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Happer JP, Beaton LE, Wagner LC, Hodgkinson CA, Goldman D, Marinkovic K. Neural indices of heritable impulsivity: Impact of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism on frontal beta power during early motor preparation. Biol Psychol 2024; 191:108826. [PMID: 38862067 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108826] [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: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Studies of COMT Val158Met suggest that the neural circuitry subserving inhibitory control may be modulated by this functional polymorphism altering cortical dopamine availability, thus giving rise to heritable differences in behaviors. Using an anatomically-constrained magnetoencephalography method and stratifying the sample by COMT genotype, from a larger sample of 153 subjects, we examined the spatial and temporal dynamics of beta oscillations during motor execution and inhibition in 21 healthy Met158/Met158 (high dopamine) or 21 Val158/Val158 (low dopamine) genotype individuals during a Go/NoGo paradigm. While task performance was unaffected, Met158 homozygotes demonstrated an overall increase in beta power across regions essential for inhibitory control during early motor preparation (∼100 ms latency), suggestive of a global motor "pause" on behavior. This increase was especially evident on Go trials with slow response speed and was absent during inhibition failures. Such a pause could underlie the tendency of Met158 allele carriers to be more cautious and inhibited. In contrast, Val158 homozygotes exhibited a beta drop during early motor preparation, indicative of high response readiness. This decrease was associated with measures of behavioral disinhibition and consistent with greater extraversion and impulsivity observed in Val homozygotes. These results provide mechanistic insight into genetically-determined interindividual differences of inhibitory control with higher cortical dopamine associated with momentary response hesitation, and lower dopamine leading to motor impulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph P Happer
- San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Lauren E Beaton
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Laura C Wagner
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - David Goldman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ksenija Marinkovic
- San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA.
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2
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Scaltritti M, Greatti E, Sulpizio S. Electrophysiological evidence of discontinuities in the propagation of lexical decision processes across the motor hierarchy. Neuropsychologia 2023; 188:108630. [PMID: 37380101 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108630] [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: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
This research assessed the propagation of decisional effects across multiple electrophysiological indexes related to motor-response implementation within a lexical decision task, a paradigmatic case of a 2-alternative choice task on linguistic stimuli. By co-registering electroencephalographic and electromyographic data, we focused on the lexicality effect (i.e., the difference between responses to words and nonwords), and we tracked its influence across indexes of motor-response planning (indexed by effector-selective lateralization of beta-frequency desynchronizations), programming (indexed by the lateralized readiness potential) and execution (indexed by the chronometric durations of muscular responses). In addition, we explored corticomuscular coherence as the potential physiological underpinning of a continuous mapping of information between stimulus evaluation and response channels. The results revealed lexicality effects only on indexes of motor planning and execution, with no reliable involvement of the other measures. This pattern is discussed with reference to the hypothesis of multiple decisional components exerting different influences across the motor-hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Scaltritti
- Dipartimento di Psicologia e Scienze Cognitive, Università Degli Studi di Trento, Corso Bettini 31, 38068, Rovereto TN, Italy.
| | - Elena Greatti
- Dipartimento di Psicologia e Scienze Cognitive, Università Degli Studi di Trento, Corso Bettini 31, 38068, Rovereto TN, Italy
| | - Simone Sulpizio
- Dipartimento di Psicologia - Università Degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza Dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126, Milano MI, Italy; Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMI) - Università Degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza Dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126, Milano MI, Italy.
