Fz Electrode Research Articles

Effects of Frontal-Midline Theta Neurofeedback with Different Training Directions on Goal-Directed Attentional Control.

As a significant component of executive function, goal-directed attentional control is crucial for cognitive processing and is closely linked to frontal-midline theta (FMT) rhythms. However, how up-regulation and down-regulation of FMT through neurofeedback training (NFT) impact goal-directed attention control remains unclear, especially for both short-term and long-lasting effects. Therefore, this study employed a single-blind sham-controlled between-subject design to answer this question. Forty-seven healthy adults were randomly assigned to the up-regulation, down-regulation, or sham control groups. Each group underwent one NFT session per day at the Fz electrode site for four consecutive days. All participants completed a visual search task before, immediately after the first, after the final, and one week following the last NFT session. The down-regulation group significantly reduced FMT activity during NFT and in the resting state (p < = 0.038), while the up-regulation group only showed an upward trend during the training phase (r = 0.721, p = 0.002). The behavioral performance showed no significant improvement in any group (p > 0.05). Importantly, the FMT learning efficacy in the up-regulation group revealed a significantly negative correlation with the change in switch cost (r = -0.602, p = 0.046). These findings suggest a close link between the up-regulation efficacy of FMT rhythms and goal-directed attentional control. In educational or clinical settings, it would be desirable to improve goal-directed attention through enhancement of FMT up-regulation efficacy of NFT in future work.

Altered Cortical Activity during a Finger Tap in People with Stroke.

This study describes electroencephalography (EEG) measurements during a simple finger movement in people with stroke to understand how temporal patterns of cortical activation and network connectivity align with prolonged muscle contraction at the end of a task. We investigated changes in the EEG temporal patterns in the beta band (13-26Hz) of people with chronic stroke (N = 10, 7F/3M) and controls (N = 10, 7F/3M), during and after a cued movement of the index finger. We quantified the change in beta band EEG power relative to baseline as activation at each electrode and the change in task-based phase-locking value (tbPLV) and beta band task-based coherence (tbCoh) relative to baseline coherence as connectivity between EEG electrodes. Finger movements were associated with a decrease in beta power (event related desynchronization (ERD)) followed by an increase in beta power (event related resynchronization (ERS)). The ERS in the post task period was lower in the stroke group (7%), compared to controls (44%) (p < 0.001) and the transition from ERD to ERS was delayed in the stroke group (1.43s) compared to controls (0.90s) in the C3 electrode (p = 0.007). In the same post movement period, the stroke group maintained a heightened tbPLV (p = 0.030 for time to baseline of the C3:Fz electrode pair) and did not show the decrease in connectivity in electrode pair C3:Fz that was observed in controls (tbPLV: p = 0.006; tbCoh: p = 0.023). Our results suggest that delays in cortical deactivation patterns following movement coupled with changes in the time course of connectivity between the sensorimotor and frontal cortices in the stroke group might explain clinical observations of prolonged muscle activation in people with stroke. This prolonged activation might be attributed to the combination of cortical reorganization and changes to sensory feedback post-stroke.

Effect of Abstract Phonemic Complexity on Mismatch Negativity (MMN) Amplitude.

