Low Tone Research Articles

Influence of High-Impact Physical Activity on Pelvic Floor and Lumbar Muscle Mechanical Properties in Asymptomatic Nulliparous Women.

High-impact physical activity is a known risk factor for the development of pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) in women, affecting the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs). However, there is insufficient information to determine whether alterations in PFMs, or even in the lumbar muscles, can be detected before the onset of symptoms. The aim of the study was to identify whether high-impact physical activity influences the muscle mechanical properties (MMPs) of the lumbopelvic region in continent nulliparous women. An observational cross-sectional study with a nonprobabilistic sampling of consecutive cases was designed. Fifty women who had practiced high-impact physical activity at least three times per week for more than 2 years were included in the high-impact group, and 50 women who did not practice high-impact activity were included in the control group. Data collection for both groups included sociodemographic data and MMPs (frequency, characterizing muscle tone; stiffness; logarithmic decrement, characterizing the inverse of the elasticity; relaxation time of stress; creep, characterizing fluidity) of PFMs and lumbar muscles, externally assessed using a hand-held tonometer device. Between-group comparison of the MMPs were calculated, together with intragroup correlations between the outcomes. The MMPs of PFMs showed statistically significant lower tone (0.76Hz, 95% CI 0.04, 1.48) and stiffness (23.76 N/m, 95% CI 1.10, 46.42) and were more viscoelastic (relaxation: -1.04ms, 95% CI -1.98, -0.11; creep: -0.04 De, 95% CI -0.07, -0.02) in women who practiced high-impact physical activity. No lumbar MMPs showed statistically significant between-group differences. High-impact physical activity alters the MMPs of PFMs in nulliparous women, although not lumbar spinal MMPs, even before the appearance of signs.

Impact of background input on memory consolidation

Memory consolidation involves repeated replay of new information by the hippocampus, which transfers memories to the neocortex for long-term storage. This occurs mainly during slow wave sleep, a phase characterized in the cortex by low cholinergic tone and low afferent input. High cholinergic tone has been shown to hamper memory consolidation, probably mediated by reduced network excitability (the ease of activity propagation in a network). We used cortical neuronal networks on multi electrode arrays to investigate whether low background input contributes to memory consolidation. Networks received focal electrical stimuli to memorize, with or without background afferent input (global optogenetic stimulation). Background stimulation hampered memory formation and consolidation, confirming the importance of low background input. Moreover, it lowered network excitability, similar to high cholinergic tone. These findings suggest that high network excitability is a critical feature of slow wave sleep that facilitates memory consolidation.

7308 A Case of Thyroid Hormone Resistance Associated With a Novel Mutation in the THRA Gene

Abstract Disclosure: J.A. Siddiqui: None. M. Barbosa: None. V. Fettig: None. C.J. Romero: None. Introduction: Thyroid hormone resistance (THR) is a syndrome leading to decreased response of target organs to thyroid hormone. Normal thyroid hormone action is mediated by thyroid hormone nuclear receptors and is essential for normal development and metabolism. Two isoforms are encoded by the thyroid hormone receptor α and β genes (THRA and THRB). Mutations in THRB are commonly reported with limited cases of THRA mutations. We report a 15-month-old and her mother with a pathogenic variant in the THRα receptor leading to thyroid hormone resistance. CASE: A 15-month-old ex-39-week gestation female was born small for gestational age (birth weight: 2450 grams,3rd %ile and birth length: 17 inches,1st %ile). The newborn screen was normal. She presented with macroglossia, low tone and global developmental delay. She had severe constipation complicated by rectal prolapse that required surgical correction. There are multiple relatives (mother, maternal half-brother and maternal grandparents) with neurodevelopmental issues. The mother’s previous genetic evaluation was non-diagnostic. Mother reports a thyroid condition but without treatment. The patient was initially referred to genetics and whole exome sequencing revealed a heterozygous c.1205 T>C p. (L402P) variant in the THRα gene, which was maternally inherited and reported as a variant of uncertain significance. On physical exam, Heart rate was 112 bpm; height <1%ile (Z-score -3.22 SD), weight 3%ile (Z-score -1.89 SD). Patient has a wide anterior fontanelle (4x3 cm), macroglossia and delayed teeth eruption. Other exam findings: non-palpable thyroid and postaxial polydactyly on the 5th digit of the right toe. Thyroid hormone testing: normal TSH 1.829 uIU/mL, low total T4 4.4 mcg/dL, low Free T4 of 0.58 ng/dL and high free T3 of 4.24 pg/mL. Levothyroxine treatment was initiated(25 mcg daily). After 1 month treatment, TSH level was 0.23 uIU/mL, total T4 was 6.1 mcg/dL and low reverse T3 of 5.8 ng/dL. DISCUSSION: Thyroid hormone resistance due to THRα mutations are rare and under-recognized. The main clinical phenotype includes growth retardation, delayed development, decreased muscle tone, delayed tooth eruption and constipation. Unlike patients with THRβ mutations, the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis in patients with THRα mutations is minimally affected with a normal TSH level. Total T3 levels are elevated with slightly low total T4 and free T4:T3 ratio is low. Treatment with levothyroxine leads to suppressions of TSH levels, therefore confirming intact central T3 feedback loop. Reports, however, show minor clinical improvements with treatment; therefore further research is needed in these patients to explore more effective therapeutic options. We present a case of a novel congenital THRA mutation leading to a clinical phenotype consistent with THR. She continues care in our clinic with hopes to further study her mutation. Presentation: 6/2/2024

Acoustic flow resonances in installed rectangular jets

Zonal Large Eddy Simulations (LES) of complex installed rectangular jet flows are performed for subsonic jet conditions of the Central Institute for Aviation Motors (CIAM) experiment, where a strong tone was reported. For far-field noise modelling, the zonal LES solutions are coupled with the permeable formulation of the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (FW-H) method. The obtained noise spectra predictions are compared with the acoustic measurements in the CIAM facility. To reduce statistical noise of the relatively short LES time series, contributions due to several dominant low frequency tones and the remaining broadband signal are computed separately, using a tailored Fourier transform technique for each signal type. For cross-validation, noise spectra measurements of an equivalent isolated round jet in the CIAM facility are compared with the empirical sJet model calibrated on the NASA Small Hot Jet Acoustic Rig (SHJAR) jet noise database. While the two datasets agree reasonably well for mid to high frequencies, larger discrepancies are observed for low frequencies, which are attributed to acoustic reflections in the non-anechoic CIAM facility. The differences in noise levels between the CIAM dataset and the sJet model representing the NASA jet noise data are used to determine the experimental uncertainty of the CIAM noise measurements for each frequency and observer angle. For the installed rectangular jet, it is shown that far-field noise spectra predictions of the zonal LES-FW-H method for both the fundamental tone, its sixth harmonic corresponding to the jet Strouhal number of around 1, and the broadband component are broadly within the experimental error bar for most observer angles. Some discrepancies between predictions of the zonal LES method and the CIAM measurements for the main low frequency tone for the 30o and 90o, where the experimental uncertainty at low frequencies is largest are also noted. After validating the acoustic solutions, spectral and conditional averaging analysis methods are applied to elucidate mechanisms of the acoustic-flow resonance in the installed rectangular jet flow. The numerical dispersion relation is obtained to analyse phase velocities of the upstream and downstream travelling pressure waves in the stream-wise direction. The conditional analysis of pressure fluctuations inside the jet reveals the emergence of internal reflection points corresponding to a rapid change of the acoustic wave phase as well as the saddle points interpreted as localised zones of vorticity shed from the side-wall edges. To independently investigate the effect of trailing edges and corner points of the jet embodiment geometry on closing the acoustic-flow resonance cycle, several modifications of the baseline rectangular nozzle are considered, such as introducing chevron-like lobes and cuts on the trailing edges of the side walls as well as smoothing the sharp corner points of the wall edges. Following the series of additional zonal LES runs with the modified installed nozzle geometries, an optimized tone-less modification of the original installed nozzle was obtained, in broad agreement with the conditional analysis results. The obtained tone-less modification of the installed rectangular jet is further analyzed to provide insights into its similarity and differences from the aeroacoustics of the reference isolated round jet in the same CIAM facility.

