Affective disposition and cognitive processing in dysphoria: a time-frequency EEG study

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carola Dell'Acqua ◽  
Elisa Dal Bò ◽  
Tania Moretta ◽  
Daniela Palomba ◽  
Simone Messerotti Benvenuti
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
Motivational System ◽  
Cognitive Elaboration ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Theta Power ◽  
Affective Disposition ◽  
Electroencephalographic Activity

To date, affective disposition and cognitive processing of emotional stimuli in individuals with depressive symptoms have not been fully explored within the same framework. Time-frequency analysis of electroencephalographic activity allows to disentangle the brain's parallel processing of information. The present study employed a time-frequency approach to simultaneously examine affective disposition and cognitive processing during the viewing of emotional stimuli in dysphoria. Time-frequency event-related changes were examined during the viewing of pleasant, neutral and unpleasant pictures in 24 individuals with dysphoria and 24 controls. Affective disposition was indexed by delta and alpha power, while theta power was employed as a correlate of cognitive elaboration of the stimuli. Cluster-based statistics revealed a centro-parietal reduction in delta power for pleasant stimuli in individuals with dysphoria than controls. Also, dysphoria was characterized by an early fronto-central increase in theta power for unpleasant stimuli relative to neutral and pleasant. Instead, controls were characterized by a late fronto-central and occipital reduction in theta power for unpleasant stimuli relative to neutral and pleasant. The present study granted novel insights on the interrelated facets of affective elaboration in dysphoria, mainly characterized by an hypoactivation of the approach-related motivational system and a sustained facilitated cognitive processing of unpleasant stimuli.

scholarly journals Oscillatory Brain Activity in the Time Frequency Domain Associated to Change Blindness and Change Detection Awareness

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Álvaro Darriba ◽  
Paula Pazo-Álvarez ◽  
Almudena Capilla ◽  
Elena Amenedo
Keyword(s):  
Change Detection ◽  
Frequency Analysis ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Change Blindness ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
Beta Band ◽  
Time Frequency Analysis ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Theta Power ◽  
Oscillatory Brain Activity

Despite the importance of change detection (CD) for visual perception and for performance in our environment, observers often miss changes that should be easily noticed. In the present study, we employed time–frequency analysis to investigate the neural activity associated with CD and change blindness (CB). Observers were presented with two successive visual displays and had to look for a change in orientation in any one of four sinusoid gratings between both displays. Theta power increased widely over the scalp after the second display when a change was consciously detected. Relative to no-change and CD, CB was associated with a pronounced theta power enhancement at parietal-occipital and occipital sites and broadly distributed alpha power suppression during the processing of the prechange display. Finally, power suppressions in the beta band following the second display show that, even when a change is not consciously detected, it might be represented to a certain degree. These results show the potential of time–frequency analysis to deepen our knowledge of the temporal curse of the neural events underlying CD. The results further reveal that the process resulting in CB begins even before the occurrence of the change itself.

Analysis Of Cognitive Load For Bilingual Subjects

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pravin Kumar Subbaraj ◽  
Kavitha Anandan ◽  
Geethanjali Balasubramanian ◽  
Mahesh Veezhinathan
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Material Design ◽  
Difficulty Level ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
Theta Power ◽  
Beta Power ◽  
Lexile Level

Cognitive measures are directed to assess the load of working memory while performing different tasks. Excessive load on working memory hinders learning or performance of individuals. Lexile measure is the current tool used in assessing the difficulty levels of text reading in English language. Studies on correlating the cognitive load with EEG for classifying tasks based on Lexile measures have been performed for native English speakers. In this work, an attempt has been made to analyze the scope of Lexile measure for assessing the cognitive load of normal subjects. The protocol included reading and recall of texts with different Lexile complexities followed by resting phases. For increasing Lexile level complexities, a considerable increase in cognitive processing was noticed during task phase. Further, an increase in beta power was noticed at the central region indicating active information processing and decision making. Relative theta power (R?=0.11) was significant (p=0.022) in low Lexile level material and gradually decreased as the difficulty level of the tasks increased. Relative theta power was found to be decreasing as the complexity level of the text material increased and was found to dominate in both mid frontal and mid parietal regions during the recall phase. During test phase an increase in alpha power was observed at parietal region reflecting active information processing. This was evident from the highly significant (p=0.022), relative alpha power (Ra =0.036) for recall of high complexity Lexile material compared to medium (Ra=0.005) and low (Ra=0.005) level materials. Thus, it is seen that this study could be more effective in analyzing the cognitive load of subjects with different working memory efficiency. Also, while performing analysis on instructional material design based on cognitive load of different subjects, such procedures seem to be more significant.

How Effective Is Cognitive- Processing Therapy in Improving PTSD and Depressive Symptoms?

