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Spatial attention modulates tactile change detection

People often fail to detect changes between successively presented tactile patterns, a phenomenon known as tactile change blindness. In this study, we investigated whether changes introduced to tactile patterns are detected better when a participant’s attention is focused on the location where the change occurs. Across two experiments, participants (N = 55) were instructed to detect changes between two consecutively presented tactile patterns. In half of the trials, the stimulated body sites in the two patterns were identical. In the other half of the trials, one of the stimulated body locations differed between the two patterns. Endogenous (or voluntary) attention was manipulated by instructing participants which new bodily location was most likely to be stimulated. We found that changes at the attended location were detected more accurately than changes at bodily locations that were unattended. This finding demonstrates that attention can effectively modulate tactile change detection. We discuss the value of this experimental paradigm for investigating excessive attentional focus or hypervigilance to particular regions of the body in various clinical populations.     

A blind human expert echolocator shows size constancy for objects perceived by echoes

Some blind humans make clicking noises with their mouth and use the reflected echoes to perceive objects and surfaces. This technique can operate as a crude substitute for vision, allowing human echolocators to perceive silent, distal objects. Here, we tested if echolocation would, like vision, show size constancy. To investigate this, we asked a blind expert echolocator (EE) to echolocate objects of different physical sizes presented at different distances. The EE consistently identified the true physical size of the objects independent of distance. In contrast, blind and blindfolded sighted controls did not show size constancy, even when encouraged to use mouth clicks, claps, or other signals. These findings suggest that size constancy is not a purely visual phenomenon, but that it can operate via an auditory-based substitute for vision, such as human echolocation.     

Psychopharmacological treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder: comparing data from routine clinical care with recommended guidelines

Abstract

Objectives: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a life-threatening mental disorder. Guideline recommendations for pharmacological treatment of patients with BPD vary widely. The objective of the present study was to investigate pharmacotherapy of BPD patients in a routine clinical care setting.

Methods: Data on the pharmacological treatment of 110 patients (90% female) with BPD (F- 60.3), treated in an inpatient psychiatric-psychosomatic clinic in Austria were assessed.

Results: Results show that clinicians frequently prescribe psychotropic medications to patients with BPD, in many cases multiple medications. The most commonly prescribed substance groups were antipsychotics, mood stabilisers and antidepressants. The most commonly prescribed individual drugs were Quetiapine, Lamotrigine and Setraline. There was no significant difference in the different types or overall number of medications prescribed to BPD patients with vs. without comorbid diagnoses. Pharmacotherapy was not related to comorbidity.

Conclusions: The present study shows that in routine clinical care settings psychotropic medications are frequently prescribed to patients with BPD, very often resulting in polypharmacy. A positive association between the number of medications and the effectiveness of the inpatient treatment program, as well as the absence of a relationship between number of medications and comorbidity contradicts the often suggested iatrogenic effect of polypharmacy.

• Key points

• Guidelines for pharmacotherapy of borderline personality disorders lack consensus

• Yet, clinicians frequently prescribe psychotropic medications to BPD patients

• Types/number of medications prescribed to patients with vs. without comorbidities are similar

• Larger treatment effects are observed for patients with greater numbers of medications

• Further knowledge is needed about how and why clinicians prescribe medications

     

Performance of conventional and antimicrobial-treated filtering facepiece respirators challenged with biological aerosols

This study evaluated the filtration performance of four commercially available models of National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-certified filtering facepiece respirators (FFR) against both biological and inert aerosols at a flow rate of 85 L/min. Conventional N95 and P100 FFRs and two antimicrobial (AM)-treated FFRs (an N95 and a P95, both with iodine-based AM treatments) were tested for both physical penetration (PEN(P)) and viable penetration (PEN(V)) with three different bioaerosols, including MS2 bacteriophage virus, and the spores and vegetative cells of Bacillus atrophaeus bacteria, in addition to inert sodium chloride (NaCl) aerosol. For each FFR model, the PEN(P) measured with NaCl was predictive of its MS2 PEN(P), and it was observed that spores and bacteria aerosols were also filtered similarly to the inert aerosol. For both conventional FFRs, up to a 1-log reduction in PEN(V) in comparison with PEN(P) was observed and attributed to the experimental variability of the test system. For both models of AM-FFRs, no statistically significant differences between PEN(V) and PEN(P) for any of the three different bioaerosol challenges were observed. Thus, no bioaerosol filtration enhancement over the conventional FFRs was detected for either iodine-based AM-FFR. In the absence of any standardized test methods, we recommend that future studies evaluating the filtration performance of AM-treated FFRs incorporate the experimental best practices described herein.     

