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Sookprao P, Benjasupawan K, Phangwiwat T, Chatnuntawech I, Lertladaluck K, Gutchess A, Chunharas C, Itthipuripat S. Conflicting Sensory Information Sharpens the Neural Representations of Early Selective Visuospatial Attention. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e2012232024. [PMID: 38955488 PMCID: PMC11326869 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2012-23.2024] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Adaptive behaviors require the ability to resolve conflicting information caused by the processing of incompatible sensory inputs. Prominent theories of attention have posited that early selective attention helps mitigate cognitive interference caused by conflicting sensory information by facilitating the processing of task-relevant sensory inputs and filtering out behaviorally irrelevant information. Surprisingly, many recent studies that investigated the role of early selective attention on conflict mitigation have failed to provide positive evidence. Here, we examined changes in the selectivity of early visuospatial attention in male and female human subjects performing an attention-cueing Eriksen flanker task, where they discriminated the shape of a visual target surrounded by congruent or incongruent distractors. We used the inverted encoding model to reconstruct spatial representations of visual selective attention from the topographical patterns of amplitude modulations in alpha band oscillations in scalp EEG (∼8-12 Hz). We found that the fidelity of the alpha-based spatial reconstruction was significantly higher in the incongruent compared with the congruent condition. Importantly, these conflict-related modulations in the reconstruction fidelity occurred at a much earlier time window than those of the lateralized posterior event-related potentials associated with target selection and distractor suppression processes, as well as conflict-related modulations in the frontocentral negative-going wave and midline-frontal theta oscillations (∼3-7 Hz), thought to track executive control functions. Taken together, our data suggest that conflict resolution is supported by the cascade of neural processes underlying early selective visuospatial attention and frontal executive functions that unfold over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panchalee Sookprao
- Neuroscience Center for Research and Innovation (NX), Learning Institute, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
- Chula Neuroscience Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Cognitive Clinical and Computational Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- SCG Digital Office, Bangkok 10800, Thailand
| | - Kanyarat Benjasupawan
- Neuroscience Center for Research and Innovation (NX), Learning Institute, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
- Chula Neuroscience Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Cognitive Clinical and Computational Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Tanagrit Phangwiwat
- Neuroscience Center for Research and Innovation (NX), Learning Institute, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
- Big Data Experience Center (BX), Department of Computer Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10600, Thailand
- Computer Engineering Department, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
| | - Itthi Chatnuntawech
- National Nanotechnology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Kanda Lertladaluck
- Neuroscience Center for Research and Innovation (NX), Learning Institute, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
| | - Angela Gutchess
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02453
| | - Chaipat Chunharas
- Chula Neuroscience Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Cognitive Clinical and Computational Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Sirawaj Itthipuripat
- Neuroscience Center for Research and Innovation (NX), Learning Institute, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
- Big Data Experience Center (BX), Department of Computer Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10600, Thailand
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Shende SA, Jones SE, Mudar RA. Alpha and theta oscillations on a visual strategic processing task in age-related hearing loss. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1382613. [PMID: 39086839 PMCID: PMC11289776 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1382613] [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: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Emerging evidence suggests changes in several cognitive control processes in individuals with age-related hearing loss (ARHL). However, value-directed strategic processing, which involves selectively processing salient information based on high value, has been relatively unexplored in ARHL. Our previous work has shown behavioral changes in strategic processing in individuals with ARHL. The current study examined event-related alpha and theta oscillations linked to a visual, value-directed strategic processing task in 19 individuals with mild untreated ARHL and 17 normal hearing controls of comparable age and education. Methods Five unique word lists were presented where words were assigned high- or low-value based on the letter case, and electroencephalography (EEG) data was recorded during task performance. Results The main effect of the group was observed in early time periods. Specifically, greater theta synchronization was seen in the ARHL group relative to the control group. Interaction between group and value was observed at later time points, with greater theta synchronization for high- versus low-value information in those with ARHL. Discussion Our findings provide evidence for oscillatory changes tied to a visual task of value-directed strategic processing in individuals with mild untreated ARHL. This points towards modality-independent neurophysiological changes in cognitive control in individuals with mild degrees of ARHL and adds to the rapidly growing literature on the cognitive consequences of ARHL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shraddha A. Shende
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, United States
| | - Sarah E. Jones
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Raksha A. Mudar
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
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Liu M, Yu C, Shi J, Xu Y, Li Z, Huang J, Si Z, Yao L, Yin K, Zhao Z. Effects of one-week bilateral cerebellar iTBS on resting-state functional brain network and multi-task attentional performance in healthy individuals: A randomized, sham-controlled trial. Neuroimage 2024; 295:120648. [PMID: 38761882 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120648] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebellar intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) modulates the excitability of the cerebral cortex and may enhance attentional performance. To date, few studies have conducted iTBS on healthy subjects for one week and used electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate the effect of multiple stimulation sessions on resting-state functional brain networks and the daily stimulation effect on attentional performance. METHODS 16 healthy subjects participated in a one-week experiment, receiving bilateral cerebellar iTBS or sham stimulation and engaging in multi-task attentional training. The primary measures were the one-week attentional performance and pre- and post-experiment resting-state EEG activities. Amplitude Envelope Correlation (AEC) was used to construct the functional connectivity in the eye-open (EO) and eye-closed (EC) phases. RESULTS At least three sessions of iTBS were required to enhance multi-task performance significantly, whereas only one or two sessions failed to elicit the improvement. Compared with the control group, iTBS induced significant changes in PSD, AEC functional connectivity, and AEC network properties during the EO phase, while it had little effect during the EC phase. During the EO phase, the network property changes of the iTBS subject were correlated with improved attentional performance. CONCLUSION The multi-task performance requires multiple stimulations to enhance. iTBS affects the resting-state alpha band brain activities during the EO rather than the EC phase. The AEC network properties may serve as a biomarker to assess the attentional potential of healthy subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiliang Liu
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Chao Yu
- Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology, Nanjing, China.
| | - Jinping Shi
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yunfang Xu
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zijin Li
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Junhao Huang
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengye Si
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Li Yao
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Kuiying Yin
- Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology, Nanjing, China.
| | - Zhiwen Zhao
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China.
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Guha A, Popov T, Bartholomew ME, Reed AC, Diehl CK, Subotnik KL, Ventura J, Nuechterlein KH, Miller GA, Yee CM. Task-based default mode network connectivity predicts cognitive impairment and negative symptoms in first-episode schizophrenia. Psychophysiology 2024:e14627. [PMID: 38924105 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (SZ) demonstrate difficulty distinguishing between internally and externally generated stimuli. These aberrations in "source monitoring" have been theorized as contributing to symptoms of the disorder, including hallucinations and delusions. Altered connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) of the brain has been proposed as a mechanism through which discrimination between self-generated and externally generated events is disrupted. Source monitoring abnormalities in SZ have additionally been linked to impairments in selective attention and inhibitory processing, which are reliably observed via the N100 component of the event-related brain potential elicited during an auditory paired-stimulus paradigm. Given overlapping constructs associated with DMN connectivity and N100 in SZ, the present investigation evaluated relationships between these measures of disorder-related dysfunction and sought to clarify the nature of task-based DMN function in SZ. DMN connectivity and N100 measures were assessed using EEG recorded from SZ during their first episode of illness (N = 52) and demographically matched healthy comparison participants (N = 25). SZ demonstrated less evoked theta-band connectivity within DMN following presentation of pairs of identical auditory stimuli than HC. Greater DMN connectivity among SZ was associated with better performance on measures of sustained attention (p = .03) and working memory (p = .09), as well as lower severity of negative symptoms, though it was not predictive of N100 measures. Together, present findings provide EEG evidence of lower task-based connectivity among first-episode SZ, reflecting disruptions of DMN functions that support cognitive processes. Attentional processes captured by N100 appear to be supported by different neural mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika Guha
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Tzvetan Popov
- Department of Psychology, Methods of Plasticity Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Morgan E Bartholomew
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alexandra C Reed
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Caroline K Diehl
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Kenneth L Subotnik
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Joseph Ventura
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Keith H Nuechterlein
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gregory A Miller
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Cindy M Yee
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Inguscio BMS, Cartocci G, Sciaraffa N, Nicastri M, Giallini I, Aricò P, Greco A, Babiloni F, Mancini P. Two are better than one: Differences in cortical EEG patterns during auditory and visual verbal working memory processing between Unilateral and Bilateral Cochlear Implanted children. Hear Res 2024; 446:109007. [PMID: 38608331 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.109007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Despite the proven effectiveness of cochlear implant (CI) in the hearing restoration of deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) children, to date, extreme variability in verbal working memory (VWM) abilities is observed in both unilateral and bilateral CI user children (CIs). Although clinical experience has long observed deficits in this fundamental executive function in CIs, the cause to date is still unknown. Here, we have set out to investigate differences in brain functioning regarding the impact of monaural and binaural listening in CIs compared with normal hearing (NH) peers during a three-level difficulty n-back task undertaken in two sensory modalities (auditory and visual). The objective of this pioneering study was to identify electroencephalographic (EEG) marker pattern differences in visual and auditory VWM performances in CIs compared to NH peers and possible differences between unilateral cochlear implant (UCI) and bilateral cochlear implant (BCI) users. The main results revealed differences in theta and gamma EEG bands. Compared with hearing controls and BCIs, UCIs showed hypoactivation of theta in the frontal area during the most complex condition of the auditory task and a correlation of the same activation with VWM performance. Hypoactivation in theta was also observed, again for UCIs, in the left hemisphere when compared to BCIs and in the gamma band in UCIs compared to both BCIs and NHs. For the latter two, a correlation was found between left hemispheric gamma oscillation and performance in the audio task. These findings, discussed in the light of recent research, suggest that unilateral CI is deficient in supporting auditory VWM in DHH. At the same time, bilateral CI would allow the DHH child to approach the VWM benchmark for NH children. The present study suggests the possible effectiveness of EEG in supporting, through a targeted approach, the diagnosis and rehabilitation of VWM in DHH children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Maria Serena Inguscio
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy; BrainSigns Srl, Via Tirso, 14, Rome 00198, Italy.
