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R B Silberstein

Publications and source records attributed to R B Silberstein.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Gender differences in the cortical electrophysiological processing of visual emotional stimuli.

The processing of visual emotional stimuli has been investigated previously; however, gender differences in the processing of emotional stimuli remain to be clarified. The aim of the current study was to use steady-state probe topography (SSPT) to examine steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) during the processing of pleasant and unpleasant images relative to neutral images, and to determine whether this processing differs between males and females. Thirty participants (15 males and 15 females) viewed 75 images low on the arousal dimension (categorised as pleasant, neutral or unpleasant) selected from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), whilst a 13-Hz sinusoidal white visual flicker was superimposed over the visual field and brain electrical activity was recorded from 64 electrode sites. Results suggest that pleasant and unpleasant images relative to neutral images are associated with reductions in frontal latency and occipital amplitude. In addition, electrophysiological gender differences were observed despite there being no differences found between males and females on subjective mood or behavioural ratings of presented images (valence and arousal dimensions). The main gender difference reported in the current study related to the processing of unpleasant images (relative to neutral images) which is associated with widespread frontal latency reductions (predominantly right sided) in females but not in males. Our results suggest that gender differences do exist in the processing of visual emotional stimuli, and illustrate the importance of taking these differences into account during investigations of emotional processing. Finally, these gender differences may have implications for the pathophysiology of mood disorders such as depression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Cortical neurophysiology of anticipatory anxiety: an investigation utilizing steady state probe topography (SSPT).

The precise role of the cortex in human anxiety is not well characterised. Previous imaging research among healthy controls has reported alterations in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) within the prefrontal and temporal cortices during periods of anxious anticipation; however, the temporal dynamics of this activity has yet to be examined in detail. The present study examined cortical Steady State Probe Topography (SSPT) changes associated with anticipatory anxiety (AA), allowing examination of the temporal continuity and the excitatory or inhibitory nature of AA activations. We recorded Steady State Visually Evoked Potentials (SSVEPs) at 64 scalp locations, skin conductance, and self reported anxiety among 26 right-handed males while relaxed and during the anticipation of an electric shock. Relative to the baseline condition, the AA condition was associated with significantly higher levels of self-reported anxiety and increased phasic skin conductance levels. Across the seven second imaging window, AA was associated with increased SSVEP latency within medial anterior frontal, left dorsolateral prefrontal and bilateral temporal regions. In contrast, increased SSVEP amplitude and decreased SSVEP latency were observed within occipital regions. The observed SSVEP latency increases within frontal and temporal cortical regions are suggestive of increased localised inhibitory processes within regions reciprocally connected to subcortical limbic structures. Occipital SSVEP latency decreases are suggestive of increased excitatory activity. SSVEP amplitude increases within occipital regions may be associated with an attentional shift from external to internal environment. The current findings provide further support for the involvement of frontal, anterior temporal, and occipital cortical regions during anticipatory anxiety, and suggest that both excitatory and inhibitory processes are associated with AA alterations.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Assessing inhibitory control: a revised approach to the stop signal task.

The stop signal task (stop task) is designed to assess inhibitory control and is a frequently used research tool in clinical disorders such as ADHD and schizophrenia. Previous methods of setting stop signal delay and of assessing inhibitory control are problematic. The current study reports two modifications that improve the task as a measure of inhibitory control. The first modification was to set stop signal delays proportional to go mean reaction time (go MRT) to better account for inter-subject variability in go MRT. Twenty-eight normal children were tested, and all standard, stop task dependent measures were obtained when delays were set by this method. The second modification was to calculate a novel dependent measure called the area of inhibition (AOI) which provides a more complete measure of inhibitory control than the slope of the relative finishing time z-scores (ZRFT-slope). Implications for the assessment of inhibitory control in clinical populations are discussed.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗
PubMed2002

Steady-state visually evoked potential topography during processing of emotional valence in healthy subjects.

