Simultaneous and independent electroencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging: A multimodal neuroimaging dataset.

We introduce an open access, multimodal neuroimaging dataset comprising simultaneously and independently collected Electroencephalography (EEG) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data from twenty healthy, young male individuals (mean age = 26 years; SD = 3.8 years). The dataset adheres to the BIDS standard specification and is structured into two components: 1) EEG data recorded outside the Magnetic Resonance (MR) environment, inside the MR scanner without image collection and during simultaneous functional MRI acquisition (EEG-fMRI) and 2) Functional MRI data acquired with and without simultaneous EEG recording and structural MRI data obtained with and without the participants wearing the EEG cap. EEG data were recorded with an MR-compatible EEG recording system (GES 400 MR, Electrical Geodesics Inc.) using a 32-channel sponge-based EEG cap (Geodesic Sensor Net). Eyes-closed resting-state EEG data were recorded for two minutes in both the outside and inside scanner conditions and for ten minutes during simultaneous EEG-fMRI. Eyes-open resting-state EEG data were recorded for two minutes under each condition. Participants also performed an eyes opening-eyes closure block-design task outside the scanner (two minutes) and during simultaneous EEG-fMRI (four minutes). The EEG data recorded outside the scanner provides a reference signal devoid of MR-related artifacts. The data collected inside the scanner without image acquisition captures the contribution of the ballistocardiographic (BCG) without the gradient artifact, making it suitable for testing and validating BCG artifact correction methods. The EEG-fMRI data is affected by both the gradient and BCG artifacts. Brain images were acquired using a 3T GE MR750-Discovery MR scanner equipped with a 32-channel head coil. Whole-brain functional images were obtained using a GRE-EPI T2* weighted sequence (TR = 2000 ms, TE = 40 ms, 35 interleaved axial slices with 4 mm isometric voxels). Structural images were acquired using an SPGR sequence (TR = 8.1 ms, TE = 3.2 ms, flip angle = 12°, 176 sagittal slices with 1 mm isometric voxels). This stands as one of the largest open access EEG-fMRI datasets available, which allows researchers to: 1) Assess the impact of gradient and BCG artifacts on EEG data, 2) Evaluate the effectiveness of novel artifact removal techniques to minimize artifact contribution and preserve EEG signal integrity, 3) Conduct hardware/setup comparison studies, 4) Evaluate the quality of structural and functional MRI data obtained with this particular EEG system, and 5) Implement and validate multimodal integrative analysis approaches on simultaneous EEG-fMRI data.

Cerebroplacental ratio as an indicator of placental functioning and its relationship with early communicative gestures acquisition / El índice cerebroplacentario como indicador del funcionamiento placentario y su relación con la adquisición temprana de gestos comunicativos

Background: Gestures are linked to developmental and neurological development. Cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) has proven to be a good predictor of neurological damage within the growth-restricted fetuses’ population. However, its usefulness in the general population has not been studied for this purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of CPR as a predictor of gesture acquisition. Method: A prospective cohort of 35 singleton pregnancies with normally grown fetuses was recruited. Doppler indices for the umbilical artery (UA), middle cerebral artery (MCA) and cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) at 36–40 weeks of gestation were recorded. MacArthur-Bates I Communication Skills Development Questionnaires (SCDI) at 12 (±1) months of age were applied. Based on their gesture performance, they were divided into Normal Scores (NS), and Low Scores (LS). Results: The independent samples t-test analysis revealed a significant difference between the NS group and LS in terms of CPRz scores (t=2.706, p=.011). CPR z-scores values showed a positive correlation with early gesture centiles (R2=0.145, p=.029) and late gesture centiles (R2=0.178, p=.014). Conclusion: CPR within the last weeks of pregnancy could be of potential utility to predict gesture acquisition.(AU)

Antecedentes: Los gestos están relacionados con el desarrollo y el neurodesarrollo. El índice cerebroplacentario (ICP) ha demostrado ser un buen predictor de daño neurológico en la población de fetos con restricción de crecimiento. Sin embargo, su utilidad en la población general no ha sido estudiada con este propósito. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la utilidad del ICP como predictor de la adquisición de gestos. Método: Se reclutó una cohorte prospectiva de 35 embarazos únicos con fetos de crecimiento normal. Se registraron los índices Doppler de la arteria umbilical (UA), la arteria cerebral media (ACM) y el ICP a las 36-40 semanas de gestación. Se aplicaron los Cuestionarios de Desarrollo de Habilidades de Comunicación MacArthur-Bates I (SCDI) a los 12 (+/−1) meses de edad. Con base en el desempeño en gestos, se dividieron en puntajes normales (NS) y puntajes bajos (LS). Resultados: El análisis de prueba t de muestras independientes reveló una diferencia significativa entre el grupo NS y LS en términos de puntajes ICPz (t=2.706, p=.011). Los valores de las puntuaciones z del ICP mostraron una correlación positiva con los percentiles de gestos tempranos (R2=.145, p=.029) y percentiles de gestos tardíos (R2=.178, p=.014). Conclusión: El ICP en las últimas semanas de embarazo podría tener una utilidad potencial para predecir la adquisición de gestos.(AU)

Attentional impairment in Parkinson's disease is modulated by side of onset: Neurophysiological evidence.

