title: Time-frequency analyses of reaction times and theta/beta EEG ratio in pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury: A preliminary study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The literature on patients with attention deficit reports peculiar reaction time (RT) oscillation at very low frequencies (VLFO=0.06-0.2 Hz). The data were explained as default mode network (DMN) intrusion in goal-oriented activity. The present study investigates whether a pattern of recurrent lapses in attention can be detected in TBI patients and whether VLFO can be generalized to the sustained attention deficit, regardless of etiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Groups of pediatric TBIs and healthy controls performed four attentional tasks. RT and theta/beta timeseries were subjected to wavelet analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant high-power VLFOs were recorded in patient group performances but not in those of controls, both for RTs and theta/beta in all the tasks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary study suggests that central-midline theta/beta ratio could be considered a neurophysiological correlate of RT variability and that the general continuous goal-oriented activity can be cross-etiologically affected by recurrent lapses in attention regardless of the specific cognitive component involved.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gazzellini
authors.affiliation: b Clinical Technology Innovations Research Area, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Napolitano
authors.affiliation: c "Il filo dalla Torre" Centre for Education, Autism and Disability , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Graziella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bauleo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bisozzi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lispi
authors.affiliation: d University of Genoa , Genoa , Italy.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ardu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.affiliation: d University of Genoa , Genoa , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benso
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time; D013826:Theta Rhythm
keywords: Attention; EEG spectral analysis; RT variability; TBI; children