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Guo Z, Lv J, Liu X, Pan W, Song DA. Exploring virtual reality as an anxiety-inducing paradigm: Multimodal insights from subjective, behavioral and neurophysiological measures. Behav Brain Res 2025; 489:115610. [PMID: 40311938 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2025] [Accepted: 04/25/2025] [Indexed: 05/03/2025]
Abstract
Anxiety results from the complex interplay between innate defensive responses to perceived threats and higher-order cognitive processes, mediated by specialized circuits in the human neocortex. Traditional methods of anxiety induction often fail to replicate the inherent unpredictability of threats or maintain ecological validity, thereby limiting their ability to fully elucidate the underlying mechanisms of anxiety. To overcome these limitations, this study aimed to explore the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) as an innovative anxiety-inducing tool. By further using its ability to simulate real world scenes, the neural activities inducing anxiety in VR scenes were studied. VR is used to induce anxiety through customized scenarios, while a range of data, including subjective self-reports, objective performance measures, eye movement data, and EEG signals, are collected. The findings indicate that VR is efficacious in induced anxiety, which manifests through the arousal of anxious emotions, alterations in cognitive processes, and distinct neurophysiological patterns, particularly increased theta and alpha activity in the frontal and parietal regions. This research reinforces the ecological validity of VR as a research tool, contributing to a deeper understanding of the neurophysiological basis of anxiety and providing a more nuanced framework for both anxiety research and interventions in real-world contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhicong Guo
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550025, China
| | - Jian Lv
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550025, China.
| | - Xiang Liu
- Biology&Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550025, China
| | - Weijie Pan
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550025, China
| | - Ding-An Song
- Guizhou Aerospace Control Technology Co., Ltd., Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550025, China
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2
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Freeman C, Rawls E, Teich CD, Sponheim SR, Polusny MA, Marquardt C. Neural Response to Reward and Loss Following Basic Combat Training. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2025:S2451-9022(25)00166-1. [PMID: 40412619 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2025] [Revised: 04/20/2025] [Accepted: 05/14/2025] [Indexed: 05/27/2025]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The brain's responsiveness to rewarding stimuli is essential for adaptive functioning while deficits in neural reward processing have been linked to the transdiagnostic symptom of anhedonia. Acute or prolonged stressors may negatively impact neural reward responses; however, few studies have examined if real-world naturalistic stressors prospectively predict reductions in brain responses to rewards. METHODS This pre-registered analysis (https://osf.io/f6e8w) used data from the ARMOR study to assess whether exposure to basic combat training (BCT), a demanding and stress-inducing 10-week program, led to reductions in electrophysiological measures of reward response. One hundred sixteen military recruits completed a virtual gambling task while electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded before and after BCT. Mean EEG activity in the time window of the Reward Positivity (RewP; 175 - 325ms post-feedback at FCz) was averaged separately for the gain and loss condition. RESULTS We found that neural response to both gain and loss feedback in the time-window of the RewP significantly decreased from baseline following BCT (b = -0.67, p <.001), but the difference between conditions did not (b = 0.28, p = .23). Greater reports of BCT-related stressors predicted decreased neural response to gain, but not loss. Finally, baseline reward-related power in the delta-band frequency prospectively predicted less self-reported BCT-related stress. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that experiencing the stress of BCT is associated with reductions in neural processing of both reward and loss feedback. Further, those with greater reward-related delta oscillatory activity may perceive less negative impact of real-world stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Freeman
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine.
| | - Eric Rawls
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington
| | - Collin D Teich
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota
| | - Scott R Sponheim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota; Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System; Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
| | - Melissa A Polusny
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota; Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System; Center for Care Delivery and Outcomes Research
| | - Craig Marquardt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota; Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System
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3
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Dias C, Sousa T, Cruz A, Costa D, Mouga S, Castelhano J, Pires G, Castelo-Branco M. A role for preparatory midfrontal theta in autism as revealed by a high executive load brain-computer interface reverse spelling task. Sci Rep 2025; 15:16671. [PMID: 40368962 PMCID: PMC12078613 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-00670-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2025] [Indexed: 05/16/2025] Open
Abstract
Midfrontal theta oscillations have been linked to executive function, yet their role in autism-where this function is often compromised-remains unclear. We hypothesized that preparatory increases in theta power may help normalize performance in autism. To test this, we used a challenging interactive executive function task designed to impose a high working memory load and require constant error monitoring. An electroencephalogram (EEG)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) was used to maximize cognitive load and engagement. Neural activity from autistic and non-autistic adults was compared while participants were asked to mentally reverse pseudowords (engaging working memory) and write them using the BCI, which provided real-time performance feedback (maximizing error monitoring). The study focused on theta power modulation during the preparatory (pre-response) and feedback (post-response) periods but also explored the role of posterior alpha oscillations. Results showed similar task performance between groups, but distinct recruitment of brain resources, particularly during the preparatory period. The finding of an increased preparatory theta in autism favors the hypothesis of compensatory recruitment of cognitive control and attentional mechanisms to achieve accurate results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Dias
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- ICNAS - Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- ICNAS PHARMA Unipessoal, Lda, Ed. ICNAS, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Teresa Sousa
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- ICNAS - Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- LASI - Intelligent Systems Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Aniana Cruz
- ISR - Institute of Systems and Robotics, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Diana Costa
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- ICNAS - Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Susana Mouga
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- ICNAS - Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João Castelhano
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- ICNAS - Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Gabriel Pires
- ISR - Institute of Systems and Robotics, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Engineering, IPT - Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, Tomar, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
- ICNAS - Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
- ICNAS PHARMA Unipessoal, Lda, Ed. ICNAS, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
- LASI - Intelligent Systems Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal.
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4
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Euler MJ, Guevara JE, Vehar JV, Geiger AR, McKinney TL, Butner JE. Psychometric, pre-processing, and trial-type considerations in individual differences studies of EEG mid-frontal theta power and latency. Int J Psychophysiol 2025; 211:112555. [PMID: 40090522 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.112555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2025] [Accepted: 03/12/2025] [Indexed: 03/18/2025]
Abstract
EEG mid-frontal theta-band activity (MFT; 4-8 Hz) is of considerable interest as a possible biomarker in translational research on cognitive control. However, because most of the MFT literature has focused on experimental within-subjects effects, the impact of particular data processing choices on individual difference analyses is not well understood. This study aimed to reduce that gap by examining the psychometric properties of different pipelines for measuring individual differences in MFT power and latency. Ninety-three adults aged 60 or older completed a flanker task during EEG recording. Stimulus-locked MFT was extracted in three primary pipelines via the fast Fourier transform (FFT), linear- and log-spaced wavelet, and filter-Hilbert analyses. The effects of frequency resolution, electrode choice, overall versus peak power, and trial type (overall, congruent, incongruent, and subtraction- and regression-based residual scores contrasting congruent and incongruent activity) were examined, as was the degree of overlap among related variables. Internal consistency reliabilities and associations with reaction times (RT) during the Flanker were assessed for select measures. Results indicated no benefit of higher frequency resolutions or region of interest over single-electrode measurements from FCz. Two-part coefficient alpha reliabilities ranged from 0.63 to 1.00 for MFT power variables, and from 0.02 to 0.83 for latency variables. Contrary to hypotheses and common criticisms of derived scores, correlations with RT were generally strongest for the difference and residual scores, with an additional benefit of time-frequency-based peak power relative to FFT-based overall power (r ~ = 0.30 vs. 0.45). These findings add to the growing literature on psychometric properties of EEG biomarkers, and help clarify measurement strategies that may enhance detection of behavioral and clinical correlates of MFT power and latency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Euler
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 S 1530 E BEH S 502, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States.
| | - Jasmin E Guevara
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 S 1530 E BEH S 502, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
| | - Julia V Vehar
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 S 1530 E BEH S 502, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
| | - Allie R Geiger
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 S 1530 E BEH S 502, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
| | - Ty L McKinney
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 S 1530 E BEH S 502, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
| | - Jonathan E Butner
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 S 1530 E BEH S 502, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
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Härpfer K, Carsten HP, Kausche FM, Riesel A. Enhanced Performance Monitoring as a Transdiagnostic Risk Marker of the Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum: The Role of Disorder Category, Clinical Status, Family Risk, and Anxiety Dimensions. Depress Anxiety 2025; 2025:9505414. [PMID: 40259892 PMCID: PMC12009682 DOI: 10.1155/da/9505414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 09/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2025] [Indexed: 04/23/2025] Open
Abstract
In this preregistered study, we investigated the relationship between neural correlates of performance monitoring and disorders of the anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum. Specifically, we aimed at understanding the role of disorder category, clinical status, family risk, and the transdiagnostic symptom dimensions of anxious apprehension and anxious arousal. To this end, we measured event-related potentials (ERPs) of performance monitoring (i.e., error-related negativity, ERN, and correct-response negativity, CRN) in a large sample of 156 participants, including groups of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobia, as well as a naturalistic control group. Contrary to our initial expectations, we did not observe significant differences in ERPs among the clinical groups, nor in comparison to the naturalistic control group. However, after creating a more strictly defined healthy control group, we found larger ERN amplitudes in the specific phobia compared with the healthy control group. In addition, when comparing participants with and without a lifetime clinical diagnosis of any internalizing disorder, regardless of their main diagnosis, as well as when comparing those with or without a family risk for internalizing psychopathology, we observed larger amplitudes for both ERN and CRN. Subsequently, we combined data from this study and a previously published subclinical study to examine the role of transdiagnostic symptom dimensions (i.e., anxious apprehension and anxious arousal) across a wider severity spectrum. In this joint sample of 246 participants, gender emerged as a moderator of the link between anxious apprehension and enhanced performance monitoring. Specifically, women with increasing anxious apprehension exhibited elevated ERN and CRN amplitudes. In conclusion, our study challenges the notion of a disorder-specific link to performance monitoring. Instead, our findings suggest that enhanced performance monitoring is associated with a higher propensity for anxious apprehension and acts as a broad risk marker for internalizing psychopathology, reflecting vulnerability beyond diagnostic borders within the anxiety- and obsessive-compulsive spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Härpfer
- Department of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg 20146, Germany
| | | | | | - Anja Riesel
- Department of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg 20146, Germany
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6
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Swinnen BEKS, Hoy CW, Pegolo E, Ishihara B, Matzilevich EU, Sun J, Morgante F, Pereira E, Baig F, Hart M, Tan H, Sawacha Z, Beudel M, Wang S, Starr P, Little S, Ricciardi L. Basal ganglia theta power indexes trait anxiety in people with Parkinson's disease. Brain 2025; 148:1228-1241. [PMID: 39432676 PMCID: PMC7617510 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2024] [Revised: 08/15/2024] [Accepted: 09/23/2024] [Indexed: 10/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common and disabling in Parkinson's disease, with troublesome anxiety occurring in one-third of patients. Management of anxiety in Parkinson's disease is challenging, hampered by insufficient insight into underlying mechanisms, lack of objective anxiety measurements and largely ineffective treatments. In this study, we assessed the intracranial neurophysiological correlates of anxiety in patients with Parkinson's disease treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the laboratory and at home. We hypothesized that low-frequency (theta-alpha) activity would be associated with anxiety. We recorded local field potentials from subthalamic nucleus or globus pallidus pars interna DBS implants in three Parkinson's disease cohorts: (i) patients with recordings (subthalamic nucleus) performed in hospital at rest via perioperatively externalized leads, without active stimulation, both ON and OFF dopaminergic medication; (ii) patients with recordings (subthalamic nucleus or globus pallidus pars interna) performed at home while resting, via a chronically implanted commercially available sensing-enabled neurostimulator (Medtronic Percept™ device), ON dopaminergic medication, with stimulation both on and off; and (iii) patients with recordings performed at home while engaging in a behavioural task via subthalamic nucleus and globus pallidus pars interna leads and electrocorticography paddles over the premotor cortex connected to an investigational sensing-enabled neurostimulator, ON dopaminergic medication, with stimulation both on and off. Trait anxiety was measured with validated clinical scales in all participants, and state anxiety was measured with momentary assessment scales at multiple time points in the two at-home cohorts. Power in theta (4-8 Hz) and alpha (8-12 Hz) ranges was extracted from the local field potential recordings, and its relationship with anxiety ratings was assessed using linear mixed-effects models. In total, 33 patients with Parkinson's disease (59 hemispheres) were included. Across three independent cohorts, with stimulation off, basal ganglia theta power was positively related to trait anxiety (all P < 0.05). Also in a naturalistic setting, with individuals at home, at rest, with stimulation and medication ON, basal ganglia theta power was positively related to trait anxiety (P < 0.05). This relationship held regardless of the hemisphere and DBS target. There was no correlation between trait anxiety and premotor cortical theta-alpha power. There was no within-patient association between basal ganglia theta-alpha power and state anxiety. We showed that basal ganglia theta activity indexes trait anxiety in Parkinson's disease. Our data suggest that theta could be a possible physiomarker of neuropsychiatric symptoms and specifically of anxiety in Parkinson's disease, potentially suitable for guiding advanced DBS treatment tailored to the needs of the individual patient, including non-motor symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart E K S Swinnen
