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Investigation of changes in EEG complexity during memory retrieval: the effect of midazolam

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Abstract

The aim of this study is applying nonlinear methods to assess changes in brain dynamics in a placebo-controlled study of midazolam-induced amnesia. Subjects injected with saline and midazolam during study, performed old/new recognition memory tests with EEG recording. Based on previous studies, as midazolam causes anterograde amnesia, we expected that midazolam would affect the EEG’s degree of complexity. Recurrence quantification analysis, and approximate entropy were used in this assessment. These methods compare with other nonlinear techniques such as computation of the correlation dimension, are suitable for non-stationary EEG signals. Our findings suggest that EEG’s complexity decreases during memory retrieval. Although this trend is observed in nonlinear curves related to the midazolam condition, the overall complexity were greater than in the saline condition. This result implies that impaired memory function caused by midazolam is associated with greater EEG’s complexity compared to normal memory retrieval in saline injection.

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Notes

  1. Line Of Identity \( \left( {R_{i,i} \equiv 1\left| {_{i = 1}^{N} } \right.} \right) \).

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Acknowledgments

Data collection was funded by a General Clinical Research Center grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)–National Center for Research Resources (M01RR00051) and NIH Grant MH64812.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

    Nasibeh Talebi & Ali M. Nasrabadi

  2. University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA

    Tim Curran

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  1. Nasibeh Talebi
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  2. Ali M. Nasrabadi
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Correspondence to Nasibeh Talebi.

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Talebi, N., Nasrabadi, A.M. & Curran, T. Investigation of changes in EEG complexity during memory retrieval: the effect of midazolam. Cogn Neurodyn 6, 537–546 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11571-012-9214-0

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