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20 pages, 2772 KiB

Open AccessArticle

by Robert J. Barry, Frances M. De Blasio, Adam R. Clarke, Alexander T. Duda and Beckett S. Munford

Brain Sci. 2024, 14(9), 868; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14090868 - 28 Aug 2024

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Detailed studies of the equiprobable auditory Go/NoGo task have allowed for the development of a sequential-processing model of the perceptual and cognitive processes involved. These processes are reflected in various components differentiating the Go and NoGo event-related potentials (ERPs). It has long been [...] Read more.

Detailed studies of the equiprobable auditory Go/NoGo task have allowed for the development of a sequential-processing model of the perceptual and cognitive processes involved. These processes are reflected in various components differentiating the Go and NoGo event-related potentials (ERPs). It has long been established that electroencephalography (EEG) changes through normal lifespan development. It is also known that ERPs and behaviour in the equiprobable auditory Go/NoGo task change from children to young adults, and again in older adults. Here, we provide a novel examination of links between in-task prestimulus EEG, poststimulus ERPs, and behaviour in three gender-matched groups: children (8–12 years), young adults (18–24 years), and older adults (59–74 years). We used a frequency Principal Component Analysis (f-PCA) to estimate prestimulus EEG components and a temporal Principal Component Analysis (t-PCA) to separately estimate poststimulus ERP Go and NoGo components in each age group to avoid misallocation of variance. The links between EEG components, ERP components, and behavioural measures differed markedly between the groups. The young adults performed best and accomplished this with the simplest EEG–ERP–behaviour brain dynamics pattern. The children performed worst, and this was reflected in the most complex brain dynamics pattern. The older adults showed some reduction in performance, reflected in an EEG–ERP–behaviour pattern with intermediate complexity between those of the children and young adults. These novel brain dynamics patterns hold promise for future developmental research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Brain Responses and Functional Brain Networks across the Lifespan)

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19 pages, 3781 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Neurophysiological Oscillatory Mechanisms Underlying the Effect of Mirror Visual Feedback-Induced Illusion of Hand Movements on Nociception and Cortical Activation

by Marco Rizzo, Laura Petrini, Claudio Del Percio, Lars Arendt-Nielsen and Claudio Babiloni

Brain Sci. 2024, 14(7), 696; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14070696 - 12 Jul 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 835

Abstract

Mirror Visual Feedback (MVF)-induced illusion of hand movements produces beneficial effects in patients with chronic pain. However, neurophysiological mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly known. In this preliminary study, we test the novel hypothesis that such an MVF-induced movement illusion may exert its [...] Read more.

Mirror Visual Feedback (MVF)-induced illusion of hand movements produces beneficial effects in patients with chronic pain. However, neurophysiological mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly known. In this preliminary study, we test the novel hypothesis that such an MVF-induced movement illusion may exert its effects by changing the activity in midline cortical areas associated with pain processing. Electrical stimuli with individually fixed intensity were applied to the left hand of healthy adults to produce painful and non-painful sensations during unilateral right-hand movements with such an MVF illusion and right and bilateral hand movements without MVF. During these events, electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded from 64 scalp electrodes. Event-related desynchronization (ERD) of EEG alpha rhythms (8–12 Hz) indexed the neurophysiological oscillatory mechanisms inducing cortical activation. Compared to the painful sensations, the non-painful sensations were specifically characterized by (1) lower alpha ERD estimated in the cortical midline, angular gyrus, and lateral parietal regions during the experimental condition with MVF and (2) higher alpha ERD estimated in the lateral prefrontal and parietal regions during the control conditions without MVF. These preliminary results suggest that the MVF-induced movement illusion may affect nociception and neurophysiological oscillatory mechanisms, reducing the activation in cortical limbic and default mode regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Brain Responses and Functional Brain Networks across the Lifespan)

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24 pages, 9095 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Default Network Oscillations between 19 and 29 Years of Age

by Thorsten Fehr, Sophia Mehrens, Marie-Christine Haag, Anneke Amelung and Kilian Gloy

Brain Sci. 2024, 14(7), 671; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14070671 - 30 Jun 2024

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Abstract

The exploration of functional resting-state brain developmental parameters and measures can help to improve scientific, psychological, and medical applications. The present work focussed on both traditional approaches, such as topographical power analyses at the signal space level, and advanced approaches, such as the [...] Read more.

