Information Processing Difficulties Research Articles

Alexithymia modulates emotion concept activation during facial expression processing.

Alexithymia is characterized by difficulties in emotional information processing. However, the underlying reasons for emotional processing deficits in alexithymia are not fully understood. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying emotional deficits in alexithymia. Using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, we recruited college students with high alexithymia (n = 24) or low alexithymia (n = 24) in this study. Participants judged the emotional consistency of facial expressions and contextual sentences while recording their event-related potentials. Behaviorally, the high alexithymia group showed longer response times versus the low alexithymia group in processing facial expressions. The event-related potential results showed that the high alexithymia group had more negative-going N400 amplitudes compared with the low alexithymia group in the incongruent condition. More negative N400 amplitudes are also associated with slower responses to facial expressions. Furthermore, machine learning analyses based on N400 amplitudes could distinguish the high alexithymia group from the low alexithymia group in the incongruent condition. Overall, these findings suggest worse facial emotion perception for the high alexithymia group, potentially due to difficulty in spontaneously activating emotion concepts. Our findings have important implications for the affective science and clinical intervention of alexithymia-related affective disorders.

Parental Experiences with Newborn Screening and Gene Replacement Therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder with onset predominantly in infants and children. In recent years, newborn screening and three treatments, including gene replacement therapy (Onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi), have become available in the United States, aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of children with SMA. To evaluate parents' experiences with newborn screening and gene replacement therapy and to explore best practices for positive newborn screen disclosure and counseling of families. We conducted semi-structured interviews (n = 32) and online surveys (n = 79) of parents whose children were diagnosed with SMA (on newborn screening or symptomatically) and treated with gene replacement therapy. Gene replacement therapy was most parents' first treatment choice, although concerns regarding long term efficacy (65%) and safety (51%) were common. Information provided during the newborn screening disclosure was quite variable. Only 34% of parents reported the information provided was sufficient and expressed need for more information about treatment. Although many parents experienced denial of the diagnosis at initial disclosure, 94% were in favor of inclusion of SMA on newborn screening. Parents were almost universally anxious following diagnosis and over half remained anxious at the time of study participation with uncertainty of the future being a key concern. Many parents had difficulty processing information provided during their first clinic appointment due to its complexity and their emotional state at the time. Utilizing this data, we provide a recommendation for the information provided in newborn screening disclosure, propose adjustments to education and counseling during the first clinic visit, and bring awareness of parents' mental health difficulties.

Assessment of Psychopathological Changes and Mental Functioning in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis – a Literature Review

MS (Multiple sclerosis) is the most common primary disease of the central nervous system. Although neurological symptoms predominate, an increased incidence of mental health disorders is also observed. The most common are depression and anxiety disorders. Cognitive impairment occurs in half of MS patients. Most often, they are associated with difficulties in concentration, memory disorders, and slower information processing. Changes occurring in the CNS cause long-term chronic fatigue. The loss of sexual drive may be caused by CNS pathology, especially the limbic system and brain stem nuclei, or by psychological mechanisms in response to the impact of MS symptoms. Pain is very troublesome for patients and makes it difficult to function, disturbing the quality of sleep, negatively affecting mood, causing anxiety and depression. A complete understanding of all aspects of MS in the bio-psycho-social dimension is necessary to provide holistic care to a patient with MS. The knowledge of medical staff regarding the image of psychopathological changes in the course of MS may be of great importance for the proper assessment of the mental state of patients and for undertaking adequate medical and nursing interventions. This will undoubtedly contribute to reducing psychopathological symptoms in patients themselves and thus improving the quality of life. (JNNN 2023;12(4):177–182)

Verbalizer-visualizer preferences of engineering students: Validity and reliability

