Left Button Research Articles

Usability analysis of 2D graphics software for designing technical clothing

With the advent of technology, the computer became a working tool increasingly present in companies. Its purpose is to increase production and reduce the inherent errors in manual production. The aim of this study was to analyze the usability of 2D graphics software in creating clothing designs by a professional during his work. The movements of the mouse, keyboard and graphical tools were monitored in real time by software Camtasia 7® installed on the user's computer. To register the use of mouse and keyboard we used auxiliary software called MouseMeter®, which quantifies the number of times they pressed the right, middle and left mouse's buttons, the keyboard and also the distance traveled in meters by the cursor on the screen. Data was collected in periods of 15 minutes, 1 hour and 8 hours, consecutively. The results showed that the job is considered repetitive and high demands physical efforts, which can lead to the appearance of repetitive strain injuries. Thus, the goal of minimizing operator efforts and thereby enhance the usability of the examined tool, becomes imperative to replace the mouse by a device called tablet, which also offers an electronic pen and a drawing platform for design development.

Beyond Button Presses

This paper addresses three questions: What are the types of action at issue in the free will and moral responsibility debate? Are the neuroscientists who make claims about free will and moral responsibility studying those types of action? If not, can the existing paradigm in the field be modified to study those types of action? Section one outlines some claims made by neuroscientists about the inefficacy of conscious intentions and the implications of this inefficacy for the existence of free will. Section two argues that, typically, the types of actions at issue in the philosophical literature require proximal or distal conscious decisions (or at least non-actively acquired intentions) and have the right kind of connection to reasons. Section three points out that neuroscientists are not studying this class of actions, as their studies focus on simple commanded actions (e.g., finger or wrist flex) and simple Buridan choices (e.g., push the left or right button). These types of actions do not require conscious control and do not have a connection to the participants' justificatory or motivational reasons for action beyond complying with the experimenter's instructions. Finally, section four then argues that neuroscience already has the resources to study the type of action relevant for free will and moral responsibility and outlines two experiments which focus on skilled actions and moral choices that could be run using the available technology. These kinds of experiments would better address the empirical question about whether conscious intentions and deliberation involving reasons ever play a role in the production of actions that are typically considered to be free and subject to moral evaluation.? Neuroscience of Free WillIn 1983, Benjamin Libet and his colleagues used neurological experimental methods to question an arguably key assumption of commonsense accounts of agency: do conscious intentions to cause subsequent (overt) action? Libet and his colleagues found that when participants were asked to perform a series of either preplanned or spontaneous wrist flexes as they felt the intention to do so1 and report the timing of their awareness of their intention to flex, EEG readings showed brain preparation for the flexing, termed the readiness potential or RP, prior to the participants' awareness of their intention to flex (1983). Libet et al. took these findings to indicate that unconscious brain processes decide (form an intention) to flex, with conscious intentions to flex temporally later and inefficacious. They further generalized these results to all intentional actions, claiming that conscious intentions to A (where A is some overt action) never cause A-ing. Other theorists, such as Daniel Wegner (2002), have argued for similar contentions, using Libet et al. (1983) as support.Some psychologists and neuroscientists have coupled this claim about the inefficacy of conscious intentions with the further claim that free will exists only if conscious intentions at least sometimes cause our intentional actions. From these claims they argue that neuroscience supports the conclusion that free will does not exist, despite our intuitions to the contrary. For example, Libet himself has argued in some papers that empirical work suggests that there is no free will under the traditional view of free will, only 'free won't' (Libet 2005).2 Libet reaches this conclusion via the following route: Under a traditional view of free will, which Libet sometimes seems to suggest is an incompatibilist agentcausal or perhaps an incompatibilist event-causal view,3 a conscious intention to A should appear before or simultaneously with the RP for Aing; that is, the conscious intention should command the brain to perform the intended act (Libet 2005, 553). The fact that participants' reported consciousness of their intention to flex occurred a third of a second after the onset of the RP supports, according to Libet, the proposition that at least some actions that we intuitively take to be free actions are unconsciously initiated. …

