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Visual supports have been advocated as one strategy to teach children with autism in physical education. However, empirical studies documented inconsistencies in their effectiveness, with some demonstrating positive effects while others reported limited support for their use. Without a clear synthesis of information, physical educators may have difficulties in identifying and meaningfully utilizing visual supports. A systematic literature review on visual supports was conducted with synthesized current literature for physical educators to make informed decisions regarding their use for children with autism in physical education. A total of 27 articles were reviewed, which included empirical- and narrative-based manuscripts. Results suggest that picture task cards, visual activity schedules, and video prompting can be potential strategies that physical educators can use to teach motor skills to children on the spectrum. However, video modeling may need to be further investigated to fully understand how to use it in the context of physical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Many individuals who sustain a lateral ankle sprain (LAS) fail to return to prior activity due to residual symptoms; and report elevated levels of injury-related fear, decreased function, and decreased health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Additionally, individuals with history of LAS exhibit deficits in neurocognitive functional measures like visuomotor reaction time (VMRT), which contributes to worse patient-reported outcome scores. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between HRQOL and lower-extremity (LE) VMRT in individuals with LAS history. Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: Young adult female volunteers with history of LAS (n = 22; age = 24 [3.5] y; height = 163.1 [9.8] cm; mass = 65.1 [11.5] kg; and time since last LAS = 67.8 [50.5] mo) completed HRQOL outcomes including the following: (1) Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia-11, (2) Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, (3) Penn State Worry Questionnaire, (4) modified Disablement in the Physically Active Scale, and (5) Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI). Additionally, participants completed a LE-VMRT task by responding to a visual stimulus using their foot to deactivate light sensors. Participants completed trials bilaterally. Separate Spearman rho correlations were performed to assess the relationship between patient-reported outcomes assessing constructs of HRQOL and LE-VRMT bilaterally. Significance was set at P < .05. Results: There was a strong, significant negative correlation between FADI-Activities of Daily Living (ρ = -.68; P = .002) and FADI-Sport (ρ = -.76; P = .001) scores and injured limb LE-VMRT; moderate, significant negative correlations between the uninjured limb LE-VMRT and FADI-Activities of Daily Living (ρ = -.60; P = .01) and FADI-Sport (ρ = -.60; P = .01) scores; and moderate, significant positive correlations between the injured limb LE-VMRT and modified Disablement in the Physically Active Scale-Physical Summary Component (ρ = .52; P = .01) and modified Disablement in the Physically Active Scale-Total (ρ = .54; P = .02) scores. All other correlations were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Young adult women with history of LAS demonstrated an association between self-reported constructs of HRQOL and LE-VMRT. As LE-VMRT is a modifiable injury risk factor, future studies should examine the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve LE-VMRT and the impact on self-reported HRQOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual processing relies on the identification of both local and global features of visual stimuli. While well investigated at the behavioral level, the underlying brain mechanisms are less clear, especially in the context of aging. Using fMRI, we aimed to investigate the neural correlates underlying local and global processing in early and late adulthood. We recruited 77 healthy adults aged 19–77 who completed a visual search task based on 2-level hierarchical stimuli made of squares and/or circles. Participants were instructed to detect a target (a square) at either a local (small) or global (large) level of a hierarchical geometrical form, in the presence or absence of other hierarchical geometrical forms (distractors). At the behavioral level, we revealed high accuracy for all participants, but older participants were slower to detect local targets, specifically in presence of distractors. At the brain level, while both local and global processing were associated with occipital activation, local processing also recruited the anterior insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, that are core regions of the salience network. However, while the presence of distractors in the local condition elicited specifically stronger activation within the right anterior insula for the young group, it was not observed for older participants. In addition, older participants showed less activation than younger participants in the occipital cortex, especially for the most complex conditions. Our findings suggest that the brain correlates underlying local and global processing change with aging, especially for complex visual patterns. These results are discussed in terms of top-down reduction effects from the salience network on primary visual areas, that may lead to specific difficulties to process local visual details in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defining the brain mechanisms underlying initial emotional evaluation is a key but unexplored clue to understanding affective processing. Event-related potentials (ERPs), especially suited for investigating this issue, were recorded in two experiments (n = 36 and n = 35). We presented emotionally negative (spiders) and neutral (wheels) silhouettes homogenized regarding their visual parameters. In Experiment 1, stimuli appeared at fixation or in the periphery (200 trials per condition and location), the former eliciting a N40 (39 milliseconds) and a P80 (or C1: 80 milliseconds) component, and the latter only a P80. In Experiment 2, stimuli were presented only at fixation (500 trials per condition). Again, an N40 (45 milliseconds) was observed, followed by a P100 (or P1: 105 milliseconds). Analyses revealed significantly greater N40-C1P1 peak-to-peak amplitudes for spiders in both experiments, and ANCOVAs showed that these effects were not explained by C1P1 alone, but that processes underlying N40 significantly contributed. Source analyses pointed to V1 as an N40 focus (more clearly in Experiment 2). Sources for C1P1 included V1 (P80) and V2/LOC (P80 and P100). These results and their timing point to low-order structures (such as visual thalamic nuclei or superior colliculi) or the visual cortex itself, as candidates for initial evaluation structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on selective attention has largely focused on the enhancement of behaviorally important information, with less focus on the suppression of distracting information. Enhancement and suppression can operate through a push-pull relationship attributable to competitive interactions among neural populations. There has been considerable debate, however, regarding (1) whether suppression can be voluntarily deployed, independent of enhancement, and (2) whether voluntary deployment of suppression is associated with neural processes occurring prior to the distractor onset. Here, we investigated the interplay between pre- and post-distractor neural processes, while male and female human subjects performed a visual search task with a cue that indicated the location of an upcoming distractor. We utilized two established EEG markers of suppression: the distractor positivity (PD) and alpha power (~8-15 Hz). The PD--a component of event-related potentials--has been linked with successful distractor suppression, and increased alpha power has been linked with attenuated sensory processing. Cueing the location of an upcoming distractor speeded responses and led to an earlier PD, consistent with earlier suppression due to strategic use of a spatial cue. In comparison, higher predistractor alpha power contralateral to distractors led to a later PD, consistent with later suppression. Lower alpha power contralateral to distractors instead led to distractor-related attentional capture. Lateralization of alpha power