Differential effects of the novel neurosteroid hypnotic (3β,5β,17β)-3-hydroxyandrostane-17-carbonitrile on electroencephalogram activity in male and female rats

BACKGROUND: We recently showed that a neurosteroid analogue, (3β,5β,17β)-3-hydroxyandrostane-17-carbonitrile (3β-OH), induced hypnosis in rats. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hypnotic and anaesthetic potential of 3β-OH further using electroencephalography. METHODS: We used behavioural assessment and cortical electroencephalogram (EEG) spectral power analysis to examine hypnotic and anaesthetic effects of 3β-OH (30 and 60 mg kg RESULTS: We found dose-dependent sex differences in 3β-OH-induced hypnosis and EEG changes. Both male and female rats responded similarly to i.p. 3β-OH 30 mg kg CONCLUSIONS: Based on its behavioural effects and EEG signature, 3β-OH is a potent hypnotic in rats, with female rats being more sensitive than male rats

Human-in-the-Loop Configurations in Process and Energy Industries: A Systematic Review

The human-in-the-loop performance evaluation is an area of growing interest in industries where safety-critical systems are in place. Concerns here are due to the increasing complexity of automation, new technologies for control, and safety. Because, unlike a more traditional approach to evaluating the human and the system they work with, human-in-the-loop gives a holistic view of their interaction (human, automation or artificial intelligence) and dynamics. It also emphasizes adapting the technology or automation to the human, being central, considering certain factors like risk. Therefore, there is a need to identify the relevant factors, novel measures and methods or improvements on existing methods that can be adapted for this field of research. This paper intends to present an overview of human-in-the-loop in the process and energy industries by presenting a literature summary highlighting current factors and measures, methods, gaps, solutions and future work. Experimental (13) and observational (11) studies have been reviewed for results. It was observed that new factors, measures and techniques are currently being explored to fill some of the current gaps for the human-in-the-loop, for example, during performance assessment new methods and modalities have been adopted such as eye tracking and electroencephalography methods. The results and open questions from the papers reviewed and possible future research opportunities are presented and discussed in this paper

The Impact of a Poverty Reduction Intervention on Infant Brain Activity

Early childhood poverty is a risk factor for lower school achievement, reduced earnings, and poorer health, and has been associated with differences in brain structure and function. Whether poverty causes differences in neurodevelopment, or is merely associated with factors that cause such differences, remains unclear. Here, we report estimates of the causal impact of a poverty reduction intervention on brain activity in the first year of life. We draw data from a subsample of the Baby's First Years study, which recruited 1,000 diverse low-income mother–infant dyads. Shortly after giving birth, mothers were randomized to receive either a large or nominal monthly unconditional cash gift. Infant brain activity was assessed at approximately 1 y of age in the child's home, using resting electroencephalography (EEG; n = 435). We hypothesized that infants in the high-cash gift group would have greater EEG power in the mid- to high-frequency bands and reduced power in a low-frequency band compared with infants in the low-cash gift group. Indeed, infants in the high-cash gift group showed more power in high-frequency bands. Effect sizes were similar in magnitude to many scalable education interventions, although the significance of estimates varied with the analytic specification. In sum, using a rigorous randomized design, we provide evidence that giving monthly unconditional cash transfers to mothers experiencing poverty in the first year of their children's lives may change infant brain activity. Such changes reflect neuroplasticity and environmental adaptation and display a pattern that has been associated with the development of subsequent cognitive skills

Development of speech prostheses: current status and recent advances

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Expert Review of Medical Devices on September, 2010, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1586/erd.10.34.Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) have been developed over the past decade to restore communication to persons with severe paralysis. In the most severe cases of paralysis, known as locked-in syndrome, patients retain cognition and sensation, but are capable of only slight voluntary eye movements. For these patients, no standard communication method is available, although some can use BCIs to communicate by selecting letters or words on a computer. Recent research has sought to improve on existing techniques by using BCIs to create a direct prediction of speech utterances rather than to simply control a spelling device. Such methods are the first steps towards speech prostheses as they are intended to entirely replace the vocal apparatus of paralyzed users. This article outlines many well known methods for restoration of communication by BCI and illustrates the difference between spelling devices and direct speech prediction or speech prosthesis

