1
|
Huo S, Wang J, Lam TK, Wong BWL, Wu KC, Mo J, Maurer U. Development of EEG alpha and theta oscillations in the maintenance stage of working memory. Biol Psychol 2024; 191:108824. [PMID: 38823572 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Several studies have shown developmental changes in EEG oscillations during working memory tasks. Although the load-modulated theta and alpha activities in adults are well-documented, the findings are inconsistent if children possess the adult-like brain oscillations that are similarly modulated by memory load. The present study compares children's and adults' true theta and alpha EEG oscillations, separated from aperiodic components, in the maintenance stage of working memory. The EEG was recorded in 25 Chinese-speaking children (14 male, Mage = 9.4 yrs) and 31 adults (19 male, Mage = 20.8 yrs) in Hong Kong while they performed an n-back task that included four conditions differing in load (1- vs. 2-back) and stimulus type (Chinese character vs. visual pattern). The results show that aperiodic activities (i.e., broadband power and slope) during the maintenance stage in the n-back task were significantly higher in children than adults. The periodic theta and alpha oscillations also changed with age. More importantly, adults showed significant periodic theta increase with memory load, whereas such an effect was absent in children. Regardless of age, there was a significant alpha power decrease with load increase, and a significant theta power enhancement when maintaining visual patterns than Chinese characters. In adults, load-modulated alpha peak shift (towards higher frequency) was linked to higher behavioral efficiency in the n-back task. In children, higher load-modulated theta enhancement was linked to better behavioral efficiency. The findings suggest that the load-modulated theta power during working memory maintenance matures from childhood to adulthood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuting Huo
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| | - Tak Kwan Lam
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| | - Brian W L Wong
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; BCBL, Basque Center on Brain, Language and Cognition, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Ka Chun Wu
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| | - Jianhong Mo
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| | - Urs Maurer
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; Centre for Developmental Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Springer SD, Okelberry HJ, Willett MP, Johnson HJ, Meehan CE, Schantell M, Embury CM, Rempe MP, Wilson TW. Age-related alterations in the oscillatory dynamics serving verbal working memory processing. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:14574-14590. [PMID: 38154102 PMCID: PMC10781444 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) is a foundational cognitive function involving the temporary storage of information. Unfortunately, WM is also one of the most sensitive cognitive functions to the detrimental effects of aging. Expanding the field's understanding of age-related WM changes is critical to advancing the development of strategies to mitigate age-related WM declines. In the current study, we investigated the neural mechanisms serving WM function in seventy-eight healthy aging adults (range: 20.2-65.2 years) using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and a Sternberg WM task with letter stimuli. Neural activity during the different phases of the WM task (i.e., encoding, maintenance, and retrieval) were imaged using a time-frequency resolved beamformer and whole-brain statistics were performed. We found stronger increases in theta activity and stronger decreases in alpha and beta activity (i.e., more negative relative to baseline) as a function of healthy aging. Specifically, age-related increases in theta activity were detected during the encoding period in the primary visual and left prefrontal cortices. Additionally, alpha and beta oscillations were stronger (i.e., more negative) during both encoding and maintenance in the left prefrontal cortex in older individuals. Finally, alpha and beta oscillations during the retrieval phase were stronger (i.e., more negative) in older participants within the prefrontal, parietal, and temporal cortices. Together, these results indicate that healthy aging strongly modulates the neural oscillatory dynamics serving WM function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seth D. Springer
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Hannah J. Okelberry
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Madelyn P. Willett
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Hallie J. Johnson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Chloe E. Meehan
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Mikki Schantell
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Christine M. Embury
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
| | - Maggie P. Rempe
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Tony W. Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68131, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Smith AE, Chau A, Greaves D, Keage HAD, Feuerriegel D. Resting EEG power spectra across middle to late life: associations with age, cognition, APOE-ɛ4 carriage, and cardiometabolic burden. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 130:93-102. [PMID: 37494844 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
