Frontal Sites Research Articles

Real‐time Neurofeedback Rewards Memory‐related Potentials in Older Brains

AbstractBackgroundElectroencephalogram (EEG)‐based neurofeedback (NF) allows reward of desired brain activity in milliseconds. Compared to frequency power‐based approach during resting state EEG, event‐related potentials (ERPs) based NF during a task is technically challenging because of the cost of computation over a time window. We have previously established that left‐frontal memory‐related potentials discriminate normal cognitive aging from age‐ and education‐ matched older adults with risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). To modulate brainwaves during working memory retrieval towards healthier patterns, we develop an ERP‐based neurofeedback protocol to reward better memory‐related potentials.MethodThe training protocol is developed based on a modified delayed match‐to‐sample task also known as Bluegrass working memory paradigm. During each memory trial, a participant holds the sample target image in his/her working memory and responds whether each subsequent image is a Match or Nonmatch to the memory target by pressing the button. Real‐time classification of extracted ERP features is analyzed after stimulus onset, the dynamic machine‐learning program then modifies the stimulus by turning it into vivid color (reward) or leaving it with black‐and‐white (unrewarded). The processing pipeline has been developed using ERPs of older adults with and without MCI. The left frontal sites (F3 and F7) were preprocessed by re‐referencing and filtering with a 0.05 – 40 Hz band‐pass filter. For each participant, the EEG of 5 offline base trials in a 300‐600ms time window was used as a baseline. The ERP difference of the baseline versus the subsequent single trial is calculated to determine whether the image will be colored or left at black‐and‐white.ResultOur newly developed ERP‐neurofeedback protocol has succeeded in providing visual feedback based on fluctuation of single trial ERP in real time. The program was also designed to fit in each individual due to varied sensibility to NF. Currently we are to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed protocol by measuring memory indicators before and after NF training sessions.ConclusionWe have developed a new protocol using ERP‐based neurofeedback to improve personalized memory retrieval. The program is the first step to intervention trials for enhancing successful memory by rewarding desired memory‐related potentials in older brains.

The effects of deep transcranial magnetic stimulation on Alzheimer’s disease: a case report examining cognitive functioning, memory, and QEEG

ABSTRACT Numerous treatment options are being studied for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) given the rising prevalence of this condition worldwide. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a promising option for regulating specific neurological abnormalities pertaining to this condition. This case presents a patient with AD and co-occurring major depressive disorder that received 36 sessions of Deep TMS to the frontal and temporal lobes. This patient experienced improved general cognitive functioning and memory, remission from depression, and reduced slow-frequency theta activity in frontal and temporal sites. Following 7 months of weekly maintenance, additional improvements occurred. This report suggests that Deep TMS may be effective in mitigating AD symptoms, and maintenance sessions are advisable.

Effects of Healthy Aging and Gender on the Electrophysiological Correlates of Semantic Sentence Comprehension: The Development of Dutch Normative Data.

The clinical use of event-related potentials in patients with language disorders is increasingly acknowledged. For this purpose, normative data should be available. Within this context, healthy aging and gender effects on the electrophysiological correlates of semantic sentence comprehension were investigated. One hundred and ten healthy subjects (55 men and 55 women), divided among three age groups (young, middle aged, and elderly), performed a semantic sentence congruity task in the visual modality during electroencephalographic recording. The early visual complex was affected by increasing age as shown by smaller P2 amplitudes in the elderly compared to the young. Moreover, the N400 effect in the elderly was smaller than in the young and was delayed compared to latency measures in both middle-aged and young subjects. The topography of age-related amplitude changes of the N400 effect appeared to be gender specific. The late positive complex effect was increased at frontal electrode sites from middle age on, but this was not statistically significant. No gender effects were detected regarding the early P1, N1, and P2, or the late positive complex effect. Especially aging effects were found during semantic sentence comprehension, and this from the level of perceptual processing on. Normative data are now available for clinical use.

