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Stanyard RA, Mason D, Ellis C, Dickson H, Short R, Batalle D, Arichi T. Aperiodic and Hurst EEG exponents across early human brain development: A systematic review. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 68:101402. [PMID: 38917647 PMCID: PMC11254951 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
In electroencephalographic (EEG) data, power-frequency slope exponents (1/f_β) can provide non-invasive markers of in vivo neural activity excitation-inhibition (E:I) balance. E:I balance may be altered in neurodevelopmental conditions; hence, understanding how 1/fβ evolves across infancy/childhood has implications for developing early assessments/interventions. This systematic review (PROSPERO-ID: CRD42023363294) explored the early maturation (0-26 yrs) of resting-state EEG 1/f measures (aperiodic [AE], power law [PLE] and Hurst [HE] exponents), including studies containing ≥1 1/f measures and ≥10 typically developing participants. Five databases (including Embase and Scopus) were searched during March 2023. Forty-two studies were identified (Nparticipants=3478). Risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment with Diverse Studies tool. Narrative synthesis of HE data suggests non-stationary EEG activity occurs throughout development. Age-related trends were complex, with rapid decreases in AEs during infancy and heterogenous changes thereafter. Regionally, AE maxima shifted developmentally, potentially reflecting spatial trends in maturing brain connectivity. This work highlights the importance of further characterising the development of 1/f measures to better understand how E:I balance shapes brain and cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Stanyard
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, United Kingdom; Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom.
| | - D Mason
- Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - C Ellis
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - H Dickson
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - R Short
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - D Batalle
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, United Kingdom; Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - T Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, United Kingdom; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, United Kingdom; Children's Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom; Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
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2
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Van Schependom J, Baetens K, Nagels G, Olmi S, Beste C. Neurophysiological avenues to better conceptualizing adaptive cognition. Commun Biol 2024; 7:626. [PMID: 38789522 PMCID: PMC11126671 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06331-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
We delve into the human brain's remarkable capacity for adaptability and sustained cognitive functioning, phenomena traditionally encompassed as executive functions or cognitive control. The neural underpinnings that enable the seamless navigation between transient thoughts without detracting from overarching goals form the core of our article. We discuss the concept of "metacontrol," which builds upon conventional cognitive control theories by proposing a dynamic balancing of processes depending on situational demands. We critically discuss the role of oscillatory processes in electrophysiological activity at different scales and the importance of desynchronization and partial phase synchronization in supporting adaptive behavior including neural noise accounts, transient dynamics, phase-based measures (coordination dynamics) and neural mass modelling. The cognitive processes focused and neurophysiological avenues outlined are integral to understanding diverse psychiatric disorders thereby contributing to a more nuanced comprehension of cognitive control and its neural bases in both health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Van Schependom
- AIMS Lab, Center for Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Electronics and Informatics (ETRO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kris Baetens
- Brain, Body and Cognition, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Guy Nagels
- AIMS Lab, Center for Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- UZ Brussel, Department of Neurology, Brussels, Belgium
- St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Simona Olmi
- CNR-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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3
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Del Bianco T, Haartsen R, Mason L, Leno VC, Springer C, Potter M, Mackay W, Smit P, Plessis CD, Brink L, Johnson MH, Murphy D, Loth E, Odendaal H, Jones EJH. The importance of decomposing periodic and aperiodic EEG signals for assessment of brain function in a global context. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22484. [PMID: 38528816 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Measures of early neuro-cognitive development that are suitable for use in low-resource settings are needed to enable studies of the effects of early adversity on the developing brain in a global context. These measures should have high acquisition rates and good face and construct validity. Here, we investigated the feasibility of a naturalistic electroencephalography (EEG) paradigm in a low-resource context during childhood. Additionally, we examined the sensitivity of periodic and aperiodic EEG metrics to social and non-social stimuli. We recorded simultaneous 20-channel EEG and eye-tracking in 72 children aged 4-12 years (45 females) while they watched videos of women singing nursery rhymes and moving toys, selected to represent familiar childhood experiences. These measures were part of a feasibility study that assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a follow-up data collection of the South African Safe Passage Study, which tracks environmental adversity and brain and cognitive development from before birth up until childhood. We examined whether data quantity and quality varied with child