Mismatch negativity (MMN) reflects a pre-perceptual neurophysiological response that is generated subconsciously due to the interruption of a memory trace of ongoing sensory events in the environment. It has been widely used by researchers to understand complex perceptual mechanisms. Furthermore, it has been recommended as an objective tool to investigate disorders related to auditory cognition in hearing aid and cochlear implant users. Many researchers suggest that utilizing a larger acoustic difference between standard and deviant stimuli within the oddball paradigm will lead to a more robust MMN response. The purpose of the present study is to examine if increasing the abstract phonemic contrast between standard and deviant stimuli in the oddball paradigm leads to a more robust MMN response. Fourteen young female adults participated in the present study. To ensure that the MMN response was elicited by phonemic and not acoustic differences in the stimuli, a one-to-many ratio was created for the abstract phonemic features while controlling the acoustic features when designing the oddball paradigm as described by Phillips et al. (2000). MMN amplitude was measured at the Cz and Fz electrodes in 2 conditions, with 2 trials in each condition. In condition 1, the standards and deviants differed by one distinctive feature: voicing in trial 1 (/tӕ/ was standard and /dӕ/ was deviant), and place of articulation in trial 2 (/bӕ/ was standard and /dӕ/ was deviant). In condition 2, the standards and deviants differed across two distinctive features: voicing and place of articulation. In trial 1, /pӕ/ was standard and /dӕ/ was deviant; in trial 2, /dӕ/ was standard and /pӕ/ was deviant. MMN amplitudes elicited by two distinctive features were significantly larger than MMN amplitudes elicited by one distinctive feature (p<0.001). Trials 1 and 2 in each condition showed no statistical difference, and they were repeatable and highly correlated. Recordings from the Cz and Fz electrodes showed no statistical difference and were highly correlated and similar in morphology. It is known in the literature that increasing acoustic complexity elicits a more robust MMN. The present study showed that this assumption can be extended to abstract phonemic complexity. Increasing the phonemic complexity by utilizing more distinctive features in the oddball paradigm increased the amplitude and robustness of the MMN.

Developing a multi-feature paradigm for Turkish- a test-retest reliability

Objectives MMN, which is important in defining pathologies in the central auditory system, occur with different responses in each native language. Therefore, it is crucial that the stimuli used in MMN must be structured according to the native languages. This study aims to develop a multi-feature paradigm that includes speech stimulus suitable for the acoustic characteristics of Turkish. Materıals and Methods Thirty participants (15 Males, 15 Females) with normal hearing between the ages of 20-31 (24.37±3.75) were included in this study. Participants' hearing threshold (0.125-8 kHz) was less than 20 dB HL. MMN responses were recorded from 22 surface scalp electrodes. The speech stimuli /te/ and /pi/ were chosen as standard stimuli. Amplitude and latency parameters of the MMN responses of five different deviants: decrease and increase in intensity, decrease in fundamental frequency, decrease in duration, and consonant and vowel change were evaluated. Results According to the Fz electrode, there was no statistically significant difference between the amplitude and latencies of the test-retest MMN responses of the /te/ and /pi/ stimulus according to paired sample t-test (p&amp;gt;0.05). A statistically significant relationship was found between the test-retest for the /te/ and /pi/ stimulus amplitudes in deviant types (p&amp;lt;0.05). Conclusion This study will enable the use of speech stimuli appropriate to the native language in MMN application to be conducted in native Turkish speakers, allow a more comprehensive evaluation of auditory processing skills compared to conventional tonal stimuli, and contribute to the interpretation of possible component changes in the MMN waveform in healthy or pathological conditions of the central auditory system.

The accuracy of different mismatch negativity amplitude representations in predicting the levels of consciousness in patients with disorders of consciousness.

The mismatch negativity (MMN) index has been used to evaluate consciousness levels in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC). Indeed, MMN has been validated for the diagnosis of vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS) and minimally conscious state (MCS). In this study, we evaluated the accuracy of different MMN amplitude representations in predicting levels of consciousness. Task-state electroencephalography (EEG) data were obtained from 67 patients with DoC (35 VS and 32 MCS). We performed a microstate analysis of the task-state EEG and used four different representations (the peak amplitude of MMN at electrode Fz (Peak), the average amplitude within a time window -25- 25 ms entered on the latency of peak MMN component (Avg for peak ± 25 ms), the average amplitude of averaged difference wave for 100-250 ms (Avg for 100-250 ms), and the average amplitude difference between the standard stimulus ("S") and the deviant stimulus ("D") at the time corresponding to Microstate 1 (MS1) (Avg for MS1) of the MMN amplitude to predict the levels of consciousness. The results showed that among the four microstates clustered, MS1 showed statistical significance in terms of time proportion during the 100-250 ms period. Our results confirmed the activation patterns of MMN through functional connectivity analysis. Among the four MMN amplitude representations, the microstate-based representation showed the highest accuracy in distinguishing different levels of consciousness in patients with DoC (AUC = 0.89). We discovered a prediction model based on microstate calculation of MMN amplitude can accurately distinguish between MCS and VS states. And the functional connection of the MS1 is consistent with the activation mode of MMN.