OBJECTIVE: Neurophysiological studies exploring involuntary attention have reported that electroencephalographic (EEG) measures can indicate impaired neural processing from initial stages of Parkinson's disease (PD). Since involuntary attention is regulated by right hemisphere networks and PD generally initiates its motor symptomatology unilaterally, whether involuntary attention is impaired depending on the onset side of PD remains unknown. METHODS: We compared the neurophysiological correlates of involuntary attention among a PD group with left-side onset (L-PD), a PD group with right-side onset (R-PD) symptomatology, and a healthy control group (HC). All participants performed an auditory involuntary attention task while a digital EEG was recorded. RESULTS: Our main finding was a reduction both in the P3a amplitude and evoked delta-theta phase alignment in the L-PD group compared to the HC. Further, there was a significant correlation between P3a amplitude and disease duration in the R-PD, but not in the L-PD group. Behaviorally, both clinical groups, and in particular L-PD, showed reduced orientation towards novel stimuli, and no reduction of distraction effects during the experiment. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that involuntary attention is differentially impaired in patients with left side onset of symptoms. Involuntary attention impairment might be present from initial stages of left onset PD and become progressively compromised in patients with right onset PD. SIGNIFICANCE: The onset side of symptomatology should be considered for attentional impairment in PD.

EEG effective connectivity during the first year of life mirrors brain synaptogenesis, myelination, and early right hemisphere predominance.

INTRODUCTION: The maturation of electroencephalogram (EEG) effective connectivity in healthy infants during the first year of life is described. METHODS: Participants: A cross-sectional sample of 125 healthy at-term infants, from 0 to 12 months of age, underwent EEG in a state of quiet sleep. PROCEDURES: The EEG primary currents at the source were described with the sLoreta method. An unmixing algorithm was applied to reduce the leakage, and the isolated effective coherence, a direct and directed measurement of information flow, was calculated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Initially, the highest indices of connectivity are at the subcortical nuclei, continuing to the parietal lobe, predominantly the right hemisphere, then expanding to temporal, occipital, and finally the frontal areas, which is consistent with the myelination process. Age-related connectivity changes were mostly long-range and bilateral. Connections increased with age, mainly in the right hemisphere, while they mainly decreased in the left hemisphere. Increased connectivity from 20 to 30 Hz, mostly at the right hemisphere. These findings were consistent with right hemisphere predominance during the first three years of life. Theta and alpha connections showed the greatest changes with age. Strong connectivity was found between the parietal, temporal, and occipital regions to the frontal lobes, responsible for executive functions and consistent with behavioral development during the first year. The thalamus exchanges information bidirectionally with all cortical regions and frequency bands. CONCLUSIONS: The maturation of EEG connectivity during the first year in healthy infants is very consistent with synaptogenesis, reductions in synaptogenesis, myelination, and functional and behavioral development.

Preservation of EEG spectral power features during simultaneous EEG-fMRI.

Introduction: Electroencephalographic (EEG) data quality is severely compromised when recorded inside the magnetic resonance (MR) environment. Here we characterized the impact of the ballistocardiographic (BCG) artifact on resting-state EEG spectral properties and compared the effectiveness of seven common BCG correction methods to preserve EEG spectral features. We also assessed if these methods retained posterior alpha power reactivity to an eyes closure-opening (EC-EO) task and compared the results from EEG-informed fMRI analysis using different BCG correction approaches. Method: Electroencephalographic data from 20 healthy young adults were recorded outside the MR environment and during simultaneous fMRI acquisition. The gradient artifact was effectively removed from EEG-fMRI acquisitions using Average Artifact Subtraction (AAS). The BCG artifact was corrected with seven methods: AAS, Optimal Basis Set (OBS), Independent Component Analysis (ICA), OBS followed by ICA, AAS followed by ICA, PROJIC-AAS and PROJIC-OBS. EEG signal preservation was assessed by comparing the spectral power of traditional frequency bands from the corrected rs-EEG-fMRI data with the data recorded outside the scanner. We then assessed the preservation of posterior alpha functional reactivity by computing the ratio between the EC and EO conditions during the EC-EO task. EEG-informed fMRI analysis of the EC-EO task was performed using alpha power-derived BOLD signal predictors obtained from the EEG signals corrected with different methods. Results: The BCG artifact caused significant distortions (increased absolute power, altered relative power) across all frequency bands. Artifact residuals/signal losses were present after applying all correction methods. The EEG reactivity to the EC-EO task was better preserved with ICA-based correction approaches, particularly when using ICA feature extraction to isolate alpha power fluctuations, which allowed to accurately predict hemodynamic signal fluctuations during the EEG-informed fMRI analysis. Discussion: Current software solutions for the BCG artifact problem offer limited efficiency to preserve the EEG spectral power properties using this particular EEG setup. The state-of-the-art approaches tested here can be further refined and should be combined with hardware implementations to better preserve EEG signal properties during simultaneous EEG-fMRI. Existing and novel BCG artifact correction methods should be validated by evaluating signal preservation of both ERPs and spontaneous EEG spectral power.