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Colin W Hoy
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Elena Pegolo
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Neurosciences and Cell Biology Institute, Neuromodulation and Motor Control Section, St George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Bryony Ishihara
- Neurosciences and Cell Biology Institute, Neuromodulation and Motor Control Section, St George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Elena Ubeda Matzilevich
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Julia Sun
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Francesca Morgante
- Neurosciences and Cell Biology Institute, Neuromodulation and Motor Control Section, St George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Erlick Pereira
- Neurosciences and Cell Biology Institute, Neuromodulation and Motor Control Section, St George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Fahd Baig
- Neurosciences and Cell Biology Institute, Neuromodulation and Motor Control Section, St George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Michael Hart
- Neurosciences and Cell Biology Institute, Neuromodulation and Motor Control Section, St George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Huiling Tan
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Zimi Sawacha
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Martijn Beudel
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Philip Starr
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Simon Little
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Lucia Ricciardi
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Neurosciences and Cell Biology Institute, Neuromodulation and Motor Control Section, St George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
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7
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Rawls E, Marquardt CA, Fix ST, Bernat E, Sponheim SR. Posttraumatic reexperiencing and alcohol use: Mediofrontal theta as a neural mechanism for negative reinforcement. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND CLINICAL SCIENCE 2025; 134:308-318. [PMID: 39899115 PMCID: PMC11949716 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2025]
Abstract
Over half of U.S. military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) use alcohol heavily, potentially to cope with their symptoms. This study investigated the neural underpinnings of PTSD symptoms and heavy drinking in veterans. We focused on brain responses to salient outcomes within predictive coding theory. This framework suggests the brain generates prediction errors (PEs) when outcomes deviate from expectations. Alcohol use might provide negative reinforcement by reducing the salience of negatively valenced PEs and dampening experiences like loss. We analyzed electroencephalography responses to unpredictable gain/loss feedback in n = 82 veterans of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. We used time-frequency principal components analysis of event-related potentials to isolate neural responses indicative of PEs, identifying mediofrontal theta linked to losses (feedback-related negativity) and central delta associated with gains (reward positivity). Intrusive reexperiencing symptoms of PTSD were associated with intensified mediofrontal theta signaling during losses, suggesting heightened negative PE sensitivity. Conversely, increased hazardous alcohol use was associated with reduced theta responses, implying a dampening of these negative PEs. The separate delta-reward positivity component showed associations with alcohol use but not PTSD symptoms. The findings suggest a common neural component of PTSD and hazardous alcohol use involving altered PE processing. We suggest that reexperiencing enhances the intensity of salient negative PEs, while chronic alcohol use may reduce their intensity, thereby providing negative reinforcement by muting posttraumatic distress and associated brain responses. Modifying the mediofrontal theta response could address the intertwined nature of PTSD symptoms and alcohol use, providing new avenues for treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Rawls
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota
| | - Craig A. Marquardt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota
- Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System
| | - Spencer T. Fix
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park
| | - Edward Bernat
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park
| | - Scott R. Sponheim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota
- Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System
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8
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Caspar EA, Pech GP, Ros P. Long-term affective and non-affective brain alterations across three generations following the genocide in Cambodia. Biol Psychol 2025; 197:109028. [PMID: 40252718 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2025] [Accepted: 04/06/2025] [Indexed: 04/21/2025]
Abstract
The literature has largely indicated that trauma can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alterations in brain functioning. However, to what extent these alterations remain present decades after the traumatic event, and how the next generations may also suffer from them, remains unclear, especially in a non-Western culture. Uniquely, the present project focused on survivors of the Cambodian genocide and the subsequent two generations to determine whether brain alterations are observable approximately five decades after the traumatic event and in subsequent generations from the same society. Using portable electroencephalography (EEG), we used four experimental tasks-two targeting non-affective processing (i.e., sensory gating, oddball) and two targeting affective processing (i.e., emotion recognition, threat processing). Results indicated that although the rate of PTSD symptoms was similar across generations, the affective reaction to threat for the LPP and FMθ was primarily observed or intensified in the directly affected generation (i.e., G0), regardless of the presence of PTSD. We also observed that G0 exhibited reduced attenuation over standard tones in the oddball task for the N100 and a reduced sensory gating effect on the auditory P200. The present study underscores that affective and non-affective alterations might still be present decades after a trauma, but are not necessarily observable in subsequent generations. Our results also support a dissociation between reported PTSD symptoms and neural alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie A Caspar
- Moral & Social Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium.
| | - Guillaume P Pech
- Center for Research in Cognition and Neuroscience, Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Pheak Ros
- National University of Battambang, Cambodia
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9
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Morales S, Buzzell GA. EEG time-frequency dynamics of early cognitive control development. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2025; 73:101548. [PMID: 40179643 PMCID: PMC11999349 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2025] [Accepted: 03/04/2025] [Indexed: 04/05/2025] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control is crucial for goal-directed behavior, and essential for other aspects of cognitive and socioemotional development. This review examines when and how the neural dynamics of cognitive control emerge and develop, focusing on electroencephalography measures used to study cognitive control in infants and children. We argue that time-frequency analyses are uniquely able to capture two distinct components of cognitive control: 1) the detection that control is needed, and 2) the instantiation of control. Starting in infancy and increasing across childhood and adolescence, studies suggest the signal strength and consistency of midfrontal theta and delta oscillations are involved in processes that detect the need for control. For control instantiation, there is evidence that theta band connectivity between midfrontal and lateral-frontal cortices is present from early childhood. There is also evidence for the involvement of midfrontal theta power in the instantiation of control in infancy. We further review emerging evidence that indicates individual differences in midfrontal theta are not only proximally related to behavior, but also sensitive to variations in early experience and risk for psychopathology, providing a neural mechanism linking early adversity to future psychopathology. We discuss needed future steps, including novel paradigms, computational models, and aperiodic/periodic modeling of EEG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Morales
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - George A Buzzell
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA; Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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10
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Lian J, Guo J, Dai X, Deng X, Liu Y, Zhao J, Lei X. Decoding the impact of negative physical self-perception on inhibitory control ability from theta and beta rhythms. Cereb Cortex 2025; 35:bhaf056. [PMID: 40103360 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaf056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2024] [Revised: 02/03/2025] [Accepted: 02/17/2025] [Indexed: 03/20/2025] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have found inhibitory control differences between obese individuals and those of normal weight. However, some normal-weight individuals with high negative physical self-perception on the fatness subscale show restrictive eating behaviors and attentional bias toward high-calorie food, potentially influencing these differences. We collected behavioral and electroencephalography data using a novel inhibitory control task. Results showed that individuals with high negative physical self-perception on the fatness subscale exhibited significantly greater restraint eating behavior compared to controls. Both theta and beta power differed between groups, with higher theta power in the high negative physical self-perception on the fatness subscale group than in the obese group and more negative beta power in the high negative physical self-perception on the fatness subscale group compared to both other groups. Theta power was greater in no-go than go conditions, while beta power was more negative in response to high-calorie versus low-calorie food stimuli. Importantly, theta power successfully decoded go/no-go conditions across all groups using multivariate pattern analysis, while beta power distinguished these conditions only in the negative physical self-perception on the fatness subscale and control groups. These findings suggest that theta and beta power, along with multivariate pattern analysis, can reliably distinguish inhibitory control ability among the three groups, highlighting the importance of considering negative physical self-perception on the fatness subscale when assessing inhibitory control differences between normal-weight and obese individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junwei Lian
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiaqi Guo
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xu Dai
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xia Deng
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yong Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jia Zhao
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xu Lei
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Sleep and NeuroImaging Center, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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11
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Szenczy AK, Sabharwal A, Levinson AR, Infantolino ZP, Perlman G, Kotov R, Klein DN, Nelson BD. Psychometric Properties of the Neural Response to Rewards and Errors Across Mid- to Late-Adolescence. Dev Psychobiol 2025; 67:e70036. [PMID: 40079453 DOI: 10.1002/dev.70036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 02/18/2025] [Accepted: 02/22/2025] [Indexed: 03/15/2025]
Abstract
Event-related potential (ERP) measures of reward- and error-related brain activity have been used to elucidate neural mechanisms contributing to the development of psychopathology. Adolescence is a critical developmental period that is associated with changes in ERP reward- and error-related brain activity. However, there is a paucity of within-subject research examining whether the reliability of ERP measures is the same or changes across adolescence. Moreover, it is unclear whether the time-frequency representation of reward- and error-related brain activity demonstrates similar psychometric properties. The present study examined the psychometric properties of reward- and error-related brain activity in five hundred and fifty 13.5- to 15.5-year-old (M = 14.4, SD = 0.63) girls. Participants completed the doors and flanker tasks while electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded at two assessments: baseline and 3 years later. Reward- and error-related brain activity were quantified using the time-domain reward positivity (RewP) and error-related negativity (ERN), respectively, as well as time-frequency delta and theta activity. Results indicated that all measures demonstrated adequate split-half reliability at each assessment and 3-year test-retest reliability across assessments. The present study indicates that the psychometric properties of time-domain and time-frequency reward- and error-related brain activity are largely consistent across adolescence, supporting their potential use as individual differences measures of risk for psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- A K Szenczy
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - A Sabharwal
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - A R Levinson
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Z P Infantolino
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - G Perlman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - R Kotov
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - D N Klein
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - B D Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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12
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Rovelli K, Balconi M. Mind in others' shoes: Neuroscientific protocol for external referent decision awareness (ERDA) in organizations. Neuroscience 2025; 567:249-260. [PMID: 39798833 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2024] [Revised: 12/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2025] [Indexed: 01/15/2025]
Abstract
This study investigates the neural and physiological mechanisms underlying External Referent Decision Awareness (ERDA) within organizational contexts, focusing on hierarchical roles (Head, Peer, Staff). Twenty-two professionals participated, and electroencephalographic (EEG frequency band: Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, Gamma) and autonomic indices (skin conductance and cardiovascular indices) were recorded, while personality traits and decision-making styles were assessed. Results revealed higher Delta and Theta activation in the left temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) during Peer-related decisions, reflecting increased social cognition and ambiguity regulation in those contexts. Gamma activity, associated with high-order cognitive processes, was prominent in the left frontal cortex across all roles, indicating complex decision evaluation. These findings underscore the complexity of low-frequency bands (Delta and Theta), involved in emotional regulation and social cognition, while high-frequency bands (Gamma) reflect cognitive integration and decision complexity. Furthermore, autonomic data showed higher Skin Conductance Levels (SCL) for Head decisions, suggesting greater emotional involvement.The findings revealed a significant negative correlation between avoidant decision-making styles and the neural and behavioral evaluations of leader decisions, suggesting reduced engagement of neurocognitive systems involved in reward processing and evaluative judgment in individuals with a tendency to avoid decision-making. Additionally, higher extraversion correlated with more favorable evaluations of decisions made by Staff, potentially indicating greater activation in neural circuits associated with social reward and group dynamics. In conclusion, these findings suggest that neural activity and personality traits interact to shape hierarchical decision-making awareness, highlighting the need for tailored leadership and decision-making strategies in organizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katia Rovelli
- International research center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy; Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.
