Dietary patterns and smartphone use in adolescents in Korea: A nationally representative cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Diet and smartphone use are daily routines that can affect adolescents' mental health. This study investigated whether the frequency of the consumption of certain foods is associated with the duration of smartphone use and problems caused by smartphone overuse in adolescents. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Food consumption and smartphone use were investigated in 62,276 Korean adolescents aged 12-18 years by using a nationwide self-report survey. Food intake was assessed on a seven-point scale ("never" to "1, 2, and 3 or more times per day") for nine items: fruits, vegetables, milk, soda, energy drinks, sweetened beverages, fast food, instant noodles, and snacks. The durations of smartphone use and problematic use were determined using self-report items. RESULTS: Most respondents (66.5%) used smartphones over 2 hours per day. Higher consumption levels of fruits (F=151.8; p<0.001), vegetables (F=119.9; p<0.001), and milk (F=33.0; p<0.001) were associated with significantly lower smartphone usage, whereas higher consumption levels of soda (F=292.5; p<0.001), energy drinks (F=24.0; p<0.001), sweetened beverages (F=224.8; p<0.001), fast food (F=192.1; p<0.001), instant noodles (F=196.2; p<0.001), and snacks (F=131.6; p<0.001) were positively associated with higher smartphone usage. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide useful clinical information regarding the association between dietary habits and smartphone use in adolescents. Future studies should investigate underlying mechanisms and examine the efficacy of dietary interventions for adolescents with excessive smartphone use.

Theta and Gamma Activity Differences in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Panic Disorder: Insights from Resting-State EEG with eLORETA.

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and panic disorder (PD) are debilitating psychiatric conditions, yet their underlying neurobiological differences remain underexplored. This study aimed to directly compare resting-state EEGs in patients with OCD and PD, without a healthy control group, using the eLORETA method. Methods: We collected retrospective EEG data from 24 OCD patients and 22 PD patients who were hospitalized due to significant impairment in daily life functions. eLORETA was used to analyze the EEG data. Results: Heightened theta activity was observed in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of OCD patients compared to PD patients (PD vs. OCD, t = -2.168, p < 0.05). Conversely, higher gamma activity was found in the medial frontal gyrus (MFG) and paracentral lobule (PCL) in PD patients (PD vs. OCD, t = 2.173, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our findings highlight neurobiological differences between OCD and PD patients. Specifically, the increased theta activity in the ACC for OCD patients and elevated gamma activity in the MFG and PCL for PD patients offer preliminary insights into the neural mechanisms of these disorders. Further studies are essential to validate these results and delve deeper into the neural underpinnings.

Cognitive training based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy neurofeedback for the elderly with mild cognitive impairment: a preliminary study.

Introduction: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is often described as an intermediate stage of the normal cognitive decline associated with aging and dementia. There is a growing interest in various non-pharmacological interventions for MCI to delay the onset and inhibit the progressive deterioration of daily life functions. Previous studies suggest that cognitive training (CT) contributes to the restoration of working memory and that the brain-computer-interface technique can be applied to elicit a more effective treatment response. However, these techniques have certain limitations. Thus, in this preliminary study, we applied the neurofeedback paradigm during CT to increase the working memory function of patients with MCI. Methods: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to provide neurofeedback by measuring the changes in oxygenated hemoglobin in the prefrontal cortex. Thirteen elderly MCI patients who received CT-neurofeedback sessions four times on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) once a week were recruited as participants. Results: Compared with pre-intervention, the activity of the targeted brain region increased when the participants first engaged in the training; after 4 weeks of training, oxygen saturation was significantly decreased in the left dlPFC. The participants demonstrated significantly improved working memory compared with pre-intervention and decreased activity significantly correlated with improved cognitive performance. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the applications for evaluating brain-computer interfaces can aid in elucidation of the subjective mental workload that may create additional or decreased task workloads due to CT.

Comparison of Quantitative Electroencephalography between Tic Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children.

OBJECTIVE: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and tic disorder (TD) are among the most common comorbid psychopathologies and have a shared genetic basis. The psychopathological and neurophysiological aspects of the mechanism underlying the comorbidity of both disorders have been investigated, but the pathophysiological aspects remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the neurophysiological characteristics of ADHD with those of TD using resting-state electroencephalography and exact low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (eLORETA) analysis. METHODS: We performed eLORETA analysis based on the resting-state scalp-recorded electrical potential distribution in 34 children with ADHD and 21 age-matched children with TD. Between-group differences in electroencephalography (EEG) current source density in delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands were investigated in each cortical region. RESULTS: Compared with the TD group, the ADHD group showed significantly increased theta activity in the frontal region (superior frontal gyrus, t = 3.37, p < 0.05; medial frontal gyrus, t = 3.35, p < 0.05). In contrast, children with TD showed decreased posterior alpha activity than those with ADHD (precuneus, t = -3.40, p < 0.05; posterior cingulate gyrus, t = -3.38, p < 0.05). These findings were only significant when the eyes were closed. CONCLUSION: Increased theta activity in the frontal region is a neurophysiological marker that can distinguish ADHD from TD. Also, reduced posterior alpha activity might represent aberrant inhibitory control. Further research needs to confirm these characteristics by simultaneously measuring EEG-functional magnetic resonance imaging.