Learning content has several forms of presentation, both visual and verbal, but students have different characteristics in processing information depending on their learning preferences. Some students have difficulty processing information without knowing what to do. This happens because students do not yet understand the characteristics of their learning styles. This research aims to study the VVQ instrument used by engineering students by measuring the validity and reliability of the VVQ instrument used. This research uses a statistical quantitative method approach to measure the validity and reliability of the instrument. The instrument development process goes through three stages: analysis and formulation of a literature review, development of the VVQ instrument, and measurement of the validity and reliability of the VVQ instrument. Development of question items based on pre-arranged and customized content categories. The development of VVQ in this study shows the validity value of rcount > rtable, rcount > 0.1966 for each item, and the Person Moment (rxy) correlation is moderate (0.40 < rxy < 0.60) and high (0.60 < rxy < 0.80 ). This research instrument is reliable because the data shows Cronbach's Alpha value rcount > rtable; 0.817 > 0.6319, and the difficulty level is proportional (medium and high). The VVQ instrument achieves validity and reliability based on the analysis items that have been measured. The implications of this research have a significant impact on adjusting learning content to be more personalized based on student learning preferences.

Event-Related Desynchronization of MEG Alpha-Band Oscillations during Simultaneous Presentation of Audio and Visual Stimuli in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Alpha-band (8-12 Hz) event-related desynchronization (ERD) or a decrease in alpha power in electro- and magnetoencephalography (EEG and MEG) reflects the involvement of a neural tissue in information processing. It is known that most children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties in information processing, and, thus, investigation of alpha oscillations is of particular interest in this population. Previous studies have demonstrated alterations in this neural activity in individuals with ASD; however, little is known about alpha ERD during simultaneous presentation of auditory and visual stimuli in children with and without ASD. As alpha oscillations are intimately related to attention, and attention deficit is one of the common co-occurring conditions of ASD, we predict that children with ASD can have altered alpha ERD in one of the sensory domains. In the present study, we used MEG to investigate alpha ERD in groups of 20 children with ASD and 20 age-matched typically developing controls. Simple amplitude-modulated tones were presented together with a fixation cross appearing on the screen. The results showed that children with ASD had a bilateral reduction in alpha-band ERD in the auditory but not visual cortex. Moreover, alterations in the auditory cortex were associated with a higher presence of autistic traits measured in behavioral assessment.

Barriers and needs in mental healthcare of adults with autism spectrum disorder in Germany: a qualitative study in autistic adults, relatives, and healthcare providers

BackgroundAutism refers to a neurodevelopmental condition with characteristic impairments in social interaction and communication, restrictive and repetitive behaviors, as well as difficulties in sensory information processing and daily living skills. Even though symptoms persist from early childhood throughout the lifespan and often require long-term support, there is a lack of mental health services that sufficiently meet the needs of autistic adults. Previous evidence suggested individual, professional and structural barriers to healthcare for autistic adults. Here, using a peer research approach, we sought to systematically investigate barriers and needs in mental healthcare of autistic adults in Germany at the three relevant levels (individual, professional, structural) and from three relevant perspectives (autistic adults, relatives and healthcare providers), in order to obtain specific recommendations for optimized healthcare.MethodsMaximum variation sampling was used to account for the complexity of the research field. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with autistic adults (n = 15) and focus groups with relatives/partners (n = 12), and healthcare providers of several professions (n = 15). Data analysis was performed using the codebook approach of thematic analysis.ResultsPoor mental healthcare of autistic adults in Germany was characterized by six central and overarching themes: (i) lack of knowledge about autism, (ii) a need for increased participation/involvement, (iii) consideration of autism-specific needs in treatment, (iv) lack of services, (v) limited access to services, and (vi) improvement of stakeholder collaboration. Themes were similarly reported across participants, emphasizing dissatisfaction in all stakeholders.ConclusionsWe identified major barriers to mental healthcare for autistic adults in Germany that affect autistic adults, but are also of concern to relatives and healthcare providers. Our results point to specific and generic areas for improvement, independent of stakeholder perspectives, which could guide future development of needs- and evidence-based services, recommendations and guidelines of mental healthcare for people with autism across the lifespan.Trial registrationThis study protocol was preregistered at the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/5x8pg).

