The Involuntary Capture of Attention by Sound

Author(s):  
Fabrice B. R. Parmentier ◽  
Pilar Andrés

The presentation of auditory oddball stimuli (novels) among otherwise repeated sounds (standards) triggers a well-identified chain of electrophysiological responses: The detection of acoustic change (mismatch negativity), the involuntary orientation of attention to (P3a) and its reorientation from the novel. Behaviorally, novels reduce performance in an unrelated visual task (novelty distraction). Past studies of the cross-modal capture of attention by acoustic novelty have typically discarded from their analysis the data from the standard trials immediately following a novel, despite some evidence in mono-modal oddball tasks of distraction extending beyond the presentation of deviants/novels (postnovelty distraction). The present study measured novelty and postnovelty distraction and examined the hypothesis that both types of distraction may be underpinned by common frontally-related processes by comparing young and older adults. Our data establish that novels delayed responses not only on the current trial and but also on the subsequent standard trial. Both of these effects increased with age. We argue that both types of distraction relate to the reconfiguration of task-sets and discuss this contention in relation to recent electrophysiological studies.

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. 1755
Author(s):  
Chanh Minh Tran ◽  
Tho Nguyen Duc ◽  
Phan Xuan Tan ◽  
Eiji Kamioka

With the introduction of HTTP/3, whose transport is no longer the traditional TCP protocol but the novel QUIC protocol, research for solutions to the unfairness of Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (HAS) has become more challenging. In other words, because of different transport layers, the HTTP/3 may not be available for some networks and the clients have to use HTTP/2 for their HAS applications instead. Therefore, the scenario in which HAS over HTTP/3 (HAS/3) competes against HTTP/2 (HAS/2) must be considered seriously. However, there has been a shortage of investigations on the performance and the origin of the unfairness in such a cross-protocol scenario in order to produce proper solutions. Therefore, this paper provides a performance evaluation and root-cause analysis of the cross-protocol unfairness between HAS/3 and HAS/2. It is concluded that, due to differences in the congestion control mechanisms of QUIC and TCP, HAS/3 clients obtain larger congestion windows, thus requesting higher video bitrates than HAS/2. As the problem lies in the transport layer, existing client-side ABR-based solutions for the unfairness from the application layer may perform suboptimally for the cross-protocol case.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie C. Lauffenburger ◽  
Thomas Isaac ◽  
Lorenzo Trippa ◽  
Punam Keller ◽  
Ted Robertson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The prescribing of high-risk medications to older adults remains extremely common and results in potentially avoidable health consequences. Efforts to reduce prescribing have had limited success, in part because they have been sub-optimally timed, poorly designed, or not provided actionable information. Electronic health record (EHR)-based tools are commonly used but have had limited application in facilitating deprescribing in older adults. The objective is to determine whether designing EHR tools using behavioral science principles reduces inappropriate prescribing and clinical outcomes in older adults. Methods The Novel Uses of Designs to Guide provider Engagement in Electronic Health Records (NUDGE-EHR) project uses a two-stage, 16-arm adaptive randomized pragmatic trial with a “pick-the-winner” design to identify the most effective of many potential EHR tools among primary care providers and their patients ≥ 65 years chronically using benzodiazepines, sedative hypnotic (“Z-drugs”), or anticholinergics in a large integrated delivery system. In stage 1, we randomized providers and their patients to usual care (n = 81 providers) or one of 15 EHR tools (n = 8 providers per arm) designed using behavioral principles including salience, choice architecture, or defaulting. After 6 months of follow-up, we will rank order the arms based upon their impact on the trial’s primary outcome (for both stages): reduction in inappropriate prescribing (via discontinuation or tapering). In stage 2, we will randomize (a) stage 1 usual care providers in a 1:1 ratio to one of the up to 5 most promising stage 1 interventions or continue usual care and (b) stage 1 providers in the unselected arms in a 1:1 ratio to one of the 5 most promising interventions or usual care. Secondary and tertiary outcomes include quantities of medication prescribed and utilized and clinically significant adverse outcomes. Discussion Stage 1 launched in October 2020. We plan to complete stage 2 follow-up in December 2021. These results will advance understanding about how behavioral science can optimize EHR decision support to improve prescribing and health outcomes. Adaptive trials have rarely been used in implementation science, so these findings also provide insight into how trials in this field could be more efficiently conducted. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04284553, registered: February 26, 2020)


