Emotional attention as a modulatory system of perception

Report for the scientific sojourn carried out at the University Medical Center, Swiss, from 2010 to 2012. Abundant evidence suggests that negative emotional stimuli are prioritized in the perceptual systems, eliciting enhanced neural responses in early sensory regions as compared with neutral information. This facilitated detection is generally paralleled by larger neural responses in early sensory areas, relative to the processing of neutral information. In this sense, the amygdala and other limbic regions, such as the orbitofrontal cortex, may play a critical role by sending modulatory projections onto the sensory cortices via direct or indirect feedback.The present project aimed at investigating two important issues regarding these mechanisms of emotional attention, by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging. In Study I, we examined the modulatory effects of visual emotion signals on the processing of task-irrelevant visual, auditory, and somatosensory input, that is, the intramodal and crossmodal effects of emotional attention. We observed that brain responses to auditory and tactile stimulation were enhanced during the processing of visual emotional stimuli, as compared to neutral, in bilateral primary auditory and somatosensory cortices, respectively. However, brain responses to visual task-irrelevant stimulation were diminished in left primary and secondary visual cortices in the same conditions. The results also suggested the existence of a multimodal network associated with emotional attention, presumably involving mediofrontal, temporal and orbitofrontal regions Finally, Study II examined the different brain responses along the low-level visual pathways and limbic regions, as a function of the number of retinal spikes during visual emotional processing. The experiment used stimuli resulting from an algorithm that simulates how the visual system perceives a visual input after a given number of retinal spikes. The results validated the visual model in human subjects and suggested differential emotional responses in the amygdala and visual regions as a function of spike-levels. A list of publications resulting from work in the host laboratory is included in the report.

The neuronal basis of attention: rate versus synchronization modulation

Extensive theoretical and experimental work on the neuronal correlates of visual attention raises two hypotheses about the underlying mechanisms. The first hypothesis, named biased competition, originates from experimental single-cell recordings that have shown that attention upmodulates the firing rates of the neurons encoding the attended features and downregulates the firing rates of the neurons encoding the unattended features. Furthermore, attentional modulation of firing rates increases along the visual pathway. The other, newer hypothesis assigns synchronization a crucial role in the attentional process. It stems from experiments that have shown that attention modulates gamma-frequency synchronization. In this paper, we study the coexistence of the two phenomena using a theoretical framework. We find that the two effects can vary independently of each other and across layers. Therefore, the two phenomena are not concomitant. However, we show that there is an advantage in the processing of information if rate modulation is accompanied by gamma modulation, namely that reaction times are shorter, implying behavioral relevance for gamma synchronization.

On the morphological nature of spanish adverbs ending in -mente

The morphological status of adverbs ending in -mente in Spanish (-ly in English) has been the object of many studies and continues to be the subject of debate. The two main proposals regarding the morphology of these adverbs treat them as either compounds or derivatives as the result of suffixation, but bothhypotheses present problems. In this study an analysis will be defended which treats -mente as a phrasal affix (cf. Zwicky 1987, Nevis 1985 and Miller 1992). The notion of phrasal affix has been used to describe clitics which, from a morphological standpoint, are similar to affixes but which, simultaneously manifest characteristics of independent words. The argument for analyzing -mente as a phrasal affix is based on both synchronic and diachronic data, including some similarities with object clitic pronouns.

Analysis of IRAS stellar sources in Alpha Persei region

The present study is an analysis of IR sources in the Alpha Persei open cluster region from the IRAS Point Source Catalog and from ground-based photometric observations. Cross-identification between stars in the region and IRAS Point Source Catalog was performed and nine new associations were found. BVRI Johnson photometry for 24 of the matched objects have been carried out. Physical identity of visual and IRAS sources and relationship to the Alpha Persei open cluster are discussed.

Factors affecting visual analysis in single-case designs

Visual inspection remains the most frequently applied method for detecting treatment effects in single-case designs. The advantages and limitations of visual inference are here discussed in relation to other procedures for assessing intervention effectiveness. The first part of the paper reviews previous research on visual analysis, paying special attention to the validation of visual analysts" decisions, inter-judge agreement, and false alarm and omission rates. The most relevant factors affecting visual inspection (i.e., effect size, autocorrelation, data variability, and analysts" expertise) are highlighted and incorporated into an empirical simulation study with the aim of providing further evidence about the reliability of visual analysis. Our results concur with previous studies that have reported the relationship between serial dependence and increased Type I rates. Participants with greater experience appeared to be more conservative and used more consistent criteria when assessing graphed data. Nonetheless, the decisions made by both professionals and students did not match sufficiently the simulated data features, and we also found low intra-judge agreement, thus suggesting that visual inspection should be complemented by other methods when assessing treatment effectiveness.

