Dataset Information

Low delta and high alpha power are associated with better conflict control and working memory in high mindfulness, low anxiety individuals.

ABSTRACT: Working memory capacity (WMC) can predict conflict control ability. Measures of both abilities are impaired by anxiety, which is often inversely linked with mindfulness. It has been shown that a combination of high mindfulness and low anxiety is associated with better conflict control and WMC. The current study explored the electrophysiology related to such behavioral differences. Two experimental groups, one with high mindfulness and low anxiety (HMLA) and one with low mindfulness and high anxiety (LMHA), performed a color Stroop task and a change detection task, both with simultaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) recording. An advanced EEG analytical approach, Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) analysis, was employed. This is regarded as a robust method to analyze non-linear and non-stationary signals. Lower delta activity at posterior temporal and occipital regions was seen in the HMLA group for the Stroop conflict conditions and might be generally associated with higher accuracy in this group and indicative of higher attentiveness. Higher accuracy rates and WMC were seen in the HMLA group and might be specifically associated with the higher alpha activity observed in prefrontal cortex, fronto-central and centro-parietal regions in this group. Future studies should explore how mindfulness and anxiety can independently affect these cognitive functions and their associated neurophysiology.

SUBMITTER: Jaiswal S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6688451 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Low delta and high alpha power are associated with better conflict control and working memory in high mindfulness, low anxiety individuals.

Jaiswal Satish S Tsai Shao-Yang SY Juan Chi-Hung CH Muggleton Neil G NG Liang Wei-Kuang WK

Social cognitive and affective neuroscience 20190801 6

Working memory capacity (WMC) can predict conflict control ability. Measures of both abilities are impaired by anxiety, which is often inversely linked with mindfulness. It has been shown that a combination of high mindfulness and low anxiety is associated with better conflict control and WMC. The current study explored the electrophysiology related to such behavioral differences. Two experimental groups, one with high mindfulness and low anxiety (HMLA) and one with low mindfulness and high anxi ...[more]

PMID: 31119291

Similar Datasets

Project description:Research shows that gamma activity changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD), revealing synaptic pathology and potential therapeutic applications. We aim to explore whether cognitive challenge combined with quantitative EEG (qEEG) can unmask abnormal gamma frequency power in healthy individuals at high risk of developing AD. We analyzed low (30-50 Hz) and high gamma (50-80 Hz) power over six brain regions at EEG sensor level (frontal/central/parietal/left temporal/right temporal/occipital) in a dataset collected from an aging cohort during N-back working memory (WM) testing at two different load conditions (N = 0 or 2). Cognitively healthy (CH) study participants (≥60 years old) of both sexes were divided into two subgroups: normal amyloid/tau ratios (CH-NAT, n = 10) or pathological amyloid/tau (CH-PAT, n = 14) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). During low load (0-back) challenge, low gamma is higher in CH-PATs than CH-NATs over frontal and central regions (p = 0.014∼0.032, effect size (Cohen's d) = 0.95∼1.11). However, during high load (2-back) challenge, low gamma is lower in CH-PATs compared to CH-NATs over the left temporal region (p = 0.045, Cohen's d = -0.96), and high gamma is lower over the parietal region (p = 0.035, Cohen's d = -1.02). Overall, our studies show a medium to large negative effect size across the scalp (Cohen's d = -0.51∼-1.02). In addition, low gamma during 2-back is positively correlated with 0-back accuracy over all regions except the occipital region only in CH-NATs (r = 0.69∼0.77, p = 0.0098∼0.027); high gamma during 2-back correlated positively with 0-back accuracy over all regions in CH-NATs (r = 0.68∼0.78, p = 0.007∼0.030); high gamma during 2-back negatively correlated with 0-back response time over parietal, right temporal, and occipital regions in CH-NATs (r = -0.70∼-0.66, p = 0.025∼0.037). We interpret these preliminary results to show: (1) gamma power is compromised in AD-biomarker positive individuals, who are otherwise cognitively healthy (CH-PATs); (2) gamma is associated with WM performance in normal aging (CH-NATs) (most significantly in the frontoparietal region). Our pilot findings encourage further investigations in combining cognitive challenges and qEEG in developing neurophysiology-based markers for identifying individuals in the prodromal stage, to help improving our understanding of AD pathophysiology and the contributions of low- and high-frequency gamma oscillations in cognitive functions.

Dataset Information

Low delta and high alpha power are associated with better conflict control and working memory in high mindfulness, low anxiety individuals.

Publications

Low delta and high alpha power are associated with better conflict control and working memory in high mindfulness, low anxiety individuals.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets