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 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 Effect of Anodal-tDCS on Event-Related Potentials: A Controlled Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Izzidien ◽  
Sriharasha Ramaraju ◽  
Mohammed Ali Roula ◽  
Peter W. McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Oddball Paradigm ◽  
Anodal Tdcs ◽  
Neurologically Impaired ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
The Difference

We aim to measure the postintervention effects of A-tDCS (anodal-tDCS) on brain potentials commonly used in BCI applications, namely, Event-Related Desynchronization (ERD), Event-Related Synchronization (ERS), and P300. Ten subjects were given sham and 1.5 mA A-tDCS for 15 minutes on two separate experiments in a double-blind, randomized order. Postintervention EEG was recorded while subjects were asked to perform a spelling task based on the “oddball paradigm” while P300 power was measured. Additionally, ERD and ERS were measured while subjects performed mental motor imagery tasks. ANOVA results showed that the absolute P300 power exhibited a statistically significant difference between sham and A-tDCS when measured over channel Pz (p=0.0002). However, the difference in ERD and ERS power was found to be statistically insignificant, in controversion of the the mainstay of the litrature on the subject. The outcomes confirm the possible postintervention effect of tDCS on the P300 response. Heightening P300 response using A-tDCS may help improve the accuracy of P300 spellers for neurologically impaired subjects. Additionally, it may help the development of neurorehabilitation methods targeting the parietal lobe.

scholarly journals tDCS targeting the vmPFC modulates reactive aggression and electrophysiological responses: an EEG-tDCS study in a forensic population.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen S. Sergiou ◽  
Emiliano Santarnecchi ◽  
Ingmar H.A. Franken ◽  
Eric Rassin ◽  
Nico van Beveren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Violent Behavior ◽  
Reactive Aggression ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
High Definition ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Forensic Patients ◽  
Electrophysiological Responses ◽  
Related Potentials

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that impairments in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in forensic patients who also abuse cocaine and alcohol play a crucial role in aggression. However, current treatment in forensic patients is found not to be effective. A promising intervention is to modulate the vmPFC by transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS). This study aimed to investigate high definition (HD)-tDCS as an intervention to increase empathic abilities in order to reduce violent behavior in forensic patients. In addition, using electroencephalography (EEG), we examined the effects of tDCS on the event-related potentials P3 and LPP in reaction to situations that depict victims of aggression (i.e. empathy). METHODS: Fifty male forensic substance use patients (25 in the active and 25 in the sham condition) were tested in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. The patients received HD-tDCS two times a day for 20 min for five consecutive days. Before and after the intervention, the patients completed self-reports, performed the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP), and EEG was recorded while patients performed an empathy task.RESULTS: Results showed a significant decrease in aggressive responses on the PSAP and a decrease in self-reported reactive aggression in the active tDCS group. Additionally, we found an increase in LPP amplitude after tDCS intervention in the active tDCS group compared to the sham group. No effects on the P3 were found.CONCLUSION: Current findings are the first to find effects of tDCS modulating aggression and electrophysiological responses in forensic patients, thereby showing the potential for tDCS as an intervention in forensic mental healthcare.

scholarly journals Cognitive control in young adults with cannabis use disorder: An event-related brain potential study

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 1015-1026 ◽  
Author(s):  
David LR Maij ◽  
Ben JM van de Wetering ◽  
Ingmar HA Franken
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Performance Monitoring ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Cannabis Use Disorder ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
And Performance

Contemporary models of substance use disorders emphasize the role of cognitive control, which has been linked to difficulties in resisting the use of substances. In the present study, we measured two aspects of cognitive control, response inhibition (operationalized by a Go/NoGo Task) and performance monitoring (operationalized by an Eriksen Flanker Task), in a group of young cannabis-use disorder (CUD) patients and compared these functions with two control groups (i.e. a group of cigarette smokers and a group of non-smokers). We employed both behavioural and electrophysiological measures. The results indicate that CUD patients displayed reduced NoGo-P3 event-related potentials compared with non-smoking controls, but not compared with smoking controls. In addition, CUD patients were slower on Go trials than both control groups. No other between-group electrophysiological or behavioural differences were observed. These results seem to suggest that CUD patients have problems related to response inhibition, but performance monitoring seems relatively unaffected.

Effects of control strategy on the activation of unwanted intrusive thoughts

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sicong Liu ◽  
Jonathan Folstein ◽  
Lawrence Gregory Appelbaum ◽  
Gershon Tenenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Control Strategies ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Intrusive Thoughts ◽  
Control Process ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Thought Control ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
And Performance

Although the unwanted intrusive thoughts (UITs) exist widely in human beings and show similar characteristics between clinical and nonclinical forms, its control process remains unclear. Thoughts of choking under pressure, particularly among high-achieving athletes, represent a meaningful UIT type due to their psychological and performance-related impact. Taking a dynamic view of UIT control process, this study tested the effect of thought-control strategies among sub-elite to elite athletes, applied to individualized choking thoughts. Ninety athletes recollected recent athletic choking experiences prior to being randomized into one of three thought control interventions using strategies of either acceptance, passive monitoring (control), or suppression. To control for individual differences, athletes’ working memory capacity was measured and modeled as a covariate at baseline. The activation of choking thoughts during and after the intervention was gauged through multiple measurement approaches including conscious presence in mind, priming, and event-related potentials (P3b and N400 amplitudes). Results indicated that, relative to the control, suppression led to enhanced priming and reduced conscious presence of choking thoughts, whereas acceptance resulted in an opposite pattern of reduced priming and increased conscious presence of choking thoughts. In addition, thought-related stimuli elicited less negative-going N400 amplitudes and more positive-going P3b amplitudes than control stimuli. These findings advance understandings of the control mechanism underpinning UITs, and generate applied implications regarding UIT control in high-risk populations such as those with athletic expertise.

Clinical and attentional effects of acute nicotine treatment in Tourette’s syndrome

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne L. Howson ◽  
Sue Batth ◽  
Vadim Ilivitsky ◽  
Armand Boisjoli ◽  
Martine Jaworski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Placebo Treatment ◽  
Tourette's Syndrome ◽  
Tourette’S Syndrome ◽  
Continuous Performance Task ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Nicotine Treatment ◽  
Related Potentials

AbstractEvidence from pre-clinical infrahuman investigations, open-label clinical trials, and a single controlled trial found acute nicotine treatment potentiated up to 4 weeks neuroleptic-induced reductions of dyskinetic symptoms characterizing Tourette’s syndrome (TS). Given the attentional disturbances associated with this syndrome, and the improvements in attentional processes reported with nicotine, this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial examined the acute (4 h) and sustained (2 weeks) effects of a single dose of transdermal nicotine on clinical (i.e., tics), attentional (continuous performance task, event-related potentials, patient and parental reports) and behavioral symptoms in 23 children and adolescents with TS receiving neuroleptic treatment. In the 14 evaluable patients with complete primary efficacy data, nicotine (compared to placebo) failed to alter symptoms at 4 h but counteracted ERP-P300 signs of diminished attention seen 2 weeks following placebo treatment. Secondary efficacy measures, including patient self-reports and parental ratings, found nicotine to reduce complex tics and improve behaviors related to inattention. Additional work with intermittent dosing schedules is required to characterize optimal clinical and cognitive effects with nicotine treatment.

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