Number Of Incorrect Responses Research Articles

Associations between the Framingham Risk Score and cognitive functions in people with multiple sclerosis

Background & Objective: Cognitive impairment is common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Framingham Risk Score (FRS) is an algorithm used to estimate the 10-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVDr). This study aimed to evaluate the possible associations between FRS and cognitive impairment in people with MS. Methods: Demographic characteristics, laboratory parameters, clinical findings, vascular risk factors, and Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) test results, FRS and CVDr scores were recorded for 110 MS patients. Results: FRS and CVDr scores exhibited a significant negative correlation with the number of correct responses in the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (p < 0.001 for all) and California Verbal Learning Test–Second UK Edition (CVLT-II) test (p < 0.001 for all), and significant positive correlation with the number of incorrect responses in the CVLT-II (p < 0.001 for all). The total score of the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test Revised had a negative correlation with FRS and CVDr (p < 0.001 for both). BICAMS scores showed no significant correlation with smoking status, homocysteine, and uric acid levels. Conclusion: We suppose that vascular risk factors and FRS and CVDr scores may be associated with the deterioration of working memory, information processing speed, verbal learning, and memory in people with MS. Based on the potential impact of vascular risk factors on cognitive functions, our findings suggest that lifestyle changes, appropriate treatment, and using a multidisciplinary approach toward vascular risk factors during MS management may exhibit a positive effect on cognition in people with MS.

Cerebral arterial blood flow, attention, and executive and cognitive functions in depressed patients after acute hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage.

Intracerebral hemorrhage mainly occurs in middle-aged and elderly patients with hypertension, and surgery is currently the main treatment for hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage, but the bleeding caused by surgery will cause damage to the patient's nerve cells, resulting in cognitive and motor dysfunction, resulting in a decline in the patient's quality of life. To investigate associations between cerebral arterial blood flow and executive and cognitive functions in depressed patients after acute hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage. Eighty-nine patients with depression after acute hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage who were admitted to our hospital between January 2019 and July 2021 were selected as the observation group, while 100 patients without depression who had acute hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage were selected as the control group. The attention span of the patients was assessed using the Paddle Pin Test while executive function was assessed using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA). The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-24) was used to evaluate the severity of depression of involved patients. Cerebral arterial blood flow was measured in both groups. The MoCA score, net scores I, II, III, IV, and the total net score of the scratch test in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Concurrently, the total number of responses, number of incorrect responses, number of persistent errors, and number of completed responses of the first classification in the WCST test were significantly higher in the observation group than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Blood flow in the basilar artery, left middle cerebral artery, right middle cerebral artery, left anterior cerebral artery, and right anterior cerebral artery was significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The basilar artery, left middle cerebral artery, right middle cerebral artery, left anterior cerebral artery, and right anterior cerebral artery were positively correlated with the net and total net scores of each part of the Paddle Pin test and the MoCA score (P < 0.05), and negatively correlated with each part of the WCST test (P < 0.05). In the observation group, the post-treatment improvement was more prominent in the Paddle Pin test, WCST test, HAMD-24 score, and MoCA score compared with those in the pre-treatment period (P < 0.05). Blood flow in the basilar artery, left middle cerebral artery, right middle cerebral artery, left anterior cerebral artery, and right anterior cerebral artery significantly improved in the observation group after treatment (P < 0.05). Impaired attention, and executive and cognitive functions are correlated with cerebral artery blood flow in patients with depression after acute hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage and warrant further study.

Revolutionizing construction safety: introducing a cutting-edge virtual reality interactive system for training US construction workers to mitigate fall hazards

