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Diaz-Fong JP, Feusner JD. Visual Perceptual Processing Abnormalities in Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38691313 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2024_472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Phenomenological observations of individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), coupled with evidence from neuropsychological, psychophysical, and neuroimaging studies, support a model of aberrant visual perception characterized by deficient global/holistic, enhanced detail/local processing, and selective visual-attentional biases. These features may contribute to the core symptomatology of distorted perception of their appearance, in addition to misinterpretation of others' facial expressions and poor insight regarding their misperceived appearance defects. Insights from visual processing studies can contribute to the development of novel interventions, such as perceptual retraining and non-invasive neuromodulation. However, much remains to be understood about visual perception in BDD. Future research should leverage brain imaging modalities with high temporal resolutions and employ study designs that induce conflicts in multisensory integration, thereby advancing our mechanistic understanding of distorted visual perception observed in BDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel P Diaz-Fong
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jamie D Feusner
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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2
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Chikhi S, Matton N, Sanna M, Blanchet S. Mental strategies and resting state EEG: Effect on high alpha amplitude modulation by neurofeedback in healthy young adults. Biol Psychol 2023; 178:108521. [PMID: 36801435 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108521] [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: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Neurofeedback (NFB) is a brain-computer interface which allows individuals to modulate their brain activity. Despite the self-regulatory nature of NFB, the effectiveness of strategies used during NFB training has been little investigated. In a single session of NFB training (6*3 min training blocks) with healthy young participants, we experimentally tested if providing a list of mental strategies (list group, N = 46), compared with a group receiving no strategies (no list group, N = 39), affected participants' neuromodulation ability of high alpha (10-12 Hz) amplitude. We additionally asked participants to verbally report the mental strategies used to enhance high alpha amplitude. The verbatim was then classified in pre-established categories in order to examine the effect of type of mental strategy on high alpha amplitude. First, we found that giving a list to the participants did not promote the ability to neuromodulate high alpha activity. However, our analysis of the specific strategies reported by learners during training blocks revealed that cognitive effort and recalling memories were associated with higher high alpha amplitude. Furthermore, the resting amplitude of trained high alpha frequency predicted an amplitude increase during training, a factor that may optimize inclusion in NFB protocols. The present results also corroborate the interrelation with other frequency bands during NFB training. Although these findings are based on a single NFB session, our study represents a further step towards developing effective protocols for high alpha neuromodulation by NFB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samy Chikhi
- Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, F-92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Nadine Matton
- CLLE, Université de Toulouse, CNRS (UMR 5263), Toulouse, France; ENAC, École Nationale d'Aviation Civile, Université de Toulouse, France
| | - Marie Sanna
- Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, F-92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Sophie Blanchet
- Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, F-92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
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Nan W, Wan M, Jiang Y, Shi X, Wan F, Cai D. Alpha/Theta Ratio Neurofeedback Training for Attention Enhancement in Normal Developing Children: A Brief Report. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 2022; 47:223-229. [PMID: 35691974 DOI: 10.1007/s10484-022-09550-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Attention plays an important role in children's development and learning, and neurofeedback training (NFT) has been proposed as a promising method to improve attention, mainly in population with attention problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, whether this approach has a positive effect on attention in normal developing children has been rarely investigated. This pilot study conducted ten sessions of alpha/theta ratio (ATR) NFT on eight primary students in school environment, with two to three sessions per week. The results showed inter-individual difference in NFT learning efficacy that was assessed by the slope of ATR over training sessions. In addition, the attention performance was significantly improved after NFT. Importantly, the improvement of attention performance was positively correlated with the NFT learning efficacy. It thus highlighted the need for optimizing ATR NFT protocol for the benefits on attention at the individual level. Future work can employ a double-blind placebo-controlled design with larger sample size to validate the benefits of ATR NFT for attention in normal developing children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenya Nan
- Department of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengqi Wan
- Department of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yali Jiang
- Department of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoping Shi
- Department of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Wan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Macau, Macau, China
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Dan Cai
- Department of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China.
