scholarly journals Coordination Cost and Super-Efficiency in Teamwork: The Role of Communication, Psychological States, Cardiovascular Responses, and Brain Rhythms

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-341
Author(s):  
Ben Hoyle ◽  
Jamie Taylor ◽  
Luca Zugic ◽  
Edson Filho
Keyword(s):  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Cardiovascular Responses ◽  
Attentional Focus ◽  
Team Development ◽  
Beta Activity ◽  
Brain Rhythms ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
Core Affect ◽  
Neural Efficiency ◽  
Communication Dynamics

Abstract To advance knowledge on the psychophysiological markers of “coordination cost” in team settings, we explored differences in meta-communication patterns (i.e., silence, speaking, listening, and overlap), perceived psychological states (i.e., core affect, attention, efficacy beliefs), heart rate variability (i.e., RMSSD), and brain rhythms (i.e., alpha, beta and theta absolute power) across three studies involving 48 male dyads (Mage = 21.30; SD = 2.03). Skilled participants cooperatively played three consecutive FIFA-17 (Xbox) games in a dyad against the computer, or competed against the computer in a solo condition and a dyad condition. We observed that playing in a team, in contrast to playing alone, was associated with higher alpha peak and global efficiency in the brain and, at the same time, led to an increase in focused attention as evidenced by participants’ higher theta activity in the frontal lobe. Moreover, we observed that overtime participants’ brain dynamics moved towards a state of “neural-efficiency”, characterized by increased theta and beta activity in the frontal lobe, and high alpha activity across the whole brain. Our findings advance the literature by demonstrating that (1) the notion of coordination cost can be captured at the neural level in the initial stages of team development; (2) by decreasing the costs of switching between tasks, teamwork increases both individuals’ attentional focus and global neural efficiency; and (3) communication dynamics become more proficient and individuals’ brain patterns change towards neural efficiency over time, likely due to team learning and decreases in intra-team conflict.

Making Brains run Faster: are they Becoming Smarter?

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Pahor ◽  
Norbert Jaušovec
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Electric Activity ◽  
Attentional Focus ◽  
Theories Of Intelligence ◽  
Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation ◽  
Neural Efficiency ◽  
Individual Alpha Frequency ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Raven’S Matrices

AbstractA brief overview of structural and functional brain characteristics related to g is presented in the light of major neurobiological theories of intelligence: Neural Efficiency, P-FIT and Multiple-Demand system. These theories provide a framework to discuss the main objective of the paper: what is the relationship between individual alpha frequency (IAF) and g? Three studies were conducted in order to investigate this relationship: two correlational studies and a third study in which we experimentally induced changes in IAF by means of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). (1) In a large scale study (n = 417), no significant correlations between IAF and IQ were observed. However, in males IAF positively correlated with mental rotation and shape manipulation and with an attentional focus on detail. (2) The second study showed sex-specific correlations between IAF (obtained during task performance) and scope of attention in males and between IAF and reaction time in females. (3) In the third study, individuals’ IAF was increased with tACS. The induced changes in IAF had a disrupting effect on male performance on Raven’s matrices, whereas a mild positive effect was observed for females. Neuro-electric activity after verum tACS showed increased desynchronization in the upper alpha band and dissociation between fronto-parietal and right temporal brain areas during performance on Raven’s matrices. The results are discussed in the light of gender differences in brain structure and activity.

Frontal Beta Activity in the Meta-Intention of Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

2020 ◽  
pp. 155005942093314
Author(s):  
Yu-Chi Liao ◽  
Nai-Wen Guo ◽  
Bei-Yi Su ◽  
Shin-Jaw Chen ◽  
Hsing-Fang Tsai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Beta Activity ◽  
Executive Attention ◽  
Children With Adhd ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Attention Tasks ◽  
Attention Performance

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have high theta and low beta activity in the frontal lobe. The higher the theta/beta ratio, the lower the level of central nervous system (CNS) cortical arousal. However, there is seldom evidence between electroencephalograms (EEGs) and the patient’s intentionality to regulate the cortical activity of executive attention tasks. We investigated whether children with ADHD intended to improve their performance in executive attention tasks and whether that increased their brain activity. Fifty-one children with ADHD (ADHD) and 51 typical developing (TD) children were investigated using focused attention (FA) and search attention (SA) tasks and a simultaneous EEG. The children were then regrouped as faster (ADHD-F, TD-F) and slower (ADHD-S, TD-S) depending on reaction time (RT). Quantitative EEGs of frontal lobe theta and beta activity at frontal F3, F4, and Fz were used. Twenty-eight (54.9%) ADHD children were regrouped as ADHD-S and 14 (27.5%) as TD-S. The ADHD-S group, however, had poorer FA and SA performance than the other 3 groups did: fewer correct answers, more frequent impulsive and missing errors, and higher RT variations. There were no significant differences in theta activity, but the TD-S group had higher beta activity than the ADHD-S group did. We conclude that the ADHD-F and ADHD-S groups had different attention processes. beta activity did not increase in the ADHD-S group, and their executive attention performance in the FA and SA tests was poor. It seems ADHD-S had poor meta-intention function. The frontal beta activity might be a feasible training target of neurofeedback in ADHD-S patients.