The construction industry is fraught with hazards, chief among them being the risk of falls from elevated positions, which are a leading cause of both fatalities and injuries among workers. Despite the prevalence of traditional safety training methods, their effectiveness in reducing fall risks remains limited. To solve this issue, this study proposes the adoption of interactive VR technologies to provide construction workers with immersive training experiences in the critical domain of fall safety. This approach not only ensures adherence to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements but also leverages VR’s immersive capabilities to create a comprehensive and effective learning tool. To evaluate the proposed system’s efficacy, the researchers conducted an empirical assessment involving eighty-two construction workers from two small enterprises. Participants were divided into two groups: one receiving traditional training and the other undergoing VR-based instruction. Both groups underwent pre- and post-training evaluations comprising six targeted questions designed to measure the impact of each training method on their understanding and awareness of fall safety practices. The comparative analysis revealed no significant differences in baseline knowledge between the two groups prior to the training interventions. However, post-training evaluations demonstrated a notable improvement in the VR group, with a significant decrease in the number of incorrect responses, in stark contrast to the group subjected to traditional training methods. Statistical analysis further confirmed the superiority of VR training in enhancing participants’ knowledge. This was quantified by a p-value of 0.0016, indicating a high level of statistical significance well below the conventional threshold of 0.05. This study highlights the significant advantages of VR technology in construction safety training, demonstrating its superiority over traditional training methods in terms of knowledge retention and practical application. The results strongly support the wider adoption of VR in safety training, indicating its potential to enhance safety outcomes in the construction sector.

Association between attention performance and the different dimensions of DSM-5 depression symptoms.

Depressive symptoms can be assessed with self-reported questionnaires, such as the Patient Health Questionary-9 (PHQ-9). Previous studies have suggested that the PHQ-9 items can be grouped into somatic and non-somatic clusters. However, the classification of the PHQ-9 item "concentration difficulties" into somatic or non-somatic is still controversial. This controversy may be explained by difficulties experienced by subjects in accurately evaluating their attention problems. The primary objective of this study was to determine the correlation between objective attentional performance and the two clusters of depressive symptoms in hospital employees working in stressful conditions. The participants filled out the PHQ-9 to identify their depressive symptoms. Based on the PHQ-9, the somatic or non-somatic symptoms were measured without considering the question about subjective concentration difficulties. Then, a brief version of the Continuous Visual Attention Test (CVAT) was applied to assess four attentional subdomains. The CVAT is a Go/No-go task that measures number of correct responses (focused attention), number of incorrect responses (behavior-inhibition), average reaction time of correct responses (RT-alertness), and variability of reaction time (VRT-sustained attention). The entire task lasted 90 s. Correlation analyses assessed the relationships between attentional performance and the two dimensions of depressive symptoms. After applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria, 359 individuals were selected. Their age ranged from 20 to 70 years (mean = 40.5, SD = 10.37), and the majority was female (67.6%). A predominance in somatic depressive symptoms was present in 231 (64%) participants, whereas 59 (16%) showed a predominance of non-somatic symptoms. Sixty-nine participants (20%) did not show any predominance. Higher somatic scores were associated with higher RTs, whereas higher non-somatic scores were related to an increase in the number of incorrect responses. The predominance of the somatic cluster was related to lower alertness, whereas the predominance of non-somatic cluster was associated with impulsivity/hyperactivity. This result may explain the difficulties associated with correctly classifying the item concentration difficulties. A brief attentional task can be used as an auxiliary tool to correctly identify the different dimensions of attention that are associated with different clusters of depressive symptoms.

Slowing processing speed is associated with cognitive fatigue in newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis patients.

To further investigate objective measures of cognitive fatigue (CF), defined as the inability to sustain performance over time, in newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, by conducting a performance analysis on the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) based on the type of errors (omissions vs. incorrect responses) committed. Sixty-two newly diagnosed patients with MS (pwMS) and 41 healthy controls (HC) completed the PASAT. Analysis of the change in performance during the test was performed by comparing the number of correct responses, incorrect responses, and omissions in the 1st versus the 3rd tertile of the PASAT. A significant decline in accuracy over time was observed to be related to an increment in the number of omissions, significantly more pronounced in pwMS than in HC. No change in the number of incorrect responses throughout the PASAT was observed for either group. CF can be detected even in newly diagnosed pwMS and might objectively manifest as a progressive increase in omissions during a sustained highly demanding task (i.e., PASAT). This pattern may reflect slowed processing speed and increased fatigue in pwMS. Focusing on omissions on the PASAT instead of correct responses only may improve its specificity as an objective measure of CF.

