Multiple Distractions Research Articles

Defeating cancer through education, prevention, and youth athletics.

e22548 Background: Barriers to effective scientific learning exists for elementary students, particularly in socially and financially disadvantaged settings. Maintaining interest, concentration and focus can be difficult for children, particularly when confronted with complex material and multiple distractions. Methods: We implemented a scientific educational program for children attending an urban community center after-school program entailing tutoring stations conducted during a basketball practice. Five tutoring stations included human physiology, astronomy, geography, geology and cancer. Five children spend 3 minutes with tutors who are medical students or residents while five other children are on the basketball court going through drills with a coach. After 3 minutes the kids on the court and the kids being tutored switch places. The sequence is repeated until each child has rotated through each of the 5 tutoring stations and through each of the 5 basketball drills. After this, each child rotates through each tutoring station for one minute where they are quizzed on what they were taught and the end of practice scrimmage begins with a score based upon each team of fives’ performance on the quiz. Results: The method proved to be highly effective in the children’s ability to understand and retain scientific concepts. Within weeks nearly every child could list the planets of the solar system in order, calculate their pulse and explain its importance, list the most common symptoms of the most prevalent cancers, correctly identify continents, oceans, countries and states on maps and explain the origin of volcanos, earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis. Conclusions: This novel teaching method proved highly effective with children being able to maintain interest, focus and concentration in a setting where physical exertion is rapidly alternated with educational instruction. Parents and teachers commented that the kids learned more in 45 minutes with this method than in 2 weeks of conventional classroom teaching. The approach is widely applicable to students from diverse backgrounds.

Long-term Follow-up of Implant Installation Following Multiple Distraction Osteogenesis in Maxillofacial Gunshot Wounds.

Distraction osteogenesis (DO) is a reconstruction technique developed in the fields of oral and maxillofacial surgery and plastic surgery, addressing both vertical and horizontal bone deficiencies and enhancing soft tissue volume to facilitate subsequent dental implant placement. In this treatment method, devices are placed to stretch the bone gradually to stimulate the formation of new bone, effectively filling the existing defect to treat maxillofacial deformities or repair posttraumatic injuries. This case report presents an almost 20-year long-term follow-up of jaw defect reconstruction resulting from a gunshot injury, using DO with multiple distractors. Details on the frequency, period of DO, and subsequent implant installation in the distracted anterior jaw area are outlined. This case exhibits DO treatments that reconstructed effectively severe bone defects in the jaws. The quality of bone generated during the DO process was both functionally and esthetically satisfactory for subsequent implant rehabilitation.

Factors Related to Proximal Junctional Kyphosis and Device Failure in Patients with Early-Onset Scoliosis Treated with a Traditional Dual Growing Rod: A Single Institution Study.

Observational study. Investigation of factors related to proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) and device failure in patients with early-onset scoliosis. The use of growth-friendly devices, such as traditional dual growing rod (TDGR) for the treatment of earlyonset scoliosis (EOS), may be associated with important complications, including PJK and device failure. Thirty-five patients with EOS and treated with TDGR from 2014 to 2021 with a minimum follow-up of 2 years were retrospectively evaluated. Potential risk factors, including demographic factors, disease etiology, radiological measurements, and surgical characteristics, were assessed. PJK was observed in 19 patients (54.3%), and seven patients (20%) had device failure. PJK was significantly associated with global final kyphosis change (p=0.012). No significant correlation was found between the rod angle contour, type of implant, connector design, and the risk of PJK or device failure. Treatment of EOS with TDGR is associated with high rates of complications, particularly PJK and device failure. The device type may not correlate with the risk of PJK and device failure. The progression of thoracic kyphosis during multiple distractions is an important risk factor for PJK.