Two rTMS sessions per week: a practical approach for treating major depressive disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Depression is one of the leading causes of disability in the world, and a disease that contributes greatly to the global burden of disease. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has proven to be a well-tolerated, effective treatment for depression. The present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of an rTMS treatment scheme with a fewer number of sessions per week. METHODS: In total 91 adult university students with major depressive disorder (MDD). This was a double-blind, randomized clinical trial in which 15 sessions of rTMS were given to each one of two treatment groups made up of adults with active MDD. One treatment group received two sessions per week, the other received five. The study protocol included their respective sham rTMS groups. The patients who received active rTMS also participated in a follow-up procedure that consisted of two sessions of active rTMS per month for three more months. RESULTS: Measurements by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) showed that the groups which received active rTMS had higher percentages of antidepressant response at 96 and 95.5% for five and two sessions/week, respectively, compared to the sham rTMS groups: 27.3 and 4.5% for five and two sessions/week, respectively. Observations at the end of the 3-month follow-up phase showed that the improvements in HAMD scores were maintained in both groups. CONCLUSION: This study contributes to demonstrating that rTMS with a more practical schedule of two sessions/week is an effective antidepressant treatment that could be considered the first choice for managing symptoms of depression.

Improvement in borderline personality disorder symptomatology after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex: preliminary results

Objective: Current treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD) involves psychological and pharmacological interventions. However, neuromodulation techniques such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may positively affect BPD symptomatology. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical and neuropsychological effects of rTMS on the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) in BPD patients. Methods: Fourteen patients with BPD were randomized into two groups (active vs. sham) for 15 sessions of rTMS on the DMPFC. Clinical effects were measured using the Borderline Symptoms List (BSL), Clinical Global Impression Scale for BPD (CGI-BPD), Borderline Evaluation of Severity over Time (BEST), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), and Barratt's Impulsiveness Scale (BIS). Neuropsychological effects were determined by a Stop-Signal Task (SST), the Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test (WCST), and the Iowa Gambling Test (IGT). Results: Within-group comparison showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in CGI-BPD (total score and six of nine psychopathologic domains), BEST, HDRS, HARS, and IGT scores for active modality. Conclusion: The 5 Hz-DMPFC rTMS technique was well tolerated and lessened the severity of BPD symptomatology, especially abandonment, affective issues, interpersonal relationships, suicidal behavior, anger, and paranoid ideation. Cognitive improvement was seen in decision-making. Additional studies are needed to fully evaluate the effects of rTMS on BPD symptomatology. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT03832777.

Frontal functional connectivity and disease duration interactively predict cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive decline does not always follow a predictable course in Parkinson's disease (PD), with some patients remaining stable while others meet criteria for dementia from early stages. Functional connectivity has been proposed as a good correlate of cognitive decline in PD, although it has not been explored whether the association between this connectivity and cognitive ability is influenced by disease duration, which was our objective. METHODS: We included 30 patients with PD and 15 healthy controls (HC). Six cognitive domains were estimated based on neuropsychological assessment. Phase-based connectivity at frontal and posterior cortical regions was estimated from a resting EEG. RESULTS: The PD group showed significant impairment for the executive, visuospatial, and language domains compared with HC. Increased connectivity at frontal regions was also found in the PD group. Frontal delta and theta connectivity negatively influenced general cognition and visuospatial performance, but this association was moderated by disease duration, with increased connectivity predicting worse performance after 8 years of disease duration. CONCLUSION: Subtle neurophysiological changes underlie cognitive decline along PD progression, especially around a decade after motor symptoms onset. SIGNIFICANCE: Connectivity of EEG slow waves at frontal regions might be used as a predictor of cognitive decline in PD.

Improvement in borderline personality disorder symptomatology after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex: preliminary results.

