Correct Trials Research Articles

Perineuronal nets are associated with decision making under conditions of uncertainty in female but not male mice

Biological sex influences decision-making processes in significant ways, differentiating the responses animals choose when faced with a range of stimuli. The neurobiological underpinnings that dictate sex differences in decision-making tasks remains an important open question, yet single-sex studies of males form most studies in behavioural neuroscience. Here we used female and male BALB/c mice on two spatial learning and memory tasks and examined the expression of perineuronal nets (PNNs) and parvalbumin interneurons (PV) in regions correlated with spatial memory. Mice underwent the aversive active place avoidance (APA) task or the appetitive trial-unique nonmatching-to-location (TUNL) touchscreen task. Mice in the APA cohort learnt to avoid the foot-shock and no differences were observed on key measures of the task nor in the number and intensity of PNNs and PV. On the delay but not separation manipulation in the TUNL task, females received more incorrect trials and less correct trials compared to males. Furthermore, females in this cohort exhibited higher intensity PNNs and PV cells in the agranular and granular retrosplenial cortex, compared to males. These data show that female and male mice perform similarly on spatial learning tasks. However, sex differences in neural circuitry may underly differences in making decisions under conditions of uncertainty on an appetitive task. These data emphasise the importance of using mice of both sexes in studies of decision-making neuroscience.

3D Transcranial ultrasound localization microscopy reveals major arteries in the sheep brain.

Cerebral circulation ensures the proper functioning of the entire human body, and its interruption, i.e. stroke, leads to irreversible damage. However, tools for observing cerebral circulation are still lacking. Although MRI and CT scans serve as conventional methods, their accessibility remains a challenge, prompting exploration into alternative, portable, and non-ionizing imaging solutions like ultrasound with reduced costs. While Ultrasound Localization Microscopy (ULM) displays potential in high-resolution vessel imaging, its 2D constraints limit its emergency utility. This study delves into the feasibility of 3D ULM with multiplexed probe for transcranial vessel imaging in sheep brains, emulating human skull characteristics. Three sheep underwent 3D ULM imaging, compared with angiographic MRI, while skull characterization was conducted in vivo using ultrashort bone MRI sequences and ex vivo via micro CT. The study showcased 3D ULM's ability to highlight vessels, down to the Circle of Willis, yet within a confined 3D field-of-view. Future enhancements in signal, aberration correction, and human trials hold promise for a portable, volumetric, transcranial ultrasound angiography system.

A Phase II Exploratory Study to Identify Biomarkers Predictive of Clinical Response to Regorafenib in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Who Have Failed First-Line Therapy.

Single-agent regorafenib is approved in Canada for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients who have failed previous lines of therapy. Identifying prognostic biomarkers is key to optimizing therapeutic strategies for these patients. In this clinical study (NCT01949194), we evaluated the safety and efficacy of single-agent regorafenib as a second-line therapy for mCRC patients who received it after failing first-line therapy with an oxaliplatin or irinotecan regimen with or without bevacizumab. Using various omics approaches, we also investigated putative biomarkers of response and resistance to regorafenib in metastatic lesions and blood samples in the same cohort. Overall, the safety profile of regorafenib seemed similar to the CORRECT trial, where regorafenib was administered as ≥ 2 lines of therapy. While the mutational landscape showed typical mutation rates for the top five driver genes (APC, KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, and TP53), KRAS mutations were enriched in intrinsically resistant lesions. Additional exploration of genomic-phenotype associations revealed several biomarker candidates linked to unfavorable prognoses in patients with mCRC using various approaches, including pathway analysis, cfDNA profiling, and copy number analysis. However, further research endeavors are necessary to validate the potential utility of these promising genes in understanding patients' responses to regorafenib treatment.

Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with the decline in cognitive functioning in young adults

