Exploratory Movements Research Articles

Learning aspects of young children's first participation in “zoukingake” in a kindergarten: Focusing on emergent exploratory body movements

Learning aspects of young children's first participation in “zoukingake” in a kindergarten: Focusing on emergent exploratory body movements

Ongoing Electroencephalographic Rhythms Related to Exploratory Movements in Transgenic TASTPM Mice.

The European PharmaCog study (http://www.pharmacog.org) has reported a reduction in delta (1-6 Hz) electroencephalographic (EEG) power (density) during cage exploration (active condition) compared with quiet wakefulness (passive condition) in PDAPP mice (hAPP Indiana V717F mutation) modeling Alzheimer's disease (AD) amyloidosis and cognitive deficits. Here, we tested the reproducibility of that evidence in TASTPM mice (double mutation in APP KM670/671NL and PSEN1 M146V), which develop brain amyloidosis and cognitive deficits over aging. The reliability of that evidence was examined in four research centers of the PharmaCog study. Ongoing EEG rhythms were recorded from a frontoparietal bipolar channel in 29 TASTPM and 58 matched "wild type" C57 mice (range of age: 12-24 months). Normalized EEG power was calculated. Frequency and amplitude of individual delta and theta frequency (IDF and ITF) peaks were considered during the passive and active conditions. Compared with the "wild type" group, the TASTPM group showed a significantly lower reduction in IDF power during the active over the passive condition (p < 0.05). This effect was observed in 3 out of 4 EEG recording units. TASTPM mice were characterized by "poor reactivity" of delta EEG rhythms during the cage exploration in line with previous evidence in PDAPP mice. The reliability of that result across the centers was moderate, thus unveiling pros and cons of multicenter preclinical EEG trials in TASTPM mice useful for planning future studies.

Management Background and Release Conditions Structure Post-release Movements in Reintroduced Ungulates

One of the greatest challenges in restoring threatened species to the wild is insufficient knowledge about their habitat requirements and movement ecology. This is especially true for wide-ranging species such as the scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah). Once widespread across Sahelo-Saharan grasslands, oryx were declared Extinct in the Wild in 1999. Here, we integrate GPS/satellite tracking, remote sensing, and gspatial analyses into a large reintroduction project to assess how captive-born oryx respond to wild conditions. We monitored two groups of oryx, reared under different management approaches and released in different seasons, for 12 months after release. Our study provides the first movement trajectories and home range estimates ever recorded for this species. We assessed how captive management methods, release timing, and local environmental conditions during and after release affected oryx movement behavior, survival, and fecundity. Post-release dispersal ranged from 2-90 km. Oryx raised under semi-free ranging conditions, which experienced a long acclimation period, and released during the wet season (“ranging”), moved 40-60 km from the release site. In contrast, oryx raised in smaller pens, with a short acclimation period, and released during the dry season (“penned”), remained within 5-25 km. We expected oryx movements after release to represent tradeoffs between risky, energetically expensive exploratory movements, and optimal resource exploitation. Ranging oryx exhibited this predicted pattern of exploration followed by home range establishment, while penned oryx explored less novel terrain and continuously returned to the release site where supplemental food and water were available. Ranging oryx also exhibited seasonal shifts in movement patterns, while penned oryx simply reduced overall movement. Our results demonstrate that captive management and environmental conditions at release strongly influence the rate and extent to which reintroduced oryx disperse and adapt to wild conditions. We also show that – in contrast to previous studies – longer acclimation periods do not always lead to greater site fidelity. Finally, our findings demonstrate the importance of tracking the largest possible proportion of reintroduced individuals in order to: (1) accurately record post-release behaviors and vital rates of a reintroduced population and (2) adaptively evaluate pre- and post-release management actions to improve conservation outcomes.

Emergence of an Invariant Representation of Texture in Primate Somatosensory Cortex.

A major function of sensory processing is to achieve neural representations of objects that are stable across changes in context and perspective. Small changes in exploratory behavior can lead to large changes in signals at the sensory periphery, thus resulting in ambiguous neural representations of objects. Overcoming this ambiguity is a hallmark of human object recognition across sensory modalities. Here, we investigate how the perception of tactile texture remains stable across exploratory movements of the hand, including changes in scanning speed, despite the concomitant changes in afferent responses. To this end, we scanned a wide range of everyday textures across the fingertips of rhesus macaques at multiple speeds and recorded the responses evoked in tactile nerve fibers and somatosensory cortical neurons (from Brodmann areas 3b, 1, and 2). We found that individual cortical neurons exhibit a wider range of speed-sensitivities than do nerve fibers. The resulting representations of speed and texture in cortex are more independent than are their counterparts in the nerve and account for speed-invariant perception of texture. We demonstrate that this separation of speed and texture information is a natural consequence of previously described cortical computations.

