Biology subjects

Langer, N.

Publications and source records attributed to Langer, N..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2018

Microstate EEGlab toolbox: An introductory guide

EEG microstate analysis offers a sparse characterisation of the spatio-temporal features of large-scale brain network activity. However, despite the concept of microstates is straight-forward and offers various quantifications of the EEG signal with a relatively clear neurophysiological interpretation, a few important aspects about the currently applied methods are not readily comprehensible. Here we aim to increase the transparency about the methods to facilitate widespread application and reproducibility of EEG microstate analysis by introducing a new EEGlab toolbox for Matlab. EEGlab and the Microstate toolbox are open source, allowing the user to keep track of all details in every analysis step. The toolbox is specifically designed to facilitate the development of new methods. While the toolbox can be controlled with a graphical user interface (GUI), making it easier for newcomers to take their first steps in exploring the possibilities of microstate analysis, the Matlab framework allows advanced users to create scripts to automatise analysis for multiple subjects to avoid tediously repeating steps for every subject. This manuscript provides an overview of the most commonly applied microstate methods as well as a tutorial consisting of a comprehensive walk-through of the analysis of a small, publicly available dataset.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2017

A multi-modal approach to decomposing standard neuropsychological test performance: Symbol Search

Neuropsychological test batteries provide normed assessments of cognitive performance across multiple functional domains. Although each test emphasizes a certain component of cognition, a poor score can reflect many possible processing deficits. Here we explore the use of simultaneous eye tracking and EEG to decompose test performance into interpretable, components of cognitive processing. We examine the specific case of Symbol Search, a \"processing speed\" subtest of the WISC, which involves searching for the presence of either of two target symbols among five search symbols. To characterize the signatures of effective performance of the test, we asked 26 healthy adults to perform a computerized version of it while recording continuous EEG and eye tracking. We first established basic gaze-shifting patterns in the task, such as more frequent and prolonged fixation of each target than each search symbol, and longer search symbol fixations and overall trial duration for target-absent trials. We then entered multiple such metrics into a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis, which revealed that short trial completion times were mainly predicted by longer initial fixations on the targets and fewer subsequent confirmatory saccades directed back to the targets. Further, the tendency to make confirmatory saccades was associated with stronger gamma-amplitude modulation by mid-frontal theta-phase in the EEG during initial target symbol encoding. Taken together, these findings indicate that efficient Symbol Search performance depends more on effective memory encoding than on general \"processing speed\".

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2017

The Healthy Brain Network Biobank: An open resource for transdiagnostic research in pediatric mental health and learning disorders

Technological and methodological innovations are equipping researchers with unprecedented capabilities for detecting and characterizing pathologic processes in the developing human brain. As a result, ambitions to achieve clinically useful tools to assist in the diagnosis and management of mental health and learning disorders are gaining momentum. To this end, it is critical to accrue large-scale multimodal datasets that capture a broad range of commonly encountered clinical psychopathology. The Child Mind Institute has launched the Healthy Brain Network (HBN), an ongoing initiative focused on creating and sharing a biobank of data from 10,000 New York area participants (ages 5-21). The HBN Biobank houses data about psychiatric, behavioral, cognitive, and lifestyle phenotypes, as well as multimodal brain imaging (resting and naturalistic viewing fMRI, diffusion MRI, morphometric MRI), electroencephalography, eye-tracking, voice and video recordings, genetics, and actigraphy. Here, we present the rationale, design and implementation of HBN protocols. We describe the first data release (n = 664) and the potential of the biobank to advance related areas (e.g., biophysical modeling, voice analysis).

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2016

A Resource for Assessing Information Processing in the Developing Brain Using EEG and Eye Tracking

We present a dataset combining electrophysiology and eye tracking intended as a resource for the investigation of information processing in the developing brain. The dataset includes high-density task-based and task-free EEG, eye tracking, and cognitive and behavioral data collected from 126 individuals (ages: 6-44). The task battery spans both the simple/complex and passive/active dimensions to cover a range of approaches prevalent in modern cognitive neuroscience. The active task paradigms facilitate principled deconstruction of core components of task performance in the developing brain, whereas the passive paradigms permit the examination of intrinsic functional network activity during varying amounts of external stimulation. Alongside these neurophysiological data, we include an abbreviated cognitive test battery and questionnaire-based measures of psychiatric functioning. We hope that this dataset will lead to the development of novel assays of neural processes fundamental to information processing, which can be used to index healthy brain development as well as detect pathologic processes.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2016

Age and sex affect intersubject correlation of EEGthroughout development

Neural development is generally marked by an increase in the efficiency and diversity of neural processes. In a large sample (N = 114) of children and adults with ages ranging from 5 -44 years, we investigated the neural responses to naturalistic video stimuli. Videos from both real-life classroom settings and Hollywood feature films were used to probe different aspects of attention and engagement. For all stimuli, older ages were marked by more variable neural responses. Variability was assessed by the inter-subject correlation of evoked electroencephalographic (EEG) responses. Young males also had more variable responses than young females. These results were replicated in an independent cohort (N = 303). When interpreted in the context of neural maturation, we conclude that neural function becomes more variable with maturity, at least in during the passive viewing of real-world stimuli.\n\nSignificance StatementNaturalistic videos were used to measure how a large sample of children and adults process environmentally meaningful stimuli. As age increased, neural responses were more variable, and females responded more variably than males - a difference that disappeared with age. These results are consistent with developmental theories positing that neural variability increases with maturation, and that neural maturation typically occurs earlier in females. This is the first study to investigate neural variability under naturalistic conditions in a developmental sample.

neuroscience↗