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Resick ◽  
P. Nishith ◽  
T. L. Weaver ◽  
M. C. Astin ◽  
C. A. Feuer
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Cognitive Processing Therapy

scholarly journals ‘Awake delta’ and theta-rhythmic hippocampal network modes during intermittent locomotor behaviors in the rat

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan W. Schultheiss ◽  
Maximillian Schlecht ◽  
Maanasa Jayachandran ◽  
Deborah R. Brooks ◽  
Jennifer L. McGlothan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clustering Algorithms ◽  
Field Potential ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Network Activity ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Theta Power ◽  
Frequency Decomposition ◽  
Speed Modulation ◽  
Delta Band ◽  
Locomotor Behaviors

AbstractDelta-frequency network activity is commonly associated with sleep or behavioral disengagement accompanied by a dearth of cortical spiking, but delta in awake behaving animals is not well understood. We show that hippocampal (HC) synchronization in the delta frequency band (1-4 Hz) is related to animals’ locomotor behavior using a detailed analysis of simultaneous head- and body-tracking data. In contrast to running-speed modulation of the theta rhythm (6-10 Hz, a critical mechanism in navigation models), we observed that strong delta synchronization occurred when animals were stationary or moving slowly and while theta and fast gamma (55-120 Hz) were weak. We next combined time-frequency decomposition of the local field potential with hierarchical clustering algorithms to categorize momentary estimations of the power spectral density (PSD) into putative modes of HC activity. Delta and theta power measures from these modes were notably orthogonal, and theta and delta coherences between HC recording sites were monotonically related to theta-delta ratios across modes. Next, we focused on bouts of precisely-defined running and stationary behavior. Extraction of delta and theta power density estimates for each instance of these bout types confirmed the orthogonality between frequency bands seen across modes. We found that delta-band and theta-band coherence within HC, and in a small sample, between HC and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), mirrored delta and theta components of the PSD. Delta-band synchronization often developed rapidly when animals paused briefly between runs, as well as appearing throughout longer stationary bouts. Taken together, our findings suggest that delta-dominated network modes (and corresponding mPFC-HC couplings) represent functionally-distinct circuit dynamics that are temporally and behaviorally interspersed amongst theta-dominated modes during navigation. As such these modes of mPFC-HC circuit dynamics could play a fundamental role in coordinating encoding and retrieval mechanisms or decision-making processes at a timescale that segments event sequences within behavioral episodes.

Neural Dynamics of Context-Sensitive Adjustments in Cognitive Flexibility

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Audrey Siqi-Liu ◽  
Tobias Egner ◽  
Marty G. Woldorff
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Switch Cost ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Context Sensitive ◽  
Electrical Brain Activity ◽  
Strong Focus ◽  
Current Task ◽  
Neural Underpinnings

Abstract To adaptively interact with the uncertainties of daily life, we must match our level of cognitive flexibility to contextual demands—being more flexible when frequent shifting between different tasks is required and more stable when the current task requires a strong focus of attention. Such cognitive flexibility adjustments in response to changing contextual demands have been observed in cued task-switching paradigms, where the performance cost incurred by switching versus repeating tasks (switch cost) scales inversely with the proportion of switches (PS) within a block of trials. However, the neural underpinnings of these adjustments in cognitive flexibility are not well understood. Here, we recorded 64-channel EEG measures of electrical brain activity as participants switched between letter and digit categorization tasks in varying PS contexts, from which we extracted ERPs elicited by the task cue and alpha power differences during the cue-to-target interval and the resting precue period. The temporal resolution of the EEG allowed us to test whether contextual adjustments in cognitive flexibility are mediated by tonic changes in processing mode or by changes in phasic, task cue-triggered processes. We observed reliable modulation of behavioral switch cost by PS context that was mirrored in both cue-evoked ERP and time–frequency effects but not by blockwide precue EEG changes. These results indicate that different levels of cognitive flexibility are instantiated after the presentation of task cues, rather than by being maintained as a tonic state throughout low- or high-switch contexts.

scholarly journals Improvement of Attention, Executive Functions, and Processing Speed in Elderly Women as a Result of Involvement in the Nordic Walking Training Program and Vitamin D Supplementation

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariusz Lipowski ◽  
Tamara Walczak-Kozłowska ◽  
Małgorzata Lipowska ◽  
Jakub Kortas ◽  
Jędrzej Antosiewicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Elderly Women ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Nordic Walking ◽  
Cognitive Processing Speed

Research indicates that life satisfaction declines with age, and cognitive abilities are gradually reduced—mainly attentional functioning and cognitive processing speed. Therefore, scientists seek to find protective factors and test possible intervention programs; moderately intensive physical activity stands out as particularly promising. In this context, we evaluated the influence of Nordic Walking training supported by vitamin D supplementation (as this nutrient is especially deficient in older people in Poland) on the cognitive and psychological functioning of elderly women. A total of 52 healthy elderly women took part in a Nordic Walking training program complemented by vitamin D supplementation. Cognitive functioning was assessed with the Trail Making Test and the D2 Test of Attention. Quality of life and severity of depressive symptoms were measured with the Short Form Health Survey and the Beck Depression Inventory 2. Significant improvements in all aspects of cognitive functioning was observed (p = 0.01–0.47). The study also showed a decrease in depressive symptoms (p = 0.026). Physical activity and adequate levels of vitamin D can be the key factors in maintaining self-reliance in old age. Involvement in Nordic Walking training, supported by vitamin D supplementation, can strengthen the cognitive functioning of older people—reflected in higher attentional capabilities, better executive functions, and improved cognitive processing speed.