was not linked to the spatial cue. This observation, combined with differences in the timing of suppression--as indexed by earlier and later PD components--demonstrates that cue-related, voluntary suppression can occur separate from alpha-related gating of sensory processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In visual perception and information processing, a cascade of associations is hypothesized to flow from the structure of the visual stimulus to neural activity along the retinogeniculostriate visual system to behavior and action. Do visual perception and information processing adhere to this cascade near the beginning of life? To date, this three-stage hypothetical cascade has not been comprehensively tested in infants. In two related experiments, we attempted to expose this cascade in 6-month-old infants. Specifically, we presented infants with two levels of visual stimulus intensity, we measured electrical activity at the infant cortex, and we assessed infants' preferential looking behavior. Chromatic saturation provided a convenient stimulus dimension to test the cascade because greater saturation is known to excite increased activity in the primate visual system and is generally hypothesized to stimulate visual preference. Experiment 1 revealed that infants prefer (look longer) at the more saturated of two colors otherwise matched in hue and brightness. Experiment 2 showed increased aggregate neural cortical excitation in infants (and adults) to the more saturated of the same pair of colors. Thus, experiments 1 and 2 taken together confirm a cascade: Visual stimulation of relatively greater intensity evokes relatively greater levels of bioelectrical cortical activity which in turn is associated with relatively greater visual attention. As this cascade obtains near the beginning of life, it helps to account for early visual preferences and visual information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has long been used non‐medically, and it is currently under investigation for its potential therapeutic benefits. Both uses may be related to its ability to enhance empathy, sociability, emotional processing and its anxiolytic effects. However, the neural mechanisms underlying these effects, and their specificity to MDMA compared to other stimulants, are not yet fully understood. Here, using electroencephalography (EEG), we investigated the effects of MDMA and a prototypic stimulant, methamphetamine (MA), on early visual processing of socio‐emotional stimuli in an oddball emotional faces paradigm. Specifically, we examined whether MDMA or MA enhance the processing of facial expressions, compared to placebo, during the early stages of visual perception. MDMA enhanced an event‐related component that is sensitive to detecting faces (N170), specifically for happy and angry expressions compared to neutral faces. MA did not affect this measure, and neither drug altered other components of the response to emotional faces. These findings provide novel insights into the neural mechanisms underlying the effects of MDMA on socio‐emotional processing and may have implications for the therapeutic use of MDMA in the treatment of social anxiety and other psychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Cognitive neuroscience aims to develop computational models that can accurately predict and explain neural responses to sensory inputs in the cortex. Recent studies attempt to leverage the representation power of deep neural networks (DNNs) to predict the brain response and suggest a correspondence between artificial and biological neural networks in their feature representations. However, typical voxel-wise encoding models tend to rely on specific networks designed for computer vision tasks, leading to suboptimal brain-wide correspondence during cognitive tasks. To address this challenge, this work proposes a novel approach that upgrades voxel-wise encoding models through multi-level integration of features from DNNs and information from brain networks. Our approach combines DNN feature-level ensemble learning and brain atlas-level model integration, resulting in significant improvements in predicting whole-brain neural activity during naturalistic video perception. Furthermore, this multi-level integration framework enables a deeper understanding of the brain's neural representation mechanism, accurately predicting the neural response to complex visual concepts. We demonstrate that neural encoding models can be optimized by leveraging a framework that integrates both data-driven approaches and theoretical insights into the functional structure of the cortical networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the design, it is important to evaluate the user experience of representative users in many human product interactions. But, in some cases, it is difficult or even impossible to recruit representative users because they have disabilities that do not allow them to take part in such investigations. Thus, alternative populations are widely studied. The most common way to replace real blind people is to use sighted but blindfolded users when studying design solutions. To test whether such alternative or proxy users can be used to represent blind people in social interactions, we examined the communication quality of 20 blind-sighted pairs and 20 blindfolded-sighted pairs in two different experiments. A prototype named E-Gaze glasses was evaluated as the testing tool. Results clearly show that the blindfolded participants achieved significantly higher communication quality than the blind participants. In qualitative data analysis, the blindfolded participants also reported their user experience of being blindfolded in conversations. Our qualitative results strengthen the conclusion that blindfolded users' behaviour is different from real blind users' behaviour. We recommend that blind users should not be substituted for blindfolded users in human product evaluations when communication quality is measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human pose, defined as the spatial relationships between body parts, carries instrumental information supporting the understanding of motion and action of a person. A substantial body of previous work has identified cortical areas responsive to images of bodies and different body parts. However, the neural basis underlying the visual perception of body part relationships has received less attention. To broaden our understanding of body perception, we analyzed high-resolution fMRI responses to a wide range of poses from over 4,000 complex natural scenes. Using ground-truth annotations and an application of three-dimensional (3D) pose reconstruction algorithms, we compared similarity patterns of cortical activity with similarity patterns built from human pose models with different levels of depth availability and viewpoint dependency. Targeting the challenge of explaining variance in complex natural image responses with interpretable models, we achieved statistically significant correlations between pose models and cortical activity patterns (though performance levels are substantially lower than the noise ceiling). We found that the 3D view-independent pose model, compared with two-dimensional models, better captures the activation from distinct cortical areas, including the right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS). These areas, together with other pose-selective regions in the LOTC, form a broader, distributed cortical network with greater view-tolerance in more anterior patches. We interpret these findings in light of the computational complexity of natural body images, the wide range of visual tasks supported by pose structures, and possible shared principles for view-invariant processing between articulated objects and ordinary, rigid objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the diverse genetic origins of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), affected individuals share strikingly similar and correlated behavioural traits that include perceptual and sensory processing challenges. Notably, the severity of these sensory symptoms is often predictive of the expression of other autistic traits. However, the origin of these perceptual deficits remains largely elusive. Here, we show a recurrent impairment in visual threat perception that is similarly impaired in 3 independent mouse models of ASD with different molecular aetiologies. Interestingly, this deficit is associated with reduced avoidance