The exploration of functional resting-state brain developmental parameters and measures can help to improve scientific, psychological, and medical applications. The present work focussed on both traditional approaches, such as topographical power analyses at the signal space level, and advanced approaches, such as the exploration of age-related dynamics of source space data. The results confirmed the expectation that the third life decade would show a kind of stability in oscillatory signal and source-space-related parameters. However, from a source dynamics perspective, different frequency ranges appear to develop quite differently, as reflected in age-related sequential network communication profiles. Among other discoveries, the left anterior cingulate source location could be shown to reduce bi-directional network communication in the lower alpha band, whereas it differentiated its uni- and bidirectional communication dynamics to sub-cortical and posterior brain locations. Higher alpha oscillations enhanced communication dynamics between the thalamus and particularly frontal areas. In conclusion, resting-state data appear to be, at least in part, functionally reorganized in the default mode network, while quantitative measures, such as topographical power and regional source activity, did not correlate with age in the third life decade. In line with other authors, we suggest the further development of a multi-perspective approach in biosignal analyses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Brain Responses and Functional Brain Networks across the Lifespan)

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14 pages, 1958 KiB

Open AccessArticle

by Görsev Yener, İlayda Kıyı, Seren Düzenli-Öztürk and Deniz Yerlikaya

Brain Sci. 2024, 14(6), 567; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14060567 - 3 Jun 2024

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Abstract

Earlier research has suggested gender differences in event-related potentials/oscillations (ERPs/EROs). Yet, the alteration in event-related oscillations (EROs) in the delta and theta frequency bands have not been explored between genders across the three age groups of adulthood, i.e., 18–50, 51–65, and >65 years. [...] Read more.

Earlier research has suggested gender differences in event-related potentials/oscillations (ERPs/EROs). Yet, the alteration in event-related oscillations (EROs) in the delta and theta frequency bands have not been explored between genders across the three age groups of adulthood, i.e., 18–50, 51–65, and >65 years. Data from 155 healthy elderly participants who underwent a neurological examination, comprehensive neuropsychological assessment (including attention, memory, executive function, language, and visuospatial skills), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from past studies were used. The delta and theta ERO powers across the age groups and between genders were compared and correlational analyses among the ERO power, age, and neuropsychological tests were performed. The results indicated that females displayed higher theta ERO responses than males in the frontal, central, and parietal regions but not in the occipital location between 18 and 50 years of adulthood. The declining theta power of EROs in women reached that of men after the age of 50 while the theta ERO power was more stable across the age groups in men. Our results imply that the cohorts must be recruited at specified age ranges across genders, and clinical trials using neurophysiological biomarkers as an intervention endpoint should take gender into account in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Brain Responses and Functional Brain Networks across the Lifespan)

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20 pages, 1929 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Socioeconomic Inequalities Affect Brain Responses of Infants Growing Up in Germany

by Annika Susann Wienke and Birgit Mathes

Brain Sci. 2024, 14(6), 560; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14060560 - 30 May 2024

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Abstract

Developmental changes in functional neural networks are sensitive to environmental influences. This EEG study investigated how infant brain responses relate to the social context that their families live in. Event-related potentials of 255 healthy, awake infants between six and fourteen months were measured [...] Read more.

Developmental changes in functional neural networks are sensitive to environmental influences. This EEG study investigated how infant brain responses relate to the social context that their families live in. Event-related potentials of 255 healthy, awake infants between six and fourteen months were measured during a passive auditory oddball paradigm. Infants were presented with 200 standard tones and 48 randomly distributed deviants. All infants are part of a longitudinal study focusing on families with socioeconomic and/or cultural challenges (Bremen Initiative to Foster Early Childhood Development; BRISE; Germany). As part of their familial socioeconomic status (SES), parental level of education and infant’s migration background were assessed with questionnaires. For 30.6% of the infants both parents had a low level of education (≤10 years of schooling) and for 43.1% of the infants at least one parent was born abroad. The N2–P3a complex is associated with unintentional directing of attention to deviant stimuli and was analysed in frontocentral brain regions. Age was utilised as a control variable. Our results show that tone deviations in infants trigger an immature N2–P3a complex. Contrary to studies with older children or adults, the N2 amplitude was more positive for deviants than for standards. This may be related to an immature superposition of the N2 with the P3a. For infants whose parents had no high-school degree and were born abroad, this tendency was increased, indicating that facing multiple challenges as a young family impacts on the infant’s early neural development. As such, attending to unexpected stimulus changes may be important for early learning processes. Variations of the infant N2–P3a complex may, thus, relate to early changes in attentional capacity and learning experiences due to familial challenges. This points towards the importance of early prevention programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Brain Responses and Functional Brain Networks across the Lifespan)

