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Lopes A, Ward AD, Cecchini M. Eye tracking in digital pathology: A comprehensive literature review. J Pathol Inform 2024; 15:100383. [PMID: 38868488 PMCID: PMC11168484 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpi.2024.100383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Eye tracking has been used for decades in attempt to understand the cognitive processes of individuals. From memory access to problem-solving to decision-making, such insight has the potential to improve workflows and the education of students to become experts in relevant fields. Until recently, the traditional use of microscopes in pathology made eye tracking exceptionally difficult. However, the digital revolution of pathology from conventional microscopes to digital whole slide images allows for new research to be conducted and information to be learned with regards to pathologist visual search patterns and learning experiences. This has the promise to make pathology education more efficient and engaging, ultimately creating stronger and more proficient generations of pathologists to come. The goal of this review on eye tracking in pathology is to characterize and compare the visual search patterns of pathologists. The PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched using 'pathology' AND 'eye tracking' synonyms. A total of 22 relevant full-text articles published up to and including 2023 were identified and included in this review. Thematic analysis was conducted to organize each study into one or more of the 10 themes identified to characterize the visual search patterns of pathologists: (1) effect of experience, (2) fixations, (3) zooming, (4) panning, (5) saccades, (6) pupil diameter, (7) interpretation time, (8) strategies, (9) machine learning, and (10) education. Expert pathologists were found to have higher diagnostic accuracy, fewer fixations, and shorter interpretation times than pathologists with less experience. Further, literature on eye tracking in pathology indicates that there are several visual strategies for diagnostic interpretation of digital pathology images, but no evidence of a superior strategy exists. The educational implications of eye tracking in pathology have also been explored but the effect of teaching novices how to search as an expert remains unclear. In this article, the main challenges and prospects of eye tracking in pathology are briefly discussed along with their implications to the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alana Lopes
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Gerald C. Baines Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada
| | - Aaron D. Ward
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Gerald C. Baines Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada
- Department of Oncology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Matthew Cecchini
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
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Xie Z, Ma Y, Zhang Z, Chen S. Real-time driving risk prediction using a self-attention-based bidirectional long short-term memory network based on multi-source data. ACCIDENT; ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION 2024; 204:107647. [PMID: 38796999 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2024.107647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Early warning of driving risks can effectively prevent collisions. However, numerous studies that predicted driving risks have suffered from the use of single data sources, insufficiently advanced models, and lack of time window analysis. To address these issues, this paper proposes a self-attention-based bidirectional long short-term memory (Att-Bi-LSTM) network model to predict driving risk based on multi-source data. First, driving simulation tests are conducted. Driver demographic, operation, visual, and physiological data as well as kinematic data are collected. Then, the driving risks are classified into no risk, low risk, medium risk, and high risk. Next, the Att-Bi-LSTM model is constructed, and convolutional neural network (CNN), CNN-LSTM, CatBoost, LightGBM, and XGBoost are employed for comparison. To generate the inputs and outputs of the models, observation, interval, and prediction time windows are introduced. The results show that the Att-Bi-LSTM model using early-fusion method significantly outperforms the five comparison models, with a macro-average F1-score of 0.914. The results of ablation studies indicate that the Bi-LSTM layers and self-attention layer have achieved the expected effect, which is crucial for improving the model's performance. As the interval or prediction time window is extended, the accuracy of the prediction results gradually decreases. However, as the observation time window is extended, the results first improve and then become stable. Compared to using only relative kinematic data, using all data (i.e., multi-source data) is shown to improve the F1-score by 0.061. This study provides an effective method for driving risk prediction and supports the improvement of advanced driver assistance systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuopeng Xie
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Urban ITS, School of Transportation, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; School of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sydney, Darlington NSW 2008, Australia
| | - Yongfeng Ma
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Urban ITS, School of Transportation, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China.
| | - Ziyu Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Urban ITS, School of Transportation, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Shuyan Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Urban ITS, School of Transportation, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
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Algermissen J, den Ouden HEM. Pupil dilation reflects effortful action invigoration in overcoming aversive Pavlovian biases. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:720-739. [PMID: 38773022 PMCID: PMC11233311 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01191-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
"Pavlovian" or "motivational" biases describe the phenomenon that the valence of prospective outcomes modulates action invigoration: Reward prospect invigorates action, whereas punishment prospect suppresses it. The adaptive role of these biases in decision-making is still unclear. One idea is that they constitute a fast-and-frugal decision strategy in situations characterized by high arousal, e.g., in presence of a predator, which demand a quick response. In this pre-registered study (N = 35), we tested whether such a situation-induced via subliminally presented angry versus neutral faces-leads to increased reliance on Pavlovian biases. We measured trial-by-trial arousal by tracking pupil diameter while participants performed an orthogonalized Motivational Go/NoGo Task. Pavlovian biases were present in responses, reaction times, and even gaze, with lower gaze dispersion under aversive cues reflecting "freezing of gaze." The subliminally presented faces did not affect responses, reaction times, or pupil diameter, suggesting that the arousal manipulation was ineffective. However, pupil dilations reflected facets of bias suppression, specifically the physical (but not cognitive) effort needed to overcome aversive inhibition: Particularly strong and sustained dilations occurred when participants managed to perform Go responses to aversive cues. Conversely, no such dilations occurred when they managed to inhibit responses to Win cues. These results suggest that pupil diameter does not reflect response conflict per se nor the inhibition of prepotent responses, but specifically effortful action invigoration as needed to overcome aversive inhibition. We discuss our results in the context of the "value of work" theory of striatal dopamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Algermissen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Radboud University, Cognition, and Behaviour, Thomas van Aquinostraat 4, 6526 GD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Hanneke E M den Ouden
- Donders Institute for Brain, Radboud University, Cognition, and Behaviour, Thomas van Aquinostraat 4, 6526 GD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Vrzáková H, Tapiala J, Iso-Mustajärvi M, Timonen T, Dietz A. Estimating Cognitive Workload Using Task-Related Pupillary Responses in Simulated Drilling in Cochlear Implantation. Laryngoscope 2024. [PMID: 38989899 DOI: 10.1002/lary.31612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Training of temporal bone drilling requires more than mastering technical skills with the drill. Skills such as visual imagery, bimanual dexterity, and stress management need to be mastered along with precise knowledge of anatomy. In otorhinolaryngology, these psychomotor skills underlie performance in the drilling of the temporal bone for access to the inner ear in cochlear implant surgery. However, little is known about how psychomotor skills and workload management impact the practitioners' continuous and overall performance. METHODS To understand how the practitioner's workload and performance unfolds over time, we examine task-evoked pupillary responses (TEPR) of 22 medical students who performed transmastoid-posterior tympanotomy (TMPT) and removal of the bony overhang of the round window niche in a 3D-printed model of the temporal bone. We investigate how students' TEPR metrics (Average Pupil Size [APS], Index of Pupil Activity [IPA], and Low/High Index of Pupillary Activity [LHIPA]) and time spent in drilling phases correspond to the performance in key drilling phases. RESULTS All TEPR measures revealed significant differences between key drilling phases that corresponded to the anticipated workload. Enlarging the facial recess lasted significantly longer than other phases. IPA captured significant increase of workload in thinning of the posterior canal wall, while APS revealed increased workload during the drilling of the bony overhang. CONCLUSION Our findings contribute to the contemporary competency-based medical residency programs where objective and continuous monitoring of participants' progress allows to track progress in expertise acquisition. Laryngoscope, 2024.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Vrzáková
- School of Computing, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Jesse Tapiala
- School of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Tomi Timonen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Aarno Dietz
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
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Xu S, Zhang H, Fan J, Jiang X, Zhang M, Guan J, Ding H, Zhang Y. Auditory Challenges and Listening Effort in School-Age Children With Autism: Insights From Pupillary Dynamics During Speech-in-Noise Perception. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2024; 67:2410-2453. [PMID: 38861391 DOI: 10.1044/2024_jslhr-23-00553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate challenges in speech-in-noise (SiN) processing faced by school-age children with autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) and their impact on listening effort. METHOD Participants, including 23 Mandarin-speaking children with ASCs and 19 age-matched neurotypical (NT) peers, underwent sentence recognition tests in both quiet and noisy conditions, with a speech-shaped steady-state noise masker presented at 0-dB signal-to-noise ratio in the noisy condition. Recognition accuracy rates and task-evoked pupil responses were compared to assess behavioral performance and listening effort during auditory tasks. RESULTS No main effect of group was found on accuracy rates. Instead, significant effects emerged for autistic trait scores, listening conditions, and their interaction, indicating that higher trait scores were associated with poorer performance in noise. Pupillometric data revealed significantly larger and earlier peak dilations, along with more varied pupillary dynamics in the ASC group relative to the NT group, especially under noisy conditions. Importantly, the ASC group's peak dilation in quiet mirrored that of the NT group in noise. However, the ASC group consistently exhibited reduced mean dilations than the NT group. CONCLUSIONS Pupillary responses suggest a different resource allocation pattern in ASCs: An initial sharper and larger dilation may signal an intense, narrowed resource allocation, likely linked to heightened arousal, engagement, and cognitive load, whereas a subsequent faster tail-off may indicate a greater decrease in resource availability and engagement, or a quicker release of arousal and cognitive load. The presence of noise further accentuates this pattern. This highlights the unique SiN processing challenges children with ASCs may face, underscoring the importance of a nuanced, individual-centric approach for interventions and support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suyun Xu
- Speech-Language-Hearing Center, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
- National Research Centre for Language and Well-Being, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China
| | - Juan Fan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China
| | - Xiaoming Jiang
- Institute of Linguistics, Shanghai International Studies University, China
| | - Minyue Zhang
- Speech-Language-Hearing Center, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
- National Research Centre for Language and Well-Being, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Hongwei Ding
- Speech-Language-Hearing Center, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
- National Research Centre for Language and Well-Being, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences and Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
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Bjerrum LB, Nordhus IH, Sørensen L, Wulff K, Bjorvatn B, Flo-Groeneboom E, Visted E. Acute Effects of Light during Daytime on Central Aspects of Attention and Affect:A Systematic Review. Biol Psychol 2024:108845. [PMID: 38981576 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Light regulates both image- and various non-image forming responses in humans, including acute effects on attention and affect. To advance the understanding of light's immediate effects, this systematic review describes the acute effects of monochromatic/narrow bandwidth and polychromatic white light during daytime on distinct aspects of attention (alertness, sustained attention, working memory, attentional control and flexibility), and measures of affect (self-report measures, performance-based tests, psychophysiological measures) in healthy, adult human subjects. Original, peer-reviewed (quasi-) experimental studies published between 2000 and May 2024 were included according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Study quality was assessed, and results were synthesized across aspects of attention and affect and grouped according to light interventions; monochromatic/narrowband-width or polychromatic white light (regular white, bright white, and white with high correlated color temperature (CCT)). Results from included studies (n = 62) showed that alertness and working memory were most affected by light. Electroencephalographic markers of alertness improved the most with exposure to narrow bandwidth long-wavelength light, regular white, and white light with high CCT. Self-reported alertness and measures of working memory improved the most with bright white light. Results from studies testing the acute effects on sustained attention and attentional control and flexibility were inconclusive. Performance-based and psychophysiological measures of affect were only influenced by narrow bandwidth long-wavelength light. Polychromatic white light exerted mixed effects on self-reported affect. Studies were strongly heterogeneous in terms of light stimuli characteristics and reporting of light stimuli and control of variables influencing light's acute effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Bruland Bjerrum
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 17, 5009 Bergen, Norway.
