Brain Research Foundation

Robust decoding and classification of brain patterns measured with electroencephalography (EEG) remains a major challenge for real-world (i.e. outside scientific lab and medical facilities) brain-computer interface (BCI) applications due to well documented inter- and intra-participant variability. Here, we present a large-scale benchmark evaluating over 340,000+ unique combinations of spatial and nonlinear EEG classification. Our methodological pipeline consists in combinations of Common Spatial Patterns (CSP), Riemannian geometry, functional connectivity, and fractal- or entropy-based features across three open-access EEG datasets. Unlike prior studies, our analysis operates at the per-participant level and across multiple frequency bands (8-15 Hz and 8-30 Hz), enabling direct assessment of both group-level performance and individual variability. Covariance tangent space projection (cov-tgsp) and CSP consistently achieved the highest average classification accuracies. However, their effectiveness was strongly dataset-dependent, and marked participant-level differences persisted, particularly in the most heterogeneous of the datasets. Importantly, nonlinear methods outperformed spatial approaches for specific individuals, underscoring the need for personalized pipeline selection. Our findings highlight that no universal 'one-size-fits-all' method can optimally decode EEG motor imagery patterns across all users or datasets. Future work will require adaptive, multimodal, and possibly novel approaches to fully address neurophysiological variability in practical BCI applications where the system can automatically adapt to what makes each user unique.

This study aimed to assess the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of the SEE Learning® (Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning) program among elementary school-aged children. A quasi-experimental design was employed, with 685 4th- and 5th-grade students across 33 classrooms (344 students received the 12-week SEE Learning program; 341 students were wait-list controls). Assessments of compassion for self and others, social and emotional competencies, and the degree to which students perceived their classrooms as supportive were collected before and after program implementation. Measures of dosage, fidelity, and acceptability were assessed via teachers' weekly lesson diaries. Teachers reported the program was feasible to implement. They demonstrated high lesson completion and fidelity rates with minimal preparation time and strong adherence to the lesson structure. Most program activities fit within a 50-minute timeframe or less, reflecting the program's suitability for elementary school settings. Student reports showed preliminary impacts of the program. Those who received SEE Learning reported significant improvements in self-compassion, perspective-taking, empathic concern (e.g., compassion for others), intrinsic prosocial motivation, and academic goal setting compared to students in the wait-list control group. This study is among the first to demonstrate the feasibility and preliminary student impacts of the compassion-focused SEE Learning program in an elementary school setting. Future investigations might explore the implementation and effects of the SEE Learning program using randomized-controlled experimental designs and longer-term follow-ups. In addition, studies evaluating program implementation and impacts in diverse cultural-contextual settings, and among students of different ages, are needed. In sum, the SEE Learning program shows evidence of promise for impacting elementary school students' prosocial skills and competencies.

Importance: The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center reported 358,088 mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) among U.S. service members worldwide between the years 2000 and 2020. Veterans with mTBI have higher rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depressive disorder, substance use disorder, anxiety disorder, and suicide than their healthy counterparts. Currently, there is no effective treatment for mTBI. Objective: To assess the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as a treatment option for mTBI. Design, Setting, Participants: This is a case series of 39 U.S. Veterans diagnosed with mTBI and treated with HBOT. Of these participants, 36 were men and 3 women, and their ages ranged between 28 and 69. The treatment was administered by The 22 Project (a veteran-centered nonprofit organization) using monoplace hyperbaric chambers located in Delray Beach, Florida. Neuroimaging using Single Photon Emission Computer Tomography (SPECT) brain scans performed pre- and post-HBOT were made available for secondary analysis. Nilearn Python Library was utilized to visualize the corresponding neuroimaging data. A two-sided paired t-test in R was used to compare the pre- and post-treatment results. Intervention: A full treatment of HBOT involved 40 sessions. Each session consisted of the administration of 100% oxygen at 1.5 atmospheres for 90 min, twice a day, for 20 days, Mondays to Fridays only. Main Outcome and Measure: Perfusion in the brain’s Brodmann Areas (BA) comparing pre- and post-HBOT using NeuroGam software analysis from brain SPECT scan neuroimaging and multi-symptom self-reports. Results: A comparison between the pre- and post-HBOT brain scans showed significant improvement in the brain perfusion, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Separately, participants reported reduced pain, improved mood, and better sleep, an outcome that translated into an average of about 46.6% improvement in the measured symptoms. Conclusions and Relevance: This series demonstrated that HBOT could be a useful treatment for mTBI in U.S. veterans. The participants in the study showed marked improvement in both brain perfusion measured on SPECT scan imaging and measured mTBI symptoms. This is the first study to use brain SPECT scans with quantitative numerical measurements to demonstrate improvement in brain perfusion in veterans with mild TBI treated with HBOT and measured mTBI symptoms. Future research studies are currently being done to validate these important findings.