| | - Michela Balconi
- International research center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy; Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
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13
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Zhang Y, Chen R, Liu S, Chen P, Mai X. Neural correlates of reciprocity bias: social debts modulate unfairness perception of violation during third-party observation. Cereb Cortex 2025; 35:bhae497. [PMID: 39756413 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2024] [Revised: 12/06/2024] [Accepted: 12/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2025] Open
Abstract
The phenomenon of beneficiaries ignoring benefactors' violations, ranging from everyday favors to bribes, is widespread yet lacks targeted theoretical and empirical attention. We propose a conceptual framework that includes "social debt" and "reciprocity bias," where "social debt" is defined as information about benefits bestowed by benefactors and "reciprocity bias" as the influence of social debt on beneficiaries' perceptions and decisions in situations involving the benefactor. To investigate this bias in moral perception and its cognitive-neural mechanisms, we manipulated three levels of social debt (none, less, more) by varying the amount of unasked benefits that benefactors bestowed upon participants. Participants then observed the distributor's fair or unfair allocation of resources to another person, while their electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. Results indicate that more (vs. none/less) social debt reduces perceptions of unfairness toward benefactors' violations and enhances fairness perceptions of their norm adherence. This was, accompanied by the diminished fairness effect on fronto-centered P2 and a reversal fairness effect on the power of theta oscillations (4 to 7 Hz). These findings support a multilevel reciprocity bias in fairness perception, suggesting that strong social debt may heighten concern for benefactor's interests and increase the adaptive value of their violations at the cognitive-neural level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinling Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59, Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Rongrong Chen
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59, Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Siqi Liu
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59, Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Peiqi Chen
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59, Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Xiaoqin Mai
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59, Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
- Laboratory of Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59, Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
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14
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MacNamara A. Engagement and Disengagement: From the Basic Science of Emotion Regulation to an Anxiety Spectrum. Psychophysiology 2025; 62:e70006. [PMID: 39924448 PMCID: PMC11819891 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.70006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2024] [Revised: 01/13/2025] [Accepted: 01/15/2025] [Indexed: 02/11/2025]
Abstract
Emotion regulation strategies vary in depth of processing. For instance, reappraisal requires greater engagement than distraction. This affects short-term and long-term response to stimuli. In this review, I describe how the "engagement-disengagement dimension" improves understanding of emotion regulation in normative contexts and in internalizing psychopathology. Part 1 reviews work from my laboratory and others, suggesting that relatively disengaged emotion regulation strategies (e.g., distraction), may have short-term benefits (e.g., faster implementation), but may come with long-term costs (e.g., increased processing of stimuli at subsequent encounter). Therefore, depending on the desired outcome, the adaptive selection of an emotion regulation strategy will be determined by extent of emotional engagement-disengagement. In Part 2, I describe how individuals with more comorbid internalizing psychopathology (e.g., multiple anxiety and depressive diagnoses) are characterized by disengagement from negative stimuli as measured by the late positive potential (LPP). In addition, I introduce a brain profile I have termed, HARM-A (heightened "alarm" and reduced motivated attention), which is characterized by a combination of heightened "alarm" (i.e., increased amygdala) and emotional disengagement (i.e., blunted LPPs) in response to negative stimuli. HARM-A prospectively predicts worse outcomes over 2 years in a mixed internalizing sample. As such, chronic disengagement from negative stimuli appears to contribute to more comorbid and more severe internalizing psychopathology. Overall, emotional disengagement can be beneficial in the short term but may be poorly suited to emotional coping in the longer term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annmarie MacNamara
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
- Institute for NeuroscienceTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
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15
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Ülkü S, Getzmann S, Wascher E, Schneider D. EEG Correlates of Cognitive Dynamics in Task Resumption After Interruptions: The Impact of Available Time and Flexibility. Eur J Neurosci 2025; 61:e70027. [PMID: 39994973 PMCID: PMC11851001 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.70027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2024] [Revised: 01/09/2025] [Accepted: 02/07/2025] [Indexed: 02/26/2025]
Abstract
Interruptions are a common aspect of everyday working life, negatively affecting both task performance and long-term psychological well-being. However, research suggests that the effects of interruptions can be mitigated in several ways, such as the opportunity to anticipate the interruptions and preparation time. Here, we used a retrospective visual working memory task to investigate the effects of duration and flexible resumption after interruptions, with 28 participants (18-30 years old) attending the experiment. For this main task participants were required to remember the orientations of a set of coloured bars and retrieve one at the end of the trial in response to a retro-cue. This task was sometimes interrupted with an arithmetic task that was presented before the retro-cue. The period after the interruptions and the retro-cue was either short (no additional time), long (additional 1000 ms), or self-determined. Interruptions affected the main task performance irrespective of duration condition, but response times were shorter with the flexible condition. EEG analysis showed that having more time before resuming the interrupted task enabled stronger beta suppression which in turn modulated task performance, helping participants to safely disengage from the interrupting task, and refocus their attention back more efficiently. Further, flexibility in the timing of resumption provided additional benefits as seen in stronger oscillatory alpha and beta suppression to the retro-cue, also being related to better task performance. These results demonstrate the important role of resumption time and individual flexibility in dealing with interruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soner Ülkü
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo)DortmundGermany
| | - Stephan Getzmann
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo)DortmundGermany
| | - Edmund Wascher
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo)DortmundGermany
| | - Daniel Schneider
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo)DortmundGermany
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16
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Ueno K, Yamada K, Ueda M, Naito Y, Ishii R. Current source density and functional connectivity extracted from resting-state electroencephalography as biomarkers for chronic low back pain. Pain Rep 2025; 10:e1233. [PMID: 39816905 PMCID: PMC11732644 DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000001233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2024] [Revised: 10/18/2024] [Accepted: 11/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2025] Open
Abstract
Introduction Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a global health issue, and its nonspecific causes make treatment challenging. Understanding the neural mechanisms of CLBP should contribute to developing effective therapies. Objectives To compare current source density (CSD) and functional connectivity (FC) extracted from resting electroencephalography (EEG) between patients with CLBP and healthy controls and to examine the correlations between EEG indices and symptoms. Methods Thirty-four patients with CLBP and 34 healthy controls in an open data set were analyzed. Five-minute resting-state closed-eye EEG was acquired using the international 10-20 system. Current source density across frequency bands was calculated using exact low-resolution electromagnetic tomography. Functional connectivity was assessed between 24 cortical regions using lagged linear connectivity. Correlations between pain symptoms and CSD distribution and FC were examined in patients with CLBP. Results Current source density analysis showed no significant differences between the groups. The CLBP group exhibited significantly reduced FC in the β3 band between the left middle temporal gyrus and the posterior cingulate cortex, and between the ventral medial prefrontal cortex and the left inferior parietal lobule. Prefrontal θ and δ activity positively correlated with pain symptoms. Increased β1 band FC between the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and right auditory cortex correlated with greater pain intensity. Conclusions We found altered neural activity and connectivity in patients with CLBP, particularly in prefrontal and temporal regions. These results suggest potential targets for pain modulation through brain pathways and highlight the value of EEG biomarkers in understanding pain mechanisms and assessing treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Ueno
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Keiko Yamada
- Pain Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaya Ueda
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yasuo Naito
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ryouhei Ishii
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
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17
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Zhao G, Wang H, Wu R, Zhao Z, Li S, Wang Q, Sun HJ. The Impact of Immediate and Delayed Rewards on Task-Switching Performance. Brain Sci 2025; 15:100. [PMID: 40002433 PMCID: PMC11852446 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci15020100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2024] [Revised: 01/15/2025] [Accepted: 01/20/2025] [Indexed: 02/27/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Switching between different tasks incurs switch costs. Previous research has demonstrated that rewards can enhance performance in cognitive tasks. However, prior studies have primarily focused on the overall improvement in cognitive task performance, with limited research on how different types of rewards function under various task conditions. This study aims to investigate the distinct effects of immediate and delayed rewards on cognitive task performance in different task conditions (repeated trials and task-switching trials) and to explore the underlying neural mechanisms, particularly focusing on how rewards influence attention allocation during the concurrent processing of multiple cues. METHODS This study recruited 27 college students (average age 19 years old, 10 males and 17 females). A cue-based task-switching paradigm incorporating immediate and delayed rewards was employed. The study examined the effects of immediate and delayed rewards on cognitive task performance in repeated trials and task-switching trials. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying reward effects on attention allocation. RESULTS Behavioral results indicated that immediate rewards significantly enhanced performance in repeated trials compared to delayed rewards. In contrast, no significant difference between immediate and delayed rewards was observed in task-switching trials. ERP results showed that immediate rewards induced a larger P300 amplitude than delayed rewards under the task repetition condition. No P300 difference was found between immediate and delayed rewards under the task-switching condition. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that rewards enhance task performance by optimizing the allocation of attention to the ongoing task when multiple cues are processed concurrently. When additional resources are required to process task-related cues, there may be insufficient remaining capacity to effectively process reward cues, which could be essential for the optimal completion of the task. These results support the Expected Value of Control (EVC) theory in task-switching scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Zhao
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; (H.W.); (R.W.); (Z.Z.); (S.L.); (Q.W.)
| | - Huijun Wang
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; (H.W.); (R.W.); (Z.Z.); (S.L.); (Q.W.)
| | - Rongtao Wu
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; (H.W.); (R.W.); (Z.Z.); (S.L.); (Q.W.)
| | - Zixin Zhao
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; (H.W.); (R.W.); (Z.Z.); (S.L.); (Q.W.)
| | - Shiyi Li
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; (H.W.); (R.W.); (Z.Z.); (S.L.); (Q.W.)
| | - Qiang Wang
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; (H.W.); (R.W.); (Z.Z.); (S.L.); (Q.W.)
| | - Hong-Jin Sun
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada;
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18
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Surrey C, Frisch S, Maack MC, Scherbaum S, Dshemuchadse M, Senftleben U. Frontal midline theta reveals temporal dynamics of target amplification and distracter inhibition during mental set-shifting. Int J Psychophysiol 2025; 207:112488. [PMID: 39675482 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Revised: 10/29/2024] [Accepted: 12/10/2024] [Indexed: 12/17/2024]
Abstract
When humans shift between tasks, they initially show slower responses in the new task than in the previous one. Persisting attentional settings are increasingly recognized as a source for these shifting costs. However, the extent to which specific mechanisms underlying information selection and interference control contribute to this phenomenon remains less clear. Here, we use time-frequency analyses of human electroencephalogram (EEG) data to explore the aftereffects of two such mechanisms: target amplification and distracter inhibition. Participants completed a set-shifting task in which interference during switch trials could either result from the persisting amplification of previous target colors or the persisting inhibition of previous distracter colors. In a first set of analyses, we focused on frontal midline theta (FMT) as a time-continuous marker of overall interference. Compared to a control condition, we found transient peaks of FMT in both experimental conditions that matched the effects of persisting target amplification and distracter inhibition predicted by a computational model of the task. In a second set of analyses we used steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) as a direct measure of the attentional resources allocated to target and distracter colors. However, SSVEP amplitudes did not differ reliably between stimulation frequencies during switch trials, preventing us from drawing further conclusions on the origins of the interference processes reflected in FMT dynamics. Implications for theories of selective attention and potential limitations of frequency tagging in the context of mental set-shifting research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Surrey
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany.
| | - Simon Frisch
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany.
| | | | - Stefan Scherbaum
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany.
| | - Maja Dshemuchadse
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, Germany.