| | - Inger Hilde Nordhus
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 17, 5009 Bergen, Norway
| | - Lin Sørensen
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009 Bergen, Norway
| | - Katharina Wulff
- Department of Radiation Sciences and Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University,901 87 Umeå, Sweden; Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Bjørn Bjorvatn
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 17, 5009 Bergen, Norway; Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies vei 71, 5053 Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Endre Visted
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 17, 5009 Bergen, Norway
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Lindner E, Desantis A, Cheng FPH, Gail A. Violation of identity-specific action-effect prediction increases pupil size and attenuates auditory event-related potentials at P2 latencies when action-effects are behaviorally relevant. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120717. [PMID: 38971482 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Self-initiated sensory action effects are widely assumed to lead to less intense perception and reduced neural responses compared to externally triggered stimuli (sensory attenuation). However, it is unclear if sensory attenuation occurs in all cases of action-effect prediction. Specifically, when predicted action-effects are relevant to determine follow-up actions attenuation could be detrimental. We quantified auditory event-related potentials (ERP) in electroencephalography (EEG) when human participants created two-sound sequences by pressing two keys on a keyboard associated with different pitch, giving rise to identity-specific action-effect prediction after the first keypress. The first sound corresponded to (congruent) or violated (incongruent) the predicted pitch and was either relevant for the selection of the second keypress to correctly complete the sequence (Relevance) or irrelevant (Control Movement), or there was only one keypress and sound (Baseline). We found a diminished P2-timed ERP component in incongruent compared to congruent trials when the sound was relevant for the subsequent action. This effect of action-effect prediction was due to an ERP reduction for incongruent relevant sounds compared to incongruent irrelevant sounds at P2 latencies and correlated negatively with modulations of pupil dilation. Contrary to our expectation, we did not observe an N1 modulation by congruency in any condition. Attenuation of the N1 component seems absent for predicted identity-specific auditory action effects, while P2-timed ERPs as well as pupil size are sensitive to predictability, at least when action effects are relevant for the selection of the next action. Incongruent relevant stimuli thereby take a special place and seem to be subject to attentional modulations and error processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Lindner
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August University, Wilhelm-Weber-Str. 2, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Andrea Desantis
- The French Aerospace Lab ONERA, Département Traitement de l'Information et Systèmes, BA 701 13661 Salon Cedex AIR, 13661 Salon-de-Provence, France; Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone (UMR 7289), CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Faculté de Médecine, 27, boulevard Jean Moulin, F-13005 Marseille, France; INCC - Integrative Neuroscience & Cognition Center UMR 8002, CNRS, Université de Paris, 45 Rue des Saint-Pères, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Felicia Pei-Hsin Cheng
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Germany
| | - Alexander Gail
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August University, Wilhelm-Weber-Str. 2, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
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Svirsky MA, Neukam JD, Capach NH, Amichetti NM, Lavender A, Wingfield A. Communication Under Sharply Degraded Auditory Input and the "2-Sentence" Problem. Ear Hear 2024; 45:1045-1058. [PMID: 38523125 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite performing well in standard clinical assessments of speech perception, many cochlear implant (CI) users report experiencing significant difficulties when listening in real-world environments. We hypothesize that this disconnect may be related, in part, to the limited ecological validity of tests that are currently used clinically and in research laboratories. The challenges that arise from degraded auditory information provided by a CI, combined with the listener's finite cognitive resources, may lead to difficulties when processing speech material that is more demanding than the single words or single sentences that are used in clinical tests. DESIGN Here, we investigate whether speech identification performance and processing effort (indexed by pupil dilation measures) are affected when CI users or normal-hearing control subjects are asked to repeat two sentences presented sequentially instead of just one sentence. RESULTS Response accuracy was minimally affected in normal-hearing listeners, but CI users showed a wide range of outcomes, from no change to decrements of up to 45 percentage points. The amount of decrement was not predictable from the CI users' performance in standard clinical tests. Pupillometry measures tracked closely with task difficulty in both the CI group and the normal-hearing group, even though the latter had speech perception scores near ceiling levels for all conditions. CONCLUSIONS Speech identification performance is significantly degraded in many (but not all) CI users in response to input that is only slightly more challenging than standard clinical tests; specifically, when two sentences are presented sequentially before requesting a response, instead of presenting just a single sentence at a time. This potential "2-sentence problem" represents one of the simplest possible scenarios that go beyond presentation of the single words or sentences used in most clinical tests of speech perception, and it raises the possibility that even good performers in single-sentence tests may be seriously impaired by other ecologically relevant manipulations. The present findings also raise the possibility that a clinical version of a 2-sentence test may provide actionable information for counseling and rehabilitating CI users, and for people who interact with them closely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario A Svirsky
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jonathan D Neukam
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nicole Hope Capach
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nicole M Amichetti
- Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Annette Lavender
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Cochlear Americas, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Arthur Wingfield
- Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
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Donenfeld J, Blaser E, Kaldy Z. The resolution of proactive interference in a novel visual working memory task: A behavioral and pupillometric study. Atten Percept Psychophys 2024:10.3758/s13414-024-02888-5. [PMID: 38898344 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-024-02888-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Proactive interference (PI) occurs when previously learned information impairs memory for more recently learned information. Most PI studies have employed verbal stimuli, while the role of PI in visual working memory (VWM) has had relatively little attention. In the verbal domain, Johansson and colleagues (2018) found that pupil diameter - a real-time neurophysiological index of cognitive effort - reflects the accumulation and resolution of PI. Here we use a novel, naturalistic paradigm to test the behavioral and pupillary correlates of PI resolution for what-was-where item-location bindings in VWM. Importantly, in our paradigm, trials (PI vs. no-PI condition) are mixed in a block, and participants are naïve to the condition until they are tested. This design sidesteps concerns about differences in encoding strategies or generalized effort differences between conditions. Across three experiments (N = 122 total) we assessed PI's effect on VWM and whether PI resolution during memory retrieval is associated with greater cognitive effort (as indexed by the phasic, task-evoked pupil response). We found strong support for PI's detrimental effect on VWM (even with our spatially distributed stimuli), but no consistent link between interference resolution and effort during memory retrieval (this, even though the pupil was a reliable indicator that higher-performing individuals tried harder during memory encoding). We speculate that when explicit strategies are minimized, and PI resolution relies primarily on implicit processing, the effect may not be sufficient to trigger a robust pupillometric response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Donenfeld
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 William T. Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA, 02125-3393, USA.
