Changes in brain connectivity following exposure to bilateral eye movements

This study found that brief bilateral eye movements can change brain activity, especially in some people, suggesting that individual differences like handedness affect how the brain responds and may influence attention.

Article Abstract

“The present research assessed how engaging in bilateral eye movements influences brain activity. Participants had their resting-state brain activity recorded with electroencephalography (EEG) before and after they performed 30 s of bilateral eye movements or a center-control manipulation. We assessed differences in change scores for absolute power and coherence between the eye-movement and center-control conditions. A main effect for handedness was present for EEG power in the theta and beta frequency bands, with inconsistent-handed participants displaying a greater increase than consistent-handed participants in both frequency bands. For theta, the increase in power for inconsistent handers was specific to participants in the bilateral eye-movement condition, whose increase in theta power exceeded the increase in theta power for consistent-handed participants regardless of condition. In contrast, for coherence, a main effect for condition was present for the delta frequency band, with participants in the control condition exhibiting a significant drop in posterior delta coherence pre to post. We suggest that the maintenance of posterior delta coherence over time may be an important factor in sustaining attention. Further, the malleability of EEG power for inconsistent-handed participants reveals the importance of individual-differences variables in the potential for behavioral manipulations to change brain activity.

Highlights

• Participants exposed to eye movements maintained posterior delta coherence pre to post.
• Participants exposed to a control manipulation showed a drop in posterior delta coherence.
• Bilateral eye movements failed to change interhemispheric coherence.
• Inconsistent handers exhibited greater change in EEG power regardless of condition.”

—Description from publisher

Article Access

Purchase/Subscription Required

Fleck, J. I., Olsen, R., Tumminia, M., DePalma, F., Berroa, J., Vrabel, A., & Miller, S. (2018). Changes in brain connectivity following exposure to bilateral eye movements. Brain and Cognition, 123, 142-153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.009