Theta Oscillations Research Articles

Absence of modulatory effects of 6Hz cerebellar transcranial alternating current stimulation on fear learning in men.

Fear is a vital defense mechanism to potential threats, which is influenced by the cerebellum. While the cerebellum's role in acquiring fear responses is well understood, limited knowledge exists about its involvement in fear extinction. In this study, we investigated the effects of cerebellar theta band transcranial alternating current stimulation (ctACS) administered during fear extinction training, based on previous evidence from animal studies suggesting a role of cerebellar theta oscillations in associative memory formation. To this end, thirty-seven healthy right-handed male participants were recruited for a two-day differential fear renewal paradigm. On day 1, they underwent acquisition training in context A followed by extinction training in context B. On day 2, recall was tested in contexts A and B. One group of participants received ctACS in the theta band (6 Hz) during extinction training. The other group received sham ctACS. Although both groups demonstrated the ability to recall previously learned fear and distinguish between low and high threat stimuli, no significant differences were observed between the ctACS and sham groups, indicating that ctACS at this theta frequency range did not impact extinction and recall of previously acquired fear in this study. Nevertheless, using ctACS could still be useful in future research, including brain imaging studies, to better understand how the cerebellum is involved in fear and extinction processes.

Distinct mechanisms of allopregnanolone and diazepam underlie neuronal oscillations and differential antidepressant effect.

The rapid relief of depressive symptoms is a major medical requirement for effective treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD). A decrease in neuroactive steroids contributes to the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with the neurological symptoms of MDD. Zuranolone (SAGE-217), a neuroactive steroid that acts as a positive allosteric modulator of synaptic and extrasynaptic δ-subunit-containing GABAA receptors, has shown rapid-onset, clinically effective antidepressant action in patients with MDD or postpartum depression (PPD). Benzodiazepines, on the other hand, act as positive allosteric modulators of synaptic GABAA receptors but are not approved for the treatment of patients with MDD. It remains unclear how differences in molecular mechanisms contribute to the alleviation of depressive symptoms and the regulation of associated neuronal activity. Focusing on the antidepressant-like effects and neuronal activity of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), we conducted a head-to-head comparison study of the neuroactive steroid allopregnanolone and the benzodiazepine diazepam using a mouse social defeat stress (SDS) model. Allopregnanolone but not diazepam exhibited antidepressant-like effects in a social interaction test in SDS mice. This antidepressant-like effect of allopregnanolone was abolished in extrasynaptic GABAA receptor δ-subunit knockout mice (δko mice) subjected to the same SDS protocol. Regarding the neurophysiological mechanism associated with these antidepressant-like effects, allopregnanolone but not diazepam increased theta oscillation in the BLA of SDS mice. This increase did not occur in δko mice. Consistent with this, allopregnanolone potentiated tonic inhibition in BLA interneurons via δ-subunit-containing extrasynaptic GABAA receptors. Theta oscillation in the mPFC of SDS mice was also increased by allopregnanolone but not by diazepam. Finally, allopregnanolone but not diazepam increased frontal theta activity in electroencephalography recordings in naïve and SDS mice. Neuronal network alterations associated with MDD showed decreased frontal theta and beta activity in depressed SDS mice. These results demonstrated that, unlike benzodiazepines, neuroactive steroids increased theta oscillation in the BLA and mPFC through the activation of δ-subunit-containing GABAA receptors, and this change was associated with antidepressant-like effects in the SDS model. Our findings support the notion that the distinctive mechanism of neuroactive steroids may contribute to the rapid antidepressant effects in MDD.