The genomic landscape of nonsmall cell lung carcinoma in never smokers

Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related death worldwide with cigarette smoking as its major risk factor. Although the incidence of lung cancer in never smokers is rising, this subgroup of patients is underrepresented in genomic studies of lung cancer. Here, we assembled a prospective cohort of 46 never-smoking, nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and performed whole-exome and low-coverage whole-genome sequencing on tumors and matched germline DNA. We observed fewer somatic mutations, genomic breakpoints and a smaller fraction of the genome with chromosomal instability in lung tumors from never smokers compared to smokers. The lower number of mutations, enabled us to identify TSC22D1 as a potential driver gene in NSCLC. On the other hand, the frequency of mutations in actionable genes such as EGFR and ERBB2 and of amplifications in MET were higher, while the mutation rate of TP53, which is a negative prognostic factor, was lower in never smokers compared to smokers. Together, these observations suggest a more favorable prognosis for never smokers with NSCLC. Classification of somatic mutations into six-substitution type patterns or into 96-substitution type signatures revealed distinct clusters between smokers and never smokers. Particularly, we identified in never smokers signatures related to aging, homologous recombination damage and APOBEC/AID activity as the most important underlying processes of NSCLC. This further indicates that second-hand smoking is not driving NSCLC pathogenesis in never smokers.     

A new equation based on the 6-min walking test to predict VO2peak in women with obesity

Objective: The 6-min walking test (6?MWT) is commonly used to assess obese patients’ aerobic fitness, but it has rarely been compared with a direct measurement of maximal aerobic capacities (VO_2max or VO_2peak) in obese adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the distance covered during a 6?MWT with objectively measured VO_2peak and to propose a new equation to predict VO_2peak from this walking test in obese patients.

Methods: One hundred and thirty-seven obese patients (45.6?±?12.5?years) admitted to our hospital for a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program were enrolled. After assessment of their body composition, the participants were asked to perform a 6?MWT and their maximal aerobic capacities (VO_2peak) were measured.

Result: There is a significant linear relation between VO_2peak and the distance covered during the 6?MWT (p?r?=?0.349). The determinant of VO_2peak was body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, fat free mass, leading to the follow prediction equation VO_2peak such as VO_2peak (l/min)?=?(body mass index ×0.0150065)???(waist-to-hip-ratio?×?0.8595088)?+?(fat-free-mass?×?0.0295478)?+?(6-min walk test?×0.0020672)???0.5853372.

Conclusion: The 6-min walk test is a reliable method to reflect obese women’s aerobic capacities and the distance covered can be used to accurately estimate VO_2peak according to our newly proposed equation.

• Implication for rehabilitation

• Obesity is a worldwide disease and physical capacity evaluation is a key point for rehabilitation.

• The six minutes’ walk test is commonly used in obese people to assess aerobic fitness.

• This study proposes a new equation using 6?MWT performance to estimate VO_2peak.

     

The Armeo Spring as training tool to improve upper limb functionality in multiple sclerosis: a pilot study

Background  

Few research in multiple sclerosis (MS) has focused on physical rehabilitation of upper limb dysfunction, though the latter strongly influences independent performance of activities of daily living. Upper limb rehabilitation technology could hold promise for complementing traditional MS therapy. Consequently, this pilot study aimed to examine the feasibility of an 8-week mechanical-assisted training program for improving upper limb muscle strength and functional capacity in MS patients with evident paresis.