Child and adolescent development of the brain oscillatory activity during a working memory task.

The developmental trajectories of brain oscillations during the encoding and maintenance phases of a Working Memory (WM) task were calculated. The Delayed-Match-to-Sample Test (DMTS) was applied to 239 subjects of 6-29 years, while EEG was recorded. The Event-Related Spectral Perturbation (ERSP) was obtained in the range between 1 and 25 Hz during the encoding and maintenance phases. Behavioral parameters of reaction times (RTs) and response accuracy were simultaneously recorded. The results indicate a myriad of transient and sustained bursts of oscillatory activity from low frequencies (1 Hz) to the beta range (up to 19 Hz). Beta and Low-frequency ERSP increases were prominent in the encoding phase in all age groups, while low-frequency ERSP indexed the maintenance phase only in children and adolescents, but not in late adolescents and young adults, suggesting an age-dependent neural mechanism of stimulus trace maintenance. While the latter group showed Beta and Alpha indices of anticipatory attention for the retrieval phase. Mediation analysis showed an important role of early Delta-Theta and late Alpha oscillations for mediation between age and behavioral responses performance. In conclusion, the results show a complex pattern of oscillatory bursts during the encoding and maintenance phases with a consistent pattern of developmental changes.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: An event-related potential study of working memory.

Working memory (WM) impairments have been frequently observed as an important feature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Event-related potential (ERP) differences between ADHD and healthy controls (HC) would be expected during WM task performance. Especially, the so-called slow wave (SW), which is related to the retention process, might present amplitude differences in ADHD. In this ERP study participated twenty-nine ADHD children and adolescents and thirty-four HC. WM performance was assessed using the Working Memory Test Battery for Children (WMTB-C), and ERPs were analyzed with a Delayed Match-To-Sample (DMTS) task. ADHD sample showed worse behavioral performance in both WMTB-C and DMTS task, and higher SW amplitude during the retention phase of the DMTS task. Additionally, the principal component analysis indicated that the scores on the component explaining the centro-parietal SW were significantly different between ADHD subjects and HC. The observed impaired neurophysiological activity during the encoding and retention periods in ADHD, which would be the origin of the behavioral deficits in WM task performance, might be reflecting a delayed maturation of the neural processes underlying the centro-parietal SW.

Development of behavioral parameters and ERPs in a novel-target visual detection paradigm in children, adolescents and young adults.

BACKGROUND: The present study analyzes the development of ERPs related to the process of selecting targets based on their novelty. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-seven subjects from 6 to 26 years old were recorded with 30 electrodes during a visual target novelty paradigm. RESULTS: Behavioral results showed good performance in children that improved with age: a decrease in RTs and errors and an increase in the d' sensitivity parameter with age were obtained. In addition, the C response bias parameter evolved from a conservative to a neutral bias with age. Fronto-polar Selection Positivity (FSP) was statistically significant in all the age groups when standards and targets were compared. There was a statistically significant difference in the posterior Selection Negativity (SN) between the target and standard conditions in all age groups. The P3a component obtained was statistically significant in the emergent adult (18-21 years) and young adult (22-26 years) groups. The modulation of the P3b component by novel targets was statistically significant in all the age groups, but it decreased in amplitude with age. Peak latencies of the FSP and P3b components decreased with age. CONCLUSIONS: The results reveal differences in the ERP indexes for the cognitive evaluation of the stimuli presented, depending on the age of the subjects. The ability of the target condition to induce the modulation of the studied components would depend on the posterior-anterior gradient of cortex maturation and on the gradient of maturation of the low to higher order association areas.

Co-maturation of theta and low-beta rhythms during child development.

The present report examines a possible co-maturation pattern between different frequency ranges on the spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) during development in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. One hundred and sixty-seven subjects, between 6 and 26 years old were recorded during 3 min of spontaneous EEG. The power spectral density (PSD) logarithm was computed. There was a decrease in all frequency band ranges between 1 and 46 Hz. Correlation matrices for these frequencies were computed. A general trend of PSD correlation with neighboring frequencies was obtained. Furthermore, there was a high correlation during development between theta and beta ranges, and between high-beta and gamma frequency ranges. The correlation of theta versus beta was particularly high between the anterior and posterior electrode sites. Principal component analysis allowed the extraction of six components explaining the variance associated with the delta, theta, alpha, low-beta, high-beta and gamma ranges. Interestingly, the component explaining the theta rhythm also explained a fraction of the low-beta rhythm during development. The results suggest a pattern of co-maturation in the PSD of spontaneous EEG between theta and low-beta, and between high-beta and gamma, which would be due to the maturation of neural tissue underlying the sources of different frequencies. The possible functional role of theta-beta co-maturation in fronto-parietal electrode sites is suggested.

