The Distressed Brain: A Group Blind Source Separation Analysis on Tinnitus

Background: Tinnitus, the perception of a sound without an external sound source, can lead to variable amounts of distress. Methodology: In a group of tinnitus patients with variable amounts of tinnitus related distress, as measured by the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ), an electroencephalography (EEG) is performed, evaluating the patients ’ resting state electrical brain activity. This resting state electrical activity is compared with a control group and between patients with low (N = 30) and high distress (N = 25). The groups are homogeneous for tinnitus type, tinnitus duration or tinnitus laterality. A group blind source separation (BSS) analysis is performed using a large normative sample (N = 84), generating seven normative components to which high and low tinnitus patients are compared. A correlation analysis of the obtained normative components ’ relative power and distress is performed. Furthermore, the functional connectivity as reflected by lagged phase synchronization is analyzed between the brain areas defined by the components. Finally, a group BSS analysis on the Tinnitus group as a whole is performed. Conclusions: Tinnitus can be characterized by at least four BSS components, two of which are posterior cingulate based, one based on the subgenual anterior cingulate and one based on the parahippocampus. Only the subgenual component correlates with distress. When performed on a normative sample, group BSS reveals that distress is characterized by two anterior cingulate based components. Spectral analysis of these components demonstrates that distress in tinnitus is relate

Decision making under uncertainty using a qualitative TOPSIS method for selecting sustainable energy alternatives

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13762-016-0982-7Multi-criteria decision-making methods support decision makers in all stages of the decision-making process by providing useful data. However, criteria are not always certain as uncertainty is a feature of the real world. MCDM methods under uncertainty and fuzzy systems are accepted as suitable techniques in conflicting problems that cannot be represented by numerical values, in particular in energy analysis and planning. In this paper, a modified TOPSIS method for multi-criteria group decision-making with qualitative linguistic labels is proposed. This method addresses uncertainty considering different levels of precision. Each decision maker’s judgment on the performance of alternatives with respect to each criterion is expressed by qualitative linguistic labels. The new method takes into account linguistic data provided by the decision makers without any previous aggregation. Decision maker judgments are incorporated into the proposed method to generate a complete ranking of alternatives. An application in energy planning is presented as an illustrative case example in which energy policy alternatives are ranked. Seven energy alternatives under nine criteria were evaluated according to the opinion of three environmental and energy experts. The weights of the criteria are determined by fuzzy AHP, and the alternatives are ranked using qualitative TOPSIS. The proposed approach is compared with a modified fuzzy TOPSIS method, showing the advantages of the proposed approach when dealing with linguistic assessments to model uncertainty and imprecision. Although the new approach requires less cognitive effort to decision makers, it yields similar results.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Effectiveness of quetiapin as monotherapy for the treatment of organic affective disorder in female patient

BackgroundQuetiapin is the only antipsychotic approved in the USA as a monotherapy for the treatment of both acute mania and depression associated with bipolar disorder.ObjectiveThe paper's objective was to research the capabilities of quetiapin in the treatment of a patient with treatment-resistant organic affective disorder.Materials and methodConsidering the existence of recommendations for introducing an atypical antipsychotic as a therapy in the treatment of unipolar depression, we will demonstrate our experience in that indication.The subject is a 69 year old patient whose mental disorders appeared for the first time two years ago. The current hospitalization occurred due to depressive and psychotic symptoms and suicidal tendencies. Since the patient had psychomotor inhibition to the point of stupor, and in order to obtain anamnestic data on cognitive disturbances, due to a diagnostic dilemma (dementia or pseudodementia within the affective disorder) the relevant diagnostics were completed: structured psychiatric interview, laboratory tests, internist examination, a brain scan, MMS test, HAM/D17, and CGI/S. Due to a poor response to the therapy and unwanted side effects of the applied drugs, the therapy was modified several times.Quetiapin was introduced to the therapy up to a dose of 400 mg/d. With the introduction of quetiapin there was a reduction in the psychopathology. Improvement was noted in cognitive and work and social functioning.ConclusionThe introduction of quetiapin as a monotherapy turned out to be effective in the treatment of therapy-resistant organic affective disorder, with good tolerability and no side effects.</jats:sec