| | - Giulia Cartocci
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy; BrainSigns Srl, Via Tirso, 14, Rome 00198, Italy
| | | | - Maria Nicastri
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 31, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Ilaria Giallini
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 31, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Pietro Aricò
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy; BrainSigns Srl, Via Tirso, 14, Rome 00198, Italy; Department of Computer, Control, and Management Engineering "Antonio Ruberti", Sapienza University of Rome, Via Ariosto 125, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Antonio Greco
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 31, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Fabio Babiloni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy; BrainSigns Srl, Via Tirso, 14, Rome 00198, Italy; Department of Computer Science, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Xiasha Higher Education Zone, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Patrizia Mancini
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 31, Rome 00161, Italy
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Zając-Lamparska L, Zabielska-Mendyk E, Zapała D, Augustynowicz P. Compensatory brain activity pattern is not present in older adults during the n-back task performance-Findings based on EEG frequency analysis. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1371035. [PMID: 38666231 PMCID: PMC11043891 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1371035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cognitive ability is one of the most important enablers for successful aging. At the same time, cognitive decline is a well-documented phenomenon accompanying the aging process. Nevertheless, it is acknowledged that aging can also be related to positive processes that allow one to compensate for the decline. These processes include the compensatory brain activity of older adults primarily investigated using fMRI and PET. To strengthen the cognitive interpretation of compensatory brain activity in older adults, we searched for its indicators in brain activity measured by EEG. Methods The study sample comprised 110 volunteers, including 50 older adults (60-75 years old) and 60 young adults (20-35 years old) who performed 1-back, 2-back, and 3-back tasks while recording the EEG signal. The study analyzed (1) the level of cognitive performance, including sensitivity index, the percentage of correct answers to the target, and the percentage of false alarm errors; (2) theta and alpha power for electrodes located in the frontal-midline (Fz, AF3, AF4, F3, F4, FC1, and FC2) and the centro-parietal (CP1, CP2, P3, P4, and Pz) areas. Results Cognitive performance was worse in older adults than in young adults, which manifested in a significantly lower sensitivity index and a significantly higher false alarm error rate at all levels of the n-back task difficulty. Simultaneously, performance worsened with increasing task difficulty regardless of age. Significantly lower theta power in the older participants was observed at all difficulty levels, even at the lowest one, where compensatory activity was expected. At the same time, at this difficulty level, cognitive performance was worse in older adults than in young adults, which could reduce the chances of observing compensatory brain activity. The significant decrease in theta power observed in both age groups with rising task difficulty can reflect a declining capacity for efficient cognitive functioning under increasing demands rather than adapting to this increase. Moreover, in young adults, alpha power decreased to some extent with increasing cognitive demand, reflecting adaptation to them, while in older adults, no analogous pattern was observed. Discussion In conclusion, based on the results of the current study, the presence of compensatory activity in older adults cannot be inferred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludmiła Zając-Lamparska
- Department of General and Human Development Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Emilia Zabielska-Mendyk
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Dariusz Zapała
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Paweł Augustynowicz
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
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Tashakori-Sabzevar F, Munn RG, Bilkey DK, Ward RD. Basal forebrain and prelimbic cortex connectivity is related to behavioral response in an attention task. iScience 2024; 27:109266. [PMID: 38439980 PMCID: PMC10910283 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The basal forebrain (BF) is critical for the motivational recruitment of attention in response to reward-related cues. This finding is consistent with a role for the BF in encoding and transmitting motivational salience and readying prefrontal circuits for further attentional processing. We recorded local field potentials to determine connectivity between prelimbic cortex (PrL) and BF during the modulation of attention by reward-related cues. We find that theta and gamma power are robustly associated with behavior. Power in both bands is significantly lower during trials in which an incorrect behavioral response is made. We find strong coherence during responses that are significantly stronger when a correct response is made. We show that information flow is largely monodirectional from BF to and is strongest when correct responses are made. These experiments demonstrate that connectivity between BF and the PrL increases during periods of increased motivational recruitment of attentional resources.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert G.K. Munn
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - David K. Bilkey
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Ryan D. Ward
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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Ülkü S, Getzmann S, Wascher E, Schneider D. Be prepared for interruptions: EEG correlates of anticipation when dealing with task interruptions and the role of aging. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5679. [PMID: 38454047 PMCID: PMC10920752 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56400-y] [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: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Dealing with task interruptions requires the flexible use of working memory and attentional control mechanisms, which are prone to age-related changes. We investigated effects of age on dealing with task interruptions and potential advantages of anticipating an interruption using EEG and a retrospective cueing (retro-cue) paradigm. Thirty-two young (18-30 years) and 28 older (55-70 years) participants performed a visual working memory task, where they had to report the orientation of a target following a retro-cue. Within blocks of 10 trials, they were always, never, or randomly interrupted with an arithmetic task before the onset of the retro-cue. The interruption-induced decline in primary task performance was more pronounced in older participants, while only these benefited from anticipation. The EEG analysis revealed reduced theta and alpha/beta response to the retro-cue following interruptions, especially for the older participants. In both groups, anticipated interruptions were associated with increased theta and alpha/beta power prior and during the interruption, and stronger beta suppression to the retro-cue. The results indicate that interruptions impede the refocusing of attention on the task-relevant representation of the primary task, especially in older people, while anticipation facilitates preparation for the interruption task and resumption of the primary task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soner Ülkü
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Ardeystraße 67, 44139, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Stephan Getzmann
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Ardeystraße 67, 44139, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Edmund Wascher
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Ardeystraße 67, 44139, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Daniel Schneider
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Ardeystraße 67, 44139, Dortmund, Germany.
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Kurihara Y, Takahashi T, Osu R. The topology of interpersonal neural network in weak social ties. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4961. [PMID: 38418895 PMCID: PMC11336176 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55495-7] [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: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The strategies for social interaction between strangers differ from those between acquaintances, whereas the differences in neural basis of social interaction have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we examined the geometrical properties of interpersonal neural networks in pairs of strangers and acquaintances during antiphase joint tapping. Dual electroencephalogram (EEG) of 29 channels per participant was measured from 14 strangers and 13 acquaintance pairs.Intra-brain synchronizations were calculated using the weighted phase lag index (wPLI) for intra-brain electrode combinations, and inter-brain synchronizations were calculated using the phase locking value (PLV) for inter-brain electrode combinations in the theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands. For each participant pair, electrode combinations with larger wPLI/PLV than their surrogates were defined as the edges of the neural networks. We calculated global efficiency, local efficiency, and modularity derived from graph theory for the combined intra- and inter-brain networks of each pair. In the theta band networks, stranger pairs showed larger local efficiency than acquaintance pairs, indicating that the two brains of stranger pairs were more densely connected. Hence, weak social ties require extensive social interactions and result in high efficiency of information transfer between neighbors in neural network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuto Kurihara
- Graduate School of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
| | - Toru Takahashi
- Advanced Research Center for Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
| | - Rieko Osu
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.
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Su M, Hu K, Liu W, Wu Y, Wang T, Cao C, Sun B, Zhan S, Ye Z. Theta Oscillations Support Prefrontal-hippocampal Interactions in Sequential Working Memory. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:147-156. [PMID: 37847448 PMCID: PMC10838883 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01134-6] [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: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex and hippocampus may support sequential working memory beyond episodic memory and spatial navigation. This stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) study investigated how the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) interacts with the hippocampus in the online processing of sequential information. Twenty patients with epilepsy (eight women, age 27.6 ± 8.2 years) completed a line ordering task with SEEG recordings over the DLPFC and the hippocampus. Participants showed longer thinking times and more recall errors when asked to arrange random lines clockwise (random trials) than to maintain ordered lines (ordered trials) before recalling the orientation of a particular line. First, the ordering-related increase in thinking time and recall error was associated with a transient theta power increase in the hippocampus and a sustained theta power increase in the DLPFC (3-10 Hz). In particular, the hippocampal theta power increase correlated with the memory precision of line orientation. Second, theta phase coherences between the DLPFC and hippocampus were enhanced for ordering, especially for more precisely memorized lines. Third, the theta band DLPFC → hippocampus influence was selectively enhanced for ordering, especially for more precisely memorized lines. This study suggests that theta oscillations may support DLPFC-hippocampal interactions in the online processing of sequential information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghong Su
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kejia Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Yunhao Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Chunyan Cao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Bomin Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Shikun Zhan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Zheng Ye
- Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
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Liang Y, Peng X, Meng Y, Liu Y, Zhu Q, Xu Z, Yang J. Effect of acute stress on working memory in pilots: Investigating the modulatory role of memory load. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0288221. [PMID: 38271465 PMCID: PMC10810460 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Many practitioners, such as pilots, frequently face working memory (WM) demands under acute stress environments, while the effect of acute stress on WM has not been conclusively studied because it is moderated by a variety of factors. The current study investigated how acute stress affects pilots' WM under different memory load conditions. There are 42 pilots conducting the experiments, consisting of 21 stress group participants experiencing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and 21 control group participants experiencing the controlled TSST (C-TSST). Subsequently, both groups performed N-back tasks under three memory load conditions (0-back, 1-back, and 2-back). State Anxiety Inventory (S-AI), heart rate (HR), and salivary cortisol concentrations (SCC) were collected to analyze acute stress induction. The results revealed that (1) the TSST could effectively induce acute stress with higher S-AI, HR, and SCC; (2) higher memory load reduces WM accuracy (ACC) and delays response times (RT); (3) acute stress increases WM ACC under moderate load conditions (1-back task). These results suggest that acute stress may not necessarily impair WM and even improve WM performance under certain memory load conditions. Potential mechanisms of acute stress effects on WM and alternative explanations for the modulatory role of memory load consistent with the emotion and motivation regulation theory are discussed. These findings not only provide insight into the field of acute stress and WM but are also beneficial for pilot training and the development of stress management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaowei Liang
- Institute of Aviation Human Factors and Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Flight Technology, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan, Sichuan, China
| | - Xing Peng
- Institute of Aviation Human Factors and Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Flight Technology, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan, Sichuan, China
| | - Yu Meng
- Institute of Aviation Human Factors and Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Flight Technology, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan, Sichuan, China
| | - Yueying Liu
- Institute of Aviation Human Factors and Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Flight Technology, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan, Sichuan, China
| | - Qi Zhu
- Institute of Aviation Human Factors and Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Flight Technology, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhi Xu
- Institute of Aviation Human Factors and Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Flight Technology, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiazhong Yang
- Institute of Aviation Human Factors and Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Flight Technology, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan, Sichuan, China
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12
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Mao R, Long C. Adaptive adjustment after conflict with group opinion: evidence from neural electrophysiology. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad484. [PMID: 38102971 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad484] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals inherently seek social consensus when making decisions or judgments. Previous studies have consistently indicated that dissenting group opinions are perceived as social conflict that demands attitude adjustment. However, the neurocognitive processes of attitude adjustment are unclear. In this electrophysiological study, participants were recruited to perform a face attractiveness judgment task. After forming their own judgment of a face, participants were informed of a purported group judgment (either consistent or inconsistent with their judgment), and then, critically, the same face was presented again. The neural responses to the second presented faces were measured. The second presented faces evoked a larger late positive potential after conflict with group opinions than those that did not conflict, suggesting that more motivated attention was allocated to stimulus. Moreover, faces elicited greater midfrontal theta (4-7 Hz) power after conflict with group opinions than after consistency with group opinions, suggesting that cognitive control was initiated to support attitude adjustment. Furthermore, the mixed-effects model revealed that single-trial theta power predicted behavioral change in the Conflict condition, but not in the No-Conflict condition. These findings provide novel insights into the neurocognitive processes underlying attitude adjustment, which is crucial to behavioral change during conformity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Mao
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of the Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Changquan Long
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of the Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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13
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Ke Y, Liu S, Chen L, Wang X, Ming D. Lasting enhancements in neural efficiency by multi-session transcranial direct current stimulation during working memory training. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2023; 8:48. [PMID: 37919371 PMCID: PMC10622507 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-023-00200-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The neural basis for long-term behavioral improvements resulting from multi-session transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with working memory training (WMT) remains unclear. In this study, we used task-related electroencephalography (EEG) measures to investigate the lasting neurophysiological effects of anodal high-definition (HD)-tDCS applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) during a challenging WMT. Thirty-four healthy young adults were randomized to sham or active tDCS groups and underwent ten 30-minute training sessions over ten consecutive days, preceded by a pre-test and followed by post-tests performed one day and three weeks after the last session, respectively, by performing high-load WM tasks along with EEG recording. Multi-session HD-tDCS significantly enhanced the behavioral benefits of WMT. Compared to the sham group, the active group showed facilitated increases in theta, alpha, beta, and gamma task-related oscillations at the end of training and significantly increased P300 response 3 weeks post-training. Our findings suggest that applying anodal tDCS over the left dlPFC during multi-session WMT can enhance the behavioral benefits of WMT and facilitate sustained improvements in WM-related neural efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Ke
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin International Joint Research Centre for Neural Engineering, and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, PR China.
