Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 63 in total

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  1. Fulltext High variability phonetic training in adaptive adverse conditions is rapid, effective, and sustained
    Leong CXR, Price JM, Pitchford NJ, van Heuven WJB
    PLoS One, 2018;13(10):e0204888.
    PMID: 30300372 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204888
    This paper evaluates a novel high variability phonetic training paradigm that involves presenting spoken words in adverse conditions. The effectiveness, generalizability, and longevity of this high variability phonetic training in adverse conditions was evaluated using English phoneme contrasts in three experiments with Malaysian multilinguals. Adverse conditions were created by presenting spoken words against background multi-talker babble. In Experiment 1, the adverse condition level was set at a fixed level throughout the training and in Experiment 2 the adverse condition level was determined for each participant before training using an adaptive staircase procedure. To explore the effectiveness and sustainability of the training, phonemic discrimination ability was assessed before and immediately after training (Experiments 1 and 2) and 6 months after training (Experiment 3). Generalization of training was evaluated within and across phonemic contrasts using trained and untrained stimuli. Results revealed significant perceptual improvements after just three 20-minute training sessions and these improvements were maintained after 6 months. The training benefits also generalized from trained to untrained stimuli. Crucially, perceptual improvements were significantly larger when the adverse conditions were adapted before each training session than when it was set at a fixed level. As the training improvements observed here are markedly larger than those reported in the literature, this indicates that the individualized phonetic training regime in adaptive adverse conditions (HVPT-AAC) is highly effective at improving speech perception.
    Matched MeSH terms: Speech Perception/physiology*
  2. Study of target and non-target interplay in spatial attention task
    Sweeti, Joshi D, Panigrahi BK, Anand S, Santhosh J
    J Med Eng Technol, 2018 Feb;42(2):113-120.
    PMID: 29448856 DOI: 10.1080/03091902.2018.1433244
    Selective visual attention is the ability to selectively pay attention to the targets while inhibiting the distractors. This paper aims to study the targets and non-targets interplay in spatial attention task while subject attends to the target object present in one visual hemifield and ignores the distractor present in another visual hemifield. This paper performs the averaged evoked response potential (ERP) analysis and time-frequency analysis. ERP analysis agrees to the left hemisphere superiority over late potentials for the targets present in right visual hemifield. Time-frequency analysis performed suggests two parameters i.e. event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) and inter-trial coherence (ITC). These parameters show the same properties for the target present in either of the visual hemifields but show the difference while comparing the activity corresponding to the targets and non-targets. In this way, this study helps to visualise the difference between targets present in the left and right visual hemifields and, also the targets and non-targets present in the left and right visual hemifields. These results could be utilised to monitor subjects' performance in brain-computer interface (BCI) and neurorehabilitation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Visual Perception/physiology
  3. Fulltext Speech token detection and discrimination in individual infants using functional near-infrared spectroscopy
    Mao D, Wunderlich J, Savkovic B, Jeffreys E, Nicholls N, Lee OW, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2021 Dec 14;11(1):24006.
    PMID: 34907273 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03595-z
    Speech detection and discrimination ability are important measures of hearing ability that may inform crucial audiological intervention decisions for individuals with a hearing impairment. However, behavioral assessment of speech discrimination can be difficult and inaccurate in infants, prompting the need for an objective measure of speech detection and discrimination ability. In this study, the authors used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) as the objective measure. Twenty-three infants, 2 to 10 months of age participated, all of whom had passed newborn hearing screening or diagnostic audiology testing. They were presented with speech tokens at a comfortable listening level in a natural sleep state using a habituation/dishabituation paradigm. The authors hypothesized that fNIRS responses to speech token detection as well as speech token contrast discrimination could be measured in individual infants. The authors found significant fNIRS responses to speech detection in 87% of tested infants (false positive rate 0%), as well as to speech discrimination in 35% of tested infants (false positive rate 9%). The results show initial promise for the use of fNIRS as an objective clinical tool for measuring infant speech detection and discrimination ability; the authors highlight the further optimizations of test procedures and analysis techniques that would be required to improve accuracy and reliability to levels needed for clinical decision-making.
    Matched MeSH terms: Speech Perception/physiology*
  4. Fulltext Cortical signal-in-noise coding varies by noise type, signal-to-noise ratio, age, and hearing status
    Maamor N, Billings CJ
    Neurosci Lett, 2017 01 01;636:258-264.
    PMID: 27838448 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.11.020
    The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of noise type, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), age, and hearing status on cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) to speech sounds. This helps to explain the hearing-in-noise difficulties often seen in the aging and hearing impaired population. Continuous, modulated, and babble noise types were presented at varying SNRs to 30 individuals divided into three groups according to age and hearing status. Significant main effects of noise type, SNR, and group were found. Interaction effects revealed that the SNR effect varies as a function of noise type and is most systematic for continuous noise. Effects of age and hearing loss were limited to CAEP latency and were differentially modulated by energetic and informational-like masking. It is clear that the spectrotemporal characteristics of signals and noises play an important role in determining the morphology of neural responses. Participant factors such as age and hearing status, also play an important role in determining the brain's response to complex auditory stimuli and contribute to the ability to listen in noise.
    Matched MeSH terms: Auditory Perception/physiology; Speech Perception/physiology
  5. Removal of BCG artefact from concurrent fMRI-EEG recordings based on EMD and PCA
    Javed E, Faye I, Malik AS, Abdullah JM
    J Neurosci Methods, 2017 11 01;291:150-165.
    PMID: 28842191 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.08.020
    BACKGROUND: Simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance image (fMRI) acquisitions provide better insight into brain dynamics. Some artefacts due to simultaneous acquisition pose a threat to the quality of the data. One such problematic artefact is the ballistocardiogram (BCG) artefact.