P048 Assessing the health equity impacts of smartphone-based remote monitoring in people with rheumatoid arthritis: a stakeholder engagement workshop

Abstract Background/Aims REmote Monitoring of Rheumatoid Arthritis (REMORA) is a smartphone-app for daily symptom-tracking which is linked to the electronic health record, aiming to improve clinical decision-making and disease activity in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Given well-established sociodemographic inequities which influence access to smartphones and the ability to utilise and benefit from them for health purposes, we engaged with stakeholder-representatives to assess the potential impact of REMORA on health equity and identify mitigation strategies. Methods We organised a 3-hour stakeholder-engagement workshop, inviting people with RA, healthcare professionals (HCPs) and digital health researchers. The workshop was guided by the validated Health Equity Impact Assessment-Digital Health Supplement (HEIA-DH), aiming to explore for REMORA: Groups at-risk of digital health inequities; Potential inadvertent positive/negative impacts; Strategies to mitigate negative impacts. We captured suggestions on a virtual whiteboard and kept field-notes using a pre-defined template for thematic analysis. Results Table 1 presents the workshop results. We identified multiple groups at-risk of digital health inequities (e.g., people with physical disabilities; non-native English speakers; people with information-processing difficulties) for whom stakeholders also highlighted unintended positive impacts (e.g., reduced travel to appointments; supporting verbal discussions with HCPs; opportunities to prepare for consultations). Suggested strategies to mitigate negative impacts included: ensuring app compatibility with larger devices; early explanation of medical terminology; adapting data-inputting/data-summary design features. Conclusion Our results highlight important considerations relevant to the wider field of smartphone-based remote monitoring for long-term conditions. In addition to identifying sociodemographic groups at-risk of digital health inequities, we recognised risks for groups with specific health problems such as physical/sensory disabilities. Our proposed mitigation strategies can be broadly classified into: app adaptations; considerations during app prescription; sign-posting users towards sources of support. We also found that whilst REMORA aims to improve communication between all patients and HCPs, there may be an unexpected additional benefit for groups with specific communication challenges. Our findings demonstrate the utility of HEIA-DH in assessing the potential health equity impact of smartphone-based remote monitoring; further workshops are planned with specific at-risk groups. Regular re-evaluation will help gauge the effectiveness of our strategies and identify further unanticipated equity impacts of REMORA. Disclosure M. Al-Attar: None. A. Crawford: None. A. Gambin: None. S.M. Ali: None. W.G. Dixon: Consultancies; W.G.D. has received consultancy from Google, unrelated to this work. S.N. van der Veer: None.

Patient‐reported experiences with migraine‐related cognitive symptoms: Results of the MiCOAS qualitative study

To capture patients' perspectives on migraine-related cognitive symptoms during pre-headache, headache, post-headache, and interictal periods. Migraine-related cognitive symptoms are reported by people with migraine both during and between attacks. Associated with disability, they are increasingly viewed as a priority target for treatment. The Migraine Clinical Outcome Assessment System (MiCOAS) project is focused on developing a patient-centered core set of outcome measures for the evaluation of migraine treatments. The project focuses on incorporating the experience of people living with migraine and the outcomes most meaningful to them. This includes an examination of the presence and functional impact of migraine-related cognitive symptoms and their perceived impact on quality of life and disability. Forty individuals with self-reported medically diagnosed migraine were recruited via iterative purposeful sampling for semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted using audio-only web conferencing. Thematic content analysis was performed to identify key concepts around migraine-related cognitive symptoms. Recruitment continued until concept saturation was achieved. Participants described symptoms consistent with migraine-related deficits in language/speech, sustained attention, executive function, and memory that manifest during pre-headache (36/40 [90%] reported ≥1 cognitive feature), headache (35/40 [88%] reported ≥1 cognitive feature), post-headache (27/40 [68%] reported ≥1 cognitive feature), and interictal periods (13/40 [33%] reported ≥1 cognitive feature). Among participants reporting cognitive symptoms during pre-headache, 32/40 (81%) endorsed 2-5 cognitive symptoms. Findings were similar during the headache phase. Participants reported language/speech problems consistent with, for example, impairments in receptive language, expressive language, and articulation. Issues with sustained attention included fogginess, confusion/disorientation, and trouble with concentration/focus. Deficits in executive function included difficulty processing information and reduced capacity for planning and decision-making. Memory issues were reported across all phases of the migraine attack. This patient-level qualitative study suggests that cognitive symptoms are common for persons with migraine, particularly in the pre-headache and headache phases. These findings highlight the importance of assessing and ameliorating these cognitive problems.