Effect Of A Dynamic Dual-Task Paradigm And Concussion History On Motor And Cognitive Performance

Prior to and following a concussion, athletes exhibit deficits in gait and cognitive performance between single-task (ST) and dual-task (DT) paradigms. Current motor tasks used in these divided attention paradigms may not be challenging enough to detect long-term changes following injury. PURPOSE: To determine if differences exist between ST and DT paradigms while performing a multi-directional gait task and Stroop test. METHODS: Fifteen male Big Ten Universities Rugby Conference athletes (20.53±1.60 yrs; 1.76±0.10 m; 86.11±9.47 kg) and 17 male American Collegiate Hockey Association athletes (20.06±1.75 yrs; 1.79±0.07 m; 85.96±10.25 kg) volunteered to participate. Two tasks were performed: 1) recite the color of the Stroop stimulus and 2) walk around a 3.05 x 3.05 m (10 x 10 ft.) box while maintaining forward gaze. Tasks were completed independently (ST) and concurrently (DT). Attempted responses were calculated as a percentage of attempted out of total possible responses (56 stimuli). The number of incorrect responses were calculated as ([incorrect responses / attempted responses]*100). Dual-task effect (DTE) was calculated as [(DT performance – ST performance) / DT performance * 100] for box distance and attempted responses. A paired samples t-test was performed to determine if differences in DTE existed between motor and cognitive performance. For all remaining outcome variables, 2 (paradigm) x 2 (concussion history) mixed-model ANOVAs were performed. Alpha level was set a priori at p<0.05. RESULTS: Participants walked a shorter distance under DT (10.49 m) compared to ST (11.66 m) (p<0.01). Athletes with a concussion history had a higher percentage of incorrect responses (2.73%) compared to those without a history of concussion (0.58%) (p=0.01). There were no differences in attempted responses between paradigms (p=0.38) or concussion history (p=0.66). DTE for box distance (-12.45%) and attempted responses (-3.80%) DTE were different (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Motor and cognitive differences existed under a DT paradigm whereby DT elicited a greater degree of change from ST for motor performance than cognitive performance. Establishing a normative healthy DT baseline performance is warranted to better inform clinicians on appropriate return-to-play decisions following injury.

Effects of Discontinue Rules on Psychometric Properties of Test Scores.

This paper provides results on a form of adaptive testing that is used frequently in intelligence testing. In these tests, items are presented in order of increasing difficulty. The presentation of items is adaptive in the sense that a session is discontinued once a test taker produces a certain number of incorrect responses in sequence, with subsequent (not observed) responses commonly scored as wrong. The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (SB5; Riverside Publishing Company, 2003) and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC-II; Kaufman and Kaufman, 2004), the Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test (Kaufman and Kaufman 2014) and the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (2nd ed.) (Bracken and McCallum 2015) are some of the many examples using this rule. He and Wolfe (Educ Psychol Meas 72(5):808-826, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164412441937 ) compared different ability estimation methods in a simulation study for this discontinue rule adaptation of test length. However, there has been no study, to our knowledge, of the underlying distributional properties based on analytic arguments drawing on probability theory, of what these authors call stochastic censoring of responses. The study results obtained by He and Wolfe (Educ Psychol Meas 72(5):808-826, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164412441937 ) agree with results presented by DeAyala et al. (J Educ Meas 38:213-234, 2001) as well as Rose et al. (Modeling non-ignorable missing data with item response theory (IRT; ETS RR-10-11), Educational Testing Service, Princeton, 2010) and Rose et al. (Psychometrika 82:795-819, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11336-016-9544-7 ) in that ability estimates are biased most when scoring the not observed responses as wrong. This scoring is used operationally, so more research is needed in order to improve practice in this field. The paper extends existing research on adaptivity by discontinue rules in intelligence tests in multiple ways: First, an analytical study of the distributional properties of discontinue rule scored items is presented. Second, a simulation is presented that includes additional scoring rules and uses ability estimators that may be suitable to reduce bias for discontinue rule scored intelligence tests.

Does inhibitory dysfunction contribute to poor emotional aspect of eating behaviours in obesity? A study among a sample of young adults in Colombo District, Sri Lanka.

Background: Recent studies have suggested that poor inhibitory control can lead to poor emotional aspect of eating behaviour resulting in obesity. Considering this, a study was conducted to assess the association between obesity, inhibitory control and emotional aspect of eating behaviour among young adults in Colombo District, Sri Lanka. Methods: Young adults of age 21–25 years (n=231) were studied. Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR) were calculated to assess the generalized and central obesity, while inhibitory control was assessed through number of incorrect responses in Stroop, Stop signal and Go/no-go tasks. The emotional aspect of eating behaviour was assessed via self-administered Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (Revised-18), which consists of three subscales; cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating. Results: The mean age of the study sample was 23.4±1.4 years with males comprising 51.9%. There was a statistically significant group effect in mean incorrect responses of Stroop task and Stop signal task scores with normal, overweight and obese individuals (p 0.05). A positive significant correlation was observed in mean incorrect responses of Stroop task with cognitive restraint subscale (r=0.238, p Conclusion: Poor inhibitory control with abnormal emotional aspect of eating despite cognitive restraint was seen in those with obesity.