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4
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The Influence of Noise in the Neurofeedback Training Sessions in Student Athletes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182413223. [PMID: 34948840 PMCID: PMC8702059 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Considering that athletes constantly practice and compete in noisy environments, the aim was to investigate if performing neurofeedback training in these conditions would yield better results in performance than in silent ones. A total of forty-five student athletes aged from 18 to 35 years old and divided equally into three groups participated in the experiment (mean ± SD for age: 22.02 ± 3.05 years). The total neurofeedback session time for each subject was 300 min and were performed twice a week. The environment in which the neurofeedback sessions were conducted did not seem to have a significant impact on the training’s success in terms of alpha relative amplitude changes (0.04 ± 0.08 for silent room versus 0.07 ± 0.28 for noisy room, p = 0.740). However, the group exposed to intermittent noise appears to have favourable results in all performance assessments (p = 0.005 for working memory and p = 0.003 for reaction time). The results of the study suggested that performing neurofeedback training in an environment with intermittent noise can be interesting to athletes. Nevertheless, it is imperative to perform a replicated crossover design.
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Domingos C, da Silva CM, Antunes A, Prazeres P, Esteves I, Rosa AC. The Influence of an Alpha Band Neurofeedback Training in Heart Rate Variability in Athletes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:12579. [PMID: 34886301 PMCID: PMC8656808 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Neurofeedback training is a technique which has seen a widespread use in clinical applications, but has only given its first steps in the sport environment. Therefore, there is still little information about the effects that this technique might have on parameters, which are relevant for athletes' health and performance, such as heart rate variability, which has been linked to physiological recovery. In the sport domain, no studies have tried to understand the effects of neurofeedback training on heart rate variability, even though some studies have compared the effects of doing neurofeedback or heart rate biofeedback training on performance. The main goal of the present study was to understand if alpha-band neurofeedback training could lead to increases in heart rate variability. 30 male student-athletes, divided into two groups, (21.2 ± 2.62 year 2/week protocol and 22.6 ± 1.1 year 3/week protocol) participated in the study, of which three subjects were excluded. Both groups performed a pre-test, a trial session and 12 neurofeedback sessions, which consisted of 25 trials of 60 s of a neurofeedback task, with 5 s rest in-between trials. The total neurofeedback session time for each subject was 300 min in both groups. Throughout the experiment, electroencephalography and heart rate variability signals were recorded. Only the three sessions/week group revealed significant improvements in mean heart rate variability at the end of the 12 neurofeedback sessions (p = 0.05); however, significant interaction was not found when compared with both groups. It is possible to conclude that neurofeedback training of individual alpha band may induce changes in heart rate variability in physically active athletes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - André Antunes
- Laboratory of Physiology and Biochemistry of Exercise, Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, 1495-751 Oeiras, Portugal;
| | - Pedro Prazeres
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LJ, UK;
| | - Inês Esteves
- Department of Bioengineering, LaSEEB—System and Robotics Institute, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, 2695-066 Lisbon, Portugal; (I.E.); (A.C.R.)
| | - Agostinho C. Rosa
- Department of Bioengineering, LaSEEB—System and Robotics Institute, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, 2695-066 Lisbon, Portugal; (I.E.); (A.C.R.)