Explicit and implicit attachment representations in cognitively able school-age children with autism spectrum disorder: A window to their inner world.

The few studies available on quality of attachment in school-age children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exclusively used questionnaires assessing explicit attachment representations. Thus, in the current study we assessed both explicit and implicit attachment representations in 23 children with ASD (without intellectual disability), 22 with learning disabilities and 27 with typical development aged from 7 to 13years. A self-reported measure on the quality of attachment to parents and a semi-structured interview were administered to the children. In addition, a developmental assessment of the child including measures of intelligence and social-communication impairment was conducted. Despite the lack of group differences on explicit attachment representations, we found that children with ASD showed higher rates of at-risk self-protective strategies and psychological trauma compared to the TD group. Children with SLD also showed a high level of at-risk implicit attachment representations than TD, albeit to a lesser extent compared to children with ASD. These results may be related to several factors associated with ASD impairment and developmental pathways, such as the atypical learning process which occur at interpersonal level, the difficulties in social information processing and reflective functioning. Our findings suggested that children with ASD may experience difficulties in the construction of balanced implicit attachment representations. Thus, a more comprehensive assessment of attachment including both implicit and explicit representations is recommended.

Benefits of choir singing on complex auditory encoding in the aging brain: An ERP study.

Aging is accompanied by difficulties in auditory information processing, especially in more complex sound environments. Choir singing requires efficient processing of multiple sound features and could, therefore, mitigate the detrimental effects of aging on complex auditory encoding. We recorded auditory event-related potentials during passive listening of sounds in healthy older adult (≥ 60 years) choir singers and nonsinger controls. We conducted a complex oddball condition involving encoding of abstract regularities in combinations of pitch and location features, as well as in two simple oddball conditions, in which only either the pitch or spatial location of the sounds was varied. We analyzed change-related mismatch negativity (MMN) and obligatory P1 and N1 responses in each condition. In the complex condition, the choir singers showed a larger MMN than the controls, which also correlated with better performance in a verbal fluency test. In the simple pitch and location conditions, the choir singers had smaller N1 responses compared to the control subjects, whereas the MMN responses did not differ between groups. These results suggest that regular choir singing is associated both with more enhanced encoding of complex auditory regularities and more effective adaptation to simple sound features.

Effects of interface layout design on mobile learning efficiency: a comparison of interface layouts for mobile learning platform

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the impact of mobile learning platforms on users' study efficiency and develop cognitive indicators to evaluate users' study efficiency on mobile learning platforms.Design/methodology/approachLayout style was the only independent factor that was investigated. A between-group experimental design was employed. Eye movement data were recorded during the experiment, following which participants were asked to complete an after-scenario questionnaire. This study evaluated the usability of the proposed new design using both subjective and objective data. The computer system usability questionnaire V3 (CSUQ) was used to measure subjective data. For the eye-tracking measure, gaze entropy, the proportion of fixation count and duration of each AOI were calculated. Gaze entropy reflects the complexity of information organization. Fixation counts and AOI duration represent the difficulty of information processing and attention distribution, respectively during the task.FindingsThe results indicated that interface layout presents significant effects on user's learning efficiency, usability and cognitive load. Sequential layout improved efficiency and satisfaction among participants and reduced information complexity. The results provided useful insights for designers whose goal is to improve user's learning efficiency under mobile learning scheme.Originality/valueThis study investigated the effects of interface layout on usability, user performance and cognitive load using subjective ratings and eye-tracking technology. Gaze entropy was used to measure the complexity of information organized by the interface design. Fixation count and duration proportion were used to identify the difficulty of information processing and distinguish users' distribution of cognitive resources. The results indicated that a vertical layout panel design was more efficient than a horizontal layout panel design. The design implications of the eye tracking indicators and research results were then summarized. This study is expected to encourage designers to optimize their design proposals using eye tracking testing.