The International Affective Picture System (IAPS) is increasingly used in brain imaging studies to examine emotional processes. This task allows valence and arousal content to be systematically investigated; however, previous studies have generally failed to select images that vary in one dimension as well as hold constant the variability on the other dimension. In addition, no studies have investigated the temporal structure associated with the conscious, ongoing processing of emotional stimuli following systematic selection of IAPS images. The aim of the present study was therefore to use steady-state probe topography (SSPT) to examine the steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) associated with the processing of pleasant and unpleasant images low in arousal content. Seventy-five IAPS images, categorized as unpleasant, neutral, or pleasant, were presented to 16 healthy subjects while brain activity was recorded from 64 scalp sites. Analysis subtracted the activity associated with the presentation of neutral images from the activity associated with the presentation of pleasant as well as unpleasant images. Results demonstrate that both pleasant and unpleasant valence is associated with transient, widespread, and bilateral frontal SSVEP latency reductions. Unpleasant images were also associated with a transient bilateral anterior frontal amplitude decrease. Latency reductions are interpreted as increases in neural information processing speed, while amplitude reductions are interpreted in the current paper as analogous to an event-related desynchronisation commonly associated with the alpha bandwidth. These key findings support previous literature in terms of there being substantial overlap in frontal neural circuitry when the brain processes pleasant and unpleasant valence relative to neutral valence.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Test-retest reliability of the emotional stroop task: examining the paradox of measurement change.

The Emotional Stroop (ES) task (I. H. Gotlib & C. D. McCann, 1984) has been proposed as an experimental measure to assess the processing of emotion or the bias in attention of emotion-laden information. However, study results have not been consistent. To further examine its reliability for empirical research, the authors of this study administered the ES task to 33 participants on 2 separate occasions separated by 1 week. Results indicated that retest reliabilities for reaction times (RTs) derived from the 3 separate emotion conditions (manic, neutral, and depressive) across the 1 week interval were very high. However, consistent with previous research, the reliabilities were very low for the interference indices (manic and depressive). These low reliabilities reflect the very high intercorrelation between the RTs derived from the 3 conditions. The authors concluded that a better indicator of the reliability for this task is the individual RTs from each emotion condition.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Spherical harmonic decomposition applied to spatial-temporal analysis of human high-density electroencephalogram.

We demonstrate an application of spherical harmonic decomposition to the analysis of the human electroencephalogram (EEG). We implement two methods and discuss issues specific to the analysis of hemispherical, irregularly sampled data. Spatial sampling requirements and performance of the methods are quantified using simulated data. The analysis is applied to experimental EEG data, confirming earlier reports of an approximate frequency-wave-number relationship in some bands.

Biophysical Phenomena↗
PubMed2001

Spatial-temporal structures of human alpha rhythms: theory, microcurrent sources, multiscale measurements, and global binding of local networks.

A theoretical framework supporting experimental measures of dynamic properties of human EEG is proposed with emphasis on distinct alpha rhythms. Robust relationships between measured dynamics and cognitive or behavioral conditions are reviewed, and proposed physiological bases for EEG at cellular levels are considered. Classical EEG data are interpreted in the context of a conceptual framework that distinguishes between locally and globally dominated dynamic processes, as estimated with coherence or other measures of phase synchronization. Macroscopic (scalp) potentials generated by cortical current sources are described at three spatial scales, taking advantage of the columnar structure of neocortex. New EEG data demonstrate that both globally coherent and locally dominated behavior can occur within the alpha band, depending on narrow band frequency, spatial measurement scale, and brain state. Quasi-stable alpha phase structures consistent with global standing waves are observed. At the same time, alpha and theta phase locking between cortical regions during mental calculations is demonstrated, consistent with neural network formation. The brain-binding problem is considered in the context of EEG dynamic behavior that generally exhibits both of these local and global aspects. But specific experimental designs and data analysis methods may severely bias physiological interpretations in either local or global directions.

Alpha Rhythm↗
PubMed2001

Steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) topography in a graded working memory task.

The steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) elicited by a diffuse 13-Hz visual flicker was recorded from 64 scalp sites in 30 subjects performing a low and high demand version of an object working memory task. During the perceptual component of the task, the SSVEP amplitude was reduced at left and right parieto-occipital sites. During the hold or memory component of the task, the SSVEP amplitude exhibited a load-dependent increase at frontal and occipito-parietal sites, while the SSVEP latency exhibited a load-dependent reduction at central and left frontal sites. We suggest that SSVEP amplitude changes index cortical information processing modes in that perceptual processes are associated with an SSVEP amplitude reduction, while holding information in active short-term or working memory is associated with an SSVEP amplitude increase. We also discuss changes in SSVEP amplitude and latency in terms of changes in the behavior of cortico-cortico and thalamo-cortico loops that utilize cortical layer I. Such cortico-cortico and thalamo-cortical loops are also proposed to constitute a neurophysiological mechanism for holding information in working memory.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Evaluation of cognitive performance in the heat by functional brain imaging and psychometric testing.

Military operations in tropical environments have imposed a significant challenge to the Australian Defence Forces (ADF). The hot and humid conditions are known to cause debilitating effects on soldiers deployed to northern regions of Australia, with the consequence that the effectiveness and efficiency of operations are severely compromised. While the adverse effects of thermal stress on soldiers' physiological capability are well established, this has not been confirmed for cognitive performance. A select range of psychometric tests were administered and functional brain electrical activity imaging was performed to investigate the impact of thermal stress on cognitive performance. The brain electrical activity of subjects was measured while undertaking a range of cognitive tasks. Steady State Probe Topography (SSPT), a novel brain imaging technology, was employed to monitor the changes in regional brain activity and neural processing speed of subjects under thermal stress. The psychometric test batteries included the following tasks; Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test; Inspection Time; Digit Span test; a spatial working memory task; and the AX-continuous performance task. These tasks measure a range of cognitive processes including attention, memory, verbal learning, information processing and concentration. The functional brain imaging provided topographical information, which showed changes in electrical activity in response to thermal stress during cognitive performance. These changes in brain electrical activity and neural speed induced by thermal stress may help to identify the type of cognitive functions that are likely to be impaired under operational conditions. Results indicated that subjects experienced increasing cardiovascular strain through thermally neutral to thermally straining conditions. The results from the psychometric test battery showed some promising effects given the small sample size including deficits in working memory, in information retention and in information processing. There was also marked differences in the electrical responses of the brain when subjects were thermally strained. The Steady-State Visual Evoked Potential recordings showed an increase in amplitude and a decrease in latency, suggesting an increase in the utilisation of neural resources or effort by subjects to maintain the same level of performance as under thermally neutral conditions. The data are suggestive of the high sensitivity of brain imaging techniques with high temporal resolution to identify important decrements in cognitive performance in hostile environments.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Frontal steady-state potential changes predict long-term recognition memory performance.

Converging evidence from event-related potential and functional brain imaging studies suggests that the brain activity at posterior regions of the frontal cortex can predict the strength of long-term memory traces. This study examined the relationship between posterior frontal steady-state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) latency changes and recognition memory after a delay of 7 days. Thirty-five female subjects viewed an 18-min television documentary program interspersed with 12 unfamiliar television advertisements while brain electrical activity was recorded from four pre-frontal, two posterior frontal and two occipital scalp sites. After 7 days, the recognition memory was tested for images coinciding with the 20 most prominent frontal SSVEP latency minima and maxima during the viewing of ten contiguous advertisements (advertisements 2-11). We found that images coinciding with posterior frontal latency minima were more likely to be recognized (58.7% recognition) than images coinciding with SSVEP latency maxima (45.3% recognition). Furthermore, the relationship between posterior frontal SSVEP latency and recognition performance after 7 days was only apparent at the left posterior frontal site. The correlation between the recognition performance and SSVEP latency evaluated at all eight sites reached significance only at the left posterior frontal site. These findings suggest that frontal SSVEP latency variations can be used to assess the strength of long-term memory encoding for naturalistic stimuli.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

The effects of nicotine on the 13 Hz steady-state visually evoked potential.