| | - Erik Blaser
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 William T. Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA, 02125-3393, USA
| | - Zsuzsa Kaldy
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 William T. Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA, 02125-3393, USA
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Sudár A, Csapó ÁB. Comparing desktop 3D virtual reality with web 2.0 interfaces: Identifying key factors behind enhanced user capabilities. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31717. [PMID: 38845966 PMCID: PMC11154203 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to investigate how commonly used 2D digital layouts can be transformed into 3-dimensional dashboards with the effect of reducing cognitive load. To this end, we compared user performance metrics, pupil dilation data as well as subject-reported qualitative measures in a Web 2.0-based 2D scenario and two different versions of a desktop 3D virtual reality scenario. All three scenarios focused on a use case involving the most prevalent 2D digital formats and designs encountered in digital education, making use of e.g. textual information (PDF files, PPT files), images and videos. Based on the assumption that cognitive load differences can be validated based on pupillometry measurements, we showed that it is possible to develop 3D virtual reality scenarios where users experience less cognitive load while achieving the same performance metrics as in commonly used 2D environments. At the same time, our experiment also showed that such improvements do not come automatically; instead, 3D workflows that require less locomotion - even at the expense of increased camera rotations - seem to result in more effective cognitive load reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sudár
- Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies, Corvinus University of Budapest, Fővám tér 8, Budapest, 1093, Hungary
- Institute of Data Analytics and Information Systems, Corvinus University of Budapest, Fővám tér 8, Budapest, 1093, Hungary
- Hungarian Research Network, Piarista u. 4, Budapest, 1052, Hungary
| | - Ádám B. Csapó
- Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies, Corvinus University of Budapest, Fővám tér 8, Budapest, 1093, Hungary
- Institute of Data Analytics and Information Systems, Corvinus University of Budapest, Fővám tér 8, Budapest, 1093, Hungary
- Hungarian Research Network, Piarista u. 4, Budapest, 1052, Hungary
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Scharinger C. Task-irrelevant decorative pictures increase cognitive load during text processing but have no effects on learning or working memory performance: an EEG and eye-tracking study. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2024; 88:1362-1388. [PMID: 38502229 PMCID: PMC11142986 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-024-01939-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Decorative pictures (DP) are often used in multimedia task materials and are commonly considered so-called seductive details as they are commonly not task-relevant. Typically, DP result in mixed effects on behavioral performance measures. The current study focused on the effects of DP on the cognitive load during text reading and working memory task performance. The theta and alpha frequency band power of the electroencephalogram (EEG) and pupil dilation served as proxies of cognitive load. The number of fixations, mean fixation durations, and the number of transitions served as proxies of the attentional focus. For both, text reading and n-back working memory tasks, the presence and congruency of DP were manipulated in four task conditions. DP did neither affect behavioral performance nor subjective ratings of emotional-motivational factors. However, in both tasks, DP increased the cognitive load as revealed by the EEG alpha frequency band power and (at least to some extent) by subjective effort ratings. Notably, the EEG alpha frequency band power was a quite reliable and sensitive proxy of cognitive load. Analyzing the EEG data stimulus-locked and fixation-related, the EEG alpha frequency band power revealed a difference in global and local cognitive load. In sum, the current study underlines the feasibility and use of EEG for multimedia research, especially when combined with eye-tracking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Scharinger
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien Tübingen, Schleichstr. 6, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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Gatzounis R, Gelissen A, Theuerzeit D, Meulders A. Rewarding Approach Behaviour Attenuates the Return of Pain-Related Avoidance After Successful Extinction with Response Prevention. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2024; 25:104453. [PMID: 38145858 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
After successful exposure treatment for chronic pain, pain-related fear and avoidance may return, i.e., relapse may occur. This return of fear and avoidance may be modulated by various post-treatment factors. In this study, we aimed to investigate two potential factors that may affect return of fear and avoidance, i.e. cognitive load and rewarding approach behaviour. In an operant pain-related avoidance conditioning paradigm, healthy pain-free volunteers first learned to fear and avoid an arm-reaching movement that was often paired with painful electrocutaneous stimulation (T1), by performing alternative movements that were less often (T2) or never (T3) paired with pain. During extinction with response prevention, participants were only allowed to perform T1, and pain was omitted. To model relapse, two unexpected painful stimuli were presented (i.e., reinstatement manipulation), after which participants could freely choose among the three arm-reaching movements again. During test, the Low Load group performed an additional easy digit task, whereas the High Load group performed a more cognitively demanding digit task. The Reward group performed the demanding digit task, whilst being rewarded to perform T1. Results showed that pain-related fear and avoidance returned, irrespective of cognitive load imposed. When participants were rewarded to approach T1, however, the return of avoidance, but not fear, was attenuated. Our findings suggest that engaging in rewarding activities may facilitate the maintenance of treatment outcomes, and provide additional support to the growing body of literature indicating a divergent relationship between fear and avoidance. PERSPECTIVE: Results of this experiment suggest that engaging in rewarding activities may optimize exposure treatment for chronic pain, by dampening the return of pain-related avoidance - though not of pain-related fear - after extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rena Gatzounis
- Experimental Health Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Anouk Gelissen
- Experimental Health Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Daniëlla Theuerzeit
- Experimental Health Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Ann Meulders
- Experimental Health Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, the Netherlands; Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
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13
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Pütz S, Mertens A, Chuang L, Nitsch V. Physiological measures of operators' mental state in supervisory process control tasks: a scoping review. ERGONOMICS 2024; 67:801-830. [PMID: 38031407 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2023.2289858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Physiological measures are often used to assess the mental state of human operators in supervisory process control tasks. However, the diversity of research approaches creates a heterogeneous landscape of empirical evidence. To map existing evidence and provide guidance to researchers and practitioners, this paper systematically reviews 109 empirical studies that report relationships between peripheral nervous system measures and mental state dimensions (e.g. mental workload, mental fatigue, stress, and vigilance) of interest. Ocular and electrocardiac measures were the most prominent measures across application fields. Most studies sought to validate such measures for reliable assessments of cognitive task demands and time on task, with measures of pupil size receiving the most empirical support. In comparison, less research examined the utility of physiological measures in predicting human task performance. This approach is discussed as an opportunity to focus on operators' individual response to cognitive task demands and to advance the state of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Pütz
- Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Alexander Mertens
- Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Lewis Chuang
- Professorship for Humans and Technology, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Verena Nitsch
- Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE, Aachen, Germany
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14
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Mendes A, Greiff S, Bobrowicz K. Approaching lifelong learning: An integrated framework for explaining decision-making processes in personal and professional development. Trends Neurosci Educ 2024; 35:100230. [PMID: 38879202 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2024.100230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individual differences in commitment to lifelong learning, a process aimed at seizing opportunities for self-development, have not been extensively studied. OBJECTIVE Our aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the decision-making mechanisms involved in pursuing learning for self-development. METHOD We conducted a literature review on the taxing nature of cognitive exertion and its impact on the inclination to engage in cognitively demanding tasks for learning, as well as individual differences in sensitivity to aversive or rewarding outcomes inherent in the learning process. RESULTS Our findings indicate that the Expected Value of Control (EVC) theory can elucidate the former, while research on approach-avoidance motivation can shed light on the latter. CONCLUSION We propose and develop an integrated framework that incorporates both lines of research. This framework holds relevance for neuropsychology, experimental psychology, and education psychology, offering theoretical guidance for tailoring learning experiences to enhance engagement and commitment to self-development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Mendes
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
| | - Samuel Greiff
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Katarzyna Bobrowicz
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
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15
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Silcox JW, Bennett K, Copeland A, Ferguson SH, Payne BR. The Costs (and Benefits?) of Effortful Listening for Older Adults: Insights from Simultaneous Electrophysiology, Pupillometry, and Memory. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:997-1020. [PMID: 38579256 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Although the impact of acoustic challenge on speech processing and memory increases as a person ages, older adults may engage in strategies that help them compensate for these demands. In the current preregistered study, older adults (n = 48) listened to sentences-presented in quiet or in noise-that were high constraint with either expected or unexpected endings or were low constraint with unexpected endings. Pupillometry and EEG were simultaneously recorded, and subsequent sentence recognition and word recall were measured. Like young adults in prior work, we found that noise led to increases in pupil size, delayed and reduced ERP responses, and decreased recall for unexpected words. However, in contrast to prior work in young adults where a larger pupillary response predicted a recovery of the N400 at the cost of poorer memory performance in noise, older adults did not show an associated recovery of the N400 despite decreased memory performance. Instead, we found that in quiet, increases in pupil size were associated with delays in N400 onset latencies and increased recognition memory performance. In conclusion, we found that transient variation in pupil-linked arousal predicted trade-offs between real-time lexical processing and memory that emerged at lower levels of task demand in aging. Moreover, with increased acoustic challenge, older adults still exhibited costs associated with transient increases in arousal without the corresponding benefits.
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16
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Herrmann B, Ryan JD. Pupil Size and Eye Movements Differently Index Effort in Both Younger and Older Adults. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:1325-1340. [PMID: 38683698 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The assessment of mental effort is increasingly relevant in neurocognitive and life span domains. Pupillometry, the measure of the pupil size, is often used to assess effort but has disadvantages. Analysis of eye movements may provide an alternative, but research has been limited to easy and difficult task demands in younger adults. An effort measure must be sensitive to the whole effort profile, including "giving up" effort investment, and capture effort in different age groups. The current study comprised three experiments in which younger (n = 66) and older (n = 44) adults listened to speech masked by background babble at different signal-to-noise ratios associated with easy, difficult, and impossible speech comprehension. We expected individuals to invest little effort for easy and impossible speech (giving up) but to exert effort for difficult speech. Indeed, pupil size was largest for difficult but lower for easy and impossible speech. In contrast, gaze dispersion decreased with increasing speech masking in both age groups. Critically, gaze dispersion during difficult speech returned to levels similar to easy speech after sentence offset, when acoustic stimulation was similar across conditions, whereas gaze dispersion during impossible speech continued to be reduced. These findings show that a reduction in eye movements is not a byproduct of acoustic factors, but instead suggest that neurocognitive processes, different from arousal-related systems regulating the pupil size, drive reduced eye movements during high task demands. The current data thus show that effort in one sensory domain (audition) differentially impacts distinct functional properties in another sensory domain (vision).
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Herrmann
- Rotman Research Institute, North York, Ontario, Canada
- University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer D Ryan
- Rotman Research Institute, North York, Ontario, Canada
- University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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17
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Rose JM, Ganbold O, Rose AM, Thibodeau JC, Rotaru K. Overcoming resistance to belief revision and correction of misinformation beliefs: psychophysiological and behavioral effects of a counterfactual mindset. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12493. [PMID: 38822014 PMCID: PMC11143297 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63230-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
In a series of experiments involving beliefs and misinformation beliefs, we find that individuals who are prompted with a counterfactual mindset are significantly more likely to change their existing beliefs when presented with evidence that contradicts their beliefs. While research finds that beliefs that are considered part of one's identity are highly resistant to change in the face of evidence that challenges these beliefs, four experiments provide evidence that counterfactual generation causes individuals to adjust beliefs and correct misinformation beliefs in response to contradicting evidence. Indeed, we find that a counterfactual mindset was effective in promoting incorporation of accurate facts and causing individuals to revise misinformation beliefs about COVID vaccination safety for a large sample of individuals who have rejected COVID vaccinations. Finally, the results of the psychophysiological experiment reveal that counterfactual generation alters decision makers' search strategies, increases their cognitive arousal in response to evidence that challenges their beliefs, and increases their desire to seek out disconfirming evidence. Overall, the four experiments indicate that counterfactual generation can effectively activate mindsets that increase individuals' willingness to evaluate evidence that contradicts their beliefs and adjust their beliefs in response to evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob M Rose
- Department of Accounting, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
| | - Odkhishig Ganbold
- Department of Medicine at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3050, Australia
| | - Anna M Rose
- Department of Accounting, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
| | - Jay C Thibodeau
- Department of Accounting, Bentley University, Waltham, MA, 02452, US
| | - Kristian Rotaru
- Department of Accounting, Monash Business School, Monash University, Caulfield East, VIC, 3145, Australia.
- The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, BrainPark, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
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18
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Render A, Eisenbarth H, Oxner M, Jansen P. Arousal, interindividual differences and temporal binding a psychophysiological study. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2024:10.1007/s00426-024-01976-3. [PMID: 38806732 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-024-01976-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
The sense of agency varies as a function of arousal in negative emotional contexts. As yet, it is unknown whether the same is true for positive affect, and how inter-individual characteristics might predict these effects. Temporal binding, an implicit measure of the sense of agency, was measured in 59 participants before and after watching either an emotionally neutral film clip or a positive film clip with high or low arousal. Analyses included participants' individual differences in subjective affective ratings, physiological arousal (pupillometry, skin conductance, heart rate), striatal dopamine levels via eye blink rates, and psychopathy. Linear mixed models showed that sexual arousal decreased temporal binding whereas calm pleasure had no facilitation effect on binding. Striatal dopamine levels were positively linked whereas subjective and physiological arousal may be negatively associated with binding towards actions. Psychopathic traits reduced the effect of high arousal on binding towards actions. These results provide evidence that individual differences influence the extent to which the temporal binding is affected by high arousing states with positive valence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Render
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
- Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.
