1
|
Pfurtscheller G, Rassler B, Schwarz G, Klimesch W. Scan-associated anxiety (scanxiety): the enigma of emotional breathing oscillations at 0.32 Hz (19 bpm). Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1384993. [PMID: 38638691 PMCID: PMC11025454 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1384993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
MRI-related anxiety in healthy participants is often characterized by a dominant breathing frequency at around 0.32 Hz (19 breaths per minute, bpm) at the beginning but in a few cases also at the end of scanning. Breathing waves at 19 bpm are also observed in patients with anxiety independently of the scanned body part. In patients with medically intractable epilepsy and intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG), spontaneous breathing through the nose varied between 0.24 and 0.37 Hz (~19 bpm). Remarkable is the similarity of the observed breathing rates at around 0.32 Hz during different types of anxiety states (e.g., epilepsy, cancer, claustrophobia) with the preferred breathing frequency of 0.32 Hz (19 bpm), which is predicted by the binary hierarchy model of Klimesch. This elevated breathing frequency most likely reflects an emotional processing state, in which energy demands are minimized due to a harmonic coupling ratio with other brain-body oscillations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gert Pfurtscheller
- Institute of Neural Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
| | - Beate Rassler
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute of Physiology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gerhard Schwarz
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Klimesch
- Centre of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Alaerts K, Moerkerke M, Daniels N, Zhang Q, Grazia R, Steyaert J, Prinsen J, Boets B. Chronic oxytocin improves neural decoupling at rest in children with autism: an exploratory RCT. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024. [PMID: 38400592 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Shifts in peak frequencies of oscillatory neural rhythms are put forward as a principal mechanism by which cross-frequency coupling/decoupling is implemented in the brain. During active neural processing, functional integration is facilitated through transitory formations of "harmonic" cross-frequency couplings, whereas "nonharmonic" decoupling among neural oscillatory rhythms is postulated to characterize the resting, default state of the brain, minimizing the occurrence of spurious, noisy, background couplings. METHODS Within this exploratory, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we assessed whether the transient occurrence of nonharmonic and harmonic relationships between peak-frequencies in the alpha (8-14 Hz) and theta (4-8 Hz) bands is impacted by intranasal administration of oxytocin, a neuromodulator implicated in improving homeostasis and reducing stress/anxiety. To do so, resting-state electroencephalography was acquired before and after 4 weeks of oxytocin administration (12 IU twice-daily) in children with autism spectrum disorder (8-12 years, n = 33 oxytocin; n = 34 placebo). At the baseline, neural assessments of children with autism were compared with those of a matched cohort of children without autism (n = 40). RESULTS Compared to nonautistic peers, autistic children displayed a lower incidence of nonharmonic alpha-theta cross-frequency decoupling, indicating a higher incidence of spurious "noisy" coupling in their resting brain (p = .001). Dimensionally, increased neural coupling was associated with more social difficulties (p = .002) and lower activity of the parasympathetic "rest & digest" branch of the autonomic nervous system (p = .018), indexed with high-frequency heart-rate-variability. Notably, after oxytocin administration, the transient formation of nonharmonic cross-frequency configurations was increased in the cohort of autistic children (p < .001), indicating a beneficial effect of oxytocin on reducing spurious cross-frequency-interactions. Furthermore, parallel epigenetics changes of the oxytocin receptor gene indicated that the neural effects were likely mediated by changes in endogenous oxytocinergic signaling (p = .006). CONCLUSIONS Chronic oxytocin induced important homeostatic changes in the resting-state intrinsic neural frequency architecture, reflective of reduced noisy oscillatory couplings and improved signal-to-noise properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaat Alaerts
- Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Neuromodulation Laboratory, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthijs Moerkerke
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Developmental Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicky Daniels
- Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Neuromodulation Laboratory, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Qianqian Zhang
- Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Neuromodulation Laboratory, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ricchiuti Grazia
- Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Neuromodulation Laboratory, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jean Steyaert
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jellina Prinsen
- Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Neuromodulation Laboratory, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Boets
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Developmental Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
O'Dowd A, Hirst RJ, Setti A, Kenny RA, Newell FN. Individual differences in seated resting heart rate are associated with multisensory perceptual function in older adults. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14430. [PMID: 37675755 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