Application of magic distraction therapy for the alleviation of dental fear and anxiety in children younger than 12 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Dental fear and anxiety (DFA) in children leads to increased pain sensitivity and challenging behaviors that complicate treatment. Employing magic as a distraction therapy utilizes children’s imagination and curiosity to mitigate these effects, yet its systematic evaluation is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of magic distraction therapy (MDT) in reducing DFA in children and identify the determinants of its efficacy. This study adhered to the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and was registered in the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (INPLASY202420074). We searched Embase, MEDLINE, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving children under 12 years receiving dental treatment with MDT. Studies that combined multiple distraction methods or used hypnosis were excluded. The meta-analysis analyzed the data using a random effects model, with subgroup analysis and meta-regression. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2). The analysis included four RCTs involving a total of 180 children aged 2 to 11 years. Overall, 25.0% of the included studies had a low risk of bias, 75.0% had some risk of bias, and none had a high risk of bias. Magic significantly reduced dental anxiety (Hedges’ g = −1.236, 95% confidence interval (CI): −1.798 to −0.673, p < 0.001), particularly during treatments involving local anesthesia (p = 0.006), performed concurrently during treatment (p = 0.008), and in younger children (coefficient = −0.2077 per year, p < 0.001). This study supports MDT as an effective approach for reducing DFA in children, highlighting the importance of timing, anesthesia and patient age in optimizing anxiety reduction strategies.

Orthopedic mechanism analysis of growing rod distraction for early-onset scoliosis based on 3D morphological parameters.

Traditional growing rod (TGR) provides a corrective moment for deformed segments to straighten the spine, whose clinical efficacy has proven positive and growth-friendly. However, an insufficient understanding of orthopedic mechanisms can affect the development of clinical strategies. This research attempts to analyze the spine that has undergone four distraction operations: exploring the spinal orthopedic mechanism, including alignment, growth, and morphology. In this study, the spinal morphology curves were illustrated in three human planes to exhibit the changes in spinal alignment. The spinal growth characteristics were measured to discuss the unsynchronized and diminishing growth rate. The spinal deformations were evaluated to indicate asymmetric growth. As a result, the spinal alignment changes indicated the orthopedic process improved, but the re-unbalance occurred after multiple distractions. Then, unsynchronized growth existed in the superior and inferior segments, and the growth rate over every distraction diminished. Finally, asymmetric growth was indicated as the axial/circumferential growth ratio getting greater and the cuneate level approaching normal. Accordingly, a TGR is growth-friendly, but combining the osteotomy fusion of lumbar segments for severe early-onset scoliosis may be an excellent choice to solve the insufficient corrective stimulation. Regarding the distraction process, reshaping before the final fusion can fix the balance loss, and a prolonged distraction frequency fits the law of diminishing return. In conclusion, studying orthopedic mechanisms based on morphological measurement can guide clinical strategy optimization.

Polyp segmentation with distraction separation

In clinical practice, automatic polyp segmentation in colonoscopy images is important for computer-aided clinical diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Existing polyp segmentation methods still suffer from the challenges of false positive/negative distractions to distinguish polyps and normal tissues. In this paper, we propose a novel Distraction Separation Network (DSNet) that mines potential polyp regions from the low-level semantic features while segregating background regions. To support the proposed framework, we propose two modules, including the neighbor fusion module (NFM) and the distraction separation module (DSM). The neighbor fusion module first integrates high-level features to obtain initial segmentation results as the prior guidance map. Guided by the prior results, multiple distraction separation modules are then employed to capture multi-scale contextual information for eliminating distraction. By separating distractions on different levels, DSNet can progressively refine segmentation results. Extensive experiments show that DSNet outperforms state-of-the-art methods on six challenging benchmark datasets.

University Student-parents’ Experiences in the UAE during COVID-19: Future Implications for Higher Education

The COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020 and threw higher education institutions worldwide into a rapid transition from face-to-face to online learning modes. While students everywhere were grappling with the changes to their learning experiences, those with parenting responsibilities had additional pressures. This study investigated how university student-parents across the United Arab Emirates experienced the change, and their perceptions of the impact of COVID- 19 on their studies. One hundred seventy-five students responded to a questionnaire exploring domains such as their domestic set-up for study, levels of support from family and their institutions, and the situation’s impact on their learning, well-being, and peer and instructor interactions. It was found that while many students relished being more involved with their children’s online schoolwork, this caused tremendous strain for some. Many students had responsibility for at least one child beside them as they studied, leading to multiple distractions that affected their learning and ability to meet deadlines. While most students reported keeping up social support networks with peers, a majority also stated feeling less supported academically by peers and faculty. Many students also felt that their mental health and wellbeing had been diminished due to the situation. The implications of the findings to higher education are discussed.

Distractions in the operating room: a survey of the healthcare team.

