Efficacy of neurostimulation to treat symptoms of Mal de Debarquement Syndrome. A preliminary study using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

Mal de debarquement syndrome (MdDS) is a rare and poorly understood condition of perceived continual motion. Using a multiple‐case design (n = 13; 8 f; 63.5 ± 12.6 years), this study investigated the efficacy of eight 20‐min sessions, over 4 weeks, of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the dorsolateral pre‐frontal cortex. Compared to sham, rTMS demonstrated improvement in balance and confidence in daily living activities. rTMS shows promise for the treatment of MdDS. However, larger trials with longer intervention periods are required.     

Sense of body ownership in patients affected by functional motor symptoms (conversion disorder)

Background and aimPatients with functional neurological symptoms are commonly seen in neurological practice. Nevertheless their aetiopathology remains unclear. We have recently shown that patients affected by functional motor symptoms (FMS) present lower interoceptive awareness and higher alexithymia levels than healthy controls. Nevertheless sense of body ownership has never been studied in FMS patients.The aim of the present study was to systematically investigate the sense of body ownership, with the rubber hand illusion (RHI) paradigm, in patients with FMS and healthy controls.Materials and methodsWe included in the study 16 patients with FMS and 18 healthy controls (HC). Patients and HC were asked to complete the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the self-consciousness scale (self-objectification questionnaire). All participants underwent the RHI paradigm: illusionary experience was measured by self-report and by proprioceptive alteration.ResultsA Mann–Whitney U test performed revealed that FMS (median = 2.11) participants embodied the rubber hand to the same extent than HC participants (median = 2.0, Z = −0.86, p > 0.05, r = −0.15). The same test revealed no significant difference in the Proprioceptive Drift experience between FMS (median = 0.0) and HC participants (median = −0.5, Z = −0.96, p > 0.05, r = −0.16).ConclusionsOur study revealed that sense of body ownership is not impaired in patients affected by FMS. This, together with the results from our previous experiment (studying the interoceptive awareness), supports the hypothesis that interoceptive awareness and sense of body ownership may be dissociated in patients with FMS.     

Les autorisations d’équipements lourds d’imagerie médicale : un désordre organisé

Medical imaging is essential for all medical specialties and it is natural that the government wants to create a real healthcare provision policy in this area. Medical imaging and particularly the “heavy” equipment are subject to a regulatory and legal framework. This framework results in respect of administrative authorization mechanism. These authorizations are a major tool for development of medical imaging on French territory. This mechanism is an important instrument of economic regulation in controlling health costs. However, the access to this kind of equipment raises various issues in governance and administration but also in matter of economic regulation, distribution of healthcare supply in medical imaging in health territories and respect of public health issues. The authorization mechanism raises questionings, not only at national and regional level in terms of unequal access, but also at European and international level. Indeed, France is among the last countries in the ranking of CT (computed tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) equipment rates in comparison with many OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries. Now, these authorizations will integrate much more the concepts of accessibility and quality of patient care. The legal and regulatory framework of these authorizations will have to evolve and to adapt to new technologies and practices, which today should be a source of significant cost savings.     

The perception of nested affordances: An examination of expert climbers

Nested affordances in climbing comprise of multiple sequential actions, encompassing more than isolated reaching and grasping. This study examined the extent to which the perception of (multiple) nested affordances in climbing can be understood relative to body-scaled anthropometrics (arm span) and action-scaled (maximal action capabilities) measures, in relation to sequential task-goals of varying complexity. The utilisation of functionally equivalent actions during the actualisation of nested affordances was also investigated. Participants were required to estimate the maximal distance a handhold could be reached in four conditions of varying complexity: nested affordances (reach to Touch; reach to Grasp) vs. multiple nested affordances (reach to grasp with one hand followed by Removing the other hand from the starting handhold; reach to grasp with one hand followed by Moving up to another handhold). Ten expert climbers first had to estimate their maximal reaching distance in these different conditions (Touch, Grasp, Remove, Move Up) before performing the climbing movement. This sequence of estimation-action was repeated four times in each condition. Results revealed that action-scaling measures better captured nested affordances when multiple sequential behaviours are nested than body-scaled measures. Our findings also suggest that expert climbers utilise functionally equivalent movements during the realisation of multiple nested affordances (Remove and Move Up conditions).     