The most awful complication COVID-19 is hypoxemia due to respiratory failure.The mechanisms of lung damage and hypoxemia in COVID-19 include ventilation/ perfusion mismatch, loss of hypoxic vasoconstriction and increased coagulopathy.Hence, it is of particular attention that acute lung injury, hypoxemia, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) occurs after SARS-CoV-2 infection.Cytokine storm in COVID-19 patients is centrally involved in the aggravation of symptoms and disease development, and denotes a key factor contributing to ARDS and mortality.Indeed, there is a close relationship between lung damage, hypoxemia and the cytokine storm.Other important issue is to consider the possible presence of happy of silent hypoxemia, which is described in patients with pronounced arterial hypoxemia who don't express a sense of dyspnea.Moreover, pulse oximetry (PO) should be interpreted with caution, because due to left-sided shifting of the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve during hypocapnia periods, PO might measure a normal oxygen saturation in spite of very low PaO2.Continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) is nowadays the preferred method of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) management of COVID-19 patients, has significant and helpful role in Covid-19 management, mainly if it is used in an early phase of the disease, because it may prevent clinical deterioration and reduce the need for invasive ventilation at all.We strongly recommend to early use CPAP in all Covid-19 patient who present the first mild respiratory symptoms, such as cough, or light tachypnea and hyperpnea, etc., when they are still outside the ICUs, i.e. in regular wards or at patient's homes.This method would prevent periods of hypopnea and hypoxia which can stimulate the synthesis of ACE in lung endothelial cells, leading to cytokine storm, which can cause ARDS, multi-organ failure, and death.

Oncology clinical trials have become increasingly dependent upon image-based surrogate endpoints for determining patient eligibility and treatment efficacy. As therapeutics have evolved and multiplied in number, the tumor metrics criteria used to characterize therapeutic response have become progressively more varied and complex. The growing intricacies of image-based response evaluation, together with rising expectations for rapid and consistent results reporting, make it difficult for site radiologists to adequately address local and multicenter imaging demands. These challenges demonstrate the need for advanced cancer imaging informatics tools that can help ensure protocol-compliant image evaluation while simultaneously promoting reviewer efficiency. LesionTracker is a quantitative imaging package optimized for oncology clinical trial workflows. The goal of the project is to create an open source zero-footprint viewer for image analysis that is designed to be extensible as well as capable of being integrated into third-party systems for advanced imaging tools and clinical trials informatics platforms. Cancer Res; 77(21); e119-22. ©2017 AACR.

Objective: Describe a comprehensive multi-modal approach to reversing brain death. Background: Historically, treating coma, vegetative (VS) or minimally conscious states (MCS) is rarely attempted due to poor prognosis, especially after 3 months.2,3,4 5 Trials of drugs, transcranial magnetic or direct current stimulation have suggested benefit 6-8 but the first aggressive, multimodal approach (N=41)demonstrated 78% to 86% of VS and 100% MCS subjects “emerged” under the International Brain Injury Foundation’s Advanced Care Protocol (ACP).3 This same ACP was here used in the first ever reversal of brain death (BD). Methods: Four neurologists diagnosed a female, aged 28 as brain dead (BD) following overdose-induced (quetiapine, diazepam) asystole. No cooling protocol ensued; isoelectric EEG and absence of brainstem reflexes, respiratory drive and motor response to noxious stimuli correlated with loss of CT grey-white differentiation. At five months our team noted Bispectral Index of 15 (0-100 consciousness scale), essentially isoelectric QEEG, malacic corpus callosum, brainstem without cortical laminar necrosis on MRI and trace MRA flow. Nutraceuticals (e.g. vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, neurotransmitter precursors); various stimulation_median nerve (MNS), transcranial direct current (tDCS) and cranial electric (CES)_and off-label pharmacotherapies to enhance neurotransmission were added. Results: The following changes evolved over three to six weeks on the ACP. QEEG recorded robust, differentiated activity; BIS exceeded 80 sustained for 20 after CES. Vital signs coupled to noxious stimuli; body temperature stabilized. Evoked potentials correlated to familiar voices; desmopressin intervals increased from 18 to 32 hours; head lateralized to mother’s voice; semi-purposeful finger movements emerged with inconsistent ‘thumbs-up’ to command. Conclusions: Treatment-induced reversal of BD was evidenced by functional recovery across several domains. ACP neuromodulation optimizes cerebral functioning: electrical stimulation increases metabolic coupling; nutraceuticals promote healing, repair and neurotransmitter production while attenuating inflammatory cascades and free-radical damage. BD may not be definitively irreversible and deserves therapeutic consideration.

Increased awareness of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the military, a persistent call for evidence-based treatment, and recent government funding have revealed new research opportunities in neuroscience. This paper describes a relatively new frontier for research: that of the facilitation or enhancement of neuroplasticity and brain repair in TBI using novel treatment protocols. Such protocols, algorithmically introduced, may be tailored to the individual through the matching of neuromarkers with specific interventions. Examples of neuromarkers and interventions employed for the purpose of neuromodulation are reported. Problems with lack of controlled studies and inferring causation in correlational research are noted. Healthy skepticism and open-minded creativity are needed so that we can think in unorthodox ways, create partnerships, harness available knowledge and expertise, and ultimately develop effective treatments.