Surgical therapy of migraine: a 12-year single-center experience

BackgroundIn recent years, surgical therapy has taken on an increasingly decisive role in the therapeutic armamentarium of migraine. All surgical techniques are aimed at the complete neurolysis of some extra-cranial nerves, of which the most involved (in our experience) are the greater and lesser occipital, auriculotemporal, supraorbital, and supratrochlear nerves. This paper describes our surgical approaches for the treatment of occipital, temporal, and frontal trigger sites. MethodsA single-center, retrospective study was conducted on all patients who underwent surgical treatment of migraine between 2011 and 2022. Patients were asked to fill out a headache diary and complete a migraine questionnaire assessing parameters before surgery, after 3 months, and 1 year after surgery. Data regarding age, sex, age at onset, migraines per month (in days), associated symptoms, severity (on a scale from 1 to 10), inability to work per month (in days), health status, history of neck trauma, and family history were collected. The Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) score was also used to evaluate the degree of disability for each patient.ResultsWe have operated on 612 patients: n.266 occipital, n.248 temporal, n.98 frontal. The surgical procedure elicited a positive response in 90% of the patients (69% complete recovery). Complications were mild and temporary: mainly, hypoesthesia and numbness of the undermined areas, lasting from 3 weeks to 6 months. We observed the onset of secondary trigger sites in 257 (42%) patients.DiscussionThe described procedure is minimally invasive and highly reproducible and allows to obtain a high degree of success with a negligible rate of complications. Nevertheless, given the high percentage of occurrence of secondary trigger points, it is particularly important to warn the patient of this possibility in pre-operative visits.Level of evidence:Level III, Therapeutic

Overnight declarative memory consolidation and non-rapid eye movement sleep electroencephalographic oscillations in older adults with obstructive sleep apnea.

To compare overnight declarative memory consolidation and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) oscillations in older adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to a control group and assess slow-wave activity (SWA) and sleep spindles as correlates of memory consolidation. Forty-six older adults (24 without OSA and 22 with OSA) completed a word-pair associate's declarative memory task before and after polysomnography. Recall and recognition were expressed as a percentage of the morning relative to evening scores. Power spectral analysis was performed on EEG recorded at frontal (F3-M2, F4-M1) and central (C3-M2, C4-M1) sites. We calculated NREM absolute slow oscillation (0.25-1 Hz) and delta (0.5-4.5 Hz) EEG power, and slow (11-13 Hz) spindle density (number of events per minute of N2 sleep) and fast (13-16 Hz) spindle density. There were no significant differences in overnight recall and recognition between OSA (mean age 58.7 ± 7.1 years, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) 41.9 ± 29.7 events/hour) and non-OSA (age 61.1 ± 10.3 years, AHI 6.6 ± 4.2 events/hour) groups. The OSA group had lower fast spindle density in the frontal region (p = 0.007). No between-group differences in SWA were observed. In the Control group, overnight recognition positively correlated with slow spindle density in frontal (rho = 0.555, p = 0.020) and central regions (rho = 0.490, p = 0.046). Overnight recall was not related to SWA or spindle measures in either group. Older adults with OSA had deficits in fast sleep spindles but showed preserved overnight declarative memory consolidation. It is possible that compensatory mechanisms are being recruited by OSA patients to preserve declarative memory consolidation despite the presence of sleep spindle deficits.

Contingent negative variation to tactile stimuli - differences in anticipatory and preparatory processes between participants with and without blindness.

People who are blind demonstrate remarkable abilities within the spared senses and compensatory enhancement of cognitive skills, underscored by substantial plastic reorganization in relevant neural areas. However, little is known about whether people with blindness form top-down models of the world on short timescales more efficiently to guide goal-oriented behavior. This electroencephalography study investigates this hypothesis at the neurophysiological level, focusing on contingent negative variation (CNV) as a marker of anticipatory and preparatory processes prior to expected events. In sum, 20 participants with blindness and 27 sighted participants completed a classic CNV task and a memory CNV task, both containing tactile stimuli to exploit the expertise of the former group. Although the reaction times in the classic CNV task did not differ between groups, participants who are blind reached higher performance rates in the memory task. This superior performance co-occurred with a distinct neurophysiological profile, relative to controls: greater late CNV amplitudes over central areas, suggesting enhanced stimulus expectancy and motor preparation prior to key events. Controls, in contrast, recruited more frontal sites, consistent with inefficient sensory-aligned control. We conclude that in more demanding cognitive contexts exploiting the spared senses, people with blindness efficiently generate task-relevant internal models to facilitate behavior.

What naturalistic stimuli tell us about pronoun resolution in real-time processing.