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13 pages, 1877 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Neonatal Physical Growth Predicts Electroencephalography Power in Rural South African Children

by Amanda R. Tarullo, Denise Evans, Lezanie Coetzee, Diana C. Lopera-Perez, Shaina P. Brady, Laurel J. Gabard-Durnam, Günther Fink, Davidson H. Hamer, Aisha K. Yousafzai and Peter C. Rockers

Brain Sci. 2024, 14(6), 552; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14060552 - 29 May 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 843

Abstract

Anthropometric measures at birth, indexing prenatal growth, are associated with later cognitive development. Children in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are at elevated risk for impaired prenatal and early postnatal growth and enduring cognitive deficits. However, the associations of neonatal physical growth with [...] Read more.

Anthropometric measures at birth, indexing prenatal growth, are associated with later cognitive development. Children in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are at elevated risk for impaired prenatal and early postnatal growth and enduring cognitive deficits. However, the associations of neonatal physical growth with neural activity are not well-characterized in LMIC contexts, given the dearth of early childhood neuroimaging research in these settings. The current study examined birth length, weight, and head circumference as predictors of EEG relative power over the first three years of life in rural Limpopo Province, South Africa, controlling for postnatal growth and socioeconomic status (SES). A larger head circumference at birth predicted lower relative gamma power, lower right hemisphere relative beta power, and higher relative alpha and theta power. A greater birth length also predicted lower relative gamma power. There were interactions with timepoints such that the associations of birth head circumference and length with EEG power were most pronounced at the 7-month assessment and were attenuated at the 17- and 36-month assessments. The results identify birth head circumference and length as specific predictors of infant neural activity within an under-resourced context. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Brain Responses and Functional Brain Networks across the Lifespan)

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18 pages, 4043 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Development of Global-Level Categorization: Frequency Tagging EEG Responses

by Stefanie Peykarjou, Stefanie Hoehl and Sabina Pauen

Brain Sci. 2024, 14(6), 541; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14060541 - 24 May 2024

Viewed by 972

Abstract

Adults and infants form abstract categories of visual objects, but little is known about the development of global categorization. This study aims to characterize the development of very fast global categorization (living and non-living objects) and to determine whether and how low-level stimulus [...] Read more.

Adults and infants form abstract categories of visual objects, but little is known about the development of global categorization. This study aims to characterize the development of very fast global categorization (living and non-living objects) and to determine whether and how low-level stimulus characteristics contribute to this response. Frequency tagging was used to characterize the development of global-level categorization in N = 69 infants (4, 7, 11 months), N = 22 children (5–6 years old), and N = 20 young adults. Images were presented in an oddball paradigm, with a category change at every fifth position (AAAABAAAABA…). Strong and significant high-level categorization was observed in all age groups, with reduced responses for phase-scrambled control sequences (R² = 0.34–0.73). No differences between the categorization of living and non-living targets were observed. These data demonstrate high-level visual categorization as living and non-living from four months to adulthood, providing converging evidence that humans are highly sensitive to broad categorical information from infancy onward. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Brain Responses and Functional Brain Networks across the Lifespan)

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13 pages, 974 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Predicted Brain Age in First-Episode Psychosis: Association with Inexpressivity

by Dean F. Salisbury, Brian M. Wulf, Dylan Seebold, Brian A. Coffman, Mark T. Curtis and Helmet T. Karim

Brain Sci. 2024, 14(6), 532; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14060532 - 24 May 2024

Viewed by 1310

Abstract

Accelerated brain aging is a possible mechanism of pathology in schizophrenia. Advances in MRI-based brain development algorithms allow for the calculation of predicted brain age (PBA) for individuals. Here, we assessed PBA in 70 first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum individuals (FESz) and 76 matched healthy neurotypical [...] Read more.

