year-old children. Each year includes ‘burst’ week (3 times per day, 5 days week) measurements five domains (reasoning, working memory, processing speed, vocabulary, exploration), conducted both classrooms at home through experience sampling assessments. We also measure academic outcomes external factors hypothesised predict including sleep, mood, motivation background noise. A subset 200 children (CODEC-MRI) are invited for two deep phenotyping sessions (in 1 & 3 study), structural functional magnetic resonance imaging, eye-tracking, parental questionnaire-based demographic psychosocial measures. will quantify developmental changes using Dynamic Structural Equation Modelling, allowing us simultaneously capture multilevel structure trials nested sessions, days, classrooms. Discussion CODEC’s design allows range different domains, ages, temporal resolutions. deep-phenotyping arm test hypotheses concerning role mind wandering, strategy exploration, brain structure. Due nature, we able measures baseline long-term outcomes. In summary, combining sampling, design, phenotyping, cutting-edge statistical methodologies better understand causes, consequences Trialregister: ClinicalTrials.gov - NCT06330090

Language: Английский

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Differential patch-leaving behavior during probabilistic foraging in humans and gerbils

Communications Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 7(1)

Published: Aug. 15, 2024

Abstract Foraging confronts animals, including humans, with the need to balance exploration and exploitation: exploiting a resource until it depletes then deciding when move new location for more resources. Research across various species has identified rules leave depleting patch, influenced by environmental factors like patch quality. Here we compare human gerbil patch-leaving behavior through two analogous tasks: visual search humans physical foraging task gerbils, both involving patches randomly varying initial rewards that decreased exponentially. Patch-leaving decisions of but not gerbils follow an incremental mechanism based on reward encounters is considered optimal maximizing yields in variable environments. The also differ their giving-up times, some subjects tend overharvest. However, individual who do overharvest are equally sensitive declining collection rates accordance marginal value theorem. Altogether this study introduces paradigm between-species comparison how resolve exploitation-exploration dilemma.

Language: Английский

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