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19
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Boer OD, Wiker T, Bukhari SH, Kjelkenes R, Timpe CMF, Voldsbekk I, Skaug K, Boen R, Karl V, Moberget T, Westlye LT, Franken IHA, El Marroun H, Huster RJ, Tamnes CK. Neural markers of error processing relate to task performance, but not to substance-related risks and problems and externalizing problems in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2025; 71:101500. [PMID: 39729859 PMCID: PMC11732202 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 12/02/2024] [Accepted: 12/20/2024] [Indexed: 12/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Detecting errors and adapting behavior accordingly constitutes an integral aspect of cognition. Previous studies have linked neural correlates of error processing (e.g., error-related negativity (ERN) and error-related positivity (Pe)) to task performance and broader behavioral constructs, but few studies examined how these associations manifest in adolescence. In this study, we examined neural error processing markers and their behavioral associations in an adolescent/emerging adult sample (N = 143, Mage = 18.0 years, range 11-25 years), employing a stop-signal task. Linear regressions were conducted using bootstrap resampling to explore associations between ERN/Pe peak amplitudes and latencies, stop accuracy, stop-signal reaction time (SSRT), and post-error slowing, as well as self-reported substance-related risks and problems and externalizing problems. After adjusting for age and sex, smaller frontocentral Pe amplitude and later Pe latency were associated with longer SSRT, and later Pe latency was associated with lower stop accuracy. This might indicate that the Pe, which is thought to reflect conscious error processing, reflects task performance on a response inhibition task better than the ERN, which reflects subconscious error processing. After correcting for multiple testing, there were no associations between ERN/Pe parameters and substance-related or externalizing problems, and no age interactions for these associations were detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga D Boer
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Science, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 DR, Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam 3000 CB, Netherlands; PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Thea Wiker
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Shervin H Bukhari
- Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Multimodal Imaging and Cognitive Control Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Rikka Kjelkenes
- Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Clara M F Timpe
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Irene Voldsbekk
- Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Knut Skaug
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Multimodal Imaging and Cognitive Control Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Rune Boen
- Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Valerie Karl
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Torgeir Moberget
- Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Behavioural Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, OsloMet, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars T Westlye
- Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingmar H A Franken
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Science, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 DR, Netherlands
| | - Hanan El Marroun
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Science, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 DR, Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam 3000 CB, Netherlands
| | - Rene J Huster
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Multimodal Imaging and Cognitive Control Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway; Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience Cluster, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Christian K Tamnes
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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20
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Carsten HP, Härpfer K, Malbec M, Wieser MJ, Riesel A. Are errors more aversive in an uncertain world? Testing the influence of uncertainty on the error-related negativity in a randomized controlled trial. Int J Psychophysiol 2025; 207:112480. [PMID: 39647531 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2024] [Revised: 11/15/2024] [Accepted: 12/01/2024] [Indexed: 12/10/2024]
Abstract
Overactive error monitoring-as measured by the error-related negativity (ERN)-is a candidate transdiagnostic risk marker for internalizing psychopathology. Previous research reported associations of the ERN and individual differences in intolerance of uncertainty (IU). These findings imply associations between the subconstructs of IU (prospective and inhibitory IU) and the ERN, which we sought to replicate and extend by testing for causal influences that might elucidate specific mechanisms underlying this association. To test associations of uncertainty and the ERN, a preregistered, randomized-controlled design was employed. After measuring the baseline ERN of N = 120 university students, a subsample was randomly assigned to two groups: While an intervention group (n = 30) performed an unsolvable probabilistic "learning" task intended to induce state uncertainty, a passive control group (n = 30) rested. Subsequently, the ERN was assessed again. Self-reported uncertainty was assessed before and after the intervention. To further increase the statistical power of the replication attempt, we performed a correlation analysis (non-preregistered) by including data from two additional samples collected at different study sites. This analysis comprised psychophysiological data from a total of N = 355 participants. Cross-sectionally, no effects of IU on the ERN emerged. Regarding the state uncertainty induction, the intervention group displayed increased self-reported uncertainty after the intervention, but no evidence emerged for ERN alterations attributable to the intervention. The link between individual differences in IU and the ERN might be smaller and less robust than previous findings suggest, reflecting the understudied character of this association. The absence of evidence for mechanistic changes in the ERN due to a successful induction of state uncertainty further questions a link between IU and the ERN. In line with previous studies that linked increased ERN to anxiety, independent of current clinical status, the ERN seems unaffected by short-term changes such as symptom provocations in non-clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kai Härpfer
- Department of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marcelo Malbec
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Matthias J Wieser
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anja Riesel
- Department of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Germany
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21
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Enriquez-Geppert S, Krc J, van Dijk H, deBeus RJ, Arnold LE, Arns M. Theta/Beta Ratio Neurofeedback Effects on Resting and Task-Related Theta Activity in Children with ADHD. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 2024:10.1007/s10484-024-09675-w. [PMID: 39674997 DOI: 10.1007/s10484-024-09675-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/19/2024] [Indexed: 12/17/2024]
Abstract
The EEG theta band displays distinct roles in resting and task states. Low resting theta and transient increases in frontal-midline (fm) theta power during tasks are associated with better cognitive control, such as error monitoring. ADHD can disrupt this balance, resulting in high resting theta linked to drowsiness and low fm-theta activity associated with reduced cognitive abilities. Theta/beta ratio (TBR) neurofeedback aims to normalize resting state activity by downregulating theta, which could potentially unfavorably affect task-related fm-theta. This study examines the TBR neurofeedback's impact on both resting and fm-theta activity, hypothesizing that remission depends on these effects. We analyzed data from a multi-center, double-blind randomized controlled trial with 142 children with ADHD and high TBR (ICAN study). Participants were randomized into experimental or sham NF groups. EEG measurements were taken at rest and during an Oddball task before and after neurofeedback, assessing global electrodes for resting theta and fm electrodes during error dynamics. Post-intervention changes were calculated as differences, and ANOVAs were conducted on GROUP, REMISSION, and CONDITION variables. Final analysis included fewer participants for all analyses. Resting state analysis showed no significant effects on global or fm-theta after TBR neurofeedback. Error dynamics analysis was inconclusive for global and fm-theta in both remitters and non-remitters. Results suggest that the current TBR neurofeedback protocol did not reduce aberrant resting state theta, and emphasize the need for refined protocols targeting specific theta-band networks to reduce resting-state theta without affecting fm-theta related to cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Enriquez-Geppert
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jaroslav Krc
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czechia.
| | - Hanneke van Dijk
- Synaeda Research, Synaeda Psycho Medisch Centrum, Drachten, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Roger J deBeus
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Asheville, Asheville, USA
| | - L Eugene Arnold
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
| | - Martijn Arns
- Research Institute Brainclinics, Brainclinics Foundation, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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22
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Morand-Beaulieu S, Banica I, Freeman C, Ethridge P, Sandre A, Weinberg A. Neural response to errors among mothers with a history of recurrent depression and their adolescent daughters. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-15. [DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424001780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2025]
Abstract
Abstract
Depression is transmitted within families, but the mechanisms involved in such transmission are not clearly defined. A potential marker of familial risk is the neural response to errors, which may play a role in depression symptoms and is known to be partially heritable. Here, 97 mother-daughter dyads completed a Flanker task while electroencephalography markers of error monitoring were recorded: the error-related negativity (ERN) and response-locked delta and theta power. We assessed whether these measures of neural response to errors 1) were associated with history of recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) and current depression symptoms among mothers, 2) were correlated among mother-daughter dyads, and 3) were associated with maternal history of recurrent MDD and maternal symptoms of depression among daughters. A history of recurrent MDD was associated with blunted delta and increased theta among mothers. Across mothers, delta and theta were negatively and positively associated, respectively, with current depression symptoms. Mothers’ and daughters’ ERN were positively correlated. Finally, current maternal depression symptoms were negatively associated with delta power in daughters. These results suggest that neural responses to errors may be implicated in the intergenerational transmission of depression. These results also support the relevance of delta oscillations to understanding pathways to depression.
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23
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Xu Y, Xie Z. Exploring the predictors of foreign language anxiety: the roles of language proficiency, language exposure, and cognitive control. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1492701. [PMID: 39670145 PMCID: PMC11634802 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1492701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2024] [Accepted: 11/14/2024] [Indexed: 12/14/2024] Open
Abstract
This research delves into unexplored territories of Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA), going beyond the traditional focus on language proficiency. We examined the nuanced roles of language exposure and individual differences in cognitive control abilities in shaping FLA. By engaging 46 English learners in a comprehensive assessment, our analysis uncovered significant yet distinct contributions of these factors to various aspects of FLA. Notably, proficiency predicted communication and overall anxiety, exposure influenced evaluation anxiety, while inhibition and mental set shifting abilities significantly predicted communication and test anxiety respectively. These findings illuminate the complexity of FLA, revealing that it stems from a multifaceted interplay of language proficiency, exposure, and cognitive control. This holistic understanding offers valuable insights for educators and learners alike, emphasizing the importance of tailored strategies that address not just language proficiency but also exposure opportunities and cognitive strengths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Xu
- Foreign Languages School, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an, Jiangxi, China
| | - Zhilong Xie
- Foreign Languages College, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
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24
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Somerville Y, Abend R. The Organization of Anxiety Symptoms Along the Threat Imminence Continuum. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 39579323 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2024_548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2024]
Abstract
Pathological anxiety is highly prevalent, impairing, and often chronic. Yet, despite considerable research, mechanistic understanding of anxiety and its translation to clinical practice remain limited. Here, we first highlight two foundational complications that contribute to this gap: a reliance on a phenomenology-driven definition of pathological anxiety in neurobiological mechanistic research, and a limited understanding of the chronicity of anxiety symptom expression. We then posit that anxiety symptoms may reflect aberrant expression of otherwise normative defensive responses. Accordingly, we propose that threat imminence, an organizing dimension for normative defensive responses observed across species, may be applied to organize and understand anxiety symptoms along a temporal dimension of expression. Empirical evidence linking distinct anxiety symptoms and the aberrant expression of imminence-dependent defensive responses is reviewed, alongside the neural mechanisms which may underpin these cognitive, physiological, and behavioral responses. Drawing from extensive translational and clinical research, we suggest that understanding anxiety symptoms through this neurobiologically-informed framework may begin to overcome the conceptual complications hindering advancement in mechanistic research and clinical interventions for pathological anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya'ira Somerville
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Rany Abend
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel.