Coronaviruses have caused widespread disease and death worldwide, leading to the implementation of lockdown measures and the closure of educational institutions in various countries. This research aims to investigate the impact of social isolation on the cognitive functioning of young students. The study included 84 subjects, with 48 being socially isolated and 36 non-isolated individuals. The participants’ mental health was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), while cognitive functions were evaluated through attention-switching tasks (AST), pattern recognition memory (PRM), and choice reaction time (CRT) tests utilizing the Cambridge Neuropsychological Automated Battery (CANTAB) software. The socially isolated group had an average age of 21.3 ± 1.1 years, whereas the non-isolated group had an average age of 22.8 ± 2.0 years. The MMSE scores were 25.8 ± 1.6 for the socially isolated group and 28.6 ± 1.3 for the non-isolated group. In terms of cognitive functioning, there were significant differences (p = 0.000) observed in the values of AST correct latency for non-switching blocks (blocks 3 and 5) between the socially isolated group (608.1 ± 139.2) and the non-isolated group (499.5 ± 67.8). Similarly, the AST mean correct latency for switching blocks (block 7) was significantly different (p = 0.012) between the socially isolated group (784.4 ± 212.5) and the non-isolated group (671.8 ± 175.6). The socially isolated group exhibited significantly higher values in AST correct mean latency, AST congruent mean latency, AST incongruent mean latency, and AST percent mean correct trials compared to the non-isolated group. Additionally, the PRM mean percent correct significantly differed (p = 0.000) between the isolated group (81.3 ± 12.0) and the non-isolated group (91.9 ± 9.2). The isolated group also showed a higher CRT correct mean latency (482.4 ± 128.9) than the non-isolated group (451.0 ± 59.0), however the difference was not significant. In conclusion, social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a decline in the cognitive functioning of young students.

Comparing intra‐individual variability on executive functioning tasks in individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia of the Alzheimer Type: Results from the ARMADA Study

AbstractBackgroundCognitive decline is most often assessed mean group differences on static measures of cognitive abilities (MacDonald et al., 2009). Another, perhaps more dynamic, method to understanding cognitive functioning is to evaluate variability in performance within an individual, termed intraindividual variability (IIV), which has been associated with reduction in gray matter and less efficient cognitive processing. Using results from a multi‐site, longitudinal ARMADA study that validated NIH Toolbox across the cognitive aging spectrum, we investigated whether IIV in reaction time processing can differentiate between older adults with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), as well as the relative magnitude of differences between groups.MethodAs part of the Advancing Reliable Measurement in Alzheimer’s Disease and cognitive Aging study (ARMADA; Weintraub et al 2020), participants completed the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery, including two measures of executive functioning, Dimensional Change Card Sort and Flanker Inhibitory Control, which include granular reaction time data in milliseconds. We analyzed standard deviation and mean absolute deviation of item‐level data of all trials, correct trials only, and incorrect trials only for three groups: normal controls, those with amnestic MCI, and those with mild DAT.ResultWe observe large effect sizes of reaction time by clinical group, with the mild DAT group demonstrating mean standard error across trials of approximately .5 seconds throughout, compared with .25 seconds for MCI and .10 seconds for the control group (Figure 1). This translates to an approximate 5‐fold increase in processing speed in the most severe clinical group. Examining time trends, we see that while the NC and MCI group were faster as the test progressed; there is no similar learning effect for the mild DAT group. Similar effect sizes were observed for the Flanker test.ConclusionThis study represents one of the first studies to examine clinical performance using process data from two executive functioning measures on the NIH Toolbox across the cognitive aging spectrum. Future work will explore more definitions of IIV to determine which measure will maximally differentiate between established clinical groups and examine longitudinal differences.

Clinical Manifestations.

Cognitive decline is most often assessed mean group differences on static measures of cognitive abilities (MacDonald et al., 2009). Another, perhaps more dynamic, method to understanding cognitive functioning is to evaluate variability in performance within an individual, termed intraindividual variability (IIV), which has been associated with reduction in gray matter and less efficient cognitive processing. Using results from a multi-site, longitudinal ARMADA study that validated NIH Toolbox across the cognitive aging spectrum, we investigated whether IIV in reaction time processing can differentiate between older adults with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), as well as the relative magnitude of differences between groups. As part of the Advancing Reliable Measurement in Alzheimer's Disease and cognitive Aging study (ARMADA; Weintraub et al 2020), participants completed the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery, including two measures of executive functioning, Dimensional Change Card Sort and Flanker Inhibitory Control, which include granular reaction time data in milliseconds. We analyzed standard deviation and mean absolute deviation of item-level data of all trials, correct trials only, and incorrect trials only for three groups: normal controls, those with amnestic MCI, and those with mild DAT. We observe large effect sizes of reaction time by clinical group, with the mild DAT group demonstrating mean standard error across trials of approximately .5 seconds throughout, compared with .25 seconds for MCI and .10 seconds for the control group (Figure 1). This translates to an approximate 5-fold increase in processing speed in the most severe clinical group. Examining time trends, we see that while the NC and MCI group were faster as the test progressed; there is no similar learning effect for the mild DAT group. Similar effect sizes were observed for the Flanker test. This study represents one of the first studies to examine clinical performance using process data from two executive functioning measures on the NIH Toolbox across the cognitive aging spectrum. Future work will explore more definitions of IIV to determine which measure will maximally differentiate between established clinical groups and examine longitudinal differences.

