Post-training Sessions Research Articles

Pilot Project: Does formal bedside training of medical students with a FAST exam increase their knowledge and comfort level with ultrasound use in a community family medicine practice setting?

As point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) becomes increasingly popular and a standard of care in many clinical settings, the interest for integration in medical undergraduate curriculum is also growing [1]. This project aims to assess whether formal bedside Focused Abdominal Scan for Trauma (FAST) exam training of medical students increases their knowledge and comfort with the use of bedside ultrasound in a family medicine setting at Queen’s University. Third year medical students (n=18) were recruited to participate in a training session involving a 1-hour online video and 2-hour hands-on session. Knowledge based surveys were completed before and after the training. A survey was completed 4 months after the teaching session evaluating knowledge retention, comfort, and application of skills. Student knowledge of PoCUS and FAST increased and was maintained (pre-training 56%±20%, post-training 82%±10%, p<0.001). Self-evaluation of comfort performing a FAST examination (5-point Likert scale) similarly increased post-training session (pre-training 1.4±0.8, post-training 3.8±0.9, p<0.005), but decreased 4 months later (3±1.2, p<0.005). Students in this study were unanimously interested in ultrasound training and the methods used effectively increased theoretical knowledge and comfort with use. Students did not retain their comfort levels with FAST exam 4 months after the training session, nor did they have the opportunity to utilize the skills learned. Further evidence is required to identify the applicability of these results to undergraduate curriculum development.

Retention of Vaginal Breech Delivery Skills Taught in Simulation.

The optimal frequency of conducting simulation training for high-acuity, low-frequency events in obstetrics and gynaecology residency programs is unknown. This study evaluated retention over time of vaginal breech delivery skills taught in simulation, by comparing junior and senior residents. In addition, the residents' subjective comfort level to perform this skill clinically was assessed. This prospective cohort study included 22 obstetrics and gynaecology residents in a Canadian residency training program. Digital recordings were completed for pre-training, immediate post-training, and delayed (10-26 weeks later) post-training intervals of a vaginal breech delivery simulation, with skill assessment by a blinded observer using a binary checklist. Residents also completed questionnaires to assess their subjective comfort level at each interval. Junior and senior residents had significant improvements in vaginal breech delivery skills from the pre-training assessment to both the immediate post-training assessment (junior, P <0.001; senior, P <0.001) and the delayed post-training assessment (P <0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). There was a significant decline in skills between the immediate and delayed post-training sessions for junior and senior residents (P = 0.003 and P <0.001, respectively). Both junior and senior residents gained more comfort immediately after the training (P <0.001 and P <0.001, respectively), without a significant change between immediate post-training and delayed post-training comfort levels (P = 0.19 and P = 0.11, respectively). Residents retained vaginal breech delivery skills taught in simulation 10-26 weeks later, although a decline in skills occurred over this time period. Comfort level was positively affected and retained. These results will aid in determining the frequency of simulation teaching for high-acuity, low-frequency events in a residency simulation curriculum.

The effect of tDCS and phonemic decoding ability on learning to read

tDCS has successfully been used to improve reading ability, particularly in low skill adults. However, no research has examined how tDCS might affect learning new sound to symbol correspondences (phonemic decoding), as would be necessary for tDCS-based reading interventions. In the current study, we examine whether tDCS can affect adults learning to read an artificial orthography. To determine whether skill would impact the effect of tDCS, participants were categorized as low or high skill based on performing below or above average on standardized assessments. All participants received real or sham stimulation to the left inferior parietal lobe for twenty minutes before training on words in an artificial orthography over the course of three days, receiving explicit training on ten novel words each day. Understanding of the artificial orthography was assessed at a pre-training baseline session, the end of each of the three training sessions, an immediate post-training session, and a delayed post-training session about four weeks after training. All groups demonstrated learning of the artificial orthography, however, the low skill stimulation group achieved higher accuracy throughout training compared to the low skill sham group. Further, both stimulation groups showed greater performance at the delayed post-training session compared to both sham groups. Our results showed that stimulation can improve the learning trajectory of low skill individuals and lead to greater maintenance of newly learned material four weeks later. These results indicate tDCS may be an effective tool for reading intervention for those that struggle to learn to read.