Contingent negative variation as an evaluation indicator of neurocognitive disorder after traumatic brain injury.

Neurocognitive disorders are commonly observed in patients suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods to assess neurocognitive disorders have thus drawn the general attention of the public, especially electrophysiology parameter such as contingent negative variation (CNV), which has been given more emphasis as a neurophysiological marker in event-related potentials (ERPs) for diagnosing a neurocognitive disorder and assessing its severity. The present study focused on the correlations between CNV parameters and levels of daily living activities and social function to explore the potential of CNV as an objective assessment tool. Thirty-one patients with a diagnosis of neurocognitive disorder after a TBI according to ICD-10 were enrolled as the patient group, and 24 matched healthy volunteers were enrolled as the control group. The activity of daily living scale, functional activities questionnaire, social disability screening schedule, and scale of personality change following TBI were used to assess daily living activity and social function. The scale scores in patients were significantly higher than those in controls. Maximum amplitudes before S2 and during the post-imperative negative variation (PINV) period were also significantly higher in the patient group compared to the control group and were positively correlated with four scale scores. The duration of PINV at Fz and Cz was significantly shorter in the patient group than in the control group. The CNV return to baseline from a positive wave at electrode Fz and Cz occurred significantly earlier in the control group than in the patient group, while at Pz, the result showed the opposite. Lower amplitudes of CNV were associated with more severe neurocognitive disorder and greater impairments in daily life abilities and social function. The duration of PINV and the latency of returning to baseline from a positive wave were correlated with the neurocognitive disorder to some extent. CNV could be used as an objective, electrophysiology-based parameter for evaluating the severity of the neurocognitive disorder and personality changes after TBI.

64 Effects of Age and Task Difficulty on the Presence of EEG Midline-Frontal Theta Power During Administration of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status-Update (RBANS)

Objective:Concurrent electroencephalography (EEG) during neuropsychological assessment offers a promising method to understand realtime neural and cognitive processes during task performance. For example, previous studies using experimental tasks suggest that midline-frontal theta power (MFT) could serve as a measure of mental exertion and subjective difficulty. The RBANS provides an opportunity to examine this issue in neuropsychological assessment, as a widely-used screening battery that was explicitly developed with subtests that vary according to difficulty within its five domains. This study investigated the effects of task difficulty, cognitive domain, and age on elicitation of MFT during rest and RBANS administration.Participants and Methods:EEG was recorded during eyes-closed and eyes-open resting periods and RBANS administration in a sample of 45 healthy younger adults (n = 21; mean age = 23.29, SD = 3.27, range = 19-33; 48% female) and older adults (n = 24; mean age = 70.58, SD = 5.77, range = 59-83; 83% female). MFT was defined as the highest peak above the overall power spectrum within 4-8Hz from electrode Fz, and operationalized as a binary variable (present/absent). A multilevel generalized logistic regression model was run to assess the main effects of Age (Younger, Older), Difficulty (Easy, Hard), Domain (Rest, Immediate Memory, Visuospatial/Constructional, Language, Attention, Delayed Memory), and their potential interactions, on the presence of MFT.Results:In the full sample, the Coding, Figure Recall, and Picture Naming subtests were numerically most likely to elicit MFT (71.1%, 66.7%, and 62.2%, respectively), whereas Semantic Fluency, Eyes-Closed Rest, and List Recall had the lowest likelihoods (37.7%, 31%, 28.9%). Older adults were also numerically less likely to exhibit MFT (37.50% present) compared to younger adults (62.24% present). An analysis of deviance revealed a significant effect of Age (F(1,43) = 7.22, p = .01) and a significant interaction between Difficulty and Domain (F(5,220) = 4.78, p &lt; .001). Specifically, Hard subtests in the Visuospatial/Constructional (Figure Copy; b = -2.63, p &lt; .05) and Language (Semantic Fluency; b = -2.92, p &lt; .01) Domains were less likely to elicit MFT than the Easy subtests (i.e., Line Orientation and Picture Naming, respectively).Conclusions:Results indicated that MFT can be reliably measured during neuropsychological assessment, and varies in relation to both age and task-related factors. Consistent with previous studies, older adults exhibited less MFT than younger adults in general, possibly suggesting a failure to recruit the relevant networks. Further, present findings suggest that the presence of MFT varies not only by the type of task but also by the level of difficulty. Future research with larger samples can clarify whether and how the amount of MFT elicited during specific subtests relates to objective and subjective difficulty. Overall, MFT can reliably be elicited by cognitive tasks and bears further study as a measure of real-time neural expenditure.

