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Gallina J, Ronconi L, Marsicano G, Bertini C. Alpha and theta rhythm support perceptual and attentional sampling in vision. Cortex 2024; 177:84-99. [PMID: 38848652 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.04.020] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
The visual system operates rhythmically, through timely coordinated perceptual and attentional processes, involving coexisting patterns in the alpha range (7-13 Hz) at ∼10 Hz, and theta (3-6 Hz) range, respectively. Here we aimed to disambiguate whether variations in task requirements, in terms of attentional demand and side of target presentation, might influence the occurrence of either perceptual or attentional components in behavioral visual performance, also uncovering possible differences in the sampling mechanisms of the two cerebral hemispheres. To this aim, visuospatial performance was densely sampled in two versions of a visual detection task where the side of target presentation was fixed (Task 1), with participants monitoring one single hemifield, or randomly varying across trials, with participants monitoring both hemifields simultaneously (Task 2). Performance was analyzed through spectral decomposition, to reveal behavioral oscillatory patterns. For Task 1, when attentional resources where focused on one hemifield only, the results revealed an oscillatory pattern fluctuating at ∼10 Hz and ∼6-9 Hz, for stimuli presented to the left and the right hemifield, respectively, possibly representing a perceptual sampling mechanism with different efficiency within the left and the right hemispheres. For Task 2, when attentional resources were simultaneously deployed to the two hemifields, a ∼5 Hz rhythm emerged both for stimuli presented to the left and the right, reflecting an attentional sampling process, equally supported by the two hemispheres. Overall, the results suggest that distinct perceptual and attentional sampling mechanisms operate at different oscillatory frequencies and their prevalence and hemispheric lateralization depends on task requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Gallina
- Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Via Rasi e Spinelli 176, Cesena, Italy; Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca Ronconi
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluca Marsicano
- Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Via Rasi e Spinelli 176, Cesena, Italy; Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, Bologna, Italy
| | - Caterina Bertini
- Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Via Rasi e Spinelli 176, Cesena, Italy; Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, Bologna, Italy.
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2
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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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3
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Kawashima T, Nakayama R, Amano K. Theoretical and Technical Issues Concerning the Measurement of Alpha Frequency and the Application of Signal Detection Theory: Comment on Buergers and Noppeney (2022). J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:691-699. [PMID: 37255466 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Classical and recent evidence has suggested that alpha oscillations play a critical role in temporally discriminating or binding successively presented items. Challenging this view, Buergers and Noppeney [Buergers, S., & Noppeney, U. The role of alpha oscillations in temporal binding within and across the senses. Nature Human Behaviour, 6, 732-742, 2022] found that by combining EEG, psychophysics, and signal detection theory, neither prestimulus nor resting-state alpha frequency influences perceptual sensitivity and bias in the temporal binding task. We propose the following four points that should be considered when interpreting the role of alpha oscillations, and especially their frequency, on perceptual temporal binding: (1) Multiple alpha components can be contaminated in conventional EEG analysis; (2) the effect of alpha frequency on perception will interact with alpha power; (3) prestimulus and resting-state alpha frequency can be different from poststimulus alpha frequency, which is the frequency during temporal binding and should be more directly related to temporal binding; and (4) when applying signal detection theory under the assumption of equal variance, the assumption is often incomplete and can be problematic (e.g., the magnitude relationships between individuals in parametric sensitivity may change when converted into nonparametric sensitivity). Future directions, including solutions to each of the issues, are discussed.
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Tarasi L, Romei V. Individual Alpha Frequency Contributes to the Precision of Human Visual Processing. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:602-613. [PMID: 37382485 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Brain oscillatory activity within the alpha band has been associated with a wide range of processes encompassing perception, memory, decision-making, and overall cognitive functioning. Individual alpha frequency (IAF) is a specific parameter accounting for the mean velocity of the alpha cycling activity, conventionally ranging between ∼7 and ∼13 Hz. One influential hypothesis has proposed a fundamental role of this cycling activity in the segmentation of sensory input and in the regulation of the speed of sensory processing, with faster alpha oscillations resulting in greater temporal resolution and more refined perceptual experience. However, although several recent theoretical and empirical studies would support this account, contradictory evidence suggests caution and more systematic approaches in the assessment and interpretation of this hypothesis. For example, it remains to be explored to what degree IAF shapes perceptual outcomes. In the present study, we investigated whether inter-individual differences in bias-free visual contrast detection threshold in a large sample of individuals in the general population (n = 122) could be explained by inter-individual differences in alpha pace. Our results show that the contrast needed to correctly identify target stimuli (individual perceptual threshold) is associated with alpha peak frequency (not amplitude). Specifically, individuals who require reduced contrast show higher IAF than individuals requiring higher contrasts. This suggests that inter-individual differences in alpha frequency contribute to performance variability in low-level perceptual tasks, supporting the hypothesis that IAF underlies a fundamental temporal sampling mechanism that shapes visual objective performance, with higher frequencies promoting enhanced sensory evidence per time unit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Tarasi
- Università di Bologna and Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Università di Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Romei
- Università di Bologna and Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Università di Bologna, Cesena, Italy
- Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, Madrid, Spain
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5
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Marsicano G, Bertini C, Ronconi L. Alpha-band sensory entrainment improves audiovisual temporal acuity. Psychon Bull Rev 2024; 31:874-885. [PMID: 37783899 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02388-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Visual and auditory stimuli are transmitted from the environment to sensory cortices with different timing, requiring the brain to encode when sensory inputs must be segregated or integrated into a single percept. The probability that different audiovisual (AV) stimuli are integrated into a single percept even when presented asynchronously is reflected in the construct of temporal binding window (TBW). There is a strong interest in testing whether it is possible to broaden or shrink TBW by using different neuromodulatory approaches that can speed up or slow down ongoing alpha oscillations, which have been repeatedly hypothesized to be an important determinant of the TBWs size. Here, we employed a web-based sensory entrainment protocol combined with a simultaneity judgment task using simple flash-beep stimuli. The aim was to test whether AV temporal acuity could be modulated trial by trial by synchronizing ongoing neural oscillations in the prestimulus period to a rhythmic sensory stream presented in the upper (∼12 Hz) or lower (∼8.5 Hz) alpha range. As a control, we implemented a nonrhythmic condition where only the first and the last entrainers were employed. Results show that upper alpha entrainment shrinks AV TBW and improves AV temporal acuity when compared with lower alpha and control conditions. Our findings represent a proof of concept of the efficacy of sensory entrainment to improve AV temporal acuity in a trial-by-trial manner, and they strengthen the idea that alpha oscillations may reflect the temporal unit of AV temporal binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Marsicano
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40121, Bologna, Italy
- Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Via Rasi e Spinelli 176, 47023, Cesena, Italy
| | - Caterina Bertini
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40121, Bologna, Italy
- Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Via Rasi e Spinelli 176, 47023, Cesena, Italy
| | - Luca Ronconi
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milan, Italy.
- Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
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Alamia A, VanRullen R. A Traveling Waves Perspective on Temporal Binding. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:721-729. [PMID: 37172133 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Brain oscillations are involved in many cognitive processes, and several studies have investigated their role in cognition. In particular, the phase of certain oscillations has been related to temporal binding and integration processes, with some authors arguing that perception could be an inherently rhythmic process. However, previous research on oscillations mostly overlooked their spatial component: how oscillations propagate through the brain as traveling waves, with systematic phase delays between brain regions. Here, we argue that interpreting oscillations as traveling waves is a useful paradigm shift to understand their role in temporal binding and address controversial results. After a brief definition of traveling waves, we propose an original view on temporal integration that considers this new perspective. We first focus on cortical dynamics, then speculate about the role of thalamic nuclei in modulating the waves, and on the possible consequences for rhythmic temporal binding. In conclusion, we highlight the importance of considering oscillations as traveling waves when investigating their role in cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Alamia
- CNRS Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CERCO, UMR 5549), Toulouse, France
| | - Rufin VanRullen
- CNRS Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CERCO, UMR 5549), Toulouse, France
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Ronconi L, Balestrieri E, Baldauf D, Melcher D. Distinct Cortical Networks Subserve Spatio-temporal Sampling in Vision through Different Oscillatory Rhythms. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:572-589. [PMID: 37172123 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Although visual input arrives continuously, sensory information is segmented into (quasi-)discrete events. Here, we investigated the neural correlates of spatiotemporal binding in humans with magnetoencephalography using two tasks where separate flashes were presented on each trial but were perceived, in a bistable way, as either a single or two separate events. The first task (two-flash fusion) involved judging one versus two flashes, whereas the second task (apparent motion: AM) involved judging coherent motion versus two stationary flashes. Results indicate two different functional networks underlying two unique aspects of temporal binding. In two-flash fusion trials, involving an integration window of ∼50 msec, evoked responses differed as a function of perceptual interpretation by ∼25 msec after stimuli offset. Multivariate decoding of subjective perception based on prestimulus oscillatory phase was significant for alpha-band activity in the right medial temporal (V5/MT) area, with the strength of prestimulus connectivity between early visual areas and V5/MT being predictive of performance. In contrast, the longer integration window (∼130 msec) for AM showed evoked field differences only ∼250 msec after stimuli offset. Phase decoding of the perceptual outcome in AM trials was significant for theta-band activity in the right intraparietal sulcus. Prestimulus theta-band connectivity between V5/MT and intraparietal sulcus best predicted AM perceptual outcome. For both tasks, phase effects found could not be accounted by concomitant variations in power. These results show a strong relationship between specific spatiotemporal binding windows and specific oscillations, linked to the information flow between different areas of the where and when visual pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Ronconi
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Elio Balestrieri
- University of Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeld Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience, Münster, Germany
| | | | - David Melcher
- New York University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
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Schoffelen JM, Pesci UG, Noppeney U. Alpha Oscillations and Temporal Binding Windows in Perception-A Critical Review and Best Practice Guidelines. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:655-690. [PMID: 38330177 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
An intriguing question in cognitive neuroscience is whether alpha oscillations shape how the brain transforms the continuous sensory inputs into distinct percepts. According to the alpha temporal resolution hypothesis, sensory signals arriving within a single alpha cycle are integrated, whereas those in separate cycles are segregated. Consequently, shorter alpha cycles should be associated with smaller temporal binding windows and higher temporal resolution. However, the evidence supporting this hypothesis is contentious, and the neural mechanisms remain unclear. In this review, we first elucidate the alpha temporal resolution hypothesis and the neural circuitries that generate alpha oscillations. We then critically evaluate study designs, experimental paradigms, psychophysics, and neurophysiological analyses that have been employed to investigate the role of alpha frequency in temporal binding. Through the lens of this methodological framework, we then review evidence from between-subject, within-subject, and causal perturbation studies. Our review highlights the inherent interpretational ambiguities posed by previous study designs and experimental paradigms and the extensive variability in analysis choices across studies. We also suggest best practice recommendations that may help to guide future research. To establish a mechanistic role of alpha frequency in temporal parsing, future research is needed that demonstrates its causal effects on the temporal binding window with consistent, experimenter-independent methods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Uta Noppeney