There is evidence that cardiovascular function can influence sensory processing and cognition, which are known to change with age. However, whether the precision of unisensory and multisensory temporal perception is influenced by cardiovascular activity in older adults is uncertain. We examined whether seated resting heart rate (RHR) was associated with unimodal visual and auditory temporal discrimination as well as susceptibility to the audio-visual Sound Induced Flash Illusion (SIFI) in a large sample of older adults (N = 3232; mean age = 64.17 years, SD = 7.74, range = 50-93; 56% female) drawn from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). Faster seated RHR was associated with better discretization of two flashes (but not two beeps) and increased SIFI susceptibility when the audio-visual stimuli were presented close together in time but not at longer audio-visual temporal offsets. Our findings suggest a significant relationship between cardiovascular activity and the precision of visual and audio-visual temporal perception in older adults, thereby providing novel evidence for a link between cardiovascular function and perceptual function in aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alan O'Dowd
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Rebecca J Hirst
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Annalisa Setti
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Rose Anne Kenny
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Mercer Institute for Successful Ageing, St. James Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Fiona N Newell
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Corcoran AW, Perrykkad K, Feuerriegel D, Robinson JE. Body as First Teacher: The Role of Rhythmic Visceral Dynamics in Early Cognitive Development. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023:17456916231185343. [PMID: 37694720 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231185343] [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: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Embodied cognition-the idea that mental states and processes should be understood in relation to one's bodily constitution and interactions with the world-remains a controversial topic within cognitive science. Recently, however, increasing interest in predictive processing theories among proponents and critics of embodiment alike has raised hopes of a reconciliation. This article sets out to appraise the unificatory potential of predictive processing, focusing in particular on embodied formulations of active inference. Our analysis suggests that most active-inference accounts invoke weak, potentially trivial conceptions of embodiment; those making stronger claims do so independently of the theoretical commitments of the active-inference framework. We argue that a more compelling version of embodied active inference can be motivated by adopting a diachronic perspective on the way rhythmic physiological activity shapes neural development in utero. According to this visceral afferent training hypothesis, early-emerging physiological processes are essential not only for supporting the biophysical development of neural structures but also for configuring the cognitive architecture those structures entail. Focusing in particular on the cardiovascular system, we propose three candidate mechanisms through which visceral afferent training might operate: (a) activity-dependent neuronal development, (b) periodic signal modeling, and (c) oscillatory network coordination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Corcoran
- Monash Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies, Monash University
- Cognition and Philosophy Laboratory, School of Philosophical, Historical, and International Studies, Monash University
| | - Kelsey Perrykkad
- Cognition and Philosophy Laboratory, School of Philosophical, Historical, and International Studies, Monash University
| | | | - Jonathan E Robinson
- Cognition and Philosophy Laboratory, School of Philosophical, Historical, and International Studies, Monash University
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Brændholt M, Kluger DS, Varga S, Heck DH, Gross J, Allen MG. Breathing in waves: Understanding respiratory-brain coupling as a gradient of predictive oscillations. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105262. [PMID: 37271298 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Breathing plays a crucial role in shaping perceptual and cognitive processes by regulating the strength and synchronisation of neural oscillations. Numerous studies have demonstrated that respiratory rhythms govern a wide range of behavioural effects across cognitive, affective, and perceptual domains. Additionally, respiratory-modulated brain oscillations have been observed in various mammalian models and across diverse frequency spectra. However, a comprehensive framework to elucidate these disparate phenomena remains elusive. In this review, we synthesise existing findings to propose a neural gradient of respiratory-modulated brain oscillations and examine recent computational models of neural oscillations to map this gradient onto a hierarchical cascade of precision-weighted prediction errors. By deciphering the computational mechanisms underlying respiratory control of these processes, we can potentially uncover new pathways for understanding the link between respiratory-brain coupling and psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Malthe Brændholt
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Daniel S Kluger
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University of Münster, Germany.