The relationship between functional status, physical fitness and cognitive performance in physically active older adults: A pilot study.

ObjectiveAgeing is associated with a progressive decline in physical function and cognitive performance which could result in a shift from an independent to a more dependent lifestyle. The aim of this research study was to assess the fitness, functional performance and cognitive ability in independently living older South Africans and to determine which fitness parameters and functional performance tests best explain the variance in cognitive function.DesignDescriptive observational study.ParticipantsOlder adults with a mean age 71±4.7 years (n = 70; 28 men and 42 women) were recruited. Sixty percent of the sample completed at least secondary schooling and more than two-thirds were taking medication for a chronic medical condition.MeasurementsSelf-reported physical activity was assessed using the Yale Physical Activity Survey. Fitness tests included the 6-minute walk test and Bicep Curls. The functional performance tests were; Static and Dynamic balance, Timed Up and Go, Sit to Stand, Grip strength and Functional Reach. The Stroop Task and 6-Item cognitive impairment test were used to measure cognitive performance. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted between performance on the novel cognitive Stroop Task and functional and cognitive tests.ResultsWe found significant relationships between the number of correct responses on the Stroop Task and scores on the 6-Item Cognitive Impairment test (-0.520, p < 0.01) and grip strength (r = 0.42, p< 0.01). The number of incorrect responses was inversely associated with functional reach (r = -0.445, p< 0.01). The final regression model included: age, dynamic balance, right arm grip strength and the score on the 6-item cognitive impairment test, and explained 44% of the variance in performance of the Stroop Task.ConclusionsThe results of this study showed that measures of physical function were associated with cognitive performance even in highly functioning older South African adults. Further research is needed to determine the extent to which exercise training can improve functional capacity and the effect on cognitive performance.

MaLT - Combined Motor and Language Therapy Tool for Brain Injury Patients Using Kinect.

The functional connectivity and structural proximity of elements of the language and motor systems result in frequent co-morbidity post brain injury. Although rehabilitation services are becoming increasingly multidisciplinary and "integrated", treatment for language and motor functions often occurs in isolation. Thus, behavioural therapies which promote neural reorganisation do not reflect the high intersystem connectivity of the neurologically intact brain. As such, there is a pressing need for rehabilitation tools which better reflect and target the impaired cognitive networks. The objective of this research is to develop a combined high dosage therapy tool for language and motor rehabilitation. The rehabilitation therapy tool developed, MaLT (Motor and Language Therapy), comprises a suite of computer games targeting both language and motor therapy that use the Kinect sensor as an interaction device. The games developed are intended for use in the home environment over prolonged periods of time. In order to track patients' engagement with the games and their rehabilitation progress, the game records patient performance data for the therapist to interrogate. MaLT incorporates Kinect-based games, a database of objects and language parameters, and a reporting tool for therapists. Games have been developed that target four major language therapy tasks involving single word comprehension, initial phoneme identification, rhyme identification and a naming task. These tasks have 8 levels each increasing in difficulty. A database of 750 objects is used to programmatically generate appropriate questions for the game, providing both targeted therapy and unique gameplay every time. The design of the games has been informed by therapists and by discussions with a Public Patient Involvement (PPI) group. Pilot MaLT trials have been conducted with three stroke survivors for the duration of 6 to 8 weeks. Patients' performance is monitored through MaLT's reporting facility presented as graphs plotted from patient game data. Performance indicators include reaction time, accuracy, number of incorrect responses and hand use. The resultant games have also been tested by the PPI with a positive response and further suggestions for future modifications made. MaLT provides a tool that innovatively combines motor and language therapy for high dosage rehabilitation in the home. It has demonstrated that motion sensor technology can be successfully combined with a language therapy task to target both upper limb and linguistic impairment in patients following brain injury. The initial studies on stroke survivors have demonstrated that the combined therapy approach is viable and the outputs of this study will inform planned larger scale future trials.