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University
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9
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Di Dona G, Ronconi L. Beta oscillations in vision: a (preconscious) neural mechanism for the dorsal visual stream? Front Psychol 2023; 14:1296483. [PMID: 38155693 PMCID: PMC10753839 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1296483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural oscillations in alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (13-30 Hz) frequency bands are thought to reflect feedback/reentrant loops and large-scale cortical interactions. In the last decades a main effort has been made in linking perception with alpha-band oscillations, with converging evidence showing that alpha oscillations have a key role in the temporal and featural binding of visual input, configuring the alpha rhythm a key determinant of conscious visual experience. Less attention has been historically dedicated to link beta oscillations and visual processing. Nonetheless, increasing studies report that task conditions that require to segregate/integrate stimuli in space, to disentangle local/global shapes, to spatially reorganize visual inputs, and to achieve motion perception or form-motion integration, rely on the activity of beta oscillations, with a main hub in parietal areas. In the present review, we summarize the evidence linking oscillations within the beta band and visual perception. We propose that beta oscillations represent a neural code that supports the functionality of the magnocellular-dorsal (M-D) visual pathway, serving as a fast primary neural code to exert top-down influences on the slower parvocellular-ventral visual pathway activity. Such M-D-related beta activity is proposed to act mainly pre-consciously, providing the spatial coordinates of vision and guiding the conscious extraction of objects identity that are achieved with slower alpha rhythms in ventral areas. Finally, within this new theoretical framework, we discuss the potential role of M-D-related beta oscillations in visuo-spatial attention, oculo-motor behavior and reading (dis)abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Di Dona
- Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Ronconi
- Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
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10
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Azizi L, Polti I, van Wassenhove V. Spontaneous α Brain Dynamics Track the Episodic "When". J Neurosci 2023; 43:7186-7197. [PMID: 37704373 PMCID: PMC10601376 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0816-23.2023] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Across species, neurons track time over the course of seconds to minutes, which may feed the sense of time passing. Here, we asked whether neural signatures of time-tracking could be found in humans. Participants stayed quietly awake for a few minutes while being recorded with magnetoencephalography (MEG). They were unaware they would be asked how long the recording lasted (retrospective time) or instructed beforehand to estimate how long it will last (prospective timing). At rest, rhythmic brain activity is nonstationary and displays bursts of activity in the alpha range (α: 7-14 Hz). When participants were not instructed to attend to time, the relative duration of α bursts linearly predicted individuals' retrospective estimates of how long their quiet wakefulness lasted. The relative duration of α bursts was a better predictor than α power or burst amplitude. No other rhythmic or arrhythmic activity predicted retrospective duration. However, when participants timed prospectively, the relative duration of α bursts failed to predict their duration estimates. Consistent with this, the amount of α bursts was discriminant between prospective and retrospective timing. Last, with a control experiment, we demonstrate that the relation between α bursts and retrospective time is preserved even when participants are engaged in a visual counting task. Thus, at the time scale of minutes, we report that the relative time of spontaneous α burstiness predicts conscious retrospective time. We conclude that in the absence of overt attention to time, α bursts embody discrete states of awareness constitutive of episodic timing.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The feeling that time passes is a core component of consciousness and episodic memory. A century ago, brain rhythms called "α" were hypothesized to embody an internal clock. However, rhythmic brain activity is nonstationary and displays on-and-off oscillatory bursts, which would serve irregular ticks to the hypothetical clock. Here, we discovered that in a given lapse of time, the relative bursting time of α rhythms is a good indicator of how much time an individual will report to have elapsed. Remarkably, this relation only holds true when the individual does not attend to time and vanishes when attending to it. Our observations suggest that at the scale of minutes, α brain activity tracks episodic time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Azizi
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, NeuroSpin, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif/Yvette 91191, France
| | - Ignacio Polti
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway 7030
- Department of Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany D-04103
| | - Virginie van Wassenhove
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, NeuroSpin, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif/Yvette 91191, France
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Tarasi L, Martelli ME, Bortoletto M, di Pellegrino G, Romei V. Neural Signatures of Predictive Strategies Track Individuals Along the Autism-Schizophrenia Continuum. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:1294-1304. [PMID: 37449308 PMCID: PMC10483460 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Humans develop a constellation of different representations of the external environment, even in the face of the same sensory exposure. According to the Bayesian framework, these differentiations could be grounded in a different weight assigned to prior knowledge vs. new external inputs in predictive inference. Since recent advances in computational psychiatry suggest that autism (ASD) and schizophrenia (SSD) lie on the two diametric poles of the same predictive continuum, the adoption of a specific inferential style could be routed by dispositional factors related to autistic and schizotypal traits. However, no studies have directly investigated the role of ASD-SSD dimension in shaping the neuro-behavioral markers underlying perceptual inference. STUDY DESIGN We used a probabilistic detection task while simultaneously recording EEG to investigate whether neurobehavioral signatures related to prior processing were diametrically shaped by ASD and SSD traits in the general population (n = 80). RESULTS We found that the position along the ASD-SSD continuum directed the predictive strategies adopted by the individuals in decision-making. While proximity to the positive schizotypy pole was associated with the adoption of the predictive approach associated to the hyper-weighting of prior knowledge, proximity to ASD pole was related to strategies that favored sensory evidence in decision-making. CONCLUSIONS These findings revealed that the weight assigned to prior knowledge is a marker of the ASD-SSD continuum, potentially useful for identifying individuals at-risk of developing mental disorders and for understanding the mechanisms contributing to the onset of symptoms observed in ASD and SSD clinical forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Tarasi
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Campus di Cesena, via Rasi e Spinelli, 176, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | - Maria Eugenia Martelli
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Campus di Cesena, via Rasi e Spinelli, 176, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | - Marta Bortoletto
- Laboratorio di Neurofisiologia, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, via pilastroni, 4, 25125 Brescia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe di Pellegrino
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Campus di Cesena, via Rasi e Spinelli, 176, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Romei
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Campus di Cesena, via Rasi e Spinelli, 176, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Facultad de Lenguas y Educación, Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, Madrid, 28015, Spain
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Houshmand Chatroudi A, Yotsumoto Y. No evidence for the effect of entrainment's phase on duration reproduction and precision of regular intervals. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:3037-3057. [PMID: 37369629 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16071] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Perception of time is not always veridical; rather, it is subjected to distortions. One such compelling distortion is that the duration of regularly spaced intervals is often overestimated. One account suggests that excitatory phases of neural entrainment concomitant with such stimuli play a major role. However, assessing the correlation between the power of entrained oscillations and time dilation has yielded inconclusive results. In this study, we evaluated whether phase characteristics of neural oscillations impact time dilation. For this purpose, we entrained 10-Hz oscillations and experimentally manipulated the presentation of flickers so that they were presented either in-phase or out-of-phase relative to the established rhythm. Simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) recordings confirmed that in-phase and out-of-phase flickers had landed on different inhibitory phases of high-amplitude alpha oscillations. Moreover, to control for confounding factors of expectancy and masking, we created two additional conditions. Results, supplemented by the Bayesian analysis, indicated that the phase of entrained visual alpha oscillation does not differentially affect flicker-induced time dilation. Repeating the same experiment with regularly spaced auditory stimuli replicated the null findings. Moreover, we found a robust enhancement of precision for the reproduction of flickers relative to static stimuli that were partially supported by entrainment models. We discussed our results within the framework of neural oscillations and time-perception models, suggesting that inhibitory cycles of visual alpha may have little relevance to the overestimation of regularly spaced intervals. Moreover, based on our findings, we proposed that temporal oscillators, assumed in entrainment models, may act independently of excitatory phases in the brain's lower level sensory areas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuko Yotsumoto
- Department of Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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13
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Sponheim SR, Stim JJ, Engel SA, Pokorny VJ. Slowed alpha oscillations and percept formation in psychotic psychopathology. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1144107. [PMID: 37416534 PMCID: PMC10322206 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1144107] [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: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Psychosis is in part defined by disturbances in perception. Recent investigations have implicated the speed of alpha oscillations observed in brain electrical activity as reflective of a sampling rate of the visual environment and perception. Although both slowed alpha oscillations and aberrant percept formation are evident in disorders of psychotic psychopathology such as schizophrenia it is unclear whether slow alpha accounts for abnormal visual perception in these disorders. Methods To examine the role of the speed of alpha oscillations in perception in psychotic psychopathology we gathered resting-state magneto-encephalography data from probands with psychotic psychopathology (i.e., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder with a history of psychosis), their biological siblings, and healthy controls. We appraised visual perceptual function without the confound of cognitive ability and effort through the use of a simple binocular rivalry task. Results We found a slowed pace of alpha oscillations in psychotic psychopathology that was associated with longer percept durations during binocular rivalry, consistent with the assertion that occipital alpha oscillations govern the rate of accumulation of visual information used to generate percepts. Alpha speed varied widely across individuals with psychotic psychopathology and was highly stable across several months indicating that it is likely a trait characteristic of neural function that is relevant to visual perception. Finally, a lower speed of alpha oscillation was associated with a lower IQ and greater disorder symptomatology implying that the effects of the endogenous neural oscillation on visual perception may have wider consequences for everyday functioning. Discussion Slowed alpha oscillations in individuals with psychotic psychopathology appear to reflect altered neural functions related to percept formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott R. Sponheim
- Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Joshua J. Stim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Stephen A. Engel
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Victor J. Pokorny
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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14
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O'Hare L, Tarasi L, Asher JM, Hibbard PB, Romei V. Excitation-Inhibition Imbalance in Migraine: From Neurotransmitters to Brain Oscillations. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10093. [PMID: 37373244 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Migraine is among the most common and debilitating neurological disorders typically affecting people of working age. It is characterised by a unilateral, pulsating headache often associated with severe pain. Despite the intensive research, there is still little understanding of the pathophysiology of migraine. At the electrophysiological level, altered oscillatory parameters have been reported within the alpha and gamma bands. At the molecular level, altered glutamate and GABA concentrations have been reported. However, there has been little cross-talk between these lines of research. Thus, the relationship between oscillatory activity and neurotransmitter concentrations remains to be empirically traced. Importantly, how these indices link back to altered sensory processing has to be clearly established as yet. Accordingly, pharmacologic treatments have been mostly symptom-based, and yet sometimes proving ineffective in resolving pain or related issues. This review provides an integrative theoretical framework of excitation-inhibition imbalance for the understanding of current evidence and to address outstanding questions concerning the pathophysiology of migraine. We propose the use of computational modelling for the rigorous formulation of testable hypotheses on mechanisms of homeostatic imbalance and for the development of mechanism-based pharmacological treatments and neurostimulation interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise O'Hare
