Hemispheric asymmetries in recognition memory for negative and neutral words

Federmeier and Benjamin (2005) have suggested that semantic encoding for verbal information in the right hemisphere can be more effective when memory demands are higher. However, other studies (Kanske & Kotz, 2007) also suggest that visual word recognition differ in function of emotional valence. In this context, the present study was designed to evaluate the effects of retention level upon recognition memory processes for negative and neutral words. Sample consisted of 15 right-handed undergraduate portuguese students with normal or corrected to normal vision. Portuguese concrete negative and neutral words were selected in accordance to known linguistic capabilities of the right hemisphere. The participants were submitted to a visual half-field word presentation using a continuous recognition memory paradigm. Eye movements were continuously monitored with a Tobii T60 eye-tracker that showed no significant differences in fixations to negative and neutral words. Reaction times in word recognition suggest an overall advantage of negative words in comparison to the neutral words. Further analysis showed faster responses for negative words than for neutral words when were recognised at longer retention intervals for left-hemisphere encoding. Electrophysiological data through event related potentials revealed larger P2 amplitude over centro-posterior electrode sites for words studied in the left hemifield suggesting a priming effect for right-hemisphere encoding. Overall data suggest different hemispheric memory strategies for the semantic encoding of negative and neutral words.

Visual strategies used during the performance of an obstacle course

Vision is the sense that provides precise information about one’s position in the environment in relation to objects. The visual system is essential to guide people safely when moving around in the environment. The perception that an individual gets from a particular scene of her/his surroundings is accomplished by eye movements. The current study aims to identify differences in visual strategies between 15 women and 15 men within the age range of 18-24 years, who have been given a task to walk through an obstacle course drawn on the laboratory´s floor. They should start and finish at a predefined location. Twelve pylons were used as obstacles to be avoided during the walking.The participants' eye movements were recorded using the Mobile Eye model 1.35. The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Test was used for the statistical analysis. Significant differences occurred between men and women, in the duration of fixations: the men spend more time observing the finishing area than women (z=-1.929, p=.054); and in the number of fixations: before starting the task, the men fixate more often the middle phase of the obstacle course (z=-2.085, p=.037). Once they commence, the women fixate more the points outside the obstacle course than the men (z=-2.093, p=.036).

Social perception gaze patterns, symptom severity and resting brain function measured using Arterial Spin Labelling

Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by qualitative alterations in reciprocal social interactions. Some recent studies show alterations in gaze patterns during social perception and rest-functional abnormalities in the ‘social brain network’. This study investigated: i) social perception gaze patterns in children with ASD and controls, ii) the relationship between autism clinical severity and social perception gaze patterns, iii) the relationship between resting cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and social perception gaze patterns. Methods: Nine children with ASD and 9 children with typical development were studied. Eye-tracking was used to detect gaze patterns during presentation of stimuli depicting social scenes. Autism clinical severity was established using the Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised (ADI-R). Arterial spin labelling MRI was used to quantify rCBF. Results: The ASD group looked less at social regions and more at non-social regions than controls. No significant correlation was found between ASD clinical severity and social perception gaze patterns. In the ASD group, gaze behaviour was related to rCBF in the temporal lobe regions at trend level. Positive correlations were found between temporal rCBF and gaze to the face region, while negative correlations were found between temporal rCBF and gaze to non-social regions. Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that social perception gaze patterns are altered in children with ASD, and could be related to temporal rCBF.

Aplicação do programa de neurociência : intervenção em leitura e escrita

Esta investigação permitirá conhecer detalhadamente a interligação entre Neurociência e aprendizagem. Este conhecimento pode potenciar os resultados do processo de ensino-aprendizagem usando a estimulação cerebral. A investigação dá conta do processo de investigação-ação que foi desenvolvido em torno da aplicação do “Programa de Neurociência Intervenção em Leitura e Escrita”. O programa foi aplicado junto de cinco crianças de primeiro ciclo, do 3º ano de escolaridade, que manifestaram dificuldades de leitura e escrita, necessitando de intervenção direta. Antes da aplicação do programa de Neurociência foram aplicados o Reversal Test, o Teste de Idade de Leitura e o Teste de Avaliação da Leitura e Escrita. Após aplicação do programa, recorreu-se aos mesmos testes para se estabelecer uma análise comparativa. Este programa pretende estimular áreas específicas do cérebro, presentes ao nível da leitura e escrita, de forma a auferir se é possível uma melhoria neste domínio. Também pretende melhorar a prática educativa do professor investigador através do aprofundamento de questões que interligam a Neurociência e a aprendizagem. Concluiu-se, assim, que através da aplicação do programa e da investigação em torno deste é possível melhorar a prática educativa e estimular as zonas cerebrais implicadas no processo de leitura e escrita melhorando estas áreas.

Edificio Lúdico de livre utilização: anti-edificio contemporâneo

A presente dissertação centra-se num estudo sobre, a conceção de um edifício lúdico, de utilização livre, sendo o projeto uma proposta atualizada e contemporânea de um edifício, relativamente utópico, que encontra no Fun Palace de Cedric Price o seu melhor antecedente. Apresenta-se uma breve referência a dois espaços sociais que sofreram influência deste anti edifício: o centro George Pompidou em Paris e Jaaga, na India. Os dois casos de estudo aqui apresentados, Downtowm Athletic Club em Nova Iorque e o pavilhão da Holanda em Xangai, revelam características relacionadas com o tema do dissertação – liberdade no espaço lúdico e enquanto locais onde o mote da sexualidade é integrado. O projeto resulta da análise das evoluções sofridas, desde 1960, no que diz respeito aos novos conhecimentos científicos que vieram contribuir para a geração de novas formas de apropriação de conceitos como é o caso do conceito da liberdade em espaços públicos e o da sexualidade. O conceito da sexualidade que evolui com os avanços que as neurociências atingem sobre o conhecimento do cérebro e das emoções e que se traduzem em novas demandas do viver contemporâneo