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Jensen MP, Barrett TD. The Role of Electroencephalogram-Assessed Bandwidth Power in Response to Hypnotic Analgesia. Brain Sci 2024; 14:557. [PMID: 38928559 PMCID: PMC11201437 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14060557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Research supports the efficacy of therapeutic hypnosis for reducing acute and chronic pain. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying these effects. This paper provides a review of the evidence regarding the role that electroencephalogram-assessed bandwidth power has in identifying who might benefit the most from hypnotic analgesia and how these effects occur. Findings are discussed in terms of the slow wave hypothesis, which posits that brain activity in slower bandwidths (e.g., theta and alpha) can facilitate hypnosis responsivity. Although the extant research is limited by small sample sizes, the findings from this research are generally consistent with the slow wave hypothesis. More research, including and especially studies with larger sample sizes, is needed to confirm these preliminary positive findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P. Jensen
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;
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2
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Abstract
Working memory enables us to bridge past sensory information to upcoming future behaviour. Accordingly, by its very nature, working memory is concerned with two components: the past and the future. Yet, in conventional laboratory tasks, these two components are often conflated, such as when sensory information in working memory is encoded and tested at the same location. We developed a task in which we dissociated the past (encoded location) and future (to-be-tested location) attributes of visual contents in working memory. This enabled us to independently track the utilisation of past and future memory attributes through gaze, as observed during mnemonic selection. Our results reveal the joint consideration of past and future locations. This was prevalent even at the single-trial level of individual saccades that were jointly biased to the past and future. This uncovers the rich nature of working memory representations, whereby both past and future memory attributes are retained and can be accessed together when memory contents become relevant for behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baiwei Liu
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Zampeta-Sofia Alexopoulou
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Freek van Ede
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
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van Ede F, Nobre AC. A Neural Decision Signal during Internal Sampling from Working Memory in Humans. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1475232024. [PMID: 38538144 PMCID: PMC11079964 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1475-23.2024] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
How humans transform sensory information into decisions that steer purposeful behavior is a central question in psychology and neuroscience that is traditionally investigated during the sampling of external environmental signals. The decision-making framework of gradual information sampling toward a decision has also been proposed to apply when sampling internal sensory evidence from working memory. However, neural evidence for this proposal remains scarce. Here we show (using scalp EEG in male and female human volunteers) that sampling internal visual representations from working memory elicits a scalp EEG potential associated with gradual evidence accumulation-the central parietal positivity. Consistent with an evolving decision process, we show how this signal (1) scales with the time participants require to reach a decision about the cued memory content and (2) is amplified when having to decide among multiple contents in working memory. These results bring the electrophysiology of decision-making into the domain of working memory and suggest that variability in memory-guided behavior may be driven (at least in part) by variations in the sampling of our inner mental contents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freek van Ede
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom
| | - Anna C Nobre
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, United Kingdom
- Wu Tsai Institute and Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06510
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Kausel L, Zamorano F, Billeke P, Sutherland ME, Alliende MI, Larrain‐Valenzuela J, Soto‐Icaza P, Aboitiz F. Theta and alpha oscillations may underlie improved attention and working memory in musically trained children. Brain Behav 2024; 14:e3517. [PMID: 38702896 PMCID: PMC11069029 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Attention and working memory are key cognitive functions that allow us to select and maintain information in our mind for a short time, being essential for our daily life and, in particular, for learning and academic performance. It has been shown that musical training can improve working memory performance, but it is still unclear if and how the neural mechanisms of working memory and particularly attention are implicated in this process. In this work, we aimed to identify the oscillatory signature of bimodal attention and working memory that contributes to improved working memory in musically trained children. MATERIALS AND METHODS We recruited children with and without musical training and asked them to complete a bimodal (auditory/visual) attention and working memory task, whereas their brain activity was measured using electroencephalography. Behavioral, time-frequency, and source reconstruction analyses were made. RESULTS Results showed that, overall, musically trained children performed better on the task than children without musical training. When comparing musically trained children with children without musical training, we found modulations in the alpha band pre-stimuli onset and the beginning of stimuli onset in the frontal and parietal regions. These correlated with correct responses to the attended modality. Moreover, during the end phase of stimuli presentation, we found modulations correlating with correct responses independent of attention condition in the theta and alpha bands, in the left frontal and right parietal regions. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that musically trained children have improved neuronal mechanisms for both attention allocation and memory encoding. Our results can be important for developing interventions for people with attention and working memory difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Kausel
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia Humana y Neuropsicología, Facultad de PsicologíaUniversidad Diego PortalesSantiagoChile
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Social y Neuromodulación, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social (CICS), Facultad de GobiernoUniversidad del DesarrolloSantiagoChile
- Centro Interdisciplinario de NeurocienciasPontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiagoChile
| | - F. Zamorano
- Unidad de Imágenes Cuantitativas Avanzadas, Departamento de ImágenesClínica Alemanade SantiagoSantiagoChile
- Facultad de Ciencias para el Cuidado de la SaludUniversidad San SebastiánSantiagoChile
- Laboratorio de Psiquiatría TraslacionalDepartamento de PsiquiatríaFacultad de MedicinaUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
| | - P. Billeke
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Social y Neuromodulación, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social (CICS), Facultad de GobiernoUniversidad del DesarrolloSantiagoChile
| | - M. E. Sutherland
- Centro Interdisciplinario de NeurocienciasPontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiagoChile
| | - M. I. Alliende
- Centro Interdisciplinario de NeurocienciasPontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiagoChile
| | - J. Larrain‐Valenzuela
- Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social (CICS), Facultad de GobiernoUniversidad del DesarrolloSantiagoChile
| | - P. Soto‐Icaza
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Social y Neuromodulación, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social (CICS), Facultad de GobiernoUniversidad del DesarrolloSantiagoChile
| | - F. Aboitiz
- Centro Interdisciplinario de NeurocienciasPontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiagoChile
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Mokhtarinejad E, Tavakoli M, Ghaderi AH. Exploring the correlation and causation between alpha oscillations and one-second time perception through EEG and tACS. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8035. [PMID: 38580671 PMCID: PMC10997657 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57715-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Alpha oscillations have been implicated in time perception, yet a consensus on their precise role remains elusive. This study directly investigates this relationship by examining the impact of alpha oscillations on time perception. Resting-state EEG recordings were used to extract peak alpha frequency (PAF) and peak alpha power (PAP) characteristics. Participants then performed a time generalization task under transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at frequencies of PAF-2, PAF, and PAF+2, as well as a sham condition. Results revealed a significant correlation between PAP and accuracy, and between PAF and precision of one-second time perception in the sham condition. This suggests that alpha oscillations may influence one-second time perception by modulating their frequency and power. Interestingly, these correlations weakened with real tACS stimulations, particularly at higher frequencies. A second analysis aimed to establish a causal relationship between alpha peak modulation by tACS and time perception using repeated measures ANOVAs, but no significant effect was observed. Results were interpreted according to the state-dependent networks and internal clock model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Mokhtarinejad
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mahgol Tavakoli
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Amir Hossein Ghaderi
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
- Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning and Education, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, USA
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Zioga I, Zhou YJ, Weissbart H, Martin AE, Haegens S. Alpha and Beta Oscillations Differentially Support Word Production in a Rule-Switching Task. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0312-23.2024. [PMID: 38490743 PMCID: PMC10988358 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0312-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Research into the role of brain oscillations in basic perceptual and cognitive functions has suggested that the alpha rhythm reflects functional inhibition while the beta rhythm reflects neural ensemble (re)activation. However, little is known regarding the generalization of these proposed fundamental operations to linguistic processes, such as speech comprehension and production. Here, we recorded magnetoencephalography in participants performing a novel rule-switching paradigm. Specifically, Dutch native speakers had to produce an alternative exemplar from the same category or a feature of a given target word embedded in spoken sentences (e.g., for the word "tuna", an exemplar from the same category-"seafood"-would be "shrimp", and a feature would be "pink"). A cue indicated the task rule-exemplar or feature-either before (pre-cue) or after (retro-cue) listening to the sentence. Alpha power during the working memory delay was lower for retro-cue compared with that for pre-cue in the left hemispheric language-related regions. Critically, alpha power negatively correlated with reaction times, suggestive of alpha facilitating task performance by regulating inhibition in regions linked to lexical retrieval. Furthermore, we observed a different spatiotemporal pattern of beta activity for exemplars versus features in the right temporoparietal regions, in line with the proposed role of beta in recruiting neural networks for the encoding of distinct categories. Overall, our study provides evidence for the generalizability of the role of alpha and beta oscillations from perceptual to more "complex, linguistic processes" and offers a novel task to investigate links between rule-switching, working memory, and word production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Zioga
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6525 XD, The Netherlands
| | - Ying Joey Zhou
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Hugo Weissbart
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea E Martin
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6525 XD, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Haegens
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032
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Deng X, Chen X, Li Y, Zhang B, Xu W, Wang J, Zang Y, Dong Q, Chen C, Li J. Online and offline effects of parietal 10 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on working memory in healthy controls. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26636. [PMID: 38488458 PMCID: PMC10941606 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Parietal alpha activity shows a specific pattern of phasic changes during working memory. It decreases during the encoding and recall phases but increases during the maintenance phase. This study tested whether online rTMS delivered to the parietal cortex during the maintenance phase of a working memory task would increase alpha activity and hence improve working memory. Then, 46 healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to two groups to receive 3-day parietal 10 Hz online rTMS (either real or sham, 3600 pulses in total) that were time-locked to the maintenance phase of a spatial span task (180 trials in total). Behavioral performance on another spatial span task and EEG signals during a change detection task were recorded on the day before the first rTMS (pretest) and the day after the last rTMS (posttest). We found that rTMS improved performance on both online and offline spatial span tasks. For the offline change detection task, rTMS enhanced alpha activity within the maintenance phase and improved interference control of working memory at both behavioral (K score) and neural (contralateral delay activity) levels. These results suggested that rTMS with alpha frequency time-locked to the maintenance phase is a promising way to boost working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinping Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingP.R. China
