Review of Commercially Available Epilepsy Genetic Panels

Next generation sequencing panels have revolutionized the diagnostic approach to patients with epilepsy. There are several commercial epilepsy panels available. We assessed the list of genes tested and consent forms for epilepsy panels available at seven laboratories. The panels varied in the number of genes included (70–465 genes). In some panels, genes not currently associated with epilepsy were included (up to 4 % of panel content). The panels also included genes for lysosomal storage disorders (6–12 %), congenital disorders of glycosylation (0–8.5 %), metabolic disorders (3.5–34 %), neurological syndromes (18–43 %) and multisystemic genetic syndromes (6.4–21 %). Informed consents differed significantly between laboratories ranging from basic information about genetic testing and possible results to information about insurance, genetic counseling and familial testing, and incidental findings.Our findings suggest that it is important to consider the range of genes offered on epilepsy panels and their predicted phenotypes in an effort toward improving the informed consent process.     

Red-hot: How colour and semantic temperature processing interact in a Stroop-like paradigm

Temperature concepts and colour are commonly associated (i.e., red is “hot” and blue is “cold”), although their direction of influence (unidirectional, bidirectional) is unknown. Semantic Stroop effects, whereby words like fire influence colour categorization, suggest automatic semantic processing influences colour processing. The experiential framework of language comprehension indicates abstract concepts like temperature words simulate concrete experiences in their representation, where expressions like “red-hot” suggest colour processing influences conceptual processing. Participants categorized both colour (Experiment 1: red, blue; Experiment 2: red, green, blue) and word-meaning with matched lists of hot and cold meaning words in each colour. In Experiments 1 and 2, semantic categorization showed congruency effects across hot and cold words, while colour categorization showed facilitation only with hot words in Experiment 2. This asymmetry reflects a more consistent influence of colour categorization on semantic categorization than the reverse, suggesting experiential grounding effects may be more robust than the effects of semantic processing on colour processing.     

When words and space collide: Spatial attention interacts with lexical access during word recognition

Recent research has suggested an important role for spatial attention in reading, however the nature of this influence is unclear. Further, it has been shown that intention to engage in linguistic processing can enhance lexical processing. Therefore, we developed a novel paradigm to examine the impact of spatial attention on primed and unprimed lexical processing. In a lexical decision task, targets were preceded by a cue to lexical access and spatial location simultaneously. Results indicated that on spatially valid trials, the lexical cuing effect was large and word processing was enhanced, suggesting that spatial attention influences lexical access. On spatially invalid trials, lexical cuing effects were significantly decreased, resulting in a spatial cuing by lexical cuing interaction. Results from this experiment provide evidence that spatial attention interacts with lexical access during word processing. This novel paradigm provides a new avenue for exploring the relations between spatial attention and reading processes.     

The MR2: A multi-racial,mega-resolution database of facial stimuli

Faces impart exhaustive information about their bearers, and are widely used as stimuli in psychological research. Yet many extant facial stimulus sets have substantially less detail than faces encountered in real life. In this paper, we describe a new database of facial stimuli, the Multi-Racial Mega-Resolution database (MR2). The MR2 includes 74 extremely high resolution images of European, African, and East Asian faces. This database provides a high-quality, diverse, naturalistic, and well-controlled facial image set for use in research. The MR2 is available under a Creative Commons license, and may be accessed online.     

Task-related functional connectivity of the caudate mediates the association between trait mindfulness and implicit learning in older adults

Accumulating evidence shows a positive relationship between mindfulness and explicit cognitive functioning, i.e., that which occurs with conscious intent and awareness. However, recent evidence suggests that there may be a negative relationship between mindfulness and implicit types of learning, or those that occur without conscious awareness or intent. Here we examined the neural mechanisms underlying the recently reported negative relationship between dispositional mindfulness and implicit probabilistic sequence learning in both younger and older adults. We tested the hypothesis that the relationship is mediated by communication, or functional connectivity, of brain regions once traditionally considered to be central to dissociable learning systems: the caudate, medial temporal lobe (MTL), and prefrontal cortex (PFC). We first replicated the negative relationship between mindfulness and implicit learning in a sample of healthy older adults (60–90 years old) who completed three event-related runs of an implicit sequence learning task. Then, using a seed-based connectivity approach, we identified task-related connectivity associated with individual differences in both learning and mindfulness. The main finding was that caudate-MTL connectivity (bilaterally) was positively correlated with learning and negatively correlated with mindfulness. Further, the strength of task-related connectivity between these regions mediated the negative relationship between mindfulness and learning. This pattern of results was limited to the older adults. Thus, at least in healthy older adults, the functional communication between two interactive learning-relevant systems can account for the relationship between mindfulness and implicit probabilistic sequence learning.     

Using motivational interviewing as a supplement to obesity treatment: a stepped-care approach.

OBJECTIVE: This investigation was designed to improve behavioral weight loss program (BWLP) treatment outcomes by providing stepped care (SC) to individuals experiencing difficulties with weight loss during treatment. SC entails transition to more intensive treatments when less intensive treatments fail to meet treatment goals. In a BWLP, motivational interviewing (MI) may increase participants' motivation toward behavioral change and thus complement the acquisition of behavioral change skills. It was hypothesized that BWLP+SC (MI) participants (i.e., participants who failed to meet weight loss goals and received MI) would demonstrate superior treatment outcomes when compared with BWLP (SC matched) participants (i.e., participants who failed to meet weight loss goals but did not receive MI). DESIGN: Fifty-five obese, sedentary adults were randomly assigned to a BWLP+SC or a BWLP. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in weight, cardiorespiratory fitness, self-reported physical activity, and diet (i.e., calories, percentage daily intake of fat, protein, and carbohydrates) in response to treatment were assessed. RESULTS: Participants significantly decreased their weight, increased physical activity/fitness, and improved dietary intake (ps<.05). BWLP+SC (MI) participants lost more weight and engaged in greater weekly exercise than BWLP (SC matched) participants who did not receive MI (ps<.05). CONCLUSION: For individuals experiencing weight loss difficulties during a BWLP, MI may have considerable promise.