Test-retest reliability of electrophysiological parameters related to cognitive motor control

doi:10.1016/S1388-2457(00)00505-8

Clinical Neurophysiology

Volume 112, Issue 1, January 2001, Pages 198-204

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1388-2457(00)00505-8 Get rights and content

Abstract

Previously, the continuous performance test was demonstrated to elicit distinct electrophysiological correlates of cognitive response during execution (Go) and inhibition (NoGo) of an anticipated motor response. A robust method for topographical quantification of these brain electrical microstates has been established recently. Test reliability is crucial to allow application in the assessment of neuropsychiatric disorders. The present study evaluates the reliability of the Go and NoGo centroid locations as well as the NoGo anteriorisation (NGA) in 23 healthy individuals. Our results show supreme test-alternate retest reliabilities of Pearson's product moment correlations and intraclass correlation coefficients of r≥0.63 (P≤0.001) for these parameters which assert a quality well within the range reported for those of other electrophysiological standard paradigms. Go and NoGo centroid locations as well as the NGA are, therefore, reliable correlates of prefrontal motor control and may contribute to the understanding of disorders with allied impairments.

Introduction

The continuous performance test (CPT) has been developed and validated as a neuropsychological test for the quantification of attentive processing in patients with frontal brain lesions (Rosvold et al., 1956). Test probands are exposed to long series of visual stimuli and have to execute a simple motor response to a target stimulus defined from the outset. The introduction of a primer anticipating the target stimulus modifies the simple attention test to a Go-NoGo paradigm. The subject is apt to prepare a motor response after each primer but has to execute only if the target has been presented directly after the primer stimulus (Go condition). If the target does not immediately follow the primer stimulus, the anticipated motor response has to be inhibited actively (NoGo condition). Priming stimulus versions enable the CPT to measure frequencies and types of errors (false alarms and omission errors) at the behavioural level. Furthermore, CPT-evoked global or local neurophysiological responses of the brain can be recorded. In particular, the CPT emphasizes differential effects of execution and inhibition of an anticipated motor response. Therefore, the paradigm seems suitable to investigate very basic processes of motor control.

Various metabolic measurements have been performed during the CPT. An activation of right prefrontal brain areas concomitant to the CPT has been demonstrated quite consistently (positron emission tomography, Buchsbaum et al., 1990; near-infrared-spectroscopy, Fallgatter and Strik, 1997; functional magnetic resonance imaging, Häger et al., 1998). However, temporospatial resolution of metabolic measurements is limiting adequate description of specific effects within the time course of cerebral events during the entire test. Foremost, the temporal inertia of metabolic investigations is preventing differential assessment of specific execution versus inhibition tasks.

Due to their optimal time resolution, electrophysiological methods can segregate processes of motor inhibition and activation occurring in the sequence of some hundred milliseconds. Recordings of event-related potentials (ERPs) have revealed that the positive centre of the brain electrical field within the P300-epoch is localized more anteriorly during inhibition of a prepared motor response (NoGo condition) compared to its execution (Go condition). This centroid location difference between individual Go- and NoGo-ERPs as measured by electrode distances has been defined as NoGo anteriorisation (NGA). Originally, the NGA phenomenon was detected in every single of 10 healthy probands (Fallgatter et al., 1997). Later, the finding had been replicated in 27 probands without any exception (Fallgatter and Strik, 1999). Source localization with low resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA; Pascual-Marqui et al., 1994) of the P300-component identified significant electrical hyperactivity of prefrontal brain areas during the NoGo condition of the CPT (Strik et al., 1998). This finding converges very well with multiple lines of evidence from anatomical, biochemical, electrophysiological, and neuropsychological studies to attribute the inhibition of motor control processes to prefrontal cortical functioning, in particular (Fuster, 1998). Moreover, the subject's age has been identified as a parameter influencing the topography of Go and NoGo centroids (Fallgatter et al., 1999).

However, sufficient electrophysiological reliability is warranted as an essential prerequisite for the clinical application of these new topographical parameters Go, NoGo centroid location, and NGA. For electrophysiological parameters in healthy controls, ordinary test-retest reliabilities cover a range of Pearson (and Spearman) correlation coefficients from r=0.17 (n.s.) to r=0.87 (P<0.001) (Table 1). This wide range of reliability is explained by different tasks and electrode positions used in the studies.

The present study is to determine the test-alternate retest reliabilities of topographical and non-topographical CPT-P300 parameters within a time interval of 30 min. Corresponding data of widely established electrophysiological parameters are reviewed in comparison.

Section snippets

Subjects

Twenty-three test probands (12 females, 11 males, aged 22–60 years, mean 43.0±10.1 years) participated in the study. All were healthy with a negative personal and family history of psychiatric and neurologic disorders. None had ever received any psychotropic acting medication. One woman was left-handed, one man ambidextrous, all other test probands were right-handed (Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, Oldfield, 1971).

Continuous performance test

All subjects performed subsequent sessions of two alternate CPT versions

Results

Performance parameters of the alternate CPT versions did not differ significantly, neither with respect to counts of omission errors (0.57±0.9 vs. 0.65±1.03; t=−0.44, n.s.), false alarms (0.48±0.73 vs. 0.87±2.1; t=−0.81, n.s.), nor the mean reaction time (492.6±133.6 vs. 480.2±125.7 ms; t=−0.98 n.s). Pearson's product moment correlations between corresponding parameters of both CPT versions were r=0.52 (P=0.01) for omission errors, r=−0.14 (n.s.) for false alarms and r=0.89 (P<0.0001) for

Discussion

In our study, the test-alternate retest reliabilities of the CPT-elicited electrophysiological parameters have been quite high. Notably, correlation coefficients of the topographical and amplitude parameters reached similar or even higher values than those published for ordinary test-retest reliabilities of the P300-oddball paradigm (Sinha et al., 1992) and the mismatch negativity (MMN) (Kathmann et al., 1999, Tervaniemi et al., 1999). However, the test-alternate retest reliability of the

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Test-retest reliability of electrophysiological parameters related to cognitive motor control

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Subjects

Continuous performance test

Results

Discussion

Neurosci Lett

Int J Psychophysiol

Clin Neurophysiol

Clin Neurophysiol

Physiol Behav

Electroenceph clin Neurophysiol

Neuropsychologia

Int J Psychophysiol

Electroenceph clin Neurophysiol

Clin Neurophysiol

Measurement and reliability: statistical thinking considerations

Schiz Bull

Measures of agreement: a single procedure

Stat Med