of threatening environments—a nonperceptual trait. Focusing on a common cause of ASDs, the Setd5 gene mutation, we define the molecular mechanism. We show that the perceptual impairment is caused by a potassium channel (Kv1)-mediated hypoexcitability in a subcortical node essential for the initiation of escape responses, the dorsal periaqueductal grey (dPAG). Targeted pharmacological Kv1 blockade rescued both perceptual and place avoidance deficits, causally linking seemingly unrelated trait deficits to the dPAG. Furthermore, we show that different molecular mechanisms converge on similar behavioural phenotypes by demonstrating that the autism models Cul3 and Ptchd1, despite having similar behavioural phenotypes, differ in their functional and molecular alteration. Our findings reveal a link between rapid perception controlled by subcortical pathways and appropriate learned interactions with the environment and define a nondevelopmental source of such deficits in ASD. Autism has diverse genetic origins which converge on a similar set of behaviors. This study shows that 3 genetic models of autism have similar impairments in visual threat responses, and that these are driven by potassium channel misregulation in Setd5 haploinsufficient mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diverse neuro-imaging techniques measure different aspects of neural responses with distinct spatial and temporal resolutions. Relating measured neural responses across different methods has been challenging. Here, we take a step towards overcoming this challenge, by comparing the nonlinearity of neural dynamics measured across methods. We used widefield voltage-sensitive dye imaging (VSDI) to measure neural population responses in macaque V1 to visual stimuli with a wide range of temporal waveforms. We found that stimulus-evoked VSDI responses are surprisingly near-additive in time. These results are qualitatively different from the strong sub-additive dynamics previously measured using fMRI and electrocorticography (ECoG) in human visual cortex with a similar set of stimuli. To test whether this discrepancy is specific to VSDI—a signal dominated by subthreshold neural activity, we repeated our measurements using widefield imaging of a genetically encoded calcium indicator (GcaMP6f)—a signal dominated by spiking activity, and found that GCaMP signals in macaque V1 are also near-additive. Therefore, the discrepancies in the extent of sub-additivity between the macaque and the human measurements are unlikely due to differences between sub- and supra-threshold neural responses. Finally, we use a simple yet flexible delayed normalization model to capture these different dynamics across measurements (with different model parameters). The model can potentially generalize to a broader set of stimuli, which aligns with previous suggestion that dynamic gain-control is a canonical computation contributing to neural processing in the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anticipating human decisions while performing complex tasks remains a formidable challenge. This study proposes a multimodal machine-learning approach that leverages image features and electroencephalography (EEG) data to predict human response correctness in a demanding visual searching task. Notably, we extract a novel set of image features pertaining to object relationships using the Segment Anything Model (SAM), which enhances prediction accuracy compared to traditional features. Additionally, our approach effectively utilizes a combination of EEG signals and image features to streamline the feature set required for the Random Forest Classifier (RFC) while maintaining high accuracy. The findings of this research hold substantial potential for developing advanced fault alert systems, particularly in critical decision-making environments such as the medical and defence sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Face recognition is a crucial aspect of self-image and social interactions. Previous studies have focused on static images to explore the boundary of self-face recognition. Our research, however, investigates the dynamics of face recognition in contexts involving motor-visual synchrony. We first validated our morphing face metrics for self-face recognition. We then conducted an experiment using state-of-the-art video processing techniques for real-time face identity morphing during facial movement. We examined self-face recognition boundaries under three conditions: synchronous, asynchronous, and static facial movements. Our findings revealed that participants recognized a narrower self-face boundary with moving facial images compared to static ones, with no significant differences between synchronous and asynchronous movements. The direction of morphing consistently biased the recognized self-face boundary. These results suggest that while motor information of the face is vital for self-face recognition, it does not rely on movement synchronization, and the sense of agency over facial movements does not affect facial identity judgment. Our methodology offers a new approach to exploring the 'self-face boundary in action', allowing for an independent examination of motion and identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non-WNT/non-SHH (Grp3/Grp4) medulloblastomas (MBs) include eight second-generation subgroups (SGS; I–VIII) each with distinct molecular and clinical characteristics. Recently, we also identified two prognostically relevant transcriptome subtypes within each SGS MB, which are associated with unique gene expression signatures and signaling pathways. These prognostic subsets may be in connection to the intra-tumoral cell landscape that underlies SGS MB clinical-molecular diversity. Here, we performed a deconvolution analysis of the Grp3/Grp4 MB bulk RNA profiles using the previously identified single-cell RNA-seq reference dataset and focusing on variability in the cellular composition of SGS MB. RNA deconvolution analysis of the Grp3/Grp4 MB disclosed the subgroup-specific neoplastic cell subpopulations. Neuronally differentiated axodendritic GP3-C1 and glutamatergic GP4-C1 subpopulations were distributed within Grp3- and Grp4-associated SGS MB, respectively. Progenitor GP3-B2 subpopulation was prominent in aggressive SGS II MB, whereas photoreceptor/visual perception GP3/4-C2 cell content was typical for SGS III/IV MB. The current study also revealed significant variability in the proportions of cell subpopulations between clinically relevant SGS MB transcriptome subtypes, where unfavorable cohorts were enriched with cell cycle and progenitor-like cell subpopulations and, vice versa, favorable subtypes were composed of neuronally differentiated cell fractions predominantly. A higher than median proportion of proliferating and progenitor cell subpopulations conferred the shortest survival of the Grp3 and Grp 4 MB, and similar survival associations were identified for all SGS MB except SGS IV MB. In summary, the recently identified clinically relevant Grp3/Grp4 MB transcriptome subtypes are composed of different cell populations. Future studies should aim to validate the prognostic and therapeutic role of the identified Grp3/Grp4 MB inter-tumoral cellular heterogeneity. The application of the single-cell techniques on each SGS MB separately could help to clarify the clinical significance of subgroup-specific variability in tumor cell content and its relation with prognostic transcriptome signatures identified before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible responses to sensory stimuli based on changing rules are critical for adapting to a dynamic environment. However, it remains unclear how the brain encodes and uses rule information to guide behavior. Here, we made single-unit recordings while head-fixed mice performed a cross-modal sensory selection task where they switched between two rules: licking in response to tactile stimuli while rejecting visual stimuli, or vice versa. Along a cortical sensorimotor processing stream including the primary (S1) and secondary (S2) somatosensory areas, and the medial (MM) and anterolateral (ALM) motor areas, single-neuron activity distinguished between the two rules both prior to and in response to the tactile stimulus. We hypothesized that neural populations in these areas would show rule-dependent preparatory states, which would shape the subsequent sensory processing and behavior. This hypothesis was supported for the motor cortical areas (MM and ALM) by findings