| | - Somogy Varga
- School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Denmark; The Centre for Philosophy of Epidemiology, Medicine and Public Health, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Detlef H Heck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN
| | - Joachim Gross
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University of Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Micah G Allen
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Denmark; Cambridge Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Blanc C, Buisson JC, Kruck J, Kostrubiec V. Using a haptic dynamic clamp to reduce arousal: preference, arousal, and coordination stability are related. Exp Brain Res 2023:10.1007/s00221-023-06631-8. [PMID: 37422610 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-023-06631-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
We have developed a haptic dynamic clamp dedicated to the regulation of arousal. It takes the form of a vibrating stress ball to be squeezed, called Viball, controlled by Righetti's nonlinear adaptive Hopf oscillator. Participants squeezed an adaptive Viball which adapts its frequency of vibration to the current frequency of human squeezing. The adaptive Viball was compared to three non-adaptive Viballs, parametrized to vibrate at a lower, equal, or higher frequency than the participants' preferred frequency. While squeezing the ball, participants looked at stressful or calming pictures and their electrodermal activity was recorded. Using the preference paradigm, we show that participants preferred to interact with the adaptive Viball rather than with the most slowly vibrating ball that most strongly reduced arousal. The stability of the human-ball coordination was the highest with the adaptive Viball. There was also a positive correlation between the stability of coordination and arousal. The data are discussed in light of the energy-based interpretation of coordination dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clement Blanc
- Center for Studies and Research on Health Psychopathology and Psychology (CERPPS), University of Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France.
| | - Jean-Christophe Buisson
- Institut de Recherche en Informatique de Toulouse-UMR 5505, CNRS-University of Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Jeanne Kruck
- Center for Studies and Research on Health Psychopathology and Psychology (CERPPS), University of Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France
| | - Viviane Kostrubiec
- Center for Studies and Research on Health Psychopathology and Psychology (CERPPS), University of Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France
- University of Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Rassi E, Lin WM, Zhang Y, Emmerzaal J, Haegens S. β Band Rhythms Influence Reaction Times. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0473-22.2023. [PMID: 37364994 PMCID: PMC10312120 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0473-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite their involvement in many cognitive functions, β oscillations are among the least understood brain rhythms. Reports on whether the functional role of β is primarily inhibitory or excitatory have been contradictory. Our framework attempts to reconcile these findings and proposes that several β rhythms co-exist at different frequencies. β Frequency shifts and their potential influence on behavior have thus far received little attention. In this human magnetoencephalography (MEG) experiment, we asked whether changes in β power or frequency in auditory cortex and motor cortex influence behavior (reaction times) during an auditory sweep discrimination task. We found that in motor cortex, increased β power slowed down responses, while in auditory cortex, increased β frequency slowed down responses. We further characterized β as transient burst events with distinct spectro-temporal profiles influencing reaction times. Finally, we found that increased motor-to-auditory β connectivity also slowed down responses. In sum, β power, frequency, bursting properties, cortical focus, and connectivity profile all influenced behavioral outcomes. Our results imply that the study of β oscillations requires caution as β dynamics are multifaceted phenomena, and that several dynamics must be taken into account to reconcile mixed findings in the literature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elie Rassi
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Wy Ming Lin
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Hector Research Institute for Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032
| | - Jill Emmerzaal
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Human Movement Biomechanics Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
- REVAL Rehabilitation Research Centre, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, 3500 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Saskia Haegens
