Exploring semantic and phonological picture-word priming in adults who stutter using event-related potentials

ObjectiveOur aim was to investigate how semantic and phonological information is processed in adults who stutter (AWS) preparing to name pictures, following-up a report that event-related potentials (ERPs) in AWS evidenced atypical semantic picture–word priming (Maxfield et al., 2010).MethodsFourteen AWS and 14 typically-fluent adults (TFA) participated. Pictures, named at a delay, were followed by probe words. Design elements not used in Maxfield et al. (2010) let us evaluate both phonological and semantic picture–word priming.ResultsTFA evidenced typical priming effects in probe-elicited ERPs. AWS evidenced diminished semantic priming, and reverse phonological N400 priming.ConclusionsResults point to atypical processing of semantic and phonological information in AWS. Discussion considers whether AWS ERP effects reflect unstable activation of target label semantic and phonological representations, strategic inhibition of target label phonological neighbors, and/or phonological label–probe competition.SignificanceResults raise questions about how mechanisms that regulate activation spreading operate in AWS.     

Contributions of spectral frequency analyses to the study of P50 ERP amplitude and suppression in bipolar disorder with or without a history of psychosis

Objective: The present study investigated event-related brain potential (ERP) indices of auditory processing and sensory gating in bipolar disorder and subgroups of bipolar patients with or without a history of psychosis using the P50 dual-click procedure. Auditory-evoked activity in two discrete frequency bands also was explored to distinguish between sensory registration and selective attention deficits. Methods: Thirty-one individuals with bipolar disorder and 28 non-psychiatric controls were compared on ERP indices of auditory processing using a dual-click procedure. In addition to conventional P50 ERP peak-picking techniques, quantitative frequency analyses were applied to the ERP data to isolate stages of information processing associated with sensory registration (20–50 Hz; gamma band) and selective attention (0–20 Hz; low-frequency band). Results: Compared to the non-psychiatric control group, patients with bipolar disorder exhibited reduced S1 response magnitudes for the conventional P50 peak-picking and low-frequency response analyses. A bipolar subgroup effect suggested that the attenuated S1 magnitudes from the P50 peak-picking and low-frequency analyses were largely attributable to patients without a history of psychosis. Conclusions: The analysis of distinct frequency bands of the auditory-evoked response elicited during the dual-click procedure allowed further specification of the nature of auditory sensory processing and gating deficits in bipolar disorder with or without a history of psychosis. The observed S1 effects in the low-frequency band suggest selective attention deficits in bipolar patients, especially those patients without a history of psychosis, which may reflect a diminished capacity to selectively attend to salient stimuli as opposed to impairments of inhibitory sensory processes.     

Association between waking electroencephalography and cognitive event-related potentials in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

ObjectiveSleepiness, cognitive deficits, abnormal event-related potentials (ERP), and slowing of the waking electroencephalography (EEG) activity have been reported in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Our study aimed at evaluating if an association exists between the severity of ERP abnormalities and EEG slowing to better understand cerebral dysfunctions in OSA.MethodsTwelve OSA patients and 12 age-matched controls underwent an overnight polysomnographic recording, an EEG recording of 10 min of wakefulness, and an auditory ERP protocol known to specifically recruit attention. P300 and P3a ERP components were measured as well as the spectral power in each frequency band of the waking EEG. Pearson product moment correlations were used to measure associations between ERP characteristics and EEG spectral power in OSA patients and control subjects.ResultsA positive correlation between the late P300 amplitude and θ power in the occipital region was observed in OSA subjects (P < .01). A positive correlation was also found between P3a amplitude and β1 power in central region in OSA subjects (P < .01). No correlation was observed for control subjects.ConclusionsERP abnormalities observed in an attention task are associated with a slowing of the waking EEG recorded at rest in OSA.     

