Science moves to centre stage

Presleep relaxed 7–8 Hz EEG from left frontal region: marker of localised neuropsychological performance?

Others have shown that frontally dominant EEG activity of around 7-8 Hz is linked to ongoing cognitive performance. Interestingly, we have found that this EEG activity is particularly evident during the relatively artefact-free period following "lights out" at bedtime when people report "thinking" when lying relaxed in their own beds prior to the appearance of EEG-determined sleepiness. Here, we explore the extent to which this localised activity is indicative of 'trait' performance on left frontal neuropsychological tasks, as well as with less localised, more general tasks. Twelve right-handed young adults (mean age: 21.3 years) and 12 right-handed older adults (mean age: 67.2 years) underwent (i) morning, laboratory-based, waking EEGs comprising (eyes closed) contrived thinking tasks, and (ii) a home-based wake EEG at bedtime. EEGs divided the cortex into the four comparable quadrants: Fp1-F3; Fp2-F4; O1-P3; and O2-P4. From a wide frequency band of 3-10 Hz analysed in 1-Hz bins, only 7-8 Hz was associated with the neuropsychological performance (nonverbal planning, verbal fluency) for both younger and older participants. This was most evident during relaxed waking after 'lights out,' and from the left frontal EEG. Such associations were not apparent for the other EEG channels or for the nonspecific tasks. Laboratory-based daytime, frontal EEG recordings are problematic because of eye movement artefact and when participants are not fully relaxed. In contrast, the nighttime data are almost artefact-free and from fully relaxed participants. This particular EEG is useful for assessing cortically localised behaviour and indicates that a more traditional approach of using large bandwidths (e.g., the whole of "alpha" or "theta" ranges) may mask subfrequencies of functional importance.

Ecology, Conservation, and Public Policy

▪ Abstract  A new sense of urgency about environmental problems has changed the relationship between ecology, other disciplines, and public policy. Issues of uncertainty and scientific inference now influence public debate and public policy. Considerations that formerly may have appeared to be mere technicalities now may have decisive influence. It is time to re-examine our methods to ensure that they are adequate for these new requirements. When science is used in support of policy-making, it cannot be separated from issues of values and equity. In such a context, the role of specialists diminishes, because nobody can be an expert in all the aspects of complicated environmental, social, ethical, and economic issues. The disciplinary boundaries that have served science so well in the past are not very helpful in coping with the complex problems that face us today, and ecology now finds itself in intense interaction with a host of other disciplines. The next generation of ecologists must be prepared to interact with such disciplines as history, religion, philosophy, geography, economics, and political science. The requisite training must involve not only words, but core skills in these disciplines. A sense of urgency has affected not only ecology but other disciplines that influence environmental problems: they are undergoing a similar transformation of their outlook and objectives.