- Division of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK
| | - Luca Tarasi
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, Via Rasi e Spinelli, 176, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | - Jordi M Asher
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Paul B Hibbard
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Vincenzo Romei
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, Via Rasi e Spinelli, 176, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Facultad de Lenguas y Educación, Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, 28015 Madrid, Spain
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15
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Gallina J, Marsicano G, Romei V, Bertini C. Electrophysiological and Behavioral Effects of Alpha-Band Sensory Entrainment: Neural Mechanisms and Clinical Applications. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11051399. [PMID: 37239069 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051399] [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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Alpha-band (7-13 Hz) activity has been linked to visuo-attentional performance in healthy participants and to impaired functionality of the visual system in a variety of clinical populations including patients with acquired posterior brain lesion and neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Crucially, several studies suggested that short uni- and multi-sensory rhythmic stimulation (i.e., visual, auditory and audio-visual) administered in the alpha-band effectively induces transient changes in alpha oscillatory activity and improvements in visuo-attentional performance by synchronizing the intrinsic brain oscillations to the external stimulation (neural entrainment). The present review aims to address the current state of the art on the alpha-band sensory entrainment, outlining its potential functional effects and current limitations. Indeed, the results of the alpha-band entrainment studies are currently mixed, possibly due to the different stimulation modalities, task features and behavioral and physiological measures employed in the various paradigms. Furthermore, it is still unknown whether prolonged alpha-band sensory entrainment might lead to long-lasting effects at a neural and behavioral level. Overall, despite the limitations emerging from the current literature, alpha-band sensory entrainment may represent a promising and valuable tool, inducing functionally relevant changes in oscillatory activity, with potential rehabilitative applications in individuals characterized by impaired alpha activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Gallina
- Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Via Rasi e Spinelli 176, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40121 Bologna, Italy
| | - Gianluca Marsicano
- Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Via Rasi e Spinelli 176, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40121 Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Romei
- Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Via Rasi e Spinelli 176, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40121 Bologna, Italy
| | - Caterina Bertini
- Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Via Rasi e Spinelli 176, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40121 Bologna, Italy
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16
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Pantazatos SP, Mclntosh JR, Saber GT, Sun X, Doose J, Faller J, Lin Y, Teves JB, Blankenship A, Huffman S, Goldman RI, George MS, Sajda P, Brown TR. The timing of transcranial magnetic stimulation relative to the phase of prefrontal alpha EEG modulates downstream target engagement. Brain Stimul 2023; 16:830-839. [PMID: 37187457 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The communication through coherence model posits that brain rhythms are synchronized across different frequency bands and that effective connectivity strength between interacting regions depends on their phase relation. Evidence to support the model comes mostly from electrophysiological recordings in animals while evidence from human data is limited. METHODS Here, an fMRI-EEG-TMS (fET) instrument capable of acquiring simultaneous fMRI and EEG during noninvasive single pulse TMS applied to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was used to test whether prefrontal EEG alpha phase moderates TMS-evoked top-down influences on subgenual, rostral and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Six runs (276 total trials) were acquired in each participant. Phase at each TMS pulse was determined post-hoc using single-trial sorting. Results were examined in two independent datasets: healthy volunteers (HV) (n = 11) and patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) (n = 17) collected as part of an ongoing clinical trial. RESULTS In both groups, TMS-evoked functional connectivity between DLPFC and subgenual ACC (sgACC) depended on the EEG alpha phase. TMS-evoked DLPFC to sgACC fMRI-derived effective connectivity (EC) was modulated by EEG alpha phase in healthy volunteers, but not in the MDD patients. Top-down EC was inhibitory for TMS pulses during the upward slope of the alpha wave relative to TMS timed to the downward slope of the alpha wave. Prefrontal EEG alpha phase dependent effects on TMS-evoked fMRI BOLD activation of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex were detected in the MDD patient group, but not in the healthy volunteer group. DISCUSSION Results demonstrate that TMS-evoked top-down influences vary as a function of the prefrontal alpha rhythm, and suggest potential clinical applications whereby TMS is synchronized to the brain's internal rhythms in order to more efficiently engage deep therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spiro P Pantazatos
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - James R Mclntosh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Golbarg T Saber
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Xiaoxiao Sun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Jayce Doose
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Josef Faller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Yida Lin
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Joshua B Teves
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Aidan Blankenship
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Sarah Huffman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Robin I Goldman
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Mark S George
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, 29401, USA
| | - Paul Sajda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA; Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA; Data Science Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
| | - Truman R Brown
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA; Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
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17
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Michael E, Covarrubias LS, Leong V, Kourtzi Z. Learning at your brain's rhythm: individualized entrainment boosts learning for perceptual decisions. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:5382-5394. [PMID: 36352510 PMCID: PMC10152088 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Training is known to improve our ability to make decisions when interacting in complex environments. However, individuals vary in their ability to learn new tasks and acquire new skills in different settings. Here, we test whether this variability in learning ability relates to individual brain oscillatory states. We use a visual flicker paradigm to entrain individuals at their own brain rhythm (i.e. peak alpha frequency) as measured by resting-state electroencephalography (EEG). We demonstrate that this individual frequency-matched brain entrainment results in faster learning in a visual identification task (i.e. detecting targets embedded in background clutter) compared to entrainment that does not match an individual's alpha frequency. Further, we show that learning is specific to the phase relationship between the entraining flicker and the visual target stimulus. EEG during entrainment showed that individualized alpha entrainment boosts alpha power, induces phase alignment in the pre-stimulus period, and results in shorter latency of early visual evoked potentials, suggesting that brain entrainment facilitates early visual processing to support improved perceptual decisions. These findings suggest that individualized brain entrainment may boost perceptual learning by altering gain control mechanisms in the visual cortex, indicating a key role for individual neural oscillatory states in learning and brain plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Michael
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | | | - Victoria Leong
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
- Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore 6398818, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, NTU, Singapore 308232, Singapore
| | - Zoe Kourtzi
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
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18
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Ronconi L, Vitale A, Federici A, Mazzoni N, Battaglini L, Molteni M, Casartelli L. Neural dynamics driving audio-visual integration in autism. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:543-556. [PMID: 35266994 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Audio-visual (AV) integration plays a crucial role in supporting social functions and communication in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, behavioral findings remain mixed and, importantly, little is known about the underlying neurophysiological bases. Studies in neurotypical adults indicate that oscillatory brain activity in different frequencies subserves AV integration, pointing to a central role of (i) individual alpha frequency (IAF), which would determine the width of the cross-modal binding window; (ii) pre-/peri-stimulus theta oscillations, which would reflect the expectation of AV co-occurrence; (iii) post-stimulus oscillatory phase reset, which would temporally align the different unisensory signals. Here, we investigate the neural correlates of AV integration in children with ASD and typically developing (TD) peers, measuring electroencephalography during resting state and in an AV integration paradigm. As for neurotypical adults, AV integration dynamics in TD children could be predicted by the IAF measured at rest and by a modulation of anticipatory theta oscillations at single-trial level. Conversely, in ASD participants, AV integration/segregation was driven exclusively by the neural processing of the auditory stimulus and the consequent auditory-induced phase reset in visual regions, suggesting that a disproportionate elaboration of the auditory input could be the main factor characterizing atypical AV integration in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Ronconi
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Vitale
- Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Child Psychopathology Department, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Alessandra Federici
- Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Child Psychopathology Department, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy.,Sensory Experience Dependent (SEED) group, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, 55100 Lucca, Italy
| | - Noemi Mazzoni
- Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Child Psychopathology Department, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy.,Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, Italy.,Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Luca Battaglini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.,Department of Physics and Astronomy "Galileo Galilei", University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Massimo Molteni
- Child Psychopathology Department, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Luca Casartelli
- Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Child Psychopathology Department, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy
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19
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Tarasi L, Borgomaneri S, Romei V. Antivax attitude in the general population along the autism-schizophrenia continuum and the impact of socio-demographic factors. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1059676. [PMID: 37151316 PMCID: PMC10161933 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1059676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction One of the most important inventions in human history is vaccines. However, to date a consistent amount of people exhibit a hesitant approach toward them and mixed results have emerged in the attempt to characterize which factors may play a role in predicting such negative attitude. Here, we aimed at investigating how the individual scoring along the autism-schizophrenic continuum component and socio-cultural factors contribute toward vaccination attitudes in the general population. Methods To test whether individual position along the autism-schizophrenic continuum could predict vaccine attitude, we used principal component analysis (PCA) to extract the component showing diametric loading between the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and Autistic Quotient (AQ) subscales. Then, we performed a series of multiple linear regression analyses to understand the relation between the ASD-SSD continuum component and Vax scores. We also included socio-demographic factors (i.e., gender, education level, and age) as predictors. Results Multiple regression analysis revealed that the closer the individual lied on the positive schizotypal pole, the higher was their negative attitude toward vaccines. A diametric, more favorable disposition was found for individuals closer to the autistic end of the continuum. Furthermore, we reported that among the socio-cultural factors, only age can be considered a significant predictor of vaccination attitudes, with younger participants showing a more positive attitudes toward vaccination, while the level of education is an important protective factor in mitigating the negative impact that the proximity to the SSD pole and age play against vaccination disposition. Discussion These findings are relevant to improve targeted public health interventions, highlighting the crucial role of demographic, psychological, and social correlates in predicting anti-vax beliefs, which have the devasting potential to increase the spread of infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Tarasi
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Bologna and Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Università di Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Sara Borgomaneri
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Bologna and Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Università di Bologna, Cesena, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Romei
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Bologna and Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Università di Bologna, Cesena, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Vincenzo Romei,
