Selective Attention Performance Research Articles

Comparison of Cold and Cool Cognition in Children With and Without Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ABSTRACT Children with ADHD suffer from impaired attentional, executive, and emotional processing. This study aimed to compare attentional and executive processing using (non)emotional stimuli in children with and without ADHD. Eighty-five children with ADHD and 72 matched typically developing children performed the Stroop, continuous performance, and Go/No-Go tasks using (non)emotional stimuli. Greater performance in selective attention, inhibitory control, and sustained attention was found in emotional stimuli compared to non-emotional stimuli in both groups. Emotional stimuli facilitated attentional and executive functions in children with and without ADHD. Impaired attentional and executive functions in children with ADHD are not valence-sensitive.

Effects of active breaks on educational achievement in children with and without ADHD: study protocol and rationale of the Break4Brain project

The Break4Brain project aims to elucidate the effects of both acute and chronic physical activity (PA) on educational achievement in children with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study will be conducted in two phases: a cross-over design followed by a hybrid type 1 implementation-effectiveness trial, which includes both a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) and a qualitative study. In phase I, 60 children aged 10–12, with 30 each from ADHD and non-ADHD groups, will participate in a laboratory-based study over 4 days within 1 month. They will participate in three counterbalanced experimental conditions: (i) PA with cognitive engagement, (ii) PA without cognitive engagement, and (iii) a cognitively engaging control. This phase will assess acute changes in brain function, academic performance, working memory, inhibitory control, and sustained attention. Phase II will involve 600 children aged 10–12, randomly assigned to either a video-based PA program or a control group (300 children per group) in an 8-week cluster RCT. This phase will also incorporate a qualitative approach to explore the implementation context through pre- and post-intervention semi-structured interviews with teachers and school staff, and questionnaires for students. The outcomes of interest in this phase will include working memory, cognitive flexibility, selective attention, and academic performance. For the cross-over study, we hypothesize that PA conditions will enhance the studied outcomes compared to the control condition. In the RCT, we anticipate that the 8-week active breaks program will result in significant improvements in the selected outcomes compared to the control group. This study is expected to make pioneering contributions by including novel variables and focusing on the ADHD population. Furthermore, if the cluster RCT proves effective, it could offer a practical and cost-effective resource for integrating active breaks into daily school routines.

Cognitive profiles and developmental variations in ADHD: A comparative analysis of childhood and adolescent diagnoses

This retrospective study investigates the cognitive profiles of individuals with ADHD, categorized by the age at which they were diagnosed—either during childhood or adolescence. The sample comprised 424 participants aged 6 to 20 years, with a predominance of males. Participants were assessed using a variety of neuropsychological standardized tests. The study found significant differences in cognitive performance between those diagnosed in childhood and those diagnosed in adolescence. Specifically, childhood diagnoses were associated with poorer performance in vigilance, selective attention, and motor control, while adolescent diagnoses were linked to lower scores in the environment’s perception of their flexibility, working memory, and planning. Binary logistic regression analyses indicated that the neuropsychological profile for the combined ADHD subtype did not vary by age group, in contrast with the inattentive subtype, in which different cognitive constructs were identified serving as significant predictors. Findings suggest that the cognitive challenges associated with ADHD evolve with development, highlighting the need for age-appropriate diagnostic criteria and interventions.

Investigating the selective attention, attentional bias and smoking among Turkish University students: A cross-sectional study

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between selective attention, attentional bias and smoking in Turkish university students. The study was conducted with 64 individuals with an average age of 20.3 ± 0.83 years. While the d2 Test of Attention was used to measure various aspects of attention including processing speed, accuracy and selective attention; the Smoking Stroop Test evaluated the attentional bias toward smoking-related stimuli by comparing reaction times to smoking-related and neutral words. Also, the Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Test and Questionnaire of Smoking Urges assessed the level of nicotine dependence and cravings of participants. Findings showed that smoking status (B: 0.05, 95%CI:0.03,0.07) was statistically explanatory of attentional bias, but there was no significant difference in selective attention performance in terms of smoking status. These results are important for the development of intervention methods targeting cognitive processes associated with smoking.

