α-band-mediated brain network communication underlies visual processing and is disrupted in visual deficits. We aimed to develop and evaluate an EEG-based neurofeedback targeting α-band connectivity of source-reconstructed visual areas with the rest of the brain, to determine whether modulating this network enhances detection of low-contrast visual stimuli. In this randomized, active-controlled study, 28 participants received real-time auditory neurofeedback designed to increase global α-band connectivity between target regions and the rest of the brain. Feedback targeted interactions with the visual cortex (V1-V3) in the active group and with the frontal cortex in the control group. Each participant completed two neurofeedback sessions on separate days. Resting-state connectivity, visual, and attentional performance were assessed on the days preceding and following training. 50% of participants in the active group successfully increased α-band connectivity of the targeted visual cortex, whereas connectivity decreased in the control and non-responder groups. Improvements in stimulus detection were observed primarily in male participants and appeared to be influenced by additional factors, including baseline performance levels. Even brief network-based neurofeedback interventions can enhance α-band connectivity of visual areas.

Humans and other primates can robustly report whether they have seen specific images before, even when those images are extremely similar to ones they have previously seen. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that pattern separation computations in the hippocampus (HC) contribute to this behavior by shaping the fidelity of visual memory. However, unclear is whether HC uniquely determines memory fidelity or whether computations in other brain areas also contribute. To investigate, we recorded neural signals from inferotemporal cortex (ITC) and HC of two rhesus monkeys (1 male, 1 female) as they performed a memory task in which they judged whether images were novel or exactly repeated in the presence of visually similar lure images with a range of visual similarities. We found behavioral evidence for sharpening, reflected as memory performance that was nonlinearly transformed relative to a benchmark defined by visual representations in ITC. As expected, we found that behavioral sharpening aligned with visual memory representations in HC. Surprisingly, and unaccounted for by HC pattern separation proposals, we also found neural correlates of behavioral sharpening reflected in ITC. These results, coupled with further analysis of the data, suggest that ITC contributes to shaping the fidelity of visual memory in the transformation from visual processing to memory storage and signaling.

The colors and lines that compose perceptual experience result from the interplay between visual processing pathways and the light that hits the retina. So it is striking that many individuals seem to also experience these visual properties even in the absence of explicit sensory cues-as in the phenomenon of "scaffolded attention." When observing a uniform grid of squares, people report perceiving the squares as grouped into shapes or patterns, where the squares sometimes appear brighter or colored (for "shaders"), or bolded or outlined (for "bolders"). With 100 observers, we used an interactive grid to characterize the prevalence and magnitude of these experiences. Results showed that people's experiences could be modulated by grid contrast, that is, 89% of hallucinators reporting "bolding" on a black grid, while only 36% on a white one. Thus, stimulus factors may influence what gets selected-the squares (for shaders) or the lines (for bolders)-as the raw material for "everyday hallucinations" in scaffolded attention.

Object recognition requires integrated processing that extends beyond the visual cortex, incorporating semantic and memory-related processes. However, it remains unclear how different attributes, such as visual, semantic, and memorability features, are encoded and interact during perception. Here, we recorded intracranial electroencephalography from 5,143 channels while participants viewed natural object images. We systematically characterized the spatiotemporal patterns of neural encoding for visual, semantic, and memorability attributes and showed that memorability was encoded in a distributed manner, which can be dissociated from visual and semantic coding. While the ventral temporal cortex (VTC) was engaged in encoding all three attributes, the representations were dissociable. Interestingly, memorability representations in the prefrontal cortex appeared to arise from integrated visual and semantic signals from the VTC; and memorability influenced early stages of visual and semantic processing. Our results were corroborated by high-resolution 7T fMRI, which revealed continuous encoding across the brain, and further validated using a separate dataset featuring within-category object variability. Lastly, single-neuron recordings confirmed semantic and memorability coding in the medial temporal lobe. Together, these findings provide a comprehensive view of how visual, semantic, and memorability attributes are dynamically encoded across the brain, highlighting the complex interplay between these attributes that collectively shape object recognition and memory formation.