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3
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McLoughlin G, Gyurkovics M, Palmer J, Makeig S. Midfrontal Theta Activity in Psychiatric Illness: An Index of Cognitive Vulnerabilities Across Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:173-182. [PMID: 34756560 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
There is an urgent need to identify the mechanisms that contribute to atypical thinking and behavior associated with psychiatric illness. Behavioral and brain measures of cognitive control are associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders and conditions as well as daily life functioning. Recognition of the importance of cognitive control in human behavior has led to intensive research into behavioral and neurobiological correlates. Oscillations in the theta band (4-8 Hz) over medial frontal recording sites are becoming increasingly established as a direct neural index of certain aspects of cognitive control. In this review, we point toward evidence that theta acts to coordinate multiple neural processes in disparate brain regions during task processing to optimize behavior. Theta-related signals in human electroencephalography include the N2, the error-related negativity, and measures of theta power in the (time-)frequency domain. We investigate how these theta signals are affected in a wide range of psychiatric conditions with known deficiencies in cognitive control: anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and substance abuse. Theta-related control signals and their temporal consistency were found to differ in most patient groups compared with healthy control subjects, suggesting fundamental deficits in reactive and proactive control. Notably, however, clinical studies directly investigating the role of theta in the coordination of goal-directed processes across different brain regions are uncommon and are encouraged in future research. A finer-grained analysis of flexible, subsecond-scale functional networks in psychiatric disorders could contribute to a dimensional understanding of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gráinne McLoughlin
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Máté Gyurkovics
- Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Jason Palmer
- Department of Neurological Diagnosis and Restoration, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Scott Makeig
- Institute for Neural Computation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
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4
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Isabella SL, Cheyne JA, Cheyne D. Inhibitory Control in the Absence of Awareness: Interactions Between Frontal and Motor Cortex Oscillations Mediate Implicitly Learned Responses. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 15:786035. [PMID: 35002659 PMCID: PMC8727746 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.786035] [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: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control of action is associated with conscious effort and is hypothesised to be reflected by increased frontal theta activity. However, the functional role of these increases in theta power, and how they contribute to cognitive control remains unknown. We conducted an MEG study to test the hypothesis that frontal theta oscillations interact with sensorimotor signals in order to produce controlled behaviour, and that the strength of these interactions will vary with the amount of control required. We measured neuromagnetic activity in 16 healthy adults performing a response inhibition (Go/Switch) task, known from previous work to modulate cognitive control requirements using hidden patterns of Go and Switch cues. Learning was confirmed by reduced reaction times (RT) to patterned compared to random Switch cues. Concurrent measures of pupil diameter revealed changes in subjective cognitive effort with stimulus probability, even in the absence of measurable behavioural differences, revealing instances of covert variations in cognitive effort. Significant theta oscillations were found in five frontal brain regions, with theta power in the right middle frontal and right premotor cortices parametrically increasing with cognitive effort. Similar increases in oscillatory power were also observed in motor cortical gamma, suggesting an interaction. Right middle frontal and right precentral theta activity predicted changes in pupil diameter across all experimental conditions, demonstrating a close relationship between frontal theta increases and cognitive control. Although no theta-gamma cross-frequency coupling was found, long-range theta phase coherence among the five significant sources between bilateral middle frontal, right inferior frontal, and bilateral premotor areas was found, thus providing a mechanism for the relay of cognitive control between frontal and motor areas via theta signalling. Furthermore, this provides the first evidence for the sensitivity of frontal theta oscillations to implicit motor learning and its effects on cognitive load. More generally these results present a possible a mechanism for this frontal theta network to coordinate response preparation, inhibition and execution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia L Isabella
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - J Allan Cheyne
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Douglas Cheyne
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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5
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Cinar E, Saxena S, McFadyen BJ, Lamontagne A, Gagnon I. A prediction model of multiple resource theory for dual task walking. THEORETICAL ISSUES IN ERGONOMICS SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/1463922x.2021.1981483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eda Cinar
- McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Shikha Saxena
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bradford J. McFadyen
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration (CIRRIS), CIUSSS-CN, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Rehabilitation, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anouk Lamontagne
- Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital Research site of the Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain (CRIR), Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Isabelle Gagnon
- McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Concussion Research Lab, Montreal Children’s Hospital, MUHC, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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De Nil L, Isabella S, Jobst C, Kwon S, Mollaei F, Cheyne D. Complexity-Dependent Modulations of Beta Oscillations for Verbal and Nonverbal Movements. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2021; 64:2248-2260. [PMID: 33900804 DOI: 10.1044/2021_jslhr-20-00275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Purpose The planning and execution of motor behaviors require coordination of neurons that are established through synchronization of neural activity. Movements are typically preceded by event-related desynchronization (ERD) in the beta range (15-30 Hz) primarily localized in the motor cortex, while movement onset is associated with event-related synchronization (ERS). It is hypothesized that ERD is important for movement preparation and execution, and ERS serves to inhibit movement and update the motor plan. The primary objective of this study was to determine to what extent movement-related oscillatory brain patterns (ERD and ERS) during verbal and nonverbal tasks may be affected differentially by variations in task complexity. Method Seventeen right-handed adult participants (nine women, eight men; M age = 25.8 years, SD = 5.13) completed a sequential button press and verbal task. The final analyses included data for 15 participants for the nonverbal task and 13 for the verbal task. Both tasks consisted of two complexity levels: simple and complex sequences. Magnetoencephalography was used to record modulations in beta band brain oscillations during task performance. Results Both the verbal and button press tasks were characterized by significant premovement ERD and postmovement ERS. However, only simple sequences showed a distinct transient synchronization during the premovement phase of the task. Differences between the two tasks were reflected in both latency and peak amplitude of ERD and ERS, as well as in lateralization of oscillations. Conclusions Both verbal and nonverbal movements showed a significant desynchronization of beta oscillations during the movement preparation and holding phase and a resynchronization upon movement termination. Importantly, the premovement phase for simple but not complex tasks was characterized by a transient partial synchronization. In addition, the data revealed significant differences between the two tasks in terms of lateralization of oscillatory modulations. Our findings suggest that, while data from the general motor control research can inform our understanding of speech motor control, significant differences exist between the two motor systems that caution against overgeneralization of underlying neural control processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc De Nil
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Silvia Isabella
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cecilia Jobst
- The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Soonji Kwon
- The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fatemeh Mollaei
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Douglas Cheyne
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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7
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Cinar E, Saxena S, Gagnon I. Differential Effects of Concurrent Tasks on Gait in Typically Developing Children: A Meta-Analysis. J Mot Behav 2020; 53:509-522. [PMID: 32677588 DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2020.1791038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to systematically analyze the literature surrounding dual-task (DT) effects on gait in typically developing children (TDC) and to conduct meta-analyses where applicable. After reviewing the abstracts of 676 articles, a total of 22 studies were included. The outcomes of interest were relative change in gait speed, cadence, stride length, double support time, variability in stride length between single and DT walking; and the exposures were concurrent tasks used for DT gait assessment. DT significantly affected each gait parameter (point estimate (PE), ranged from PE, -0.10; 95% CI, -0.13 to -0.08; p < .001 to PE, -0.66; 95% CI, -0.94 to -0.38; p < .001). The strength of DT effects varied by the concurrent task used. The greatest DT effect on gait speed, which was the most commonly presented outcome, was reported when upper extremity complex functional tasks (PE, -0.36; 95% CI, -0.49 to -0.23; p < .001, fine motor tasks (PE, -0.35; 95% CI, -0.38 to -0.32; p < .001), and verbal fluency tasks (PE, -0.26; 95% CI, -0.30 to -0.21; p < .001) were completed concurrently with gait. Children and adolescents experience performance decrements when they walk under DT conditions. Concurrent tasks differentially affect the degree of DT interference for each gait parameter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eda Cinar
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Shikha Saxena
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Isabelle Gagnon
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Concussion Research Lab, Trauma Center, Montreal Children's Hospital, MUHC, Westmount, Québec, Canada
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8
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Scaltritti M, Job R, Alario FX, Sulpizio S. On the Boundaries between Decision and Action: Effector-selective Lateralization of Beta-frequency Power Is Modulated by the Lexical Frequency of Printed Words. J Cogn Neurosci 2020; 32:2131-2144. [PMID: 32662730 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Current computational and neuroscientific models of decision-making posit a discrete, serial processing distinction between upstream decisional stages and downstream processes of motor-response implementation. We investigated this framework in the context of two-alternative forced-choice tasks on linguistic stimuli, words and pseudowords. In two experiments, we assessed the impact of lexical frequency and action semantics on two effector-selective EEG indexes of motor-response activation: the lateralized readiness potential and the lateralization of beta-frequency power. This allowed us to track potentially continuous streams of processing progressively mapping the evaluation of linguistic stimuli onto corresponding response channels. Whereas action semantics showed no influence on EEG indexes of motor-response activation, lexical frequency affected the lateralization of response-locked beta-frequency power. We argue that these observations point toward a continuity between linguistic processing of word input stimuli and implementation of corresponding choice in terms of motor behavior. This interpretation challenges the commonly held assumption of a discrete processing distinction between decisional and motor-response processes in the context of decisions based on symbolic stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Scaltritti