P.285 The substance use intervention team: Preliminary analysis of a population-level strategy addressing the opioid crisis at an academic medical center

This study is conducted to investigate the effects differences of escitalopram with or without combined electroacupuncture (EA) among male inpatients with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence and comorbid protracted alcohol withdrawal symptoms (PAWS).A total of 62 participants who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in a two-arm randomized, placebo controlled, patients-blind trial and allocated to an escitalopram with real-EA group (real-EA group, patients= 31) and an escitalopram with sham-EA group (sham-EA group, patients= 31), respectively. In addition to the oral administration of escitalopram for total four weeks, patients in each group received corresponding EA treatment five days per week and two days off for consecutive four weeks. Both serum homocysteine (Hcy) test and electrophysiological tests, including event-related potentials (ERPs) and exploratory eye movement (EEM) were performed at pre- and post-treatment. Additionally, the global scores of Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS), 17-items Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) were used for assessing the subjective emotion experience of patients, respectively. Meanwhile, adverse effects were monitored and recorded.After four-week treatment, the global scores of PACS and HAMD-17 declined significantly in both groups (both P<0.05). Furthermore, the decline in the real-EA group was superior to that in the sham-EA group (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the total scores of HAMA only decreased in the real-EA group (P<0.05) but not in the sham-EA group (P>0.05). According to the parameters of ERPs, significant declines for N2PL, P3PL, and P3amp were observed in both two groups (all P<0.05), and the decreases for P3PL and P3amp in the real-EA group was much superior to that in the sham-EA group (both P<0.05). According to the parameters of EEM, significant increase for NEF was observed only in the real-EA group (P<0.05). Besides, there was a dramatic decline for serum Hcy level only in the real-EA group (P<0.05). One case in the sham-EA group withdrew from the trial due to self-reported nausea and bitter taste, and outcomes of the remaining 61 patients were adopted for analysis.(1) Escitalopram with EA may be a potential alternative therapy for mitigating PAWS among male inpatients with alcohol dependence. (2) Escitalopram with EA might improve the alcohol-dependence induced cognitive dysfunctions via upregulating the expression of Hcy.

Drums of Doubt: On the Rhythmical Origins of Poetic and Scientific Exploration

AbstractIn his article “Drums of Doubt: On the Rhythmical Origins of Poetic and Scientific Exploration” Caius Dobrescu argues that even though the sciences and arts of doubt have never been connected to the notion of rhythm, doubt is a form of energy, and more specifically, a form of vibration. It implies an exploratory movement that constantly expands and recoils in a space essentially experienced as uncharted territory. Poetry acquires cognitive attributes through oscillatory rhythmic patterns that are explorative and adaptive. In order to test this hypothesis, the essay focuses on the nature and functioning of free verse. This modern prosodic mutation brings about a dovetailing of the rhythmic spectrum, but also, and more significantly, a change in the very manner of understanding and experiencing rhythm. Oscillatory rhythms are broadly associable with entrainment indexes that point to the adaptation of inner physiological and behavioral rhythms to oscillatory environment stimuli. Free verse emerges from the experience of regaining an original explorative, adaptive, and orientation-oriented condition of consciousness.

Juvenile Sandhill Cranes exhibit wider ranging and more exploratory movements than adults during the breeding season

Sandhill Cranes Antigone canadensis exhibit delayed sexual maturity and breeding, and therefore juvenile Cranes searching for suitable territories to occupy have different ecological constraints on movements than adults, which must defend a territory and raise young. We used fine‐scale GPS telemetry data to characterize and compare movements of adult and juvenile Cranes near the boundary between two populations in Minnesota, USA, from arrival on natal areas in the spring until staging prior to autumn migration. Juvenile and adult Cranes had marked differences in movement patterns throughout the breeding season. Juveniles were more likely than adults to display long‐distance movements: they revisited areas less frequently throughout the breeding season and they had lower average residence times.