that (1) the current task rule could be decoded from pre-stimulus population activity; (2) neural subspaces containing the population activity differed between the two rules; and (3) optogenetic disruption of pre-stimulus states impaired task performance. Our findings indicate that flexible action selection in response to sensory input can occur via configuration of preparatory states in the motor cortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) has been used as a powerful tool to understand the mechanism underlying neural binding by investigating neural synchrony across different frequency bands. This study examined the possibility that dysregulated alpha-gamma modulation may be crucially involved in aberrant brain functioning in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Magnetoencephalographic data were recorded from 13 adult participants with ASD and 16 controls. The time-coursed sources averaged over a primary visual area 1 and fusiform gyrus area were reconstructed with the minimum-norm estimate method. The alpha-gamma PAC was further calculated based on these sources. The statistical analysis was implemented based on the PAC and directed asymmetry index. The results showed the hyper-activity coupling for ASD at the no-face condition and revealed the importance of alpha-gamma phase modulation in detecting a face. Our data provides novel evidence for the role of the alpha-gamma PAC and suggests that the globe connectivity may be more critical during visual perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photonic synapses integrate sensing and processing within a single device, making them promising candidates for emulating the visual perception of a biological retina. Most retinomorphic photonic synapses achieve image pre‐processing by differentially responding to red, green, and blue (RGB). However, the impact of invisible ultraviolet (UV) light on the retina remains insufficiently explored, hindering the perception of the full spectrum by retinomorphic devices. Herein, a photonic synapse is constructed with strong UV absorption of Poly[(9,9‐dioctylfluorenyl‐2,7‐diyl)‐co‐(4,4′‐(N‐(4‐sec‐butylphenyl) diphenylamine)] (TFB) as photosensitive layer. The device exhibits synaptic properties of long‐term memory (LTM) and short‐term memory (STM) at different UV radiation stages. Extracting the electrical conductance of the device under UV radiation generates patterns of different resolutions, facilitating the simulation of retinal damage's impact on object perception. Moreover, an electronic eye system, incorporating the photonic synapse under UV radiation, successfully replicates pupil constriction and eye‐closing behaviors akin to those observed in a real biological eye. This result underscores the authenticity of retinomorphic devices, expending a novel concept for the future development of visuomorphic computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In biological visual systems, retina with bidirectional photoresponse can adapt to variable environments and modulate their photosensitivity dependent on illumination conditions in an energy‐efficient way. However, to emulate the visual functionality, current systems still require a sustained power supply and manipulate the electrical stimulation manually according to light intensity, thus incurring high energy consumption and the lack of autonomous adaptive function. Herein, an organic ferroelectric neuristor emulating the visual self‐adaptation function of retina is introduced. Such autonomous adaptive behavior of device originates from the trap‐assisted ferroelectric polarization reversal under light illumination. It allows to realize bidirectional photoresponse in a single device according to light intensity, thus breaking through the limitation of commonly adaptive devices with single photoresponse mechanisms. In particular, only a single gate voltage pulse with an ultralow energy consumption of ≈34 pJ is required to accomplish the adaptation behavior, endowing the visual perception with high autonomy and power efficiency. Finally, the application potential of the neuristor in image pre‐processing and recognition under bright and dim light conditions is demonstrated. Therefore, this work opens up a path for the development of retina‐like visual systems with highly energy efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linguistic categories can impact visual perception. For instance, learning that two objects have different names can enhance their discriminability. Previous studies have identified a typical pattern of categorical perception, characterized by faster discrimination of stimuli from different categories, a neural mismatch response during early visual processing (100–200 ms), and effects restricted to the right visual field. However, it remains unclear whether language affects perception online or through long‐term changes to mental representations in memory. To address this, we tested the impact of newly learned object categories with and without memory consolidation during sleep. We replicated the canonical pattern of categorical perception for categories that underwent consolidation. Without consolidation, linguistic categories still influenced early visual processing but with distinct neural dynamics. Therefore, we found evidence of both transient and long‐term effects of language on perception and conclude that memory consolidation plays a crucial role in shaping how linguistic categories modulate perception. A one‐page Accessible Summary of this article in nontechnical language is freely available in the Supporting Information online and at https://oasis‐database.org. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When lying inside a MRI scanner and even in the absence of any motion, the static magnetic field of MRI scanners induces a magneto-hydrodynamic stimulation of subjects' vestibular organ (MVS). MVS thereby not only causes a horizontal vestibular nystagmus but also induces a horizontal bias in spatial attention. In this study, we aimed to determine the time course of MVS-induced biases in both VOR and spatial attention inside a 3 T MRI-scanner as well as their respective aftereffects after participants left the scanner. Eye movements and overt spatial attention in a visual search task were assessed in healthy volunteers before, during, and after a one-hour MVS period. All participants exhibited a VOR inside the scanner, which declined over time but never vanished completely. Importantly, there was also an MVS-induced horizontal bias in spatial attention and exploration, which persisted throughout the entire hour within the scanner. Upon exiting the scanner, we observed aftereffects in the opposite direction manifested in both the VOR and in spatial attention, which were statistically no longer detectable after 7 min. Sustained MVS effects on spatial attention have important implications for the design and interpretation of fMRI-studies and for the development of therapeutic interventions counteracting spatial neglect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Categorization and its influence on perceptual discrimination are essential processes to organize information efficiently. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) are suggested to display enhanced discrimination on the one hand, but also to experience difficulties with generalization and ignoring irrelevant differences on the other, which underlie categorization. Studies on categorization and discrimination in ASC have mainly focused on one process at a time, however, and typically only used either behavioral or neural measures in isolation. Here, we aim to investigate the interrelationships between these perceptual processes using novel stimuli sampled from a well-controlled artificial stimulus space. In addition, we complement standard behavioral psychophysical tasks with frequency-tagging EEG (FT-EEG) to obtain a direct, non-task related neural index of discrimination and categorization. Methods: The study was completed by 38 adults with ASC and 38 matched neurotypical (NT) individuals. First, we assessed baseline discrimination sensitivity by administering FT-EEG measures and a complementary behavioral task. Second, participants were trained to categorize the stimuli into two groups. Finally, participants again completed the neural and behavioral discrimination sensitivity measures. Results: Before training, NT participants immediately revealed a categorical tuning of discrimination, unlike ASC participants who