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Orendáčová M, Kvašňák E. Effects of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation and Neurofeedback on Alpha (EEG) Dynamics: A Review. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:628229. [PMID: 34305549 PMCID: PMC8297546 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.628229] [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: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) and neurofeedback (NFB) are two different types of non-invasive neuromodulation techniques, which can modulate brain activity and improve brain functioning. In this review, we compared the current state of knowledge related to the mechanisms of tACS and NFB and their effects on electroencephalogram (EEG) activity (online period/stimulation period) and on aftereffects (offline period/post/stimulation period), including the duration of their persistence and potential behavioral benefits. Since alpha bandwidth has been broadly studied in NFB and in tACS research, the studies of NFB and tACS in modulating alpha bandwidth were selected for comparing the online and offline effects of these two neuromodulation techniques. The factors responsible for variability in the responsiveness of the modulated EEG activity by tACS and NFB were analyzed and compared too. Based on the current literature related to tACS and NFB, it can be concluded that tACS and NFB differ a lot in the mechanisms responsible for their effects on an online EEG activity but they possibly share the common universal mechanisms responsible for the induction of aftereffects in the targeted stimulated EEG band, namely Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity. Many studies of both neuromodulation techniques report the aftereffects connected to the behavioral benefits. The duration of persistence of aftereffects for NFB and tACS is comparable. In relation to the factors influencing responsiveness to tACS and NFB, significantly more types of factors were analyzed in the NFB studies compared to the tACS studies. Several common factors for both tACS and NFB have been already investigated. Based on these outcomes, we propose several new research directions regarding tACS and NFB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mária Orendáčová
- Department of Medical Biophysics and Medical Informatics, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czechia
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Domingos C, Peralta M, Prazeres P, Nan W, Rosa A, Pereira JG. Session Frequency Matters in Neurofeedback Training of Athletes. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 2021; 46:195-204. [PMID: 33528679 DOI: 10.1007/s10484-021-09505-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Neurofeedback training has been an increasingly used technique and is taking its first steps in sport. Being at an embryonic stage, it is difficult to find consensus regarding the applied methodology to achieve the best results. This study focused on understanding one of the major methodological issues-the training session frequency. The aim of the investigation was to understand if there are differences between performing two sessions or three sessions per week in enhancement of alpha activity and improvement of cognition; and in case there are differences, infer the best protocol. Forty-five athletes were randomly assigned to the three-session-training-per-week group, the two-session-training-per-week group and a control group. The results showed that neurofeedback training with three sessions per week was more effective in increase of alpha amplitude during neurofeedback training than two sessions per week. Furthermore, only the three-session-per-week group showed significant enhancement in N-back and oddball performance after training. The findings suggested more condensed training protocol lead to better outcomes, providing guidance on neurofeedback protocol design in order to optimize training efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Domingos
- Laboratory of Physiology and Biochemistry of Exercise, Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Cruz Quebrada, Portugal.,Department of Bioengineering, LaSEEB - System and Robotics Institute, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Miguel Peralta
- CIPER, Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Cruz Quebrada, Portugal.,ISAMB, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Pedro Prazeres
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK
| | - Wenya Nan
- Department of Psychology, College of Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Agostinho Rosa
- Department of Bioengineering, LaSEEB - System and Robotics Institute, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - José G Pereira
- Laboratory of Physiology and Biochemistry of Exercise, Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Cruz Quebrada, Portugal
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Wan F, da Cruz JN, Nan W, Wong CM, Vai MI, Rosa A. Alpha neurofeedback training improves SSVEP-based BCI performance. J Neural Eng 2016; 13:036019. [PMID: 27152666 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2560/13/3/036019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) can provide relatively easy, reliable and high speed communication. However, the performance is still not satisfactory, especially in some users who are not able to generate strong enough SSVEP signals. This work aims to strengthen a user's SSVEP by alpha down-regulating neurofeedback training (NFT) and consequently improve the performance of the user in using SSVEP-based BCIs. APPROACH An experiment with two steps was designed and conducted. The first step was to investigate the relationship between the resting alpha activity and the SSVEP-based BCI performance, in order to determine the training parameter for the NFT. Then in the second step, half of the subjects with 'low' performance (i.e. BCI classification accuracy <80%) were randomly assigned to a NFT group to perform a real-time NFT, and the rest half to a non-NFT control group for comparison. MAIN RESULTS The first step revealed a significant negative correlation between the BCI performance and the individual alpha band (IAB) amplitudes in the eyes-open resting condition in a total of 33 subjects. In the second step, it was found that during the IAB down-regulating NFT, on average the subjects were able to successfully decrease their IAB amplitude over training sessions. More importantly, the NFT group showed an average increase of 16.5% in the SSVEP signal SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) and an average increase of 20.3% in the BCI classification accuracy, which was significant compared to the non-NFT control group. SIGNIFICANCE These findings indicate that the alpha down-regulating NFT can be used to improve the SSVEP signal quality and the subjects' performance in using SSVEP-based BCIs. It could be helpful to the SSVEP related studies and would contribute to more effective SSVEP-based BCI applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Wan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, People's Republic of China
