Compared to depression, adolescents with anxious depression more severe impairments across multiple domains. This study illustrates differences in brain activity patterns among depressed adolescents with varying levels of anxiety. A total of 196 adolescents with depression were recruited, including 67 in the low anxious depression group (LAD), 87 in the moderate anxious depression group (MAD), and 42 in the high anxious depression group (HAD). We utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to monitor oxyhemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) changes in participants' brains while they performed the verbal fluency task (VFT). High anxious depression adolescents exhibited significantly lower Oxy-Hb activation in Brodmann Areas 10 (BA 10) (F=7.073, pFDR=0.001) and 46 (BA 46) (F=11.668, pFDR < 0.001) compared to those with low anxious depression. During the VFT, the HAM-A score was negatively correlated with Oxy-Hb levels in BA 10 (r=-0.234, pFDR=0.006) and BA 46 (r=-0.320, pFDR < 0.001). In the initiation phase, the activation level of the LAD in BA 10 was higher than that of the HAD (pFDR < 0.020), and in BA 46, it was higher than both the HAD (pFDR < 0.001) and MAD (pFDR=0.015). In the maintenance phase, LAD activation in BA 10 was higher than HAD (pFDR=0.019) and MAD (pFDR=0.001), while BA 46 activation was higher than HAD (pFDR=0.027). The study revealed that adolescents with high anxious depression had significantly lower Oxy-Hb levels in the PFC (specifically BA 10 and BA 46) compared to those with low anxious depression, providing neurophysiological evidence for the negative impact of anxiety on attention control. The results may aid in distinguish adolescents with varying anxiety levels and offer potential personalized intervention targets for non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS).

The main aim of this research paper is to improve the effectiveness of production processes through ergonomic optimization of industrial workstations where workers perform repetitive, monotonous assembly tasks. The study analyzes the impact of applying ergonomic and lean principles, standard of “the golden zone standard” in the design of assembly workstations on participants’ brain activity and productivity, as well as on the quality of the final products in traditional (non-ergonomic) and ergonomic scenario. The results indicated significant differences in brain activity patterns between the two scenarios, revealing higher levels of mental workload during assembly tasks in the non-ergonomic scenario for all participants. Furthermore, improvements in production processes were observed, including increased productivity; specifically, the average mental workload was reduced by approximately 35% in the ergonomic scenario, accompanied by an approximately 5% increase in productivity and an approximately 8% reduction in working time. The obtained results provide a foundation for improving the design of assembly workstations in industrial environments, as well as contributing to a broader understanding of the importance of ergonomics in the optimization of industrial processes.

The ability to engage in everyday tasks, such as walking, requires the integration of cognitive and motor processes. How these processes integrate may be discernable through the relation of brain activity patterns to behavioral performance, particularly in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), examination of which has been restricted because of the limitations in experimental design. We related behavior (cognition, walking) to brain activity, as measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy, under dual-task conditions (cognition while walking) in healthy young adults. Our probe design enabled us to examine eight regions of interest across PFC and motor cortex to identify key areas related to behavior. Healthy young adults (N = 19) engaged in standing cognition (Serial 3 subtraction), single-task walking, and dual-task walking. We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to identify regions associated with increases or decreases in activity under dual-task relative to the other conditions. We observed differences in brain activity patterns by task across multiple regions of interest, mostly in PFC. Specifically, more lateral regions were related to attention-demanding tasks, whereas motor tasks were related to relatively medial regions. Our results relate behavior to brain activity, as measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy, under dual-task conditions. Our finding of relatively lateral PFC activity during attention-demanding tasks provides insights into behavioral and brain processes during experimental analogues of everyday activity, bringing us closer to understanding behavior-brain relations in the real world. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Altered electrophysiological meta-state dynamics in disorders of consciousness.

Background/Objectives: Despite widespread negative effects on physical and societal well-being, the neurological effects and risk factors of alcohol misuse are far from being fully understood. To broaden knowledge about inherent differences and possible changes in the brain reflecting alcohol use, we investigated functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging data in a group of young adult and adolescent individuals with varying levels of alcohol consumption from the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence dataset. Methods: We evaluated fractal complexity, or long-term self-memory of brain activity, using the Hurst Exponent, spontaneous neural activity using Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations, and local coherence/synchronization using Regional Homogeneity. Regional values for these measures of interest were compared between risky drinkers and light drinkers, as well as between the same groups of individuals before development of any risky drinking habits. Conclusions: Significant differences (Cohen’s d > 0.557) in the varying measures were identified between risky and light drinkers that may point to abnormal activity patterns in regions including the insula, precuneus, and inferior frontal lobe. Importantly, a control comparison between the same groups of individuals at younger, non/light drinking ages revealed distinct differences in brain patterns, potentially consistent with the interpretation that differences in brain activity patterns among the older groups are a result of drinking patterns rather than a cause. In contrast, the differences identified in the younger groups may be potential risk factors indicating increased likelihood of engaging in heavier drinking habits.