- Università degli Studi di Trento, Italy.,Fondazione Marica De Vincenzi, ONLUS, Trento, Italy
| | - Remo Job
- Università degli Studi di Trento, Italy.,Fondazione Marica De Vincenzi, ONLUS, Trento, Italy
| | - F-Xavier Alario
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, LPC, France.,University of Pittsburgh
| | - Simone Sulpizio
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.,Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Italy
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9
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Isabella SL, Urbain C, Cheyne JA, Cheyne D. Pupillary responses and reaction times index different cognitive processes in a combined Go/Switch incidental learning task. Neuropsychologia 2019; 127:48-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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Correas A, López-Caneda E, Beaton L, Holguín SR, García-Moreno LM, Antón-Toro LF, Cadaveira F, Maestú F, Marinkovic K. Decreased event-related theta power and phase-synchrony in young binge drinkers during target detection: An anatomically-constrained MEG approach. J Psychopharmacol 2019; 33:335-346. [PMID: 30355025 PMCID: PMC6401286 DOI: 10.1177/0269881118805498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of binge drinking has risen in recent years. It is associated with a range of neurocognitive deficits among adolescents and young emerging adults who are especially vulnerable to alcohol use. Attention is an essential dimension of executive functioning and attentional disturbances may be associated with hazardous drinking. The aim of the study was to examine the oscillatory neural dynamics of attentional control during visual target detection in emerging young adults as a function of binge drinking. METHOD In total, 51 first-year university students (18 ± 0.6 years) were assigned to light drinking ( n = 26), and binge drinking ( n = 25) groups based on their alcohol consumption patterns. A high-density magnetoencephalography signal was combined with structural magnetic resonance imaging in an anatomically constrained magnetoencephalography model to estimate event-related source power in a theta (4-7 Hz) frequency band. Phase-locked co-oscillations were further estimated between the principally activated regions during task performance. RESULTS Overall, the greatest event-related theta power was elicited by targets in the right inferior frontal cortex and it correlated with performance accuracy and selective attention scores. Binge drinkers exhibited lower theta power and dysregulated oscillatory synchrony to targets in the right inferior frontal cortex, which correlated with higher levels of alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm that a highly interactive network in the right inferior frontal cortex subserves attentional control, revealing the importance of theta oscillations and neural synchrony for attentional capture and contextual maintenance. Attenuation of theta power and synchronous interactions in binge drinkers may indicate early stages of suboptimal integrative processing in young, highly functioning binge drinkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeles Correas
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
| | - Eduardo López-Caneda
- Neuropsychophysiology Lab, Research Center on Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Lauren Beaton
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
| | | | - Luis Miguel García-Moreno
- Department of Psychobiology and Methodology in Behavioral Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis F. Antón-Toro
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience (UCM-UPM), Centre of Biomedical Technology (CTB), Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Cadaveira
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Fernando Maestú
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience (UCM-UPM), Centre of Biomedical Technology (CTB), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
- Network of Center for Biomedical Research (CIBER-bbn), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ksenija Marinkovic
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, USA
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Jobst C, Ferrari P, Isabella S, Cheyne D. BrainWave: A Matlab Toolbox for Beamformer Source Analysis of MEG Data. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:587. [PMID: 30186107 PMCID: PMC6113377 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BrainWave is an easy-to-use Matlab toolbox for the analysis of magnetoencephalography data. It provides a graphical user interface for performing minimum-variance beamforming analysis with rapid and interactive visualization of evoked and induced brain activity. This article provides an overview of the main features of BrainWave with a step-by-step demonstration of how to proceed from raw experimental data to group source images and time series analyses. This includes data selection and pre-processing, magnetic resonance image co-registration and normalization procedures, and the generation of volumetric (whole-brain) or cortical surface based source images, and corresponding source time series as virtual sensor waveforms and their time-frequency representations. We illustrate these steps using example data from a recently published study on response inhibition (Isabella et al., 2015) using the sustained attention to response task paradigm in 12 healthy adult participants. In this task participants were required to press a button with their right index finger to a rapidly presented series of numerical digits and withhold their response to an infrequently presented target digit. This paradigm elicited movement-locked brain responses, as well as task-related modulation of brain rhythmic activity in different frequency bands (e.g., theta, beta, and gamma), and is used to illustrate two different types of source reconstruction implemented in the BrainWave toolbox: (1) event-related beamforming of averaged brain responses and (2) beamformer analysis of modulation of rhythmic brain activity using the synthetic aperture magnetometry algorithm. We also demonstrate the ability to generate group contrast images between different response types, using the example of frontal theta activation patterns during error responses (failure to withhold on target trials). BrainWave is free academic software available for download at http://cheynelab.utoronto.ca/brainwave along with supporting software and documentation. The development of the BrainWave toolbox was supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the National Research and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Ontario Brain Institute.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Jobst