Electrophysiological correlates of fearful and sad distraction on target processing in adolescents with attention deficit-hyperactivity symptoms and affective disorders

In this study we used event-related brain potentials (ERP) as neural markers of cognitive operations to examine emotion and attentional processing in a population of high-risk adolescents with mental health problems that included attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression. We included a healthy control group for comparison purposes, and employed a modified version of the emotional oddball paradigm, consisting of frequent distracters (scrambled pictures), infrequent distracters (sad, fearful, and neutral pictures), and infrequent targets (circles). Participants were instructed to make a right hand button press to targets and a left hand button press to all other stimuli. EEG/ERP recordings were taken using a high-density 256-channel recording system. Behavioral data showed that for both clinical and non-clinical adolescents, reaction time (RT) was slowest in response to the fearful images. Electrophysiological data differentiated emotion and target processing between clinical and non-clinical adolescents. In the clinical group we observed a larger P100 and late positive potential (LPP) in response to fearful compared to sad or neutral pictures. There were no differences in these ERPs in the healthy sample. Emotional modulation of target processing was also identified in the clinical sample, where we observed an increase in P300 amplitude, and a larger sustained LPP in response to targets that followed emotional pictures (fear and sad) compared to targets that followed neutral pictures or other targets. There were no differences in these target ERPs for the healthy participants. Taken together, we suggest that these data provide important and novel evidence of affective and attention dysfunction in this clinical population of adolescents, and offer an example of the disruptive effects of emotional reactivity on basic cognition.

Sequence Learning Under Uncertainty in Children: Self-Reflection vs. Self-Assertion

We know that stochastic feedback impairs children’s associative stimulus–response (S–R) learning (Crone et al., 2004a; Eppinger et al., 2009), but the impact of stochastic feedback on sequence learning that involves deductive reasoning has not been not tested so far. In the current study, 8- to 11-year-old children (N = 171) learned a sequence of four left and right button presses, LLRR, RRLL, LRLR, RLRL, LRRL, and RLLR, which needed to be deduced from feedback because no directional cues were given. One group of children experienced consistent feedback only (deterministic feedback, 100% correct). In this condition, green feedback on the screen indicated that the children had been right when they were right, and red feedback indicated that the children had been wrong when they were wrong. Another group of children experienced inconsistent feedback (stochastic feedback, 85% correct, 15% false), where in some trials, green feedback on the screen could signal that children were right when in fact they were wrong, and red feedback could indicate that they were wrong when in fact they had been right. Independently of age, children’s sequence learning in the stochastic condition was initially much lower than in the deterministic condition, but increased gradually and improved with practice. Responses toward positive vs. negative feedback varied with age. Children were increasingly able to understand that they could have been wrong when feedback indicated they were right (self-reflection), but they remained unable to understand that they could have been right when feedback indicated they were wrong (self-assertion).

Brucellosis Relapse Causing Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis and Aortic Root Infective Pseudoaneurysm

We report a previously treated case of brucellosis and aortic root replacement, which became complicated by prosthetic valve endocarditis and a massive aortic root pseudoaneurysm. Preoperative blood and intraoperative pseudoaneurysm wall cultures were positive for Brucella, and the patient was managed successfully with a combination of surgical and medical treatment. Brucella endocarditis is further discussed.

