Sirel Karakaş

Gamma, alpha, delta, and theta oscillations govern cognitive processes

The increased interest in gamma oscillations, now widely regarded as functionally relevant signals of the brain, underlines the importance of the concept of event-related oscillations for bridging the gap between single neurons and neural assemblies. Taking this concept further, we review experiments showing that oscillatory phenomena such as alpha, theta, and delta responses to events are, just as the gamma band, strongly interwoven with sensory and cognitive functions. This review argues that selectively distributed delta, theta, alpha and gamma oscillatory systems act as resonant communication networks through large populations of neurons. Thus, oscillatory processes might play a major role in functional communication in the brain in relation to memory and integrative functions.

Are cognitive processes manifested in event-related gamma, alpha, theta and delta oscillations in the EEG?

Gamma oscillations, now widely regarded as functionally relevant signals of the brain, illustrate that the concept of event-related oscillations bridges the gap between single neurons and neural assemblies. Taking this concept further, we review experiments concerning oscillatory responses to events (in the alpha, theta and delta ranges) as possible correlates of sensory and cognitive functions. It is argued that selectively distributed delta, theta, alpha and gamma oscillatory systems act as resonant communication networks through large populations of neurons, with functional relations to memory and integrative functions.

A new strategy involving multiple cognitive paradigms demonstrates that ERP components are determined by the superposition of oscillatory responses.

OBJECTIVES The goal of the present paper was to study the contribution of the delta and theta responses to two components of the event-related potential (ERP) waveform, the N200 and P300, which were recorded from 3 topographical sites of the brain. METHODS This contribution was studied using a set of systematically varying experimental paradigms. Such a strategy enabled the demonstration of the variations in the event-related potentials and the event-related oscillations as task conditions and respective cognitive operations systematically changed. The study employed easy oddball, hard oddball, mismatch negativity and single stimulus paradigms and it was conducted on 42 healthy adults (age range 19-30 years, 26 females, 16 males) from the university student population. Data were analyzed with electrophysiological (selective averaging, amplitude frequency characteristics, digital filtering) and statistical methods (analysis of variance, multivariate step-down regression). RESULTS The data showed that the morphology of the ERP components for different experimental paradigms represented a specific pattern of superposition of the delta and theta oscillatory responses. CONCLUSIONS The cognitive correlates of the oscillatory responses were discussed and the results were evaluated on the basis of the superposition principle and the theory of oscillatory neural assemblies.

Early gamma response is sensory in origin: a conclusion based on cross-comparison of results from multiple experimental paradigms

The study investigates the functional correlates of the early, time-locked gamma response. The study utilized a unique experimental strategy which involved the utilization of a series of experimental paradigms to which all subjects (n = 20) were exposed to in the same recording session. These paradigms induced an increasingly complex configuration of processes for their respective task performance and also required different levels of attention allocation. In their order of administration, the paradigms were single stimulus (SS), mismatch negativity (MMN), evoked potential (EP), easy oddball (OB-EZ) and hard oddball (OB-HD). Auditory stimuli were used in the study (10 ms r/f time, 50 ms duration, 65 dB SPL) with the standards as 1000 Hz or 1900 Hz and deviants as 2000 Hz. The early gamma showed a frontocentral topography. The difference between Fz and Pz recording sites were statistically significant. A comparative analysis of the gamma responses showed that the gamma that was obtained at the early time-window of 0-150 ms as a time-locked activity occurred irrespective of experimental paradigm; the early gamma did not vary with the degree of task complexity or with attentional allocation. It was concluded from these findings that the early gamma is basically a sensory phenomenon. Various studies have previously shown that under perceptual/cognitive tasks, gamma response is obtained as a non-phase-locked activity in the late time-windows. These studies concluded that the gamma response is basically perceptual/cognitive in function. However, in these studies the early sensory gamma was also present in the data. Collectively taken, these findings may lead to the conclusion that the gamma response is a multifunctional phenomenon, with the early portion representing sensory and the late portion perceptual/cognitive processing.

Gamma response of the brain: a multifunctional oscillation that represents bottom-up with top-down processing

This paper deals with the functional correlates of the gamma response of the brain. A critical review of the literature findings reveals the existence of two types of gamma responses: an early gamma that fulfills sensory functions and a late gamma that fulfills perceptual-cognitive functions. However, even the early gamma shows individual differences. Such a finding points to the existence of top-down influences on sensory processes and to a parallel-processing model for brain function.