P247 Reorganization of modular architectures in the corticospinal neuromuscular system by implicit and explicit learning

Introduction A large number of researches have investigated the mechanisms of implicit and explicit motor sequence learning. The functional changes in motor circuits, which involve the primary motor cortex (M1), are thought to play an important role in memory formation of implicit knowledge. However, it is unclear what functions in the motor circuits contribute to formation of implicit knowledge in the M1. The corticospinal neuromuscular system organizes the modular architectures for generating a variety of movements. Therefore, we hypothesized that performance improvement through implicit learning results from reorganization of the modular architectures. Objectives We used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), data-grove system, and principal component analysis (PCA) to test the hypothesis. Materials and methods Seventeen healthy subjects learned a sequence of serial reaction time task (SRTT) implicitly, and explicitly. Before and after a training session, both TMS-evoked finger joint movements and voluntary finger joint movements during the SRTT were recorded. Results PCA extracted a set of principal components (PCs) from TMS-evoked finger joint movements before (pre-PCs) and after (post-PCs) the training session, respectively. To test an idea that post-PCs contain large amount of information on the learned task, we reconstructed the voluntary movements during SRTT in post-training session by linear combination of a selected subset of the PCs. We found that the quality of the movements reconstructed by the post-PCs was superior to that of the pre-PCs in the implicit condition. By contrast, in the explicit condition, there was no significant difference in the reconstruction quality between the pre-PCs and post-PCs. Conclusion Our results suggest that the implicit knowledge is acquired through learning-specific reorganization of the modular architectures in the corticospinal neuromuscular system. On the other hand, the reorganization of the modular architectures does not relate to acquiring the explicit knowledge.

Time-Discrete Vibrotactile Feedback Contributes to Improved Gait Symmetry in Patients With Lower Limb Amputations: Case Series.

Abstract Background Reduced sensory feedback from lower leg prostheses results in harmful gait patterns and entails a significant cognitive burden because users have to visually monitor their locomotion. Objectives The purpose of this study was to validate a sensory feedback device designed to help elderly patients with transfemoral amputation to improve their temporal gait symmetry after a training program aimed at associating the vibrotactile patterns with symmetrical walking. Design This was a prospective quasi-experimental study including 3 elderly patients walking with lower leg prostheses. Methods During training sessions, participants walked on a treadmill equipped with a feedback device that controlled vibrotactile stimulators based on signals from a sensorized insole while provided with visual feedback about temporal gait symmetry. The vibrotactile stimulators delivered short-lasting, low-intensity vibrations synchronously with certain gait-phase transitions. During pretraining and posttraining sessions, participants walked without visual feedback about gait symmetry under 4 conditions: with or without vibrotactile feedback while performing or not performing a secondary cognitive task. The primary outcome measure was temporal gait symmetry. Results With ≤2 hours of training, the participants improved their temporal gait symmetry from 0.82 to 0.84 during the pretraining evaluation session to 0.98 to 1.02 during the follow-up session across all conditions. Following training, participants were able to maintain good temporal gait symmetry, without any evidence of an increased cognitive burden. Limitations The small sample size and short follow-up time do not allow straightforward extrapolations to larger populations or extended time periods. Conclusions Low-cost, gait phase–specific vibrotactile feedback after training combined with visual feedback may improve the temporal gait symmetry in patients with transfemoral amputation without representing an additional cognitive burden.

Training and transfer effects of response inhibition training in children and adults.

Response inhibition is crucial for mental and physical health but studies assessing the trainability of this type of inhibition are rare. Thirty-nine children aged 10-12years and 46 adults aged 18-24years were assigned to an adaptive go/no-go inhibition training condition or an active control condition. Transfer of training effects to performance on tasks assessing response inhibition, interference control, working memory updating, task-switching, and non-verbal fluid intelligence were assessed during 3- and 6-month follow-up sessions and/or an immediate post-training session. Significant training improvements and positive transfer effects to a similar response inhibition task with other stimuli were observed for both children and adults. Reliable albeit short-lived transfer effects were only found for the children, specifically to working memory updating and task switching. These results suggest some potential for response-inhibition training programs to enhance aspects of cognitive functioning in children but not adults.

