QEEG Biomarkers for ECT Treatment Response in Schizophrenia

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a clinically effective treatment for schizophrenia (SZD). However, studies have shown that only about 50 to 80% of patients show response to ECT. To identify the most suitable patients for ECT, developing biomarkers predicting ECT response remains an important goal. This study aimed to explore the quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) biomarkers to predict ECT efficacy. Methods: Thirty patients who met DSM-5 criteria for SZD and had been assigned to ECT were recruited. 32-lead Resting-EEG recordings were collected one hour before the initial ECT treatment. Positive and negative symptoms scale (PANSS) was assessed at baseline and after the eighth ECT session. EEG data were analyzed using mutual information. Results: In the brain network density threshold range of 0.05 to 0.2, the assortativity of the right temporal, right parietal, and right occipital cortex in the response group was significantly higher than that in the non-response group ( p < .05) in the beta band. In the theta band, the left frontal, parietal, right occipital cortex, and central area assortativity were higher in the response group than in the non-response group ( p < .05). Conclusions: QEEG might be a useful approach to identify the candidate biomarker for ECT in clinical practice.

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Evaluation of two types of drug treatment with QEEG in children with ADHD

Translational Neuroscience ◽

10.1515/tnsci-2018-0017 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 106-116 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ramazan Aldemir ◽

Esra Demirci ◽

Ayşe Kaçar Bayram ◽

Mehmet Canpolat ◽

Sevgi Ozmen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Treatment ◽

Control Group ◽

Optimal Dosage ◽

Adhd Group ◽

Quantitative Electroencephalography ◽

Beta Band ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Eeg Data ◽

Eeg Recordings ◽

Long Acting

Abstract Aims The aim of this study is to evalute the effects of methylphenidate and atomoxetine treatments on electroencephalography (EEG) signals in volunteer children diagnosed with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD). Methods The study contained 40 children all of whom were between the ages of 7 and 17. The participants were classified into two groups as ADHD (n=20), which was in itself divided into two groups as ADHD-MPH (ADHD- Metylphenidate treatment) (n=10) and as ADHD-ATX (ADHD-Atomoxetin treatment) (n=10), and one control group (n=20). Following the first EEG recordings of the ADHD group, long-acting methylphenidate dose was applied to one ADHD group and atomoxetine dose was applied to the other ADHD group. The effect of optimal dosage is about for 4-6 weeks in general. Therefore, the response or lack of response to the treatment was evaluated three months after the beginning of the treatment. After methylphenidate and atomoxetine drug treatment, in order to obtain mean and maximum power values for delta, theta, alpha and beta band, the EEG data were analyzed. Results The EEG power spectrum densities in all the bands yielded similar findings in both methylphenidate and atomoxetine. Although statistically significant frequency values of the electrodes were amplitude and maximally varied, in general, they appeared mostly at both frontal and temporal regions for methylphenidate and atomoxetine. Conclusion Especially, after atomoxetine treatment, Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG) rates at frontal area electrodes were found statistically more significant than methylphenidate QEEG rates. What has been researched in this study is not only whether QEEG is likely to support the diagnosis, but whether changes on QEEG by treatment may be related to the severity of ADHD as well.

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Approximate Entropy of Brain Network in the Study of Hemispheric Differences

Entropy ◽

10.3390/e22111220 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (11) ◽

pp. 1220

Author(s):

Francesca Alù ◽

Francesca Miraglia ◽

Alessandro Orticoni ◽

Elda Judica ◽

Maria Cotelli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Brain Networks ◽

Approximate Entropy ◽

Brain Network ◽

Hemispheric Differences ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Age Related ◽