Behavioural ontogeny of bearded seals Erignathus barbatus through the first year of life

Pinniped pups face special ontogenetic challenges as they are born and receive maternal care on solid substrates (land or ice) but must transition to feeding aquatically following weaning. In this study, satellite relay data loggers were used to study behavioural ontogeny of bearded seal Erignathus barbatus pups (n = 13) through their first year in Svalbard, Norway. Pups occupied shallow, coastal habitats and were found in areas with intermediate ice concentrations (in seasons with sea ice: late-autumn/winter). Most pups showed exploratory movement patterns that peaked in the weeks following weaning; maximum home range size occurred at 31 to 60 d of age. Thereafter, home range size decreased with pups settling into areas along the coast. Time spent diving, dive duration, dive depth and time at the bottom of dives increased during the first weeks of independence, stabilizing when pups were ~50 d old. Dive depth subsequently decreased to depths comparable to adult bearded seals (by the time pups were ~175 d old). Record maximum dive depth (368 m) and duration (16.5 min) were performed by pups that were 66 and 224 d old, respectively. Time spent hauled out decreased after weaning, with pups hauling out only sporadically after they were 75 d old. Bearded seal pups seem to be physiologically and behaviourally well developed by the time they are 2 mo old. Pups did not display the individually specialized diving behaviour seen in adults, which suggests that they continue to fine-tune their aquatic and other life-skills well past the end of the first year of life.

Exploratory Hand Movements Enhance the Liking Effect in Haptics.

When people choose between two items, they usually look at them alternately before deciding. The frequency and duration of contact are usually determined unconsciously. However, in a previous study, looking at one item for longer than the other increased participants’ preference for the former, but only when they had to move their eyes to look at each item. This result implies that eye movements not only gather information but are also closely related to decision-making. By analogy, this study examines the relation between hand movements and haptic preference. When participants touched two handkerchiefs in a pre-determined order before choosing the one they preferred, the likelihood of choosing the more frequently touched handkerchief was greater than chance. Bias in the choice was greater with increased difference in the frequency of touching between the two handkerchiefs. It was also greater when participants moved their arm to touch the handkerchiefs, compared with when a machine carried the handkerchiefs to their hand. These results indicate that both the reaching movement for touching and the frequency of touching affect the preference judgment using haptics.

Linking perception to decision point complexity for adaptive indoor wayfinding support

Linking perception to decision point complexity for adaptive indoor wayfinding support

The first reintroduction project for mhorr gazelle (Nanger dama mhorr) into the wild: Knowledge and experience gained to support future conservation actions

Reintroductions continue to be an important conservation action for endangered species. Until this, all reintroduction projects for Mhorr gazelle (Nanger dama mhorr) had remained at the stage where the animals live in fenced protected areas of different sizes. This study describes the first experience of reintroduction of a group of 24 Mhorr gazelle into the wild in the Safia Reserve, in Southern Morocco. The reintroduction was carried out in two phases: in the first one, the entire group was released; then, after an unexpected dogs attack event, part of them were kept safe until this problem was solved. Seven of the gazelles were monitored with telemetry collars, providing previously unavailable data on time allocation, daily rhythm of activity and social organization for the species in the wild. In addition, post-release movements revealed three patterns: during the first few days after release, small daily movements (average 2.78 km) close to the fence, followed by long-distance exploratory movements (up to 50 km) until establish territories; and finally, daily movements between established territories (average 8.39 km). Exceptional long distances (>50 km/day) were traveled after a poaching event. The study has also revealed the ability of the species to select and settle territories in favorable areas, after being kept for generations under captive or semi-captive conditions. However, their inability to recognize predators was demonstrated in an unexpected attack by dogs, resulting in the death of seven released gazelles. This mortality following the dog attack was favored, in part, because the released gazelle remained close to the fence, and therefore suggests that the release procedure should be revised, especially when there are predators in the release site. This study has confirmed that dogs as predators and poaching continue to be the main threat to reintroduction projects in Southern Morocco.

Fractal fluctuations in exploratory movements predict differences in dynamic touch capabilities between children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and typical development.

Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) struggle to perform a host of daily activities. Many of these involve forceful interaction with objects and thus implicate dynamic touch. Therefore, deficits in dynamic touch could underlie functional difficulties presented by ADHD children. We investigated whether performance on a dynamic touch task (length perception by wielding) differ between children with ADHD and age-matched controls. We further examined whether this difference could be explained by fractal temporal correlations (wielding dynamics). Forty-two children (ADHD: 21; typically developing: 21) wielded unseen wooden rods and reported their perceived length in the form of magnitude productions. The rods varied in the magnitude of the first principal moment of inertia (I1). Three-dimensional displacements of hand and rod positions were submitted to Detrended Fluctuation Analysis to estimate trial-by-trial temporal correlations. Children with ADHD reported shorter length for rods with higher I1 than their typically developing peers, indicative of reduced sensitivity to mechanical information supporting dynamic touch. Importantly, temporal correlations in wielding dynamics moderated children’s usage of I1. This finding points to a role of exploratory movements in perceptual deficits presented by children with ADHD and, thus, should be considered a new potential target for interventions.

Elements virtual rehabilitation improves motor, cognitive, and functional outcomes in adult stroke: evidence from a randomized controlled pilot study

BackgroundVirtual reality technologies show potential as effective rehabilitation tools following neuro-trauma. In particular, the Elements system, involving customized surface computing and tangible interfaces, produces strong treatment effects for upper-limb and cognitive function following traumatic brain injury. The present study evaluated the efficacy of Elements as a virtual rehabilitation approach for stroke survivors.MethodsTwenty-one adults (42–94 years old) with sub-acute stroke were randomized to four weeks of Elements virtual rehabilitation (three weekly 30–40 min sessions) combined with treatment as usual (conventional occupational and physiotherapy) or to treatment as usual alone. Upper-limb skill (Box and Blocks Test), cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment and selected CogState subtests), and everyday participation (Neurobehavioral Functioning Inventory) were examined before and after inpatient training, and one-month later.ResultsEffect sizes for the experimental group (d = 1.05–2.51) were larger compared with controls (d = 0.11–0.86), with Elements training showing statistically greater improvements in motor function of the most affected hand (p = 0.008), and general intellectual status and executive function (p ≤ 0.001). Proportional recovery was two- to three-fold greater than control participants, with superior transfer to everyday motor, cognitive, and communication behaviors. All gains were maintained at follow-up.ConclusionA course of Elements virtual rehabilitation using goal-directed and exploratory upper-limb movement tasks facilitates both motor and cognitive recovery after stroke. The magnitude of training effects, maintenance of gains at follow-up, and generalization to daily activities provide compelling preliminary evidence of the power of virtual rehabilitation when applied in a targeted and principled manner.Trial registrationthis pilot study was not registered.

Dispersal dynamics of juvenile Secretarybirds Sagittarius serpentarius in southern Africa

Knowledge of the dispersal behaviour of southern Africa’s juvenile Secretarybirds Sagittarius serpentarius was previously limited to a small number of ring recoveries (n = 4) in South Africa. From 2012 to 2015, 10 GSM-GPS solar trackers were fitted to juvenile Secretarybirds, aged approximately eight weeks, on their nests. The birds spent an average of 91.30 ± 8.80 d in their natal territories, which had a mean home range size (kernel density estimate 90%) of 1.21 ± 0.34 km2. As they aged, their exploratory movements around the nest expanded exponentially. During this period, exploratory activity peaked between 09:00 and 12:00. They showed high variability in maximum distance travelled from the nest and timing of dispersal from their natal territories. Most of the birds (n = 7) dispersed >150 km from their nests before returning to their natal region, suggesting the existence of natal philopatry in this species. The age of first breeding for a male Secretarybird was also confirmed during this study. The wide-ranging behaviour of juvenile Secretarybirds exposes them to a diverse range of threats, and a better understanding of their movements will aid the development of appropriate conservation strategies for this terrestrial raptor.

Mountain lions on the prairie: habitat selection by recolonizing mountain lions at the edge of their range

Mountain lions (Puma concolor) have historically experienced large‐scale range contractions, but are beginning to recolonize portions of their former range. To reach potential suitable habitats in eastern North America, mountain lions need to move across the grassland and agriculture‐dominated habitats of the Great Plains, which are different from the forested areas associated with mountain lions in western North America. To inform restoration planning in this area, it is important to understand differences in mountain lion habitat selection in this “nontraditional” grassland habitat. We tracked GPS‐collared mountain lions in the Northern Great Plains of Montana and identified movement states (localized or exploratory) using behavioral change point analysis and net‐squared displacement. We compared habitat selection between the different states using step‐selection functions that included several environmental covariates. Similar to elsewhere throughout their range, across both movement states, mountain lions tended to select forested environments that were farther from human development. In contrast to more traditionally occupied mountainous regions, mountain lions in the Great Plains selected areas of lower elevations. They selected areas both near and far from water, but avoided riparian areas and selected more rugged environments when in exploratory movement states. This suggests that mountain lions in the Northern Great Plains are utilizing river corridors, particularly those with rough or broken topography during exploratory phases. To enhance future recolonization and connectivity of mountain lions to the east of our study area, we encourage managers to maintain and restore forest fragments along river corridors in the Great Plains.