Induced theta oscillations as biomarkers for alcoholism

ObjectiveStudies have suggested that non-phase-locked event-related oscillations (ERO) in target stimulus processing might provide biomarkers of alcoholism. This study investigates the discriminatory power of non-phase-locked oscillations in a group of long-term abstinent alcoholics (LTAAs) and non-alcoholic controls (NACs).MethodsEEGs were recorded from 48 LTAAs and 48 age and gender comparable NACs during rest with eyes open (EO) and during the performance of a three-condition visual target detection task. The data were analyzed to extract resting power, ERP amplitude and non-phase-locked ERO power measures. Data were analyzed using MANCOVA to determine the discriminatory power of induced θ ERO vs. resting θ power vs. P300 ERP measures in differentiating the LTAA and NAC groups.ResultsBoth groups showed significantly more θ power in the pre-stimulus reference period of the task vs. the resting EO condition. The resting θ power did not discriminate the groups, while the LTAAs showed significantly less pre-stimulus θ power vs. the NACs. The LTAAs showed a significantly larger θ event-related synchronization (ERS) to the target stimulus vs. the NACs, even after accounting for pre-stimulus θ power levels. ERS to non-target stimuli showed smaller induced oscillations vs. target stimuli with no group differences. Alcohol use variables, a family history of alcohol problems, and the duration of alcohol abstinence were not associated with any θ power measures.ConclusionsWhile reference θ power in the task and induced θ oscillations to target stimuli both discriminate LTAAs and NACs, induced θ oscillations better discriminate the groups. Induced θ power measures are also more powerful and independent group discriminators than the P3b amplitude.SignificanceInduced frontal θ oscillations promise to provide biomarkers of alcoholism that complement the well-established P300 ERP discriminators.     

Developmental changes in visuo-spatial working memory in normally developing children: Event-related potentials study

Objective: Working memory (WM) is very important for normal development. The fronto-parietal neuronal network supporting WM has already been well-studied. Less is known about the cortical activity changes during development of WM. We evaluated the maturation of visual WM network at the electrophysiological level in a group of normally developing children. Methods: Multichannel (n = 31) event-related potentials (ERP) were measured during a visuo-spatial backmatching task in 69 childrens (6–16 years old). One-backmatching (BM1) and two-backmatching (BM2) tasks were performed. Age-related changes in behavioral parameters (commission and omission errors and reaction times) and ERP parameters (peak amplitudes and latencies) were analyzed between different ages. Results: Clear improvement in performance from young childhood toward adolescence was seen at the behavioral level: decrease of errors and fastening of reaction times. At the electrophysiological level age-related changes were seen in peak latencies and especially in amplitudes. Different peaks have different dynamics in amplitudes and latencies: early peak amplitude decreased and latency shortened with age, which was not always seen in late peaks. This reflects developmental changes in intensity and speed of WM processing. Later peaks were more clearly seen over the right hemisphere in older children, illustrating hemispheric lateralization in visuo-spatial working memory. Conclusions: Our results indicate that not only at the behavioral but also at the electrophysiological level clear age-related dynamics in WM processing can be seen. Furthermore, with ERP we showed that different WM components follow different developmental trajectories. Significance: Our work demonstrates that age-related dynamics in intensity and speed of information processing during WM task is reflected in developmental changes in different ERP components. It also states that fronto-parietal visual WM network can be functional even before all its nodes are fully mature.     

Neurophysiological markers of cue reactivity and inhibition subtend a three-month period of complete alcohol abstinence

ObjectiveFinding new tools for conventional management of alcohol disorders is a challenge for psychiatrists. Brain indications related to cognitive functioning could represent such an add-on tool.MethodsForty alcohol-dependent inpatients undertook two cognitive event-related potential (ERP) tasks at the beginning and at the end of a 4-week detoxification program. These comprised a visual oddball task investigating cue reactivity and a Go/No-go task tagging inhibition using oddball P3d and No-go P3d ERP components. Three months after discharge, the patient group (N = 40) was split into two subgroups: patients who remained abstinent during this post-treatment period (90 days; n = 15), and patients who relapsed (mean time: 28.5 ± 26.2 days; n = 25). Pattern changes of both ERP markers (oddball P3d and No-go P3d) during the detoxification were compared to differentiate these populations.ResultsAbstinent patients exhibited similar P3d responses devoted to alcohol cues in Sessions 1 and 2, but an increased No-go P3d devoted to No-go trials in alcohol-related contexts in Session 2 compared to Session 1.ConclusionsSpecific cue-reactivity and inhibitory neurophysiological markers subtend a further three-months of complete abstinence.SignificanceMonitoring these ERP changes during detoxification may provide important clues regarding patients’ future abstinence vs. relapse.     