Striatal response to negative feedback in a stop signal task operates as a multi-value learning signal.

We examined error-driven learning in fMRI activity of 217 subjects in a stop signal task to obtain a more robust characterization of the relation between behavioral measures of learning and corresponding neural learning signals than previously possible. The stop signal task is a two-alternative forced choice in which participants respond to an arrow by pressing a left or right button but must inhibit that response on 1 in 7 trials when cued by an auditory "stop signal." We examined post-error learning by comparing brain activity (BOLD signal) and behavioral responses on trials preceded by successful (correct stop) vs. failed (failed stop) inhibition. There was strong evidence of greater bilateral striatal activity in the period immediately following correct (vs. failed) stop trials (most evident in the putamen; peak MNI coordinates [-26 8 -2], 430 voxels, p < 0.001; [24 14 0], 527 voxels, p < 0.001). We measured median activity in the bilateral striatal cluster following every failed stop and correct stop trial and correlated it with learning signals for (a) probability and (b) latency of the stop signal. In a mixed-effects model predicting activity 5-10 s after the stop signal, both reaction time (RT) change (B = -0.05, t = 3.0, χ2 = 11.3, p < 0.001) and probability of stop trial change (B = 1.53, t = 6.0, χ2 = 43.0, p < 0.001) had significant within-subjects effects on median activity. In a similar mixed model predicting activity 1-5 s after the stop signal, only probability of stop trial change was predictive. A mixed-effects model indicates the striatal activity might be a learning signal that encodes reaction time change and the current expected probability of a stop trial occuring. This extends existing evidence that the striatum encodes a reward prediction error signal for learning within the stop signal task, and demonstrates for the first time that this signal seems to encode both change in stop signal probability and in stop signal delay.

Effects of the BalanCI on Working Memory and Balance in Children and Young Adults With Cochleovestibular Dysfunction.

This study aimed to: (1) determine the interaction between cognitive load and balance in children and young adults with bilateral cochleovestibular dysfunction who use bilateral cochlear implants (CIs) and (2) determine the effect of an auditory balance prosthesis (the BalanCI) on this interaction. Many (20 to 70%) children with sensorineural hearing loss experience some degree of vestibular loss, leading to poorer balance. Poor balance could have effects on cognitive resource allocation which might be alleviated by the BalanCI as it translates head-referenced cues into electrical pulses delivered through the CI. It is hypothesized that children and young adults with cochleovestibular dysfunction will demonstrate greater dual-task costs than typically-developing children during dual balance-cognition tasks, and that BalanCI use will improve performance on these tasks. Study participants were 15 typically-developing children (control group: mean age ± SD = 13.6 ± 2.75 years, 6 females) and 10 children and young adults who use bilateral CIs and have vestibular dysfunction (CI-V group: mean age ± SD=20.6 ± 5.36 years, 7 females). Participants completed two working memory tasks (backward auditory verbal digit span task and backward visuospatial dot matrix task) during three balance conditions: seated, standing in tandem stance with the BalanCI off, and standing in tandem stance with the BalanCI on. Working memory performance was quantified as total number of correct trials achieved. Postural stability was quantified as translational and rotational path length of motion capture markers worn on the head, upper body, pelvis, and feet, normalized by trial time. Relative to the control group, children and young adults in the CI-V group exhibited poorer overall working memory across all balance conditions ( p = 0.03), poorer translational postural stability (larger translational path length) during both verbal and visuospatial working memory tasks ( p < 0.001), and poorer rotational stability (larger rotational path length) during the verbal working memory task ( p = 0.026). The CI-V group also exhibited poorer translational ( p = 0.004) and rotational ( p < 0.001) postural stability during the backward verbal digit span task than backward visuospatial dot matrix task; BalanCI use reduced this stability difference between verbal and visuospatial working memory tasks for translational stability overall ( p > 0.9), as well as for rotational stability during the maximum working memory span (highest load) participants achieved in each task ( p = 0.91). Balance and working memory were impaired in the CI-V group compared with the control group. The BalanCI offered subtle improvements in stability in the CI-V group during a backward verbal working memory task, without producing a negative effect on working memory outcomes. This study supports the feasibility of the BalanCI as a balance prosthesis for individuals with cochleovestibular impairments.

