Biology subjects

Buzzell, G. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Buzzell, G. A..

10 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Age and Social Observation Effects on Theta Synchrony and Its Role in Adolescent Post-Error Control: A Computational Approach

Error monitoring allows for detecting mistakes and adapting behavior. Error monitoring is associated with increased theta (4-7 Hz) EEG activity recorded at midfrontal electrode sites located over the medial frontal cortex. Increases in theta synchrony after errors between midfrontal and lateral electrode sites, located over lateral prefrontal, motor, and sensory/parietal brain regions, are associated with post-error behavioral adaptations. However, there is a lack of research into whether such error-related theta inter-regional synchrony dynamics exhibit age-related changes across adolescence and whether such changes differ as a function of social observation. Moreover, there are discrepancies across studies in terms of how error-related theta synchrony between different electrode sites relates to specific forms of post-error adjustments. In this study, we used behavioral and EEG data from 262 adolescents aged 10-14 years who performed a flanker task twice: alone and while observed by a peer. Regardless of social observation, we found age-related increases in error-related midfrontal-frontolateral and midfrontal-midlateral theta synchrony. Additionally, we found that error-related theta synchrony between midfrontal and posterolateral regions increased only in the alone condition. Leveraging the shrinking spotlight drift diffusion model (SSP-DDM), we identified a positive association between error-related midfrontal-posterolateral theta synchrony and post-error attentional control but found no effects of social observation. These results are the first to demonstrate that error-related theta synchrony increases from early to mid-adolescence. Additionally, this work specifically links error-related midfrontal-posterolateral theta synchrony to post-error attentional control using computational modeling.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Error-Related Memory Biases Are Specific to Social Stimuli for Socially Anxious Individuals

Social anxiety (SA) is associated with enhanced error monitoring, yet underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Consistent with cognitive models of SA, we propose that stronger error monitoring contributes to SA by strengthening memory encoding of errors (including relevant social cues), negatively biasing what is remembered. Supporting this hypothesis, our prior work demonstrated that high SA individuals exhibit better memory for faces presented during error (vs. correct) trials. To test whether this Memory Bias for Error Events is specific to social stimuli, 140 participants completed a Flanker task with trial-unique faces (social) or objects (non-social) as background images, followed by a surprise memory test. Results revealed that higher SA symptoms were associated with enhanced memory for faces on error (vs. correct) trials, but not for objects. These findings replicate and extend our prior work, demonstrating that SA-related memory biases for errors are specific to social stimuli, rather than reflecting general encoding biases.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Social observation influences the trajectory of performance monitoring across trials: evidence from single-trial estimates of the ERN and CRN

The error-related negativity (ERN) and correct-related negativity (CRN) are event-related potentials (ERPs) that reflect performance monitoring following error and correct responses, respectively. Prior work demonstrates the ERN is sensitive to the motivational significance of errors, which increases under social observation. However, most studies testing how social observation impacts performance monitoring rely on trial-averaged ERPs, potentially obscuring meaningful fluctuations in ERN/CRN over time. Here, we had participants complete a Flanker task twice (social observation vs. alone) and employed mixed-effects modeling of single-trial ERPs to test if social observation impacts ERN/CRN trajectories over short (within blocks) or long (between blocks) timescales. We found that social observation selectively influenced ERN/CRN trajectories over short timescales: for blocks performed under social observation (but not alone), ERN magnitudes increased across trials and CRN magnitudes decreased. At longer timescales, ERN/CRN significantly decreased across all blocks, regardless of social observation and consistent with a vigilance decrement. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that social observation influences performance monitoring trajectories over short timescales. Results highlight the importance of analyzing ERN/CRN trajectories over relatively short timescales to fully characterize the impact of social observation on performance monitoring dynamics. These findings lay the groundwork for future investigation into whether social observation interacts with individual differences in motivation/affect to differentially impact performance monitoring dynamics.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Flanker task parameters are related to the strength of association between the ERN and anxiety: a meta-analysis