- Haihe Laboratory of Brain-computer Interaction and Human-machine Integration, Tianjin, PR China.
| | - Shuang Liu
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin International Joint Research Centre for Neural Engineering, and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, PR China.
- Haihe Laboratory of Brain-computer Interaction and Human-machine Integration, Tianjin, PR China.
| | - Long Chen
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin International Joint Research Centre for Neural Engineering, and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, PR China
- Haihe Laboratory of Brain-computer Interaction and Human-machine Integration, Tianjin, PR China
| | - Xiashuang Wang
- The Second Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, Beijing, PR China
| | - Dong Ming
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin International Joint Research Centre for Neural Engineering, and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, PR China.
- Haihe Laboratory of Brain-computer Interaction and Human-machine Integration, Tianjin, PR China.
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14
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Itthipuripat S, Phangwiwat T, Wiwatphonthana P, Sawetsuttipan P, Chang KY, Störmer VS, Woodman GF, Serences JT. Dissociable Neural Mechanisms Underlie the Effects of Attention on Visual Appearance and Response Bias. J Neurosci 2023; 43:6628-6652. [PMID: 37620156 PMCID: PMC10538590 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2192-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
A prominent theoretical framework spanning philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience holds that selective attention penetrates early stages of perceptual processing to alter the subjective visual experience of behaviorally relevant stimuli. For example, searching for a red apple at the grocery store might make the relevant color appear brighter and more saturated compared with seeing the exact same red apple while searching for a yellow banana. In contrast, recent proposals argue that data supporting attention-related changes in appearance reflect decision- and motor-level response biases without concurrent changes in perceptual experience. Here, we tested these accounts by evaluating attentional modulations of EEG responses recorded from male and female human subjects while they compared the perceived contrast of attended and unattended visual stimuli rendered at different levels of physical contrast. We found that attention enhanced the amplitude of the P1 component, an early evoked potential measured over visual cortex. A linking model based on signal detection theory suggests that response gain modulations of the P1 component track attention-induced changes in perceived contrast as measured with behavior. In contrast, attentional cues induced changes in the baseline amplitude of posterior alpha band oscillations (∼9-12 Hz), an effect that best accounts for cue-induced response biases, particularly when no stimuli are presented or when competing stimuli are similar and decisional uncertainty is high. The observation of dissociable neural markers that are linked to changes in subjective appearance and response bias supports a more unified theoretical account and demonstrates an approach to isolate subjective aspects of selective information processing.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Does attention alter visual appearance, or does it simply induce response bias? In the present study, we examined these competing accounts using EEG and linking models based on signal detection theory. We found that response gain modulations of the visually evoked P1 component best accounted for attention-induced changes in visual appearance. In contrast, cue-induced baseline shifts in alpha band activity better explained response biases. Together, these results suggest that attention concurrently impacts visual appearance and response bias, and that these processes can be experimentally isolated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirawaj Itthipuripat
- Neuroscience Center for Research and Innovation, Learning Institute, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10140, Thailand
- Big Data Experience Center, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10140, Thailand
| | - Tanagrit Phangwiwat
- Neuroscience Center for Research and Innovation, Learning Institute, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10140, Thailand
- Big Data Experience Center, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10140, Thailand
- Computer Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi Bangkok, 10140, Thailand
| | - Praewpiraya Wiwatphonthana
- Neuroscience Center for Research and Innovation, Learning Institute, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10140, Thailand
- SECCLO Consortium, Department of Computer Science, Aalto University School of Science, Espoo, 02150, Finland
| | - Prapasiri Sawetsuttipan
- Neuroscience Center for Research and Innovation, Learning Institute, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10140, Thailand
- Big Data Experience Center, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10140, Thailand
- Computer Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi Bangkok, 10140, Thailand
| | - Kai-Yu Chang
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California–San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-1090
| | - Viola S. Störmer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Geoffrey F. Woodman
- Department of Psychology, Center for Integrative and Cognitive Neuroscience, and Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235
| | - John T. Serences
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, Department of Psychology, University of California–San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-1090
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15
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Chang WS, Liang WK, Li DH, Muggleton NG, Balachandran P, Huang NE, Juan CH. The association between working memory precision and the nonlinear dynamics of frontal and parieto-occipital EEG activity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14252. [PMID: 37653059 PMCID: PMC10471634 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41358-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrophysiological working memory (WM) research shows brain areas communicate via macroscopic oscillations across frequency bands, generating nonlinear amplitude modulation (AM) in the signal. Traditionally, AM is expressed as the coupling strength between the signal and a prespecified modulator at a lower frequency. Therefore, the idea of AM and coupling cannot be studied separately. In this study, 33 participants completed a color recall task while their brain activity was recorded through EEG. The AM of the EEG data was extracted using the Holo-Hilbert spectral analysis (HHSA), an adaptive method based on the Hilbert-Huang transforms. The results showed that WM load modulated parieto-occipital alpha/beta power suppression. Furthermore, individuals with higher frontal theta power and lower parieto-occipital alpha/beta power exhibited superior WM precision. In addition, the AM of parieto-occipital alpha/beta power predicted WM precision after presenting a target-defining probe array. The phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) between the frontal theta phase and parieto-occipital alpha/beta AM increased with WM load while processing incoming stimuli, but the PAC itself did not predict the subsequent recall performance. These results suggest frontal and parieto-occipital regions communicate through theta-alpha/beta PAC. However, the overall recall precision depends on the alpha/beta AM following the onset of the retro cue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Sheng Chang
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health Sciences and Technology, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Kuang Liang
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health Sciences and Technology, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Dong-Han Li
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health Sciences and Technology, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Neil G Muggleton
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health Sciences and Technology, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
| | - Prasad Balachandran
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health Sciences and Technology, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Taiwan International Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, National Cheng Kung University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Norden E Huang
- Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Data Analysis and Application Laboratory, The First Institute of Oceanography, Qingdao, China
| | - Chi-Hung Juan
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health Sciences and Technology, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
- Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
- Department of Psychology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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16
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Ester EF, Nouri A. Internal selective attention is delayed by competition between endogenous and exogenous factors. iScience 2023; 26:107259. [PMID: 37519902 PMCID: PMC10371823 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
External attention is mediated by competition between endogenous (goal-driven) and exogenous (stimulus-driven) factors, with the balance of competition determining which stimuli are selected. Occasionally, exogenous factors "win" this competition and drive the selection of task-irrelevant stimuli. Endogenous and exogenous selection mechanisms may also compete to control the selection of internal representations (e.g., those stored in working memory), but whether this competition is resolved in the same way as external attention is unknown. Here, we leveraged the high temporal resolution of human EEG to determine how competition between endogenous and exogenous factors influences the selection of internal representations. Unlike external attention, competition did not prompt the selection of task-irrelevant working memory content. Instead, it delayed the endogenous selection of task-relevant working memory content by several hundred milliseconds. Thus, competition between endogenous and exogenous factors influences internal selective attention, but in a different way than external selective attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward F. Ester
- Department of Psychology and Integrative Neuroscience Program, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Asal Nouri
- Center for Complex Systems & Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL, USA
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17
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Rauh J, Müller ASM, Nolte G, Haaf M, Mußmann M, Steinmann S, Mulert C, Leicht G. Comparison of transcranial brain stimulation approaches: prefrontal theta alternating current stimulation enhances working memory performance. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1140361. [PMID: 37457770 PMCID: PMC10348840 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1140361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction One of the most important cognitive functions in our everyday life is the working memory (WM). In several neuropsychiatric diseases such as ADHD or schizophrenia WM deficits can be observed, making it an attractive target for non-invasive brain stimulation methods like transcranial electrical stimulation (tES). However, the literature shows rather heterogeneous results of tES effects on WM performance. fMRI meta-analyses have identified a WM network including frontoparietal brain areas such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the posterior parietal cortex (PPC). Neurophysiological studies revealed oscillatory activity in the theta band frequency range to be of crucial functional relevance for WM processes. Based on this, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) in the theta frequency range targeting DLPFC and PPC in a spatially optimized way might further improve effects of tES on WM performance. Methods Sixteen healthy subjects were stimulated with varying stimulation settings on four different days in a counterbalanced within-subject design. These setups included the application of (1) tACS with a frequency of 5 Hz (theta frequency range) over the left DLPFC and (2) the right superior parietal cortex, (3) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the DLPFC and (4) a sham stimulation condition during the online performance of a visual delayed-match-to-sample task with varying working memory load. We introduce a procedure to calculate an optimal tES model revealing optimized high-density setups for the present study for 3 cathodes and 1 anode and stimulation currents of 1.5 mA. Results A significant interaction effect of stimulation type and load condition on working memory capacity was found. This was reflected by a significant improvement of WM performance in the high load condition during tACS over the left DLPFC compared with sham stimulation, which was not the case for our parietal tACS or tDCS setup. Discussion Working memory performance can be improved with optimized high-definition tACS with a frequency of 5 Hz over the left DLPFC. The conception of different mechanisms underlying transcranial electrical stimulation with alternating and direct currents is supported by these results. Patients suffering from working memory impairments due to neuropsychiatric diseases might potentially benefit from this brain stimulation approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Rauh
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Branch, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anne S. M. Müller
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Branch, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Guido Nolte
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Moritz Haaf
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Branch, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marius Mußmann
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Branch, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Saskia Steinmann
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Branch, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Mulert
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Branch, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Center of Psychiatry, Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Gregor Leicht
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Branch, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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18
