Dichotic listening and otoacoustic emissions: shared variance between cochlear function and dichotic listening performance in adults with normal hearing

The present study investigated a possible connection between speech processing and cochlear function. Twenty-two subjects with age range from 18 to 39, balanced for gender with normal hearing and without any known neurological condition, were tested with the dichotic listening (DL) test, in which listeners were asked to identify CV-syllables in a nonforced, and also attention-right, and attention-left condition. Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) were recorded for both ears, with and without the presentation of contralateral broadband noise. The main finding was a strong negative correlation between language laterality as measured with the dichotic listening task and of the TEOAE responses. The findings support a hypothesis of shared variance between central and peripheral auditory lateralities, and contribute to the attentional theory of auditory lateralization. The results have implications for the understanding of the cortico-fugal efferent control of cochlear activity.     

Sociality, pathogen avoidance, and the neuropeptides oxytocin and arginine vasopressin

Both humans and nonhumans have evolved a variety of mechanisms to recognize pathogen threat and a variety of adaptive behavioral responses to minimize exposure to it. Because social interactions facilitate the spread of infection among individuals, the ability to recognize and avoid infected and potentially infected individuals is crucial. The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) are involved in mediating various facets of social behavior, including social recognition and responses to salient social threats. Results of studies with rodents have revealed that OT and AVP are also associated with the olfactory-mediated recognition and avoidance of actually or potentially infected individuals. The evidence reviewed here suggests that OT and AVP likely play parallel roles in modulating the recognition and avoidance of socially relevant pathogen threat in both humans and rodents.     

The Effectiveness of Functional Family Therapy for Adolescent Behavioral and Substance Misuse Problems: A Meta‐Analysis

A systematic review of published and unpublished English language articles identified 14 studies containing 18 comparisons between functional family therapy (FFT) and another condition in the treatment of adolescent disruptive behavior and substance use disorders. In 11 of these comparisons, assignment to conditions was random, while nonrandom assignment occurred in seven studies. For both random and nonrandom comparisons, separate meta‐analyses were conducted for subgroups of studies depending on the type of comparison group used. Data from studies of untreated control groups (CTL), treatment as usual (TAU), and well‐defined alternative treatments (ALTs) were analyzed separately. Effect sizes from these six meta‐analyses were as follows: random assignment FFT versus CTL (k = 3, d = 0.48, p < .01); random assignment FFT versus TAU (k = 3, d = .20, ns); random assignment FFT versus ALT (k = 5, d = .35, p < .05); nonrandom assignment FFT versus CTL (k = 2, d = .90, ns); nonrandom assignment FFT versus TAU (k = 2, d = .08, ns); and nonrandom assignment FFT versus ALT (k = 3, d = .75, p < .001). These results provide support for the effectiveness of FFT compared with untreated controls and well‐defined ALTs, such as cognitive behavior therapy, other models of family therapy, and individual and group therapy for adolescents.     

Right hand presence modulates shifts of exogenous visuospatial attention in near perihand space

To investigate attentional shifting in perihand space, we measured performance on a covert visual orienting task under different hand positions. Participants discriminated visual shapes presented on a screen and responded using footpedals placed under their right foot. With the right hand positioned by the right side of the screen, mean cueing effects were significantly greater for targets presented on the right compared to the left side, at the shortest stimulus onset asynchrony. The right hand still affected attention when the left foot was used to respond and when the right hand was crossed over the midline, indicating that this effect is not restricted to the right hemifield and cannot be accounted for by greater stimulus–response compatibility with the right (responding) foot. These experiments provide preliminary evidence that the presence of the right hand can modulate shifts of visual attention but emphasise the importance of stimulus–response compatibility effects in such investigations.     

Cross-informant symptoms from CBCL, TRF, and YSR: trait and method variance in a normative sample of Russian youths

A large community-based sample of Russian youths (n = 841, age M = 13.17 years, SD = 2.51) was assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (mothers and fathers separately), Teacher's Report Form, and Youth Self-Report. The multiple indicator-version of the correlated trait-correlated method minus one, or CT-C(M - 1), model was applied to analyze (a) the convergent and divergent validity of these instruments in Russia, (b) the degree of trait-specificity of rater biases, and (c) potential predictors of rater-specific effects. As expected, based on the published results from different countries and in different languages, the convergent validity of the instruments was rather high between mother and father reports, but rather low for parent, teacher, and self-reports. For self- and teacher reports, rater-specific effects were related to age and gender of the children for some traits. These results, once again, attest to the importance of incorporating information from multiple observers when psychopathological traits are evaluated in children and adolescents.     

