Search Results (204)

This study aimed to identify electrophysiological markers (event-related potentials, ERPs) of intentional, need-related mental activity under controlled gaze fixation, with potential applications in brain–computer interface (BCI) development for individuals with severe motor impairments. Methods: Using stimuli from the PAIN Pictionary—a pictogram database for non-verbal communication in locked-in syndrome (LIS) contexts—neural responses were recorded via high-density EEG in 30 neurologically healthy adults (25 included after artifact-based exclusion). Participants viewed randomized sequences of pictograms representing ten fundamental need categories (e.g., “I am cold”, “I’m in pain”), with one category designated as the target per sequence. Each pictogram was followed by a visual cue prompting a button press: during training, participants executed the press; during the main task, they performed right-hand motor imagery while maintaining central fixation. Results: ERP analyses revealed a robust P300 response (450–650 ms; p < 0.0002) over centro-parietal regions for target cues, reflecting enhanced attentional allocation and stimulus choice. An early Contingent Negative Variation (CNV, 450–750 ms; p = 0.008) over fronto-lateral sites indicated anticipatory attention and motor preparation, while a left-lateralized late CNV (2250–2750 ms; p = 0.035) appeared to embody the preparation of a finalized motor plan for the forthcoming right-hand imagined response. A centro-parietal P600 component (600–800 ms; p = 0.044) emerged during response monitoring, reflecting evaluative and decisional processes. SwLORETA source analyses localized activity within a distributed network spanning prefrontal, premotor, motor, parietal, and limbic areas. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that motor imagery alone can modulate pattern-onset ERP components without overt movement or gaze shifts, supporting the translational potential of decoding need-related intentions for thought-driven communication systems in individuals with profound motor impairments. Full article

Fulfilling the demand for functional food with cost safety and environmental sustainability, our novel anthocyanin-enriched functional drink containing the purple waxy corn cob-derived functional ingredient “MP1” showed cognitive enhancing effects with safety in bilaterally ovariectomized rats, a validated model of menopause. Since no clinical evidence that confirms the mentioned effect was available until now, we conducted a two-arm, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study to confirm the benefits mentioned above. A total of 32 menopausal participants were divided into placebo and MP1 (400 mg) groups, and were subject to a 2-month study period. Safety parameters, working memory and brain components, especially N100 and P300, the negative and positive potentials derived from the event-related potential (ERP) which indicated attention and cognitive processing, together with oxidative stress markers acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO), were assessed at baseline and every month. No serious side effects or toxicity signs were observed. Subjects who consumed MP1 also had decreased N100 and P300 latency, improved working memory and decreased oxidative stress status. Therefore, a byproduct of purple corn can successfully serve as a novel functional ingredient for developing a cognitive enhancer drink with the qualities of safety, cost reduction, and environmental sustainability promotion. Full article

This study introduces a machine learning–driven extended reality (XR) interaction framework that leverages electroencephalography (EEG) for decoding consumer intentions in immersive decision-making tasks, demonstrated through functional food purchasing within a simulated autonomous vehicle setting. Recognizing inherent limitations in traditional “Preference vs. Non-Preference” EEG paradigms for immersive product evaluation, we propose a novel and robust “Rest vs. Intention” classification approach that significantly enhances cognitive signal contrast and improves interpretability. Eight healthy adults participated in immersive XR product evaluations within a simulated autonomous driving environment using the Microsoft HoloLens 2 headset (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA, USA). Participants assessed 3D-rendered multivitamin supplements systematically varied in intrinsic (ingredient, origin) and extrinsic (color, formulation) attributes. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were extracted from 64-channel EEG recordings, specifically targeting five neurocognitive components: N1 (perceptual attention), P2 (stimulus salience), N2 (conflict monitoring), P3 (decision evaluation), and LPP (motivational relevance). Four ensemble classifiers (Extra Trees, LightGBM, Random Forest, XGBoost) were trained to discriminate cognitive states under both paradigms. The ‘Rest vs. Intention’ approach achieved high cross-validated classification accuracy (up to 97.3% in this sample), and area under the curve (AUC > 0.97) SHAP-based interpretability identified dominant contributions from the N1, P2, and N2 components, aligning with neurophysiological processes of attentional allocation and cognitive control. These findings provide preliminary evidence of the viability of ERP-based intention decoding within a simulated autonomous-vehicle setting. Our framework serves as an exploratory proof-of-concept foundation for future development of real-time, BCI-enabled in-transit commerce systems, while underscoring the need for larger-scale validation in authentic AV environments and raising important considerations for ethics and privacy in neuromarketing applications. Full article

