Evoked responses to rhythmic visual stimulation vary across sources of intrinsic alpha activity in humans
Abstract Rhythmic flickering visual stimulation produces steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) in electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. Based on electrode-level analyses, two dichotomous models of the underpinning mechanisms leading to SSVEP generation have been proposed: entrainment or...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2022-04-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-09922-2 |
| _version_ | 1819061400503320576 |
|---|---|
| author | R. Nuttall C. Jäger J. Zimmermann M. E. Archila-Melendez C. Preibisch P. Taylor P. Sauseng A. Wohlschläger C. Sorg J. Dowsett |
| author_facet | R. Nuttall C. Jäger J. Zimmermann M. E. Archila-Melendez C. Preibisch P. Taylor P. Sauseng A. Wohlschläger C. Sorg J. Dowsett |
| author_sort | R. Nuttall |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Rhythmic flickering visual stimulation produces steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) in electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. Based on electrode-level analyses, two dichotomous models of the underpinning mechanisms leading to SSVEP generation have been proposed: entrainment or superposition, i.e., phase-alignment or independence of endogenous brain oscillations from flicker-induced oscillations, respectively. Electrode-level analyses, however, represent an averaged view of underlying ‘source-level’ activity, at which variability in SSVEPs may lie, possibly suggesting the co-existence of multiple mechanisms. To probe this idea, we investigated the variability of SSVEPs derived from the sources underpinning scalp EEG responses during presentation of a flickering radial checkerboard. Flicker was presented between 6 and 12 Hz in 1 Hz steps, and at individual alpha frequency (IAF i.e., the dominant frequency of endogenous alpha oscillatory activity). We tested whether sources of endogenous alpha activity could be dissociated according to evoked responses to different flicker frequencies relative to IAF. Occipitoparietal sources were identified by temporal independent component analysis, maximal resting-state alpha power at IAF and source localisation. The pattern of SSVEPs to rhythmic flicker relative to IAF was estimated by correlation coefficients, describing the correlation between the peak-to-peak amplitude of the SSVEP and the absolute distance of the flicker frequency from IAF across flicker conditions. We observed extreme variability in correlation coefficients across sources, ranging from −0.84 to 0.93, with sources showing largely different coefficients co-existing within subjects. This result demonstrates variation in evoked responses to flicker across sources of endogenous alpha oscillatory activity. Data support the idea of multiple SSVEP mechanisms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T14:42:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-58fb4179b155401f90101948274bf70f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T14:42:17Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-58fb4179b155401f90101948274bf70f2022-12-21T19:00:09ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-04-0112111510.1038/s41598-022-09922-2Evoked responses to rhythmic visual stimulation vary across sources of intrinsic alpha activity in humansR. Nuttall0C. Jäger1J. Zimmermann2M. E. Archila-Melendez3C. Preibisch4P. Taylor5P. Sauseng6A. Wohlschläger7C. Sorg8J. Dowsett9School of Medicine, TUM-Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of MunichSchool of Medicine, TUM-Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of MunichSchool of Medicine, TUM-Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of MunichSchool of Medicine, TUM-Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of MunichSchool of Medicine, TUM-Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of MunichDepartment of Neurology, School of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian UniversityMunich Center for Neurosciences – Brain and Mind, Ludwig Maximilian UniversitySchool of Medicine, TUM-Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of MunichSchool of Medicine, TUM-Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of MunichSchool of Medicine, TUM-Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of MunichAbstract Rhythmic flickering visual stimulation produces steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) in electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. Based on electrode-level analyses, two dichotomous models of the underpinning mechanisms leading to SSVEP generation have been proposed: entrainment or superposition, i.e., phase-alignment or independence of endogenous brain oscillations from flicker-induced oscillations, respectively. Electrode-level analyses, however, represent an averaged view of underlying ‘source-level’ activity, at which variability in SSVEPs may lie, possibly suggesting the co-existence of multiple mechanisms. To probe this idea, we investigated the variability of SSVEPs derived from the sources underpinning scalp EEG responses during presentation of a flickering radial checkerboard. Flicker was presented between 6 and 12 Hz in 1 Hz steps, and at individual alpha frequency (IAF i.e., the dominant frequency of endogenous alpha oscillatory activity). We tested whether sources of endogenous alpha activity could be dissociated according to evoked responses to different flicker frequencies relative to IAF. Occipitoparietal sources were identified by temporal independent component analysis, maximal resting-state alpha power at IAF and source localisation. The pattern of SSVEPs to rhythmic flicker relative to IAF was estimated by correlation coefficients, describing the correlation between the peak-to-peak amplitude of the SSVEP and the absolute distance of the flicker frequency from IAF across flicker conditions. We observed extreme variability in correlation coefficients across sources, ranging from −0.84 to 0.93, with sources showing largely different coefficients co-existing within subjects. This result demonstrates variation in evoked responses to flicker across sources of endogenous alpha oscillatory activity. Data support the idea of multiple SSVEP mechanisms.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-09922-2 |
| spellingShingle | R. Nuttall C. Jäger J. Zimmermann M. E. Archila-Melendez C. Preibisch P. Taylor P. Sauseng A. Wohlschläger C. Sorg J. Dowsett Evoked responses to rhythmic visual stimulation vary across sources of intrinsic alpha activity in humans Scientific Reports |
| title | Evoked responses to rhythmic visual stimulation vary across sources of intrinsic alpha activity in humans |
| title_full | Evoked responses to rhythmic visual stimulation vary across sources of intrinsic alpha activity in humans |
| title_fullStr | Evoked responses to rhythmic visual stimulation vary across sources of intrinsic alpha activity in humans |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evoked responses to rhythmic visual stimulation vary across sources of intrinsic alpha activity in humans |
| title_short | Evoked responses to rhythmic visual stimulation vary across sources of intrinsic alpha activity in humans |
| title_sort | evoked responses to rhythmic visual stimulation vary across sources of intrinsic alpha activity in humans |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-09922-2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rnuttall evokedresponsestorhythmicvisualstimulationvaryacrosssourcesofintrinsicalphaactivityinhumans AT cjager evokedresponsestorhythmicvisualstimulationvaryacrosssourcesofintrinsicalphaactivityinhumans AT jzimmermann evokedresponsestorhythmicvisualstimulationvaryacrosssourcesofintrinsicalphaactivityinhumans AT mearchilamelendez evokedresponsestorhythmicvisualstimulationvaryacrosssourcesofintrinsicalphaactivityinhumans AT cpreibisch evokedresponsestorhythmicvisualstimulationvaryacrosssourcesofintrinsicalphaactivityinhumans AT ptaylor evokedresponsestorhythmicvisualstimulationvaryacrosssourcesofintrinsicalphaactivityinhumans AT psauseng evokedresponsestorhythmicvisualstimulationvaryacrosssourcesofintrinsicalphaactivityinhumans AT awohlschlager evokedresponsestorhythmicvisualstimulationvaryacrosssourcesofintrinsicalphaactivityinhumans AT csorg evokedresponsestorhythmicvisualstimulationvaryacrosssourcesofintrinsicalphaactivityinhumans AT jdowsett evokedresponsestorhythmicvisualstimulationvaryacrosssourcesofintrinsicalphaactivityinhumans |