Cognition-Emotion Interaction during L2 Sentence Comprehension: The Correlation of ERP and GSR Responses to Sense Combinations

This study mainly examined the role of the combination of three senses (i.e., auditory, visual, and tactile) and five senses (i.e., auditory, visual, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory) in the correlation between electrophysiological and electrodermal responses underlying second language (L2) sentence comprehension. Forty subjects did two acceptability judgment tasks, encompassing congruent and semantically/pragmatically incongruent sentences. The event-related potential (ERP) and galvanic skin response (GSR) data for both the target and final words of the sentences were collected and analyzed. The results revealed that there is an interaction between cognitive and emotional responses in both semantically and pragmatically incongruent sentences, yet the timing of the interaction is longer in sentences with pragmatic incongruity due to their complexity. Based on the ERP and GSR correlation results, it was further found that the five-sense combination approach improves L2 sentence comprehension and interest in learning materials yet reduces the level of excitement or arousal. While this approach might be beneficial for some learners, it might be detrimental for those in favor of stimulating learning environments.

A New Approach for Lie Detection Using Non-Linear and Dynamic Analysis of Video-Based Eye Movement

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate a lie-detection system by non-linear analysis of video-based eye movement. Materials and Methods: The physiological signals, as well as video-based eye movement in horizontal and vertical channels, were recorded based on a Control Question Test (CQT). The dynamics of eye movement signals were then analyzed by Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA). Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA and Linear Discriminate Analysis (LDA). Results: In this study, 40 subjects participated. The statistical analysis results of vertical eye movement indicated that ENT measures increased significantly for relevant questions in comparison to other questions. Moreover, a significant increase was observed in all RQA parameters except Lmax and DET for horizontal eye movement. The results of LDA using psychophysiology features. The accuracy percentage of 78.4% and 81.86% were obtained for lie detection using physiological signals and optimal RQA parameters of video-based eye movements, respectively. Conclusion: The accuracy of lie detection by significant RQA parameters was more than the accuracy of physiological signals. So, the results of this study illustrate that the dynamic technique is well suited to analyze eye movement signals under stress and it could be recommended as a useful method in lie detection.

Functional Role of the N400 and P600 in Language-Related ERP Studies with Respect to Semantic Anomalies: An Overview

In this study, the language-related ERP studies relevant to the functional role of the N400 and P600 in semantically anomalous sentences and the underlying reasons which may affect their functions were reviewed. Since their discovery, the N400 and P600 have been the most important language-related ERP components. The N400 has been mostly elicited as a result of processing sentences with lexical and semantic anomalies, but later on, in many studies instead of the expected lexical-semantic N400 effect, semantic anomalies elicited a P600 effect called semantic P600. However, the functional interpretation of these two ERP components has constantly been a matter of debate. Perhaps most notably, it is proposed that it is not just the N400 which is related to semantic anomalies but the P600 can also be reflected as a result of these kinds of anomalies. Reviewing the literature for explaining the functions of the two ERP components, the N400 and the P600, during the processing of semantic anomalies revealed that still there is a need for more research on language processing in order to make the researchers capable of describing the underlying factors influencing them, especially more focused investigations of the functional-anatomical and neurocomputational models may provide a clearer understanding of them. Moreover, any practical theory or model of the N400 and the P600 in language comprehension needs to consider the apparent inconsistencies in the elicitation pattern of the N400 and the P600 in order to successfully capture the full data spectrum.

A new approach to automatic fetal brain extraction from MRI using a variational level set method

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Appropriate images extracted from the MRI of mothers' wombs can be of great help in the medical diagnosis of fetal abnormalities. As maternal tissue may appear in such images, affecting visualization of myelination of the fetal brain, it is not possible to use methods routinely used for extraction of adult brains for fetal brains. The aim of the present study was to use a variational level set approach to extract fetal brain from T2-weighted MR images of the womb.

METHODS

Coronal T2-weighted images were acquired using fast MRI protocols (to avoid artifacts). The database includes 105 MR images from eight subjects. After correcting the inhomogeneity of the images, the fetal eyes were located, and from that information, the location of the fetus brain was automatically determined. Then, the variational level set was used for fetus brain extraction. The results were analyzed by a clinical specialist (radiologist) and the similarity (Dice and Jaccard coefficients), sensitivity and specificity were calculated.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The means of the statistical analysis for the Dice and Jaccard coefficients, sensitivity and specificity, were 99.56%, 96.89%, 95.71%, and 97.96%, respectively. Thus, extraction of fetal brain from MR images was confirmed, both statistically and visually through cross-validation.