    METHODS: We developed a hybrid algorithm that combines features of empirical mode decomposition (EMD) with principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce the BCG artefact. The algorithm does not require extra electrocardiogram (ECG) or electrooculogram (EOG) recordings to extract the BCG artefact.

    RESULTS: The method was tested with both simulated and real EEG data of 11 participants. From the simulated data, the similarity index between the extracted BCG and the simulated BCG showed the effectiveness of the proposed method in BCG removal. On the other hand, real data were recorded with two conditions, i.e. resting state (eyes closed dataset) and task influenced (event-related potentials (ERPs) dataset). Using qualitative (visual inspection) and quantitative (similarity index, improved normalized power spectrum (INPS) ratio, power spectrum, sample entropy (SE)) evaluation parameters, the assessment results showed that the proposed method can efficiently reduce the BCG artefact while preserving the neuronal signals.

    COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS: Compared with conventional methods, namely, average artefact subtraction (AAS), optimal basis set (OBS) and combined independent component analysis and principal component analysis (ICA-PCA), the statistical analyses of the results showed that the proposed method has better performance, and the differences were significant for all quantitative parameters except for the power and sample entropy.

    CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method does not require any reference signal, prior information or assumption to extract the BCG artefact. It will be very useful in circumstances where the reference signal is not available.