characteristics and the sensitivity of varying EEG metrics (canonical band power in the theta and alpha band and periodic and aperiodic features of the power spectra). We found that children who completed the EEG and eye-tracking assessment were, in general, representative of the full cohort. Data quantity was higher in children with greater visual attention to the stimuli. Out of the tested EEG metrics, periodic measures in the theta frequency range were most sensitive to condition differences, compared to alpha range measures and canonical and aperiodic EEG measures. Our results show that measuring EEG during ecologically valid social and non-social stimuli is feasible in low-resource settings, is feasible for most children, and produces robust indices of social brain function. This work provides preliminary support for testing longitudinal links between social brain function, environmental factors, and emerging behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Del Bianco
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck University of London, London, UK
| | - Rianne Haartsen
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck University of London, London, UK
| | - Luke Mason
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck University of London, London, UK
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College, London, London, UK
| | - Virginia Carter Leno
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Cilla Springer
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mandy Potter
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Wendy Mackay
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Petrusa Smit
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Carlie Du Plessis
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lucy Brink
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mark H Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck University of London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Declan Murphy
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College, London, London, UK
| | - Eva Loth
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College, London, London, UK
| | - Hein Odendaal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck University of London, London, UK
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4
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McKeown DJ, Jones M, Pihl C, Finley AJ, Kelley N, Baumann O, Schinazi VR, Moustafa AA, Cavanagh JF, Angus DJ. Medication-invariant resting aperiodic and periodic neural activity in Parkinson's disease. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14478. [PMID: 37937898 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) has been associated with greater total power in canonical frequency bands (i.e., alpha, beta) of the resting electroencephalogram (EEG). However, PD has also been associated with a reduction in the proportion of total power across all frequency bands. This discrepancy may be explained by aperiodic activity (exponent and offset) present across all frequency bands. Here, we examined differences in the eyes-open (EO) and eyes-closed (EC) resting EEG of PD participants (N = 26) on and off medication, and age-matched healthy controls (CTL; N = 26). We extracted power from canonical frequency bands using traditional methods (total alpha and beta power) and extracted separate parameters for periodic (parameterized alpha and beta power) and aperiodic activity (exponent and offset). Cluster-based permutation tests over spatial and frequency dimensions indicated that total alpha and beta power, and aperiodic exponent and offset were greater in PD participants, independent of medication status. After removing the exponent and offset, greater alpha power in PD (vs. CTL) was only present in EO recordings and no reliable differences in beta power were observed. Differences between PD and CTL in the resting EEG are likely driven by aperiodic activity, suggestive of greater relative inhibitory neural activity and greater neuronal spiking. Our findings suggest that resting EEG activity in PD is characterized by medication-invariant differences in aperiodic activity which is independent of the increase in alpha power with EO. This highlights the importance of considering aperiodic activity contributions to the neural correlates of brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J McKeown
- Faculty of Society and Design, School of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Manon Jones
- Faculty of Society and Design, School of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Camilla Pihl
- Faculty of Society and Design, School of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Anna J Finley
- Institute on Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Nicholas Kelley
- School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Oliver Baumann
- Faculty of Society and Design, School of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Victor R Schinazi
- Faculty of Society and Design, School of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ahmed A Moustafa
- Faculty of Society and Design, School of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - James F Cavanagh
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Douglas J Angus
- Faculty of Society and Design, School of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
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5
