Frontal EEG theta/beta ratio during mind wandering episodes

An Approach of Query Audience's Attention in Virtual Speech

Virtual speeches are a very popular way for remote multi-user communication, but it has the disadvantage of the lack of eye contact. This paper proposes the evaluation of an online audience attention based on gaze tracking. Our research only uses webcams to capture the audience's head posture, gaze time, and other features, providing a low-cost method for attention monitoring with reference values across multiple domains. Meantime, we also propose a set of indexes which can be used to evaluate the audience's degree of attention, making up for the fact that the speaker cannot gauge the audience's concentration through eye contact during online speeches. We selected 96 students for a 20 min group simulation session and used Spearman's correlation coefficient to analyze the correlation between our evaluation indicators and concentration. The result showed that each evaluation index has a significant correlation with the degree of attention (p = 0.01), and all the students in the focused group met the thresholds set by each of our evaluation indicators, while the students in the non-focused group failed to reach the standard. During the simulation, eye movement data and EEG signals were measured synchronously for the second group of students. The EEG results of the students were consistent with the systematic evaluation. The performance of the measured EEG signals confirmed the accuracy of the systematic evaluation.

Risky alcohol use during youth: Impact on emotion, cognitive networks, and resting-state EEG activity

The identification of the risk factors of alcohol consumption in youths is crucial for early interventions focused on reducing harmful alcohol use. In our study, 82 college students (40 healthy control (CO group) and 42 with risky alcohol use (RAU group) determined by AUDIT questionnaire) between the ages of 18 and 25 years underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment covering emotional and cognitive functioning. Their resting-state activity was also recorded with an EEG for 10 min with their eyes open (EO) and 10 min with their eyes closed (EC) and analyzed using the Fitting Oscillations & One-Over-F (FOOOF) paradigm. After adjusting for sex, those in the RAU group had higher emotional dysregulation and impulsivity traits. The RAU girls presented more emotional regulation problems, such as dysregulation and negative urgency compared with the RAU boys. The RAU youths had significantly worse functioning in several cognitive domains, such as sustained attention, verbal memory, and executive functions. Cognitive network analysis revealed a different pattern of connections in each group showing that in the RAU group, the verbal memory domain had the highest connection with other cognitive functions. The EEG analyses did not reveal any significant differences between the CO and the RAU groups. However, we observed only in the EO condition that boys the from the RAU group displayed a higher theta/beta ratio than the RAU girls, whereas these differences were not observed within the CO group. Our findings highlight the need to explore more deeply the emotional, cognitive and brain changes underlying the RAU in young people.

Assessing the effects of an 8-week mindfulness training program on neural oscillations and self-reports during meditation practice

Previous literature suggests that mindfulness meditation can have positive effects on mental health, however, its mechanisms of action are still unclear. In this pre-registered study, we investigate the effects of mindfulness training on lapses of attention (and their associated neural correlates) during meditation practice. For this purpose, we recorded Electroencephalogram (EEG) during meditation practice before and after 8 weeks of mindfulness training (or waitlist) in 41 participants (21 treatment and 20 controls). In order to detect lapses of attention and characterize their EEG correlates, we interrupted participants during meditation to report their level of focus and drowsiness. First, we show that self-reported lapses of attention during meditation practice were associated to an increased occurrence of theta oscillations (3-6 Hz), which were slower in frequency and more spatially widespread than theta oscillations occurring during focused attention states. Then, we show that mindfulness training did not reduce the occurrence of lapses of attention nor their associated EEG correlate (i.e. theta oscillations) during meditation. Instead, we find that mindfulness training was associated with a significant slowing of alpha oscillations in frontal electrodes during meditation. Crucially, frontal alpha slowing during meditation practice has been reported in experienced meditators and is thought to reflect relative decreases in arousal levels. Together, our findings provide insights into the EEG correlates of mindfulness meditation, which could have important implications for the identification of its mechanisms of action and/or the development of neuromodulation protocols aimed at facilitating meditation practice.

HRV and EEG correlates of well-being using ultra-short, portable, and low-cost measurements

Wearable electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) devices may offer a non-invasive, user-friendly, and cost-effective approach for assessing well-being (WB) in real-world settings. However, challenges remain in dealing with signal artifacts (such as environmental noise and movements) and identifying robust biomarkers. We evaluated the feasibility of using portable hardware to identify potential EEG and heart-rate variability (HRV) correlates of WB. We collected simultaneous ultrashort (2-min) EEG and ECG data from 60 individuals in real-world settings using a wrist ECG electrode connected to a 4-channel wearable EEG headset. These data were processed, assessed for signal quality, and analyzed using the open-source EEGLAB BrainBeats plugin to extract several theory-driven metrics as potential correlates of WB. Namely, the individual alpha frequency (IAF), frontal and posterior alpha asymmetry, and signal entropy for EEG. SDNN, the low/high frequency (LF/HF) ratio, the Poincaré SD1/SD2 ratio, and signal entropy for HRV. We assessed potential associations between these features and the main WB dimensions (hedonic, eudaimonic, global, physical, and social) implementing a pairwise correlation approach, robust Spearman's correlations, and corrections for multiple comparisons. Only eight files showed poor signal quality and were excluded from the analysis. Eudaimonic (psychological) WB was positively correlated with SDNN and the LF/HF ratio. EEG posterior alpha asymmetry was positively correlated with Physical WB (i.e., sleep and pain levels). No relationships were found with the other metrics, or between EEG and HRV metrics. These physiological metrics enable a quick, objective assessment of well-being in real-world settings using scalable, user-friendly tools.

Effects of Serious Games in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment

OBJECTIVE

The rising prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has spurred interest in innovative cognitive rehabilitation approaches, including serious games. This review summarizes randomized clinical trials (RCTs) exploring the impact of serious games on MCI patients.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive data search using key terms such as "gamification," "digital therapy," "cognition," "mild cognitive impairment," and "Alzheimer's disease." We exclusively considered published RCTs, excluding animal studies and basic research.

RESULTS

We identified eight RCTs. Four RCTs examined the effects of serious games using cognitive training for MCI patients. Notably, one study found that non-specific training (Nintendo Wii) significantly enhanced cognitive function and quality of life compared to cognition-specific computer training (CoTras). Among the remaining three RCTs, one specifically demonstrated that personalized serious game-based cognitive training yielded superior cognitive outcomes and reduced depressive symptoms. One RCT focused on serious games incorporating physical exercise, highlighting the effectiveness of kinetic-based exergaming in enhancing overall cognition. Three RCT focused on combined cognitive training and physical exercise. A double-blind RCT revealed that progressive resistance training or standalone physical exercise outperformed the combined approach in improving executive function and global cognition. Two additional RCTs reported positive outcomes, including improvements in cognitive function and electroencephalogram patterns associated with game-based interventions.

CONCLUSION

Serious games, whether focusing on cognitive training, physical exercise, or a combination of both, have potential to improve cognitive and functional outcomes in individuals with MCI. Further research and standardization of protocols are needed to better understand the full potential of serious games in MCI.