Hormonal basis of sex differences in anesthetic sensitivity

General anesthesia-a pharmacologically induced reversible state of unconsciousness-enables millions of life-saving procedures. Anesthetics induce unconsciousness in part by impinging upon sexually dimorphic and hormonally sensitive hypothalamic circuits regulating sleep and wakefulness. Thus, we hypothesized that anesthetic sensitivity should be sex-dependent and modulated by sex hormones. Using distinct behavioral measures, we show that at identical brain anesthetic concentrations, female mice are more resistant to volatile anesthetics than males. Anesthetic sensitivity is bidirectionally modulated by testosterone. Castration increases anesthetic resistance. Conversely, testosterone administration acutely increases anesthetic sensitivity. Conversion of testosterone to estradiol by aromatase is partially responsible for this effect. In contrast, oophorectomy has no effect. To identify the neuronal circuits underlying sex differences, we performed whole brain c-Fos activity mapping under anesthesia in male and female mice. Consistent with a key role of the hypothalamus, we found fewer active neurons in the ventral hypothalamic sleep-promoting regions in females than in males. In humans, we demonstrate that females regain consciousness and recover cognition faster than males after identical anesthetic exposures. Remarkably, while behavioral and neurocognitive measures in mice and humans point to increased anesthetic resistance in females, cortical activity fails to show sex differences under anesthesia in either species. Cumulatively, we demonstrate that sex differences in anesthetic sensitivity are evolutionarily conserved and not reflected in conventional electroencephalographic-based measures of anesthetic depth. This covert resistance to anesthesia may explain the higher incidence of unintended awareness under general anesthesia in females

Petukäitumine: transkraniaalse magnetstimulatsiooni efektid ja elektroentsefalograafia signatuurid