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20
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Contemori G, Oletto CM, Cessa R, Marini E, Ronconi L, Battaglini L, Bertamini M. Investigating the role of the foveal cortex in peripheral object discrimination. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19952. [PMID: 36402850 PMCID: PMC9675757 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23720-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Peripheral object discrimination is hindered by a central dynamic mask presented between 150 and 300 ms after stimulus onset. The mask is thought to interfere with task-relevant feedback coming from higher visual areas to the foveal cortex in V1. Fan et al. (2016) supported this hypothesis by showing that the effect of mask can be further delayed if the task requires mental manipulation of the peripheral target. The main purpose of this study was to better characterize the temporal dynamics of foveal feedback. Specifically, in two experiments we have shown that (1) the effect of foveal noise mask is sufficiently robust to be replicated in an online data collection (2) in addition to a change in sensitivity the mask affects also the criterion, which becomes more conservative; (3) the expected dipper function for sensitivity approximates a quartic with a global minimum at 94 ms, while the best fit for criterion is a quintic with a global maximum at 174 ms; (4) the power spectrum analysis of perceptual oscillations in sensitivity data shows a cyclic effect of mask at 3 and 12 Hz. Overall, our results show that foveal noise affects sensitivity in a cyclic manner, with a global dip emerging earlier than previously found. The noise also affects the response bias, even though with a different temporal profile. We, therefore, suggest that foveal noise acts on two distinct feedback mechanisms, a faster perceptual feedback followed by a slower cognitive feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Contemori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Roberta Cessa
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Marini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Luca Ronconi
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy
- Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Battaglini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Bertamini
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
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21
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Amplitude and frequency modulation of subthalamic beta oscillations jointly encode the dopaminergic state in Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2022; 8:131. [PMID: 36241667 PMCID: PMC9568523 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-022-00399-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain states in health and disease are classically defined by the power or the spontaneous amplitude modulation (AM) of neuronal oscillations in specific frequency bands. Conversely, the possible role of the spontaneous frequency modulation (FM) in defining pathophysiological brain states remains unclear. As a paradigmatic example of pathophysiological resting states, here we assessed the spontaneous AM and FM dynamics of subthalamic beta oscillations recorded in patients with Parkinson's disease before and after levodopa administration. Even though AM and FM are mathematically independent, they displayed negatively correlated dynamics. First, AM decreased while FM increased with levodopa. Second, instantaneous amplitude and instantaneous frequency were negatively cross-correlated within dopaminergic states, with FM following AM by approximately one beta cycle. Third, AM and FM changes were also negatively correlated between dopaminergic states. Both the slow component of the FM and the fast component (i.e. the phase slips) increased after levodopa, but they differently contributed to the AM-FM correlations within and between states. Finally, AM and FM provided information about whether the patients were OFF vs. ON levodopa, with partial redundancy and with FM being more informative than AM. AM and FM of spontaneous beta oscillations can thus both separately and jointly encode the dopaminergic state in patients with Parkinson's disease. These results suggest that resting brain states are defined not only by AM dynamics but also, and possibly more prominently, by FM dynamics of neuronal oscillations.
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22
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Freschl J, Azizi LA, Balboa L, Kaldy Z, Blaser E. The development of peak alpha frequency from infancy to adolescence and its role in visual temporal processing: A meta-analysis. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 57:101146. [PMID: 35973361 PMCID: PMC9399966 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
While it has been shown that alpha frequency increases over development (Stroganova et al., 1999), a precise trajectory has not yet been specified, making it challenging to constrain theories linking alpha rhythms to perceptual development. We conducted a comprehensive review of studies measuring resting-state occipital peak alpha frequency (PAF, the frequency exhibiting maximum power) from birth to 18 years of age. From 889 potentially relevant studies, we identified 40 reporting PAF (109 samples; 3882 subjects). A nonlinear regression revealed that PAF increases quickly in early childhood (from 6.1 Hz at 6 months to 8.4 Hz at 5 years) and levels off in adolescence (9.7 Hz at 13 years), with an asymptote at 10.1 Hz. We found no effect of resting state procedure (eyes-open versus eyes-closed) or biological sex. PAF has been implicated as a clock on visual temporal processing, with faster frequencies associated with higher visual temporal resolution. Psychophysical studies have shown that temporal resolution reaches adult levels by 5 years of age (Freschl et al., 2019, 2020). The fact that PAF reaches the adult range of 8-12 Hz by that age strengthens the link between PAF and temporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Freschl
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA; Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | | | | | - Zsuzsa Kaldy
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erik Blaser
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
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23
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Coldea A, Veniero D, Morand S, Trajkovic J, Romei V, Harvey M, Thut G. Effects of Rhythmic Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the Alpha-Band on Visual Perception Depend on Deviation From Alpha-Peak Frequency: Faster Relative Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Alpha-Pace Improves Performance. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:886342. [PMID: 35784849 PMCID: PMC9247279 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.886342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpha-band oscillatory activity over occipito-parietal areas is involved in shaping perceptual and cognitive processes, with a growing body of electroencephalographic (EEG) evidence indicating that pre-stimulus alpha-band amplitude relates to the subjective perceptual experience, but not to objective measures of visual task performance (discrimination accuracy). The primary aim of the present transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) study was to investigate whether causality can be established for this relationship, using rhythmic (alpha-band) TMS entrainment protocols. It was anticipated that pre-stimulus 10 Hz-TMS would induce changes in subjective awareness ratings but not accuracy, in the visual hemifield contralateral to TMS. To test this, we administered 10 Hz-TMS over the right intraparietal sulcus prior to visual stimulus presentation in 17 participants, while measuring their objective performance and subjective awareness in a visual discrimination task. Arrhythmic and 10 Hz sham-TMS served as control conditions (within-participant design). Resting EEG was used to record individual alpha frequency (IAF). A study conducted in parallel to ours with a similar design but reported after we completed data collection informed further, secondary analyses for a causal relationship between pre-stimulus alpha-frequency and discrimination accuracy. This was explored through a regression analysis between rhythmic-TMS alpha-pace relative to IAF and performance measures. Our results revealed that contrary to our primary expectation, pre-stimulus 10 Hz-TMS did not affect subjective measures of performance, nor accuracy, relative to control-TMS. This null result is in accord with a recent finding showing that for influencing subjective measures of performance, alpha-TMS needs to be applied post-stimulus. In addition, our secondary analysis showed that IAF was positively correlated with task accuracy across participants, and that 10 Hz-TMS effects on accuracy—but not awareness ratings—depended on IAF: The slower (or faster) the IAF, relative to the fixed 10 Hz TMS frequency, the stronger the TMS-induced performance improvement (or worsening), indicating that 10 Hz-TMS produced a gain (or a loss) in individual performance, directly depending on TMS-pace relative to IAF. In support of recent reports, this is evidence for alpha-frequency playing a causal role in perceptual sensitivity likely through regulating the speed of sensory sampling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andra Coldea
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Domenica Veniero
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie Morand
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Jelena Trajkovic
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Romei
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Monika Harvey
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Gregor Thut
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Gregor Thut,
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24
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London RE, Benwell CSY, Cecere R, Quak M, Thut G, Talsma D. EEG Alpha power predicts the temporal sensitivity of multisensory perception. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:3241-3255. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Roberto Cecere
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology University of Glasgow UK
| | - Michel Quak
- Department of Experimental Psychology Ghent University Belgium
| | - Gregor Thut
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology University of Glasgow UK
| | - Durk Talsma
- Department of Experimental Psychology Ghent University Belgium
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25
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Faller J, Doose J, Sun X, Mclntosh JR, Saber GT, Lin Y, Teves JB, Blankenship A, Huffman S, Goldman RI, George MS, Brown TR, Sajda P. Daily prefrontal closed-loop repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) produces progressive EEG quasi-alpha phase entrainment in depressed adults. Brain Stimul 2022; 15:458-471. [PMID: 35231608 PMCID: PMC8979612 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2022.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation modality that can treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or help smoking cessation. Research suggests that timing the delivery of TMS relative to an endogenous brain state may affect efficacy and short-term brain dynamics. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether, for a multi-week daily treatment of repetitive TMS (rTMS), there is an effect on brain dynamics that depends on the timing of the TMS relative to individuals' prefrontal EEG quasi-alpha rhythm (between 6 and 13 Hz). METHOD We developed a novel closed-loop system that delivers personalized EEG-triggered rTMS to patients undergoing treatment for major depressive disorder. In a double blind study, patients received daily treatments of rTMS over a period of six weeks and were randomly assigned to either a synchronized or unsynchronized treatment group, where synchronization of rTMS was to their prefrontal EEG quasi-alpha rhythm. RESULTS When rTMS is applied over the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and synchronized to the patient's prefrontal quasi-alpha rhythm, patients develop strong phase entrainment over a period of weeks, both over the stimulation site as well as in a subset of areas distal to the stimulation site. In addition, at the end of the course of treatment, this group's entrainment phase shifts to be closer to the phase that optimally engages the distal target, namely the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). These entrainment effects are not observed in the group that is given rTMS without initial EEG synchronization of each TMS train. CONCLUSIONS The entrainment effects build over the course of days/weeks, suggesting that these effects engage neuroplastic changes which may have clinical consequences in depression or other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josef Faller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Jayce Doose
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Xiaoxiao Sun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA; US DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, 20115, USA
| | - James R Mclntosh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Golbarg T Saber
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Yida Lin
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Joshua B Teves
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Aidan Blankenship
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Sarah Huffman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Robin I Goldman
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Mark S George
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, 29401, USA
| | - Truman R Brown
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Paul Sajda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA; Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA; Data Science Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
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26
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Buergers S, Noppeney U. The role of alpha oscillations in temporal binding within and across the senses. Nat Hum Behav 2022; 6:732-742. [PMID: 35210592 PMCID: PMC7612782 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01294-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
An intriguing notion in cognitive neuroscience posits that alpha oscillations mould how the brain parses the constant influx of sensory signals into discrete perceptual events. Yet, the evidence is controversial and the underlying neural mechanism unclear. Further, it is unknown whether alpha oscillations influence observers’ perceptual sensitivity (i.e. temporal resolution) or their top-down biases to bind signals within and across the senses. Combining EEG, psychophysics and signal detection theory, this multi-day study rigorously assessed the impact of alpha frequency on temporal binding of signals within and across the senses. In a series of two-flash discrimination experiments twenty human observers were presented with one or two flashes together with none, one or two sounds. Our results provide robust evidence that pre-stimulus alpha frequency as a dynamic neural state and an individual’s trait index does not influence observers’ perceptual sensitivity or bias for two-flash discrimination in any of the three sensory contexts. These results challenge the notion that alpha oscillations have a profound impact on how observers parse sensory inputs into discrete perceptual events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Buergers
- Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Robotics Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
| | - Uta Noppeney
- Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Robotics Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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27
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Yao F, Zhou B, Zhuang Y, Wang X. Immediate Temporal Information Modulates the Target Identification in the Attentional Blink. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020278. [PMID: 35204041 PMCID: PMC8870607 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020278] [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: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been shown that learned temporal information can be exploited to help facilitate the target identification in the attentional blink task. Here, we tested whether similar exploitation also worked on short-term temporal information, even when it did not reliably predict the target onset. In two experiments, we randomly manipulated either the interval between targets (T1 and T2; Experiment 1) or the temporal regularity of stimulus presentation (Experiment 2) in each trial. The results revealed evidence of effects of immediate temporal experience mainly on T2 performances but also occasionally on T1 performances. In general, the accuracy of T2 was enhanced when a longer inter-target interval was explicitly processed in the preceding trial (Experiment 1) or the temporal regularity, regardless of being explicitly or implicitly processed, was present in the stimulus stream, especially after T1 (Experiment 2). These results suggest that, under high temporal uncertainty, both interval and rhythmic cues can still be exploited to regulate the allocation of processing resources, thus, modulating the target identification in the attentional blink task, consistent with the view of flexible attentional allocation, and further highlighting the importance of the interplay between temporal processing and attentional control in the conscious visual perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangshu Yao
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China; (F.Y.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Bin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Correspondence: (B.Z.); (X.W.)
| | - Yiyun Zhuang
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China; (F.Y.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Xiaochun Wang
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China; (F.Y.); (Y.Z.)
- Correspondence: (B.Z.); (X.W.)
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28
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Marsicano G, Cerpelloni F, Melcher D, Ronconi L. Lower multisensory temporal acuity in individuals with high schizotypal traits: a web-based study. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2782. [PMID: 35177673 PMCID: PMC8854550 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06503-1] [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: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural events are often multisensory, requiring the brain to combine information from the same spatial location and timing, across different senses. The importance of temporal coincidence has led to the introduction of the temporal binding window (TBW) construct, defined as the time range within which multisensory inputs are highly likely to be perceptually bound into a single entity. Anomalies in TBWs have been linked to confused perceptual experiences and inaccurate filtering of sensory inputs coming from different environmental sources. Indeed, larger TBWs have been associated with disorders such as schizophrenia and autism and are also correlated to a higher level of subclinical traits of these conditions in the general population. Here, we tested the feasibility of using a web-based version of a classic audio-visual simultaneity judgment (SJ) task with simple flash-beep stimuli in order to measure multisensory temporal acuity and its relationship with schizotypal traits as measured in the general population. Results show that: (i) the response distribution obtained in the web-based SJ task was strongly similar to those reported by studies carried out in controlled laboratory settings, and (ii) lower multisensory temporal acuity was associated with higher schizotypal traits in the “cognitive-perceptual” domains. Our findings reveal the possibility of adequately using a web-based audio-visual SJ task outside a controlled laboratory setting, available to a more diverse and representative pool of participants. These results provide additional evidence for a close relationship between lower multisensory acuity and the expression of schizotypal traits in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Marsicano
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Filippo Cerpelloni
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences and Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.,Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Department of Brain and Cognition, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuve, Leuven, Belgium.,Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) & Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS)-University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Leuven, Belgium
| | - David Melcher
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences and Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy. .,Psychology Program, Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Luca Ronconi
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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29
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Torralba Cuello M, Drew A, Sabaté San José A, Morís Fernández L, Soto-Faraco S. Alpha fluctuations regulate the accrual of visual information to awareness. Cortex 2021; 147:58-71. [PMID: 35021126 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Endogenous brain processes play a paramount role in shaping up perceptual phenomenology. This is illustrated by the alternations experienced by humans (and other animals) when watching perceptually ambiguous, static images. We hypothesised that endogenous alpha fluctuations in the visual cortex pace the accumulation of sensory information leading to perceptual outcomes. Here, we addressed this hypothesis using binocular rivalry combined with visual entrainment and electroencephalography in humans (64 female, 53 male). The results revealed a correlation between the individual frequency of alpha oscillations in the occipital cortex and perceptual alternation rates experienced during binocular rivalry. In subsequent experiments we show that regulating endogenous brain activity via rhythmic entrainment produced corresponding changes in perceptual alternation rate. These changes were observed only in the alpha range but not at lower entrainment frequencies, and were much reduced when using arrhythmic stimulation. Additionally, entraining at frequencies above the alpha range did not result in speeding up perceptual alternation rates. Overall, these findings support the notion that visual information is accumulated via alpha cycles to promote the emergence of conscious perceptual representations. We suggest that models of binocular rivalry incorporating posterior alpha as a pacemaker can provide an important advance in the comprehension of the dynamics of visual awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireia Torralba Cuello
- Multisensory Research Group, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Alice Drew
- Multisensory Research Group, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Luis Morís Fernández
- Multisensory Research Group, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salvador Soto-Faraco
- Multisensory Research Group, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
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30
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Janssens SEW, Sack AT, Ten Oever S, de Graaf TA. Calibrating rhythmic stimulation parameters to individual EEG markers: the consistency of individual alpha frequency in practical lab settings. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:3418-3437. [PMID: 34363269 PMCID: PMC9541964 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Rhythmic stimulation can be applied to modulate neuronal oscillations. Such 'entrainment' is optimized when stimulation frequency is individually-calibrated based on magneto/encephalography markers. It remains unknown how consistent such individual markers are across days/sessions, within a session, or across cognitive states, hemispheres, and estimation methods, especially in a realistic, practical, lab setting. We here estimated individual alpha frequency (IAF) repeatedly from short EEG measurements at rest or during an attention task (cognitive state), using single parieto-occipital electrodes in 24 participants on four days (between-sessions), with multiple measurements over an hour on one day (within-session). First, we introduce an algorithm to automatically reject power spectra without a sufficiently clear peak to ensure unbiased IAF estimations. Then we estimated IAF via the traditional 'maximum' method and a 'Gaussian fit' method. IAF was reliable within- and between-sessions for both cognitive states and hemispheres, though task-IAF estimates tended to be more variable. Overall, the 'Gaussian fit' method was more reliable than the 'maximum' method. Furthermore, we evaluated how far from an approximated 'true' task-related IAF the selected 'stimulation frequency' was, when calibrating this frequency based on a short rest-EEG, a short task-EEG, or simply selecting 10Hertz for all participants. For the 'maximum' method, rest-EEG calibration was best, followed by task-EEG, and then 10 Hertz. For the 'Gaussian fit' method, rest-EEG and task-EEG-based calibration were similarly accurate, and better than 10 Hertz. These results lead to concrete recommendations about valid, and automated, estimation of individual oscillation markers in experimental and clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanice E W Janssens
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Brain+Nerve Centre , Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Center for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Sanne Ten Oever
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Language and Computation in Neural Systems Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Tom A de Graaf
- Section Brain Stimulation and Cognition, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC), Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Center for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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31
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Menétrey MQ, Vogelsang L, Herzog MH. A guideline for linking brain wave findings to the various aspects of discrete perception. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:3528-3537. [PMID: 34125452 PMCID: PMC9543405 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Brain waves, determined by electrical and magnetic brain recordings (e.g., EEG and MEG), and fluctuating behavioral responses, determined by response time or accuracy measures, are frequently taken to support discrete perception. For example, it has been proposed that humans experience only one conscious percept per brain wave (e.g., during one alpha cycle). However, the proposed link between brain waves and discrete perception is typically rather vague. More importantly, there are many models and aspects of discrete perception and it is often not apparent in what theoretical framework brain wave findings are interpreted and to what specific aspects of discrete perception they relate. Here, we review different approaches to discrete perception and highlight issues with particular interpretations. We then discuss how certain findings on brain waves may relate to certain aspects of discrete perception. The main purpose of this meta‐contribution is to give a short overview of discrete models of perception and to illustrate the need to make explicit what aspects of discrete theories are addressed by what aspects of brain wave findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maëlan Q Menétrey
- Laboratory of Psychophysics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Vogelsang
- Laboratory of Psychophysics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michael H Herzog
- Laboratory of Psychophysics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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32
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Trajkovic J, Di Gregorio F, Ferri F, Marzi C, Diciotti S, Romei V. Resting state alpha oscillatory activity is a valid and reliable marker of schizotypy. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10379. [PMID: 34001914 PMCID: PMC8129121 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89690-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is among the most debilitating neuropsychiatric disorders. However, clear neurophysiological markers that would identify at-risk individuals represent still an unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate possible alterations in the resting alpha oscillatory activity in normal population high on schizotypy trait, a physiological condition known to be severely altered in patients with schizophrenia. Direct comparison of resting-state EEG oscillatory activity between Low and High Schizotypy Group (LSG and HSG) has revealed a clear right hemisphere alteration in alpha activity of the HSG. Specifically, HSG shows a significant slowing down of right hemisphere posterior alpha frequency and an altered distribution of its amplitude, with a tendency towards a reduction in the right hemisphere in comparison to LSG. Furthermore, altered and reduced connectivity in the right fronto-parietal network within the alpha range was found in the HSG. Crucially, a trained pattern classifier based on these indices of alpha activity was able to successfully differentiate HSG from LSG on tested participants further confirming the specific importance of right hemispheric alpha activity and intrahemispheric functional connectivity. By combining alpha activity and connectivity measures with a machine learning predictive model optimized in a nested stratified cross-validation loop, current research offers a promising clinical tool able to identify individuals at-risk of developing psychosis (i.e., high schizotypy individuals).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Trajkovic
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, 47521, Cesena, Italy
| | - Francesco Di Gregorio
- UO Medicina Riabilitativa e Neuroriabilitazione, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale, 40139, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Ferri
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.,Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Chiara Marzi
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Stefano Diciotti
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy.,Alma Mater Research Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Romei
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, 47521, Cesena, Italy. .,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy.
