Abstract：
Prolactinomas have been reported to impair cognition in broad aspects. However, few studies investigated the influence of prolactinomas on cognitive flexibility never mentioning the underlying neural and electrophysiological mechanism. We recorded scalp electroencephalography (EEG) in a colour-shape switching task. Patients with prolactinomas showed longer reaction time in switch trials and larger switch costs relative to healthy controls (HCs). Compared to HCs who showed stronger frontal theta activity in switch trials, the generally weak frontal theta activity in patients implied that they could not afford the executive control to configure task sets. Meanwhile, machine-learning based classification revealed that patients manifested non-selective brain patterns in response to different task types (colour vs. shape task) and different task states (switch vs. repeat state), which collectively suggested the cognitive dysfunction in preparation for a changing environment. Compared to HCs who showed stronger frontoparietal synchronization in switch trials, this enhanced frontoparietal connectivity was disrupted among patients with severe prolactinomas. This finding implicated greater hyperprolactinemia was linked to a larger decrease in cognitive performance. Taken together, the present study highlighted frontal theta power, and frontoparietal connectivity at theta band as the electrophysiological markers of the impaired cognitive flexibility and task control in patients with prolactinomas.
摘要：
已报道泌乳素瘤在广泛方面损害认知。然而,很少有研究探讨泌乳素瘤对认知灵活性的影响，但从未提及潜在的神经和电生理机制。我们在颜色形状切换任务中记录了头皮脑电图（EEG）。与健康对照（HCs）相比，泌乳素瘤患者在转换试验中表现出更长的反应时间和更大的转换成本。与在转换试验中表现出更强的额叶θ活性的HC相比，患者额叶theta活动普遍较弱，这意味着他们无法负担执行控制来配置任务集。同时,基于机器学习的分类显示，患者在响应不同任务类型时表现出非选择性大脑模式(颜色与形状任务)和不同的任务状态(切换与重复状态)，共同提出了认知功能障碍，为不断变化的环境做准备。与在转换试验中表现出更强的额顶同步的HC相比，这种增强的额顶连接在重度泌乳素瘤患者中受到破坏.这一发现暗示更大的高催乳素血症与认知能力的更大下降有关。一起来看,本研究强调了额叶θ功率，和theta波段的额顶连接作为泌乳素瘤患者认知灵活性和任务控制受损的电生理标志物。