Neurophysiological insights into sequential decision-making: exploring the secretary problem through ERPs and TBR dynamics

Decision-making under uncertainty, a cornerstone of human cognition, is encapsulated by the "secretary problem" in optimal stopping theory. Our study examines this decision-making challenge, where participants are required to sequentially evaluate and make irreversible choices under conditions that simulate cognitive overload. We probed neurophysiological responses by engaging 27 students in a secretary problem simulation while undergoing EEG monitoring, focusing on Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) P200 and P400, and Theta to Beta Ratio (TBR) dynamics.Results revealed a nuanced pattern: the P200 component's amplitude declined from the initial to the middle offers, suggesting a diminishing attention span as participants grew accustomed to the task. This attenuation reversed at the final offer, indicating a heightened cognitive processing as the task concluded. In contrast, the P400 component's amplitude peaked at the middle offer, hinting at increased cognitive evaluation, and tapered off at the final decision. Additionally, TBR dynamics illustrated a fluctuation in attentional control and emotional regulation throughout the decision-making sequence, enhancing our understanding of the cognitive strategies employed.The research elucidates the dynamic interplay of cognitive processes in high-stakes environments, with neurophysiological markers fluctuating significantly as participants navigated sequential choices. By correlating these fluctuations with decision-making behavior, we provide insights into the evolving strategies from heightened alertness to strategic evaluation. Our findings offer insights that could inform the use of neurophysiological data in the development of decision-making frameworks, potentially contributing to the practical application of cognitive research in real-life contexts.

Relationship between theta/beta ratio and mind wandering in schizotypy

Negative association was found between the frontal theta/beta ratio and mind wandering in participants with high schizotypal traits, while no such association was found in participants with low schizotypal traits. These findings provide insights into the neural mechanism of mind wandering in individuals with high schizotypal traits.

The role of brain oscillations in feature integration

Our sensory system is able to build a unified perception of the world, which although rich, is limited and inaccurate. Sometimes, features from different objects are erroneously combined. At the neural level, the role of the parietal cortex in feature integration is well-known. However, the brain dynamics underlying correct and incorrect feature integration are less clear. To explore the temporal dynamics of feature integration, we studied the modulation of different frequency bands in trials in which feature integration was correct or incorrect. Participants responded to the color of a shape target, surrounded by distractors. A calibration procedure ensured that accuracy was around 70% in each participant. To explore the role of expectancy in feature integration, we introduced an unexpected feature to the target in the last blocks of trials. Results demonstrated the contribution of several frequency bands to feature integration. Alpha and beta power was reduced for hits compared to illusions. Moreover, gamma power was overall larger during the experiment for participants who were aware of the unexpected target presented during the last blocks of trials (as compared to unaware participants). These results demonstrate that feature integration is a complex process that can go wrong at different stages of information processing and is influenced by top-down expectancies.

Theta/beta ratio in EEG correlated with attentional capacity assessed by Conners Continuous Performance Test in children with ADHD

Introduction

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder affecting children worldwide; however, diagnosing ADHD remains a complex task. Theta/beta ratio (TBR) derived from electroencephalography (EEG) recordings has been proposed as a potential biomarker for ADHD, but its effectiveness in children with ADHD remains controversial. Behavioral assessments, such as the Conners Continuous Performance Test-3rd edition (CPT-3), have been utilized to assess attentional capacity in individuals with ADHD. This study aims to investigate the correlation between TBR and CPT-3 scores in children and adolescents with ADHD.

Methods

In a retrospective analysis, we examined patients regularly monitored for ADHD at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, who underwent both EEG and CPT-3 assessments. Severity of ADHD was evaluated using parent- and teacher-completed Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham (SNAP)-IV rating scales.

Results

The study encompassed 55 ADHD patients (41 with abnormal CPT-3 scores, 14 with normal CPT-3 scores) and 45 control subjects. TBR demonstrated elevation in ADHD patients with abnormal CPT-3 scores, indicating its potential to represent attentional capacity akin to behavioral assessments like CPT-3. However, significant correlations between TBR values and CPT-3 variables or SNAP-IV rating scales were not observed. Moreover, TBR values exhibited considerable overlap across the groups, leading to diminished sensitivity and negative predictive value as a potential neurophysiological ADHD biomarker.

Discussion

While our study underscores the utility of both TBR and CPT-3 in assessing attentional capacity, their sensitivity in diagnosing ADHD is limited. A comprehensive evaluation, integrating clinical expertise, parental input, and detailed neuropsychometric tests, remains pivotal for a thorough and precise diagnosis of ADHD.

Electrophysiological effects of smartphone notifications on cognitive control following a brief mindfulness induction

Smartphone use is nearly ubiquitous, with 93% of adults among economically developed countries, including the United States, Canada, Israel, and South Korea owning a smartphone (Taylor & Silver, 2019). Multiple studies have demonstrated the distracting effects of smartphone notifications on behavioral measures of cognition. Fewer studies have examined the effects of notifications on neural activity underlying higher-level cognitive processes or behavioral inductions to reduce smartphone-related distraction. Using EEG spectral frequency power densities, we assessed the effects of smartphone notifications (vs. control trials) on engagement of attentional shifting processes involved in cognitive control during a Navon Letter visual oddball task. Participants were randomly assigned to a brief mindfulness induction (N = 44) or a neutral narration control condition (N = 43). Overall, participants had lower theta-band power, but higher alpha- and beta-band power densities on target letter trials preceded by smartphone notifications. Additionally, participants in the mindfulness (vs. control) condition had a larger attention shifting oddball assessed via theta power density and theta/beta ratio (TBR) values-reflecting increased engagement of cognitive control-particularly on smartphone notification (vs. control) trials. Altogether, these results provide evidence supporting the idea that smartphone notifications can decrease activity of neural correlates of cognitive control, and offer the promise of a brief mindfulness induction to buffer against the effects of smartphone notifications on cognitive control. The findings indicate a need for further research on mindfulness inductiosn as a means to reduce potential distraction caused by smartphones.

Exploring EEG resting state as a function of boredom proneness in pre-adolescents and adolescents

Boredom is a prominent experience commonly reported in school settings and associated with poor academic achievement. Little is known, however, about the age-related trajectory of boredom. Here we examined self-reported ratings of boredom in a cross-sectional sample of 8 to 15-year olds (n = 185) as a function of resting state EEG. Results indicated that reports of boredom in school rose as a function of age. Resting state EEG showed a decrease in theta power with age perhaps reflective of increased control. While no effects were evident in beta and alpha bands, we did observe an interaction between boredom and age for frontal asymmetry such that for those higher in boredom, the asymmetry increased with age. Finally, for theta to beta ratios there were main effects of age (i.e., a decrease in theta/beta ratio with age) and boredom such that those higher in boredom had higher theta/beta ratios over frontal and central brain areas. The results are discussed in the context of prior work on school-related boredom and provide several important avenues for further research.

Videoconference fatigue from a neurophysiological perspective: experimental evidence based on electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG)

In the recent past, many organizations and people have substituted face-to-face meetings with videoconferences. Among others, tools like Zoom, Teams, and Webex have become the "new normal" of human social interaction in many domains (e.g., business, education). However, this radical adoption and extensive use of videoconferencing tools also has a dark side, referred to as videoconference fatigue (VCF). To date only self-report evidence has shown that VCF is a serious issue. However, based on self-reports alone it is hardly possible to provide a comprehensive understanding of a cognitive phenomenon like VCF. Against this background, we examined VCF also from a neurophysiological perspective. Specifically, we collected and analyzed electroencephalography (continuous and event-related) and electrocardiography (heart rate and heart rate variability) data to investigate whether VCF can also be proven on a neurophysiological level. We conducted a laboratory experiment based on a within-subjects design (N = 35). The study context was a university lecture, which was given in a face-to-face and videoconferencing format. In essence, the neurophysiological data-together with questionnaire data that we also collected-show that 50 min videoconferencing, if compared to a face-to-face condition, results in changes in the human nervous system which, based on existing literature, can undoubtedly be interpreted as fatigue. Thus, individuals and organizations must not ignore the fatigue potential of videoconferencing. A major implication of our study is that videoconferencing should be considered as a possible complement to face-to-face interaction, but not as a substitute.