International Archives of Medicine

Objective: To study the effect of health educational video instruction on increasing patients' knowledge in a hospital waiting area of a developing country. Methods: An educational video on signs, symptoms, and risk factors of myocardial infarction (MI) was played in an Emergency Department (ED) patient waiting area of an urban tertiary care hospital in India. Participants (n = 217) were randomly assigned to two groups: an intervention group that viewed the MI video (n = 111) and a control group that did not view the video (n = 106). Each group took a standard survey of thirty-seven questions to assess baseline knowledge pertaining to MI (pretest). The intervention group then viewed the video and the initial survey was re-administered to each group (posttest). Results: At baseline (pretest) there was no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control group in the mean number of correct (18.1 vs. 19.0, p = 0.19), incorrect (9.4 vs. 8.6, p = 0.27) and unsure (9.6 vs. 9.3, p = 0.78) responses per participant. After viewing the video on MI, the intervention group had a statistically significant improvement in the mean number of correct responses (27.0 vs. 20.0, p < 0.001), and a significant decline in the mean number of unsure responses (1.8 vs. 9.4, p < 0.001) compared to the posttest responses of the control group. There was no significant change in the number of incorrect responses on the posttest between the intervention and control groups, (8.3 vs. 7.7, p = 0.35), respectively. Conclusion: A health educational video can serve as an effective tool for increasing patients' short-term knowledge and awareness of health conditions in a hospital waiting area of a developing country.

Sensory Feedback Training for Improvement of Finger Perception in Cerebral Palsy.

Purpose. To develop and to test a feedback training system for improvement of tactile perception and coordination of fingers in children and youth with cerebral palsy. Methods. The fingers of 7 probands with cerebral palsy of different types and severity were stimulated using small vibration motors integrated in the fingers of a hand glove. The vibration motors were connected through a microcontroller to a computer and to a response 5-button keyboard. By pressing an appropriate keyboard button, the proband must indicate in which finger the vibration was felt. The number of incorrect responses and the reaction time were measured for every finger. The perception and coordination of fingers were estimated before and after two-week training using both clinical tests and the measurements. Results. Proper functioning of the developed system in persons with cerebral palsy was confirmed. The tactile sensation of fingers was improved in five of seven subjects after two weeks of training. There was no clear tendency towards improvement of selective use of fingers. Conclusion. The designed feedback system could be used to train tactile perception of fingers in children and youth with cerebral palsy. An extensive study is required to confirm these findings.

Visuo-Motor Processing Impairments Following Concussion in Athletes

Visuo-Motor Processing Impairments Following Concussion in Athletes Objective: Conduct a pilot study to determine if visuo-motor processing is altered in athletes following sports-related concussion. Research design: A longitudinal matched cohort was used to assess 7 concussed and 7 matched control subjects. Interventions: All subjects completed a simple visuo-motor processing task (SVMP). Each subject completed 120 randomized trials. Subjects were asked to identify which direction the motion occurred in (left/right). Repeated testing was conducted 10 days following initial testing. Main outcome measures: Reaction time (overall, each grouping of 20 trials, ambiguous and unambiguous trials right/left), number of correct responses, and number of incorrect responses. A repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to determine differences between groups (concussed/control) and sessions (10 days apart). Results: Concussed athletes has significantly delayed visuo-motor reaction time compared to control subjects and between days of testing. Conclusions: Visuo-motor processing is impaired during the initial 10 days following a sports-related concussion. Concussed athletes demonstrate functional differences in SVMP task performance between testing days. An athlete may be placed at greater risk of injury if returned to sports participation with an impaired ability to quickly make decisions regarding direction of movement. Visuomotor processing should be a routine component of concussion assessment and RTP decision making.