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (03) ◽  
pp. 126-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrik Roser ◽  
Eva-Maria Pichler ◽  
Benedikt Habermeyer ◽  
Wolfram Kawohl ◽  
Georg Juckel

Abstract Introduction Cannabis use disorders (CUD) are highly prevalent among patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). Deficient mismatch negativity (MMN) generation is a characteristic finding in SCZ patients and cannabis users. This study therefore examined the effects of CUD on MMN generation in SCZ patients. Methods Twenty SCZ − CUD patients, 21 SCZ+CUD patients, and 20 healthy controls (HC) were included in this study. MMN to frequency and duration deviants was elicited within an auditory oddball paradigm and recorded by 32 channel EEG. Results As expected, SCZ − CUD patients showed reduced frontocentral MMN amplitudes to duration deviants compared to HC. Interestingly, SCZ+CUD patients demonstrated greater MMN amplitudes to duration deviants compared to SCZ − CUD patients at central electrodes with no differences compared to HC. Discussion These results demonstrate that comorbid cannabis use in SCZ patients might be associated with superior cognitive functioning. It can be assumed that the association between cannabis use and better cognitive performance may be due to a subgroup of cognitively less impaired SCZ patients characterized by lower genetic vulnerability for psychosis.


1999 ◽  
Vol 190 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Botond Bánfi ◽  
Jacques Schrenzel ◽  
Oliver Nüsse ◽  
Daniel P. Lew ◽  
Erzsébet Ligeti ◽  
...  

Efficient mechanisms of H+ ion extrusion are crucial for normal NADPH oxidase function. However, whether the NADPH oxidase—in analogy with mitochondrial cytochromes—has an inherent H+ channel activity remains uncertain: electrophysiological studies did not find altered H+ currents in cells from patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), challenging earlier reports in intact cells. In this study, we describe the presence of two different types of H+ currents in human eosinophils. The “classical” H+ current had properties similar to previously described H+ conductances and was present in CGD cells. In contrast, the “novel” type of H+ current had not been described previously and displayed unique properties: (a) it was absent in cells from gp91- or p47-deficient CGD patients; (b) it was only observed under experimental conditions that allowed NADPH oxidase activation; (c) because of its low threshold of voltage activation, it allowed proton influx and cytosolic acidification; (d) it activated faster and deactivated with slower and distinct kinetics than the classical H+ currents; and (e) it was ∼20-fold more sensitive to Zn2+ and was blocked by the histidine-reactive agent, diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC). In summary, our results demonstrate that the NADPH oxidase or a closely associated protein provides a novel type of H+ conductance during phagocyte activation. The unique properties of this conductance suggest that its physiological function is not restricted to H+ extrusion and repolarization, but might include depolarization, pH-dependent signal termination, and determination of the phagosomal pH set point.


2006 ◽  
Vol 190 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arlene D. Stark ◽  
Shaun Jordan ◽  
Kelly A. Allers ◽  
Robert L. Bertekap ◽  
Ruoyan Chen ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 123 (4) ◽  
pp. 1279-1282
Author(s):  
Divyangana Rakesh ◽  
Kavisha B. Fernando ◽  
Sina Mansour L.

