Prenatal maternal stress and mood, and early postnatal mother-infant interactions set the stage for the child’s psychobiological, neurological and social development. While a large body of research connecting maternal depression to infant EEG asymmetry exists, the current study sought to add to the sparse literature on maternal anxiety and infant EEG. Mother-infant dyads were assessed prenatally during the third trimester, soon after birth, at 6 weeks and 3 months postnatal. Association between maternal depression and later development of right mid-frontal alpha asymmetry was confirmed, while trends suggested maternal anxiety may be associated with lateral frontal alpha asymmetry. Greater maternal sensitivity and anxiety were each associated with lower post-stressor cortisol in infants with right frontal asymmetry. Greater time spent in mutual gaze was associated with positive infant affect. Finally, quality mother-infant dynamics encourage positive infant affect and healthy physiological stress regulation even when brain patterns associated with dysregulation have been established. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The current shortage of clinical sites for neurodiagnostic technology (NDT) students is limiting enrollments and subsequently limiting graduates from NDT schools in the U.S. A lack of knowledge or consensus concerning the use of educational technology in NDT clinical skills training prompted this investigation. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of educational technology in providing NDT clinical skill training. This qualitative Delphi study was guided by experiential learning theory and cognitive constructionist epistemology. Thirty expert panelists were recruited to rate the effectiveness of educational technology methods in addressing neurodiagnostic competencies for electroencephalography. Twenty-four completed round one, twenty-two completed round two and nineteen completed the third and final round. The competencies were derived by combining national competencies or practice analysis from the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom for neurodiagnostic technologists performing electroencephalography (EEG). Results of the three rounds of the Delphi study were processed using the mean value and interquartile deviation for evaluation of consensus. Consensus among the expert panelists supported the potential effectiveness of educational technology to address neurodiagnostic graduate competencies for technologists performing EEG. In conclusion, the expert panel consensus was NDT clinical skills for performing EEG can be addressed using educational technology, followed by a post-graduate clinical residency. Using educational technology and a post-graduate residency could increase school capacity. An increase in graduate numbers would help sustain the existing schools, better supply the profession, and increase public access to quality neurodiagnostic care.

Contemporary research has been examining potential links existing among sensory, motor and attentional systems. Previous studies using TMS have shown that the abrupt onset of sounds can both capture attention and modulate motor cortex excitability, which may reflect the potential need for a behavioral response to the attended event. TMS, however, only quantifies motor cortex excitability immediately following the deliverance of a TMS pulse. Therefore, the temporal development of how the motor cortex is modulated by sounds can’t be quantified using TMS. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to use time frequency analysis of EEG to identify the time course of cortical mechanisms underlying increased motor cortex excitability after sound onset. Subjects sat in a sound attenuated booth with their hands outstretched at 45-degree angles while frequency modulated sounds were intermittently presented from a speaker either in the left and right hemispace. Our results indicated a transient reduction in EEG power from 18-24 Hz (300-600 ms latency) and then a long lasting increase in EEG power that began at ~800 ms and continued until at least 1.7 sec. The latency of EEG power changes was shorter for sounds presented from the right speaker at both time periods. When sounds were presented from the right speaker the contralateral hemisphere over motor regions also showed greater power increases after 800 ms relative to the ipsilateral hemisphere. In addition, power increases were greater in the left-handed subjects (8-12 Hz). Results showed that sounds increased EEG power at the time of a previously observed increase in motor cortex excitability. Findings also suggest an increased attentional salience to the right hemispace in neurologically normal subjects and asymmetrical hemispheric activations in right and left-handers. / acase@tulane.edu

Stimulus-driven changes in the gain of sensory neurons are well-documented, but relatively little is known about whether analogous gain-control can also be effected in a top-down manner. A recent psychophysical study demonstrated that sensitivity to luminance contrast can be modulated by a priori knowledge (de la Rosa et al., in press). In the present study, event-related potentials were used to resolve the stages of information processing that facilitate such knowledge-driven adjustments. Groupwise independent component analysis identified two robust spatiotemporal patterns of endogenous brain activity that captured experimental effects. The first pattern was associated with obligatory processing of contextual information, while the second pattern was associated with selective initiation of contrast gain adjustment. These data suggest that knowledge-driven contrast gain control is mediated by multiple independent electrogenic sources.

