scholarly journals Experienced meditators exhibit no differences to demographically-matched controls in theta phase synchronisation, P200, or P300 during an auditory oddball task

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
JR Payne ◽  
O Baell ◽  
H Geddes ◽  
B Fitzgibbon ◽  
M Emonson ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesLong-term meditation practice affects the brain’s ability to sustain attention. However, how this occurs is not well understood. Electroencephalography (EEG) studies have found that during dichotic oddball listening tasks, experienced meditators displayed altered attention-related neural markers including theta phase synchronisation (TPS) and event-related potentials (ERP; P200 and P300) to target tones while meditating compared to resting, and compared to non-meditators after intensive meditation interventions. Research is yet to establish whether the changes in the aforementioned neural markers are trait changes which may be observable in meditators irrespective of practice setting.MethodThe present study expanded on previous research by comparing EEG measures from a dichotic oddball task in a sample of community-based mindfulness meditators (n=22) to healthy controls with no meditation experience (n=22). To minimise state effects, neither group practiced meditation during / immediately prior to the EEG session.ResultsNo group differences were observed in behavioural performance or either the global amplitude or distribution of theta phase synchronisation, P200 or P300. Bayes Factor analysis suggested evidence against group differences for the P200 and P300.ConclusionsThe results suggest that increased P200, P300 and TPS do not reflect trait-related changes in a community sample of mindfulness meditators. The present study used a larger sample size than previous research and power analayses suggested the study was suficiently powered to detect differences. These results add nuance to our understanding of which processes are affected by meditation and the amount of meditation required to generate differences in specific neural processes.

1990 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Kutas ◽  
Steven A. Hillyard ◽  
Bruce T. Volpe ◽  
Michael S. Gazzaniga

The lateral distribution of the P300 component of the event-related brain potential (ERP) was studied in five epileptic patients whose corpus callosum had been surgically sectioned and in seven neurologically intact controls. The P300 was elicited in an auditory “oddball” task using high- and low-pitched tones and in a visual oddball task in which target words were presented either to the left or right visual fields, or to both fields simultaneously. Commissurotomy altered the normal pattern of bilaterally symmetrical P300 waves over the left and right hemispheres, but in a different manner for auditory and visual stimuli. The auditory P3 to binaural tones was larger in amplitude over the right than the left hemisphere for the patients. In the visual task, the laterality of the P300 varied with the visual field of the target presentation. Left field targets elicited much larger P300 amplitudes over the right than the left hemisphere, as did bilateral targets. In contrast, right field targets triggered P300 waves of about the same amplitude over the two hemispheres. The overall amplitude of the P300 to simultaneous bilateral targets was less than the sum of the individual P300 amplitudes produced in response to the unilateral right and left field targets. These shifts in P300 laterality argue against the view that the P300 is an index of diffuse arousal or activation that is triggered in both hemispheres simultaneously irrespective of which hemisphere processes the target information. The results further demonstrate that the P300 does not depend for its production on interhemispheric comparisons of information mediated by the corpus callosum, as suggested recently by Knight et al. (1989).


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S192-S192
Author(s):  
G. Di Lorenzo ◽  
A. Mucci ◽  
A. Vignapiano ◽  
G. Giordano ◽  
F. Ferrentino ◽  
...  

IntroductionThe effects of chronic antipsychotic administration on the human brain are debated. In particular, first-generation (FGAs) and second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) seem to have different impacts on brain function and structure in subjects with schizophrenia. Few studies have investigated the effect of chronic administration of FGAs and SGAs on indices of brain function, such as event-related potentials (ERP) or neuropsychological performance.ObjectivesWithin the Italian Network for Research on Psychoses study, subjects stabilized on FGAs or SGAs were compared on P300, an ERP component, thought to reflect attention, working memory and context integration and on neurocognitive indices.MethodsERPs were recorded in 110 chronic, stabilized patients with Schizophrenia (28 used FGAs) during a standard auditory oddball task. P300 latency and amplitude were assessed at Pz channel. MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) was used for cognitive assessment.ResultsCompared with the SGAs group, patients on FGAs showed significant increased P300 latency (P = 0.003; Cohen's d = 0.67) and significant decreased P300 amplitudes (P = 0.023; Cohen's d = 0.38). The two groups did not differ on psychopathology and MCCB scores. Multiple linear regressions revealed that “FGAs vs. SGAs” (β = 0.298, P = 0.002) and MCCB neurocognitive composite T-score (β = –0.273, P = 0.004) were independent predictors of P300 latency, whereas only age (β = –0.220, P = 0.027) was an independent predictor of P300 amplitude.ConclusionsFGAs seem to affect the functional brain activity more than SGAs, particularly slowing cortical processing. Our results suggest that discrepant findings concerning P300 latency in schizophrenia might be related to the type of antipsychotic treatment used. Longitudinal studies are needed to further address this issue.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 785-796
Author(s):  
Jianfeng Wang ◽  
Bing Dai

AbstractBackground and aimsImpaired behavioral inhibitory control (BIC) is known to play a crucial role in addictive behavior. However, research has been inconclusive as to whether this is also the case for cybersex addiction. This study aimed to investigate the time course of BIC in male individuals with tendencies towards cybersex addiction (TCA) using event-related potentials (ERPs) and to provide neurophysiological evidence of their deficient BIC.MethodsThirty-six individuals with TCA and 36 healthy controls (HCs) were given a Two-Choice Oddball task that required them to respond differently to frequent standard stimuli (images of people) and infrequent deviant stimuli (pornographic images) within 1,000 ms. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded as the participants performed the task.ResultsDespite the similarity of standard stimuli between the groups in terms of reaction times (RTs), the RTs of the TCA group to deviant stimuli were much slower than those of the HC group. The behavioral difference was accompanied by group differences in the averaged amplitudes of N2 (200–300 ms) and P3 (300–500 ms) components in the deviant-standard difference wave. More specifically, compared to the HC group, the TCA group demonstrated smaller N2 and P3 amplitude differences for deviant than standard stimuli.Discussion and conclusionsIndividuals with TCA were more impulsive than HC participants and shared neuropsychological and ERP characteristics of substance use disorder or behavioral addictions, which supports the view that cybersex addiction can be conceptualized as a behavioral addiction.


Author(s):  
Daniel Robles ◽  
Jonathan W. P. Kuziek ◽  
Nicole A. Wlasitz ◽  
Nathan T. Bartlett ◽  
Pete L. Hurd ◽  
...  

AbstractRecent advancements in portable computer devices have opened new avenues in the study of human cognition outside research laboratories. This flexibility in methodology has led to the publication of several Electroencephalography (EEG) studies recording brain responses in real world scenarios such as cycling and walking outside. In the present study, we tested the classic auditory oddball task while participants moved around an indoor running track using an electric skateboard. This novel approach allows for the study of attention in motion while virtually removing body movement. Using the skateboard auditory oddball paradigm, we found reliable and expected standard-target differences in the P3 and MMN/N2b event-related potentials (ERPs). We also recorded baseline EEG activity and found that, compared to this baseline, alpha power is attenuated in frontal and parietal regions during skateboarding. In order to explore the influence of motor interference in cognitive resources during skateboarding we compared participants’ preferred riding stance (baseline level of riding difficulty) vs their non-preferred stance (increased level of riding difficulty). We found that an increase in riding difficulty did not modulate the P3 and tonic alpha amplitude during skateboard motion.


2001 ◽  
Vol 39 (13) ◽  
pp. 1464-1472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas D. Potter ◽  
Martin R.A. Bassett ◽  
Susan H. Jory ◽  
Kenneth Barrett

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