P 55. The effect of modulated anodal stimulation of DLPFC on working memory

Introduction Working memory acts as short-term storage and data manipulator for cognitive functions. There is an agreement that dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is active during working memory. Previous studies shows that tDCS applied over DLPFC improve the performance of working memory. Objective Aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of anodal and modulated tDCS applied over DLPFC, on working memory. Material and methods The sample group consisted of 6 right handed healthy control subjects (4 females–2 male). Three-back test was used to assess the performance of working memory. In the beginning of evaluation, trial set of this test was applied 10 times to the participants in order to achieve a preset learning. When participant reaches 50% success level during trial test, three sets of electrical stimulations were applied, anode placed over DLPFC, where cathode was placed on right mastoid. Stimulation sets were given randomly. Stimulus sets were consisted of 0.87 mA at 11 Hz, 0.87 mA at 22 Hz and sham stimulation. Each stimulation was applied for 10 min and after 5 min of each stimulation, three-back test was used to assess the performance of working memory at different stimulation frequencies. Between stimulus sessions, 30 min breaks were given. Results Results show that the mean numbers of correct responses were: 14.0 ± 4.24 (at 22 Hz), 14.0 ± 5.36 (at 11 Hz) and 14.66 ± 5.42 (sham). The mean numbers of incorrect responses were found as 3.16 ± 2.13 (22 Hz), 2.5 ± 1.51 (11 Hz) and 1.83 ± 1.47 (sham). The response times for three-back targets were 699.35 ms ± 105,10 ms at 22 Hz, 648.17 ms ± 73.31 ms at 11 Hz, 621.88 ms ± 83.51 ms at sham stimulation. Conclusion Results showed that anodal stimulation on prefrontal cortex has no effect on working memory. On the other hand response time at 22 Hz was found to be delayed, compared to 11 Hz and sham stimulation. These results could be interpreted as modulated stimulation at higher frequencies diminishes working memory performance. However, our sample size is too small to conclude. Our ongoing studies investigates the relationship between electrical stimulation at different frequencies and working memory function with larger sample size and testing methods that better suit the task of working memory assessment.

Altered error-related activity in patients with schizophrenia

Deficits in working memory (WM) and executive cognitive control are core features of schizophrenia. However, findings regarding functional activation strengths are heterogeneous, partly due to differences in task demands and behavioral performance. Previous investigators proposed integrating these heterogeneous findings into a comprehensive model of cortical inefficiency assuming the inverted U-shaped relationship between performance and neuronal activation to be shifted in patients. The present study pursued a novel approach of precise performance balancing potentially resolving a number of discrepancies with regard to performance related cognitive activation patterns in schizophrenia. Error-related WM activity was examined in 55 patients and 55 controls by balancing the mean number of incorrect responses between the groups and analyzing remaining incorrect trials. A modified Sternberg Item Recognition task (SIRT) allowing for the segregation of encoding, executive maintenance and retrieval-related activation was applied. Relative to healthy controls, patients showed extended hypoactivations in inferior temporal, superior parietal, inferior, middle and superior frontal as well as cerebellar regions during encoding of incorrectly remembered items. During erroneous retrieval of information patients exhibited a significantly decreased activation in an executive control network comprising inferior and middle frontal areas, precuneus and cerebellum. Present data suggest that in patients with schizophrenia encoding of erroneously retrieved items as well as erroneous retrieval itself is associated with extended activation abnormalities in task-relevant regions even after balancing performance. Thus, present results clearly indicate that disorder-characteristic activation abnormalities become manifest during dysfunctional executive processing even when the moderating effect of performance is largely eliminated.

Utilizing video on myocardial infarction as a health educational intervention in patient waiting areas of the developing world: A study at the emergency department of a major tertiary care hospital in India

ObjectiveTo study the effect of health educational video instruction on increasing patients' knowledge in a hospital waiting area of a developing country.MethodsAn educational video on signs, symptoms, and risk factors of myocardial infarction (MI) was played in an Emergency Department (ED) patient waiting area of an urban tertiary care hospital in India. Participants (n = 217) were randomly assigned to two groups: an intervention group that viewed the MI video (n = 111) and a control group that did not view the video (n = 106). Each group took a standard survey of thirty-seven questions to assess baseline knowledge pertaining to MI (pretest). The intervention group then viewed the video and the initial survey was re-administered to each group (posttest).ResultsAt baseline (pretest) there was no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control group in the mean number of correct (18.1 vs. 19.0, p = 0.19), incorrect (9.4 vs. 8.6, p = 0.27) and unsure (9.6 vs. 9.3, p = 0.78) responses per participant. After viewing the video on MI, the intervention group had a statistically significant improvement in the mean number of correct responses (27.0 vs. 20.0, p < 0.001), and a significant decline in the mean number of unsure responses (1.8 vs. 9.4, p < 0.001) compared to the posttest responses of the control group. There was no significant change in the number of incorrect responses on the posttest between the intervention and control groups, (8.3 vs. 7.7, p = 0.35), respectively.ConclusionA health educational video can serve as an effective tool for increasing patients' short-term knowledge and awareness of health conditions in a hospital waiting area of a developing country.Practice ImplicationsHealth educational videos serve as a public health low cost intervention that demonstrates clear short term benefits. Health care workers in developing countries can help educate individuals presenting to hospitals by displaying these videos in hospital waiting areas.

