Exploring the effects of EEG signals on collision cases happening in the process of young drivers’ braking

Detecting mental states in drivers offers an opportunity to reduce accidents by triggering alerts and signaling the need for rest or renewed focus. Here we used electroencephalography (EEG) to measure brain signals in young drivers operating a driving simulator to detect mental states and predict accidents. We measured reaction times to unexpected hazardous events and correlated them with EEG signals measured from the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortices as well as the central sulcus (corresponding to motor cortex). We found that EEG signals in the relative beta (power in beta (13–30 Hz) relative to total power of the EEG (0.5–30 Hz)), alpha/delta, alpha/theta, beta/delta, beta/theta frequency bands were higher for collisions than successful collision avoidance, and that the key decision-making period is the 2nd second before braking. Importantly, a decision tree classifier trained on these neural signals predicted collision avoidance outcomes. Then based on random forest model, we extracted three critical neural signals (beta/delta_frontal, relative beta_parietal and relative beta_central Sulcus) to classify collision avoidance outcomes. Our findings suggest measuring EEG during driving may provide useful signals for enhancing driver safety.     

A descriptive analysis of baseline and equivalence-class performances under many-to-one and one-to-many structures

The purpose of the present experiment was to describe responding as a function of One-to-Many (OTM) and Many-to-One (MTO) training structures and identify baseline performances correlated with the accuracy level in tests for equivalence class formation. Participants were 42 adults assigned to either the MTO or the OTM groups, trained on 24 baseline relations, and assessed on the emergence of three 9-member equivalence classes. Participants in the MTO group presented similar frequencies of responses to each of the comparisons throughout baseline training. Also, the number of trials required to meet the baseline mastery criterion was negatively correlated with test accuracy. Participants in the OTM group presented more variable frequencies of responses to each of the comparisons (participants tended to select some of the comparisons less often than others at the beginning of the training). In addition, the number of reinforced responses to the node presented as a sample during training was positively correlated with the number of correct responses during testing for the OTM group. The experiment contributed to an in-depth stimulus control analysis of baseline and test performances, and its results have implications for understanding potential sources of variability between the training structures.     

Amorçage syntaxique de structures syntaxiques complexes chez des enfants de maternelle en français oral

Several studies have revealed syntactic priming effects in 3- and 4-year-old children. However, the eventual role of syntactic priming in the learning of complex syntactic structures has rarely been investigated. The current paper investigated in young children the effect of being exposed to complex syntaxic structures employed by adults. In this perspective, we used a syntactic priming paradigm with kindergarten children. It aimed at studying whether children would in turn spontaneously produce more complex syntactic structures, compared to another condition with no prior exposure to such complex sentences. We determined the cognitive and linguistic factors susceptible to explain inter-individual differences in syntactic priming. The finding suggests that syntactic priming procedure can to be used to train young children to produce complex syntactic structures. Lexical knowledge and short-term phonological memory could explain inter-individual differences in the use of these complex syntactic structures. These results are discussed at the theoretical level, but also in terms of possible educational implications.     

A pilot investigation on the effects of combination transcranial direct current stimulation and speed of processing cognitive remediation therapy on simulated driving behavior in older adults with HIV

Cognitive impairments seen in people living with HIV (PLWH) are associated with difficulties in everyday functioning, specifically driving. This study utilized speed of processing cognitive remediation therapy (SOP-CRT) with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to gauge the feasibility and impact on simulated driving. Thirty PLWH (M_age = 54.53, SD = 3.33) were randomly assigned to either: sham tDCS SOP-CRT or active tDCS SOP-CRT. Seven indicators of simulated driving performance and safety were obtained. Repeated measures ANOVAs controlling for driver’s license status (valid and current license or expired/no license) revealed a large training effect on average driving speed. Participants who received active tDCS SOP-CRT showed a slower average driving speed (p = 0.020, d = 0.972) than those who received sham tDCS SOP-CRT. Non-significant small-to-medium effects were seen for driving violations, collisions, variability in lane positioning, and lane deviations. Combination tDCS SOP-CRT was found to increase indices of cautionary simulated driving behavior. Findings reveal a potential avenue of intervention and rehabilitation for improving driving safety among vulnerable at-risk populations, such as those aging with chronic disease.     