"I Want Lower Tone for Work-Related Notifications": Exploring the Effectiveness of User-Assigned Notification Alerts in Improving User Speculation of and Attendance to Mobile Notifications

Research indicates that smartphone users often speculate about notifications upon sensing their arrival, aiding their decision to attend to them. This speculation, however, relies on the presence of sufficient clues to associate with the notification, which are not always available. To address this challenge, through an experience sampling study, we investigated the effectiveness of delivering user-assigned alerts in influencing users' speculation accuracy, attendance effectiveness, and perceived disturbance. Our findings suggest that while user-assigned alerts enhanced the accuracy of speculation and improved participants' decisions to attend to notifications, the increased notification awareness sometimes led participants to view their decision to ignore notifications as less favorable. Moreover, we found that sporadic alert delivery disrupted the association between the alert and the notification, leading to no reduction in perceived disturbance nor improvement in speculation accuracy. In assigning alerts to notifications, participants considered five strategies: familiarity, distinctiveness, disturbance, emotional resonance, and dimension representation.

B - 62 Cognitive Training Targeting Reward Responsiveness Promotes more Efficient Affective Processing in an Interference Go/NoGo Task

Abstract Objective Abnormalities in emotional processing are commonly seen in depression and anxiety, disorders also associated with decreased reward sensitivity i.e., anhedonia. We tested a noninvasive, cognitive training program aimed at boosting reward responsiveness and gaged if it may also improve affective processing efficiency. Methods Individuals (N = 50; 54% Female; 18–65 yo) with low hedonic tone (Positive and Negative Affect Scale/PANAS score < 25) and diagnostic levels of depression and/or anxiety (Patient Health Questionnaire-8/PHQ-8 or General Anxiety Disorder-7/GAD-7 score ≥ 10) who responded to community-posted flyers completed an affective go/no-go (AGN) task before and after completing an exploratory reward learning task, i.e., a multi-arm bandit (MAB). Participants were randomly assigned to a high-reward MAB training with either high variance (HV) or low variance (LV) in reward rates, HV being expected to boost reward maximization. In the AGN, participants saw negative and positive pictures and had to respond as fast as possible to pictures of a given target category (positive or negative). Results Following the HV vs LV training MAB, participants were more accurate (higher likelihood of hits), which was more evident in negative target blocks relative to positive target blocks (odds ratio/OR:0.61, 95% CI = [0.38,0.98]; z = −2.045, p = 0.041). Participants exhibited stronger decreases in hits response times following the HV vs LV training MAB, but across all target blocks (B:-37 ms, 95% CI = [−56,-18]; t = −3.806, p < 0.001). Conclusions A novel cognitive training program aimed at boosting reward sensitivity may help improve patients’ processing of emotionally taxing stimuli. Targeting reward sensitivity is a critical component of improving clinical outcomes in depressed and anxious patients..

Intensity-dependence of auditory-evoked potentials might present an early surrogate marker for post-stroke depression

ObjectivePost-stroke depression (PSD) is a common stroke complication, associated with severe physical and cognitive impairment. Low central serotonergic tone, associated with depression, inversely correlates with the intensity-dependence of auditory-evoked potentials (IDAP). Aim of this study was to investigate IDAP’s usability as early surrogate marker for PSD development by assessing the correlation between IDAP early after stroke and the occurrence of PSD from 4 weeks after stroke. MethodsWe assessed auditory-evoked potentials (AEP) and depressive symptoms using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at day 1 – 3 and > 30 after stroke onset. IDAP was calculated as the linear slope of the N1-P2 amplitude/stimulus intensity function (ASF). Results37 patients completed the study. We diagnosed 7 patients with PSD, defined as MADRS-score≥ 7 at follow-up. The PSD group showed significantly steeper ASF slopes at admission compared with the non-depressed group (p = 0.007). We also found a positive correlation between ASF slopes on first and MADRS-scores on last measurement point for all stroke patients as a group (p = 0.007). ConclusionsThe study findings support the hypothesis that IDAP can predict the development of depressive symptoms following stroke and may therefore serve as an early surrogate marker for PSD. SignificanceThis is the first longitudinal study to assess the relationship between IDAP and PSD.

