A. Urbano

Abnormalities of short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials in Parkinsonian patients

Twenty-two patients (16 affected by parkinsonian syndromes, 6 by other neurological diseases) and 12 age-matched controls were examined. Short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded from 30 scalp electrodes in the 45-52 msec following separate left and right median nerve stimulation at the wrist. Bit-colour maps were generated on a 4096 pixel matrix via quadratic interpolation. Peak latencies and amplitudes of the parietal, central and frontal components were evaluated. Moreover, the amplitude ratios between parietal and frontal components on the same hemiscalp and between peaks on homologous right and left scalp districts were taken into account. The unique significant difference between parkinsonians and controls was represented by a depressed frontal N30 wave. This peak was absent in 3 and reduced in 7 out of 16 parkinsonians, with an overall abnormality rate of 47% of the examined arms. Average maps pooling data of parkinsonians and controls confirmed the presence of reduced evoked activity for the whole duration of wave N30 on those mid- and parasagittal frontal districts where this peak is maximally represented in normals. A similar abnormality was found in 1 of the 6 non-parkinsonian neurological patients suffering from a meningioma of the falx compressing the left supplementary motor area. Possible pathophysiology of such wave N30 abnormalities in parkinsonians is discussed.

High resolution EEG: A new model-dependent spatial deblurring method using a realistically-shaped MR-constructed subject's head model

This paper presents a new model-dependent method for the spatial deblurring of scalp-recorded EEG potentials based on boundary-element and cortical imaging techniques. This model-dependent spatial deblurring (MDSD) method used MR images for the reconstruction of the subjects head model, and a layer of 364 radially-oriented equivalent current dipoles as a source model. The validation of the MDSD method was performed on simulated potential distributions generated from equivalent dipoles oriented radially, obliquely, and tangentially to the head surface. Furthermore, this method was used to localize neocortical sources of human movement-related and somatosensory-evoked potentials. It was shown that the new MDSD method improved markedly the spatial resolution of the simulated surface potentials and scalp-recorded event-related potentials. The spatial information content of the scalp-recorded EEG potentials increased progressively by increasing the spatial sampling from 28 to 128 channels. These results indicate that the new method could be satisfactorily used for high resolution EEG studies.

Performances of surface Laplacian estimators: A study of simulated and real scalp potential distributions

SummaryThis paper presents a study of the performance of various local and spherical spline methods currently in use for the surface Laplacian (SL) estimate of scalp potential distributions. The SL was estimated from simulated instantaneous event-related scalp potentials generated over a three-shell spherical head model. Laplacian estimators used planar and spherical scalp models. Noise of increasing magnitude and spatial frequency was added to the potential distributions in order to simulate noise presumed to contaminate scalp-recorded event-related potentials. A comparison of noise effects on various Laplacian estimates was made for increasing number of “electrode” positions in variants of the 10–20 system. Furthermore, to evaluate the error due to the use of unrealistic scalp models, the matching between SL estimates of human scalp-recorded movement-related potentials computed on spherical and realistically-shaped MRI-constructed models of the scalp was examined. With all methods the error of the SL estimate increased proportionally with the magnitude and spatial frequency of noise. Increased number of “electrodes” up to 256 significantly reduced the error (p<0.05). In general, the best SL estimates were computed by second and third order splines including λ correction, the performances of the second order spline being better with more than 64 “electrodes”. Compared with spline Lapladans, the best local methods provided nearly equal estimates with low spatial sampling (19 and 28 “electrodes”), as well as high spatial frequency noise. The error of the SL estimate due to unrealistic scalp model was significant, and it augmented with increased spatial sampling from 64 to 128 electrodes.

IMPROVED REALISTIC LAPLACIAN ESTIMATE OF HIGHLY-SAMPLED EEG POTENTIALS BY REGULARIZATION TECHNIQUES

In this study we investigated the effects of lambda correction, generalized cross-validation (GCV), and Tikhonov regularization techniques on the realistic Laplacian (RL) estimate of highly-sampled (128 channels) simulated and actual EEG potential distributions. The simulated EEG potential distributions were mathematically generated over a 3-shell spherical head model (analytic potential distributions). Noise was added to the analytic potential distributions to mimic EEG noise. The magnitude of the noise was 20, 40 and 80% that of the analytic potential distributions. Performance of the regularization techniques was evaluated by computing the root mean square error (RMSE) between regularized RL estimates and analytic surface Laplacian solutions. The actual EEG data were human movement-related and short-latency somatosensory-evoked potentials. The RL of these potentials was estimated over a realistically-shaped, magnetic resonance-constructed model of the subjects scalp surface. The RL estimate of the simulated potential distributions was improved with all the regularization techniques. However, the lambda correction and Tikhonov regularization techniques provided more precise Laplacian solutions than the GCV computation (P < 0.05); they also improved better than the GCV computation the spatial detail of the movement-related and short-latency somatosensory-evoked potential distributions. For both simulated and actual EEG potential distributions the Tikhonov and lambda correction techniques provided nearly equal Laplacian solutions, but the former offered the advantage that no preliminary simulation was required to regularize the RL estimate of the actual EEG data.