Studies on pronoun resolution have mostly utilized short texts consisting of a context and a target sentence. In the current study we presented participants with nine chapters of an audio book while recording their EEG to investigate the real-time resolution of personal and demonstrative pronouns in a more naturalistic setting. The annotation of the features of the pronouns and their antecedents registered a surprising pattern: demonstrative pronouns showed an interpretive preference for subject/agent antecedents, although they are described to have an anti-subject or anti-agent preference. Given the presence of perspectival centers in the audio book, this however confirmed proposals that demonstrative pronouns are sensitive to perspectival centers. The ERP results revealed a biphasic N400-Late Positivity pattern at posterior electrodes for the demonstrative pronoun relative to the personal pronoun, thereby confirming previous findings with highly controlled stimuli. We take the observed N400 for the demonstrative pronoun as an indication for more demanding processing costs that occur due to the relative unexpectedness of this referential expression. The Late Positivity is taken to reflect the consequences of attentional reorientation: since the demonstrative pronoun indicates a possible shift in the discourse structure, it induces updating of the discourse structure. In addition to the biphasic pattern, the data showed an enhanced positivity at frontal electrode sites for the demonstrative pronoun relative to the personal pronoun. We suggest that this frontal positivity reflects self-relevant engagement and identification with the perspective holder. Our study suggests that by using naturalistic stimuli, we get one step closer to understanding the implementation of language processing in the brain during real life language processing.

Resting-state frontal, frontlateral, and parietal alpha asymmetry:A pilot study examining relations with depressive disorder type and severity.

The search for biomarkers has been central to efforts of improving clinical diagnosis and prognosis in psychopathology in the last decades. The main approach has been to validate biomarkers that could accurately discriminate between clinical diagnoses of very prevalent forms of psychopathology. One of the most popular electrophysiological markers proposed for discrimination in depressive disorders is the electroencephalography (EEG)-derived frontal alpha asymmetry. However, the validity, reliability and predictive value of this biomarker have been questioned in recent years, mainly due to conceptual and methodological heterogeneity. In the current non-experimental, correlational study we investigated relationship of resting-state EEG alpha asymmetry from multiple sites (frontal, frontolateral, and parietal) with different forms of depressive disorders (varying in type or severity), in a clinical sample. Results showed that alpha asymmetry in the parietal (P3-P4) was significantly higher than in the frontal (F3-F4) and frontolateral sites (F7-F8). However, we did not find significant relations between alpha asymmetry indices and our depressive disorder measures, except for a moderate positive association between frontolateral alpha asymmetry (eyes-closed only) and depressive disorder severity (determined through clinical structured interview). We also found no significant differences in alpha asymmetry between participants, depending on their depression type. Based on results, we propose the parietal and frontolateral asymmetry indices to form hypotheses that should not be abandoned in the depression markers research, but worth for further experimental research. Methodological and clinical implications of the current findings are discussed.

EEG frontal lobe asymmetry as a function of sex, depression severity, and depression subtype

To investigate possible contributors to the inconsistent association between frontal lobe asymmetry (FLA) and depression, EEG data were collected across five frontal sites, and examined for their associations with four subtypes of depression (Depressed mood, Anhedonia, Cognitive depression, Somatic depression). One hundred community volunteers (54 males, 46 females) aged at least 18 yr completed standardized scales for depression and anxiety, and gave EEG data under Eyes Open and Eyes Closed conditions. Results indicated that, although there was no significant correlation between the differences in EEG power across each of the five pairs of frontal sites and total depression scores, there were several meaningful correlations (accounting for at least 10% of the variance) between specific EEG site differences data and each of the four depression subtypes. There were also different patterns of association between FLA and the depression subtypes according to sex, and total depression severity. These findings help to explain the apparent inconsistency in previous FLA-depression results, and argue for a more nuanced approach to this hypothesis.

The Effect of Difference in Word Order on Semantic Processing in Hindi-English Bilinguals.