Slow wave maturation on a visual working memory task.

The purpose of the present study is to analyze how the Slow Wave develops in the retention period on a visual Delayed Match-to-Sample task performed by 170 subjects between 6 and 26 years old, divided into 5 age groups. In addition, a neuropsychological test (Working Memory Test Battery for Children) was correlated with this Event Related Potential (ERP) in order to observe possible relationships between Slow Wave maturation and the components of Baddeley and Hitch's Working Memory model. The results showed a slow negativity during the retention period in the posterior region in all the age groups, possibly resulting from sustained neural activity related to the visual item presented. In the anterior region, a positive slow wave was observed in the youngest subjects. Dipole analysis suggests that this fronto-central positivity in children (6-13 years old) consists of the positive side of the posterior negativity, once these subjects only needed two posterior dipoles to explain almost all the neural activity. Negative correlations were shown between the Slow Wave and the Working Memory Test Battery for Children, indicating a commonality in assessing Working Memory with the Slow Wave and the neuropsychological testing.

Does emotional valence modulate word recognition? A behavioral study manipulating frequency and arousal.

Effects of emotional valence have been observed in lexical decision tasks, suggesting that valence information modulates early word recognition. However, is still unclear the processing advantage of the different valence categories, and how these advantages might be modulated by word frequency and arousal. To clarify this question, a lexical decision task was designed using emotional words as stimuli. Emotional words were divided into three categories: 60 positive, 60 negative, and 60 neutral words. Word frequency was manipulated into low and high conditions and arousal was controlled among experimental conditions (word valence and frequency). In the first experiment, 54 participants performed the task with a maximum stimuli exposure time of 2000 ms. In a follow-up experiment, 42 participants performed the same task with two shorter fixed time exposures (150 ms and 300 ms). The results were similar between experiments: positive words were recognized faster and negative words were recognized slower than neutral ones. Furthermore, this valence effect was modulated by word frequency, affecting only words that take longer to be recognized (low-frequency words). However, the valence by frequency interaction was attenuated for high-arousal words when the pressure to respond was high (short exposure time - 150 ms). Overall, the results confirm that the emotional status of a word can affect word processing at early stages when automatic processes are taking place.

Developmental trends of theta-beta interelectrode power correlation during resting state in normal children.

The possibility that power-to-power (theta-beta) frequency coupling increases during development was analyzed. Three minutes of spontaneous EEG in an open eyes condition were recorded in a sample of 160 subjects ranging from 6 to 26 years old. Theta (4-7 Hz) and beta band (15-20 Hz) power was calculated in a trial-by-trial basis. Inter-electrode power correlations (IPC) were computed in each subject as the correlation between the power of two frequency bands recorded in two electrodes. An increase in theta-beta IPC with age was obtained. IPCs were higher when theta was seeded in posterior regions than in anterior or central regions. Moreover, the significant correlations between each individual IPC and age were calculated, making it possible to draw IPC versus age correlation maps in order to capture the IPC development topography. An increase was found in significant correlations in the left hemisphere compared to the right hemisphere. There were no differences in the inter-hemispheric versus intra-hemispheric IPC maturation spatial patterns. An increase in power-to-power-frequency coupling in theta-beta occurs during development, suggesting an increase in functional connectivity with age. Frequency coupling between theta and beta rhythms would be one of the mechanisms facilitating integration of long distance functional networks during development.

Developmental trajectories of event related potentials related to working memory.