Feasibility of a novel neurofeedback system: a parallel randomized single-blinded pilot study

Neurocognitive assessment tools have been proposed to optimize, maintain, and improve perceptual-cognitive performance. Here, we investigated the feasibility and efficacy of a novel neurofeedback system, neuroMoon (nM), on cognitive abilities compared with one of the most popular perceptual-cognitive training (PCT) tools both in sports and rehabilitation called NeuroTracker (NT). Thirty-one young athletes performed a comprehensive battery of cognitive tests from the Vienna Test System before and after a 12-session computer-based cognitive training program using nM (n = 11, age 22.6 ± 3.8 years), nM sham (CON, n = 10, age 20.3 ± 1.2 years) or NT (n = 10, age 20.5 ± 1.7 years) device. A series of repeated-measures ANOVA was performed to detect changes in cognitive abilities in response to the training. Participants had faster median reaction time in both the color-naming and word-reading conditions of the Stroop test (all p < 0.005), regardless of group. Regarding the task switching test, statistical analysis indicated faster working time and mean reaction time of the incongruent stimuli, repetition task, and shifting task (all p < 0.005), nevertheless, these changes were also regardless of group. In addition, we found fewer omitted (pre: 17.5 ± 8.3, post: 6.4 ± 1.5, d = 1.311) and more correct (pre: 261.6 ± 36.1, post: 278.6 ± 38.7, d = - 1.020) post-intervention answers in the determination test, regardless of group. Finally, participants in each group performed the digit span backward test with larger post (6.42 ± 1.54) vs. pre (5.55 ± 1.43) scores following the PCT (d = - 0.801). Overall, PCT with nM as compared with NT induced similar results in cognitive abilities suggesting its potential to be used to achieve and maintain better mental performance. However, considering that the sham stimulation also induced similar improvements in cognitive abilities, future studies should clearly determine the cognitive measures that could benefit from NF training.

Clinical Implication of Maumgyeol Basic Service-the 2 Channel Electroencephalography and a Photoplethysmogram-based Mental Health Evaluation Software

Objective

Maumgyeol Basic service is a mental health evaluation and grade scoring software using the 2 channels EEG and photoplethysmogram (PPG). This service is supposed to assess potential at-risk groups with mental illness more easily, rapidly, and reliably. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical implication of the Maumgyeol Basic service.

Methods

One hundred one healthy controls and 103 patients with a psychiatric disorder were recruited. Psychological evaluation (Mental Health Screening for Depressive Disorders [MHS-D], Mental Health Screening for Anxiety Disorders [MHS-A], cognitive stress response scale [CSRS], 12-item General Health Questionnaire [GHQ-12], Clinical Global Impression [CGI]) and digit symbol substitution test (DSST) were applied to all participants. Maumgyeol brain health score and Maumgyeol mind health score were calculated from 2 channel frontal EEG and PPG, respectively.

Results

Participants were divided into three groups: Maumgyeol Risky, Maumgyeol Good, and Maumgyeol Usual. The Maumgyeol mind health scores, but not brain health scores, were significantly lower in the patients group compared to healthy controls. Maumgyeol Risky group showed significantly lower psychological and cognitive ability evaluation scores than Maumgyeol Usual and Good groups. Maumgyel brain health score showed significant correlations with CSRS and DSST. Maumgyeol mind health score showed significant correlations with CGI and DSST. About 20.6% of individuals were classified as the No Insight group, who had mental health problems but were unaware of their illnesses.

Conclusion

This study suggests that the Maumgyeol Basic service can provide important clinical information about mental health and be used as a meaningful digital mental healthcare monitoring solution to prevent symptom aggravation.

Effects of nature on restorative and cognitive benefits in indoor environment

This study investigates the effects of natural exposure in an indoor environment on restorative quality and cognitive ability. Thirty participants were shown nature at three different indoor sites: baseline, indoor (some vegetation), and semi-indoor (a large amount of vegetation and view to sky) for five minutes. After viewing, they completed an assessment of restoration and a cognitive task, and their electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. Compared to the baseline, the sites with nature resulted in restorative (higher perceived restoration scores) and cognitive (higher working memory performance and lower delta-to-theta ratio (DTR), delta-to-alpha ratio (DAR), theta-to-beta ratio (TBR), and alpha-to-beta ratio (ABR) responses) benefits. These findings further our understanding of the effects of exposure to nature on restorative and cognitive benefits in an indoor environment, and help to build guidance for future research on the effects of nature indoors and designing restorative- and cognitive-enhancing indoor spaces.

EEG changes as an indication of central nervous system involvement following cyclopentolate 1% eye drops; a randomized placebo-controlled pilot study in a pediatric population

To compare EEG-patterns after instillation of cyclopentolate versus placebo eye drops. Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, and observational pilot study is presented. Ophthalmology outpatient clinic Dutch metropolitan hospital. Healthy 6- to 15-year-old volunteers with normal or low BMI requiring a cycloplegic refraction/retinoscopy. Randomized; 1 visit 2 drops cyclopentolate-1% and 1 visit 2 drops placebo (saline-0.9%). Single-blind: conducting researcher. Double blind: subjects, parents, clinical-neurophysiology staff, neurologist, and statistician. A 10-min baseline EEG-recording, drop-application, and follow-up to at least 45 min. Primary outcome: Detection of CNS changes, i.e. EEG-pattern changes, following two drops of cyclopentolate-1%. Secondary outcome: Determination of the extent of these pattern changes. Thirty-six cyclopentolate-1% saline-0.9% EEG registrations were made in 33 subjects;  18 males and 15 females. Three subjects were tested twice (interval 7 months). Nine out of fourteen (64%) of the 11- to 15-year-old children reported impaired memory, attention, alertness, as well as mind wandering following cyclopentolate. Drowsiness and sleep were seen in EEG-recordings of 11 subjects (33%) following cyclopentolate. We observed no drowsiness nor sleep during placebo recordings. The mean time to drowsiness was 23 min. Nine subjects arrived in stage-3 sleep but none arrived in REM-sleep. In subjects without sleep (N=24), significant changes compared to placebo-EEG were present for many leads and parameters. The main findings during awake eye-open recording were as follows: 1) a significant increase of temporal Beta-1,2 and 3-power, and 2) a significant decrease in: a) the parietal and occipital Alpha-2-power, b) the frontal Delta-1-power, c) the frontal total power, and d) the occipital and parietal activation synchrony index. The former finding reflects cyclopentolate uptake in the CNS, and the latter findings provide evidence for CNS suppression. Cyclopentolate-1% eye drops can affect the CNS and may cause altered consciousness, drowsiness, and sleep with concomitant EEG results in both young children and children in puberty. There is evidence that cyclopentolate has the potency to act as a short acting CNS depressant. Nevertheless, however, cyclopentolate-1% can safely be used in children and young adolescents.