Classifying Cognitive Profiles Using Machine Learning with Privileged Information in Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Early diagnosis of dementia is critical for assessing disease progression and potential treatment. State-or-the-art machine learning techniques have been increasingly employed to take on this diagnostic task. In this study, we employed Generalized Matrix Learning Vector Quantization (GMLVQ) classifiers to discriminate patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) from healthy controls based on their cognitive skills. Further, we adopted a “Learning with privileged information” approach to combine cognitive and fMRI data for the classification task. The resulting classifier operates solely on the cognitive data while it incorporates the fMRI data as privileged information (PI) during training. This novel classifier is of practical use as the collection of brain imaging data is not always possible with patients and older participants. MCI patients and healthy age-matched controls were trained to extract structure from temporal sequences. We ask whether machine learning classifiers can be used to discriminate patients from controls and whether differences between these groups relate to individual cognitive profiles. To this end, we tested participants in four cognitive tasks: working memory, cognitive inhibition, divided attention, and selective attention. We also collected fMRI data before and after training on a probabilistic sequence learning task and extracted fMRI responses and connectivity as features for machine learning classifiers. Our results show that the PI guided GMLVQ classifiers outperform the baseline classifier that only used the cognitive data. In addition, we found that for the baseline classifier, divided attention is the only relevant cognitive feature. When PI was incorporated, divided attention remained the most relevant feature while cognitive inhibition became also relevant for the task. Interestingly, this analysis for the fMRI GMLVQ classifier suggests that (1) when overall fMRI signal is used as inputs to the classifier, the post-training session is most relevant; and (2) when the graph feature reflecting underlying spatiotemporal fMRI pattern is used, the pre-training session is most relevant. Taken together these results suggest that brain connectivity before training and overall fMRI signal after training are both diagnostic of cognitive skills in MCI.

Memory consolidation in children with specific language impairment: Delayed gains and susceptibility to interference in implicit sequence learning

ABSTRACTIn this study, the time course of the procedural learning of a visuomotor sequence skill was followed over a 24-hour and a 1-week time period in children with and without specific language impairment (SLI). Two aspects of memory consolidation in implicit sequence learning were examined: the evolution of post-training gains in sequence knowledge (Experiment 1) and the susceptibility to interference (Experiment 2). In the first experiment, 18 children with SLI and 17 control children matched for sex, age, and nonverbal intelligence completed a serial reaction-time (SRT) task and were tested 24 hours and 1 week after practicing. The two groups of children attained an equal level of sequence knowledge in the training session, but the children with SLI lacked the consolidation gains displayed by the control children in the two post-training sessions. Working with a new group of children, 17 with SLI and 17 control peers, Experiment 2 examined resistance to interference by introducing a second sequence 15 min after the first training session. Similar results were obtained for the performance of both groups in the training session. However, although the performance of the control group improved in the post-training sessions, the performance of the SLI group deteriorated significantly during the consolidation phase due to the interfering sequence. These findings suggest that the consolidation phase of sequence learning is impaired in children with SLI.

EP 10. Home-based motor imagery training in chronic stroke supported by neurofeedback: A feasibility study