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25
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Chen Z, Itier RJ. No association between error-related ERPs and trait anxiety in a nonclinical sample: Convergence across analytical methods including mass-univariate statistics. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14645. [PMID: 38978166 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Enhanced error monitoring, as indexed by increased amplitude of the error-related negativity (ERN) event-related potential (ERP) component, has been suggested to reflect a vulnerability neuro-marker of anxiety disorders. Another error-related ERP component is the error positivity (Pe), which reflects late-stage error processing. The associations between heightened ERN and Pe amplitudes and anxiety levels in the nonclinical population have been inconsistent. In this preregistered study, we examined the association between anxiety, ERN, and Pe, using different analytical methods (mass-univariate analyses, MUAs and conventional analyses), self-reported anxiety scales (STAI and STICSA), and trial numbers (all correct trials and equal numbers of correct and error trials). In a sample of 82 healthy adults, both conventional and MUAs demonstrated a robust enhancement of the ERN and Pe to errors relative to the correct-response ERPs. However, the mass-univariate approach additionally unveiled a wider array of electrodes and a longer effect duration for this error enhancement. Across the analytic methods, the results showed a lack of consistent correlation between trait anxiety and error-related ERPs. Findings were not modulated by trial numbers, analyses, or anxiety scales. The present results suggest a lack of enhancement of error monitoring by anxious traits in individuals with subclinical anxiety and those with clinical anxiety but without a clinical diagnosis. Importantly, the absence of such correlation questions the validity of the ERN as a neural marker for anxiety disorders. Future studies that investigate neuro-markers of anxiety may explore alternative task designs and employ robust statistics to provide a more comprehensive understanding of anxiety vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zelin Chen
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Roxane J Itier
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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26
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Arnau S, Liegel N, Wascher E. Frontal midline theta power during the cue-target-interval reflects increased cognitive effort in rewarded task-switching. Cortex 2024; 180:94-110. [PMID: 39393200 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 10/13/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive performance largely depends on how much effort is invested during task-execution. This also means that we rarely perform as good as we could. Cognitive effort is adjusted to the expected outcome of performance, meaning that it is driven by motivation. The results from recent studies suggest that the expenditure of cognitive control is particularly prone to being affected by modulations of cognitive effort. Although recent EEG studies investigated the neural underpinnings of the interaction of effort and control, reports on how cognitive effort is reflected by oscillatory activity of the EEG are quite sparse. It is the goal of the present study to bridge this gap by performing an exploratory analysis of high-density EEG data from a switching-task using manipulations of monetary incentives. A beamformer approach is used to localize the sensor-level effects in source-space. The results indicate that the manipulation of cognitive effort was successful. The participants reported significantly higher motivation and cognitive effort in high versus low reward trials. Performance was also significantly increased. The analysis of the EEG data revealed that the increase of cognitive effort was reflected by an increased mid-frontal theta activity during the cue-target interval, suggesting an increased use of proactive control. This interpretation is supported by the result from a regression analysis performed on single-trial data, showing higher mid-frontal theta power prior to target-onset being associated with faster responses. Alpha-desynchronization throughout the trial was also more pronounced in high reward trials, signaling a bias of attention towards the processing of external stimuli. Source reconstruction suggests that these effects are located in areas related to cognitive control, and visual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Arnau
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors Dortmund (IfADo), Germany.
| | - Nathalie Liegel
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors Dortmund (IfADo), Germany
| | - Edmund Wascher
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors Dortmund (IfADo), Germany
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27
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Shekara A, Ross A, Soper DJ, Paulk AC, Cash SS, Shear PK, Sheehy JP, Basu I. Anxious/depressed individuals exhibit disrupted frontotemporal synchrony during cognitive conflict encoding. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.10.10.617540. [PMID: 39484390 PMCID: PMC11526853 DOI: 10.1101/2024.10.10.617540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2024]
Abstract
Anxiety and depressive disorders are associated with cognitive control deficits, yet their underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we used high-resolution stereotactic EEG (sEEG) to determine how anxiety and/or depression modulates neural and behavioral responses when cognitive control is engaged in individuals with medically refractory epilepsy undergoing sEEG monitoring for surgical evaluation. We analyzed sEEG data recorded from frontotemporal regions of 29 participants (age range: 19-55, mean age: 35.5, female: 16/29) while they performed a Multi-Source Interference Task (MSIT) designed to elicit cognitive conflict. Neurobehavioral interviews, symptom rating scales, and clinical documentation were used to categorize participants as demonstrating anxiety and/or depression symptoms (A/D, n=13) or as epilepsy controls (EC, n=16). Generalized linear mixed-effects (GLME) models were used to analyze behavioral and neural data. Models of oscillatory power were used to identify brain regions within conflict-encoding networks in which coherence and phase locking values (PLV) were examined in A/D and EC. A/D participants demonstrated a greater conflict effect (response time slowing with higher cognitive load), without impairment in response time (RT) or accuracy compared to EC. A/D participants also showed significantly enhanced conflict-evoked theta (4-8Hz) and alpha (8-15Hz) power in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and amygdala as well as widespread broadband activity in the lateral temporal lobe (LTL) compared to EC. Additionally, theta coherence and PLV between dlPFC-LTL and dlPFC-amygdala were reduced by conflict in A/D. Our findings suggest individuals with anxiety/depression symptoms exhibit heightened frontotemporal oscillatory activity and disrupted frontotemporal synchrony during cognitive conflict encoding, which may indicate a greater need for cognitive resources due to ineffective cognitive processing. These results highlight a potential role of frontotemporal circuits in conflict encoding that are altered in anxiety/depression, and may further inform future therapeutic interventions aimed at enhancing cognitive control in these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniruddha Shekara
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science, Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA
| | - Alexander Ross
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Daniel J. Soper
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Angelique C. Paulk
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Sydney S. Cash
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Paula K. Shear
- Department of Psychology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - John P. Sheehy
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Ishita Basu
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science, Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA
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28
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Lingg RT, Johnson SB, Hinz DC, Skog TD, Lizarazu M, Romig-Martin SA, LaLumiere RT, Narayanan NS, Radley JJ. Prefrontal projections to the bed nuclei of the stria terminalis modulate the specificity of aversive memories. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4241372. [PMID: 39569181 PMCID: PMC11577250 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4241372/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2024]
Abstract
Generalizing aversive memories helps organisms avoid danger, whereas discriminating between dissimilar situations promotes opportunistic behaviors. We identified a novel pathway that controls the contextual specificity of memory consolidation of inhibitory avoidance learning. Optogenetic inhibition of the rostral medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-to-anteroventral bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (avBST) pathway after a single footshock exacerbated stress hormonal output, and 2 d later promoted generalization to a novel context. Rostral mPFC-avBST influences were directly mnemonic rather than associated with stress hormone increases, as adrenalectomy did not prevent such influences on generalization. We next observed that fear discrimination between novel and aversive contexts engaged activity along the rostral mPFC and avBST pathway. Finally, post-footshock optogenetic pathway excitation enhanced 2-d discrimination. These findings highlight a prefrontal pathway in which activity immediately after aversive experiences promotes mnemonic discrimination between threatening and non-threatening contexts and may be importance for understanding trauma generalization in psychiatric illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan T. Lingg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Shane B. Johnson
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Dalton C. Hinz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Timothy D. Skog
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Manuela Lizarazu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Sara A. Romig-Martin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Ryan T. LaLumiere
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Nandakumar S. Narayanan
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Jason J. Radley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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29
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Grabowska A, Sondej F, Senderecka M. A network analysis of affective and motivational individual differences and error monitoring in a non-clinical sample. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae397. [PMID: 39462813 PMCID: PMC11513196 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 09/01/2024] [Accepted: 10/03/2024] [Indexed: 10/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Error monitoring, which plays a crucial role in shaping adaptive behavior, is influenced by a complex interplay of affective and motivational factors. Understanding these associations often proves challenging due to the intricate nature of these variables. With the aim of addressing previous inconsistencies and methodological gaps, in this study, we utilized network analysis to investigate the relationship between affective and motivational individual differences and error monitoring. We employed six Gaussian Graphical Models on a non-clinical population ($N$ = 236) to examine the conditional dependence between the amplitude of response-related potentials (error-related negativity; correct-related negativity) and 29 self-report measures related to anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts, compulsive behavior, and motivation while adjusting for covariates: age, handedness, and latency of error-related negativity and correct-related negativity. We then validated our results on an independent sample of 107 participants. Our findings revealed unique associations between error-related negativity amplitudes and specific traits. Notably, more pronounced error-related negativity amplitudes were associated with increased rumination and obsessing, and decreased reward sensitivity. Importantly, in our non-clinical sample, error-related negativity was not directly associated with trait anxiety. These results underscore the nuanced effects of affective and motivational traits on error processing in healthy population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Grabowska
- Doctoral School in the Social Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Main Square 34, 31-110 Krakow, Poland
- Centre for Cognitive Science, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 3, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
| | - Filip Sondej
- Centre for Cognitive Science, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 3, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
| | - Magdalena Senderecka
- Centre for Cognitive Science, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 3, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
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30
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Beauducel A, Scheuble-Cabrera V, Hennig J, Hewig J, Hildebrandt A, Kührt C, Lange L, Mueller EM, Osinsky R, Paul K, Porth E, Riesel A, Rodrigues J, Scheffel C, Short C, Stahl J, Strobel A, Wacker J. The association of dispositional anxiety with the NoGo N2 under relaxation instruction vs. speed/accuracy instruction. Biol Psychol 2024; 192:108850. [PMID: 39074541 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Prior research suggests that cognitive control, indicated by NoGo N2 amplitudes in Go/NoGo tasks, is associated with dispositional anxiety. This negative association tends to be reduced in anxiety-enhancing experimental conditions. However, anxiety-reducing conditions have not yet been investigated systematically. Thus, the present study compares the effect of a relaxation instruction with the conventional speed/accuracy instruction in a Go/NoGo task on the correlation of the NoGo N2 with two subconstructs of dispositional anxiety, namely anxious apprehension and anxious arousal. As the test of differences between correlations needs considerable statistical power, the present study was included into the multi-lab CoScience Project. The hypotheses, manipulation checks, and the main path of pre-processing and statistical analysis were preregistered. Complete data sets of 777 participants were available for data analysis. Preregistered general linear models revealed that the different instructions of the task (speed/accuracy vs. relaxation) had no effect on the association between dispositional anxiety and the NoGo N2 amplitude in general. This result was supported by Cooperative-Forking-Path analysis. In contrast, a preregistered latent growth model with categorical variables revealed that anxious arousal was a negative predictor of the NoGo N2 intercept and a positive predictor of the NoGo N2 slope. Non-preregistered growth models, allowing for correlations of anxious apprehension with anxious arousal, revealed that higher anxious apprehension scores were associated with more negative NoGo N2 amplitudes with increased relaxation. Results are discussed in the context of the compensatory error monitoring hypothesis and the revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Beauducel
- Rheinische-Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Institut für Psychologie, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Vera Scheuble-Cabrera
- Rheinische-Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Institut für Psychologie, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jürgen Hennig
- Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Fachgebiet Psychologie, Gießen, Germany
| | - Johannes Hewig
- Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Institut für Psychologie I, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andrea Hildebrandt
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Department für Psychologie, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Corinna Kührt
- Technische Universität Dresden, Fakultät Psychologie, Dresden, Germany
| | - Leon Lange
- Universität Osnabrück, Institut für Psychologie, Osnabrück, Germany
| | | | - Roman Osinsky
- Universität Osnabrück, Institut für Psychologie, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Katharina Paul
- Universität Hamburg, Institut für Psychologie, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Elisa Porth
- Universität zu Köln, Fachbereich Psychologie, Köln, Germany
| | - Anja Riesel
- Universität Hamburg, Institut für Psychologie, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Rodrigues
- Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Institut für Psychologie I, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Cassie Short
- Universität Hamburg, Institut für Psychologie, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jutta Stahl
- Universität zu Köln, Fachbereich Psychologie, Köln, Germany
| | - Alexander Strobel
- Technische Universität Dresden, Fakultät Psychologie, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jan Wacker
- Universität Hamburg, Institut für Psychologie, Hamburg, Germany
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31
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Balconi M, Angioletti L, Rovelli K. Neurophysiological response to social feedback in stressful situations. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:6030-6045. [PMID: 39291392 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024]
Abstract
The relationship between external feedback and cognitive and neurophysiological performance has been extensively investigated in social neuroscience. However, few studies have considered the role of positive and negative external social feedback on electroencephalographic (EEG) and moderate stress response. Twenty-six healthy adults underwent a moderately stressful job interview consisting of a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test. After each preparation, feedback was provided by an external committee, ranging from positive to negative with increasing impact on subjects. Stress response was measured by analysing response times (RTs) during the speech phase, while cognitive performance was assessed using a Stroop-like task before and after the test. Results indicate that RTs used to deliver the final speeches with negative feedback were significantly lower compared with those used for the initial speech with positive feedback. Moreover, a generalized improvement in Stroop-like task performance was observed in the post-SST compared with the pre-SST. Consistent with behavioural results, EEG data indicated greater delta, theta, and alpha band responses in right prefrontal and left central areas, and for delta and theta bands, also in parietal areas in response to positive feedback compared with aversive-neutral feedback, highlighting greater cognitive effort required by the former. Conversely, an increase in these bands in right and left temporal and left occipital areas was observed following negative and aversive feedback, indicative of an adaptive response to stress and emotion-regulatory processes. These findings suggest that negative social feedback in moderately stressful and noncritical conditions could contribute to improving individual cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Balconi
- International research center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Angioletti
- International research center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Katia Rovelli
- International research center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
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32
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Hosseini K, Pettit JW, Soto FA, Mattfeld AT, Buzzell GA. Toward a mechanistic understanding of the role of error monitoring and memory in social anxiety. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:948-963. [PMID: 38839717 PMCID: PMC12122262 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01198-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive models state that social anxiety (SA) involves biased cognitive processing that impacts what is learned and remembered within social situations, leading to the maintenance of SA. Neuroscience work links SA to enhanced error monitoring, reflected in error-related neural responses arising from mediofrontal cortex (MFC). Yet, the role of error monitoring in SA remains unclear, as it is unknown whether error monitoring can drive changes in memory, biasing what is learned or remembered about social situations. Motivated by the longer-term goal of identifying mechanisms implicated in SA, in the current study we developed and validated a novel paradigm for probing the role of error-related MFC theta oscillations (associated with error monitoring) and incidental memory biases in SA. Electroencephalography (EEG) data were collected while participants completed a novel Face-Flanker task, involving presentation of task-unrelated, trial-unique faces behind target/flanker arrows on each trial. A subsequent incidental memory assessment evaluated memory biases for error events. Severity of SA symptoms were associated with greater error-related theta synchrony over MFC, as well as between MFC and sensory cortex. Social anxiety also was positively associated with incidental memory biases for error events. Moreover, greater error-related MFC-sensory theta synchrony during the Face-Flanker predicted subsequent incidental memory biases for error events. Collectively, the results demonstrate the potential of a novel paradigm to elucidate mechanisms underlying relations between error monitoring and SA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kianoosh Hosseini
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, USA.
- Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, USA.
| | - Jeremy W Pettit
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, USA
- Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Fabian A Soto
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, USA
- Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Aaron T Mattfeld
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, USA
- Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, USA
| | - George A Buzzell
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, USA
- Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, USA
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Edgar EV, Waugh A, Wu J, Castagna P, Potenza MN, Mayes LC, Crowley MJ. Risk avoidance and social anxiety in adolescence: Examination of event-related potentials and theta-dynamics on the Balloon Risk Avoidance Task. Brain Cogn 2024; 180:106209. [PMID: 39137602 PMCID: PMC11371477 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2024.106209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Adolescents are at relatively high-risk for developing anxiety, particularly social anxiety. A primary hallmark of social anxiety is the impulse to avoid situations that introduce risk. Here, we examined the neural and behavioral correlates of risk avoidance in adolescents (N=59) 11 to 19 years of age. The Balloon Risk Avoidance Task was used with concurrent electroencephalography to measure event-related potentials (frontal P2; late slow-wave; N2, feedback-related negativity, FRN; posterior P3) and oscillatory dynamics (midfrontal theta, 4-7 Hz) in response to unsuccessful and successful risk avoidance conditions. Social anxiety was measured using the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children. Results indicated that, across the whole sample, youth exhibited smaller P3, larger FRN, and larger theta responses to unsuccessful risk avoidance. Youth reporting high (compared to low) levels of social anxiety exhibited larger P2, slow-wave, and FRN responses to unsuccessful, compared to successful, risk avoidance. Further, greater social anxiety was associated with reduced theta responses to successful avoidance. Youth with higher levels of social anxiety showed smaller theta responses to both conditions compared to those with low levels of social anxiety. Taken together, the ERP-component differences and weakened theta power in socially anxious youth following unsuccessful avoidance are informative neural correlates for socially anxious youth during risk avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth V Edgar
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
| | - Abby Waugh
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Jia Wu
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Peter Castagna
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Linda C Mayes
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Michael J Crowley
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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Azriel O, Arad G, Tik N, Weiser M, Bloch M, Garber E, Lazarov A, Pine DS, Tavor I, Bar-Haim Y. Neural activation changes following attention bias modification treatment or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for social anxiety disorder. Psychol Med 2024; 54:1-13. [PMID: 39252484 PMCID: PMC11496228 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291724001521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delineation of changes in neural function associated with novel and established treatments for social anxiety disorder (SAD) can advance treatment development. We examined such changes following selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and attention bias modification (ABM) variant - gaze-contingent music reward therapy (GC-MRT), a first-line and an emerging treatments for SAD. METHODS Eighty-one patients with SAD were allocated to 12-week treatments of either SSRI or GC-MRT, or waitlist (ns = 22, 29, and 30, respectively). Baseline and post-treatment functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected during a social-threat processing task, in which attention was directed toward and away from threat/neutral faces. RESULTS Patients who received GC-MRT or SSRI showed greater clinical improvement relative to patients in waitlist. Compared to waitlist patients, treated patients showed greater activation increase in the right inferior frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate cortex when instructed to attend toward social threats and away from neutral stimuli. An additional anterior cingulate cortex cluster differentiated between the two active groups. Activation in this region increased in ABM and decreased in SSRI. In the ABM group, symptom change was positively correlated with neural activation change in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS Brain function measures show both shared and treatment-specific changes following ABM and SSRI treatments for SAD, highlighting the multiple pathways through which the two treatments might work. Treatment-specific neural responses suggest that patients with SAD who do not fully benefit from SSRI or ABM may potentially benefit from the alternative treatment, or from a combination of the two. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT03346239. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03346239.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Azriel
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Gal Arad
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Niv Tik
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Mark Weiser
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Miki Bloch
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Psychiatric Department, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Eddie Garber
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Psychiatric Department, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amit Lazarov
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Daniel S. Pine
- Section on Developmental Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ido Tavor
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yair Bar-Haim
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Buzzell GA, Niu Y, Machado E, Dickinson R, Moser JS, Morales S, Troller-Renfree SV. Flanker task parameters are related to the strength of association between the ERN and anxiety: a meta-analysis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.27.609944. [PMID: 39253470 PMCID: PMC11383315 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.27.609944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
The error-related negativity (ERN)-an index of error monitoring-is associated with anxiety symptomatology. Although recent work suggests associations between the ERN and anxiety are relatively modest, little attention has been paid to how variation in task parameters may influence the strength of ERN-anxiety associations. To close this gap, the current meta-analysis assesses the possible influence of task parameter variation in the Flanker task-the most commonly used task to elicit the ERN-on observed ERN-anxiety associations. Here, we leveraged an existing open database of published/unpublished ERN-anxiety effect sizes, supplementing this database by further coding for variation in stimulus type (letter vs. arrow), response type (one-handed vs. two-handed), and block-level feedback (with vs. without). We then performed meta-regression analyses to assess whether variation in these Flanker task parameters moderated the effect size of ERN-anxiety associations. No evidence for an effect of stimulus type was identified. However, both response type and block-level feedback significantly moderated the magnitude of ERN-anxiety associations. Specifically, studies employing either a two-handed (vs. one-handed) task, or those with (vs. without) block-level feedback exhibited more than a two-fold increase in the estimated ERN-anxiety effect size. Thus, accounting for common variation in task parameters may at least partially explain apparent inconsistencies in the literature regarding the magnitude of ERN-anxiety associations. At a practical level, these data can inform the design of studies seeking to maximize ERN-anxiety associations. At a theoretical level, the results also inform testable hypotheses regarding the exact nature of the association between the ERN and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- George A. Buzzell
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 7 33199, USA
- Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, 9 FL 33199, USA
| | - Yanbin Niu
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Pl #5721, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - Emily Machado
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 7 33199, USA
- Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, 9 FL 33199, USA
| | - Renata Dickinson
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 7 33199, USA
- Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, 9 FL 33199, USA
| | - Jason S. Moser
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, 316 Physics Rd #262, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Santiago Morales
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, 3620 McClintock Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Sonya V. Troller-Renfree
- Department of Human Development, Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 W. 120 St., New York, NY, 10027, USA
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Smith DE, Long NM. Successful retrieval is its own reward. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.26.605274. [PMID: 39211141 PMCID: PMC11360978 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.26.605274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
The ability to successfully remember past events is critical to our daily lives, yet the neural mechanisms underlying the motivation to retrieve is unclear. Although reward-system activity and feedback-related signals have been observed during memory retrieval, whether this signal reflects intrinsic reward or goal-attainment is unknown. Adjudicating between these two alternatives is crucial for understanding how individuals are motivated to engage in retrieval and how retrieval supports later remembering. To test these two accounts, we conducted between-subjects recognition memory tasks on human participants undergoing scalp electroencephalography and varied test-phase goals (recognize old vs. detect new items). We used an independently validated feedback classifier to measure positive feedback evidence. We find positive feedback following successful retrieval regardless of task goals. Together, these results suggest that successful retrieval is intrinsically rewarding. Such a feedback signal may promote future retrieval attempts as well as bolster later memory for the successfully retrieved events.
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Shende SA, Jones SE, Mudar RA. Alpha and theta oscillations on a visual strategic processing task in age-related hearing loss. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1382613. [PMID: 39086839 PMCID: PMC11289776 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1382613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Emerging evidence suggests changes in several cognitive control processes in individuals with age-related hearing loss (ARHL). However, value-directed strategic processing, which involves selectively processing salient information based on high value, has been relatively unexplored in ARHL. Our previous work has shown behavioral changes in strategic processing in individuals with ARHL. The current study examined event-related alpha and theta oscillations linked to a visual, value-directed strategic processing task in 19 individuals with mild untreated ARHL and 17 normal hearing controls of comparable age and education. Methods Five unique word lists were presented where words were assigned high- or low-value based on the letter case, and electroencephalography (EEG) data was recorded during task performance. Results The main effect of the group was observed in early time periods. Specifically, greater theta synchronization was seen in the ARHL group relative to the control group. Interaction between group and value was observed at later time points, with greater theta synchronization for high- versus low-value information in those with ARHL. Discussion Our findings provide evidence for oscillatory changes tied to a visual task of value-directed strategic processing in individuals with mild untreated ARHL. This points towards modality-independent neurophysiological changes in cognitive control in individuals with mild degrees of ARHL and adds to the rapidly growing literature on the cognitive consequences of ARHL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shraddha A. Shende
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, United States
| | - Sarah E. Jones
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Raksha A. Mudar
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
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Pfeiffer M, Kübler A, Hilger K. Modulation of human frontal midline theta by neurofeedback: A systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105696. [PMID: 38723734 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Human brain activity consists of different frequency bands associated with varying functions. Oscillatory activity of frontal brain regions in the theta range (4-8 Hz) is linked to cognitive processing and can be modulated by neurofeedback - a technique where participants receive real-time feedback about their brain activity and learn to modulate it. However, criticism of this technique evolved, and high heterogeneity of study designs complicates a valid evaluation of its effectiveness. This meta-analysis provides the first systematic overview over studies attempting to modulate frontal midline theta with neurofeedback in healthy human participants. Out of 1261 articles screened, 14 studies were eligible for systematic review and 11 for quantitative meta-analyses. Studies were evaluated following the DIAD model and the PRISMA guidelines. A significant across-study effect of medium size (Hedges' g = .66; 95%-CI [-0.62, 1.73]) with substantial between-study heterogeneity (Q(16) = 167.43, p < .001) was observed and subanalysis revealed effective frontal midline theta upregulation. We discuss moderators of effect sizes and provide guidelines for future research in this dynamic field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pfeiffer
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology I, Würzburg University, Marcusstr. 9-11, Würzburg D-97070, Germany
| | - Andrea Kübler
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology I, Würzburg University, Marcusstr. 9-11, Würzburg D-97070, Germany
| | - Kirsten Hilger
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology I, Würzburg University, Marcusstr. 9-11, Würzburg D-97070, Germany.
