Biology subjects

Rogala, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Rogala, J..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Cognitive and brain function enhancement in Gen X group after personalized, AI supervised EEG-neurofeedback training

BackgroundInterventions supporting medical care and enhancing quality of life in neurodegenerative or age-related cognitive decline are strongly needed. Electroencephalographic (EEG) neurofeedback can enable users to modulate their brain activity through real-time feedback. However, evidence for its clinical effectiveness remains inconclusive, partly due to limited personalization and insufficient task relevance in existing protocols. ObjectiveWe tested whether personalized EEG neurofeedback supervised by deep neural networks (DNNs) can enhance cognitive performance in older adults. MethodsFifty-seven healthy adults aged 41-64 (31 women), including a sham-feedback control group, completed a personalized neurofeedback protocol with DNNs fine-tuned to individual EEG patterns. The procedure included pre- and post-training assessments using a transitive reasoning task, three diagnostic sessions to adapt the DNN to each participant, and 10-11 neurofeedback sessions based on a gamified delayed-match-to-sample paradigm. ResultsThe training group showed robust gains across all three variants of the reasoning task (each p < .01), whereas the sham group improved only on the easiest variant. Groups did not differ at pretest; however, at posttest the training group outperformed the sham group on all task conditions (each p < .03), showing also a larger neural effort (lower alpha band power) and increased beta and gamma band connectivity (higher phase lag index). ConclusionPersonalized, task-oriented neurofeedback guided by individually fine-tuned DNNs can produce cognitive enhancement after relatively few sessions. The proposed Task-Pretrained, Subject-Finetuned Neurofeedback (TPSF-NF) framework is scalable to other cognitive domains in future research.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

RID-Rihaczek Phase Synchrony Method Applied to Resting-State EEG: Simultaneous prediction of visuospatial tracking, verbal communication, executive function, neuro-cognitive health, and intelligence

Brain activity at a resting state and functional connectivity represent individuals neural configurations that can be used to predict various performance and trait measures. Yet, most of the previous empirical demonstrations of this phenomena are limited to using resting-state neuroimaging to predict a single task performance/trait measure, and a few studies that predicted multiple task performance/traits measures employed conceptually similar tasks to produce converging evidence for their topic of investigation. In the current paper, we applied RID-Rihazcek phase synchrony, a nonlinear time-frequency-based method for neural computation, to resting-state EEG data and simultaneously predicted a wide variety of measures: standard shooting task performance and novel verbal communication-based team shooting task performance in a simulator, visuo-spatial tracking task performance (Neurotracker), executive function (verbal fluency task), fluid and crystalized Intelligence (Multidimensional Aptitude Battery II: MAB-II), and neurocognitive functioning (Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics-4: ANAM-4) with the average R2 = .60. Our findings show great promise for RID-Rihazcek phase synchrony and resting-state EEG in general to be used in aptitude assessment.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Art's Hidden Topology: A window into human perception

Generations of researchers have sought a link between features of an artistic image and the audiences experience. However, a direct link between the properties of an image and the responses evoked has still not been established. Given the importance of shape to human perception and artistic creation, it can be assumed that one of the most important aspects of an artistic image is the use of different visual structures. We show that a method from the field of computational topology, persistent homology, can be used to analyse properties of image structures and composition at multiple scales. In order to determine the reliability of this method as a tool for analysing visual artworks, we analysed two different sets of abstract paintings that revealed significant discrepancies in the eye tracking and electroencephalography (EEG) activity of viewers. Our research showed that our newly developed method using persistent homology, not only clearly distinguished between two sets of images, which was not possible with common statistical image properties, but also allowed us to map topological features onto gaze fixation heat maps.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Local variation in brain temperature explains gender-specificity of working memory performance

Exploring gender differences in cognitive abilities offers vital insights into human brain functioning. Our study utilized advanced techniques like magnetic resonance thermometry, standard working memory n-back tasks, and functional MRI to investigate if gender-based variations in brain temperature correlate with distinct neuronal responses and working memory capabilities. Interestingly, our findings revealed no gender disparity in working memory performance. However, we observed a significant decrease in average brain temperature in males during working memory tasks, a phenomenon not seen in females. Although changes in female brain temperature were not statistically significant, we found an inverse relationship between the absolute temperature change (ATC) and cognitive performance, alongside a correlation with blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) neuronal responses. This suggests that in females, ATC is a crucial determinant for the link between cognitive performance and BOLD responses, a linkage not evident in males. Our results also suggest that females compensate for their brains heightened temperature sensitivity by activating additional neuronal networks to support working memory. This study not only underscores the complexity of gender differences in cognitive processing but also opens new avenues for understanding how temperature fluctuations influence brain functionality. SignificanceSex/gender differences in cognition are of high scientific and social interest. Yet, those differences (if any) remain elusive. Here we used magnetic resonance thermometry and functional MRI to examine, whether gender differences in working memory performance (WMP) are determined by subtle, yet detectable between-sex differences in local brain temperature fluctuations mediated by blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) neuronal responses. We found that WMP did not differ between genders. Yet, a females WMP was more sensitive to brain temperature variation compared to males. Furthermore, the negative impact of temperature on female cognitive functions was compensated by higher BOLD activity in other task-specific brain areas. This compensation may account for equivocal results of studies on the between-sex differences in cognitive performance.

neuroscience↗