Functional connectivity of the striatum in experts of stenography

Assessing subjective workload for live captioners

Live captioning is a challenging task that requires intense concentration to convert audio to text in real-time. Despite the importance of live captioning for accessibility, little is known about the subjective workload of captioners in this context. This study aimed to measure the subjective workload of live captioners using the NASA-TLX and to explore the factors that contribute to their mental workload. Thirty live captioners participated in the study, completing questionnaires and interviews. Results showed that the subjective mental workload of live captioners is high, similar to that of neurosurgeons. The mental workload was found to be associated with caption paraphrasing and employment status. The challenges of the job, such as the speed of speaking in live content, cognitive tasks involved in paraphrasing, the concern about poor performance, the impact on audiences, and the lack of control over job scheduling contribute to this high workload. These findings suggest the need for modulating the scheduling of the workers, having longer breaks, and working in teams rather than independently. Introducing paradigm changes for live captioning workflow, such as reducing the human effort of typing by adopting auto-generated captions, so that captioners become decision-makers or managers of generational AI systems should also be considered. By addressing these issues, we can help improve the well-being of live captioners and the quality of captions, ultimately enhancing accessibility for all.

Higher extrinsic and lower intrinsic connectivity in resting state networks for professional Baduk (Go) players

INTRODUCTION

Dedication and training to a profession results in a certain level of expertise. This expertise, like any other skill obtained in our lifetime, is encoded in the brain and may be reflected in our brain's connectome. This property can be observed by mapping resting state connectivity. In this study, we examine the differences in resting state functional connectivity in four major networks between professional "Baduk" (Go) players and normal subjects.

METHODS

Resting state fMRI scans were acquired for professional "Baduk" (Go) players and normal controls. Major resting state networks were identified using independent component analysis and compared between the two groups. Networks which were compared include the default mode network, the left and right fronto-parietal network, and the salience network.

RESULTS

We found that normal subjects showed increased connectivity within certain areas of each target network. Professional players, however, showed higher connectivity to regions outside the traditional regions of each given network. Close examination of these regions revealed that regions shown to have higher connectivity in professional players have been revealed to be relevant in expertise for board games.

CONCLUSION

The findings in this study suggest that continuous training results in greater integration between regions and networks, which are necessary for high-level performance. The differences observed in our study between normal controls and professional players also shed light on the difference in brain connectivity which can arise through lifestyle and specialization in a specific field.

An external focus of attention is a conditio sine qua non for athletes: a response to Carson, Collins, and Toner (2015)

In this invited response to a Letter to the Editor by Carson, Collins, and Toner (2015), I comment on various issues raised by the authors. I highlight the broad range of tasks and dependent measures used in studies comparing the effectiveness of external versus internal foci of attention. These studies--many of which involved sport skills--have consistently found performance or learning benefits when an external focus was adopted. There is no convincing evidence that performers' preferences, or their familiarity with a certain focus, have a moderating effect. Anecdotal evidence reported by coaches who have compared the two types of foci is consistent with research findings. An external focus presumably promotes functional connectivity and contributes to goal-action coupling.