EEG-fMRI in epilepsy and sleep

This thesis used simultaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate both epilepsy and sleep. Initially, EEG-fMRI was used in a cohort of patients with complex epilepsy referred from a tertiary epilepsy clinic for both pre-surgical evaluation and diagnostic reasons. The results suggest a limited utility of EEG-fMRI in the epilepsy clinic with a very complex patient group. Following on, investigation of early blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal changes in a group of patients with focal epilepsy demonstrated potentially meaningful BOLD changes occurring six seconds prior to interictal epileptiform discharges, and modelling less than this six seconds can result in overlap of the haemodynamic response function used to model BOLD changes. The same analysis was used to model endogenously occurring sleep paroxysms; K-complexes (KCs), vertex sharp waves (VSWs) and sleep spindles (SSs), finding early BOLD signal changes with SSs in group data. Finally, KCs and VSWs were investigated in more detail in a group of participants under both sleep deprived and non-deprived conditions, demonstrating an increase in overall activation for both KCs and VSWs following sleep deprivation. Overall, we find early BOLD changes are not restricted to pathological events and sleep deprivation can enhance BOLD responses

Early haemodynamic changes observed in patients with epilepsy, in a visual experiment and in simulations

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate whether previously reported early blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) changes in epilepsy could occur as a result of the modelling techniques rather than physiological changes. Methods: EEG-fMRI data were analysed from seven patients with focal epilepsy, six control subjects undergoing a visual experiment, in addition to simulations. In six separate analyses the event timing was shifted by either -9,-6,-3,+3,+6 or +9 s relative to the onset of the interictal epileptiform discharge (IED) or stimulus. Results: The visual dataset and simulations demonstrated an overlap between modelled haemodynamic response function (HRF) at event onset and at \ub13 s relative to onset, which diminished at \ub16 s. Pre-spike analysis at -6 s improved concordance with the assumed IED generating lobe relative to the standard HRF in 43% of patients. Conclusion: The visual and simulated dataset findings indicate a form of "temporal bleeding", an overlap between the modelled HRF at time 0 and at \ub13 s which attenuated at \ub16 s. Pre-spike analysis at -6 s may improve concordance. Significance: This form of analysis should be performed at 6 s prior to onset of IED to minimise temporal bleeding effect. The results support the presence of relevant BOLD responses occurring prior to IEDs

The hippocampus as the switchboard between perception and memory.

Adaptive memory recall requires a rapid and flexible switch from external perceptual reminders to internal mnemonic representations. However, owing to the limited temporal or spatial resolution of brain imaging modalities used in isolation, the hippocampal–cortical dynamics supporting this process remain unknown. We thus employed an object-scene cued recall paradigm across two studies, including intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) and high-density scalp EEG. First, a sustained increase in hippocampal high gamma power (55 to 110 Hz) emerged 500 ms after cue onset and distinguished successful vs. unsuccessful recall. This increase in gamma power for successful recall was followed by a decrease in hippocampal alpha power (8 to 12 Hz). Intriguingly, the hippocampal gamma power increase marked the moment at which extrahippocampal activation patterns shifted from perceptual cue toward mnemonic target representations. In parallel, source-localized EEG alpha power revealed that the recall signal progresses from hippocampus to posterior parietal cortex and then to medial prefrontal cortex. Together, these results identify the hippocampus as the switchboard between perception and memory and elucidate the ensuing hippocampal–cortical dynamics supporting the recall process.post-print1844 K

Study of J /ψ production in Jets

The production of J/ψ mesons in jets is studied in the forward region of proton-proton collisions using data collected with the LHCb detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The fraction of the jet transverse momentum carried by the J/ψ meson, z(J/ψ)≡pT(J/ψ)/pT(jet), is measured using jets with pT(jet)>20 GeV in the pseudorapidity range 2.5<η(jet)<4.0. The observed z(J/ψ)distribution for J/ψ mesons produced in b-hadron decays is consistent with expectations. However, the results for prompt J/ψ production do not agree with predictions based on fixed-order nonrelativistic QCD. This is the first measurement of the pT fraction carried by prompt J/ψ mesons in jets at any experiment

Hippocampal neurons code individual episodic memories in humans

The hippocampus is an essential hub for episodic memory processing. However, how human hippocampal single neurons code multi-element associations remains unknown. In particular, it is debated whether each hippocampal neuron represents an invariant element within an episode or whether single neurons bind together all the elements of a discrete episodic memory. Here we provide evidence for the latter hypothesis. Using single-neuron recordings from a total of 30 participants, we show that individual neurons, which we term episode-specific neurons, code discrete episodic memories using either a rate code or a temporal firing code. These neurons were observed exclusively in the hippocampus. Importantly, these episode-specific neurons do not reflect the coding of a particular element in the episode (that is, concept or time). Instead, they code for the conjunction of the different elements that make up the episode