Evaluating brain spectral and connectivity differences between silent mind-wandering and trance states

Trance is an altered state of consciousness characterized by alterations in cognition. In general, trance states induce mental silence (i.e., cognitive thought reduction), and mental silence can induce trance states. Conversely, mind-wandering is the mind's propensity to stray its attention away from the task at hand and toward content irrelevant to the current moment, and its main component is inner speech. Building on the previous literature on mental silence and trance states and incorporating inverse source reconstruction advances, the study's objectives were to evaluate differences between trance and mind-wandering states using: (1) electroencephalography (EEG) power spectra at the electrode level, (2) power spectra at the area level (source reconstructed signal), and (3) EEG functional connectivity between these areas (i.e., how they interact). The relationship between subjective trance depths ratings and whole-brain connectivity during trance was also evaluated. Spectral analyses revealed increased delta and theta power in the frontal region and increased gamma in the centro-parietal region during mind-wandering, whereas trance showed increased beta and gamma power in the frontal region. Power spectra at the area level and pairwise comparisons of the connectivity between these areas demonstrated no significant difference between the two states. However, subjective trance depth ratings were inversely correlated with whole-brain connectivity in all frequency bands (i.e., deeper trance is associated with less large-scale connectivity). Trance allows one to enter mentally silent states and explore their neurophenomenological processes. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

The Interaction of the Dorsolateral and Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex During Mind Wandering

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Mind wandering refers to spontaneously occurring, often disruptive thoughts during an ongoing task or resting state. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) are two main cortical areas which are involved in this process. This study aimed to explore the interaction of these areas during mind wandering by enhancing specific oscillatory activity of these areas via transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) in the theta frequency range.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Eighteen healthy adults participated in a randomized, single-blinded, crossover study. tACS (1.5 mA, 6 Hz) was applied in five sessions with one week interval via (1) two channels with synchronized stimulation over the left dlPFC and right vmPFC, (2) the same electrode placement with anti-phase stimulation, (3) stimulation over the left dlPFC only, (4) stimulation over right vmPFC only, and (5) sham stimulation. The return electrodes were placed over the contralateral shoulder in all conditions. The sustained attention to response task (SART) with embedded probes about task-unrelated-thoughts and awareness of these thoughts was performed during intervention.

RESULTS

Stimulation did not alter SART performance. Right vmPFC stimulation decreased mind wandering and increased awareness of mind wandering. Left dlPFC stimulation and desynchronized stimulation over the dlPFC and vmPFC increased mind wandering compared to the sham stimulation condition. Synchronized stimulation had no effect on mind wandering, but increased awareness of mind wandering.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that regional entrainment of the vmPFC decreases mind wandering and increases awareness of mind wandering, whereas regional entrainment of the dlPFC increases mind wandering, but decreases awareness. Under desynchronized stimulation of both areas, the propensity of mind wandering was increased, whereas synchronized stimulation increased the awareness of mind wandering. These results suggest a role of the dlPFC in initiation of mind wandering, whereas the vmPFC downregulates mind wandering, and might exert this function by counteracting respective dlPFC effects via theta oscillations.

The developmental trajectory of task-related frontal EEG theta/beta ratio in childhood

Attention control, the ability to focus on task-relevant information while blocking out irrelevant information, is crucial for successful task completion throughout development. However, the neurodevelopment of attention control during tasks remains underexplored, particularly from an electrophysiogical perpective. Therefore, the present study investigated the developmental trajectory of frontal TBR, a well-established EEG correlate of attention control, in a large sample of 5, 207 children aged 5-14 during a visuospatial working memory task. Results revealed that frontal TBR in tasks exhibited a different developmental trajectory (quadratic) compared to the baseline condition (linear). More importantly, we found that the association between task-related frontal TBR and age was modulated by task difficulty, with the age-related decrease in frontal TBR being more pronounced in more challenging conditions. Overall, by demonstrating a fine-grained age-related change in the frontal TBR based on a large dataset covering continuous age groups, our study provided electrophysiogical evidence about the maturation of attention control, suggesting potentially distinct developmental paths for attention control across the baseline and task conditions.

The Effects of Concentrative Meditation on the Electroencephalogram in Novice Meditators

Following investigations into the benefits of meditation on psychological health and well-being, research is now seeking to understand the mechanisms underlying these outcomes. This study aimed to identify natural alpha and theta frequency components during eyes-closed resting and concentrative meditation states and examined their differences within and between two testing sessions. Novice meditators had their EEG recorded during eyes-closed resting and concentrative meditation conditions, before and after engaging in a brief daily concentrative meditation practice for approximately one-month. Separate frequency Principal Components Analyses (f-PCA) yielded four spectral components of interest, congruent between both conditions and sessions: Delta-Theta-Alpha, Low Alpha, High Alpha, and Alpha-Beta. While all four components showed some increase in the meditation condition at the second session, only Low Alpha (∼9.5-10.0 Hz) showed similar increases while resting. These findings support the use of f-PCA as a novel method of data analysis in the investigation of psychophysiological states in meditation.

EEG complexity during mind wandering: A multiscale entropy investigation

Our attention often drifts away from the ongoing task to task-unrelated thoughts, a phenomenon commonly referred to as mind wandering. Ample studies dedicated to delineating its electrophysiological correlates have revealed distinct event-related potentials (ERP) and spectral patterns associated with mind wandering. It remains less clear whether the complexity of the electroencephalography (EEG) changes when our minds wander, a metric that captures the predictability of the time series at varying timescales. Accordingly, this study investigated whether mind wandering impacts EEG signal complexity. We further explored whether such effects differ across timescales, and change in a context-dependent manner as indexed by global and local levels of processing. To address this, we recorded participants' EEG while they completed Navon's global and local processing task and occasionally reported whether they were on-task or mind wandering throughout the task. We found that brain signal complexity as indexed by multiscale entropy decreased at medium timescales in centro-parietal regions and increased at coarse timescales in anterior and posterior regions during mind wandering, as compared to the on-task state, for global processing. Moreover, global processing showed increased complexity at fine to medium timescales compared to local processing. Finally, behavioral performance revealed a context-dependent effect in accuracy measures, with mind wandering showing lower accuracy compared to the on-task state only during the local condition. Taken together, these results indicate that changes in brain signal complexity across timescales may be an important feature of mind wandering.

Predicting individual differences in behavioral activation and behavioral inhibition from functional networks in the resting EEG

The behavioral activation system (BAS) and behavioral inhibition system (BIS) are thought to underly affective dispositions and self-regulatory processes. The BAS is sensitive to reward and involved in approach behaviors, and the BIS is sensitive to punishment and involved in avoidance behaviors. Trait BAS and BIS relate to distinct behavioral profiles and neural activity, but little is known about how trait BAS and BIS relate to functional networks in EEG. We applied a data-driven method called connectome predictive modeling (CPM) to identify networks relating to trait BAS and BIS and tested whether the strength of those networks predicted trait BAS and BIS in novel subjects using a leave-one-out cross-validation procedure. Adult participants (N = 107) completed a resting state task with eyes closed and eyes open, and trait BAS and BIS were measured via Carver and White's (1994) BIS and BAS scales. We hypothesized distinct positive (more synchronization) and negative (less synchronization) networks would relate to trait BAS and BIS. For eyes closed, we identified two negative networks, one in theta and one in alpha predicted BIS. We identified three positive networks, one in theta and one in beta predicted Fun Seeking and one in theta predicted Drive. For eyes open, negative theta and alpha networks predicted BIS, a positive theta network predicted Fun Seeking, and a negative gamma network predicted mean BAS. Visualization of the networks are presented. Discussion centers on the observed networks and how to advance application of CPM to EEG, including with clinical implications.