Involuntary motor responses are elicited both by rare sounds and rare pitch changes

Unpredictable deviations from an otherwise regular auditory sequence, as well as rare sounds following a period of silence, are detected automatically. Recent evidence suggests that the latter also elicit quick involuntary modulations of ongoing motor activity emerging as early as 100 ms following sound onset, which was attributed to supramodal processing. We explored such force modulations for both rare and deviant sounds. Participants (N = 29) pinched a force sensitive device and maintained a force of 1–2 N for periods of 1 min. Task-irrelevant tones were presented under two conditions. In the Rare condition, 4000 Hz tones were presented every 8-to-16 s. In the Roving condition, 4000 Hz and 2996 Hz tones were presented at rate of 1 s, with infrequent (p = 1/12) frequency changes. In the Rare condition, transient force modulations were observed with a significant increase at ~ 234 ms, and a decrease at ~ 350 ms. In the Roving condition with low frequency deviant tones, an increase in force was observed at ~ 277 ms followed by a decrease at ~ 413 ms. No significant modulations were observed during perception of high frequency deviants. These results suggest that both rare silence-breaking sounds and low-pitched deviants evoke automatic fluctuations of motor responses, which opens up the possibility that these force modulations are triggered by stimulus-specific change-detection processes.

Thermal measurement of erythema across skin tones: Implications for clinical identification of early pressure injury

AimTo assess the effectiveness of thermography, colorimetry, and oximetry at detecting temperature changes after erythema induction across diverse skin tones in healthy adults. Materials and methodsErythema was induced at the forearm and ulnar head (UH) using a cupping device. Temperature via thermal image, erythema value via colorimeter, and oxygen saturation via oximeter were collected immediately and 5–10 min (delayed) after cupping at both sites. ResultsAt the forearm, the delayed timepoint was significantly warmer than baseline. At the UH, the immediate timepoint was significantly colder than baseline. Erythema increased at both timepoints and both locations. The correlation between temperature change and erythema change was weak. Change in temperature did not differ between skin tone groups. The Intermediate Low Eumelanin skin tone group had more change in erythema compared to the Intermediate Mid (i.e., darkest) skin tone group immediately after cupping at the UH and at the delayed timepoint at the forearm. ConclusionsThis study observed differences in the change of erythema across skin tones but did not observe differences in temperature across skin tones. Given high variability in results, it is premature to conclude thermal imaging works equally well across all skin tones. Further research is necessary to validate the effectiveness of thermal imaging in diverse populations. Results suggest visual erythema may be a problematic indicator as less erythema was consistently noted in participants with dark skin tones. The potential of technology to increase our ability to detect erythema warrants further investigation.

Alterations in Vagal Tone Are Associated with Changes in the Gut Microbiota of Adults with Anxiety and Depression Symptoms: Analysis of Fecal Metabolite Profiles.

Accumulating evidence suggests that interactions between the brain and gut microbiota significantly impact brain function and mental health. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether young, healthy adults without psychiatric diagnoses exhibit differences in metabolic stool and microbiota profiles based on depression/anxiety scores and heart rate variability (HRV) parameters. Untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics was used to identify fecal metabolic profiles. Results were subjected to multivariate analysis through principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and the metabolites were identified through VIP score. Metabolites separating asymptomatic and symptomatic groups were acetate, valine, and glutamate, followed by sugar regions, glutamine, acetone, valerate, and acetoacetate. The main metabolites identified in high vagal tone (HVT) and low vagal tone (LVT) groups were acetate, valerate, and glutamate, followed by propionate and butyrate. In addition to the metabolites identified by the PLS-DA test, significant differences in aspartate, sarcosine, malate, and methionine were observed between the groups. Levels of acetoacetate were higher in both symptomatic and LVT groups. Valerate levels were significantly increased in the symptomatic group, while isovalerate, propionate, glutamate, and acetone levels were significantly increased in the LVT group. Furthermore, distinct abundance between groups was only confirmed for the Firmicutes phylum. Differences between participants with high and low vagal tone suggest that certain metabolites are involved in communication between the vagus nerve and the brain.