    Matched MeSH terms: Motion Perception/physiology; Visual Perception/physiology
  6. Fulltext Comparative study on interaction of form and motion processing streams by applying two different classifiers in mechanism for recognition of biological movement
    Yousefi B, Loo CK
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:723213.
    PMID: 25276860 DOI: 10.1155/2014/723213
    Research on psychophysics, neurophysiology, and functional imaging shows particular representation of biological movements which contains two pathways. The visual perception of biological movements formed through the visual system called dorsal and ventral processing streams. Ventral processing stream is associated with the form information extraction; on the other hand, dorsal processing stream provides motion information. Active basic model (ABM) as hierarchical representation of the human object had revealed novelty in form pathway due to applying Gabor based supervised object recognition method. It creates more biological plausibility along with similarity with original model. Fuzzy inference system is used for motion pattern information in motion pathway creating more robustness in recognition process. Besides, interaction of these paths is intriguing and many studies in various fields considered it. Here, the interaction of the pathways to get more appropriated results has been investigated. Extreme learning machine (ELM) has been implied for classification unit of this model, due to having the main properties of artificial neural networks, but crosses from the difficulty of training time substantially diminished in it. Here, there will be a comparison between two different configurations, interactions using synergetic neural network and ELM, in terms of accuracy and compatibility.
    Matched MeSH terms: Motion Perception/physiology*
  7. Effects of action observation on corticospinal excitability: Muscle specificity, direction, and timing of the mirror response
    Naish KR, Houston-Price C, Bremner AJ, Holmes NP
    Neuropsychologia, 2014 11;64:331-48.
    PMID: 25281883 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.09.034
    Many human behaviours and pathologies have been attributed to the putative mirror neuron system, a neural system that is active during both the observation and execution of actions. While there are now a very large number of papers on the mirror neuron system, variations in the methods and analyses employed by researchers mean that the basic characteristics of the mirror response are not clear. This review focuses on three important aspects of the mirror response, as measured by modulations in corticospinal excitability: (1) muscle specificity; (2) direction; and (3) timing of modulation. We focus mainly on electromyographic (EMG) data gathered following single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), because this method provides precise information regarding these three aspects of the response. Data from paired-pulse TMS paradigms and peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) are also considered when we discuss the possible mechanisms underlying the mirror response. In this systematic review of the literature, we examine the findings of 85 TMS and PNS studies of the human mirror response, and consider the limitations and advantages of the different methodological approaches these have adopted in relation to discrepancies between their findings. We conclude by proposing a testable model of how action observation modulates corticospinal excitability in humans. Specifically, we propose that action observation elicits an early, non-specific facilitation of corticospinal excitability (at around 90ms from action onset), followed by a later modulation of activity specific to the muscles involved in the observed action (from around 200ms). Testing this model will greatly advance our understanding of the mirror mechanism and provide a more stable grounding on which to base inferences about its role in human behaviour.
    Matched MeSH terms: Visual Perception/physiology*
  8. The effects of aging on the brain activation pattern during a speech perception task: an fMRI study
    Manan HA, Franz EA, Yusoff AN, Mukari SZ
    Aging Clin Exp Res, 2015 Feb;27(1):27-36.
    PMID: 24906677 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-014-0240-0
    In the present study, brain activation associated with speech perception processing was examined across four groups of adult participants with age ranges between 20 and 65 years, using functional MRI (fMRI). Cognitive performance demonstrates that performance accuracy declines with age. fMRI results reveal that all four groups of participants activated the same brain areas. The same brain activation pattern was found in all activated areas (except for the right superior temporal gyrus and right middle temporal gyrus); brain activity was increased from group 1 (20-29 years) to group 2 (30-39 years). However, it decreased in group 3 (40-49 years) with further decreases in group 4 participants (50-65 years). Result also reveals that three brain areas (superior temporal gyrus, Heschl's gyrus and cerebellum) showed changes in brain laterality in the older participants, akin to a shift from left-lateralized to right-lateralized activity. The onset of this change was different across brain areas. Based on these findings we suggest that, whereas all four groups of participants used the same areas in processing, the engagement and recruitment of those areas differ with age as the brain grows older. Findings are discussed in the context of corroborating evidence of neural changes with age.