BackgroundDistractions during surgical procedures are associated with team inefficiency and medical error. Little is published about the healthcare provider’s perception of distraction and its adverse impact in the operating room. We aim to explore the perception of the operating room team on multiple distractions during surgical procedures.MethodsA 26-question survey was administered to surgeons, anesthesia team members, nurses, and scrub technicians at our institution. Respondents were asked to identify and rank multiple distractions and indicate how each distraction might affect the flow of surgery.ResultsThere was 160 responders for a response rate of 19.18% (160/834), of which 71 (44.1%) male and 82 (50.9%) female, 48 (29.8%) surgeons, 59 (36.6%) anesthesiologists, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), and 53 (32.9%) OR nurses and scrub technicians. Responders were classified into a junior group (< 10 years of experience) and a senior group (≥ 10 years). Auditory distraction followed by equipment were the most distracting factors in the operating room. All potential auditory distractions in this survey were associated with higher percentage of certain level of negative impact on the flow of surgery except for music. The top 5 distractors belonged to equipment and environment categories. Phone calls/ pagers/ beepers and case relevant communications were consistently among the top 5 most common distractors. Case relevant communications, music, teaching, and consultation were the top 4 most perceived positive impact on the flow of surgery. Distractors with higher levels of “bothersome” rating appeared to associate with a higher level of perceived negative impact on the flow of surgery. Vision was the least distracting factor and appeared to cause minimal positive impact on the flow of surgery.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first survey studying perception of surgery, anesthesia, and OR staff on various distractions in the operating room. Fewer unnecessary distractions might improve the flow of surgery, improve OR teamwork, and potentially improve patient outcomes. Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00464-022-09553-8.

Radiographic healing patterns after tooth-borne distraction in canine model.

BackgroundThe osteogenesis distraction technique applied to the craniofacial skeleton is an alternative treatment for dentofacial deformities. Despite the advantages of tooth-borne distractors, few studies have evaluated their clinical implementation in sagittal dentoskeletal deformities. This study aimed provide a radiographic assessment of the effect of two different activations of tooth-borne distraction in the lengthening of the mandible in canines. Material and MethodsTen male beagle dogs, approximately one year old, were used for this experimental study. Three remained as a control group and seven underwent a mandibular tooth-borne distraction protocol with single daily activation in one hemimandible and two daily activations in the other, during ten days. The consolidation period took 12 weeks. Occlusal radiographs were performed immediately pre- and postoperatively. ResultsAfter the distraction period, the host bone margins presented very well-defined outlines with regular contours. Concerning the consolidation period, between the second and fourth weeks, all hemimandibles showed small rectangular radiopaque regions with parallel orientation to the distraction axis. At the twelfth week, all hemimandibles presented an entire mineralization of the distraction gap with no axial deviations of the anterior and posterior host bone, nine of which with both margins showing corticalization. ConclusionsRadiographic analysis showed bone regeneration in order to achieve the original bone architecture, especially in the group of multiple distraction. Tooth-borne distraction allowed successful sagittal lengthening of the mandible in a canine model. Key words:Orthodontics, osteogenesis, distraction, mandibular advancement, orthodontic appliance design.

Serial elongation derotation flexion casting in children with infantile and juvenile scoliosis.

Infantile (IS) and juvenile scoliosis (JS) are among the most challenging conditions pediatric orthopedic surgeons are facing in the present days. However, the best treatment of IS and JS is still debated and it remains controversial, at least for some aspects. Untreated early onset spinal deformities may lead to pulmonary and heart compromise. Growth friendly surgical techniques imply multiple distractions with increased risk of auto-fusion, infection and curve stiffening. Serial casting has been proven to be a valuable option to treat children with early onset scoliosis (EOS) in an attempt to delay surgery (in most cases) or to cure the disease (in few cases). More than five decades ago, Cotrel and Morel from France, introduced the Elongation-Derotation-Flexion (EDF) casting technique. EDF cast is a custom-made thoracolumbar cast that corrects the deformed spine three-dimensionally. Serial EDF casting is able to modulate spinal growth and it can-at least in some cases-prevent the progression of the spinal deformity. Today, serial EDF casting technique has become one of the accepted treatment options for the management of children with IS and JS. The main objective of this work is to describe the EDF serial casting technique for the treatment of children with IS and JS, as well as to highlight its advantages and its limits by providing a review of the most recent literature.