Application of brain functional connectivity and nonlinear dynamic analysis in brain function assessment for infants with controlled infantile spasm

To investigate the role of brain functional connectivity and nonlinear dynamic analysis in brain function assessment for infants with controlled infantile spasm (IS). A retrospective analysis was performed on 14 children with controlled IS (IS group) who were admitted to the Department of Neurology, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, from January 2019 to January 2023. Twelve healthy children, matched for sex and age, were enrolled as the control group. Electroencephalogram (EEG) data were analyzed for both groups to compare the features of brain network, and nonlinear dynamic indicators were calculated, including approximate entropy, sample entropy, permutation entropy, and permutation Lempel-Ziv complexity. Brain functional connectivity showed that compared with the control group, the IS group had an increase in the strength of functional connectivity, and there was a significant difference between the two groups in the connection strength between the Fp2 and F8 channels (P<0.05). The network stability analysis showed that the IS group had a significantly higher network stability than the control group at different time windows (P<0.05). The nonlinear dynamic analysis showed that compared with the control group, the IS group had a significantly lower sample entropy of Fz electrode (P<0.05). Abnormalities in brain network and sample entropy may be observed in some children with controlled IS, and it is suggested that quantitative EEG analysis parameters can serve as neurological biomarkers for evaluating brain function in children with IS.

The Effect of a Words-in-Noise Training Method on Speech Perception in Noise of Children with Unilateral Hearing Loss

Background and Aim: Despite more affordable and advanced technologies for early detection of congenital hearing loss, unilateral hearing loss is the prevalent form of hearing loss affecting school-aged children. This study aimed to examine the impact of Words-in-Noise (WIN) training on speech perception of noise in children with unilateral hearing loss. Methods: Thirteen children aged 8 to 12 years with unilateral hearing loss underwent a WIN training program in noise. The participants were tested before and after training on word identification in noise and cortical auditory evoked potentials. Results: A comparison of the mean signal-to-noise ratio 50% between pre- and post-training indicated that signal-to-noise ratio 50% score decreased after training sessions. WIN training reduced the latency in N1 and P2 waves in the Fz electrode and the N1 wave in the Pz electrode and increased the amplitude of the waves in the Fz and Pz electrodes. The observed data suggest that all participants’ performance improved on word identification in noise and some electrophysiological parameters. Cortical auditory evoked potentials components changes did not correlate with the WIN scores. Conclusion: The Persian version of the WIN training improved speech perception ability in the presence of competitive noise in children with unilateral hearing loss. Therefore, this software solution can partially solve speech comprehension problems with noise in these children. Keywords: Unilateral hearing loss; word in noise training; children; listening in noise

Asymmetries in the theta/beta ratio distinguish cognitively normal elderly from those with mild cognitive impairment