Eeg Recordings ◽

The Right ◽

The Impact ◽

Adult Volunteers

Human brain, a dynamic complex system, can be studied with different approaches, including linear and nonlinear ones. One of the nonlinear approaches widely used in electroencephalographic (EEG) analyses is the entropy, the measurement of disorder in a system. The present study investigates brain networks applying approximate entropy (ApEn) measure for assessing the hemispheric EEG differences; reproducibility and stability of ApEn data across separate recording sessions were evaluated. Twenty healthy adult volunteers were submitted to eyes-closed resting EEG recordings, for 80 recordings. Significant differences in the occipital region, with higher values of entropy in the left hemisphere than in the right one, show that the hemispheres become active with different intensities according to the performed function. Besides, the present methodology proved to be reproducible and stable, when carried out on relatively brief EEG epochs but also at a 1-week distance in a group of 36 subjects. Nonlinear approaches represent an interesting probe to study the dynamics of brain networks. ApEn technique might provide more insight into the pathophysiological processes underlying age-related brain disconnection as well as for monitoring the impact of pharmacological and rehabilitation treatments.

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A step forward in the quest for a mobile EEG-designed epoch for psychophysiological studies

Biomedical Engineering / Biomedizinische Technik ◽

10.1515/bmt-2017-0189 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 64 (6) ◽

pp. 655-667 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sebastián A. Balart-Sánchez ◽

Hugo Vélez-Pérez ◽

Sergio Rivera-Tello ◽

Fabiola R. Gómez Velázquez ◽

Andrés A. González-Garrido ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

International System ◽

Central Area ◽

Behavioral Responses ◽

Clinical Grade ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Eeg Data ◽

Wide Range ◽

Eeg Recordings ◽

Visual Oddball

Abstract The aim of this study was to compare a reconfigurable mobile electroencephalography (EEG) system (M-EMOTIV) based on the Emotiv Epoc® (which has the ability to record up to 14 electrode sites in the 10/20 International System) and a commercial, clinical-grade EEG system (Neuronic MEDICID-05®), and then validate the rationale and accuracy of recordings obtained with the prototype proposed. In this approach, an Emotiv Epoc® was modified to enable it to record in the parieto-central area. All subjects (15 healthy individuals) performed a visual oddball task while connected to both devices to obtain electrophysiological data and behavioral responses for comparative analysis. A Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a good between-devices correlation with respect to electrophysiological measures. The present study not only corroborates previous reports on the ability of the Emotiv Epoc® to suitably record EEG data but presents an alternative device that allows the study of a wide range of psychophysiological experiments with simultaneous behavioral and mobile EEG recordings.

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VTA-insula Connectivity and Avolition in Subjects with Schizophrenia

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.039 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. S57-S57

Author(s):

A. Mucci ◽

G.M. Giordano ◽

M. Stanziano ◽

M. Papa ◽

S. Galderisi

Keyword(s):

Negative Symptoms ◽

Occipital Cortex ◽

Advisory Board ◽

Strong Impact ◽

Seed Region ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Potential Conflict ◽

Deficit Syndrome ◽

Dopamine Circuits ◽

The Right

IntroductionAvolition represents an important domain of negative symptoms in schizophrenia with a strong impact on functional outcome. Primary and persistent avolition is refractory to available pharmacological and psychological treatments. A better understanding of its pathophysiological mechanisms is fundamental to promote development of new treatments. Recent models of avolition converge on dopaminergic circuits involved in motivation and its translation in goal-directed behavior. Deficits in task-related activation or connectivity within mesolimbic and mesocortical dopamine circuits were reported in schizophrenia but the relationship with avolition was not fully established.AimsThe present study aimed to investigate resting-state functional connectivity (RS-FC) within the motivation circuits in schizophrenia patients and its relationships with primary and persistent avolition.MethodsRS-FC, using VTA as a seed region, was investigated in 22 healthy controls (HC) and in 26 schizophrenia patients (SCZ) divided in high (HA) and low avolition (LA) subgroups. Avolition was assessed using the Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome.ResultsHA, in comparison to LA and HC, showed significantly reduced RS-FC with the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (R-VLPFC), right insula (R-INS) and right lateral occipital cortex (R-LOC). The RS-FC of these regions was negatively correlated to avolition.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate that avolition in schizophrenia is linked to dysconnection of VTA from key cortical regions involved in retrieval of outcome values of instrumental actions to motivate behavior.Disclosure of interestAM received honoraria or advisory board/consulting fees from the following companies: Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Otsuka, Pfizer and Pierre Fabre. SG received honoraria or advisory board/consulting fees from the following companies: Lundbeck, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Hoffman-La Roche, Angelini-Acraf, Otsuka, Pierre Fabre and Gedeon-Richter. All other Authors declare no potential conflict of interest.