Outcome expectancy and not accuracy determines posterror slowing: ERP support

A considerable number of studies have recently used event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate the mechanisms underlying error processing. Nevertheless, how these mechanisms are associated with behavioral adjustments following errors remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated how posterror slowing is linked to outcome expectations and error feedback. We used an adaptive four-choice reaction time task to manipulate outcome expectancy. Behaviorally, the results show posterror slowing when errors are unexpected and postcorrect slowing when correct responses are unexpected, indicating that outcome expectancy is crucial for posterror slowing. ERP analyses revealed that the error-related negativity and the feedback-related negativity were not correlated with the behavioral reaction time pattern, whereas the P3 was. The results support the hypothesis that posterror slowing is caused by attentional orienting to unexpected events.     

Predictors of HIV-related stigma among young people living with HIV.

Enacted and perceived HIV stigma was examined among substance-using young people living with HIV (YPLH) in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City (N = 147). Almost all YPLH (89%) reported perceived stigma, and 31% reported enacted experiences in the past 3 months; 64% reported experiences during their lifetime. The HIV stigma questions were characterized by factors of avoidance, social rejection, abuse, and shame. In multivariate models, enacted stigma was associated with gay or bisexual identity, symptomatic HIV or AIDS, and bartering sex. Perceived stigma was associated with female gender, symptomatic HIV or AIDS, bartering sex, lower injection drug use, and fewer friends and family knowing serostatus. Gay or bisexual YPLH who were also HIV symptomatic or AIDS diagnosed experienced more HIV stigma than their heterosexual peers.     

Application of virtual reality graphics in assessment of concussion.

Abnormal balance in individuals suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been documented in numerous recent studies. However, specific mechanisms causing balance deficits have not been systematically examined. This paper demonstrated the destabilizing effect of visual field motion, induced by virtual reality graphics in concussed individuals but not in normal controls. Fifty five student-athletes at risk for concussion participated in this study prior to injury and 10 of these subjects who suffered MTBI were tested again on day 3, day 10, and day 30 after the incident. Postural responses to visual field motion were recorded using a virtual reality (VR) environment in conjunction with balance (AMTI force plate) and motion tracking (Flock of Birds) technologies. Two experimental conditions were introduced where subjects passively viewed VR scenes or actively manipulated the visual field motion. Long-lasting destabilizing effects of visual field motion were revealed, although subjects were asymptomatic when standard balance tests were introduced. The findings demonstrate that advanced VR technology may detect residual symptoms of concussion at least 30 days post-injury.     

The neural correlates of orienting to walking direction in 6‐month‐old infants: An ERP study

The ability to detect social signals represents a first step to enter our social world. Behavioral evidence has demonstrated that 6‐month‐old infants are able to orient their attention toward the position indicated by walking direction, showing faster orienting responses toward stimuli cued by the direction of motion than toward uncued stimuli. The present study investigated the neural mechanisms underpinning this attentional priming effect by using a spatial cueing paradigm and recording EEG (Geodesic System 128 channels) from 6‐month‐old infants. Infants were presented with a central point‐light walker followed by a single peripheral target. The target appeared randomly at a position either congruent or incongruent with the walking direction of the cue. We examined infants' target‐locked event‐related potential (ERP) responses and we used cortical source analysis to explore which brain regions gave rise to the ERP responses. The P1 component and saccade latencies toward the peripheral target were modulated by the congruency between the walking direction of the cue and the position of the target. Infants' saccade latencies were faster in response to targets appearing at congruent spatial locations. The P1 component was larger in response to congruent than to incongruent targets and a similar congruency effect was found with cortical source analysis in the parahippocampal gyrus and the anterior fusiform gyrus. Overall, these findings suggest that a type of biological motion like the one of a vertebrate walking on the legs can trigger covert orienting of attention in 6‐month‐old infants, enabling enhancement of neural activity related to visual processing of potentially relevant information as well as a facilitation of oculomotor responses to stimuli appearing at the attended location.