- University of Passau, Passau, Germany.
| | | | - Matt Oxner
- Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
- Wilhelm Wundt Institute for Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Petra Jansen
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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19
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Lee J, Hussain S, Warnick R, Vannucci M, Menchaca I, Seitz AR, Hu X, Peters MAK, Guindani M. A predictor-informed multi-subject bayesian approach for dynamic functional connectivity. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298651. [PMID: 38753655 PMCID: PMC11098372 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Dynamic functional connectivity investigates how the interactions among brain regions vary over the course of an fMRI experiment. Such transitions between different individual connectivity states can be modulated by changes in underlying physiological mechanisms that drive functional network dynamics, e.g., changes in attention or cognitive effort. In this paper, we develop a multi-subject Bayesian framework where the estimation of dynamic functional networks is informed by time-varying exogenous physiological covariates that are simultaneously recorded in each subject during the fMRI experiment. More specifically, we consider a dynamic Gaussian graphical model approach where a non-homogeneous hidden Markov model is employed to classify the fMRI time series into latent neurological states. We assume the state-transition probabilities to vary over time and across subjects as a function of the underlying covariates, allowing for the estimation of recurrent connectivity patterns and the sharing of networks among the subjects. We further assume sparsity in the network structures via shrinkage priors, and achieve edge selection in the estimated graph structures by introducing a multi-comparison procedure for shrinkage-based inferences with Bayesian false discovery rate control. We evaluate the performances of our method vs alternative approaches on synthetic data. We apply our modeling framework on a resting-state experiment where fMRI data have been collected concurrently with pupillometry measurements, as a proxy of cognitive processing, and assess the heterogeneity of the effects of changes in pupil dilation on the subjects' propensity to change connectivity states. The heterogeneity of state occupancy across subjects provides an understanding of the relationship between increased pupil dilation and transitions toward different cognitive states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaylen Lee
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Sana Hussain
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Ryan Warnick
- Microsoft Security Research, Microsoft, Redmond, Washington, United States of America
| | - Marina Vannucci
- Department of Statistics, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Isaac Menchaca
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Aaron R. Seitz
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Xiaoping Hu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Megan A. K. Peters
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Michele Guindani
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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20
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Becker J, Viertler M, Korn CW, Blank H. The pupil dilation response as an indicator of visual cue uncertainty and auditory outcome surprise. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:2686-2701. [PMID: 38469976 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
In everyday perception, we combine incoming sensory information with prior expectations. Expectations can be induced by cues that indicate the probability of following sensory events. The information provided by cues may differ and hence lead to different levels of uncertainty about which event will follow. In this experiment, we employed pupillometry to investigate whether the pupil dilation response to visual cues varies depending on the level of cue-associated uncertainty about a following auditory outcome. Also, we tested whether the pupil dilation response reflects the amount of surprise about the subsequently presented auditory stimulus. In each trial, participants were presented with a visual cue (face image) which was followed by an auditory outcome (spoken vowel). After the face cue, participants had to indicate by keypress which of three auditory vowels they expected to hear next. We manipulated the cue-associated uncertainty by varying the probabilistic cue-outcome contingencies: One face was most likely followed by one specific vowel (low cue uncertainty), another face was equally likely followed by either of two vowels (intermediate cue uncertainty) and the third face was followed by all three vowels (high cue uncertainty). Our results suggest that pupil dilation in response to task-relevant cues depends on the associated uncertainty, but only for large differences in the cue-associated uncertainty. Additionally, in response to the auditory outcomes, the pupil dilation scaled negatively with the cue-dependent probabilities, likely signalling the amount of surprise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janika Becker
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marvin Viertler
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christoph W Korn
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Section Social Neuroscience, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Helen Blank
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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21
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Schierhorst NJ, Rick VB, Czerniak JN, Brandl C, Mertens A, Nitsch V. Comparison of two pupillometric measures as indicators of cognitive strain and under the influence of screen luminance. APPLIED ERGONOMICS 2024; 117:104242. [PMID: 38306742 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
The pupil diameter has been shown to provide insight to a person's experienced cognitive strain. Pupillary light responses, however, make this measure unreliable in uncontrolled settings. Two derived indicators-Index of Cognitive Activity (ICA) and Index of Pupillary Activity (IPA)-aim to 'eliminate' lighting influences, changing based only on the perceived cognitive strain. The IPA potentially offers a valuable alternative to the ICA through its fully transparent calculation, which lifts the restrictions to proprietary software and supported eye trackers. The measures are examined and compared based on two experimental studies; (i) as indicators of cognitive strain during mental arithmetic tasks and (ii) under different conditions of computer screen luminance. Results indicate that neither indicator differentiates between the increasing levels of cognitive strain. Differences in screen luminance are reflected in both indicators, although differently between the conditions. Both results contradict the claims of the indicators and further investigations are thus required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolas J Schierhorst
- Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University, Germanny.
| | - Vera B Rick
- Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University, Germanny
| | | | - Christopher Brandl
- Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University, Germanny; Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE, Germany
| | - Alexander Mertens
- Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University, Germanny
| | - Verena Nitsch
- Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University, Germanny; Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE, Germany
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22
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Vilotijević A, Mathôt S. Functional benefits of cognitively driven pupil-size changes. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2024; 15:e1672. [PMID: 38149763 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Pupil-size changes are typically associated with the pupil light response (PLR), where they are driven by the physical entry of light into the eye. However, pupil-size changes are also influenced by various cognitive processes, where they are driven by higher-level cognition. For example, the strength of the PLR is not solely affected by physical properties of the light but also by cognitive factors, such as whether the source of light is attended or not, which results in an increase or decrease in the strength of the PLR. Surprisingly, although cognitively driven pupil-size changes have been the focus of extensive research, their possible functions are rarely discussed. Here we consider the relative (dis)advantages of small versus large pupils in different situations from a theoretical point of view, and compare these to empirical results showing how pupil size actually changes in these situations. Based on this, we suggest that cognitively driven pupil-size changes optimize vision either through preparation, embodied representations, or a differential emphasis on central or peripheral vision. More generally, we argue that cognitively driven pupil-size changes are a form of sensory tuning: a subtle adjustment of the eyes to optimize vision for the current situation and the immediate future. This article is categorized under: Neuroscience > Cognition Neuroscience > Physiology Neuroscience > Behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Vilotijević
- Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
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23
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Clairis N, Pessiglione M. Value Estimation versus Effort Mobilization: A General Dissociation between Ventromedial and Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1176232024. [PMID: 38514180 PMCID: PMC11044108 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1176-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Deciding on a course of action requires both an accurate estimation of option values and the right amount of effort invested in deliberation to reach sufficient confidence in the final choice. In a previous study, we have provided evidence, across a series of judgment and choice tasks, for a dissociation between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), which would represent option values, and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), which would represent the duration of deliberation. Here, we first replicate this dissociation and extend it to the case of an instrumental learning task, in which 24 human volunteers (13 women) choose between options associated with probabilistic gains and losses. According to fMRI data recorded during decision-making, vmPFC activity reflects the sum of option values generated by a reinforcement learning model and dmPFC activity the deliberation time. To further generalize the role of the dmPFC in mobilizing effort, we then analyze fMRI data recorded in the same participants while they prepare to perform motor and cognitive tasks (squeezing a handgrip or making numerical comparisons) to maximize gains or minimize losses. In both cases, dmPFC activity is associated with the output of an effort regulation model, and not with response time. Taken together, these results strengthen a general theory of behavioral control that implicates the vmPFC in the estimation of option values and the dmPFC in the energization of relevant motor and cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Clairis
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior team, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), Paris 75013, France
- CNRS U7225, Inserm U1127, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75005, France
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute (BMI), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1004, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Pessiglione
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior team, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), Paris 75013, France
- CNRS U7225, Inserm U1127, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75005, France
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24
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Solé Puig M, Bustos Valenzuela P, Romeo A, Supèr H. A Pilot Study to Improve Cognitive Performance and Pupil Responses in Mild Cognitive Impaired Patients Using Gaze-Controlled Gaming. Vision (Basel) 2024; 8:25. [PMID: 38804346 PMCID: PMC11130921 DOI: 10.3390/vision8020025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may progress to severe forms of dementia, so therapy is needed to maintain cognitive abilities. The neural circuitry for oculomotor control is closely linked to that which controls cognitive behavior. In this study, we tested whether training the oculomotor system with gaze-controlled video games could improve cognitive behavior in MCI patients. Patients played a simple game for 2-3 weeks while a control group played the same game using a mouse. Cognitive improvement was assessed using the MoCA screening test and CANTAB. We also measured eye pupil and vergence responses in an oddball paradigm. The results showed an increased score on the MoCA test specifically for the visuospatial domain and on the Rapid Visual Information Processing test of the CANTAB battery. Pupil responses also increased to target stimuli. Patients in the control group did not show significant improvements. This pilot study provides evidence for the potential cognitive benefits of gaze-controlled gaming in MCI patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Solé Puig
- Unitat d’Avaluació de la Cognició, l’Atenció i l’Aprenentatge (ACAP), 08035 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Patricia Bustos Valenzuela
- Vision and Control of Action Group, Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (P.B.V.)
| | - August Romeo
- Vision and Control of Action Group, Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (P.B.V.)
| | - Hans Supèr
- Unitat d’Avaluació de la Cognició, l’Atenció i l’Aprenentatge (ACAP), 08035 Barcelona, Spain;
- Vision and Control of Action Group, Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (P.B.V.)