Neural dynamics underlying successful auditory short-term memory performance.

Listeners often operate in complex acoustic environments, consisting of many concurrent sounds. Accurately encoding and maintaining such auditory objects in short-term memory is crucial for communication and scene analysis. Yet, the neural underpinnings of successful auditory short-term memory (ASTM) performance are currently not well understood. To elucidate this issue, we presented a novel, challenging auditory delayed match-to-sample task while recording MEG. Human participants listened to 'scenes' comprising three concurrent tone pip streams. The task was to indicate, after a delay, whether a probe stream was present in the just-heard scene. We present three key findings: First, behavioural performance revealed faster responses in correct versus incorrect trials as well as in 'probe present' versus 'probe absent' trials, consistent with ASTM search. Second, successful compared with unsuccessful ASTM performance was associated with a significant enhancement of event-related fields and oscillatory activity in the theta, alpha and beta frequency ranges. This extends previous findings of an overall increase of persistent activity during short-term memory performance. Third, using distributed source modelling, we found these effects to be confined mostly to sensory areas during encoding, presumably related to ASTM contents per se. Parietal and frontal sources then became relevant during the maintenance stage, indicating that effective STM operation also relies on ongoing inhibitory processes suppressing task-irrelevant information. In summary, our results deliver a detailed account of the neural patterns that differentiate successful from unsuccessful ASTM performance in the context of a complex, multi-object auditory scene.

Evaluating false positive rates of standard and hierarchical measures of metacognitive accuracy

A key aspect of metacognition is metacognitive accuracy, i.e., the degree to which confidence judgments differentiate between correct and incorrect trials. To quantify metacognitive accuracy, researchers are faced with an increasing number of different methods. The present study investigated false positive rates associated with various measures of metacognitive accuracy by hierarchical resampling from the confidence database to accurately represent the statistical properties of confidence judgements. We found that most measures based on the computation of summary-statistics separately for each participant and subsequent group-level analysis performed adequately in terms of false positive rate, including gamma correlations, meta-d′, and the area under type 2 ROC curves. Meta-d′/d′ is associated with a false positive rate even below 5%, but log-transformed meta-d′/d′ performs adequately. The false positive rate of HMeta-d depends on the study design and on prior specification: For group designs, the false positive rate is above 5% when independent priors are placed on both groups, but the false positive rate is adequate when a prior was placed on the difference between groups. For continuous predictor variables, default priors resulted in a false positive rate below 5%, but the false positive rate was not distinguishable from 5% when close-to-flat priors were used. Logistic mixed model regression analysis is associated with dramatically inflated false positive rates when random slopes are omitted from model specification. In general, we argue that no measure of metacognitive accuracy should be used unless the false positive rate has been demonstrated to be adequate.

Cortico-Cerebellar Monitoring of Speech Sequence Production.

In a functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we examined speech error monitoring in a cortico-cerebellar network for two contrasts: (a) correct trials with high versus low articulatory error probability and (b) overtly committed errors versus correct trials. Engagement of the cognitive cerebellar region Crus I in both contrasts suggests that this region is involved in overarching performance monitoring. The activation of cerebellar motor regions (superior medial cerebellum, lobules VI and VIII) indicates the additional presence of a sensorimotor driven implementation of control. The combined pattern of pre-supplementary motor area (active across contrasts) and anterior cingulate cortex (only active in the contrast involving overt errors) activations suggests sensorimotor driven feedback monitoring in the medial frontal cortex, making use of proprioception and auditory feedback through overt errors. Differential temporal and parietal cortex activation across contrasts indicates involvement beyond sensorimotor driven feedback in line with speech production models that link these regions to auditory target processing and internal modeling-like mechanisms. These results highlight the presence of multiple, possibly hierarchically interdependent, mechanisms that support the optimizing of speech production.

Aggressive behaviors predict greater intraindividual reaction time variability in children: Evidence from cross-lagged panel models.