AbstractBackgroundThe search for psychophysiological markers that distinguish normal from abnormal aging has produced many candidate EEG dynamics, but relatively little research has been done (or at least reported) on the theta/beta ratio or brain wave asymmetries.MethodsWe previously reported frontal asymmetries (frontal alpha and frontal beta asymmetry) originally investigated in the context of anxiety and approach‐avoidance motivation that distinguish MCI from healthy, cognitively normal persons (HC). Another potentially more cognitively‐involved marker, the ratio of theta to beta frequencies (TBR), originally investigated as a marker of attention deficits, might also usefully distinguish cognitive HC from MCI. We took advantage of a previously collected data set to conduct an exploratory analysis of the pattern of TBR in HC and MCI participants. Resting state EEG (rsEEG) was measured before and after a simple motion direction discrimination task. We investigated the standard frontal TBR as measured at frontal electrode FZ. We estimated power spectral density in the resting state (eyes closed) for both pre‐ and post‐task, extracting estimates of TBR at electrode Fz.ResultsWe found that MCI had significantly higher TBR than cognitively normal elderly, F(1,95)=4.98, p=0.028, with no effect of timepoint and no interaction. We then explored the possibility that TBR itself has meaningful asymmetries, calculating the TBR asymmetry at the following electrode pairs: F3‐F4, C3‐C4, CP3‐CP4, P3‐P4, PO3‐PO4. This analysis revealed an interesting pattern, with group (HC vs. MCI) interacting with location, F(4,380)=5.25, p&lt;0.001. Relative to HC, MCI participants had higher TBR on the right (positive TBR asymmetry) in frontal electrodes (F3‐F4), but higher TBR on the left (negative TBR asymmetry) over parietal‐occipital sites (P3‐P4 and PO3‐PO4). The parietal asymmetry may reflect the early spread of lesions from inferior temporal regions to areas subserving language and visuospatial processing, but the frontal asymmetry is less obviously tied to known progression of brain lesions, and may reflect heterogeneity in the underlying pathogenesis of this sample of people with MCI.ConclusionTBR asymmetries obtained in rsEEG can contribute significantly to successful discrimination of older persons with MCI from those with normal cognitive functioning.

Neuroaesthetic exploration on the cognitive processing behind repeating graphics.

Repeating graphics are common research objects in modern design education. However, we do not exactly know the attentional processes underlying graphic artifacts consisting of repeating rhythms. In this experiment, the event-related potential, a neuroscientific measure, was used to study the neural correlates of repeating graphics within graded orderliness. We simulated the competitive identification process of people recognizing artifacts with graded repeating rhythms from a scattered natural environment with the oddball paradigm. In the earlier attentional processing related to the P2 component around the Fz electrode within the 150-250 ms range, a middle-grade repeating rhythm (Target 1) did not show a difference from a high-grade repeating rhythm (Target 2). However, in the later cognitive processes related to the P3b component around the Pz electrode within the 300-450 ms range, Target 1 had longer peak latency than Target 2, based on similar waveforms. Thus, we may suppose that the arrangement of the repeating graphics did not influence the earlier attentional processing but affected the later cognitive part, such as the categorization task in the oddball paradigm. Furthermore, as evidenced by the standard deviation wave across the trials, we suggest that the growing standard deviation value might represent the gradual loss of attentional focus to the task after the stimulus onset and that the zero-growth level may represent similar brain activity between trials.

Neurobiological effects of exercise intervention for premenstrual syndrome.

Up to 75%-90% of women have varying degrees of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Exercises are recognized to be beneficial to regulate the negative emotions associated with PMS; however, the effects of exercise on sadness inhibition have not yet been investigated from the neurobiological perspective. This study examined the effects of a single exercise intervention on the neural mechanisms mediating sadness response inhibition at the cortical level using multichannel event-related potential (ERP) recording in women with PMS. Participants performed Go/No-go trials while viewing of sad or neutral images before and after exercise intervention, and changes in the No-go-evoked N200 (N2) ERP component were measured by electroencephalography (EEG) at multiple cortical sites. The associations of PMS Inventory scores with N2 amplitude and latency changes were then examined using Pearson's correlation analysis. There were no significant differences in N2 latency and response error rate following exercise compared to baseline. However, women with higher PMS Inventory scores (greater symptom severity) demonstrated significantly lengthen N2 latency at the Fz electrode sites during correct sad face No-go trials after exercise (p < 0.05), which was not the case in the pre-exercise baseline. We detected no significant relationship between the PMS score and N2 amplitude, either pre- or post-exercise. Women with higher PMS severity exhibited longer sad N2 latencies as well as slow down the speed of reaction to negative stimuli by exercise, suggesting that the prefrontal emotion regulation network is involved in PMS symptoms and is sensitive to the beneficial effects of exercise.