Christmas poisons

Christmas is a high-risk time for poisoning in pets. It is busy and hectic with multiple distractions, and there is usually a mountain of food in the house. There is also a potentially increased risk of exposure to cleaning and disinfectant products as well as decorations as owners prepare for visitors and the party season. Nicola Bates looks at the biggest dangers to pets

Should You Watch Dance Documentaries? Only if you want to be inspired and informed about the dance world

Should you watch dance documentaries? Only if you want to be inspired and informed about the dance world As you graze through the good, the bad, and the ugly dance clips on YouTube, consider the benefits of watching Paul Taylor’s company in Dancemaker—it’s one of the ways you find out about the past and your possible future by Savannah Reach Should dance documentaries be required for dance majors to watch? Some students say that documentaries are useful in learning about choreographers and leading figures in the dance field. Others think they are boring and a waste of time when there are numerous “popular” choreographers available on YouTube. After considering it, I strongly believe that documentaries should be required for dance majors to watch. In particular, I am advocating for Dancemaker, which is a tribute to Paul Taylor. One of the prominent artists of the 20 th and 21 st Centuries, Taylor has choreographed over 140 dances and helped shape the art of modern dance in America. Taylor is an important figure in the dance world, and Dancemaker gives a unique insight into his significance. Documentaries can be long and students might not understand how they relate to what they want to do in the future. They would rather spend hours on YouTube watching the coolest competition kids or the newest tricks to achieve over-splits. These students struggle to find the reasons documentaries are required in class and lack motivation to watch them. What they don’t understand is that dance documentaries can provide a deeper understanding of choreographers, such as Paul Taylor, Martha Graham, and Pina Bausch. By watching their choreography, students can learn what has been successful in the past and compare it to their own work. Even though YouTube provides a vast amount of options for the dance student, the quality of videos on YouTube is often bad, with amateurs posting as many dance videos as professionals. It can take hours searching through mediocre dancing to find an inspirational video. Plus, there are annoying ads on YouTube and multiple distractions of other videos popping up on the side. Documentaries provide a well-developed story with potential to catch the eye of aspiring professional dancers for long enough to follow the narrative arc. It creates an outlet for students to understand another dance culture, follow a dance company on tour, or see a dance style they have never heard of before. These perspectives are important for the dancers to become well-rounded individuals in the art of dance so they can not only dance, but can also have meaningful, intelligent conversations about their field. For serious dancers, Dancemaker shows what makes Paul Taylor the recipient of nearly every honor and award given to artists in the United States. The details are shown throughout the documentary, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. If students are interested in creating dance for film, this documentary is a perfect source to learn about techniques such as transitions, camera angles, and interview methods. The documentary also gives students insight on what is required to be in a dance company or to run one. It follows rehearsals, traveling on tour, auditions, and the choreographic process. Taylor’s money management team is also filmed to give an idea of the funding fluctuations that affect dance productions and salaries.

Aurally aided visual search performance for stationary and walking listeners

One of the most important functions of spatial hearing is to facilitate the rapid shift of visual gaze in the direction of newly detected sound sources that might represent potential targets or threats in our environment. Some of the most dangerous threats can emerge when listeners are walking, so it is useful to know what impact walking might have on audiovisual target detection and identification in complex scenes. This study used a virtual environment consisting of a motorized treadmill surrounded by a 180° projection screen mounted in front of a 64-loudspeaker array to evaluate how quickly participants were able to detect a visual target displayed in the presence of multiple distracters. The distracters were small clusters containing 2 or 4 dots, and the target was a small cluster containing 1 or 3 dots that was presented from the same location as a pulsed broadband noise. The task was to find the target as quickly as possible and press a button to indicate if it had 1 or 3 dots. Data were also collected in an auditory localization condition that required listeners to move a cursor to the location of the sound source and a visual-only condition that required participants to perform the visual search task with no auditory cue. The results show that target identification times were generally reduced when the listener was walking, suggesting that the increased motor activation caused by walking may enhance the ability to perform audiovisual searches. [Research Supported by DoD PHTBI award (W81XWH-12-2-0068).]

How can surgeonfish help pediatric surgeons? A pilot study investigating the antinociceptive effect of fish aquariums in adult volunteers.