Role of visual brainwave entrainment on the resting state brainwaves of children with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

The relationship between brainwave oscillations and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-related cognitive challenges is a trending proposition in the field of Cognitive Neuroscience. Studies suggest the role of brainwave oscillations in the symptom expressions of ADHD-diagnosed children. Intervention studies have further suggested the scope of brain stimulation techniques in improving cognition. The current manuscript explored the effect of changes in the brainwaves post-sensory entrainment on cognitive performance of children. We calculated each participant’s brainwave difference and ratios of theta, alpha, and beta power after the entrainment sessions. Further, we explored possible correlations between these values and the psychometric scores. The beta resting state showed the strongest association with selective attention performance of all participants. Theta-beta ratio (TBR) showed an inverse correlation with selective attention and working memory performances. The theta frequency was associated with decreased working performance in children without ADHD. Our findings also suggest a predominant role of TBR than the theta-alpha ratio in determining the cognitive performance of children with ADHD. The individual differences in the entrainment reception were attributed to the participant’s age, IQ, and their innate baseline frequencies. The implications of our findings can initiate substantiating brainwave-based entrainment sessions as a therapeutic modality to improve cognition among children.

Association Between EEG Microarousal During Nocturnal Sleep and Next-Day Selective Attention in Mild Sleep-Restricted Healthy Undergraduates.

To explore whether sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) microarousals of different standard durations predict daytime mood and attention performance in healthy individuals after mild sleep restriction. Sixteen (nine female) healthy college students were recruited to examine the correlations between nocturnal EEG microarousals of different standard durations (≥3 s, ≥5 s, ≥7 s, ≥9 s) under mild sleep restriction (1.5 h) and the following morning's subjective alertness, mood, sustained attention, and selective attention task performance. Results revealed that mild sleep restriction significantly reduced subjective alertness and positive mood, while having no significant effect on negative mood, sustained attention and selective attention performance. The number of microarousals (≥5 s) was negatively associated with positive mood at 6:30. The number of microarousals was significantly and positively correlated with the response time difference value of disengagement component of the selective attention task at around 7:30 (≥5 s and ≥7 s) and 9:00 (≥5 s). The number of microarousals (≥7 s) was significantly and positively correlated with the inaccuracy difference value of orientation component of the selective attention task at around 9:00. The number of EEG microarousals during sleep in healthy adults with mild sleep restriction was significantly and negatively related to their daytime positive affect while positively associated with the deterioration of disengagement and orientation of selective attention performance, but this link is dependent on the standard duration of microarousals, test time and the type of task.

The effect of multisensory distraction on working memory: A role for task relevance?

There is growing recognition that working memory and selective attention are highly related. However, a key function of selective attention-ignoring distractors-is much less understood in the domain of working memory. In the attention domain, it is now clear that distractors' task relevance and stimulation of multiple senses at a time (i.e., being multisensory), affect how much such information can distract from the main task, and that load modulates these effects. Here, we examined the effects of the task relevance and multisensory nature of distractors on working memory performance under high and low memory load, aiming to clarify whether distracting information similarly affects selective attention performance and working memory performance. We proposed a multiexperiment research plan involving up to three consecutive experiments, based on an initial online study (Experiment 0) with fully task-irrelevant distractors. There, we found conclusive evidence against a difference in how unisensory and multisensory distractors affected working memory performance. The next study, Experiment 1, replicated these results. However, when distractors were made partly task relevant in the subsequent Experiment 2d, multisensory distractors disrupted working memory performance more than unisensory distractors on average. However, closer nonpreregistered inspection revealed that multisensory distractors were actually only more disruptive than auditory distractors, and similarly as disruptive as visual distractors. Thus, overall, there was no strong evidence for multisensory distractors being more disruptive to working memory performance than unisensory distractors. Taken together, these experiments constitute a novel and detailed investigation of the impact of distracting information on working memory performance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Neural mechanisms of top-down divided and selective spatial attention in visual and auditory perception

Top-down attention mechanisms require the selection of specific objects or locations; however, the brain mechanism involved when attention is allocated across different modalities is not well understood. The aim of this study was to use functional magnetic resonance imaging to define the neural mechanisms underlying divided and selective spatial attention. A concurrent audiovisual stimulus was used, and subjects were prompted to focus on a visual, auditory and audiovisual stimulus in a Posner paradigm. Our behavioral results confirmed the better performance of selective attention compared to devided attention. We found differences in the activation level of the frontoparietal network, visual/auditory cortex, the putamen and the salience network under different attention conditions. We further used Granger causality (GC) to explore effective connectivity differences between tasks. Differences in GC connectivity between visual and auditory selective tasks reflected the visual dominance effect under spatial attention. In addition, our results supported the role of the putamen in redistributing attention and the functional separation of the salience network. In summary, we explored the audiovisual top-down allocation of attention and observed the differences in neural mechanisms under endogenous attention modes, which revealed the differences in cross-modal expression in visual and auditory attention under attentional modulation.