Assessment of electroencephalography and event-related potentials in unresponsive patients with brain injury

ObjectiveTo investigate the predictors of clinical outcomes in unresponsive patients with acquired brain injuries. MethodsPatients with coma or disorders of consciousness were enrolled from August 2019 to March 2021. A retrospective analysis of demographics, etiology, clinical score, diagnosis, electroencephalography (EEG), and event-related potential (ERP) data from 1 week to 2 months after coma onset was conducted. Findings were assessed for predicting favorable outcomes at 6 months post-coma, and functional outcomes were determined using the Glasgow Outcome Scale–Extended (GOS-E). ResultsOf 68 patients, 22 patients had a good neurological outcome at 6 months, while 11 died. Univariate analysis showed that motor response (Motor-R; p < 0.001), EEG pattern (p = 0.015), sleep spindles (p = 0.018), EEG reactivity (EEG-R; p < 0.001), mismatch negativity (MMN) amplitude at electrode Fz (FzMMNA; p = 0.001), P3a latency (p = 0.044), and P3a amplitude at electrode Cz (CzP3aA; p < 0.001) were significantly correlated with patient prognosis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that FzMMNA, CzP3aA, EEG-R, and Motor-R were significant independent predictors of a favorable outcome. The sensitivity and specificity of FzMMNA (dichotomized at 1.16 μV) were 86.4% and 58.5%, and of CzP3aA (cut-off value 2.76 μV) were 90.9% and 70.7%, respectively. ERP amplitude (ERP-A), a combination of FzMMNA and CzP3aA, improved prediction accuracy, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.884. A model incorporating Motor-R, EEG-R, and ERP-A yielded an outstanding predictive performance (AUC=0.921) for a favorable outcome. ConclusionERP-A and the prognostic model resulted in the efficient prediction of a favorable outcome in unresponsive patients.

N200 and P300 component changes in Parkinson's disease: a meta-analysis.

Cognitive impairment can seriously affect the quality of life of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Although numerous studies showed that N200, P300 latency and amplitude are correlated with cognitive functions, there is a sufficient amount of controversial results. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a meta-analysis of N200, P300 latency and amplitude data of event-related potential (ERP) in PD. We systematically searched on PubMed and Web of Science for PD-related ERP studies published before December 2021. Standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) estimates of N200 and P300 components were compared among PD patients, PD dementia (PDD) patients, PD non-dementia (PDND) patient, and healthy control (HC). Our meta-analysis showed prolonged N200 latency at the Fz, Cz electrode sites, prolonged P300 latency at the Fz sites in PD patients, compared to HC; prolonged N200 latency at the Cz, Pz electrode sites in PDND patients, compared to HC; prolonged P300 latency at the Cz site in PDD patients, compared to PDND patients; and reduced P300 amplitude at the Fz electrode site in PDND patients, compared to HC. N200 and P300 component may be potential electrophysiological biomarkers of early cognitive impairment in PD patients. Future studies are needed to confirm this conclusion. Estimates of N200 and P300 component can be a valuable support for clinicians in diagnosis of early cognitive impairment in PD patients due to the simplicity and non-invasiveness of the procedure.

Reliability of Upper Limb Pin-Prick Stimulation With Electroencephalography: Evoked Potentials, Spectra and Source Localization.