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Arnett AB, Guiney H, Bakir-Demir T, Trudgen A, Schierding W, Reid V, O'Sullivan J, Gluckman P, Reese E, Poulton R. Resting EEG correlates of neurodevelopment in a socioeconomically and linguistically diverse sample of toddlers: Wave 1 of the Kia Tīmata Pai best start New Zealand study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 65:101336. [PMID: 38157733 PMCID: PMC10790011 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Development of communication and self-regulation skills is fundamental to psychosocial maturation in childhood. The Kia Tīmata Pai Best Start (KTP) longitudinal study aims to promote these skills through interventions delivered at early childcare centers across New Zealand. In addition to evaluating effects of the interventions on behavioral and cognitive outcomes, the study utilizes electroencephalography (EEG) to characterize cortical development in a subsample of participating children. Here, we present results of the baseline resting EEG assessment with 193 children aged 15 to 33 months. We identified EEG correlates of individual differences in demographics, communication abilities, and temperament. We obtained communication and behavior ratings from multiple informants, and we applied contemporary analytic methods to the EEG data. Periodic spectral power adjusted for aperiodic activity was most closely associated with demographic, language, and behavioral measures. As in previous studies, gamma power was positively associated with verbal language. Alpha power was positively associated with effortful control. Nonverbal and verbal language measures showed distinct associations with EEG indices, as did the three temperament domains. Our results identified a number of candidate EEG measurements for use as longitudinal markers of optimal cortical development and response to interventions in the KTP cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Arnett
- Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Hayley Guiney
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Anita Trudgen
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - William Schierding
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Vincent Reid
- School of Psychology, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | | | - Peter Gluckman
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Elaine Reese
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Richie Poulton
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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6
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McKeown DJ, Finley AJ, Kelley NJ, Cavanagh JF, Keage HAD, Baumann O, Schinazi VR, Moustafa AA, Angus DJ. Test-retest reliability of spectral parameterization by 1/f characterization using SpecParam. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad482. [PMID: 38100367 PMCID: PMC10793580 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
SpecParam (formally known as FOOOF) allows for the refined measurements of electroencephalography periodic and aperiodic activity, and potentially provides a non-invasive measurement of excitation: inhibition balance. However, little is known about the psychometric properties of this technique. This is integral for understanding the usefulness of SpecParam as a tool to determine differences in measurements of cognitive function, and electroencephalography activity. We used intraclass correlation coefficients to examine the test-retest reliability of parameterized activity across three sessions (90 minutes apart and 30 days later) in 49 healthy young adults at rest with eyes open, eyes closed, and during three eyes closed cognitive tasks including subtraction (Math), music recall (Music), and episodic memory (Memory). Intraclass correlation coefficients were good for the aperiodic exponent and offset (intraclass correlation coefficients > 0.70) and parameterized periodic activity (intraclass correlation coefficients > 0.66 for alpha and beta power, central frequency, and bandwidth) across conditions. Across all three sessions, SpecParam performed poorly in eyes open (40% of participants had poor fits over non-central sites) and had poor test-retest reliability for parameterized periodic activity. SpecParam mostly provides reliable metrics of individual differences in parameterized neural activity. More work is needed to understand the suitability of eyes open resting data for parameterization using SpecParam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J McKeown
- The Mind Space Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD 4229, Australia
| | - Anna J Finley
- Institute on Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Nicholas J Kelley
- School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - James F Cavanagh
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States
| | - Hannah A D Keage
- School of Psychology, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Oliver Baumann
- The Mind Space Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD 4229, Australia
| | - Victor R Schinazi
- The Mind Space Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD 4229, Australia
| | - Ahmed A Moustafa
- The Mind Space Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD 4229, Australia
| | - Douglas J Angus
- The Mind Space Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD 4229, Australia
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7
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Rico-Picó J, Moyano S, Conejero Á, Hoyo Á, Ballesteros-Duperón MÁ, Rueda MR. Early development of electrophysiological activity: Contribution of periodic and aperiodic components of the EEG signal. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14360. [PMID: 37322838 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Brain function rapidly changes in the first 2 years of life. In the last decades, resting-state EEG has been widely used to explore those changes. Previous studies have focused on the relative power of the signal in established frequency bands (i.e., theta, alpha, and beta). However, EEG power is a mixture of a 1/f-like background power (aperiodic) in combination with narrow peaks that appear over that curve (periodic activity, e.g., alpha peak). Therefore, it is possible that relative power captures both, aperiodic and periodic brain activity, contributing to changes in electrophysiological activity observed in infancy. For this reason, we explored the early developmental trajectory of the relative power in theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands from infancy to toddlerhood and compared it with changes in periodic activity in a longitudinal study with three waves at age 6, 9, and 16 to 18 months. Finally, we tested the contribution of periodic activity and aperiodic components of the EEG to age changes in relative power. We found that relative power and periodic activity trajectories differed in this period in all the frequency bands but alpha. Furthermore, aperiodic EEG activity flattened between 6 and 18 months. More importantly, only alpha relative power was exclusively related to periodic activity, whereas aperiodic components of the signal significantly contributed to the relative power of activity in theta and beta bands. Thus, relative power in these frequencies is influenced by developmental changes of the aperiodic activity, which should be considered for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josué Rico-Picó