Phrase prosody of a southern Russian dialect: Rogovatoe

This paper deals with the phrase intonation of the Southern Russian dialect spoken in the village of Rogovatoe, in the Starooskol’sky district of the Belgorod region. The study is devoted to the analysis of the prosodic structure of various communicative categories: statements, yes-no questions, wh-questions, non-finality, imperative, and vocative. Based on the examination of more than 7000 sentences, I argue that the dialect of Rogovatoe uses only two monotonal pitch accents — H* and L* — as opposed to three bitonal accents of Modern Standard Russian. I also postulate two final boundary tones — H% and L% — for this dialect, while no proof of a phonological distinction between the high and the low phrase accents was found. Finally, the idiom of Rogovatoe employs the phonological distinction between the high and the low initial boundary tone — %H and %L. Therefore, the prosodic system of this Southern Russian dialect is much more focused on the level tones than Modern Standard Russian utilizing predominantly contour (rising and falling) tones.

Perception and imitation of period-doubled phonation: Pitch and voice qualitya).

Period-doubled phonation, henceforth, period doubling, characterized by voicing periods that alternate in amplitudes and/or frequencies, is often perceived rough and with an indeterminate pitch. Lower pitch percept has been suggested by past studies when the degree of amplitude or frequency modulation increases. However, how listeners use period doubling when identifying linguistic tones remains unclear. The current study uses tasks of categorization with training, followed by imitation of tones manipulated with period doubling (with amplitude and frequency modulation, both separately and jointly) in a novel language. Native Mandarin and English speakers with different levels of music experience were tested. I show that period doubling leads to a low-tone bias in perception and imitation, especially as the modulation degree, particularly that of frequency, increases. Interestingly, interactions with stimulus f0 and modulation type show that in amplitude-modulated tokens, when compared to lower f0 (200 Hz), higher f0 (300 Hz) drives more low-tone responses. Period doubling is also imitated with lowered f0 and creaky quality. Language and music experience does not affect perceptual and imitative responses, suggesting that the perception of period doubling is not language-specific or conditioned by tonal knowledge. Period doubling likely signals low tones, even when the original f0 is high.

Lhowa Phonology: A Typological Perspective

Lhowa exhibits a large inventory of forty-one consonant phonemes. In terms of points of articulation, it contains seven types of consonants, viz., labial, dental, alveolar, retroflex, palatal, velar and glottal. In terms of manner of articulation, it presents seven types of consonants, viz., stops, nasals, affricates, fricatives, trills, laterals and approximants. In terms of voicing, there are two types of consonant phonemes, viz., voiceless and voiced. Lhowa has voiceless unaspirated, voiceless aspirated, voiced murmured and voiceless murmured sounds. It exhibits a distinct consonant distribution. Lhowa has eight basic and two fronted vowels. There are four diphthongs. Lhowa displays a moderately complex syllable structure. It presents a canonical structure of the syllable in which V is obligatory and other constituents, (Ci, initial consonant), (X, voiced palatal approximant), and (Cf, final consonant) are optional. Lhowa permits only five types of syllable patterns. Each syllable is intrinsically high or low. It exhibits simple tone system. The high vs. low tone is distinguished only on the first syllable of a word. In Lhowa, like in Lhasa Tibetan, compound words demonstrate four types of tone melodies, viz., HH, LH, LL and HL.