In order for electroencephalography (EEG) with sensory stimuli measures to be used in research and neurological clinical practice, demonstration of reliability is needed. However, this is rarely examined. Here we studied the test-retest reliability of the EEG latency and amplitude of evoked potentials and spectra as well as identifying the sources during pin-prick stimulation. We recorded EEG in 23 healthy older adults who underwent a protocol of pin-prick stimulation on the dominant and non-dominant hand. EEG was recorded in a second session with rest intervals of 1 week. For EEG electrodes Fz, Cz, and Pz peak amplitude, latency and frequency spectra for pin-prick evoked potentials was determined and test-retest reliability was assessed. Substantial reliability ICC scores (0.76–0.79) were identified for evoked potential negative-positive amplitude from the left hand at C4 channel and positive peak latency when stimulating the right hand at Cz channel. Frequency spectra showed consistent increase of low-frequency band activity (< 5 Hz) and also in theta and alpha bands in first 0.25 s. Almost perfect reliability scores were found for activity at both low-frequency and theta bands (ICC scores: 0.81–0.98). Sources were identified in the primary somatosensory and motor cortices in relation to the positive peak using s-LORETA analysis. Measuring the frequency response from the pin-prick evoked potentials may allow the reliable assessment of central somatosensory impairment in the clinical setting.

The Personality Traits and P300 of Offspring of Parents With Alcohol Dependence Differ Depending on Current Risky Drinking: A Preliminary Case-Control Study.

AimsThe aim of this study was to investigate the personality traits, and P300 component in the offspring of parents with alcohol dependence (OPAD) currently engaged in risky drinking and those not engaged in risky drinking, and to further explore the correlates of problematic alcohol use.MethodsA case-control study was conducted according to the cutoff of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). The frequency of the TaqIA polymorphism of the dopamine receptor D2 gene associated with alcohol dependence was compared between the two OPAD groups. Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ), The Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), and the MINI-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) were measured or interviewed in OPAD not engaged in risky drinking (resilient; n = 35) and those currently engaged in risky drinking (vulnerable; n = 20). P300 was measured to test the possible electrophysiological differences. The correlates of alcohol use were analyzed.ResultsVulnerable OPAD showed higher novelty seeking subscale scores (NS4; 4.45 ± 2.012 vs. 3.31 ± 1.728, P < 0.05) and harm avoidance subscale scores (HA4; 5.3 ± 2.319 vs. 3.66 ± 2.461, P < 0.05) than resilient OPAD, while the total scores of each dimension showed no significant difference. OPAD engaged in risky drinking showed more tobacco use than OPAD resistant to risky drinking. OPAD with risky drinking showed a shorter P300 latency than resilient OPAD on Fz electrodes. AUDIT scores of OPAD were correlated with P300 latency.ConclusionsP300 differed between OPAD with and without risky drinking and alcohol use was associated with P300 latency, indicating that P300 may be used in the early detection of vulnerable OPAD and early intervention in the future.

Correlation Between Resting Theta Power and Cognitive Performance in Patients With Schizophrenia.

ObjectiveSchizophrenia is a mental disorder that is characterized by progressive cognitive impairment. Objective measures of cognitive function may provide reliable neurobiomarkers for patients with schizophrenia. The goal of the current work is to explore the correlation between resting theta power and cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia.MethodsTwenty-two patients with schizophrenia and 23 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls were included in this study. The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) was used for cognitive evaluation and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for evaluation of clinical symptoms. EEGs were acquired in the resting state with closed and opened eyes. Between the two groups, we compared the relative theta power and examined their relationship with cognitive performance.ResultsCompared to healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia showed significantly higher theta power, both with eyes closed and open (P < 0.05). When the eyes were open, negative correlations were found in patients with schizophrenia between theta power in the central and parietal regions with processing speed scores, and between the theta power of the Pz electrode and verbal learning and reasoning and problem-solving scores (r ≥ −0.446). In the control group, theta power over the Fz electrode was negatively correlated with processing speed (r = −0.435).ConclusionsOur findings showed that theta activity increased in certain brain regions during resting state in schizophrenia. Negative associations between resting theta power (increased) over the parietal-occipital regions with MCCB domains scores (decreased) suggest that altered theta activity can be used as a neurobiological indicator to predict cognitive performance.

Modulation of Brain Rhythm Oscillations by Xingnao Kaiqiao Acupuncture Correlates with Stroke Recovery: A Randomized Control Trial.