Analyzing action scenes in soccer is a challenging task due to the complex and dynamic nature of the game, as well as the interactions between players. This article provides a comprehensive overview of this task, divided into action recognition, spotting key moments, and identifying actions in both time and space (spatio-temporal action localization) in soccer. We explore publicly available data sources and metrics used to evaluate models’ performance. The article reviews recent state-of-the-art methods that leverage deep learning techniques and traditional approaches. Our analysis begins with methods based on feature engineering, followed by an exploration of various deep learning techniques. This includes using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) for visual information processing, Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) for analyzing temporal sequences, and transformer architectures to effectively capture context. In particular, we focus on the specifics of multimodal data, illustrating the potential for improved model accuracy and robustness. This includes an exploration of methods that integrate information from multiple sources, such as video and audio data, and methods that represent a single data source through multiple analytical lenses, offering a richer, more nuanced understanding of soccer actions (e.g., using a graph representation of players). Finally, the article highlights some of the open research questions and future directions in the field of soccer action analysis, especially the potential for multimodal methods to advance this field. Overall, this survey provides a valuable resource for researchers interested in the field of analyzing action scenes in soccer.

Despite the rapid growth in gaming consumption and associated harms in adolescents, data-driven research to identify brain networks underlying problematic gaming remains limited. This study aimed to identify neural networks predictive of problematic-gaming severity in youth using connectome-based predictive modelling (CPM), a machine-learning approach that employs whole-brain functional connectivity data. From the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study at the two-year follow-up, 1,036 participants (Mage = 12.0, 60.7% male) were studied. CPM with 10-fold cross-validation was applied to problematic-gaming scores and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collected during the performance of a reward-processing task. To determine generalizability, additional CPM analyses were performed using other task-based (e.g., those relevant to response inhibition, emotion regulation, and working memory) and resting-state fMRI data. CPM successfully predicted problematic-gaming scores (r = 0.12, p = 0.002). Predictive networks involved several connections within and between canonical networks implicated in visual processing (visual area 2 and visual association networks), cognitive control and executive functioning (frontoparietal and medial frontal networks), and relevance and motor response (salience and sensorimotor networks). CPM predicted problematic-gaming scores across all analyzed brain states and found shared predictive canonical networks, indicating generalizability. Applying the final reward-processing model to othertask-based and resting-state fMRI data also successfully predicted problematic-gaming severity. The identified large-scale networks predictive of problematic-gaming severity in adolescents may serve as promising targets for personalized and novel interventions. Before using these results to guide clinical advances, future research should use external samples to evaluate replicability of the identified network.

Single-sided deafness (SSD) is a typical condition of partial auditory deprivation. Total auditory deprivation triggers cross-modal neural reorganization, but in patients with partial hearing deprivation, how residual auditory function is balanced with the compensatory plasticity of other sensory modalities remains unclear. Previous studies have reported conflicting findings, potentially due to differences in study populations or task designs. Here, we investigated hierarchical neural processing in a homogeneous cohort of 37 congenital SSD patients (31.6 ± 6.5 years, 18 males) and 32 normal-hearing (NH) controls (30.6 ± 7.3 years, 14 males) using both auditory and visual oddball tasks with electroencephalography (EEG). In the auditory task, SSD patients presented reduced amplitudes of early exogenous components (N1, P2) and mismatch negativity (MMN), but preserved late endogenous components (N2, P3), compared with NH controls. Conversely, in the visual task, SSD patients presented increased early visual N1 amplitudes with intact visual mismatch negativity (vMMN) and endogenous components (N2, P3). No latency differences in the above components were observed. These results reveal a difference in plasticity between lower- and higher-level processing. Our findings indicate that functional plasticity in SSD patients occurs predominantly at sensory stages and is characterized by diminished auditory and compensatory elevated visual neural activity, whereas higher-level discrimination processing in either modality is largely unaffected. These findings clarify prior discrepancies, establish a hierarchical framework for understanding neuroplasticity in partial sensory deprivation, and have implications for rehabilitation strategies for SSD patients.