Cognitive effects of topiramate revealed by standardised low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) of event-related potentials

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of topiramate (TPM) on event-related potentials (ERPs) in patients with epilepsy.MethodsNeuropsychological tests and ERP study using auditory oddball paradigm were conducted before and after treatment with TPM in drug-naive epilepsy patients. To detect target brain regions in which ERP changed during the cognitive task, cortical current densities of ERP components were analysed using standardised low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA).ResultsNeuropsychological tests (n = 18 patients) showed that TPM significantly decreased the score in digit span, Corsi block and Controlled Oral Word Association word fluency. Repeated-measures analysis of variance of ERP data (n = 13 patients) revealed that P2 amplitude was significantly increased at Fz electrode following treatment with TPM. Statistical non-parametric map of sLORETA between pre- and post-TPM ERPs revealed that current density of P200 component was significantly reduced by TPM in bilateral parieto-occipital, temporolimbic and dorsolateral right prefrontal regions.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that TPM affects selective brain regions which may be related to cognitive side effects.SignificanceSource localisation of ERPs can be helpful in identifying target brain regions for the cognitive side effects of anti-epileptic drugs.     

Mechanism of visual network dysfunction in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and its relation to cognition

ObjectiveTo investigate if changes in brain network function and connectivity contribute to the abnormalities in visual event related potentials (ERP) in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), and explore their relation to a decrease in cognitive performance.MethodsWe evaluated 72 patients with RRMS and 89 healthy control subjects in a cross-sectional study. Visual ERP were generated using illusory and non-illusory stimuli and recorded using 21 EEG scalp electrodes. The measured activity was modelled using Dynamic Causal Modelling. The model network consisted of 4 symmetric nodes including the primary visual cortex (V1/V2) and the Lateral Occipital Complex. Patients and controls were tested with a neuropsychological test battery consisting of 18 cognitive tests covering six cognitive domains.ResultsWe found reduced cortical connectivity in bottom-up and interhemispheric connections to the right lateral occipital complex in patients (p < 0.001). Furthermore, interhemispherical connections were related to cognitive dysfunction in several domains (attention, executive function, visual perception and organization, processing speed and global cognition) for patients (p < 0.05). No relation was seen between cortical network connectivity and cognitive function in the healthy control subjects.ConclusionChanges in the functional connectivity to higher cortical regions provide a neurobiological explanation for the changes of the visual ERP in RRMS.SignificanceThis study suggests that changes in connectivity to higher cortical regions partly explain visual network dysfunction in RRMS where a lower interhemispheric connectivity may contribute to impaired cognitive function.     

ERP correlates of selective attention and working memory capacities in children with ADHD and/or PDD-NOS

ObjectiveWe examined whether children (8–11 years) diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) showing primarily hyperactive behavior, differed in selective attention and working memory (WM) abilities.MethodsHealthy controls and children with ADHD, PDD-NOS or symptoms of both disorders (PDD/HD) (n = 15 in each group) carried out a visual selective memory search task while their EEG was recorded from which event-related potentials were derived.ResultsCompared to the control group, all patient groups made more omissions while hyperactive children also exhibited more false alarms. Regarding the process of WM-controlled search, significant group differences in ERP data were found between the control group and each of the clinical groups.ConclusionsThe results point to less efficient WM-functioning in all patient groups. Whereas the clinical groups differed from each other at the behavioral level as measured by questionnaires, no distinction between the clinical groups could be made with respect to performance or ERP measures of WM capacity and selective attention.SignificanceThe results suggest that a possible differentiation in selectivity and working memory capacities between PDD-NOS and ADHD is hard to find. This may agree with clinical practice, where differential diagnosis is a subject of discussion.     