Deficits in attentional control or inhibitory control are distinct features of childhood aggressive behaviors. Lower attentional control or inhibitory control is considered to predict more aggressive behaviors, while few studies have documented the possible predictive effects of aggressive behaviors on attentional control or inhibitory control. The present study examined the bidirectional relations between aggressive behaviors and both inhibitory control and attentional control in 169 Chinese primary school children (75 girls, Mage = 7.15, SDage = 0.33), annually for 3years starting at age 7. The No-go accuracy on a Go/No-go task was used as the index of inhibitory control, and the intraindividual reaction time variability (IIRTV) of correct Go trials indicated attentional control. The aggressive behaviors subscale of the child behavior checklist-Chinese versionwas used to assess the children's aggressive behaviors. The results demonstrated a significant and stable predictive effect of previous aggressive behaviors on subsequent attentional control, with more aggressive behaviors predicting greater IIRTV at both the between-child and within-child levels. No significant effects of inhibitory control or attentional control on aggressive behaviors or sex-specific patterns were found. The findings suggest the negative impact of childhood aggressive behaviors on attentional control and underscore the importance of early prevention and intervention for childhood aggressive behaviors.

Assessment of Probiotics (Lactobacillus) Supplementation in the Management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Background Studies suggest that the bidirectional relationship existent between the gut microbiome (GM) and the central nervous system (CNS), or so-called the microbiome–gut–brain axis (MGBA), is involved in diverse neuropsychiatric diseases in children and adults. Aim and objectives The aim of the study was to assess the effect of probiotics supplementation as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) cases. Subjects and methods This was a randomized controlled study included 80 patients with ADHD diagnosed according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for ADHD with age ranging from 6 to 16 years old who are following up at the Child Psychiatry Clinics of both Children`s Hospital and Psychiatry Institute Faculty of medicine, Ain-Shams University, All patients randomly distributed into two equal groups, Group1:ADHD cases received probotic in addtion to atomoxetine and Group2: ADHD cases received atomoxetine without probiotic, all cases subjected to Conner’s Parent Rating Scales-Revised (CRS-R) and The Continuous Performance Test (CPT) before and after intervention. Results In group 1, there was significant decrease in mean differences between before and after intervention as regards Oppositional, inattentive, Hyperactive/impulsive and total scores after intervention in comparison with before intervention (p &amp;lt; 0.001). In group 2, the mean differences between before and after showed non-significant differences regarding Oppositional, inattentive and Hyperactive/impulsive scores (p &amp;gt; 0.05). There was statistically significant elevation (improvement) in the mean Correct trials, Correct targets, Correct foils, Target Accuracy Rate and foil Accuracy Rate scores of CPT among the group 1 compared with the group 2 (p &amp;lt; 0.05). On the other hand, group 1 had significant lower (improvement) scores of Commission errors, Omission errors, Correct Real Time Standard Deviation, Error real time mean Score and Error Real Time SD compared to group 2 (p &amp;lt; 0.05). In group 2, the mean differences between before and after showed non-significant differences regarding all sub items of CPT (p &amp;gt; 0.05). Conclusion Results of This study suggests that Probiotic supplementation could be beneficial as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of ADHD cases.. This is a relatively new area of research and the number of included studies is limited.

Key Prognostic Factors Create a Composite Risk Score to Stratify Patients into High- and Low-Treatment Benefit Groups: A Multicenter, Retrospective Data Analysis of 84 Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients Treated with Regorafenib as Part of the CORRECT and CONSIGN Trials

Introduction: In further-line mCRC treatment, median progression-free survival (PFS) is rather short, and many patients do not benefit from any antitumor treatment and should therefore be treated according to best-supportive care. A risk score based on standard laboratory values using markers of tumor inflammation aims to define a patient cohort with high treatment benefit and might offer insights into tumor biology. As regorafenib has been dropped off the German market due to an unfavorable risk-benefit ratio, patient selection is key for any further-line treatment option. Methods: We used Cox regression analysis to determine laboratory markers that are independent prognostic factors of OS and PFS outcome. The influence of these variables was weighted using an estimator, which was calculated using Cox regression analysis. The estimators were implemented as multiplication factors, resulting in a risk score. A cut-off value for the resulting risk values was then determined via Cox regression analysis resulting in a low- and high-risk subgroup. Results: Using data of 82 patients, a risk score identifying long-term survival in patients with last-line mCRC treatment could be calculated. The following parameters were associated with significantly longer survival in multivariate analysis: NLR ≤5 (p = <0.001), AP ≤200 U/L (p = 0.001), CRP ≤3.2 mg/dL (p = <0.001). The following estimator values were used to calculate a risk score: NLR: 0.132 (p = 0.046), AP: 0.004 (p = 0.014), and CRP: 0.032 (p = 0.039). Implementing the estimators as multiplication factors yielded the following risk score: 0.132*NLR + 0.004*AP + 0.032*CRP = Risk value. Cox regression resulted in low- and high-risk subgroups with risk values below and above 1.4, respectively. In the group with a low-risk score (<1.4), patients had a median OS of 10.5 months after initiating regorafenib. Patients with a high-risk score (>1.4) survived only 3.3 months after starting therapy with regorafenib (n = 43, p < 0.001, HR = 3.76). Conclusions: The presented composite risk score stratifies patients into two prognostic subgroups characterized by standard laboratory values. Patients with signs of systemic inflammation characterized by elevated NLR, AP, and CRP have a high composite risk score and a significant shorter overall survival. Although this score needs to be prospectively validated in larger cohorts, it may be used to stratify patients suitable for further-line treatment studies.

