scholarly journals Assessing the influence of local neural activity on global connectivity fluctuations: Application to human intracranial EEG during a cognitive task

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manel Vila-Vidal ◽  
Mariam Khawaja ◽  
Mar Carreño ◽  
Pedro Roldán ◽  
Jordi Rumià ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Activity ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Stimulus Onset ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Intracranial Eeg ◽  
Local Activity ◽  
Global Brain

Cognitive-relevant information is processed by different brain areas that cooperate to eventually produce a response. The relationship between local activity and global brain states during such processes, however, remains for the most part unexplored. To address this question, we designed a simple face-recognition task performed in drug-resistant epileptic patients with intracranial EEG. Based on our observations, we developed a novel analytical framework (named 'local-global' framework) to statistically correlate the brain activity in every recorded gray-matter region with the coupling functions as proxy to assess the level of influence of local neural activations into the brain's global state during cognition. The application of our analysis to the data from two subjects was able to detect the local activity in task-relevant brain areas including the primary visual and motor cortices. Despite substantial differences in the recorded regions of each subject, the coupling functions consistently showed a significant global desynchronization occurring a few hundred milliseconds after the stimulus onset. In this context, the local-global framework revealed that the reported desynchronization was better explained by the local activity of brain areas involved in face information processing, providing evidence that the global measures might be a novel signature of functional brain activity reorganization taking place when a stimulus is processed in a task context.

scholarly journals Caffeine boosts preparatory attention for reward-related stimulus information

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berry van den Berg ◽  
Marlon de Jong ◽  
Marty G. Woldorff ◽  
Monicque M. Lorist
Keyword(s):  
Brain Activity ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Caffeine Intake ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
Behavioral Measures ◽  
Placebo Condition ◽  
Electrical Brain Activity ◽  
Preparatory Attention ◽  
Stroop Stimulus

AbstractBoth the intake of caffeine-containing substances and the prospect of reward for performing a cognitive task have been associated with improved behavioral performance. To investigate the possible common and interactive influences of caffeine and reward-prospect on preparatory attention, we tested 24 participants during a 2-session experiment in which they performed a cued-reward color-word Stroop task. On each trial, participants were presented with a cue to inform them whether they had to prepare for presentation of a Stroop stimulus and whether they could receive a reward if they performed well on that trial. Prior to each session, participants received either coffee with caffeine (3 mg/kg bodyweight) or with placebo (3 mg/kg bodyweight lactose). In addition to behavioral measures, electroencephalography (EEG) measures of electrical brain activity were recorded. Results showed that both the intake of caffeine and the prospect of reward improved speed and accuracy, with the effects of caffeine and reward-prospect being additive on performance. Neurally, reward-prospect resulted in an enlarged contingent negative variation (CNV) and reduced posterior alpha power (indicating increased cortical activity), both hallmark neural markers for preparatory attention. Moreover, the CNV enhancement for reward-prospect trials was considerably more pronounced in the caffeine condition as compared to the placebo condition. These results thus suggest that caffeine intake boosts preparatory attention for task-relevant information, especially when performance on that task can lead to reward.

scholarly journals Caffeine Boosts Preparatory Attention for Reward-related Stimulus Information

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-118
Author(s):  
Berry van den Berg ◽  
Marlon de Jong ◽  
Marty G. Woldorff ◽  
Monicque M. Lorist
Keyword(s):  
Brain Activity ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Stimulus Presentation ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
Placebo Condition ◽  
Electrical Brain Activity ◽  
Preparatory Attention ◽  
Decaffeinated Coffee ◽  
Stroop Stimulus