OBJECTIVE: Current treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD) involves psychological and pharmacological interventions. However, neuromodulation techniques such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may positively affect BPD symptomatology. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical and neuropsychological effects of rTMS on the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) in BPD patients. METHODS: Fourteen patients with BPD were randomized into two groups (active vs. sham) for 15 sessions of rTMS on the DMPFC. Clinical effects were measured using the Borderline Symptoms List (BSL), Clinical Global Impression Scale for BPD (CGI-BPD), Borderline Evaluation of Severity over Time (BEST), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), and Barratt's Impulsiveness Scale (BIS). Neuropsychological effects were determined by a Stop-Signal Task (SST), the Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test (WCST), and the Iowa Gambling Test (IGT). RESULTS: Within-group comparison showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in CGI-BPD (total score and six of nine psychopathologic domains), BEST, HDRS, HARS, and IGT scores for active modality. CONCLUSION: The 5 Hz-DMPFC rTMS technique was well tolerated and lessened the severity of BPD symptomatology, especially abandonment, affective issues, interpersonal relationships, suicidal behavior, anger, and paranoid ideation. Cognitive improvement was seen in decision-making. Additional studies are needed to fully evaluate the effects of rTMS on BPD symptomatology. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03832777.

Características clínicas, neuropsicológicos y psicofisiológicos del trastorno por atracón: Resultados preliminares / Clinical, neuropsychological and psychophysiological features of binge eating disorder: Preliminary results

Resumen El trastorno por atracón (TA) es una condición compleja en la que se han descrito diferentes aspectos clínicos y fallas neuropsicológicas en los sujetos que lo padecen. En este estudio se compararon variables clínicas (VC), neuropsicológicas (VNPS) y psicofisiológicas (VPFS) entre participantes sanos (n = 15) y con TA (n = 15) evaluados en la [Omitido por el editor]. Las VC incluyeron el inventario del anhelo por el consumo de alimentos (IACA), sintomatología depresiva (SD), ansiedad (SA) e impulsividad. Se utilizaron la Tarea de Cartas de Wisconsin para evaluar flexibilidad cognitiva (FC) y la Tarea de Señal de Alto para control inhibitorio (CI) dentro de las VNPS; en las VPFS se obtuvo la variabilidad de la frecuencia cardiaca (VFC) durante una prueba de exposición a imágenes de alimentos. Los resultados muestran que los participantes con TA obtuvieron puntuaciones mayores en los instrumentos IACA (p < .0001), SD (p < .0001) y SA (p < .0001); mientras que en las VNPS mostraron fallas en la FC con incremento en el porcentaje de errores totales (p = .01), errores perseverativos (p = .03) y CI (p = .004). Para las VPFS se encontró una reducción de la VFC (p < .0001) en aquellos participantes con TA.

Abstract Binge eating disorder (BED) is a complex condition in which different clinical aspects and neuropsychological faults have been treated in subjects who have it. In this study, clinical (VC), neuropsychological (VNPS) and psychophysiological (VPFS) variables were compared between healthy participants (n = 15) and with BED (n = 15) evaluated in the medicine school of the Autonomous University of Querétaro. The VC included the evaluation of the food craving scale (FCS), depressive symptomatology (DS), anxiety (AS) and impulsivity. It is used in the Wisconsin Cards Sorting Test for Cognitive Flexibility (CF) and the Stop Signal Task for Inhibitory Control (IC) within the VNPS; In the VPFS, the heart rate variability (HRV) was obtained during an exposure test to food images. The results showed that the participants obtained high scores in the evaluation instruments for FCS (p < .0001), SD (p < .0001) and SA (p < .0001); whereas in the VNPS it failed in the FC with an increase in the percentage of total errors (p = .01), perseverative errors (p = .03) and CI (p = .004). For the VPFS, a reduction in HRV (p < .0001) was found in those participants with AT.

Week-by-week changes in sleep EEG in healthy full-term newborns.

Spectral analysis of neonatal sleep is useful for studying brain maturation; however, most studies have analyzed conventional broad bands described for awake adults, so a distinct approach for EEG analysis may disclose new findings. STUDY OBJECTIVES: To extract independent EEG broad bands using principal component analysis (PCA) and describe week-by-week EEG changes in quiet sleep (QS) and active sleep (AS) during the first 5 weeks of postnatal life in healthy, full-term newborns. METHODS: Polysomnography of spontaneous sleep was recorded in 60 newborns in 5 groups at 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45 weeks (n = 12 each) postconceptional age (POST-C). QS and AS stages were identified. Absolute power (AP) for 1 Hz bins between 1 and 30 Hz was subjected to PCA to extract independent broad bands. RESULTS: PCA rendered three independent broad bands distinct from conventional bands. They explained 82.8% of variance: 2-10 Hz, 10-16 Hz, and 17-30 Hz. ANOVAs (group × age × derivations) showed significant higher power at 2-10 Hz with greater age, higher power in QS than AS in all three bands, and significantly higher AP in the left central region, and in the right occipital and temporal areas, in both sleep stages. CONCLUSION: A different method of analyzing sleep EEG generated new information on brain maturation. The Sigma frequencies identified suggest that sleep spindle maturation begins by at least 41 weeks of POST-C age. Interhemispheric asymmetries during sleep suggest earlier development of the central left region and the right occipital and temporal areas.