Spatiotemporal information transfer pattern differences in motor selection

Analysis of information transfer between variables in brain images is currently a popular topic, e.g. [1]. Such work typically focuses on average information transfer (i.e. transfer entropy[2]), yet the dynamics of transfer from a source to a destination can also be quantified at individual time points using the local transfer entropy (TE) [3]. This local perspective is known to reveal dynamical structure that the average cannot. We present a method to quantify local TE values in time between source and destination regions of variables in brain-imaging data, combining: a. computation of inter-regional transfer between two regions of variables (e.g. voxels) [1], with b. the local perspective of the dynamics of such transfer in time [3]. Transfer is computed over samples from all variables – there is no training in or subset selection of variables to use. We apply this method to a set of fMRI measurements where we could expect to see differences in local information transfer between two conditions at specific time steps. The fMRI data set analyzed (from [4]) contains brain activity recorded from 7 localized regions while 12 subjects (who gave informed written consent) were asked to freely decide whether to push one of two buttons (with left or right index finger), whenever they felt the urge to do so, and to press the button immediately on deciding . To our knowledge, this is the first analysis of transfer entropy on a local temporal scale in brain-imaging data (at specific time points rather than via sliding windows). Significant differences in the local TE between left and right button presses are revealed in a significant number of subjects (7) by: a. examining the difference in local TE from a single source region (e.g. pre-SMA) into left and right motor cortex respectively (e.g. see Figure ​Figure11 for subject 1); and Figure 1 Difference in TE(pre-SMA → left motor) and TE(pre-SMA → right motor) versus time after button press for subject 1. Error bars are std. err. over presses. Significant difference between left and right button press indicated by · ... b. aggregating local TE differences across 2 to 3 consecutive time steps (e.g. t=2,4 and 6 sec. after button press). Additionally, thresholding of these TE differences can decode the button push with a (statistically significant) mean of 65% accuracy across subjects. These measurements of local TE correlate well with the role of these regions in executing the motor response here [4]. We confirm that local TE can be used to reveal differences in task-based dynamical information transfer, with potential for the technique to be improved in the future.

The effect of choice reaction task on impact of single-leg landing

This study aimed to investigate attentional demand during single-leg landing after a jump. The experiment was set up as dual-task test. Twelve healthy male participants were instructed to make a two-leg jump with right-leg landing as softly as possible. The flight time of the jump was set to 300ms through sufficient practice. As a cognitive task, the participants were asked to push the right or left custom-made button as soon as a go-signal was presented. The timing when the go-signal presented varied from 0 to 300ms from the take-off. Catch trials in which the go-signal was not presented were randomly inserted. The results showed that the maximum vertical ground reaction force after touchdown was greater under the dual-task condition than in the single-task condition. Increase in the maximum vertical ground reaction force was consistent regardless of the timing of presenting the go-signal, and the same effect was observed in the catch trials. These results indicate that the effect of dual tasking was caused by attentional allocation to the choice reaction time task. Athletes may be exposed a large ground reaction forces during landing while performing cognitive tasks.

Mashup for Instant and Simple Search using OpenAPIs

This paper introduces a new search model which can retrieve information instantly and easily about a given search word on Internet and control search spaces diversely. In the existing web searches, because the user has to stop his work, run web browsers, connect to special internet sites, and type the search word by keyboard. it is a long way and not a simple way. Also the search result is too much. The user suffers difficulties of multiple searches for different categories such as dictionary, image, video clips, etc. The software implemented in this paper enables for the user to select search word simply at any documents on the screen and make search started by simply pressing CRTL key and left button of the mouse simultaneously. The software is a mash up style using the Open API which is provided by a web site and can be freely available in any other sites. By calling different Open APIs of several web sites, the mash-up software can integrate search functions of many different sites. We evaluate that the software implemented in this paper will be a good reference of mash-up as one with characteristics of easy and instant search, simple result, diversity of search category, and scalability of search functions.