showed largely similar discrimination sensitivity across the stimuli. During training, both autistic and non-autistic participants were able to categorize the stimuli into two groups. However, in the initial training phase, ASC participants were less accurate and showed more variability, as compared to their non-autistic peers. After training, ASC participants showed significantly enhanced neural and behavioral discrimination sensitivity across the category boundary. Behavioral indices of a reduced categorical processing and perception were related to the presence of more severe autistic traits. Bayesian analyses confirmed overall results. Limitations: Data-collection occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: Our behavioral and neural findings indicate that adults with and without ASC are able to categorize highly similar stimuli. However, while categorical tuning of discrimination sensitivity was spontaneously present in the NT group, it only emerged in the autistic group after explicit categorization training. Additionally, during training, adults with autism were slower at category learning. Finally, this multi-level approach sheds light on the mechanisms underlying sensory and information processing issues in ASC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness classifies patients with chronic dizziness, often triggered by an acute episode of vestibular dysfunction or threat to balance. Unsteadiness and spatial disorientation vary in intensity but persist for over three months, exacerbated by complex visual environments. Method: Literature suggests diagnosis relies on a clinical history of persistent subjective dizziness and normal vestibular and neurological examination findings. Behavioural diagnostic biomarkers have been proposed, to facilitate diagnosis. Results: Research has focused on understanding the neural mechanisms that underpin this perceptual disorder, with imaging data supporting altered connectivity between neural brain networks that process vision, motion and emotion. Behavioural research identified the perceptual and motor responses to a heightened perception of imbalance. Conclusion: Management utilises head and body motion detection, and downregulation of visual motion excitability, reducing postural hypervigilance and anxiety. Combinations of physical and cognitive therapies, with antidepressant medications, help if the condition is associated with mood disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the relationship between language and event cognition? Past work has suggested that linguistic/aspectual distinctions encoding the internal temporal profile of events map onto nonlinguistic event representations. Here, we use a novel visual detection task to directly test the hypothesis that processing telic versus atelic sentences (e.g., "Ebony folded a napkin in 10 seconds" vs. "Ebony did some folding for 10 seconds") can influence whether the very same visual event is processed as containing distinct temporal stages including a well‐defined endpoint or lacking such structure, respectively. In two experiments, we show that processing (a)telicity in language shifts how people later construe the temporal structure of identical visual stimuli. We conclude that event construals are malleable representations that can align with the linguistic framing of events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Visual function is a complex process in which external visual stimuli are interpreted. Patients with retinal diseases and prolonged follow-up times may experience changes in their visual function that are not detected by the standard visual acuity measure, as they are a result of other alterations in visual function. With the advancement of different methods to evaluate visual function, additional measurements have become available, and further standardization suggests that some methods may be promising for use in clinical trials or routine clinical practice. The objectives of this article are to review these additional measurements and to provide guidance on their application. Methods: The Vision Academy's membership of international retinal disease experts reviewed the literature and developed consensus recommendations for the application of additional measures of visual function in routine clinical practice or clinical trials. Results: Measures such as low-luminance visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, retinal fixation and microperimetry, and reading performance are measures which can complement visual acuity measurements to provide an assessment of overall visual function, including impact on patients' quality of life. Measures such as dark adaptation, color vision testing, binocular vision testing, visual recognition testing, and shape discrimination require further optimization and validation before they can be implemented in everyday clinical practice. Conclusion: Additional measurements of visual function may help identify patients who could benefit from earlier diagnosis, detection of disease progression, and therapeutic intervention. New and additional functional clinical trial endpoints are required to fully understand the early stages of macular disease, its progression, and the response to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empathy, or Einfühlung as it was originally coined, first entered the psychological lexicon when it was used to describe the embodiment of artistic emotive qualities. Based on the empirical aesthetics literature, we explored this construct in the framework of visual attention in conjunction with analyses of aesthetic engagement and interest. A visual search paradigm was employed to examine the preattentive prioritization of components of emotive visual artworks between individuals scoring high or low on a validated questionnaire of empathy. Reaction times were significantly faster across all artworks, and several specific locations were responded to faster by highly empathic individuals. High empathy was associated with an enriched aesthetic experience, indexed by aesthetic interest and emotional engagement, to the most emotive artwork of the set. Qualitative measures provided further insights into the qualities of the artworks that may account for the differences reported here. The findings further contribute to understanding the myriad of psychological variables that influence our experience of art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceptually natural standard‐dynamic‐range (SDR) images reproduced under normal viewing conditions should retain enough information for the human observer to estimate the time at which the actual high‐dynamic‐range (HDR) scene was captured without recourse to artificial information. Currently, both global‐ and local‐tone mapping operators (TMOs) seem to have comparable levels of performance. Therefore, we first consider the constraints created in the actual human visual system by eye movement, and buttress a hypothesis with a demonstration. We briefly review the imperceptible illuminance effects yielded by the personal circadian clock suggested by chronophysiological research and other related effects, because our previous study suggested that the characteristics of the human visual system dynamically varies depending on the individual's circadian pattern. Finally, we conduct two psychophysical experiments based on the hypothesis that the human visual system employs several global TMOs at the first stage for information compression that depend on individual‐circadian‐visual‐features (ICVF). The results suggest that (1) no participant can perceive actual‐capture‐time (ACT) and (2) sensitive observers can discriminate reproduced images based on virtual‐shooting‐time (VST) effects induced by different types of global TMOs. We also discover that the VST‐based discrimination differs widely among people, but most are unaware of this effect as evidenced by daily conversations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of infrared and visible image fusion is to generate a fused image that not only contains salient targets and rich texture details, but also facilitates high-level vision tasks. However, due to the hardware limitations of digital cameras and other devices, there are more low-resolution images in the existing datasets, and low-resolution images are often accompanied by the problem of losing details and structural information. At the same time, existing fusion algorithms focus too much on the visual quality of the fused images, while ignoring