scholarly journals Spatial Directionality Found in Frontal-Parietal Attentional Networks

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gahangir Hossain ◽  
Mark H. Myers ◽  
Robert Kozma
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Sensory Stimulation ◽  
Beta Phase ◽  
Neural Oscillations ◽  
Beta Activity ◽  
Scalp Eeg ◽  
Cognitive States ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Higher Cognitive Functions

Research in last few years on neurophysiology focused on several areas across the cortex during cognitive processing to determine the dominant direction of electrical activity. However, information about the frequency and direction of episodic synchronization related to higher cognitive functions remain unclear. Our aim was to determine whether neural oscillations carry perceptual information as spatial patterns across the cortex, which could be found in the scalp EEG of human subjects while being engaged in visual sensory stimulation. Magnitude squared coherence of neural activity during task states that “finger movement with Eyes Open (EO) or Eyes Wandering (EW)” among all electrode combinations has the smallest standard deviation and variations. Additionally, the highest coherence among the electrode pairs occurred between alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (12-16 Hz) ranges. Our results indicate that alpha rhythms seem to be regulated during activities when an individual is focused on a given task. Beta activity, which has also been implicated in cognitive processing to neural oscillations, is seen in our work as a manner to integrate external stimuli to higher cognitive activation. We have found spatial network organization which served to classify the EEG epochs in time with respect to the stimuli class. Our findings suggest that cortical neural signaling utilizes alpha-beta phase coupling during cognitive processing states, where beta activity has been implicated in shifting cognitive states. Significance. Our approach has found frontoparietal attentional mechanisms in shifting brain states which could provide new insights into understanding the global cerebral dynamics of intentional activity and reflect how the brain allocates resources during tasking and cognitive processing states.

Changes in EEG Rhythms during Television Viewing: Preliminary Comparisons with Reading and other Tasks

1980 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 255-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
James L. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Television Viewing ◽  
Sensory Stimulation ◽  
Beta Activity ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Interaction Terms ◽  
Task Effects ◽  
Mixed Factorial Design ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Task Trial ◽  
Main Effects

The purpose of this study was to provide preliminary data for comparing EEG activity during television viewing with EEG during reading and other tasks commonly used in psychophysiological research. EEG was recorded from left and right occipital locations in 18 subjects and a 2 × 2 × 6 × 5 (sex × site × task × trial) mixed factorial design was used in the analysis of alpha and beta EEG. Significant task effects were obtained for both alpha and beta scores and internal analyses indicated that the highest levels of beta and the lowest amounts of alpha were associated with the two tasks (reading and TV) which presented participants with specific patterns of sensory stimulation whereas tasks calling for mental relaxation (eyes open and eyes closed) and tasks requiring only mental operations (imagine and counting) were associated with lower beta levels and higher alpha. Although not statistically significant, more beta activity was observed during reading than during TV and more alpha was observed during TV than during reading. No main effects or interaction terms involving sex differences or hemispheric effects were significant.

Sensory Deprivation and Schizophrenia

1959 ◽  
Vol 105 (438) ◽  
pp. 235-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Work ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Sensory Deprivation ◽  
Sensory Stimulation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Therapeutic Procedures

Much interest has been displayed in the past few years in the effect on human subjects of reduction, or as far as possible, abolition of sensory stimulation, so that virtual isolation from the environment is produced. Recent comprehensive reviews have appeared, dealing with experimental work (Solomon et al. 1957) and conditions arising incidentally in the course of various therapeutic procedures (Grünthal 1957), and it is therefore unnecessary to deal with the topic at length here.

scholarly journals Neural oscillations during conditional associative learning

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Clarke ◽  
Brooke M. Roberts ◽  
Charan Ranganath
Keyword(s):  
Associative Learning ◽  
Delay Period ◽  
Neural Oscillations ◽  
Trial And Error ◽  
Single Trial ◽  
Past Performance ◽  
Beta Oscillations ◽  
Scalp Eeg ◽  
Gradual Process ◽  
Frontal Midline Theta

AbstractAssociative learning requires mapping between complex stimuli and behavioural responses. When multiple stimuli are involved, conditional associative learning is a gradual process with learning based on trial and error. It is established that a distributed network of regions track associative learning, however the role of neural oscillations in human learning remains less clear. Here we used scalp EEG to test how neural oscillations change during learning of arbitrary visuo-motor associations. Participants learned to associative 48 different abstract shapes to one of four button responses through trial and error over repetitions of the shapes. To quantify how well the associations were learned for each trial, we used a state-space computational model of learning that provided a probability of each trial being correct given past performance for that stimulus, that we take as a measure of the strength of the association. We used linear modelling to relate single-trial neural oscillations to single-trial measures of association strength. We found frontal midline theta oscillations during the delay period tracked learning, where theta activity was strongest during the early stages of learning and declined as the associations were formed. Further, posterior alpha and low-beta oscillations in the cue period showed strong desynchronised activity early in learning, while stronger alpha activity during the delay period were seen as associations became well learned. Moreover, the magnitude of these effects during early learning, before the associations were learned, related to improvements in memory seen on the next presentation of the stimulus. The current study provides clear evidence that frontal theta and posterior alpha/beta oscillations play a key role during associative memory formation.