Aging alters functional connectivity of motor theta networks during sensorimotor reactions

ObjectiveBoth cognitive and primary motor networks alter with advancing age in humans. The networks activated in response to external environmental stimuli supported by theta oscillations remain less well explored. The present study aimed to characterize the effects of aging on the functional connectivity of response-related theta networks during sensorimotor tasks. MethodsElectroencephalographic signals were recorded in young and middle-to-older age adults during three tasks performed in two modalities, auditory and visual: a simple reaction task, a Go-NoGo task, and a choice-reaction task. Response-related theta oscillations were computed. The phase-locking value (PLV) was used to analyze the spatial synchronization of primary motor and motor control theta networks. ResultsPerformance was overall preserved in older adults. Independently of the task, aging was associated with reorganized connectivity of the contra-lateral primary motor cortex. In younger adults, it was synchronized with motor control regions (intra-hemispheric premotor/frontal and medial frontal). In older adults, it was only synchronized with intra-hemispheric sensorimotor regions. ConclusionsMotor theta networks of older adults manifest a functional decoupling between the response-generating motor cortex and motor control regions, which was not modulated by task variables. The overall preserved performance in older adults suggests that the increased connectivity within the sensorimotor network is associated with an excessive reliance on sensorimotor feedback during movement execution compensating for a deficient cognitive regulation of motor regions during sensorimotor reactions. SignificanceNew evidence is provided for the reorganization of motor networks during sensorimotor reactions already at the transition from middle to old age.

Missing Puzzle Pieces in Dementia Research: HCN Channels and Theta Oscillations.

Increasing evidence indicates a role of hyperpolarization activated cation (HCN) channels in controlling the resting membrane potential, pacemaker activity, memory formation, sleep, and arousal. Their disfunction may be associated with the development of epilepsy and age-related memory decline. Neuronal hyperexcitability involved in epileptogenesis and EEG desynchronization occur in the course of dementia in human Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and animal models, nevertheless the underlying ionic and cellular mechanisms of these effects are not well understood. Some suggest that theta rhythms involved in memory formation could be used as a marker of memory disturbances in the course of neurogenerative diseases, including AD. This review focusses on the interplay between hyperpolarization HCN channels, theta oscillations, memory formation and their role(s) in dementias, including AD. While individually, each of these factors have been linked to each other with strong supportive evidence, we hope here to expand this linkage to a more inclusive picture. Thus, HCN channels could provide a molecular target for developing new therapeutic agents for preventing and/or treating dementia.

Does theta synchronicity of sensory information enhance associative memory? Replicating the theta-induced memory effect.

The binding of information from different sensory or neural sources is critical for associative memory. Previous research in animals suggested that the timing of theta oscillations in the hippocampus is critical for long-term potentiation, which underlies associative and episodic memory. Studies with human participants showed correlations between theta oscillations in medial temporal lobe and episodic memory. Clouter et al. directly investigated this link by modulating the intensity of the luminance and the sound of the video clips so that they 'flickered' at certain frequencies and with varying synchronicity between the visual and auditory streams. Across several experiments, better memory was found for stimuli that flickered synchronously at theta frequency compared with no-flicker, asynchronous theta, or synchronous alpha and delta frequencies. This effect - which they called the theta-induced memory effect - is consistent with the importance of theta synchronicity for long-term potentiation. In addition, electroencephalography data showed entrainment of cortical regions to the visual and auditory flicker, and that synchronicity was achieved in neuronal oscillations (with a fixed delay between visual and auditory streams). The theoretical importance, large effect size, and potential application to enhance real-world memory mean that a replication of theta-induced memory effect would be highly valuable. The present study aimed to replicate the key differences among synchronous theta, asynchronous theta, synchronous delta, and no-flicker conditions, but within a single experiment. The results do not show evidence of improved memory for theta synchronicity in any of the comparisons. We suggest a reinterpretation of theta-induced memory effect to accommodate this non-replication.

Neural Mechanisms Underlying Brain Gamma Entrainment after Periodic Auditory Stimulation at Gamma Frequency

External sensory stimuli presented at gamma frequency have been shown to mitigate cognitive symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this therapeutic effect remain elusive. In this study, we investigated the effects of auditory stimulation at gamma frequency on brain oscillations and the role of theta oscillations in the process of entrainment in a group of dementia patients. Our findings indicate that external auditory stimulation at gamma frequency effectively produces gamma entrainment in the brain, and high theta power at rest predicts the level of gamma entrainment. These data suggest that external sensory stimulation modulates brain oscillations by enhancing gamma entrainment, particularly in patients with higher theta power. Our study sheds light on the potential future applications of non-invasive external sensory stimulation at gamma frequency in treating neurodegenerative diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying the generation of theta and gamma oscillations and their interactions are still not fully understood, and further research is needed to investigate these mechanisms and to develop targeted treatments that can enhance cognitive function by modulating brain oscillations. In summary, our study provides valuable insight into the potential therapeutic benefits of gamma frequency stimulation in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and highlights the importance of understanding neural oscillations in the brain.