Stimulus-driven changes in the gain of sensory neurons are well-documented, but relatively little is known about whether analogous gain-control can also be effected in a top-down manner. A recent psychophysical study demonstrated that sensitivity to luminance contrast can be modulated by a priori knowledge (de la Rosa et al., in press). In the present study, event-related potentials were used to resolve the stages of information processing that facilitate such knowledge-driven adjustments. Groupwise independent component analysis identified two robust spatiotemporal patterns of endogenous brain activity that captured experimental effects. The first pattern was associated with obligatory processing of contextual information, while the second pattern was associated with selective initiation of contrast gain adjustment. These data suggest that knowledge-driven contrast gain control is mediated by multiple independent electrogenic sources.

The ability to correct balance disturbances is essential for maintaining upright stability. Recent literature highlights a potentially important role for the cerebral cortex in controlling compensatory balance reactions. The objective of this research was to provide a more detailed understanding of the specific neurophysiologic events occurring at the cortex following balance disturbances. More specifically, the focus was to determine whether the N1, a cortical potential evoked during balance control, and the error-related negativity (ERN), a cortical potential measured in response to errors during cognitive tasks, have similar cortical representation, revealing a similar link to an error detection mechanism. It was hypothesized that the N1 and ERN would have the same generator located in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Fourteen healthy young adults participated in a balance task (evoked N1) and a flanker task (evoked ERN). Temporally unpredictable perturbations to standing balance were achieved using a lean and release cable system. Electromyography and centre of pressure were measured during the balance task. Reaction times and error rates were measured during the flanker task. Electroencephalography was recorded during both tasks. Source localization was performed in CURRY 6 using a single fixed coherent dipole model to determine the neural generator of the N1 and ERN. The results revealed that the locations of the N1 and ERN dipoles were different. The mean (n=9) distance between N1 and ERN dipoles was 25.46 ± 8.88 mm. The mean Talairach coordinates for the ERN dipole were (6.47 ± 3.08, -4.41 ± 13.15, 41.17 ± 11.63) mm, corresponding to the cingulate gyrus (Brodmann area 24). This represents the ACC, supporting results from previous literature. The mean Talairach coordinates for the N1 dipole were (5.74 ± 3.77, -11.81 ± 10.84, 53.73 ± 7.30) mm, corresponding to the medial frontal gyrus (Brodmann area 6). This is the first work to localize the source of the N1. It is speculated that the generator of the N1 is the supplementary motor area and that it represents the generation of a contingency motor plan to shape the later phases of the compensatory balance response based on sensory feedback from the perturbation.