    Matched MeSH terms: Speech Perception/physiology*
  9. Perceptual processing of Mandarin nasals by L1 and L2 Mandarin speakers
    Lai YH
    J Psycholinguist Res, 2012 Aug;41(4):237-52.
    PMID: 22089521 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-011-9190-2
    Nasals are cross-linguistically susceptible to change, especially in the syllable final position. Acoustic reports on Mandarin nasal production have recently shown that the syllable-final distinction is frequently dropped. Few studies, however, have addressed the issue of perceptual processing in Mandarin nasals for L1 and L2 speakers of Mandarin Chinese. The current paper addressed to what extent and in what directions L1 and L2 speakers of Mandarin differed in perceiving Mandarin nasals. Possible variables, including the linguistic backgrounds (i.e. L1 vs. L2 speakers of Mandarin Chinese), the vocalic contexts (i.e. [i, ə, a, y, ua, uə, ia]) and the phonetic settings (i.e. syllable-initial vs. syllable-final), were discussed. Asymmetrical findings in the current investigation indicated limitations of speech learning theories developed from European languages in the context of Mandarin nasals. A tri-dimensional model was thus suggested for interpreting the cognitive mechanism in Mandarin nasal perception.
    Matched MeSH terms: Speech Perception/physiology*
  10. Fulltext Can people guess what happened to others from their reactions?
    Pillai D, Sheppard E, Mitchell P
    PLoS One, 2012;7(11):e49859.
    PMID: 23226227 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049859
    Are we able to infer what happened to a person from a brief sample of his/her behaviour? It has been proposed that mentalising skills can be used to retrodict as well as predict behaviour, that is, to determine what mental states of a target have already occurred. The current study aimed to develop a paradigm to explore these processes, which takes into account the intricacies of real-life situations in which reasoning about mental states, as embodied in behaviour, may be utilised. A novel task was devised which involved observing subtle and naturalistic reactions of others in order to determine the event that had previously taken place. Thirty-five participants viewed videos of real individuals reacting to the researcher behaving in one of four possible ways, and were asked to judge which of the four 'scenarios' they thought the individual was responding to. Their eye movements were recorded to establish the visual strategies used. Participants were able to deduce successfully from a small sample of behaviour which scenario had previously occurred. Surprisingly, looking at the eye region was associated with poorer identification of the scenarios, and eye movement strategy varied depending on the event experienced by the person in the video. This suggests people flexibly deploy their attention using a retrodictive mindreading process to infer events.
    Matched MeSH terms: Visual Perception/physiology*
  11. Multisensory distortions of the hand have differential effects on tactile perception
    Treshi-marie Perera A, Newport R, McKenzie KJ
    Exp Brain Res, 2015 Nov;233(11):3153-61.
    PMID: 26195170 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-015-4384-8
    Research has suggested that altering the perceived shape and size of the body image significantly affects perception of somatic events. The current study investigated how multisensory illusions applied to the body altered tactile perception using the somatic signal detection task. Thirty-one healthy volunteers were asked to report the presence or absence of near-threshold tactile stimuli delivered to the index finger under three multisensory illusion conditions: stretched finger, shrunken finger and detached finger, as well as a veridical baseline condition. Both stretching and shrinking the stimulated finger enhanced correct touch detections; however, the mechanisms underlying this increase were found to be different. In contrast, the detached appearance reduced false touch reports-possibly due to reduced tactile noise, as a result of attention being directed to the tip of the finger only. These findings suggest that distorted representations of the body could have different modulatory effects on attention to touch and provide a link between perceived body representation and somatosensory decision-making.
    Matched MeSH terms: Touch Perception/physiology*
  12. Our sense of smell at the crossroads
    Gross M
    Curr Biol, 2015 Mar 02;25(5):R173-6.
    PMID: 25897437
    Matched MeSH terms: Olfactory Perception/physiology*
  13. Fulltext Relative contributions of auditory and cognitive functions on speech recognition in quiet and in noise among older adults
    Mukari SZMS, Yusof Y, Ishak WS, Maamor N, Chellapan K, Dzulkifli MA
    Braz J Otorhinolaryngol, 2018 12 10;86(2):149-156.
    PMID: 30558985 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2018.10.010
    INTRODUCTION: Hearing acuity, central auditory processing and cognition contribute to the speech recognition difficulty experienced by older adults. Therefore, quantifying the contribution of these factors on speech recognition problem is important in order to formulate a holistic and effective rehabilitation.