Study on Improving the Modulatory Effect of Rhythmic Oscillations by Transcranial Magneto-Acoustic Stimulation.

In hippocampus, synaptic plasticity and rhythmic oscillations reflect the cytological basis and the intermediate level of cognition, respectively. Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) has demonstrated the ability to elicit changes in neural response. However, the modulatory effect of TUS on synaptic plasticity and rhythmic oscillations was insufficient in the present studies, which may be attributed to the fact that TUS acts mainly through mechanical forces. To enhance the modulatory effect on synaptic plasticity and rhythmic oscillations, transcranial magneto-acoustic stimulation (TMAS) which induced a coupled electric field together with TUS's ultrasound field was applied. The modulatory effect of TMAS and TUS with a pulse repetition frequency of 100 Hz were compared. TMAS/TUS were performed on C57 mice for 7 days at two different ultrasound intensities (3 W/cm2 and 5 W/cm [Formula: see text]. Behavioral tests, long-term potential (LTP) and local field potentials in vivo were performed to evaluate TUS/TMAS modulatory effect on cognition, synaptic plasticity and rhythmic oscillations. Protein expression based on western blotting were used to investigate the under- lying mechanisms of these beneficial effects. At 5 W/cm2, TMAS-induced LTP were 113.4% compared to the sham group and 110.5% compared to TUS. Moreover, the relative power of high gamma oscillations (50-100Hz) in the TMAS group ( 1.060±0.155 %) was markedly higher than that in the TUS group ( 0.560±0.114 %) and sham group ( 0.570±0.088 %). TMAS significantly enhanced the synchronization of theta and gamma oscillations as well as theta-gamma cross-frequency coupling. Whereas, TUS did not show relative enhancements. TMAS provides enhanced effect for modulating the synaptic plasticity and rhythmic oscillations in hippocampus.

Effects of Tai Chi on anxiety and theta oscillation power in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial.

College students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, face substantial psychological stress. This study investigates the impact of Tai Chi (TC) practice on anxiety levels and theta oscillatory power activation characteristics among college students, aiming to provide empirical evidence for their psychological well-being. In this randomized controlled trial with 45 healthy college students, brainwave activity and changes in anxiety levels were measured. A 2 (TC group vs control group)×2 (pre-test vs post-test) factorial design was analyzed to explore TC's regulatory effects on brainwave activity and anxiety. Following 12 weeks of TC practice, the TC group exhibited a significant decrease in state-trait anxiety differences (-6.14±14.33), state anxiety differences (-3.45±7.57), and trait anxiety differences (-2.68±7.43), contrasting with an increase in the control group. Moreover, contrasting with a decrease in the control group, TC group demonstrated significance increased theta oscillatory power in C3, C4, F4, P3, T7, and T8, and a significant negative correlations were observed between state anxiety and F4-θ (r = -0.31, p = 0.04), T7-θ (r = -0.43, p = 0.01), and T8-θ (r = -0.30, p = 0.05). The positive influence of TC on college students' psychological well-being and brain function is evident, leading to reduced anxiety levels and increased theta oscillatory activity. While encouraging further research to delve into the mechanisms of TC on anxiety and theta brainwave characteristics, the study recommends actively promoting TC practice among college students to enhance mental health and address post-pandemic psychological challenges.