Chronic hemiparesis of an upper limp following stroke has been related to an over-involvement of the ipsilateral hemisphere that inhibits use of the affected limb. Interventions helping to shift back this altered lateralization have been suggested to positively affect upper limp functional recovery. One such intervention is the combination of motor imagery (MI) supported by EEG neurofeedback. However, cortical reorganization requires highly intensive practice. In this feasibility study this was achieved by implementing a mobile EEG neurofeedback system. The training regime consisted of 14 MI sessions over a time course of 4 weeks. Three chronic stroke patients practiced MI neurofeedback using kinaesthetic imagination of a power grip of either the affected or the unaffected hand. Neurofeedback was based on features extracted from the 8-30 Hz frequency range. MI training was conducted at the patients’ home using a fully mobile 24-channel EEG system. Before and after the training, motor functions were assessed using a modified version of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) and the modified Motor Assessment Scale (MAS). Moreover, pre- and post-training 96-channel EEG recordings were performed for MI and movement execution (ME) of the power grip task that was used for the MI neurofeedback training. Event-related desynchronization (ERD) in the 8–30 Hz frequency range was extracted offline for a region of interest analysis. Analysis focused on contra- and ipsilateral ERD and on the lateralization of ERD, defined as the difference between contralateral and ipsilateral ERD. All patients remained motivated throughout the training and completed the training regime. During MI and ME with the unaffected hand, patients showed stronger contralateral than ipsilateral activity in both the pre- and the post-training sessions. For the affected hand, MI and ME were however associated with stronger ipsilateral than contralateral activity. Changes were observed over the course of training, that, on a descriptive level, suggest a reduction of the altered lateralization for the affected hand in all three patients during MI. Furthermore, for one patient a significant improvement in the FMA score was observed, which paralleled the changes in MI and ME induced ERD. This study demonstrates that home-based MI neurofeedback training is feasible and allows for highly intensive training regimes. The observations made are in line with the notion of an over-involvement of the ipsilateral hemisphere during activities of the affected limb. The described changes of lateralization with MI neurofeedback training encourage continuing this line of research with larger sample sizes and matched healthy controls, to see if home-based MI neurofeedback training can indeed help to shift MI- and ME-related activation towards the expected lateralization patterns.

Using Spaced Retrieval With External Aids to Improve Use of Compensatory Strategies During Eating for Persons With Dementia.

This study was designed to determine whether spaced retrieval (SR), when paired with an external memory aid, is an effective technique to teach persons with dementia to use compensatory swallowing strategies. A secondary purpose was to learn whether speech-language pathologists naive to the study aims would judge posttraining sessions as improved, or safer, in comparison to baseline sessions, thereby validating the changes in behavior due to SR training to use external aids during meals. A multiple baseline design across behaviors was used to evaluate the effects of teaching compensatory swallowing behaviors (i.e., chin tuck, alternation of liquids and solids, lingual/finger sweep) to 5 nursing home residents diagnosed with dementia and coexisting dysphagia. SR training with the use of a visual aid was functionally related to improvements in 2-3 compensatory swallowing behaviors for each of the 5 participants. Study outcomes paired with social validation ratings demonstrated that persons with dementia could learn compensatory swallowing behaviors for perceived safety during intake. Because participants were eating in a quiet and controlled environment, generalization to the typical dining environment remains unknown, and further research is needed to investigate the long-term impact of this training protocol.

Development and Validation of Cognitive Rehearsal as a Training Strategy for Arthroscopic Surgery

Objectives:Surgical performance is a highly intellectual activity that involves the processing of perceptual information from the five senses. Strategies to process, organize, and retain this perceptual information may benefit learning techniques. Once such strategy, cognitive rehearsal, is the activity where a skill is rehearsed in memory prior to the actual performance. This study aimed to develop and validate a cognitive rehearsal strategy for arthroscopic knee surgery in orthopaedic residents. We hypothesized that this training tool will lead to increased comfort and confidence with arthroscopic surgery performance.Methods:An expert surgeon was filmed performing an arthroscopic ACL reconstruction using patellar bone-tendon-bone autograft. An instructional training video was then created incorporating the extracorporeal and arthroscopic footage with voice over and subtitles. Following the surgery, cognitive recall of the procedure was conducted with the surgeon to identify key visual, cognitive, and kinesthetic cues to develop a mental imagery script to enhance rehearsal of arthroscopic surgery. Orthopaedic residents from two academic training programs were invited to participate. Demographic information including training level, previous musical experience, organized sports participation, and preferred learning style was collected. The training session consisted of a relaxation exercise, instructional video of an expert performing the procedure, learning the mental imagery script, and rehearsing the procedure out loud with a partner. The residents’ ability to rehearse the procedure was assessed before and after the training session with a modified version of a previously validated questionnaire, and a post-training session survey was administered to define which components of the rehearsal seemed most beneficial. Statistical analysis included a reliability analysis for internal consistency, and a nonparametric Wilcoxon test to compare the composite cognitive rehearsal scores of the junior and senior residents. A nonparametric Mann-Whitney test was used to evaluate performance of each group before and after the training session on each item of the questionnaire.Results:53 of 62 (85%) residents completed the demographics survey prior to the training session, while 44 of 62 (71%) residents were available to complete the training exercise. A Cronbach alpha of 0.9494 for the pre-training (n=44) and 0.9394 (n=44) for the post-training suggested that the cognitive rehearsal questionnaire was internally consistent, allowing for the reliable summation of individual items to a composite score. The median composite cognitive rehearsal scores of the junior residents significantly improved from 24 pre- to 42 post-training exercise (p = 0.002). Senior resident median composite scores improved after training from 38 pre- to 46 post-exercise (p = 0.041). Those with previous musical training and kinetic / visual learners performed better during the training session. Both groups found the entire process valuable.Conclusion:This is the first study to develop and validate cognitive rehearsal as a low cost, high touch training strategy for arthroscopic surgery in orthopaedic residents. Cognitive rehearsal holds promise as a training tool for mastery of executive routine, performance quality, and increasing knowledge, comfort, and confidence for both junior and senior residents learning arthroscopic surgery.