Τα τελευταία χρόνια, το πρόβλημα της απόκτησης και χρήσης ενός συστήματος ηλεκτροεγκεφαλογραφίας λόγω του υψηλού κόστους του έχει υπερπηδηθεί με την κυκλοφορία πολλών εναλλακτικών συστημάτων λιγότερων δαπανηρών. Το πιο εξελιγμένο από αυτά του μικρού κόστους συστήματα είναι το Emotiv Epoc. Ένα επιπλέον πλεονέκτημα του Emotiv Epoc έναντι των συμβατικών συστημάτων ηλεκτροεγκεφαλογραφίας αποτελεί το γεγονός ότι είναι ασύρματο. Το γεγονός αυτό ανοίγει καινοτόμες οδούς στο πεδίο το νευροεπιστημών αφού δύναται η εκτέλεση πειραμάτων ευρέων εφαρμογών όπως π.χ. λήψη ηλεκτροεγκεφαλικών μετρήσεων εν κινήσει. Μια τέτοια εφαρμογή μπορεί επίσης να αποτελεί και η εκτέλεση πειραμάτων σε μικρά παιδιά στα οποία η καλωδίωση μπορεί να καταστεί πολύ δύσκολη. Με βάση λοιπόν τα παραπάνω, ένα τέτοιο σύστημα θα μπορούσε να χρησιμοποιηθεί με επιτυχία σε παιδία για έγκαιρη διάγνωση της δυσλεξίας η οποία κρίνεται επιβεβλημένη σε πολύ μικρές ηλικίες .Μειονέκτημα όμως ενός τέτοιου ασύρματου συστήματος θα μπορούσε να υποθέσει κανείς ότι είναι η αυξημένη παρουσία θορύβου. Ο θόρυβος αυτός θα μπορούσε να πηγάζει τόσο κατασκευαστικά ( αφού η πληροφορία καταγράφεται ασύρματα ) όσο και λόγω του γεγονότος ότι τέτοιου είδους πειράματα δεν λαμβάνουν χώρα σε μονωμένο ηλεκτρομαγνητικά περιβάλλον. Επιπρόσθετα, οι ηλεκτρονικοί υπολογιστές είναι απαραίτητοι προκειμένου να σχεδιαστεί και να εκτελεστεί ένα οποιοδήποτε πείραμα προκλητών δυναμικών και η αξιοπιστία τους ως ένα μεγάλο βαθμό εξαρτάται από αυτούς. Παρόλα αυτά, η πλειοψηφία των ηλεκτρονικών υπολογιστών λόγω του ότι η χρήση τους βρίσκει εφαρμογή σε μια πληθώρα εφαρμογών δεν καθίσταται δυνατό να παρέχει την χρονική ακρίβεια η οποία είναι απαραίτητη σε τέτοιου είδους πειράματα. Σκοπός της παρούσας διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η διερεύνηση του κατά πόσο ένα τέτοιο σύστημα ασύρματης ηλεκτροεγκεφαλογραφίας όπως το Emotiv Epoc σε συνδυασμό με τους ηλεκτρονικούς υπολογιστές τους οποίους έχουμε στην διάθεση μας, μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί σε πειράματα προκλητών δυναμικών σε άτομα με δυσλεξία για την ανάκτηση μετρήσεων μεγάλης ακρίβειας. / In recent years, the low-cost wireless EEG systems have become available, spurred by applications in the game industry. These systems offer a wider and more innovative range of options, for example EEG recordings while in motion and are easier to use so they are suitable for children and special populations. For example such systems can in principle be used for mass screening for early diagnosis of dyslexia, an application of tremendous importance for the individual and society. One of the most advanced such systems is the Emotiv Epoc. The wider and more innovative range of options that EEG systems like the Emotiv Epoc provide cannot however be applied to neuroscience experiments, before some technical limitations are overcome. One such drawback is the higher noise levels compared to clinical devices. The source of the noise could be a manufacturing issue (since the data are recorded wirelessly) or the fact that such experiments do not take place in an environment properly insulated from electromagnetic noise. Moreover, computers are necessary in order to design and execute a protocol for evoked response potentials (ERPs) experiments and the precision of the measurements and specifically issues of timing control depend critically on the computer hardware and software. In clinical and research systems specialized software and hardware for this purpose are available and they are the product of decades of highly specialized work. Very few such software exist today for research and clinical applications with wireless EEG systems in general although some simple tools are beginning to appear. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether a wireless EEG system like the Emotiv Epoc can be used with general-purpose computers to retrieve and record precise measurements in order to successfully conduct ERP experiments in general, focusing for the sake of an explicit example to an application for dyslexia, that is of interest to the host laboratory today.

The ability to correct balance disturbances is essential for maintaining upright stability. Recent literature highlights a potentially important role for the cerebral cortex in controlling compensatory balance reactions. The objective of this research was to provide a more detailed understanding of the specific neurophysiologic events occurring at the cortex following balance disturbances. More specifically, the focus was to determine whether the N1, a cortical potential evoked during balance control, and the error-related negativity (ERN), a cortical potential measured in response to errors during cognitive tasks, have similar cortical representation, revealing a similar link to an error detection mechanism. It was hypothesized that the N1 and ERN would have the same generator located in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Fourteen healthy young adults participated in a balance task (evoked N1) and a flanker task (evoked ERN). Temporally unpredictable perturbations to standing balance were achieved using a lean and release cable system. Electromyography and centre of pressure were measured during the balance task. Reaction times and error rates were measured during the flanker task. Electroencephalography was recorded during both tasks. Source localization was performed in CURRY 6 using a single fixed coherent dipole model to determine the neural generator of the N1 and ERN. The results revealed that the locations of the N1 and ERN dipoles were different. The mean (n=9) distance between N1 and ERN dipoles was 25.46 ± 8.88 mm. The mean Talairach coordinates for the ERN dipole were (6.47 ± 3.08, -4.41 ± 13.15, 41.17 ± 11.63) mm, corresponding to the cingulate gyrus (Brodmann area 24). This represents the ACC, supporting results from previous literature. The mean Talairach coordinates for the N1 dipole were (5.74 ± 3.77, -11.81 ± 10.84, 53.73 ± 7.30) mm, corresponding to the medial frontal gyrus (Brodmann area 6). This is the first work to localize the source of the N1. It is speculated that the generator of the N1 is the supplementary motor area and that it represents the generation of a contingency motor plan to shape the later phases of the compensatory balance response based on sensory feedback from the perturbation.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2006. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 204-214).