We investigated how resting electroencephalography (EEG) measures are associated with risk factors for late-life cognitive impairment and dementia, including age, apolipoprotein E ɛ4 (APOE-ɛ4) carriage, and cardiometabolic burden. Resting EEG was recorded from 86 adults (50-80 years of age). Participants additionally completed the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE) III and had blood drawn to assess APOE-ɛ4 carriage status and cardiometabolic burden. EEG power spectra were decomposed into sources of periodic and aperiodic activity to derive measures of aperiodic component slope and alpha (7-14 Hz) and beta (15-30 Hz) peak power and peak frequency. Alpha and beta peak power measures were corrected for aperiodic activity. The aperiodic component slope was correlated with ACE-III scores but not age. Alpha peak frequency decreased with age. Individuals with higher cardiometabolic burden had lower alpha peak frequencies and lower beta peak power. APOE-ɛ4 carriers had lower beta peak frequencies. Our findings suggest that the slope of the aperiodic component of resting EEG power spectra is more closely associated with measures of cognitive performance rather than chronological age in older adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh E Smith
- Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Anson Chau
- Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Medical Radiation Science, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Danielle Greaves
- Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Cognitive Ageing and Impairment Neurosciences (CAIN), Justice and Society, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; UniSA Online, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Hannah A D Keage
- Cognitive Ageing and Impairment Neurosciences (CAIN), Justice and Society, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Daniel Feuerriegel
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Merkin A, Sghirripa S, Graetz L, Smith AE, Hordacre B, Harris R, Pitcher J, Semmler J, Rogasch NC, Goldsworthy M. Do age-related differences in aperiodic neural activity explain differences in resting EEG alpha? Neurobiol Aging 2022; 121:78-87. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
|
5
|
Hsu YF, Hämäläinen JA. Load-dependent alpha suppression is related to working memory capacity for numbers. Brain Res 2022; 1791:147994. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.147994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
|
6
|
Sghirripa S, Graetz L, Rogasch NC, Semmler JG, Goldsworthy MR. Does predictive cueing of presentation time modulate alpha power and facilitate visual working memory performance in younger and older adults? Brain Cogn 2022; 159:105861. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2022.105861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
|
7
|
Neurophysiological Verbal Working Memory Patterns in Children: Searching for a Benchmark of Modality Differences in Audio/Video Stimuli Processing. COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 2021:4158580. [PMID: 34966418 PMCID: PMC8712130 DOI: 10.1155/2021/4158580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Exploration of specific brain areas involved in verbal working memory (VWM) is a powerful but not widely used tool for the study of different sensory modalities, especially in children. In this study, for the first time, we used electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate neurophysiological similarities and differences in response to the same verbal stimuli, expressed in the auditory and visual modality during the n-back task with varying memory load in children. Since VWM plays an important role in learning ability, we wanted to investigate whether children elaborated the verbal input from auditory and visual stimuli through the same neural patterns and if performance varies depending on the sensory modality. Performance in terms of reaction times was better in visual than auditory modality (p = 0.008) and worse as memory load increased regardless of the modality (p < 0.001). EEG activation was proportionally influenced by task level and was evidenced in theta band over the prefrontal cortex (p = 0.021), along the midline (p = 0.003), and on the left hemisphere (p = 0.003). Differences in the effects of the two modalities were seen only in gamma band in the parietal cortices (p = 0.009). The values of a brainwave-based engagement index, innovatively used here to test children in a dual-modality VWM paradigm, varied depending on n-back task level (p = 0.001) and negatively correlated (p = 0.002) with performance, suggesting its computational effectiveness in detecting changes in mental state during memory tasks involving children. Overall, our findings suggest that auditory and visual VWM involved the same brain cortical areas (frontal, parietal, occipital, and midline) and that the significant differences in cortical activation in theta band were more related to memory load than sensory modality, suggesting that VWM function in the child's brain involves a cross-modal processing pattern.