RTMS reduces delta and increases theta oscillations in Alzheimer's disease: A visual-evoked and event-related potentials study.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as a promising alternative therapy for Alzheimer's disease (AD) due to its ability to modulate neural networks and enhance cognitive function. This treatment offers the unique advantage of enabling real-time monitoring of immediate cognitive effects and dynamic brain changes through electroencephalography (EEG). This study focused on exploring the effects of left parietal rTMS stimulation on visual-evoked potentials (VEP) and visual event-related potentials (VERP) in AD patients. Sixteen AD patients were recruited for this longitudinal study. EEG data were collected within a Faraday cage both pre- and post-rTMS to evaluate its impact on potentials. Significant alterations were found in both VEP and VERP oscillations. Specifically, delta power in VEP decreased, while theta power in VERP increased post-rTMS, indicating a modulation of brain activities. These findings confirm the positive modulatory impact of rTMS on brain activities in AD, evidenced by improved cognitive scores. They align with previous studies highlighting the potential of rTMS in managing hyperexcitability and oscillatory disturbances in the AD cortex. Cognitive improvements post-rTMS endorse its potential as a promising neuromodulatory treatment for cognitive enhancement in AD, thereby providing critical insights into the neurophysiological anomalies in AD and possible therapeutic avenues.

Bursting gamma oscillations in neural mass models.

Gamma oscillations (30-120 Hz) in the brain are not periodic cycles, but they typically appear in short-time windows, often called oscillatory bursts. While the origin of this bursting phenomenon is still unclear, some recent studies hypothesize its origin in the external or endogenous noise of neural networks. We demonstrate that an exact neural mass model of excitatory and inhibitory quadratic-integrate and fire-spiking neurons theoretically predicts the emergence of a different regime of intrinsic bursting gamma (IBG) oscillations without any noise source, a phenomenon due to collective chaos. This regime is indeed observed in the direct simulation of spiking neurons, characterized by highly irregular spiking activity. IBG oscillations are distinguished by higher phase-amplitude coupling to slower theta oscillations concerning noise-induced bursting oscillations, thus indicating an increased capacity for information transfer between brain regions. We demonstrate that this phenomenon is present in both globally coupled and sparse networks of spiking neurons. These results propose a new mechanism for gamma oscillatory activity, suggesting deterministic collective chaos as a good candidate for the origin of gamma bursts.

Apathy scores in Parkinson's disease relate to EEG components in an incentivized motor task.

Apathy is one of the most prevalent non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease and is characterized by decreased goal-directed behaviour due to a lack of motivation and/or impaired emotional reactivity. Despite its high prevalence, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying apathy in Parkinson's disease, which may guide neuromodulation interventions, are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the neural oscillatory characteristics of apathy in Parkinson's disease using EEG data recorded during an incentivized motor task. Thirteen Parkinson's disease patients with apathy and 13 Parkinson's disease patients without apathy as well as 12 healthy controls were instructed to squeeze a hand grip device to earn a monetary reward proportional to the grip force they used. Event-related spectral perturbations during the presentation of a reward cue and squeezing were analysed using multiset canonical correlation analysis to detect different orthogonal components of temporally consistent event-related spectral perturbations across trials and participants. The first component, predominantly located over parietal regions, demonstrated suppression of low-beta (12-20 Hz) power (i.e. beta desynchronization) during reward cue presentation that was significantly smaller in Parkinson's disease patients with apathy compared with healthy controls. Unlike traditional event-related spectral perturbation analysis, the beta desynchronization in this component was significantly correlated with clinical apathy scores. Higher monetary rewards resulted in larger beta desynchronization in healthy controls but not Parkinson's disease patients. The second component contained gamma and theta frequencies and demonstrated exaggerated theta (4-8 Hz) power in Parkinson's disease patients with apathy during the reward cue and squeezing compared with healthy controls (HCs), and this was positively correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores. The third component, over central regions, demonstrated significantly different beta power across groups, with apathetic groups having the lowest beta power. Our results emphasize that altered low-beta and low-theta oscillations are critical for reward processing and motor planning in Parkinson's disease patients with apathy and these may provide a target for non-invasive neuromodulation.

