PET Based Molecular Imaging Research On Attention Function

Background:Attention is a complex psychological process which is necessary to varieties cognitive process. It depends on a particular attention network. Many psychiatric disorders have attentional function deficits. Learning, training and some drugs can change the attention function. However, it is still not very clear whether the training model good or bad and its underlying neural mechanism.Objective:Based on the advantages of PET imaging, the aim in our study is to explore the effects of learning or game play and its attentional neural mechanisms by detecting the brain activity changes under the process of attention by comparing the cerebral glucose metabolism changes under different attentional state in rats and under game play state in human.Methods:Different stage of rat attention model was established by using the five-hole attention test system. And we detect rat cerebral glucose metabolic changes at different learning and attentional stages by using [18F]FDG microPET imaging. Cerebral glucose metabolism changes were also detected in young man under attention task triggered by online games by using [F]FDG PET imaging. Further analysis was compared according to the duration of game play.Results:In the process of visual attention conditional learning, the glucose metabolism increased in rat brain including bilateral lateral hypothalamus, bilateral nucleus accumbens, bilateral piriform cortex, the left retrosplenial granular cortex, the left cingulate cortex, the left primary samotasensory cortex, the right side of the entorhinal cortex and paramedian lobule of the right cerebrum. And the glucose metabolism decreased in the olfactory bulb and the thalamic nucleus region (medialdorsal and anterodorsal parts). In the attentive condition, glucose metabolism was increased in the right retrosplenial cortex while decreased in the right medial geniculate nucleus. Attention tasks mediated by online games will significantly increase glucose metabolism in the occipital lobe, cerebellum and decreased in frontotemporal region in young people. Moreover, these changes have brain lateralization effects with reduction in the left side while increasing in the right side. Compared with people who occasionally play games, this change is more prominent among the frequently game play group.Conclusion:[18F]FDG PET imaging provides an effective method to attention function research. Regional glucose metabolic changes in the right retrosplenial cortex can be induced by the extensive visual-guided attentive behavior which indicated that the RSC played an important role in top-down attention control in the rodents. Many brain regions involved in the visual attention process triggered by online games. Attention tasks triggered by online game can significantly increase the glucose metabolism level in the occipital and cerebellum region and decrease in the frontotemporal region in young people. The online game will reshape the function of the brain, and long time game playing may decrease the frontotemporal function. These findings reveal the pathological mechanisms of attention dysfunction and provide instructions for how to train and intervere the attention function related disorders.