Pavlovian-based neurofeedback enhances meta-awareness of mind-wandering

Absorption in mind-wandering (MW) may worsen our mood and can cause psychological disorders. Researchers indicate the possibility that meta-awareness of MW prevents these mal-effects and enhances favorable consequences of MW, such as boosting creativity; thus, meta-awareness has attracted psychological and clinical attention. However, few studies have investigated the nature of meta-awareness of MW, because there has been no method to isolate and operate this ability. Therefore, we propose a new approach to manipulate the ability of meta-awareness. We used Pavlovian conditioning, tying to it an occurrence of MW and a neutral tone sound inducing the meta-awareness of MW. To perform paired presentations of the unconditioned stimulus (neutral tone) and the conditioned stimulus (perception accompanying MW), we detected participants' natural occurrence of MW via electroencephalogram and a machine-learning estimation method. The double-blinded randomized controlled trial with 37 participants found that a single 20-min conditioning session significantly increased the meta-awareness of MW as assessed by behavioral and neuroscientific measures. The core protocol of the proposed method is real-time feedback on participants' neural information, and in that sense, we can refer to it as neurofeedback. However, there are some differences from typical neurofeedback protocols, and we discuss them in this paper. Our novel classical conditioning is expected to contribute to future research on the modulation effect of meta-awareness on MW.

Detecting inattentiveness caused by mind-wandering during a driving task: A behavioral study

This study aims to investigate whether behavioral variability and participants' self-ratings can be used to detect mind-wandering while driving and to examine their effects on braking performance during a driving task. We created a novel driving task and added a sustained attention response task (SART). We examined the effects of mind-wandering on braking performance and whether mind-wandering could be detected from SART response variability. The within-subjects results showed that self-reports of inattentiveness during driving correlated significantly with SART response variability. Multiple regression analysis with brake reaction time as the dependent variable revealed a significant relationship between self-reports of inattentiveness and mind-wandering. However, there were no other consistent linear associations between mind-wandering and SART response variability. Our results not only suggest that inattentiveness to driving caused by mind-wandering impairs braking performance but also emphasize the importance and difficulty of detecting this state from behavioral data alone.

Relationships between resting-state EEG functional networks organization and individual differences in mind wandering

When performing cognitively demanding tasks, people tend to experience momentary distractions or personal associations that intercept their stream of consciousness. This phenomenon is known as Mind Wandering (MW) and it has become a subject of neuroscientific investigations. Off-task thoughts can be analyzed during task performance, but currently, MW is also understood as a dimension of individual differences in cognitive processing. We wanted to recognize the intrinsically-organized functional networks that could be considered the neuronal basis for MW dispositional variability. To achieve this goal we recruited a group of normal adults, and eventually divided the group in half, based on participants' scores on the scale measuring dispositional MW. Next, these groups were compared regarding the arrangement of preselected intrinsic functional networks, which were reconstructed based on multi-channel signal-source resting-state EEG. It appeared that subjects who tend to mind wander often exhibited decreased synchronization within the default mode network, and, simultaneously, strengthened connectivity between 'on-task' networks of diverse functional specificity. Such within- and between networks integrity patterns might suggest that greater Mind Wanderers present an atypical organization of resting-state brain activity, which may translate into attenuated resources needed to maintain attentional control in task-related conditions.

The sound stimulation method and EEG change analysis for development of digital therapeutics that can stimulate the nervous system: Cortical activation and drug substitution potential

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study is to propose a treatment method and the effect on the nervous system of digital therapeutics, which is a new treatment method to replace surgery and drug prescription for the treatment and prevention of diseases.

METHODS

The 20 subjects who participated in the experiment, including men and women, had an average age of 26 ± 2.40 years. The proposed treatment method used three types of sound stimulation and air or bone conduction sound transmission methods to induce total of 6-time EEG electroencephalogram(EEG) changes. EEG was measured with 200 sampling rate each in the P4, Cz, F8 and T7 channel located in the parietal, central, frontal and temporal lobes, respectively, according to the 10/10 system. A total of 2 min of data were created by extracting EEG signals with less noise from the measured data and the extracted data were applied with a 1-40 Hz Butterworth filter and a 50 Hz notch filter with a quality factor of 30. After that, EEG are subdivided into delta (0.5-4 Hz), theta (4-8 Hz), alpha (8-13 Hz), beta (13-30 Hz), and gamma (30-45 Hz) bands. Finally, EEG changes in response to sound stimuli were analyzed using power spectral density and T-test validation in the frequency band.

RESULTS

When a sound stimulus of less than 1 KHz was stimulated by air conduction, brainstem activation was induced and the reticular activation system was activated. In addition, a great potential for replacing drugs was confirmed by inducing changes in the nervous system similar to drugs used for sedation.

CONCLUSION

These results will be able to expand the concept of digital therapeutics, and it is expected that it will be developed as a safer treatment method that can replace surgery and drugs.

A mobile EEG study on the psychophysiological effects of walking and crowding in indoor and outdoor urban environments

Environmental psychologists have established multiple psychological benefits of interaction with natural, compared to urban, environments on emotion, cognition, and attention. Yet, given the increasing urbanisation worldwide, it is equally important to understand how differences within different urban environments influence human psychological experience. We developed a laboratory experiment to examine the psychophysiological effects of the physical (outdoor or indoor) and social (crowded versus uncrowded) environment in healthy young adults, and to validate the use of mobile electroencephalography (EEG) and electrodermal activity (EDA) measurements during active walking. Participants (N = 42) were randomly assigned into a walking or a standing group, and watched six 1-min walk-through videos of green, urban indoor and urban outdoor environments, depicting high or low levels of social density. Self-reported emotional states show that green spaces is perceived as more calm and positive, and reduce attentional demands. Further, the outdoor urban space is perceived more positively than the indoor environment. These findings are consistent with earlier studies on the psychological benefits of nature and confirm the effectiveness of our paradigm and stimuli. In addition, we hypothesised that even short-term exposure to crowded scenes would have negative psychological effects. We found that crowded scenes evoked higher self-reported arousal, more negative self-reported valence, and recruited more cognitive and attentional resources. However, in walking participants, they evoked higher frontal alpha asymmetry, suggesting more positive affective responses. Furthermore, we found that using recent signal-processing methods, the EEG data produced a comparable signal-to-noise ratio between walking and standing, and that despite differences between walking and standing, skin-conductance also captured effectively psychophysiological responses to stimuli. These results suggest that emotional responses to visually presented stimuli can be measured effectively using mobile EEG and EDA in ambulatory settings, and that there is complex interaction between active walking, the social density of urban spaces, and direct and indirect affective responses to such environments.

Periodic and aperiodic contributions to theta-beta ratios across adulthood

The ratio of fronto-central theta (4-7 Hz) to beta oscillations (13-30 Hz), known as the theta-beta ratio, is negatively correlated with attentional control, reinforcement learning, executive function, and age. Although theta-beta ratios have been found to decrease with age in adolescents and young adults, theta has been found to increase with age in older adults. Moreover, age-related decrease in individual alpha peak frequency and flattening of the 1/f aperiodic component may artifactually inflate the association between theta-beta ratio and age. These factors lead to an incomplete understanding of how theta-beta ratio varies across the lifespan and the extent to which variation is due to a conflation of aperiodic and periodic activity. We conducted a partially preregistered analysis examining the cross-sectional associations between age and resting canonical fronto-central theta-beta ratio, individual alpha peak frequency, and aperiodic component (n = 268; age 36-84, M = 55.8, SD = 11.0). Age was negatively associated with theta-beta ratios, individual peak alpha frequencies, and the aperiodic exponent. The correlation between theta-beta ratios and age remained after controlling for individual peak alpha frequencies, but was nonsignificant when controlling for the aperiodic exponent. Aperiodic exponent fully mediated the relationship between theta-beta ratio and age, although beta remained significantly associated with age after controlling for theta, individual peak alpha, and aperiodic exponent. Results replicate previous observations and show age-related decreases in theta-beta ratios are not due to age-related decrease in individual peak alpha frequencies but primarily explained by flattening of the aperiodic component with age.

EEG brain oscillations are modulated by interoception in response to a synchronized motor vs. cognitive task

So far, little is known about how conscious attention to internal body signals, that is, interoception, affects the synchronization with another person, a necessary or required social process that promotes affiliations and cooperation during daily joint social interactions. The effect of explicit interoceptive attentiveness (IA) modulation, conceived as the focus on the breath for a given time interval, on electrophysiological (EEG) correlates during an interpersonal motor task compared with a cognitive synchronization task was investigated in this study. A total of 28 healthy participants performed a motor and a cognitive synchronization task during the focus and no-focus breath conditions. During the tasks, frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, and beta bands) from the frontal, temporo-central, and parieto-occipital regions of interest (ROIs) were acquired. According to the results, significantly higher delta and theta power were found in the focus condition in the frontal ROI during the execution of the motor than the cognitive synchronization task. Moreover, in the same experimental condition, delta and beta band power increased in the temporo-central ROI. The current study suggested two main patterns of frequency band modulation during the execution of a motor compared with the cognitive synchronization task while a person is focusing the attention on one's breath. This study can be considered as the first attempt to classify the different effects of interoceptive manipulation on motor and cognitive synchronization tasks using neurophysiological measures.

Altered theta-beta ratio in infancy associates with family history of ADHD and later ADHD-relevant temperamental traits

BACKGROUND

Uncovering the neural mechanisms that underlie symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) requires studying brain development prior to the emergence of behavioural difficulties. One new approach to this is prospective studies of infants with an elevated likelihood of developing ADHD.

METHODS

We used a prospective design to examine an oscillatory electroencephalography profile that has been widely studied in both children and adults with ADHD - the balance between lower and higher frequencies operationalised as the theta-beta ratio (TBR). In the present study, we examined TBR in 136 10-month-old infants (72 male and 64 female) with/without an elevated likelihood of developing ADHD and/or a comparison disorder (Autism Spectrum Disorder; ASD).

RESULTS

Infants with a first-degree relative with ADHD demonstrated lower TBR than infants without a first-degree relative with ADHD. Further, lower TBR at 10 months was positively associated with temperament dimensions conceptually related to ADHD at 2 years. TBR was not altered in infants with a family history of ASD.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first demonstration that alterations in TBR are present prior to behavioural symptoms of ADHD. However, these alterations manifest differently than those sometimes observed in older children with an ADHD diagnosis. Importantly, altered TBR was not seen in infants at elevated likelihood of developing ASD, suggesting a degree of specificity to ADHD. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that there are brain changes associated with a family history of ADHD observable in the first year of life.

Electrophysiological markers of mind wandering: A systematic review

The ability to mentally wander away from the external environment is a remarkable feature of the human mind. Although recent years have witnessed a surge of interest in examining mind wandering using EEG, there is no comprehensive review that summarizes and accounts for the variable findings. Accordingly, we conducted a systematic review that synthesizes evidence from EEG studies that examined the electrophysiological measures of mind wandering. Our search yielded 42 studies that met eligibility criteria. The reviewed literature converges on a reduction in the amplitude of canonical ERP components (i.e., P1, N1 and P3) as the most reliable markers of mind wandering. Spectral findings were less robust, but point towards greater activity in lower frequency bands, (i.e., delta, theta, and alpha), as well as a decrease in beta band activity, during mind wandering compared to on-task states. The variability in these findings appears to be modulated by the task context. To integrate these findings, we propose an electrophysiological account of mind wandering that explains how the brain supports this inner experience. Conclusions drawn from this work will inform future endeavours in basic science to map out electrophysiological patterns underlying mind wandering and in translational science using EEG to predict the occurrence of this phenomenon.

Event-related brain dynamics during mind wandering in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: An experience-sampling approach

Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) report increased spontaneous mind wandering (MW) compared to control adults. Since MW is associated with ADHD severity and functional impairment, elucidating the brain mechanisms underlying MW may inform new interventions targeting MW and point to neural markers to monitor their efficacy. Population-based electroencephalographic (EEG) studies suggest that weaker event-related decreases in occipital alpha power characterise periods of MW, but no study has examined event-related brain oscillations during MW in individuals with ADHD. Using an experience-sampling method, we compared adults with ADHD (N = 23) and controls (N = 25) on event-related EEG measures of power modulations and phase consistency during two tasks with high and low demands on working memory and sustained attention, and during periods of MW and task focus. Compared to controls, individuals with ADHD showed weaker alpha power decreases during high working memory demands and across sustained attention demands, weaker theta power increases and phase consistency across working memory demands and during low sustained attention demands, and weaker beta power decreases during low working memory demands. These EEG patterns suggest broadly deficient attentional and motor response processes in ADHD. During MW episodes, adults with ADHD showed weaker alpha power decreases in the sustained attention task and lower theta phase consistency in the working memory task compared to controls. These findings suggest that atypical EEG patterns thought to reflect reduced inhibition of task-irrelevant processes and inconsistent stimulus processing underlie increased MW in adults with ADHD and may be useful for future real-time monitoring of treatment effects.

Revisiting consciousness: Distinguishing between states of conscious focused attention and mind wandering with EEG

Fluctuating between external conscious processing and mind wandering is inherent to the human condition. Past research showed that in tasks requiring sustained attention, mind wandering episodes in which attention is directed internally constrain conscious processing of external stimuli. Conversely, conscious processing of internal stimuli is enhanced during mind wandering. To investigate this, we developed and administered a visuomotor tracking task in which participants were instructed to track the path of a stimulus on a screen with a mouse while responding to rare targets. Prior to reports of mind wandering we found the following: The P3 event-related potential component for targets, indicative of conscious stimulus processing, was attenuated at electrodes Cz and Pz. Moreover, alpha power, indicative of internal mental states, increased globally. Theta power increased along the centroparietal area, and beta decreased along right frontal and right centroparietal areas. Interestingly, trait mind wandering was positively correlated with delta power and gamma power, but negatively correlated with the theta-beta ratio. These results demonstrate that mind wandering is characterized by distinct neural signatures at both a state and trait level.

