scholarly journals Expectancy of Stress-Reducing Aromatherapy Effect and Performance on a Stress-Sensitive Cognitive Task

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Chamine ◽  
Barry S. Oken
Keyword(s):  
Task Performance ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
N200 Amplitude ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
And Performance

Objective. Stress-reducing therapies help maintain cognitive performance during stress. Aromatherapy is popular for stress reduction, but its effectiveness and mechanism are unclear. This study examined stress-reducing effects of aromatherapy on cognitive function using the go/no-go (GNG) task performance and event related potentials (ERP) components sensitive to stress. The study also assessed the importance of expectancy in aromatherapy actions.Methods. 81 adults were randomized to 3 aroma groups (active experimental, detectable, and undetectable placebo) and 2 prime subgroups (prime suggesting stress-reducing aroma effects or no-prime). GNG performance, ERPs, subjective expected aroma effects, and stress ratings were assessed at baseline and poststress.Results. No specific aroma effects on stress or cognition were observed. However, regardless of experienced aroma, people receiving a prime displayed faster poststress median reaction times than those receiving no prime. A significant interaction for N200 amplitude indicated divergent ERP patterns between baseline and poststress for go and no-go stimuli depending on the prime subgroup. Furthermore, trends for beneficial prime effects were shown on poststress no-go N200/P300 latencies and N200 amplitude.Conclusion. While there were no aroma-specific effects on stress or cognition, these results highlight the role of expectancy for poststress response inhibition and attention.

scholarly journals In exogenous attention, time is the clue: brain and heart interactions to survive threatening stimuli

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Ruiz-Padial ◽  
Francisco Mercado
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Exogenous Attention ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Negative Stimuli

AbstractThe capture of exogenous attention by negative stimuli has been interpreted as adaptive for survival in a diverse and changing environment. In the present paper, we investigate the neural responses towards two discrete negative emotions with different biological meanings, disgust and fear, and its potential relationships with heart rate variability (HRV) as an index of emotional regulation. With that aim, 30 participants performed a digit categorization task while fear, disgust and neutral distractor pictures were presented. Resting HRV at baseline, behavioral responses, and event-related potentials were recorded. Whereas P1 amplitudes were highest to fear distractors, the disgust stimulation led to augmented P2 amplitudes compared to the rest of distractors. Interestingly, increased N2 amplitudes were also found to disgust distractors, but only in high HRV participants. Neural source estimation data point to the involvement of the insula in this exogenous attentional response to disgust. Additionally, disgust distractors provoked longer reaction times than fear and neutral distractors in the high HRV group. Present findings are interpreted in evolutionary terms suggesting that exogenous attention is captured by negative stimuli following a different time course for fear and disgust. Possible HRV influences on neural mechanisms underlying exogenous attention are discussed considering the potential important role of this variable in emotional regulation processes.

scholarly journals Mobile Brain/Body Imaging of cognitive-motor impairment in multiple sclerosis: deriving EEG-based neuro-markers during a dual-task walking study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierfilippo De Sanctis ◽  
Brenda R. Malcolm ◽  
Peter C. Mabie ◽  
Ana A. Francisco ◽  
Wenzhu B. Mowrey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Motor Impairment ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Motor Dysfunction ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Dual Task Performance ◽  
Related Potentials

ABSTRACTIndividuals with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) often present with deficits in the cognitive as well as the motor domain. The ability to perform tasks that rely on both domains may therefore be particularly impaired. Yet, behavioral studies designed to measure costs associated with performing two tasks at the same time such as dual-task walking have yielded mixed results. Patients may mobilize additional brain resources to sustain good levels of performance. To test this hypothesis, we acquired event-related potentials (ERP) in thirteen individuals with MS and fifteen healthy control (HC) participants performing a Go/NoGo response inhibition task while sitting (i.e., single task) or walking on a treadmill (i.e., dual-task). In previous work, we showed that the nogo-N2 elicited by the cognitive task was reduced when healthy adults are also asked to walk, and that nogo-N2 reduction was accompanied by sustained dual-task performance. We predicted that some MS patients, similar to their healthy peers, may mobilize N2-indexed brain resources and thereby reduce costs. Somewhat to our surprise, the HC group performed the Go/NoGo task more accurately while walking, thus showing a dual-task benefit, whereas, in line with expectation, the MS group showed a trend towards dual-task costs. The expected nogo-N2 reduction during dual-task walking was found in the HC group, but was not present at the group level in the MS group, suggesting that this group did not modulate the nogo-N2 process in response to higher task load. Regression analysis for the pooled sample revealed a robust link between nogo-N2 reduction and better dual-task performance. We conclude that impaired nogo-N2 adaptation reflects a neurophysiological marker of cognitive-motor dysfunction in MS.