Lessons in a Green School Environment and in the Classroom: Effects on Students' Cognitive Functioning and Affect.

The positive impact of short-term exposure to nature during a green recess in a school day is documented in the literature. In this study we investigated cognitive, academic, and affective effects of a single contact with nature during a regular school lesson in the greenness, compared to an usual classroom lesson, on young students in second and third grades (N = 65). In a within-subjects design, for the cognitive effects we examined children's (a) selective and sustained attention and (b) math calculation performance in common school tasks. For affective effects we considered (c) their positive and negative mood and (d) the perception of environmental restorativeness. Findings revealed that after a single lesson taught in the green school garden, children had greater selective attention and math calculation performance in two tasks than after a similar lesson in the classroom environment. Moreover, children with higher self-reported emotional difficulties showed greater selective attention and reported a statistically significant increase in positive affect and a tendency to a significant decrease in negative affect after the lesson in the greenness than in the classroom. Students also perceived the green space as more restorative than the classroom environment. Results are discussed against theories on the benefits of exposure to natural environments, highlighting the theoretical and practical significance of the study.

The effects of 9 months of formulated whole-egg or milk powder food products as meal or snack replacements on executive function in preadolescents: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Elevated brain choline is associated with better executive functions in preadolescents. Manipulating dietary choline prospectively in preadolescents using egg supplementation could improve executive functions via effects on brain cellular and neurotransmitter functions. We tested the 9-month impacts of egg supplementation on executive functions. It was hypothesized that preadolescents who consumed meal or snack replacement products containing powder made from whole eggs would have the largest improvements in executive functions after 9 months compared to those consuming similar products with either added milk powder or gelatin as a placebo. A randomized, parallel-group, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial design was used. The executive functions of 122 preadolescents (58 females) aged 9-13 were analyzed before and after the 9-month intervention. The primary outcomes were 3 NIH Toolbox-Cognitive Battery measures of executive function: mental flexibility, working memory, and selective attention and inhibitory control. Participants were randomized to consume food products with either: 1) whole egg powder; 2) milk powder; or 3) gelatin as a placebo, all matched on macronutrient content and used as replacements for commonly consumed foods (i.e., waffles, pancakes, macaroni and cheese, ice cream, and brownies). Hypothesis testing used mixed-effects models that included physical activity and sleep scores as covariates. A statistically significant group × time interaction for selective attention and inhibitory control was found (P=0.049) for the milk group. This interaction resulted from no change for the placebo group and an improvement in selective attention and inhibitory control performance for the milk group by a T-score of 5.8; the effect size (d) was 0.44 SD units. Other comparisons were statistically insignificant. Consumption of foods with added milk powder as a replacement for snacks or meals for 9 months improves selective attention and inhibitory control in preadolescents. Replacement of foods with added whole egg powder does not impact 9-month changes in preadolescent executive functions. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03739424.

Stability of Attention Performance of Adults with ADHD over Time: Evidence from Repeated Neuropsychological Assessments in One-Month Intervals.

Neuropsychological assessments of attention are valuable sources of information in the clinical evaluation of adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, it is unclear whether the attention performance of adults with ADHD is stable or fluctuates over time, which is of great importance in the interpretation of clinical assessments. This study aimed to explore the stability of attention performance of adults with ADHD in repeated assessments at one-month intervals. Twenty-one adults diagnosed with ADHD took part in this study by completing selective attention and vigilance tests three times, each one month apart. Test scores of participants were compared with and interpreted based on test norms. A considerable proportion of 'below average' performance scores were observed in most of the variables of selective attention and vigilance in all three assessments. Further, selective attention and vigilance performance scores did not differ significantly between the three repeated assessments. Finally, the majority of participants received consistent test score interpretations across the three repeated assessments. This study confirms previous research and highlights abnormal selective attention and vigilance performance in adults with ADHD. Further, this study preliminarily demonstrates relatively stable attention performance across repeated assessments, which has the potential to support clinical assessment, treatment planning, and evaluation.