Relationship between biomarkers of muscle damage and redox status in response to a weightlifting training session: effect of time-of-day.

The aims of the present study were to: (1)investigate the effect of a weightlifting training session and time-of-day (TOD) upon biological parameters (i.e., oral temperature, hematological, C-reactive protein (CRP), and oxidative stress) and (2)assess their possible link with muscle damage responses. Nine weightlifters (21 ± 0.5 years) performed, in a randomized order, three Olympic-Weightlifting sessions (i.e., at 08:00, 14:00, and 18:00). Blood samples were collected at rest, 3min and 48h after each training session. Between pre- and post-training session, ANOVA showed significant increases in oxidative stress markers at the three TODs (p < 0.01) and significant increases for creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) only at 08:00 and 18:00 (p < 0.05). At rest, the results showed a significant diurnal variation for the majority of the selected parameters except for malondialdehyde (MDA), total bilirubin, and CRP with higher values observed at 18:00 (p < 0.05). After the training session, given the higher rate of increase during the morning session, these diurnal variations persisted for temperature and WBC (p < 0.01) and were suppressed for CK, LDH, uric acid (UA), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. The main significant correlations (p < 0.001) were observed between: (1)CK and MDA (r = 0.6) and CK and UA (r = 0.66 and r = 0.82) during the morning and evening training sessions; (2)CK and CRP only during the morning session (r = 0.5); and (3)CRP and WBC during the three training sessions (r = 0.8). In conclusion, the present findings: (1)confirm that the muscle damage responses could be induced by a high level of oxidative stress and (2)suggest to avoid scheduling training sessions in the morning given the higher muscle damage, inflammatory, and oxidative responses at this TOD.

Fact learning in complex arithmetic-the role of the angular gyrus revisited.

In recent theoretical considerations as well as in neuroimaging findings the left angular gyrus (AG) has been associated with the retrieval of arithmetic facts. This interpretation was corroborated by higher AG activity when processing trained as compared with untrained multiplication problems. However, so far neural correlates of processing trained versus untrained problems were only compared after training. We employed an established learning paradigm (i.e., extensive training of multiplication problems) but measured brain activation before and afte training to evaluate neural correlates of arithmetic fact acquisition more specifically. When comparing activation patterns for trained and untrained problems of the post-training session, higher AG activation for trained problems was replicated. However, when activation for trained problems was compared to activation for the same problems in the pre-training session, no signal change in the AG was observed. Instead, our results point toward a central role of hippocampal, para-hippocampal, and retrosplenial structures in arithmetic fact retrieval. We suggest that the AG might not be associated with the actual retrieval of arithmetic facts, and outline an attentional account of the role of the AG in arithmetic fact retrieval that is compatible with recent attention to memory hypotheses. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3061-3079, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Simultaneous tDCS-fMRI Identifies Resting State Networks Correlated with Visual Search Enhancement.

