Cortical activation by a salient sound modulates visual temporal order judgments: An electrophysiological study of multisensory attentional processes

Previous event-related potential (ERP) studies show that a salient lateral sound activates the visual cortex more strongly contralateral to the sound, observed as an auditory-evoked contralateral occipital positivity (ACOP). Studies showed that this activation enhances the early cortical processing of co-localized visual stimuli presented after, reflected by better detection rates, better discrimination, and sharper perceived contrast. We replicated the ACOP, using earphones, and tested whether auditory cuing can influence temporal order judgments (TOJ) for two visual stimuli (horizontal arrangement) as well as if the ACOP would predict the amplitude of this influence. A lateral salient sound was followed, after 150 or 630 ms, by the visual presentation of a pair of disks, one in left and one in right hemifield, with variable SOA. The TOJ task was to indicate which disk appeared first or which disk appeared second (controlling for response bias). We observed an ACOP at posterior electrode sites and confirmed our hypothesis that the lateral sound influenced TOJ by accelerating the perception of the disk presented on the cued side, even though the sound was irrelevant to the task. Furthermore, the ACOP amplitude was correlated to this visual perceptual change, indicating that a larger change in brain activity was associated with a faster processing of co-localized visual stimuli.     

Unmarried status is a barrier for access to treatment in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

International Urology and Nephrology - We tested the effect of marital status on cytoreductive nephrectomy, metastasectomy, and systemic therapy rates, as well as on cancer-specific mortality (CSM)...     

Treatment completion,treatment compliance and outcomes of old and very old patients treated by dose adapted stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for T1-T3N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer

AimThis is a retrospective single-institution review of the treatment completion and clinical outcomes of patients aged 75 and older, treated with stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) for T1-T3 N0 M0 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Material. MethodsFrom April 2008 to September 2015, 200 patients, aged 75–93, received respiratory–managed, intensity-modulated-based SABR. Dose fractionation was risk-adapted and delivered in 2–3 weekly treatments. Treatment completion, local control, overall survival and treatment-related toxicities were evaluated.ResultsAll patients completed the prescribed SABR course. However, 29 patients required interruption of at least one fraction of SABR and optimization of pain control before continuation of the fraction. Median follow-up was 20.9 months. The median OS was 31.6 months with 1-,3-year survival rates of 80.7%, and 44.4% respectively. Local control at 1- and 3- years were 97.6%, 83.5% respectively.Treatment was well-tolerated. However, there were two (1%) G5 (fatal) toxicities: one acute sudden dyspnoea of unknown cause and one late SABR-related haemoptysis. No statistically significant differences in outcomes/toxicities were observed between old (75–84 years old) and very old patients (>85 years old).ConclusionsOld and very old patients can successfully complete SABR for NSCLC, with good local control, survival and acceptable toxicity. Old patients might require increased supportive care for successful treatment delivery.