The ability of police officers to make correct decisions under emotional stress is critical, as errors in high-pressure situations can have severe legal and physical consequences. This study aims to evaluate the neurophysiological responses of police academy cadets during stressful decision-making scenarios and to predict individual stress levels from those responses. Fifty-eight police academy cadets from three cohorts watched a custom-made, naturalistic video scene and then chose the appropriate course of action. Simultaneous 32-channel electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) captured brain and heart activity. Event-related potentials (ERPs) and band-specific power features (particularly delta) were extracted, and machine-learning models were trained with nested cross-validation to predict perceived stress scores. Global and broadband EEG activity was suppressed during the video stimulus and did not return to baseline during the cooldown phase. Widespread ERPs and pronounced delta-band dynamics emerged during decision-making, correlating with both cohort rank and self-reported stress. Crucially, a combined EEG + cohort model predicted perceived stress with an out-of-fold R² of 0.32, outperforming EEG-only (R² = 0.23) and cohort-only (R² = 0.17) models. To our knowledge, this is the first study to both characterize EEG dynamics during stressful naturalistic decision tasks and demonstrate their predictive utility. These findings lay the groundwork for neurofeedback-based training paradigms that help officers modulate stress responses and calibrate decision-making under pressure. Full article

Approach or avoidance behaviors toward appetitive stimuli, such as alcohol and food, reflect the engagement of motivational states that are fundamental to adaptation of human behavior. Investigating early motor or neural responses to these stimuli provides valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms of these behaviors. This study employed an integrative approach combining postural and electrophysiological measures to explore the impact of alcohol consumption levels on early postural and neural responses to visual alcohol and food stimuli. The objective was to identify early automatic markers of approach or avoidance, and to examine correlations between motor and neural responses. Forty-six participants were divided into two groups (“Low” and “High”) according to their level of alcohol consumption (AUDIT scores). They were exposed to images of alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, and appetitive or neutral foods. Postural responses were recorded using a force platform, and brain activity was measured via EEG. Displacement of the center of pressure along the anteroposterior axis, as well as the P100 and N100 components, were analyzed. “High” participants exhibited greater anterior postural displacement in response to alcohol during the first two seconds of stimulus exposure. In contrast, “Low” participants showed early avoidance responses. Significant correlations were found between event-related potential (ERP) wave latencies and postural displacement during the first second of exposure to alcohol-related stimuli. AUDIT scores were also positively correlated with early postural displacement and N100 latency following the viewing of alcoholic beverage images. Early perceptual and motor responses are modulated by alcohol consumption habits. These findings support the value of integrative EEG–posture approaches for identifying implicit motivational markers. Full article

Background/Objectives: Motor decline in older adults can hinder cognitive assessments. To address this, we developed a brain–computer interface (BCI) using electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERPs) as a motor-independent EEG Switch. ERPs reflect attention-related neural activity and may serve as biomarkers for cognitive function. This study evaluated the feasibility of using ERP-based task success rates as indicators of cognitive abilities. The main goal of this article is the development and baseline evaluation of the Neurodetector system (incorporating the EEG Switch) as a motor-independent tool for cognitive assessment in healthy adults. Methods: We created a system called Neurodetector, which measures cognitive function through the ability to perform tasks using a virtual one-button EEG Switch. EEG data were collected from 40 healthy adults, mainly under 60 years of age, during three cognitive tasks of increasing difficulty. Results: The participants controlled the EEG Switch above chance level across all tasks. Success rates correlated with task difficulty and showed individual differences, suggesting that cognitive ability influences performance. In addition, we compared the pattern-matching method for ERP decoding with the conventional peak-based approaches. The pattern-matching method yielded a consistently higher accuracy and was more sensitive to task complexity and individual variability. Conclusions: These results support the potential of the EEG Switch as a reliable, non-motor-dependent cognitive assessment tool. The system is especially useful for populations with limited motor control, such as the elderly or individuals with physical disabilities. While Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is an important future target for application, the present study involved only healthy adult participants. Future research should examine the sources of individual differences and validate EEG switches in clinical contexts, including clinical trials involving MCI and dementia patients. Our findings lay the groundwork for a novel and accessible approach for cognitive evaluation using neurophysiological data. Full article