How to Obtain Reliable Visual Event-related Potentials in Newborns.

The present study discusses the characteristics of visual event-related potentials (VEPs) and outlines methodological steps for obtaining reliable measurements in newborns. Obtaining high-quality, reliable VEPs is crucial for the early detection of abnormal development of the central nervous system in at-risk newborns, and for implementing successful early interventions. Recommendations are based on a previous study which showed that when post-conceptional age, polysomnography-identified sleep stages, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) googles as the luminous source are controlled, no more than 4 repetitions of VEP averages are required to obtain replicable recordings, variability decreases, and reliable VEPs can be obtained. By controlling for these sources of variability and using statistical analyses, we were able to clearly and reliably identify the amplitude and latency of three main components (NII, PII and NIII) present in 100% of newborns (n = 20) during active sleep. Recording VEPs during awake states, quiet sleep and transitional sleep is not recommended because VEP morphology may differ significantly from one average to the next, leading to the risk of misleading clinical prognoses. Moreover, it is easier to obtain VEPs during active sleep because this state can be clearly and reliably identified at this stage of development, sleep cycles are short enough to allow measurements to be taken in a reasonable time, and the method does not require new o expensive equipment.

Auditory mismatch detection, distraction, and attentional reorientation (MMN-P3a-RON) in neurological and psychiatric disorders: A review.

Involuntary attention allows for the detection and processing of novel and potentially relevant stimuli that lie outside of cognitive focus. These processes comprise change detection in sensory contexts, automatic orientation toward this change, and the selection of adaptive responses, including reorientation to the original goal in cases when the detected change is not relevant for task demands. These processes have been studied using the Event-Related Potential (ERP) technique and have been associated to the Mismatch Negativity (MMN), the P3a, and the Reorienting Negativity (RON) electrophysiological components, respectively. This has allowed for the objective evaluation of the impact of different neuropsychiatric pathologies on involuntary attention. Additionally, these ERP have been proposed as alternative measures for the early detection of disease and the tracking of its progression. The objective of this review was to integrate the results reported to date about MMN, P3a, and RON in different neurological and psychiatric disorders. We included experimental studies with clinical populations that reported at least two of these three components in the same experimental paradigm. Overall, involuntary attention seems to reflect the state of cognitive integrity in different pathologies in adults. However, if the main goal for these ERP is to consider them as biomarkers, more research about their pathophysiological specificity in each disorder is needed, as well as improvement in the general experimental conditions under which these components are elicited. Nevertheless, these ERP represent a valuable neurophysiological tool for early detection and follow-up of diverse clinical populations.

Brain oscillations reveal impaired novelty detection from early stages of Parkinson's disease.

The identification of reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis and progression tracking of neurodegenerative diseases has become an important objective in clinical neuroscience in the last years. The P3a event-related potential, considered as the neurophysiological hallmark of novelty detection, has been shown to be reduced in Parkinson's disease (PD) and proposed as a sensitive measure for illness duration and severity. Our aim for this study was to explore for the first time whether impaired novelty detection could be observed through phase- and time-locked brain oscillatory activity at early PD. Twenty-seven patients with idiopathic PD at early stages (disease duration <5 years and Hoehn and Yahr stage <3) were included. A healthy control group (n = 24) was included as well. All participants performed an auditory involuntary attention task including frequent and deviant tones while a digital EEG was obtained. A neuropsychological battery was administered as well. Time-frequency representations of power and phase-locked oscillations and P3a amplitudes were compared between groups. We found a significant reduction of power and phase locking of slow oscillations (3-7 Hz) for deviant tones in the PD group compared to controls in the P3a time range (300-550 ms). Also, reduced modulation of late induced (not phase locked) alpha-beta oscillations (400-650 ms, 8-25 Hz) was observed in the PD group after deviant tones onset. The P3a amplitude was predicted by years of evolution in the PD group. Finally, while phase-locked slow oscillations were associated with task behavioral distraction effects, induced alpha-beta activity was related to cognitive flexibility performance. Our results show that novelty detection impairment can be identified in neurophysiological terms from very early stages of PD, and such impairment increases linearly as the disease progresses. Also, induced alpha-beta oscillations underlying novelty detection are related to executive functioning.