| | - Xiongying Chen
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders & the Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Beijing Anding Hospital, School of Mental HealthCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingP.R. China
| | - Bofan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingP.R. China
| | - Wending Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingP.R. China
| | - Jue Wang
- Institute of Sports Medicine and HealthChengdu Sport UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yu‐Feng Zang
- Institute of Psychological SciencesHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouChina
- Center for Cognition and Brain DisordersHangzhou Normal University Affiliated HospitalHangzhouChina
| | - Qi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingP.R. China
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- Department of Psychological ScienceUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingP.R. China
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Yiling Y, Klon-Lipok J, Shapcott K, Lazar A, Singer W. Dynamic fading memory and expectancy effects in the monkey primary visual cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2314855121. [PMID: 38354261 PMCID: PMC10895277 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314855121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
In order to investigate the involvement of the primary visual cortex (V1) in working memory (WM), parallel, multisite recordings of multi-unit activity were obtained from monkey V1 while the animals performed a delayed match-to-sample (DMS) task. During the delay period, V1 population firing rate vectors maintained a lingering trace of the sample stimulus that could be reactivated by intervening impulse stimuli that enhanced neuronal firing. This fading trace of the sample did not require active engagement of the monkeys in the DMS task and likely reflects the intrinsic dynamics of recurrent cortical networks in lower visual areas. This renders an active, attention-dependent involvement of V1 in the maintenance of WM contents unlikely. By contrast, population responses to the test stimulus depended on the probabilistic contingencies between sample and test stimuli. Responses to tests that matched expectations were reduced which agrees with concepts of predictive coding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yiling
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt am Main60528, Germany
| | - Johanna Klon-Lipok
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt am Main60438, Germany
| | - Katharine Shapcott
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt am Main60528, Germany
| | - Andreea Lazar
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt am Main60528, Germany
| | - Wolf Singer
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt am Main60528, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt am Main60438, Germany
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Frankfurt am Main60438, Germany
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Pan L, Wang J, Wu W, Wang Y, Zhu Y, Song Y. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation improves working memory in temporal lobe epilepsy: A randomized double-blind study. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14395. [PMID: 37553557 PMCID: PMC10848055 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14395] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS This study investigated the impact of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on working memory (WM) in refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (rTLE) and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS In this randomized double-blind study, 28 rTLE patients were subjected to an active or sham taVNS (a/s-taVNS) protocol for 20 weeks (a-taVNS group, n = 19; s-ta VNS group, n = 9). Patients performed visual WM tasks during stimulation and neural oscillations were simultaneously recorded by 19-channel electroencephalography. RESULTS Compared with the baseline state, reaction time was significantly shorter after 20 weeks of taVNS in the a-taVNS group (p = 0.010), whereas no difference was observed in the s-taVNS group (p > 0.05). The power spectral density (PSD) of the theta frequency band in the Fz channel decreased significantly after a-taVNS during WM-encoding (p = 0.020), maintenance (p = 0.038), and retrieval (p = 0.039) phases, but not in the s-taVNS group (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSION Neural oscillations during WM were altered by taVNS and WM performance was improved. Alterations in frontal midline theta oscillations may be a marker for the effect of taVNS on cognitive regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Pan
- General Medicine DepartmentTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Jiajing Wang
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeTianjinChina
- Tianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Wenjuan Wu
- Department of NeurologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and TechnologyLuoyangChina
| | | | | | - Yijun Song
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeTianjinChina
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Chen C, Liang Y, Xu S, Yi C, Li Y, Chen B, Yang L, Liu Q, Yao D, Li F, Xu P. The dynamic causality brain network reflects whether the working memory is solidified. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad467. [PMID: 38061696 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Working memory, which is foundational to higher cognitive function, is the "sketchpad of volitional control." Successful working memory is the inevitable outcome of the individual's active control and manipulation of thoughts and turning them into internal goals during which the causal brain processes information in real time. However, little is known about the dynamic causality among distributed brain regions behind thought control that underpins successful working memory. In our present study, given that correct responses and incorrect ones did not differ in either contralateral delay activity or alpha suppression, further rooting on the high-temporal-resolution EEG time-varying directed network analysis, we revealed that successful working memory depended on both much stronger top-down connections from the frontal to the temporal lobe and bottom-up linkages from the occipital to the temporal lobe, during the early maintenance period, as well as top-down flows from the frontal lobe to the central areas as the delay behavior approached. Additionally, the correlation between behavioral performance and casual interactions increased over time, especially as memory-guided delayed behavior approached. Notably, when using the network metrics as features, time-resolved multiple linear regression of overall behavioral accuracy was exactly achieved as delayed behavior approached. These results indicate that accurate memory depends on dynamic switching of causal network connections and shifting to more task-related patterns during which the appropriate intervention may help enhance memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunli Chen
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Yi Liang
- Department of Neurology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Sichuan Translational Medicine Research Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Shiyun Xu
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Chanlin Yi
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Yuqin Li
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Baodan Chen
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Lei Yang
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610000, China
| | - Dezhong Yao
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Fali Li
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Peng Xu
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
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Nasrawi R, Boettcher SEP, van Ede F. Prospection of Potential Actions during Visual Working Memory Starts Early, Is Flexible, and Predicts Behavior. J Neurosci 2023; 43:8515-8524. [PMID: 37857486 PMCID: PMC10711698 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0709-23.2023] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
For visual working memory to serve upcoming behavior, it is crucial that we prepare for the potential use of working-memory contents ahead of time. Recent studies have demonstrated how the prospection and planning for an upcoming manual action starts early after visual encoding, and occurs alongside visual retention. Here, we address whether such "output planning" in visual working memory flexibly adapts to different visual-motor mappings, and occurs even when an upcoming action will only potentially become relevant for behavior. Human participants (female and male) performed a visual-motor working memory task in which they remembered one or two colored oriented bars for later (potential) use. We linked, and counterbalanced, the tilt of the visual items to specific manual responses. This allowed us to track planning of upcoming behavior through contralateral attenuation of β band activity, a canonical motor-cortical EEG signature of manual-action planning. The results revealed how action encoding and subsequent planning alongside visual working memory (1) reflect anticipated task demands rather than specific visual-motor mappings, (2) occur even for actions that will only potentially become relevant for behavior, and (3) are associated with faster performance for the encoded item, at the expense of performance to other working-memory content. This reveals how the potential prospective use of visual working memory content is flexibly planned early on, with consequences for the speed of memory-guided behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT It is increasingly studied how visual working memory helps us to prepare for the future, in addition to how it helps us to hold onto the past. Recent studies have demonstrated that the planning of prospective actions occurs alongside encoding and retention in working memory. We show that such early "output planning" flexibly adapts to varying visual-motor mappings, occurs both for certain and potential actions, and predicts ensuing working-memory guided behavior. These results highlight the flexible and future-oriented nature of visual working memory, and provide insight into the neural basis of the anticipatory dynamics that translate visual representations into adaptive upcoming behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Nasrawi
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 BT, The Netherlands
| | - Sage E P Boettcher
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, United Kingdom
| | - Freek van Ede
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 BT, The Netherlands
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Studenova A, Forster C, Engemann DA, Hensch T, Sanders C, Mauche N, Hegerl U, Loffler M, Villringer A, Nikulin V. Event-related modulation of alpha rhythm explains the auditory P300-evoked response in EEG. eLife 2023; 12:RP88367. [PMID: 38038725 PMCID: PMC10691803 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88367] [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] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Evoked responses and oscillations represent two major electrophysiological phenomena in the human brain yet the link between them remains rather obscure. Here we show how most frequently studied EEG signals: the P300-evoked response and alpha oscillations (8-12 Hz) can be linked with the baseline-shift mechanism. This mechanism states that oscillations generate evoked responses if oscillations have a non-zero mean and their amplitude is modulated by the stimulus. Therefore, the following predictions should hold: (1) the temporal evolution of P300 and alpha amplitude is similar, (2) spatial localisations of the P300 and alpha amplitude modulation overlap, (3) oscillations are non-zero mean, (4) P300 and alpha amplitude correlate with cognitive scores in a similar fashion. To validate these predictions, we analysed the data set of elderly participants (N=2230, 60-82 years old), using (a) resting-state EEG recordings to quantify the mean of oscillations, (b) the event-related data, to extract parameters of P300 and alpha rhythm amplitude envelope. We showed that P300 is indeed linked to alpha rhythm, according to all four predictions. Our results provide an unifying view on the interdependency of evoked responses and neuronal oscillations and suggest that P300, at least partly, is generated by the modulation of alpha oscillations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Studenova
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Max Planck School of CognitionLeipzigGermany
| | - Carina Forster
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Charité – Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Denis Alexander Engemann
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd.BaselSwitzerland
| | - Tilman Hensch
- LIFE – Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Department of Psychology, IU International University of Applied SciencesErfurtGermany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical CenterLeipzigGermany
| | - Christian Sanders
- LIFE – Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical CenterLeipzigGermany
| | - Nicole Mauche
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical CenterLeipzigGermany
| | - Ulrich Hegerl
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University FrankfurtFrankfurtGermany