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Smit D, Dapor C, Koerts J, Tucha OM, Huster RJ, Enriquez-Geppert S. Long-term improvements in executive functions after frontal-midline theta neurofeedback in a (sub)clinical group. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1163380. [PMID: 37362947 PMCID: PMC10290172 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1163380] [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: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Impairments in executive functions (EFs) are common across disorders and can greatly affect daily functioning. Frontal-midline (FM) theta neurofeedback (NF) has been shown effective in enhancing EFs in healthy adults, prompting interest in exploring its potential as an alternative treatment for EFs in (sub)clinical samples. This study aims to determine the effects of FM theta NF on EFs in a sample of 58 adults (aged 20-60 years) with pronounced subjective EF complaints in daily life. Using a pre/post/follow-up design with a sham NF group, the present study assessed upregulation of FM theta in an eight-session individualized FM theta NF training and its immediate and long-term transfer effects on objective and subjective measures of EFs. These included behavioral performance on EF tasks assessing working memory updating (N-back task), set-shifting (Switching task), conflict monitoring (Stroop task), and response inhibition (Stop-signal task), as well as FM theta power during these tasks, and subjective EFs in daily life (BRIEF-A). The results indicate that there are only differences in FM theta self-upregulation between the NF group and sham group when non-responders are excluded from the analysis. Regarding behavioral transfer effects, NF-specific improvements are found in working memory updating reaction time (RT) and conflict monitoring RT variability at 6-month follow-up, but not immediately after the NF training. The effects on FM theta power during the EF tasks and subjective changes in EFs in daily life were not specific to the NF training. As a next step, research should identify the best predictors to stratify NF training, as well as explore ways to improve NF responsiveness, for instance by increasing neuroplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diede Smit
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Cecilia Dapor
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Janneke Koerts
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Oliver M. Tucha
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Germany
- Department of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Irleand
| | - Rene J. Huster
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Stefanie Enriquez-Geppert
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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19
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Li D, Hu Y, Qi M, Zhao C, Jensen O, Huang J, Song Y. Prioritizing flexible working memory representations through retrospective attentional strengthening. Neuroimage 2023; 269:119902. [PMID: 36708973 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119902] [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: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous work has proposed two potential benefits of retrospective attention on working memory (WM): target strengthening and non-target inhibition. It remains unknown which hypothesis contributes to the improved WM performance, yet the neural mechanisms responsible for this attentional benefit are unclear. Here, we recorded electroencephalography (EEG) signals while 33 participants performed a retrospective-cue WM task. Multivariate pattern classification analysis revealed that only representations of target features were enhanced by valid retrospective attention during retention, supporting the target strengthening hypothesis. Further univariate analysis found that mid-frontal theta inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) and ERP components were modulated by valid retrospective attention and correlated with individual differences and moment-to-moment fluctuations on behavioral outcomes, suggesting that both trait- and state-level variability in attentional preparatory processes influence goal-directed behavior. Furthermore, task-irrelevant target spatial location could be decoded from EEG signals, indicating that enhanced spatial binding of target representation is vital to high WM precision. Importantly, frontoparietal theta-alpha phase-amplitude coupling was increased by valid retrospective attention and predicted the reduced random guessing rates. This long-range connection supported top-down information flow in the engagement of frontoparietal networks, which might organize attentional states to integrate target features. Altogether, these results provide neurophysiological bases that retrospective attention improves WM precision by enhancing flexible target representation and emphasize the critical role of the frontoparietal attentional network in the control of WM representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Yiqing Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengdi Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chenguang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Center for Cognition and Neuroergonomics, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Ole Jensen
- Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jing Huang
- Center for Cognition and Neuroergonomics, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China.
| | - Yan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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20
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Poorganji M, Zomorrodi R, Zrenner C, Bansal A, Hawco C, Hill AT, Hadas I, Rajji TK, Chen R, Zrenner B, Voineskos D, Blumberger DM, Daskalakis ZJ. Pre-Stimulus Power but Not Phase Predicts Prefrontal Cortical Excitability in TMS-EEG. BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:220. [PMID: 36831986 PMCID: PMC9953459 DOI: 10.3390/bios13020220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The cortical response to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has notable inter-trial variability. One source of this variability can be the influence of the phase and power of pre-stimulus neuronal oscillations on single-trial TMS responses. Here, we investigate the effect of brain oscillatory activity on TMS response in 49 distinct healthy participants (64 datasets) who had received single-pulse TMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Across all frequency bands of theta (4-7 Hz), alpha (8-13 Hz), and beta (14-30 Hz), there was no significant effect of pre-TMS phase on single-trial cortical evoked activity. After high-powered oscillations, whether followed by a TMS pulse or not, the subsequent activity was larger than after low-powered oscillations. We further defined a measure, corrected_effect, to enable us to investigate brain responses to the TMS pulse disentangled from the power of ongoing (spontaneous) oscillations. The corrected_effect was significantly different from zero (meaningful added effect of TMS) only in theta and beta bands. Our results suggest that brain state prior to stimulation might play some role in shaping the subsequent TMS-EEG response. Specifically, our findings indicate that the power of ongoing oscillatory activity, but not phase, can influence brain responses to TMS. Aligning the TMS pulse with specific power thresholds of an EEG signal might therefore reduce variability in neurophysiological measurements and also has the potential to facilitate more robust therapeutic effects of stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Poorganji
- Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Reza Zomorrodi
- Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
| | - Christoph Zrenner
- Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G9, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Aiyush Bansal
- Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
| | - Colin Hawco
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Aron T. Hill
- Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Itay Hadas
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0603, USA
| | - Tarek K. Rajji
- Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Toronto Dementia Research Alliance, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Robert Chen
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Brigitte Zrenner
- Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Daphne Voineskos
- Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Daniel M. Blumberger
- Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Zafiris J. Daskalakis
- Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0603, USA
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21
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Smit D, Trevino L, Mohamed SMH, Enriquez-Geppert S. Theta power and functional connectivity as neurophysiological markers of executive functions in individuals with cognitive complaints in daily life. Biol Psychol 2023; 178:108503. [PMID: 36681295 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Impairments in executive functions (EFs) are common across psychological disorders. Research into the neural oscillations underlying EFs has the potential to help understand these impairments and contribute to the development of interventions. The aim of this study is to assess theta power and functional theta connectivity in the sensor space of the regions of the superordinate network for the core EFs: conflict monitoring, response inhibition, set-shifting, and working memory updating. We recruited adults with self-reported everyday EFs complaints and formed two groups: one with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n=27) and another without any diagnosis (n=22), and compared them to controls (n=21) on the Stroop, Stop-signal, Switching, and N-back task using EEG. Power and functional connectivity analyses were conducted for four regions of interest: frontal-midline, frontolateral left and right, and parietal region. For all four EFs, the groups showed a dynamical increase in theta power over time in the four regions of interest, as well as in functional theta connectivity between these regions. Group differences were found especially for conflict monitoring, with differences in theta power in the frontal-midline and frontolateral right region. These neural markers are also associated with behavioural performance and complaints in daily life. For set-shifting, group differences were less pronounced and for response inhibition and working memory updating no group differences were observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diede Smit
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, the Netherlands; Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Lorena Trevino
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Saleh M H Mohamed
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Stefanie Enriquez-Geppert
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
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22
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Yu S, Stock AK, Münchau A, Frings C, Beste C. Neurophysiological principles of inhibitory control processes during cognitive flexibility. Cereb Cortex 2023:6969136. [PMID: 36610732 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory control plays an indispensable role in cognitive flexibility. Nevertheless, the neurophysiological principles underlying this are incompletely understood. This owes to the fact that the representational dynamics, as coded in oscillatory neural activity of different frequency bands has not been considered until now-despite being of conceptual relevance. Moreover, it is unclear in how far distinct functional neuroanatomical regions are concomitantly involved in the processing of representational dynamics. We examine these questions using a combination of EEG methods. We show that theta-band activity plays an essential role for inhibitory control processes during cognitive flexibility across informational aspects coded in distinct fractions of the neurophysiological signal. It is shown that posterior parietal structures and the inferior parietal cortex seem to be the most important cortical region for inhibitory control processes during cognitive flexibility. Theta-band activity plays an essential role in processes of retrieving the previously inhibited representations related to the current task during cognitive flexibility. The representational content relevant for inhibitory processes during cognitive flexibility is coded in the theta frequency band. We outline how the observed neural mechanisms inform recent overarching cognitive frameworks on how flexible action control is accomplished.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijing Yu
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Sachsen 01187, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Sachsen 01187, Germany
| | - Alexander Münchau
- Institute of Systems Motor Science, University of Lübeck, Lübeck 23562, Germany
| | | | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Sachsen 01187, Germany
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23
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Villafaina S, Leon-Llamas JL, Murillo-Garcia A, Gusi N. Impact of being physically active on the brain electrocortical activity, brain volumetry and performance in the Stroop color and word test in women with fibromyalgia. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12616. [PMID: 35871256 PMCID: PMC9308776 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16903-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical exercise is one of the treatment approaches with the most robust evidence against fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the impact of being physically active on the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) performance as well as to investigate and compare the brain electrocortical activity during SCWT. A total of 31 women completed the SCWT while EEG was recorded. People with FM were divided into two groups (physically and non-physically active) according to the WHO guidelines. Furthermore, magnetic resonance imaging was acquired and health-related quality of life, the impact of the disease, and the six-minute walking test were administered. Physically active group showed better performance in the SCWT, exhibiting less error in name different color patches condition (C), more correct responses in named color-word condition (CW) and higher interference score than non-physically active group. Moreover, a significantly higher theta power spectrum in the Fp1 during the condition C in the SCWT and a higher volume in the right rostral middle frontal gyrus have been found in the physically active group. Furthermore, physically active women with FM showed positively correlations between correct responses in names of colors printed in black condition (W) in the SCWT and theta power in the F3, Fz, Fp2 and F4 scalp positions. Regarding non-physically active women with FM, errors in condition CW negatively correlated with the volume of left superior frontal gyrus, left rostral middle frontal gyrus, right rostral middle frontal gyrus, left caudal middle frontal gyrus and right caudal middle frontal gyrus. Furthermore, physically active group showed increased performance in the 6 min walking test and lower disease impact. Fulfil the physical activity recommendation seems to protect brain health since better SCWT performance, greater frontal theta power and higher volume in the right rostral middle frontal gyrus have been found in physically active women with FM.