Influential factors on gray brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) activity and movement in the Pantanal, Brazil

One of the major challenges in studies of activity and movement ecology is discovering how and why animals behave differently in certain environments. The gray brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) is widely distributed in the Neotropic region. In the Brazilian Pantanal wetland, gray brocket deer inhabit a unique landscape with varying ecotypes arranged in a mosaic, where seasonal flooding alters resource availability for the deer. Documenting animal activity and movement can be the key to understanding how a species interacts with its dynamic environment. We used data from accelerometers and characteristics of movement on six GPS-monitored gray brocket deer in the Pantanal wetland to investigate how habitat type, periods of the day, and cycles of flooding and drought affect activity, movement behavior, and displacement. Deer exhibited the lowest activity and encamped movement in closed habitat during diurnal and nocturnal periods, suggesting resting and foraging behaviors. The highest activity and exploratory movement occurred in open habitats, and potentially was related to deer searching for locations with greater resource availability. Individuals were displaced the most during floods, which was a response to access feeding sites that were free of water. Our results not only represent an unprecedented and refined view of the activity and movement behavior of brocket deer, but they also stress the importance of preserving multiple habitat types for species that express variable foraging strategies in heterogeneous landscapes.

Sensory substitution: The affordance of passability, body-scaled perception, and exploratory movements.

The theory of affordances states that perception is of environmental properties that are relevant to action-capabilities of perceivers. The present study illustrates how concepts and methodological tools from the theory of affordances may help to advance research in the field of sensory substitution. The sensory substitution device (SSD) that was used consisted of two horizontal rows of 12 coin motors that each vibrated as a function of the distance to the nearest object. Sixty blindfolded participants used the SSD to explore virtual horizontal apertures with different widths. They were asked to judge the passability of the apertures. Participants with narrow shoulders judged narrower apertures as passable than participants with wide shoulders. This difference disappeared when aperture width was scaled to shoulder width, demonstrating that perception was body scaled. The actual aperture width was closely related to aspects of the exploratory movements and to aspects of the vibrotactile stimulation that was obtained with the exploratory movements. This implies that the exploratory movements themselves and the vibrotactile stimulation were both informative about the aperture width, and hence that the perception of passability may have been based on either of them or on a global variable that spans vibrotactile as well as kinaesthetic stimulation. Similar performance was observed for participants who accomplished the 7-trial familiarization phase with or without vision, meaning that practice with vision is not indispensable to learn to use the SSD.

Spatial behaviour of Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti juveniles during the dependence period revealed by high-resolution GPS tracking data

During the post-fledging dependence period, young raptors are particularly vulnerable as they are still developing flying, hunting and social skills, and collecting spatial environmental information required for emancipation. We studied the use of space during this critical period by the highly threatened Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti, using high temporal and spatial resolution tracking devices. Ten juveniles from four different nests were tracked throughout their dependence period with GPS/GSM tags. This period lasted until a median age of 137 days (93–153). Juveniles remained within a stable home range with a median of 232 ha, but when 90–100 days old began making exploratory movements that became more frequent and extensive with the approach of emancipation. These movements had a median of 22.2 km and were usually completed within the same day, but this exploratory behaviour proved to be quite plastic, as one movement was 1291 km long and lasted 4.5 days. Moreover, three individuals that were apparently forced to emancipate particularly early seem to have virtually skipped the exploratory phase. The length of the movements varied among years within the same nest, and those of females were about twice those of males. Most movements were towards the NW, and the outgoing flight was usually against the wind. This behaviour may keep animals from flying so far from the nest that they are then unable to return. The high spatial and time resolution provided by GPS tracking resulted in data that highlight the conservation importance of the nest site until well after fledging. Measures to minimize nest disturbance should thus be extended until early October. Moreover, data show that so much of the activity of the still inexperienced juveniles is concentrated in the small pre-emancipation range that is critical to protecting its habitats and eliminating all anthropogenic sources of mortality.