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33
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Chota S, Marque P, VanRullen R. Occipital alpha-TMS causally modulates temporal order judgements: Evidence for discrete temporal windows in vision. Neuroimage 2021; 237:118173. [PMID: 34000403 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118173] [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: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in neuroscience have challenged the view of conscious visual perception as a continuous process. Behavioral performance, reaction times and some visual illusions all undergo periodic fluctuations that can be traced back to oscillatory activity in the brain. These findings have given rise to the idea of a discrete sampling mechanism in the visual system. In this study we seek to investigate the causal relationship between occipital alpha oscillations and Temporal Order Judgements using neural entrainment via rhythmic TMS in 18 human subjects (9 females). We find that certain phases of the entrained oscillation facilitate temporal order perception of two visual stimuli, whereas others hinder it. Our findings support the idea that the visual system periodically compresses information into discrete packages within which temporal order information is lost. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Neural entrainment via TMS serves as a valuable tool to interfere with cortical rhythms and observe changes in perception. Here, using α-rhythmic TMS-pulses, we demonstrate the effect of the phase of entrained oscillations on performance in a temporal order judgment task. In extension of previous work, we 1. causally influenced brain rhythms far more directly using TMS, and 2. showed that previous results on discrete perception cannot simply be explained by rhythmic fluctuations in visibility. Our findings support the idea that the temporal organization of visual processing is discrete rather than continuous, and is causally modulated by cortical rhythms. To our knowledge, this is the first study providing causal evidence via TMS for an endogenous periodic modulation of time perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samson Chota
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, 31052 Toulouse, France; CerCo, CNRS UMR 5549, 31052 Toulouse, France.
| | - Phillipe Marque
- Médicine Physique et de réadaption, CHU Rangueil, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Rufin VanRullen
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, 31052 Toulouse, France; CerCo, CNRS UMR 5549, 31052 Toulouse, France
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34
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Balestrieri E, Ronconi L, Melcher D. Shared resources between visual attention and visual working memory are allocated through rhythmic sampling. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:3040-3053. [PMID: 33942394 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Attention and visual working memory (VWM) are among the most theoretically detailed and empirically tested constructs in human cognition. Nevertheless, the nature of the interrelation between selective attention and VWM still presents a fundamental controversy: Do they rely on the same cognitive resources or not? The present study aims at disentangling this issue by capitalizing on recent evidence showing that attention is a rhythmic phenomenon, oscillating over short time windows. Using a dual-task approach, we combined a classic VWM task with a visual detection task in which we densely sampled detection performance during the time between the memory and the test array. Our results show that an increment in VWM load was related to reduced detection of near-threshold visual stimuli. Importantly, we observed an oscillatory pattern in detection at ~7.5 Hz in the low VWM load conditions, which decreased towards ~5 Hz in the high VWM load condition. These findings suggest that the frequency of this sampling rhythm changes according to the allocation of attentional resources to either the VWM or the detection task. This pattern of results is consistent with a central sampling attentional rhythm which allocates shared attentional resources both to the flow of external visual stimulation and to the internal maintenance of visual information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elio Balestrieri
- Institute of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Otto Creutzfeld Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience, Münster, Germany
| | - Luca Ronconi
- School of Psychology, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.,Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - David Melcher
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.,Psychology Program, Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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35
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Ghazi TR, Blacker KJ, Hinault TT, Courtney SM. Modulation of Peak Alpha Frequency Oscillations During Working Memory Is Greater in Females Than Males. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:626406. [PMID: 33967720 PMCID: PMC8102793 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.626406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Peak alpha frequency is known to vary not just between individuals, but also within an individual over time. While variance in this metric between individuals has been tied to working memory performance, less understood are how short timescale modulations of peak alpha frequency during task performance may facilitate behavior. This gap in understanding may be bridged by consideration of a key difference between individuals: sex. Inconsistent findings in the literature regarding the relationship between peak alpha frequency and cognitive performance, as well as known sex-related-differences in peak alpha frequency and its modulation motivated our hypothesis that cognitive and neural processes underlying working memory-modulation of peak alpha frequency in particular-may differ based upon sex. Targeting sex as a predictive factor, we analyzed the EEG data of participants recorded while they performed four versions of a visual spatial working memory task. A significant difference between groups was present: females modulated peak alpha frequency more than males. Task performance did not differ by sex, yet a relationship between accuracy and peak alpha frequency was present in males, but not in females. These findings highlight the importance of considering sex as a factor in the study of oscillatory activity, particularly to further understanding of the neural mechanisms that underlie working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara R. Ghazi
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kara J. Blacker
- Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Thomas T. Hinault
- INSERM-EPHE-UNICAEN, U1077, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Susan M. Courtney
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
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36
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Ghiani A, Maniglia M, Battaglini L, Melcher D, Ronconi L. Binding Mechanisms in Visual Perception and Their Link With Neural Oscillations: A Review of Evidence From tACS. Front Psychol 2021; 12:643677. [PMID: 33828509 PMCID: PMC8019716 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.643677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurophysiological studies in humans employing magneto- (MEG) and electro- (EEG) encephalography increasingly suggest that oscillatory rhythmic activity of the brain may be a core mechanism for binding sensory information across space, time, and object features to generate a unified perceptual representation. To distinguish whether oscillatory activity is causally related to binding processes or whether, on the contrary, it is a mere epiphenomenon, one possibility is to employ neuromodulatory techniques such as transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). tACS has seen a rising interest due to its ability to modulate brain oscillations in a frequency-dependent manner. In the present review, we critically summarize current tACS evidence for a causal role of oscillatory activity in spatial, temporal, and feature binding in the context of visual perception. For temporal binding, the emerging picture supports a causal link with the power and the frequency of occipital alpha rhythms (8-12 Hz); however, there is no consistent evidence on the causal role of the phase of occipital tACS. For feature binding, the only study available showed a modulation by occipital alpha tACS. The majority of studies that successfully modulated oscillatory activity and behavioral performance in spatial binding targeted parietal areas, with the main rhythms causally linked being the theta (~7 Hz) and beta (~18 Hz) frequency bands. On the other hand, spatio-temporal binding has been directly modulated by parieto-occipital gamma (~40-60 Hz) and alpha (10 Hz) tACS, suggesting a potential role of cross-frequency coupling when binding across space and time. Nonetheless, negative or partial results have also been observed, suggesting methodological limitations that should be addressed in future research. Overall, the emerging picture seems to support a causal role of brain oscillations in binding processes and, consequently, a certain degree of plasticity for shaping binding mechanisms in visual perception, which, if proved to have long lasting effects, can find applications in different clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ghiani
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Marcello Maniglia
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Luca Battaglini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Neuro Vis.U.S. Laboratory, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Department of Physics and Astronomy "Galileo Galilei", University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - David Melcher
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences and Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Psychology Program, Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Luca Ronconi
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Division of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
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37
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Investigating the role of temporal processing in developmental dyslexia: Evidence for a specific deficit in rapid visual segmentation. Psychon Bull Rev 2021; 27:724-734. [PMID: 32495210 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-020-01752-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The current study investigates the role of temporal processing in the visual domain in participants with developmental dyslexia (DD), the most common neurodevelopmental disorder, which is characterized by severe and specific difficulties in learning to read despite normal intelligence and adequate education. Specifically, our aim was to test whether DD is associated with a general impairment of temporal sensory processing or a specific deficit in temporal integration (which ensures stability of object identity and location) or segregation (which ensures sensitivity to changes in visual input). Participants with DD performed a task that measured both temporal integration and segregation using an identical sequence of two displays separated by a varying interstimulus interval (ISI) under two different task instructions. Results showed that participants with DD performed worse in the segregation task, with a shallower slope of the psychometric curve of percentage correct as a function of the ISI between the two target displays. Moreover, we found also a relationship between temporal segregation performance and text, words, and pseudowords reading speeds at the individual level. In contrast, no significant association between reading (dis)ability and temporal integration emerged. The current findings provide evidence for a difference in the fine temporal resolution of visual processing in DD and, considering the growing evidence about a link between visual temporal segregation and neural oscillations at specific frequencies, they support the idea that DD is characterized by an altered oscillatory sampling within the visual system.
