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Behavioral and physiological changes following EEG biofeedback (EEGBF)
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Abstracts of SAN Meeting / Neuroscience Letters 500S (2011) e1–e54
Arousal regulation as a pathogenetic factor in affective disorders Ulrich Hegerl, Peter Schönknecht, Tilman Hensch, Sebastian Olbrich, Michael Kluge, Hubertus Himmerich, Christoph Sander Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsmedizin Leipzig, Germany A recently presented vigilance regulation concept suggests that the hyperactivity and sensation seeking observed during mania is an autoregulatory attempt to stabilize vigilance (central nervous arousal) by increasing external stimulation. Similar behavioural patterns are observed in overtired children and in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Correspondingly the withdrawal and sensation avoidance in major depression is interpreted as a reaction to a state of tonically high vigilance [1,2]. Indeed, under quiet resting conditions, both patients with ADHD and mania show an unstable vigilance regulation with rapid drops to lower vigilance stages (e.g. assessed by an EEG-algorithm of vigilance, VIGALL) whereas an hyperstable vigilance regulation is found in unmedicated patients with major depression [3]. In both ADHD and mania, sleep deficits aggravate the dysregulation of vigilance as well as the symptomatology. In depression, sleep deprivation reduces the hyperstability of vigilance which explains it’s antidepressant effects. Among the far reaching consequences of this concept is the question whether psychostimulants have similar beneficial effects in mania as observed in ADHD. There is scattered but surprisingly strong evidence that psychostimulants are not detrimental in acute mania but might have similar rapid therapeutic effects as observed in ADHD [4]. The therapeutic role of methylphenidate in acute mania will be studied in an international controlled trial. References [1] [2] [3] [4]
Hegerl, et al., Current Opinion in Psychiatry 23 (2010) 1–7. Hegerl, et al., Pharmacopsychiatry 42 (2009) 169–1474. Hegerl et al. World J. Biol. Psychiatry, in press. Schönknecht et al., Biol. Psychiatry, in press.
doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2011.05.071 Learning theory principles in neurofeedback Leslie Sherlin Neurofeedback is a process where the electrical activity of the brain is recorded, quantified and then presented back to the individual in the form of visual, auditory or tactile stimuli. An a priori determination of the characteristics of the EEG are set as thresholds and when the EEG activity falls within these thresholds the feedback is presented to the individual as a reward signal. Details of how to apply rewards and the frequency to apply are not the only considerations involved in this complex learning process. The reward given when the EEG reaches threshold follows the principles of operant conditioning and was first demonstrated as early as 1941 [1]. Since that time it has been established that many learning theory principles (classical conditioning, shaping, generalization, placebo, etc.) are involved in the application known as neurofeedback. This talk is aimed to elaborate on the learning theory principles involved in the effective application of neurofeedback. Reference [1] H. Jasper, C. Shagass, Conditioning the occipital alpha rhythm in man, Journal of Experimental Psychology 28 (5) (1941) 373–387.
doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2011.05.072
Behavioral and physiological changes following EEG biofeedback (EEGBF) Andrew Hill, Whitney Eriksen, Eran Zaidel Psychology and Brain Research Institute, UCLA, USA Introduction: We conducted a double blind, placebo controlled study of a short course of EEGBF. We measured the changes in the behavioral and physiological correlates of hemispheric attention, as well as changes in the ERP and in the spectral correlates of the biofeedback reward signal. Methods: Participants received one of the 4 biofeedback protocols (C3-A1 SMR, C4-A2 SMR, C3-A1 Beta or Sham biofeedback) over five training sessions. Veridical feedback included a brief tone and visual reward of a progressing image display. Dense array (64channel) EEG was recorded during biofeedback training and during a lateralized test of hemispheric attention (LANT; Lateralized Attention Network Test). The LANT was administered before biofeedback training and after 3 and 5 consecutive training sessions over 5 days. We predicted that lateralized training protocols would have asymmetric effects on the behavior and on the cortical neurophysiology of the two cerebral hemispheres. Results: (1) Behavioral: The biofeedback training protocols produced different behavioral effects on attention in the two hemispheres. Accuracy to targets proceeded by invalid cues yielded a significant interaction: Protocol (Sham, C3 SMR, C4 SMR, C3 Beta) × Session (1, 3, 5) × Visual Field (LVF, RVF); p < .025. (2) Physiological: Reward signals evoked by the training stimulus were characterized by a P50, an N100, and an early P300 ERP component. Training had a selective effect on the P300 component. Frequency reward bands also produced selective enhancements measured at the same scalp region. Conclusion: We demonstrated for the first time that specific EEGBF protocols can affect cortical physiology in specific cortical regions and modulate information processing in specific functional modules. In particular, lateralized EEG biofeedback can have selective effects (1) on behavior (attention) in one cerebral hemisphere, (2) on the physiological signature of the reward signal at the training site, and (3) on the amplitude of the rewarded frequency band in electrodes around the training site. Reference [1] D.J. Greene, A. Barnea, K. Herzberg, A. Rassis, M. Neta, A. Raz, E. Zaidel, Measuring attention in the two hemispheres: the lateralized attention network test (LANT), Brain & Cognition 66. (2008) 21–31. doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2011.05.073 Three single case studies Peter Van Nunen The first is about a 47 year old woman, who came to us with complaints about poor attention, memory loss, sleeping problems and migraine attacks. It turned out that her frequent awakenings during the night were due to the hot flashes she experienced during the day and at night. When we treated her attention and sleeping problems with NF her hot flashes also diminished dramatically. The second case is about a young man (17) who suffers from epilepsy. His EEG showed frequently paroxysmal typical 4 Hz absence seizures. Although literature suggests that you cannot threat absence epilepsy with NF, he learned to recognize the symptoms of an oncoming seizure and learned to prevent them. Follow up six months later showed that he was still seizure free. The third case is about a 59 year old man, diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. He had complaints about racing thoughts, unable to concentrate properly and being impulsive. His QEEG showed that his brain was extremely active with increases in nearly
Abstracts of SAN Meeting / Neuroscience Letters 500S (2011) e1–e54
Arousal regulation as a pathogenetic factor in affective disorders Ulrich Hegerl, Peter Schönknecht, Tilman Hensch, Sebastian Olbrich, Michael Kluge, Hubertus Himmerich, Christoph Sander Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsmedizin Leipzig, Germany A recently presented vigilance regulation concept suggests that the hyperactivity and sensation seeking observed during mania is an autoregulatory attempt to stabilize vigilance (central nervous arousal) by increasing external stimulation. Similar behavioural patterns are observed in overtired children and in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Correspondingly the withdrawal and sensation avoidance in major depression is interpreted as a reaction to a state of tonically high vigilance [1,2]. Indeed, under quiet resting conditions, both patients with ADHD and mania show an unstable vigilance regulation with rapid drops to lower vigilance stages (e.g. assessed by an EEG-algorithm of vigilance, VIGALL) whereas an hyperstable vigilance regulation is found in unmedicated patients with major depression [3]. In both ADHD and mania, sleep deficits aggravate the dysregulation of vigilance as well as the symptomatology. In depression, sleep deprivation reduces the hyperstability of vigilance which explains it’s antidepressant effects. Among the far reaching consequences of this concept is the question whether psychostimulants have similar beneficial effects in mania as observed in ADHD. There is scattered but surprisingly strong evidence that psychostimulants are not detrimental in acute mania but might have similar rapid therapeutic effects as observed in ADHD [4]. The therapeutic role of methylphenidate in acute mania will be studied in an international controlled trial. References [1] [2] [3] [4]
Hegerl, et al., Current Opinion in Psychiatry 23 (2010) 1–7. Hegerl, et al., Pharmacopsychiatry 42 (2009) 169–1474. Hegerl et al. World J. Biol. Psychiatry, in press. Schönknecht et al., Biol. Psychiatry, in press.
doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2011.05.071 Learning theory principles in neurofeedback Leslie Sherlin Neurofeedback is a process where the electrical activity of the brain is recorded, quantified and then presented back to the individual in the form of visual, auditory or tactile stimuli. An a priori determination of the characteristics of the EEG are set as thresholds and when the EEG activity falls within these thresholds the feedback is presented to the individual as a reward signal. Details of how to apply rewards and the frequency to apply are not the only considerations involved in this complex learning process. The reward given when the EEG reaches threshold follows the principles of operant conditioning and was first demonstrated as early as 1941 [1]. Since that time it has been established that many learning theory principles (classical conditioning, shaping, generalization, placebo, etc.) are involved in the application known as neurofeedback. This talk is aimed to elaborate on the learning theory principles involved in the effective application of neurofeedback. Reference [1] H. Jasper, C. Shagass, Conditioning the occipital alpha rhythm in man, Journal of Experimental Psychology 28 (5) (1941) 373–387.
doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2011.05.072
Behavioral and physiological changes following EEG biofeedback (EEGBF) Andrew Hill, Whitney Eriksen, Eran Zaidel Psychology and Brain Research Institute, UCLA, USA Introduction: We conducted a double blind, placebo controlled study of a short course of EEGBF. We measured the changes in the behavioral and physiological correlates of hemispheric attention, as well as changes in the ERP and in the spectral correlates of the biofeedback reward signal. Methods: Participants received one of the 4 biofeedback protocols (C3-A1 SMR, C4-A2 SMR, C3-A1 Beta or Sham biofeedback) over five training sessions. Veridical feedback included a brief tone and visual reward of a progressing image display. Dense array (64channel) EEG was recorded during biofeedback training and during a lateralized test of hemispheric attention (LANT; Lateralized Attention Network Test). The LANT was administered before biofeedback training and after 3 and 5 consecutive training sessions over 5 days. We predicted that lateralized training protocols would have asymmetric effects on the behavior and on the cortical neurophysiology of the two cerebral hemispheres. Results: (1) Behavioral: The biofeedback training protocols produced different behavioral effects on attention in the two hemispheres. Accuracy to targets proceeded by invalid cues yielded a significant interaction: Protocol (Sham, C3 SMR, C4 SMR, C3 Beta) × Session (1, 3, 5) × Visual Field (LVF, RVF); p < .025. (2) Physiological: Reward signals evoked by the training stimulus were characterized by a P50, an N100, and an early P300 ERP component. Training had a selective effect on the P300 component. Frequency reward bands also produced selective enhancements measured at the same scalp region. Conclusion: We demonstrated for the first time that specific EEGBF protocols can affect cortical physiology in specific cortical regions and modulate information processing in specific functional modules. In particular, lateralized EEG biofeedback can have selective effects (1) on behavior (attention) in one cerebral hemisphere, (2) on the physiological signature of the reward signal at the training site, and (3) on the amplitude of the rewarded frequency band in electrodes around the training site. Reference [1] D.J. Greene, A. Barnea, K. Herzberg, A. Rassis, M. Neta, A. Raz, E. Zaidel, Measuring attention in the two hemispheres: the lateralized attention network test (LANT), Brain & Cognition 66. (2008) 21–31. doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2011.05.073 Three single case studies Peter Van Nunen The first is about a 47 year old woman, who came to us with complaints about poor attention, memory loss, sleeping problems and migraine attacks. It turned out that her frequent awakenings during the night were due to the hot flashes she experienced during the day and at night. When we treated her attention and sleeping problems with NF her hot flashes also diminished dramatically. The second case is about a young man (17) who suffers from epilepsy. His EEG showed frequently paroxysmal typical 4 Hz absence seizures. Although literature suggests that you cannot threat absence epilepsy with NF, he learned to recognize the symptoms of an oncoming seizure and learned to prevent them. Follow up six months later showed that he was still seizure free. The third case is about a 59 year old man, diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. He had complaints about racing thoughts, unable to concentrate properly and being impulsive. His QEEG showed that his brain was extremely active with increases in nearly