Multimodal Virtual Reality-Based Assessment of Adult ADHD: A Feasibility Study in Healthy Subjects

Neuropsychological assessments are often surprisingly inaccurate in mapping clinically-reported attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, presumably due to their low ecological validity. Virtual reality (VR) might offer a potential solution for this problem, given its capability to generate standardized and yet highly realistic virtual environments. As the first adaptation of existing virtual classroom scenarios to an adult population, we developed a Virtual Seminar Room (VSR) for multimodal characterization of ADHD symptoms. To test its feasibility, N = 35 healthy participants were immersed into the VSR via a head-mounted display and carried out a VR-embedded continuous performance task (CPT) under varying levels of distractions in two experimental blocks (24 min each). CPT performance, electroencephalography (EEG) measures, and head movements (actigraphy) were simultaneously recorded and analyzed offline. Although CPT performance remained constant throughout the task, head movements increased significantly from Block 1 to Block 2. In addition, EEG theta (4-7 Hz) and beta (13-30 Hz) power was higher during Block 1 than Block 2, and during distractor-present than distractor-absent phases. Moreover, P300 amplitudes were higher during Block 1 than Block 2, and P300 latencies were prolonged in distractor-absent compared with distractor-present phases. Although the paradigm awaits further improvements, this study confirms the general feasibility of the VSR and provides a first step toward a multimodal, ecologically valid, and reliable VR-based adult ADHD assessment.

Alpha and theta peak frequency track on- and off-thoughts

Our thoughts are highly dynamic in their contents. At some points, our thoughts are related to external stimuli or tasks focusing on single content (on-single thoughts), While in other moments, they are drifting away with multiple simultaneous items as contents (off-multiple thoughts). Can such thought dynamics be tracked by corresponding neurodynamics? To address this question, here we track thought dynamics during post-stimulus periods by electroencephalogram (EEG) neurodynamics of alpha and theta peak frequency which, as based on the phase angle, must be distinguished from non-phase-based alpha and theta power. We show how, on the psychological level, on-off thoughts are highly predictive of single-multiple thought contents, respectively. Using EEG, on-single and off-multiple thoughts are mediated by opposite changes in the time courses of alpha (high in on-single but low in off-multiple thoughts) and theta (low in on-single but high in off-multiple thoughts) peak frequencies. In contrast, they cannot be distinguished by frequency power. Overall, these findings provide insight into how alpha and theta peak frequency with their phase-related processes track on- and off-thoughts dynamically. In short, neurodynamics track thought dynamics.

Introspection confidence predicts EEG decoding of self-generated thoughts and meta-awareness

The neurophysiological bases of mind wandering (MW)-an experiential state wherein attention is disengaged from the external environment in favour of internal thoughts-and state meta-awareness are poorly understood. In parallel, the relationship between introspection confidence in experiential state judgements and neural representations remains unclear. Here, we recorded EEG while participants completed a listening task within which they made experiential state judgements and rated their confidence. Alpha power was reliably greater during MW episodes, with unaware MW further associated with greater delta and theta power. Multivariate pattern classification analysis revealed that MW and meta-awareness can be decoded from the distribution of power in these three frequency bands. Critically, we show that individual decoding accuracies positively correlate with introspection confidence. Our results reaffirm the role of alpha oscillations in MW, implicate lower frequencies in meta-awareness, and are consistent with the proposal that introspection confidence indexes neurophysiological discriminability of representational states.

Level-K Classification from EEG Signals Using Transfer Learning

Tacit coordination games are games in which communication between the players is not allowed or not possible. In these games, the more salient solutions, that are often perceived as more prominent, are referred to as focal points. The level-k model states that players' decisions in tacit coordination games are a consequence of applying different decision rules at different depths of reasoning (level-k). A player at Lk=0 will randomly pick a solution, whereas a Lk≥1 player will apply their strategy based on their beliefs regarding the actions of the other players. The goal of this study was to examine, for the first time, the neural correlates of different reasoning levels in tacit coordination games. To that end, we have designed a combined behavioral-electrophysiological study with 3 different conditions, each resembling a different depth reasoning state: (1) resting state, (2) picking, and (3) coordination. By utilizing transfer learning and deep learning, we were able to achieve a precision of almost 100% (99.49%) for the resting-state condition, while for the picking and coordination conditions, the precision was 69.53% and 72.44%, respectively. The application of these findings and related future research options are discussed.

Comparative analysis of default mode networks in major psychiatric disorders using resting-state EEG

Default mode network (DMN) is a set of functional brain structures coherently activated when individuals are in resting-state. In this study, we constructed multi-frequency band resting-state EEG-based DMN functional network models for major psychiatric disorders to easily compare their pathophysiological characteristics. Phase-locking values (PLVs) were evaluated to quantify functional connectivity; global and nodal clustering coefficients (CCs) were evaluated to quantify global and local connectivity patterns of DMN nodes, respectively. DMNs of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia (SZ), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD) were constructed relative to their demographically-matched healthy control groups. Overall DMN patterns were then visualized and compared with each other. In global CCs, SZ and AD showed hyper-clustering in the theta band; OCD, MCI, and AD showed hypo-clustering in the low-alpha band; OCD and MDD showed hypo-clustering and hyper-clustering in low-beta, and high-beta bands, respectively. In local CCs, disease-specific patterns were observed. In the PLVs, lowered theta-band functional connectivity between the left lingual gyrus and the left hippocampus was frequently observed. Our comprehensive comparisons suggest EEG-based DMN as a useful vehicle for understanding altered brain networks of major psychiatric disorders.

The EEG spectral properties of meditation and mind wandering differ between experienced meditators and novices

Previous literature suggests that individuals with meditation training become less distracted during meditation practice. In this study, we assess whether putative differences in the subjective experience of meditation between meditators and non-meditators are reflected in EEG spectral modulations. For this purpose, we recorded electroencephalography (EEG) during rest and two breath focus meditations (with and without experience sampling) in a group of 29 adult participants with more than 3 years of meditation experience and a control group of 29 participants without any meditation experience. Experience sampling in one of the meditation conditions allowed us to disentangle periods of breath focus from mind wandering (i.e. moments of distraction driven by task-irrelevant thoughts) during meditation practice. Overall, meditators reported a greater level of focus and reduced mind wandering during meditation practice than controls. In line with these reports, EEG spectral modulations associated with meditation and mind wandering also differed significantly between meditators and controls. While meditators (but not controls) showed a significant decrease in individual alpha frequency / amplitude and a steeper 1/f slope during meditation relative to rest, controls (but not meditators) showed a relative increase in individual alpha amplitude during mind wandering relative to breath focus periods. Together, our results show that the subjective experience of meditation and mind wandering differs between meditators and novices and that this is reflected in oscillatory and non-oscillatory properties of EEG.

The effects of increased dopamine-levels on attentional control during reading and reading comprehension

The aim of the present study was to gain insight into the neurobiological processes, particularly the dopaminergic processes, underlying attentional control during reading and reading comprehension. In order to test the effects of increased levels of dopamine (DA) in the brain, female university students (N = 80), half of them being carriers of the DRD4-7R allele and half of them not, participated in a double-blind placebo-controlled within-subjects experiment in which they were orally administered levodopa or a placebo before reading a text. After reading the text, participants reported on their attentional control during reading and completed comprehension questions. Pharmacologically increasing DA levels in the brain negatively influenced reading comprehension. This effect was moderate (ηp2 = .13). No interaction effects of condition and DRD4 genotype were found, for either attentional control or reading comprehension. Exploratory analyses showed that increased DA levels in the brain positively influenced fluctuations in attentional control, but only in a group of slow readers. No effects of increased DA were found for the two other attentional control measures used in the present study and no effects of increased DA on attentional control were found for fast readers. Results are discussed from the perspective of the inverted U-shape theory and the possible dopamine-related mechanisms.