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Hemispheric Asymmetry of Functional Brain Networks under Different Emotions Using EEG Data

Entropy ◽

10.3390/e22090939 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (9) ◽

pp. 939

Author(s):

Rui Cao ◽

Huiyu Shi ◽

Xin Wang ◽

Shoujun Huo ◽

Yan Hao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hemispheric Asymmetry ◽

Right Hemisphere ◽

Brain Networks ◽

Brain Network ◽

Clustering Coefficient ◽

Phase Lag ◽

Characteristic Path Length ◽

High Arousal ◽

Eeg Data ◽

The Right

Despite many studies reporting hemispheric asymmetry in the representation and processing of emotions, the essence of the asymmetry remains controversial. Brain network analysis based on electroencephalography (EEG) is a useful biological method to study brain function. Here, EEG data were recorded while participants watched different emotional videos. According to the videos’ emotional categories, the data were divided into four categories: high arousal high valence (HAHV), low arousal high valence (LAHV), low arousal low valence (LALV) and high arousal low valence (HALV). The phase lag index as a connectivity index was calculated in theta (4–7 Hz), alpha (8–13 Hz), beta (14–30 Hz) and gamma (31–45 Hz) bands. Hemispheric networks were constructed for each trial, and graph theory was applied to quantify the hemispheric networks’ topological properties. Statistical analyses showed significant topological differences in the gamma band. The left hemispheric network showed significantly higher clustering coefficient (Cp), global efficiency (Eg) and local efficiency (Eloc) and lower characteristic path length (Lp) under HAHV emotion. The right hemispheric network showed significantly higher Cp and Eloc and lower Lp under HALV emotion. The results showed that the left hemisphere was dominant for HAHV emotion, while the right hemisphere was dominant for HALV emotion. The research revealed the relationship between emotion and hemispheric asymmetry from the perspective of brain networks.

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Modulation of the Visual to Auditory Human Inhibitory Brain Network: An EEG Dipole Source Localization Study

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci9090216 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 216 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Rupesh Kumar Chikara ◽

Li-Wei Ko

Keyword(s):

Human Brain ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Source Localization ◽

Visual Stimulation ◽

Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽

Brain Network ◽

Dipole Source ◽

Beta Band ◽

Dipole Source Localization ◽

The Right

Auditory alarms are used to direct people’s attention to critical events in complicated environments. The capacity for identifying the auditory alarms in order to take the right action in our daily life is critical. In this work, we investigate how auditory alarms affect the neural networks of human inhibition. We used a famous stop-signal or go/no-go task to measure the effect of visual stimuli and auditory alarms on the human brain. In this experiment, go-trials used visual stimulation, via a square or circle symbol, and stop trials used auditory stimulation, via an auditory alarm. Electroencephalography (EEG) signals from twelve subjects were acquired and analyzed using an advanced EEG dipole source localization method via independent component analysis (ICA) and EEG-coherence analysis. Behaviorally, the visual stimulus elicited a significantly higher accuracy rate (96.35%) than the auditory stimulus (57.07%) during inhibitory control. EEG theta and beta band power increases in the right middle frontal gyrus (rMFG) were associated with human inhibitory control. In addition, delta, theta, alpha, and beta band increases in the right cingulate gyrus (rCG) and delta band increases in both right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG) and left superior temporal gyrus (lSTG) were associated with the network changes induced by auditory alarms. We further observed that theta-alpha and beta bands between lSTG-rMFG and lSTG-rSTG pathways had higher connectivity magnitudes in the brain network when performing the visual tasks changed to receiving the auditory alarms. These findings could be useful for further understanding the human brain in realistic environments.