IntroductionAutism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are currently one of the most common childhood conditions. It is estimated that they affect approximately 1 in 31 children. Early and rapid diagnosis can increase a child’s chances of reaching full developmental, social, and educational potential despite their condition.MethodsOur study aimed to describe a brainwave pattern in children with mild autism spectrum disorder (Level-1 according to DSM-5) based on quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) analysis. The QEEG study is one of the valuable electrophysiological methods used in neurology and psychiatry, becoming more and more popular for diagnosing ASD. Our study included 48 children aged 7–10 years. Based on previous clinical examinations, 24 of them were diagnosed with mild ASD (mASD). Quantitative electroencephalography for Delta, Theta, Alpha, sensorimotor rhythm (SMR), Beta1, and Beta2 waves was performed using electrodes placed at thirteen recording points (frontal: FzF3F4, central: CzC3C4, parietal: P3PzP4, temporal: T3T4, and occipital: O1O2 points) with eyes open and closed.ResultsA comparison of the results between the mASD group and control group revealed significantly higher amplitude values for all Delta, Theta, Alpha, SMR, Beta1, and Beta2 wave measurements in the mASD population. Furthermore, the overrepresentation of Beta2-waves could be discerned in mASD children, as compared to their non-ASD-affected peers.DiscussionThe described pattern may help screen for mASD or confirm the diagnosis in the pediatric population of mASD-suspected patients. Additionally, it is worth noting that the results obtained demonstrate the importance of QEEG in detecting different patterns of brain activity in children with ASD, which plays a significant role in better understanding the heterogeneity of this disorder.

Neurofunctional divergence between classical and idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia: A large-cohort resting-state fMRI study of 139 patients.

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) provide alternative means of communication for individuals with severe motor impairment. Implantable speech BCIs have shown great potential, particularly in individuals who could still produce some speech-related movements and/or sounds. As perception of auditory feedback is important for correct speech sound production in able-bodied people, it is conceivable that a complete absence of such feedback in individuals who lost all ability to produce audible speech affects BCI performance. The current study therefore set out to investigate to what extent perception of auditory feedback of self-produced speech contributes to speech decoding performance. In three able-bodied participants, patterns of 65-95Hz power over sensorimotor cortex were compared between normal speech and speech in which auditory feedback was masked by noise. In addition, decoding accuracy was compared between feedback situations. We found subtle differences in brain activity patterns associated with speech production between situations in which participants could versus could not perceive their produced speech. Importantly, absence of such auditory feedback led to lower speech decoding performance in all participants. These results underline the need to validate speech BCI efficacy with fully paralyzed individuals, as perceived feedback can influence the attainable speech decoding accuracy.

BackgroundInvestigating how the human brain processes the emotional valance of sounds is critical for understanding sensory, emotional, and motor integration at the neurobiological level. The current study utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the differential brain activation patterns elicited by pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral sounds from the International Affective Digital Sounds (IADS-2) collection. Thirty healthy volunteers listened to these sounds under fMRI, followed by post-scan ratings of valence (pleasant versus unpleasant) and arousal (calm versus exciting).ResultsAverage ratings did not differ from IADS-2 norms. Pleasant sounds significantly activated brain regions implicated in reward and positive affect, including the mPFC, ventral anterior cingulate cortex, and inferior frontal gyrus, compared to neutral sounds. Alternatively, unpleasant sounds elicited stronger and more widespread activation, particularly in the amygdala, nucleus accumbens, insula, and cerebellum, regions associated with negative affect and aversive learning.ConclusionThese results demonstrate the pivotal contributions of the amygdala in identifying unpleasant stimuli and of the mPFC in assessing pleasant auditory inputs, expand our current understanding of affective regulation at the neural circuit level, and provide a foundation for the development of sound-based interventions to treat auditory-emotional disorders such as misophonia and anxiety.Clinical trial numberNot applicable.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12868-025-00975-3.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) significantly affects mood, thought processes, and behavior. Understanding the neurophysiological mechanisms behind depression is essential for developing effective treatments. In this study, we compared source reconstruction of electroencephalography (EEG) data collected during Attention Network Task (ANT) performance from individuals with MDD, healthy controls, and those at risk of developing MDD. Our goal was to analyze the localization of alpha rhythm, particularly in relation to the P300 component. Preliminary findings revealed distinct differences in brain activation patterns among the three groups in key brain areas, particularly the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) and the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC). Significant group effects in alpha source activity during the P300 interval were observed in response to both congruent and incongruent stimuli. One-way ANOVA results revealed notable differences in alpha activation in the Anterior Prefrontal Cortex (BA10) and ACC (BA24) between MDD and control groups, highlighting potential challenges in higher-order cognitive functions such as decision-making. Increased alpha activation in the Inferior Frontal Gyrus (BA45) in the MDD group suggests possible language processing difficulties. Furthermore, enhanced activation in the medial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices aligns with their roles in task switching and inhibition. In the incongruent condition, significant differences were more pronounced, particularly in the Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (BA9) and Right Anterior Prefrontal Cortex (BA10), which are vital for executive functions. The MDD group exhibited larger alpha source activation in the ACC, indicating reduced brain activation that may impair attention and task management. These preliminary findings are consistent with existing literature on altered alpha source activity in MDD, supporting the notion of cognitive and emotional processing differences in this population. Thus, our study demonstrates distinct differences in alpha source localization during the ANT, revealing significant variations in brain activation patterns related to stimulus congruence, particularly in the ACC and DLPFC across the three participant groups. Keywords: electroencephalography source localization, cognition, Attention Network Task (ANT), P300 component, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

