Subthalamic beta-targeted neurofeedback speeds up movement initiation but increases tremor in Parkinsonian patients

Previous studies have explored neurofeedback training for Parkinsonian patients to suppress beta oscillations in the subthalamic nucleus (STN). However, its impacts on movements and Parkinsonian tremor are unclear. We developed a neurofeedback paradigm targeting STN beta bursts and investigated whether neurofeedback training could improve motor initiation in Parkinson’s disease compared to passive observation. Our task additionally allowed us to test which endogenous changes in oscillatory STN activities are associated with trial-to-trial motor performance. Neurofeedback training reduced beta synchrony and increased gamma activity within the STN, and reduced beta band coupling between the STN and motor cortex. These changes were accompanied by reduced reaction times in subsequently cued movements. However, in Parkinsonian patients with pre-existing symptoms of tremor, successful volitional beta suppression was associated with an amplification of tremor which correlated with theta band activity in STN local field potentials, suggesting an additional cross-frequency interaction between STN beta and theta activities.

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Beta-band desynchronization reflects uncertainty in effector selection during motor planning

10.1101/2021.04.23.441147 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Milou J.L. van Helvert ◽

Leonie Oostwoud Wijdenes ◽

Linda Geerligs ◽

W. Pieter Medendorp

Keyword(s):

Time Window ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Motor Planning ◽

Reaction Times ◽

Motor Preparation ◽

Motion Artifact ◽

Theta Band ◽

Beta Band ◽

Target Uncertainty ◽

Band Power

AbstractWhile beta-band activity during motor planning is known to be modulated by uncertainty about where to act, less is known about its modulations to uncertainty about how to act. To investigate this issue, we recorded oscillatory brain activity with EEG while human participants (n = 17) performed a hand choice reaching task. The reaching hand was either predetermined or of participants’ choice, and the target was close to one of the two hands or at about equal distance from both. To measure neural activity in a motion-artifact-free time window, the location of the upcoming target was cued 1000-1500 ms before the presentation of the target, whereby the cue was valid in 50% of trials. As evidence for motor planning during the cueing phase, behavioral observations showed that the cue affected later hand choice. Furthermore, reaction times were longer in the choice than in the predetermined trials, supporting the notion of a competitive process for hand selection. Modulations of beta-band power over central cortical regions, but not alpha-band or theta-band power, were in line with these observations. During the cueing period, reaches in predetermined trials were preceded by larger decreases in beta-band power than reaches in choice trials. Cue direction did not affect reaction times or beta-band power, which may be due to the cue being invalid in 50% of trials, retaining effector uncertainty during motor planning. Our findings suggest that effector uncertainty, similar to target uncertainty, selectively modulates beta-band power during motor planning.New & NoteworthyWhile reach-related beta-band power in central cortical areas is known to modulate with the number of potential targets, here we show, using a cueing paradigm, that the power in this frequency band, but not in the alpha or theta-band, is also modulated by the uncertainty of which hand to use. This finding supports the notion that multiple possible effector-specific actions can be specified in parallel up to the level of motor preparation.

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Top-down beta enhances bottom-up gamma

10.1101/054288 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Craig G. Richter ◽

William H. Thompson ◽

Conrado A. Bosman ◽

Pascal Fries

Keyword(s):

Gamma Band ◽

Visual Area ◽

Beta Band ◽

Top Down ◽

Bottom Up ◽

Area V4 ◽

Frequency Interaction ◽

Area 7A ◽

Alpha Beta ◽

Band Activity

AbstractSeveral recent studies have demonstrated that the bottom-up signaling of a visual stimulus is subserved by interareal gamma-band synchronization, whereas top-down influences are mediated by alpha-beta band synchronization. These processes may implement top-down control of stimulus processing if top-down and bottom-up mediating rhythms are coupled via cross-frequency interaction. To test this possibility, we investigated Granger-causal influences among awake male macaque primary visual area V1, higher visual area V4 and parietal control area 7a during attentional task performance. Top-down 7a-to-V1 beta-band influences enhanced visually driven V1-to-V4 gamma-band influences. This enhancement was spatially specific and largest when beta-band activity preceded gamma-band activity by ∼0.1 s, suggesting a causal effect of top-down processes on bottom-up processes. We propose that this cross-frequency interaction mechanistically subserves the attentional control of stimulus selection.Significance StatementContemporary research indicates that the alpha-beta frequency band underlies top-down control, while the gamma-band mediates bottom-up stimulus processing. This arrangement inspires an attractive hypothesis, which posits that top-down beta-band influences directly modulate bottom-up gamma band influences via cross-frequency interaction. We evaluate this hypothesis determining that beta-band top-down influences from parietal area 7a to visual area V1 are correlated with bottom-up gamma frequency oscillations from V1 to area V4, in a spatially specific manner, and that this correlation is maximal when top-down activity precedes bottom-up activity. These results show that for top-down processes such as spatial attention, elevated top-down beta-band influences directly enhance feedforward stimulus induced gamma-band processing, leading to enhancement of the selected stimulus.

