Micro-expression recognition based on images has made some progress, yet limitations persist. For instance, image-based recognition of micro-expressions is affected by factors such as ambient light, changes in head posture, and facial occlusion. The high temporal resolution of electroencephalogram (EEG) technology can record brain activity associated with micro-expressions and identify them objectively from a neurophysiological standpoint. Accordingly, this study introduces a novel method for recognizing micro-expressions using node efficiency features of brain networks derived from EEG signals. We designed a real-time Supervision and Emotional Expression Suppression (SEES) experimental paradigm to collect video and EEG data reflecting micro- and macro-expression states from 70 participants experiencing positive emotions. By constructing functional brain networks based on graph theory, we analyzed the network efficiencies at both macro- and micro-levels. The participants exhibited lower connection density, global efficiency, and nodal efficiency in the alpha, beta, and gamma networks during micro-expressions compared to macro-expressions. We then selected the optimal subset of nodal efficiency features using a random forest algorithm and applied them to various classifiers, including Support Vector Machine (SVM), Gradient-Boosted Decision Tree (GBDT), Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). These classifiers achieved promising accuracy in micro-expression recognition, with SVM exhibiting the highest accuracy of 92.6% when 15 channels were selected. This study provides a new neuroscientific indicator for recognizing micro-expressions based on EEG signals, thereby broadening the potential applications for micro-expression recognition.

The bilingual effect on executive functions (EFs) has garnered considerable attention, with most studies focusing on the visual domain and largely overlooking the auditory domain. Furthermore, research has predominantly concentrated on specific subcomponents of executive functions, with few studies systematically examining all three key subcomponents. This raises two important questions: (a) Is the bilingual effect specific to certain modalities (modality-specific), or a more general phenomenon (modality-general)? (b) Is the bilingual effect concentrated in a specific component of executive functions (process-specific), or does it extend to all three components (process-general)? To explore these questions, this study recruited monolingual Chinese and bilingual Chinese–English participants, using matched visual and auditory Stroop, N-back, and task-switching tasks to assess inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility in both groups. The results showed that, after controlling for variables like intelligence, socioeconomic status, and age, bilingualism significantly predicted performance in both auditory and visual working memory tasks, explaining 34% and 19% of the variance, respectively. However, no evidence was found to support a bilingual effect in inhibitory control or cognitive flexibility. In conclusion, these results suggest that bilingual effects are not only process-specific (affecting only working memory) but also modality-general (providing advantages in both visual and auditory modalities).

Background: Inhibitory control is an important component of cognitive processing that is influenced by multimodal information processing. Recent research has mainly focused on the influence of visual information on inhibitory control, paying less attention to the impact of auditory training, which limits the exploration of the mechanism and practical training of inhibitory control. The influence of music training on inhibitory control has received considerable attention in recent years. To explore the modality-specificity of inhibitory control, this study compares the behavioral and brain electrical activities of different music training experiences through visual and auditory inhibitory control tasks. Methods: This investigation utilized event-related potential (ERP) and time-frequency analysis methodologies to examine the behavioral and neural patterns of thirty participants with musical expertise alongside thirty individuals without such training while completing both visual and auditory Stroop tasks. Further analysis was conducted to examine the modality-specific effect of music training on inhibitory control. Results: The results showed no significant group differences in behavioral performance or traditional ERP components (N450 and sustained potential (SP)) in either modality. Time-frequency analysis revealed no significant differences in theta power in the visual modality. However, in the auditory modality, the music training group exhibited significantly lower beta power, suggesting that music training may more efficiently recruit neural resources when resolving auditory conflict. Conclusions: These findings indicate that inhibitory control exhibits modality specificity across both visual and auditory modalities. Specifically, music training mainly improves auditory conflict resolution, suggesting its impact on inhibitory control is limited to specific sensory modalities.

Musicians' perceptual advantages are often concentrated in the auditory rather than the visual modality. However, whether the relationship between musical training and the core cognitive ability of inhibitory control exhibits auditory modality specificity remains unclear. To address this gap, the present study employed matched visual and auditory Go/No-go tasks combined with electroencephalography (EEG) to compare differences in inhibitory control between university students with long-term musical training (musical training group) and their untrained peers (control group). The results showed that in both visual and auditory inhibitory control tasks, even after controlling for eight potential confounding variables including age, socioeconomic status, IQ, and the Big Five personality traits, the musical training group not only demonstrated behavioral advantages (higher d' scores) but also exhibited enhanced neural activity during conflict monitoring (smaller N2 amplitudes and increased theta power) and motor inhibition (larger P3 amplitudes). These findings suggest a modality-general effect in the relationship between musical training and enhanced inhibitory control. Meanwhile, the musically trained group showed specific advantages only in the early processing stage of auditory stimuli, reflecting the potential strengthening effect of the auditory system brought about by musical experience. This study is the first to reveal, from a dual-modality perspective, the relationship between musical training and cross-modal inhibitory control. It contributes to our understanding of the cognitive mechanisms associated with musical training and provides empirical evidence for its potential applications in music therapy and education.