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Sebastián Moyano
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Ángela Conejero
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Ángela Hoyo
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - M Ángeles Ballesteros-Duperón
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Psychobiology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - M Rosario Rueda
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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8
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Miller M, Arnett AB, Shephard E, Charman T, Gustafsson HC, Joseph HM, Karalunas S, Nigg JT, Polanczyk GV, Sullivan EL, Jones EJH. Delineating early developmental pathways to ADHD: Setting an international research agenda. JCPP ADVANCES 2023; 3:e12144. [PMID: 37753147 PMCID: PMC10519745 DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.12144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent, impairing, and highly heritable condition typically diagnosed in middle childhood. However, it is now recognized that symptoms emerge much earlier in development. Research focused on understanding-using multiple units of analysis-the cascade of early-life (i.e., prenatal-infant-toddler) developmental changes that will later emerge as ADHD has the potential to transform early identification, prevention, and intervention. To this end, we introduce the recently established Early ADHD Consortium, an international network of investigators engaged in prospective, longitudinal studies of risk for ADHD beginning early in life, conducted within a developmental framework, and which incorporate multimethod approaches. This network seeks to harmonize measures and methodological approaches to increase the potential for data sharing and subsequent impact. Methods This perspective paper highlights the importance of investigating pre-diagnostic markers of ADHD, and potential models and mechanisms of ADHD risk and development, with the long-term objective of facilitating development of preemptive interventions that will minimize the impact of ADHD symptoms on everyday functioning and maximize health and developmental outcomes. Results We selectively describe key challenges and questions for this field related to theoretical models and developmental mechanisms in ADHD and recommend next steps for the science, including methodological, measurement, and study design considerations. We then describe potential implications for preemptive intervention development. We conclude by considering other issues including ethical concerns and the critical value of incorporating stakeholder input. Conclusions It is hoped that this perspective puts forth a research agenda that will enhance collaborative efforts and accelerate progress in understanding developmental mechanisms and the early ADHD phenotype, with implications for early intervention enhancement of healthy development for infants, young children, and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Miller
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and MIND InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Anne B. Arnett
- Division of Developmental MedicineBoston Children's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of PediatricsHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Elizabeth Shephard
- Department of PsychiatryFaculdade de Medicina FMUSPUniversidade de São PauloSao PauloBrasil
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN)King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Tony Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN)King's College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Heather M. Joseph
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Sarah Karalunas
- Department of Psychological SciencesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Joel T. Nigg
- Department of PsychiatryOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Guilherme V. Polanczyk
- Department of PsychiatryFaculdade de Medicina FMUSPUniversidade de São PauloSao PauloBrasil
| | - Elinor L. Sullivan
- Department of PsychiatryOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Emily J. H. Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentBirkbeck, University of LondonLondonUK
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9
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Witteveen IF, McCoy E, Holsworth TD, Shen CZ, Chang W, Nance MG, Belkowitz AR, Dougald A, Puglia MH, Ribic A. Preterm birth accelerates the maturation of spontaneous and resting activity in the visual cortex. Front Integr Neurosci 2023; 17:1149159. [PMID: 37255843 PMCID: PMC10225509 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2023.1149159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Prematurity is among the leading risks for poor neurocognitive outcomes. The brains of preterm infants show alterations in structure and electrical activity, but the underlying circuit mechanisms are unclear. To address this, we performed a cross-species study of the electrophysiological activity in the visual cortices of prematurely born infants and mice. Using electroencephalography (EEG) in a sample of healthy preterm (N = 29) and term (N = 28) infants, we found that the maturation of the aperiodic EEG component was accelerated in the preterm cohort, with a significantly flatter 1/f slope when compared to the term infants. The flatter slope was a result of decreased spectral power in the theta and alpha bands and was correlated with the degree of prematurity. To determine the circuit and cellular changes that potentially mediate the changes in 1/f slope after preterm birth, we used in vivo electrophysiology in preterm mice and found that, similar to infants, preterm birth results in a flattened 1/f slope. We analyzed neuronal activity in the visual cortex of preterm (N = 6) and term (N = 9) mice and found suppressed spontaneous firing of neurons. Using immunohistochemistry, we further found an accelerated maturation of inhibitory circuits. In both preterm mice and infants, the functional maturation of the cortex was accelerated, underscoring birth as a critical checkpoint in cortical maturation. Our study points to a potential mechanism of preterm birth-related changes in resting neural activity, highlighting the utility of a cross-species approach in studying the neural circuit mechanisms of preterm birth-related neurodevelopmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle F. Witteveen