New Clinical and Immunofluoresence Data of Collagen VI-Related Myopathy: A Single Center Cohort of 69 Patients.

Pathogenetic mechanism recognition and proof-of-concept clinical trials were performed in our patients affected by collagen VI-related myopathies. This study, which included 69 patients, aimed to identify innovative clinical data to better design future trials. Among the patients, 33 had Bethlem myopathy (BM), 24 had Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD), 7 had an intermediate phenotype (INTM), and five had myosclerosis myopathy (MM). We obtained data on muscle strength, the degree of contracture, immunofluorescence, and genetics. In our BM group, only one third had a knee extension strength greater than 50% of the predicted value, while only one in ten showed similar retention of elbow flexion. These findings should be considered when recruiting BM patients for future trials. All the MM patients had axial and limb contractures that limited both the flexion and extension ranges of motion, and a limitation in mouth opening. The immunofluorescence analysis of collagen VI in 55 biopsies from 37 patients confirmed the correlation between collagen VI defects and the severity of the clinical phenotype. However, biopsies from the same patient or from patients with the same mutation taken at different times showed a progressive increase in protein expression with age. The new finding of the time-dependent modulation of collagen VI expression should be considered in genetic correction trials.

Be careful what you explain: Benefits and costs of explainable AI in a simulated medical task

We investigated the impact of explainability instructions with respect to system limitations on trust behavior and trust attitude when using an artificial intelligence (AI) support agent to perform a simulated medical task. In an online experiment (N = 128), participants performed a visual estimation task in a simulated medical setting (i.e., estimate the percentage of bacteria in a visual stimulus). All participants were supported by an AI that gave perfect recommendations for all but one color of bacteria (i.e., error-prone color with 50% reliability). We manipulated between-subjects whether participants knew about the error-prone color (XAI condition) or not (nonXAI condition). The analyses revealed that participants showed higher trust behavior (i.e., lower deviation from the AI recommendation) for the non-error-prone trials in the XAI condition. Moreover, participants showed lower trust behavior for the error-prone color in the XAI condition than in the nonXAI condition. However, this behavioral adaptation only applied to the subset of error-prone trials in which the AI gave correct recommendations, and not to the actual erroneous trials. Thus, designing explainable AI systems can also come with inadequate behavioral adaptations, as explainability was associated with benefits (i.e., more adequate behavior in non-error-prone trials), but also costs (stronger changes to the AI recommendations in correct error-prone trials).

Differences in Neurocognitive Functions Between Healthy Controls and Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Reconstructed Male Athletes Who Passed or Failed Return to Sport Criteria: A Preliminary Study.