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24
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Izadi Laybidi M, Rasoulzadeh Y, Dianat I, Samavati M, Asghari Jafarabadi M, Nazari MA. Cognitive performance and electroencephalographic variations in air traffic controllers under various mental workload and time of day. Physiol Behav 2022; 252:113842. [PMID: 35561808 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113842] [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: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of mental workload (MWL) and time of day on cognitive performance and electroencephalographic (EEG) parameters of air traffic controllers. EEG signals recorded while 20 professional air traffic controllers performed cognitive tasks [A-X Continuous Performance Test (AX-CPT) and 3-back working memory task] after they were exposed to two levels of task difficulty (high and low MWL) in the morning and afternoon. Significant decreases in cognitive performance were found when the levels of task difficulty increased in both tasks. The results confirmed the sensitivity of the theta and beta activities to levels of task difficulty in the 3-back task, while they were not affected in the AX-CPT. Theta and beta activities were influenced by time of day in the AX-CPT. The findings provide guidance for application of changes in EEG parameters when MWL level is manipulated during the day that could be implemented in future for the development of real-time monitoring systems to improve aviation safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzieh Izadi Laybidi
- Department of Occupational Health and Ergonomics, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Yahya Rasoulzadeh
- Department of Occupational Health and Ergonomics, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Iman Dianat
- Department of Occupational Health and Ergonomics, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mehdi Samavati
- Research Center for Biomedical Technologies & Robotics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi
- Center for the Development of Interdisciplinary Research in Islamic Sciences and Health Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Nazari
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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25
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Liu M, Ma J, Fu CY, Yeo J, Xiao SS, Xiao WX, Li RR, Zhang W, Xie ZM, Li YJ, Li YX. Dysfunction of Emotion Regulation in Mild Cognitive Impairment Individuals Combined With Depressive Disorder: A Neural Mechanism Study. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:884741. [PMID: 35936769 PMCID: PMC9354008 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.884741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression increases the risk of progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia, where impaired emotion regulation is a core symptom of depression. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the decreased emotion regulation in individuals with MCI combined with depressive symptoms are not precise. We assessed the behavioral performance by emotion regulation tasks and recorded event-related electroencephalography (EEG) signals related to emotion regulation tasks simultaneously. EEG analysis, including event-related potential (ERP), event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP), functional connectivity and graph theory, was used to compare the difference between MCI individuals and MCI depressed individuals in behavioral performance, the late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes, neural oscillations and brain networks during the processing of emotional stimuli. We found that MCI depressed individuals have negative preferences and are prone to allocate more attentional resources to negative stimuli. Results suggested that theta and alpha oscillations activity is increased, and gamma oscillations activity is decreased during negative stimulus processing in MCI depressed individuals, thus indicating that the decreased emotion regulation in MCI depressed individuals may be associated with enhanced low-frequency and decreased high-frequency oscillations activity. Functional connectivity analysis revealed a decrease in functional connectivity in the left cerebral hemisphere of the alpha band and an increase in functional connectivity in the right cerebral hemisphere of the alpha band in MCI depressed individuals. Graph theory analysis suggested that global network metrics, including clustering coefficients and disassortative, decreased, while nodal and modular network metrics regarding local nodal efficiency, degree centrality, and betweenness centrality were significantly increased in the frontal lobe and decreased in the parieto-occipital lobe, which was observed in the alpha band, further suggesting that abnormal alpha band network connectivity may be a potential marker of depressive symptoms. Correlational analyses showed that depressive symptoms were closely related to emotion regulation, power oscillations and functional connectivity. In conclusion, the dominant processing of negative stimuli, the increased low-frequency oscillations activity and decreased high-frequency activity, so as the decrease in top-down information processing in the frontal parieto-occipital lobe, results in the abnormality of alpha-band network connectivity. It is suggested that these factors, in turn, contribute to the declined ability of MCI depressed individuals in emotion regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Liu
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Ma
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chang-Yong Fu
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Janelle Yeo
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Sha-Sha Xiao
- School of Communication and Information Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Xin Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ren-Ren Li
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zeng-Mai Xie
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying-Jie Li
- School of Communication and Information Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
- Ying-Jie Li,
| | - Yun-Xia Li
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yun-Xia Li,
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26
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Formica S, González-García C, Senoussi M, Marinazzo D, Brass M. Theta-phase connectivity between medial prefrontal and posterior areas underlies novel instructions implementation. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0225-22.2022. [PMID: 35868857 PMCID: PMC9374157 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0225-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Implementing novel instructions is a complex and uniquely human cognitive ability, that requires the rapid and flexible conversion of symbolic content into a format that enables the execution of the instructed behavior. Preparing to implement novel instructions, as opposed to their mere maintenance, involves the activation of the instructed motor plans, and the binding of the action information to the specific context in which this should be executed. Recent evidence and prominent computational models suggest that this efficient configuration of the system might involve a central role of frontal theta oscillations in establishing top-down long-range synchronization between distant and task-relevant brain areas. In the present EEG study (human subjects, 30 females, 4 males), we demonstrate that proactively preparing for the implementation of novels instructions, as opposed to their maintenance, involves a strengthened degree of connectivity in the theta frequency range between medial prefrontal and motor/visual areas. Moreover, we replicated previous results showing oscillatory features associated specifically with implementation demands, and extended on them demonstrating the role of theta oscillations in mediating the effect of task demands on behavioral performance. Taken together, these findings support our hypothesis that the modulation of connectivity patterns between frontal and task-relevant posterior brain areas is a core factor in the emergence of a behavior-guiding format from novel instructions.Significance statementEveryday life requires the use and manipulation of currently available information to guide behavior and reach specific goals. In the present study we investigate how the same instructed content elicits different neural activity depending on the task being performed. Crucially, connectivity between medial prefrontal cortex and posterior brain areas is strengthened when novel instructions have to be implemented, rather than simply maintained. This finding suggests that theta oscillations play a role in setting up a dynamic and flexible network of task-relevant regions optimized for the execution of the instructed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Formica
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Department of Psychology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, 10117, Germany
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Gent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Carlos González-García
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Gent, 9000, Belgium
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, 18071, Spain
| | - Mehdi Senoussi
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Gent, 9000, Belgium
| | | | - Marcel Brass
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Department of Psychology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, 10117, Germany
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Gent, 9000, Belgium
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27
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Sghirripa S, Graetz L, Rogasch NC, Semmler JG, Goldsworthy MR. Does predictive cueing of presentation time modulate alpha power and facilitate visual working memory performance in younger and older adults? Brain Cogn 2022; 159:105861. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2022.105861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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28
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Air Force Pilot Expertise Assessment with Regard to Mental Effort Requested during Unusual Attitude Recovery Flight Training Simulations. SAFETY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/safety8020038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pilot training and expertise are key aspects in aviation. A traditional way of evaluating pilot expertise is to measure performance output. However, this approach provides a narrow view of the pilot’s capacity, especially with regard to mental and emotional profile. The aim of this study is hence to investigate whether neurophysiological data can be employed as an additional objective measure to assess the expertise of pilots. In this regard, it has been demonstrated that mental effort can be used as an indirect measure of operator expertise and capacity. An increase in mental effort, for instance, can automatically result in a decrease in the remaining capacity of the operator. To better investigate this aspect, we ask two groups of Italian Air Force pilots, experienced (Experts) and unexperienced (Novices), to undergo unusual attitude recovery flight training simulations. Their behavioral (unusual attitude recovery time), subjective (mental effort demand perception) and neurophysiological data (Electroencephalogram, EEG; Electrocardiogram, ECG) are collected during the entire flight simulations. Although the two groups do not exhibit differences in terms of unusual attitude recovery time and mental effort demand perception, the EEG-based mental effort index shows how Novices request significantly higher mental effort during unusual conditions.
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29
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Theta oscillations shift towards optimal frequency for cognitive control. Nat Hum Behav 2022; 6:1000-1013. [PMID: 35449299 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01335-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive control allows to flexibly guide behaviour in a complex and ever-changing environment. It is supported by theta band (4-7 Hz) neural oscillations that coordinate distant neural populations. However, little is known about the precise neural mechanisms permitting such flexible control. Most research has focused on theta amplitude, showing that it increases when control is needed, but a second essential aspect of theta oscillations, their peak frequency, has mostly been overlooked. Here, using computational modelling and behavioural and electrophysiological recordings, in three independent datasets, we show that theta oscillations adaptively shift towards optimal frequency depending on task demands. We provide evidence that theta frequency balances reliable set-up of task representation and gating of task-relevant sensory and motor information and that this frequency shift predicts behavioural performance. Our study presents a mechanism supporting flexible control and calls for a reevaluation of the mechanistic role of theta oscillations in adaptive behaviour.
