1
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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.
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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.
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2
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Le Cunff AL, Dommett E, Giampietro V. Neurophysiological measures and correlates of cognitive load in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and dyslexia: A scoping review and research recommendations. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:256-282. [PMID: 38109476 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16201] [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: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Working memory is integral to a range of critical cognitive functions such as reasoning and decision-making. Although alterations in working memory have been observed in neurodivergent populations, there has been no review mapping how cognitive load is measured in common neurodevelopmental conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and dyslexia. This scoping review explores the neurophysiological measures used to study cognitive load in these specific populations. Our findings highlight that electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are the most frequently used methods, with a limited number of studies employing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRs), magnetoencephalography (MEG) or eye-tracking. Notably, eye-related measures are less commonly used, despite their prominence in cognitive load research among neurotypical individuals. The review also highlights potential correlates of cognitive load, such as neural oscillations in the theta and alpha ranges for EEG studies, blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) responses in lateral and medial frontal brain regions for fMRI and fNIRS studies and eye-related measures such as pupil dilation and blink rate. Finally, critical issues for future studies are discussed, including the technical challenges associated with multimodal approaches, the possible impact of atypical features on cognitive load measures and balancing data richness with participant well-being. These insights contribute to a more nuanced understanding of cognitive load measurement in neurodivergent populations and point to important methodological considerations for future neuroscientific research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Laure Le Cunff
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Eleanor Dommett
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Vincent Giampietro
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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3
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Chen X, Ma R, Zhang W, Zeng GQ, Wu Q, Yimiti A, Xia X, Cui J, Liu Q, Meng X, Bu J, Chen Q, Pan Y, Yu NX, Wang S, Deng ZD, Sack AT, Laughlin MM, Zhang X. Alpha oscillatory activity is causally linked to working memory retention. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3001999. [PMID: 36780560 PMCID: PMC9983870 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Although previous studies have reported correlations between alpha oscillations and the "retention" subprocess of working memory (WM), causal evidence has been limited in human neuroscience due to the lack of delicate modulation of human brain oscillations. Conventional transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is not suitable for demonstrating the causal evidence for parietal alpha oscillations in WM retention because of its inability to modulate brain oscillations within a short period (i.e., the retention subprocess). Here, we developed an online phase-corrected tACS system capable of precisely correcting for the phase differences between tACS and concurrent endogenous oscillations. This system permits the modulation of brain oscillations at the target stimulation frequency within a short stimulation period and is here applied to empirically demonstrate that parietal alpha oscillations causally relate to WM retention. Our experimental design included both in-phase and anti-phase alpha-tACS applied to participants during the retention subprocess of a modified Sternberg paradigm. Compared to in-phase alpha-tACS, anti-phase alpha-tACS decreased both WM performance and alpha activity. These findings strongly support a causal link between alpha oscillations and WM retention and illustrate the broad application prospects of phase-corrected tACS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueli Chen
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ru Ma
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Ginger Qinghong Zeng
- Application Technology Center of Physical Therapy to Brain Disorders, Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Qianying Wu
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Ajiguli Yimiti
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xinzhao Xia
- Centers for Biomedical Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jiangtian Cui
- Centers for Biomedical Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Qiongwei Liu
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xueer Meng
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Junjie Bu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Qi Chen
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Pan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence for Information Behavior, School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Nancy Xiaonan Yu
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shouyan Wang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhi-De Deng
- Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics & Pathophysiology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Alexander T. Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Myles Mc Laughlin
- Exp ORL, Department of Neuroscience, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Xiaochu Zhang
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Application Technology Center of Physical Therapy to Brain Disorders, Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities & Social Science, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China
- * E-mail:
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4
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Wang J, Huo S, Wu KC, Mo J, Wong WL, Maurer U. Behavioral and neurophysiological aspects of working memory impairment in children with dyslexia. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12571. [PMID: 35869126 PMCID: PMC9307804 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16729-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe present study aimed to identify behavioral and neurophysiological correlates of dyslexia which could potentially predict reading difficulty. One hundred and three Chinese children with and without dyslexia (Grade 2 or 3, 7- to 11-year-old) completed both verbal and visual working memory (n-back) tasks with concurrent EEG recording. Data of 74 children with sufficient usable EEG data are reported here. Overall, the typically developing control group (N = 28) responded significantly faster and more accurately than the group with dyslexia (N = 46), in both types of tasks. Group differences were also found in EEG band power in the retention phase of the tasks. Moreover, forward stepwise logistic regression demonstrated that both behavioral and neurophysiological measures predicted reading difficulty uniquely. Dyslexia was associated with higher frontal midline theta activity and reduced upper-alpha power in the posterior region. This finding is discussed in relation to the neural efficiency hypothesis. Whether these behavioral and neurophysiological patterns can longitudinally predict later reading development among preliterate children requires further investigation.