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Nan W, Wan F, Vai MI, Da Rosa AC. Resting and Initial Beta Amplitudes Predict Learning Ability in Beta/Theta Ratio Neurofeedback Training in Healthy Young Adults. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:677. [PMID: 26732846 PMCID: PMC4685657 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurofeedback (NF) training has been proved beneficial in cognitive and behavioral performance improvement in healthy individuals. Unfortunately, the NF learning ability shows large individual difference and in a number of NF studies there are even some non-learners who cannot successfully self-regulate their brain activity by NF. This study aimed to find out the neurophysiological predictor of the learning ability in up-regulating beta-1 (15-18 Hz)/theta (4-7 Hz) ratio (BTR) training in healthy young adults. Eighteen volunteers finished five training sessions in successive 5 days. We found that low beta (12-15 Hz) amplitude in a 1-min eyes-open resting baseline measured before training and the beta-1 amplitude in the first training block with 4.5-min duration could predict the BTR learning ability across sessions. The results provide a low cost, convenient and easy way to predict the learning ability in up-regulating BTR training, and would be helpful in avoiding potential frustration and adjusting training protocol for the participants with poor learning ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenya Nan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau Macau, China
| | - Feng Wan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau Macau, China
| | - Mang I Vai
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau Macau, China
| | - Agostinho C Da Rosa
- Department of Bio Engineering, Instituto Superior Tecnico and Systems and Robotics Institute, University of Lisbon Lisbon, Portugal
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Moody TD, Sasaki MA, Bohon C, Strober MA, Bookheimer SY, Sheen CL, Feusner JD. Functional connectivity for face processing in individuals with body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia nervosa. Psychol Med 2015; 45:3491-3503. [PMID: 26219399 PMCID: PMC4879882 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291715001397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and anorexia nervosa (AN) are both characterized by distorted perception of appearance. Previous studies in BDD suggest abnormalities in visual processing of own and others' faces, but no study has examined visual processing of faces in AN, nor directly compared the two disorders in this respect. METHOD We collected functional magnetic resonance imaging data on 60 individuals of equivalent age and gender in each of three groups--20 BDD, 20 weight-restored AN, and 20 healthy controls (HC)--while they viewed images of others' faces that contained only high or low spatial frequency information (HSF or LSF). We tested hypotheses about functional connectivity within specialized sub-networks for HSF and LSF visual processing, using psychophysiological interaction analyses. RESULTS The BDD group demonstrated increased functional connectivity compared to HC between left anterior occipital face area and right fusiform face area (FFA) for LSF faces, which was associated with symptom severity. Both BDD and AN groups had increased connectivity compared to HC between FFA and precuneous/posterior cingulate gyrus for LSF faces, and decreased connectivity between FFA and insula. In addition, we found that LSF connectivity between FFA and posterior cingulate gyrus was significantly associated with thoughts about own appearance in AN. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest similar abnormal functional connectivity within higher-order systems for face processing in BDD and AN, but distinct abnormal connectivity patterns within occipito-temporal visual networks. Findings may have implications for understanding relationships between these disorders, and the pathophysiology underlying perceptual distortions.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. D. Moody
- Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - M. A. Sasaki
- Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - C. Bohon
- Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - M. A. Strober
- Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - S. Y. Bookheimer
- Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - C. L. Sheen
- Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - J. D. Feusner
- Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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12
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Disturbed temporal dynamics of brain synchronization in vision loss. Cortex 2015; 67:134-46. [PMID: 25956453 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2015.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2014] [Revised: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Damage along the visual pathway prevents bottom-up visual input from reaching further processing stages and consequently leads to loss of vision. But perception is not a simple bottom-up process - rather it emerges from activity of widespread cortical networks which coordinate visual processing in space and time. Here we set out to study how vision loss affects activity of brain visual networks and how networks' activity is related to perception. Specifically, we focused on studying temporal patterns of brain activity. To this end, resting-state eyes-closed EEG was recorded from partially blind patients suffering from chronic retina and/or optic-nerve damage (n = 19) and healthy controls (n = 13). Amplitude (power) of oscillatory activity and phase locking value (PLV) were used as measures of local and distant synchronization, respectively. Synchronization time series were created for the low- (7-9 Hz) and high-alpha band (11-13 Hz) and analyzed with three measures of temporal patterns: (i) length of synchronized-/desynchronized-periods, (ii) Higuchi Fractal Dimension (HFD), and (iii) Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA). We revealed that patients exhibit less complex, more random and noise-like temporal dynamics of high-alpha band activity. More random temporal patterns were associated with worse performance in static (r = -.54, p = .017) and kinetic perimetry (r = .47, p = .041). We conclude that disturbed temporal patterns of neural synchronization in vision loss patients indicate disrupted communication within brain visual networks caused by prolonged deafferentation. We propose that because the state of brain networks is essential for normal perception, impaired brain synchronization in patients with vision loss might aggravate the functional consequences of reduced visual input.