Efficacy and safety of aripiprazole in the treatment of bipolar disorder: a systematic review.

Abstract BACKGROUND: The current article is a systematic review concerning the efficacy and safety of aripiprazole in the treatment of bipolar disorder. METHODS: A systematic Medline and repositories search concerning the usefulness of aripiprazole in bipolar disorder was performed, with the combination of the words 'aripiprazole' and 'bipolar'. RESULTS: The search returned 184 articles and was last updated on 15 April 2009. An additional search included repositories of clinical trials and previous systematic reviews specifically in order to trace unpublished trials. There were seven placebo-controlled randomised controlled trials (RCTs), six with comparator studies and one with add-on studies. They assessed the usefulness of aripiprazole in acute mania, acute bipolar depression and during the maintenance phase in comparison to placebo, lithium or haloperidol. CONCLUSION: Aripiprazole appears effective for the treatment and prophylaxis against mania. The data on bipolar depression are so far negative, however there is a need for further study at lower dosages. The most frequent adverse effects are extrapyramidal signs and symptoms, especially akathisia, without any significant weight gain, hyperprolactinaemia or laboratory test changes.

Visual performance in preterm infants with brain injuries compared with low-risk preterm infants

Background: Neonatal brain injuries are the main cause of visual deficit produced by damage to posterior visual pathways.While there are several studies of visual function in low-risk preterm infants or older children with brain injuries, research in children of early age is lacking. Aim: To assess several aspects of visual function in preterm infants with brain injuries and to compare them with another group of low-risk preterm infants of the same age. Study design and subjects: Forty-eight preterm infants with brain injuries and 56 low-risk preterm infants. Outcome measures: The ML Leonhardt Battery of Optotypes was used to assess visual functions. This test was previously validated at a post-menstrual age of 40 weeks in newborns and at 30-plus weeks in preterm infants. Results: The group of preterminfants with brain lesions showed a delayed pattern of visual functions in alertness, fixation, visual attention and tracking behavior compared to infants in the healthy preterm group. The differences between both groups, in the visual behaviors analyzed were around 30%. These visual functions could be identified from the first weeks of life. Conclusion: Our results confirm the importance of using a straightforward screening test with preterminfants in order to assess altered visual function, especially in infants with brain injuries. The findings also highlight the need to provide visual stimulation very early on in life.

Integrating quantitative proteomics and metabolomics in a cellular model of diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of visual loss in individuals under the age of 55. Most investigations into the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy have been concentrated on the neural retina since this is where clinical lesions are manifested. Recently, however, various abnormalities in the structural and secretory functions of retinal pigment epithelium that are essential for neuroretina survival, have been found in diabetic retinopathy. In this context, here we study the effect of hyperglycemic and hypoxic conditions on the metabolism of a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line (ARPE-19) by integrating quantitative proteomics using tandem mass tagging (TMT), untargeted metabolomics using MS and NMR, and 13C-glucose isotopic labeling for metabolic tracking. We observed a remarkable metabolic diversification under our simulated in vitro hyperglycemic conditions of diabetes, characterized increased flux through polyol pathways and inhibition of the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. Importantly, under low oxygen supply RPE cells seem to consume rapidly glycogen storages and stimulate anaerobic glycolysis. Our results therefore pave the way to future scenarios involving new therapeutic strategies addressed to modulating RPE metabolic impairment, with the aim of regulating structural and secretory alterations of RPE. Finally, this study shows the importance of tackling biomedical problems by integrating metabolomic and proteomics results.