The intake of caffeine and the prospect of reward have both been associated with increased arousal, enhanced attention, and improved behavioral performance on cognitive tasks, but how they interact to exert these effects is not well understood. To investigate this question, we had participants engage in a two-session cued-reward cognitive task while we recorded their electrical brain activity using scalp electroencephalography. The cue indicated whether monetary reward could be received for fast and accurate responses to a color–word Stroop stimulus that followed. Before each session, participants ingested decaffeinated coffee with either caffeine (3-mg/kg bodyweight) or placebo (3-mg/kg bodyweight lactose). The behavioral results showed that both caffeine and reward-prospect improved response accuracy and speed. In the brain, reward-prospect resulted in an enlarged frontocentral slow wave (contingent negative variation, or CNV) and reduced posterior alpha power (indicating increased cortical activity) before stimulus presentation, both neural markers for preparatory attention. Moreover, the CNV enhancement for reward-prospect trials was considerably more pronounced in the caffeine condition as compared to the placebo condition. These interactive neural enhancements due to caffeine and reward-prospect were mainly visible in preparatory attention activity triggered by the cue (CNV). In addition, some interactive neural enhancements in the processing of the Stroop target stimulus that followed were also observed. The results suggest that caffeine facilitates the neural processes underlying attentional preparation and stimulus processing, especially for task-relevant information.

Emotional Reactivity to Visual Content as Revealed by ERP Component Clustering

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 135-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslaw Wyczesany ◽  
Szczepan J. Grzybowski ◽  
Jan Kaiser
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Affective State ◽  
Occipital Lobe ◽  
Stimulus Onset ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Temporoparietal Junction ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. In the study, the neural basis of emotional reactivity was investigated. Reactivity was operationalized as the impact of emotional pictures on the self-reported ongoing affective state. It was used to divide the subjects into high- and low-responders groups. Independent sources of brain activity were identified, localized with the DIPFIT method, and clustered across subjects to analyse the visual evoked potentials to affective pictures. Four of the identified clusters revealed effects of reactivity. The earliest two started about 120 ms from the stimulus onset and were located in the occipital lobe and the right temporoparietal junction. Another two with a latency of 200 ms were found in the orbitofrontal and the right dorsolateral cortices. Additionally, differences in pre-stimulus alpha level over the visual cortex were observed between the groups. The attentional modulation of perceptual processes is proposed as an early source of emotional reactivity, which forms an automatic mechanism of affective control. The role of top-down processes in affective appraisal and, finally, the experience of ongoing emotional states is also discussed.

Decoupling of Global Brain Activity and Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow in Parkinson's Disease Cognitive Decline

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Han ◽  
Gregory L. Brown ◽  
Yalin Zhu ◽  
Aaron E. Belkin‐Rosen ◽  
Mechelle M. Lewis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Fluid Flow ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow ◽  
Global Brain

Functional Anatomical Correlates of Controlled and Automatic Processing

2001 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 730-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Martijn Jansma ◽  
Nick F. Ramsey ◽  
Heleen A. Slagter ◽  
Rene S. Kahn
Keyword(s):  
Brain Activity ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Automatic Processing ◽  
Practice Effects ◽  
Controlled Processing ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Types Of Information

Behavioral studies have shown that consistent practice of a cognitive task can increase the speed of performance and reduce variability of responses and error rate, reflecting a shift from controlled to automatic processing. This study examines how the shift from controlled to automatic processing changes brain activity. A verbal Sternberg task was used with continuously changing targets (novel task, NT) and with constant, practiced targets (practiced task, PT). NT and PT were presented in a blocked design and contrasted to a choice reaction time (RT) control task (CT) to isolate working memory (WM)-related activity. The three-dimensional (3-D) PRESTO functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sequence was used to measure hemodynamic responses. Behavioral data revealed that task processing became automated after practice, as responses were faster, less variable, and more accurate. This was accompanied specifically by a decrease in activation in regions related to WM (bilateral but predominantly left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), right superior frontal cortex (SFC), and right frontopolar area) and the supplementary motor area. Results showed no evidence for a shift of foci of activity within or across regions of the brain. The findings have theoretical implications for understanding the functional anatomical substrates of automatic and controlled processing, indicating that these types of information processing have the same functional anatomical substrate, but differ in efficiency. In addition, there are practical implications for interpreting activity as a measure for task performance, such as in patient studies. Whereas reduced activity can reflect poor performance if a task is not sensitive to practice effects, it can reflect good performance if a task is sensitive to practice effects.