Long-term intermittent theta burst stimulation enhanced hippocampus-dependent memory by regulating hippocampal theta oscillation and neurotransmitter levels in healthy rats

Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), an updated pattern of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, is a potential candidate for improving memory. The hippocampus has been shown to be involved in the memory-enhancing effect induced by iTBS. However, it remains largely unknown whether this effect is achieved by regulating hippocampal theta oscillation and neurotransmitters gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate, which are strongly related to memory. Thus, we investigated the effect of 14 days of iTBS on hippocampus-dependent memory and further explored the roles of hippocampal theta oscillation and neurotransmitters GABA and glutamate in this effect. We found that compared to sham iTBS, real iTBS enhanced hippocampus-dependent memory measured by hole-board test and object place recognition test. Further, real iTBS increased the density of c-Fos positive neurons and normalized power of theta oscillation in the dorsal hippocampus (dHip) compared to sham iTBS. Interestingly, we observed a decrease in the level of extracellular GABA and an increase in the level of extracellular glutamate in the dHip after real iTBS. Our results suggest that long-term iTBS improved hippocampus-dependent memory, which may be attributed to the enhancement of theta oscillation and altered levels of extracellular GABA and glutamate in the dHip.

Acute Bouts of Aerobic Exercise Do Not Modulate Task-Evoked Midfrontal Theta Oscillations in School-Age Children

While acute aerobic exercise has been found to have a facilitative effect on task components with varied cognitive control demands in school-age children, its effects on specific neural processes evoked by a cognitive control task remain underexplored. The objective of the current study was to examine the effects of acute aerobic exercise on task-evoked midfrontal theta event-related synchronization (ERS)—which plays a crucial role in supporting cognitive control. Thirty-three preadolescent children were recruited into this within-subjects, crossover study. Participants engaged in an aerobic exercise condition and a seated rest condition in a counterbalanced order. After both conditions, participants completed a flanker task, with concurrent EEG data collection. The results revealed no differences in midfrontal theta ERS following acute aerobic exercise as compared with following the control condition. However, midfrontal theta ERS was higher during congruent trials relative to incongruent trials following control condition but not following aerobic exercise. Collectively, acute bouts of aerobic exercise do not appear to modulate the control and behavioral monitoring processes indexed by midfrontal theta ERS during cognitive control in children.

Inactivation of hypocretin receptor-2 signaling in dopaminergic neurons induces hyperarousal and enhanced cognition but impaired inhibitory control

Hypocretin/Orexin (HCRT/OX) and dopamine (DA) are both key effectors of salience processing, reward and stress-related behaviors and motivational states, yet their respective roles and interactions are poorly delineated. We inactivated HCRT-to-DA connectivity by genetic disruption of Hypocretin receptor-1 (Hcrtr1), Hypocretin receptor-2 (Hcrtr2), or both receptors (Hcrtr1&2) in DA neurons and analyzed the consequences on vigilance states, brain oscillations and cognitive performance in freely behaving mice. Unexpectedly, loss of Hcrtr2, but not Hcrtr1 or Hcrtr1&2, induced a dramatic increase in theta (7–11 Hz) electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in both wakefulness and rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMS). DAHcrtr2-deficient mice spent more time in an active (or theta activity-enriched) substate of wakefulness, and exhibited prolonged REMS. Additionally, both wake and REMS displayed enhanced theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling. The baseline waking EEG of DAHcrtr2-deficient mice exhibited diminished infra-theta, but increased theta power, two hallmarks of EEG hyperarousal, that were however uncoupled from locomotor activity. Upon exposure to novel, either rewarding or stress-inducing environments, DAHcrtr2-deficient mice featured more pronounced waking theta and fast-gamma (52–80 Hz) EEG activity surges compared to littermate controls, further suggesting increased alertness. Cognitive performance was evaluated in an operant conditioning paradigm, which revealed that DAHcrtr2-ablated mice manifest faster task acquisition and higher choice accuracy under increasingly demanding task contingencies. However, the mice concurrently displayed maladaptive patterns of reward-seeking, with behavioral indices of enhanced impulsivity and compulsivity. None of the EEG changes observed in DAHcrtr2-deficient mice were seen in DAHcrtr1-ablated mice, which tended to show opposite EEG phenotypes. Our findings establish a clear genetically-defined link between monosynaptic HCRT-to-DA neurotransmission and theta oscillations, with a differential and novel role of HCRTR2 in theta-gamma cross-frequency coupling, attentional processes, and executive functions, relevant to disorders including narcolepsy, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and Parkinson’s disease.