Background/Objectives: Narrative differences in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and subtle and parallel differences among their first-degree relatives suggest potential genetic liability to this critical social-communication skill. Effective social-communication relies on coordinating signals across modalities, which is often disrupted in ASD. Therefore, the current study examined the coordination of fundamental skills—gaze and speech—as a potential mechanism underlying narrative and broader pragmatic differences in ASD and their first-degree relatives. Methods: Participants included 35 autistic individuals, 41 non-autistic individuals, 90 parents of autistic individuals, and 34 parents of non-autistic individuals. Participants narrated a wordless picture book presented on an eye-tracker, with gaze and speech simultaneously recorded and subsequently coded. Time series analyses quantified their temporal coordination (i.e., the temporal lead of gaze to speech) and content coordination (i.e., the amount of gaze-speech content correspondence). These metrics were then compared between autistic and non-autistic groups and between parent groups and examined in relation to narrative quality and conversational pragmatic language skills. Results: Autistic individuals showed reduced temporal coordination but increased content coordination relative to non-autistic individuals with no significant differences found between parent groups. In both autistic individuals, and parent groups combined, increased content coordination and reduced temporal coordination were linked to reduced narrative quality and pragmatic language skills, respectively. Conclusions: Reduced temporal and increased content coordination may reflect a localized strategy of labeling items upon visualization. This pattern may indicate more limited visual, linguistic, and cognitive processing and underlie differences in higher-level social-communicative abilities in ASD. To our knowledge, this study is the first to identify multimodal skill coordination as a potential mechanism contributing to higher-level social-communicative differences in ASD and first-degree relatives, implicating mechanism-based interventions to support pragmatic language skills in ASD.

Background/Objectives: this paper investigates the local vs. global visual processing preference in typically developing (TD) children, youth with Down syndrome (DS), and youth with Williams syndrome (WS). In particular, the global precedence effect (GPE) and the global interference effect (GI) have recently been described as two distinct and at least partially independent effects. Methods: in this study, 50 participants (TD = 25, DS = 13, WS = 12) completed two experiments requiring the identification of either the global or local level of hierarchical stimuli, which consisted of letters and schematic faces. For each stimulus type, two separate blocks were conducted, one with the task to focus on the local elements and the other with the task to focus on the global shape. Results: our results indicate that TD children demonstrate a global precedence effect for letters but not for schematic faces, suggesting a developmental modulation of configural processing. In contrast, both DS and WS groups showed a global processing bias for schematic faces and a significant global interference effect in both conditions, likely reflecting deficits in inhibitory control. Conclusions: these findings challenge the notion that DS and WS individuals can be classified strictly as global or local processors, respectively, emphasizing the influence of stimulus type and cognitive demands. Implications for neurodevelopmental research and clinical interventions are discussed.

The retina, a crucial component of the human eye for vision, is responsible for converting light signals into neural signals that the brain can interpret. It’s a complex tissue, rich in photoreceptors, and supported by various other cell types, including inner nuclear layer cells, ganglion cells, pigmented epithelial cells, immune cells, and vascular cells. Each of these cells plays a vital role in visual processing and understanding of their function and interactions are essential for assessing vision health and diagnosing diseases. Traditionally, studying the retinal cells has relied heavily on histological techniques, which, despite their utility, offer only static images and require invasive procedures that preclude the observation of dynamic biological processes. In this context, recent advancements of in vivo imaging technologies have marked a significant leap forward. Techniques such as ophthalmoscopy, optical coherence tomography (OCT), adaptive optics (AO), two-photon excitation microscopy (TPM), and light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) now enable the direct observation of retinal cells in living organisms. This shift from invasive, static methods to dynamic, non-destructive imaging allows for a more nuanced understanding of retinal cell behavior under physiological conditions. It opens up new avenues for the study of the retina’s complex ecosystem in both health and disease, facilitating early diagnosis of retinal conditions and offering new strategies for treatment. By offering a window into the live retina, in vivo imaging stands as a cornerstone of contemporary ophthalmology, promising to enhance our understanding of eye health and to spur innovations in the diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases.

