Department of Neurology, Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Department of Neurology, Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2020 Mar;169:107185. doi: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107185. Epub 2020 Feb 14.
In the present study extinction and renewal of cognitive associations were assessed in two experiments in participants with focal and degenerative cerebellar disease. Using a predictive learning task, participants had to learn by trial and error the relationships between food items and the occurrence of stomach trouble in a hypothetical patient. In the first experiment, focus was on renewal effects. Participants with chronic cerebellar stroke (n = 14; mean age 50.9 ± 12 years), participants with degenerative cerebellar disease (n = 16; mean age 58 ± 12 years), age-, sex-, and education matched controls (n = 20; mean age 53.7 ± 10.8 years) and young controls (n = 19; mean age 23.2 ± 2.7 years) were tested. Acquisition and extinction of food-stomach trouble associations took part in two different contexts (represented by restaurants). In a subsequent test phase, food stimuli were presented in both contexts and no feedback was given. This allowed testing for renewal of the initially acquired associations in the acquisition context. Acquisition and extinction learning were not significantly different between groups. Significant renewal effects were present in young controls only. In the second experiment, focus was on extinction. To control for age effects, 19 young participants with chronic surgical lesions of the cerebellum (mean age 25.6 ± 6.1 years), and 24 age-, sex- and education-matched healthy controls were tested. Acquisition and extinction of food-stomach trouble associations took part in the same context. In the extinction phase, the relationship with stomach trouble was reversed in some of the food items. Acquisition and extinction learning were not significantly different between groups. The main finding of the present study was preserved extinction of learned cognitive associations in participants with chronic cerebellar disease. Findings agree with previous observations in the literature that cognitive abnormalities are frequently absent or weak in adults with cerebellar disease. This does not exclude a contribution of the cerebellum to extinction of learned associations. For example, findings may be different in more challenging cognitive tasks, and in participants with acute cerebellar disease with no time for compensation.
在本研究中，通过两项实验评估了有局灶性和退行性小脑疾病的参与者的认知联想的消退和更新。使用预测学习任务，参与者必须通过试错来学习食物与假设患者胃部不适之间的关系。在第一项实验中，重点是更新效果。患有慢性小脑中风的参与者（n=14；平均年龄 50.9±12 岁）、患有退行性小脑疾病的参与者（n=16；平均年龄 58±12 岁）、年龄、性别和教育匹配的对照组（n=20；平均年龄 53.7±10.8 岁）和年轻对照组（n=19；平均年龄 23.2±2.7 岁）接受了测试。食物-胃部不适关联的获取和消退发生在两个不同的情境中（分别由餐厅代表）。在随后的测试阶段，食物刺激在两个情境中呈现，没有反馈。这允许测试在获取情境中初始获得的关联的更新。组间获取和消退学习没有显著差异。只有年轻对照组存在显著的更新效应。在第二项实验中，重点是消退。为了控制年龄效应，19 名患有慢性小脑手术病变的年轻参与者（平均年龄 25.6±6.1 岁）和 24 名年龄、性别和教育匹配的健康对照组接受了测试。食物-胃部不适关联的获取和消退发生在同一情境中。在消退阶段，一些食物与胃部不适的关系发生了逆转。组间获取和消退学习没有显著差异。本研究的主要发现是慢性小脑疾病患者学习认知联想的消退得到了保留。研究结果与文献中的先前观察结果一致，即小脑疾病患者的认知异常通常不存在或较弱。这并不排除小脑对学习关联的消退有贡献。例如，在更具挑战性的认知任务中，以及在没有时间补偿的急性小脑疾病患者中，结果可能会有所不同。