Accelerated brain aging is a possible mechanism of pathology in schizophrenia. Advances in MRI-based brain development algorithms allow for the calculation of predicted brain age (PBA) for individuals. Here, we assessed PBA in 70 first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum individuals (FESz) and 76 matched healthy neurotypical comparison individuals (HC) to determine if FESz showed advanced aging proximal to psychosis onset and whether PBA was associated with neurocognitive, social functioning, or symptom severity measures. PBA was calculated with BrainAgeR (v2.1) from T1-weighted MR scans. There were no differences in the PBAs between groups. After controlling for actual age, a “younger” PBA was associated with higher vocabulary scores among all individuals, while an “older” PBA was associated with more severe negative symptom “Inexpressivity” component scores among FESz. Female participants in both groups had an elevated PBA relative to male participants. These results suggest that a relatively younger brain age is associated with a better semantic memory performance. There is no evidence for accelerated aging in FESz with a late adolescent/early adult onset. Despite a normative PBA, FESz with a greater residual PBA showed impairments in a cluster of negative symptoms, which may indicate some underlying age-related pathology proximal to psychosis onset. Although a period of accelerated aging cannot be ruled out with disease course, it does not occur at the time of the first episode. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Brain Responses and Functional Brain Networks across the Lifespan)

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14 pages, 3867 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Gamma Oscillation during Sentence Processing in Early Adolescence: Insights into the Maturation of Semantic Processing

by Mohammad Hossein Behboudi, Stephanie Castro, Prasanth Chalamalasetty and Mandy J. Maguire

Brain Sci. 2023, 13(12), 1639; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13121639 - 26 Nov 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1906

Abstract

Children’s ability to retrieve word meanings and incorporate them into sentences, along with the neural structures that support these skills, continues to evolve throughout adolescence. Theta (4–8 Hz) activity that corresponds to word retrieval in children decreases in power and becomes more localized [...] Read more.

Children’s ability to retrieve word meanings and incorporate them into sentences, along with the neural structures that support these skills, continues to evolve throughout adolescence. Theta (4–8 Hz) activity that corresponds to word retrieval in children decreases in power and becomes more localized with age. This bottom-up word retrieval is often paired with changes in gamma (31–70 Hz), which are thought to reflect semantic unification in adults. Here, we studied gamma engagement during sentence processing using EEG time–frequency in children (ages 8–15) to unravel the developmental trajectory of the gamma network during sentence processing. Children heavily rely on semantic integration for sentence comprehension, but as they mature, semantic and syntactic processing units become distinct and localized. We observed a similar developmental shift in gamma oscillation around age 11, with younger groups (8–9 and 10–11) exhibiting broadly distributed gamma activity with higher amplitudes, while older groups (12–13 and 14–15) exhibited smaller and more localized gamma activity, especially over the left central and posterior regions. We interpret these findings as support for the argument that younger children rely more heavily on semantic processes for sentence comprehension than older children. And like adults, semantic processing in children is associated with gamma activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Brain Responses and Functional Brain Networks across the Lifespan)

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Review

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34 pages, 1134 KiB

Open AccessReview

From Infancy to Childhood: A Comprehensive Review of Event- and Task-Related Brain Oscillations

by Esra Ünsal, Rümeysa Duygun, İrem Yemeniciler, Elifnur Bingöl, Ömer Ceran and Bahar Güntekin

Brain Sci. 2024, 14(8), 837; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14080837 - 20 Aug 2024

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Abstract

Brain development from infancy through childhood involves complex structural and functional changes influenced by both internal and external factors. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of event and task-related brain oscillations, focusing on developmental changes across different frequency bands, including delta, theta, alpha, [...] Read more.