| | - Markus Loffler
- LIFE – Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology (IMISE), University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Vadim Nikulin
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience BerlinBerlinGermany
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13
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Chen L, Cichy RM, Kaiser D. Alpha-frequency feedback to early visual cortex orchestrates coherent naturalistic vision. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi2321. [PMID: 37948520 PMCID: PMC10637741 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi2321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
During naturalistic vision, the brain generates coherent percepts by integrating sensory inputs scattered across the visual field. Here, we asked whether this integration process is mediated by rhythmic cortical feedback. In electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments, we experimentally manipulated integrative processing by changing the spatiotemporal coherence of naturalistic videos presented across visual hemifields. Our EEG data revealed that information about incoherent videos is coded in feedforward-related gamma activity while information about coherent videos is coded in feedback-related alpha activity, indicating that integration is indeed mediated by rhythmic activity. Our fMRI data identified scene-selective cortex and human middle temporal complex (hMT) as likely sources of this feedback. Analytically combining our EEG and fMRI data further revealed that feedback-related representations in the alpha band shape the earliest stages of visual processing in cortex. Together, our findings indicate that the construction of coherent visual experiences relies on cortical feedback rhythms that fully traverse the visual hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixiang Chen
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Radoslaw M. Cichy
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Daniel Kaiser
- Mathematical Institute, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics, Geography, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Gießen 35392, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Marburg 35032, Germany
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14
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Klotzsche F, Gaebler M, Villringer A, Sommer W, Nikulin V, Ohl S. Visual short-term memory-related EEG components in a virtual reality setup. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14378. [PMID: 37393581 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) offers a powerful tool for investigating cognitive processes, as it allows researchers to gauge behaviors and mental states in complex, yet highly controlled, scenarios. The use of VR head-mounted displays in combination with physiological measures such as EEG presents new challenges and raises the question whether established findings also generalize to a VR setup. Here, we used a VR headset to assess the spatial constraints underlying two well-established EEG correlates of visual short-term memory: the amplitude of the contralateral delay activity (CDA) and the lateralization of induced alpha power during memory retention. We tested observers' visual memory in a change detection task with bilateral stimulus arrays of either two or four items while varying the horizontal eccentricity of the memory arrays (4, 9, or 14 degrees of visual angle). The CDA amplitude differed between high and low memory load at the two smaller eccentricities, but not at the largest eccentricity. Neither memory load nor eccentricity significantly influenced the observed alpha lateralization. We further fitted time-resolved spatial filters to decode memory load from the event-related potential as well as from its time-frequency decomposition. Classification performance during the retention interval was above-chance level for both approaches and did not vary significantly across eccentricities. We conclude that commercial VR hardware can be utilized to study the CDA and lateralized alpha power, and we provide caveats for future studies targeting these EEG markers of visual memory in a VR setup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Klotzsche
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Faculty of Philosophy, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Gaebler
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Faculty of Philosophy, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Faculty of Philosophy, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Werner Sommer
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vadim Nikulin
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sven Ohl
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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15
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Akimoto Y, Miyake K. Examination of distraction and discomfort caused by using glare monitors: a simultaneous electroencephalography and eye-tracking study. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15992. [PMID: 37727695 PMCID: PMC10506577 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, remote work and education and digital display use have become more prevalent. However, compared with printed material, digital displays cause more eye fatigue and may decrease task performance. For instance, the reflections on the monitor can cause discomfort or distraction, particularly when glare monitors are used with black backgrounds. Methods This study simultaneously uses electroencephalography (EEG) and an eye-tracker to measure the possible negative effects of using a glare monitor on the illegibility of sentences. Results The experiment results showed no difference in reading time and subjective illegibility rating between glare and non-glare monitors. However, with glare monitors, eye fixation when reading lasted longer. Further, EEG beta (15-20 Hz) power variations suggested that the participants were less engaged in the reading task when a glare monitor was used with a black background. Conclusions These results indicate that the negative effects of using a glare monitor are subtle but certainly present. They also show that physiological measures such as EEG and eye tracking can assess the subtle effects in an objective manner, even if behavioral measures such as subjective illegibility ratings or reading time may not show the differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoritaka Akimoto
- Department of Information and Management Systems Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
| | - Keito Miyake
- Department of Information and Management Systems Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
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16
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Chang WS, Liang WK, Li DH, Muggleton NG, Balachandran P, Huang NE, Juan CH. The association between working memory precision and the nonlinear dynamics of frontal and parieto-occipital EEG activity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14252. [PMID: 37653059 PMCID: PMC10471634 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41358-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrophysiological working memory (WM) research shows brain areas communicate via macroscopic oscillations across frequency bands, generating nonlinear amplitude modulation (AM) in the signal. Traditionally, AM is expressed as the coupling strength between the signal and a prespecified modulator at a lower frequency. Therefore, the idea of AM and coupling cannot be studied separately. In this study, 33 participants completed a color recall task while their brain activity was recorded through EEG. The AM of the EEG data was extracted using the Holo-Hilbert spectral analysis (HHSA), an adaptive method based on the Hilbert-Huang transforms. The results showed that WM load modulated parieto-occipital alpha/beta power suppression. Furthermore, individuals with higher frontal theta power and lower parieto-occipital alpha/beta power exhibited superior WM precision. In addition, the AM of parieto-occipital alpha/beta power predicted WM precision after presenting a target-defining probe array. The phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) between the frontal theta phase and parieto-occipital alpha/beta AM increased with WM load while processing incoming stimuli, but the PAC itself did not predict the subsequent recall performance. These results suggest frontal and parieto-occipital regions communicate through theta-alpha/beta PAC. However, the overall recall precision depends on the alpha/beta AM following the onset of the retro cue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Sheng Chang
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health Sciences and Technology, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Kuang Liang
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health Sciences and Technology, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Dong-Han Li
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health Sciences and Technology, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Neil G Muggleton
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health Sciences and Technology, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
| | - Prasad Balachandran
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health Sciences and Technology, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Taiwan International Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, National Cheng Kung University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Norden E Huang
- Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Data Analysis and Application Laboratory, The First Institute of Oceanography, Qingdao, China
| | - Chi-Hung Juan
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health Sciences and Technology, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
- Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
- Department of Psychology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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17
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Hunt T, Jones M. Fields or firings? Comparing the spike code and the electromagnetic field hypothesis. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1029715. [PMID: 37546464 PMCID: PMC10400444 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1029715] [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: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Where is consciousness? Neurobiological theories of consciousness look primarily to synaptic firing and "spike codes" as the physical substrate of consciousness, although the specific mechanisms of consciousness remain unknown. Synaptic firing results from electrochemical processes in neuron axons and dendrites. All neurons also produce electromagnetic (EM) fields due to various mechanisms, including the electric potential created by transmembrane ion flows, known as "local field potentials," but there are also more meso-scale and macro-scale EM fields present in the brain. The functional role of these EM fields has long been a source of debate. We suggest that these fields, in both their local and global forms, may be the primary seat of consciousness, working as a gestalt with synaptic firing and other aspects of neuroanatomy to produce the marvelous complexity of minds. We call this assertion the "electromagnetic field hypothesis." The neuroanatomy of the brain produces the local and global EM fields but these fields are not identical with the anatomy of the brain. These fields are produced by, but not identical with, the brain, in the same manner that twigs and leaves are produced by a tree's branches and trunk but are not the same as the branches and trunk. As such, the EM fields represent the more granular, both spatially and temporally, aspects of the brain's structure and functioning than the neuroanatomy of the brain. The brain's various EM fields seem to be more sensitive to small changes than the neuroanatomy of the brain. We discuss issues with the spike code approach as well as the various lines of evidence supporting our argument that the brain's EM fields may be the primary seat of consciousness. This evidence (which occupies most of the paper) suggests that oscillating neural EM fields may make firing in neural circuits oscillate, and these oscillating circuits may help unify and guide conscious cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tam Hunt
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Mostyn Jones
- Formerly of Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, PA, United States
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18
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Li BZ, Nan W, Pun SH, Vai MI, Rosa A, Wan F. Modulating Individual Alpha Frequency through Short-Term Neurofeedback for Cognitive Enhancement in Healthy Young Adults. Brain Sci 2023; 13:926. [PMID: 37371404 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13060926] [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: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Human alpha oscillation (7-13 Hz) has been extensively studied over the years for its connection with cognition. The individual alpha frequency (IAF), defined as the frequency that provides the highest power in the alpha band, shows a positive correlation with cognitive processes. The modulation of alpha activities has been accomplished through various approaches aimed at improving cognitive performance. However, very few studies focused on the direct modulation of IAF by shifting the peak frequency, and the understanding of IAF modulation remains highly limited. In this study, IAFs of healthy young adults were up-regulated through short-term neurofeedback training using haptic feedback. The results suggest that IAFs have good trainability and are up-regulated, also that IAFs are correlated with the enhanced cognitive performance in mental rotation and n-back tests compared to sham-neurofeedback control. This study demonstrates the feasibility of self-regulating IAF for cognition enhancement and provides potential therapeutic benefits for cognitive-impaired patients.