Cannabidiol Has a Unique Effect on Global Brain Activity: A Pharmacological, Functional MRI Study in Awake Mice 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aymen Sadaka ◽  
Ana Ozuna ◽  
Richard Ortiz ◽  
Praveen Kulkarni ◽  
Clare Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Stress Disorders ◽  
Functional Coupling ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Dose Dependent ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Background: The phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) is a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorders. How does CBD interact with the brain to alter behavior? We hypothesized that CBD would produce a dose-dependent reduction in brain activity and functional coupling in neural circuitry associated with fear and defense. Methods: During the scanning session awake mice were given vehicle or CBD (3, 10, or 30 mg/kg I.P.) and imaged for 10 min post treatment. Mice were also treated with the 10 mg/kg dose of CBD and imaged one hr later for resting state BOLD functional connectivity (rsFC). Imaging data were registered to a 3D MRI mouse atlas providing site-specific information on 138 different brain areas. Blood samples were collected for CBD measurements.Results: CBD produced a dose-dependent polarization of activation along the rostral-caudal axis of the brain. The olfactory bulb and prefrontal cortex showed an increase in positive BOLD whereas the brainstem and cerebellum showed a decrease in BOLD signal. This negative BOLD affected many areas connected to the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS). The ARAS was decoupled to much of the brain but was hyperconnected to the olfactory system and prefrontal cortex. The pattern of ARAS connectivity closely overlapped with brain areas showing high levels N-acyl-phosphatidylethanolamines-specific phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD) messenger RNA.Conclusion: The CBD-induced decrease in ARAS activity is consistent with an emerging literature suggesting that CBD reduces autonomic arousal under conditions of emotional and physical stress. The putative target and mechanism of action is NAPE-PLD the enzyme responsible for the biosynthesis of lipid signaling molecules like anandamide.

Studying the effect of Heartfulness Meditation on Brain Activity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pallavi Gupta ◽  
Jahnavi Mundluru ◽  
Arth Patel ◽  
Shankar Pathmakanthan
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Logical Thinking ◽  
Meditation Practice ◽  
Guided Relaxation

Long-term meditation practice is increasingly recognized for its health benefits. Heartfulness meditation represents a quickly growing set of practices that is largely unstudied. Heartfulness is unique in that it is a meditation practice that focuses on the Heart. It helps individuals to connect to themselves and find inner peace. In order to deepen ones’ meditation, the element of Yogic Energy (‘pranahuti’) is used as an aid during meditation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether consistent EEG effects of Heartfulness meditation be observed in sixty experienced Heartfulness meditators, each of whom attended 6 testing sessions. In each session, participants performed three conditions: a set of cognitive tasks, Heartfulness guided relaxation, and Heartfulness Meditation. Participants during the cognitive portion were required to answer questions that tested their logical thinking (Cognitive Reflective Test) and creative thinking skills. (Random Associative Test) The order of condition was randomly counter balanced across six sessions. It was hypothesized that Heartfulness meditation would bring increased alpha (8-12Hz) brain activity during meditation and better cognitive task scores in sessions where the tasks followed meditation. Heartfulness meditation produces a significant decrease in brain activity (as indexed by higher levels of alpha during the early stages of meditation. As the meditation progressed deep meditative state (as indexed by higher levels of delta) were observed until the end of the condition.  This lead to the conclusion that Heartfulness Meditation produces a state that is clearly distinguishable from effortful problem solving. 

scholarly journals A New Paradigm for Training Hyperactive Dopamine Transporter Knockout Rats: Influence of Novel Stimuli on Object Recognition

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia P. Kurzina ◽  
Anna B. Volnova ◽  
Irina Y. Aristova ◽  
Raul R. Gainetdinov
Keyword(s):  
Object Recognition ◽  
Dopamine Transporter ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Dopaminergic Transmission ◽  
Novel Objects ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Brain