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Paul Ferrari
- MEG Laboratory, Dell Children's Medical Centre of Central Texas, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Silvia Isabella
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Douglas Cheyne
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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12
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Zhang D, Gu R. Behavioral preference in sequential decision-making and its association with anxiety. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:2482-2499. [PMID: 29468778 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Revised: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In daily life, people often make consecutive decisions before the ultimate goal is reached (i.e., sequential decision-making). However, this kind of decision-making has been largely overlooked in the literature. The current study investigated whether behavioral preference would change during sequential decisions, and the neural processes underlying the potential changes. For this purpose, we revised the classic balloon analogue risk task and recorded the electroencephalograph (EEG) signals associated with each step of decision-making. Independent component analysis performed on EEG data revealed that four EEG components elicited by periodic feedback in the current step predicted participants' decisions (gamble vs. no gamble) in the next step. In order of time sequence, these components were: bilateral occipital alpha rhythm, bilateral frontal theta rhythm, middle frontal theta rhythm, and bilateral sensorimotor mu rhythm. According to the information flows between these EEG oscillations, we proposed a brain model that describes the temporal dynamics of sequential decision-making. Finally, we found that the tendency to gamble (as well as the power intensity of bilateral frontal theta rhythms) was sensitive to the individual level of trait anxiety in certain steps, which may help understand the role of emotion in decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Zhang
- Department of Psychology, College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ruolei Gu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
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13
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Beaton LE, Azma S, Marinkovic K. When the brain changes its mind: Oscillatory dynamics of conflict processing and response switching in a flanker task during alcohol challenge. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191200. [PMID: 29329355 PMCID: PMC5766228 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the subjective experience of being in full and deliberate control of our actions, our daily routines rely on a continuous and interactive engagement of sensory evaluation and response preparation streams. They unfold automatically and unconsciously and are seamlessly integrated with cognitive control which is mobilized by stimuli that evoke ambiguity or response conflict. Methods with high spatio-temporal sensitivity are needed to provide insight into the interplay between automatic and controlled processing. This study used anatomically-constrained MEG to examine the underlying neural dynamics in a flanker task that manipulated S-R incongruity at the stimulus (SI) and response levels (RI). Though irrelevant, flankers evoked automatic preparation of motor plans which had to be suppressed and reversed following the target presentation on RI trials. Event-related source power estimates in beta (15–25 Hz) frequency band in the sensorimotor cortex tracked motor preparation and response in real time and revealed switching from the incorrectly-primed to the correctly-responding hemisphere. In contrast, theta oscillations (4–7 Hz) were sensitive to the levels of incongruity as the medial and ventrolateral frontal cortices were especially activated by response conflict. These two areas are key to cognitive control and their integrated contributions to response inhibition and switching were revealed by phase-locked co-oscillations. These processes were pharmacologically manipulated with a moderate alcohol beverage or a placebo administered to healthy social drinkers. Alcohol selectively decreased accuracy to response conflict. It strongly attenuated theta oscillations during decision making and partly re-sculpted relative contributions of the frontal network without affecting the motor switching process subserved by beta band. Our results indicate that motor preparation is initiated automatically even when counterproductive but that it is monitored and regulated by the prefrontal cognitive control processes under conflict. They further confirm that the regulative top-down functions are particularly vulnerable to alcohol intoxication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E. Beaton
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Sheeva Azma
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ksenija Marinkovic
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, United States of America
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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14
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An oscillopathic approach to developmental dyslexia: From genes to speech processing. Behav Brain Res 2017; 329:84-95. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.03.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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15
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Kurz MJ, Proskovec AL, Gehringer JE, Heinrichs-Graham E, Wilson TW. Children with cerebral palsy have altered oscillatory activity in the motor and visual cortices during a knee motor task. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2017; 15:298-305. [PMID: 28560154 PMCID: PMC5440753 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The neuroimaging literature on cerebral palsy (CP) has predominantly focused on identifying structural aberrations within the white matter (e.g., fiber track integrity), with very few studies examining neural activity within the key networks that serve the production of motor actions. The current investigation used high-density magnetoencephalography to begin to fill this knowledge gap by quantifying the temporal dynamics of the alpha and beta cortical oscillations in children with CP (age = 15.5 ± 3 years; GMFCS levels II–III) and typically developing (TD) children (age = 14.1 ± 3 years) during a goal-directed isometric target-matching task using the knee joint. Advanced beamforming methods were used to image the cortical oscillations during the movement planning and execution stages. Compared with the TD children, our results showed that the children with CP had stronger alpha and beta event-related desynchronization (ERD) within the primary motor cortices, premotor area, inferior parietal lobule, and inferior frontal gyrus during the motor planning stage. Differences in beta ERD amplitude extended through the motor execution stage within the supplementary motor area and premotor cortices, and a stronger alpha ERD was detected in the anterior cingulate. Interestingly, our results also indicated that alpha and beta oscillations were weaker in the children with CP within the occipital cortices and visual MT area during movement execution. These altered alpha and beta oscillations were accompanied by slower reaction times and substantial target matching errors in the children with CP. We also identified that the strength of the alpha and beta ERDs during the motor planning and execution stages were correlated with the motor performance. Lastly, our regression analyses suggested that the beta ERD within visual areas during motor execution primarily predicted the amount of motor errors. Overall, these data suggest that uncharacteristic alpha and beta oscillations within visuomotor cortical networks play a prominent role in the atypical motor actions exhibited by children with CP. Children with CP performed an isometric task with the knee joint. Children with CP had stronger alpha and beta ERD during motor planning. These ERD differences extended through the motor execution period. Occipital cortices and visual MT area alpha and beta ERD were weaker. Altered alpha and beta ERD were accompanied by impaired motor actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max J Kurz
- Department of Physical Therapy, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States; Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States.
| | - Amy L Proskovec
- Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States; Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska - Omaha, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - James E Gehringer
- Department of Physical Therapy, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States; Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham
- Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States; Department of Neurological Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Tony W Wilson
- Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States; Department of Neurological Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
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16
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ERN, theta power, and risk for anxiety problems in preschoolers. Biol Psychol 2016; 123:103-110. [PMID: 27939699 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Revised: 11/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The Error Related Negativity (ERN) is a neural marker of performance monitoring that has been inconsistently linked to anxiety risk in children. One avenue for understanding inconsistencies is to investigate other neural dynamics linked to ERN. In this study, we investigated interactions between ERN and power in the theta frequency band, which is associated with attentional control and theorized to contribute ERN, in association with childhood anxiety risk. Fifty-nine 3-year-old children provided usable EEG data during a modified go/no-go task. Associations between ERN and anxious behaviors in preschoolers were moderated by theta power during incorrect trials. Specifically, when theta power was low, greater ERN predicted more social withdrawal; when theta power was high, ERN and social withdrawal were unrelated. Our findings suggest that ERN and theta may jointly contribute to anxiety risk in early childhood.
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17
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From intentions to actions: Neural oscillations encode motor processes through phase, amplitude and phase-amplitude coupling. Neuroimage 2016; 147:473-487. [PMID: 27915117 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.11.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Revised: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Goal-directed motor behavior is associated with changes in patterns of rhythmic neuronal activity across widely distributed brain areas. In particular, movement initiation and execution are mediated by patterns of synchronization and desynchronization that occur concurrently across distinct frequency bands and across multiple motor cortical areas. To date, motor-related local oscillatory modulations have been predominantly examined by quantifying increases or suppressions in spectral power. However, beyond signal power, spectral properties such as phase and phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) have also been shown to carry information with regards to the oscillatory dynamics underlying motor processes. Yet, the distinct functional roles of phase, amplitude and PAC across the planning and execution of goal-directed motor behavior remain largely elusive. Here, we address this question with unprecedented resolution thanks to multi-site intracerebral EEG recordings in human subjects while they performed a delayed motor task. To compare the roles of phase, amplitude and PAC, we monitored intracranial brain signals from 748 sites across six medically intractable epilepsy patients at movement execution, and during the delay period where motor intention is present but execution is withheld. In particular, we used a machine-learning framework to identify the key contributions of various neuronal responses. We found a high degree of overlap between brain network patterns observed during planning and those present during execution. Prominent amplitude increases in the delta (2-4Hz) and high gamma (60-200Hz) bands were observed during both planning and execution. In contrast, motor alpha (8-13Hz) and beta (13-30Hz) power were suppressed during execution, but enhanced during the delay period. Interestingly, single-trial classification revealed that low-frequency phase information, rather than spectral power change, was the most discriminant feature in dissociating action from intention. Additionally, despite providing weaker decoding, PAC features led to statistically significant classification of motor states, particularly in anterior cingulate cortex and premotor brain areas. These results advance our understanding of the distinct and partly overlapping involvement of phase, amplitude and the coupling between them, in the neuronal mechanisms underlying motor intentions and executions.