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Grants
- 2020YFB1313502 The National Key Research and Development Program of China under Grant
- 2021ZD0201300 The National Key Research and Development Program of China under Grant
- SGDX20201103094002009 The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macau S&TProgram (Category C) of SZSTI
- MYRG2022-00111-IME The University of Macau
- MYRG2020-00098-FST The University of Macau
- MYRG2022-00197-FST The University of Macau
- 0144/2019/A3 The Science and Technology Development Fund, Macau SAR
- 0022/2020/AFJ The Science and Technology Development Fund, Macau SAR
- SKL-AMSV (FDCTfunded),SKL-AMSV-ADDITIONAL FUND, SKL-AMSV(UM)-2023-2025 The Science and Technology Development Fund, Macau SAR
- 0045/2019/AFJ The Science and Technology Development Fund, Macau SAR
- CP-017-2022 The Lingyange Semi-conductor Inc. Zhuhai City, Guandong, China
- CP-031-2022 The Lingyange Semi-conductor Inc. Zhuhai City, Guandong, China
- CP-003-2023 The Blue Ocean Smart System (Nanjing) Limited
- 2023A1515010844 The Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation
- 81901830 The National Natural Science Foundation of China
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben-Zheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed Signal Very-Large-Scale Integration (VLSI), University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80204, USA
| | - Wenya Nan
- Department of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Sio Hang Pun
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed Signal Very-Large-Scale Integration (VLSI), University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Mang I Vai
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed Signal Very-Large-Scale Integration (VLSI), University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Agostinho Rosa
- LaSEEB-System and Robotics Institute, LarSys, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Feng Wan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
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19
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Bullock T, Pickett K, Salimian A, Gregory C, MacLean MH, Giesbrecht B. Eye movements disrupt EEG alpha-band coding of behaviorally relevant and irrelevant spatial locations held in working memory. J Neurophysiol 2023; 129:1191-1211. [PMID: 36988227 PMCID: PMC10190932 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00302.2021] [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: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Oscillations in the alpha frequency band (∼8-12 Hz) of the human electroencephalogram play an important role in supporting selective attention to visual items and maintaining their spatial locations in working memory (WM). Recent findings suggest that spatial information maintained in alpha is modulated by interruptions to continuous visual input, such that attention shifts, eye closure, and backward masking of the encoded item cause reconstructed representations of remembered locations to become degraded. Here, we investigated how another common visual disruption-eye movements-modulates reconstructions of behaviorally relevant and irrelevant item locations held in WM. Participants completed a delayed estimation task, where they encoded and recalled either the location or color of an object after a brief retention period. During retention, participants either fixated at the center or executed a sequence of eye movements. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded at the scalp and eye position was monitored with an eye tracker. Inverted encoding modeling (IEM) was applied to reconstruct location-selective responses across multiple frequency bands during encoding and retention. Location-selective responses were successfully reconstructed from alpha activity during retention where participants fixated at the center, but these reconstructions were disrupted during eye movements. Recall performance decreased during eye-movements conditions but remained largely intact, and further analyses revealed that under specific task conditions, it was possible to reconstruct retained location information from lower frequency bands (1-4 Hz) during eye movements. These results suggest that eye movements disrupt maintained spatial information in alpha in a manner consistent with other acute interruptions to continuous visual input, but this information may be represented in other frequency bands.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Neural oscillations in the alpha frequency band support selective attention to visual items and maintenance of their spatial locations in human working memory. Here, we investigate how eye movements disrupt representations of item locations held in working memory. Although it was not possible to recover item locations from alpha during eye movements, retained location information could be recovered from select lower frequency bands. This suggests that during eye movements, stored spatial information may be represented in other frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Bullock
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
- Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
| | - Kamryn Pickett
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
| | - Anabel Salimian
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
| | - Caitlin Gregory
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
- Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
| | - Mary H MacLean
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
- Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
| | - Barry Giesbrecht
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
- Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
- Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Dynamical Neuroscience, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
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20
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Li D, Hu Y, Qi M, Zhao C, Jensen O, Huang J, Song Y. Prioritizing flexible working memory representations through retrospective attentional strengthening. Neuroimage 2023; 269:119902. [PMID: 36708973 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous work has proposed two potential benefits of retrospective attention on working memory (WM): target strengthening and non-target inhibition. It remains unknown which hypothesis contributes to the improved WM performance, yet the neural mechanisms responsible for this attentional benefit are unclear. Here, we recorded electroencephalography (EEG) signals while 33 participants performed a retrospective-cue WM task. Multivariate pattern classification analysis revealed that only representations of target features were enhanced by valid retrospective attention during retention, supporting the target strengthening hypothesis. Further univariate analysis found that mid-frontal theta inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) and ERP components were modulated by valid retrospective attention and correlated with individual differences and moment-to-moment fluctuations on behavioral outcomes, suggesting that both trait- and state-level variability in attentional preparatory processes influence goal-directed behavior. Furthermore, task-irrelevant target spatial location could be decoded from EEG signals, indicating that enhanced spatial binding of target representation is vital to high WM precision. Importantly, frontoparietal theta-alpha phase-amplitude coupling was increased by valid retrospective attention and predicted the reduced random guessing rates. This long-range connection supported top-down information flow in the engagement of frontoparietal networks, which might organize attentional states to integrate target features. Altogether, these results provide neurophysiological bases that retrospective attention improves WM precision by enhancing flexible target representation and emphasize the critical role of the frontoparietal attentional network in the control of WM representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Yiqing Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengdi Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chenguang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Center for Cognition and Neuroergonomics, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Ole Jensen
- Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jing Huang
- Center for Cognition and Neuroergonomics, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China.
| | - Yan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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21
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Contralateral delay activity, but not alpha lateralization, indexes prioritization of information for working memory storage. Atten Percept Psychophys 2023; 85:718-733. [PMID: 36917354 PMCID: PMC10066168 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02681-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Working memory is inherently limited, which makes it important to select and maintain only task-relevant information and to protect it from distraction. Previous research has suggested the contralateral delay activity (CDA) and lateralized alpha oscillations as neural candidates for such a prioritization process. While most of this work focused on distraction during encoding, we examined the effect of external distraction presented during memory maintenance. Participants memorized the orientations of three lateralized objects. After an initial distraction-free maintenance interval, distractors appeared in the same location as the targets or in the opposite hemifield. This distraction was followed by another distraction-free interval. Our results show that CDA amplitudes were stronger in the interval before compared with the interval after the distraction (i.e., CDA amplitudes were stronger in response to targets compared with distractors). This amplitude reduction in response to distractors was more pronounced in participants with higher memory accuracy, indicating prioritization and maintenance of relevant over irrelevant information. In contrast, alpha lateralization did not change from the interval before distraction compared with the interval after distraction, and we found no correlation between alpha lateralization and memory accuracy. These results suggest that alpha lateralization plays no direct role in either selective maintenance of task-relevant information or inhibition of distractors. Instead, alpha lateralization reflects the current allocation of spatial attention to the most salient information regardless of task-relevance. In contrast, CDA indicates flexible allocation of working memory resources depending on task-relevance.
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22
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Chikhi S, Matton N, Sanna M, Blanchet S. Mental strategies and resting state EEG: Effect on high alpha amplitude modulation by neurofeedback in healthy young adults. Biol Psychol 2023; 178:108521. [PMID: 36801435 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Neurofeedback (NFB) is a brain-computer interface which allows individuals to modulate their brain activity. Despite the self-regulatory nature of NFB, the effectiveness of strategies used during NFB training has been little investigated. In a single session of NFB training (6*3 min training blocks) with healthy young participants, we experimentally tested if providing a list of mental strategies (list group, N = 46), compared with a group receiving no strategies (no list group, N = 39), affected participants' neuromodulation ability of high alpha (10-12 Hz) amplitude. We additionally asked participants to verbally report the mental strategies used to enhance high alpha amplitude. The verbatim was then classified in pre-established categories in order to examine the effect of type of mental strategy on high alpha amplitude. First, we found that giving a list to the participants did not promote the ability to neuromodulate high alpha activity. However, our analysis of the specific strategies reported by learners during training blocks revealed that cognitive effort and recalling memories were associated with higher high alpha amplitude. Furthermore, the resting amplitude of trained high alpha frequency predicted an amplitude increase during training, a factor that may optimize inclusion in NFB protocols. The present results also corroborate the interrelation with other frequency bands during NFB training. Although these findings are based on a single NFB session, our study represents a further step towards developing effective protocols for high alpha neuromodulation by NFB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samy Chikhi
- Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, F-92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Nadine Matton
- CLLE, Université de Toulouse, CNRS (UMR 5263), Toulouse, France; ENAC, École Nationale d'Aviation Civile, Université de Toulouse, France
| | - Marie Sanna
- Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, F-92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Sophie Blanchet
- Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, F-92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
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23
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Karmazyn-Raz H, Smith LB. Sampling statistics are like story creation: a network analysis of parent-toddler exploratory play. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210358. [PMID: 36571129 PMCID: PMC9791483 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Actions in the world elicit data for learning and do so in a stream of interconnected events. Here, we provide evidence on how toddlers with their parent sample information by acting on toys during exploratory play. We observed 10 min of free-flowing and unconstrained object exploration of by toddlers (mean age 21 months) and parents in a room with many available objects (n = 32). Borrowing concepts and measures from the study of narratives, we found that the toy selections are not a string of unrelated events but exhibit a suite of what we call coherence statistics: Zipfian distributions, burstiness and a network structure. We discuss the transient memory processes that underlie the moment-to-moment toy selections that create this coherence and the role of these statistics in the development of abstract and generalizable systems of knowledge. This article is part of the theme issue 'Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadar Karmazyn-Raz
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
| | - Linda B. Smith
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
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24
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Interference between items stored for distinct tasks in visual working memory. Atten Percept Psychophys 2023:10.3758/s13414-023-02657-w. [PMID: 36720779 PMCID: PMC10372107 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02657-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The action perspective on working memory suggests that memory representations are coded according to their specific temporal and behavioral task demands. This stands in contrast to theories that assume representations are stored in a task-agnostic format within a "common workspace". Here, we tested whether visual items that are memorized for different tasks are stored separately from one another or show evidence of inter-item interference during concurrent maintenance, indicating a common storage. In two experiments, we combined a framing memory task (memorize a motion direction for continuous direction report) with an embedded memory task (memorize a motion direction for a binary direction discrimination) that was placed within the retention period of the framing task. Even though the temporal and action demands were item specific, we observed two types of interference effects between the items: The embedded motion direction was (1) repulsed away and (2) degraded in precision by the motion direction of the item in the framing task. Repulsion and precision degradation increased with item similarity when both items were concurrently held in working memory. In contrast, perceptual and iconic memory control conditions revealed weaker repulsion overall and no interference effect on precision during the stimulus processing stages prior to working memory consolidation. Thus, additional inter-item interference arose uniquely within working memory. Together, our results present evidence that items that are stored for distinct tasks to be performed at distinct points in time, reside in a common workspace in working memory.