Working memory is an important cognitive function, and it is crucial to better understand its neurophysiological mechanisms. The developmental trajectories of the Event Related Potentials related to this important function have hardly been studied. However, these ERPs may provide some clues about the individual state of maturation, as has been demonstrated for anatomical brain images. The present study aims to determine the behavioral and neurophysiological development of Working Memory (WM) processes. For this purpose, 170 subjects with ages ranging from 6 to 26 years performed a visual Delayed Match-to-Sample task (DMTS). The RTs, total errors, and Event Related Potentials (ERPs) in the phases of encoding, retention, and matching were obtained. Results revealed a decrease in the amplitude of ERPs with age, paralleled by improved performance on the DMTS task (i.e., shorter RTs and fewer errors). None of these variables were affected by gender. To determine whether memory performance was influenced by the individual pattern of maturation beyond age, the amplitude of the different ERP components was correlated with RT and errors on the WM task after removing the effect of age. Frontal N2 and posterior P1 and the Late Positive Component were the only ERPs that presented significant correlations with behavioral errors. Behavioral performance was predicted by age and by the scores on the first component extracted from Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the ERPs. Age (under 17 years old) explained 85.04% and the PCA component explained 14.96% of the variance explained by the bivariate model predicting behavioral errors (1/age + scores of 1st PCA component). From the age of 17 on, the principal PCA component ceases to be an independent component predicting error performance. The results suggest that the individual maturation of ERP components seems to be of particular importance in controlling behavioral errors in WM, as measured by the DMTS.

Principal Component Analysis of Working Memory Variables during Child and Adolescent Development.

Correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of behavioral measures from two experimental tasks (Delayed Match-to-Sample and Oddball), and standard scores from a neuropsychological test battery (Working Memory Test Battery for Children) was performed on data from participants between 6-18 years old. The correlation analysis (p 1), the scores of the first extracted component were significantly correlated (p < .05) to most behavioral measures, suggesting some commonalities of the processes of age-related changes in the measured variables. The results suggest that this first component would be related to age but also to individual differences during the cognitive maturation process across childhood and adolescence stages. The fourth component would represent the speed-accuracy trade-off phenomenon as it presents loading components with different signs for reaction times and errors.

Electrophysiological Evidence of a Delay in the Visual Recognition Process in Young Children.

The present study analyzes the development of the visual recognition processing of the relevant stimulus in a Delayed Match-To-Sample (DMS) task during the matching phase. To do so, Electroencephalograms of 170 subjects between 6 and 26 years old were recorded. Behavioral responses and Event Related Potentials (ERPs) induced by the stimuli were obtained. Reaction times and errors, mainly omissions, were inversely related to age. The ERPs analysis showed a parietal negativity in the P7 and P8 electrodes when the relevant stimulus was presented in the contralateral site. This negativity resulting from the recognition and selection of the relevant stimulus was present in all age groups. However, the youngest children showed an extended latency in the recognition process. The results suggest that children and adults use similar processes to recognize the item maintained in visual short-term memory (VSTM), but children need more time to successfully recognize the memorized item.

Spontaneous theta rhythm and working memory co-variation during child development.

The present study examines possible relationships between changes in electroencephalogram (EEG) power and in working memory (WM) due to brain maturation. Scores on the phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad and executive components of WM, measured by the Working Memory Test Battery for Children (WMTB-C), were correlated with the power spectral density (PSD) values on the spontaneous EEG from 1 to 46 Hz. In order to control for non-specific processes of visuomotor abilities, the reaction time (RT) variable was measured with an Oddball task. One hundred and sixty seven subjects (82 males and 85 females) between 6 and 26 years old participated in the study. Three minutes of spontaneous EEG were recorded. The WMTB-C and the Oddball task were also administered. The scores on each WM component increased and the RT in the Oddball decreased with age, while PSD values in the different frequencies decreased with age. Significant negative correlations between each of the components and the PSD were obtained. The maximal negative correlations were obtained in the theta (4-7 Hz) range. A bivariate linear model including theta PSD and RT explained most of the WM variance due to age. The results suggest that spontaneous EEG maturation is closely related to WM maturation, particularly in the theta range.

Principal component analysis of working memory variables during child and adolescent development

Correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of behavioral measures from two experimental tasks (Delayed Match-to-Sample and Oddball), and standard scores from a neuropsychological test battery (Working Memory Test Battery for Children) was performed on data from participants between 6-18 years old. The correlation analysis (p < .05) results showed a common maturational trend in working memory performance between these two types of tasks. Applying PCA (Eigenvalues > 1), the scores of the first extracted component were significantly correlated (p < .05) to most behavioral measures, suggesting some commonalities of the processes of age-related changes in the measured variables. The results suggest that this first component would be related to age but also to individual differences during the cognitive maturation process across childhood and adolescence stages. The fourth component would represent the speed-accuracy trade-off phenomenon as it presents loading components with different signs for reaction times and errors (AU)

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