Early Stages of Sensory Processing, but Not Semantic Integration, Are Altered in Dyslexic Adults

The efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on emotional processing in apathetic patients with Parkinson's disease: A Placebo-controlled ERP study

BACKGROUND

Few studies have examined the effect of rTMS on impaired emotional processing in apathetic Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, which impelled us to use a combination of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with event-related potentials (ERPs) to gain insight into the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

Apathetic and non-apathetic patients diagnosed with PD performed a facial emotion categorization task, and ERP data were collected before and after HF-rTMS or sham stimulation over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). We observed the behavioural results and early components of P100 and N170.

RESULTS

After rTMS, accuracy (ACC) was higher for negative expressions, and reaction times (RTs) were shorter for all expressions in both apathetic and non-apathetic patients. P100 amplitudes significantly increased except for negative expressions in the right hemisphere, and hemisphere lateralization was reversed in apathetic patients. P100 amplitudes increased for all expressions bilaterally in non-apathetic patients. N170 amplitudes in apathetic patients increased, and hemisphere lateralization was normalized. Neither the apathetic sham group nor the non-apathetic cohort of patients showed changes in P100 or N170 lateralization.

LIMITATIONS

The effects of rTMS on PD patients relative to normal subjects should be compared and observed over a long period of time.

CONCLUSIONS

HF-rTMS over the right DLPFC is beneficial for emotional processing in both apathetic and non-apathetic PD patients but shows different sensitivities. The effect of rTMS on emotional processing impairments in apathetic PD patients is profound. Treatment with rTMS may be an important, novel nonpharmaceutical approach for apathy in PD patients.

Music Training Positively Influences the Preattentive Perception of Voice Onset Time in Children with Dyslexia: A Longitudinal Study

Previous results showed a positive influence of music training on linguistic abilities at both attentive and preattentive levels. Here, we investigate whether six months of active music training is more efficient than painting training to improve the preattentive processing of phonological parameters based on durations that are often impaired in children with developmental dyslexia (DD). Results were also compared to a control group of Typically Developing (TD) children matched on reading age. We used a Test–Training–Retest procedure and analysed the Mismatch Negativity (MMN) and the N1 and N250 components of the Event-Related Potentials to syllables that differed in Voice Onset Time (VOT), vowel duration, and vowel frequency. Results were clear-cut in showing a normalization of the preattentive processing of VOT in children with DD after music training but not after painting training. They also revealed increased N250 amplitude to duration deviant stimuli in children with DD after music but not painting training, and no training effect on the preattentive processing of frequency. These findings are discussed in view of recent theories of dyslexia pointing to deficits in processing the temporal structure of speech. They clearly encourage the use of active music training for the rehabilitation of children with language impairments.