Comparing Executive Function Between Surgically and Interventionally Treated Children with Congenital Heart Disease

Background: Improving surgical and interventional modalities for treating congenital heart disease has increased these children’s life expectancy, leading to increased cognitive and behavioral problems. Objectives: This study compared executive function between surgically and interventionally treated congenital heart disease children and their age-matched controls. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we enrolled 30 children treated with surgery, 30 interventionally treated patients, and 30 healthy controls. These participants were compared in the executive function domains by the Stroop test, trail making test, cancellation test, visual and auditory memory span test, and behavioral problems using the parental form of strengths and difficulties questionnaire. Results: Executive function in memory span and sustained attention was lower in the surgical group than in the intervention group (P < 0.05). Both groups had lower flexibility, memory recall, simple and complex working memory, visual attention, and simple and complex selective attention performance (P < 0.05). The effect of behavioral problems on daily life was higher in surgical patients than in the intervention group (P < 0.0001). Both groups of patients had higher emotional, conduct, and communication problems than the control group (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Interventionally treated patients had better performance than surgically treated patients. Regardless of disease severity or treatment, patients with congenital heart disease had poor performance than normal subjects and suffered from behavioral disorders affecting their daily lives. Therefore, it is essential to include diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for treating these patients’ executive function and behavioral problems.

The depth of executive function: Depth information aids executive function under challenging task conditions.

The present studies investigated how three core aspects of executive functioning may be influenced by the presence of depth information. Specifically, participants were assigned to one of three executive functioning tasks: working memory (i.e., a change detection task), selective attention (i.e., a visual search task), or inhibitory control (i.e., a flanker task). For all three tasks, participants completed trials where the items in the display were presented either all in one depth plane or the target item was isolated in depth. For the working memory and selective attention tasks, there was an additional condition where items were evenly distributed across two depth planes. Each task also had multiple levels of difficulty to explore if task conditions influence the effect of depth information. Results indicated that although depth information can improve both working memory and selective attention performance, this benefit is specific to the task difficulty and depth information can even hinder performance under certain circumstances. Depth information did not appear to influence inhibitory control performance. Future work is required to investigate if depth can improve inhibitory control performance, and how/what task conditions influence the benefit of depth information. Until further research is completed, researchers and designers should be cautious when implementing multidimensional (3D) displays, as it remains unclear if the performance benefits of including depth information outweigh the present costs.

Moderate hypoxia decreases selective attention performance as assessed via a domain‐specific gamified assessment

INTRODUCTIONThe effect of acute hypoxia on cognition is a function of the magnitude and duration of hypoxia and the assessed cognitive domain. For example, there is little effect of acute exposure to a fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) of 11‐14% on simple cognitive tasks. However, performance on more complex tasks, such as those involving aspects of executive function, can be hindered under the same conditions. These possible cognitive changes underlie the use of supplemental oxygen when flying in unpressurized aircraft for >1 h at altitudes >3048 m. People often cannot recognize their own symptoms of hypoxia. Thus, there is a need for tools that can identify detrimental cognitive effects of hypoxia. One potential solution is gamified cognitive assessments, where electronic games can provide targeted metrics of cognitive function, such as working memory and selective attention. However, whether gamified assessments of executive function are sensitive to moderate hypoxia is unknown.PURPOSETest the hypothesis that moderate normobaric hypoxia decreases gamified working memory and selective attention performance.METHODSFollowing three consecutive days of practice, twenty‐one healthy adults (27 ± 5 y, 9 females) completed five 1 min rounds of the tablet‐based games Capacity and Multitracker (Statespace Labs, Inc.) at Baseline and 60 and 90 min after exposure to a chamber with an FiO2 = 14.0 ± 0.2% (hypoxia) and FiO2 = 20.6 ± 0.3% (normoxia). Both conditions were completed on the same day and were administered in a single‐blind, block randomized manner. Capacity (a visuospatial working memory game) and Multitracker (a multiple object tracking and selective attention game) in which participant performance is measured as median time to hit (s), correct trials (#), incorrect trials (#), proportion of correct trials (%), and mean difficulty (#). Arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation was estimated via forehead pulse oximetry (SpO2). Data were analyzed using ANCOVA with a covariate of Baseline and are presented as adjusted means (95% confidence intervals).RESULTSCompared to normoxia (98 ± 1%), SpO2was lower (p < 0.001) at 60 (91 ± 3%) and 90 (90 ± 3%) min of hypoxia. For Capacity, there were no condition, time, or interaction effects for the median time to hit (p ≥ 0.268), correct trials (p ≥ 0.310), incorrect trials (p ≥ 0.258), proportion of correction trials (p ≥ 0.272), and mean difficulty (p ≥ 0.761). For Multitracker, a main effect of condition was identified for mean difficulty (p = 0.008), such that, independent of time, the mean difficulty achieved was higher in normoxia [249 (235, 264) vs. 244 (233, 254)]. A main effect of time was identified for correct trials, such that, independent of condition, the number of correct trials increased from 60 [28.5 (27.6, 29.3)] to 90 [28.7 (28.0, 29.4)] min. There were no condition, time, or interaction effects for the median time to hit (p ≥ 0.584), incorrect trials (p ≥ 0.248), and proportion of correction trials (p ≥ 0.162).CONCLUSIONThese preliminary findings indicate that, compared to normoxia, acute moderate hypoxia reduces selective attention, but not working memory, performance determined via domain‐specific cognitive games.