Objectives: In China, Xingnao Kaiqiao (XNKQ) acupuncture has been widely used for stroke treatment. However, its electrophysiological mechanism remains unclear. Hence, this study aims to study how XNKQ acupuncture modulates brain rhythm oscillations of stroke patients, and investigate its correlation with stroke recovery. Design: Randomized control trial. Subjects: Twenty (sub)acute ischemic stroke patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to two groups (an acupuncture group [AG] [n = 10] and a control group [CG] [n = 10]), and four patients (two patients in each group) dropped out of the study. Interventions: All patients received conventional treatments, and the patients in AG received additional XNKQ acupuncture treatment once a day for 10 consecutive days. Outcome measures: Before treatment, 14 days after, and 30 days after treatment onset, their movement impairments and neurologic deficits were measured using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the Fugl-Meyer (FM) Scale, the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and the Modified Barthel Index (MBI), and their electroencephalogram data were recorded. Results: Compared with the CG, the AG showed more improvement in FM scores (p = 0.02), as well as decreased relative delta power and increased relative alpha power after 2 weeks' treatment. The decrease of the relative delta power and the increase of the relative alpha power in the ipsilesional frontal area were significantly correlated with the FM improvement (F5, F7, FC1, and Fz electrodes, all |r| > 0.517, p < 0.040). Conclusions: The curative effect of XNKQ acupuncture related to its electrophysiological modulation. This study was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2000038560).

Exploring psychophysiological indices of disruptive behavior disorders and their subtypes of aggression

BackgroundPsychophysiological measures of arousal are often considered as potential biomarkers for disruptive behavior disorder (DBD). Nevertheless, the evidence is mixed, possibly reflecting the heterogeneity of DBD and different subtypes of aggression. Additionally, arousal measures of the central nervous system (e.g. electroencephalogram: EEG) are underrepresented compared to peripheral ones (heart rate: HR; skin conductance: SC). MethodsWe recorded HR, SC, and EEG (frequency band power at three electrodes Fz, Cz, Pz) in 49 participants with DBD, and 15 typically developing peers during two resting state and an emotional task condition. Group differences were assessed by a repeated measure ANOVA and regression analyses were applied to evaluate subtype-specific patterns. ResultsOur results showed higher mean HR activity in DBD participants, which was however driven by medicated participants and no significant group differences were found for SC. Interestingly, a significant group x frequency band interaction emerged for the EEG. DBD youth showed lower alpha activity. Regression analyses showed that higher theta and lower alpha band activity were related to more general aggression scores and higher delta and lower beta activity predicted proactive aggression. ConclusionsThe lack of robust and significant differences for peripheral measurements (HR and SC) fits with previous mixed findings for externalizing disorders. Our results suggest that EEG measurements might be more sensitive to detect group differences and higher delta and lower beta activity might represent an index of a proactive subtype of aggression.

The Effects of Reward on Associative Memory Depend on Unitization Depths.

Previous studies have found that reward effect is stronger for more difficult to retrieve items, but whether this effect holds true for the associative memory remains unclear too. We investigated the effects and neural mechanisms of the different unitization depths and reward sets on encoding associative memory using event-related potentials (ERPs), which were recorded through a Neuroscan system with a 64-channel electrode cap according to the international 10–20 system, and five electrodes (Fz, FCz, Cz, CPz, and Pz) were selected for analysis. Thirty healthy college students took part in this study. During encoding, participants were carried out two encoding tasks, a congruity-judgment task with high unitization and a color-judgment task with low unitization, with half of the items rewarded. The test phase was conducted immediately after the encoding phase. The results for false alarm rates and Prs (i.e., hit rates for old pairs minus false alarm rates for new pairs) in relational retrieval revealed that the reward differences in the color-judgment task were greater than those in the congruity-judgment task. The ERP results further showed significant reward effects (i.e., the reward significantly improved the average amplitudes compared to no reward) at P300 (300–500 ms) and LPP (500–800 ms) in the color-judgment task both for intact and rearranged items, and the reward effects at LPP (electrodes Fz, FCz, Cz, CPz, and Pz) were distributed more widely than the reward effects at P300 (electrodes Fz and FCz) in the color-judgment task. These results suggest that reward provided a greater boost when retrieving associative memory of low unitized items.