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Ronconi L, Melcher D, Junghöfer M, Wolters CH, Busch NA. Testing the effect of tACS over parietal cortex in modulating endogenous alpha rhythm and temporal integration windows in visual perception. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 55:3438-3450. [PMID: 33098112 PMCID: PMC9542321 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Neural oscillations in the alpha band (8-12 Hz) have been proposed as a key mechanism for the temporal resolution of visual perception. Higher alpha frequencies have been related to improved segregation of visual events over time, whereas lower alpha frequencies have been related to improved temporal integration. Similarly, also the phase of ongoing alpha has been shown to correlate with temporal integration/segregation. To test a causal relationship between alpha oscillations and perception, we here employed multi-channel transcranial alternating current stimulation (mc-tACS) over the right parietal cortex, whereas participants performed a visual temporal integration/segregation task that used identical stimuli with different instructions. Before and after mc-tACS we recorded the resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) to extract the individual alpha frequency (IAF) and delivered electrical stimulation at slightly slower and faster frequencies (IAF±2 Hz). We hypothesized that this would not only drive endogenous alpha rhythms, but also affect temporal integration and segregation in an opposite way. However, the mc-tACS protocol used here did not consistently increase or decrease the IAF after the stimulation and did not affect temporal integration/segregation accuracy as expected. Although we found some preliminary evidence for an influence of tACS phase on temporal integration accuracy, the ongoing phase of mc-tACS oscillations did not reliably modulate temporal integration/segregation accuracy in a sinusoidal way as would have been predicted by an effective entrainment of brain oscillations. These findings may guide future studies using different stimulation montages for investigating the role of cortical alpha oscillations for human vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Ronconi
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,Division of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute IRCCS San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.,Center for Mind/Brain Sciences and Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - David Melcher
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences and Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.,Department of Psychology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Markus Junghöfer
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Carsten H Wolters
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Niko A Busch
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Institute of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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Mioni G, Shelp A, Stanfield-Wiswell CT, Gladhill KA, Bader F, Wiener M. Modulation of Individual Alpha Frequency with tACS shifts Time Perception. Cereb Cortex Commun 2020; 1:tgaa064. [PMID: 34296127 PMCID: PMC8152954 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgaa064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have linked brain oscillation and timing, with evidence suggesting that alpha oscillations (10 Hz) may serve as a "sample rate" for the visual system. However, direct manipulation of alpha oscillations and time perception has not yet been demonstrated. To test this, we had 18 human subjects perform a time generalization task with visual stimuli. Additionally, we had previously recorded resting-state EEG from each subject and calculated their individual alpha frequency (IAF), estimated as the peak frequency from the mean spectrum over posterior electrodes between 8 and 13 Hz. Participants first learned a standard interval (600 ms) and were then required to judge if a new set of temporal intervals were equal or different compared with that standard. After learning the standard, participants performed this task while receiving occipital transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS). Crucially, for each subject, tACS was administered at their IAF or at off-peak alpha frequencies (IAF ± 2 Hz). Results demonstrated a linear shift in the psychometric function indicating a modification of perceived duration, such that progressively "faster" alpha stimulation led to longer perceived intervals. These results provide the first evidence that direct manipulations of alpha oscillations can shift perceived time in a manner consistent with a clock speed effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Mioni
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Adam Shelp
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | | | - Keri A Gladhill
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Farah Bader
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Martin Wiener
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
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40
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Herzog MH, Drissi-Daoudi L, Doerig A. All in Good Time: Long-Lasting Postdictive Effects Reveal Discrete Perception. Trends Cogn Sci 2020; 24:826-837. [PMID: 32893140 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Is consciousness a continuous stream of percepts or is it discrete, occurring only at certain moments in time? This question has puzzled philosophers, psychologists, and neuroscientists for centuries. Both hypotheses have fallen repeatedly in and out of favor. Here, we review recent studies exploring long-lasting postdictive effects and show that the results favor a two-stage discrete model, in which substantial periods of continuous unconscious processing precede discrete conscious percepts. We propose that such a model marries the advantages of both continuous and discrete models and resolves centuries old debates about perception and consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H Herzog
- Laboratory of Psychophysics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Leila Drissi-Daoudi
- Laboratory of Psychophysics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Adrien Doerig
- Laboratory of Psychophysics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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41
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Battaglini L, Mena F, Ghiani A, Casco C, Melcher D, Ronconi L. The Effect of Alpha tACS on the Temporal Resolution of Visual Perception. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1765. [PMID: 32849045 PMCID: PMC7412991 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
We experience the world around us as a smooth and continuous flow. However, there is growing evidence that the stream of sensory inputs is not elaborated in an analog way but is instead organized in discrete or quasi-discrete temporal processing windows. These discrete windows are suggested to depend on rhythmic neural activity in the alpha (and theta) frequency bands, which in turn reflect changes in neural activity within, and coupling between, cortical areas. In the present study, we investigated a possible causal link between oscillatory brain activity in the alpha range (8-12 Hz) and the temporal resolution of visual perception, which determines whether sequential stimuli are perceived as distinct entities or combined into a single representation. To this aim, we employed a two-flash fusion task while participants received focal transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) in extra-striate visual regions including V5/MT of the right hemisphere. Our findings show that 10-Hz tACS, as opposed to a placebo (sham tACS), reduces the temporal resolution of perception, inducing participants to integrate the two stimuli into a unique percept more often. This pattern was observed only in the contralateral visual hemifield, providing further support for a specific effect of alpha tACS. The present findings corroborate the idea of a causal link between temporal windows of integration/segregation and oscillatory alpha activity in V5/MT and extra-striate visual regions. They also stimulate future research on possible ways to shape the temporal resolution of human vision in an individualized manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Battaglini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.,Neuro.Vis. U.S. Laboratory, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Federica Mena
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Andrea Ghiani
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Clara Casco
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.,Neuro.Vis. U.S. Laboratory, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - David Melcher
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Luca Ronconi
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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42
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Wang J, Deng B, Gao T, Wang J, Yi G, Wang R. Frequency-dependent response in cortical network with periodic electrical stimulation. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2020; 30:073130. [PMID: 32752642 DOI: 10.1063/5.0007006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Electrical stimulation can shape oscillations in brain activity. However, the mechanism of how periodic electrical stimulation modulates brain oscillations by time-delayed neural networks is poorly understood at present. To address this question, we investigate the effects of periodic stimulations on the oscillations generated via a time-delayed neural network. We specifically study the effect of unipolar and asymmetric bidirectional pulse stimulations by altering amplitude and frequency in a systematic manner. Our findings suggest that electrical stimulations play a central role in altering oscillations in the time-delayed neural network and that these alterations are strongly dependent on the stimulus frequency. We observe that the time-delayed neural network responds differently as the stimulation frequency is altered, as manifested by changes in resonance, entrainment, non-linear oscillation, or oscillation suppression. The results also indicate that the network presents similar response activities with increasing stimulus frequency under different excitation-inhibition ratios. Collectively, our findings pave the way for exploring the potential mechanism underlying the frequency-dependent modulation of network activity via electrical stimulations and provide new insights into possible electrical stimulation therapies to the neurological and psychological disorders in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixuan Wang
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, 300072 Tianjin, China
| | - Bin Deng
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, 300072 Tianjin, China
| | - Tianshi Gao
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, 300072 Tianjin, China
| | - Jiang Wang
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, 300072 Tianjin, China
| | - Guosheng Yi
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, 300072 Tianjin, China
| | - Ruofan Wang
- School of Information Technology Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology and Education, 300222 Tianjin, China
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43
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de Graaf TA, Thomson A, Janssens SE, van Bree S, ten Oever S, Sack AT. Does alpha phase modulate visual target detection? Three experiments with tACS-phase-based stimulus presentation. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 51:2299-2313. [PMID: 31943418 PMCID: PMC7317496 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the influence of alpha (7-13 Hz) phase on visual processing has received a lot of attention. Magneto-/encephalography (M/EEG) studies showed that alpha phase indexes visual excitability and task performance. Studies with transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) aim to modulate oscillations and causally impact task performance. Here, we applied right occipital tACS (O2 location) to assess the functional role of alpha phase in a series of experiments. We presented visual stimuli at different pre-determined, experimentally controlled, phases of the entraining tACS signal, hypothesizing that this should result in an oscillatory pattern of visual performance in specifically left hemifield detection tasks. In experiment 1, we applied 10 Hz tACS and used separate psychophysical staircases for six equidistant tACS-phase conditions, obtaining contrast thresholds for detection of visual gratings in left or right hemifield. In experiments 2 and 3, tACS was at EEG-based individual peak alpha frequency. In experiment 2, we measured detection rates for gratings with (pseudo-)fixed contrast. In experiment 3, participants detected brief luminance changes in a custom-built LED device, at eight equidistant alpha phases. In none of the experiments did the primary outcome measure over phase conditions consistently reflect a one-cycle sinusoid. However, post hoc analyses of reaction times (RT) suggested that tACS alpha phase did modulate RT for specifically left hemifield targets in both experiments 1 and 2 (not measured in experiment 3). This observation requires future confirmation, but is in line with the idea that alpha phase causally gates visual inputs through cortical excitability modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom A. de Graaf
- Section Brain Stimulation and CognitionDepartment of Cognitive NeuroscienceFaculty of Psychology and NeuroscienceMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC)Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN)MaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Alix Thomson
- Section Brain Stimulation and CognitionDepartment of Cognitive NeuroscienceFaculty of Psychology and NeuroscienceMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC)Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN)MaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Shanice E.W. Janssens
- Section Brain Stimulation and CognitionDepartment of Cognitive NeuroscienceFaculty of Psychology and NeuroscienceMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC)Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Sander van Bree
- School of Psychology & Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH)University of BirminghamBirminghamUK
| | - Sanne ten Oever