Nonpathological aging is associated with significant cognitive deficits. Thus, the underlying neurobiology of aging-associated cognitive decline warrants investigation. In a recent study, Chong et al. (Chong JSX, Ng KK, Tandi J, Wang C, Poh J-H, Lo JC, Chee MWL, Zhou JH. J Neurosci 39: 5534–5550, 2019) provided insights into the association between cognitive decline and the loss of functional specialization in the brains of older adults. Here, we introduce the novel graph theoretical approach utilized and discuss the significance of their findings and broader implications on aging. We also provide alternate perspectives of their findings and suggest directions for future work.


2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 927-932
Author(s):  
Nicole D Anderson ◽  
Chris B Martin ◽  
Julia Czyzo ◽  
Stefan Köhler

Abstract Objectives Aging is associated with decreased recollection required to offset misleading effects of familiarity, as well as an increased mnemonic reliance on gist-based over detail-based information. We tested the novel hypothesis that age-related decrements in overriding familiarity can be eliminated under conditions in which gist-based information facilitates retrieval. Method Twenty-seven younger adults and 27 older adults viewed scenes from two categories in an incidental encoding phase. In a recognition phase, old scenes were intermixed with new scenes from the studied categories and an unstudied category, with each new scene reappearing after 4, 18, or 48 intervening scenes. Participants were to respond “yes” to old scenes, and “no” to new scenes, including their repetitions. Results Despite encoding the scenes similarly, older adults made more false endorsements of new and repeated new scenes from studied categories. Both groups, however, were equally unlikely to falsely recognize new and repeated new scenes from the unstudied category. Discussion When helpful gist and misleading familiarity collide, gist wins, and eliminates age-related increases in false recognition.


2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura J. E. Brown ◽  
Tim Adlam ◽  
Faustina Hwang ◽  
Hassan Khadra ◽  
Linda M. Maclean ◽  
...  

The “Novel Assessment of Nutrition and Ageing” (NANA) toolkit is a computerized system for collecting longitudinal information about older adults’ health and behavior. Here, we describe the validation of six items for measuring older adults’ self-reported mood and appetite as part of the NANA system. In Study 1, 48 community-living older adults (aged 65-89 years) completed NANA measures of their current mood and appetite alongside standard paper measures, on three occasions, in a laboratory setting. In Study 2, 40 community-living older adults (aged 64-88 years) completed daily NANA measures of momentary mood and appetite in their own homes, unsupervised, alongside additional measures of health and behavior, over three 7-day periods. The NANA measures were significantly correlated with standard measures of mood and appetite, and showed stability over time. They show utility for tracking mood and appetite longitudinally, and for better understanding links with other aspects of health and behavior.


2014 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen J. Huang ◽  
Alaa A. Ahmed

The ability to learn new movements and dynamics is important for maintaining independence with advancing age. Age-related sensorimotor changes and increased muscle coactivation likely alter the trial-and-error-based process of adapting to new movement demands (motor adaptation). Here, we asked, to what extent is motor adaptation to novel dynamics maintained in older adults (≥65 yr)? We hypothesized that older adults would adapt to the novel dynamics less well than young adults. Because older adults often use muscle coactivation, we expected older adults to use greater muscle coactivation during motor adaptation than young adults. Nevertheless, we predicted that older adults would reduce muscle activity and metabolic cost with motor adaptation, similar to young adults. Seated older ( n = 11, 73.8 ± 5.6 yr) and young ( n = 15, 23.8 ± 4.7 yr) adults made targeted reaching movements while grasping a robotic arm. We measured their metabolic rate continuously via expired gas analysis. A force field was used to add novel dynamics. Older adults had greater movement deviations and compensated for just 65% of the novel dynamics compared with 84% in young adults. As expected, older adults used greater muscle coactivation than young adults. Last, older adults reduced muscle activity with motor adaptation and had consistent reductions in metabolic cost later during motor adaptation, similar to young adults. These results suggest that despite increased muscle coactivation, older adults can adapt to the novel dynamics, albeit less accurately. These results also suggest that reductions in metabolic cost may be a fundamental feature of motor adaptation.


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