the requirements of high-level vision tasks. To address the above challenges, in this paper, we skillfully unite the super-resolution network, fusion network and segmentation network, and propose a super-resolution-based semantic-aware fusion network. First, we design a super-resolution network based on a multi-branch hybrid attention module (MHAM), which aims to enhance the quality and details of the source image, enabling the fusion network to integrate the features of the source image more accurately. Then, a comprehensive information extraction module (STDC) is designed in the fusion network to enhance the network's ability to extract finer-grained complementary information from the source image. Finally, the fusion network and segmentation network are jointly trained to utilize semantic loss to guide the semantic information back to the fusion network, which effectively improves the performance of the fused images on high-level vision tasks. Extensive experiments show that our method is more effective than other state-of-the-art image fusion methods. In particular, our fused images not only have excellent visual perception effects, but also help to improve the performance of high-level vision tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the absence of visual perception, visually impaired individuals encounter various difficulties in their daily lives. This paper proposes a visual aid system designed specifically for visually impaired individuals, aiming to assist and guide them in grasping target objects within a tabletop environment. The system employs a visual perception module that incorporates a semantic visual SLAM algorithm, achieved through the fusion of ORB-SLAM2 and YOLO V5s, enabling the construction of a semantic map of the environment. In the human–machine cooperation module, a depth camera is integrated into a wearable device worn on the hand, while a vibration array feedback device conveys directional information of the target to visually impaired individuals for tactile interaction. To enhance the system's versatility, a Dobot Magician manipulator is also employed to aid visually impaired individuals in grasping tasks. The performance of the semantic visual SLAM algorithm in terms of localization and semantic mapping was thoroughly tested. Additionally, several experiments were conducted to simulate visually impaired individuals' interactions in grasping target objects, effectively verifying the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed system. Overall, this system demonstrates its capability to assist and guide visually impaired individuals in perceiving and acquiring target objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a considerable amount of research on visual evoked potential (VEP)-based brain–computer interfaces (BCIs). However, it remains a big challenge to detect VEPs elicited by small visual stimuli. To address this challenge, this study employed a 256-electrode high-density electroencephalogram (EEG) cap with 66 electrodes in the parietal and occipital lobes to record EEG signals. An online BCI system based on code-modulated VEP (C-VEP) was designed and implemented with thirty targets modulated by a time-shifted binary pseudo-random sequence. A task-discriminant component analysis (TDCA) algorithm was employed for feature extraction and classification. The offline and online experiments were designed to assess EEG responses and classification performance for comparison across four different stimulus sizes at visual angles of 0.5°, 1°, 2°, and 3°. By optimizing the data length for each subject in the online experiment, information transfer rates (ITRs) of 126.48 ± 14.14 bits/min, 221.73 ± 15.69 bits/min, 258.39 ± 9.28 bits/min, and 266.40 ± 6.52 bits/min were achieved for 0.5°, 1°, 2°, and 3°, respectively. This study further compared the EEG features and classification performance of the 66-electrode layout from the 256-electrode EEG cap, the 32-electrode layout from the 128-electrode EEG cap, and the 21-electrode layout from the 64-electrode EEG cap, elucidating the pivotal importance of a higher electrode density in enhancing the performance of C-VEP BCI systems using small stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pose estimation of metal parts plays a vital role in industrial grasping areas. It is challenging to obtain complete point clouds of metal parts because of their reflective properties. This study introduces an approach for recovering the 6D pose of CAD-known metal parts from images captured by a single RGB camera. The proposed strategy only requires RGB images without depth information. The core idea of the proposed method is to use multiple views to estimate the metal parts' pose. First, the pose of metal parts is estimated in the first view. Second, ray casting is employed to simulate additional views with the corresponding status of the metal parts, enabling the calculation of the camera's next best viewpoint. The camera, mounted on a robotic arm, is then moved to this calculated position. Third, this study integrates the known camera transformations with the poses estimated from different viewpoints to refine the final scene. The results of this work demonstrate that the proposed method effectively estimates the pose of shiny metal parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) is currently a suitable gaze-independent paradigm for controlling visual brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) based on event-related potentials (ERPs), especially for users with limited eye movement control. However, unlike gaze-dependent paradigms, gaze-independent ones have received less attention concerning the specific choice of visual stimuli that are used. In gaze-dependent BCIs, images of faces—particularly those tinted red—have been shown to be effective stimuli. This study aims to evaluate whether the colour of faces used as visual stimuli influences ERP-BCI performance under RSVP. Fifteen participants tested four conditions that varied only in the visual stimulus used: grey letters (GL), red famous faces with letters (RFF), green famous faces with letters (GFF), and blue famous faces with letters (BFF). The results indicated significant accuracy differences only between the GL and GFF conditions, unlike prior gaze-dependent studies. Additionally, GL achieved higher comfort ratings compared with other face-related conditions. This study highlights that the choice of stimulus type impacts both performance and user comfort, suggesting implications for future ERP-BCI designs for users requiring gaze-independent systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is favored by the industry for its high material utilization rate and low cost. However, wire-arc additive manufacturing of lattice structures faces problems with forming accuracy such as broken rod and surface morphology defects, which cannot meet the industrial demand. This article innovatively combines the melt pool stress theory with visual perception algorithms to visually study the force balance of the near-suspended melt pool to predict the state of the melt pool. First, the method for melt pool segmentation was studied. The results show that the optimized U-net achieved high accuracy in melt pool segmentation tasks, with accuracies of 98.18%, MIOU 96.64%, and Recall 98.34%. In addition, a method for estimating melt pool force balance and predicting normal, sagging, and collapsing states of the melt pool is proposed. By combining experimental testing with computer vision technology, an analysis of the force balance of the melt pool during the inclined rod forming process was conducted, showing a prediction rate as high as 90% for the testing set. By using this method, monitoring and predicting the state of the melt pool is achieved, preemptively avoiding issues of broken rods during the printing process. This approach can effectively assist in adjusting process parameters and improving welding quality. The application of this method will further promote the development of intelligent unmanned WAAM and provide some references for the development of artificial intelligence monitoring systems in the manufacturing field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an ongoing debate among visual attention researchers about whether top-down processes contribute to pop-out search. In the present study, we describe a new method to orthogonally manipulate top-down preparation and feature priming in a pop-out search task. On each trial, participants