Background: Executive functions, notably attention and processing speed, are essential for athletic performance, especially in sports that require quick reactions and decision-making under pressure. The current study aims to assess the impact of the SmartACT program—a psychological intervention that includes acceptance and commitment therapy, hypnosis, and guided imagery—on attentional processes and psychological flexibility in adolescent student-athletes. Methods: This 7-week quasi-experimental controlled study investigated the efficacy of SmartACT in adolescent student-athletes aged 15 to 18. A total of 309 individuals were divided into three groups using convenience sampling: SmartACT (n = 93), MAC (Mindfulness–Acceptance–Commitment, the standardized Gardner & Moore technique; n = 109), and control (n = 107). The d2 test was used to examine attention and visual processing, while the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire—II (AAQ-II) was used to assess psychological flexibility, both before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed using mixed-design repeated-measures ANOVA and paired-samples t-tests. Results: The SmartACT group showed significant improvement on both tests, specifically in the total number of items processed in the d2 test (457.83 to 600.24; p < 0.001), and experiential avoidance, measured by AAQ-II, decreased (18.48 to 12.80; p < 0.001), indicating increased psychological flexibility. Conclusions: The main findings of our study suggest that integrating ACT with hypnosis and imagery may enhance cognitive attentional functions and psychological flexibility in adolescent student-athletes.

To enhance a robot’s capacity to perceive and interpret its environment, an advanced vision system tailored specifically for machine perception was developed, moving away from human-oriented visual processing. This system improves robotic functionality by incorporating algorithms optimized for how computerized devices process visual information. Central to this paper’s approach is an improved Fast Discrete Cosine Transform (FDCT) algorithm, customized for robotic systems, which enhances object and obstacle detection in machine vision. By prioritizing higher frequencies and eliminating less critical lower frequencies, the algorithm sharpens focus on essential details. Instead of adapting the data stream for human vision, the FDCT and quantization tables were adjusted to suit machine vision requirements, achieving a file size reduction to about one-third of the original while preserving highly relevant data for robotic processing. This innovative approach significantly improves robots’ ability to navigate complex environments, perform tasks such as object recognition, motion detection, and obstacle avoidance with greater accuracy and efficiency.

Altered cognitive performance and frontal alpha asymmetries during emotion-cognition interactions in older adults with a history of depression and/or anxiety.

ABSTRACTThe comprehension–production vocabulary gap is a well‐documented hallmark of language development; however, anecdotal evidence suggests that this asymmetry may be reduced in children with Williams syndrome (WS). Here, we use empirical data to characterise the comprehension–production gap and computational modelling to investigate potential mechanisms underlying this distinctive linguistic profile, focusing on children aged 7 months to 6 years. Using parental reports (Communicative Development Inventories), we measured the receptive and expressive vocabularies of children with WS (n = 67) and compared them to typically developing children (n = 1210) and cross‐syndrome groups with Down syndrome (n = 27), and fragile X syndrome (n = 15). Results confirm that children with WS show a unique trajectory: alongside general delay, they exhibit a significantly reduced comprehension–production asymmetry not observed in other groups. To elucidate the potential origins of this phenomenon, we implemented a biologically inspired neural network—self‐organising map (SOM)—to model early word learning and evaluate visual and auditory map representations. Our findings reveal that WS‐like vocabulary patterns can emerge from selective difficulties in visual processing, leading to exemplar‐based rather than prototype‐based object representations. The model suggests that these visual processing challenges, consistent with known visuospatial difficulties in WS, may contribute to the atypical comprehension–production relationship, while broader processing constraints may underlie general delays. This study provides a mechanistic account of vocabulary development in WS, highlighting the role of visual constraints in shaping lexical outcomes. More broadly, it underscores the need to conceptualise language development as an interaction between sensory input and cognitive subsystems, explaining why the comprehension–production gap is not a uniform feature of language acquisition.

The role of optic flow on reactive brain processing in cognitive tasks during locomotion.

PurposeTo explore the spatiotemporal dynamics of binocular interaction in anisometropic amblyopia.MethodsTen anisometropic amblyopes (26.2 ± 3.8 years) and 10 normal people (23.6 ± 2.0 years) participated in this study. The noise stimulus was a sequence of 9 frames, each consisting of 11 vertical, spatially adjacent bars whose luminance were randomly sampled. The participants detected whether a brighter bar (target) appeared in the noise stream under two monocular and two dichoptic conditions. The spatiotemporal perceptive field (PF) in each condition was obtained with subsecond and subdegree precision using a classification image technique. The spatiotemporal dynamics of modulation from one eye to the other eye was determined by subtracting the other eye's monocular PF from the eye's dichoptic PF.ResultsMonocular PFs in both fellow eyes (FE) and amblyopic eyes (AE) peaked earlier temporally and showed coarser spatial resolution in AE compared with normal eyes. In the normal group, the interocular modulations were similar in the two eyes and exhibited a facilitative region at target location and inhibitive region before the target's onset. In the amblyopic group, the interocular modulations were spatiotemporally different, with a diminished effect of AE on FE and a strengthened effect of FE on AE.ConclusionsThe dynamics of reciprocal interactions between AE and FE differed not only in the magnitude, but also in the entire spatiotemporal profile. Our study provides valuable insights into the dynamics of the binocular visual processing and new constraints for theoretical modelling for binocular vision.

