Cognitive process in high neuroticism: incompatible flexibility in frontal brain region

Objective: This study examines the difference of interference effect in high and low neuroticism. Material and Methods: Low and high groups of neuroticism performed the congruent and incongruent Stroop Colour Word task in the Event Related Potential session. The ERP P300 was extracted and analysed. Results: High neuroticism exhibited larger P300 amplitude than low neuroticism in both congruent and incongruent condition. Conclusion: High neuroticism appraises conflict and non-conflict condition under incompatibility manner driven by prefrontal cortical top–down control. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 21(1) 2022 Page : 129-134

The Effect of Adding Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Patients With Delayed Encephalopathy After Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Objective: To investigate the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in patients with delayed encephalopathy after carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP).Design: A parallel-group, open-label randomised controlled study.Setting: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Room of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University.Subjects: A total of 40 patients were recruited for the current study. Patients were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group (20 cases/group).Interventions: Control group: conventional, individualised rehabilitation therapy. Treatment group: conventional, individualised rehabilitation therapy and tDCS.Main Measures: cognitive function of patients, the Barthel Index (BI).Results: After treatment, significantly higher MMSE and BI scores, as well as a greater reduction in P300 latency and an increase in P300 amplitude, were observed in the treatment group compared to the control group (MMSE: 13 ± 7 vs. 9 ± 5; P300 latency: 342 ± 29 vs. 363 ± 17 ms; P300 amplitude: 7.0 ± 3.3 vs. 5.1 ± 2.7 μV; all P < 0.05). In both groups, however, MMSE and BI scores, in addition to P300 amplitude, were significantly improved; in contrast, there was a decrease in P300 latency in both groups after treatment compared to before treatment (all P < 0.05).Conclusion: Combined with HBOT, tDCS can help improve cognitive function and ADL in patients with DEACMP. This combination therapy might be a helpful method to enhance the recovery of patients with DEACMP.

Systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of continuous subjective tinnitus on attention and habituation

Background Attention and habituation are two domains known to play key roles in the perception and maintenance of tinnitus. The heterogeneous nature of tinnitus and the methodologies adopted by various studies make it difficult to generalize findings. The current review aims at assessing and synthesizing evidence on the possible roles of attention and habituation in continuous subjective tinnitus. Methodology The literature search included five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, CINAHL and ProQuest) that resulted in 1,293 articles, published by July 2019. Studies on attention and/or habituation in individuals with tinnitus using either behavioural or electrophysiological tests were included in the review after a quality assessment. Results Seventeen studies on attention in tinnitus were included in the narrative synthesis. Two meta-analyses were performed to assess the role of attention in tinnitus using a behavioural methodology (z = 4.06; p < 0.0001) and P300 amplitude (z = 2.70; p = 0.007) with 531 participants. With respect to habituation, the review indicates the lack of quality articles for habituation inclusion in the narrative synthesis. Conclusions The review highlights that selective domains of attention were consistently impaired in individuals with tinnitus. Habituation, on the other hand, needs further exploration.

A Review on P300 in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Neuropsychological studies indicate the presence of cognitive changes in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Indeed, OCD may be included among the dysfunctions of the frontal lobes and their connections with the limbic system, associative cortex, and basal ganglia. P300 is a positive component of the human event-related potential (ERP); it is associated with processes of encoding, identification, and categorization constituting, as a whole, the superior cortical function of information processing. Thus, P300 explores several areas that are implicated in OCD pathophysiology. Our aim is to review all relevant studies on the P300 component of the human ERP in order to recognize any significant central nervous system (CNS) correlate of cognitive dysfunction in OCD. A PubMed-based literature search resulted in 35 articles assessing P300 in OCD and reporting neurophysiological correlates of response inhibition, cortical hyperarousal, and over-focused attention. A decreased P300 amplitude was reported in both adult and pediatric patients, with a trend toward normalization after pharmacological treatment. Source localization studies disclosed an association between P300 abnormalities and the functioning of brain regions involved in the pathophysiology of OCD. Moreover, studies converge on the evidence of neurophysiological dysfunction in the frontal areas with impairment of the normal inhibitory processes in OCD. At least some of these electrophysiological correlates might reflect the obsessive thoughts and compulsions that characterize this disorder. These findings may also support cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) approaches on over-focused attention and inflexibility of compulsive behaviors, which should be associated to pharmacological treatment in these patients.

Fatigue-Related Effects in the Process of Task Interruption on Working Memory

Interruption generally has a negative effect on performance by affecting working memory (WM). However, the neural mechanism of interruption has yet to be understood clearly, and previous studies have largely ignored the role of fatigue state. To address these issues, the present study explores the behavioral and electrophysiological effects of interruption on WM performance using electroencephalography (EEG) data. The moderating effect of fatigue is also explored. The participants performed spatial 2-back tasks with math task interruption, suspension interruption, and non-interruption under different fatigue states. The results show that interruption led to increased alpha activity and P300 amplitude, indicating inhibitory control to interference from irrelevant information. Analysis of P200 amplitude revealed that interruption affected attentional reallocation when resuming the primary task. Increased theta power indicated an increased demand for information maintenance during the interruption. A speeding-up effect was discovered after interruption; however, fatigue impaired cognitive ability and further exacerbated the negative effects of interruption on WM and behavioral performance. These findings contribute to a better understanding of cognitive activity during the interruption and of the interaction with fatigue, and provide further support for the theory of memory for goals (MFG).