OBJECTIVES: The high alpha/low beta range of the spontaneous EEG appears to be particularly sensitive to the effects of nicotine. The present study examined the acute effects of nicotine on the topography of the 13 Hz steady-state visually evoked potential (SSVEP). METHODS: Thirteen moderate smokers participated in a repeated-measures design. The amplitude and latency of the SSVEP elicited by an unstructured sinusoidal 13 Hz flicker following a <0. 05 mg nicotine cigarette were compared to those following a 0.8 mg nicotine cigarette. RESULTS: The nicotine condition was associated with an increase in the amplitude of the SSVEP, when compared to the placebo condition, and this increase was greatest in central and right parietal regions. The latency of the SSVEP was reduced in the nicotine condition in bilateral frontal and right parietal regions. CONCLUSIONS: These results are similar to the effects of nicotine seen in studies examining spontaneous EEG, and are consistent with other studies indicating that the 13 Hz SSVEP indexes brain electrical activity in the high alpha/low beta range. The findings are discussed in terms of possible functional significance of nicotine-induced cortical activation in this frequency range.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Steady-state visual evoked potentials and travelling waves.

OBJECTIVE: The amplitude and phase of the steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) is sensitive to cognition and attention but the underlying mechanism is not well understood. This study examines stimulus evoked changes in the SSVEP phase topography and the putative role of travelling waves. METHODS: Eighteen subjects viewed a central-field checkerboard and full-field flicker stimulus temporally modulated at the peak alpha rhythm frequency. EEG was recorded from 10 midline scalp sites and the bipolar SSVEP obtained from differences between adjacent electrodes. RESULTS: The SSVEP phase comprised either progressive variations consistent with travelling waves or a phase reversal consistent with standing waves. The checkerboard pattern elicited travelling wave patterns in 14 subjects with estimated phase velocities ranging from 7 to 11 m/s after correcting for folded cortex. The flicker stimulus elicited phase reversals in 9 subjects, suggesting standing waves. Six subjects demonstrated a phase topography specific to the stimulus with travelling wave patterns associated with the checkerboard and standing wave patterns associated with the flicker. CONCLUSIONS: These differences suggest the emergence of travelling and standing waves under different spatial configurations of visual input to the cortex and that wave phenomena contribute to the spatiotemporal dynamics of the SSVEP.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Steady-state visually evoked potential topography during the continuous performance task in normal controls and schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the latency topography of the steady-state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and normal controls while undertaking a visual vigilance task. METHODS: Twenty patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and 18 normal controls performed the A-X version of the continuous performance task (CPT A-X) where subjects are required to press a micro-switch on the unpredictable appearance of an 'X' that had been preceded by an 'A.' Brain electrical activity was recorded from 64 scalp sites and a 13 Hz spatially uniform visual flicker presented with the task was used to elicit a steady-state visually evoked potential (SSVEP). RESULTS: Following the appearance of the 'A' and 'X,' the control group demonstrated a transient SSVEP latency reduction at parietal and prefrontal sites. By contrast, the patients group showed no such SSVEP latency reduction. The prefrontal SSVEP latency changes in the 500 ms interval following the appearance of the 'X' were correlated with mean individual reaction time in both populations. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the SSVEP latency reduction may index excitatory processes and that the absence of prefrontal SSVEP latency reduction in schizophrenic patients may be a manifestation of reduced prefrontal activity or 'hypofrontality' observed with other neuroimaging modalities.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

On the relationship of synaptic activity to macroscopic measurements: does co-registration of EEG with fMRI make sense?