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30
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Processing time affects sequential memory performance beginning at the level of visual encoding. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265719. [PMID: 35320312 PMCID: PMC8942227 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrophysiological studies have demonstrated that theta-band activity is useful for investigating neural mechanisms of memory. However, mechanisms specifically driving memory performance remain poorly understood. In sequential memory, performance can be artificially attenuated by shortening the inter-stimulus interval (ISI) between memory item presentations. Therefore, we sought to clarify the mechanisms of sequential memory performance by analyzing theta-band (4–8 Hz) activity recorded via magnetoencephalogram in 33 participants during performance of a sequential memory task where memory items were presented at either slow or fast rates in accordance with longer or shorter ISIs, respectively. Particularly in the slow task, theta activity clearly modulated in accordance with the presentation of memory items. Common cortical target regions in the occipital and frontal cortex were identified in both tasks and related to visual encoding and memory maintenance, respectively. Compared to the slow task, occipital-theta activity was significantly lower in the fast task from the midterm until the ending of encoding, in correspondence with significantly lower recall for memory items in this same period. Meanwhile, despite a loss of clarity in responsiveness to individual memory items in the fast task, frontal-theta activity was not different between tasks and exhibited particularly strong responses in both tasks during the holding period prior to recall. Our results indicate that shorter processing time erodes sequential memory performance beginning at the level of visual encoding.
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31
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Darfler M, Cruz-Garza JG, Kalantari S. An EEG-Based Investigation of the Effect of Perceived Observation on Visual Memory in Virtual Environments. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020269. [PMID: 35204033 PMCID: PMC8870655 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of external observers has been shown to affect performance on cognitive tasks, but the parameters of this impact for different types of tasks and the underlying neural dynamics are less understood. The current study examined the behavioral and brain activity effects of perceived observation on participants’ visual working memory (VWM) in a virtual reality (VR) classroom setting, using the task format as a moderating variable. Participants (n = 21) were equipped with a 57-channel EEG cap, and neural data were collected as they completed two VWM tasks under two observation conditions (observed and not observed) in a within-subjects experimental design. The “observation” condition was operationalized through the addition of a static human avatar in the VR classroom. The avatar’s presence was associated with a significant effect on extending the task response time, but no effect was found on task accuracy. This outcome may have been due to a ceiling effect, as the mean participant task scores were quite high. EEG data analysis supported the behavioral findings by showing consistent differences between the no-observation and observation conditions for one of the VWM tasks only. These neural differences were identified in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the occipital cortex (OC) regions, with higher theta-band activity occurring in the dlPFC during stimulus encoding and in the OC during response selection when the “observing” avatar was present. These findings provide evidence that perceived observation can inhibit performance during visual tasks by altering attentional focus, even in virtual contexts.
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32
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Lu R, Xi J, Zhang X, Shi J. High fluid intelligence is characterized by flexible allocation of attentional resources: Evidence from EEG. Neuropsychologia 2022; 164:108094. [PMID: 34822859 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.108094] [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: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Recently, the integrated control hypothesis (Lu et al., 2020) was proposed to explain the relationship between fluid intelligence (Gf) and attentional resource allocation. This hypothesis suggested that individuals with higher Gf tend to flexibly and adaptively allocate their limited resources according to the task type and task difficulty rather than simply exert more or fewer resources in any condition. To examine this hypothesis, the present study used electroencephalogram (EEG) indicators (i.e., frontal theta-ERS and parietal-occipital alpha-ERD) as the measurements of participants' resource allocation during the exploration task and exploitation task with different difficulties. The results found that higher Gf individuals tend to allocate fewer resources in all difficulty levels in the exploitation task compared to average Gf participants. In contrast, in the exploration task, higher Gf participants would allocate more resources in the medium- and high-difficulty levels than average Gf participants, but this phenomenon was only found in males. These findings provided supportive evidence for the integrated control hypothesis that flexible and adaptive attentional control ability are important characteristics of human intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runhao Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Jie Xi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xingli Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Jiannong Shi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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33
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Study of EEG characteristics while solving scientific problems with different mental effort. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23783. [PMID: 34893689 PMCID: PMC8664921 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03321-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying the mental effort in problem-solving is important to the understanding of how the brain allocates cognitive resources to process information. The electroencephalogram is a promising physiological approach to assessing the online mental effort. In this study, we investigate the EEG indicators of mental effort while solving scientific problems. By manipulating the complexity of the scientific problem, the level of mental effort also changes. With the increase of mental effort, theta synchronization in the frontal region and lower alpha desynchronization in the parietal and occipital regions significantly increase. Also, upper alpha desynchronization demonstrates a widespread enhancement across the whole brain. According to the functional topography of brain activity in the theta and alpha frequency, our results suggest that the mental effort while solving scientific problems is related to working memory, visuospatial processing, semantic processing and magnitude manipulation. This study suggests the reliability of EEG to evaluate the mental effort in an educational context and provides valuable insights into improving the problem-solving abilities of students in educational practice.
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Ke Y, Jiang T, Liu S, Cao Y, Jiao X, Jiang J, Ming D. Cross-Task Consistency of Electroencephalography-Based Mental Workload Indicators: Comparisons Between Power Spectral Density and Task-Irrelevant Auditory Event-Related Potentials. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:703139. [PMID: 34867143 PMCID: PMC8637174 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.703139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mental workload (MWL) estimators based on ongoing electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERPs) have shown great potentials to build adaptive aiding systems for human-machine systems by estimating MWL in real time. However, extracting EEG features which are consistent in indicating MWL across different tasks is still one of the critical challenges. This study attempts to compare the cross-task consistency in indexing MWL variations between two commonly used EEG-based MWL indicators, power spectral density (PSD) of ongoing EEG and task-irrelevant auditory ERPs (tir-aERPs). The verbal N-back and the multi-attribute task battery (MATB), both with two difficulty levels, were employed in the experiment, along with task-irrelevant auditory probes. EEG was recorded from 17 subjects when they were performing the tasks. The tir-aERPs elicited by the auditory probes and the relative PSDs of ongoing EEG between two consecutive auditory probes were extracted and statistically analyzed to reveal the effects of MWL and task type. Discriminant analysis and support vector machine were employed to examine the generalization of tir-aERP and PSD features in indexing MWL variations across different tasks. The results showed that the amplitudes of tir-aERP components, N1, early P3a, late P3a, and the reorienting negativity, significantly decreased with the increasing MWL in both N-back and MATB. Task type had no obvious influence on the amplitudes and topological layout of the MWL-sensitive tir-aERP features. The relative PSDs in θ, α, and low β bands were also sensitive to MWL variations. However, the MWL-sensitive PSD features and their topological patterns were significantly affected by task type. The cross-task classification results based on tir-aERP features also significantly outperformed the PSD features. These results suggest that the tir-aERPs should be potentially more consistent MWL indicators across very different task types when compared to PSD. The current study may provide new insights to our understanding of the common and distinctive neuropsychological essences of MWL across different tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Ke
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin International Joint Research Centre for Neural Engineering, Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin International Joint Research Centre for Neural Engineering, Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuang Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin International Joint Research Centre for Neural Engineering, Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yong Cao
- National Key Laboratory of Human Factors Engineering, China Astronaut Research and Training Centre, Beijing, China
| | - Xuejun Jiao
- National Key Laboratory of Human Factors Engineering, China Astronaut Research and Training Centre, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Jiang
- National Key Laboratory of Human Factors Engineering, China Astronaut Research and Training Centre, Beijing, China
| | - Dong Ming
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin International Joint Research Centre for Neural Engineering, Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
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35
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Rempel S, Colzato L, Zhang W, Wolff N, Mückschel M, Beste C. Distinguishing Multiple Coding Levels in Theta Band Activity During Working Memory Gating Processes. Neuroscience 2021; 478:11-23. [PMID: 34626750 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive control and working memory (WM) processes are essential for goal-directed behaviour. Cognitive control and WM are probably based on overlapping neurophysiological mechanisms. For example, theta-band activity (TBA) plays an important role in both functions. For cognitive control processes, it is known that different aspects of information about stimulus content, motor processes and stimulus-response relationships are encoded simultaneously in the TBA. All this information is probably processed during WM gating processes and must be controlled during them. However, direct data for this are lacking. This question is investigated in this study by combining methods of EEG temporal signal decomposition, time-frequency decomposition and beamforming. We show that portions of stimulus-related information, motor response-related information and information related to the interaction between the stimulus and motor responses in the TBA are influenced in parallel and to a similar extent by WM gate opening and gate closing processes. Nevertheless, it is stimulus-related information in the theta signal in particular that modulates behavioural performance in WM-gating. The data suggest that the identified processes are implemented in specific neuroanatomical structures. In particular, the medial frontal cortex, temporal cortical regions and insular cortex are involved in these dynamics. The study shows that principles of information coding relevant to cognitive control processes are also crucial for understanding WM gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Rempel
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Lorenza Colzato
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany; Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Wenxin Zhang
- Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Nicole Wolff
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Moritz Mückschel
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany.
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany; Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
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36
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The Modulation of Working-Memory Performance Using Gamma-Electroacupuncture and Theta-Electroacupuncture in Healthy Adults. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2021; 2021:2062718. [PMID: 34824588 PMCID: PMC8610651 DOI: 10.1155/2021/2062718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Working memory (WM), a central component of general cognition, plays an essential role in human beings' daily lives. WM impairments often occur in psychiatric, neurodegenerative, and neurodevelopmental disorders, mainly presenting as loss of high-load WM. In previous research, electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to be an effective treatment for cognitive impairments. Frequency parameters are an important factor in therapeutic results, but the optimal frequency parameters of EA have not yet been identified. In this study, we chose theta-EA (θ-EA; 6 Hz) and gamma-EA (γ-EA; 40 Hz), corresponding to the transcranial alternating-current stimulation (tACS) frequency parameters at the Baihui (DU20) and Shenting (DU24) acupoints, in order to compare the effects of different EA frequencies on WM. We evaluated WM performance using visual 1-back, 2-back, and 3-back WM tasks involving digits. Each participant (N = 30) attended three different sessions in accordance with a within-subject crossover design. We performed θ-EA, γ-EA, and sham-EA in a counterbalanced order, conducting the WM task both before and after intervention. The results showed that d-prime (d′) under all three stimulation conditions had no significance in the 1-back and 2-back tasks. However, in the 3-back task, there was a significant improvement in d′ after intervention compared to d′ before intervention under θ-EA (F [1, 29] = 22.64; P < 0.001), while we saw no significant difference in the γ-EA and sham-EA groups. Reaction times for hits (RT-hit) under all three stimulation conditions showed decreasing trends in 1-, 2-, and 3-back tasks but without statistically significant differences. These findings suggest that the application of θ-EA might facilitate high-load WM performance.