The typology of word order in Hindi (Subject-Object-Verb, SOV) differs from that of English (Subject-Verb-Object, SVO). Bilinguals whose two languages have conflicting word order provide a unique opportunity to understand how word order affects language processing. Earlier behavioural and event-related brain potential (ERP) studies with Spanish-Basque bilinguals showed longer reading times and more errors in the comprehension of OSV sentences than SOV sentences in Basque language, indicating that non-canonical word orders (OSV) were difficult to process than canonical word order (SOV). This study was designed to explore how the difference in word order in Hindi and English languages affects N400 parameters in proficient Hindi-English bilinguals, using semantic congruity paradigm. Twenty-five proficient Hindi-English bilingual subjects were asked to silently read the congruent and incongruent sentences presented in one word at a time in both the languages. ERPs were recorded from midline frontal, central and parietal sites. The mean amplitude of the N400 effect at the parietal sites in Hindi-English proficient bilinguals was larger for English than for Hindi but there was no significant difference in the N400 latencies. Hindi-English bilingual subjects processed SOV and SVO sentences with equal ease as evidenced by the N400 latencies. Higher amplitude of the N400 effect with English sentences indicate that placing 'Object' as the final word makes sentences more predictable than verb as the final word. Understanding the word order difference might help to unravel the neurophysiological mechanisms of language comprehension and may offer some insights in terms of functional advantage of a particular word order in bilinguals.

Neural correlates of retrieval practice on the learning and memory retention of L3 French vocabulary

ABSTRACT This study used event-related potential (ERP) and retrieval practice effect paradigm to investigate the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the retrieval practice effect in a third language (L3) vocabulary learning. Thirty-five Chinese (First Language, L1)-English (Second Language, L2) bilinguals without prior knowledge of French (L3) studied 120 French (L3)–English (L2) word pairs and then practiced the word pairs through retrieval practice or repeated studying. On a final recognition test 30 minutes later, the participants were asked to perform old/new recognition judgments while recording electroencephalography (EEG) signals. Behavioural results found that retrieval practice led to a higher accuracy rate and faster response time in the final test than repeated studying. ERP results found that retrieval practice elicited less negative N400 waveforms than repeated studying at the frontal site and less negative N400 waveforms than new condition at the central-parietal sites. By contrast, retrieval practice only elicited more positive LPC waveforms than new condition at the parietal site. In sum, the present results provide first neural evidence that retrieval practice facilitates L3 (French) vocabulary learning. These findings suggest that retrieval practice might involve more semantic information processing in L3 vocabulary learning, which supports the elaborative retrieval hypothesis of the retrieval practice effect.

Habituation of the stress response multiplex to repeated cold pressor exposure.

Humans show remarkable habituation to aversive events as reflected by changes of both subjective report and objective measures of stress. Although much experimental human research focuses on the effects of stress, relatively little is known about the cascade of physiological and neural responses that contribute to stress habituation. The cold pressor test (CPT) is a common method for inducing acute stress in human participants in the laboratory; however, there are gaps in our understanding of the global state changes resulting from this stress-induction technique and how these responses change over multiple exposures. Here, we measure the stress response to repeated CPT exposures using an extensive suite of physiologic measures and state-of-the-art analysis techniques. In two separate sessions on different days, participants underwent five 90 s CPT exposures of both feet and five warm water control exposures, while electrocardiography (ECG), impedance cardiography, continuous blood pressure, pupillometry, scalp electroencephalography (EEG), salivary cortisol and self-reported pain assessments were recorded. A diverse array of adaptive responses are reported that vary in their temporal dynamics within each exposure as well as habituation across repeated exposures. During cold-water exposure there was a cascade of changes across several cardiovascular measures (elevated heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO) and Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) and reduced left ventricular ejection time (LVET), stroke volume (SV) and high-frequency heart rate variability (HF)). Increased pupil dilation was observed, as was increased power in low-frequency bands (delta and theta) across frontal EEG electrode sites. Several cardiovascular measures also habituated over repeated cold-water exposures (HR, MAP, CO, SV, LVET) as did pupil dilation and alpha frequency activity across the scalp. Anticipation of cold water induced stress effects in the time-period immediately prior to exposure, indexed by increased pupil size and cortical disinhibition in the alpha and beta frequency bands across central scalp sites. These results provide comprehensive insight into the evolution of a diverse array of stress responses to an acute noxious stressor, and how these responses adaptively contribute to stress habituation.

Differential neural response to psychoanalytic intervention techniques during structural interviewing: A single-case analysis using EEG.

