title: EEG alpha power changes reflect response inhibition deficits after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans.
abstract: Brain damage due to traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been associated with deficits in executive functions and the dynamic control of behaviour. Event-related brain potentials and spectral power data were recorded from eight TBI participants and eight matched controls while they completed a Go/NoGo response inhibition task. The TBI group was found to be significantly impaired at the task compared to controls, and exhibited abnormal N2 and P3 waveform components in response to NoGo stimuli relative to controls. Significant correlations were also found between alpha power, Go-trial RT and errors. We conclude that abnormal activity in the structures damaged in this group may render such patients less capable of maintaining a state of alpha desynchronisation compared to controls, resulting in poorer performance on the task.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland. riroche@tcd.ie
authors.forename: Richard A P
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Dockree
authors.forename: Hugh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Garavan
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Foxe
authors.forename: Ian H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Shane M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: O'Mara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000379:methods*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*