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37
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Binkowska AA, Jakubowska N, Krystecka K, Galant N, Piotrowska-Cyplik A, Brzezicka A. Theta and Alpha Oscillatory Activity During Working Memory Maintenance in Long-Term Cannabis Users: The Importance of the Polydrug Use Context. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:740277. [PMID: 34733146 PMCID: PMC8558244 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.740277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Impairments in various subdomains of memory have been associated with chronic cannabis use, but less is known about their neural underpinnings, especially in the domain of the brain's oscillatory activity. Aims: To investigate neural oscillatory activity supporting working memory (WM) in regular cannabis users and non-using controls. We focused our analyses on frontal midline theta and posterior alpha asymmetry as oscillatory fingerprints for the WM's maintenance process. Methods: 30 non-using controls (CG) and 57 regular cannabis users-27 exclusive cannabis users (CU) and 30 polydrug cannabis users (PU) completed a Sternberg modified WM task with a concurrent electroencephalography recording. Theta, alpha and beta frequency bands were examined during WM maintenance. Results: When compared to non-using controls, the PU group displayed increased frontal midline theta (FMT) power during WM maintenance, which was positively correlated with RT. The posterior alpha asymmetry during the maintenance phase, on the other hand, was negatively correlated with RT in the CU group. WM performance did not differ between groups. Conclusions: Both groups of cannabis users (CU and PU), when compared to the control group, displayed differences in oscillatory activity during WM maintenance, unique for each group (in CU posterior alpha and in PU FMT correlated with performance). We interpret those differences as a reflection of compensatory strategies, as there were no differences between groups in task performance. Understanding the psychophysiological processes in regular cannabis users may provide insight on how chronic use may affect neural networks underlying cognitive processes, however, a polydrug use context (i.e., combining cannabis with other illegal substances) seems to be an important factor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalia Jakubowska
- SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland.,Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | | | - Aneta Brzezicka
- SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
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38
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Yaghmour M, Sarada P, Roach S, Kadar I, Pesheva Z, Chaari A, Bendriss G. EEG Correlates of Middle Eastern Music Improvisations on the Ney Instrument. Front Psychol 2021; 12:701761. [PMID: 34671287 PMCID: PMC8520950 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.701761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The cognitive sciences have witnessed a growing interest in cognitive and neural basis of human creativity. Music improvisations constitute an ideal paradigm to study creativity, but the underlying cognitive processes remain poorly understood. In addition, studies on music improvisations using scales other than the major and minor chords are scarce. Middle Eastern Music is characterized by the additional use of microtones, resulting in a tonal–spatial system called Maqam. No EEG correlates have been proposed yet for the eight most commonly used maqams. The Ney, an end-blown flute that is popular and widely used in the Middle East was used by a professional musician to perform 24 improvisations at low, medium, and high tempos. Using the EMOTIV EPOC+, a 14-channel wireless EEG headset, brainwaves were recorded and quantified before and during improvisations. Pairwise comparisons were calculated using IBM-SPSS and a principal component analysis was used to evaluate the variability between the maqams. A significant increase of low frequency bands theta power and alpha power were observed at the frontal left and temporal left area as well as a significant increase in higher frequency bands beta-high bands and gamma at the right temporal and left parietal area. This study reveals the first EEG observations of the eight most commonly used maqam and is proposing EEG signatures for various maqams.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarah Roach
- Premedical Division, Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | | | | | - Ali Chaari
- Premedical Division, Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar, Doha, Qatar
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39
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Pavlov YG, Kotchoubey B. Temporally distinct oscillatory codes of retention and manipulation of verbal working memory. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:6497-6511. [PMID: 34514642 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Most psychophysiological studies of working memory (WM) target only the short-term memory construct, whereas short-term memory is only a part of the WM responsible for the storage of sensory information. Here, we aimed to further investigate oscillatory brain mechanisms supporting the executive components of WM-the part responsible for the manipulation of information. We conducted an exploratory reanalysis of a previously published EEG dataset where 156 participants (82 females) performed tasks requiring either simple retention or retention and manipulation of verbal information in WM. A relatively long delay period (>6 s) was employed to investigate the temporal trajectory of the oscillatory brain activity. Compared with baseline, theta activity was significantly enhanced during encoding and the delay period. Alpha-band power decreased during encoding and switched to an increase in the first part of the delay before returning to the baseline in the second part; beta-band power remained below baseline during encoding and the delay. The difference between the manipulation and retention tasks in spectral power had diverse temporal trajectories in different frequency bands. The difference maintained over encoding and the first part of the delay in theta, during the first part of the delay in beta, and during the whole delay period in alpha. Our results suggest that task-related modulations in theta power co-vary with the demands on the executive control network; beta suppression during mental manipulation can be related to the activation of motor networks; and alpha is likely to reflect the activation of language areas simultaneously with sensory input blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri G Pavlov
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Boris Kotchoubey
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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40
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The fronto-central N2 but not parietal P3 reflects response inhibition in the count/no-count task. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 86:1122-1131. [PMID: 34357422 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01571-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate whether the N2 or P3 component in the count/no-count task reflects response inhibition. The participants were asked to count/withhold counting the number of O/X letters in the count/no-count task, and to calculate the sum of all digits (i.e., 1/0) in the digital accumulation task. Therefore, four conditions were obtained in this study: count, no-count, Add 1, and Add 0. In the count and Add 1 conditions, the counting/calculation number need to be updated. In both no-count and Add 0 conditions, the memory of counting/calculation number need not to be updated; a No-go (withhold) instruction was given in the no-count condition, but a Go instruction was given in the Add 0 condition. Results showed that an enhanced fronto-central N2 was evoked in the no-count than in the Add 0 condition, indicating that a stronger response conflict or stronger inhibition might be triggered in the No-count condition. The frontocentral P3 showed no differences between no-count and Add 0 conditions, however, an enhanced centro-parietal P3 component was observed for the count relative to the no-count condition and for the Add 1 relative to the Add 0 condition, indicating that a greater amount of attentional resources might be consumed during memory updating process. Taken together, in the count/no-count task, the fronto-central N2 might reflect response inhibition or conflict and the parietal P3 might reflect attentional resource allocation but not response inhibition.
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41
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Bae JW, Jeong H, Yoon YJ, Bae CM, Lee H, Paik SB, Jung MW. Parallel processing of working memory and temporal information by distinct types of cortical projection neurons. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4352. [PMID: 34272368 PMCID: PMC8285375 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24565-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
It is unclear how different types of cortical projection neurons work together to support diverse cortical functions. We examined the discharge characteristics and inactivation effects of intratelencephalic (IT) and pyramidal tract (PT) neurons-two major types of cortical excitatory neurons that project to cortical and subcortical structures, respectively-in the deep layer of the medial prefrontal cortex in mice performing a delayed response task. We found stronger target-dependent firing of IT than PT neurons during the delay period. We also found the inactivation of IT neurons, but not PT neurons, impairs behavioral performance. In contrast, PT neurons carry more temporal information than IT neurons during the delay period. Our results indicate a division of labor between IT and PT projection neurons in the prefrontal cortex for the maintenance of working memory and for tracking the passage of time, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Won Bae
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Huijeong Jeong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Young Ju Yoon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Chan Mee Bae
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Hyeonsu Lee
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Se-Bum Paik
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
- Program of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Min Whan Jung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea.
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Korea.
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42
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Pscherer C, Bluschke A, Mückschel M, Beste C. The interplay of resting and inhibitory control-related theta-band activity depends on age. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:3845-3857. [PMID: 33982854 PMCID: PMC8288092 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Resting‐state neural activity plays an important role for cognitive control processes. Regarding response inhibition processes, an important facet of cognitive control, especially theta‐band activity has been the focus of research. Theoretical considerations suggest that the interrelation of resting and task‐related theta activity is subject to maturational effects. To investigate whether the relationship between resting theta activity and task‐related theta activity during a response inhibition task changes even in young age, we tested N = 166 healthy participants between 8 and 30 years of age. We found significant correlations between resting and inhibitory control‐related theta activity as well as behavioral inhibition performance. Importantly, these correlations were moderated by age. The moderation analysis revealed that higher resting theta activity was associated with stronger inhibition‐related theta activity in individuals above the age of ~10.7 years. The EEG beamforming analysis showed that this activity is associated with superior frontal region function (BA6). The correlation between resting and superior frontal response inhibition‐related theta activity became stronger with increasing age. A similar pattern was found for response inhibition performance, albeit only evident from the age of ~19.5 years. The results suggest that with increasing age, resting theta activity becomes increasingly important for processing the alarm/surprise signals in superior frontal brain regions during inhibitory control. Possible causes for these developmental changes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Pscherer
- Faculty of Medicine, Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Annet Bluschke
- Faculty of Medicine, Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Moritz Mückschel
- Faculty of Medicine, Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Faculty of Medicine, Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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43
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Lubinus C, Orpella J, Keitel A, Gudi-Mindermann H, Engel AK, Roeder B, Rimmele JM. Data-Driven Classification of Spectral Profiles Reveals Brain Region-Specific Plasticity in Blindness. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2505-2522. [PMID: 33338212 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital blindness has been shown to result in behavioral adaptation and neuronal reorganization, but the underlying neuronal mechanisms are largely unknown. Brain rhythms are characteristic for anatomically defined brain regions and provide a putative mechanistic link to cognitive processes. In a novel approach, using magnetoencephalography resting state data of congenitally blind and sighted humans, deprivation-related changes in spectral profiles were mapped to the cortex using clustering and classification procedures. Altered spectral profiles in visual areas suggest changes in visual alpha-gamma band inhibitory-excitatory circuits. Remarkably, spectral profiles were also altered in auditory and right frontal areas showing increased power in theta-to-beta frequency bands in blind compared with sighted individuals, possibly related to adaptive auditory and higher cognitive processing. Moreover, occipital alpha correlated with microstructural white matter properties extending bilaterally across posterior parts of the brain. We provide evidence that visual deprivation selectively modulates spectral profiles, possibly reflecting structural and functional adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Lubinus
- Department of Neuroscience, Max-Planck-Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Joan Orpella
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Anne Keitel
- Psychology, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, UK
| | - Helene Gudi-Mindermann
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Social Epidemiology, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Andreas K Engel
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Brigitte Roeder
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johanna M Rimmele
- Department of Neuroscience, Max-Planck-Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
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44
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Research on Differential Brain Networks before and after WM Training under Different Frequency Band Oscillations. Neural Plast 2021; 2021:6628021. [PMID: 33824657 PMCID: PMC8007374 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6628021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that different frequency band oscillations are associated with cognitive processing such as working memory (WM). Electroencephalogram (EEG) coherence and graph theory can be used to measure functional connections between different brain regions and information interaction between different clusters of neurons. At the same time, it was found that better cognitive performance of individuals indicated stronger small-world characteristics of resting-state WM networks. However, little is known about the neural synchronization of the retention stage during ongoing WM tasks (i.e., online WM) by training on the whole-brain network level. Therefore, combining EEG coherence and graph theory analysis, the present study examined the topological changes of WM networks before and after training based on the whole brain and constructed differential networks with different frequency band oscillations (i.e., theta, alpha, and beta). The results showed that after WM training, the subjects' WM networks had higher clustering coefficients and shorter optimal path lengths than before training during the retention period. Moreover, the increased synchronization of the frontal theta oscillations seemed to reflect the improved executive ability of WM and the more mature resource deployment; the enhanced alpha oscillatory synchronization in the frontoparietal and fronto-occipital regions may reflect the enhanced ability to suppress irrelevant information during the delay and pay attention to memory guidance; the enhanced beta oscillatory synchronization in the temporoparietal and frontoparietal regions may indicate active memory maintenance and preparation for memory-guided attention. The findings may add new evidence to understand the neural mechanisms of WM on the changes of network topological attributes in the task-related mode.