Study on homeostasis and circadian rhythm of attention performance of different chronotypes in sleep deprivation

Difference of chronotypes makes influence to cognitive performance of individuals in routine duties. In this paper, 55 subjects with different chronotypes were subjected to continuous sleep deprivation for 30 h by using the constant routine protocol, during which core body temperature was measured continuously, and subjective sleepiness self-rating and the performance of selective attention were measured hourly. The results showed that the phase difference of core body temperature has no significant difference, yet the amplitude and term difference among the three chronotypes are significant. There was an advance in phase between subjective sleepiness self-rating and core body temperature, and the self-rating sleepiness of evening type came the latest, and the self-rating sleepiness of morning type dissipated the fastest. The response time of selective attention showed a 2 h phase delay with subjective sleepiness self-rating. And the analysis of core body temperature showed that the later the chronotype was, the greater the phase delay was. The correct rate of selective attention of different chronotypes were inconsistent with delay of subjective sleepiness self-rating and core body temperature. We provide reference for industry, aviation, military, medical and other fields to make a more scientific scheduling/ shifting based on cognitive performance characteristics of different chronotypes.

The Effectiveness of Cognitive Rehabilitation on Improving Cognitive Deficits in Patients With Chronic Schizophrenia Based on Cognitive Levels

Objectives Cognitive deficits are a core feature of schizophrenia, which are directly associated with the functional and social outcomes of this disorder. Cognitive remediation therapy aims to improve the deficits and the following outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive remediation therapy on attention and working memory of two groups of patients with schizophrenia (low and moderate cognitive deficit). Methods A total of 30 hospitalized patients with schizophrenia were selected and divided into two different groups by clinical interviews and the scores obtained in the montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA). The patients with low and moderate cognitive deficits were evaluated by the classic Stroop test, continuous performance test (CPT), and n-back test before and after the treatment. Both groups received cognitive remediation therapy prepared by Sholberg and Mateer (2001). This rehabilitation program in treating patients with schizophrenia focuses on the cognitive abilities of memory and its elements, attention, and dimensions of attention and executive function. The above rehabilitation program has been prepared for individual or group implementation, and its purpose is to repair cognitive deficits and skills through practice and training. The number of sessions of this program includes 16, and the instructions for each session are very specific. Each session takes an average of 30 to 45 minutes. Results The results showed that cognitive rehabilitation in both groups at the post-test level (P≤0.05) improved cognitive performance significantly in the areas of sustained attention, selective attention, and working memory. Comparing the performance between the two groups, only a significant difference (P≤0.05) was observed between the two groups in the field of sustained attention. Conclusion Based on the findings, cognitive rehabilitation treatment improves patients’ performance in selective attention, sustained attention, and working memory. In addition, in terms of the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation between the two groups with low and moderate cognitive deficits, the findings indicate more progress in the group with more severe cognitive deficits in the field of sustained attention and no difference in selective attention performance and working memory.

Switching Between Attentional Demands – A Brief Report Comparing Findings from Younger and Older Adults

The increasing relevance to adapt quickly to changes in the environment is contrasted by an inverted U-shaped curve of task-switching abilities over the lifespan. While previous studies most commonly focused on switching between rules, modalities, and attributes, the process of switching between different attentional demands is somehow neglected. Therefore, the present study aims to fill this gap by applying a recently introduced paradigm on switching between attentional demands to younger and older adults. Within the present study, 116 younger adults (age: minmax: 18-30, M=22.31 years, SD=3.17; 85 women) and 93 older adults (age: minmax: 60-89, M=68.29 years, SD=6.18; 15 women) completed the Switching Attentional Demands-task (SwAD-task). The task enables to quantify single-task performance of selective and divided attention, but more important the ability of switching between these demands. Findings indicate faster response times in selective attention than divided attention for both groups. Furthermore, older adults showed longer response times in selective attention, divided attention, as well as switching attention, compared to their younger counterparts. Age-related changes are discussed by considering the frontal ageing hypothesis, processing-speed theory, as well as common factor theories of cognitive ageing. Furthermore, previous neurophysiological findings are taken into account to explain findings at hand.