Effects of CYP2D6 genetic polymorphisms on the efficacy and safety of fluvoxamine in patients with depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder

This study is conducted to investigate the effects differences of escitalopram with or without combined electroacupuncture (EA) among male inpatients with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence and comorbid protracted alcohol withdrawal symptoms (PAWS).A total of 62 participants who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in a two-arm randomized, placebo controlled, patients-blind trial and allocated to an escitalopram with real-EA group (real-EA group, patients= 31) and an escitalopram with sham-EA group (sham-EA group, patients= 31), respectively. In addition to the oral administration of escitalopram for total four weeks, patients in each group received corresponding EA treatment five days per week and two days off for consecutive four weeks. Both serum homocysteine (Hcy) test and electrophysiological tests, including event-related potentials (ERPs) and exploratory eye movement (EEM) were performed at pre- and post-treatment. Additionally, the global scores of Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS), 17-items Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) were used for assessing the subjective emotion experience of patients, respectively. Meanwhile, adverse effects were monitored and recorded.After four-week treatment, the global scores of PACS and HAMD-17 declined significantly in both groups (both P<0.05). Furthermore, the decline in the real-EA group was superior to that in the sham-EA group (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the total scores of HAMA only decreased in the real-EA group (P<0.05) but not in the sham-EA group (P>0.05). According to the parameters of ERPs, significant declines for N2PL, P3PL, and P3amp were observed in both two groups (all P<0.05), and the decreases for P3PL and P3amp in the real-EA group was much superior to that in the sham-EA group (both P<0.05). According to the parameters of EEM, significant increase for NEF was observed only in the real-EA group (P<0.05). Besides, there was a dramatic decline for serum Hcy level only in the real-EA group (P<0.05). One case in the sham-EA group withdrew from the trial due to self-reported nausea and bitter taste, and outcomes of the remaining 61 patients were adopted for analysis.(1) Escitalopram with EA may be a potential alternative therapy for mitigating PAWS among male inpatients with alcohol dependence. (2) Escitalopram with EA might improve the alcohol-dependence induced cognitive dysfunctions via upregulating the expression of Hcy.

Long-acting injectable antipsychotics in a mental health unit: pre and post-treatment analysis

This study is conducted to investigate the effects differences of escitalopram with or without combined electroacupuncture (EA) among male inpatients with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence and comorbid protracted alcohol withdrawal symptoms (PAWS).A total of 62 participants who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in a two-arm randomized, placebo controlled, patients-blind trial and allocated to an escitalopram with real-EA group (real-EA group, patients= 31) and an escitalopram with sham-EA group (sham-EA group, patients= 31), respectively. In addition to the oral administration of escitalopram for total four weeks, patients in each group received corresponding EA treatment five days per week and two days off for consecutive four weeks. Both serum homocysteine (Hcy) test and electrophysiological tests, including event-related potentials (ERPs) and exploratory eye movement (EEM) were performed at pre- and post-treatment. Additionally, the global scores of Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS), 17-items Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) were used for assessing the subjective emotion experience of patients, respectively. Meanwhile, adverse effects were monitored and recorded.After four-week treatment, the global scores of PACS and HAMD-17 declined significantly in both groups (both P<0.05). Furthermore, the decline in the real-EA group was superior to that in the sham-EA group (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the total scores of HAMA only decreased in the real-EA group (P<0.05) but not in the sham-EA group (P>0.05). According to the parameters of ERPs, significant declines for N2PL, P3PL, and P3amp were observed in both two groups (all P<0.05), and the decreases for P3PL and P3amp in the real-EA group was much superior to that in the sham-EA group (both P<0.05). According to the parameters of EEM, significant increase for NEF was observed only in the real-EA group (P<0.05). Besides, there was a dramatic decline for serum Hcy level only in the real-EA group (P<0.05). One case in the sham-EA group withdrew from the trial due to self-reported nausea and bitter taste, and outcomes of the remaining 61 patients were adopted for analysis.(1) Escitalopram with EA may be a potential alternative therapy for mitigating PAWS among male inpatients with alcohol dependence. (2) Escitalopram with EA might improve the alcohol-dependence induced cognitive dysfunctions via upregulating the expression of Hcy.