The relative contribution of stimulus-driven and voluntary action selection processes in beta-band activity during motor planning

Resent research has shown that electroencephalography (EEG) theta/beta ratio (TBR) in cases with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has thus far been reported lower than that in healthy individuals. Accordingly, utilizing EEG-TBR as a biomarker to diagnose ADHD has been called into question. Besides, employing known protocol to reduce EEG-TBR in the vertex (Cz) channel to treat ADHD via neurofeedback (NFB) has been doubted. The present study was to propose a new NFB treatment protocol to manage ADHD using EEG signals from 30 healthy controls and 30 children with ADHD through an attention-based task and to calculate relative power in their different frequency bands. Then, the most significant distinguishing features of EEG signals from both groups were determined via a genetic algorithm (GA). The results revealed that EEG-TBR values in children with ADHD were lower compared with those in healthy peers; however, such a difference was not statistically significant. Likewise, inhibiting alpha band activity and enhancing delta one in F7 or T5 channels was proposed as a new NFB treatment protocol for ADHD. No significant increase in EEG-TBR in the Cz channel among children with ADHD casts doubt on the effectiveness of using EEG-TBR inhibitory protocols in the Cz channel. Consequently, it was proposed to apply the new protocol along with reinforced beta-band activity to treat or reduce ADHD symptoms.

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γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) administration improves action selection processes: a randomised controlled trial

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/srep12770 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Laura Steenbergen ◽

Roberta Sellaro ◽

Ann-Kathrin Stock ◽

Christian Beste ◽

Lorenza S. Colzato

Keyword(s):

Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Action Selection ◽

Aminobutyric Acid ◽

Selection Processes ◽

Randomised Controlled

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Exploring the relationship of phase and peak-frequency EEG alpha-band and beta-band activity to temporal judgments of stimulus duration

Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1080/17588928.2017.1359524 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 193-205 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Alex Milton ◽

Christopher Pleydell-Pearce

Keyword(s):

Stimulus Duration ◽

Peak Frequency ◽

Alpha Band ◽

Beta Band ◽

Eeg Alpha ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship ◽

Temporal Judgments ◽

Band Activity

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Beta-band desynchronization reflects uncertainty in effector selection during motor planning

10.1101/2021.04.23.441147 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Milou J.L. van Helvert ◽

Leonie Oostwoud Wijdenes ◽

Linda Geerligs ◽

W. Pieter Medendorp

Keyword(s):

Time Window ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Motor Planning ◽

Reaction Times ◽

Motor Preparation ◽

Motion Artifact ◽

Theta Band ◽

Beta Band ◽

Target Uncertainty ◽

Band Power

AbstractWhile beta-band activity during motor planning is known to be modulated by uncertainty about where to act, less is known about its modulations to uncertainty about how to act. To investigate this issue, we recorded oscillatory brain activity with EEG while human participants (n = 17) performed a hand choice reaching task. The reaching hand was either predetermined or of participants’ choice, and the target was close to one of the two hands or at about equal distance from both. To measure neural activity in a motion-artifact-free time window, the location of the upcoming target was cued 1000-1500 ms before the presentation of the target, whereby the cue was valid in 50% of trials. As evidence for motor planning during the cueing phase, behavioral observations showed that the cue affected later hand choice. Furthermore, reaction times were longer in the choice than in the predetermined trials, supporting the notion of a competitive process for hand selection. Modulations of beta-band power over central cortical regions, but not alpha-band or theta-band power, were in line with these observations. During the cueing period, reaches in predetermined trials were preceded by larger decreases in beta-band power than reaches in choice trials. Cue direction did not affect reaction times or beta-band power, which may be due to the cue being invalid in 50% of trials, retaining effector uncertainty during motor planning. Our findings suggest that effector uncertainty, similar to target uncertainty, selectively modulates beta-band power during motor planning.New & NoteworthyWhile reach-related beta-band power in central cortical areas is known to modulate with the number of potential targets, here we show, using a cueing paradigm, that the power in this frequency band, but not in the alpha or theta-band, is also modulated by the uncertainty of which hand to use. This finding supports the notion that multiple possible effector-specific actions can be specified in parallel up to the level of motor preparation.

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STATE MACHINE MODEL OF HYPOTHESIZED VOLUNTARY ACTION SELECTION MECHANISM OF SUBSTANTIA NIGRA PARS COMPACTA AND LOCUS COERULEUS

10.31219/osf.io/g6yn2 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Christopher Rourk

Keyword(s):

Electron Transport ◽

Substantia Nigra ◽

Action Selection ◽

Neural Correlates ◽

State Machine ◽

Voluntary Action ◽

Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽

Selection Mechanism ◽

Machine Model ◽

Apparent Ability

A hypothesized voluntary action selection mechanism for the SNc and LC has been proposed that is based on the apparent ability of ferritin and neuromelanin to support electron transport in those tissues. (Rourk 2018; Rourk 2019). A state machine model is presented in this paper that provides an explanation for neural correlates of that hypothesized voluntary action selection mechanism to the human experience of consciousness.

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