Kaitlin Killian / Psychology / Faculty Mentor: Tracy Greer
Epilepsy affects approximately 3.4 million individuals in the United States, approximately 470,000 of whom are children. Psychiatric disorders are among the highest comorbid conditions in epilepsy. These comorbidities are often characterized by deficits in cognitive functions, such as cognitive control and emotion regulation, which are critical for daily life, and can negatively impact areas such as academic/occupational performance, social interactions, and overall well-being. Electroencephalography (EEG) can aid in our understanding of brain-behavior relationships. Examination of EEG frequency bands, such as theta and beta oscillations, and their ratio to one another, offers insight into neural activity associated with various cognitive processes in epilepsy. This project aims to characterize theta-beta band activity in epilepsy using task-based EEG data, and determine if this brain activity correlates with various aspects of cognitive control (e.g., inhibition, regulation), psychological traits (i.e., personality) and mental health symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety). Participants include 25 adolescents with epilepsy and 25 controls (aged 10-20y) who underwent EEG while performing an emotional conflict task. Understanding the interactions between brain activity, cognitive control, and psychopathology in epilepsy is essential for enhancing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to improve outcomes and quality of life.
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