刺激呈现时间对责任推论影响的实验研究

在社会认知中,由于所呈现的刺激都具有复杂的社会意义,其必然会在被试的心理上引起复杂的反应。实验通过对刺激时间的控制来了解个体在知觉阶段与记忆阶段所进行的责任推论是否存在差异。结果表明,工读生在刺激快速呈现时的责任判断与刺激缓慢呈现时的责任推论存在显著差异。     

Magnetic stimulation studies of foveal representation

The right and left visual fields each project to the contralateral cerebral hemispheres, but the extent of the functional overlap of the two hemifields along the vertical meridian is still under debate. After presenting the spatial, temporal, and functional specifications of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), we show that TMS is particularly suitable to study the question of foveal representation as it allows one to study the effects of selective disruption of left or right hemisphere functions on the processing of centrally presented stimuli. Future strategies for the use of TMS in further tests of visual word recognition are suggested.     

Eyeblink conditioning in rats using pontine stimulation as a conditioned stimulus

Previous studies using rabbits and ferrets found that electrical stimulation of the pontine nuclei or middle cerebellar peduncle could serve as a conditioned stimulus (CS) in eyeblink conditioning (Bao, Chen, & Thompson, 2000; Hesslow, Svensson, & Ivarsson, 1999; Steinmetz, 1990; Steinmetz, Lavond, & Thompson, 1985; 1989; Steinmetz et al., 1986; Tracy, Thompson, Krupa, & Thompson, 1998). The current study used electrical stimulation of the pontine nuclei as a CS to establish eyeblink conditioning in rats. The goals of this study were to develop a method for directly activating the CS pathway in rodents and to compare the neural circuity underlying eyeblink conditioning in different mammalian species. Rats were given electrical stimulation through a bipolar electrode implanted in the pontine nuclei paired with a periorbital shock unconditioned stimulus (US). Paired training was followed by extinction training. A subset of rats was given a test session of paired training after receiving an infusion of muscimol into the anterior interpositus nucleus. Rats given paired presentations of the stimulation CS and US developed CRs rapidly and showed extinction. Muscimol infusion prior to the test session resulted in a reversible loss of the eyeblink CR. The results demonstrate that electrical stimulation of the pontine nuclei can be used as a CS in rodents and that the CS pathway is similar in rats, rabbits, and ferrets. In addition, the loss of CRs following muscimol inactivation shows that the conditioning produced with pontine stimulation depends on cerebellar mechanisms.     

Analysis and treatment of problem behavior evoked by music

The present study investigated the effects of differential negative reinforcement of other behavior (DNRO) on problem behavior evoked by music in a 7-year-old child with pervasive developmental disorder. Following an auditory stimulus assessment, DNRO was used to reduce problem behavior to near-zero levels. Results are discussed in terms of identifying establishing operations to govern treatment options and the use of negative reinforcement when arbitrarily imposed positive reinforcers do not compete with escape from auditory stimulation.     

Does sound stimulation have additive effects on cognitive-behavioral treatment of chronic tinnitus?

Psychological and physiological habituation are major goals in the treatment of patients suffering from chronic tinnitus. This study evaluates whether sound stimulation provided by use of low level white noise generators (NG) enhances the effects of cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT). 124 outpatients with tinnitus of >6 months received manualized group treatment and were randomly assigned to the NG/no NG conditions. Those with moderate tinnitus-related distress obtained four sessions focusing on education, while severely distressed subjects were treated according to a full 10-session CBT program. Outcome was assessed at post-treatment and at 6- and 18-month follow-up. No additive effects due to the NGs could be demonstrated. All groups improved significantly on measures of tinnitus-related distress, dysfunctional cognitions, general psychopathology, depression, hypochondriasis and psychosocial functioning. Beneficial effects of the NGs were only observed for patients with concurrent tinnitus and hyperacusis. As systematic physical stimulation of the auditory system does not further improve the effects of CBT, the importance and strength of psychological interventions are emphasized. The clinical relevance of recently developed "retraining" approaches accentuating physical stimulation should be reconsidered.     

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation may induce language switching in bilingual patients

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) may participate in the process of language switching in multilingual individuals. We present two cases of bilingual patients who experienced unexpected language switching after receiving high-frequency, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the left DLPFC as a treatment for major depression. These preliminary findings support the role of the DLPFC in language switching in polyglots and highlight the potential value of rTMS for non-invasively investigating language function in humans. Further investigation is warranted.     

Musical groove modulates motor cortex excitability: A TMS investigation

Groove is often described as a musical quality that can induce movement in a listener. This study examines the effects of listening to groove music on corticospinal excitability. Musicians and non-musicians listened to high-groove music, low-groove music, and spectrally matched noise, while receiving single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the primary motor cortex either on-beat or off-beat. We examined changes in the amplitude of the motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), recorded from hand and arm muscles, as an index of activity within the motor system. Musicians and non-musicians rated groove similarly. MEP results showed that high-groove music modulated corticospinal excitability, whereas no difference occurred between low-groove music and noise. More specifically, musicians’ MEPs were larger with high-groove than low-groove music, and this effect was especially pronounced for on-beat compared to off-beat pulses. These results indicate that high-groove music increasingly engages the motor system, and the temporal modulation of corticospinal excitability with the beat could stem from tight auditory–motor links in musicians. Conversely, non-musicians’ MEPs were smaller for high-groove than low-groove music, and there was no effect of on- versus off-beat pulses, potentially stemming from suppression of overt movement. In sum, high-groove music engages the motor system, and previous training modulates how listening to music with a strong groove activates the motor system.     

经颅直流电刺激右侧颞顶联合区对道德意图加工的影响*

对行为意图的理解是人类进行道德判断的重要依据,大量研究表明,右侧颞顶联合区是意图加工的关键脑区。为考察该脑区在道德判断中的重要作用,采用经颅直流电刺激技术阳极刺激右侧颞顶联合区,探讨促进该脑区的活动对被试在道德判断中意图及相关信息加工的影响。结果发现与假刺激条件相比,阳极刺激后道德判断反应时显著延长,在伤人未遂和意外伤人条件下差异显著,证明促进右侧颞顶联合区的激活能影响道德判断中的意图加工,尤其在意图与结果产生冲突的条件下效应更加显著。     

Contextual Interference Effect: Elaborative Processing or Forgetting—Reconstruction? A Post Hoc Analysis of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation—Induced Effects on Motor Learning

The elaborative-processing and forgetting-reconstruction hypotheses are the 2 principal explanations for the contextual interference (CI) effect. The present authors' purpose was to identify which of these 2 hypotheses better accounts for the CI effect. They synchronized single transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pulses to each intertrial interval to modulate information processing during Blocked and Random Practice conditions. Participants practiced 3 arm tasks with either a Blocked or Random Practice order. The 3 stimulation conditions (No TMS, TMS, Sham TMS) by 2-practice order (Blocked, Random) between-participant design resulted in 6 experimental groups. Without TMS, motor learning increased under Random Practice. With TMS, this learning benefit diminished. These results support the elaborative-processing hypothesis by showing that perturbing information processing, evoked by Random Practice, deteriorates the learning benefit. Unlike the prediction of the forgetting—reconstruction hypothesis, adding perturbation during Blocked Practice did not significantly enhance motor learning.