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is believed to be connected with a high level of hyperactivity caused by alterations of the control of dopaminergic transmission in the brain. The strain of hyperdopaminergic dopamine transporter knockout (DAT-KO) rats represents an optimal model for investigating ADHD-related pathological mechanisms. The goal of this work was to study the influence of the overactivated dopamine system in the brain on a motor cognitive task fulfillment. The DAT-KO rats were trained to learn an object recognition task and store it in long-term memory. We found that DAT-KO rats can learn to move an object and retrieve food from the rewarded familiar objects and not to move the non-rewarded novel objects. However, we observed that the time of task performance and the distances traveled were significantly increased in DAT-KO rats in comparison with wild-type controls. Both groups of rats explored the novel objects longer than the familiar cubes. However, unlike controls, DAT-KO rats explored novel objects significantly longer and with fewer errors, since they preferred not to move the non-rewarded novel objects. After a 3 months’ interval that followed the training period, they were able to retain the learned skills in memory and to efficiently retrieve them. The data obtained indicate that DAT-KO rats have a deficiency in learning the cognitive task, but their hyperactivity does not prevent the ability to learn a non-spatial cognitive task under the presentation of novel stimuli. The longer exploration of novel objects during training may ensure persistent learning of the task paradigm. These findings may serve as a base for developing new ADHD learning paradigms.

scholarly journals Sleeping While Awake: The Intrusion of Neural Activity Associated with Sleep Onset in the Awake Human Brain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Hawes ◽  
Carrie R. H. Innes ◽  
Nicholas Parsons ◽  
Sean P.A. Drummond ◽  
Karen Caeyensberghs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Basal Forebrain ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Sleep Onset ◽  
Theoretical Modelling ◽  
Related Activity ◽  
Independent Dataset ◽  
Time Graph ◽  
The Brain

AbstractSleep can intrude into the awake human brain when sleep deprived or fatigued, even while performing cognitive tasks. However, how the brain activity associated with sleep onset can co-exist with the activity associated with cognition in the awake humans remains unexplored. Here, we used simultaneous fMRI and EEG to generate fMRI activity maps associated with EEG theta (4-7 Hz) activity associated with sleep onset. We implemented a method to track these fMRI activity maps in individuals performing a cognitive task after well-rested and sleep-deprived nights. We found frequent intrusions of the fMRI maps associated with sleep-onset in the task-related fMRI data. These sleep events elicited a pattern of transient fMRI activity, which was spatially distinct from the task-related activity in the frontal and parietal areas of the brain. They were concomitant with reduced arousal as indicated by decreased pupil size and increased response time. Graph theoretical modelling showed that the activity associated with sleep onset emerges from the basal forebrain and spreads anterior-posteriorly via the brain’s structural connectome. We replicated the key findings in an independent dataset, which suggests that the approach can be reliably used in understanding the neuro-behavioural consequences of sleep and circadian disturbances in humans.

scholarly journals The rapid emergence of auditory object representations in cortex reflect central acoustic attributes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mattson Ogg ◽  
Thomas A. Carlson ◽  
L. Robert Slevc
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Music Perception ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Auditory Pathway ◽  
Stimulus Onset ◽  
Object Representations ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Require Time ◽  
Acoustic Information ◽  
Auditory Object

Human listeners are bombarded by acoustic information that the brain rapidly organizes into coherent percepts of objects and events in the environment, which aids speech and music perception. The efficiency of auditory object recognition belies the critical constraint that acoustic stimuli necessarily require time to unfold. Using magentoencephalography (MEG), we studied the time course of the neural processes that transform dynamic acoustic information into auditory object representations. Participants listened to a diverse set of 36 tokens comprising everyday sounds from a typical human environment. Multivariate pattern analysis was used to decode the sound tokens from the MEG recordings. We show that sound tokens can be decoded from brain activity beginning 90 milliseconds after stimulus onset with peak decoding performance occurring at 155 milliseconds post stimulus onset. Decoding performance was primarily driven by differences between category representations (e.g., environmental vs. instrument sounds), although within-category decoding was better than chance. Representational similarity analysis revealed that these emerging neural representations were related to harmonic and spectrotemporal differences among the stimuli, which correspond to canonical acoustic features processed by the auditory pathway. Our findings begin to link the processing of physical sound properties with the perception of auditory objects and events in cortex.

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