Relationship between Maternal Stress and Neurobehavioral Indicators of Preterm Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Preterm birth and prolonged neonatal hospitalization are potential sources of stress for mothers of preterm and low birth weight infants. To evaluate maternal stress and its association with neurobehavioral indicators of preterm infants during hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital in Goiânia, Brazil. The study included preterm and low birth weight infants of both genders and their mothers. The Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the Neurobehavioral Assessment of the Preterm Infant were respectively applied to mothers and infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. The study involved 165 premature infants and their mothers. The mean age of the mothers was 26.3 years and most had a high school education level (57.6%). Mothers perceived the experience of having an infant in the neonatal intensive care unit as moderately stressful (2.96 ± 0.81). The parental role alteration (4.11 ± 1.03) and sights and sounds (2.15 ± 0.90) subscales exhibited the highest and lowest stress levels, respectively. Significant correlations (rho < -0.3; p < 0.05) were found between maternal stress and neurobehavioral indicators of infants. In the multivariate analysis, low leg tone was a predictor of higher maternal stress. Low tone and limited arm movement were predictors of higher maternal stress in the maternal role item. The experience of having a preterm infant hospitalized was considered moderately stressful for mothers. Maternal stress levels were significantly correlated with low scores on neonatal neurobehavioral indicators.

Phenotypes of COVID-19-associated dysautonomia in patients requiring veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Background. Patients with novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) receiving veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) are typically prone to hemodynamic disorders of various severity. Tachycardia, increased cardiac output, or arterial hypotension affect the effectiveness of VV-ECMO. One of the possible causes of hemodynamic disorders leading to ineffective VV-ECMO may be dysautonomia (DA), which refers to an imbalance of sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The development of DA in various critical conditions was described previously. Dysautonomia also develops in COVID-19 (COVID-19-associated DA), but it was studied only in stable non-ICU patients. The presented study focuses on COVID-19-associated DA in critical COVID-19 patients requiring VV-ECMO support. The study was aimed at determining COVID-19-associated DA phenotypes, their impact on VV-ECMO effectiveness and disease outcomes. Materials and methods. The study included 20 patients: 12 (60%) females, 8 (40%) males. The patients had an average age of 55 years. All the patients underwent 24-hour Holter monitoring with spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) assessing low-frequency component of the spectrum (LF), the high-frequency component of the spectrum (HF), the LF/HF ratio on days 1, 3, and 5 of VV-ECMO. Diagnostic criteria for COVID-19-associated DA was a decrease in LF/HF 2.28 or an increase in LF/HF 6.94. The diagnostic criteria of predominant tone of sympathetic nervous system (sympathetic tone) was an increase in LF/HF 6.94, while a decrease in LF/HF 2.28 indicated predominant parasympathetic tone. Low sympathetic tone was determined by a decrease in LF 15%, and an increase in LF 40%. Low parasympathetic tone was determined by a decrease in HF 15%, and an increase in HF 25%. The criteria used were based on the results of previous studies. The following parameters were registered in the study population: VV-ECMO weaning, duration of respiratory and VV-ECMO support, length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) and in hospital, and disease outcomes. Results. COVID-19-associated DA was diagnosed in all the patients. LF/HF median value was 0.1. HRV spectrum parameters changed significantly over time: on day 5 of VV-ECMO support LF and HF values significantly decreased. The patients were divided into three groups according to the DA phenotype: group 1 (n = 4 [20%]) with normal sympathetic tone and high parasympathetic tone (nShP phenotype); group 2 (n = 14 [70%]) with low sympathetic tone and high parasympathetic tone (lShP phenotype); group 3 (n = 2 [10%]) with low sympathetic tone and normal parasympathetic tone (lSnP phenotype). The latter group was excluded from further statistical analysis due to the small sample size. In group 2, the mean HR was significantly higher compared with group 1. In group 1, VV-ECMO weaning was successful in 50% of cases, whereas in group 2 it was successful in 7.2% (p = 0.04). Conclusions. To determine a dysautonomia phenotype, it is necessary to continuously monitor DA status in COVID-19 patients during VV-ECMO. Tachycardia in COVID-19 patients during VV-ECMO does not exclude the ANS imbalance with a significant predominance of parasympathetic tone over the sympathetic tone. It is this COVID-19-associated DA phenotype that is significantly associated with the unfavorable outcomes.