viewed a single-item (randomly blue or orange) followed by a pop-out search display (randomly blue target with orange distractors, or vice versa). Preparation was induced by instructing participants to respond to the single-item if it was a particular colour and to ignore it otherwise--but to respond to the odd-coloured target in all following pop-out search displays. This method allowed us to examine whether top-down preparation for the single-item influenced subsequent pop-out search. Our results revealed a large effect of preparation for the single-item on subsequent search response times. We discuss this result in relation to the interplay between top-down control and selection history effects in pop-out visual search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most fundamental distinctions in cognitive psychology is between processing that is "controlled" and processing that is "automatic." The widely held automatic processing account of visualword identification asserts that, among other characteristics, the presentation of a well-formed letter string triggers sublexical, lexical, and semantic activation in the absence of any intention to do so. Instead, the role of intention is seen as independent of stimulus identification and as restricted to selection for action using the products of identification (e.g., braking in response to a sign saying "BRIDGE OUT"). We consider four paradigms with respect to the role of an intention--defined here as a "task set" indicating how to perform in the current situation--when identifying single well-formed letter strings. Contrary to the received automaticity view, the literature regarding each of these paradigms demonstrates that the relation between an intention and stimulus identification is constrained in multiple ways, many of which are not well understood at present. One thing is clear: There is no simple relation between an intention, in the form of a task set, and stimulus identification. Automatic processing of words, if this indeed ever occurs, certainly is not a system default. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Localisation of simple stimuli such as angle vertices may contribute to a plethora of illusory effects. We focus on the Müller-Lyer illusion in an attempt to measure and characterise a more elementary effect that may contribute to the magnitude of said illusion. Perceived location error of angle vertices (a single set of Müller-Lyer fins) and arcs in a 2D plane was measured with the aim to provide clarification of ambiguous results from studies of angle localisation and expand the results to other types of stimuli. In three experiments, we utilised the method of constant stimuli in order to determine perceived locations of angle vertices (Experiments 1 and 2) as well as circular and elliptical arcs (Experiment 3). The results show significant distortions of perceived compared to objective vertex locations (all effect sizes d > 1.01, p < .001). Experiment 2 revealed strong effects of angle size and fin length on localisation error. Mislocalization was larger for more acute angles and longer angle fins (both ηp² = .43, p < .001). In Experiment 3, localisation errors were larger for longer arcs (ηp² = .19, p = .001) irrespective of shape (circular or elliptical). We discuss the effect in the context of modern trends in research of the Müller-Lyer illusion as well as the widely popular centroid theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging with visual methodology literature and the concept of 'family display', this article examines how visual methods can generate new ways of understanding the (in)visibility of queer family life. Engaging Chinese lesbians in image-making and photo-elicitation interviews, I illustrate how visual methods give access to different ways of making sense of 'family', including the 'everyday', the 'imaginary', and the 'void'. By exploring the image-maker's intentions, the presence or absence of the image-maker, and diverse ways of displaying family, I show how visual methods can facilitate the display of family ties, tensions, and ideals. Adopted in an open format that allows flexibility and creativity, visual methods generate space for participants to communicate the unrealisable and unseeable and for researchers to examine how dominant heteronormative representations and discourses around the 'family' restrict possibilities of displaying family. I highlight the importance of maintaining openness and sensitivity to cultural peculiarities when adopting visual methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperparameter optimization (HPO) methods alleviate the significant effort required to obtain hyperparameters that perform optimally on visual learning problems. Existing methods are computationally inefficient because they are task agnostic (i.e., they do not adapt to a given task). We present HyperSTAR (System for Task Aware Hyperparameter Recommendation), a task-aware HPO algorithm that improves HPO efficiency for a target dataset by using prior knowledge from previous hyperparameter searches to recommend effective hyperparameters conditioned on the target dataset. HyperSTAR ranks and recommends hyperparameters by predicting their performance on the target dataset. To do so, it learns a joint dataset-hyperparameter space in an end-to-end manner that enables its performance predictor to use previously found effective hyperparameters for other similar tasks. The hyperparameter recommendations of HyperSTAR combined with existing HPO techniques lead to a task-aware HPO system that reduces the time to find the optimal hyperparameters for the target learning problem. Our experiments on image classification, object detection, and model pruning validate that HyperSTAR reduces the evaluation of different hyperparameter configurations by about 50 % compared to existing methods and, when combined with Hyperband, uses only 25 % of the budget required by the vanilla Hyperband and Bayesian Optimized Hyperband to achieve the best performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using eye-tracking, we studied allocation of attention to faces where the emotional expression and eye-gaze dynamically changed in an ecologically-valid manner. We tested typically-developed (TD) adults low or high in autistic-like traits (Experiment 1), and adults with high-functioning autism (HFA; Experiment 2). All groups fixated more on the eyes than on any of the other facial area, regardless of emotion and gaze direction, though the HFA group fixated less on the eyes and more on the nose than TD controls. The sequence of dynamic facial changes affected the groups similarly, with reduced attention to the eyes and increased attention to the mouth. The results suggest that dynamic emotional face scanning patterns are stereotypical and differ only modestly between TD and HFA adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optic flow provides useful information in service of spatial navigation. However, whether brain networks supporting these two functions overlap is still unclear. Here we used Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) to assess the correspondence between brain correlates of optic flow processing and spatial navigation and their specific neural activations. Since computational and connectivity evidence suggests that visual input from optic flow provides information mainly during egocentric navigation, we further tested the correspondence between brain correlates of optic flow processing and that of both egocentric and allocentric navigation. Optic flow processing shared activation with egocentric (but not allocentric) navigation in the anterior precuneus, suggesting its role in providing information about self-motion, as derived from the analysis of optic flow, in service of egocentric navigation. We further documented that optic flow perception and navigation are partially segregated into two functional and anatomical networks, i.e., the dorsal and the ventromedial networks. Present results point to a dynamic interplay between the dorsal and ventral visual pathways aimed at coordinating visually guided navigation in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a functional neuro-otologic disorder that is the most frequent cause of chronic vestibular syndrome. The core vestibular symptoms include dizziness, unsteadiness, and non-spinning vertigo, which are exacerbated by an upright posture or walking, active or passive motion, and exposure to moving or complex visual