Changes in the low- and high-frequency oscillations of the EEG α-band in the intervals between meaningful visual stimuli

Abstract

Differences in induced synchronization of the high frequency and low frequency α rhythm between the group of subjects in whom switching and updating of the cognitive set are not accompanied by errors in recognition of facial expression (the high plastic set) and the subjects making errors were revealed in healthy adults (n = 35) using the model set to the perception of an angry face. In the former, the well marked synchronization of the high frequency α rhythm occurs in pauses between the trials. This phenom enon is not observed in the latter. Synchronization of both the high frequency and low frequency α rhythm subbands, obviously more pronounced in the subjects who do not make errors in recognizing facial expres sion, occurs in the middle of an 8 s pause between the set (target) and trigger stimuli. The role of top down cognitive control, in particular, the top down inhibitory influences suppressing the action of irrelevant factors in the preparation for processing the target stimulus, and its significance in providing the plastic forms of a cognitive set are discussed.

Auricular Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Diminishes Alpha-Band–Related Inhibitory Gating Processes During Conflict Monitoring in Frontal Cortices

“…Thus, alpha-band activity was lower in prefrontal regions during atVNS stimulation and lower when there was also a decline in task performance. Alpha-band activity is linked to attentional processing and cognitive control mechanisms ( Lu et al, 2017 ; Clements et al, 2021 ) in that they are relevant for the suppression of irrelevant/interfering information ( von Stein et al, 2000 ; Palva and Palva, 2007 ; Klimesch, 2012 ; Kostandov and Cheremushkin, 2013 ; Suzuki et al, 2018 ). Mainly prefrontal regions are critically involved in such top-down control processes ( Miller and Cohen, 2001 ).…”

“…However, especially during conflict monitoring, adjustments in attentional selection processes play an essential role ( Reynolds and Chelazzi, 2004 ; Gazzaley and Nobre, 2012 ). Interestingly, alpha-band activity is linked to attentional processing and cognitive control mechanisms ( Lu et al, 2017 ; Clements et al, 2021 ) in that they are relevant for the suppression of irrelevant/interfering information ( von Stein et al, 2000 ; Palva and Palva, 2007 ; Klimesch, 2012 ; Kostandov and Cheremushkin, 2013 ; Suzuki et al, 2018 ). Studies have shown that alpha activity modulates behavioral conflicts in congruency tasks ( Tang et al, 2013 ; Wu et al, 2015 ).…”

Induced Synchronization of the Alpha Rhythm During the Pauses Between Visual Stimuli with Different Levels of Cognitive Set Plasticity

“…With a pause of 16 sec: 1) the group of subjects not making any errors during switching of the acting stimuli continued to exist, though it became smaller, though overall the number of erroneous recognitions did not increase significantly; 2) members of the "no errors" group showed greater synchronization during the interstimulus period, this affecting both the low-frequency and the high-frequency components of the α rhythm, as compared with subjects in whom stimulus switching led to erroneous recognition of new stimuli in the forms of perseverative and contrast illusions. Synchronization of the α rhythm, especially its highfrequency subrange, has previously been observed in subjects not making errors in analogous experiments with an interKostandov, Cheremushkin, Yakovenko, and Petrenko 160 stimulus interval of 8 sec [2,3]. In all these experiments, the loading on working memory consisted only of an increase in the time interval during which the subject had to retain the result of the comparative evaluation of the emotional expressions of two faces in memory and press a button and provide a verbal report of their decision in response to the trigger stimulus.…”

“…1 show that at the set formation stage (when all subjects correctly recognized the difference in the emotional facial expressions in all 15 trials), a desynchronization reaction was seen during the first second after presentation of the target stimulus (S1), this affecting both the low-frequency and high-frequency components of the α rhythm to the same extents, in the "no errors" group of subjects and in groups with larger numbers of errors. This reaction was weaker in subjects with relatively small numbers of errors (1)(2)(3)(4)(5).…”

“…top-down modulatory influence is mediated by changes in the two forms of selective attention -the basic, which mainly reflects the low-frequency α rhythm, and high-frequency α oscillations linked with solution of complex cognitive tasks [2]. Changes in these latter are particularly clearly apparent at the testing stage, monotonically throughout the interstimulus interval.…”