Electrophysiological correlates of agency judgements

Event Abstract Back to Event Electrophysiological correlates of agency judgements Ivan Nenchev1*, Simoen Kühn1, 2, 3, Jürgen Gallinat1, Patrick Haggard3, Marcel Brass2 and Martin Voss1 1 Charité University Medicine, Germany 2 Ghent University, Belgium 3 University College London, United Kingdom Humans possess a conscious sense of agency, which is a central aspect of voluntary action and refers to the experience that oneself is the agent of one’s own actions. We explored the neural correlates of explicit agency judgements using event-related potentials (ERP). We tested whether differential electrophysiological responses precede later explicit agency judgements. Participants first learned that certain actions (left or right button presses) resulted in certain consequences in the environment (high or low pitch tones). In the experiment, subjects were presented with different action effects: In the congruent tone condition, each button press evoked the same tone that had followed each button press in the learning session. By contrast, in the incongruent tone condition, a tone that differed from the predicted tone followed the button press. The onset of the tone was varied between 100ms, 300ms and 600ms. After each trial, participants had to judge if they produced the action–effect or the experimenter did. A comparison of congruent and incongruent tones revealed a reduction of the N1 component of the ERPs for congruent tones, showing that participants learned the mapping and thus attenuated expected action effects. To explore electrophysiological correlates that may predict later agency judgements, we divided identical congruent trials with 300ms tone delay according to the judgement whether an identical tone was self- or externally-produced. We found attenuation within the P300 component for tones that were judged to be generated by oneself compared to those judged to be generated externally. This demonstrates that agency judgements explicit agency judgements incorporate first-step agency processes are not purely reconstructive and post-hoc evaluations. Keywords: Awareness, EEG Conference: XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI), Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 25 Sep - 29 Sep, 2011. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Poster Sessions: Consciousness and Awareness Citation: Nenchev I, Kühn S, Gallinat J, Haggard P, Brass M and Voss M (2011). Electrophysiological correlates of agency judgements. Conference Abstract: XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI). doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2011.207.00549 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 15 Nov 2011; Published Online: 28 Nov 2011. * Correspondence: Dr. Ivan Nenchev, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany, ivan.nenchev@charite.de Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Ivan Nenchev Simoen Kühn Jürgen Gallinat Patrick Haggard Marcel Brass Martin Voss Google Ivan Nenchev Simoen Kühn Jürgen Gallinat Patrick Haggard Marcel Brass Martin Voss Google Scholar Ivan Nenchev Simoen Kühn Jürgen Gallinat Patrick Haggard Marcel Brass Martin Voss PubMed Ivan Nenchev Simoen Kühn Jürgen Gallinat Patrick Haggard Marcel Brass Martin Voss Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Observing other's actions affects Social Simon effect

Sebanz et al. (2003, "Representing others' action: Just like one's own?" Cognition, 88, B11-B21) demonstrated that a response selection conflict between two action alternatives (a right and a left button press) that is known to occur within individuals is also observed across individuals in a social setting. A pair of participants in their study responded to pictures of a colored ring presented on an index finger pointing left or right. Each of the pair assigned each color that they had to respond. Their results showed that participants respond more slowly when the finger pointed at their partners than when it pointed at the participants. This phenomenon refers to "social Simon effect". The present study investigated whether the social Simon effect is observed using a colored arrow, instead of a finger pointing. Our results did not show a social Simon effect. However, we provided the evidence that when the partner is in charge of the response in the previous trial, the social Simon effect appeared , whereas it was not observed when the participant is in charge of the response in the previous trial. These results suggested the possibility that although non-social pointing stimulus like an arrow does not lead to the robust activation of partner's task representation, it may be activated depending the previous trials.

Observational Learning of New Movement Sequences Is Reflected in Fronto-Parietal Coherence