Defining a clinical protocol using a computerized central visual processing battery

Ocean acidification's impacts on marine animal behavior have substantial implications for ecosystem stability. Understanding how key predators respond to acidification is crucial for predicting future ocean food web dynamics, yet the underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we show that prolonged exposure to projected year 2100 acidification conditions substantially impairs predatory behavior in bigfin reef squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana), a key invertebrate predator. Chronic acidification exposure reduces expression of acetylcholine receptors in optic lobes and alters systemic HCO₃⁻ levels and metabolic rates. Using custom electroretinogram recordings, we find that while basic visual processing remains intact, behavioral impairments likely stem from changes in downstream neural integration pathways. Transcriptomic expression analysis reveals broad reductions in energy metabolism and synaptic signaling under acute exposure, while chronic exposure induces compensatory upregulation of cellular maintenance pathways. Our findings demonstrate that while squids maintain visual capabilities through adaptive mechanisms, the energy-intensive processes of neural integration and behavioral execution are compromised. These results highlight the complex physiological trade-offs marine predators face under ocean acidification, with implications for understanding future shifts in marine ecosystem structure and function.

BackgroundWhite matter hyperintensities (WMH) compromise cognitive reserve, potentially accelerating dementia onset in etiologies like Alzheimer's disease (AD). Extant neuroimaging studies link WMH severity to driving cessation in older adults (OA). Region‐specific WMH distributions reflect distinct etiologies, offering insights into differential cognitive and functional impacts. We investigated WMH impact on complex cognitive performance through longitudinal analysis of naturalistic driving behavior in OA. Our investigation bridges gaps in understanding how subtle structural changes influence real‐world cognitive functioning.MethodWe analyzed data from 212 cognitively intact OA (aged ≤65 years, CDR=0) in the DRIVES (Driving Real‐World In‐Vehicle Evaluation System) Project cohort, with 3T MRI brain scans within two years of starting longitudinal driving assessments. We examined 16 driving metrics aggregated monthly using in‐vehicle data loggers, encompassing trip characteristics, speed/acceleration/braking patterns, and route complexity. We quantified WMH using a deep learning algorithm, enabling precise measurements of total WMH volume and region‐specific WMH distributions. Linear mixed‐effects models with random coefficients, adjusted for demographic factors (age, sex, race, education) and socioeconomic status (area deprivation index), assessed WMH influence on longitudinal changes in driving performance. Significance was set at FDR‐adjusted p <0.05.ResultOur study included 74,275 weeks of driving data (2015‐2024, average follow‐up 6.1 years). Increased WMH burden correlated with decreased trip frequency (p = 0.0005), fewer near‐home trips (p = 0.0004), reduced unique destinations (p = 0.0003), and lower driving entropy (p = 0.001) over time. Decrease in driving complexity was primarily driven by posteriorly‐located WMH lesions, especially in parietal and occipital regions (β=‐0.09, p = 0.002 and β=‐0.10, p = 0.0009, respectively) involved in visual processing, motion detection and spatial awareness. WMH impact on driving behavior intensified over time in participants developing cognitive impairment (n = 36), manifesting as increased hard breaking and impact events.ConclusionWMH in OA significantly impacts driving behavior, leading to latent self‐regulation and reduced driving complexity. Cognitive impairment with WMH increases risky driving. Posterior WMH influence suggests a dominant role of AD pathology in driving performance decline. WMH shows potential as a biomarker for identifying individuals at higher risk of unsafe driving and premature driving cessation, highlighting its value in early screening and intervention strategies for road safety among aging populations, particularly those at risk for AD.

Links between central visual field loss and movement processing during walking.