Electrophysiological Prints of Grit

While scientific interest in understanding the grit trait has grown exponentially in recent years, one important gap in the grit literature relates to its biological and neural substrate. In the present study, we adopted a hypotheses-driven approach in a large sample of young adults (N = 120) with diverse educational backgrounds and work experiences in order to investigate the electrophysiological correlates of grit both during rest and while performing a learning task. Additionally, we selected a measure of impulsiveness to better understand the neural similarities and differences between grit and related self-control constructs. Based on previous work that implicated the prefrontal cortex in grit, we hypothesized that high grit participants would have lower frontal theta/beta ratio (a broadly used index that reflects prefrontally-mediated top-down processes, which might indicate better control over subcortical information). Furthermore, we expected the perseverance of effort facet of grit to be linked to higher complexity during task engagement because previous research has shown complexity indexes (entropy and fractal dimension) to be linked to effort while performing cognitive tasks. Our results revealed that although there were no differences at rest as a function of grit, the participants with high grit and high consistency of interest scores exhibited lower frontal theta/beta ratios during the learning task. This pattern suggests that individual differences in grit might be more evident when top-down control processes are at work. Furthermore, there was a positive association between perseverance of effort and entropy at task, which might indicate more effort and engagement in the task. Finally, no association was found between the neural indexes (frontal theta/beta ratio, entropy, or fractal dimension) and impulsiveness, neither impulsiveness mediated between grit and brain measures. Finally, when controlling for impulsiveness and demographic variables (gender, age, education, and work experience) the effects at the facet level remained statistically significant. While there is still a long way to fully understand the neural mechanisms of grit, the present work constitutes a step toward unveiling the electrophysiological prints of grit.

A Bridge between the Breath and the Brain: Synchronization of Respiration, a Pupillometric Marker of the Locus Coeruleus, and an EEG Marker of Attentional Control State

Yogic and meditative traditions have long held that the fluctuations of the breath and the mind are intimately related. While respiratory modulation of cortical activity and attentional switching are established, the extent to which electrophysiological markers of attention exhibit synchronization with respiration is unknown. To this end, we examined (1) frontal midline theta-beta ratio (TBR), an indicator of attentional control state known to correlate with mind wandering episodes and functional connectivity of the executive control network; (2) pupil diameter (PD), a known proxy measure of locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic activity; and (3) respiration for evidence of phase synchronization and information transfer (multivariate Granger causality) during quiet restful breathing. Our results indicate that both TBR and PD are simultaneously synchronized with the breath, suggesting an underlying oscillation of an attentionally relevant electrophysiological index that is phase-locked to the respiratory cycle which could have the potential to bias the attentional system into switching states. We highlight the LC’s pivotal role as a coupling mechanism between respiration and TBR, and elaborate on its dual functions as both a chemosensitive respiratory nucleus and a pacemaker of the attentional system. We further suggest that an appreciation of the dynamics of this weakly coupled oscillatory system could help deepen our understanding of the traditional claim of a relationship between breathing and attention.

Intrahemispheric EEG: A New Perspective for Quantitative EEG Assessment in Poststroke Individuals

The ratio between slower and faster frequencies of brain activity may change after stroke. However, few studies have used quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) index of ratios between slower and faster frequencies such as the delta/alpha ratio (DAR) and the power ratio index (PRI; delta + theta/alpha + beta) for investigating the difference between the affected and unaffected hemisphere poststroke. Here, we proposed a new perspective for analyzing DAR and PRI within each hemisphere and investigated the motor impairment-related interhemispheric frequency oscillations. Forty-seven poststroke subjects and twelve healthy controls were included in the study. Severity of upper limb motor impairment was classified according to the Fugl-Meyer assessment in mild/moderate (n = 25) and severe (n = 22). The qEEG indexes (PRI and DAR) were computed for each hemisphere (intrahemispheric index) and for both hemispheres (cerebral index). Considering the cerebral index (DAR and PRI), our results showed a slowing in brain activity in poststroke patients when compared to healthy controls. Only the intrahemispheric PRI index was able to find significant interhemispheric differences of frequency oscillations. Despite being unable to detect interhemispheric differences, the DAR index seems to be more sensitive to detect motor impairment-related frequency oscillations. The intrahemispheric PRI index may provide insights into therapeutic approaches for interhemispheric asymmetry after stroke.

Greek High Phenolic Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil Reduces the Over-Excitation of Information-Flow Based on Dominant Coupling Mode (DoCM) Model in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment: An EEG Resting-State Validation Approach

BACKGROUND

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) constitutes a natural compound with high protection over cognitive function that could positively alter brain dynamics and the mixture of within and between-frequency connectivity.

OBJECTIVE

The balance of cross-frequency coupling over within-frequency coupling can build a nonlinearity index (NI) that encapsulates the over-excitation of information flow between brain areas and across experimental time. The present study investigated for the very first time how the Greek High Phenolic Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil (HP-EH-EVOO) versus Moderate Phenolic (MP-EVOO) and Mediterranean Diet (MeDi) intervention in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) could affect their spontaneous EEG dynamic connectivity.

METHODS

Forty-three subjects (14 in MeDi, 16 in MP-EVOO, and 13 in HP-EH-EVOO) followed an EEG resting-state recording session (eyes-open and closed) before and after the treatment. Following our dominant coupling mode model, we built a dynamic integrated dynamic functional connectivity graph that tabulates the functional strength and the dominant coupling mode model of every pair of brain areas.

RESULTS

Signal spectrum within 1-13 Hz and theta/beta ratio have decreased in the HP-EH-EVOO group in the eyes-open condition. The intervention improved the FIDoCM across groups and conditions but was more prominent in the HP-EH-EVOO group (p < 0.001). Finally, we revealed a significant higher post-intervention reduction of NI (ΔNITotal and α) for the HP-EH-EVOO compared to the MP-EVOO and MeDi groups (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Long-term intervention with HP-EH-EVOO reduced the over-excitation of information flow in spontaneous brain activity and altered the signal spectrum of EEG rhythms.

Measuring Mind Wandering During Online Lectures Assessed With EEG

Mind wandering can inhibit learning in multimedia classrooms, such as when watching online lectures. One explanation for this effect is that periods of mind wandering cause learners’ attention to be redirected from the learning material toward task-unrelated thoughts. The present study explored the relationship between mind wandering and online education using electroencephalography (EEG). Participants were asked to attend to a 75 minute educational video lecture, while task-irrelevant auditory tones played at random intervals. The tones were of two distinct pitches, with one occurring frequently (80%) and the other infrequently (20%). Participants were prompted at pseudo-random intervals during the lecture to report their degree of experienced mind wandering. EEG spectral power and event-related potentials (ERP) were compared between states of high and low degrees of self-reported mind wandering. Participants also performed pre/post quizzes based on the lecture material. Results revealed significantly higher delta, theta and alpha band activity during mind wandering, as well as a decreased P2 ERP amplitude. Further, learning scores (improvement on quizzes pre to post) were lower among participants who reported higher degrees of mind wandering throughout the video. The results are consistent with a view that mind wandering during e-learning is characterized by a shift in attention away from the external world and toward internal thoughts, which may be a cause of reduced learning.