- Section Brain Stimulation and CognitionDepartment of Cognitive NeuroscienceFaculty of Psychology and NeuroscienceMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC)Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- Section Brain Stimulation and CognitionDepartment of Cognitive NeuroscienceFaculty of Psychology and NeuroscienceMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (MBIC)Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN)MaastrichtThe Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuropsychologySchool for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs)Brain+Nerve CentreMaastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+)MaastrichtThe Netherlands
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Otero M, Prado-Gutiérrez P, Weinstein A, Escobar MJ, El-Deredy W. Persistence of EEG Alpha Entrainment Depends on Stimulus Phase at Offset. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:139. [PMID: 32327989 PMCID: PMC7161378 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural entrainment is the synchronization of neural activity to the frequency of repetitive external stimuli, which can be observed as an increase in the electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectrum at the driving frequency, -also known as the steady-state response. Although it has been systematically reported that the entrained EEG oscillation persists for approximately three cycles after stimulus offset, the neural mechanisms underpinning it remain unknown. Focusing on alpha oscillations, we adopt the dynamical excitation/inhibition framework, which suggests that phases of entrained EEG signals correspond to alternating excitatory/inhibitory states of the neural circuitry. We hypothesize that the duration of the persistence of entrainment is determined by the specific functional state of the entrained neural network at the time the stimulus ends. Steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEP) were elicited in 19 healthy volunteers at the participants’ individual alpha peaks. Visual stimulation consisted of a sinusoidally-varying light terminating at one of four phases: 0, π/2, π, and 3π/2. The persistence duration of the oscillatory activity was analyzed as a function of the terminating phase of the stimulus. Phases of the SSVEP at the stimulus termination were distributed within a constant range of values relative to the phase of the stimulus. Longer persistence durations were obtained when visual stimulation terminated towards the troughs of the alpha oscillations, while shorter persistence durations occurred when stimuli terminated near the peaks. Source localization analysis suggests that the persistence of entrainment reflects the functioning of fronto-occipital neuronal circuits, which might prime the sensory representation of incoming visual stimuli based on predictions about stimulus rhythmicity. Consequently, different states of the network at the end of the stimulation, corresponding to different states of intrinsic neuronal coupling, may determine the time windows over which coding of incoming sensory stimulation is modulated by the preceding oscillatory activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Otero
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile.,Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (AC3E), Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Pavel Prado-Gutiérrez
- Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (AC3E), Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Alejandro Weinstein
- Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (AC3E), Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile.,Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería en Salud, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - María-José Escobar
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile.,Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (AC3E), Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Wael El-Deredy
- Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (AC3E), Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile.,Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería en Salud, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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45
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Federici A, Parma V, Vicovaro M, Radassao L, Casartelli L, Ronconi L. Anomalous Perception of Biological Motion in Autism: A Conceptual Review and Meta-Analysis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4576. [PMID: 32165647 PMCID: PMC7067769 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61252-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite its popularity, the construct of biological motion (BM) and its putative anomalies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not completely clarified. In this article, we present a meta-analysis investigating the putative anomalies of BM perception in ASD. Through a systematic literature search, we found 30 studies that investigated BM perception in both ASD and typical developing peers by using point-light display stimuli. A general meta-analysis including all these studies showed a moderate deficit of individuals with ASD in BM processing, but also a high heterogeneity. This heterogeneity was explored in different additional meta-analyses where studies were grouped according to levels of complexity of the BM task employed (first-order, direct and instrumental), and according to the manipulation of low-level perceptual features (spatial vs. temporal) of the control stimuli. Results suggest that the most severe deficit in ASD is evident when perception of BM is serving a secondary purpose (e.g., inferring intentionality/action/emotion) and, interestingly, that temporal dynamics of stimuli are an important factor in determining BM processing anomalies in ASD. Our results question the traditional understanding of BM anomalies in ASD as a monolithic deficit and suggest a paradigm shift that deconstructs BM into distinct levels of processing and specific spatio-temporal subcomponents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Federici
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Group, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
- MoMiLab Research Unit, IMT School of Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | - Valentina Parma
- International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michele Vicovaro
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Luca Radassao
- International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Luca Casartelli
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Group, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
| | - Luca Ronconi
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Group, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
- Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
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46
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tACS Stimulation at Alpha Frequency Selectively Induces Inattentional Blindness. Brain Topogr 2020; 33:317-326. [DOI: 10.1007/s10548-020-00762-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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47
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Oscillatory Properties of Functional Connections Between Sensory Areas Mediate Cross-Modal Illusory Perception. J Neurosci 2019; 39:5711-5718. [PMID: 31109964 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3184-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The presentation of simple auditory stimuli can significantly impact visual processing and even induce visual illusions, such as the auditory-induced double flash illusion (DFI). These cross-modal processes have been shown to be driven by occipital oscillatory activity within the alpha band. Whether this phenomenon is network specific or can be generalized to other sensory interactions remains unknown. The aim of the current study was to test whether cross-modal interactions between somatosensory-to-visual areas leading to the same (but tactile-induced) DFI share similar properties with the auditory DFI. We hypothesized that if the effects are mediated by the oscillatory properties of early visual areas per se, then the two versions of the illusion should be subtended by the same neurophysiological mechanism (i.e., the speed of the alpha frequency). Alternatively, if the oscillatory activity in visual areas predicting this phenomenon is dependent on the specific neural network involved, then it should reflect network-specific oscillatory properties. In line with the latter, results recorded in humans (both sexes) show a network-specific oscillatory profile linking the auditory DFI to occipital alpha oscillations, replicating previous findings, and tactile DFI to occipital beta oscillations, a rhythm typical of somatosensory processes. These frequency-specific effects are observed for visual (but not auditory or somatosensory) areas and account for auditory-visual connectivity in the alpha band and somatosensory-visual connectivity in the beta band. We conclude that task-dependent visual oscillations reflect network-specific oscillatory properties favoring optimal directional neural communication timing for sensory binding.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We investigated the oscillatory correlates of the auditory- and tactile-induced double flash illusion (DFI), a phenomenon where two interleaved beeps (taps) set within 100 ms apart and paired with one visual flash induce the sensation of a second illusory flash. Results confirm previous evidence that the speed of individual occipital alpha oscillations predict the temporal window of the auditory-induced illusion. Importantly, they provide novel evidence that the tactile-induced DFI is instead mediated by the speed of individual occipital beta oscillations. These task-dependent occipital oscillations are shown to be mediated by the oscillatory properties of the neural network engaged in the task to favor optimal temporal integration between the senses.
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Chota S, VanRullen R. Visual Entrainment at 10 Hz Causes Periodic Modulation of the Flash Lag Illusion. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:232. [PMID: 30930740 PMCID: PMC6428772 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It has long been debated whether visual processing is, at least partially, a discrete process. Although vision appears to be a continuous stream of sensory information, sophisticated experiments reveal periodic modulations of perception and behavior. Previous work has demonstrated that the phase of endogenous neural oscillations in the 10 Hz range predicts the "lag" of the flash lag effect, a temporal visual illusion in which a static object is perceived to be lagging in time behind a moving object. Consequently, it has been proposed that the flash lag illusion could be a manifestation of a periodic, discrete sampling mechanism in the visual system. In this experiment we set out to causally test this hypothesis by entraining the visual system to a periodic 10 Hz stimulus and probing the flash lag effect (FLE) at different time points during entrainment. We hypothesized that the perceived FLE would be modulated over time, at the same frequency as the entrainer (10 Hz). A frequency analysis of the average FLE time-course indeed reveals a significant peak at 10 Hz as well as a strong phase consistency between subjects (N = 25). Our findings provide causal evidence for fluctuations in temporal perception and indicate an involvement of occipital alpha oscillations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samson Chota
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CerCo), CNRS, UMR5549, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Rufin VanRullen
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CerCo), CNRS, UMR5549, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
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Shen L, Han B, Chen L, Chen Q. Perceptual inference employs intrinsic alpha frequency to resolve perceptual ambiguity. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000025. [PMID: 30865621 PMCID: PMC6433295 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain uses its intrinsic dynamics to actively predict observed sensory inputs, especially under perceptual ambiguity. However, it remains unclear how this inference process is neurally implemented in biasing perception of ambiguous inputs towards the predicted percepts. The process of perceptual inference can be well illustrated by the phenomenon of bistable apparent motion in the Ternus display, in which subjective perception spontaneously alternates between element motion (EM) and group motion (GM) percepts depending on whether two consecutively presented frames are grouped over time or not. The frequency of alpha-band oscillations has long been hypothesized to gate the temporal window of perceptual grouping over time. Under this hypothesis, variation in the intrinsic alpha frequency should predict perceptual outcome of the bistable Ternus display. Moreover, we hypothesize that the perception system employs this prior knowledge on intrinsic alpha frequency to resolve perceptual ambiguity, by shifting perceptual inference towards the predicted percepts. Using electroencephalography and intracranial recordings, we showed that both between and within subjects, lower prestimulus alpha frequencies (PAFs) predicted the EM percepts since the two frames fell in the same alpha cycle and got temporally integrated, while higher PAFs predicted the GM percepts since the two frames fell in different alpha cycles. Multivariate decoding analysis between the EM percepts with lower PAFs and the GM percepts with higher PAFs further revealed a representation of the subsequently reported bistable percept in the neural signals shortly before the actual appearance of the second frame. Therefore, perceptual inference, based on variation in intrinsic PAFs, biases poststimulus neural representations by inducing preactivation of the predicted percepts. In addition, enhanced prestimulus blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals and network dynamics in the frontoparietal network, together with reduced prestimulus alpha power, upon perceiving the EM percepts suggest that temporal grouping is an attention-demanding process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Shen
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Biao Han
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lihan Chen
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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