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18
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Fransen AMM, Dimitriadis G, van Ede F, Maris E. Distinct α- and β-band rhythms over rat somatosensory cortex with similar properties as in humans. J Neurophysiol 2016; 115:3030-44. [PMID: 27009160 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00507.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We demonstrate distinct α- (7-14 Hz) and β-band (15-30 Hz) rhythms in rat somatosensory cortex in vivo using epidural electrocorticography recordings. Moreover, we show in rats that a genuine β-rhythm coexists alongside β-activity that reflects the second harmonic of the arch-shaped somatosensory α-rhythm. This demonstration of a genuine somatosensory β-rhythm depends on a novel quantification of neuronal oscillations that is based on their rhythmic nature: lagged coherence. Using lagged coherence, we provide two lines of evidence that this somatosensory β-rhythm is distinct from the second harmonic of the arch-shaped α-rhythm. The first is based on the rhythms' spatial properties: the α- and β-rhythms are demonstrated to have significantly different topographies. The second is based on the rhythms' temporal properties: the lagged phase-phase coupling between the α- and β-rhythms is demonstrated to be significantly less than would be expected if both reflected a single underlying nonsinusoidal rhythm. Finally, we demonstrate that 1) the lagged coherence spectrum is consistent between signals from rat and human somatosensory cortex; and 2) a tactile stimulus has the same effect on the somatosensory α- and β-rhythms in both rats and humans, namely suppressing them. Thus we not only provide evidence for the existence of genuine α- and β-rhythms in rat somatosensory cortex, but also for their homology to the primate sensorimotor α- and β-rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne M M Fransen
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; and
| | - George Dimitriadis
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; and
| | - Freek van Ede
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; and Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eric Maris
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; and
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Slowing of information processing speed without motor slowing in multiple sclerosis observed during two crossing-off tasks. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2016; 172:225-30. [PMID: 26993566 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2015.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Revised: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Slowing of information processing speed (IPS) is often considered one of the primary deficits seen in multiple sclerosis (MS). IPS is usually measured by tasks that involve many cognitive functions. The aim of this study was to determine whether similar IPS slowing can also be observed during two simple, timed, psychomotor crossing-off tasks. METHOD The Crossing-Off Test (COT), a simple psychomotor task, was performed under two conditions (COT1 corresponded to writing habits, COT2 used horizontal sweeping) in 25 relapsing-remitting MS patients (EDSS 0-1) and 25 healthy controls. RESULTS The MS group compared with the control group was impaired on COT1 (P=0.0043) and not on COT2 (P=0.4), and the COT1 performance of MS patients with EDSS 1 was more impaired than those of patients with EDSS 0 (P=0.008). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION These results indicate that only some of the IPS cognitive subcomponents linked with COT1 tasks are initially involved in the slowing of IPS during MS, suggesting that different mechanisms are involved in each tested version of the COT.