Pitch changes as the marker of a phrase edge in standard Lithuanian

In many languages, pitch changes at phrase edges are often described as significant cues of juncture. The aim of this study is to analyse pitch changes at the beginning and end of declarative phrases in standard Lithuanian. The study consists of two parts: 1) a pilot study analysing whether the F0 difference is a reliable measure to determine the F0 rise/fall at the end of declarative phrasesand whether such a difference depends on the speaker’s sex; 2) an annotated speech corpus analysis on the tendencies of pitch changes at phrase edges. The pilot study showed that in phrases with a rising F0 at the end, the F0 mean of the last stressed syllable is significantly lower than F0 at the end of a phrase. In phrases with a falling F0, the F0 mean of the last stressed syllable is significantly higher than the F0 at the end of a phrase. The F0 difference is a reliable measure to determine the F0 rise or fall at the end of a phrase, and all the abovementioned tendencies were found in both male and female speakers’ recordings. The annotated speech corpus analysis revealed that both intonational and intermediate phrases usually begin and end in a low tone. Hence, the high and rising or falling tones at the beginning or end of a phrase are the marked members of the phrase edge tone system, and they can help identify phrase junctures. However, it is important to pay attention to other acoustic features such as pauses and intensity, as well as grammatical and semantic aspects.

Electrocortical activity associated with movement-related fear: a methodological exploration of a threat-conditioning paradigm involving destabilising perturbations during quiet standing

Musculoskeletal trauma often leads to lasting psychological impacts stemming from concerns of future injuries. Often referred to as kinesiophobia or re-injury anxiety, such concerns have been shown to hinder return to physical activity and are believed to increase the risk for secondary injuries. Screening for re-injury anxiety is currently restricted to subjective questionnaires, which are prone to self-report bias. We introduce a novel approach to objectively identify electrocortical activity associated with the threat of destabilising perturbations. We aimed to explore its feasibility among non-injured persons, with potential future implementation for screening of re-injury anxiety. Twenty-three participants stood blindfolded on a translational balance perturbation platform. Consecutive auditory stimuli were provided as low (neutral stimulus [CS–]) or high (conditioned stimulus [CS+]) tones. For the main experimental protocol (Protocol I), half of the high tones were followed by a perturbation in one of eight unpredictable directions. A separate validation protocol (Protocol II) requiring voluntary squatting without perturbations was performed with 12 participants. Event-related potentials (ERP) were computed from electroencephalography recordings and significant time-domain components were detected using an interval-wise testing procedure. High-amplitude early contingent negative variation (CNV) waves were significantly greater for CS+ compared with CS– trials in all channels for Protocol I (> 521-800ms), most prominently over frontal and central midline locations (P ≤ 0.001). For Protocol II, shorter frontal ERP components were observed (541-609ms). Our test paradigm revealed electrocortical activation possibly associated with movement-related fear. Exploring the discriminative validity of the paradigm among individuals with and without self-reported re-injury anxiety is warranted.

(118) ORGASM AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN FEMALE BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS: RESULTS FROM A PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY STUDY