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25
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Rodriguez-Larios J, ElShafei A, Wiehe M, Haegens S. Visual working memory recruits two functionally distinct alpha rhythms in posterior cortex. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0159-22.2022. [PMID: 36171059 PMCID: PMC9536853 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0159-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Oscillatory activity in the human brain is dominated by posterior alpha oscillations (8-14 Hz), which have been shown to be functionally relevant in a wide variety of cognitive tasks. Although posterior alpha oscillations are commonly considered a single oscillator anchored at an individual alpha frequency (IAF; ∼10 Hz), previous work suggests that IAF reflects a spatial mixture of different brain rhythms. In this study, we assess whether Independent Component Analysis (ICA) can disentangle functionally distinct posterior alpha rhythms in the context of visual short-term memory retention. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was recorded in 33 subjects while performing a visual working memory task. Group analysis at sensor level suggested the existence of a single posterior alpha oscillator that increases in power and decreases in frequency during memory retention. Conversely, single-subject analysis of independent components revealed the existence of two dissociable alpha rhythms: one that increases in power during memory retention (Alpha1) and another one that decreases in power (Alpha2). Alpha1 and Alpha2 rhythms were differentially modulated by the presence of visual distractors (Alpha1 increased in power while Alpha2 decreased) and had an opposite relationship with accuracy (positive for Alpha1 and negative for Alpha2). In addition, Alpha1 rhythms showed a lower peak frequency, a narrower peak width, a greater relative peak amplitude and a more central source than Alpha2 rhythms. Together, our results demonstrate that modulations in posterior alpha oscillations during short-term memory retention reflect the dynamics of at least two distinct brain rhythms with different functions and spatiospectral characteristics.Significance statementAlpha oscillations are the most prominent feature of the human brain's electrical activity, and consist of rhythmic neuronal activity in posterior parts of the cortex. Alpha is usually considered a single brain rhythm that changes in power and frequency to support cognitive operations. We here show that posterior alpha entails at least two dissociable rhythms with distinct functions and characteristics. These findings could solve previous inconsistencies in the literature regarding the direction of task-related alpha power/frequency modulations and their relation to cognitive performance. In addition, the existence of two distinct posterior alpha rhythms could have important consequences for the design of neurostimulation protocols aimed at modulating alpha oscillations and subsequently cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio Rodriguez-Larios
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, USA, NY 10032
- Div. of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA, NY 10032
| | - Alma ElShafei
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 6525 EN
| | - Melanie Wiehe
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 6525 EN
| | - Saskia Haegens
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, USA, NY 10032
- Div. of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA, NY 10032
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 6525 EN
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26
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Task prioritization modulates alpha, theta and beta EEG dynamics reflecting proactive cognitive control. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15072. [PMID: 36064572 PMCID: PMC9445103 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19158-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Most neuroscientific studies investigating mental effort apply unspecific effort allocation paradigms. In contrast, the present EEG study targets specific effort allocation during task prioritization. Twenty-eight participants performed a cued number classification task during the retention interval of a working memory task including retrospective cues. One of two possible number classifications was done per trial. Each trial started with a cue indicating which of the two tasks would be more important in the upcoming trial. Subjects were told to engage in both tasks, but to concentrate on the important one. Feedback given at the end of each trial was calculated based on task performance, with scores obtained from the relevant task being tripled. Participants performed significantly better in either task when it was important compared to when not. Task prioritization modulates theta, alpha and beta oscillations, predominantly during task preparation. Multivariate pattern analysis revealed that the exact type of the two possible number classifications was decodable, however, decoding accuracy did not depend on task importance. Hemispheric alpha power asymmetries indicating attentional orienting between working memory representations also did not depend on task importance. The findings suggest that task prioritization primarily affects proactive cognitive control on a superordinate level.
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27
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Chota S, Leto C, van Zantwijk L, Van der Stigchel S. Attention rhythmically samples multi-feature objects in working memory. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14703. [PMID: 36038570 PMCID: PMC9424255 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18819-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention allows us to selectively enhance processing of specific locations or features in our external environment while filtering out irrelevant information. It is currently hypothesized that this is achieved through boosting of relevant sensory signals which biases the competition between neural representations. Recent neurophysiological and behavioral studies revealed that attention is a fundamentally rhythmic process, tightly linked to neural oscillations in frontoparietal networks. Instead of continuously highlighting a single object or location, attention rhythmically alternates between multiple relevant representations at a frequency of 3–8 Hz. However, attention cannot only be directed towards the external world but also towards internal visual working memory (VWM) representations, e.g. when selecting one of several search templates to find corresponding objects in the external world. Two recent studies demonstrate that single-feature objects in VWM are attended in a similar rhythmic fashion as perceived objects. Here we add to the literature by showing that non-spatial retro-cues initiate comparable theta-rhythmic sampling of multi-feature objects in VWM. Our findings add to the converging body of evidence that external and internal visual representations are accessed by similar rhythmic attentional mechanisms and present a potential solution to the binding problem in working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samson Chota
- Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Carlo Leto
- Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Laura van Zantwijk
- Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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28
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Fernández A, Noce G, Del Percio C, Pinal D, Díaz F, Lojo-Seoane C, Zurrón M, Babiloni C. Resting state electroencephalographic rhythms are affected by immediately preceding memory demands in cognitively unimpaired elderly and patients with mild cognitive impairment. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:907130. [PMID: 36062151 PMCID: PMC9435320 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.907130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiments on event-related electroencephalographic oscillations in aged people typically include blocks of cognitive tasks with a few minutes of interval between them. The present exploratory study tested the effect of being engaged on cognitive tasks over the resting state cortical arousal after task completion, and whether it differs according to the level of the participant’s cognitive decline. To investigate this issue, we used a local database including data in 30 healthy cognitively unimpaired (CU) persons and 40 matched patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). They had been involved in 2 memory tasks for about 40 min and underwent resting-state electroencephalographic (rsEEG) recording after 5 min from the task end. eLORETA freeware estimated rsEEG alpha source activity as an index of general cortical arousal. In the CU but not aMCI group, there was a negative correlation between memory tasks performance and posterior rsEEG alpha source activity. The better the memory tasks performance, the lower the posterior alpha activity (i.e., higher cortical arousal). There was also a negative correlation between neuropsychological test scores of global cognitive status and alpha source activity. These results suggest that engagement in memory tasks may perturb background brain arousal for more than 5 min after the tasks end, and that this effect are dependent on participants global cognitive status. Future studies in CU and aMCI groups may cross-validate and extend these results with experiments including (1) rsEEG recordings before memory tasks and (2) post-tasks rsEEG recordings after 5, 15, and 30 min.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Fernández
- Departamento de Psicoloxía Clínica e Psicobioloxía, Facultade de Psicoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- *Correspondence: Alba Fernández,
| | | | - Claudio Del Percio
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology “V. Erspamer”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Pinal
- Psychological Neuroscience Lab, Escola de Psicologia, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Fernando Díaz
- Departamento de Psicoloxía Clínica e Psicobioloxía, Facultade de Psicoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Cristina Lojo-Seoane
- Departamento de Psicoloxía Evolutiva e da Educación, Facultade de Psicoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Montserrat Zurrón
- Departamento de Psicoloxía Clínica e Psicobioloxía, Facultade de Psicoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Claudio Babiloni
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology “V. Erspamer”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- San Raffaele Cassino, Cassino, Italy
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29
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López-Madrona VJ, Medina Villalon S, Badier JM, Trébuchon A, Jayabal V, Bartolomei F, Carron R, Barborica A, Vulliémoz S, Alario FX, Bénar CG. Magnetoencephalography can reveal deep brain network activities linked to memory processes. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4733-4749. [PMID: 35766240 PMCID: PMC9491290 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recording from deep neural structures such as hippocampus noninvasively and yet with high temporal resolution remains a major challenge for human neuroscience. Although it has been proposed that deep neuronal activity might be recordable during cognitive tasks using magnetoencephalography (MEG), this remains to be demonstrated as the contribution of deep structures to MEG recordings may be too small to be detected or might be eclipsed by the activity of large‐scale neocortical networks. In the present study, we disentangled mesial activity and large‐scale networks from the MEG signals thanks to blind source separation (BSS). We then validated the MEG BSS components using intracerebral EEG signals recorded simultaneously in patients during their presurgical evaluation of epilepsy. In the MEG signals obtained during a memory task involving the recognition of old and new images, we identified with BSS a putative mesial component, which was present in all patients and all control subjects. The time course of the component selectively correlated with stereo‐electroencephalography signals recorded from hippocampus and rhinal cortex, thus confirming its mesial origin. This finding complements previous studies with epileptic activity and opens new possibilities for using MEG to study deep brain structures in cognition and in brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuel Medina Villalon
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, INS, Inst Neurosci Syst, Marseille, France.,APHM, Timone Hospital, Epileptology and Cerebral Rhythmology, Marseille, France
| | | | - Agnès Trébuchon
- APHM, Timone Hospital, Epileptology and Cerebral Rhythmology, Marseille, France.,APHM, Timone Hospital, Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery, Marseille, France
| | | | - Fabrice Bartolomei
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, INS, Inst Neurosci Syst, Marseille, France.,APHM, Timone Hospital, Epileptology and Cerebral Rhythmology, Marseille, France
| | - Romain Carron
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, INS, Inst Neurosci Syst, Marseille, France.,APHM, Timone Hospital, Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery, Marseille, France
| | | | - Serge Vulliémoz
- EEG and Epilepsy Unit, University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Christian G Bénar
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, INS, Inst Neurosci Syst, Marseille, France
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30
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Zhao C, Fukuda K, Woodman GF. Cross-frequency coupling of frontal theta and posterior alpha is unrelated to the fidelity of visual long-term memory encoding. VISUAL COGNITION 2022; 30:379-392. [DOI: 10.1080/13506285.2022.2084480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chong Zhao
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Keisuke Fukuda
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Geoffrey F. Woodman
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt Vision Research Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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31
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Wöstmann M, Störmer VS, Obleser J, Addleman DA, Andersen SK, Gaspelin N, Geng JJ, Luck SJ, Noonan MP, Slagter HA, Theeuwes J. Ten simple rules to study distractor suppression. Prog Neurobiol 2022. [PMID: 35427732 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Distractor suppression refers to the ability to filter out distracting and task-irrelevant information. Distractor suppression is essential for survival and considered a key aspect of selective attention. Despite the recent and rapidly evolving literature on distractor suppression, we still know little about how the brain suppresses distracting information. What limits progress is that we lack mutually agreed upon principles of how to study the neural basis of distractor suppression and its manifestation in behavior. Here, we offer ten simple rules that we believe are fundamental when investigating distractor suppression. We provide guidelines on how to design conclusive experiments on distractor suppression (Rules 1-3), discuss different types of distractor suppression that need to be distinguished (Rules 4-6), and provide an overview of models of distractor suppression and considerations of how to evaluate distractor suppression statistically (Rules 7-10). Together, these rules provide a concise and comprehensive synopsis of promising advances in the field of distractor suppression. Following these rules will propel research on distractor suppression in important ways, not only by highlighting prominent issues to both new and more advanced researchers in the field, but also by facilitating communication between sub-disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malte Wöstmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
| | - Viola S Störmer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, USA.
