Event related potential analysis techniques for autism spectrum disorders: A review

Cortical auditory potentials and cognitive potentials in individuals with and without vestibular dysfunction

Background: Among individuals with vestibular dysfunction, the loss of vestibular sensory information is found to alter cognitive abilities that coordinate spatial and non-spatial information. P300 is an event-related potential commonly used to assess cognitive processing. The aim of the present study was to compare the latency and amplitude of cortical auditory evoked potential and P300 between individuals with vestibular dysfunction and individuals with no vestibular dysfunction. Methods: Forty adults with a mean age of 40.5 ± 13.07 participated in the study. Group I included 20 adults diagnosed with vestibular dysfunction and group II included 20 age-matched adults with no vestibular dysfunction. The P300 was recorded from the electrode site Cz and Pz. It was elicited using pure-tones in odd-ball paradigm. The latency and amplitude of peaks P1, N1, P2, and N2 of the cortical auditory evoked potential and the P300 were measured. Results: Significant amplitude difference was observed in cortical potentials at Cz and Pz. The P300 was present only in 70% of individuals with vestibular dysfunction compared to 100% among individuals with no vestibular dysfunction. The mean amplitude of the P300 was slightly larger in group 1 compared to group 2 and the mean latency of the P300 was similar in both groups. However, the difference in amplitude of the P300 between groups was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Knowing the cognitive function of individuals with vestibular dysfunction enables planning vestibular rehabilitation therapy, which enhances the quality of life in these individuals by improving their vestibular and cognitive functions.

Assessment of event-related evoked potentials and China-Wechsler intelligence scale for cognitive dysfunction in children with obstructive sleep apnea

OBJECTIVE

To explore the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cognitive impairment by combining event-related evoked potentials (ERPs) and China-Wechsler Younger Children Scale (C-WISC) in children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) with vs. without OSA.

METHODS

This was a retrospective case-control study of all consecutive children (n = 148) with adenoid tonsil hypertrophy between July 2017 and March 2019 at the Hospital.

RESULTS

The children were divided into the OSA (n = 102) and non-OSA (n = 46) groups. The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), obstructive apnea index (OAI), and obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) in the OSA group were elevated compared with those of the non-OSA group (all P < 0.001). The mean oxygen saturation (SaO₂) and SaO₂ nadir were lower in the OSA group compared with the non-OSA group (both P < 0.001). The respiratory arousal index (RAI) values in the OSA group were larger than those of the non-OSA group (P < 0.001). The P300 and N100 latencies in the OSA group were longer than those of the non-OSA group (both P < 0.001). Pearson's correlation analysis revealed correlations of the P300 peak latency with full-scale intelligence quotient (FIQ) (P < 0.001 and r = -0.527), verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ) (P < 0.001 and r = -0.448), and performance intelligence quotient (PIQ) (P < 0.001 and r = -0.515). There was a correlation between the N100 peak latency and PIQ (P = 0.026 and r = -0.183).

CONCLUSION

ERPs, as an objective measurement, might help assess cognitive impairment in children with OSA.

Altered directed connectivity during processing of predictive stimuli in psychiatric patient populations

OBJECTIVES

The study investigated the role of top-down versus bottom-up connectivity, during the processing of predictive information, in three different psychiatric disorders.

METHODS

Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded during the performance of a task, which evaluates the ability to use predictive information in order to facilitate predictable versus random target detection. We evaluated EEG event-related directed connectivity, in patients with schizophrenia (SZ), major depressive disorder (MDD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), compared with healthy age-matched controls. Directed connectivity was evaluated using phase transfer entropy.

RESULTS

We showed that top-down frontal-parietal connectivity was weaker in SZ (theta and beta bands) and ASD (alpha band) compared to control subjects, during the processing of stimuli consisting of the predictive sequence. In SZ patients, top-down connectivity was also attenuated, during the processing of predictive targets in the beta frequency band. In contrast, compared with controls, MDD patients displayed an increased top-down flow of information, during the processing of predicted targets (alpha band).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that top-down frontal-parietal connectivity is altered differentially across three major psychiatric disorders, specifically during the processing of predictive stimuli.

SIGNIFICANCE

Altered top-down connectivity may contribute to the specific prediction deficits observed in each of the patient populations.