Method and apparatus for automated training of language learning skills

A computer program for execution on a computing device is provided to cross-train students in language development skills such as letter-word correspondence, word recognition, vocabulary, and sentence and paragraph comprehension. A set of programs provide an adaptive methodology for training a student in decoding (semantic, syntactic, phonological, and morphological relationships), knowledge of rhymes, synonyms, antonyms, and homophones, spelling, letter-word correspondences, sentence comprehension, grammatical comprehension, working memory, vocabulary, paragraph comprehension, and improved reading comprehension. In each program, students are presented with an animated scene that poses a question, and a set of answers. The set of answers contain a correct response, and a number of incorrect responses or foils. The student advances to more complex levels by satisfying predetermined correct thresholds. Through repetition and intensity, the student's language skills are developed.

Visual Inspection of Circuit Boards: Effect of Gender, Age, Defect type, and Defect Proportion

Visual inspection of printed circuit boards was evaluated through a simulated experiment. Photographs of circuit boards were scanned into a PC and the images were manipulated using a Visual Basic program. The visual inspection performance measured reaction time in seconds and accuracy by measuring the number of incorrect responses given. The independent variables studied in this research were age, gender, defect type, board size, inspection pace, and proportion of defects. Forty subjects participated in this experiment. In summary, the study showed that defect proportion, defect type, age and gender do influence both inspection time and inspection accuracy. Perhaps the most interesting result is that rate of false alarm (decision 2) and misses (decision 1) depend on defect type and proportion. This has interesting ramification for quality professionals.

Evaluation of Prototype Highway Tourist Signs for Ontario

Information load and comprehension of new tourist signs for Ontario highways were evaluated. In a laboratory study involving 288 subjects, drivers searched for target destinations on timed sequences of slides of signs and identified whether their target was present, and, if so, its direction and distance. Performance was assessed in relation to number of names, number of signs in a sequence, arrow shapes, pictograph effectiveness, and sign organization. Signs used a letter height of 19 cm (7.5 in.). Subjects were allowed reading time equivalent to that available to drivers driving at 80 km/h (50 mph), who must time-share sign reading and vehicle control tasks. The results showed that with four or five names per sign, approximately one in eight subjects reported an incorrect direction for their target destination. Thus, a maximum of three names per sign was recommended. Results showed that a 70-degree chevron was as effective as a gerber arrow, that the number of signs in a sequence (two, three, or four) did not affect performance, and that having left followed by right destinations on a single sign resulted in equivalent performance to signs with left and right destinations on separate signs. The presence of pictographs increased the number of incorrect responses. Comprehension of 11 pictographs was assessed for 150 subjects. For 5 of 11 pictographs, comprehension was less than 85 percent.

Selective effects of low-dose D2 dopamine receptor antagonism in a reaction-time task in rats.

Operant responses involving a cued discrimination are sensitively disrupted by neuroleptic drugs that block dopamine (DA) receptors in the brain; however, it is not clear which DA receptor subtypes may be involved in these effects. The role of D1 or D2 DA receptor antagonists on the execution of a conditioned reaction-time (RT) motor task was investigated in the present study. Rats were trained to release a lever after the presentation of a visual cue within a RT limit to be reinforced by a food pellet. The D1 receptor antagonist SCH-23390, at doses that significantly decrease the behavioral effects of cocaine, did not impair performance at any dose (5, 10, or 20 micrograms/kg) injected subcutaneously. In contrast, a selective D2 receptor antagonist raclopride (50, 100, or 200 micrograms/kg) induced a dose-dependent increase in the number of incorrect responses (release of the lever over the RT limit) associated with an increase in the RT. The results suggest that the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system, which has previously been shown to be specifically involved in this RT task (Amalric and Koob 1987), appears to be a sensitive site for sensorimotor integration, and that the execution of the conditioned RT motor task may depend preferentially on the activation of the dopaminergic D2 receptors in this system.