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the relative contributions of auditory functioning and cognition status to speech recognition in quiet and in noise.

    METHODS: We measured speech recognition in quiet and in composite noise using the Malay Hearing in noise test on 72 native Malay speakers (60-82 years) older adults with normal to mild hearing loss. Auditory function included pure tone audiogram, gaps-in-noise, and dichotic digit tests. Cognitive function was assessed using the Malay Montreal cognitive assessment.

    RESULTS: Linear regression analyses using backward elimination technique revealed that had the better ear four frequency average (0.5-4kHz) (4FA), high frequency average and Malay Montreal cognitive assessment attributed to speech perception in quiet (total r2=0.499). On the other hand, high frequency average, Malay Montreal cognitive assessment and dichotic digit tests contributed significantly to speech recognition in noise (total r2=0.307). Whereas the better ear high frequency average primarily measured the speech recognition in quiet, the speech recognition in noise was mainly measured by cognitive function.

    CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the fact that besides hearing sensitivity, cognition plays an important role in speech recognition ability among older adults, especially in noisy environments. Therefore, in addition to hearing aids, rehabilitation, which trains cognition, may have a role in improving speech recognition in noise ability of older adults.

    Matched MeSH terms: Speech Perception/physiology*
  14. Perceptual and Cardiorespiratory Responses to High-Intensity Interval Exercise in Adolescents: Does Work Intensity Matter?
    Malik AA, Williams CA, Weston KL, Barker AR
    J Sports Sci Med, 2019 03;18(1):1-12.
    PMID: 30787646
    High-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) may not elicit prominent unpleasant feelings even with elevated perceived exertion and physiological stress in adolescents. However, the influence of different HIIE work intensities on the affective experience and cardiorespiratory responses is unknown. This study examined the acute affective, enjoyment, perceived exertion and cardiorespiratory responses to HIIE with different work intensities in adolescents. Participants (n = 16; 8 boys; age 12.0 ± 0.3 years) performed, on separate days, HIIE conditions consisting of 8 x 1-minute work-intervals at 70%, 85%, or 100% peak power separated by 75 seconds recovery at 20 W. Affect, enjoyment and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded before, during, and after HIIE. Heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake were collected during HIIE. Affect declined in all conditions (p < 0.01) but 100%HIIE elicited significantly lower affect than 70%HIIE and 85%HIIE at work-interval 8 (all p < 0.02, ES > 1.74; 70%HIIE = 2.5 ± 0.8; 85%HIIE = 1.1 ± 1.5; 100%HIIE = -1.5 ± 1.4 on feeling scale). Similar enjoyment was evident during and after all conditions (all p > 0.44). RPE was significantly higher during 100%HIIE than 70%HIIE and 85%HIIE across all work-intervals (all p < 0.01, ES > 1.56). The majority of the participants attained ≥90%HRmax during 85%HIIE (87%) and 100%HIIE (100%), but not during 70%HIIE (6%). Affect responses during HIIE are dependent on the intensity of the work-interval and are not entirely negative (unpleasant feelings). Despite similar enjoyment, positive affect experienced during 70%HIIE and 85%HIIE could serve as a strategy to encourage exercise adoption and adherence in adolescents, but only 85%HIIE elicits sufficient HR stimulus to facilitate potential health benefits.
    Matched MeSH terms: Perception/physiology*
  15. Fulltext A preliminary study of mirror-induced self-directed behaviour on wildlife at the Royal Belum Rainforest Malaysia
    Hamdan A, Ab Latip MQ, Abu Hassim H, Mohd Noor MH, Tengku Azizan TRP, Mohamed Mustapha N, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2020 08 24;10(1):14105.
    PMID: 32839483 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71047-1
    Mirror-induced behaviour has been described as a cognitive ability of an animal to self-direct their image in front of the mirror. Most animals when exposed to a mirror responded with a social interactive behaviour such as aggressiveness, exploratory and repetitive behaviour. The objective of this study is to determine the mirror-induced self-directed behaviour on wildlife at the Royal Belum Rainforest, Malaysia. Wildlife species at the Royal Belum Rainforest were identified using a camera traps from pre-determined natural saltlick locations. Acrylic mirrors with steel frame were placed facing the two saltlicks (Sira Batu and Sira Tanah) and the camera traps with motion-detecting infrared sensor were placed at strategically hidden spot. The behavioural data of the animal response to the mirror were analysed using an ethogram procedure. Results showed that barking deer was the species showing the highest interaction in front of the mirror. Elephants displayed self-directed response through inspecting behaviour via usage of their trunk and legs while interacting to the mirror. Interestingly, the Malayan tapir showed startled behaviour during their interaction with the mirror. However, the absence of interactive behaviour of the Malayan tiger signalled a likelihood of a decreased social response behaviour. These results suggested that the ability to self-directed in front of the mirror is most likely related to the new approach to study the neural mechanism and its level of stimulus response in wildlife. In conclusion, research on mirror-induced self-directed behaviour in wildlife will have profound implications in understanding the cognitive ability of wildlife as an effort to enhance the management strategies and conservation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Visual Perception/physiology