LITERATURE RIVIEW : GAMBARAN TINGKAT KECEMASAN KELUARGA DALAM MERAWAT ANGGOTA KELUARGA PENDERITA SKIZOFRENIA

Schizophrenia is a persistent and serious brain disease that results in psychotic behavior, concrete thinking and difficulty processing information, interpersonal relationships, and problem solving. family is an open system, which means a change or disruption in one part of the entire system. This means that when one member of the family suffers from schizophrenia, the whole family feels the negative impact. Families generally experience feelings of sadness, anxiety, fear, worry and confusion in dealing with family members who experience schizophrenia.To find similarities, strengths and weaknesses of family anxiety levels in caring for family members with schizophrenia. based on the literature review study. From the literature review. In general, the level of family anxiety in caring for family members with schizophrenia is moderate.

Information needs and preferences among rural cancer survivors in Queensland, Australia: a qualitative examination

ObjectiveThis study aimed to understand how cancer survivors in rural Queensland seek and receive information, as well as their preferences regarding the content and delivery of health‐related information. MethodsThis study explored cancer survivors’ experiences in seeking and comprehending health information using a qualitative descriptive approach. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 24 participants. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. ResultsTwo major themes and six sub‐themes were identified including 1) information content and gaps – a) information about diagnosis and treatment, b) survivorship information gaps and c) practical support needs and 2) delivery and acceptance of information – a) sources of information, b) personalised information needs and c) information seeking or avoidance. Findings suggested that health information provision was inconsistent; survivors’ attitudes towards seeking information varied greatly; and survivors’ had difficulty processing information due to emotional distress. ConclusionThe role of the health professional is critical in providing information and support to rural cancer survivors. Information provided should be tailored to meet the needs and preferences of individuals taking into consideration demographic factors and attitudes. Implications for public healthThe current findings imply that quality information provision after cancer treatment would facilitate improvements in satisfaction among rural cancer survivors.

Dorsal-Ventral Visual Pathways and Object Characteristics: Beamformer Source Analysis of EEG

In performing a gaming task, mental rotation (MR) is one of the important aspects of visuospatial processing. MR involves dorsal-ventral pathways of the brain. Visual objects/models used in computer-games play a crucial role in gaming experience of the users. The visuospatial characteristics of the objects used in the computer-game influence the engagement of dorsal-ventral visual pathways. The current study investigates how the objects’ visuospatial characteristics (i.e., angular disparity and dimensionality) in an MR-based computer-game influence the cortical activities in dorsal-ventral visual pathways. Both the factors have two levels, angular disparity: convex angle (CA) vs. reflex angle (RA) and dimensionality: 2D vs. 3D. Sixty healthy adults, aged, 18–29 years (M = 21.6) were recruited for the study and randomly assigned to four gaming conditions i.e., 15 participants in each group. The multichannel electroencephalogram (EEG) data were recorded from 60 healthy adults while playing the game. The source reconstruction was done for ∼3000 sources inside the brain using the Dynamic Imaging of Coherent Sources (DICS) beamforming method for θ1(4–5.75), θ2(5.75–7.5), α1(7.5–9), α2(9–11), α3(11–13), β1(13–17.25), β2(17.25–21.5) Hz frequency sub-bands. The reconstructed neuronal sources were segmented into 68 functionally parcellated brain regions, and the percentage of active sources for each region was computed. Further, the differences across the 68 regions among the four gaming conditions were evaluated using the percentage of active sources. The differences in activation for the dorsal-ventral pathways and some additional brain regions were observed among the four groups. The game with 2D objects and CA showed higher activation than that with 3D objects and RA, respectively. The dorsal pathway was found to be more active in contrast to the ventral pathway. The findings suggest that angular disparity and dimensionality in MR influence the engagement of dorsal-ventral visual pathways in such a way that angular disparity has a greater impact on cortical activation across this region than dimensionality. Also, higher activation for CA as compared to RA irrespective of dimensionality reflects the complexity of spatial information processing under CA. Similarly, greater activation was seen for 2D objects than 3D, indicating difficulty in information processing due to deficient visual features.