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Complementary roles of cortical oscillations in automatic and controlled processing during rapid serial tasks. Neuroimage 2015; 118:268-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.05.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Adam R, Isabella S, Chan JL. Insight into motor control and motor impairment from stroke and beta oscillations. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:3033-5. [PMID: 26180114 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00098.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Beta oscillations are associated with motor function and are thought to play a role in movement impairment. In a recent magnetoencephalography (MEG) study, Rossiter et al. (J Neurophysiol 112: 2053-2058, 2014) found a disruption in the modulation of movement-related beta oscillations in stroke patients that correlated with motor impairment. We discuss how beta oscillatory measures characterize motor impairment, the implications of stroke variability, and the potential role of GABA in modulating oscillations following stroke and during stroke recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramina Adam
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Silvia Isabella
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jason L Chan
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada;
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22
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Pinet S, Hamamé CM, Longcamp M, Vidal F, Alario FX. Response planning in word typing: Evidence for inhibition. Psychophysiology 2014; 52:524-31. [DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Accepted: 09/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Pinet
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive; Aix-Marseille Université & CNRS; Marseille France
| | - Carlos M. Hamamé
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive; Aix-Marseille Université & CNRS; Marseille France
| | - Marieke Longcamp
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives; Aix-Marseille Université & CNRS; Marseille France
| | - Franck Vidal
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives; Aix-Marseille Université & CNRS; Marseille France
| | - F.-Xavier Alario
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive; Aix-Marseille Université & CNRS; Marseille France
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Pammer K. Temporal sampling in vision and the implications for dyslexia. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 7:933. [PMID: 24596549 PMCID: PMC3925989 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2013] [Accepted: 12/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
It has recently been suggested that dyslexia may manifest as a deficit in the neural synchrony underlying language-based codes (Goswami, 2011), such that the phonological deficits apparent in dyslexia occur as a consequence of poor synchronisation of oscillatory brain signals to the sounds of language. There is compelling evidence to support this suggestion, and it provides an intriguing new development in understanding the aetiology of dyslexia. It is undeniable that dyslexia is associated with poor phonological coding, however, reading is also a visual task, and dyslexia has also been associated with poor visual coding, particularly visuo-spatial sensitivity. It has been hypothesized for some time that specific frequency oscillations underlie visual perception. Although little research has been done looking specifically at dyslexia and cortical frequency oscillations, it is possible to draw on converging evidence from visual tasks to speculate that similar deficits could occur in temporal frequency oscillations in the visual domain in dyslexia. Thus, here the plausibility of a visual correlate of the Temporal Sampling Framework is considered, leading to specific hypotheses and predictions for future research. A common underlying neural mechanism in dyslexia, may subsume qualitatively different manifestations of reading difficulty, which is consistent with the heterogeneity of the disorder, and may open the door for a new generation of exciting research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Pammer
- The Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University Canberra, ACT, Australia
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Cheyne DO. MEG studies of sensorimotor rhythms: A review. Exp Neurol 2013; 245:27-39. [PMID: 22981841 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2012.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Revised: 08/24/2012] [Accepted: 08/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Owen Cheyne
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1X8.
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25
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Barker LA. Defining the Parameters of Incidental Learning on a Serial Reaction Time (SRT) Task: Do Conscious Rules Apply? Brain Sci 2012; 2:769-89. [PMID: 24961269 PMCID: PMC4061816 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci2040769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2012] [Revised: 10/29/2012] [Accepted: 12/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is ongoing debate about the contribution of explicit processes to incidental learning, particularly attention, working memory and control mechanisms. Studies generally measure explicit process contributions to incidental learning by comparing dual- to single-task sequence learning on some variant of a Serial Reaction Time (SRT), usually adopting an auditory tone counting task as the secondary task/memory load. Few studies have used secondary working memory stimuli with the SRT task, those that have typically presented secondary stimuli, before, after or between primary task stimuli. Arguably, this design is problematic because participants may potentially “switch” attention between sequential stimulus sources limiting the potential of both tasks to simultaneously index shared cognitive resources. In the present study secondary Visual and Verbal, memory tasks were temporally synchronous and spatially embedded with the primary SRT task for Visual and Verbal dual-task conditions and temporally synchronous but spatially displaced for Visual-Spatial and Verbal-Spatial Above/Below conditions, to investigate modality specific contributions of visual, verbal and spatial memory to incidental and explicit sequence learning. Incidental learning scores were not different as an effect of condition but explicit scores were. Explicit scores significantly and incrementally diminished from the Single-task through Visual-Spatial Below conditions; percentage accuracy scores on secondary tasks followed a significant corresponding pattern suggesting an explicit learning/secondary memory task trade-off as memory demands of tasks increased across condition. Incidental learning boundary conditions are unlikely to substantially comprise working memory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynne A Barker
- Brain, Behaviour and Cognition Group, Department of Psychology, Sheffield Hallam University, Collegiate Crescent Campus, Sheffield, S10 2BP, UK.
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