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone.Valetamine on paraku meie igapäevase elu osaks. Üldistades võib öelda, et kõik inimesed valetavad, kas siis mõtlematult või teadlikult. Viimane nendest – tahtlik vale – võib teatud juhtudel muutuda aga probleemiks, nimelt juriidiliseks probleemiks. See, kui tõesed on inimeste ütlused, mõjutab otseselt õigusemõistmise protsesse. Palju räägitakse tunnistajate ütluste tõepärasusest, mis väljendub selles, mida ja kuidas isik varemkogetust mäletab. Sellised ütlused ei pruugi olla tõelevastavad. Enamasti on siinjuures tegemist tahtmatult eksliku väite esitamisega. Samas pole harvad ka juhud, kus eksitav väide esitatakse teadlikult. Pole raske ette kujutada, millal ja milleks on vaja inimestel tahtlikult valetada. Selleks, et varjata oma süüd, midagi sellist, mille üles tunnistamine on sotsiaalselt vastuvõetamatu ja toob kaasa soovimatud tagajärjed: halvakspanust kuni vanglakaristuseni välja. Arusaadavalt iseloomustab erinevaid inimesi erinev nö valetamislävi, individuaalne valmidus ja võime valetada. Valetamiskalduvus varieerub ka ühel ja samal inimesel sõltuvalt olukorrast ja seisundist. Seda, mil määral inimesed valetavad (või siis jätavad tõe rääkimata), ja kas selle määraga saab ka manipuleerida ning kuidas ebasiirus väljendub psühhofüsioloogilistes ilmingutes, antud töös uuritigi. On teada, et psüühiline seisund ning isiku individuaalsed omadused (sh emotsionaalsus) võivad mõjutada seda, kas ja kuivõrd edukas on keegi valetamises. Mainitud varieeruvus on ka polügraaftestimise ebapiisava usaldusväärsuse põhjuseks. Selleks, et paremini mõista, millised aju osad ja millisel moel on kaasa haaratud petukäitumisse, on oluline mõjutada närvisüsteemi tegevust ja vaadata, kas selle tagajärjel ka vastav käitumine muutub. Seda väitekirjas uuritigi. Töö käigus ilmnes, et inimeste petukäitumist (sj olukorras, kus otseselt puudub vajadus ja/või instruktsioon valetada) saab mõjutada aju funktsionaalse seisundi manipuleerimisega transkraniaalse magnetstimulatsiooni abil. Teadaolevalt on aju suurte poolkerade otsmikusagara eesmine-selgmine-külgmine piirkond kaasa haaratud petukäitumisse. Kui seda piirkonda mõjutada pidurdavat toimet avaldavate nn väsitavate magnetimpulssidega, siis parema poolkera mõjutamise järel on keerulisem tõest väidet tagasi hoida (isikud valetavad vähem). Kui aga pidurdada vasaku poolkera vastavat piirkonda, siis õnnestub tõese väite tagasihoidmine paremini (isikud valetavad rohkem). Kui aga kasutada väsitamise režiimi asemel ergastamise režiimi (ajutegevuse aktiviseerimist), siis parema poolkera mõjutamisel õnnestus (vastupidiselt väsitamisele) valetamine katseisikutel paremini. Tingimustes, kus spontaanne tõe rääkimine on asendatud teadliku motiveeritud valetamisega, väsitamise režiim nii selget ja otsest mõju petukäitumisele ei avalda. Küll aga teeb seda ergastamine: vasaku poolkera ergastamisel valetamise määr väheneb ja parema poolkera puhul pisut suureneb. Käesoleva töö EEG-põhine osa kinnitas teadaolevat tõsiasja, et ajus valetamise ajal toimuvate bioelektriliste protsesside valetamisega seostuvaid signatuure on põhimõtteliselt võimalik tuvastada. Uuring näitas ka, et valetamise tuvastamiste usaldusväärsus sõltub sellest, kuidas kogu protseduur on üles ehitatud: elukaugemates ja vähema kriitilisusega olukordades on tuvastamismeetodi tundlikkus väiksem võrreldes elulähedasemate ja suurema kriitilisuse astmega olukordadega. Lisandus EEG-põhiste meetodite suhtes uudne teadmine, et madala sagedusega magnetimpulssidega ajukoort mõjutades on võimalik valetamisele tundlike signatuuride väljendumist muuta: vastused kriitilisele (valetamise objektiks olevale) stiimulile muutuvad sarnasemaks vastustega neutraalsetele (asjasse mittepuutuvatele) stiimulitele. Kokkuvõtvalt saab öelda, et petukäitumises mängib olulist rolli inimeste eesmine otsmine ajukoor, mida kinnitab asjaolu, et selle ja sellega seotud muude keskuste funktsionaalsust mõjutades ilmnevad ka vastavad muutused inimeste käitumises ja selle psühhofüsioloogilistes signatuurides.Lying is an inevitable part of our daily lives. All people produce non-veridical statements, of which some are intentional lies. The latter may, in certain instances, become a problem, namely a legal problem. Truthfulness of testimony directly affects the course and outcomes of the process of justice. Much has been discussed about the veracity of eyewitness testimony, with complaints and suspicion about statement validity and reliability which are the matter of how well and how one remembers facts. Legal statements by witness or suspect often are inconsistent with true facts. In most cases, these are candid, however erroneous beliefs void of intended lying; yet sometimes these are deliberate deceptive communications. It is not hard to imagine when and why one feels necessary to produce a deliberate lie or avoid confession. It happens in order to conceal one’s guilt and avoid disclosing something, adherence to which is socially unacceptable and brings unwanted consequences, varying from bad bets (frowning) up to imprisonment. The propensity and readiness to lie varies between individual subjects and between situations the same subject happens to be in. This doctoral thesis studies the extent to which people lie about observed objects in a behavioural task. Importantly, it studies whether a respective lying rate and the psychophysiological signatures of lying can be manipulated by non-invasive brain-stimulation methods. It is well known that psychological state (including affective state) can affect whether and to what extent one lies successfully and whether objective physiological signatures are indicative of deception. Individual differences in trait and state variables make it difficult to have reliable lie detection methods. This is also the reason why reliability of polygraph testing remains insufficient. It is important to study deception by causally influencing the activity of the nervous system and see if the behaviour changes as a result of this kind of intervention. It helps to better ascertain what parts of the brain are involved and in what way in the deceptive behaviour. In our studies, we followed this strategy, capitalising on the neuronavigated transcranial magnetic stimulation method. In the process, we discovered that human deceptive behaviour can be influenced by this kind of noninvasive brain stimulation. The cortex of cerebral hemispheres in the frontal lobe areas is known to be involved in deceptive behaviour. Depending on the locus and mode of perturbing cortical stimulation it was possible either to increase or decrease the relative rate of untruthful naming responses. The so-called exhaustion or disruption of the left hemisphere dorsolateral prefrontal cortex helped subjects to better succeed in holding back the truthful response (i.e., to lie more) while exhausting the right hemisphere corresponding area lead to an opposite effect (i.e., less lying). However, if the excitation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was used instead of the exhaustion, people managed to lie more compared to the disrupting manipulation of this hemisphere. If, however we replaced the task of spontaneous truth-telling with more strongly motivated lying, then the exhaustion mode of stimulation did not have so clear and a direct impact on deceptive behaviour. While the excitation of the left hemisphere decreased lying rate, only a slight and nonsignificant increase in lying was observed when the right hemisphere was stimulated. The present work also confirmed the known facts that the level of expression of certain bioelectrical brain-potential components can be used as signatures of lying. We also showed that the brain-potential based lie-detection reliability depends on how the whole process is structured: in the less life-like and less critical situation the sensitivity of the method of detection is lower compared to the situation utilising a larger degree of criticality of the stimuli and circumstances closer to real life situations. A novel finding also consists in the effect of brain stimulation on the psychophysiological deception signatures: the low-frequency magnetic stimulation of the cerebral cortex changed the level of expression of the lie-detection signatures. The brain responses to the critical stimuli (objects of lying) became more similar to the responses to neutral (non-relevant) stimuli. Summarising the main results of this thesis-work it can be concluded that frontal cortex plays an important role in deceptive behaviour and the propensity to lie and the brain-process signatures of lying can in principle be manipulated by non-invasive brain stimulation targeted at the dorsolateral prefrontal areas. It is also apparent that sensitivity of the electrophysiological brain-process signatures of deception to critical stimuli considerably varies between subjects

Comics and studies on brain functions

The important role of Comics, in communication related to popular contexts and with people of all ages is undoubted. The meaning of comics goes beyond the pure representation of an image with a text, and this is one of the reasons why Comics have been used, in some instances, to study brain functions related to emotions, humourappreciation, image comprehension and visual language. In the past 20 years, the availability of instruments that could measure the activity of the brain in vivohas allowed us to develop experimental paradigms aimed at exploring the neural changes related not only to simple behaviours but also to increasingly complex functions such as emotions and consciousness [...