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Bilaterally Reduced Rolandic Beta Band Activity in Minor Stroke Patients

10.1101/2021.10.15.464457 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Joshua P Kulasingham ◽

Christian Brodbeck ◽

Sheena Khan ◽

Elisabeth B Marsh ◽

Jonathan Z Simon

Keyword(s):

Sensorimotor Cortex ◽

Reaction Times ◽

Minor Stroke ◽

Button Press ◽

Beta Band ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Potential Biomarker ◽

Beta Power ◽

Motor Dexterity ◽

Band Activity

Objective: Stroke patients with hemiparesis display decreased beta band (13-25 Hz) rolandic activity, correlating to impaired motor function. However, patients without significant weakness, with small lesions far from sensorimotor cortex, nevertheless exhibit bilateral decreased motor dexterity and slowed reaction times. We investigate whether these minor stroke patients also display abnormal beta band activity. Methods: Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) data were collected from nine minor stroke patients (NIHSS < 4) without significant hemiparesis, at ~1 and ~6 months postinfarct, and eight age-similar controls. Rolandic relative beta power during matching tasks and resting state, and Beta Event Related (De)Synchronization (ERD/ERS) during button press responses were analyzed. Results: Regardless of lesion location, patients had significantly reduced relative beta power and ERS compared to controls. Abnormalities persisted over visits, and were present in both ipsi- and contra-lesional hemispheres, consistent with bilateral impairments in motor dexterity and speed. Conclusions: Minor stroke patients without severe weakness display reduced rolandic beta band activity in both hemispheres, which may be linked to bilaterally impaired dexterity and processing speed, implicating global connectivity dysfunction affecting sensorimotor cortex. Significance: Rolandic beta band activity may be a potential biomarker and treatment target, even for minor stroke patients with small lesions far from sensorimotor areas.

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Frontal Oscillatory Dynamics Predict Feedback Learning and Action Adjustment

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn_a_00110 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (12) ◽

pp. 4106-4121 ◽

Cited By ~ 103

Author(s):

Irene van de Vijver ◽

K. Richard Ridderinkhof ◽

Michael X Cohen

Keyword(s):

Negative Feedback ◽

Time Estimation ◽

Button Press ◽

Theta Band ◽

Beta Band ◽

Oscillatory Dynamics ◽

Band Power ◽

Feedback Learning ◽

Resolution Measure ◽

Band Activity

Frontal oscillatory dynamics in the theta (4–8 Hz) and beta (20–30 Hz) frequency bands have been implicated in cognitive control processes. Here we investigated the changes in coordinated activity within and between frontal brain areas during feedback-based response learning. In a time estimation task, participants learned to press a button after specific, randomly selected time intervals (300–2000 msec) using the feedback after each button press (correct, too fast, too slow). Consistent with previous findings, theta-band activity over medial frontal scalp sites (presumably reflecting medial frontal cortex activity) was stronger after negative feedback, whereas beta-band activity was stronger after positive feedback. Theta-band power predicted learning only after negative feedback, and beta-band power predicted learning after positive and negative feedback. Furthermore, negative feedback increased theta-band intersite phase synchrony (a millisecond resolution measure of functional connectivity) among right lateral prefrontal, medial frontal, and sensorimotor sites. These results demonstrate the importance of frontal theta- and beta-band oscillations and intersite communication in the realization of reinforcement learning.

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The cerebellar clock: predicting and timing somatosensory touch

10.1101/2020.10.01.321455 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Lau M. Andersen ◽

Sarang S. Dalal

Keyword(s):

Human Brain ◽

Sensory Feedback ◽

Theta Band ◽

Beta Band ◽

Precise Timing ◽

Band Power ◽

Sensory Expectations ◽

Band Activity

0AbstractHumans are adept at predicting what will happen next and when precisely it will occur. An activity as everyday as walking at a steady pace through a busy city while talking to a friend can only happen as smoothly as it does because the human brain has predicted most of the sensory feedback it will receive. It is only when the sensory feedback does not match what was expected, say, a sudden slippery spot on the pavement, that one becomes aware of the sensory feedback. The cerebellum is known to be involved in these predictions, but not much is known about the precise timing of them due to the scarcity of time-sensitive cerebellar neuroimaging studies, such as ones conducted with magnetoencephalography.We here investigated the timing of sensory expectations as they are expressed in the cerebellum using magnetoencephalography. We did this by comparing the cerebellum’s response to somatosensory omissions from regular trains of stimulation to its response to omissions from irregular trains of stimulation. This revealed that omissions following regular trains of stimulation showed higher cerebellar power in the beta band than those following irregular trains of stimulation, precisely when the omitted stimulus should have appeared. We also found evidence of cerebellar theta band activity encoding the rhythm of new sequences of stimulationOur results furthermore strongly suggest that the putamen and the thalamus mirror the cerebellum in showing higher beta band power when omissions followed regular trains of stimulation compared to when they followed irregular trains of stimulation.We interpret this as the cerebellum functioning as a clock that precisely encodes and predicts upcoming stimulation, perhaps in tandem with the putamen and thalamus. Relative to less predictable stimuli, perfectly predictable stimuli induce greater cerebellar power. This implies that the cerebellum entrains to rhythmic stimuli for the purpose of catching any deviations from that rhythm.