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Chaichanasittikarn O, Weixuan JL, Seet M, Ng D, Vyas R, Saini G, Dragomir A. Neural Mechanisms of Malodor Masking: A Wearable EEG Study. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2024; 2024:1-4. [PMID: 40039408 DOI: 10.1109/embc53108.2024.10781996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2025]
Abstract
Olfactory neuroscience has uncovered much about the neural underpinnings of conscious olfactory evaluations, most particularly in relation to pleasantness. Past research have focused on how the brain responds to purely pleasant or unpleasant odors, leaving little known about the neural responses to the masking of known unpleasant stimuli (malodors) by pleasant stimuli. To address this, in the present study participants were exposed to malodor of high and low intensity, with and without a pleasant masking stimuli. Electroencephalography (EEG) analyses have revealed that malodor masking induces significant modulations in cortical activity over frontal, central and parietal cortex, supported primarily by θ and β frequency band oscillations, which likely represent attention and affective neural processing, while also involving δ and α band oscillations. The findings pave the way for EEG-based detection of malodor suppression, which can support the design of effective olfactory masking techniques to combat odor annoyance in domestic and public environments.
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Lopez-Gamundi P, Mas-Herrero E, Marco-Pallares J. Disentangling effort from probability of success: Temporal dynamics of frontal midline theta in effort-based reward processing. Cortex 2024; 176:94-112. [PMID: 38763111 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
The ability to weigh a reward against the effort required to acquire it is critical for decision-making. However, extant experimental paradigms oftentimes confound increased effort demand with decreased reward probability, thereby obscuring neural correlates underlying these cognitive processes. To resolve this issue, we designed novel tasks that disentangled probability of success - and therefore reward probability - from effort demand. In Experiment 1, reward magnitude and effort demand were varied while reward probability was kept constant. In Experiment 2, effort demand and reward probability were varied while reward magnitude remained fixed. Electroencephalogram (EEG) data was recorded to explore how frontal midline theta (FMT; an electrophysiological index of mPFC function) and component P3 (an index of incentive salience) respond to effort demand, and reward magnitude and probability. We found no evidence that FMT tracked effort demands or net value during cue evaluation. At feedback, however, FMT power was enhanced for high compared to low effort trials, but not modulated by reward magnitude or probability. Conversely, P3 was sensitive to reward magnitude and probability at both cue and feedback phases and only integrated expended effort costs at feedback, such that P3 amplitudes continued to scale with reward magnitude and probability but were also increased for high compared to low effort reward feedback. These findings suggest that, when likelihood of success is equal, FMT power does not track net value of prospective effort-based rewards. Instead, expended cognitive effort potentiates FMT power and enhances the saliency of rewards at feedback. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The way the brain weighs rewards against the effort required to achieve them is critical for understanding motivational disorders. Current paradigms confound increased effort demand with decreased reward probability, making it difficult to disentangle neural activity associated with effort costs from those associated with reward likelihood. Here, we explored the temporal dynamics of effort-based reward (via frontal midline theta (FMT) and component P3) while participants underwent a novel paradigm that kept probability of reward constant between mental effort demand conditions. Our findings suggest that the FMT does not track net value and that expended effort enhances, instead of attenuates, the saliency of rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Lopez-Gamundi
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Duran i Reynals, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.
| | - Ernest Mas-Herrero
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Duran i Reynals, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Josep Marco-Pallares
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Duran i Reynals, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.
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De Sanctis P, Mahoney JR, Wagner J, Blumen HM, Mowrey W, Ayers E, Schneider C, Orellana N, Molholm S, Verghese J. Linking Dementia Pathology and Alteration in Brain Activation to Complex Daily Functional Decline During the Preclinical Dementia Stages: Protocol for a Prospective Observational Cohort Study. JMIR Res Protoc 2024; 13:e56726. [PMID: 38842914 PMCID: PMC11190628 DOI: 10.2196/56726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Progressive difficulty in performing everyday functional activities is a key diagnostic feature of dementia syndromes. However, not much is known about the neural signature of functional decline, particularly during the very early stages of dementia. Early intervention before overt impairment is observed offers the best hope of reducing the burdens of Alzheimer disease (AD) and other dementias. However, to justify early intervention, those at risk need to be detected earlier and more accurately. The decline in complex daily function (CdF) such as managing medications has been reported to precede impairment in basic activities of daily living (eg, eating and dressing). OBJECTIVE Our goal is to establish the neural signature of decline in CdF during the preclinical dementia period. METHODS Gait is central to many CdF and community-based activities. Hence, to elucidate the neural signature of CdF, we validated a novel electroencephalographic approach to measuring gait-related brain activation while participants perform complex gait-based functional tasks. We hypothesize that dementia-related pathology during the preclinical period activates a unique gait-related electroencephalographic (grEEG) pattern that predicts a subsequent decline in CdF. RESULTS We provide preliminary findings showing that older adults reporting CdF limitations can be characterized by a unique gait-related neural signature: weaker sensorimotor and stronger motor control activation. This subsample also had smaller brain volume and white matter hyperintensities in regions affected early by dementia and engaged in less physical exercise. We propose a prospective observational cohort study in cognitively unimpaired older adults with and without subclinical AD (plasma amyloid-β) and vascular (white matter hyperintensities) pathologies. We aim to (1) establish the unique grEEG activation as the neural signature and predictor of decline in CdF during the preclinical dementia period; (2) determine associations between dementia-related pathologies and incidence of the neural signature of CdF; and (3) establish associations between a dementia risk factor, physical inactivity, and the neural signature of CdF. CONCLUSIONS By establishing the clinical relevance and biological basis of the neural signature of CdF decline, we aim to improve prediction during the preclinical stages of ADs and other dementias. Our approach has important research and translational implications because grEEG protocols are relatively inexpensive and portable, and predicting CdF decline may have real-world benefits. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/56726.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierfilippo De Sanctis
- Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive and Motor Aging, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Jeannette R Mahoney
- Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive and Motor Aging, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Johanna Wagner
- Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, Institute for Neural Computation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Helena M Blumen
- Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive and Motor Aging, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Department of Medicine (Geriatrics), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Wenzhu Mowrey
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Emmeline Ayers
- Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive and Motor Aging, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Claudia Schneider
- Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive and Motor Aging, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Natasha Orellana
- Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive and Motor Aging, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Sophie Molholm
- Department of Pediatrics, Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Joe Verghese
- Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive and Motor Aging, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Department of Medicine (Geriatrics), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
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Swinnen BEKS, Hoy CW, Pegolo E, Matzilevich EU, Sun J, Ishihara B, Morgante F, Pereira E, Baig F, Hart M, Tan H, Sawacha Z, Beudel M, Wang S, Starr P, Little S, Ricciardi L. Basal ganglia theta power indexes trait anxiety in people with Parkinson's disease. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.06.04.24308449. [PMID: 38883720 PMCID: PMC11177918 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.04.24308449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Background Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common and disabling in Parkinson's disease (PD), with troublesome anxiety occurring in one-third of patients. Management of anxiety in PD is challenging, hampered by insufficient insight into underlying mechanisms, lack of objective anxiety measurements, and largely ineffective treatments.In this study, we assessed the intracranial neurophysiological correlates of anxiety in PD patients treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the laboratory and at home. We hypothesized that low-frequency (theta-alpha) activity would be associated with anxiety. Methods We recorded local field potentials (LFP) from the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or the globus pallidus pars interna (GPi) DBS implants in three PD cohorts: 1) patients with recordings (STN) performed in hospital at rest via perioperatively externalized leads, without active stimulation, both ON or OFF dopaminergic medication; 2) patients with recordings (STN or GPi) performed at home while resting, via a chronically implanted commercially available sensing-enabled neurostimulator (Medtronic Percept™ device), ON dopaminergic medication, with stimulation both ON or OFF; 3) patients with recordings performed at home while engaging in a behavioral task via STN and GPi leads and electrocorticography paddles (ECoG) over premotor cortex connected to an investigational sensing-enabled neurostimulator, ON dopaminergic medication, with stimulation both ON or OFF.Trait anxiety was measured with validated clinical scales in all participants, and state anxiety was measured with momentary assessment scales at multiple time points in the two at-home cohorts. Power in theta (4-8 Hz) and alpha (8-12 Hz) ranges were extracted from the LFP recordings, and their relation with anxiety ratings was assessed using linear mixed-effects models. Results In total, 33 PD patients (59 hemispheres) were included. Across three independent cohorts, with stimulation OFF, basal ganglia theta power was positively related to trait anxiety (all p<0.05). Also in a naturalistic setting, with individuals at home at rest with stimulation and medication ON, basal ganglia theta power was positively related to trait anxiety (p<0.05). This relationship held regardless of the hemisphere and DBS target. There was no correlation between trait anxiety and premotor cortical theta-alpha power. There was no within-patient association between basal ganglia theta-alpha power and state anxiety. Conclusion We showed that basal ganglia theta activity indexes trait anxiety in PD. Our data suggest that theta could be a possible physiomarker of neuropsychiatric symptoms and specifically of anxiety in PD, potentially suitable for guiding advanced DBS treatment tailored to the individual patient's needs, including non-motor symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart E K S Swinnen
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Colin W Hoy
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elena Pegolo
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Neurosciences and Cell Biology Institute, Neuromodulation and Motor Control Section, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Julia Sun
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Bryony Ishihara
- Neurosciences and Cell Biology Institute, Neuromodulation and Motor Control Section, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Francesca Morgante
- Neurosciences and Cell Biology Institute, Neuromodulation and Motor Control Section, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Erlick Pereira
- Neurosciences and Cell Biology Institute, Neuromodulation and Motor Control Section, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fahd Baig
- Neurosciences and Cell Biology Institute, Neuromodulation and Motor Control Section, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Hart
- Neurosciences and Cell Biology Institute, Neuromodulation and Motor Control Section, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Huiling Tan
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Zimi Sawacha
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Martijn Beudel
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Philip Starr
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Simon Little
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lucia Ricciardi
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Neurosciences and Cell Biology Institute, Neuromodulation and Motor Control Section, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom
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43
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Li J, Ping AA, Zhou Y, Su T, Li X, Xu S. Interictal EEG features as computational biomarkers of West syndrome. Front Pediatr 2024; 12:1406772. [PMID: 38903771 PMCID: PMC11188363 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2024.1406772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND West syndrome (WS) is a devastating epileptic encephalopathy with onset in infancy and early childhood. It is characterized by clustered epileptic spasms, developmental arrest, and interictal hypsarrhythmia on electroencephalogram (EEG). Hypsarrhythmia is considered the hallmark of WS, but its visual assessment is challenging due to its wide variability and lack of a quantifiable definition. This study aims to analyze the EEG patterns in WS and identify computational diagnostic biomarkers of the disease. METHOD Linear and non-linear features derived from EEG recordings of 31 WS patients and 20 age-matched controls were compared. Subsequently, the correlation of the identified features with structural and genetic abnormalities was investigated. RESULTS WS patients showed significantly elevated alpha-band activity (0.2516 vs. 0.1914, p < 0.001) and decreased delta-band activity (0.5117 vs. 0.5479, p < 0.001), particularly in the occipital region, as well as globally strengthened theta-band activity (0.2145 vs. 0.1655, p < 0.001) in power spectrum analysis. Moreover, wavelet-bicoherence analysis revealed significantly attenuated cross-frequency coupling in WS patients. Additionally, bi-channel coherence analysis indicated minor connectivity alterations in WS patients. Among the four non-linear characteristics of the EEG data (i.e., approximate entropy, sample entropy, permutation entropy, and wavelet entropy), permutation entropy showed the most prominent global reduction in the EEG of WS patients compared to controls (1.4411 vs. 1.5544, p < 0.001). Multivariate regression results suggested that genetic etiologies could influence the EEG profiles of WS, whereas structural factors could not. SIGNIFICANCE A combined global strengthening of theta activity and global reduction of permutation entropy can serve as computational EEG biomarkers for WS. Implementing these biomarkers in clinical practice may expedite diagnosis and treatment in WS, thereby improving long-term outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqing Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - An-an Ping
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yalan Zhou
- Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tangfeng Su
- Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoli Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Sanqing Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Mendes A, Greiff S, Bobrowicz K. Approaching lifelong learning: An integrated framework for explaining decision-making processes in personal and professional development. Trends Neurosci Educ 2024; 35:100230. [PMID: 38879202 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2024.100230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individual differences in commitment to lifelong learning, a process aimed at seizing opportunities for self-development, have not been extensively studied. OBJECTIVE Our aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the decision-making mechanisms involved in pursuing learning for self-development. METHOD We conducted a literature review on the taxing nature of cognitive exertion and its impact on the inclination to engage in cognitively demanding tasks for learning, as well as individual differences in sensitivity to aversive or rewarding outcomes inherent in the learning process. RESULTS Our findings indicate that the Expected Value of Control (EVC) theory can elucidate the former, while research on approach-avoidance motivation can shed light on the latter. CONCLUSION We propose and develop an integrated framework that incorporates both lines of research. This framework holds relevance for neuropsychology, experimental psychology, and education psychology, offering theoretical guidance for tailoring learning experiences to enhance engagement and commitment to self-development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Mendes
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
| | - Samuel Greiff
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Katarzyna Bobrowicz
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
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45
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Haigh A, Buckby B. Rhythmic Attention and ADHD: A Narrative and Systematic Review. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 2024; 49:185-204. [PMID: 38198019 DOI: 10.1007/s10484-023-09618-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
In recent decades, a growing body of evidence has confirmed the existence of rhythmic fluctuations in attention, but the effect of inter-individual variations in these attentional rhythms has yet to be investigated. The aim of this review is to identify trends in the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) literature that could be indicative of between-subject differences in rhythmic attention. A narrative review of the rhythmic attention and electrophysiological ADHD research literature was conducted, and the commonly-reported difference in slow-wave power between ADHD subjects and controls was found to have the most relevance to an understanding of rhythmic attention. A systematic review of the literature examining electrophysiological power differences in ADHD was then conducted to identify studies with conditions similar to those utilised in the rhythmic attention research literature. Fifteen relevant studies were identified and reviewed. The most consistent finding in the studies reviewed was for no spectral power differences between ADHD subjects and controls. However, the strongest trend in the studies reporting power differences was for higher power in the delta and theta frequency bands and lower power in the alpha band. In the context of rhythmic attention, this trend is suggestive of a slowing in the frequency and/or increase in the amplitude of the attentional oscillation in a subgroup of ADHD subjects. It is suggested that this characteristic electrophysiological modulation could be indicative of a global slowing of the attentional rhythm and/or an increase in the rhythmic recruitment of neurons in frontal attention networks in individuals with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Haigh
- Department of Psychology, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.