Collapse
|
8
|
Liu Y, Ma W, Guo X, Lin X, Wu C, Zhu T. Impacts of Color Coding on Programming Learning in Multimedia Learning: Moving Toward a Multimodal Methodology. Front Psychol 2021; 12:773328. [PMID: 34925175 PMCID: PMC8677832 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.773328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we tested the effectiveness of color coding on the programming learning of students who were learning from video lectures. Effectiveness was measured using multimodal physiological measures, combining eye tracking and electroencephalography (EEG). Using a between-subjects design, 42 university students were randomly assigned to two video lecture conditions (color-coded vs. grayscale). The participants' eye tracking and EEG signals were recorded while watching the assigned video, and their learning performance was subsequently assessed. The results showed that the color-coded design was more beneficial than the grayscale design, as indicated by smaller pupil diameter, shorter fixation duration, higher EEG theta and alpha band power, lower EEG cognitive load, and better learning performance. The present findings have practical implications for designing slide-based programming learning video lectures; slides should highlight the format of the program code using color coding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- School of Information and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Tagliabue CF, Mazza V. What Can Neural Activity Tell Us About Cognitive Resources in Aging? Front Psychol 2021; 12:753423. [PMID: 34733219 PMCID: PMC8558238 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.753423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A reduction in cognitive resources has been originally proposed to account for age-related decrements in several cognitive domains. According to this view, aging limits the pool of available cognitive supplies: Compared to younger adults, elderly exhaust the resources more rapidly as task difficulty increases, hence a dramatic performance drop. Neurophysiological indexes (e.g., BOLD response and EEG activity) may be instrumental to quantify the amount of such cognitive resources in the brain and to pinpoint the stage of stimulus processing where the decrement in age-related resources is evident. However, as we discuss in this mini-review, the most recent studies on the neurophysiological markers of age-related changes lack a consistent coupling between neural and behavioral effects, which casts doubt on the advantage of measuring neural indexes to study resource deployment in aging. For instance, in the working memory (WM) domain, recent cross-sectional studies found varying patterns of concurrent age-related brain activity, ranging from equivalent to reduced and increased activations of old with respect to younger adults. In an attempt to reconcile these seemingly inconsistent findings of brain-behavior coupling, we focus on the contribution of confounding sources of variability and propose ways to control for them. Finally, we suggest an alternative perspective to explain age-related effects that implies a qualitative (instead of or along with a quantitative) difference in the deployment of cognitive resources in aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara F Tagliabue
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC) - University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Veronica Mazza
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC) - University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Xie Y, Li Y, Duan H, Xu X, Zhang W, Fang P. Theta Oscillations and Source Connectivity During Complex Audiovisual Object Encoding in Working Memory. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:614950. [PMID: 33762914 PMCID: PMC7982740 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.614950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory is a limited capacity memory system that involves the short-term storage and processing of information. Neuroscientific studies of working memory have mostly focused on the essential roles of neural oscillations during item encoding from single sensory modalities (e.g., visual and auditory). However, the characteristics of neural oscillations during multisensory encoding in working memory are rarely studied. Our study investigated the oscillation characteristics of neural signals in scalp electrodes and mapped functional brain connectivity while participants encoded complex audiovisual objects in a working memory task. Experimental results showed that theta oscillations (4–8 Hz) were prominent and topographically distributed across multiple cortical regions, including prefrontal (e.g., superior frontal gyrus), parietal (e.g., precuneus), temporal (e.g., inferior temporal gyrus), and occipital (e.g., cuneus) cortices. Furthermore, neural connectivity at the theta oscillation frequency was significant in these cortical regions during audiovisual object encoding compared with single modality object encoding. These results suggest that local oscillations and interregional connectivity via theta activity play an important role during audiovisual object encoding and may contribute to the formation of working memory traces from multisensory items.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjun Xie
- School of Education, Xin Yang College, Xinyang, China.,Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yanyan Li
- School of Education, Xin Yang College, Xinyang, China
| | - Haidan Duan
- School of Education, Xin Yang College, Xinyang, China
| | - Xiliang Xu
- School of Education, Xin Yang College, Xinyang, China
| | - Wenmo Zhang
- Department of Fundamental, Army Logistical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Social Medicine and Health and Management, College of Military Preventive Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Peng Fang
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| |
Collapse
|