Observation of the decay Λb0 → pK−μ+μ− and a search for CP violation

A search for CP violation in the decay Λb0 → pK−μ+μ− is presented. This decay is mediated by flavour-changing neutral-current transitions in the Standard Model and is potentially sensitive to new sources of CP violation. The study is based on a data sample of proton-proton collisions recorded with the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb−1. The Λb0 → pK−μ+μ− decay is observed for the first time, and two observables that are sensitive to different manifestations of CP violation are measured, ΔACP≡ACPΛb0→pK−μ+μ−−ACPΛb0→pK−J/ψ and aaCPT^‐odd, where the latter is based on asymmetries in the angle between the μ+μ− and pK− decay planes.These are measured to be ΔACP=−3.5±5.0stat±0.2syst×10−2,aCPT^‐odd=1.2±5.0stat±0.7syst×10−2,and no evidence for CP violation is found

Study of J=ψ Production in Jets

The production of J/ψ mesons in jets is studied in the forward region of proton-proton collisions using data collected with the LHCb detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The fraction of the jet transverse momentum carried by the J/ψ meson, z(J/ψ)≡p[subscript T](J/ψ)/p[subscript T](jet), is measured using jets with p[subscript T](jet) > 20  GeV in the pseudorapidity range 2.5<η(jet)<4.0. The observed z(J/ψ) distribution for J/ψ mesons produced in b-hadron decays is consistent with expectations. However, the results for prompt J/ψ production do not agree with predictions based on fixed-order nonrelativistic QCD. This is the first measurement of the p[subscript T] fraction carried by prompt J/ψ mesons in jets at any experiment.National Science Foundation (U.S.

Search for long-lived scalar particles in B + → K + χ ( μ + μ − ) decays

A search for a long-lived scalar particle χ is performed, looking for the decay B[superscript +]→K[superscript +]χ with χ→μ[superscript +]μ[superscript -] in pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3  fb[superscript -1], collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of √s =7 and 8 TeV. This new scalar particle, predicted by hidden sector models, is assumed to have a narrow width. The signal would manifest itself as an excess in the dimuon invariant mass distribution over the Standard Model background. No significant excess is observed in the accessible ranges of mass 250<m(χ)<4700  MeV/c[superscript 2] and lifetime 0.1<τ(χ)<1000  ps. Upper limits on the branching fraction B(B[superscript +]→K[superscript +]χ(μ[superscript +]μ[superscript -])) at 95% confidence level are set as a function of m(χ) and τ(χ), varying between 2×10[superscript -10] and 10[superscript -7]. These are the most stringent limits to date. The limits are interpreted in the context of a model with a light inflaton particle.National Science Foundation (U.S.

Search for the decays Bs0→τ+τ− and B0→τ+τ−

A search for the rare decays B0 s → τþτ− and B0 → τþτ− is performed using proton–proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb−1 collected in 2011 and 2012. The τ leptons are reconstructed through the decay τ− → π−πþπ−ντ. Assuming no contribution from B0 → τþτ− decays, an upper limit is set on the branching fraction BðB0 s → τþτ−Þ &lt; 6.8 × 10−3 at the 95% confidence level. If instead no contribution from B0 s → τþτ− decays is assumed, the limit is BðB0 → τþτ−Þ &lt; 2.1 × 10−3 at the 95% confidence level. These results correspond to the first direct limit on BðB0 s → τþτ−Þ and the world’s best limit on BðB0 → τþτ−Þ

Measurement of the CP asymmetry in B- -&gt; (Ds-D0) and B- -&gt; (D-D0) decays

The CP asymmetry in B- -&gt; (Ds-D0) and B- -&gt; (D-D0) decays is measured using LHCb data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1), collected in pp collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8TeV. The results are A(CP) (B- -&gt; (Ds-D0)) = (-0.4 +/- 0.5 +/- 0.5)% and A(CP) (B- -&gt; (D-D0)) = (2.3 +/- 2.7 +/- 0.4)%, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. This is the first measurement of A(CP) (B- -&gt; (Ds-D0)) and the most precise determination of A(CP) (B- -&gt; (D-D0)). Neither result shows evidence of CP violation