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona (UBNeuro), 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Research Institute Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), 08950 Barcelona, Spain
- Braingaze SL, 08302 Mataró, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
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25
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Madsen J, Parra LC. Bidirectional brain-body interactions during natural story listening. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114081. [PMID: 38581682 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Narratives can synchronize neural and physiological signals between individuals, but the relationship between these signals, and the underlying mechanism, is unclear. We hypothesized a top-down effect of cognition on arousal and predicted that auditory narratives will drive not only brain signals but also peripheral physiological signals. We find that auditory narratives entrained gaze variation, saccade initiation, pupil size, and heart rate. This is consistent with a top-down effect of cognition on autonomic function. We also hypothesized a bottom-up effect, whereby autonomic physiology affects arousal. Controlled breathing affected pupil size, and heart rate was entrained by controlled saccades. Additionally, fluctuations in heart rate preceded fluctuations of pupil size and brain signals. Gaze variation, pupil size, and heart rate were all associated with anterior-central brain signals. Together, these results suggest bidirectional causal effects between peripheral autonomic function and central brain circuits involved in the control of arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Madsen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY 10031, USA.
| | - Lucas C Parra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY 10031, USA
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Wu Y, Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Zheng B, Aghazadeh F. Pupil Response in Visual Tracking Tasks: The Impacts of Task Load, Familiarity, and Gaze Position. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:2545. [PMID: 38676162 PMCID: PMC11054646 DOI: 10.3390/s24082545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Pupil size is a significant biosignal for human behavior monitoring and can reveal much underlying information. This study explored the effects of task load, task familiarity, and gaze position on pupil response during learning a visual tracking task. We hypothesized that pupil size would increase with task load, up to a certain level before decreasing, decrease with task familiarity, and increase more when focusing on areas preceding the target than other areas. Fifteen participants were recruited for an arrow tracking learning task with incremental task load. Pupil size data were collected using a Tobii Pro Nano eye tracker. A 2 × 3 × 5 three-way factorial repeated measures ANOVA was conducted using R (version 4.2.1) to evaluate the main and interactive effects of key variables on adjusted pupil size. The association between individuals' cognitive load, assessed by NASA-TLX, and pupil size was further analyzed using a linear mixed-effect model. We found that task repetition resulted in a reduction in pupil size; however, this effect was found to diminish as the task load increased. The main effect of task load approached statistical significance, but different trends were observed in trial 1 and trial 2. No significant difference in pupil size was detected among the three gaze positions. The relationship between pupil size and cognitive load overall followed an inverted U curve. Our study showed how pupil size changes as a function of task load, task familiarity, and gaze scanning. This finding provides sensory evidence that could improve educational outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wu
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2S2, Canada; (Y.W.); (Z.Z.); (Y.Z.); (B.Z.)
| | - Zhongshi Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2S2, Canada; (Y.W.); (Z.Z.); (Y.Z.); (B.Z.)
| | - Yao Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2S2, Canada; (Y.W.); (Z.Z.); (Y.Z.); (B.Z.)
| | - Bin Zheng
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2S2, Canada; (Y.W.); (Z.Z.); (Y.Z.); (B.Z.)
| | - Farzad Aghazadeh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2S2, Canada
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Yu S, Konjusha A, Ziemssen T, Beste C. Inhibitory control in WM gate-opening: Insights from alpha desynchronization and norepinephrine activity under atDCS stimulation. Neuroimage 2024; 289:120541. [PMID: 38360384 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Our everyday activities require the maintenance and continuous updating of information in working memory (WM). To control this dynamic, WM gating mechanisms have been suggested to be in place, but the neurophysiological mechanisms behind these processes are far from being understood. This is especially the case when it comes to the role of oscillatory neural activity. In the current study we combined EEG recordings, and anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS) and pupil diameter recordings to triangulate neurophysiology, functional neuroanatomy and neurobiology. The results revealed that atDCS, compared to sham stimulation, affected the WM gate opening mechanism, but not the WM gate closing mechanism. The altered behavioral performance was associated with specific changes in alpha band activities (reflected by alpha desynchronization), indicating a role for inhibitory control during WM gate opening. Functionally, the left superior and inferior parietal cortices, were associated with these processes. The findings are the first to show a causal relevance of alpha desynchronization processes in WM gating processes. Notably, pupil diameter recordings as an indirect index of the norepinephrine (NE) system activity revealed that individuals with stronger inhibitory control (as indexed through alpha desynchronization) showed less pupil dilation, suggesting they needed less NE activity to support WM gate opening. However, when atDCS was applied, this connection disappeared. The study suggests a close link between inhibitory controlled WM gating in parietal cortices, alpha band dynamics and the NE system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijing Yu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Cognitive Neurophysiology, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, Dresden 01307, Germany.
| | - Anyla Konjusha
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Cognitive Neurophysiology, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Tjalf Ziemssen
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Cognitive Neurophysiology, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, Dresden 01307, Germany; Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
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Cody P, Kumar M, Tzounopoulos T. Cortical Zinc Signaling Is Necessary for Changes in Mouse Pupil Diameter That Are Evoked by Background Sounds with Different Contrasts. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0939232024. [PMID: 38242698 PMCID: PMC10941062 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0939-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Luminance-independent changes in pupil diameter (PD) during wakefulness influence and are influenced by neuromodulatory, neuronal, and behavioral responses. However, it is unclear whether changes in neuromodulatory activity in a specific brain area are necessary for the associated changes in PD or whether some different mechanisms cause parallel fluctuations in both PD and neuromodulation. To answer this question, we simultaneously recorded PD and cortical neuronal activity in male and female mice. Namely, we measured PD and neuronal activity during adaptation to sound contrast, which is a well-described adaptation conserved in many species and brain areas. In the primary auditory cortex (A1), increases in the variability of sound level (contrast) induce a decrease in the slope of the neuronal input-output relationship, neuronal gain, which depends on cortical neuromodulatory zinc signaling. We found a previously unknown modulation of PD by changes in background sensory context: high stimulus contrast sounds evoke larger increases in evoked PD compared with low-contrast sounds. To explore whether these changes in evoked PD are controlled by cortical neuromodulatory zinc signaling, we imaged single-cell neural activity in A1, manipulated zinc signaling in the cortex, and assessed PD in the same awake mouse. We found that cortical synaptic zinc signaling is necessary for increases in PD during high-contrast background sounds compared with low-contrast sounds. This finding advances our knowledge about how cortical neuromodulatory activity affects PD changes and thus advances our understanding of the brain states, circuits, and neuromodulatory mechanisms that can be inferred from pupil size fluctuations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Cody
- Department of Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Department of Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
| | - Thanos Tzounopoulos
- Department of Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
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Rojas C, Vega-Rodríguez YE, Lagos G, Cabrera-Miguieles MG, Sandoval Y, Crisosto-Alarcón J. Applicability and usefulness of pupillometry in the study of lexical access. A scoping review of primary research. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1372912. [PMID: 38529093 PMCID: PMC10961345 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1372912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Pupil dilation has been associated with the effort required to perform various cognitive tasks. At the lexical level, some studies suggest that this neurophysiological measure would provide objective, real-time information during word processing and lexical access. However, due to the scarcity and incipient advancement of this line of research, its applicability, use, and sensitivity are not entirely clear. This scoping review aims to determine the applicability and usefulness of pupillometry in the study of lexical access by providing an up-to-date overview of research in this area. Following the PRISMA protocol, 16 articles were included in this review. The results show that pupillometry is a highly applicable, useful, and sensitive method for assessing lexical skills of word recognition, word retrieval, and semantic activation. Moreover, it easily fits into traditional research paradigms and methods in the field. Because it is a non-invasive, objective, and automated procedure, it can be applied to any population or age group. However, the emerging development of this specific area of research and the methodological diversity observed in the included studies do not yet allow for definitive conclusions in this area, which in turn does not allow for meta-analyses or fully conclusive statements about what the pupil response actually reflects when processing words. Standardized pupillary recording and analysis methods need to be defined to generate more accurate, replicable research designs with more reliable results to strengthen this line of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Rojas
- Department of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
| | | | - Gabriel Lagos
- Department of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
| | - María Gabriela Cabrera-Miguieles
- Department of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
- Department of Spanish, University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Yasna Sandoval
- Department of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
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30
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Mechtenberg H, Giorio C, Myers EB. Pupil Dilation Reflects Perceptual Priorities During a Receptive Speech Task. Ear Hear 2024; 45:425-440. [PMID: 37882091 PMCID: PMC10868674 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The listening demand incurred by speech perception fluctuates in normal conversation. At the acoustic-phonetic level, natural variation in pronunciation acts as speedbumps to accurate lexical selection. Any given utterance may be more or less phonetically ambiguous-a problem that must be resolved by the listener to choose the correct word. This becomes especially apparent when considering two common speech registers-clear and casual-that have characteristically different levels of phonetic ambiguity. Clear speech prioritizes intelligibility through hyperarticulation which results in less ambiguity at the phonetic level, while casual speech tends to have a more collapsed acoustic space. We hypothesized that listeners would invest greater cognitive resources while listening to casual speech to resolve the increased amount of phonetic ambiguity, as compared with clear speech. To this end, we used pupillometry as an online measure of listening effort during perception of clear and casual continuous speech in two background conditions: quiet and noise. DESIGN Forty-eight participants performed a probe detection task while listening to spoken, nonsensical sentences (masked and unmasked) while recording pupil size. Pupil size was modeled using growth curve analysis to capture the dynamics of the pupil response as the sentence unfolded. RESULTS Pupil size during listening was sensitive to the presence of noise and speech register (clear/casual). Unsurprisingly, listeners had overall larger pupil dilations during speech perception in noise, replicating earlier work. The pupil dilation pattern for clear and casual sentences was considerably more complex. Pupil dilation during clear speech trials was slightly larger than for casual speech, across quiet and noisy backgrounds. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that listener motivation could explain the larger pupil dilations to clearly spoken speech. We propose that, bounded by the context of this task, listeners devoted more resources to perceiving the speech signal with the greatest acoustic/phonetic fidelity. Further, we unexpectedly found systematic differences in pupil dilation preceding the onset of the spoken sentences. Together, these data demonstrate that the pupillary system is not merely reactive but also adaptive-sensitive to both task structure and listener motivation to maximize accurate perception in a limited resource system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Mechtenberg
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Cristal Giorio
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Emily B. Myers
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
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31
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Koevoet D, Strauch C, Van der Stigchel S, Mathôt S, Naber M. Revealing visual working memory operations with pupillometry: Encoding, maintenance, and prioritization. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2024; 15:e1668. [PMID: 37933423 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Pupillary dynamics reflect effects of distinct and important operations of visual working memory: encoding, maintenance, and prioritization. Here, we review how pupil size predicts memory performance and how it provides novel insights into the mechanisms of each operation. Visual information must first be encoded into working memory with sufficient precision. The depth of this encoding process couples to arousal-linked baseline pupil size as well as a pupil constriction response before and after stimulus onset, respectively. Subsequently, the encoded information is maintained over time to ensure it is not lost. Pupil dilation reflects the effortful maintenance of information, wherein storing more items is accompanied by larger dilations. Lastly, the most task-relevant information is prioritized to guide upcoming behavior, which is reflected in yet another dilatory component. Moreover, activated content in memory can be pupillometrically probed directly by tagging visual information with distinct luminance levels. Through this luminance-tagging mechanism, pupil light responses reveal whether dark or bright items receive more attention during encoding and prioritization. Together, conceptualizing pupil responses as a sum of distinct components over time reveals insights into operations of visual working memory. From this viewpoint, pupillometry is a promising avenue to study the most vital operations through which visual working memory works. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Attention Psychology > Memory Psychology > Theory and Methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian Koevoet
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christoph Strauch
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Sebastiaan Mathôt
- Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marnix Naber
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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32
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O'Bryan SR, Price MM, Alquist JL, Davis T, Scolari M. Changes in pupil size track self-control failure. Exp Brain Res 2024:10.1007/s00221-024-06781-3. [PMID: 38374223 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-024-06781-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
People are more likely to perform poorly on a self-control task following a previous task requiring self-control (ego-depletion), but the mechanism for this effect remains unclear. We used pupillometry to test the role of attentional effort in ego-depletion. We hypothesized that an elevated pupil diameter (PD)-a common physiological measure of effort-during an initial task requiring self-control should be negatively associated with performance on a subsequent control task. To test this hypothesis, participants were first assigned to either a high- or low-demand attention task (manipulation; a standard ego-depletion paradigm), after which all participants completed the same Stroop task. We then separately extracted both sustained (low-frequency) and phasic (high-frequency) changes in PD from both tasks to evaluate possible associations with lapses of cognitive control on the Stroop task. We first show that in the initial task, sustained PD was larger among participants who were assigned to the demanding attention condition. Furthermore, ego-depletion effects were serially mediated by PD: an elevated PD response emerged rapidly among the experimental group during the manipulation, persisted as an elevated baseline response during the Stroop task, and predicted worse accuracy on incongruent trials, revealing a potential indirect pathway to ego-depletion via sustained attention. Secondary analyses revealed another, independent and direct pathway via high levels of transient attentional control: participants who exhibited large phasic responses during the manipulation tended to perform worse on the subsequent Stroop task. We conclude by exploring the neuroscientific implications of these results within the context of current theories of self-control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean R O'Bryan
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA.
- Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Metcalf Research Building, Box 1821, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
| | - Mindi M Price
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Jessica L Alquist
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Tyler Davis
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Miranda Scolari
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
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Wilf M, Korakin A, Bahat Y, Koren O, Galor N, Dagan O, Wright WG, Friedman J, Plotnik M. Using virtual reality-based neurocognitive testing and eye tracking to study naturalistic cognitive-motor performance. Neuropsychologia 2024; 194:108744. [PMID: 38072162 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Natural human behavior arises from continuous interactions between the cognitive and motor domains. However, assessments of cognitive abilities are typically conducted using pen and paper tests, i.e., in isolation from "real life" cognitive-motor behavior and in artificial contexts. In the current study, we aimed to assess cognitive-motor task performance in a more naturalistic setting while recording multiple motor and eye tracking signals. Specifically, we aimed to (i) delineate the contribution of cognitive and motor components to overall task performance and (ii) probe for a link between cognitive-motor performance and pupil size. To that end, we used a virtual reality (VR) adaptation of a well-established neurocognitive test for executive functions, the 'Color Trails Test' (CTT). The VR-CTT involves performing 3D reaching movements to follow a trail of numbered targets. To tease apart the cognitive and motor components of task performance, we included two additional conditions: a condition where participants only used their eyes to perform the CTT task (using an eye tracking device), incurring reduced motor demands, and a condition where participants manually tracked visually-cued targets without numbers on them, incurring reduced cognitive demands. Our results from a group of 30 older adults (>65) showed that reducing cognitive demands shortened completion times more extensively than reducing motor demands. Conditions with higher cognitive demands had longer target search time, as well as decreased movement execution velocity and head-hand coordination. We found larger pupil sizes in the more cognitively demanding conditions, and an inverse correlation between pupil size and completion times across individuals in all task conditions. Lastly, we found a possible link between VR-CTT performance measures and clinical signatures of participants (fallers versus non-fallers). In summary, performance and pupil parameters were mainly dependent on task cognitive load, while maintaining systematic interindividual differences. We suggest that this paradigm opens the possibility for more detailed profiling of individual cognitive-motor performance capabilities in older adults and other at-risk populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meytal Wilf
- Center of Advanced Technologies in Rehabilitation, Sheba Medical Center, Israel; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Alona Korakin
- Center of Advanced Technologies in Rehabilitation, Sheba Medical Center, Israel; Department of Physical Therapy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yotam Bahat
- Center of Advanced Technologies in Rehabilitation, Sheba Medical Center, Israel
| | - Or Koren
- Center of Advanced Technologies in Rehabilitation, Sheba Medical Center, Israel
| | - Noam Galor
- Center of Advanced Technologies in Rehabilitation, Sheba Medical Center, Israel
| | - Or Dagan
- Center of Advanced Technologies in Rehabilitation, Sheba Medical Center, Israel; St George's University of London Medical School, University of Nicosia Faculty of Medicine, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - W Geoffrey Wright
- Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Temple University, USA
| | - Jason Friedman
- Department of Physical Therapy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Meir Plotnik
- Center of Advanced Technologies in Rehabilitation, Sheba Medical Center, Israel; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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Köster M, Hepach R. Preverbal infants' understanding of social norms. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2983. [PMID: 38316858 PMCID: PMC10844370 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53110-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Social norms are foundational to human cooperation and co-existence in social groups. A crucial marker of social norms is that a behavior is not only shared, but that the conformity to the behavior of others is a basis for social evaluation (i.e., reinforcement and sanctioning), taking the is, how individuals usually behave, to an ought, how individuals should behave to be socially approved by others. In this preregistered study, we show that 11-month-old infants grasp this fundamental aspect about social norms already in their first year. They showed a pupillary surprise response for unexpected social responses, namely the disapproval and exclusion of an individual who showed the same behavior like others or the approval and inclusion of an individual who behaved differently. That preverbal infants link the conformity with others' behavior to social evaluations, before they respond to norm violations themselves, indicates that the foundations of social norm understanding lie in early infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Köster
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Sedanstraße 1, 93055, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Robert Hepach
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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35
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McLaughlin DJ, Colvett JS, Bugg JM, Van Engen KJ. Sequence effects and speech processing: cognitive load for speaker-switching within and across accents. Psychon Bull Rev 2024; 31:176-186. [PMID: 37442872 PMCID: PMC10867039 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02322-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Prior work in speech processing indicates that listening tasks with multiple speakers (as opposed to a single speaker) result in slower and less accurate processing. Notably, the trial-to-trial cognitive demands of switching between speakers or switching between accents have yet to be examined. We used pupillometry, a physiological index of cognitive load, to examine the demands of processing first (L1) and second (L2) language-accented speech when listening to sentences produced by the same speaker consecutively (no switch), a novel speaker of the same accent (within-accent switch), and a novel speaker with a different accent (across-accent switch). Inspired by research on sequential adjustments in cognitive control, we aimed to identify the cognitive demands of accommodating a novel speaker and accent by examining the trial-to-trial changes in pupil dilation during speech processing. Our results indicate that switching between speakers was more cognitively demanding than listening to the same speaker consecutively. Additionally, switching to a novel speaker with a different accent was more cognitively demanding than switching between speakers of the same accent. However, there was an asymmetry for across-accent switches, such that switching from an L1 to an L2 accent was more demanding than vice versa. Findings from the present study align with work examining multi-talker processing costs, and provide novel evidence that listeners dynamically adjust cognitive processing to accommodate speaker and accent variability. We discuss these novel findings in the context of an active control model and auditory streaming framework of speech processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew J McLaughlin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, Paseo Mikeletegi, 69, 20009, Donostia-San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
| | - Jackson S Colvett
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Julie M Bugg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kristin J Van Engen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
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36
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Adezati E, Liu X, Ding J, Thye M, Szaflarski JP, Mirman D. Phase synchronization during the processing of taxonomic and thematic relations. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2024; 249:105379. [PMID: 38241856 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Semantic relations include "taxonomic" relations based on shared features and "thematic" relations based on co-occurrence in events. The "dual-hub" account proposes that the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) is functionally specialized for taxonomic relations and the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) for thematic relations. This study examined this claim by analyzing the intra- and inter-region phase synchronization of intracranial EEG data from electrodes in the ATL, IPL, and two subregions of the semantic control network: left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG). Ten participants with epilepsy completed a semantic relatedness judgment task during intracranial EEG recording and had electrodes in at least one hub and at least one semantic control region. Theta band phase synchronization was partially consistent with the dual-hub account: synchronization between the ATL and IFG/pMTG increased when processing taxonomic relations, and synchronization within the IPL and between IPL and pMTG increased when processing thematic relations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Adezati
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Xianqing Liu
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Junhua Ding
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Melissa Thye
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jerzy P Szaflarski
- Department of Neurology and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Epilepsy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Daniel Mirman
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Wolpe N, Holton R, Fletcher PC. What Is Mental Effort: A Clinical Perspective. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)00065-9. [PMID: 38309319 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Although mental effort is a frequently used term, it is poorly defined and understood. Consequently, its usage is frequently loose and potentially misleading. In neuroscience research, the term is used to mean both the cognitive work that is done to meet task demands and the subjective experience of performing that work. We argue that conflating these two meanings hampers progress in understanding cognitive impairments in neuropsychiatric conditions because cognitive work and the subjective experience of it have distinct underlying mechanisms. We suggest that the most coherent and clinically useful perspective on mental effort is that it is a subjective experience. This makes a clear distinction between cognitive impairments that arise from changes in the cognitive apparatus, as in dementia and brain injury, and those that arise from subjective difficulties in carrying out the cognitive work, as in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, and other motivational disorders. We review recent advances in neuroscience research that suggests that the experience of effort has emerged to control task switches so as to minimize costs relative to benefits. We consider how these advances can contribute to our understanding of the experience of increased effort perception in clinical populations. This more specific framing of mental effort will offer a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of cognitive impairments in differing clinical groups and will ultimately facilitate better therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noham Wolpe
- Department of Physical Therapy, The Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Richard Holton
- Faculty of Philosophy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Paul C Fletcher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Elizabeth House, Fulbourn, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Wellcome Trust Medical Research Council Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Korda Ž, Walcher S, Körner C, Benedek M. Decoupling of the pupillary light response during internal attention: The modulating effect of luminance intensity. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2024; 242:104123. [PMID: 38181698 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.104123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
In a world full of sensory stimuli, attention guides us between the external environment and our internal thoughts. While external attention involves processing sensory stimuli, internal attention is devoted to self-generated representations such as planning or spontaneous mind wandering. They both draw from common cognitive resources, thus simultaneous engagement in both often leads to interference between processes. In order to maintain internal focus, an attentional mechanism known as perceptual decoupling takes effect. This mechanism supports internal cognition by decoupling attention from the perception of sensory information. Two previous studies of our lab investigated to what extent perceptual decoupling is evident in voluntary eye movements. Findings showed that the effect is mediated by the internal task modality and workload (visuospatial > arithmetic and high > low, respectively). However, it remains unclear whether it extends to involuntary eye behavior, which may not share cognitive resources with internal activities. Therefore, the present experiment aimed to further elucidate attentional dynamics by examining whether internal attention affects the pupillary light response (PLR). Specifically, we consistently observed that workload and task modality of the internal task reduced the PLR to luminance changes of medium intensity. However, the PLR to strong luminance changes was less or not at all affected by the internal task. These results suggest that perceptual decoupling effects may be less consistent in involuntary eye behavior, particularly in the context of a salient visual stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Živa Korda
- Department of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
| | - Sonja Walcher
- Department of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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Di Gregorio F, Steinhauser M, Maier ME, Thayer JF, Battaglia S. Error-related cardiac deceleration: Functional interplay between error-related brain activity and autonomic nervous system in performance monitoring. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 157:105542. [PMID: 38215803 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Coordinated interactions between the central and autonomic nervous systems are crucial for survival due to the inherent propensity for human behavior to make errors. In our ever-changing environment, when individuals make mistakes, these errors can have life-threatening consequences. In response to errors, specific reactions occur in both brain activity and heart rate to detect and correct errors. Specifically, there are two brain-related indicators of error detection and awareness known as error-related negativity and error positivity. Conversely, error-related cardiac deceleration denotes a momentary slowing of heart rate following an error, signaling an autonomic response. However, what is the connection between the brain and the heart during error processing? In this review, we discuss the functional and neuroanatomical connections between the brain and heart markers of error processing, exploring the experimental conditions in which they covary. Given the current limitations of available data, future research will continue to investigate the neurobiological factors governing the brain-heart interaction, aiming to utilize them as combined markers for assessing cognitive control in healthy and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Gregorio
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology "Renzo Canestrari", Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Universita di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy.