Multiple distraction strategies have been proposed to reduce the incidence of anxiety and pain in children. Animal-assisted therapy is acknowledged and used in children as an adjunctive treatment with cognitive, physical, psychosocial and spiritual benefits. To determine the effect of fish aquarium animal-assisted therapy (FA-AAT) on pain perception in a cohort of healthy volunteers. Sixty-nine healthy subjects (mean age 27.3 years) were exposed to >20 different species of soft or hard corals and >25 fish in a 1000 L saltwater aquarium. Pain perception was assessed using an electrical stimulation device, the Pain Matcher (Cefar Medical AB, Sweden), after 5 min, 10 min, 20 min and 30 min of continuous aquarium viewing. The measurements were repeated 10 min after stopping aquarium viewing. A statistically significant pain perception threshold augmentation was observed after a 5 min aquarium viewing. This threshold augmentation was also increased after 10 min, 20 min and 30 min of FA-AAT. A remnant effect was noted up to 10 min after exposure. This short post-viewing time period could be useful in clinical practice to perform certain painful procedures in children, such as those involving needles, under improved conditions immediately after aquarium exposure. In the authors' department, FA-AAT is now used as a nonpharmacological antinociceptive technique in association with a protocol of inhalated oxygen⁄nitrous oxide mixtures for needle-related procedures. Children and parents are invited to watch the aquarium during the 10 min to 20 min before venous punctures.

Effects of the Fusionless Instrumentation on the Disks and Facet Joints of the Unfused Segments

Growing rod (GR) is a state-of-the-art procedure favored when curvatures of the spine cannot be managed nonoperatively in early-onset scoliosis. Although some postulate that multiple distractions and/or relative immobilization of the unfused segments affect the health of disk and facet joint (FJ) and cause degeneration and/or spontaneous fusion, this has not thoroughly been investigated. In this study, changes in the unfused segment after a spine-based fusionless instrumentation (SBFI) are investigated and compared with the control (CG) and instrumented fusion (IF) groups. A total of 13 piglets, 10 to 14 weeks of age, were used. SBFI and IF were performed on 7 and 3 piglets, respectively, and 3 formed the CG. In SBFI, lengthening procedures of 5 mm were applied once monthly for 3 months, and, after 4 months, all piglets were euthanized. Histologic sections of the unfused disks and FJ were analyzed, and morphometric histologic analysis was performed. On the basis of the Gries criteria, unfused disk median grades were 1, 2, and 4 for control, SBFI, and IF, respectively, that revealed a statistical difference (P<0.001). Unfused FJ median grades were 1 and 2 for control and SBFI, respectively, that revealed a statistical difference (P<0.001). The mean hypertrophic zone (HZ) heights were 69.78, 84.20, and 66.14 μm; HZ chondrocyte cell widths were 19.03, 18.76, and 17.36 μm; and HZ chondrocyte cell heights were 15.01, 15.04, and 12.42 μm in the CG, SBFI, and IF groups, respectively. Statistically, for HZ heights, SBFI was different compared with CG and IF (P<0.001), and, for HZ chondrocyte cell widths and heights, IF was different compared with CG and SBFI (P<0.001). Morphometric analysis in this study supports the findings that SBFI preserves the growth potential of the spine. Furthermore, changes in the HZ heights show that distractive forces stimulate the apophyseal growth of the axial skeleton describing how the growth rate of the spine in GR might surpass the normal growth rate. Overall, although some degenerative changes are observed, SBFI and repeated distractions alone are not solely responsible for FJ arthrosis and disk degeneration, given that they are structurally preserved. GR and regular lengthening procedures do not impair disk health and preserve the growth potential of the spine if it is applied with a meticulous technique.

Attentional priorities and access to short-term memory: Parietal interactions

The intraparietal sulcus (IPS) has been implicated in selective attention as well as visual short-term memory (VSTM). To contrast mechanisms of target selection, distracter filtering, and access to VSTM, we combined behavioral testing, computational modeling and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Sixteen healthy subjects participated in a change detection task in which we manipulated both target and distracter set sizes. We directly compared the IPS response as a function of the number of targets and distracters in the display and in VSTM. When distracters were not present, the posterior and middle segments of IPS showed the predicted asymptotic activity increase with an increasing target set size. When distracters were added to a single target, activity also increased as predicted. However, the addition of distracters to multiple targets suppressed both middle and posterior IPS activities, thereby displaying a significant interaction between the two factors. The interaction between target and distracter set size in IPS could not be accounted for by a simple explanation in terms of number of items accessing VSTM. Instead, it led us to a model where items accessing VSTM receive differential weights depending on their behavioral relevance, and secondly, a suppressive effect originates during the selection phase when multiple targets and multiple distracters are simultaneously present. The reverse interaction between target and distracter set size was significant in the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ), where activity was highest for a single target compared to any other condition. Our study reconciles the role of middle IPS in attentional selection and biased competition with its role in VSTM access.