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5
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Galkin SA, Vasilieva SN, Simutkin GG, Ivanova SA. Executive dysfunction in affective disorders: differences in bipolar affective disorder and depressive episode. BULLETIN OF SIBERIAN MEDICINE 2022. [DOI: 10.20538/1682-0363-2022-3-28-33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Aim. To identify the differences in executive function (inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility) between patients with bipolar affective disorder and depressive episode.Materials and methods. A total of 72 patients with affective disorders aged 20–40 years were examined. Of them, 30 patients had bipolar affective disorder, a current episode of mild or moderate depression, and 42 patients had a mild, moderate, and severe depressive episode without symptoms of psychosis. The executive function was evaluated using PsyToolkit, a set of software tools for programming psychological experiments. Computerized Go/ No–go tasks (assessment of inhibitory control and psychomotor functions), the Corsi block-tapping test (assessment of visual and spatial working memory capacities), and the Stroop Color and Word Test (assessment of cognitive flexibility) were used.Results. An intergroup comparison of patients revealed that patients with bipolar disorder significantly more often demonstrated false button press in the Go/No–go task (p = 0.043); however, they exhibited a greater working memory capacity in the Corsi block-tapping test (p = 0.049) compared with patients with a depressive episode.Conclusion. Important data were obtained regarding the specifics of executive dysfunction depending on the type of affective disorder. The presented data expand and supplement available information about the cognitive characteristics of patients with bipolar affective disorder and depressive episode, which may be useful in clinical practice and serve a focus of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. A. Galkin
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center (NRMC), Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - S. N. Vasilieva
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center (NRMC), Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - G. G. Simutkin
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center (NRMC), Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - S. A. Ivanova
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center (NRMC), Russian Academy of Sciences; Siberian State Medical University
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6
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Yoneta N, Watanabe H, Shimojo A, Takano K, Saito T, Yagyu K, Shiraishi H, Yokosawa K, Boasen J. Magnetoencephalography Hyperscanning Evidence of Differing Cognitive Strategies Due to Social Role During Auditory Communication. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:790057. [PMID: 35983225 PMCID: PMC9380591 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.790057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Auditory communication is an essential form of human social interaction. However, the intra-brain cortical-oscillatory drivers of auditory communication exchange remain relatively unexplored. We used improvisational music performance to simulate and capture the creativity and turn-taking dynamics of natural auditory communication. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG) hyperscanning in musicians, we targeted brain activity during periods of music communication imagery, and separately analyzed theta (5–7 Hz), alpha (8–13 Hz), and beta (15–29 Hz) source-level activity using a within-subjects, two-factor approach which considered the assigned social role of the subject (leader or follower) and whether communication responses were improvisational (yes or no). Theta activity related to improvisational communication and social role significantly interacted in the left isthmus cingulate cortex. Social role was furthermore differentiated by pronounced occipital alpha and beta amplitude increases suggestive of working memory retention engagement in Followers but not Leaders. The results offer compelling evidence for both musical and social neuroscience that the cognitive strategies, and correspondingly the memory and attention-associated oscillatory brain activities of interlocutors during communication differs according to their social role/hierarchy, thereby indicating that social role/hierarchy needs to be controlled for in social neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nano Yoneta
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Hayato Watanabe
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Department of Child Studies, Toyooka Junior College, Toyooka, Japan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Shimojo
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Takano
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takuya Saito
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kazuyori Yagyu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Hideaki Shiraishi
- Department of Pediatrics, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Koichi Yokosawa
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Koichi Yokosawa,
| | - Jared Boasen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Tech3Lab, HEC Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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7
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Mphahlele RM, Meyer A, Pillay BJ. Working memory and set-shifting in school-aged children classified as having attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. S Afr J Psychiatr 2022; 28:1729. [PMID: 35169513 PMCID: PMC8831923 DOI: 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v28i0.1729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ramatladi M Mphahlele
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Anneke Meyer
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Basil J Pillay
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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8
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Rhythmicity of Prefrontal Local Field Potentials after Nucleus Basalis Stimulation. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0380-21.2022. [PMID: 35058309 PMCID: PMC8856705 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0380-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The action of acetylcholine in the cortex is critical for cognitive functions and cholinergic drugs can improve functions such as attention and working memory. An alternative means of enhancing cholinergic neuromodulation in primates is the intermittent electrical stimulation of the cortical source of acetylcholine, the nucleus basalis (NB) of Meynert. NB stimulation generally increases firing rate of neurons in the prefrontal cortex, however its effects on single neurons are diverse and complex. We sought to understand how NB stimulation affects global measures of neural activity by recording and analyzing local field potentials (LFPs) in monkeys as they performed working memory tasks. NB stimulation primarily decreased power in the alpha frequency range during the delay interval of working memory tasks. The effect was consistent across variants of the task. No consistent modulation in the delay interval of the task was observed in the gamma frequency range, which has previously been implicated in the maintenance of working memory. Our results reveal global effects of cholinergic neuromodulation via deep brain stimulation, an emerging intervention for the improvement of cognitive function.