| | - Marco Steinhauser
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, 85072 Eichstätt, Germany
| | - Martin E Maier
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, 85072 Eichstätt, Germany
| | - Julian F Thayer
- Department of Psychological Science, 4334 Social and Behavioral Sciences Gateway, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Simone Battaglia
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology "Renzo Canestrari", Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Universita di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy; Department of Psychology, University of Torino, 10124 Torino, Italy.
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Zangrossi A, Gatto LC, Lanfranchi V, Scarpazza C, Celli M, Sartori G. Autobiographical Implicit Association Test and eye movements: fixations topography enables detection of autobiographical memories. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1268256. [PMID: 38348265 PMCID: PMC10859496 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1268256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autobiographical memory is the capacity to recollect memories of personally experienced events. The detection of such memories plays a key role in criminal trials. Among behavioral memory-detection methods, the autobiographical Implicit Association Test (aIAT) has gained popularity for its flexibility and suitability for forensic applications. The aIAT is a reaction time-based methodology aiming to assess whether information about an event is encoded in the respondent's mind. Here, we introduced the eye-D index, a measure based on the topography of fixations while performing the aIAT, as an additional measure to detect autobiographical memories covertly. Methods In this study, participants were involved in a mock-crime experiment in which they could act as Guilty or Innocent. One week later all participants underwent the aIAT combined with eye-tracking to investigate the presence of the crime-related memory. Results Guilty participants showed a higher number of fixations towards the category labels in the block in which true sentences shared the same response key with crime-related sentences, as compared to the block in which true sentences were paired with sentences describing an alternative version. Innocent participants showed the opposite pattern. This unbalanced allocation of attention to the category labels was quantified by the eye-D index and was found to be highly correlated to the standard aIAT-D index. Discussion This suggests that more fixations to the category labels could indicate increased cognitive load and monitoring of response conflicts. These preliminary results highlight eye-tracking as a tool to detect autobiographical memories covertly while performing the aIAT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Zangrossi
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | | | - Cristina Scarpazza
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- IRCCS S.Camillo Hospital, Venezia, Italy
| | - Miriam Celli
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sartori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Hershman R, Share DL, Weiss EM, Henik A, Shechter A. Insights from Eye Blinks into the Cognitive Processes Involved in Visual Word Recognition. J Cogn 2024; 7:14. [PMID: 38250559 PMCID: PMC10798168 DOI: 10.5334/joc.343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Behavioral differences in speed and accuracy between reading familiar and unfamiliar words are well-established in the empirical literature. However, these standard measures of skill proficiency are limited in their ability to capture the moment-to-moment processing involved in visual word recognition. In the present study, the effect of word familiarity was initially investigated using an eye blink rate among adults and children. The probability of eye blinking was higher for familiar (real) words than for unfamiliar (pseudo)words. This counterintuitive pattern of results suggests that the processing of unfamiliar (pseudo)words is more demanding and perhaps less rewarding than the processing of familiar (real) words, as previously observed in both behavioral and pupillometry data. Our findings suggest that the measurement of eye blinks might shed new light on the cognitive processes involved in visual word recognition and other domains of human cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronen Hershman
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - David L. Share
- Department of Learning Disabilities, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | | | - Avishai Henik
- Department of Psychology and The Zelman Center for Brain Science, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Adi Shechter
- Department of Learning Disabilities, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Valzolgher C, Capra S, Gessa E, Rosi T, Giovanelli E, Pavani F. Sound localization in noisy contexts: performance, metacognitive evaluations and head movements. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2024; 9:4. [PMID: 38191869 PMCID: PMC10774233 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-023-00530-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Localizing sounds in noisy environments can be challenging. Here, we reproduce real-life soundscapes to investigate the effects of environmental noise on sound localization experience. We evaluated participants' performance and metacognitive assessments, including measures of sound localization effort and confidence, while also tracking their spontaneous head movements. Normal-hearing participants (N = 30) were engaged in a speech-localization task conducted in three common soundscapes that progressively increased in complexity: nature, traffic, and a cocktail party setting. To control visual information and measure behaviors, we used visual virtual reality technology. The results revealed that the complexity of the soundscape had an impact on both performance errors and metacognitive evaluations. Participants reported increased effort and reduced confidence for sound localization in more complex noise environments. On the contrary, the level of soundscape complexity did not influence the use of spontaneous exploratory head-related behaviors. We also observed that, irrespective of the noisy condition, participants who implemented a higher number of head rotations and explored a wider extent of space by rotating their heads made lower localization errors. Interestingly, we found preliminary evidence that an increase in spontaneous head movements, specifically the extent of head rotation, leads to a decrease in perceived effort and an increase in confidence at the single-trial level. These findings expand previous observations regarding sound localization in noisy environments by broadening the perspective to also include metacognitive evaluations, exploratory behaviors and their interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Valzolgher
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Corso Bettini 31, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy.
| | - Sara Capra
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences (DiPSCo), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Elena Gessa
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Corso Bettini 31, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Tommaso Rosi
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Elena Giovanelli
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Corso Bettini 31, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Francesco Pavani
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Corso Bettini 31, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy
- Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca "Cognizione, Linguaggio e Sordità" (CIRCLeS), Trento, Italy
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Lisanne K, Jonathan G, Rainer R, Bernhard B. Investigation of eye movement measures of mental workload in healthcare: Can pupil dilations reflect fatigue or overload when it comes to health information system use? APPLIED ERGONOMICS 2024; 114:104150. [PMID: 37918277 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2023.104150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The use of health information systems (HIS) can result in high workloads and, consequently, poor performance characterized by e.g. increased occurrence of errors among clinicians. Pupillometry offers a good possibility to measure mental workload in a dynamic work setting. Currently, there is a lack of empirical research in the context of healthcare settings. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine whether specific eye movement measures are suitable for measuring mental workload in the healthcare setting, especially when working with HIS. 49 persons participated in our simulation-lab study. They had to complete a system-related task as well as an increasing n-back task. Both tasks were modified regarding task difficulty. Results show significant differences for objective and subjective workload measures between increasing task levels. There are also hints for an overload/fatigue indicator in pupil data. Our results are limited in terms of external validity, causality and effects. Future work should focus on high-fidelity simulations and less time-consuming analysis approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kremer Lisanne
- Faculty of Health Care, Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Krefeld, Germany.