品牌消费旅程中消费者的认知心理过程——神经营销学视角

品牌消费旅程通常指的是对于品牌消费服务的多维度(包括认知, 情绪, 感觉, 行为和品牌关系)响应。揭示品牌消费旅程的认知心理过程是目前营销学领域之中研究的重点与热点。在梳理当前神经营销领域内有关功能性核磁共振(fMRI)、事件相关电位(ERP)、事件相关震荡(ERO)的相关研究成果后, 将消费者在品牌消费旅程之中的认知心理进程划分为注意吸引、决策形成、消费体验和品牌忠诚四个阶段, 并系统阐述了每个阶段之中消费者心理进程的神经机制与脑区活动, 进而全面立体地揭示消费心理的全貌。未来研究可以进一步探索不同神经指标在具体营销情境下的表征意义, 并结合超扫描技术进一步解析多个被试间的神经耦合情况。     

Kinetic study of hydrogen-induced direct phase transformation in Y2Fe17 magnetic alloy on the basis of Kolmogorov’s model

The kinetics of the hydrogen induced direct phase transformation in Y₂Fe₁₇ magnetic alloy has been analysed within the framework of Kolmogorov’s kinetic model. It is established that the transformation can be classified as a diffusion-controlled transformation, which occurs by a mechanism of nucleation and growth with a decreasing nucleation rate of new phases, namely α-Fe and YH₂. A kinetic equation has been obtained that well describes the isothermal kinetic curves of the phase transformation in Y₂Fe₁₇ as a function of the transformation temperature.     

The neural basis of syntactic deficits in primary progressive aphasia

Patients with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) vary considerably in terms of which brain regions are impacted, as well as in the extent to which syntactic processing is impaired. Here we review the literature on the neural basis of syntactic deficits in PPA. Structural and functional imaging studies have most consistently associated syntactic deficits with damage to left inferior frontal cortex. Posterior perisylvian regions have been implicated in some studies. Damage to the superior longitudinal fasciculus, including its arcuate component, has been linked with syntactic deficits, even after gray matter atrophy is taken into account. These findings suggest that syntactic processing depends on left frontal and posterior perisylvian regions, as well as intact connectivity between them. In contrast, anterior temporal regions, and the ventral tracts that link frontal and temporal language regions, appear to be less important for syntax, since they are damaged in many PPA patients with spared syntactic processing.     

The contribution of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to the presurgical assessment of language function in children

Before performing neurosurgery, an exhaustive presurgical assessment is required, usually including an investigation of language cerebral lateralization. Among the available procedures, the intracarotid amobarbital test (IAT) was formerly the most widely used. However, this procedure has many limitations: it is invasive and potentially traumatic, especially for children. To overcome these limitations, neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have been used. Again, these methods are difficult to use with children, who must remain motionless during data acquisition. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a noninvasive functional imaging technique that is easily applied to pediatric and cognitively limited patients. It has been used recently in epileptic children for presurgical assessment of expressive and receptive language brain lateralization. The aim of this review is to present the contribution of fNIRS to the presurgical assessment of language function in children with neurological diseases.     

Usefulness of simultaneous EEG-NIRS recording in language studies

One of the most challenging tasks in neuroscience in language studies, is investigation of the brain’s ability to integrate and process information. This task can only be successfully addressed by applying various assessment techniques integrated into a multimodal approach. Each of these techniques has its advantages and disadvantages, but help to elucidate certain aspects of the capacity of neural networks to process information. These methods provide information about changes in electrical, hemodynamic and metabolic activities. Ideally, they should be noninvasive in order to facilitate their use particularly in children. In the present review, we describe the advantages of simultaneous electroencephalographic (EEG) acquisition with near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in cerebral activation. This coregistration is also useful to avoid misleading interpretation of NIRS, notably during the various phases of sleep. Development and implementation of the various tools required and assessment strategies are also discussed.     

How the brain responds to any: an MEG study

The word any may appear in some sentences, but not in others. For example, any is permitted in sentences that contain the word nobody, as in Nobody ate any fruit. However, in a minimally different context any seems strikingly anomalous: ^*Everybody ate any fruit. The aim of the present study was to investigate how the brain responds to the word any in such minimally different contexts - where it is permitted (licensed) and where it is not permitted (unlicensed). Brain responses were measured from adult readers using magnetoencephalography (MEG). The results showed significantly larger responses to permissible contexts in the left posterior temporal areas between 400-500 ms and 590-660 ms. These results clarify the anatomy and timing of brain processes that contribute to our judgment that a word such as any is or is not permitted in a given context.