scholarly journals Unpacking the Role of Feedback in Virtual Team Effectiveness

2021 ◽  
pp. 104649642110571
Author(s):  
Lisa Handke ◽  
Florian Klonek ◽  
Thomas A. O’Neill ◽  
Rudolf Kerschreiter
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Team Effectiveness ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Team Development ◽  
Team Processes ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Feedback Interventions

Feedback is a cornerstone of human development. Not surprisingly, it plays a vital role in team development. However, the literature examining the specific role of feedback in virtual team effectiveness remains scattered. To improve our understanding of feedback in virtual teams, we identified 59 studies that examine how different feedback characteristics (content, source, and level) impact virtual team effectiveness. Our findings suggest that virtual teams benefit particularly from feedback that (a) combines performance-related information with information on team processes and/or psychological states, (b) stems from an objective source, and (c) targets the team as a whole. By integrating the existing knowledge, we point researchers in the direction of the most pressing research needs, as well as the practices that are most likely to pay off when designing feedback interventions in virtual teams.

scholarly journals The Social and Psychological Changes of the First Months of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashwini Ashokkumar ◽  
James W. Pennebaker
Keyword(s):  
Attentional Focus ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
Initial Wave ◽  
Language Analysis ◽  
The Social ◽  
Thought Patterns ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
The U.S

The initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the lives of people across the globe. The current research sought to understand how the pandemic affected people’s social and psychological states during the first three months after the first U.S. death was reported. How did people’s emotions, thought patterns, and social lives change as the pandemic unfolded? The Reddit language of 200,000+ people across 18 cities in the U.S. was analyzed along with surveys from 11,000+ people in the U.S. and Canada. Overall, large psychological shifts were found that reflected three distinct phases. As the first COVID warnings emerged but prior to the shelter-in-place directives, people’s attentional focus switched to the impending threat. Anxiety levels surged, and positive emotion and anger dropped. In parallel, people’s thinking became more immediate and intuitive rather than analytic. When cities began lockdowns, anxiety levels spiked and sadness increased, and language shifted in ways that revealed people’s attempts to make sense of the situation. Six weeks after the onset, people’s psychological states stabilized but the COVID-produced changes had not abated. Converging evidence from survey responses and natural language analysis indicated that people’s ties with family strengthened but that social ties to broader groups (friends, city, and country) weakened. The psychological shifts were amplified on days when the country’s and cities’ COVID infection growth rates were higher, marking the link between the pandemic and the observed psychological patterns. Together, the study underscores the large psychological impacts across the country during the first three months of the crisis.

Cognitive–Perceptual–Affective–Motivational Dynamics During Incremental Workload Accounting for Exertion Tolerance

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Stacey Alvarez-Alvarado ◽  
Gershon Tenenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Exertion ◽  
Attentional Focus ◽  
Affective Responses ◽  
Rating Of Perceived Exertion ◽  
Isometric Handgrip ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
Adaptation Mechanisms ◽  
Task Time ◽  
New Research

Inquiry of the psychological states during the exercise experience failed to fully account for the role of motivation to adhere and the disposition of exertion tolerance (ET). The current study expands the scope of the integrated cognitive–perceptual–affective framework by measuring the motivation to sustain effort in two physical tasks and accounting for ET. Thirty male participants performed cycling and isometric handgrip tasks to assess the progression of the rating of perceived exertion, attentional focus, affective responses, and motivation to adhere, along with an incremental workload. The ET was determined by a handgrip task time to voluntary exhaustion. The findings indicated significant time effects and linear trends for perceived exertion, attentional focus, affect, and perceived arousal but not motivation to adhere during the handgrip and cycling tasks. The ET played a key role in the integrity of the model, particularly in perceptual, attentional, and affective responses. The intended model serves to stimulate new research into adaptation mechanisms.

scholarly journals Longitudinal Analysis of Stroke Patients’ Brain Rhythms during an Intervention with a Brain-Computer Interface