Previous studies detected changes in the electroencephalographic (EEG) signal as an effect of psychoanalytic interventions. However, no study has investigated neural correlates of specific psychoanalytic interventions in the EEG power spectrum yet. In the present case study, we contrasted three types of interventions (clarification, confrontation, and interpretation) and a neutral control condition during a structural psychoanalytic interview conducted while EEG was recorded. A 27-year-old male patient diagnosed with major depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder with recurrent suicidal and self-injurious behavior underwent a structural interview while recording EEG. Two independent experts selected by consensus the characteristic episodes of the four conditions (clarification, confrontation, interpretation, and neutral control) within the interview, which were included in the EEG analyses. Fast Fourier transformation (FFT) was applied to subsegments of the intervention type to analyze the EEG power spectra. Alpha and beta power from central, frontal, and parietal sites were considered in linear mixed-effects models with segments as a random factor with maximum-likelihood estimates due to the lack of balance in the length of the interview segments. The interventions "interpretation" and "confrontation" showed a significantly lower alpha power compared with the control condition in the central electrodes. In the frontal and parietal sites of the alpha power and all beta power sites, the omnibus tests (full model/model without intervention) and comparisons relative to control conditions showed no significant overall result or failed significance after alpha error correction. Incisive interventions, such as confrontation with discrepancies and interpretation of unconscious intrapsychic conflicts, may have provoked temporary emotional lability, leading to a change in psychic processing akin to interference from external stimuli. This conclusion is consistent with the finding that interpretations, which are potentially the most concise interventions, had the strongest effects on alpha power. Using EEG during therapeutic psychoanalytic intervention techniques might be a helpful tool to evaluate differential responses to the psychotherapeutic process on a neural level. However, this single-case result has to be replicated in a larger sample and does not allow generalizations.

A novel approach based on EEG Entropy measurement for indoor human thermal comfort estimation

This paper presents a methodology for the application of electroencephalographic (EEG) Entropy measurements for indoor thermal comfort estimation. Wearables have been demonstrated to be capable of providing accurate physiological measurements to interpret individual thermal responses. Several studies demonstrated the correlation between the EEG Power Spectrum Density (PSD) variation and the subjects' responses exposed to different ambient temperatures. We present a complementary approach based on Approximate Entropy (ApEn) of EEG as a measure for the predictability of EEG series in describing the human thermal condition. We analysed the ApEn of EEG signals acquired from 24 subjects, exposed to three different temperatures (cold: 16°C; neutral: 25°C; warm: 33°C) in a controlled environment, by 4-channels wearable EEG sensors (256 Hz sampling frequency). Statistical analysis showed for both anterior frontal and temporoparietal sites significant differences between neutral, cold, and warm conditions, with a higher value of ApEn in the neutral one. In the anterior frontal area, there was a significative trend of ApEn with smaller values from the neutral to the warm condition, with the cold intermediate. The outcome opens the scenario up to innovative measurement systems, based on wearable EEG devices, for the application of personal comfort models to indoor environmental monitoring and control.

Evaluation of tissue depth, captive bolt penetration force and energy, and potential for bolt-thalamus contact in cadaver heads from physically castrated market barrows and immunocastrated boars.

The main objective of this study was to describe tissue thicknesses of cadaver heads from physically castrated market barrows (PC MARKET BARROWS) and immunocastrated boars (IC BOARS) at the frontal penetrating captive bolt (PCB) placement. Other objectives were to describe differences in bolt force and energy requirements to penetrate and describe potential for bolt-thalamus contact. Forty-four heads were obtained from PC MARKET BARROWS (n = 22) and IC BOARS (n = 22) of similar age and size that were rendered insensible with CO2. Mean HCW was 117.32 ± 3.52 kg. Snout to poll distance (cm) and maximum deflection distance (cm) were collected in duplicate. Heads were split at midline with a bandsaw and soft tissue and cranial thicknesses were measured with a digital caliper. Images of each cut surface were collected to evaluate the potential for thalamic damage. Tissue samples were retained from each half of each head and a universal tester was used to determine maximum force and energy of bolt penetration. There was no evidence to support a significant difference (P > 0.05) in tissue thicknesses between PC MARKET BARROWS and IC BOARS. Maximum deflection distance (maximum distance from a straight edge that was placed from the tip of the snout to the poll of the head) was not different (P = 0.10) between PC MARKET BARROWS (3.31 ± 0.10 cm) and IC BOARS (3.08 ± 0.10 cm). There was no evidence to support a difference (P = 0.77) in maximum force between PC MARKET BARROWS (7130.32 ± 483.23 N) and IC BOARS (6974.60 ± 463.70 N). There was also no evidence to support a difference (P = 0.62) in maximum energy between PC MARKET BARROWS (33.37 ± 2.77 J) and IC BOARS (32.04 ± 2.50 J). For PC MARKET BARROWS, there was a difference (P = 0.05) between the number of heads where the thalamus was located within the theoretical plane of bolt travel for market placement (21/21) versus mature placement (16/21). For IC BOARS, the number of heads where the thalamus was located within the plane of theoretical bolt path was not different between the two PCB placements (19/21 each). Overall, the data suggest that tissue profiles of PC MARKET BARROWS and IC BOARS do not differ at the frontal PCB placement site and the mechanical tools that are effective for PC MARKET BARROWS should also be effective for IC BOARS.