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Nan W, Migotina D, Wan F, Lou CI, Rodrigues J, Semedo J, Vai MI, Pereira JG, Melicio F, Da Rosa AC. Dynamic peripheral visual performance relates to alpha activity in soccer players. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:913. [PMID: 25426058 PMCID: PMC4227514 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have demonstrated the relationship between the alpha activity and the central visual ability, in which the visual ability is usually assessed through static stimuli. Besides static circumstance, however in the real environment there are often dynamic changes and the peripheral visual ability in a dynamic environment (i.e., dynamic peripheral visual ability) is important for all people. So far, no work has reported whether there is a relationship between the dynamic peripheral visual ability and the alpha activity. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate their relationship. Sixty-two soccer players performed a newly designed peripheral vision task in which the visual stimuli were dynamic, while their EEG signals were recorded from Cz, O1, and O2 locations. The relationship between the dynamic peripheral visual performance and the alpha activity was examined by the percentage-bend correlation test. The results indicated no significant correlation between the dynamic peripheral visual performance and the alpha amplitudes in the eyes-open and eyes-closed resting condition. However, it was not the case for the alpha activity during the peripheral vision task: the dynamic peripheral visual performance showed significant positive inter-individual correlations with the amplitudes in the alpha band (8–12 Hz) and the individual alpha band (IAB) during the peripheral vision task. A potential application of this finding is to improve the dynamic peripheral visual performance by up-regulating alpha activity using neuromodulation techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenya Nan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau Macau, China
| | - Daria Migotina
- Biomedical Engineering and Evolutionary Systems Lab, Systems and Robotics Institute Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Feng Wan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau Macau, China
| | - Chin Ian Lou
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau Macau, China
| | - João Rodrigues
- Biomedical Engineering and Evolutionary Systems Lab, Systems and Robotics Institute Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João Semedo
- Biomedical Engineering and Evolutionary Systems Lab, Systems and Robotics Institute Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mang I Vai
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau Macau, China
| | - Jose Gomes Pereira
- Academia do Sporting Club de Portugal and Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, University of Lisbon Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Fernando Melicio
- Biomedical Engineering and Evolutionary Systems Lab, Systems and Robotics Institute Lisbon, Portugal ; Department of Electronics and Telecommunications and of Computers Engineering, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, IPL Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Agostinho C Da Rosa
- Biomedical Engineering and Evolutionary Systems Lab, Systems and Robotics Institute Lisbon, Portugal ; Department of BioEngineering, Instituto Superior Tecnico, University of Lisbon Lisbon, Portugal
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Wan F, Nan W, Vai MI, Rosa A. Resting alpha activity predicts learning ability in alpha neurofeedback. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:500. [PMID: 25071528 PMCID: PMC4095646 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals differ in their ability to learn how to regulate the brain activity by neurofeedback. This study aimed to investigate whether the resting alpha activity can predict the learning ability in alpha neurofeedback. A total of 25 subjects performed 20 sessions of individualized alpha neurofeedback and the learning ability was assessed by three indices respectively: the training parameter changes between two periods, within a short period and across the whole training time. It was found that the resting alpha amplitude measured before training had significant positive correlations with all learning indices and could be used as a predictor for the learning ability prediction. This finding would help the researchers in not only predicting the training efficacy in individuals but also gaining further insight into the mechanisms of alpha neurofeedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Wan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau Taipa, Macau
| | - Wenya Nan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau Taipa, Macau
| | - Mang I Vai
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau Taipa, Macau
| | - Agostinho Rosa
- Department of Bio Engineering, Systems and Robotics Institute, Technical University of Lisbon Lisbon, Portugal
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