  16. Fulltext Association between reduced visual-motor integration performance and socioeconomic factors among preschool children in Malaysia: A cross-sectional study
    Hairol MI, Nordin N, P'ng J, Sharanjeet-Kaur S, Narayanasamy S, Mohd-Ali M, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(3):e0246846.
    PMID: 33657109 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246846
    Visual-motor integration (VMI) is related to children's academic performance and school readiness. VMI scores measured using the Beery-Bucktenicka Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (Beery-VMI) can differ due to differences in cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. This study compared the VMI scores of Malaysian preschoolers with the corresponding US norms and determined the association between their VMI scores and socioeconomic factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 435 preschoolers (mean age: 5.95±0.47 years; age range: 5.08-6.83 years) from randomly selected public and private preschools. VMI scores were measured using Beery-VMI in the preschools' classrooms. Information on the socioeconomic characteristics of the preschoolers was obtained using a parent-report questionnaire. One sample t-test was used to compare their VMI scores with the corresponding US norms. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore the influence of socioeconomic factors on the preschoolers' VMI scores. Overall, Malaysian preschoolers' VMI performance was similar to the US standardized norms (p>0.05). Children from low-income families were twice likely to obtain lower than average VMI scores than those from higher-income families (OR = 2.47, 95%CI 1.05, 5.86). Children enrolled at public preschools were more likely to obtain a lower than average VMI score than those who enrolled at private preschools (OR = 2.60, 95%CI 1.12, 6.06). Children who started preschool at the age of six were more likely to obtain lower than average VMI scores than those who started at an earlier age (OR = 4.66, 95%CI 1.97, 11.04). Low maternal education level was also associated with lower than average VMI score (OR = 2.60, 95%CI 1.12, 6.06). Malaysian preschoolers' Beery-VMI performance compared well to their US counterparts. Some socioeconomic factors were associated with reduced VMI scores. Those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to have reduced VMI performance, potentially adversely affecting their school readiness, cognitive performance, and future academic achievements.
    Matched MeSH terms: Visual Perception/physiology*
  17. A fuzzy integral method based on the ensemble of neural networks to analyze fMRI data for cognitive state classification across multiple subjects
    Cacha LA, Parida S, Dehuri S, Cho SB, Poznanski RR
    J Integr Neurosci, 2016 Dec;15(4):593-606.
    PMID: 28093025 DOI: 10.1142/S0219635216500345
    The huge number of voxels in fMRI over time poses a major challenge to for effective analysis. Fast, accurate, and reliable classifiers are required for estimating the decoding accuracy of brain activities. Although machine-learning classifiers seem promising, individual classifiers have their own limitations. To address this limitation, the present paper proposes a method based on the ensemble of neural networks to analyze fMRI data for cognitive state classification for application across multiple subjects. Similarly, the fuzzy integral (FI) approach has been employed as an efficient tool for combining different classifiers. The FI approach led to the development of a classifiers ensemble technique that performs better than any of the single classifier by reducing the misclassification, the bias, and the variance. The proposed method successfully classified the different cognitive states for multiple subjects with high accuracy of classification. Comparison of the performance improvement, while applying ensemble neural networks method, vs. that of the individual neural network strongly points toward the usefulness of the proposed method.
    Matched MeSH terms: Visual Perception/physiology
  18. Fulltext Gender differences in binaural speech-evoked auditory brainstem response: are they clinically significant?
    Jalaei B, Azmi MHAM, Zakaria MN
    Braz J Otorhinolaryngol, 2018 05 17;85(4):486-493.
    PMID: 29858160 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2018.04.005
    INTRODUCTION: Binaurally evoked auditory evoked potentials have good diagnostic values when testing subjects with central auditory deficits. The literature on speech-evoked auditory brainstem response evoked by binaural stimulation is in fact limited. Gender disparities in speech-evoked auditory brainstem response results have been consistently noted but the magnitude of gender difference has not been reported.

    OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to compare the magnitude of gender difference in speech-evoked auditory brainstem response results between monaural and binaural stimulations.

    METHODS: A total of 34 healthy Asian adults aged 19-30 years participated in this comparative study. Eighteen of them were females (mean age=23.6±2.3 years) and the remaining sixteen were males (mean age=22.0±2.3 years). For each subject, speech-evoked auditory brainstem response was recorded with the synthesized syllable /da/ presented monaurally and binaurally.

    RESULTS: While latencies were not affected (p>0.05), the binaural stimulation produced statistically higher speech-evoked auditory brainstem response amplitudes than the monaural stimulation (p<0.05). As revealed by large effect sizes (d>0.80), substantive gender differences were noted in most of speech-evoked auditory brainstem response peaks for both stimulation modes.

    CONCLUSION: The magnitude of gender difference between the two stimulation modes revealed some distinct patterns. Based on these clinically significant results, gender-specific normative data are highly recommended when using speech-evoked auditory brainstem response for clinical and future applications. The preliminary normative data provided in the present study can serve as the reference for future studies on this test among Asian adults.

    Matched MeSH terms: Speech Perception/physiology*
  19. Memory and time: Backward and forward telescoping in Alzheimer's disease
    El Haj M, Janssen SMJ, Antoine P
    Brain Cogn, 2017 10;117:65-72.
    PMID: 28629646 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2017.06.005
    Backward and forward telescoping are opposite timing biases. The former refers to misattributing events to earlier dates, whereas the latter refers to misattributing events to later dates. The present study investigated both biases in participants with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and healthy older adults, matched on age, sex, and education level. Participants were asked to recall the years when five remote and five recent public events had occurred. They were also assessed with a cognitive and clinical battery that included a context memory task on which they had to associate letters and locations. Results showed backward telescoping for recent events and forward telescoping for remote events in AD participants and older adults. Furthermore, poorer context recall was observed in AD participants and older adults displaying backward telescoping than in those displaying forward telescoping. These findings suggest an association between the amount of contextual information recalled and the direction of the timing bias. Backward telescoping can be associated with deficiencies in retrieving context characteristics of events, which have been associated with retrograde amnesia and pathological changes to the hippocampus in AD.
    Matched MeSH terms: Time Perception/physiology*
  20. Global Study of Social Odor Awareness
    Sorokowska A, Groyecka A, Karwowski M, Frackowiak T, Lansford JE, Ahmadi K, et al.
    Chem. Senses, 2018 08 24;43(7):503-513.
    PMID: 29955865 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjy038
    Olfaction plays an important role in human social communication, including multiple domains in which people often rely on their sense of smell in the social context. The importance of the sense of smell and its role can however vary inter-individually and culturally. Despite the growing body of literature on differences in olfactory performance or hedonic preferences across the globe, the aspects of a given culture as well as culturally universal individual differences affecting odor awareness in human social life remain unknown. Here, we conducted a large-scale analysis of data collected from 10 794 participants from 52 study sites from 44 countries all over the world. The aim of our research was to explore the potential individual and country-level correlates of odor awareness in the social context. The results show that the individual characteristics were more strongly related than country-level factors to self-reported odor awareness in different social contexts. A model including individual-level predictors (gender, age, material situation, education, and preferred social distance) provided a relatively good fit to the data, but adding country-level predictors (Human Development Index, population density, and average temperature) did not improve model parameters. Although there were some cross-cultural differences in social odor awareness, the main differentiating role was played by the individual differences. This suggests that people living in different cultures and different climate conditions may still share some similar patterns of odor awareness if they share other individual-level characteristics.
    Matched MeSH terms: Olfactory Perception/physiology*
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