| | - Jonas Obleser
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | | | - Søren K Andersen
- School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
| | - Nicholas Gaspelin
- Department of Psychology and Department of Integrative Neuroscience, Binghamton University, State University of New York, USA
| | - Joy J Geng
- Center for Mind and Brain and Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Steven J Luck
- Center for Mind and Brain and Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | | | - Heleen A Slagter
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Institute for Brain and Behavior, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Theeuwes
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Institute for Brain and Behavior, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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32
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Schmid RR, Pomper U, Ansorge U. Cyclic reactivation of distinct feature dimensions in human visual working memory. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2022; 226:103561. [PMID: 35316710 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Several recent behavioral studies have observed 4-10 Hz rhythmic fluctuations in attention-related performance over time. So far, this rhythmic attentional sampling has predominantly been demonstrated with regards to external visual attention, directed toward one single feature dimension. Whether and how attention might sample from concurrent internal representations of different feature dimensions held in working memory (WM) is currently largely unknown. To elucidate this issue, we conducted a human behavioral dense-sampling experiment, in which participants had to hold representations of two distinct feature dimensions (color and orientation) in WM. By querying the contents of WM at 72 time-points after encoding, we estimated the activity time course of the individual feature representations. Our results demonstrate an oscillatory component at 9.4 Hz in the joint time courses of both representations, presumably reflecting a common early perceptual sampling process in the alpha-frequency range. Furthermore, we observed an oscillatory component at 3.5 Hz in the time course difference between the two representations. This likely corresponds to a later attentional sampling process and indicates that internal representations of distinct features are activated in alteration. In summary, we demonstrate the cyclic reactivation of internal WM representations of distinct feature dimensions, as well as the co-occurrence of behavioral fluctuations at distinct frequencies, presumably associated to internal perceptual- and attentional rhythms. In addition, our findings also challenge a model of strict parallel processing in visual search, thus, providing novel input to the ongoing debate on whether search for more than one target feature constitutes a parallel- or a sequential mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Rosa Schmid
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna.
| | - Ulrich Pomper
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna
| | - Ulrich Ansorge
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna; Cognitive Science Research Hub, University of Vienna; Research Platform Mediatised Lifeworlds, University of Vienna
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33
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Using Neural Networks to Uncover the Relationship between Highly Variable Behavior and EEG during a Working Memory Task with Distractors. MATHEMATICS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/math10111848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Value-driven attention capture (VDAC) occurs when previously rewarded stimuli capture attention and impair goal-directed behavior. In a working memory (WM) task with VDAC-related distractors, we observe behavioral variability both within and across individuals. Individuals differ in their ability to maintain relevant information and ignore distractions. These cognitive components shift over time with changes in motivation and attention, making it difficult to identify underlying neural mechanisms of individual differences. In this study, we develop the first participant-specific feedforward neural network models of reaction time from neural data during a VDAC WM task. We used short epochs of electroencephalography (EEG) data from 16 participants to develop the feedforward neural network (NN) models of RT aimed at understanding both WM and VDAC. Using general linear models (GLM), we identified 20 EEG features to predict RT across participants (r=0.53±0.08). The linear model was compared to the NN model, which improved the predicted trial-by-trial RT for all participants (r=0.87±0.04). We found that right frontal gamma-band activity and fronto-posterior functional connectivity in the alpha, beta, and gamma bands explain individual differences. Our study shows that NN models can link neural activity to highly variable behavior and can identify potential new targets for neuromodulation interventions.
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34
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Estiveira J, Dias C, Costa D, Castelhano J, Castelo-Branco M, Sousa T. An Action-Independent Role for Midfrontal Theta Activity Prior to Error Commission. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:805080. [PMID: 35634213 PMCID: PMC9131421 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.805080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Error-related electroencephalographic (EEG) signals have been widely studied concerning the human cognitive capability of differentiating between erroneous and correct actions. Midfrontal error-related negativity (ERN) and theta band oscillations are believed to underlie post-action error monitoring. However, it remains elusive how early monitoring activity is trackable and what are the pre-response brain mechanisms related to performance monitoring. Moreover, it is still unclear how task-specific parameters, such as cognitive demand or motor control, influence these processes. Here, we aimed to test pre- and post-error EEG patterns for different types of motor responses and investigate the neuronal mechanisms leading to erroneous actions. We implemented a go/no-go paradigm based on keypresses and saccades. Participants received an initial instruction about the direction of response to be given based on a facial cue and a subsequent one about the type of action to be performed based on an object cue. The paradigm was tested in 20 healthy volunteers combining EEG and eye tracking. We found significant differences in reaction time, number, and type of errors between the two actions. Saccadic responses reflected a higher number of premature responses and errors compared to the keypress ones. Nevertheless, both led to similar EEG patterns, supporting previous evidence for increased ERN amplitude and midfrontal theta power during error commission. Moreover, we found pre-error decreased theta activity independent of the type of action. Source analysis suggested different origin for such pre- and post-error neuronal patterns, matching the anterior insular cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex, respectively. This opposite pattern supports previous evidence of midfrontal theta not only as a neuronal marker of error commission but also as a predictor of action performance. Midfrontal theta, mostly associated with alert mechanisms triggering behavioral adjustments, also seems to reflect pre-response attentional mechanisms independently of the action to be performed. Our findings also add to the discussion regarding how salience network nodes interact during performance monitoring by suggesting that pre- and post-error patterns have different neuronal sources within this network.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Estiveira
- CIBIT – Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- ICNAS – Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Camila Dias
- CIBIT – Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- ICNAS – Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Diana Costa
- CIBIT – Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- ICNAS – Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João Castelhano
- CIBIT – Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- ICNAS – Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- CIBIT – Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- ICNAS – Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- FMUC – Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Teresa Sousa
- CIBIT – Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- ICNAS – Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Teresa Sousa,
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35
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Theta oscillations shift towards optimal frequency for cognitive control. Nat Hum Behav 2022; 6:1000-1013. [PMID: 35449299 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01335-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive control allows to flexibly guide behaviour in a complex and ever-changing environment. It is supported by theta band (4-7 Hz) neural oscillations that coordinate distant neural populations. However, little is known about the precise neural mechanisms permitting such flexible control. Most research has focused on theta amplitude, showing that it increases when control is needed, but a second essential aspect of theta oscillations, their peak frequency, has mostly been overlooked. Here, using computational modelling and behavioural and electrophysiological recordings, in three independent datasets, we show that theta oscillations adaptively shift towards optimal frequency depending on task demands. We provide evidence that theta frequency balances reliable set-up of task representation and gating of task-relevant sensory and motor information and that this frequency shift predicts behavioural performance. Our study presents a mechanism supporting flexible control and calls for a reevaluation of the mechanistic role of theta oscillations in adaptive behaviour.
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36
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Tanigawa H, Majima K, Takei R, Kawasaki K, Sawahata H, Nakahara K, Iijima A, Suzuki T, Kamitani Y, Hasegawa I. Decoding distributed oscillatory signals driven by memory and perception in the prefrontal cortex. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110676. [PMID: 35417680 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory perception and memory recall generate different conscious experiences. Although externally and internally driven neural activities signifying the same perceptual content overlap in the sensory cortex, their distribution in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), an area implicated in both perception and memory, remains elusive. Here, we test whether the local spatial configurations and frequencies of neural oscillations driven by perception and memory recall overlap in the macaque PFC using high-density electrocorticography and multivariate pattern analysis. We find that dynamically changing oscillatory signals distributed across the PFC in the delta-, theta-, alpha-, and beta-band ranges carry significant, but mutually different, information predicting the same feature of memory-recalled internal targets and passively perceived external objects. These findings suggest that the frequency-specific distribution of oscillatory neural signals in the PFC serves cortical signatures responsible for distinguishing between different types of cognition driven by external perception and internal memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisashi Tanigawa
- Department of Neurosurgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China; Department of Physiology, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Niigata 951-8501, Japan; Center for Transdisciplinary Research, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8501, Japan
| | - Kei Majima
- Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Keihanna Science City, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan
| | - Ren Takei
- Department of Bio-cybernetics, Faculty of Engineering, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Keisuke Kawasaki
- Department of Physiology, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Niigata 951-8501, Japan
| | - Hirohito Sawahata
- Department of Physiology, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Niigata 951-8501, Japan; Department of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical and Control Engineering Course, National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Ibaraki College, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki 312-8508, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Nakahara
- Center for Transdisciplinary Research, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8501, Japan; Research Center for Brain Communication, Kochi University of Technology, Kami, Kochi 782-8502, Japan
| | - Atsuhiko Iijima
- Department of Bio-cybernetics, Faculty of Engineering, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Takafumi Suzuki
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yukiyasu Kamitani
- Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Keihanna Science City, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan
| | - Isao Hasegawa
- Department of Physiology, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Niigata 951-8501, Japan; Center for Transdisciplinary Research, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8501, Japan.