| | - Gehrmann Jonathan
- Faculty of Health Care, Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Krefeld, Germany
| | - Röhrig Rainer
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Breil Bernhard
- Faculty of Health Care, Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Krefeld, Germany
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Le Cunff AL, Dommett E, Giampietro V. Neurophysiological measures and correlates of cognitive load in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and dyslexia: A scoping review and research recommendations. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:256-282. [PMID: 38109476 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Working memory is integral to a range of critical cognitive functions such as reasoning and decision-making. Although alterations in working memory have been observed in neurodivergent populations, there has been no review mapping how cognitive load is measured in common neurodevelopmental conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and dyslexia. This scoping review explores the neurophysiological measures used to study cognitive load in these specific populations. Our findings highlight that electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are the most frequently used methods, with a limited number of studies employing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRs), magnetoencephalography (MEG) or eye-tracking. Notably, eye-related measures are less commonly used, despite their prominence in cognitive load research among neurotypical individuals. The review also highlights potential correlates of cognitive load, such as neural oscillations in the theta and alpha ranges for EEG studies, blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) responses in lateral and medial frontal brain regions for fMRI and fNIRS studies and eye-related measures such as pupil dilation and blink rate. Finally, critical issues for future studies are discussed, including the technical challenges associated with multimodal approaches, the possible impact of atypical features on cognitive load measures and balancing data richness with participant well-being. These insights contribute to a more nuanced understanding of cognitive load measurement in neurodivergent populations and point to important methodological considerations for future neuroscientific research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Laure Le Cunff
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Eleanor Dommett
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Vincent Giampietro
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Francavilla B, Velletrani G, Chiaramonte C, Di Girolamo S, Giacomini PG. Assessing Cognitive Effort in Ménière's Disease: Pupillometry as a Novel Tool for Postural Control. J Int Adv Otol 2024; 20:69-75. [PMID: 38454292 PMCID: PMC10895865 DOI: 10.5152/iao.2024.231150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate the utility of pupillometry as a measure of cognitive effort in individuals with Ménière's disease experiencing chronic postural destabilization. By integrating pupillometry with static posturography, we sought to gain deeper insights into the cognitive demands and arousal levels associated with postural control in this specific patient population. METHODS The study included 36 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for Ménière's disease and a control group comprising 36 healthy volunteers. We performed static posturography using a computerized static posturography platform to objectively assess postural imbalance. Additionally, pupillometry was recorded using infrared video-oculoscopy. Pupil dilation was measured before and after participants walked for 7 steps on-site with their vision obscured. RESULTS Baseline tonic pupil size showed no significant difference between healthy controls and Ménière's patients. However, after walking stimulation, Ménière's patients exhibited highly significant abnormal walking-induced pupil dilation. This suggests increased arousal in response to the challenging task of walking with closed eyes, linked to static upright stance imbalance as correlated with posturography parameters. CONCLUSION Pupillometry holds promise as an objective tool to assess cognitive effort and arousal during postural control in Ménière's disease. Implementing pupillometry in clinical practice could enhance the management of postural instability in these patients. Our findings contribute to the understanding of cognitive aspects in balance control and open new avenues for further investigations in vestibular dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gianluca Velletrani
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Chiaramonte
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Di Girolamo
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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Huyghe T, Calleja-González J, Bird SP, Alcaraz PE. Pupillometry as a new window to player fatigue? A glimpse inside the eyes of a Euro Cup Women's Basketball team. Biol Sport 2024; 41:3-15. [PMID: 38188113 PMCID: PMC10765450 DOI: 10.5114/biolsport.2024.125590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
A rapidly emerging area of interest in high-pressure environments is that of pupillometry, where handheld quantitative infrared pupillometers (HQIPs) are able to track psycho-physiological fatigue in a fast, objective, valid, reliable, and non-invasive manner. However, the application of HQIPs in the context of athlete monitoring is yet to be determined. Therefore, the main aim of this pilot study was to examine the potential usefulness of a HQIP to monitor game-induced fatigue inside a professional female basketball setting by determining its (1) test-retest repeatability, (2) relationship with other biomarkers of game-induced fatigue, and (3) time-course from rested to fatigued states. A non-ophthalmologic practitioner performed a standardized Pupil Light Reflex (PLR) test using a medically graded HQIP among 9 professional female basketball players (2020-2021 Euro Cup) at baseline, 24-h pre-game (GD-1), 24-h post-game (GD+1) and 48-h post-game (GD+2). This was repeated over four subsequent games, equalling a total of 351 observations per eye. Two out of seven pupillometrics displayed good ICCs (0.95-0.99) (MinD and MaxD). Strong significant relationships were found between MaxD, MinD, and all registered biomarkers of game-induced fatigue (r = 0.69-0.82, p < 0.05), as well as between CV, MCV, and cognitive, lower-extremity muscle, and physiological fatigue markers (r = 0.74-0.76, p < 0.05). Three pupillometrics were able to detect a significant difference between rested and fatigued states. In particular, PC (right) (F = 5.173, η2 = 0.115 p = 0.028) and MCV (right) (F = 3.976, η2 = 0.090 p = 0.049) significantly decreased from baseline to GD+2, and LAT (left) (F = 4.023, η2 = 0.109 p = 0.009) significantly increased from GD-1 to GD+2. HQIPs have opened a new window of opportunity for monitoring game-induced fatigue in professional female basketball players. However, future research initiatives across larger and heterogenous samples, and longer investigation periods, are required to expand upon these preliminary findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Huyghe
- Research Center for High Performance Sport, Universidad Católica de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Julio Calleja-González
- Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country, (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
- Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Stephen P Bird
- School of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich QLD, Australia
| | - Pedro E Alcaraz
- Research Center for High Performance Sport, Universidad Católica de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
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Kolnes M, Uusberg A, Nieuwenhuis S. Broadening of attention dilates the pupil. Atten Percept Psychophys 2024; 86:146-158. [PMID: 37801189 PMCID: PMC10770199 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02793-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Inconclusive evidence suggests that the pupil is more dilated when the breadth of attention is broad compared to narrow. To further investigate this relationship, we recorded pupil size from healthy volunteers while inducing trial-wise changes in breadth of attention using a shape-discrimination task where participants had to remember the location of a gap in a small or a large circle. A visual search task with targets presented at different distances from the centre of the screen was used to behaviourally assess the success of the manipulation of breadth of attention. Data were analysed using a generalised additive mixed model to test the experimental effects on pupil size after controlling for the effects of gaze location and eye vergence. The results showed that the pupil was more dilated in the broad-breadth-of-attention condition compared to the narrow-breadth-of-attention condition. However, the effect of attentional breadth on visual search performance was not mediated by pupil size, suggesting that more research is needed to understand the functional role of pupil dilation in relation to breadth of attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kolnes
- Department of Psychology Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Näituse 2, 50409, Tartu, Estonia.
- Institute of Psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Andero Uusberg
- Department of Psychology Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Näituse 2, 50409, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Sander Nieuwenhuis
- Institute of Psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Pavlov YG, Gashkova AS, Kasanov D, Kosachenko AI, Kotyusov AI, Kotchoubey B. Task-evoked pulse wave amplitude tracks cognitive load. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22592. [PMID: 38114566 PMCID: PMC10730617 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48917-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive load is a crucial factor in mentally demanding activities and holds significance across various research fields. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of pulse wave amplitude (PWA) as a measure for tracking cognitive load and associated mental effort in comparison to heart rate (HR) during a digit span task. The data from 78 participants were included in the analyses. Participants performed a memory task in which they were asked to memorize sequences of 5, 9, or 13 digits, and a control task where they passively listened to the sequences. PWA and HR were quantified from photoplethysmography (PPG) and electrocardiography (ECG), respectively. Pupil dilation was also assessed as a measure of cognitive load. We found that PWA showed a strong suppression with increasing memory load, indicating sensitivity to cognitive load. In contrast, HR did not show significant changes with task difficulty. Moreover, when memory load exceeded the capacity of working memory, a reversal of the PWA pattern was observed, indicating cognitive overload. In this respect, changes in PWA in response to cognitive load correlated with the dynamics of pupil dilation, suggesting a potential shared underlying mechanism. Additionally, both HR and PWA demonstrated a relationship with behavioral performance, with higher task-evoked HR and lower PWA associated with better memory performance. Our findings suggest that PWA is a more sensitive measure than HR for tracking cognitive load and overload. PWA, measured through PPG, holds significant potential for practical applications in assessing cognitive load due to its ease of use and sensitivity to cognitive overload. The findings contribute to the understanding of psychophysiological indicators of cognitive load and offer insights into the use of PWA as a non-invasive measure in various contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri G Pavlov
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Anastasia S Gashkova
- Laboratory of Neurotechnology, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, 620000, Russian Federation
| | - Dauren Kasanov
- Laboratory of Neurotechnology, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, 620000, Russian Federation
| | - Alexandra I Kosachenko
- Laboratory of Neurotechnology, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, 620000, Russian Federation
| | - Alexander I Kotyusov
- Laboratory of Neurotechnology, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, 620000, Russian Federation
| | - Boris Kotchoubey
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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Landová E, Štolhoferová I, Vobrubová B, Polák J, Sedláčková K, Janovcová M, Rádlová S, Frynta D. Attentional, emotional, and behavioral response toward spiders, scorpions, crabs, and snakes provides no evidence for generalized fear between spiders and scorpions. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20972. [PMID: 38017048 PMCID: PMC10684562 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48229-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Spiders are among the animals evoking the highest fear and disgust and such a complex response might have been formed throughout human evolution. Ironically, most spiders do not present a serious threat, so the evolutionary explanation remains questionable. We suggest that other chelicerates, such as scorpions, have been potentially important in the formation and fixation of the spider-like category. In this eye-tracking study, we focused on the attentional, behavioral, and emotional response to images of spiders, scorpions, snakes, and crabs used as task-irrelevant distractors. Results show that spider-fearful subjects were selectively distracted by images of spiders and crabs. Interestingly, these stimuli were not rated as eliciting high fear contrary to the other animals. We hypothesize that spider-fearful participants might have mistaken crabs for spiders based on their shared physical characteristics. In contrast, subjects with no fear of spiders were the most distracted by snakes and scorpions which supports the view that scorpions as well as snakes are prioritized evolutionary relevant stimuli. We also found that the reaction time increased systematically with increasing subjective fear of spiders only when using spiders (and crabs to some extent) but not snakes and scorpions as distractors. The maximal pupil response covered not only the attentional and cognitive response but was also tightly correlated with the fear ratings of the picture stimuli. However, participants' fear of spiders did not affect individual reactions to scorpions measured by the maximal pupil response. We conclude that scorpions are evolutionary fear-relevant stimuli, however, the generalization between scorpions and spiders was not supported in spider-fearful participants. This result might be important for a better understanding of the evolution of spider phobia.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Landová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic.
| | - I Štolhoferová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - B Vobrubová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - J Polák
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - K Sedláčková
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - M Janovcová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - S Rádlová
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - D Frynta
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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Pelegrino A, Guimaraes AL, Sena W, Emele N, Scoriels L, Panizzutti R. Dysregulated noradrenergic response is associated with symptom severity in individuals with schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1190329. [PMID: 38025452 PMCID: PMC10661901 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1190329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The locus coeruleus-noradrenaline (LC-NA) system is involved in a wide range of cognitive functions and may be altered in schizophrenia. A non-invasive method to indirectly measure LC activity is task-evoked pupillary response. Individuals with schizophrenia present reduced pupil dilation compared to healthy subjects, particularly when task demand increases. However, the extent to which alteration in LC activity contributes to schizophrenia symptomatology remains largely unexplored. We aimed to investigate the association between symptomatology, cognition, and noradrenergic response in individuals with schizophrenia. Methods We assessed task-evoked pupil dilation during a pro- and antisaccade task in 23 individuals with schizophrenia and 28 healthy subjects. Results Both groups showed similar preparatory pupil dilation during prosaccade trials, but individuals with schizophrenia showed significantly lower pupil dilation compared to healthy subjects in antisaccade trials. Importantly, reduced preparatory pupil dilation for antisaccade trials was associated with worse general symptomatology in individuals with schizophrenia. Discussion Our findings suggest that changes in LC-NA activity - measured by task-evoked pupil dilation - when task demand increases is associated with schizophrenia symptoms. Interventions targeting the modulation of noradrenergic responses may be suitable candidates to reduce schizophrenia symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Pelegrino
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Anna Luiza Guimaraes
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Walter Sena
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Nwabunwanne Emele
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Linda Scoriels
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris, Inserm, Paris, France
| | - Rogerio Panizzutti
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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