Biology subjects

Huelsemann, M. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Huelsemann, M. J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Task-specific theta enhancement and domain-general alpha/beta suppression as oscillatory signatures of individual differences in cognitive flexibility

Cognitive flexibility--the ability to adapt to changing situational or task demands--is a fundamental aspect of human cognition and a potential source of individual differences in higher-order cognitive abilities. To further understand the neural mechanisms underlying this ability, we examined event-related spectral perturbations (ERSP) in three cued switching tasks (parity/magnitude, global/local, number/letter) in a sample of 148 adults. Employing a data-driven approach that combined massunivariate time-frequency analysis, cluster-based permutation testing, and latent change structural equation modeling, we identified two robust neural signatures: a transient frontal theta increase and a sustained alpha/beta suppression. Both effects were more pronounced in switch compared to repeat trials. Frontal theta reflected task-specific control processes, whereas parietal alpha/beta indexed domaingeneral attentional processes that persisted from cue onset through target processing--consistent with two stage-models of task switching. Notably, flexibility-related alpha/beta dynamics did not correlate with measures of intelligence or working memory capacity (WMC), underscoring the distinctiveness of cognitive flexibility from general cognitive abilities. These findings provide the first direct evidence that alpha/beta suppression constitutes a reliable, generalizable neural signature of individual differences in cognitive flexibility.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Embodiment of sleep-related words: evidence from event-related potentials

Our thoughts, plans and intentions can influence physiological sleep, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. According to the theoretical framework of "embodied cognition", the semantic content of cognitive processes is represented by multimodal networks in the brain which also include body-related functions. Such multimodal representation could offer a mechanism which explains mutual influences between cognition and sleep. In the current study we tested whether sleep-related words are represented in multimodal networks by examining the effect of congruent vs. incongruent body positions on word processing during wakefulness. We experimentally manipulated the body position of 66 subjects (50 females, 16 males, 19-40 years old) between standing upright and lying down. Sleep- and activity-related words were presented around the individual speech recognition threshold to increase task difficulty. Our results show that word processing is facilitated in congruent body positions (sleep words: lying down and activity words: standing upright) compared with incongruent body positions, as indicated by a reduced N400 of the event-related potential (ERP) in the congruent condition with the lowest volume. In addition, early sensory components of the ERP (N180 and P280) were enhanced, suggesting that words were also acoustically better understood when the body position was congruent with the semantic meaning of the word. However, the difference in ERPs did not translate to differences on a behavioural level. Our results support the prediction of embodied processing of sleep- and activity-related words. Body position potentially induces a pre-activation of multimodal networks, thereby enhancing the access to the semantic concepts of words related to current the body position. The mutual link between semantic meaning and body-related function could be a key element in explaining influences of cognitive processing on sleep.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2018

Quantification of Phase-Amplitude Coupling in Neuronal Oscillations: Comparison of Phase-Locking Value, Mean Vector Length, and Modulation Index

Phase-amplitude coupling is a promising construct to study cognitive processes in electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetencephalography (MEG). Due to the novelty of the concept, various measures are used in the literature to calculate phase-amplitude coupling. Here, performance of the three most widely used phase-amplitude coupling measures - phase-locking value (PLV), mean vector length (MVL), and modulation index (MI) - is thoroughly compared with the help of simulated data. We combine advantages of previous reviews and use a realistic data simulation, examine moderators and provide inferential statistics for the comparison of all three indices of phase-amplitude coupling. Our analyses show that all three indices successfully differentiate coupling strength and coupling width when monophasic coupling is present. While the mean vector length was most sensitive to modulations in coupling strengths and width, biphasic coupling can solely be detected by the modulation index. Coupling values of all three indices were influenced by moderators including data length, signal-to-noise-ratio, and sampling rate when approaching Nyquist frequencies. The modulation index was most robust against confounding influences of these moderators. Based on our analyses, we recommend the modulation index for noisy and short data epochs with unknown forms of coupling. For high quality and long data epochs with monophasic coupling and a high signal-to-noise ratio, the use of the mean vector length is recommended. Ideally, both indices are reported simultaneously for one data set.\n\nHighlightsO_LImean vector length is most sensitive for differentiating coupling strength\nC_LIO_LImodulation index is most robust to differences in data length, sampling rate and SNR\nC_LIO_LIphase-locking value and mean vector length cannot detect biphasic phase-amplitude coupling\nC_LI

neuroscience↗