Gating of human short-latency somatosensory evoked cortical responses during execution of movement. A high resolution electroencephalography study

The present study aimed at investigating gating of median nerve somatosensory evoked cortical responses (SECRs), estimated during executed continuous complex ipsilateral and contralateral sequential finger movements. SECRs were modeled with an advanced high resolution electroencephalography technology that dramatically improved spatial details of the scalp recorded somatosensory evoked potentials. Integration with magnetic resonance brain images allowed us to localize different SECRs within cortical areas. The working hypothesis was that the gating effects were time varying and could differently influence SECRs. Maximum statistically significant (p<0. 01) time-varying gating (magnitude reduction) of the short-latency SECRs modeled in the contralateral primary motor and somatosensory and supplementary motor areas was computed during the executed ipsilateral movement. The gating effects were stronger on the modeled SECRs peaking 30-45 ms (N30-P30, N32, P45-N45) than 20-26 ms (P20-N20, P22, N26) post-stimulus. Furthermore, the modeled SECRs peaking 30 ms post-stimulus (N30-P30) were significantly increased in magnitude during the executed contralateral movement. These results may delineate a distributed cortical sensorimotor system responsible for the gating effects on SECRs. This system would be able to modulate activity of SECR generators, based on the integration of afferent somatosensory inputs from the stimulated nerve with outputs related to the movement execution.

Responses of human primary sensorimotor and supplementary motor areas to internally triggered unilateral and simultaneous bilateral one-digit movements. A high-resolution EEG study.

We modelled the responses of human primary sensorimotor areas and supplementary motor area to simple, self‐initiated unilateral and simultaneous bilateral middle finger movements using a novel high‐resolution electroencephalography technology. The results support the view that these cortical motor areas are involved in parallel and present similar activity in the preparation, initiation, and execution of the contralateral and bilateral movements. Furthermore, the left primary sensorimotor area (dominant hemisphere) appears to be activated more than the right primary sensorimotor area during the preparation and performance of the ipsilateral movements.

Dynamic functional coupling of high resolution EEG potentials related to unilateral internally triggered one-digit movements

Between-electrode cross-covariances of delta (0-3 Hz)- and theta (4-7 Hz)-filtered high resolution EEG potentials related to preparation, initiation. and execution of human unilateral internally triggered one-digit movements were computed to investigate statistical dynamic coupling between these potentials. Significant (P < 0.05, Bonferroni-corrected) cross-covariances were calculated between electrodes of lateral and median scalp regions. For both delta- and theta-bandpassed potentials, covariance modeling indicated a shifting functional coupling between contralateral and ipsilateral frontal-central-parietal scalp regions and between these two regions and the median frontal-central scalp region from the preparation to the execution of the movement (P < 0.05). A maximum inward functional coupling of the contralateral with the ipsilateral frontal-central-parietal scalp region was modeled during the preparation and initiation of the movement, and a maximum outward functional coupling during the movement execution. Furthermore, for theta-bandpassed potentials, rapidly oscillating inward and outward relationships were modeled between the contralateral frontal-central-parietal scalp region and the median frontal-central scalp region across the preparation, initiation, and execution of the movement. We speculate that these cross-covariance relationships might reflect an oscillating dynamic functional coupling of primary sensorimotor and supplementary motor areas during the planning, starting, and performance of unilateral movement. The involvement of these cortical areas is supported by the observation that averaged spatially enhanced delta- and theta-bandpassed potentials were computed from the scalp regions where task-related electrical activation of primary sensorimotor areas and supplementary motor area was roughly represented.

Human cortical activity related to unilateral movements. A high resolution EEG study

IN the present study a modern high resolution electroencephalography (EEG) technique was used to investigate the dynamic functional topography of human cortical activity related to simple unilateral internally triggered finger movements. The sensorimotor area (M1- S1) contralateral to the movement as well as the supplementary motor area (SMA) and to a lesser extent the ipsilateral M1-S1 were active during the preparation and execution of these movements. These findings suggest that both hemispheres may cooperate in both planning and production of simple unilateral volitional acts.

Human short latency cortical responses to somatosensory stimulation. A high resolution EEG study

HUMAN short-latency cortical responses to median nerve stimulation were investigated with a new high resolution electroencephalography technology that markedly enhanced spatial details of somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs). Maximum amplitude potentials were estimated over contralateral and/or frontal-mesial scalp regions about 20, 22, 24, 26, 30, 32 and 45 ms following the stimulation. Frontal-lateral P20–N24–N30–P45 and parietal-lateral N20–P24–P30–N45 showed dipolar patterns, whereas frontal-mesial N24–N30–P45 and central-lateral P22–N26–N32–P45 presented no clearcut dipole counterpart. Plausibly, the spatially enhanced frontal-parietal SEP components were generated (tangential dipoles) within the lateral central sulcus cortex, and anticipated the central-lateral and frontal-mesial components generated (radial dipoles) from the crown of the pre- and/or post-central gyri and the supplementary motor area, respectively.

A high resolution EEG method based on the correction of the surface Laplacian estimate for the subject's variable scalp thickness

To improve the spatial resolution of human event-related potentials, we developed a new high resolution EEG method based on the improved estimate of the realistic surface Laplacian (SL). The novelty of this method consisted in the computation of the local scalp resistance that was assumed to be inversely proportional to the local scalp thickness measured from magnetic resonance images of the subjects head. The local scalp thickness was then multiplied by the SL estimate of the potential over a realistic magnetic resonance-constructed model of the subjects scalp surface. The new method was applied on human movement-related and somatosensory-evoked potentials, the SL estimate at a constant scalp thickness being used as a reference. The locally-predicted scalp thickness was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the temporal areas (9.5 +/- 2.6 mm) than in the parieto-occipital (6.6 +/- 1.3 mm) and frontal (4.8 +/- 1.1 mm) areas. Compared to the SL estimate at constant scalp thickness, the improved SL estimate enhanced the spatial detail of both movement-related and somatosensory-evoked potentials.