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9
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Binkowska AA, Jakubowska N, Krystecka K, Galant N, Piotrowska-Cyplik A, Brzezicka A. Theta and Alpha Oscillatory Activity During Working Memory Maintenance in Long-Term Cannabis Users: The Importance of the Polydrug Use Context. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:740277. [PMID: 34733146 PMCID: PMC8558244 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.740277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Impairments in various subdomains of memory have been associated with chronic cannabis use, but less is known about their neural underpinnings, especially in the domain of the brain's oscillatory activity. Aims: To investigate neural oscillatory activity supporting working memory (WM) in regular cannabis users and non-using controls. We focused our analyses on frontal midline theta and posterior alpha asymmetry as oscillatory fingerprints for the WM's maintenance process. Methods: 30 non-using controls (CG) and 57 regular cannabis users-27 exclusive cannabis users (CU) and 30 polydrug cannabis users (PU) completed a Sternberg modified WM task with a concurrent electroencephalography recording. Theta, alpha and beta frequency bands were examined during WM maintenance. Results: When compared to non-using controls, the PU group displayed increased frontal midline theta (FMT) power during WM maintenance, which was positively correlated with RT. The posterior alpha asymmetry during the maintenance phase, on the other hand, was negatively correlated with RT in the CU group. WM performance did not differ between groups. Conclusions: Both groups of cannabis users (CU and PU), when compared to the control group, displayed differences in oscillatory activity during WM maintenance, unique for each group (in CU posterior alpha and in PU FMT correlated with performance). We interpret those differences as a reflection of compensatory strategies, as there were no differences between groups in task performance. Understanding the psychophysiological processes in regular cannabis users may provide insight on how chronic use may affect neural networks underlying cognitive processes, however, a polydrug use context (i.e., combining cannabis with other illegal substances) seems to be an important factor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalia Jakubowska
- SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland.,Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | | | - Aneta Brzezicka
- SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
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10
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Pavlov YG, Kotchoubey B. Temporally distinct oscillatory codes of retention and manipulation of verbal working memory. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:6497-6511. [PMID: 34514642 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Most psychophysiological studies of working memory (WM) target only the short-term memory construct, whereas short-term memory is only a part of the WM responsible for the storage of sensory information. Here, we aimed to further investigate oscillatory brain mechanisms supporting the executive components of WM-the part responsible for the manipulation of information. We conducted an exploratory reanalysis of a previously published EEG dataset where 156 participants (82 females) performed tasks requiring either simple retention or retention and manipulation of verbal information in WM. A relatively long delay period (>6 s) was employed to investigate the temporal trajectory of the oscillatory brain activity. Compared with baseline, theta activity was significantly enhanced during encoding and the delay period. Alpha-band power decreased during encoding and switched to an increase in the first part of the delay before returning to the baseline in the second part; beta-band power remained below baseline during encoding and the delay. The difference between the manipulation and retention tasks in spectral power had diverse temporal trajectories in different frequency bands. The difference maintained over encoding and the first part of the delay in theta, during the first part of the delay in beta, and during the whole delay period in alpha. Our results suggest that task-related modulations in theta power co-vary with the demands on the executive control network; beta suppression during mental manipulation can be related to the activation of motor networks; and alpha is likely to reflect the activation of language areas simultaneously with sensory input blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri G Pavlov
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Boris Kotchoubey
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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11
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Prince P, Paul BT, Chen J, Le T, Lin V, Dimitrijevic A. Neural correlates of visual stimulus encoding and verbal working memory differ between cochlear implant users and normal-hearing controls. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:5016-5037. [PMID: 34146363 PMCID: PMC8457219 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A common concern for individuals with severe‐to‐profound hearing loss fitted with cochlear implants (CIs) is difficulty following conversations in noisy environments. Recent work has suggested that these difficulties are related to individual differences in brain function, including verbal working memory and the degree of cross‐modal reorganization of auditory areas for visual processing. However, the neural basis for these relationships is not fully understood. Here, we investigated neural correlates of visual verbal working memory and sensory plasticity in 14 CI users and age‐matched normal‐hearing (NH) controls. While we recorded the high‐density electroencephalogram (EEG), participants completed a modified Sternberg visual working memory task where sets of letters and numbers were presented visually and then recalled at a later time. Results suggested that CI users had comparable behavioural working memory performance compared with NH. However, CI users had more pronounced neural activity during visual stimulus encoding, including stronger visual‐evoked activity in auditory and visual cortices, larger modulations of neural oscillations and increased frontotemporal connectivity. In contrast, during memory retention of the characters, CI users had descriptively weaker neural oscillations and significantly lower frontotemporal connectivity. We interpret the differences in neural correlates of visual stimulus processing in CI users through the lens of cross‐modal and intramodal plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Prince