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A novel approach for combining task-dependent gamma with alpha and beta power modulation for enhanced identification of eloquent cortical areas using ECoG in patients with medical-refractory epilepsy

10.1101/677195 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M.E. Archila-Meléndez ◽

G. Valente ◽

E. Gommer ◽

R.P.W. Rouhl ◽

O.E.M.G. Schijns ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Refractory Epilepsy ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Cognitive Testing ◽

Gamma Activity ◽

Beta Band ◽

Diagnostic Ability ◽

Eloquent Areas ◽

Cortical Areas ◽

Beta Power ◽

Band Activity

AbstractElectrical stimulation mapping (ESM) is the gold standard for identification of “eloquent” areas prior to resection of epileptogenic tissue, however, it is time consuming and may cause side effects, especially stimulation-induced seizures and after-discharges. Broadband gamma activity (55 – 200 Hz) recorded with subdural electrocorticography (ECoG) during cognitive tasks has been proposed as an attractive tool for mapping cortical areas with specific function but until now has not proven definitive clinical value. Fewer studies have addressed whether the alpha (8 – 12 Hz) and beta (15 – 25 Hz) band activity could also be used to improve eloquent cortex identification. We compared alpha, beta and broadband gamma activity, and their combination for the identification of eloquent cortical areas defined by ESM. Ten patients participated in a delayed-match-to-sample task, where syllable sounds were matched to visually presented letters and responses given by keyboard. We used a generalized linear model (GLM) approach to find the optimal weighting of low frequency bands and broadband gamma power to predict the ESM categories. Broadband gamma activity increased more in eloquent areas than in non-eloquent areas and this difference had a diagnostic ability (area under (AU) the receiving operating characteristic curve - AUROC) of ∼70%. Both alpha and beta power decreased more in eloquent areas. Alpha power had lower AUROC than broadband gamma while beta had similar AUROC. AUROC was enhanced by the combination of alpha and broadband gamma (3% improvement) and by the combination of beta and broadband gamma (7% improvement) over the use of broadband gamma alone. Further analysis showed that the relative performance of broadband gamma and low frequency bands depended on multiple factors including the time period of the cognitive task, the location of the electrodes and the patient’s attention to the stimulus. However, the combination of beta band and broadband gamma always gave the best performance. We show how ECoG power modulation from cognitive testing periods can be used to map the probability of eloquence by ESM and how this probability can be used as an aid for optimal ESM planning. We conclude that low frequency power during cognitive testing can contribute to the identification of eloquent areas in patients with focal refractory epilepsy improving its precision but does not replace the need of ESM.HighlightsGamma, alpha and beta band activity has significant diagnostic ability to identify ESM defined eloquent cortical areas.We present a novel method to combine gamma and low frequency activity for enhanced identification.We quantify how identification is dependent on analysis time window, cortical function, and patient’s attentional engagement.With further development, this approach may offer an alternative to ESM mapping with reduced burden for patients.

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Unconscious learning and automatic inhibition are accompanied by frontal theta and sensorimotor interactions

10.1101/777961 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Silvia L. Isabella ◽

J. Allan Cheyne ◽

Douglas Cheyne

Keyword(s):