A two-scale theoretical description outlines relationships between brain current sources and the resulting extracranial electric field, recorded as EEG. Finding unknown sources of EEG, the so-called "inverse problem", is discussed in general terms, with emphasis on the fundamental non-uniqueness of inverse solutions. Hemodynamic signatures, measured with fMRI, are expressed as voxel integrals to facilitate comparisons with EEG. Two generally distinct cell groups (1 and 2), generating EEG and fMRI signals respectively, are embedded within the much broader class of synaptic action fields. Cell groups 1 and 2 may or may not overlap in specific experiments. Implications of this incomplete overlap for co-registration studies are considered. Each experimental measure of brain function is generally sensitive to a different kind of source activity and to different spatial and temporal scales. Failure to appreciate such distinctions can exacerbate conflicting views of brain function that emphasize either global integration or functional localization.

Brain↗
PubMed2000

Serotonin, noradrenaline and cognitive function: a preliminary investigation of the acute pharmacodynamic effects of a serotonin versus a serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor.

Comparisons of the behavioural side-effect profiles of antidepressants that inhibit either serotonin or both serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake, may reveal differences in cognitive and psychomotor functions, which may be attributed to their relative pharmacological selectivity for potentiating monoamine neurotransmission in the central nervous system. The aim of the present study was to determine the acute pharmacodynamic effects of citalopram and venlafaxine, on cognitive and psychomotor performance. Nine healthy male volunteers received a single clinical dose of citalopram, venlafaxine or amitriptyline (positive control) in a double-blind placebo-controlled design. Cognitive and psychomotor tests and a subjective measure of sedation were examined before and 1, 2 and 4 hours after drug administration. Citalopram improved psychomotor responses to sensory stimuli and sustained attention, with significant decreases in movement times of the choice reaction time test and an increase in critical flicker fusion threshold. Venlafaxine did not affect performances on any of the cognitive or psychomotor tests examined. Differences may be related to relative potencies of the compounds for monoamine reuptake inhibition.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

EEG coherency II: experimental comparisons of multiple measures.

OBJECTIVE: A concentric spheres model was used in an earlier paper to estimate the effects of volume conduction, reference electrode and spatial filtering on different EEG coherence measures. EEG data are used here to verify theoretical predictions. METHODS: Three EEG data sets were: (1) 64 channel, recorded during 7 alternating periods of resting and mental calculation. (2) 128 channel, for comparison of eyes open versus eyes closed coherence. (3) 128 channel, recorded during deep sleep (stages 3 and 4) and REM. RESULTS: The directions of large scale (lobeal) coherency changes between brain states are relatively independent of coherence measure. However, coherence between specific electrode pairs is sensitive to method and frequency. Average reference and digitally linked mastoids provide reasonable semi-quantitative estimates of large-scale neocortical source coherence. Close bipolar, Laplacian, and dura image methods remove most reference electrode and volume conduction distortion, but may underestimate coherence by spatial filtering. CONCLUSION: Each EEG coherence method has its own potential sources of error and provides coherence estimates for different neural population sizes located in different locations. Thus, studies of coherence and brain state should include several different kinds of estimates to take full advantage of information in recorded signals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Steady state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) changes in response to olfactory stimulation.

The location, nature and characteristics of brain activity during detection and identification of odors are of importance if brain function techniques are to be of value to sensory systems. Steady state probe topography (SSPT) has been used in our laboratory to record steady state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP), which have demonstrated cognitive task-related changes in a variety of testing paradigms. The enhanced spatial (when using 64 channels) and temporal resolution (380 ms) of the system enable the brain electrical activity changes occurring before, during and after delivery of an odor to be examined. We have developed a system which can deliver odors during normal respiration and the accurate timing needed for SSVEP recordings. The system is based on the premise that a subject breathing butanol compared with filtered medical air will demonstrate SSVEP topographic changes associated with detection and identification of butanol. During our experiments the subject has either an air sample or an equal volume of butanol injected into the inspiratory airflow. These are randomized, and every breath has the same stimulus system with no known clues as to the differences apart from detection. The results from a panel of 10 female subjects--who all identified the butanol correctly--showed that butanol delivery resulted in sequences of changes in SSVEP topography (amplitude and latencies) which involved parietal, frontal and temporal regions. While consistent with other studies (parietal changes), our results revealed more dynamic temporal changes involving prefrontal and parietal regions at different periods around odor delivery.

Brain↗