This study uses simultaneous transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and functional MRI (fMRI) to investigate tDCS modulation of resting state activity and connectivity that underlies enhancement in behavioral performance. The experiment consisted of three sessions within the fMRI scanner in which participants conducted a visual search task: Session 1: Pre-training (no performance feedback), Session 2: Training (performance feedback given), Session 3: Post-training (no performance feedback). Resting state activity was recorded during the last 5 min of each session. During the 2nd session one group of participants underwent 1 mA tDCS stimulation and another underwent sham stimulation over the right posterior parietal cortex. Resting state spontaneous activity, as measured by fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (fALFF), for session 2 showed significant differences between the tDCS stim and sham groups in the precuneus. Resting state functional connectivity from the precuneus to the substantia nigra, a subcortical dopaminergic region, was found to correlate with future improvement in visual search task performance for the stim over the sham group during active stimulation in session 2. The after-effect of stimulation on resting state functional connectivity was measured following a post-training experimental session (session 3). The left cerebellum Lobule VIIa Crus I showed performance related enhancement in resting state functional connectivity for the tDCS stim over the sham group. The ability to determine the relationship that the relative strength of resting state functional connectivity for an individual undergoing tDCS has on future enhancement in behavioral performance has wide ranging implications for neuroergonomic as well as therapeutic, and rehabilitative applications.

A model for teaching and learning spinal thrust manipulation and its effect on participant confidence in technique performance

Background: Despite emerging evidence to support the use of high velocity thrust manipulation in the management of lumbar spinal conditions, utilization of thrust manipulation among clinicians remains relatively low. One reason for the underutilization of these procedures may be related to disparity in training in the performance of these techniques at the professional and post professional levels.Purpose: To assess the effect of using a new model of active learning on participant confidence in the performance of spinal thrust manipulation and the implications for its use in the professional and post-professional training of physical therapists.Methods: A cohort of 15 DPT students in their final semester of entry-level professional training participated in an active training session emphasizing a sequential partial task practice (SPTP) strategy in which participants engaged in partial task practice over several repetitions with different partners. Participants’ level of confidence in the performance of these techniques was determined through comparison of pre- and post-training session surveys and a post-session open-ended interview.Results: The increase in scores across all items of the individual pre- and post-session surveys suggests that this model was effective in changing overall participant perception regarding the effectiveness and safety of these techniques and in increasing student confidence in their performance. Interviews revealed that participants greatly preferred the SPTP strategy, which enhanced their confidence in technique performance.Conclusion: Results indicate that this new model of psychomotor training may be effective at improving confidence in the performance of spinal thrust manipulation and, subsequently, may be useful for encouraging the future use of these techniques in the care of individuals with impairments of the spine. Inasmuch, this method of instruction may be useful for training of physical therapists at both the professional and post-professional levels.

Limited Benefits of Heterogeneous Dual-Task Training on Transfer Effects in Older Adults.

It has often been reported that cognitive training has limited transfer effects. The present study addresses training context variability as a factor that could increase transfer effects, as well as the manifestation through time of transfer effects. Fifty-eight older adults were assigned to an active placebo or two dual-task training conditions, one in which the training context varies between sessions (heterogeneous training) and the other in a fixed training context (homogeneous training). Transfer was assessed with near and far-modality transfer tasks. Results show that heterogeneous and homogeneous training led to larger near-modality transfer effects than an active placebo (computer lessons). Transfer effects were roughly comparable in both training groups, but heterogeneous training led to a steeper improvement of the dual-task coordination learning curve within training sessions. Also, results indicated that dual-task cost did not improve in the active placebo group from the pre- to the post-training sessions. Heterogeneous training showed modest advantages over homogeneous training. Results also suggest that transfer effects on dual-task cost induced by training take place early on in the post-training session. These findings provide valuable insights on benefits arising from variability in the training protocol for maximizing transfer effects.

Direction-Dependent Adaptation of Dynamic Gait Stability Following Waist-Pull Perturbations.

Balance recovery during an unexpected disturbance is a complex motor task, where part of the variability depends on the type of the perturbation itself. Despite of this, little is known to what extent adaptation mechanisms to repeated perturbations are dependent on the direction and the amplitude of the applied disturbances. Here, we used a modified version of the Active Tethered Pelvic Assist Device (A-TPAD) to apply unexpected force-controlled multidirectional waist-pull perturbations while subjects were walking. Healthy young subjects were divided into two groups and were exposed to a single training session. Each group received perturbations of different amplitudes along the Medio-Lateral (ML) or the Antero-Posterior (AP) direction. Dynamic stability was determined in both the AP and ML directions in terms of base of support (BoS) and margin of stability (MoS). Results showed: 1) an adaptation of the balance recovery reactions only for perturbations delivered along the AP directions; 2) aftereffects able to modify the control of stability during the post-training session of which type and extent depends on the direction of the perturbations previously applied; and 3) a directional and amplitude effect on the dynamic stability at the end of the balance recovery reactions.