Only 55% of anterior cruciate ligament-reconstructed (ACLR) athletes return to competitive sports. This brings into question the usefulness of current return to sport (RTS) criteria. High cognitive demand of sport environment clarifies the value of incorporating neurocognitive tests when making decisions regarding the time of RTS. This preliminary study aimed to compare the neurocognitive functions between healthy controls and ACLR male athletes who passed or failed RTS criteria. A total of 45 male football players, including 15 ACLR who passed RTS criteria, 15 ACLR who did not pass, and 15 healthy controls participated in this cross-sectional study. The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery was used to measure a battery of neurocognitive tasks, including speed of response, sustained attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and response inhibition. The results revealed that compared with both the ACLR-passed and healthy groups, the ACLR-failed group showed greater values of 5-choice movement time (P = .02, P = .01, respectively) but lower values of stop signal reaction time (P = .03, P = .001, respectively) and proportion of successful stops variables (P = .02). In addition, compared with the healthy group, both the ACLR-failed and ACLR-passed groups indicated greater values in between errors (P < .001, P = .008, respectively) and reaction latency variables (P = .002, P = .01, respectively) but lower values of A' (P < .001, P = .007, respectively), probability of hit (P < .001, P = .03, respectively), and percent correct trials variables (P = .006, P = .02, respectively). Our findings indicated deficits in neurocognitive functions in ACLR male athletes. In addition, poor performance in sustained attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility measures observed in the ACLR-passed group highlighted the necessity for using a multimodal approach via implementation of neurocognitive measures in conjunction with the functional and muscular assessments when making RTS decisions.

Differences in auditory verbal working memory between adults who do and do not stutter on an N-back task

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate auditory verbal working memory in adults who do (AWS) and do not (AWNS) stutter using a highly demanding linguistic N-back task. MethodsFifteen AWS and 15 AWNS matched in age, gender and educational level were asked to hear series of words and respond by pressing a “yes” button if the word they just heard was the same as the word one, two, or three trials back. Words were either phonologically similar (i.e., Phonological Linguistic Condition) or phonologically dissimilar (i.e., Neutral Linguistic Condition). Accuracy and false alarms rates as well as reaction time on correct target trials, missed target trials and false alarms were collected and analyzed. ResultsDifferences were not found between AWS and AWNS in accuracy. Both groups were more accurate and significantly faster in 1- followed by 2- followed by 3-back trials. However, AWS were significantly slower than AWNS in the 2-back level, regardless of linguistic condition. Furthermore, AWS demonstrated more false alarms compared to AWNS. ConclusionResults revealed differences in auditory verbal working memory and interference control between AWS and AWNS when processing highly linguistically demanding stimuli.

Error-related Potentials in a Virtual Pick-and-Place Experiment: Toward Real-world Shared-control.

In Human-Robot Collaboration setting a robot may be controlled by a user directly or through a Brain-Computer Interface that detects user intention, and it may act as an autonomous agent. As such interaction increases in complexity, conflicts become inevitable. Goal conflicts can arise from different sources, for instance, interface mistakes - related to misinterpretation of human's intention - or errors of the autonomous system to address task and human's expectations. Such conflicts evoke different spontaneous responses in the human's brain, which could be used to regulate intrinsic task parameters and to improve system response to errors - leading to improved transparency, performance, and safety. To study the possibility of detecting interface and agent errors, we designed a virtual pick and place task with sequential human and robot responsibility and recorded the electroencephalography (EEG) activity of six participants. In the virtual environment, the robot received a command from the participants through a computer keyboard or it moved as autonomous agent. In both cases, artificial errors were defined to occur in 20% - 25% of the trials. We found differences in the responses to interface and agent errors. From the EEG data, correct trials, interface errors, and agent errors were truly predicted for 51.62% ± 9.99% (chance level 38.21%) of the pick movements and 46.84%±6.62% (chance level 36.99%) for the place movements in a pseudo-asynchronous fashion. Our study suggests that in a human-robot collaboration setting one may improve the future performance of a system with intention detection and autonomous modes. Specific examples could be Neural Interfaces that replace and restore motor functions.

Effects of the number of competing responses on neural signatures of pre- and post-response conflict

The optimization of human performance requires the continuous monitoring of behavioral conflicts. According to conflict monitoring theory, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex registers response conflict which is reflected by two electrophysiological signatures, the N2 and the Ne/ERN. The theory assumes that, if a stimulus activates an incorrect response that competes with the correct response, pre-response conflict on correct trials (reflected by the N2) is enhanced but post-response conflict on error trials (reflected by the Ne/ERN) is reduced. Here, we asked whether response conflict depends on the number of competing incorrect responses activated by a stimulus, that is, whether the N2 is further enhanced and the Ne/ERN is further reduced if two incorrect responses are activated as compared to one. To this end, we used a modified flanker paradigm, in which the two flankers were associated either with the same incorrect response or with different incorrect responses. Our results indicate an increased N2 on correct trials and a reduced Ne/ERN on error trials in the latter as compared to the former condition. These results confirm central predictions of conflict monitoring theory and demonstrate that response conflict is directly related to the number of competing incorrect responses.