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruben I. Carino-Escobar ◽  
Paul Carrillo-Mora ◽  
Raquel Valdés-Cristerna ◽  
Marlene A. Rodriguez-Barragan ◽  
Claudia Hernandez-Arenas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Upper Limb ◽  
Longitudinal Analysis ◽  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Motor Recovery ◽  
Stroke Onset ◽  
Beta Activity ◽  
Compensatory Mechanism ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Brain Rhythms ◽  
Subacute Stroke

Stroke is a leading cause of motor disability worldwide. Upper limb rehabilitation is particularly challenging since approximately 35% of patients recover significant hand function after 6 months of the stroke’s onset. Therefore, new therapies, especially those based on brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and robotic assistive devices, are currently under research. Electroencephalography (EEG) acquired brain rhythms in alpha and beta bands, during motor tasks, such as motor imagery/intention (MI), could provide insight of motor-related neural plasticity occurring during a BCI intervention. Hence, a longitudinal analysis of subacute stroke patients’ brain rhythms during a BCI coupled to robotic device intervention was performed in this study. Data of 9 stroke patients were acquired across 12 sessions of the BCI intervention. Alpha and beta event-related desynchronization/synchronization (ERD/ERS) trends across sessions and their association with time since stroke onset and clinical upper extremity recovery were analyzed, using correlation and linear stepwise regression, respectively. More EEG channels presented significant ERD/ERS trends across sessions related with time since stroke onset, in beta, compared to alpha. Linear models implied a moderate relationship between alpha rhythms in frontal, temporal, and parietal areas with upper limb motor recovery and suggested a strong association between beta activity in frontal, central, and parietal regions with upper limb motor recovery. Higher association of beta with both time since stroke onset and upper limb motor recovery could be explained by beta relation with closed-loop communication between the sensorimotor cortex and the paralyzed upper limb, and alpha being probably more associated with motor learning mechanisms. The association between upper limb motor recovery and beta activations reinforces the hypothesis that broader regions of the cortex activate during movement tasks as a compensatory mechanism in stroke patients with severe motor impairment. Therefore, EEG across BCI interventions could provide valuable information for prognosis and BCI cortical activity targets.

Formation of paired helical filaments in Alzheimer's disease

1984 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 302-303
Author(s):  
J. Metuzals ◽  
D. F. Clapin ◽  
V. Montpetit
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Giant Axon ◽  
Paired Helical Filaments ◽  
Normal Brain ◽  
Protein Assemblies ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Helical Symmetry ◽  
Structural Levels

Information on the conformation of paired helical filaments (PHF) and the neurofilamentous (NF) network is essential for an understanding of the mechanisms involved in the formation of the primary lesions of Alzheimer's disease (AD): tangles and plaques. The structural and chemical relationships between the NF and the PHF have to be clarified in order to discover the etiological factors of this disease. We are investigating by stereo electron microscopic and biochemical techniques frontal lobe biopsies from patients with AD and squid giant axon preparations. The helical nature of the lesion in AD is related to pathological alterations of basic properties of the nervous system due to the helical symmetry that exists at all hierarchic structural levels in the normal brain. Because of this helical symmetry of NF protein assemblies and PHF, the employment of structure reconstruction techniques to determine the conformation, particularly the handedness of these structures, is most promising. Figs. 1-3 are frontal lobe biopsies.

Letter Verbal Fluency in Spanish-, Basque-, and Catalan-Speaking Individuals: Does the Selection of the Letters Influence the Outcome?

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 2400-2410
Author(s):  
Laiene Olabarrieta-Landa ◽  
Itziar Benito-Sánchez ◽  
Montserrat Alegret ◽  
Anna Gailhajanet ◽  
Esther Landa Torre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Crucial Step ◽  
Verbal Fluency Test ◽  
Performance Differences ◽  
Frontal Lobe Functioning ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Fluency Test

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare Basque and Catalan bilinguals' performance on the letter verbal fluency test and determine whether significant differences are present depending on the letters used and the language of administration. Method The sample consisted of 87 Spanish monolinguals, 139 Basque bilinguals, and 130 Catalan bilinguals from Spain. Participants completed the letter verbal fluency test using the letters F, A, S, M, R, P, and E. Results Bilinguals scored higher on the letter verbal fluency test when they were tested in Spanish than in Basque or Catalan. No performance differences were found according to native language or dialects within Basque participants. Catalans with Spanish as their native language scored lower on the letter F compared to those who grew up speaking Catalan and Spanish. The suggested letters to use with Basque speakers are A, E, and B; the suggested letters to use with Catalan speakers are P, F, and M; and the suggested letters to use with Spanish speakers are M, R, and P. Conclusion Selecting appropriate stimuli depending on the language of testing is the first crucial step to assess verbal fluency and thus possible frontal lobe functioning impairment.

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