Graduation Semester and Year
Spring 2026
Language
English
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Psychology
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Tracy Greer
Second Advisor
Dr. Crystal Cooper
Third Advisor
Dr. Angela Liegey-Dougall
Abstract
Epilepsy affects approximately 1.2% of the US population, an estimated 3.4 million individuals nationwide, around 470,000 of whom are children. Epilepsy and its treatments often occur alongside other neurodevelopmental or psychiatric disorders and can impact cognitive functions, such as cognitive control, which are critical for daily life and mental wellness. Cognitive control refers to a set of executive functions engaged in goal-directed behavior, and deficits in cognitive control not only diminish quality of life but may also elevate risk of accidents or injuries. Evaluation of cognitive control in individuals with epilepsy can be used to predict post-surgical outcomes and for development of safety measures implemented during seizures. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is used as a primary tool for diagnosing and monitoring epilepsy, and can assist in the evaluation of cognitive processes, including cognitive control. Specifically, frequency band analysis offers insights into neural activity associated with various cognitive processes, such as analysis of theta and beta oscillations, which can isolate several aspects of cognitive control processes. Understanding the interactions between epilepsy and cognitive control is essential for enhancing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, improving outcomes for individuals with epilepsy.
The present study is a secondary analysis to examine whether resting-state theta-beta ratio (TBR) derived from MEG predicted cognitive control performance in adolescents with epilepsy and typically developing controls. Participants completed behavioral measures of affective and non-affective cognitive control, including the Flanker Interference Task (FIT) and the Emotional Conflict Task (ECT), alongside resting-state MEG recordings. Frequency band analysis was conducted to calculate theta-beta ratio values across selected regions of interest associated with executive functioning, attention, emotional regulation, and memory processes. Group differences and relationships between TBR and cognitive control performance were analyzed to evaluate the utility of TBR as a potential neurophysiological marker of cognitive control in youth with epilepsy.
Findings did not support the primary hypotheses, as theta-beta ratio did not significantly differentiate youth with epilepsy from typically developing controls or predict non-affective or affective cognitive control performance. However, theta-beta ratio varied across brain regions, suggesting that oscillatory activity may be regionally specific even when broader group and behavioral associations are not evident. Overall, these findings suggest that resting-state region of interest-level theta-beta ratio may not be a strong standalone predictor of cognitive control in youth. Instead, cognitive vulnerabilities in pediatric epilepsy may be better understood through dynamic task-related oscillatory activity, network-level mechanisms, and cross-regional connectivity.
Keywords
epilepsy, magnetoencephalography, theta-beta ratio, frequency band analysis, theta, beta, depression, cognitive control, youth, adolescents
Disciplines
Cognition and Perception | Cognitive Psychology
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Killian, Kaitlin M., "Theta-Beta Ratio Frequency Band Analysis in Magnetoencephalography and its ability to Evaluate Cognitive Control in Youth with Epilepsy" (2026). Psychology Theses. 1.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/psychology_theses2/1