Intangible Capital and Market Reactions to Earnings News*

AbstractWe investigate how market reactions to earnings news differ between U.S. firms with high and low intangible capital. We expect investors to have difficulty processing information on earnings news for firms with high intangible capital, leading to a larger reaction to earnings news. Measuring intangible capital as the accumulated sum of externally purchased and internally created intangible assets, we show that both immediate and delayed market reactions to earnings news are larger for high‐intangible firms. Multivariate regressions and four‐factor alphas support the results. This effect is more substantial for firms with limited investor attention and mainly driven by organization capital.

Beyond destructive and constructive interparental conflict: Children's psychological vulnerability to interparental disorganization.

Guided by models of family unpredictability, this study was designed to identify the distinctive sequelae of disorganized interparental conflict, a dimension of interparental conflict characterized by abrupt, inexplicable changes in parental emotional lability, conflict tactics, and verbalizations. Participants included 208 kindergarten children (M age = 5.74 years; 56% girls), mothers, and their caregiving partners from racially diverse backgrounds (e.g., 44% Black) who participated in a longitudinal study with two annual measurement occasions. At Wave 1, trained observers assessed disorganized interparental conflict. Observational and survey assessments were used to assess several family (i.e., interparental conflict, parenting difficulties, parent psychopathology, family instability) and demographic (i.e., children's gender, household income, parent education) characteristics. Assessments of child functioning at each wave included psychological adjustment (i.e., externalizing and internalizing symptoms, prosocial behavior), social information processing difficulties, and attention to emotion cues. Findings from structural equation modeling analyses indicated disorganized interparental conflict significantly predicted decreases in children's prosocial behavior and increases in their externalizing problems, angry reactivity to social problems, and biased attention to angry and sad cues over a one-year period. Results were significant while controlling for established measures of interparental conflict, parenting difficulties, parent psychopathology, family instability, and demographic characteristics. The findings suggest that disorganized characteristics of interparental conflict may be an important domain of clinical change beyond the established targets of family harshness and adversity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Language performance within three months of early childhood traumatic brain injury.

To examine language outcomes in the short-term stage (i.e., within three months) of early childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI). A retrospective chart review over a 10-year period (January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2016) was completed at a single-site inpatient rehabilitation hospital. Inclusion criteria were children aged 15 months to five years 11 months with a diagnosis of closed TBI. Twenty-four charts were included in the descriptive analysis of language; there were fewer children with expressive language scores (n = 18) than receptive language scores (n = 24), likely due to word retrieval difficulties as per clinical documentation. Effects of TBI on language performance were more pronounced in receptive than expressive language. For children with scores in both receptive and expressive language areas (n = 18), five children had below average scores. These children were described as having language delays pre-injury (n = 2), lower exposure to English (n = 1), information processing difficulties (n = 1), and difficulties with formulation and organization of language (n = 1). This study represents an initial step in understanding expressive and receptive language performance shortly after early childhood TBI. Challenges with assessment as well as directions for future research are discussed.