Dual-task repetition alters event-related brain potentials and task performance

ObjectiveWe examined the modulation of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and the accuracy of sensori-motor coordination on short-term repetition of the concurrent performance of a somatosensory discrimination (oddball) task and a visuo-motor tracking task.MethodsThe subjects concurrently performed visuomotor tracking and somatosensory oddball tasks. In the dual-task condition, the subjects performed the visuomotor tracking and somatosensory oddball tasks concurrently for about an hour. In the oddball-only condition, they performed just the oddball task for the same period.ResultsTracking performance improved with task repetition. The amplitude of the P300 elicited by somatosensory stimulation in the oddball-only condition decreased significantly with task repetition, whereas in the dual-task condition, it showed a complex pattern of change. The earlier responses were decreased in amplitude in the dual-task condition compared to the oddball-only condition, and gradually decreased with task repetition in both conditions.ConclusionsDynamic changes in ERPs and task performance with dual-task repetition support the idea that dual-task repetition produces changes in resource allocation following the automation of stimulus processing in addition to so-called habituation.SignificanceThis study also provides evidence for use of ERP amplitudes as physiological indices of functionally different types of resources.     

Deficits of visuospatial working memory and executive function in single- versus multiple-domain amnestic mild cognitive impairment: A combined ERP and sLORETA study

ObjectiveAccording to recent criteria of classification, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) could be divided into two categories: single-domain aMCI (sd-aMCI) and multiple-domain aMCI (md-aMCI). The difference between sd-aMCI and md-aMCI needs further exploration. The present study aimed to compare deficits in visuospatial working memory (VSWM) and executive function between sd-aMCI versus md-aMCI patients by use of event-related potentials (ERP) and standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography analysis (sLORETA).MethodsThe ERP data were measured and analyzed in 26 sd-aMCI, 13 md-aMCI patients and 46 healthy elderly controls (HEC) during VSWM and Go/Nogo processes.ResultsDuring VSWM task, md-aMCI patients showed decreased P300 amplitude compared to HEC and sd-aMCI patients (All p < 0.05). As compared to sd-aMCI, md-aMCI showed a hypoactivation in the right middle frontal gyrus in 1-back task during the P300 time range. During the Go/Nogo task, sd-aMCI and md-aMCI patients showed reduced N200 amplitude, compared to HEC (All p < 0.05). However, md-aMCI patients had decreased N200 amplitude, with respect to sd-aMCI patients. Further, as compared to sd-aMCI patients, md-aMCI patients showed a hypoactivation in the right superior frontal gyrus during the N200 time range.ConclusionsThese findings with a combined ERP and sLORETA study showed more severe deficits in updating operations of WM, detections of the target stimulus and conflict processes in md-aMCI, compared to sd-aMCI patients.SignificanceThe present study showed that a combined ERP and sLORETA study during the VSWM and Go/Nogo tasks could distinguish md-aMCI from sd-aMCI.     

Hippocampal intracerebral evoked potentials as a marker of its functionality in drug-resistant epilepsy

ObjectivesTo assess hippocampal function during stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) investigations through the study of the medial temporal lobe event-related potential (ERP) MTL-P300.MethodsWe recorded the MTL-P300 during a visual oddball task, using hippocampal electrodes implanted for SEEG in 71 patients, in a preoperative epilepsy investigation. The presence of an MTL-P300 and its amplitude were correlated with hippocampal involvement during seizures and memory function.ResultsAnalysis using ROC curves revealed that an MTL-P300 amplitude below -46 µV, has a specificity of 93.3% in detecting the epileptogenic zone, and absence of the MTL-P300 in the left hippocampus of patients with typical language organization was associated with marked alteration of verbal memory scores. There was a significant correlation between performance in non-verbal memory tests and the amplitude of the MTL-P300 in the right hippocampus of patients with left hemispheric seizures (immediate visual recall: r = 0.67, p = 0.005; delayed visual recall: r = 0.56, p = 0.025). Using a linear regression, we confirmed that the absence of the MTL-P300 in the left hippocampus, the involvement of the left hippocampus during seizures, and the duration of epilepsy were predictors of verbal memory deficits.ConclusionAnalysis of the MTL-P300 during SEEG recording provides relevant information for the analysis of hippocampal functionality and can help to localize the epileptogenic zone.     