The error-related negativity (ERN)--an index of error monitoring--is associated with anxiety symptomatology. Although recent work suggests associations between the ERN and anxiety are relatively modest, little attention has been paid to how variation in task parameters may influence the strength of ERN-anxiety associations. To close this gap, the current meta-analysis assesses the possible influence of task parameter variation in the Flanker task--the most commonly used task to elicit the ERN--on observed ERN-anxiety associations. Here, we leveraged an existing open database of published/unpublished ERN-anxiety effect sizes, supplementing this database by further coding for variation in stimulus type (letter vs. arrow), response type (one-handed vs. two-handed), and block-level feedback (with vs. without). We then performed meta-regression analyses to assess whether variation in these Flanker task parameters moderated the effect size of ERN-anxiety associations. No evidence for an effect of stimulus type was identified. However, both response type and block-level feedback significantly moderated the magnitude of ERN-anxiety associations. Specifically, studies employing either a two-handed (vs. one-handed) task, or those with (vs. without) block-level feedback exhibited more than a two-fold increase in the estimated ERN-anxiety effect size. Thus, accounting for common variation in task parameters may at least partially explain apparent inconsistencies in the literature regarding the magnitude of ERN-anxiety associations. At a practical level, these data can inform the design of studies seeking to maximize ERN-anxiety associations. At a theoretical level, the results also inform testable hypotheses regarding the exact nature of the association between the ERN and anxiety.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Towards a mechanistic understanding of the role of error monitoring and memory in social anxiety

Cognitive models state social anxiety (SA) involves biased cognitive processing that impacts what is learned and remembered within social situations, leading to the maintenance of SA. Neuroscience work links SA to enhanced error monitoring, reflected in error-related neural responses arising from mediofrontal cortex (MFC). Yet, the role of error monitoring in SA remains unclear, as it is unknown whether error monitoring can drive changes in memory, biasing what is learned or remembered about social situations. Thus, we developed a novel paradigm to investigate the role of error-related MFC theta oscillations (associated with error monitoring) and memory biases in SA. EEG was collected while participants completed a novel Face-Flanker task, involving presentation of task-unrelated, trial-unique faces behind target/flanker arrows on each trial. A subsequent incidental memory assessment evaluated memory biases for error events. Severity of SA symptoms were associated with greater error-related theta synchrony over MFC, as well as between MFC and sensory cortex. SA was positively associated with memory biases for error events. Consistent with a mechanistic role in biased cognitive processing, greater error-related MFC-sensory theta synchrony during the Face-Flanker predicted subsequent memory biases for error events. Our findings suggest high SA individuals exhibit memory biases for error events, and that this behavioral phenomenon may be driven by error-related MFC-sensory theta synchrony associated with error monitoring. Moreover, results demonstrate the potential of a novel paradigm to elucidate mechanisms underlying relations between error monitoring and SA.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

Context and Domain Matter: The Error-Related Negativity in Peer Presence Predicts Fear of Negative Evaluation, not Global Social Anxiety, in Adolescents

BackgroundSocial anxiety symptoms are most likely to emerge during adolescence, a developmental window marked by heightened concern over peer evaluation. However, the neurocognitive mechanism(s) underlying adolescent social anxiety remain unclear. Emerging work points to the error-related negativity (ERN) as a potential neural marker of exaggerated self/error-monitoring in social anxiety, particularly for errors committed in front of peers.However, social anxiety symptoms are marked by heterogeneity and it remains unclear exactly what domain(s) of social anxiety symptoms are associated with ERN variation in peer presence, particularly within the adolescent period. MethodsTo advance and deepen the mechanistic understanding of the ERNs putative role as a neural marker for social anxiety in adolescence, we leveraged a social manipulation procedure and assessed a developmentally-salient domain of social anxiety during adolescence--Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE). Adolescents residing in Hanzhong, a small city in the southwestern region of mainland China, had EEG recorded while performing a flanker task, twice (peer presence/absence); FNE, as well as global social anxiety symptoms were assessed. ResultsOverall ERN increases in peer presence. FNE specifically, but not global levels of social anxiety symptoms, predicted ERN in peer presence. ConclusionsThese data are the first demonstration that the ERN relates to a specific domain of social anxiety in adolescents, as well as the first evidence of such relations within a non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic) sample. Results have important implications for theory and research into adolescent social anxiety.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Atypical Mediofrontal Theta Oscillations Underlying Cognitive Control in Kindergarteners with Autism Spectrum Disorder

BackgroundChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit deficits in cognitive control. Neuroimaging approaches have implicated disruptions to medio-frontal cortex (MFC) structure and function. However, prior work has not directly tested whether young children with ASD exhibit disruptions to task-related theta oscillations thought to arise from the MFC. MethodsForty-three children with ASD and 24 age- and gender-matched typically developing (TD) peers performed a child-friendly Go/No-go task while 64-channel electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded at kindergarten-entry. Time-frequency approaches were employed to assess the magnitude of mediofrontal theta oscillations immediately following error (vs. correct) responses ("early theta"), as well as later emerging theta oscillations ("late theta"). We tested whether error-related mediofrontal theta oscillations differed as a function of diagnosis (ASD/typical) and timing (early/late theta). Additionally, links to social and academic outcomes were tested. ResultsOverall, children showed increased theta power following error vs. correct responses. Compared to TD children, children with ASD exhibited a selective reduction in error-related mediofrontal theta power during the late theta time window. There were no significant group differences for early theta power. Moreover, reduced error-related theta power during the late, but not early, time window significantly predicted poorer academic and social skills. ConclusionsKindergarteners with ASD demonstrated a selective reduction in error-related mediofrontal theta power during a relatively late time window, which is consistent with impairments in specific cognitive processes that recruit top-down control. Targeting these particular cognitive control processes via intervention prior to school-entry may promote more successful functional outcomes for children with ASD.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