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The Differences in the Whole-Brain Functional Network between Cantonese-Mandarin Bilinguals and Mandarin Monolinguals

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11030310 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 310

Author(s):

Xiaoxuan Fan ◽

Yujia Wu ◽

Lei Cai ◽

Jingwen Ma ◽

Ning Pan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Semantic Processing ◽

Brain Connectivity ◽

Occipital Cortex ◽

Brain Network ◽

Network Efficiency ◽

Whole Brain ◽

Strongly Connected ◽

The Right ◽

Brain Functional Connectivity

Cantonese-Mandarin bilinguals are logographic-logographic bilinguals that provide a unique population for bilingual studies. Whole brain functional connectivity analysis makes up for the deficiencies of previous bilingual studies on the seed-based approach and helps give a complete picture of the brain connectivity profiles of logographic-logographic bilinguals. The current study is to explore the effect of the long-term logographic-logographic bilingual experience on the functional connectivity of the whole-brain network. Thirty Cantonese-Mandarin bilingual and 30 Mandarin monolingual college students were recruited in the study. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was performed to investigate the whole-brain functional connectivity differences by network-based statistics (NBS), and the differences in network efficiency were investigated by graph theory between the two groups (false discovery rate corrected for multiple comparisons, q = 0.05). Compared with the Mandarin monolingual group, Cantonese-Mandarin bilinguals increased functional connectivity between the bilateral frontoparietal and temporal regions and decreased functional connectivity in the bilateral occipital cortex and between the right sensorimotor region and bilateral prefrontal cortex. No significant differences in network efficiency were found between the two groups. Compared with the Mandarin monolinguals, Cantonese-Mandarin bilinguals had no significant discrepancies in network efficiency. However, the Cantonese-Mandarin bilinguals developed a more strongly connected subnetwork related to language control, inhibition, phonological and semantic processing, and memory retrieval, whereas a weaker connected subnetwork related to visual and phonology processing, and speech production also developed.

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Association between aphasia severity and brain network alterations after stroke assessed using the electroencephalographic phase synchrony index

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-91978-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Teiji Kawano ◽

Noriaki Hattori ◽

Yutaka Uno ◽

Megumi Hatakenaka ◽

Hajime Yagura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Resting State ◽

Motor Impairment ◽

Brain Network ◽

Phase Synchrony ◽

Beta Band ◽

Post Stroke ◽

Expressive Function ◽

Delta Band ◽

Network Status ◽

The Right

AbstractElectroencephalographic synchrony can help assess brain network status; however, its usefulness has not yet been fully proven. We developed a clinically feasible method that combines the phase synchrony index (PSI) with resting-state 19-channel electroencephalography (EEG) to evaluate post-stroke motor impairment. In this study, we investigated whether our method could be applied to aphasia, a common post-stroke cognitive impairment. This study included 31 patients with subacute aphasia and 24 healthy controls. We assessed the expressive function of patients and calculated the PSIs of three motor language-related regions: frontofrontal, left frontotemporal, and right frontotemporal. Then, we evaluated post-stroke network alterations by comparing PSIs of the patients and controls and by analyzing the correlations between PSIs and aphasia scores. The frontofrontal PSI (beta band) was lower in patients than in controls and positively correlated with aphasia scores, whereas the right frontotemporal PSI (delta band) was higher in patients than in controls and negatively correlated with aphasia scores. Evaluation of artifacts suggests that this association is attributed to true synchrony rather than spurious synchrony. These findings suggest that post-stroke aphasia is associated with alternations of two different networks and point to the usefulness of EEG PSI in understanding the pathophysiology of aphasia.