A07 Intraoperative MRI

Background and Goals: Intraoperative MRI (IMRI) provides substantial benefits for the treatment of intracranial disease.1 Magnet safety underlies all aspects of patient care, but the unique workflow, limited access, and difficult communication make patient care extremely challenging. The MR OR is dark and noisy with multiple distractions, unfamiliar equipment, and limited access to the patient. This abstract outlines the unique hazards and our initial experience in developing an IMRI program. Methods: The Yale-New Haven Hospital MR OR opened in June 2010. The room was designed and built by IMRIS (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada). A Siemens 3 Tesla MRI is moved into the OR during surgery. Anesthesiologists use Invivo MRI physiologic monitors, GE Aestiva MRI anesthesia gas machines, and iRadimed infusion pumps. The neuroanesthesia group developed its own safety and training program. Checklists are used for all safety procedures. The MRI's built-in patient call system is used to call for help in an emergency. Training includes use of monitors and infusion pumps, workflow, and demonstrations of the magnet's strength. Neuroanesthesiologists and residents receive this training and undergo a short mentoring period. Results: 176 scans have been done since June 2010. IMRI is used to guide surgery and assess tumor resection. Active research protocols with the intraoperative MRI are underway. Conclusions and Discussion: All supplies and equipment are MR safe. MRI monitors and pumps were originally developed for patients receiving sedation for a diagnostic scan, and have a limited set of features. Room entry is through multiple locked doors, delaying help in an emergency. Team training improves communication and crisis management.2 Extensive cooperation between surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, and MRI personnel is required. Any team member can stop the scan if a problem occurs. We have developed a program to provide safe care for patients undergoing IMRI.

Does Your Staff Really “Get” Initial Patient Assessment? Assessing Competency in Triage Using Simulated Patient Encounters

In an ideal world, sufficient resources and staff would be available to care for every person who arrives at the emergency department, but because that is rarely the case, both formal and informal triage is necessary. In the high-acuity, high-uncertainty environment of the emergency department, where multiple distractions, constant interruptions, innumerable high-priority tasks, and limited staff are the norm, the ability of the nurse to assess critical patient factors is central to maintaining both safety and efficiency.

Circuits for Multisensory Integration and Attentional Modulation Through the Prefrontal Cortex and the Thalamic Reticular Nucleus in Primates

Converging evidence from anatomic and physiological studies suggests that the interaction of high-order association cortices with the thalamus is necessary to focus attention on a task in a complex environment with multiple distractions. Interposed between the thalamus and cortex, the inhibitory thalamic reticular nucleus intercepts and regulates communication between the two structures. Recent findings demonstrate that a unique circuitry links the prefrontal cortex with the reticular nucleus and may underlie the process of selective attention to enhance salient stimuli and suppress irrelevant stimuli in behavior. Unlike other cortices, some prefrontal areas issue widespread projections to the reticular nucleus, extending beyond the frontal sector to the sensory sectors of the nucleus, and may influence the flow of sensory information from the thalamus to the cortex. Unlike other thalamic nuclei, the mediodorsal nucleus, which is the principal thalamic nucleus for the prefrontal cortex, has similarly widespread connections with the reticular nucleus. Unlike sensory association cortices, some terminations from prefrontal areas to the reticular nucleus are large, suggesting efficient transfer of information. We propose a model showing that the specialized features of prefrontal pathways in the reticular nucleus may allow selection of relevant information and override distractors, in processes that are deranged in schizophrenia.

The Effects of Visual Cues and Interstimulus Interval on Accuracy in Auditory Localization and Detection

Auditory localization is an increasingly important topic as the technology for audio displays is becoming more available. However, few studies examine the effects of multiple simultaneous distracters on auditory detection and localization performance. Previous research has found that detection and localization performance significantly drop as the number of distracters increases; however, it is not clear what causes these errors. In the present study, participants either had to localize an auditory stimulus or detect an auditory stimulus among multiple distracters. Similar to previous research the number of errors significantly increased as the number of active speakers increased. Also consistent with previous research, the detection performance was better than the localization performance. The use of visual cues was found to benefit the localization group but did not significantly affect performance in the detection group. The present study also found that a longer interstimulus interval improved accuracy only in the localization group, and then only when visual cues were present. These findings provide insight into the complex nature of the auditory search task.