Role of neural oscillations modulating long term potentiation to Alzheimer's Disease

Neural oscillations are key in forming long-term memory. Theta and gamma oscillations have particularly gained substantial interest over the year for their involvement in memory formation. Theta-Gamma Coupling (TGC) has proven to be critical in memory formation processes. However, the relationship between neural oscillations and molecular synaptic mechanisms, including Long Term Potentiation (LTP) and Long-Term Depression (LTD) has yet to be fully understood. Furthermore, the modulation of neural oscillations has emerged as a novel way of treating Alzheimers Disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairments (MCI). Various methods have been exploited, including optogenetics and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). While offering promising results including enhanced memory performance and restored brain oscillations, such modulations applicability to clinical trials in human and potential side effects are still in doubt. In this review, we elucidated on the link between LTP and oscillations, assessed the various neuromodulation techniques introduced by recent studies and also provided insights into future research directions to optimize these present methods of neural modulation.

Cross-frequency and inter-regional phase synchronization in explicit transitive inference.

Explicit logical reasoning, like transitive inference, is a hallmark of human intelligence. This study investigated cortical oscillations and their interactions in transitive inference with EEG. Participants viewed premises describing abstract relations among items. They accurately recalled the relationship between old pairs of items, effectively inferred the relationship between new pairs of items, and discriminated between true and false relationships for new pairs. First, theta (4-7Hz) and alpha oscillations (8-15Hz) had distinct functional roles. Frontal theta oscillations distinguished between new and old pairs, reflecting the inference of new information. Parietal alpha oscillations changed with serial position and symbolic distance of the pairs, representing the underlying relational structure. Frontal alpha oscillations distinguished between true and false pairs, linking the new information with the underlying relational structure. Second, theta and alpha oscillations interacted through cross-frequency and inter-regional phase synchronization. Frontal theta-alpha 1:2 phase locking appeared to coordinate spectrally diverse neural activity, enhanced for new versus old pairs and true versus false pairs. Alpha-band frontal-parietal phase coherence appeared to coordinate anatomically distributed neural activity, enhanced for new versus old pairs and false versus true pairs. It suggests that cross-frequency and inter-regional phase synchronization among theta and alpha oscillations supports human transitive inference.

Sensory modality affects the spatiotemporal dynamics of alpha and theta oscillations associated with prospective memory

BackgroundThe maintenance of an intention in memory (Prospective Memory, PM) while performing a task is associated with a cost in terms of both performance (longer response times and lower accuracy) and neurophysiological modulations, which extent depends on several features of the stimuli. AimThis study explores the neural patterns associated with PM in different sensory modalities, to identify differences depending on this variable and discuss their functional meaning. MethodData were collected using a High-Density EEG during a baseline and a PM condition, proposed in a visual and an auditory version. Theta and alpha oscillations were compared between the two conditions within each modality using a cluster-based permutation approach. ResultsPM conditions were associated with clusters of decreased alpha and theta activity in both modalities. However, different spatiotemporal dynamics were elicited as a function of sensory modality: alpha decreases displayed an overlapping onset between modalities, but different durations, lasting longer in the auditory modality. Conversely, the clusters of decreased theta activity presented similar durations between modalities, but different temporal and spatial onsets, appearing at different moments over the respective sensory areas. ConclusionsThe similar spatiotemporal properties of alpha suppression between modalities indicate that such oscillations may represent a supramodal, top-down process, presumably reflecting the external direction of attention to successfully detect the prospective cue (strategic monitoring). In theta, the clusters showed more modality-specific differences, which temporal and spatial properties correspond to the ones necessary to perform the ongoing task, suggesting a shift in resource allocation in favor of the PM task.