Verbal hallucinations and language production processes in schizophrenia

1986 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph E. Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
External Source ◽  
Critical Feature ◽  
Cognitive States ◽  
Sensory Features ◽  
Verbal Imagery

AbstractHow is it that many schizophrenics identify certain instances of verbal imagery as hallucinatory? Most investigators have assumed that alterations in sensory features of imagery explain this. This approach, however, has not yielded a definitive picture of the nature of verbal hallucinations. An alternative perspective suggests itself if one allows the possibility that the nonself quality of hallucinations is inferred on the basis of the experience of unintendedness that accompanies imagery production. Information-processing models of “intentional” cognitive processes call for abstract planning representations that are linked to goals and beliefs. Unintended actions - and imagery - can reflect planning disruptions whereby cognitive products do not cohere with concurrent goals. A model of schizophrenic speech disorganization is presented that postulates a disturbance of discourse planning. Insofar as verbal imagery can be viewed as inwardly directed speech, a consequence of such planning disturbances could be the production of unintended imagery. This link between the outward disorganization of schizophrenic speech and unintended verbal imagery is statistically supported by comparing the speech behavior of hallucinating and nonhallucinating schizophrenics. Studies of “borderline” hallucinations during normal, “goal-less” relaxation and drowsiness suggest that experiential unintendedness leads to a nonpathological variant of hallucinatory otherness that is correctable upon emerging from such passive cognitive states. This contrasts with the schizophrenic case, where nonconcordance with cognitive goals reinforces the unintendedness of verbal images and sustains the conviction of an external source. This model compares favorably with earlier models of verbal hallucinations and provides further evidence for a language production disorder in many schizophrenics.Short Abstract: How is it that many schizophrenics identify certain instances of verbal imagery as hallucinatory? This paper proposes that the critical feature identifying hallucinations is the experience of unintendedness. This experience is nonpathological during passive conscious states but pathological if occurring during goal-directed cognitive processing. A model of schizophrenic speech disorganization is presented that postulates a disturbance of discourse planning that specifies communicative intentions. These alterations could generate unintended verbal imagery as well. Statistical data are offered to support the model, and relevant empirical studies are reviewed.

scholarly journals Lost to translation: How design factors of the mouse-tracking procedure impact the inference from action to cognition

2019 ◽  
Vol 81 (7) ◽  
pp. 2538-2557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Grage ◽  
Martin Schoemann ◽  
Pascal J. Kieslich ◽  
Stefan Scherbaum
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Response Selection ◽  
Simon Task ◽  
Mouse Tracking ◽  
Cognitive States ◽  
Mouse Cursor ◽  
Movement Strategies ◽  
Action Dynamics ◽  
Design Factors ◽  
Careful Design

Abstract From an embodiment perspective, action and cognition influence each other constantly. This interaction has been utilized in mouse-tracking studies to infer cognitive states from movements, assuming a continuous manifestation of cognitive processing into movement. However, it is mostly unknown how this manifestation is affected by the variety of possible design choices in mouse-tracking paradigms. Here we studied how three design factors impact the manifestation of cognition into movement in a Simon task with mouse tracking. We varied the response selection (i.e., with or without clicking), the ratio between hand and mouse cursor movement, and the location of the response boxes. The results show that all design factors can blur or even prevent the manifestation of cognition into movement, as reflected by a reduction in movement consistency and action dynamics, as well as by the adoption of unsuitable movement strategies. We conclude that deliberate and careful design choices in mouse-tracking experiments are crucial to ensuring a continuous manifestation of cognition in movement. We discuss the importance of developing a standard practice in the design of mouse-tracking experiments.

scholarly journals The neurobiology of food intake in an obesogenic environment

2012 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 478-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Rudolf Berthoud
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Nutrient Sensing ◽  
Neural Systems ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Food Cues ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Modes Of Interaction ◽  
External Signals

The objective of this non-systematic review of the literature is to highlight some of the neural systems and pathways that are affected by the various intake-promoting aspects of the modern food environment and explore potential modes of interaction between core systems such as hypothalamus and brainstem primarily receptive to internal signals of fuel availability and forebrain areas such as the cortex, amygdala and meso-corticolimbic dopamine system, primarily processing external signals. The modern lifestyle with its drastic changes in the way we eat and move puts pressure on the homoeostatic system responsible for the regulation of body weight, which has led to an increase in overweight and obesity. The power of food cues targeting susceptible emotions and cognitive brain functions, particularly of children and adolescents, is increasingly exploited by modern neuromarketing tools. Increased intake of energy-dense foods high in fat and sugar is not only adding more energy, but may also corrupt neural functions of brain systems involved in nutrient sensing as well as in hedonic, motivational and cognitive processing. It is concluded that only long-term prospective studies in human subjects and animal models with the capacity to demonstrate sustained over-eating and development of obesity are necessary to identify the critical environmental factors as well as the underlying neural systems involved. Insights from these studies and from modern neuromarketing research should be increasingly used to promote consumption of healthy foods.