scholarly journals Chess Players Increase the Theta Power Spectrum When the Difficulty of the Opponent Increases: An EEG Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Pedro Fuentes-García ◽  
Santos Villafaina ◽  
Daniel Collado-Mateo ◽  
Ricardo Cano-Plasencia ◽  
Narcis Gusi
Keyword(s):  
Power Spectrum ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Difficulty Level ◽  
P Value ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
Theta Power ◽  
Creative Ideation ◽  
Chess Players ◽  
Alternative Solutions

The present study aimed to analyze differences in the electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectrum (theta, alpha, and beta) between participants who won (winning group) and those who lost (losing group) in three different chess games: against their same Elo (100% chess games), 25% over their Elo (125% chess games), and 25% under their Elo (75% chess games). EEG was assessed at baseline and during the chess games. Method: 14 male chess players (age: 35.36 ± 13.77 and Elo: 1921 ± 170) played three games of 3 min, plus two additional seconds per move, while EEG was assessed. There were three difficulty levels (75%, 100%, and 125%), with two games (one with white pieces and another with black pieces) per level. The winning group showed higher theta power in the frontal, central, and posterior brain regions when difficulty increased (p-value < 0.05). Besides this, alpha power showed higher values (p-value < 0.05) in 125% games than in 75% chess games in C3, T3, T4, T5, and T6. The losing group showed a significant decrease (p-value < 0.05) in the beta and alpha power spectrum in frontal, central, parietotemporal, and occipital areas, when the opponent’s difficulty increased. Moreover, between groups, analyses showed higher theta power in the losing group than in the winning group, in C3, T5, T6, P4, and Pz (p-value < 0.05). Therefore, the winning group was able to adapt to each difficulty level, increasing theta power in the frontal, central, and posterior brain areas, as the efficiency hypothesis postulated. These changes were not observed in the losing group. Moreover, increases in alpha power during the most difficult games, in comparison with the easier, could have been caused by creative ideation and divergent thinking, as participants looked for alternative solutions against a higher-skilled opponent.

scholarly journals Higher cognitive ability buffers stress-related depressive symptoms in adolescent girls

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Riglin ◽  
Stephan Collishaw ◽  
Katherine H. Shelton ◽  
I. C. McManus ◽  
Terry Ng-Knight ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Causal Effect ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Familial Risk ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Cognitive Operations

AbstractStress has been shown to have a causal effect on risk for depression. We investigated the role of cognitive ability as a moderator of the effect of stressful life events on depressive symptoms and whether this varied by gender. Data were analyzed in two adolescent data sets: one representative community sample aged 11–12 years (n = 460) and one at increased familial risk of depression aged 9–17 years (n = 335). In both data sets, a three-way interaction was found whereby for girls, but not boys, higher cognitive ability buffered the association between stress and greater depressive symptoms. The interaction was replicated when the outcome was a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. This buffering effect in girls was not attributable to coping efficacy. However, a small proportion of the variance was accounted for by sensitivity to environmental stressors. Results suggest that this moderating effect of cognitive ability in girls is largely attributable to greater available resources for cognitive operations that offer protection against stress-induced reductions in cognitive processing and cognitive control which in turn reduces the likelihood of depressive symptomatology.

scholarly journals Oscillatory Correlates of Retrieval-induced Forgetting in Recognition Memory

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 976-990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Spitzer ◽  
Simon Hanslmayr ◽  
Bertram Opitz ◽  
Axel Mecklinger ◽  
Karl-Heinz Bäuml
Keyword(s):  
Retrieval Practice ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Phase Locking ◽  
Memory Representation ◽  
Late Time ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
Theta Power ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Gamma Power ◽  
Induced Forgetting

Retrieval practice on a subset of previously studied material enhances later memory for practiced material but can inhibit memory for related unpracticed material. The present study examines the effects of prior retrieval practice on evoked (ERPs) and induced (oscillatory power) measures of electrophysiological activity underlying recognition of practiced and unpracticed words. Compared to control material, recognition of unpracticed words was characterized by reduced amplitudes of the P2 ERP component and by reduced early (200–400 msec) oscillatory theta power. The reduction in P2 amplitude was associated with decreased evoked theta power but not with decreased theta phase locking (phase-locking index). Recognition of unpracticed material was further accompanied by a reduction in occipital gamma power (>250 msec). In contrast, the beneficial effects of retrieval practice on practiced words were reflected by larger parietal ERP positivity (>500 msec) and by a stronger decrease in oscillatory alpha power in a relatively late time window (>700 msec). The results suggest that the beneficial and detrimental effects of retrieval practice are mediated by different processes. In particular, they suggest that reduced theta (4–7 Hz) and gamma (60–90 Hz) power reflect the specific effects of inhibitory processes on the unpracticed material's memory representation.

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