¿Pueden contribuir los métodos visuales a avanzar hacia una investigación inclusiva? Un estudio sobre inclusión sociolaboral con personas con Trastorno Mental Grave (TMG) = Can visual methods help to go forward inclusive research? A study about social and labor inclusion with people with Severe Mental Illness (SMI)

En este artículo se pretende mostrar cómo la utilización de métodos visuales en la investigación contribuye a potenciar la participación activa de las personas con TMG. Se utiliza como ejemplo un estudio de caso de corte cualitativo que incorpora tres actividades de componente visual (el dibujo “el río de la vida”, las fotografías y el dibujo de proyección de futuro) para favorecer la reflexión narrada que, sobre sus experiencias y vivencias, desarrollan cinco personas con TMG. El uso de las fotografías y dibujos en este estudio permite afirmar que estas estrategias se han mostrado válidas para acceder, en la medida que los participantes han querido, a esferas de vida personales en trayectorias vitales determinadas por la enfermedad mental

Health-related quality-of-life instruments for Alzheimer's disease and mixed dementia

BACKGROUND: Over the last 20 years, a number of instruments developed for the assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in dementia have been introduced. The aim of this review is to synthesize evidence from published reviews on HRQL measures in dementia and any new literature in order to identify dementia specific HRQL instruments, the domains they measure, and their operationalization. METHODS: An electronic search of PsycINFO and PubMed was conducted, from inception to December 2011 using a combination of key words that included quality of life and dementia. RESULTS: Fifteen dementia-specific HRQL instruments were identified. Instruments varied depending on their country of development/validation, dementia severity, data collection method, operationalization of HRQL in dementia, psychometric properties, and the scoring. The most common domains assessed include mood, self-esteem, social interaction, and enjoyment of activities. CONCLUSIONS: A number of HRQL instruments for dementia are available. The suitability of the scales for different contexts is discussed. Many studies do not specifically set out to measure dementia-specific HRQL but do include related items. Determining how best to operationalize the many HRQL domains will be helpful for mapping measures of HRQL in such studies maximizing the value of existing resources.

¿Qué entienden los jóvenes universitarios por monogamia y sexo sin penetración, como estrategias preventivas de la transmisión sexual del virus del SIDA? = What university students understand by monogamy and sex without penetration as preventive strategies of sexual transmission of AIDS virus?

Monogamy and sex without penetration are behaviors recommended by the WHO to avoid AIDS virus sexual transmission. Seven hundred and fifty university students from 18 to 25 years (67.7% women) were surveyed and they were asked to give a maximum of three free definitions of the words monogamy and sex without penetration to prevent AIDS virus sexual transmission. Their participation was voluntary and anonymous. Although the majority of the answers was correct, there was a considerable percentage of wrong answers, either for monogamy (3.7% masturbation; 2.1% to have many partners; 0.9% homosexual relations), or for sex without penetration (20.5% oral sex; 1.1% anal coitus; 0.8% coitus without orgasm; 0.4% coitus interruptus). Some definitions or examples differ by gender. The amount of wrongs or incomplete answers put researchers on the alert about insufficient preventive knowledge in a population with a high educational level

The usefulness of phonological information for the acquisition of grammatical structure in child language development

During the process of language development, one of the most important tasks that children must face is that of identifying the grammatical category to which words in their language belong. This is essential in order to be able to form grammatically correct utterances. How do children proceed in order to classify words in their language and assign them to their corresponding grammatical category? The present study investigates the usefulness of phonological information for the categorization of nouns in English, given the fact that it is phonology the first source of information that might be available to prelinguistic infants who lack access to semantic information or complex morphosyntactic information. We analyse four different corpora containing linguistic samples of English speaking mothers addressing their children in order to explore the reliability with which words are represented in mothers’ speech based on several phonological criteria. The results of the analysis confirm the prediction that most of the words to which English learning infants are exposed during the first two years of life can be accounted for in terms of their phonological resemblance

Advancing towards inclusive social research: visual methods as opportunities for people with severe mental illness to participate in research

This article explores the possibilities offered by visual methods in the move towards inclusive research, reviewing some methodological implications of said research and reflecting on the potential of visual methods to meet these methodological requirements. A study into the impact of work on social inclusion and the social relationships of people suffering from severe mental illness (SMI) serves to illustrate the use of visual methods such as photo elicitation and graphic elicitation in the context of in-depth interviews with the aim of improving the aforementioned target group’s participation in research, participation understood as one of the basic elements of inclusive approaches. On the basis of this study, we reflect on the potential of visual methods to improve the inclusive approach to research and conclude that these methods are open and flexible in awarding participantsa voice, allowingpeople with SMI to express their needs, and therefore adding value to said approach