Effects of spoken cues on decision-making in netball: An eye movement study

Thirteen international netballers viewed static images of scenarios taken from netball open play. Two ‘team mates’, each marked by one opponent, could be seen in each image; each team mate-opponent pair was located on opposite sides of the vertical meridian, such that a binary response was required (‘left’ or ‘right’) from the participant, in order to select a team mate to whom they would pass the ball. For each trial, a spoken word (“left”/“right”) was presented monaurally at the onset of the visual image. Spatially invalid auditory cues (i.e., in the ear contralateral to the correct passing option), reduced performance accuracy relative to valid ones. Semantically invalid cues (e.g., a call of “left” when the target was right-located), increased response times relative to valid ones. However, there were no accompanying changes in visual attention to the team mates and their markers. The effects of auditory cues on covert attentional shifts and decision-making are discussed.

The need for a marker predicting benefit following cardiovascular disease risk reduction treatment

Developing a robust method to study characteristics of vascular flow using ultrasound may be useful to assess endothelial function and vasodilatation. There are four stages in this proposal. 1.The first stage is to standardise and validate the methodology to enable computational risk flow data and other flow characteristics to be used clinically. (Current Study). Further development of fluid modelling methods will enable particulate haemodynamics to be investigated, and incorporate detailed endothelial structure together with cellular pathways. 2. This should be followed up by studies in different patient groups investigating the association between the derived values and estimated risk (using other methods such as Framingham risk score). 3. Then, associated with underlying cardiovascular risk, prospective studies would be made to establish whether computational flow dynamic data can predict outcome. If successful it could prove to be a very useful marker of benefit following treatment in a clinical setting.

Efectividad de la inclusión de la punción seca de los puntos de gatillo miofasciales en el dolor tras la cirugía de hombro

Lo que la mayoría de las personas llaman “el hombro” es realmente un conjunto de varias articulaciones que se combinan con tendones y músculos para permitir el movimiento en la extremidad superior, desde rascarse la espalda hasta hacer un lanzamiento de pelota. No obstante, la movilidad puede llevar a problemas como inestabilidad o compresión del tejido blando o las estructuras óseas, con el resultado de dolor, el cual puede aparecer en reposo o en movimiento, continuo o temporal, siendo el dolor de hombro sumamente limitante y molesto para la persona que lo padece. El diagnóstico diferencial del dolor de hombro es a veces difícil debido a que cualquier dolor que se asiente en esta región anatómica afecta a menudo a la articulación de forma que pareciera que en ella tiene su origen. El dolor muscular está presente en el 90% de pacientes que acuden a las clínicas del dolor, y en un alto porcentaje de pacientes que presentan dolor de hombro. Aunque el síndrome de dolor miofascial es una de las causas más frecuentes de dolor músculo-esquelético, algunos autores han cuestionado su propia existencia, a pesar que se estima está presente hasta en un 87% de pacientes que acuden a consultas especializadas de dolor. La musculatura representa el 50% del peso corporal del hombro por lo que su afección debe ser considerada relevante...