Response Inhibition ◽

Cognitive Activity ◽

Reaction Times ◽

Theta Activity ◽

Pattern Learning ◽

Stimulus Probability ◽

Theta Band ◽

Response Preparation ◽

Frontal Activity ◽

Band Activity

AbstractCognitive control of behavior is often accompanied by theta-band activity in the frontal cortex, and is crucial for overriding habits and producing desired actions. However, the functional role of theta activity in controlled behavior remains to be determined. Here, we used a behavioral task (Isabella et al., 2019) that covertly manipulated the ability to inhibit (and switch) motor responses using a repeating pattern of stimuli that reduced reaction times (RT) to probable over unexpected stimuli, without participants’ awareness of the pattern. We combined this task with concurrent measures of brain activity and pupil diameter (as a measure of cognitive activity) of 16 healthy adults during response preparation and inhibition during changes in stimulus probability. Observed RT provided evidence of pattern learning and pupillometry revealed parametric changes in cognitive activity with stimulus probability. Critically, reliable pupillary effects (Hedge’s g = 1.38) in the absence of RT differences (g = 0.10) indicated that cognitive activity increased without overt changes in behavior (RT). Such increased cognitive activity was accompanied by parametric increases in frontal theta and sensorimotor gamma. In addition, correlation between pre-stimulus beta and pre-response gamma in the motor cortex and post-stimulus frontal theta activity suggest bidirectional interactions between motor and frontal areas. These interactions likely underlie recruitment of preparatory and inhibitory neural activity during rapid motor control. Furthermore, pupillary and frontal theta effects during learned switches demonstrate that increases in inhibitory control of behavior can occur automatically, without conscious awareness.Significance StatementGoal-directed control is crucial for overriding habits and producing desired actions, which can fail during errors and accidents, and may be impaired in addiction, attention-deficit disorders, or dementia. This type of control, including response inhibition, is typically accompanied by frontal theta-band activity. We examined the relationship between frontal theta and response inhibition during unconscious pattern learning. First, we found that frontal activity was sensitive to changes in control and correlated with reaction times. Second, insufficient motor preparation predicted greater frontal activity, reflecting a greater need for control, which in turn predicted greater response-related motor activity. These results link the frontal and motor cortices, providing possible mechanisms for controlled behavior while demonstrating that goal-directed control can proceed automatically and unconsciously.

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Neural Encoding of the Reliability of Directional Information During the Preparation of Targeted Movements

Frontiers in Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnins.2021.679408 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

Author(s):

Charidimos Tzagarakis ◽

Sarah West ◽

Giuseppe Pellizzer

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Visual Information ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Reaction Times ◽

Motor Preparation ◽

Theta Band ◽

Beta Band ◽

Directional Information ◽

Reaching Task ◽

Band Power

Visual information about the location of an upcoming target can be used to prepare an appropriate motor response and reduce its reaction time. Here, we investigated the brain mechanisms associated with the reliability of directional information used for motor preparation. We recorded brain activity using magnetoencephalography (MEG) during a delayed reaching task in which a visual cue provided valid information about the location of the upcoming target with 50, 75, or 100% reliability. We found that reaction time increased as cue reliability decreased and that trials with invalid cues had longer reaction times than trials with valid cues. MEG channel analysis showed that during the late cue period the power of the beta-band from left mid-anterior channels, contralateral to the responding hand, correlated with the reliability of the cue. This effect was source localized over a large motor-related cortical and subcortical network. In addition, during invalid-cue trials there was a phasic increase of theta-band power following target onset from left posterior channels, localized to the left occipito-parietal cortex. Furthermore, the theta-beta cross-frequency coupling between left mid-occipital and motor cortex transiently increased before responses to invalid-cue trials. In conclusion, beta-band power in motor-related areas reflected the reliability of directional information used during motor preparation, whereas phasic theta-band activity may have signaled whether the target was at the expected location or not. These results elucidate mechanisms of interaction between attentional and motor processes.

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Neurofeedback Training Protocol Based on Selecting Distinctive Features to Treat or Reduce ADHD Symptoms

Clinical EEG and Neuroscience ◽

10.1177/15500594211033435 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 155005942110334

Author(s):

Parham Jalali ◽

Nasrin Sho’ouri

Keyword(s):

Treatment Protocol ◽

Adhd Symptoms ◽

Eeg Signals ◽

Beta Band ◽

Distinctive Features ◽

Children With Adhd ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Distinguishing Features ◽

Band Activity ◽

Training Protocol

Resent research has shown that electroencephalography (EEG) theta/beta ratio (TBR) in cases with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has thus far been reported lower than that in healthy individuals. Accordingly, utilizing EEG-TBR as a biomarker to diagnose ADHD has been called into question. Besides, employing known protocol to reduce EEG-TBR in the vertex (Cz) channel to treat ADHD via neurofeedback (NFB) has been doubted. The present study was to propose a new NFB treatment protocol to manage ADHD using EEG signals from 30 healthy controls and 30 children with ADHD through an attention-based task and to calculate relative power in their different frequency bands. Then, the most significant distinguishing features of EEG signals from both groups were determined via a genetic algorithm (GA). The results revealed that EEG-TBR values in children with ADHD were lower compared with those in healthy peers; however, such a difference was not statistically significant. Likewise, inhibiting alpha band activity and enhancing delta one in F7 or T5 channels was proposed as a new NFB treatment protocol for ADHD. No significant increase in EEG-TBR in the Cz channel among children with ADHD casts doubt on the effectiveness of using EEG-TBR inhibitory protocols in the Cz channel. Consequently, it was proposed to apply the new protocol along with reinforced beta-band activity to treat or reduce ADHD symptoms.

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