Mankind is unique in her ability for observational learning, i.e. the transmission of acquired knowledge and behavioral repertoire through observation of others' actions. In the present study we used electrophysiological measures to investigate brain mechanisms of observational learning. Analysis investigated the possible functional coupling between occipital (alpha) and motor (mu) rhythms operating in the 10Hz frequency range for translating “seeing” into “doing”. Subjects observed movement sequences consisting of six consecutive left or right hand button presses directed at one of two target-buttons for subsequent imitation. Each movement sequence was presented four times, intervened by short pause intervals for sequence rehearsal. During a control task subjects observed the same movement sequences without a requirement for subsequent reproduction. Although both alpha and mu rhythms desynchronized during the imitation task relative to the control task, modulations in alpha and mu power were found to be largely independent from each other over time, arguing against a functional coupling of alpha and mu generators during observational learning. This independence was furthermore reflected in the absence of coherence between occipital and motor electrodes overlaying alpha and mu generators. Instead, coherence analysis revealed a pair of symmetric fronto-parietal networks, one over the left and one over the right hemisphere, reflecting stronger coherence during observation of movements than during pauses. Individual differences in fronto-parietal coherence were furthermore found to predict imitation accuracy. The properties of these networks, i.e. their fronto-parietal distribution, their ipsilateral organization and their sensitivity to the observation of movements, match closely with the known properties of the mirror neuron system (MNS) as studied in the macaque brain. These results indicate a functional dissociation between higher order areas for observational learning (i.e. parts of the MNS as reflected in 10Hz coherence measures) and peripheral structures (i.e. lateral occipital gyrus for alpha; central sulcus for mu) that provide low-level support for observation and motor imagery of action sequences.

Speed effects of deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) accelerates reaction time (RT) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), particularly in tasks in which decisions on the response side have to be made. This might indicate that DBS speeds up both motor and nonmotor operations. Therefore, we studied the extent to which modifications of different processing streams could explain changes of RT under subthalamic DBS. Ten PD patients on-DBS and off-DBS and 10 healthy subjects performed a choice-response task (CRT), requiring either right or left finger button presses. At the same time, EEG recordings were performed, so that RTs could be assessed together with lateralized readiness potentials (LRP), indicative of movement preparation. Additionally, an oddball task (OT) was run, in which right finger responses to target stimuli were recorded along with cognitive P300 responses. Generally, PD patients off-DBS had longer RTs than controls. Subthalamic DBS accelerated RT only in CRT. This could largely be explained by analog shortenings of LRP. No DBS-dependent changes were identified in OT, neither on the level of RT nor on the level of P300 latencies. It follows that RT accelerations under DBS of the STN are predominantly due to effects on the timing of motor instead of nonmotor processes. This starting point explains why DBS gains of response speed are low in tasks in which reactions are initiated from an advanced level of movement preparation (as in OT), and high whenever motor responses have to be raised from scratch (as in CRT).

Self-organisation in the human visual system—Visuo-motor processing with congenitally abnormal V1 input

Due to an abnormal projection of the temporal retina the albinotic primary visual cortex receives substantial input from the ipsilateral visual field. To test whether representation abnormalities are also evident in higher tier visual, and in motor and somatosensory cortices, brain activity was measured with fMRI in 14 subjects with albinism performing a visuo-motor task. During central fixation, a blue or red target embedded in a distractor array was presented for 250ms in the left or right visual hemifield. After a delay, the subjects were prompted to indicate with left or right thumb button presses the target presence in the upper or lower hemifield. The fMRI responses were evaluated for different regions of interest concerned with visual, motor and somatosensory processing and compared to previously acquired data from 14 controls. The following results were obtained: (1) in albinism the hit rates in the visuo-motor task were indistinguishable from normal. (2) In area MT and the intraparietal sulcus there was an indication of abnormal lateralisation patterns. (3) Largely normal lateralisation patterns were evident in motor and somatosensory cortices. It is concluded that in human albinism, the abnormal visual field representation is made available for visuo-motor processing with a motor cortex that comprises an essentially normal lateralisation. Consequently, specific adaptations of the mechanisms mediating visuo-motor integration are required in albinism.