A systematic review of cognitive and neurobiologic factors associated with specific phobias

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (03) ◽  
pp. 192-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Galushko ◽  
O. Graf ◽  
W. Gaebel ◽  
J. Zielasek
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Specific Phobia ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Late Positive Potentials ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Activity Measures

Summary Background: To clarify the role of cognitive and neurobiologic factors in the aetiopathogenesis of specific phobia, a systematic review of studies investigating these factors was performed. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central were searched up to March 23, 2012. Method: Thirty-four studies were analyzed in detail for this systematic review. Results: Persons with specific phobia differed from healthy persons in their reaction to the exposure to phobia-related stimuli due to biased attentional, memory and interpretational processes. Longer reaction times, increased recall and recognition performances for threat-related information, and a tendency to misinterpret ambiguous stimuli were found in persons with specific phobia. Regarding brain activity measures as indicators of neurobiologic factors following exposure to fear-related stimuli, amygdala, anterior cingulated cortex, insula, fusiform gyrus, and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex activities were most commonly reported to be increased in persons with specific phobia. Other studies revealed increased amplitudes of event-related potentials (N100, P300, and late positive potentials) in persons with specific phobia.

scholarly journals Physical Exhaustion Induced Variations in Event-Related Potentials and Cognitive Task Performance in Young Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afreen Begum H. Itagi ◽  
Navin A. Patil ◽  
Rahul K. Kotian ◽  
Suneel Kumar Reddy ◽  
Shardul Abhyankar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Cognitive Task Performance ◽  
Related Potentials

The Organization of Brain Activations in Number Comparison: Event-Related Potentials and the Additive-Factors Method

1996 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanislas Dehaene
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Normal Subjects ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Comparison Task ◽  
Cerebral Lateralization ◽  
Magnitude Comparison ◽  
Number Comparison ◽  
Related Potentials

Measuring reaction times (RTs) using the additive-factors method provides information about the sequence of processing stages in a cognitive task. Here, I describe how the simultaneous recording of event-related potentials (ERPs) in the same task can provide complementary information that cannot be obtained using RTs alone. Most notably, ERP data can reveal the absolute activation time and the coarse brain localization of processing stages. RTs and ERPs can also be used to cross-validate a serial-stage model. These notions were applied to a study of the temporal unfolding of brain activations in a number comparison task. ERPs were recorded from 64 scalp electrodes while normal subjects classified numbers as larger or smaller than 5. Specific scalp signatures and timing data were obtained for stages of word and digit identification, magnitude comparison, response programming, and error capture and correction. The observed localizations were compatible with previous neuropsychological and brain imaging data and provided new insights into the cerebral lateralization and timing of number processing.

scholarly journals Effects of a Green Oat Herb Extract on Cognitive Performance and Neurophysiological Activity: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saul Martinez-Horta ◽  
Eran Ivanir ◽  
Tania Perrinjaquet-Moccetti ◽  
Matthias Heinrich Keuter ◽  
Jaime Kulisevsky
Keyword(s):  
Task Performance ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Performance Monitoring ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Acute Administration ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
And Performance

Green oat extracts have been used for centuries in traditional medicine in view of their supposed beneficial effects on cognition and mood. Recently, a specific green oat formulation (Neuravena®) showed to have significant bioactive compounds potentially associated with the enhancement of processing speed, working memory and attention. The main aim of the current study was to compare the potential effect of acute administration of 800 mg of Neuravena® with placebo on a set of neurophysiological correlates of processing speed, attention, performance-monitoring and inhibitory control. Twenty healthy participants were randomized to receive either Neuravena® or placebo. Electroencephalographic (EEG) signal acquisition was obtained while participants carried out the modified Eriksen flanker and oddball tasks. Both groups were compared on measures of behavioral task performance, and a set of event-related potentials (ERPs) components related to performance monitoring (the error-related negativity; ERN and the N2), target detection, and attention (P3a/P3b). Following active-intervention N2, ERN, and P3a/P3b were significantly reduced and performance was faster, with no loss of accuracy. Conversely, no neurophysiological differences were found in the placebo group before and after treatment and performance worsened significantly in terms of reaction time and accuracy. Acute administration of 800 mg of Neuravena® appears to enhance the optimization of neural resources and positively influences cognitive performance in tasks associated with executive functions, processing speed and attention. Moreover, Neuravena® prevents the deleterious effects of tiredness during task performance.