The Maryland Analysis of Developmental EEG (MADE) Pipeline

Compared to adult EEG, EEG signals recorded from pediatric populations have shorter recording periods and contain more artifact contamination. Therefore, pediatric EEG data necessitate specific preprocessing approaches in order to remove environmental noise and physiological artifacts without losing large amounts of data. However, there is presently a scarcity of standard automated preprocessing pipelines suitable for pediatric EEG. In an effort to achieve greater standardization of EEG preprocessing, and in particular for the analysis of pediatric data, we developed the Maryland Analysis of Developmental EEG (MADE) pipeline as an automated preprocessing pipeline compatible with EEG data recorded with different hardware systems, different populations, levels of artifact contamination, and length of recordings. MADE uses EEGLAB and functions from some EEGLAB plugins, and includes additional customizable features particularly useful for EEG data collected from pediatric populations. MADE processes event-related and resting state EEG from raw data files through a series of preprocessing steps and outputs processed clean data ready to be analyzed in time, frequency, or time-frequency domain. MADE provides a report file at the end of the preprocessing that describes a variety of features of the processed data to facilitate the assessment of the quality of processed data. In this paper we discuss some practical issues, which are specifically relevant to pediatric EEG preprocessing. We also provide custom-written scripts to address these practical issues. MADE is freely available under the terms of the GNU General Public License at https://github.com/ChildDevLab/MADE-EEG-preprocessing-pipeline.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2019

Adjusting ADJUST: Optimizing the ADJUST Algorithm for Pediatric Data Using Geodesic Nets

A major challenge for electroencephalograph (EEG) studies on pediatric populations is that large amounts of data are lost due to artifacts (e.g., movement and blinks). Independent component analysis (ICA) can separate artifactual and neural activity, allowing researchers to remove such artifactual activity and retain a greater percentage of EEG data for analyses. However, manual identification of artifactual components is time consuming and requires subjective judgment. Automated algorithms, like ADJUST and ICLabel, have been validated on adults using the international 10-20 system, but to our knowledge no such algorithms have been optimized for the geodesic sensor net, which is often used with infants and children. Therefore, in an attempt to automate artifact selection for pediatric data collected with geodesic nets, we modified ADJUSTs algorithm. Our \"adjusted-ADJUST\" algorithm was compared to the \"original-ADJUST\" algorithm and ICLabel in adults, children, and infants on three different performance measures: respective classification agreement with expert coders, the number of trials retained following artifact removal, and the reliability of the EEG signal after pre-processing with each algorithm. Overall, the adjusted-ADJUST algorithm performed better than the original-ADJUST algorithm and no ICA correction with adult and pediatric data. Moreover, it performed better than ICLabel for pediatric data. These results indicate that optimizing existing algorithms for data collected with a geodesic net improves artifact classification and retains more trials, potentially facilitating EEG studies with pediatric populations.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2018

Adolescent Cognitive Control, Theta Oscillations, and Social Motivation

Theta oscillations (4-8 Hz) provide an organizing principle of cognitive control, allowing goal-directed behavior that is conserved across species. In human adults, theta power over medial-frontal cortex (MFC) underlies monitoring, whereas theta synchrony between MFC and lateral-frontal regions reflects control recruitment. Prior work has not separated theta before/after motor responses, nor explained how medial-lateral synchrony drives different kinds of control behaviors. Thetas role during adolescence, a developmental window characterized by a motivation-control mismatch also remains unclear, preventing possible cross-species work. Here, adolescents performed a flanker task alone or under observation to increase social motivation. We separated theta dynamics immediately before/after motor responses, identifying functional dissociations. We also dissociate MFC connectivity with rostral/caudal frontal cortex and distinct forms of behavioral control, which further differed before/after response. Finally, social motivation was found to exclusively upregulate post-response error monitoring and changes in control to prevent future errors, as opposed to pre-response theta dynamics.

neuroscience↗