A comparison of the mismatch negativity (MMN) event-related potential to tone and speech stimuli in normal and aphasic adults

Abstract

We evaluated the mismatch negativity (MMN) event-related potential (ERP) in normal and aphasic adults to tone and speech stimuli to determine aphasic patients' auditory discrimination and the relationship between MMN measures and severity of aphasia. MMNs were present in 89% of normal subjects and 79% of aphasic subjects to tone stimuli. MMNs were present in 100% of normal subjects and 54% of aphasic subjects to speech stimuli. The duration of the MMN ERP to speech stimuli was significantly related to severity of aphasia on the Western Aphasia Battery, Porch Index of Communicative Ability, and the Token Test. Thus, not all aphasic people show an early, preconscious orientation response to tone and speech stimuli. However, the duration of this response, when present, to speech stimuli appears to be related to the severity of aphasia.     

Posttraumatic stress syndromes and health-related quality of life following myocardial infarction: 8-year follow-up

ObjectivesThis study examines the implications of acute stress disorder (ASD), following myocardial infraction (MI), in predicting subsequent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and impaired quality of life (QoL) 8 years post-MI.MethodsMI patients, who were assessed within a week of the MI (Time 1; n=173), were followed up 7 months (Time 2; n=116) and 8 years (Time 3; n=90) post-MI. ASD was assessed at Time 1 and PTSD at Time 2 and Time 3. Health-related QoL was assessed at Time 3.ResultsUnconditional latent class growth models revealed two distinct subpopulations: the recovered/resilient group (94%) demonstrated a decrease from 12.4% of ASD at Time 1 to 6.1% of PTSD at Time 3. Rates of posttraumatic stress syndromes in the chronic group (6%) were 85.3% at Time 1 and 75.7% at Time 3. The two groups differed in pre-MI life events, length of hospitalization, likelihood to have anterior MI, and perceived threat of death. The chronic group reported lower levels of QoL at Time 3.ConclusionAlthough most ASD patients demonstrate a trend of recovery, ASD in the immediate aftermath of MI remains a marker of long term adjustment difficulties.     

P300 latency jitter and its correlates in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

ObjectivePeople with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can benefit from brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). However, users with ALS may experience significant variations in BCI performance and event-related potential (ERP) characteristics. This study investigated latency jitter and its correlates in ALS.MethodsElectroencephalographic (EEG) responses were recorded from six people with ALS and nine neurotypical controls. ERP amplitudes and latencies were extracted. Classifier-based latency estimation was used to calculate latency jitter. ERP components and latency jitter were compared between groups using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Correlations between latency jitter and each of the clinical measures, ERP features, and performance measures were investigated using Spearman and repeated measures correlations.ResultsLatency jitter was significantly increased in participants with ALS and significantly negatively correlated with BCI performance in both ALS and control participants. ERP amplitudes were significantly attenuated in ALS, and significant correlations between ERP features and latency jitter were observed. There was no significant correlation between latency jitter and clinical measures.ConclusionsLatency jitter is increased in ALS and correlates with both BCI performance and ERP features.SignificanceThese results highlight the associations of latency jitter with BCI performance and ERP characteristics and could inform future BCI designs for people with ALS.     

The impact of symptomatic mild traumatic brain injury on complex everyday activities and the link with alterations in cerebral functioning: Exploratory case studies

ABSTRACT

The objective of the study was to explore the neurophysiological correlates of altered functional independence using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and event-related potentials (ERP) after a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The participants consisted of three individuals with symptomatic mTBI (3.9?±?3.6 months post-mTBI) and 12 healthy controls. The main measures used were the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Profile observation-based assessment; a visual externally ordered working memory task combined to event-related potentials (ERP) and fMRI recordings; neuropsychological tests; post-concussion symptoms questionnaires; and the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Profile interview. Compared to normal controls, all three patients had difficulty with a real-world complex budgeting activity due to deficits in planning, ineffective strategy use and/or a prolonged time to detect and correct errors. Reduced activations in the right mid-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on fMRI as well as abnormal frontal or parietal components of the ERP occurred alongside these deficits. Results of this exploratory study suggest that reduced independence in complex everyday activities in symptomatic mTBI may be at least partly explained by a decrease in brain activation in the prefrontal cortex, abnormal ERP, or slower reaction times on working memory tasks. The study presents an initial attempt at combining research in neuroscience with ecological real-world evaluation research to further our understanding of the difficulties in complex everyday activities experienced by individuals with mTBI.     