Subjective, neuropsychological, and neural markers of memory in older adults

ABSTRACT Objectives: To investigate the relationship between the P300 event-related potential, neuropsychological measures of memory, subjective memory complaints (SMCs), and indicators of psychosocial functioning. Design, setting, and participants: In this cross-sectional study of 79 community-based older adults, aged 60–75 years, participants completed online surveys and in-person neuropsychological and electroencephalogram (EEG) assessments. Measurements: Measures included: the Change subscale of the Metamemory in Adulthood Questionnaire, NIH Toolbox Emotions battery (Perceived Stress and Psychological Well-Being), Geriatric Depression Scale, Geriatric Anxiety Scale, electrocortical measures (EEG), California Verbal Learning Test, 3rd Edition, and diagnostic ratings for mild and major neurocognitive disorders based on full neuropsychological battery, clinical interview, and two-clinician consensus. Results: P300 amplitude was associated with long-delay verbal memory recall and diagnostic rating. SMCs were not associated with objective memory or diagnostic rating. SMCs were associated with higher perceived stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms and lower psychological well-being. Conclusions: Neural indicators such as the P300 may be useful for early detection of cognitive impairment. SMCs were not a reliable indicator of early memory impairment in relation to neuropsychological or neural indicators, but may be a useful indicator of unreported stress and mood symptoms in clinical settings.

P300 Event-Related Potentials Mediate the Relationship Between Child Physical Abuse and Externalizing Behavior

The psychophysiological mechanism linking early childhood experiences to behavior problems remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the association of child physical abuse with P300 event-related potentials (ERP), and to test the mediating effect of P300 amplitude and latency in the relationship between child physical abuse and externalizing behaviors. Cross-sectional secondary data were obtained from 155 children (55.5% boys, mean age: 11.28 ± 0.57 years) who participated in the China Jintan Child Cohort Study. Children self-reported maternal and paternal physical abuse and externalizing behaviors, as well as P300 were obtained in 2013. Additionally, parents and teachers reported child externalizing behaviors in preschool in 2007. P300 were recorded during a standard novel auditory oddball task. Path analysis shows that after controlling for child sex, socioeconomic status, area of residence, IQ, and child externalizing behavior in preschool, children exposed to maternal physical abuse exhibited increased novelty P300 amplitude, which links to more externalizing behavior. Novelty P300 amplitude partially mediated the relationship between maternal physical abuse and externalizing behavior. These findings are the first to document the partial mediating effect of P300 amplitude on the abuse-externalizing relationship and are consistent with the view that physical abuse affects the attention bias to novel cues that likely places them at increased risk for the development and maintenance of externalizing behavior.

Type 2 diabetes and cognitive functions in patients with chronic cerebrovascular diseases

Background. Type 2 diabetes (Т2DM) both directly and indirectly impacts the development of morphological and functional changes of the central nervous system. Aim. The study was to determine clinical and neurophysiological patterns of cognitive impairment (CI) in patients with chronic cerebrovascular diseases (CCD) and Т2DM. Materials and methods. We examined 132 patients with CCD. First group included 58 patients without Т2DM aged 64.5 [58; 72], second group 74 patients with CCD and Т2DM 63 [57; 70]. Clinical, neurological, neuropsychological, neurophysiological (cognitive evoked potentials (EP) and neurovisualisation (brain MRI) examination was carried out to all patients. Results. Somatic and neurological characteristics of the patients were similar in both groups with the exception of more distinct metabolic changes in Т2DM patients. Neurovisualisation study of the brain MRI in Т2DM patients revealed more distinct changes in the form of white matter hyperintensity and subarachnoidal spaces enlargement. Neuropsychological examination in patients revealed the reduction of intellectual flexibility, constructive praxis disruption, optical spatial dysfunction and deteoration of delayed word recall. Significant disorders in the way of overall cognitive impairment, lobar dysfunction and impaired verbal associative productivity, proved by statistically lower amplitude and higher latency of P300 EP peak were noted in Т2DM patients. Correlation links were detected: for P300 amplitude and direct and inverse number listing test (r=0.366 and r=0.520; p=0.006 and p0.001 respectively); P300 latency and HbA1c (r=0.32; р0.05) in group 2 and glucose levels in both groups (r=0.30; p0.05); inverse relationship of latency with control functions evaluation (r=-0.34; p=0.008). Conclusion. CCD especially with Т2DM manifests with neurocognitive imbalance, including control functions disruption and are accompanied by neurophysiological and neurovisualistion changes.

Strategic Leadership Coaching supports Young Executives decision-making

ABSTRACTDecision-making is central to daily function for executives in any organisation. Strategic leadership coaching (SLC) is an effective way to support complex decision-making, yet empirical neuroscientific data to support is lacking. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of SLC on young executive’s cortical arousal and their neural circuitry activation during the completion of computerized tasks which require activation of decision-making circuitry. We hypothesised SLC would improve cortical arousal when engaged with decision-making tasks, specifically increased electroencephalography (EEG) relative alpha band activity and improved neural circuitry engagement, measured as increased amplitude of event-related potential wave components. This study included thirty-one young male executives, of which eighteen underwent 8 sessions of SLC over two months. EEG records were collected thrice from those who underwent SLC (prior, post, and two months post), and twice from the control group (two months apart). The EEG recording session included completion of two decision-making tasks, an Iowa gambling task and Stroop colour-word conflict task. Finding, SLC increased alpha band activity over left frontal and central electrodes, and increased right parietal N170 amplitude and left parietal P300 amplitude. These findings support our hypothesis, as SLC improved cognitive cortical resources (enhanced alpha) which in turn permitted greater efficiency within decision-making circuitry (increased wave component amplitudes). This study provides the first and necessary neurobiological evidence to support and develop this line of research in SLC, and other forms of coaching, as it adds significant value.