Temporal dynamics of resting EEG networks are associated with prosociality

Abstract

for example by experimentally modifying the environment of resting EEG recordings 68 , analyzing the relationship between task-independent and task-dependent neural activity 16,69,70 , analyzing brain-to-brain synchronization affecting prosociality 71 , and linking the four resting EEG networks to psychological constructs known to affect prosociality (e.g. empathy, perspective-taking 72-74). Methods Participants. Based on an estimated average medium effect size of associations between resting EEG networks' temporal dynamics and trait variables in similar research 75 , 55 participants (α = 0.05, β = 0.85) are needed to detect a significant effect (Correlation, bivariate normal model; G-Power 76). Our sample included 55 healthy, right-handed participants (M = 24.22 y, s.d. = 4.20, range: 19-40 y). Due to potential confounds associated with hormonal variation in the menstrual cycle and the complexities associated with controlling for this variation in the experimental design 62,63 , only male participants were enrolled in this initial project. All participants were right-handed, and free of current or previous history of physical and psychiatric disorders, and alcohol or drug abuse. The Ethics Committee of the University of Freiburg approved this study, which was conducted according to the principles expressed in the Declaration of Helsinki.

Neural signatures of heterogeneity in risk‐taking and strategic consistency

“…Next, resting EEG was recorded for 4 min using a protocol that consists of a 1-min eyes-open period followed by a 1-min eyes-closed period, repeated two times in total. Alternating eyes-open and eyes-closed periods are routinely used in resting EEG research in order to achieve more stable mental states (Barry et al, 2007;Baumgartner, Langenbach, et al, 2019;Schiller et al, 2014Schiller et al, , 2019Schiller et al, , 2020, as participants can become drowsy during eyes-closed periods after only a few minutes (Tagliazucchi & Laufs, 2014). In line with standard procedures for investigations of resting-state brain activity (e.g., Damoiseaux et al, 2006;Mantini et al, 2007; for reviews, see Lee et al, 2013;Newson & Thiagarajan, 2019), only eyes-closed periods were used for further analysis (2 min in total).…”

“…Here, we used a neural trait approach to uncover the underlying neural sources of heterogeneity in risk-taking. The neural trait approach examines links between task-independent, brain-based differences and behaviour in decision-making or processes directly relevant to decision-making (Baumgartner, Dahinden, et al, 2019;Brass & Haggard, 2007;Nash et al, 2015;Nash & Knoch, 2016;Schiller et al, 2014Schiller et al, , 2020. Neural traits associated with certain functions can reveal the sources of behavioural heterogeneity and further suggest why people differ (for reviews, see Braver et al, 2010;Kanai & Rees, 2011;van den Heuvel & Hulshoff Pol, 2010).…”

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic Nationwide Lockdown on Mental Health, Environmental Concern, and Prejudice Against Other Social Groups

“…On the other hand, the experience of a collective crisis that one fights by collaboratively restraining self-interest could just as well enhance collective interests (e.g., Garcia & Rimé, 2019;Sibley et al, 2020). In a similar vein, acting prosocially (at high personal cost) in one domain has been shown to increase prosociality in other domains, too (Gneezy et al, 2012;Schiller et al, 2020a). It is yet unknown how very costly (and enforced) prosocial behavior due to the COVID-19 lockdown may affect attitudes related to prosociality in other domains, that is, mitigating the negative consequences of climate change and providing asylum to people in need.…”

Acute alcohol intoxication modulates the temporal dynamics of resting electroencephalography networks

“…Although the neuropharmacological effects of acute intoxication are rather well understood, 13–15 general changes in overall brain activity and connectivity (that are not associated with specific tasks or cognitive functions) have remained rather unclear. So far, it has never been investigated whether and how acute alcohol intoxication alters the temporal dynamics of resting electroencephalography (EEG) microstates, which reflect information processing in circumscribed large‐scale brain networks in the absence of specific cognitive or behavioral tasks 16–21 . Learning more about alcohol‐induced changes in resting network activity might help to explain why and how alcohol intoxication gives rise to various executive and attentional effects.…”

“…Therefore, we set out to investigate the effects of high‐dose alcohol intoxication on neural network activity identified by means of a spatiotemporal analysis of multichannel EEG recorded at rest. As a key benefit, this approach allows for studying rapid shifts of intrinsically generated, context‐independent activity among distributed neural networks with milliseconds resolution 16,19,20 . Consequently, it paves the way for a comprehensive understanding of alcohol effects on neural processing by tracking how alcohol intoxication modulates the temporal dynamics of activity in large‐scale brain circuitry, thereby accounting for the widespread and complex effects of this drug throughout the brain 21,25 …”