Brain development from infancy through childhood involves complex structural and functional changes influenced by both internal and external factors. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of event and task-related brain oscillations, focusing on developmental changes across different frequency bands, including delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma. Electroencephalography (EEG) studies highlight that these oscillations serve as functional building blocks for sensory and cognitive processes, with significant variations observed across different developmental stages. Delta oscillations, primarily associated with deep sleep and early cognitive demands, gradually diminish as children age. Theta rhythms, crucial for attention and memory, display a distinct pattern in early childhood, evolving with cognitive maturation. Alpha oscillations, reflecting thalamocortical interactions and cognitive performance, increase in complexity with age. Beta rhythms, linked to active thinking and problem-solving, show developmental differences in motor and cognitive tasks. Gamma oscillations, associated with higher cognitive functions, exhibit notable changes in response to sensory stimuli and cognitive tasks. This review underscores the importance of understanding oscillatory dynamics to elucidate brain development and its implications for sensory and cognitive processing in childhood. The findings provide a foundation for future research on developmental neuroscience and potential clinical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Brain Responses and Functional Brain Networks across the Lifespan)

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16 pages, 294 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review of Childhood Developmental Changes in Attention as Indexed in the Electrical Activity of the Brain

by Sirel Karakaş

Brain Sci. 2024, 14(5), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14050458 - 1 May 2024

Viewed by 1480

Abstract

This review aims to present age-related changes in the neuroelectric responses of typically developing children (TDC) who are presumed to meet developmental stages appropriately. The review is based on findings from the frequently used neuropsychological tasks of active attention, where attention is deliberately [...] Read more.

This review aims to present age-related changes in the neuroelectric responses of typically developing children (TDC) who are presumed to meet developmental stages appropriately. The review is based on findings from the frequently used neuropsychological tasks of active attention, where attention is deliberately focused versus passive attention where attention is drawn to a stimulus, facilitatory attention, which enhances the processing of a stimulus versus inhibitory attention, which suppresses the processing of a stimulus. The review discusses the early and late stages of attentional selectivity that correspond to early and late information processing. Age-related changes in early attentional selectivity were quantitatively represented in latencies of the event-related potential (ERP) components. Age-related changes in late attentional selectivity are also qualitatively represented by structural and functional reorganization of attentional processing and the brain areas involved. The purely bottom-up or top-down processing is challenged with age-related findings on difficult tasks that ensure a high cognitive load. TDC findings on brain oscillatory activity are enriched by findings from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The transition from the low to fast oscillations in TDC and ADHD confirmed the maturational lag hypothesis. The deviant topographical localization of the oscillations confirmed the maturational deviance model. The gamma-based match and utilization model integrates all levels of attentional processing. According to these findings and theoretical formulations, brain oscillations can potentially display the human brain’s wholistic–integrative functions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Brain Responses and Functional Brain Networks across the Lifespan)

24 pages, 1885 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

The Necessity of Taking Culture and Context into Account When Studying the Relationship between Socioeconomic Status and Brain Development

by Julie M. Schneider, Mohammad Hossein Behboudi and Mandy J. Maguire

Brain Sci. 2024, 14(4), 392; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14040392 - 18 Apr 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3352

Abstract

Decades of research has revealed a relationship between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and brain development at the structural and functional levels. Of particular note is the distinction between income and maternal education, two highly correlated factors which seem to influence brain development through [...] Read more.

Decades of research has revealed a relationship between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and brain development at the structural and functional levels. Of particular note is the distinction between income and maternal education, two highly correlated factors which seem to influence brain development through distinct pathways. Specifically, while a families’ income-to-needs ratio is linked with physiological stress and household chaos, caregiver education influences the day-to-day language environment a child is exposed to. Variability in either one of these environmental experiences is related to subsequent brain development. While this work has the potential to inform public policies in a way that benefits children, it can also oversimplify complex factors, unjustly blame low-SES parents, and perpetuate a harmful deficit perspective. To counteract these shortcomings, researchers must consider sociodemographic differences in the broader cultural context that underlie SES-based differences in brain development. This review aims to address these issues by (a) identifying how sociodemographic mechanisms associated with SES influence the day-to-day experiences of children, in turn, impacting brain development, while (b) considering the broader cultural contexts that may differentially impact this relationship. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Brain Responses and Functional Brain Networks across the Lifespan)

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