Sensory stimulation (TENS): effects of parameter manipulation on mechanical pain thresholds in healthy human subjects

Pain ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 253-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda S. Chesterton ◽  
Panos Barlas ◽  
Nadine E. Foster ◽  
Thomas Lundeberg ◽  
Christine C. Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Subjects ◽  
Sensory Stimulation ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Pain Thresholds ◽  
Healthy Human Subjects ◽  
Mechanical Pain Thresholds

scholarly journals Altered Functional Connectivity in Children with ADHD Revealed by Scalp EEG: An ERP Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Chunli Chen ◽  
Huan Yang ◽  
Yasong Du ◽  
Guangzhi Zhai ◽  
Hesheng Xiong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Children With Adhd ◽  
Scalp Eeg ◽  
Adhd Children ◽  
The One

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental brain disorders in childhood. Despite extensive researches, the neurobiological mechanism underlying ADHD is still left unveiled. Since the deficit functions, such as attention, have been demonstrated in ADHD, in our present study, based on the oddball P3 task, the corresponding electroencephalogram (EEG) of both healthy controls (HCs) and ADHD children was first collected. And we then not only focused on the event-related potential (ERP) evoked during tasks but also investigated related brain networks. Although an insignificant difference in behavior was found between the HCs and ADHD children, significant electrophysiological differences were found in both ERPs and brain networks. In detail, the dysfunctional attention occurred during the early stage of the designed task; as compared to HCs, the reduced P2 and N2 amplitudes in ADHD children were found, and the atypical information interaction might further underpin such a deficit. On the one hand, when investigating the cortical activity, HCs recruited much stronger brain activity mainly in the temporal and frontal regions, compared to ADHD children; on the other hand, the brain network showed atypical enhanced long-range connectivity between the frontal and occipital lobes but attenuated connectivity among frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes in ADHD children. We hope that the findings in this study may be instructive for the understanding of cognitive processing in children with ADHD.

scholarly journals Age-Related Changes in Human Posture Control: Sensory Organization Tests

1990 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.J. Peterka ◽  
F.O. Black
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Body Sway ◽  
Support Surface ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Sensory Organization ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Orientation Cues ◽  
Anterior Posterior

Postural control was measured in 214 human subjects ranging in age from 7 to 81 y. Sensory organization tests measured the magnitude of anterior-posterior body sway during six 21 s trials in which visual and somatosensory orientation cues were normal, altered (by rotating the visual surround and support surface in proportion to the subject’s sway), or vision eliminated (eyes closed). No age-related increase in postoral sway was found for subjects standing on a fixed support surface with eyes open or closed. However, age-related increases in sway were found for conditions involving altered visual or somatosensory cues. Subjects older tban about 55 y showed the largest sway increases. Subjects younger than about 15 y were also sensitive to alteration of sensory cues. On average, the older subjects were more affected by altered visual cues, whereas younger subjects had more difficulty with altered somatosensory cues.

Microsaccade direction reflects the economic value of potential saccade goals and predicts saccade choice

2016 ◽  
Vol 115 (2) ◽  
pp. 741-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gongchen Yu (余功臣) ◽  
Baijie Xu (徐佰杰) ◽  
Yuchen Zhao (赵宇晨) ◽  
Beizhen Zhang (张倍祯) ◽  
Mingpo Yang (杨明坡) ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Amplitude ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Decision Processes ◽  
Complete Darkness ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Attentional Processes ◽  
Cognitive States ◽  
Subjective Value ◽  
Voluntary Choice

Microsaccades are small-amplitude (typically <1°), ballistic eye movements that occur when attempting to fixate gaze. Initially thought to be generated randomly, it has recently been established that microsaccades are influenced by sensory stimuli, attentional processes, and certain cognitive states. Whether decision processes influence microsaccades, however, is unknown. Here, we adapted two classic economic tasks to examine whether microsaccades reflect evolving saccade decisions. Volitional saccade choices of monkey and human subjects provided a measure of the subjective value of targets. Importantly, analyses occurred during a period of complete darkness to minimize the known influence of sensory and attentional processes on microsaccades. As the time of saccadic choice approached, microsaccade direction became the following: 1) biased toward targets as a function of their subjective value and 2) predictive of upcoming, voluntary choice. Our results indicate that microsaccade direction is influenced by and is a reliable tell of evolving saccade decisions. Our results are consistent with dynamic decision processes within the midbrain superior colliculus; that is, microsaccade direction is influenced by the transition of activity toward caudal saccade regions associated with high saccade value and/or future saccade choice.

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