Perceptual response and cognitive performance during exposure to extremely cold environments

Some extreme cold events have occurred in the past few years. Human perceptual responses and cognitive performances when exposed to extremely cold environments could be significantly influenced. Impaired cognition can result in human errors and other cascading impacts. This paper aims to investigate human thermal perception and cognitive performance in an extremely cold environment in a climatic chamber. The study involved and exposed twelve male participants who wore protective clothing (2.16 clo) to a −20 °C climate chamber. Critical parameters for evaluating human perceptual response and cognitive performance, including thermal sensation vote (TSV), thermal comfort vote (TCV), mood, health symptoms, and selective attention performance, were recorded and analyzed. The results showed that the TSV did not recover to the value before the cold exposure despite the subjects being rewarmed in a neutral environment for 40 min. The participants’ TSV reached the coldest after 20–25 min. Cold exposure increased discomfort, which required more than 40 min to recover. The extremely cold exposure resulted in increased tension, anger, confusion, decreased depression and fatigue. Anger and confusion had a strong correlation with tension-anxiety, and the correlation was stronger after recovery. The extremely cold exposure had a sustained impact on selective attention and heart rate. The reaction speed decreased by 36%. The results could be used to form recommendations to protect workers’ health and performance when exposed to extremely cold environments.

Comparison of psychological symptoms and cognitive functions in patients under maintenance treatment with methadone or buprenorphine, current opioid users and healthy subjects.

Methadone and buprenorphine can affect the psychological symptoms and cognitive functioning of substance users. This study aimed to compare psychological symptoms and neuropsychological functioning in methadone maintenance patients (MMP), buprenorphine maintenance patients (BMP), current opioid users, and healthy subjects. One hundred and twenty participants (30 in each group) matched for age, sex, and education completed the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and a battery of neuropsychological tests including the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-IV), and Stroop Color-Word Test (SCWT) assessing executive functioning, working memory, and attention, respectively. Overall, opioid users showed more severe psychological symptoms compared to healthy subjects. MMP and BMP had intermediate scores in SCL-90-R subscales; however, BMP had fewer severe symptoms compared to the MMP group. In terms of cognitive functioning, healthy subjects and current users demonstrated the best and the worst performance, respectively. Also, BMP outperforms MMP on executive functions and attention. However, the MMP had a better performance in WMS (visual memory). Patients receiving maintenance treatment had fewer psychological symptoms and better cognitive performance compared to opioid users. BMP had a better profile in all psychological symptoms and better performance in executive functions and selective attention compared to the MMP suggesting buprenorphine may be a better choice for the treatment of opioid-dependent patients.

Dog training alleviates PTSD symptomatology by emotional and attentional regulation

ABSTRACT Background: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms include re-experiencing, avoidance, hyperarousal, and cognitive deficits, reflecting both emotional and cognitive dysregulation. In recent years, non-pharmacological approaches and specifically animal-assisted therapy have been shown to be beneficial for a variety of disorders such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and PTSD. However, little is mentioned in the literature about the reciprocal effects of the animal–human interaction. Objective: To evaluate the effects of a one-year dog training programme on PTSD symptomatology in youngsters with PTSD and on dogs’ behaviour. Methods: Fifty-three adolescents, previously exposed to interpersonal trauma, were clinically diagnosed with PTSD and assigned to a dog-training programme group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 23) that engaged in other training programmes (e.g. cooking, hairstyling, etc.). Both groups were evaluated at baseline and following 12-months by The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 in Children and Adolescents (CAPS-CA-5) and Beck-Depression Inventory (BDI). Additionally, we physiologically measured both emotional and attention dysregulation. Results: Post-12-months training, a significant alleviation of PTSD symptomatology accompanied by lower depression severity was observed in the dog-training group, compared with a insignificant recovery in the control group. Furthermore, improved emotional and attentional regulation was observed in the dog-training group. Measuring the dogs’ behaviour revealed increased anxiety and decreased selective attention performance, which was inversely correlated with the beneficial effects observed in the dog-training programme group. Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the role of emotional and attentional regulations on the dog–handler interface, as evidence-based support for the beneficial effects of the dog-training programme, as either a non-pharmacological intervention or as complementary to anti-depressants treatment of PTSD. Though pharmacological treatments increase the patients’ well-being by treating certain PTSD symptoms, our suggested dog-training programme seems to influence the PTSD diagnostic status, thus may be implemented in civilians and veterans with PTSD.