Caffeine and amphetamine produce cross-sensitization to nicotine-induced locomotor activity in mice

Sensitization development is linked to the addictive potential of the drugs. The same mechanisms might play a role in sensitization development to the different addictive drugs. The aim of the study was to investigate the development of cross-sensitization to caffeine and amphetamine in nicotine-induced locomotor sensitization in mice. Caffeine (2.5-20 mg/kg), amphetamine (1-16 mg/kg) or saline were injected to Swiss-Webster mice and locomotor activity was recorded for 30 min. Nicotine (0.5-2 mg/kg) or saline were injected to mice and locomotor activity was recorded for 30 min. Process was applied for 19 days, every other day (10 sessions). Caffeine (5 mg/kg), amphetamine (4 mg/kg) or saline were challenged to the different groups of nicotine-sensitized mice 2 days later on the last nicotine injection, and locomotor activity was recorded. Repetitive injections of nicotine (0.5-2 mg) produced locomotor sensitization in mice. After caffeine and amphetamine challenge injections, locomotor activity of the nicotine-sensitized mice was found to be significantly higher than saline-pretreated mice. Saline challenge did not produce any significant effect in nicotine- or saline-pretreated mice. Our results suggest that a cross-sensitization developed to both caffeine and amphetamine in nicotine-sensitized mice. In conclusion, similar central mechanisms may be responsible for the development of addiction to these substances.

A descriptive framework for information processing: an integrative approach.

Survival depends on veridical perception of the environment and appropriate response to it. How do high level organisms perceive and compare, in short, evaluate stimuli and how do they select and execute responses? How does information processing proceed? How does the mind work?

Digit Span Changes From Puberty to Old Age Under Different Levels of Education

The goal of this study is to demonstrate the age-related changes in multimodality digit span under a research design in which level of education is controlled. Volunteer participants (n 5 1183) were distributed over levels of age (13-98 years) and education (5-8, 9-11, and 121 years). Digit span was measured through 11 scores of the Visual Aural Digit Span Test-Revised on aural or visual stimulation and oral or written response execution, thus allowing for the measurement of intra- and intersensory integration. The increase in digit span scores reversed to a decrease with early adulthood. The slope of the regression line was small but significant. A 4 3 3 3 2 multivariate analysis of variance showed a significant effect of age and education on a combined score comprising the 11 digit span scores. Differences of age and education were predicted by the auditory and visual input scores. The article discusses the cognitive correlates and the age-related changes in digit span from the biological standpoint.

Evaluating sub-clinical cognitive dysfunction and event-related potentials (P300) in clinically isolated syndrome

ObjectiveThis study investigated the presence of sub-clinical cognitive dysfunction in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and the abnormalities of cognitive event-related potentials (ERPs).MethodsSubclinical cognitive dysfunction was assessed in 20 patients with CIS and in 20 healthy controls.ResultsPatients had impairments in verbal learning and long-term memory, evaluating attention, executive function and visuospatial skills, in decreasing order of frequency. SDLT and SIT were the most, and COWAT and BNT were the least affected tests. The N200 and P200 latencies were prolonged, and N100, N200 and P200 amplitudes were reduced in the patients relative to the controls, from the Fz, Cz and Pz electrode positions (p<0.05).ConclusionDetailed cognitive testing is valuable in determining subclinical cognitive dysfunction in CIS patients. ERP abnormalities as well as abnormalities in detailed cognitivetesting in patients with CIS are helpful in the diagnosis of sub-clinical cognitive dysfunction.

Time-frequency component analyser and its application to brain oscillatory activity.

Currently, event-related potential (ERP) signals are analysed in the time domain (ERP technique) or in the frequency domain (Fourier analysis and variants). In techniques of time-domain and frequency-domain analysis (short-time Fourier transform, wavelet transform) assumptions concerning linearity, stationarity, and templates are made about the brain signals. In the time-frequency component analyser (TFCA), the assumption is that the signal has one or more components with non-overlapping supports in the time-frequency plane. In this study, the TFCA technique was applied to ERPs. TFCA determined and extracted the oscillatory components from the signal and, simultaneously, localized them in the time-frequency plane with high resolution and negligible cross-term contamination. The results obtained by means of TFCA were compared with those obtained by means of other commonly used techniques of ERP analysis, such as bilinear time-frequency distributions and wavelet analysis. It is suggested that TFCA may serve as an appropriate tool for capturing the localized ERP components in the time-frequency domain and for studying the intricate, frequency-based dynamics of the human brain.