Postural benefits for children and adults when using the mouse next to a small keyboard

Studies have shown that there are adverse performance and postural impacts when children use standard, adult-sized computer mice; however, the impact of children using adult-sized keyboards has been less rigorously evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there were any postural and performance differences when children and adults used the mouse next to a standard 104 key keyboard with a numeric keypad compared to a small, more compact keyboard without a numeric keypad. A total of 42 subjects, including 28 adults and 14 children between the ages 6–8 participated in the study. Subjects were asked to perform a series of standardized point-and-click tasks using a standard-sized mouse with both the standard and small keyboard. During mouse operation arm abduction and forearm rotation were measured using overhead photographs, and mouse performance was characterized by measuring movement times and the time it took to press-and-release (click) the left mouse button. Compared to the standard keyboard, both children and adults had less arm abduction (p < 0.10) and external rotation of the forearm (p < 0.05) when using the mouse next to the small keyboard. When comparing children to adults, children worked with significantly more arm abduction with both keyboards; however there were no significant differences between children and adults in internal and external rotation of the forearm. When comparing performance, children took almost twice as long to move the mouse between targets (p < 0.05) and were slightly faster when operating the mouse next to the small keyboard. In addition, compared to adults, it took children twice as long to press and release the mouse button. The study findings indicate that children would benefit from a postural standpoint if computer manufacturers sold, and schools and parents purchased, computers with smaller keyboards. The two-fold difference between children and adults in the time it took actuate the mouse button indicate that mouse button activation forces may need to be lower for children.

Deficit in negative emotional information processing in schizophrenia: Does it occur in all patients?

The nature of the impairment in the processing of emotional information in schizophrenia is still being debated. Some authors reported that schizophrenia patients would show deficits in the treatment processing of negative emotional information without a negative bias, as observed in controls, when in a combined emotional situation including positive/negative information. Eighteen subjects with paranoid schizophrenia in remission with a low level of negative symptoms and 18 control subjects were exposed to 108 pairs of pictures (International Affective Picture System) depicting different emotions (N = negative, P = positive, n = neutral) from six different combinations: N/N, P/P, n/n, P/N, P/n, and N/n. The subjects responded by clicking on a right or left button in response to a negative or positive feeling toward the stimuli (forced choice task). They were also asked to classify each of the individual pictures as positive, negative, or neutral (emotion-recognition task). In this well-defined group of paranoid schizophrenia patients in remission, we observed the persistence of a negative bias when an ambiguous situation is displayed (P/N) with the absence of an impairment in negative emotional information recognition and the presence of a positive bias in the recognition of neutral stimuli, reflecting a tendency to keep arousal-provoking perceptual cues from entering into subjective awareness.

Early event-related potentials changes during early face processing of mild cognitive impairment patients by face-specific

Objective To study early face processing of mild cognitive impairment patients by using ERP method．Methods Sixteen healthy old man(normal group)and sixteen mild cognitive impairment patients(MCI group)served as subjects in experiment．Two runs of 300 stimuli(duration：50ms)of 3 facial and 3 non-facial pictures were randomly presented with equal probability(ISI：from 1000ms to 1500ms randomly)，and the subjects were asked to react to facial stimuli and non-facial stimuli by pressing the left button and risht button respectively as quickly as possible．Thirty-two channels electroencephalogram(EEG)Was recorded by Neuroscan Nuamps Systern．Results 1)Specific-face component N170 was found in both groups．Which was distributed at the temporal-occipital region．2)Compared with N170 in normal group，N170 amplitude Was significantly lower((-4．42±0．28)Μv vs(-7．00±0．28)Μv，F=41．52，P<0．01)at temporal-occipital region and delayed((158．91±2．17)ms vs(140．97±2．17)ms，F=34．09，P<0．01) in mild cognitive impairment group．Conclusion The early face processing mechanism of mild cognitive impairment patients may be different from normal people． Key words: Mild cognitive impairment; Event-related potentials(ERP); Face perception

Cortical responses to consciousness of schematic emotional facial expressions: A high‐resolution EEG study