- Evaluative Clinical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brandon T Paul
- Evaluative Clinical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph Chen
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Trung Le
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vincent Lin
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew Dimitrijevic
- Evaluative Clinical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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12
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Arski ON, Young JM, Smith ML, Ibrahim GM. The Oscillatory Basis of Working Memory Function and Dysfunction in Epilepsy. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 14:612024. [PMID: 33584224 PMCID: PMC7874181 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.612024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) deficits are pervasive co-morbidities of epilepsy. Although the pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning these impairments remain elusive, it is thought that WM depends on oscillatory interactions within and between nodes of large-scale functional networks. These include the hippocampus and default mode network as well as the prefrontal cortex and frontoparietal central executive network. Here, we review the functional roles of neural oscillations in subserving WM and the putative mechanisms by which epilepsy disrupts normative activity, leading to aberrant oscillatory signatures. We highlight the particular role of interictal epileptic activity, including interictal epileptiform discharges and high frequency oscillations (HFOs) in WM deficits. We also discuss the translational opportunities presented by greater understanding of the oscillatory basis of WM function and dysfunction in epilepsy, including potential targets for neuromodulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia N. Arski
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Julia M. Young
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mary-Lou Smith
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - George M. Ibrahim
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Pavlov YG, Kotchoubey B. Oscillatory brain activity and maintenance of verbal and visual working memory: A systematic review. Psychophysiology 2020; 59:e13735. [PMID: 33278030 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Brain oscillations likely play a significant role in the storage of information in working memory (WM). Despite the wide popularity of the topic, current attempts to summarize the research in the field are narrative reviews. We address this gap by providing a descriptive systematic review, in which we investigated oscillatory correlates of maintenance of verbal and visual information in WM. The systematic approach enabled us to challenge some common views popularized by previous research. The identified literature (100 EEG/MEG studies) highlighted the importance of theta oscillations in verbal WM: frontal midline theta enhanced with load in most verbal studies, while more equivocal results have been obtained in visual studies. Increasing WM load affected alpha activity in most studies, but the direction of the effect was inconsistent: the ratio of studies that found alpha increase versus decrease with increasing load was 80/20% in the verbal WM domain and close to 60/40% in the visual domain. Alpha asymmetry (left < right) was a common finding in both verbal and visual WM studies. Beta and gamma activity studies yielded the least convincing data: a diversity in the spatial and frequency distribution of beta activity prevented us from making a coherent conclusion; gamma rhythm was virtually neglected in verbal WM studies with no systematic support for sustained gamma changes during the delay in EEG studies in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri G Pavlov
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation
| | - Boris Kotchoubey
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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14
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Pavlov YG, Kotchoubey B. The electrophysiological underpinnings of variation in verbal working memory capacity. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16090. [PMID: 32999329 PMCID: PMC7527344 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72940-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) consists of short-term storage and executive components. We studied cortical oscillatory correlates of these two components in a large sample of 156 participants to assess separately the contribution of them to individual differences in WM. The participants were presented with WM tasks of above-average complexity. Some of the tasks required only storage in WM, others required storage and mental manipulations. Our data indicate a close relationship between frontal midline theta, central beta activity and the executive components of WM. The oscillatory counterparts of the executive components were associated with individual differences in verbal WM performance. In contrast, alpha activity was not related to the individual differences. The results demonstrate that executive components of WM, rather than short-term storage capacity, play the decisive role in individual WM capacity limits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri G Pavlov
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- Department of Psychology, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation, 620000.
| | - Boris Kotchoubey
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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