- Department of Psychology, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Emily McCoy
- Department of Psychology, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Program in Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Troy D. Holsworth
- Department of Psychology, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Catherine Z. Shen
- Department of Psychology, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Winnie Chang
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Madelyn G. Nance
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Allison R. Belkowitz
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Avery Dougald
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Meghan H. Puglia
- Program in Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Adema Ribic
- Department of Psychology, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Program in Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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10
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McSweeney M, Morales S, Valadez EA, Buzzell GA, Yoder L, Fifer WP, Pini N, Shuffrey LC, Elliott AJ, Isler JR, Fox NA. Age-related trends in aperiodic EEG activity and alpha oscillations during early- to middle-childhood. Neuroimage 2023; 269:119925. [PMID: 36739102 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related structural and functional changes that occur during brain development are critical for cortical development and functioning. Previous electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) studies have highlighted the utility of power spectra analyses and have uncovered age-related trends that reflect perceptual, cognitive, and behavioural states as well as their underlying neurophysiology. The aim of the current study was to investigate age-related change in aperiodic and periodic alpha activity across a large sample of pre- and school-aged children (N = 502, age range 4 -11-years-of-age). Power spectra were extracted from baseline EEG recordings (eyes closed, eyes open) for each participant and parameterized into aperiodic activity to derive the offset and exponent parameters and periodic alpha oscillatory activity to derive the alpha peak frequency and the associated power estimates. Multilevel models were run to investigate age-related trends and condition-dependent changes for each of these measures. We found quadratic age-related effects for both the aperiodic offset and exponent. In addition, we observed increases in periodic alpha peak frequency as a function of age. Aperiodic measures and periodic alpha power were larger in magnitude during eyes closed compared to the eyes open baseline condition. Taken together, these results advance our understanding of the maturational patterns/trajectories of brain development during early- to middle-childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco McSweeney
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, 3304 Benjamin Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Santiago Morales
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, USA
| | - Emilio A Valadez
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, 3304 Benjamin Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - George A Buzzell
- Department of Psychology and the Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, USA
| | - Lydia Yoder
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, 3304 Benjamin Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - William P Fifer
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA; Department of Paediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA; Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA
| | - Nicolò Pini
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA; Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA
| | - Lauren C Shuffrey
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA; Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA
| | - Amy J Elliott
- Avera Research Institute, USA; Department of Paediatrics, University of South Dakota School of Medicine, USA
| | - Joseph R Isler
- Department of Paediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA
| | - Nathan A Fox
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, 3304 Benjamin Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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Leroy S, Major S, Bublitz V, Dreier JP, Koch S. Unveiling age-independent spectral markers of propofol-induced loss of consciousness by decomposing the electroencephalographic spectrum into its periodic and aperiodic components. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 14:1076393. [PMID: 36742202 PMCID: PMC9889977 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1076393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Induction of general anesthesia with propofol induces radical changes in cortical network organization, leading to unconsciousness. While perioperative frontal electroencephalography (EEG) has been widely implemented in the past decades, validated and age-independent EEG markers for the timepoint of loss of consciousness (LOC) are lacking. Especially the appearance of spatially coherent frontal alpha oscillations (8-12 Hz) marks the transition to unconsciousness.Here we explored whether decomposing the EEG spectrum into its periodic and aperiodic components unveiled markers of LOC and investigated their age-dependency. We further characterized the LOC-associated alpha oscillations by parametrizing the adjusted power over the aperiodic component, the center frequency, and the bandwidth