Is conscious perception of emotional face expression related to enhanced cortical responses? Electroencephalographic data (112 channels) were recorded in 15 normal adults during the presentation of cue stimuli with neutral, happy or sad schematic faces (duration: "threshold time" inducing about 50% of correct recognitions), masking stimuli (2 s), and go stimuli with happy or sad schematic faces (0.5 s). The subjects clicked left (right) mouse button in response to go stimuli with happy (sad) faces. After the response, they said "seen" or "not seen" with reference to previous cue stimulus. Electroencephalographic data formed visual event-related potentials (ERPs). Cortical sources of ERPs were estimated by LORETA software. Reaction time to go stimuli was generally shorter during "seen" than "not seen" trials, possibly due to covert attention and awareness. The cue stimuli evoked four ERP components (posterior N100, N170, P200, and P300), which had similar peak latency in the "not seen" and "seen" ERPs. Only N170 amplitude showed differences in amplitude in the "seen" versus "not seen" ERPs. Compared to the "not seen" ERPs, the "seen" ones showed prefrontal, premotor, and posterior parietal sources of N170 higher in amplitude with the sad cue stimuli and lower in amplitude with the neutral and happy cue stimuli. These results suggest that nonconscious and conscious processing of schematic emotional facial expressions shares a similar temporal evolution of cortical activity, and conscious processing induces an early enhancement of bilateral cortical activity for the schematic sad facial expressions (N170).

The internal anticipation of sensory action effects: when action induces FFA and PPA activity

Voluntary action – in particular the ability to produce desired effects in the environment – is fundamental to human existence. According to ideomotor theory we can achieve goals in the environment by means of anticipating their outcomes. We aimed at providing neurophysiological evidence for the assumption that performing actions calls for the activation of brain areas associated with the sensory effects usually evoked by the actions. We conducted an fMRI study in which right and left button presses lead to the presentation of face and house pictures. We compared a baseline phase with the same phase after participants experienced the association between button presses and pictures. We found an increase in the parahippocampal place area (PPA) for the response that has been associated with house pictures and fusiform face area (FFA) for the response that has been coupled with face pictures. This observation constitutes support for ideomotor theory.

HAND GESTURE RECOGNITION IN A LEG SPORT SYSTEM

This study added a hand gesture quick interactive operation to the human–machine interface of a leg sport system. Hands are of varying skin color, thus, the background noise and light rays during detection can lead to misjudgments. This study adopted the YCbCr color system to detect skin color and minimize the impact of light rays to mark the characteristic point after the skin color had been separated. The system defines three simplified gestures: clenching the fist with the forefinger and reaching out represents the mouse pointer, clenching the fist with the forefinger and thumb and reaching out represents the left button of the mouse, and clenching the fist with the forefinger and little finger and reaching out represents the right button of the mouse, namely clicking the mouse is replaced by hand gestures. The change in the characteristic point is used for operating the hand mouse and interactive connection with games to achieve a preferred presence and feeling of reality.

Cortical sources of visual evoked potentials during consciousness of executive processes

What is the timing of cortical activation related to consciousness of visuo-spatial executive functions? Electroencephalographic data (128 channels) were recorded in 13 adults. Cue stimulus briefly appeared on right or left (equal probability) monitor side for a period, inducing about 50% of recognitions. It was then masked and followed (2 s) by a central visual go stimulus. Left (right) mouse button had to be clicked after right (left) cue stimulus. This "inverted" response indexed executive processes. Afterward, subjects said "seen" if they had detected the cue stimulus or "not seen" when it was missed. Sources of event-related potentials (ERPs) were estimated by LORETA software. The inverted responses were about 95% in seen trials and about 60% in not seen trials. Cue stimulus evoked frontal-parietooccipital potentials, having the same peak latencies in the seen and not seen data. Maximal difference in amplitude of the seen and not seen ERPs was detected at about +300-ms post-stimulus (P3). P3 sources were higher in amplitude in the seen than not seen trials in dorsolateral prefrontal, premotor and parietooccipital areas. This was true in dorsolateral prefrontal and premotor cortex even when percentage of the inverted responses and reaction time were paired in the seen and not seen trials. These results suggest that, in normal subjects, the primary consciousness enhances the efficacy of visuo-spatial executive processes and is sub-served by a late (100- to 400-ms post-stimulus) enhancement of the neural synchronization in frontal areas.