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45
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Arnau S, Brümmer T, Liegel N, Wascher E. Inverse effects of time-on-task in task-related and task-unrelated theta activity. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13805. [PMID: 33682172 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The phenomenon of mental fatigue has recently been investigated extensively by means of the EEG. Studies deploying spectral analysis consistently reported an increase of spectral power in the lower frequencies with increasing time-on-task, whereas event-related studies observed decreases in various measures related to task engagement and attentional resources. The results from these two lines of research cannot be aligned easily. (Frontal) theta power has been linked to cognitive control and was found to increase with time-on-task. In contrast, theoretical frameworks on mental fatigue suggest a decline in task-engagement as causal for the performance decline observed in mental fatigue. The goal of the present study was to investigate mental fatigue in time-frequency space using linear regression on single-trial data in order to obtain a better understanding about how time-on-task affects theta oscillatory activity. A data-driven analysis approach indicated an increase of alpha and theta power during the intertrial interval. In contrast, task-related theta activity declined. This reduction of stimulus-locked theta power may be interpreted as a reduction of task engagement with increasing mental fatigue. The increase of theta spectral power in the intertrial interval, moreover, could possibly be explained by an increased idling of cognitive control networks. Alternatively, it might be the case that the increase of theta power with time-on-task is a by-product an alpha power increase. As alpha peak frequency systematically decreases with time-on-task, the theta band might be affected as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Arnau
- Department of Ergonomics, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
| | - Tina Brümmer
- Johanniter-Klinik am Rombergpark, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Nathalie Liegel
- Department of Ergonomics, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
| | - Edmund Wascher
- Department of Ergonomics, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
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46
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Formica S, González-García C, Senoussi M, Brass M. Neural oscillations track the maintenance and proceduralization of novel instructions. Neuroimage 2021; 232:117870. [PMID: 33607280 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans are capable of flexibly converting symbolic instructions into novel behaviors. Previous evidence and theoretical models suggest that the implementation of a novel instruction requires the reformatting of its declarative content into an action-oriented code optimized for the execution of the instructed behavior. While neuroimaging research focused on identifying the brain areas involved in such a process, the temporal and electrophysiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. These mechanisms, however, can provide information about the specific cognitive processes that characterize the proceduralization of information. In the present study, we recorded EEG activity while we asked participants to either simply maintain declaratively the content of novel S-R mappings or to proactively prepare for their implementation. By means of time-frequency analyses, we isolated the oscillatory features specific to the proceduralization of instructions. Implementation of the instructed mappings elicited stronger theta activity over frontal electrodes and suppression in mu and beta activity over central electrodes. On the contrary, activity in the alpha band, which has been shown to track the attentional deployment to task-relevant items, showed no differences between tasks. Together, these results support the idea that proceduralization of information is characterized by specific component processes such as orchestrating complex task settings and configuring the motor system that are not observed when instructions are held in a declarative format.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Formica
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium.
| | | | - Mehdi Senoussi
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Marcel Brass
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium; School of Mind and Brain/Department of Psychology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany
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Cha KS, Sunwoo JS, Byun JI, Kim TJ, Shin JW, Kim KH, Jung KY. Working memory deficits in patients with idiopathic restless legs syndrome are associated with abnormal theta-band neural synchrony. J Sleep Res 2021; 30:e13287. [PMID: 33565234 PMCID: PMC8518982 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive impairment, particularly prefrontal function, has been reported in patients with restless legs syndrome. However, working memory performance in patients with restless legs syndrome remains uncertain. The present study aimed to examine working memory performance in patients with restless legs syndrome by investigating electroencephalography theta-band oscillations within task-relevant brain regions and the synchronization among oscillations during a working memory task. Twelve female idiopathic patients with restless legs syndrome and 12 female healthy controls participated in this study. Nineteen-channel electroencephalography data were recorded while participants performed a Sternberg working memory task. We analysed event-related theta-band activity and interregional theta-band phase synchrony during the memory retrieval phase. The spatial pattern of theta-band phase synchrony was quantified using graph theory measures, including the clustering coefficient, characteristic path length, and small-world propensity. Considerable increases in theta-band activity and theta-band phase synchrony were observed at 600-700 ms in controls and at 650-750 ms in restless legs syndrome subjects after the probe item was presented. During this period, induced theta-band activity showed lower with borderline significance in the restless legs syndrome subjects than in the controls regardless of channel location (F4,88 = 3.92, p = .06). Theta-band phase synchrony between the frontal and posterior regions was significantly reduced in the restless legs syndrome subjects. Inefficiency in both global and local networks in the restless legs syndrome subjects was revealed by the decreased small-world propensity (t22 = 2.26, p = .03). Small-world propensity was negatively correlated with restless legs syndrome severity (r = -.65, p = .02). Our findings suggest that patients with restless legs syndrome have multiple deficits in cognitive processes, including attentional allocation, evaluation of incoming stimuli, and memory manipulation of encoded information during a working memory task. Abnormal local theta-band neural synchrony and global theta-band neural synchrony may underlie the neurophysiological mechanism of the working memory dysfunction associated with restless legs syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang Su Cha
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jun-Sang Sunwoo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jung-Ick Byun
- Department of Neurology, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Tae-Joon Kim
- Department of Neurology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Jung-Won Shin
- Department of Neurology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, South Korea
| | - Kyung Hwan Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Health Science, Yonsei University, Wonju, South Korea
| | - Ki-Young Jung
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.,Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Sensory Organ Research Institute, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, South Korea
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48
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Pavlov YG, Kotchoubey B. Oscillatory brain activity and maintenance of verbal and visual working memory: A systematic review. Psychophysiology 2020; 59:e13735. [PMID: 33278030 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Brain oscillations likely play a significant role in the storage of information in working memory (WM). Despite the wide popularity of the topic, current attempts to summarize the research in the field are narrative reviews. We address this gap by providing a descriptive systematic review, in which we investigated oscillatory correlates of maintenance of verbal and visual information in WM. The systematic approach enabled us to challenge some common views popularized by previous research. The identified literature (100 EEG/MEG studies) highlighted the importance of theta oscillations in verbal WM: frontal midline theta enhanced with load in most verbal studies, while more equivocal results have been obtained in visual studies. Increasing WM load affected alpha activity in most studies, but the direction of the effect was inconsistent: the ratio of studies that found alpha increase versus decrease with increasing load was 80/20% in the verbal WM domain and close to 60/40% in the visual domain. Alpha asymmetry (left < right) was a common finding in both verbal and visual WM studies. Beta and gamma activity studies yielded the least convincing data: a diversity in the spatial and frequency distribution of beta activity prevented us from making a coherent conclusion; gamma rhythm was virtually neglected in verbal WM studies with no systematic support for sustained gamma changes during the delay in EEG studies in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri G Pavlov
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation
| | - Boris Kotchoubey
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Thönes S, Arnau S, Wascher E, Schneider D. Boosting working memory with accelerated clocks. Neuroimage 2020; 226:117601. [PMID: 33249214 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Our perception of time varies with the degree of cognitive engagement in tasks. The perceived passage of time accelerates while working on demanding tasks, whereas time appears to drag during boring situations. Our experiment aimed at investigating whether this relationship is mutual: Can manipulated announcements of elapsed time systematically affect the attentional resources applied to a cognitive task? We measured behavioral performance and the EEG in a whole report working memory paradigm with six items of different colors that each had to be reported after a short delay period. The 32 participants were informed about the current time after each 20 trials, while the clock was running at either 100% (normal), 120% (fast), or 80% (slow) of normal clock speed depending on the experimental block. The mean number of correctly reported colors per trial was significantly increased in the fast as compared to the slow and normal clock conditions. In the EEG, we focused on neural oscillations during working memory encoding and storage. As an electrophysiological correlate of task engagement, frontal theta power during the storage interval was increased in the fast clock condition. Also, the power of frontal theta oscillations predicted the number of correctly reported colors on a single-trial basis. This shows that a covert manipulation of clock speed can lead to an improvement in cognitive performance, presumably mediated by a higher allocation of attentional resources resulting from an adaptation of the subjective passage of time during an experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Thönes
- Experimental Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany; Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Stefan Arnau
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Edmund Wascher
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Daniel Schneider
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany.
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50
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Salient distractors open the door of perception: alpha desynchronization marks sensory gating in a working memory task. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19179. [PMID: 33154495 PMCID: PMC7645677 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76190-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Focusing attention on relevant information while ignoring distracting stimuli is essential to the efficacy of working memory. Alpha- and theta-band oscillations have been linked to the inhibition of anticipated and attentionally avoidable distractors. However, the neurophysiological background of the rejection of task-irrelevant stimuli appearing in the focus of attention is not fully understood. We aimed to examine whether theta and alpha-band oscillations serve as an indicator of successful distractor rejection. Twenty-four students were enrolled in the study. 64-channel EEG was recorded during a modified Sternberg working memory task where weak and strong (salient) distractors were presented during the retention period. Event-related spectral perturbation in the alpha frequency band was significantly modulated by the saliency of the distracting stimuli, while theta oscillation was modulated by the need for cognitive control. Moreover, stronger alpha desynchronization to strong relative to weak distracting stimuli significantly increased the probability of mistakenly identifying the presented distractor as a member of the memory sequence. Therefore, our results suggest that alpha activity reflects the vulnerability of attention to distracting salient stimuli.
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