Influencia del estatus socioeconómico sobre variables cognitivas y electroencefalográficas en escolares con riesgo de daño cerebral / Influence of socioeconomic status on cognitive and electroencephalographic variables school children at risk

Introducción: el estatus socioeconómico puede impactar sobre la cognición y la actividad eléctrica cerebral de los niños, por la influencia que tiene sobre el desarrollo durante etapas tempranas. Objetivo: evaluar la asociación de variables socioeconómicas, con alteraciones cognitivas y electroencefalográficas, en un grupo de niños escolares con riesgo de daño cerebral. Métodos: se estudiaron 42 niños mexicanos, de 6-7 años de edad. Se realizó un estudio socioeconómico a los padres y los niños fueron evaluados mediante la Evaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil (subpruebas de lectura-escritura y escala de signos neurológicos blandos), la Escala de Inteligencia de Wechsler para Niños, la Escala de Conners para Padres-Revisada y un electroencefalograma en diferentes edades. Resultados: con las variables socioeconómicas y, mediante un análisis de conglomerados, se encontraron 3 grupos que mostraban una adecuada diferenciación académica y económica entre sí. Por el método de clasificación basado en regresiones dispersas, se identificaron las variables que diferenciaban significativamente a los 3 grupos: problemas sociales, cognitivos, síntomas inatento, índice TDAH (Trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad, Escala de Conners para Padres-Revisada), lectura de palabras, comprensión en lectura de oraciones, dictado de sílabas, precisión de lectura en voz alta, lectura de sílabas, dictado de no palabras, movimiento de oposición digital, agarre de lápiz (Evaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil) y primer electroencefalograma normal. Conclusiones: el grupo con más desventajas socioeconómicas tuvo un peor desempeño en la lectoescritura y mayor prevalencia de actividad paroxística no epileptiforme; mientras que, el grupo con mayores ventajas socioeconómicas, mostró mejor desempeño en estas habilidades, mayor proporción de electroencefalogramas normales y una tendencia hacia problemas de atención(AU)

Introduction: the socioeconomic status can impact on the cognition and electrical brain activity of children due to the influence it has on the development during early stages. Objective: to evaluate the association of socioeconomic variables with cognitive and electroencephalographic alterations, in a group of school children at risk of brain damage. Methods: 42 Mexican children in the ages from 6 to 7 years old were studied. A socioeconomic study was conducted on the parents, and the children were evaluated through the Child Neuropsychological Assessment (reading-writing subtests and the scale of neurological soft signs), the Wechsler´s Intelligence Scale for Children, the Conners´ Scale for Parents-Revised and an electroencephalogram in different ages. Results: with the socioeconomic variables and by means of an analysis of conglomerate, 3 groups were found that showed an adequate academic and economic differentiation among themselves. By the classification method based on scattered regressions were identified variables that significantly differentiated the 3 groups: social and cognitive problems, inattentive symptoms, ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, Conners Scale for Parents-Revised), reading of words, comprehension in reading of sentences, dictation of syllables, accuracy of reading aloud, reading of syllables, dictation of non words, movement of digital opposition, pencil´s grip (Neuropsychological Evaluation of Children) and first normal electroencephalogram. Conclusions: the group with more socioeconomic disadvantages had a worse performance in reading and writing and a higher prevalence of non-epileptiform paroxysmal activity; whereas, the group with the greatest socioeconomic advantages showed a better performance in these skills, a greater proportion of normal electroencephalograms and a tendency towards attention problems(AU)

Influencia del estatus socioeconómico sobre variables cognitivas y electroencefalográficas en escolares con riesgo de daño cerebral / Influence of socioeconomic status on cognitive and electroencephalographic variables school children at risk

Introducción: el estatus socioeconómico puede impactar sobre la cognición y la actividad eléctrica cerebral de los niños, por la influencia que tiene sobre el desarrollo durante etapas tempranas. Objetivo: evaluar la asociación de variables socioeconómicas, con alteraciones cognitivas y electroencefalográficas, en un grupo de niños escolares con riesgo de daño cerebral. Métodos: se estudiaron 42 niños mexicanos, de 6-7 años de edad. Se realizó un estudio socioeconómico a los padres y los niños fueron evaluados mediante la Evaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil (subpruebas de lectura-escritura y escala de signos neurológicos blandos), la Escala de Inteligencia de Wechsler para Niños, la Escala de Conners para Padres-Revisada y un electroencefalograma en diferentes edades. Resultados: con las variables socioeconómicas y, mediante un análisis de conglomerados, se encontraron 3 grupos que mostraban una adecuada diferenciación académica y económica entre sí. Por el método de clasificación basado en regresiones dispersas, se identificaron las variables que diferenciaban significativamente a los 3 grupos: problemas sociales, cognitivos, síntomas inatento, índice TDAH (Trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad, Escala de Conners para Padres-Revisada), lectura de palabras, comprensión en lectura de oraciones, dictado de sílabas, precisión de lectura en voz alta, lectura de sílabas, dictado de no palabras, movimiento de oposición digital, agarre de lápiz (Evaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil) y primer electroencefalograma normal. Conclusiones: el grupo con más desventajas socioeconómicas tuvo un peor desempeño en la lectoescritura y mayor prevalencia de actividad paroxística no epileptiforme; mientras que, el grupo con mayores ventajas socioeconómicas, mostró mejor desempeño en estas habilidades, mayor proporción de electroencefalogramas normales y una tendencia hacia problemas de atención(AU)

