Differential effects of assisted cycling therapy on short-term and working memory of adolescents with Down syndrome

Persons with Down syndrome (DS) suffer from prefrontal cortex dysfunction and deficits in executive functions. The current study examined the effects assisted cycling therapy (ACT) on short-term (STM) and working memory (WM) in adolescents with DS. During ACT, the cadence of participants on a stationary bicycle was augmented with an electrical motor to 180% of the voluntary cadence. Participants completed eight weeks of ACT (n?=?17), eight weeks of voluntary cycling (VC) at their own preferred cadence (n?=?16), or eight weeks of no cycling (np?≥?.149) and working memory improved only in the ACT group (Hedge’s g?=?1.66; p?=?.003). The results indicate that assisted high-cadence cycling (i.e. ACT) produces superior neural benefits in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex compared to VC.     

正强化和负强化:概念、争议与神经机制

1975年,Michael首次正式提出应放弃"正强化"和"负强化"术语的使用,引起对"正强化和负强化是否本质上具有区别"这一问题的关注和争议。正负强化究竟本质上是否有区分、如何区分、以及区分它们的意义等问题,得到了众多行为心理学家的深入探讨。多数学者再度阐明正强化和负强化具有不同的心理机制,加以区分具有重要应用意义,主张沿用对它们的区分。最近,对正负强化神经机制的研究取得突破性进展,进一步揭示它们具有截然不同的神经相关过程。我们建议,分析强化作用进行时,机体是否在环境条件作用下已经偏离了基础、正常的心理稳态,有助于规范理解强化物启动的是正还是负强化的神经过程。     

SAFE通路参与缺血后处理心肌保护作用机制的探讨

缺血后处理(ischemic postconditioning,IPost)是在心肌缺血后持续再灌注前给予多次短暂的再灌注/缺血处理的处理方法,对心肌缺血/再灌注损伤有着重要的保护作用。其心肌保护的具体机制十分复杂,尚未完全阐明。生存活化因子增强(survivor activating factor enhancement,SAFE)途径是IPost中新近发现的保护通路,阐明其在IPost心肌保护中的作用,将为寻找新的药物治疗靶点提供新思路。     

MRI对儿童难治性、局灶性癫痫的临床诊断及预后判断

癫痫外科的临床病理研究表明,儿童局灶性皮质发育不良(FCD)及海马硬化是儿童难治性局灶性癫痫常见的致病因素。但在术前的常规的MRI检查中,这些结构上的异常经常被忽视,从而造成延误诊断。临床医生在阅片判断上的失误可能是一个原因,但癫痫的影像专业知识的不全面是重要因素。本文结合MRI技术在癫痫临床诊断领域的应用进展,阐述了儿童难治性、局灶性癫痫患者MRI影像中可能出现的结构性病变;重点阐述了临床易于忽视的局灶性皮质发育不良(FCD)及海马硬化的MRI研究、应用进展。     

趋近和回避动机的区分及其对心理病理学的影响

趋近和回避是动机的两种最基本形式, 反映着个体与环境的相互作用方式, 是个体适应环境的核心机能。回避动机保证了个体的生存, 趋近动机则促进个体的成长。两类动机系统在前额叶皮层呈不对称偏侧化分布, 趋近动机与左侧额叶皮层激活相连, 回避动机与右侧额叶皮层激活相连。Youngstorm 和Izard等认为两类动机系统失调可能与一系列的情绪和行为问题有关, 如躁狂、抑郁、焦虑和儿童多动症等。这一观点已得到一些相关研究和临床研究证实。建议未来研究关注趋近-回避动机区分与情绪和认知功能研究的融合, 进一步检验趋近-回避动机系统失调模型, 并加强趋近和回避动机系统的可塑性研究。     

Visual pathway deficit in female fragile X premutation carriers: a potential endophenotype

Previous studies indicated impaired magnocellular (M) and relatively spared parvocellular (P) visual pathway functioning in patients with fragile X syndrome. In this study, we assessed M and P pathways in 22 female fragile X premutation carriers with normal intelligence and in 20 healthy non-carrier controls. Testing procedure included visual contrast sensitivity and vernier threshold measurements. Results revealed that carriers were selectively impaired on tests of M pathways (low spatial/high temporal frequency contrast sensitivity and frequency-doubling vernier), whereas they showed intact performance on P pathway tests. These results suggest that the deficit of the M pathway is an endophenotype of fragile X syndrome.     

腹侧通路与背侧通路在词汇阅读中的作用

腹侧通路与背侧通路是视觉加工的两条通路。随着认知神经科学的发展,研究发现腹侧和背侧通路与词汇阅读有关。其中腹侧通路与词汇识别有关,背侧通路与阅读的关系比较复杂。本文简要回顾了两条通路在词汇阅读中的作用。     

Emotional face recognition in autism and in cerebral visual impairments: In search for specificity

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties in the social domain, but also by hyper- and hypo-reactivity. Atypical visual behaviours and processing have often been observed. Nevertheless, several similar signs are also identified in other clinical conditions including cerebral visual impairments (CVI). In the present study, we investigated emotional face categorization in groups of children with ASD and CVI by comparing each group to typically developing individuals (TD) in two tasks. Stimuli were either non-filtered or filtered by low- and high-spatial frequencies (LSF and HSF). All participants completed the autism spectrum quotient score (AQ) and a complete neurovisual evaluation. The results show that while both clinical groups presented difficulties in the emotional face recognition tasks and atypical processing of filtered stimuli, they did not differ from one another. Additionally, autistic traits were observed in the CVI group and symmetrically, some visual disturbances were present in the ASD group as measured via the AQ score and a neurovisual evaluation, respectively. The present study suggests the relevance of comparing ASD to CVI by showing that emotional face categorization difficulties should not be solely considered as autism-specific but merit investigation for potential dysfunction of the visual processing neural network. These results are of interest in both clinical and research perspectives, indicating that systematic visual examination is warranted for individuals with ASD.     

混合情绪能促进心理健康吗？

摘 要 积极和消极情绪的同时体验,即混合情绪,是生活中常见的情绪状态。健康应对的共激活模型、情绪动态模型和积极比模型一致认为混合情绪与心理健康之间呈现非线性的关系,适当的混合情绪有利于个体在困境中全面加工和整合信息,寻求意义,获得控制感,进而实现健康应对和心理症状改善,获得幸福感。未来研究应关注对非线性关系的精确描述;低压力或非压力情境下混合情绪的意义;进一步研究混合情绪促进心理健康的内部机制和影响因素。     

不患不均？容忍和支持经济不平等的心理学解释

不断加剧的经济不平等问题对个体和社会有着巨大危害,然而人们对经济不平等却有着较高的容忍性。基于个体心理的研究证据,本文提出认知和动机双重路径模型来解释个体容忍和支持经济不平等问题。在认知路径上,个体倾向于低估当前社会的经济不平等程度和将经济不平等评价为公平的;在动机路径上,个体预期经济不平等将带来自我利益的增加。未来研究应进一步整合多重心理机制间的关系,并探索有效干预手段以增加人们对减少经济不平等的支持。