scholarly journals The role of selective attention in the positivity offset: Evidence from event related potentials

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0258640
Author(s):  
Regard M. Booy ◽  
Patrick L. Carolan
Keyword(s):  
Selective Attention ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Facilitation Effect ◽  
Negative Valence ◽  
Positive Material ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Positive And Negative Valence ◽  
Positivity Offset

Some research suggests that positive and negative valence stimuli may be processed differently. For example, negative material may capture and hold attention more readily than equally arousing positive material. This is called the negativity bias, and it has been observed as both behavioural and electroencephalographic (EEG) effects. Consequently, it has been attributed to both automatic and elaborative processes. However, at the lowest levels of arousal, faster reaction times and stronger EEG responses to positive material have been observed. This is called the positivity offset, and the underlying cognitive mechanism is less understood. To study the role of selective attention in the positivity offset, participants completed a negative affective priming (NAP) task modified to dissociate priming for positive and negative words. The task required participants to indicate the valence of a target word, while simultaneously ignoring a distractor. In experiment 1, a behavioural facilitation effect (faster response time) was observed for positive words, in stark contrast to the original NAP task. These results were congruent with a previously reported general categorization advantage for positive material. In experiment 2, participants performed the task while EEG was recorded. In additional to replicating the behavioural results from experiment 1, positive words elicited a larger Late Positive Potential (LPP) component on ignored repetition relative to control trials. Surprisingly, negative words elicited a larger LPP than positive words on control trials. These results suggest that the positivity offset may reflect a greater sensitivity to priming effects due to a more flexible attentional set.

scholarly journals In exogenous attention, time is the clue: Brain and heart interactions to survive threatening stimuli

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0243117
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Ruiz-Padial ◽  
Francisco Mercado
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Exogenous Attention ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Negative Stimuli

The capture of exogenous attention by negative stimuli has been interpreted as adaptive for survival in a diverse and changing environment. In the present paper, we investigate the neural responses towards two discrete negative emotions with different biological meanings, disgust and fear, and its potential relationships with heart rate variability (HRV) as an index of emotional regulation. With that aim, 30 participants performed a digit categorization task while fear, disgust and neutral distractor pictures were presented. Resting HRV at baseline, behavioral responses, and event-related potentials were recorded. Whereas P1 amplitudes were highest to fear distractors, the disgust stimulation led to augmented P2 amplitudes compared to the rest of distractors. Interestingly, increased N2 amplitudes were also found to disgust distractors, but only in high HRV participants. Neural source estimation data point to the involvement of the insula in this exogenous attentional response to disgust. Additionally, disgust distractors provoked longer reaction times than fear and neutral distractors in the high HRV group. Present findings are interpreted in evolutionary terms suggesting that exogenous attention is captured by negative stimuli following a different time course for fear and disgust. Possible HRV influences on neural mechanisms underlying exogenous attention are discussed considering the potential important role of this variable in emotional regulation processes.

Face and Word Recognition in Patients with Left and Right Hemispheric Lesions: Evidence from Reaction Times and ERPs

2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan R. Schweinberger ◽  
Thomas Klos ◽  
Werner Sommer
Keyword(s):  
Slow Wave ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Memory Search ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Performance Deficits ◽  
Set Size ◽  
Left Brain ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Left Brain Damage

Abstract: We recorded reaction times (RTs) and event-related potentials (ERPs) in patients with unilateral lesions during a memory search task. Participants memorized faces or abstract words, which were then recognized among new ones. The RT deficit found in patients with left brain damage (LBD) for words increased with memory set size, suggesting that their problem relates to memory search. In contrast, the RT deficit found in patients with RBD for faces was apparently related to perceptual encoding, a conclusion also supported by their reduced P100 ERP component. A late slow wave (720-1720 ms) was enhanced in patients, particularly to words in patients with LBD, and to faces in patients with RBD. Thus, the slow wave was largest in the conditions with most pronounced performance deficits, suggesting that it reflects deficit-related resource recruitment.

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