Abstract Introduction Over 70 % of female breast cancer survivors suffer from sexual dysfunction. Sexual dysfunction can cause great amounts of stress and negatively impact overall health and well-being. Most studies focus on sexual arousal disorders and hypoactive sexual desire disorders. The research on orgasm in this specific group is limited. A better understanding of sexual function in breast cancer patients may yield potential targets for new treatment strategies for sexual dysfunction in this population. Low heart rate variability (HRV) has been shown to be predictive of erectile dysfunction and female sexual arousal as well as orgasm frequency. Reduced HRV and low cardiac vagal tone have previously been reported in breast cancer survivors during the first year post-treatment. If HRV is a reliable indicator of female sexual dysfunction, it could be used to assess and monitor it in a clinical setting. Objectives This study aimed to explore whether there is a link between HRV and both, sexual arousal and the ability to orgasm. We were expecting to find a difference in HRV between breast cancer survivors and healthy controls as well as orgasmic and anorgasmic women. Methods Participants were prescreened during a telephone interview. We included 40 premenopausal breast cancer survivors currently on hormonal treatment with an age range of 29 to 57 years (M = 43.5, SD = 6.4) and 20 healthy controls with an age range of 22 to 35 (M = 27.6, SD = 3.2). The vaginal pulse amplitude, heart rate variability (SDNN), subjective sexual arousal and self-reported number of orgasms were assessed in response to audiovisual sexual stimuli and vibrotactile clitoral stimulation in breast cancer survivors and healthy controls. Validated patient-reported outcome measures were used to assess sexual dysfunctions (Female Sexual Function Index, Female Sexual Distress Scale − Desire/Arousal/Orgasm), sexual self-esteem (Sexual Self-Esteem Inventory-Short Form), health-related quality of life (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 29 (PROMIS-29) profile questionnaire). Results Breast cancer survivors showed lower sexual function, health-related quality of life, sexual self-esteem and higher sexual distress than healthy controls. Preliminary results show a difference in baseline HRV scores between healthy controls and breast cancer survivors. However, this finding is likely due to age differences between our two groups and not cancer treatment effects. We could find no apparent differences in baseline HRV between anorgasmic and orgasmic women. Further analyses on the predictive value of HRV during sexual arousal for orgasm occurrence will be conducted. Conclusions Our data did not corroborate either of our hypotheses related to baseline HRV. For the evaluation of HRV as a predictor for orgasm occurrence, further exploratory analyses will follow. More research on the physiological parameters of sexual dysfunction is needed to reveal underlying mechanisms and find targets for future therapies.

The role of coarticulatory tonal information in Cantonese spoken word recognition: an eye-tracking study

Abstract Previous eye-tracking studies suggest listeners closely track coarticulatory segmental information to facilitate spoken word recognition. In tonal languages such as Cantonese, the F0 value of high-level and rising tones is higher when preceding a low tone than preceding a high tone. Given the tonal coarticulation effect in Cantonese, this study used a printed-word version of the visual-world eye-tracking paradigm to investigate Macau Cantonese listeners’ real-time processing of coarticulatory information through two types of word pairings, in which target words and competitor words are either matched or mismatched in coarticulatory pattern (i.e., preceding a low or high tone). The results of the growth curve analysis on the difference between target and competitor fixations show that a fixation advantage of target words increases more quickly over time in the mismatch condition than in the match condition. The overall findings suggest that native listeners closely attend to the coarticulatory tonal information to facilitate lexical activation during moment-by-moment processing. Since the mechanisms of the coarticulatory effect may differ between segments and lexical tones, this research calls for further eye-tracking studies that manipulate coarticulation cues in segmental and suprasegmental domains.

A Comprehensive Review of the Research Literature on External Cephalic Version (ECV)

External cephalic version (ECV) is an approach to turning a fetus from the breech presentation by external maneuvering of the fetus through the maternal abdominal wall into a cephalic presentation. We conducted a systematic search of the current literature on ECV to provide a comprehensive overview of the procedure and associated success rates, risks, and alternatives to ECV. Tocolytics can improve ECV success, but none of the tocolytics shown to be effective for ECV are currently available in Canada. The factors that can best predict ECV success are low uterine tone (associated with parity or tocolytics), easy palpation of the fetal head, and an unengaged breech. The most common side effect of ECV is transient fetal bradycardia with an incidence of one to six percent of all ECV procedures. The risk of requiring an emergency caesarean section because of ECV appears to be around 0.5% or one in 200 ECV procedures performed. Our review suggested no significant risk of fetal/neonatal mortality or serious morbidity associated with ECV. Few alternative approaches to turning a fetus in the breech presentation have been adequately studied. ECV should be considered for all women with a fetus in the breech presentation at term in the absence of any contraindications to the procedure.