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Alaerts K, Bernaerts S, Wenderoth N. Effects of single- and multiple-dose oxytocin treatment on amygdala low-frequency BOLD fluctuations and BOLD spectral dynamics in autism. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:393. [PMID: 36127337 PMCID: PMC9489696 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02158-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior neuroimaging clinical trials investigating the neural effects of intranasal administration of the neuropeptide oxytocin demonstrated a key role of the amygdala in oxytocin's neuromodulatory effects. These studies mostly demonstrated the acute effects of single-dose administrations, examining task-dependent effects of oxytocin on brain activity elicited during explicit experimental tasks or stimuli presentations. The increased consideration of oxytocin as a potential ameliorating treatment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) requires a better understanding of how multiple-dose oxytocin administration affects intrinsic, task-free, amygdala function. In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with between-subject design, 38 adult men with ASD underwent resting-state fMRI scanning before and after oxytocin or placebo treatment. Effects were assessed either after a single-dose administration, consisting of 24 international units, or after multiple-dose treatment, consisting of 4 weeks of once-daily nasal spray administrations. Compared to placebo, oxytocin induced a decrease in intrinsic resting-state BOLD signal amplitudes of the bilateral amygdala (fractional amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuations) and modulated cross-frequency interactions between adjacent BOLD frequency components. The right amygdala showed a pattern of reduced cross-frequency harmonicity, while the left amygdala showed a relative increase in harmonic cross-frequency interactions after oxytocin treatment. Notably, the direction and magnitude of BOLD spectral changes induced after a single-dose were qualitatively similar to treatment effects induced after multiple-dose treatment. Furthermore, the identified spectral changes in amygdalar BOLD amplitude and cross-frequency harmonicity were associated with improved feelings of tension, reflecting oxytocin's anxiolytic, stress-reducing neuromodulatory role. The observed effects of oxytocin on amygdalar BOLD spectral characteristics and associated behaviors contribute to a deeper mechanistic understanding of the intrinsic, task-free neuromodulatory dynamics that underlie single- and multiple-dose oxytocin treatment in ASD. European Clinical Trial Registry (Eudract 2014-000586-45).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaat Alaerts
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, Neuromodulation Laboratory, Neurorehabilitation Research Group, University of Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Sylvie Bernaerts
- grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, Neuromodulation Laboratory, Neurorehabilitation Research Group, University of Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicole Wenderoth
- grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Neural Control of Movement Lab, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Vagus nerve stimulation increases stomach-brain coupling via a vagal afferent pathway. Brain Stimul 2022; 15:1279-1289. [PMID: 36067977 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2022.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maintaining energy homeostasis is vital and supported by vagal signaling between digestive organs and the brain. Previous research has established a gastric network in the brain that is phase synchronized with the rhythm of the stomach, but tools to perturb its function were lacking. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether stomach-brain coupling can be acutely increased by non-invasively stimulating vagal afferent projections to the brain. METHODS Using a single-blind randomized crossover design, we investigated the effect of acute right-sided transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) versus sham stimulation on stomach-brain coupling. RESULTS In line with preclinical research, taVNS increased stomach-brain coupling in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and the midbrain while boosting coupling across the brain. Crucially, in the cortex, taVNS-induced changes in coupling occurred primarily in transmodal regions and were associated with changes in hunger ratings as indicators of the subjective metabolic state. CONCLUSIONS taVNS increases stomach-brain coupling via an NTS-midbrain pathway that signals gut-induced reward, indicating that communication between the brain and the body is effectively modulated by vago-vagal signaling. Such insights may help us better understand the role of vagal afferents in orchestrating the recruitment of the gastric network which could pave the way for novel neuromodulatory treatments.