Transfer Effect of Speech-sound Learning on Auditory-motor Processing of Perceived Vocal Pitch Errors.

Speech perception and production are intimately linked. There is evidence that speech motor learning results in changes to auditory processing of speech. Whether speech motor control benefits from perceptual learning in speech, however, remains unclear. This event-related potential study investigated whether speech-sound learning can modulate the processing of feedback errors during vocal pitch regulation. Mandarin speakers were trained to perceive five Thai lexical tones while learning to associate pictures with spoken words over 5 days. Before and after training, participants produced sustained vowel sounds while they heard their vocal pitch feedback unexpectedly perturbed. As compared to the pre-training session, the magnitude of vocal compensation significantly decreased for the control group, but remained consistent for the trained group at the post-training session. However, the trained group had smaller and faster N1 responses to pitch perturbations and exhibited enhanced P2 responses that correlated significantly with their learning performance. These findings indicate that the cortical processing of vocal pitch regulation can be shaped by learning new speech-sound associations, suggesting that perceptual learning in speech can produce transfer effects to facilitating the neural mechanisms underlying the online monitoring of auditory feedback regarding vocal production.

Effects of memory strategy training on performance and event-related brain potentials of children with ADHD in an episodic memory task

Evidence for memory problems in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is accumulating. Attempting to counter such problems, in the present study children with ADHD aged 8–12 years underwent a six-week metacognitive memory strategy training (MST) or one of two other active trainings, either a metacognitive attention-perceptual-motor training (APM) or placebo training consisting of playing board games (PLA). Effects of the training on episodic memory and underlying brain processes were investigated by comparing performance and event-related brain potentials (ERPs) on pre- and post-training sessions in an old/new recognition task between the three training groups. Potential far transfer effects of the memory strategy training were investigated by measuring performance on neuropsychological attention and memory-span tasks and parent-rated ADHD symptoms. The metacognitive memory strategy training led to significantly improved memory performance and enhanced amplitude of left parietal P600 activity associated with the process of memory recollection when compared to PLA, but APM training evoked similar improvements. Memory performance gains were significantly correlated with the memory-related ERP effects. Preliminary far transfer effects of MST training were found on attention and working memory performance and on parent-rated ADHD symptoms, although these results need replication with larger and better IQ-matched groups.

SETP: A New Powerful Tool for Improving Problem Solving, Decision Making and Creativity in Teenagers.

Our decisions decide our destiny. Problem solving, decision-making, analytical reasoning and creativity are important abilities not only for studies but also for every sphere of life. SETP (Seven Effective Thinking Patterns) tool developed by Dr. Arvinder Singh was applied on teenagers to study the effect on their cognitive abilities. The study was done on 50 convent school students. Important parameters like Innovative Thoughts, Decisive Factors, Pros- Cons Analysis and Broader Perspectives were studied on the scale of 1 to 5. Scoring was done for Pre-training and Post-training sessions. For innovative thoughts pre-training score was 2.10±0.678, while for post training it was 3.34±0.717. Decisive factor‟s pre-training score was 1.68±0.653, while for post training it was 3.52±0.735. Pros-cons analysis pre-training score was 1.66±0.557 and post training score was 3.32±0.768. Broader perspective pre-training score was 1.86±0.700, while for post training it was 3.52±0.931.For language pre-training score was 2.70±0.763, while for post training it was 2.76±0.847. For expression pre-training score was 2.68±0.768 and for post training it was 2.88±1.256. The above findings suggest that SETP tool was effective and showed significant improvement in 4 out of 6 parameters. The tool was not effective for language and expression parameters. Important point is that by SETP tool, we were able to enhance the cognitive abilities of school going children, which will make solid foundation for their future.