Can a virtual environment enhance understanding of hoarding deficits? A pilot investigation

This pilot study tested the utility of a virtual environment for assessing cognitive deficits characteristic of hoarding. A sample representing a broad spectrum of hoarding traits (N = 20) was assessed using self-report measures of information processing skills and emotional experience, and placed in a virtually simulated house that contained cluttered spaces and clean spaces. Information-processing significantly differed between high-hoarding and low-hoarding groups, with the high-hoarding group showing increased proneness to emotional attachment and information processing difficulties in the cluttered environment. The high-hoarding group also showed differences in behaviour and appraisal of the simulated environment. The findings suggested that virtual reality is accessible to participants and elicits real-time emotions and behavioural parameters which can assist our understanding of hoarding behaviour. Virtual reality may contribute to hoarding therapy in future, as it allows participants to visualise a different perspective of their condition and could contribute to their knowledge about the severity of their behaviour.

A Study on Intelligent Obscured Face Image Completion System Based on GAN Network

Image recognition and processing is an important part of modern information technology. However, in real life, the face will inevitably be blocked by hats, masks, or face photos are damaged, scratches, and images are added mosaic and other reasons, resulting in face image masking, increasing face information recognition and processing difficulties. Image completion is a kind of technology to restore the missing information of obscured image. By supplementing the information of missing area, it can reduce the difficulty of image recognition and simplify the processing of face information.So it has important research significance for the restoration of shaded image. The traditional image completion technology produces the face of poor natural degree. At present, most of the popular completion methods combine depth learning, and the repair methods based on generating anti-network GAN are the representatives of them.But the stability of the network is poor, so it is difficult to train pictures with large sheltered area or poor image quality.Some methods are not effective in the completion of arbitrary shaded areas. Therefore, this study focuses on the improvement of the stability of the generated adversarial network and the maintenance of the global and local semantic consistency between the completion image and the real image. The main work includes: (1) Sets a special network structure of global discriminator and local discriminator. When the input is arbitrarily shaded, the completion image can maintain the consistency of global and local semantics. (2) The least square loss function is used to improve the stability of the GAN network. So it performs great when the input image has large area masking or low visualization degree. (3) ADAM algorithm is used to accelerate the training of neural network. (4) Based on the completion model, a human-computer interaction software is designed and developed, which includes data set selection, image selection, image completion, result evaluation and so on. The system is applied to the removal of facial structures such as wrinkles and spots. Compared with some existing software, the system can effectively remove the selected facial structures without image distortion. Based on the design of special network structure, the system improves the supervision ability of global and local completion, the stability of GAN network and enhances its training ability in large area masking. The system is intelligent and has strong completion ability for arbitrary masking and large area masking. The research results of this paper effectively restore the information loss caused by image masking and prepare favorable conditions for subsequent image recognition and processing.

Predominant cognitive phenotypes in multiple sclerosis: Insights from patient-centered outcomes

BackgroundSince combining information from different domains could be useful to increase prediction accuracy over and above what can be achieved at the level of single category of markers, this study aimed to identify distinct and predominant subtypes, i.e., cognitive phenotypes, in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) considering both cognitive impairment and mood disorders. MethodsA latent class analysis (LCA) was applied on data from 872 PwMS who were tested with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Furthermore, the distribution of demographic (i.e., age, gender, years of education) and clinical characteristics (i.e., disease duration, disease course, disability level) was examined amongst the identified phenotypes. ResultsBased on model fit and parsimony criteria, LCA identified four cognitive phenotypes: 1) only memory difficulties (n = 247; 28.3%); 2) minor memory and language deficits with mood disorders (n = 185; 21.2%); 3) moderate memory, language and attention impairments (n = 164; 18.8%); 4) severe memory, language, attention, information processing and executive functions difficulties (n = 276; 31.7%). ConclusionsSince less is known about the progressive deterioration of cognition in PwMS, a taxonomy of distinct subtypes that consider information from different clustered domains (i.e., cognition and mood) represents both a challenge and opportunity for an advanced understanding of cognitive impairments and development of tailored cognitive treatments in MS.