Introducing a novel approach of network oriented analysis of ERPs, demonstrated on adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

ObjectiveIntroducing a network-oriented analysis method (brain network activation [BNA]) of event related potential (ERP) activities and evaluating its value in the identification and severity-grading of adult ADHD patients.MethodsSpatio-temporal interrelations and synchronicity of multi-sited ERP activity peaks were extracted in a group of 13 ADHD patients and 13 control subjects for the No-go stimulus in a Go/No-go task. Participants were scored by cross-validation against the most discriminative ensuing group patterns and scores were correlated to neuropsychological evaluation scores.ResultsA distinct frontal–central–parietal pattern in the delta frequency range, dominant at the P3 latency, was unraveled in controls, while central activity in the theta and alpha frequency ranges predominated in the ADHD pattern, involving early ERP components (P1–N1–P2–N2). Cross-validation based on this analysis yielded 92% specificity and 84% sensitivity and individual scores correlated well with behavioral assessments.ConclusionsThese results suggest that the ADHD group was more characterized by the process of exerting attention in the early monitoring stages of the No-go signal while the controls were more characterized by the process of inhibiting the response to that signal.SignificanceThe BNA method may provide both diagnostic and drug development tools for use in diverse neurological disorders.     

Assessment of electroencephalography and event-related potentials in unresponsive patients with brain injury

ObjectiveTo investigate the predictors of clinical outcomes in unresponsive patients with acquired brain injuries.MethodsPatients with coma or disorders of consciousness were enrolled from August 2019 to March 2021. A retrospective analysis of demographics, etiology, clinical score, diagnosis, electroencephalography (EEG), and event-related potential (ERP) data from 1 week to 2 months after coma onset was conducted. Findings were assessed for predicting favorable outcomes at 6 months post-coma, and functional outcomes were determined using the Glasgow Outcome Scale–Extended (GOS-E).ResultsOf 68 patients, 22 patients had a good neurological outcome at 6 months, while 11 died. Univariate analysis showed that motor response (Motor-R; p < 0.001), EEG pattern (p = 0.015), sleep spindles (p = 0.018), EEG reactivity (EEG-R; p < 0.001), mismatch negativity (MMN) amplitude at electrode Fz (FzMMNA; p = 0.001), P3a latency (p = 0.044), and P3a amplitude at electrode Cz (CzP3aA; p < 0.001) were significantly correlated with patient prognosis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that FzMMNA, CzP3aA, EEG-R, and Motor-R were significant independent predictors of a favorable outcome. The sensitivity and specificity of FzMMNA (dichotomized at 1.16 μV) were 86.4% and 58.5%, and of CzP3aA (cut-off value 2.76 μV) were 90.9% and 70.7%, respectively. ERP amplitude (ERP-A), a combination of FzMMNA and CzP3aA, improved prediction accuracy, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.884. A model incorporating Motor-R, EEG-R, and ERP-A yielded an outstanding predictive performance (AUC=0.921) for a favorable outcome.ConclusionERP-A and the prognostic model resulted in the efficient prediction of a favorable outcome in unresponsive patients.     

EEG/ERP-based biomarker/neuroalgorithms in adults with ADHD: Development,reliability, and application in clinical practice

Abstract

Objectives: The electrophysiological characteristics of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and recent machine-learning methods promise easy-to-use approaches that can complement existing diagnostic tools when sufficiently large samples are used. Neuroalgorithms are models of multidimensional brain networks by means of which ADHD patient data can be separated from healthy control data.

Methods: Spontaneous electroencephalographic and event-related potential (ERP) data were collected three times over the course of 2 years from a multicentre sample of adults comprising 181 patients with ADHD and 147 healthy controls. Spectral power and ERP amplitude and latency measures were used as input data for a semi-automatic machine-learning framework.

Results: ADHD patients and healthy controls could be classified with a sensitivity ranging from 75% to 83% and specificity values of 71% to 77%. In the analysis of the repeated measurements, sensitivity values of the selected logistic regression model remained high (72% and 76%), while specificity values slightly decreased over time (64% and 67%).

Conclusions: Implementation of the system in clinical practice requires facilities to track affected networks, as well as expertise in neuropathophysiology. Therefore, the use of neuroalgorithms can enhance the diagnostic process by making it less subjective and more reliable and linking it to the underlying pathology.