of the peak in the alpha range. Methods In this prospective observational trial, EEG were recorded in a young (18-30 years) and an elderly age-cohort (≥ 70 years) over the transition to propofol-induced unconsciousness. An event marker was set in the EEG recordings at the timepoint of LOC, defined with the suppression of the lid closure reflex. Spectral analysis was conducted with the multitaper method. Aperiodic and periodic components were parametrized with the FOOOF toolbox. Aperiodic parametrization comprised the exponent and the offset. The periodic parametrization consisted in the characterization of the peak in the alpha range with its adjusted power, center frequency and bandwidth. Three time-segments were defined: preLOC (105 - 75 s before LOC), LOC (15 s before to 15 s after LOC), postLOC (190 - 220 s after LOC). Statistical significance was determined with a repeated-measures ANOVA. Results Loss of consciousness was associated with an increase in the aperiodic exponent (young: p = 0.004, elderly: p = 0.007) and offset (young: p = 0.020, elderly: p = 0.004) as well as an increase in the adjusted power (young: p < 0.001, elderly p = 0.011) and center frequency (young: p = 0.008, elderly: p < 0.001) of the periodic alpha peak. We saw age-related differences in the aperiodic exponent and offset after LOC as well as in the power and bandwidth of the periodic alpha peak during LOC. Conclusion Decomposing the EEG spectrum over induction of anesthesia into its periodic and aperiodic components unveiled novel age-independent EEG markers of propofol-induced LOC: the aperiodic exponent and offset as well as the center frequency and adjusted power of the power peak in the alpha range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Leroy
- Department of Anesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine (CCM, CVK), Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Major
- Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Department of Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Viktor Bublitz
- Department of Anesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine (CCM, CVK), Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens P. Dreier
- Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Department of Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Koch
- Department of Anesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine (CCM, CVK), Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,*Correspondence: Susanne Koch, ✉
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12
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Carter Leno V, Begum-Ali J, Goodwin A, Mason L, Pasco G, Pickles A, Garg S, Green J, Charman T, Johnson MH, Jones EJH. Infant excitation/inhibition balance interacts with executive attention to predict autistic traits in childhood. Mol Autism 2022; 13:46. [PMID: 36482366 PMCID: PMC9733024 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00526-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism is proposed to be characterised by an atypical balance of cortical excitation and inhibition (E/I). However, most studies have examined E/I alterations in older autistic individuals, meaning that findings could in part reflect homeostatic compensation. To assess the directionality of effects, it is necessary to examine alterations in E/I balance early in the lifespan before symptom emergence. Recent explanatory frameworks have argued that it is also necessary to consider how early risk features interact with later developing modifier factors to predict autism outcomes. METHOD We indexed E/I balance in early infancy by extracting the aperiodic exponent of the slope of the electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectrum ('1/f'). To validate our index of E/I balance, we tested for differences in the aperiodic exponent in 10-month-old infants with (n = 22) and without (n = 27) neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a condition thought to be characterised by alterations to cortical inhibition. We then tested for E/I alterations in a larger heterogeneous longitudinal cohort of infants with and without a family history of neurodevelopmental conditions (n = 150) who had been followed to early childhood. We tested the relevance of alterations in E/I balance and our proposed modifier, executive attention, by assessing whether associations between 10-month aperiodic slope and 36-month neurodevelopmental traits were moderated by 24-month executive attention. Analyses adjusted for age at EEG assessment, sex and number of EEG trials. RESULTS Infants with NF1 were characterised by a higher aperiodic exponent, indicative of greater inhibition, supporting our infant measure of E/I. Longitudinal analyses showed a significant interaction between aperiodic slope and executive attention, such that higher aperiodic exponents predicted greater autistic traits in childhood, but only in infants who also had weaker executive functioning abilities. LIMITATIONS The current study relied on parent report of infant executive functioning-type abilities; future work is required to replicate effects with objective measures of cognition. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest alterations in E/I balance are on the developmental pathway to autism outcomes, and that higher executive functioning abilities may buffer the impact of early cortical atypicalities, consistent with proposals that stronger executive functioning abilities may modify the impact of a wide range of risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Carter Leno
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Jannath Begum-Ali
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Amy Goodwin
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Luke Mason
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Greg Pasco
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Pickles
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Shruti Garg
- Faculty of Biological Medical and Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Jonathan Green
- Faculty of Biological Medical and Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mark H Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
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