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Test-retest reliability of functional brain network characteristics using resting-state EEG and graph theory

10.1101/385302 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Bahar Moezzi ◽

Brenton Hordacre ◽

Carolyn Berryman ◽

Michael C. Ridding ◽

Mitchell R. Goldsworthy

Keyword(s):

Graph Theory ◽

Resting State ◽

Brain Network ◽

Beta Band ◽

Graph Metrics ◽

Eeg Data ◽

Source Level ◽

Test Retest Reliability ◽

High Beta ◽

Healthy Participants

AbstractMetrics of brain network organization can be derived from neuroimaging data using graph theory. We explored the test-retest reliability of graph metrics of functional networks derived from resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. Data were collected within two designs: (1) within sessions (WS) design where EEG data were collected from 18 healthy participants in four trials within a few hours and (2) between sessions (BS) design where EEG data were collected from 19 healthy participants in three trials on three different days at least one week apart. Electrophysiological source activity was reconstructed and functional connectivity between pairs of sensors or brain regions was determined in different frequency bands. We generated undirected binary graphs and used intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) to estimate reliability. We showed that reliabilities ranged from poor to good. Reliability at the sensor-level was significantly higher than source-level. The most reliable graph metric at the sensor-level was cost efficiency and at the source-level was global efficiency. At the sensor-level: WS reliability was significantly higher than BS reliability; high beta band in WS design had the highest reliability; in WS design reliability in gamma band was significantly lower than reliability in low and high beta bands. At the source-level: low beta band in BS design had the highest reliability; there was no significant main effect of frequency band on reliability; reliabilities of WS and BS designs were not significantly different. These results suggest that these graph metrics can provide reliable outcomes, depending on how the data were collected and analysed.

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Propofol-Induced Unresponsiveness is Associated with Impaired Feedforward Connectivity in the Cortical Hierarchy

10.1101/213504 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Robert D. Sanders ◽

Matthew I Banks ◽

Matthieu Darracq ◽

Rosalyn Moran ◽

Jamie Sleigh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visual Processing ◽

Occipital Cortex ◽

Signal Propagation ◽

Beta Band ◽

Feedback Connection ◽

Cortical Hierarchy ◽

Evoked Response Potential ◽

Eeg Recordings ◽

Feedback Connections ◽

Best Fit

AbstractBackgroundImpaired consciousness has been associated with impaired cortical signal propagation following transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Herein we hypothesized that the reduced current propagation under propofol-induced unresponsiveness is associated with changes in both feedforward and feedback connectivity across the cortical hierarchy.MethodsEight subjects underwent left occipital TMS coupled with high-density electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings during wakefulness and propofol-induced unconsciousness. Spectral analysis was applied to responses recorded from sensors overlying six hierarchical cortical sources involved in visual processing. Dynamic causal modelling (DCM) of evoked and induced source-space responses was used to investigate propofol’s effects on connectivity between regions.ResultsPropofol produced a wideband reduction in evoked power following TMS in five out of six electrodes. Bayesian Model Selection supported a DCM with hierarchical feedforward and feedback connections to best fit the data. DCM of induced responses revealed that the primary effect of propofol was impaired feedforward responses in cross frequency theta/alpha-gamma coupling and within frequency theta coupling (F contrast, Family Wise Error corrected p<0.05). An exploratory analysis (thresholded at uncorrected p<0.001) also suggested that propofol impaired feedforward and feedback beta band coupling. Posthoc analyses showed impairments in all feedforward connections and one feedback connection from parietal to occipital cortex. DCM of the evoked response potential showed impaired feedforward connectivity between left sided occipital and parietal cortex (T contrast p=0.004, Bonferroni corrected).ConclusionsOur data suggest that propofol-induced loss of consciousness is associated with reduced evoked power and impaired hierarchical feedforward connectivity following occipital TMS.

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