Facial attractiveness plays a significant role in job search evaluations, with recruiters often rating candidates with higher levels of attractiveness more favorably. This paper investigates how physical appearance and employability jointly influence applicant evaluations during resume screening. Using event-related potential (ERP) techniques, the study observes dynamic brain changes during the experiment. The findings reveal that: (1) Employability significantly enhances P200 amplitudes (reflecting early attentional allocation), while its effects on N170 and LPP components are contingent upon attractiveness levels; (2) These employability effects are selectively modulated by facial attractiveness: under high-attractiveness conditions, high employability potentiates both P200 and LPP responses (suggesting enhanced motivational engagement and emotional arousal); low employability leads to more negative N170 amplitudes (indicating early conflict detection to stereotype-incongruent cues). Conversely, no such effects emerge under low-attractiveness conditions, demonstrating that facial attractiveness gates the neural prioritization of qualification information. These results provide valuable insights into job search evaluations and highlight the neural mechanisms involved in facial perception and processing during resume screening. Full article

Existing research shows that the human salivary response habituates to repeated presentation of visual, olfactory, or gustatory food cues in adults and children. The aim of this research is to examine the neurophysiological effects of attentional habituation within sessions toward repetition of the same high- and low-calorie food and non-food images. Participants’ event-related potential (ERP) responses were measured as they passively viewed the same food and non-food images repeatedly. The ERP analysis results from trial groups within a session over time indicated that repeated exposure to the same image has a distinct effect on the brain’s attentional responses to food and non-food images. The brain response modulated by motivation and attention decreases over time, and it is significant in the 170–300 ms onset time window for low-calorie images and 180–330 ms onset time window for non-food images in the parietal region of the brain. However, the modulation to high-calorie images remains sustained over time within the session. Furthermore, the ERP results show that high-calorie images have a slower rate of declination than low-calorie images, followed by non-food images. In conclusion, our ERP study showed that a habituation-like mechanism modulates attention to repeated low-calorie and non-food images, whereas high-calorie images have a negligible effect. High-energy foods have a larger reward value, which increases prolonged attention and reduces the process of habituation. This could be one of the reasons why a negligible neural attentional habituation and slow habituation rate to high-calorie diets could have negative health consequences. Full article

Background/Objectives: Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS) is a well-recognized postoperative complication in children following resection of brain tumors involving cerebellar midline structures. The fastigial nucleus is regarded as relevant, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study uses an oddball paradigm designed to model attentional and learning processes relevant to CCAS to investigate how early-life lesions of the fastigial nucleus in rats affect cognitive performance and neural information processing in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in adulthood. Methods: Fastigial lesions were induced stereotaxically in 23-day-old male Sprague Dawley rats [n = 9]. Naïve [n = 9] and sham-lesioned rats [n = 6] served as controls. As adults, all rats were trained in an oddball paradigm requiring discrimination of a rare target tone from a rare distractor and a frequent standard tone. Local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded from electrodes implanted in the mPFC during oddball testing and event-related potentials (ERPs) were analyzed. Results: Rats with fastigial lesions required significantly more training days to reach ≥70% correct performance criterion. In fully trained rats, analysis of neural recordings during behavioral testing revealed reduced ERP amplitudes and prolonged latencies of late ERP components after target stimuli. Developmental fastigial lesions lead to lasting deficits in cognitive learning capacity and neural mPFC processing, highlighting the integrative role of cerebellar midline structures in higher-order cognitive function and sensory discrimination. Conclusions: This rodent model provides a valuable translational platform for further investigating the neural basis of CCAS and may inform neurosurgical strategies aimed at minimizing cognitive sequelae in children undergoing cerebellar tumor resection. Full article