Collapse
|
10
|
Madsen J, Parra LC. Cognitive processing of a common stimulus synchronizes brains, hearts, and eyes. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac020. [PMID: 36712806 PMCID: PMC9802497 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Neural, physiological, and behavioral signals synchronize between human subjects in a variety of settings. Multiple hypotheses have been proposed to explain this interpersonal synchrony, but there is no clarity under which conditions it arises, for which signals, or whether there is a common underlying mechanism. We hypothesized that cognitive processing of a shared stimulus is the source of synchrony between subjects, measured here as intersubject correlation (ISC). To test this, we presented informative videos to participants in an attentive and distracted condition and subsequently measured information recall. ISC was observed for electro-encephalography, gaze position, pupil size, and heart rate, but not respiration and head movements. The strength of correlation was co-modulated in the different signals, changed with attentional state, and predicted subsequent recall of information presented in the videos. There was robust within-subject coupling between brain, heart, and eyes, but not respiration or head movements. The results suggest that ISC is the result of effective cognitive processing, and thus emerges only for those signals that exhibit a robust brain-body connection. While physiological and behavioral fluctuations may be driven by multiple features of the stimulus, correlation with other individuals is co-modulated by the level of attentional engagement with the stimulus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucas C Parra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Young A, Hunt T, Ericson M. The Slowest Shared Resonance: A Review of Electromagnetic Field Oscillations Between Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 15:796455. [PMID: 35250508 PMCID: PMC8888685 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.796455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Electromagnetic field oscillations produced by the brain are increasingly being viewed as causal drivers of consciousness. Recent research has highlighted the importance of the body's various endogenous rhythms in organizing these brain-generated fields through various types of entrainment. We expand this approach by examining evidence of extracerebral shared oscillations between the brain and other parts of the body, in both humans and animals. We then examine the degree to which these data support one of General Resonance Theory's (GRT) principles: the Slowest Shared Resonance (SSR) principle, which states that the combination of micro- to macro-consciousness in coupled field systems is a function of the slowest common denominator frequency or resonance. This principle may be utilized to develop a spatiotemporal hierarchy of brain-body shared resonance systems. It is predicted that a system's SSR decreases with distance between the brain and various resonating structures in the body. The various resonance relationships examined, including between the brain and gastric neurons, brain and sensory organs, and brain and spinal cord, generally match the predicted SSR relationships, empirically supporting this principle of GRT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asa Young
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Tam Hunt
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Marissa Ericson
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Alaerts K, Taillieu A, Prinsen J, Daniels N. Tracking transient changes in the intrinsic neural frequency architecture: Oxytocin facilitates non-harmonic relationships between alpha and theta rhythms in the resting brain. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 133:105397. [PMID: 34481326 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Shifts in the peak frequencies of oscillatory neural rhythms have been put forward as a principal mechanism by which cross-frequency coupling and decoupling is implemented in the brain. This notion is based on the mathematical reality that neural oscillations can only fully synchronize when their peak frequencies form harmonic 2:1 relationships (e.g., f2=f1/2). Non-harmonic cross-frequency relationships, on the other hand (based on the irrational golden mean 1.618.:1), provide the highest physiologically possible desynchronized state (reducing the occurrence of spurious, noisy, background coupling), and are therefore anticipated to characterize the resting state of the brain, in which no selective information processing takes place. The present study sought to assess whether the transient occurrence of 1.6:1 non-harmonic and 2:1 harmonic relationships between peak frequencies in the alpha (8-14 Hz) and theta (4-8 Hz) bands - respectively facilitating states of decoupling or coupling between oscillatory rhythms - are impacted by the intranasal administration of a single-dose of oxytocin (OT) or placebo. To do so, continuous resting-state electroencephalography (5 min eyes open, 19 electrodes) was obtained from 96 healthy adult men before and after nasal spray administration. The transient formation of non-harmonic cross-frequency configurations between alpha and theta peak frequencies was significantly increased after OT nasal spray administration, indicating an effect of OT on reducing the intrinsic occurrence of spurious (noisy) background phase synchronizations during resting-state. As a group, the OT group also showed a significant parallel increase in high-frequency and decrease in low-frequency heart rate variability, confirming a homeostatic role of OT in balancing parasympathetic drive. Overall, non-harmonic cross-frequency configurations have been put forward to lay the ground for a healthy neural network allowing the opportunity for an efficient transition from resting state to activity. The observed effects of OT on cross-frequency dynamics are therefore interpreted to reflect a homeostatic role of OT in increasing the signal-to-noise properties of the intrinsic EEG neural frequency architecture, i.e., by precluding the occurrence of 'noisy', unwanted, spurious couplings among neural rhythms in the resting brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaat Alaerts
- KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Tervuursevest 101 box 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Aymara Taillieu
- KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Tervuursevest 101 box 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jellina Prinsen
- KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Tervuursevest 101 box 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicky Daniels
- KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Tervuursevest 101 box 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|