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37
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Wöstmann M, Störmer VS, Obleser J, Addleman DA, Andersen SK, Gaspelin N, Geng JJ, Luck SJ, Noonan MP, Slagter HA, Theeuwes J. Ten simple rules to study distractor suppression. Prog Neurobiol 2022; 213:102269. [PMID: 35427732 PMCID: PMC9069241 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Distractor suppression refers to the ability to filter out distracting and task-irrelevant information. Distractor suppression is essential for survival and considered a key aspect of selective attention. Despite the recent and rapidly evolving literature on distractor suppression, we still know little about how the brain suppresses distracting information. What limits progress is that we lack mutually agreed upon principles of how to study the neural basis of distractor suppression and its manifestation in behavior. Here, we offer ten simple rules that we believe are fundamental when investigating distractor suppression. We provide guidelines on how to design conclusive experiments on distractor suppression (Rules 1–3), discuss different types of distractor suppression that need to be distinguished (Rules 4–6), and provide an overview of models of distractor suppression and considerations of how to evaluate distractor suppression statistically (Rules 7–10). Together, these rules provide a concise and comprehensive synopsis of promising advances in the field of distractor suppression. Following these rules will propel research on distractor suppression in important ways, not only by highlighting prominent issues to both new and more advanced researchers in the field, but also by facilitating communication between sub-disciplines. Distractor suppression is the ability to filter out irrelevant information. At present, we know little about how the brain suppresses distraction. We offer ten rules that are fundamental when investigating distractor suppression. Following the rules will propel research and foster interaction between disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malte Wöstmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
| | - Viola S Störmer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, USA.
| | - Jonas Obleser
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | | | - Søren K Andersen
- School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
| | - Nicholas Gaspelin
- Department of Psychology and Department of Integrative Neuroscience, Binghamton University, State University of New York, USA
| | - Joy J Geng
- Center for Mind and Brain and Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Steven J Luck
- Center for Mind and Brain and Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | | | - Heleen A Slagter
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Institute for Brain and Behavior, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Theeuwes
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Institute for Brain and Behavior, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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38
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Xie Y, Liu YH, Constantinidis C, Zhou X. Neural Mechanisms of Working Memory Accuracy Revealed by Recurrent Neural Networks. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:760864. [PMID: 35237134 PMCID: PMC8883483 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.760864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the neural mechanisms of working memory has been a long-standing Neuroscience goal. Bump attractor models have been used to simulate persistent activity generated in the prefrontal cortex during working memory tasks and to study the relationship between activity and behavior. How realistic the assumptions of these models are has been a matter of debate. Here, we relied on an alternative strategy to gain insights into the computational principles behind the generation of persistent activity and on whether current models capture some universal computational principles. We trained Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) to perform spatial working memory tasks and examined what aspects of RNN activity accounted for working memory performance. Furthermore, we compared activity in fully trained networks and immature networks, achieving only imperfect performance. We thus examined the relationship between the trial-to-trial variability of responses simulated by the network and different aspects of unit activity as a way of identifying the critical parameters of memory maintenance. Properties that spontaneously emerged in the artificial network strongly resembled persistent activity of prefrontal neurons. Most importantly, these included drift of network activity during the course of a trial that was causal to the behavior of the network. As a consequence, delay period firing rate and behavior were positively correlated, in strong analogy to experimental results from the prefrontal cortex. These findings reveal that delay period activity is computationally efficient in maintaining working memory, as evidenced by unbiased optimization of parameters in artificial neural networks, oblivious to the properties of prefrontal neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanqi Xie
- Department of Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Yichen Henry Liu
- Department of Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Christos Constantinidis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Data Science Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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39
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Chikhi S, Matton N, Blanchet S. EEG
power spectral measures of cognitive workload: A meta‐analysis. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14009. [DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samy Chikhi
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition (MC2Lab, URP 7536), Institute of Psychology University of Paris Boulogne‐Billancourt France
| | - Nadine Matton
- CLLE‐LTC University of Toulouse, CNRS (UMR5263) Toulouse France
- ENAC Research Lab École Nationale d’Aviation Civile Toulouse France
| | - Sophie Blanchet
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition (MC2Lab, URP 7536), Institute of Psychology University of Paris Boulogne‐Billancourt France
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40
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Bramão I, Jiang J, Wagner AD, Johansson M. Encoding contexts are incidentally reinstated during competitive retrieval and track the temporal dynamics of memory interference. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:5020-5035. [PMID: 35106538 PMCID: PMC9667177 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab529] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to remember an episode from our past is often hindered by competition from similar events. For example, if we want to remember the article a colleague recommended during the last lab meeting, we may need to resolve interference from other article recommendations from the same colleague. This study investigates if the contextual features specifying the encoding episodes are incidentally reinstated during competitive memory retrieval. Competition between memories was created through the AB/AC interference paradigm. Individual word-pairs were presented embedded in a slowly drifting real-word-like context. Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) of high temporal-resolution electroencephalographic (EEG) data was used to investigate context reactivation during memory retrieval. Behaviorally, we observed proactive (but not retroactive) interference; that is, performance for AC competitive retrieval was worse compared with a control DE noncompetitive retrieval, whereas AB retrieval did not suffer from competition. Neurally, proactive interference was accompanied by an early reinstatement of the competitor context and interference resolution was associated with the ensuing reinstatement of the target context. Together, these findings provide novel evidence showing that the encoding contexts of competing discrete events are incidentally reinstated during competitive retrieval and that such reinstatement tracks retrieval competition and subsequent interference resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês Bramão
- Address correspondence to Inês Bramão, Department of Psychology, Lund University, Box 213, Lund SE-221 00, Sweden.
| | - Jiefeng Jiang
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa 52242-1407, USA
| | - Anthony D Wagner
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA,Department of Psychology, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mikael Johansson
- Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund SE-221 00, Sweden
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41
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Johnson EL, Arciniega H, Jones KT, Kilgore-Gomez A, Berryhill ME. Individual predictors and electrophysiological signatures of working memory enhancement in aging. Neuroimage 2022; 250:118939. [PMID: 35104647 PMCID: PMC8923157 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.118939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A primary goal of translational neuroscience is to identify the neural mechanisms of age-related cognitive decline and develop protocols to maximally improve cognition. Here, we demonstrate how interventions that apply noninvasive neurostimulation to older adults improve working memory (WM). We found that one session of sham-controlled transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) selectively improved WM in older adults with more education, extending earlier work and underscoring the importance of identifying individual predictors of tDCS responsivity. Improvements in WM were associated with two distinct electrophysiological signatures. First, a broad enhancement of theta network synchrony tracked improvements in behavioral accuracy, with tDCS effects moderated by education level. Further analysis revealed that accuracy dynamics reflected an anterior-posterior network distribution regardless of cathode placement. Second, specific enhancements of theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) reflecting tDCS current flow tracked improvements in reaction time (RT). RT dynamics further explained inter-individual variability in WM improvement independent of education. These findings illuminate theta network synchrony and theta-gamma PAC as distinct but complementary mechanisms supporting WM in aging. Both mechanisms are amenable to intervention, the effectiveness of which can be predicted by individual demographic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L Johnson
- Northwestern University, Departments of Medical Social Sciences and Pediatrics, Chicago, IL, 60611.
| | - Hector Arciniega
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215
| | - Kevin T Jones
- University of California-San Francisco, Department of Neurology, Neuroscape, San Francisco, CA, 94158
| | - Alexandrea Kilgore-Gomez
- Department of Psychology, Program in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Program in Integrative Neuroscience, University of Nevada, Reno, 89557
| | - Marian E Berryhill
- Department of Psychology, Program in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Program in Integrative Neuroscience, University of Nevada, Reno, 89557.
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42
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Senoussi M, Verbeke P, Verguts T. Time-Based Binding as a Solution to and a Limitation for Flexible Cognition. Front Psychol 2022; 12:798061. [PMID: 35140662 PMCID: PMC8818715 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.798061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Why can't we keep as many items as we want in working memory? It has long been debated whether this resource limitation is a bug (a downside of our fallible biological system) or instead a feature (an optimal response to a computational problem). We propose that the resource limitation is a consequence of a useful feature. Specifically, we propose that flexible cognition requires time-based binding, and time-based binding necessarily limits the number of (bound) memoranda that can be stored simultaneously. Time-based binding is most naturally instantiated via neural oscillations, for which there exists ample experimental evidence. We report simulations that illustrate this theory and that relate it to empirical data. We also compare the theory to several other (feature and bug) resource theories.
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43
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Recruitment of a long-term memory supporting neural network during repeated maintenance of a multi-item abstract visual image in working memory. Sci Rep 2022; 12:575. [PMID: 35022456 PMCID: PMC8755800 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04384-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans can flexibly transfer information between different memory systems. Information in visual working memory (VWM) can for instance be stored in long-term memory (LTM). Conversely, information can be retrieved from LTM and temporarily held in WM when needed. It has previously been suggested that a neural transition from parietal- to midfrontal activity during repeated visual search reflects transfer of information from WM to LTM. Whether this neural transition indeed reflects consolidation and is also observed when memorizing a rich visual scene (rather than responding to a single target), is not known. To investigate this, we employed an EEG paradigm, in which abstract six-item colour-arrays were repeatedly memorized and explicitly visualized, or merely attended to. Importantly, we tested the functional significance of a potential neural shift for longer-term consolidation in a subsequent recognition task. Our results show a gradually enhanced- and sustained modulation of the midfrontal P170 component and a decline in parietal CDA, during repeated WM maintenance. Improved recollection/visualization of memoranda upon WM-cueing, was associated with contralateral parietal- and right temporal activity. Importantly, only colour-arrays previously held in WM, induced a greater midfrontal P170-response, together with left temporal- and late centro-parietal activity, upon re-exposure. These findings provide evidence for recruitment of an LTM-supporting neural network which facilitates visual WM maintenance.
