Biology subjects

Coffey, E. B. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Coffey, E. B. J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

What EEG doesn't see: a whole-brain MEG map of sleep spindles and slow oscillations

Sleep spindles and slow oscillations (SOs) are hallmarks of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, linked to memory consolidation and restorative functions. They are usually detected in one or a few scalp electroencephalography (EEG) channels with parameters that vary across studies, and serve as the reference even in magnetoencephalography (MEG), fMRI and intracranial studies. We argue that these choices filter which neural activity is captured. Nineteen young adults took a daytime nap during simultaneous MEG and EEG. Using MEG source imaging across 416 cortical, subcortical and cerebellar regions, we mapped the amplitude and density of SOs (0.5-4 Hz, and 0.5-2 and 2-4 Hz separately) and of spindles (9-18 Hz, and slow, 9-12.9 Hz, and fast, 13-18 Hz, separately), and related each region's activity to a single scalp derivation (Cz-M1). Both rhythms were detected throughout the brain, including the thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia and cerebellum. The balance between bands varied across regions: fast spindles predominated over slow spindles along the dorsal midline, around the central sulcus and in the thalamus, slow spindles predominated in occipital cortex and the cerebellar hemispheres, and 2-4 Hz SOs were relatively most prominent in occipital cortex. Amplitude and density formed reliable but distinct maps: regions with larger fast spindles also had more of them, whereas SOs, and slow spindles once source depth was controlled, were larger where they were less frequent. More SOs were detected in every region than at Cz-M1, whereas more fast spindles were detected at Cz-M1 than in any single region. Around the SO, slow-spindle activity had the same timing at the scalp and in the sources, but the up-state increase in fast-spindle activity seen at the scalp was absent from local sources. Slow spindles were the most strongly shared events, and sensorimotor sources the most scalp-like. Thus, a single scalp derivation offers a selective and partly composite view of sleep oscillations, with implications for interpreting their functional roles and for targeting them with closed-loop auditory stimulation

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Auditory working memory mediates the relationship between musicianship and auditory stream segregation

This study investigates the interactions between musicianship and two auditory cognitive mechanisms: auditory working memory (AWM) and stream segregation. The primary hypothesis is that AWM mediates the relationship between musical training and enhanced stream segregation capabilities. Two groups of listeners were tested, the first to establish the relationship between the two variables and the second to replicate the effect in an independent sample. Music history and behavioural data were collected from a total of 145 healthy young adults with normal binaural hearing. They performed a task that requires manipulation of tonal patterns in working memory, and the Music-in-Noise Task (MINT), which measures stream segregation abilities in a musical context. The MINT task expands measurements beyond traditional Speech-in-Noise (SIN) assessments by capturing auditory subskills (e.g., rhythm, visual, spatial, prediction) relevant to stream segregation. Our results showed that musical training is associated with enhanced AWM and MINT task performance, and that this effect is replicable across independent samples. Moreover, we found in both samples that the enhancement of stream segregation was largely mediated by AWM capacity. The results suggest that musical training and/or aptitude enhances music-in-noise perception by way of improved AWM capacity.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Feasibility of cognitive neuroscience data collection during a speleological expedition

In human cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology studies, laboratory-based research tasks have been important to establish principles of brain function and its relationship to behaviour; however, they differ greatly from real-life experiences. Several elements of real-life situations that impact human performance, such as stressors, are difficult or impossible to replicate in the laboratory. Expeditions offer unique possibilities for studying human cognition in complex environments that can transfer to other situations with similar features. For example, as caves share several of the physical and psychological challenges of safety-critical environments such as spaceflight, underground expeditions have been developed as an analogue for astronaut training purposes, suggesting that they might also be suitable for studying aspects of behaviour and cognition that cannot be fully examined under laboratory conditions. While a large range of topics and tools have been proposed for use in such environments, few have been evaluated in the field. We tested the feasibility of collecting human physiological, cognitive, and subjective experience data concerning brain state, sleep, cognitive workload, and fatigue, during a speleological expedition in a remote region. We document our approaches and challenges experienced, and provide recommendations and suggestions to aid future work. The data support the idea that cave expeditions are relevant naturalistic paradigms that offer unique possibilities for cognitive neuroscience to complement laboratory work and help improve human performance and safety in operational environments.

neuroscience↗