Introduction: the socioeconomic status can impact on the cognition and electrical brain activity of children due to the influence it has on the development during early stages. Objective: to evaluate the association of socioeconomic variables with cognitive and electroencephalographic alterations, in a group of school children at risk of brain damage. Methods: 42 Mexican children in the ages from 6 to 7 years old were studied. A socioeconomic study was conducted on the parents, and the children were evaluated through the Child Neuropsychological Assessment (reading-writing subtests and the scale of neurological soft signs), the Wechsler´s Intelligence Scale for Children, the Conners´ Scale for Parents-Revised and an electroencephalogram in different ages. Results: with the socioeconomic variables and by means of an analysis of conglomerate, 3 groups were found that showed an adequate academic and economic differentiation among themselves. By the classification method based on scattered regressions were identified variables that significantly differentiated the 3 groups: social and cognitive problems, inattentive symptoms, ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, Conners Scale for Parents-Revised), reading of words, comprehension in reading of sentences, dictation of syllables, accuracy of reading aloud, reading of syllables, dictation of non words, movement of digital opposition, pencil´s grip (Neuropsychological Evaluation of Children) and first normal electroencephalogram. Conclusions: the group with more socioeconomic disadvantages had a worse performance in reading and writing and a higher prevalence of non-epileptiform paroxysmal activity; whereas, the group with the greatest socioeconomic advantages showed a better performance in these skills, a greater proportion of normal electroencephalograms and a tendency towards attention problems(AU)

Uso del Inventario de Habilidades Comunicativas de MacArthur-Bates con lactantes en riesgo de daño cerebral / Use of the MacArthur-Bates-Communicative-Inventory with infants at risk of brain damage

Introducción. Existen escasas pruebas conductuales validadas para hispanoparlantes que incluyen dentro de sus normas lactantes normo-oyentes con riesgo de daño cerebral perinatal. Sin medidas conductuales validadas, los clínicos usan pruebas que no están normadas para esta población, como el Inventario de Habilidades Comunicativas MacArthur-Bates (SCDI). Estudios electrofisiológicos han mostrado que las subpruebas comprensión y producción de palabras de dicho inventario tienen un alto poder discriminante en estas poblaciones en riesgo cuando se ajusta la norma de la prueba al percentil 50. Se examinó dicha norma ajustada en la práctica clínica. Método. Diseño de un solo grupo y selección de la muestra semialeatoria. Se seleccionaron 30 niños con factores de riesgo de daño cerebral perinatal de la Unidad de investigación en Neurodesarrollo a los que se les hubiera aplicado el inventario al año de edad y la Escala de Lenguaje Preescolar (PLS-5) entre los 3 y 4 años. Se comparó la proporción de niños identificados con alteraciones en el desarrollo del lenguaje por la PLS-5 entre los 3-4 años con la proporción de niños identificados con riesgo por el SCDI al año de edad usando la norma sin ajustar y la norma ajustada. Resultados. La norma ajustada del SCDI permitió identificar una proporción de niños con riesgo del lenguaje al año de edad similar a la proporción que se identificó con alteraciones entre los 3 y 4 años. Conclusión. Debería considerarse una norma ajustada cuando se examinen poblaciones con riesgo de daño cerebral usando el Inventario SCDI al año de edad

Introduction. There are few validated language test for Spanish speakers that cover normo-listeners infants at risk of brain damage. Without validated behavioural measures, clinicians use test that are not standardised for this population, such as the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Skills Inventory (SCDI). Electrophysiological studies have shown that the comprehension and word production sub-test of such inventory have high discriminatory power in these at-risk populations when the test standard is adjusted to the 50th percentile. This adjusted standard was examined in clinical practice. Methods. Design of a single group and selection of the semi-random sample. We selected 30 infants at risk of brain damage from the Neurodevelopment Research Unit to which the Inventory at one year old and the Preschool Language Scale (PLS-5) were applied between the ages of 3 and 4 years. We compared the proportion of children identified with language developmental impairments by PLS-5 between the ages of 3-4 with the proportion of children identified at risk by SCDI at one year of age using the non-adjusted norm and adjusted norm. Results. The adjusted SCDI standard allowed the identification of a proportion of infants at risk of brain damage and also at risk of language development impairments at one year of age, similar to the proportion that was identified with impairments between 3 and 4 years. Conclusion. An adjusted norm should be considered when examining infants at risk of brain damage using the SCDI Inventory at one year of age