Authentication is a critical component of digital security, and traditional methods often encounter significant vulnerabilities and limitations. This study addresses the emerging field of EEG-based authentication systems, highlighting their theoretical advancements and practical applicability. We conducted a systematic review of the existing literature, followed by an experimental evaluation to assess the feasibility, limitations, and scalability of these systems in real-world scenarios. Data were collected from nine subjects using various approaches. Our results indicate that the CNN model achieved the highest accuracy of 99%, while Random Forest (RF) and Gradient Boosting (GB) classifiers also demonstrated strong performance with 94% and 93%, respectively. In contrast, classifiers such as Support Vector Machine (SVM) and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) displayed significantly lower effectiveness, underscoring their limitations in capturing the complexities of EEG data. The findings suggest that EEG-based authentication systems have significant potential to enhance security measures, offering a promising alternative to traditional methods and paving the way for more robust and user-friendly authentication solutions. Full article

Electroencephalography (EEG) is the only brain imaging method light enough and with the temporal precision to assess electrocortical dynamics during human locomotion. However, head motion during whole-body movements produces artifacts that contaminate the EEG and reduces ICA decomposition quality. We compared commonly used motion artifact removal approaches for reducing the motion artifact from the EEG during running and identifying stimulus-locked ERP components during an adapted flanker task. EEG was recorded from young adults during dynamic jogging and static standing versions of the Flanker task. Motion artifact removal approaches were evaluated based on their ICA’s component dipolarity, power changes at the gait frequency and harmonics, and ability to capture the expected P300 ERP congruency effect. Preprocessing the EEG using either iCanClean with pseudo-reference noise signals or artifact subspace reconstruction (ASR) led to the recovery of more dipolar brain independent components. In our analyses, iCanClean was somewhat more effective than ASR. Power was significantly reduced at the gait frequency after preprocessing with ASR and iCanClean. Finally, preprocessing using ASR and iCanClean also produced ERP components similar in latency to those identified in the standing flanker task. The expected greater P300 amplitude to incongruent flankers was identified when preprocessing using iCanClean. ASR and iCanClean may provide effective preprocessing methods for reducing motion artifacts in human locomotion studies during running. Full article

Kinesthetic motor imagery (KMI), the mental rehearsal of a motor task without its actual performance, constitutes one of the most common techniques used for brain–computer interface (BCI) control for movement-related tasks. The effect of neural injury on motor cortical activity during execution and imagery remains under investigation in terms of activations, processing of motor onset, and BCI control. The current work aims to conduct a post hoc investigation of the event-related potential (ERP)-based processing of KMI during BCI control of anthropomorphic robotic arms by spinal cord injury (SCI) patients and healthy control participants in a completed clinical trial. For this purpose, we analyzed 14-channel electroencephalography (EEG) data from 10 patients with cervical SCI and 8 healthy individuals, recorded through Emotiv EPOC BCI, as the participants attempted to move anthropomorphic robotic arms using KMI. EEG data were pre-processed by band-pass filtering (8–30 Hz) and independent component analysis (ICA). ERPs were calculated at the sensor space, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine potential differences between groups. Our results showed no statistically significant differences between SCI patients and healthy control groups regarding mean amplitude and latency (p < 0.05) across the recorded channels at various time points during stimulus presentation. Notably, no significant differences were observed in ERP components, except for the P200 component at the T8 channel. These findings suggest that brain circuits associated with motor planning and sensorimotor processes are not disrupted due to anatomical damage following SCI. The temporal dynamics of motor-related areas—particularly in channels like F3, FC5, and F7—indicate that essential motor imagery (MI) circuits remain functional. Limitations include the relatively small sample size that may hamper the generalization of our findings, the sensor-space analysis that restricts anatomical specificity and neurophysiological interpretations, and the use of a low-density EEG headset, lacking coverage over key motor regions. Non-invasive EEG-based BCI systems for motor rehabilitation in SCI patients could effectively leverage intact neural circuits to promote neuroplasticity and facilitate motor recovery. Future work should include validation against larger, longitudinal, high-density, source-space EEG datasets. Full article