| | - Beryl Buckby
- Department of Psychology, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
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46
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Iturra-Mena AM, Moser J, Díaz DE, Chen SYH, Rosenblum K, Muzik M, Fitzgerald KD. Anxiety Symptoms in Young Children Are Associated With a Maladaptive Neurobehavioral Profile of Error Responding. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024; 9:571-579. [PMID: 38467303 PMCID: PMC11156542 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood anxiety symptoms have been linked to alterations in cognitive control and error processing, but the diverse findings on neural markers of anxiety in young children, which vary by severity and developmental stage, suggest the need for a wider perspective. Integrating new neural markers with established ones, such as the error-related negativity, the error positivity, and frontal theta, could clarify this association. Error-related alpha suppression (ERAS) is a recently proposed index of post-error attentional engagement that has not yet been explored in children with anxiety. METHODS To identify neurobehavioral profiles of anxiety in young children by integrating ERAS with the error-related negativity, error positivity, frontal theta, and post-error performance indicators, we employed K-means clustering as an unsupervised multimetric approach. For this, we first aimed to confirm the presence and scalp distribution of ERAS in young children. We performed event-related potentials and spectral analysis of electroencephalogram data collected during a Go/NoGo task (Zoo Task) completed by 181 children (ages 4-7 years; 103 female) who were sampled from across the clinical-to-nonclinical range of anxiety severity using the Child Behavior Checklist. RESULTS Results confirmed ERAS, showing lower post-error alpha power, maximal suppression at occipital sites, and less ERAS in younger children. K-means clustering revealed that high anxiety and younger age were associated with reduction in ERAS and frontal theta, less negative error-related negativity, enlarged error positivity, more post-error slowing, and reduced post-error accuracy. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate a link between ERAS, maladaptive neural mechanisms of attention elicited by errors, and anxiety in young children, suggesting that anxiety may arise from or interfere with attention and error processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Iturra-Mena
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York; Data Science Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York.
| | - Jason Moser
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Dana E Díaz
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | | | | | - Maria Muzik
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Kate D Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
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47
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Vitkova V, Ristori D, Cheron G, Bazan A, Cebolla AM. Long-lasting negativity in the left motoric brain structures during word memory inhibition in the Think/No-Think paradigm. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10907. [PMID: 38740808 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60378-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the electrical brain responses in a high-density EEG array (64 electrodes) elicited specifically by the word memory cue in the Think/No-Think paradigm in 46 participants. In a first step, we corroborated previous findings demonstrating sustained and reduced brain electrical frontal and parietal late potentials elicited by memory cues following the No-Think (NT) instructions as compared to the Think (T) instructions. The topographical analysis revealed that such reduction was significant 1000 ms after memory cue onset and that it was long-lasting for 1000 ms. In a second step, we estimated the underlying brain generators with a distributed method (swLORETA) which does not preconceive any localization in the gray matter. This method revealed that the cognitive process related to the inhibition of memory retrieval involved classical motoric cerebral structures with the left primary motor cortex (M1, BA4), thalamus, and premotor cortex (BA6). Also, the right frontal-polar cortex was involved in the T condition which we interpreted as an indication of its role in the maintaining of a cognitive set during remembering, by the selection of one cognitive mode of processing, Think, over the other, No-Think, across extended periods of time, as it might be necessary for the successful execution of the Think/No-Think task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoriya Vitkova
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- InterPsy Laboratory, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Dominique Ristori
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Guy Cheron
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ariane Bazan
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- InterPsy Laboratory, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Ana Maria Cebolla
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
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Ghaderi S, Amani Rad J, Hemami M, Khosrowabadi R. Dysfunctional feedback processing in male methamphetamine abusers: Evidence from neurophysiological and computational approaches. Neuropsychologia 2024; 197:108847. [PMID: 38460774 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) as a major public health risk is associated with dysfunctional neural feedback processing. Although dysfunctional feedback processing in people who are substance dependent has been explored in several behavioral, computational, and electrocortical studies, this mechanism in MUDs requires to be well understood. Furthermore, the current understanding of latent components of their behavior such as learning speed and exploration-exploitation dilemma is still limited. In addition, the association between the latent cognitive components and the related neural mechanisms also needs to be explored. Therefore, in this study, the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms of feedback processing of such impairment, and age/gender-matched healthy controls are evaluated within a probabilistic learning task with rewards and punishments. Mathematical modeling results based on the Q-learning paradigm suggested that MUDs show less sensitivity in distinguishing optimal options. Additionally, it may be worth noting that MUDs exhibited a slight decrease in their ability to learn from negative feedback compared to healthy controls. Also through the lens of underlying neural mechanisms, MUDs showed lower theta power at the medial-frontal areas while responding to negative feedback. However, other EEG measures of reinforcement learning including feedback-related negativity, parietal-P300, and activity flow from the medial frontal to lateral prefrontal regions, remained intact in MUDs. On the other hand, the elimination of the linkage between value sensitivity and medial-frontal theta activity in MUDs was observed. The observed dysfunction could be due to the adverse effects of methamphetamine on the cortico-striatal dopamine circuit, which is reflected in the anterior cingulate cortex activity as the most likely region responsible for efficient behavior adjustment. These findings could help us to pave the way toward tailored therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadegh Ghaderi
- Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jamal Amani Rad
- Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Hemami
- Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Khosrowabadi
- Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
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Neo PSH, Shadli SM, McNaughton N, Sellbom M. Midfrontal theta reactivity to conflict and error are linked to externalizing and internalizing respectively. PERSONALITY NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 7:e8. [PMID: 38689857 PMCID: PMC11058527 DOI: 10.1017/pen.2023.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Dimensional psychopathology scores measure symptom severity; cutting across disorder categories. Their clinical utility is high given comorbidity, but their neural basis is unclear. We used scalp electroencephalography (EEG) to concurrently assess neural activity across internalizing and externalizing traits. "Theta rhythm" (4-7 Hz) spectral power at the frontal midline site Fz in specific goal conflict and action error phases within a trial of a Stop-Signal Task was extracted using process-specific contrasts. A final sample of 146 community participants (63 males, 83 females; mean age = 36; SD = 9; range = 18 - 56), oversampled for externalizing disorder (49% diagnosed with a DSM-5 externalizing disorder), also supplied psychopathology and personality data. We used the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) to measure symptoms and traits of psychopathology. An MMPI-3 measure of the higher-order internalizing psychopathology spectrum was positively correlated with action error theta. An MMPI-3 measure of the higher-order spectrum of externalizing psychopathology was negatively correlated with goal-conflict theta. We showed that goal-conflict and error theta activity are higher-order processes that index psychopathology severity. The associations extend into the nominally healthy range, and so reflect theta-related factors that apply to the general population as well as patients with sub-threshold diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe S.-H. Neo
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Shabah M. Shadli
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Neil McNaughton
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Martin Sellbom
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Otago, New Zealand
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50
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Neo PSH, McNaughton N, Sellbom M. Midfrontal conflict theta and parietal P300 are linked to a latent factor of DSM externalising disorders. PERSONALITY NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 7:e7. [PMID: 38689856 PMCID: PMC11058520 DOI: 10.1017/pen.2023.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Psychiatric illnesses form spectra rather than categories, with symptoms varying continuously across individuals, i.e., there is no clear break between health and disorder. Dimensional measures of behaviour and brain activity are promising targets for studying biological mechanisms that are common across disorders. Here, we assessed the extent to which neural measures of the sensitivity of the three biological systems in the reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) could account for individual differences in a latent general factor estimated from symptom counts across externalising disorders (EXTs). RST explanatory power was pitted against reduced P300, a reliable indicator of externalising per previous research. We assessed 206 participants for DSM-5 EXTs (antisocial personality disorder, conduct disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, intermittent explosive disorder symptoms, alcohol use disorder, and cannabis use disorder). Of the final sample, 49% met diagnostic criteria for at least one of the EXTs. Electroencephalographic measures of the sensitivities of the behavioural activation system (BAS), the fight/flight/freeze system, and the behavioural inhibition system (BIS), as well as P300 were extracted from the gold bar-lemon and stop-signal tasks. As predicted, we found that low neural BIS sensitivity and low P300 were uniquely and negatively associated with our latent factor of externalising. Contrary to prediction, neural BAS/"dopamine" sensitivity was not associated with externalising. Our results provide empirical support for low BIS sensitivity and P300 as neural mechanisms common to disorders within the externalising spectrum; but, given the low N involved, future studies should seek to assess the replicability of our findings and, in particular, the differential involvement of the three RST systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe S.-H. Neo
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Neil McNaughton
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Martin Sellbom
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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