Los padres como promotores del desarrollo de lenguaje de bebés prematuros: propuesta de intervención temprana / Parents as Promoters of Language Development in Premature Babies: a Proposal for Early intervention

Resumen Objetivo: Comparar dos sistemas de puntuación para un test de fluidez verbal con el Modelo de Escalas de Calificación. Método: Se analizaron datos de 289 participantes, de los cuales 92 habían sido diagnosticados con Parkinson. Las puntuaciones se calcularon con dos sistemas de categorización: un procedimiento convencional y otro basado en percentiles. Resultados: Las puntuaciones Rasch procedentes de percentiles dan lugar a categorías adecuadas y medidas fiables; la correlación con las puntuaciones del test Minimental es evidencia de validez concurrente. Tras controlar estadísticamente el efecto de la edad, las medidas Rasch procedentes de percentiles discriminan entre ambos grupos, lo que evidencia validez predictiva. Conclusiones: El análisis de los dos procedimientos permite recomendar el uso de las categorías basadas en percentiles.

Abstract Objective: Two scoring systems for a verbal fluency test were compared using the Rasch Rating Scale Model. Method: The analysis was carried out on 289 participants, 92 of whom had had a Parkinson's disease diagnosis. Scores were calculated with two different category systems: a conventional procedure and a percentile-based one. Results: The percentile-based Rasch scores produce adequate categories and reliable measures, while the correlation with the Mini Mental State Examination evinces concurrent validity. After statistically controlling for age, percentile-based Rasch measures discriminated between both groups, demonstrating predictive validity. Conclusions: The analysis of the two procedures allows for the recommendation of the use of percentile-based categories.

Visual evoked potentials are similar in polysomnographically defined quiet and active sleep in healthy newborns.

Morphology and late components of evoked potentials change depending on wake-sleep stages in adults. Visual Evoked potentials (VEPs) have been frequently studied in newborns to identify abnormal development of visual pathways; however, large variability has been reported and there is uncertainty as to the effect of sleep stages on VEPs in neonates. OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of VEPs in one month old, healthy full-term newborns during active sleep (AS) and quiet sleep (QS), defined by simultaneous polysomnography (PSG). METHODS: VEPs were obtained by monocular LEDs stimulation of each eye during AS and QS, in 20 healthy full-term newborns (gestational age 37-40 weeks) with normal birth weights and normal prenatal Doppler ultrasound indices. Latencies and amplitudes of N2, P2 and N3 components in AS and QS were compared, and their association with absolute power of EEG frequency bands, assessed. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in VEP morphology, latencies and amplitudes between sleep states. Typical wave forms were obtained in all newborns in AS; however, no VEPs could be identified clearly in 3 newborns in QS; QS VEPs were less reliable than in AS: more averaging was required; correlation was significantly lower between the VEP averages; and a larger number of babies needed more than two averages to obtain replicable responses needed for clinical purposes. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that changes in amplitude and latency of some VEP components observed in NREM and REM sleep in adults are not yet present in one month old newborns probably due to immaturity of cortical and sleep mechanisms. VEPs are more reliable during AS than QS in newborns. Systematic VEP recording during AS, and polysomnographic control to identify this stage, are highly recommended as methods that can increase there liability of neonatal VEPs.

Clinical improvement in patients with borderline personality disorder after treatment with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation: preliminary results

Objective: Current treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD) consists of psychotherapy and pharmacological interventions. However, the use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could be beneficial to improve some BPD symptoms. The objective of this study was to evaluate clinical improvement in patients with BPD after application of rTMS over the right or left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Method: Twenty-nine patients with BPD from the National Institute of Psychiatry, Mexico, were randomized in two groups to receive 15 sessions of rTMS applied over the right (1 Hz, n=15) or left (5 Hz, n=14) DLPFC. Improvement was measured by the Clinical Global Impression Scale for BPD (CGI-BPD), Borderline Evaluation of Severity Over Time (BEST), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS). Results: Intragroup comparison showed significant (p < 0.05) reductions in every psychopathologic domain of the CGI-BPD and in the total scores of all scales in both groups. Conclusions: Both protocols produced global improvement in severity and symptoms of BPD, particularly in impulsiveness, affective instability, and anger. Further studies are warranted to explore the therapeutic effect of rTMS in BPD. Clinical trial registration: NCT02273674.