From cybernetics to brain theory,and more: A memoir

While structured as an autobiography, this memoir exemplifies ways in which classic contributions to cybernetics (e.g., by Wiener, McCulloch & Pitts, and von Neumann) have fed into a diversity of current research areas, including the mathematical theory of systems and computation, artificial intelligence and robotics, computational neuroscience, linguistics, and cognitive science. The challenges of brain theory receive special emphasis. Action-oriented perception and schema theory complement neural network modeling in analyzing cerebral cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, and basal ganglia. Comparative studies of frog, rat, monkey, ape and human not only deepen insights into the human brain but also ground an EvoDevoSocio view of “how the brain got language.” The rapprochement between neuroscience and architecture provides a recent challenge. The essay also assesses some of the social and theological implications of this broad perspective.     

Defending Cognitive Liberty in an Age of Moral Engineering

In 2009, Mark Walker first proposed the Genetic Virtue Project, advancing that science should explore using genetic engineering to eliminate moral evils just as it attempts to eliminate natural ones like disease. This seemed like an issue for the far future given the unique challenges. Walker focused on the wrong aspect of personhood, however, as moral engineering of the brain appears to be a more likely possibility. As early aspects of moral engineering the brain are in development, especially through the manipulation of the neural correlates of religious and political beliefs, emotions, and behaviors, I consider several issues surrounding this project so as to protect individual rights and prevent future harms. I advance an internal criterion for the field called Acceptability Across Ideologies to serve as a guide to protect against coercive and harmful technologies and analyze how current laws protecting cognitive liberty are lacking and in need of revision.     

Cumulative neurological factors associated with long-term outcomes in adult survivors of childhood brain tumors

Prior research has demonstrated the reliability and validity of the Neurological Predictor Scale (NPS) in relation to childhood brain tumor survivor outcomes; however, its use has not been examined in adult long-term survivors. The current study examines the concurrent validity of the NPS with long-term intellectual and adaptive outcomes in adult survivors of childhood brain tumors relative to individual variables alone. A total of 68 adult survivors of childhood brain tumors (M = 24 years old, SD = 4) almost 16 years post diagnosis (SD = 6) completed intellectual evaluations using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI). Survivors’ adaptive functioning skills were assessed via informant structured clinical interviews (SIB-R). NPS scores were computed from data acquired from medical records. The NPS was significantly associated with intellectual (R² = 0.208, p < .05) and adaptive outcomes (R² = 0.30, p < .05) over and above individual risk factors. Approximately 18% of long-term survivors were identified as impaired in intellectual outcomes, and 29% were identified as impaired in adaptive functioning in everyday life skills. The NPS quantifies the cumulative effects of treatment and neurological sequelae experienced by both short- and long-term survivors of childhood brain tumors. It is a useful and easy measure to employ in clinical research that focuses on quantifying the neurological risk factors associated with long-term intellectual and adaptive functioning outcomes in adult survivors of childhood brain tumors.     

The embodiment of beauty: Evidence from viewing Chinese concrete words and pictographs

How is beauty embodied? According to the viewpoint of embodied cognition, the aesthetic processing of words or pictographs has roots in their referential archetypes. Four experiments tested whether the beauty of referential archetypes was routinely activated during the explicit and implicit aesthetic evaluations of the font structures of concrete Chinese words and pictographs in congruent or incongruent font colour. Results showed font structures of simplified Chinese words and pictographs were judged to be more beautiful when they referred to beautiful archetypes; and this pattern was reversed when they referred to ugly archetypes. Moreover, judgement was facilitated when font colour was congruent for Chinese words and pictographs referred to beautiful archetypes. For those referred to ugly archetypes, judgement was inhibited in congruent font colour but facilitated in incongruent font colour, suggesting aesthetic perceptions of the font structures of Chinese words and pictographs were derived from their referential natural objects. The spontaneous generation hypothesis of beauty is proposed to account for these findings.     

An intentional stance modulates the integration of gesture and speech during comprehension

The present study investigates whether knowledge about the intentional relationship between gesture and speech influences controlled processes when integrating the two modalities at comprehension. Thirty-five adults watched short videos of gesture and speech that conveyed semantically congruous and incongruous information. In half of the videos, participants were told that the two modalities were intentionally coupled (i.e., produced by the same communicator), and in the other half, they were told that the two modalities were not intentionally coupled (i.e., produced by different communicators). When participants knew that the same communicator produced the speech and gesture, there was a larger bi-lateral frontal and central N400 effect to words that were semantically incongruous versus congruous with gesture. However, when participants knew that different communicators produced the speech and gesture--that is, when gesture and speech were not intentionally meant to go together--the N400 effect was present only in right-hemisphere frontal regions. The results demonstrate that pragmatic knowledge about the intentional relationship between gesture and speech modulates controlled neural processes during the integration of the two modalities.