Biology subjects

Bigelow, F. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Bigelow, F. J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

EEG During Dynamic Facial Emotion Processing Reveals Neural Activity Patterns Associated with Autistic Traits in Children

Altered brain connectivity and atypical neural oscillations have been observed in autism, yet their relationship with autistic traits in non-clinical populations remains underexplored. Here, we employ electroencephalography (EEG) to examine functional connectivity, oscillatory power, and broadband aperiodic activity during a dynamic facial emotion processing (FEP) task in 101 typically developing children aged 4-12 years. We investigate associations between these electrophysiological measures of brain dynamics and autistic traits as assessed by the Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd Edition (SRS-2). Our results revealed that increased FEP-related connectivity across theta (4-7 Hz) and beta (13-30 Hz) frequencies correlated positively with higher SRS-2 scores, predominantly in right-lateralized (theta) and bilateral (beta) cortical networks. Additionally, a steeper 1/f-like aperiodic slope (spectral exponent) across fronto-central electrodes was associated with higher SRS-2 scores. Greater aperiodic-adjusted theta and alpha oscillatory power further correlated with both higher SRS-2 scores and steeper aperiodic slopes. These findings underscore important links between FEP-related brain dynamics and autistic traits in typically developing children. Future work could extend these findings to assess these EEG-derived markers as potential mechanisms underlying behavioural difficulties in autism.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Brain Functional Connectivity Correlates of Anomalous Interaction Between Sensorily Isolated Monozygotic Twins

This study examined brain functional connectivity (FC) changes associated with possible anomalous interactions between sensorily isolated monozygotic twins. Brain FC was estimated using the Steady State Visual Evoked Potential-Event Related Partial Coherence (SSVEP-ERPC) methodology. Five twin pairs served twice as participants with an average interval between sessions of 67 days. In each recording session, one twin, the sender, viewed a randomized set of 50 general images and 50 personally relevant images, whilst the other twin, the Receiver, viewed a static personally relevant image for the entire duration of the session. Images appeared on the sender screen for 1.0 sec with the interval between successive images varied randomly between 4.0 and 8.0 sec. Receiver FC changes were calculated from the appearance times of the images as viewed by the Sender. It was hypothesized that anomalous interactions would be indicated by statistically significant Receiver FC changes when those changes are determined using the sender image appearance times. For each twin serving as Receiver, FC components were separately analysed for the 50 general and the 50 personal images, yielding 38 observations (19 twin pairs by 2 conditions). The hypothesis was confirmed in that 12 of the 38 observations, yielded statistically significant receiver FC increases or decreases at the p<0.01 level only when trials were synchronized to the Sender image appearance times. Overall, this effect was significant at the p=4X10-8 Df=175. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting statistically significant FC changes indicative of anomalous interactions between two sensorily isolated individuals.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Periodic and Aperiodic Neural Activity Displays Age-Dependent Changes Across Early-to-Middle Childhood

The neurodevelopmental period spanning early-to-middle childhood represents a time of significant growth and reorganisation throughout the cortex. Such changes are critical for the emergence and maturation of a range of social and cognitive processes. Here, we utilised both eyes open and eyes closed resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) to examine maturational changes in both oscillatory (i.e., periodic) and non-oscillatory (aperiodic, 1/f-like) activity in a large cohort of participants ranging from 4-to-12 years of age (N=139, average age=9.41 years, SD=1.95). The EEG signal was parameterised into aperiodic and periodic components, and linear regression models were used to evaluate if chronological age could predict aperiodic exponent and offset, as well as well as peak frequency and power within the alpha and beta ranges. Exponent and offset were found to both decrease with age, while aperiodic-adjusted alpha peak frequency increased with age; however, there was no association between age and peak frequency for the beta band. Age was also unrelated to aperiodic-adjusted spectral power within either the alpha or beta bands, despite both frequency ranges being correlated with the aperiodic signal. Overall, these results highlight the capacity for both periodic and aperiodic features of the EEG to elucidate age-related functional changes within the developing brain.

neuroscience↗