Mapping the hair density, thickness, and volume in normal and androgenetic alopecia subjects with the digital microscope

AbstractBackgroundScalp hair density and hair diameters were the two key parameters to the diagnosis of hair loss diseases, including androgenetic alopecia (AGA).ObjectivesTo comprehensively map the hair density and the ratio of terminal‐to‐vellus hair numbers (T/V ratio) on different scalp sites in subjects of different genders, ages, body mass index, and stages of AGA. The impact of the two parameters on visual perception of the hair volume was evaluated.MethodsNormal and AGA subjects of both genders were included. Trichosopic pictures were taken by a hand‐held digital microscope at the 11 designed anatomical sites on the scalp and the hair density and T/V ratio were measured based on the pictures. The T/V ratio was defined as the ratio of non‐vellus (terminal or intermediate) hair count to vellus hair count.ResultsIn subjects with normal scalp (n = 49), the hair density and T/V ratio were highest at the parietal and vertex sites in men and women, respectively. In AGA subjects (n = 111), the hair density was significantly decreased at the frontal, parietal and vertex sites in both genders. The hair density at the occipital sites was not significantly changed in alopecia subjects of both genders, but in female alopecia subjects the occipital hair density showed a steadily decreasing trend as the AGA severity increased. The perception of hair volume was impacted more greatly by the T/V ratio than the hair number density.ConclusionThe hand‐held digital microscope (videodermoscope) was an easily accessible and noninvasive tool to evaluate hair parameters, in which hair diameters better determined the visual perception of alopecia in AGA.

Validating Frontal Memory‐related Neuromarkers for Mild Cognitive Impairment using Identical Protocols in Two Racial and Culturally Distinct Cohorts

AbstractBackgroundStudies using standardized cognitive assessments across disparate populations are often confounded by sociocultural differences, leading to a lack of comparative standards to assess the degree of Mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Thus, testing in diverse populations is essential in validating biomarkers for MCI and avoiding race and cultural confounders. Applying an identical, cross‐culturally accepted, non‐invasive, electrophysiological protocol, we test the hypothesis that the frontal neuromarkers for MCI are consistent in two samples of older adults in the US and China.MethodUsing an identical, clinically friendly protocol with a wireless 14‐channel headset (eMotiv), we recorded EEG signals along with accuracy and reaction times during a visual object working memory task in two samples of older adults. The Kentucky sample includes 12 Normal Cognition NC; (Mean age 68); 7 MCI (age 81) while the Beijing sample includes 11 NC (age 64) and 16 MCI (age 65). Each participant also received assessments in NACC UDS 3.0. The 10‐min task asked each subject to remember two visual objects and then determine whether the subsequent object is a Match or Nonmatch to one of the two held in working memory.ResultWe found that left frontal sites showed significant mean amplitude differences between MCI and NC during target match retrievals. The persons with MCI showed reduced responses to memory targets at the F3 and F7 sites in Kentucky. The MCIs’ reduction patterns were significant in the left frontal F3 but not significant at F7 in Beijing sample. The Beijing participants were on average younger than KY participants, leading to a reduction in quantitative signal change, however, the effect remains robust and parallels those from Kentucky. The current results using a fast and two‐target memory task are consistent with previously reported results using 64‐channels and a longer version of the memory task with single‐target.ConclusionWe have validated frontal neuromarkers for MCI risk in two diverse samples. The current finding has significant implications for clinical practice which creates a path for the next step: large‐scale, low‐cost, and culturally‐accepted screening for risk of cognitive decline in individuals, irrespective of their socio‐cultural, geographical, or societal background.

