Event Abstract Back to Event EEG-based neurofeedback in schizophrenia: Normalization of frontal-midline theta Stefanie Enriquez-Geppert1*, René J. Huster2, Signe Schneider3, Jörg Zimmermann4, Alexandra Philipsen5 and Christoph S. Herrmann6 1 University of Groningen, Netherlands 2 University of Oslo, Norway 3 Universiy Medical Center Hamburg, Germany 4 Clinic Bremen-Ost, Germany 5 Karl-Jaspers Clinic, European Medical School, Germany 6 Experimental Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, Germany Typical consequences in schizophrenia are work absence and early retirement. Such poor every day activities are associated with executive dysfunctioning. Under healthy conditions, successful executive functioning is associated to increased frontal-midline theta oscillations. Such event-related modulations are related to enhanced coupling between neuronal spikes and the phase of the population theta cycle. Crucially, fm-theta has been shown to be reduced in schizophrenic patients compared to healthy subjects and seems to underlie impaired executive functioning. From a rehabilitation perspective, the question arises if disturbed oscillations can be directly targeted with neuroscientific approaches in order to influence associated disturbed cognition in schizophrenia. In this regard EEG-neurofeedback represents a putative intervention to self-regulate oscillations. However, it is debated if this patient group can self-regulate their own oscillations at all. The current study aims first at exploring the specific fm-theta disturbances of schizophrenic patients in memory updating using a two-back experimental paradigm and comparing the results with healthy, matched subjects. Ultimately, the study tests a personalized five training session fm-theta neurofeedback with schizophrenic patients including an active control group. The study included 29 patients diagnosed as schizophrenic (F20, ICD-10) and 16 healthy control subjects. 16 patients were pseudo-randomized to either the experimental or active control group (the so-called pseudo group) for neurofeedback. With regard to the two-back task, reduced performance of schizophrenic patients was accompanied by a total loss of fm theta modulability. This was reflected by two deficits with respect to task-relevant stimuli and working memory load in the two-back task. With respect to the theta neurofeedback training, two main results were observed. First, patients in the experimental group showed indeed increased theta amplitudes over the course of the training compared to the pseudo group. And second, this increase transferred to one of the fm-theta modulation deficits in the n-back task, but (yet) did not lead to increased performance. Nevertheless, our data suggest that a non-invasive, low-cost EEG-neurofeedback training may represent a therapeutic tool also in psychiatric patients. Keywords: Neurofeedback, fm-theta oscillations, executive dysfunctions, Schizophrenia, novel therapies Conference: SAN2016 Meeting, Corfu, Greece, 6 Oct - 9 Oct, 2016. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation in the Symposium in Novel therapies for patients with schizophrenia: neurofeedback Topic: Symposium in Symposium in Novel therapies for patients with schizophrenia: neurofeedback and neurostimulation Citation: Enriquez-Geppert S, Huster RJ, Schneider S, Zimmermann J, Philipsen A and Herrmann CS (2016). EEG-based neurofeedback in schizophrenia: Normalization of frontal-midline theta. Conference Abstract: SAN2016 Meeting. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2016.220.00075 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers' terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 25 Jul 2016; Published Online: 01 Aug 2016. * Correspondence: Dr. Stefanie Enriquez-Geppert, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands, s.enriquez.geppert@rug.nl Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Stefanie Enriquez-Geppert René J Huster Signe Schneider Jörg Zimmermann Alexandra Philipsen Christoph S Herrmann Google Stefanie Enriquez-Geppert René J Huster Signe Schneider Jörg Zimmermann Alexandra Philipsen Christoph S Herrmann Google Scholar Stefanie Enriquez-Geppert René J Huster Signe Schneider Jörg Zimmermann Alexandra Philipsen Christoph S Herrmann PubMed Stefanie Enriquez-Geppert René J Huster Signe Schneider Jörg Zimmermann Alexandra Philipsen Christoph S Herrmann Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Cortical oscillations demonstrate a relationship with cognition. Moreover, they also exhibit associations with task performance and psychiatric mental disorders. This being the case, the modification of oscillations has become one of the key interests of neuroscientific approaches for cognitive enhancement. For such kind of alterations, neurofeedback (NF) of brain activity constitutes a promising tool. Concerning specific higher cognitive functions, frontal-midline theta (fm-theta) has been suggested as an important indicator of relevant brain processes. This paper presents a novel approach for an individualized, eight-session NF training to enhance fm-theta. An individual's dominant fm-theta frequency was determined based on experiments tapping executive functions. Effects of the actual NF training were compared to a pseudo-NF training. Participants of the pseudo-NF training experienced a comparable degree of motivation and commitment as the subjects of the actual NF training, but found the "training" slightly easier. In comparison to the pseudo-NF training, proper NF training significantly enhanced fm-theta amplitude in the actual training sessions, as well as during the whole course of training. However, unspecific changes in the alpha and beta frequency ranges found with both the actual NF and the pseudo-NF training groups emphasize the relevance of active control groups for neurofeedback studies.

Humans differ in their ability to learn how to control their own brain activity by neurofeedback. However, neural mechanisms underlying these inter-individual differences, which may determine training success and associated cognitive enhancement, are not well-understood. Here, it is asked whether neurofeedback success of frontal-midline (fm) theta, an oscillation related to higher cognitive functions, could be predicted by the morphology of brain structures known to be critically involved in fm-theta generation. Nineteen young, right-handed participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging of T1-weighted brain images, and took part in an individualized, eight-session neurofeedback training in order to learn how to enhance activity in their fm-theta frequency band. Initial training success, measured at the second training session, was correlated with the final outcome measure. We found that the inferior, superior, and middle frontal cortices were not associated with training success. However, volume of the midcingulate cortex as well as volume and concentration of the underlying white matter structures act as predictor variables for the general responsiveness to training. These findings suggest a neuroanatomical foundation for the ability to learn to control one's own brain activity.

Deficits in sustained attention and vigilance were assessed for oscillatory delta, theta, alpha, and gamma EEG activity during an auditory continuous performance task in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls by quantifying peak-to-peak amplitudes of averaged and single-trial data. Averaged data indicated significantly reduced amplitudes in schizophrenia patients in all analyzed frequency bands, mainly at anterior locations. Single-trial analysis suggested that the amplitude reductions observed in the averaged delta, theta, and alpha response in patients originated from increased inter-trial phase variability. Gamma activity maximum amplitudes were reduced at the single-trial level. The findings imply that EEG activity in patients with schizophrenia can be characterized by multiple deficits in oscillatory networks, which indicates a disturbance in the temporal integration and interaction of all frequency components and their inter-trial variability.

Abstract: In this study, we compared working memory (WM) functions for simple actions of healthy subjects and schizophrenic patients by means of behavioral and ERP measures. Healthy subjects showed a large frontal N2 amplitude in the hard WM task with updating demands of temporal sequence, but not in the easy WM and the control task. Schizophrenic patients had large frontal N2 amplitudes in all tasks without difference indicating that the patients had to activate the frontal cortex in tasks in which healthy subjects use automatized routines which do not involve the frontal cortex. Strong negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients were associated with small N2 amplitudes thus supporting the hypothesis of joint causes of cognitive and psychopathological features.