stimuli. PPPD is mostly precipitated by acute or episodic vestibular diseases; however, its symptoms cannot be accounted for by its precipitants. PPPD is not a diagnosis of exclusion, but may coexist with other structural diseases. Thus, when diagnosing PPPD, the patient's symptoms must be explained by PPPD alone or by PPPD in combination with a structural illness. PPPD is most frequently observed at approximately 50 years of age, with a female predominance. Conventional vestibular tests do not reveal any specific signs of PPPD. However, the head roll-tilt subjective visual vertical test and gaze stability test after exposure to moving visual stimuli may detect the characteristic features of PPPD, that is, somatosensory- and visually-dependent spatial orientation, respectively. Therefore, these tests could be used as diagnostic tools for PPPD. Regarding the pathophysiology of PPPD, neuroimaging studies suggest shifts in interactions among visuo-vestibular, sensorimotor, and emotional networks, where visual inputs dominate over vestibular inputs. Postural control also shifts, leading to the stiffening of the lower body. To treat PPPD, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors/serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, vestibular rehabilitation, and cognitive behavioral therapy are used alone or in combination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although officer body-worn cameras (BWCs) have improved transparency of police interactions within the community, BWCs have a limited field of view, are subject to bias, and do not account for the factors that influence rapid decision-making by officers, including their visual attentional control and perceptual processes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the camera perspective of six critical incidents and position data from BWC compared to eye tracking and head movement data in a use-of-force scenario from 44 active-duty police officers. The analysis of gyroscope and accelerometer data demonstrated low correlations between eye cameras and BWC position data. Officers attended 80.5% of all critical incidents, whereas BWC view captured only 66.2%, especially missing key events (<48%). BWC footage did not account for the visual information and the behaviors of the suspect, potential threats, and bystanders who influence the officers' decision-making during the use of force encounters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the performance characteristics, construct validity, and reliability of two computerized, self-administered verbal and visual recognition memory tests based on the Remember-Know paradigm. Around 250 healthy control participants and 440 patients referred for neuropsychological assessment used an iPad to complete the Words and Faces recognition memory tests before or after concurrent neuropsychological testing. Performance accuracy was high but without ceiling effects. Education, but not age, was related to overall performance for both samples while the influence of gender and race differed across samples. In the clinical sample, overall performance was worse in those patients demonstrating memory impairment on clinical assessment. Words and Faces subtests demonstrated the strongest correlations with neuropsychological measures of verbal and nonverbal memory, respectively. Both showed moderate correlations with processing speed while Faces was also correlated with visuospatial skills. The memory tests showed good test–retest reliability over two testing sessions. These findings demonstrate acceptable psychometric properties in clinical and community samples and suggest that this computerized format is feasible for memory assessment in clinical contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a pressing need for ecologically valid versions of traditional neuropsychological tests indexing executive function (EF), such as the Trail-Making Task (TMT), that incorporate movement and bodily awareness in healthy participants with varying abilities. We designed a proprioceptive version of the TMT (pTMT) that involved coordinated gross motor movement and proprioceptive awareness to investigate whether this measure of visual attention, task switching, and working memory positively correlated with a computerized version of the TMT (the dTMT). We aimed to establish the initial validity of our proprioceptive TMT (pTMT) by comparing performances on the dTMT and pTMT among a cohort of 36 healthy participants (18 dancers, 18 non-dancers; M age = 22, SD = 5.27; 64% female) anticipating that dancers would express higher intrinsic bodily awareness than non-dancers. Results revealed a mild to moderate but statistically significant positive correlation between dTMT and pTMT completion times [part A: r (36) =.33, p =.04; part B: r (36) =.37, p =.03] and numbers of errors [part B: r (36) =.41, p =.01] across both participant groups. These data suggest partial measurement convergence between these two TMT versions. Relative to non-dancers, dancers exhibited a higher level of performance (likely due to their better proprioceptive ability) through their faster completion times on dTMT-B [ t (34) = 3.81, p =.006, d = 1.27] and pTMT-B [ t (34) = 2.97, p =.005, d =.99], and their fewer errors on dTMT-B [ t (34) = 2.93, p =.006, d = 1.0]. By identifying cognitive differences between these different groups of healthy individuals, our data contribute to both a theoretical understanding and the initial development of gross motor movement-based cognitive assessments, providing a path toward the further refinement of an ecologically valid full-body TMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple object tracking (MOT) and multiple identity tracking (MIT) each measure the ability to track moving objects visually. While prior investigators have mainly compared athletes and non-athletes on MOT, MIT more closely resembles dynamic real-life environments. Here we compared the performance and gaze behavior of handball players with non-athletes on both MOT and MIT. Since previous researchers have shown that MOT and MIT engage different eye movement strategies, we had participants track 3–5 targets among 10 moving objects. In MOT, the objects were identical, while in MIT they differed in shape and color. Although we observed no group differences for tracking accuracy, the eye movements of athletes were more target-oriented than those of non-athletes. We concluded that tasks and stimuli intended by researchers to demonstrate that athletes' show better object tracking than non-athletes should be specific to the athletes' type of sport and should use more perception-action coupled measures. An implication of this conclusion is that the differences in object tracking skills between athletes and non-athletes is highly specific to the skills demanded by the athletes' sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have found that emotional states affect the extent of attention, and the effect has been explained by adaptive views. If the adaptive explanations are true, emotion should modulate attentional focus toward a peripheral stimulus. The present study investigated if emotion affects the focus of attention toward a peripheral target in a visual search paradigm with event-related brain potential (ERP) measurement. In each trial of the experiment, participants performed a visual search task after an emotion (unpleasant, neutral, or pleasant) was induced by presenting an international affective picture system (IAPS) image. We measured N2pc, which is an ERP index reflecting attentional focus toward a peripheral target in a visual search, and compared the amplitudes among the emotion conditions. According to the adaptive view of emotional effects on cognition, this study hypothesized that unpleasant emotion would enhance the focus of attention, and pleasant emotion would inhibit it. These hypotheses predicted that N2pc amplitude would increase with unpleasant emotion and decrease with pleasant emotion. However, this study obtained inconsistent results; N2pc amplitude decreased in the unpleasant condition, and there was no significant effect of pleasant emotion on the ERP. The results suggest that unpleasant emotion inhibited the attentional focusing process. This is the first report to examine how emotion modulates the focus of attention toward a peripheral target in a visual search by using ERP. The findings contribute to understanding the relationship between emotion and cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]