Frontal theta/beta-ratio (TBR) as potential biomarker for attentional control during reading in healthy females

Authors

  • Elise K. Swart Department of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands , Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), The Netherlands Author
  • Thijs M. J. Nielen Department of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands Author
  • Shelley Shaul Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Israel Author
  • Maria T. Sikkema-de Jong Department of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands , Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), The Netherlands Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/cbb.2020.24.11

Keywords:

attentional control, mind wandering, reading comprehension, EEG, theta/beta ratio (TBR)

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to expand previous research on the value of frontal theta/beta-ratio as a state measure of attentional control, by applying this measure during reading. Healthy female undergraduate students (N = 24) read two texts (with and without nonsense words), self-reported mind wandering during reading and filled in questionnaires about attentional control in daily life. Frontal theta/beta-ratios during the baseline phase and during reading were strongly related. The average frontal theta/beta-ratio during reading predicted reading comprehension of the text with nonsense words and fully mediated the relationship between frontal theta/beta-ratio during the baseline and reading comprehension. Fluctuations in frontal theta/beta-ratio during reading were related to frontal theta/beta-ratio during baseline and to self-reported mind wandering during reading for the text with nonsense words. Results show that frontal theta/beta-ratio is a promising state measure of attentional control during reading. Replication in other samples and with different texts is needed to better understand its potential.

Published

2020-09-30

Issue

Vol. 24 No. 3 (2020): Volume XXIV, Nr 3

Section

Articles