BackgroundExecutive function is vital for cognitive health, particularly in older adults, where declines can lead to an increased risk of cognitive impairment. Physical activity (PA) has been linked to improvements in executive function, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.MethodsThis cross-sectional study involved 41 Chinese adults (21 young: 23.0 ± 2.12 years; 20 older: 63.30 ± 2.36 years) who were categorized as physically active (≥3000 metabolic equivalent (MET)-min/week) or inactive (<3000 MET-min/week). Participants performed fMRI while completing executive function tasks (Flanker, N-back, Switching). Brain activation patterns were analyzed using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM), with significance thresholds set at p < 0.01 (voxel-level) and p < 0.05 (whole-brain corrected).ResultsPhysically active older adults showed significantly better accuracy and faster reaction times on the Flanker task than inactive peers. In young adults, those who were inactive exhibited greater activation in prefrontal regions during executive tasks. No significant differences in brain activation were found in older adults for these tasks. Additionally, activation in the right medial/paracentral cingulate gyrus (BA 6) negatively correlated with working memory reaction times in active young adults (r= −0.804, p < 0.05), whereas cognitive flexibility in active older adults positively correlated with activation in the right dorsolateral frontal gyrus (BA 32; r = 0.589, p < 0.05).ConclusionActive older adults require less brain activation to perform executive function tasks, suggesting enhanced cognitive efficiency. In contrast, young adults showed different patterns of brain activation, indicating potential compensatory mechanisms. These results underscore PA’s role in optimizing age-specific cognitive strategies and underscore the need for longitudinal research to clarify causality.

Association of the characteristics of brain magnetic resonance imaging with genes related to disease onset in schizophrenia patients.

Cortical activation patterns in generalized anxiety and major depressive disorders measured by multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy.

Numerous studies on EEG signals have revealed differences in brain activity patterns between males and females. However, these differences aren't always consistent or significant, as they can be affected by factors like age, task engagement, and specifics of EEG measurements. In our research, we introduce a new approach to detect gender called 'Stream-based Identification of Gender using Noninvasive Electroencephalographic Technology. We employed this technique to investigate how male and female brains respond differently during video streaming tasks with the aim of exploring functional disparities between them. This study aims to advance our understanding of gender-specific brain responses. We used data collected in our previous research from 122 volunteers (85 male, 37 female). Utilizing a deep learning (DL) approach allowed us to achieve 99% accuracy in gender identification. The applications of our model extend to various fields, including advertisements, multi-level security systems, and healthcare, showcasing the potential of advanced machine learning techniques in neuroscientific research.

Olfactory cues play a crucial role in food selection, with undesirable odors often being perceived as indicative of spoiled or inferior food. However, odor perception is highly subjective and prone to low reproducibility. Electroencephalographic (EEG) signals induced by odors contain rich information that can be leveraged to decode food odors. In this study, we employed EEG and source localization signals triggered by eight different food odors as input data and proposed a Mixed Feature Attention Network (MFANet) to differentiate between food odors. Firstly, we established an experimental paradigm for olfactory EEG data collection and source localization signal processing. Secondly, we introduced a mixed feature data mining strategy, which effectively integrates both global and local features of the data. Experimental results demonstrated that MFANet achieved an average accuracy of 97.35% in distinguishing between the eight food odors. Moreover, using sLORETA source localization, we identified significant differences in brain regions activated by different food odors, particularly in the right temporal lobe, where activation differences between pleasant and unpleasant odors were statistically significant (t &gt; 5, <em>P &lt; </em>0.001). In conclusion, MFANet effectively mined the information contained in olfactory EEG data and successfully differentiated between the eight food odors. It also captured subtle differences in brain activation patterns induced by food odors. These findings suggest that MFANet holds potential for applications in the diagnosis and treatment of olfactory dysfunction.