Introduction: Burnout syndrome, long described as an “occupational phenomenon”, now affects 15–20% of the general workforce and more than 50% of clinicians, teachers, social-care staff and first responders. Its precise nosological standing remains disputed. We conducted a mechanistic review of electroencephalography (EEG) studies to determine whether burnout is accompanied by reproducible brain-function alterations that justify disease-level classification. Methods: Following PRISMA-adapted guidelines, two independent reviewers searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and reference lists (January 1980–May 2025) using combinations of “burnout,” “EEG”, “electroencephalography” and “event-related potential.” Only English-language clinical investigations were eligible. Eighteen studies (n = 2194 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Data were synthesised across three domains: resting-state spectra/connectivity, event-related potentials (ERPs) and longitudinal change. Results: Resting EEG consistently showed (i) a 0.4–0.6 Hz slowing of individual-alpha frequency, (ii) 20–35% global alpha-power reduction and (iii) fragmentation of high-alpha (11–13 Hz) fronto-parietal coherence, with stage- and sex-dependent modulation. ERP paradigms revealed a distinctive “alarm-heavy/evaluation-poor” profile; enlarged N2 and ERN components signalled hyper-reactive conflict and error detection, whereas P3b, Pe, reward-P3 and late CNV amplitudes were attenuated by 25–50%, indicating depleted evaluative and preparatory resources. Feedback processing showed intact or heightened FRN but blunted FRP, and affective tasks demonstrated threat-biassed P3a latency shifts alongside dampened VPP/EPN to positive cues. These alterations persisted in longitudinal cohorts yet normalised after recovery, supporting trait-plus-state dynamics. The electrophysiological fingerprint differed from major depression (no frontal-alpha asymmetry, opposite connectivity pattern). Conclusions: Across paradigms, burnout exhibits a coherent neurophysiological signature comparable in magnitude to established psychiatric disorders, refuting its current classification as a non-disease. Objective EEG markers can complement symptom scales for earlier diagnosis, treatment monitoring and public-health surveillance. Recognising burnout as a clinical disorder—and funding prevention and care accordingly—is medically justified and economically imperative. Full article

Cultural landscapes in World Heritage cities are attracting a growing global tourist population. Given the limitations of self-report methods in capturing tourists’ immediate and deep perceptions, and the lack of comprehensive investigation into the cultural types and naturalness of landscapes, this study aims to investigate how cultural landscape types influence tourists’ recommendation intention through the mediating roles of place attachment and perceived restorativeness while examining the moderating effect of landscape naturalness. Integrating Place Attachment Theory (PAT), Attention Restoration Theory (ART), and the Associative–Propositional Evaluation Model (APE), three studies were conducted using behavioral and neurophysiological approaches. Study 1, a scenario-based experiment, revealed that high-culture landscapes enhance recommendation intention via place attachment, with the effect of perceived restorativeness being stronger under low naturalness conditions. Study 2, an event-related potential (ERP) experiment, showed that landscapes with low culture and low naturalness elicit stronger emotional responses, as indicated by heightened P2 and LPP amplitudes. Study 3 demonstrated the efficacy of a Decision Tree model in classifying landscape naturalness based on EEG features. This study deepens the understanding of the complexity of tourist experiences in cultural heritage sites, provides new evidence for the application of Place Attachment Theory in tourism contexts, and offers scientific foundations and practical implications for optimizing landscape design in heritage sites, enhancing tourist experiences, and exploring brain–computer interface applications in the tourism field. Full article

Exploring cognitive abilities is necessary in educational contexts, where such insights shape decisions about student placement and teaching methods. Traditionally, educational assessments have been leaned on academic performance to guide decisions related to grading and student placement. This study examines the relationships among specific neuropsychological measures, namely the Event Related Potentials (ERPs), P300 waveform, reaction time, and fluid intelligence in children. Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM) was utilized to assess intelligence levels. Based on their RSPM scores, participants were grouped into two categories: those with “high mental abilities” and those with “average mental abilities”. It was hypothesized that children with higher RSPM scores might display reduced P300 latencies and quicker reaction times, potentially reflecting greater neural efficiency. Electrophysiological data collected using ERPs, focusing on the P300 component. The results suggest a possible association between higher intelligence scores and shorter P300 latencies and quicker reaction times, which could support the concept of neural efficiency and the significance of cognitive speed in understanding intelligence. This investigation into the neuropsychological foundations of cognitive ability in children is in the same line with studies supporting how brain activity, connectivity, and processing efficiency vary. These differences could help develop educational strategies that are more tailored to individual cognitive processing styles. Full article