Theta oscillatory dynamics serving cognitive control index psychosocial distress in youth

BackgroundPsychosocial distress among youth is a major public health issue characterized by disruptions in cognitive control processing. Using the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework, we quantified multidimensional neural oscillatory markers of psychosocial distress serving cognitive control in youth. MethodsThe sample consisted of 39 peri-adolescent participants who completed the NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery (NIHTB-EB) and the Eriksen flanker task during magnetoencephalography (MEG). A psychosocial distress index was computed with exploratory factor analysis using assessments from the NIHTB-EB. MEG data were analyzed in the time-frequency domain and peak voxels from oscillatory maps depicting the neural cognitive interference effect were extracted for voxel time series analyses to identify spontaneous and oscillatory aberrations in dynamics serving cognitive control as a function of psychosocial distress. Further, we quantified the relationship between psychosocial distress and dynamic functional connectivity between regions supporting cognitive control. ResultsThe continuous psychosocial distress index was strongly associated with validated measures of pediatric psychopathology. Theta-band neural cognitive interference was identified in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and middle cingulate cortex (MCC). Time series analyses of these regions indicated that greater psychosocial distress was associated with elevated spontaneous activity in both the dlPFC and MCC and blunted theta oscillations in the MCC. Finally, we found that stronger phase coherence between the dlPFC and MCC was associated with greater psychosocial distress. ConclusionsGreater psychosocial distress was marked by alterations in spontaneous and oscillatory theta activity serving cognitive control, along with hyperconnectivity between the dlPFC and MCC.

Study on the influence mechanism of perceived benefits on unsafe behavioral decision-making based on ERPs and EROs.

Perceived benefits are considered one of the significant factors affecting an individual's decision-making process. Our study aimed to explore the influence mechanism of perceived benefits in the decision-making process of unsafe behaviors. Our study used the "One Stimulus-Two Key Choice (S-K1/K2)" paradigm to conduct an EEG experiment. Participants (N = 18) made decisions in risky scenarios under high perceived benefits (HPB), low perceived benefits (LPB), and control conditions (CC). Time domain analysis and time-frequency analysis were applied to the recorded EEG data to extract ERPs (event-related potentials) and EROs (event-related oscillations), which include the P3 component, theta oscillations, alpha oscillations, and beta oscillations. Under the HPB condition, the theta power in the central (p = 0.016*) and occipital regions (p = 0.006**) was significantly decreased compared to the CC. Similarly, the alpha power in the frontal (p = 0.022*), central (p = 0.037*), and occipital regions (p = 0.014*) was significantly reduced compared to the CC. Under the LPB condition, theta power in the frontal (p = 0.026*), central (p = 0.028*), and occipital regions (p = 0.010*) was significantly reduced compared to the CC. Conversely, alpha power in the frontal (p = 0.009**), central (p = 0.012*), and occipital regions (p = 0.040*) was significantly increased compared to the HPB condition. The high perceived benefits may reduce individuals' internal attention and evoke individuals' positive emotions and motivation, leading individuals to underestimate risks. Consequently, they exhibited a greater inclination toward unsafe behaviors. However, the low perceived benefits may reduce individuals' memory review, resulting in a simple decision-making process, and they are more inclined to make fast decisions to avoid loss. The research results can help to provide targeted intervention measures, which are beneficial to reducing workers' unsafe behaviors.

Just a phase? Causal probing reveals spurious phasic dependence of sustained attention

For over a decade, electrophysiological studies have reported correlations between attention / perception and the phase of spontaneous brain oscillations. To date, these findings have been interpreted as evidence that the brain uses neural oscillations to sample and predict upcoming stimuli. Yet, evidence from simulations have shown that analysis artefacts could also lead to spurious pre-stimulus oscillations that appear to predict future brain responses. To address this discrepancy, we conducted an experiment in which visual stimuli were presented in time to specific phases of spontaneous alpha and theta oscillations. This allowed us to causally probe the role of ongoing neural activity in visual processing independent of the stimulus-evoked dynamics. Our findings did not support a causal link between spontaneous alpha / theta rhythms and behaviour. However, spurious correlations between theta phase and behaviour emerged offline using gold-standard time-frequency analyses. These findings are a reminder that care should be taken when inferring causal relationships between neural activity and behaviour using acausal analysis methods.