Developmental trends of auditory novelty oddball P3 while accounting for N2 in 7- to 25-year-olds.

Many previous studies examining developmental trends in P3 amplitude or latency have used a two-stimulus (standard and target) oddball paradigm. Fewer studies exist using the novelty oddball paradigm, a three-tone (standard, target, and novel) paradigm. In this study with 204 typically developing participants aged 7-25 years, the influence of participant traits-age and sex-on the developmental trends of P3 peak-to-peak amplitude and latency were examined. Additionally, interactions between the three tones of the novelty oddball paradigm and scalp sites on P3 amplitude and latency were evaluated. While previous studies using baseline-to-peak measures have shown smaller P3 amplitude in children compared with adults, this study, using peak-to-peak measures (P3 minus N2 amplitude), found the opposite effect with children having larger P3 amplitudes than adults. This finding is explained by further analyses of N2, representing discrimination. N2 baseline-to-peak amplitude significantly predicted P3 baseline-to-peak amplitude; a mediation effect such that as N2 becomes less negative, P3 becomes larger. Regression analyses revealed that developmental trends of the P3 amplitude were primarily linear, but trends in P3 latency were mostly non-linear. Sex differences were observed, although limited to latency measures. Results from ancovas found significant interactions between the three tones and between frontal (Fz) and parietal (Pz) sites, with larger P3 amplitude during target and novel tones at Pz than Fz, and larger amplitudes during frequent tones at Fz than Pz. These findings highlight the importance of considering more than P3 amplitude in understanding developmental trends in cognitive processing during oddball paradigms.

Increased resting-state alpha coherence and impaired inhibition control in young smokers.

Exposure to nicotine is the first cause of entirely preventable death killing, which is commonly initiated in adolescence. Previous studies revealed the changes of electroencephalography (EEG) and inhibition control in smokers. However, little is known about the specific link between alpha coherence during the resting state and inhibition control ability in young smokers. The present study aimed to investigate inter-hemispherical and frontal-parietal alpha coherence changes and assessed the relationships between alpha coherence and inhibition control in young smokers. We collected resting-state EEG data from 23 young smokers and 24 healthy controls. Inhibition control ability was assessed by a Go/NoGo task. Compared to healthy controls, young smokers exhibited increased inter-hemispherical and frontal-parietal alpha coherence. Furthermore, young smokers committed more NoGo errors in the Go/NogGo task. It is noteworthy that alpha coherence at the frontal electrode sites was positively correlated with NoGo errors in healthy controls, whereas inverse correlations were observed in young smokers. Our findings suggested that alterations of alpha coherence may provide support to the earlier nicotine-dependence-related research findings, which may help us to understand the neuropathology of inhibitory control in young smokers.

Outdoor ventilation evaluation and optimization based on spatial morphology analysis in Macau

Owing to Macau's high urban development intensity, outdoor ventilation is important to enhance human comfort. In this study, four morphological indices as frontal area index (FAI), site coverage (SC), building height (BH) and floor area ratio (FAR) were mapped and analyzed by establishing a refined three-dimensional urban digital model. Then indicator analysis, numerical simulation and LST retrieval were comprehensively used to assess the present outdoor ventilation conditions of Macau. The results showed that Macau's overall spatial morphology was not conducive to ventilation. In hot season, the cool sea breeze was obstructed by high-rise buildings in coastal area of the northern peninsula and difficult to infiltrate into the inner city. In cold season, the high pedestrian level wind speed of urban blocks in coastal areas of southern island was not good for wind protection. In Macau's northern peninsula, three potential wind corridors that connecting several existing open spaces are suggested. In southern island, a clustered urban development mode is proposed to create a wind corridor network. In addition, the existing heat islands in the windward side of wind corridors can be reduced by optimizing land surface. For pedestrian-level ventilation, the wind speed of traditional neighborhoods can be enhanced by reducing site coverage and introducing high-rise buildings during urban renewal. Wind protection methods should be considered in existing coastal urban areas, and low-rise high-density development mode is recommended for coastal new town planning in southern island. This research presents an opportunity to assist urban planners and researchers in developing a comprehensive understanding of Macau's ventilation condition, and provides theoretical support for planning practices for Macau and cities with comparable conditions.