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44
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Zickerick B, Rösner M, Sabo M, Schneider D. How to refocus attention on working memory representations following interruptions-Evidence from frontal theta and posterior alpha oscillations. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:7820-7838. [PMID: 34687107 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Interruptions lead to a deterioration of primary task performance. Applied research usually describes a delay in primary task resumption as an essential component of this performance deficit. Here, we investigate this approach using electrophysiological correlates of the focusing of attention within working memory, a process that is fundamental to switching between different tasks. A lateralized working memory task was frequently interrupted by either a high- or low-demanding arithmetic task and a subsequent retrospective cue indicated the working memory item required for later report. The detrimental effect of interruptions on primary task performance was most pronounced for high-demanding interruptions. After retro-cue presentation, fronto-central theta power (4-7 Hz) was lowest following high-demanding interruptions and posterior alpha power (8-14 Hz) was less suppressed in the two interruption conditions. These effects might be related to a deficit in attentional control processes following the retrospective cue. Furthermore, we introduce the suppression of posterior alpha power contralateral to the remembered primary task stimuli during the interruption phase as a temporal marker for primary task resumption. Especially for cognitively demanding interruption tasks, this effect seems to overlap in time with the processing of the interruption, which should contribute to the primary task performance deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Zickerick
- Ergonomics Department, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Marlene Rösner
- Ergonomics Department, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Melinda Sabo
- Ergonomics Department, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Daniel Schneider
- Ergonomics Department, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
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45
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Liu YH, Zhu J, Constantinidis C, Zhou X. Emergence of prefrontal neuron maturation properties by training recurrent neural networks in cognitive tasks. iScience 2021; 24:103178. [PMID: 34667944 PMCID: PMC8506971 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Working memory and response inhibition are functions that mature relatively late in life, after adolescence, paralleling the maturation of the prefrontal cortex. The link between behavioral and neural maturation is not obvious, however, making it challenging to understand how neural activity underlies the maturation of cognitive function. To gain insights into the nature of observed changes in prefrontal activity between adolescence and adulthood, we investigated the progressive changes in unit activity of recurrent neural networks as they were trained to perform working memory and response inhibition tasks. These included increased delay period activity during working memory tasks and increased activation in antisaccade tasks. These findings reveal universal properties underlying the neuronal computations behind cognitive tasks and explicate the nature of changes that occur as the result of developmental maturation. Properties of RNN networks during training offer insights in prefrontal maturation Fully trained networks exhibit higher levels of activity in working memory tasks Trained networks also exhibit higher activation in antisaccade tasks Partially trained RNNs can generate accurate predictions of immature PFC activity
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Henry Liu
- Department of Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Junda Zhu
- Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Christos Constantinidis
- Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.,Data Science Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
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46
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Hermann P, Weiss B, Knakker B, Madurka P, Manga A, Nárai Á, Vidnyánszky Z. Neural basis of distractor resistance during visual working memory maintenance. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118650. [PMID: 34687860 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual working memory representations must be protected from the intervening irrelevant visual input. While it is well known that interference resistance is most challenging when distractors match the prioritised mnemonic information, its neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we identify two top-down attentional control processes that have opposing effects on distractor resistance. We reveal an early selection negativity in the EEG responses to matching as compared to non-matching distractors, the magnitude of which is negatively associated with behavioural distractor resistance. Additionally, matching distractors lead to reduced post-stimulus alpha power as well as increased fMRI responses in the object-selective visual cortical areas and the inferior frontal gyrus. However, the congruency effect found on the post-stimulus periodic alpha power and the inferior frontal gyrus fMRI responses show a positive association with distractor resistance. These findings suggest that distractor interference is enhanced by proactive memory content-guided selection processes and diminished by reactive allocation of top-down attentional resources to protect memorandum representations within visual cortical areas retaining the most selective mnemonic code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Hermann
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Béla Weiss
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Balázs Knakker
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Petra Madurka
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Annamária Manga
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Ádám Nárai
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Vidnyánszky
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest H-1117, Hungary.
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47
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Decoding Object-Based Auditory Attention from Source-Reconstructed MEG Alpha Oscillations. J Neurosci 2021; 41:8603-8617. [PMID: 34429378 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0583-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
How do we attend to relevant auditory information in complex naturalistic scenes? Much research has focused on detecting which information is attended, without regarding underlying top-down control mechanisms. Studies investigating attentional control generally manipulate and cue specific features in simple stimuli. However, in naturalistic scenes it is impossible to dissociate relevant from irrelevant information based on low-level features. Instead, the brain has to parse and select auditory objects of interest. The neural underpinnings of object-based auditory attention remain not well understood. Here we recorded MEG while 15 healthy human subjects (9 female) prepared for the repetition of an auditory object presented in one of two overlapping naturalistic auditory streams. The stream containing the repetition was prospectively cued with 70% validity. Crucially, this task could not be solved by attending low-level features, but only by processing the objects fully. We trained a linear classifier on the cortical distribution of source-reconstructed oscillatory activity to distinguish which auditory stream was attended. We could successfully classify the attended stream from alpha (8-14 Hz) activity in anticipation of repetition onset. Importantly, attention could only be classified from trials in which subjects subsequently detected the repetition, but not from miss trials. Behavioral relevance was further supported by a correlation between classification accuracy and detection performance. Decodability was not sustained throughout stimulus presentation, but peaked shortly before repetition onset, suggesting that attention acted transiently according to temporal expectations. We thus demonstrate anticipatory alpha oscillations to underlie top-down control of object-based auditory attention in complex naturalistic scenes.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In everyday life, we often find ourselves bombarded with auditory information, from which we need to select what is relevant to our current goals. Previous research has highlighted how we attend to specific highly controlled aspects of the auditory input. Although invaluable, it is still unclear how this relates to attentional control in naturalistic auditory scenes. Here we used the high precision of magnetoencephalography in space and time to investigate the brain mechanisms underlying top-down control of object-based attention in ecologically valid sound scenes. We show that rhythmic activity in auditory association cortex at a frequency of ∼10 Hz (alpha waves) controls attention to currently relevant segments within the auditory scene and predicts whether these segments are subsequently detected.
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48
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Guan Y, Wessel JR. Timing-dependent differential effects of unexpected events on error processing reveal the interactive dynamics of surprise and error processing. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13922. [PMID: 34383331 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
When unexpected events occur during goal-directed behavior, they automatically trigger an orienting-related cascade of psychological and neural processes through which they influence behavior and cognition. If the unexpected event was caused by an action error, additional error-specific, strategic-related processes have been proposed to follow the initial orienting period. Little is known about the neural interactions between action errors and unexpected perceptual events, two instantiations of unexpected events, in these two putative stages of post-error processing. Here, we aimed to address this by investigating the electrophysiological dynamics associated with action errors and unexpected perceptual events using scalp EEG with a focus on the frontal midline (FM) delta-to-theta oscillations (1-8 Hz) indicative of the performance-monitoring system. Specifically, we examined how the timing of unexpected sounds would influence behavior and neural oscillations after action errors, depending on the length of the intertrial interval (ITI). Our data showed that unexpected sounds aggravated post-error decreases in accuracy when they occurred (1) immediately after errors (i.e., post-error orienting period), regardless of ITI and (2) immediately after the post-error stimulus (i.e., post-error strategic period), at short ITIs. Meanwhile, action errors and unexpected sounds independently produced increased FM delta-to-theta power during the post-error orienting period, regardless of ITIs. However, when unexpected sounds occurred during the post-error strategic period, action errors produced lower FM delta-to-theta power than correct responses, at short ITIs. These differential effects of unexpected events on behavior and FM delta-to-theta dynamics support the notion of the two post-error periods during which different processes are implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Guan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Jan R Wessel
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
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Davoudi S, Parto Dezfouli M, Knight RT, Daliri MR, Johnson EL. Prefrontal Lesions Disrupt Posterior Alpha-Gamma Coordination of Visual Working Memory Representations. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 33:1798-1810. [PMID: 34375418 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
How does the human brain prioritize different visual representations in working memory (WM)? Here, we define the oscillatory mechanisms supporting selection of "where" and "when" features from visual WM storage and investigate the role of pFC in feature selection. Fourteen individuals with lateral pFC damage and 20 healthy controls performed a visuospatial WM task while EEG was recorded. On each trial, two shapes were presented sequentially in a top/bottom spatial orientation. A retro-cue presented mid-delay prompted which of the two shapes had been in either the top/bottom spatial position or first/second temporal position. We found that cross-frequency coupling between parieto-occipital alpha (α; 8-12 Hz) oscillations and topographically distributed gamma (γ; 30-50 Hz) activity tracked selection of the distinct cued feature in controls. This signature of feature selection was disrupted in patients with pFC lesions, despite intact α-γ coupling independent of feature selection. These findings reveal a pFC-dependent parieto-occipital α-γ mechanism for the rapid selection of visual WM representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeideh Davoudi
- University of Montréal, Quebec, Canada.,CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.,Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohsen Parto Dezfouli
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran.,School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Reza Daliri
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran.,School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
| | - Elizabeth L Johnson
- University of California, Berkeley.,Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
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Yu S, Mückschel M, Beste C. Event-related synchronization/desynchronization and functional neuroanatomical regions associated with fatigue effects on cognitive flexibility. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:383-397. [PMID: 34191635 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00228.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility is an essential prerequisite for goal-directed behavior, and daily observations already show that it deteriorates when one is engaged in a task for a (too) long time. Yet, the neural mechanisms underlying such fatigability effect in cognitive flexibility are poorly understood. We examined how theta, alpha, and beta frequency event-related synchronization and desynchronization processes during cued memory-based task switching are modulated by time-on-task effects. We put special emphasis on the examination of functional neuroanatomical regions being associated with these modulations, using EEG beamforming. We show clear declines in task switching performance (increased switch costs) with time on task. For processes occurring before rule switching or repetition processes, we show that anticipatory attentional sampling and selection mechanisms associated with fronto-parietal structures are modulated by time-on-task effects but sensory areas (occipital cortex) also show fatigability-dependent modulations. After target stimulus presentation, the allocation of processing resources for response selection as reflected by theta-related activity in parietal cortices is compromised with time on task and similarly a concomitant increase in alpha and beta band-related attentional processing or gating mechanisms in frontal and occipital regions. Yet, considering the behavioral data showing an apparent decline in performance, this probably compensatory increase is still insufficient to allow reasonable performance. The same is likely the case for processes occurring before rule switching or repetition processes. Comparative analyses show that modulations of alpha band activity are as strongly modulated by fatigability as theta band activity. Implications of these findings for theoretical concepts on fatigability are discussed.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We examine the neurophysiological and functional neuroanatomical basis of fatigability in cognitive flexibility. We show that alpha and theta modulations in fronto-parietal and primary sensory areas are central for the understanding of fatigability effects in cognitive flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijing Yu
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,University Neuropsychology Centre, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Moritz Mückschel
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,University Neuropsychology Centre, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,University Neuropsychology Centre, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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