The n-back task is a widely used paradigm to assess working memory and is commonly applied in research on age-related cognitive decline. However, studies utilizing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to explore this area are limited. This study aims to investigate age-related differences in brain activation during the n-back task using fNIRS. fNIRS data were collected from 18 elderly and 19 young participants while performing different n-back tasks. Brain activation patterns and peripheral performance were compared between the two groups. Significant differences in brain activation patterns were observed between elderly and young participants. Under the 3-back condition, the older group exhibited reduced activation in brain regions adjacent to prefrontal cognitive areas compared to the younger group. Additionally, the older group's performance plateaued at the 2-back level, along with a decline in prefrontal activation. These findings may suggest potential markers for cognitive decline, providing a new target for future screening.

The aim of our study was to elucidate differences in brain activity patterns among obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients, OSA patients with depressive symptoms, and healthy controls (HCs). We also investigated the relationship between brain function and depression in OSA patients. A total of 95 subjects were included in the study, including 34 OSA patients without depressive symptoms, 31 OSA patients with depressive symptoms, and 30 HCs. The 53-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to monitor the concentration of oxy-hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) in the brain, whereas the participants performed the verbal fluency task, and the degree of depression was scored using the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17). Hierarchical regression models were conducted to analyze the association of fNIRS features with depressive symptom. The Oxy-Hb changes of the three groups were significantly different in Channels 25 (H=9.878, p=.007) and 43 (H=6.957, p=.031). Inter-group comparisons showed that the Oxy-Hb change of Channel 25 (located in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [DLPFC]) in OSA group was less than that in HC group (p=.006), and the Oxy-Hb change of Channel 43 (located in the right frontal polar region) in OSA group with depression was less than that in OSA group (p=.025). Spearman's test showed that there was a significant negative correlation between HAMD-17 scores and mean Oxy-Hb changes in Channel 43 (r=-.319, p<.05) in the OSA patients. Using hierarchical regression, Oxy-Hb changes in Channel 43 accounted for a significant proportion of the variation in outcome variables, even when accounting for other polysomnography features. Changes in the hemodynamic response of DLPFC may be a potential mechanism of executive dysfunction in OSA patients. And the right frontal polar region may be significant in assessing depressive symptoms in patients with OSA.

There are limited studies exploring the relationship between physical activity (PA), cognitive function, and the brain processing characteristics in healthy older adults. A total of 41 participants (42.7 ± 20.5 years, 56.1% males) were included in the data analysis. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form was used to assess PA levels, and the Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic and the Flanker task were employed to evaluate cognitive function. Furthermore, fMRI technology was utilized to examine brain activation patterns. The cognitive function of the older adults was found to be significantly lower compared to the young adults. Within the older adults, those with high levels of PA exhibited significantly higher cognitive function than those with low and medium PA levels. The fMRI data showed significant differences in brain activation patterns among young adults across the different PA levels. However, such difference was not observed among older adults. A decline in cognitive function was observed among older adults. There was a significant correlation between the levels of PA and cognitive function in healthy older adults. The study demonstrated significant effects of PA levels on brain activation patterns in inhibitory control-related regions among young adults, while not significant among older adults. The findings suggest that neurological mechanisms driving the relationship between PA and cognitive function may differ between older and young adults.

MP59-14 DIFFERENTIAL NEUROACTIVATION DURING INVOLUNTARY BLADDER CONTRACTIONS IN PONS VS BASAL GANGLIA STROKE SURVIVORS

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with abnormalities in the processing and regulation of emotion as well as cognitive deficits. This study evaluated the differential brain activation patterns associated with cognitive and emotional distractors during working memory (WM) maintenance for human faces between patients with PTSD and healthy controls (HCs) and assessed the relationship between changes in the activation patterns by the opposing effects of distraction types and gray matter volume (GMV). Twenty-two patients with PTSD and twenty-two HCs underwent T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and event-related functional MRI (fMRI), respectively. Event-related fMRI data were recorded while subjects performed a delayed-response WM task with human face and trauma-related distractors. Compared to the HCs, the patients with PTSD showed significantly reduced GMV of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) (p < 0.05, FWE-corrected). For the human face distractor trial, the patients showed significantly decreased activities in the superior frontal gyrus and IFG compared with HCs (p < 0.05, FWE-corrected). The patients showed lower accuracy scores and slower reaction times for the face recognition task with trauma-related distractors compared with HCs as well as significantly increased brain activity in the STG during the trauma-related distractor trial was observed (p < 0.05, FWE-corrected). Such differential brain activation patterns associated with the effects of distraction in PTSD patients may be linked to neural mechanisms associated with impairments in both cognitive control for confusable distractors and the ability to control emotional distraction.