The attentional blink modulates activity in the early visual cortex

The attentional blink (AB) documents a particularly strong case of visual attentional competition, in which subjects' ability to identify a second target (T2) is significantly impaired when it is presented with a short SOA after a first target (T1). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the impact of the AB on visual activity in individually defined retinotopic representations of the target stimuli. Our results show reduction of neural response in V3 and marginally in V2 and V1, paralleling the behavioral AB effect. Reduction of visual activity was accompanied by reduced neural response in the inferior parietal cortex. This indicates that attentional competition modulates activity in higher-order parietal regions and the early visual cortex, providing a plausible neural basis of the behavioral AB effect

The effectiveness of Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting for Foster Care (VIPP-FC)

Background: Foster children are at higher risk of the development of behavior and emotional problems, which can contribute to the development of insecure attachment bonds with their foster parents and (subsequently) to placement breakdown. Sensitive parenting might minimize the adverse effects of the behavior and emotional problems. Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline in Foster Care (VIPP-FC) is an adaptation of the evidence-based Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) and aims at increasing sensitive parenting and the use of sensitive discipline strategies of foster parents. The current study is the first to examine the effectiveness of VIPP-FC. Methods: A randomized controlled trial is used with 60 foster parent-child dyads (intervention group n=30, control group n=30). The primary outcomes are parental sensitivity, parental disciplining, and parental attitudes towards parenting. Data about attachment (in)security, behavioral and emotional problems, neurobiological parameters, and possible confounders is additionally collected. Discussion: Examining the effectiveness of VIPP-FC contributes to the knowledge of evidence-based prevention and intervention programs needed in foster care practice

Estimation of conditional laws given an extreme component

Let $(X,Y)$ be a bivariate random vector. The estimation of a probability of the form $P(Y\leq y \mid X >t)$ is challenging when $t$ is large, and a fruitful approach consists in studying, if it exists, the limiting conditional distribution of the random vector $(X,Y)$, suitably normalized, given that $X$ is large. There already exists a wide literature on bivariate models for which this limiting distribution exists. In this paper, a statistical analysis of this problem is done. Estimators of the limiting distribution (which is assumed to exist) and the normalizing functions are provided, as well as an estimator of the conditional quantile function when the conditioning event is extreme. Consistency of the estimators is proved and a functional central limit theorem for the estimator of the limiting distribution is obtained. The small sample behavior of the estimator of the conditional quantile function is illustrated through simulations.Comment: 32 pages, 5 figur

Not the Root of the Problem—Hair Cortisol and Cortisone Do Not Mediate the Effect of Child Maltreatment on Body Mass Index

Background: Experiencing maltreatment during childhood exerts substantial stress on the child and increases the risk for overweight and obesity later in life. The current study tests whether hair cortisol—a measure of chronic stress—and its metabolite cortisone mediate the relation between abuse and neglect on the one hand, and body mass index (BMI) on the other. Method: The sample consisted of 249 participants aged 8 to 87 years (M = 36.13, SD = 19.33). We collected data on child abuse and neglect using questionnaires, measured cortisol and cortisone concentrations in hair, and BMI. In a structural model, the effects of abuse and neglect on hair cortisol, hair cortisone, and BMI were tested, as well as the covariance between hair cortisol and BMI, and hair cortisone and BMI. Results: Within the sample, 23% were overweight but not obese and 14% were obese. Higher levels of experienced abuse were related to higher cortisone concentrations in hair (β = 0.24, p <.001) and higher B

Spatial band-pass filtering aids decoding musical genres from auditory cortex 7T fMRI

Spatial filtering strategies, combined with multivariate decoding analysis of BOLD images, have been used to investigate the nature of the neural signal underlying the discriminability of brain activity patterns evoked by sensory stimulation – primarily in the visual cortex. Previous research indicates that such signals are spatially broadband in nature, and are not primarily comprised of fine-grained activation patterns. However, it is unclear whether this is a general property of the BOLD signal, or whether it is specific to the details of employed analyses and stimuli. Here we applied an analysis strategy from a previous study on decoding visual orientation from V1 to publicly available, high-resolution 7T fMRI on the response BOLD response to musical genres in primary auditory cortex. The results show that the pattern of decoding accuracies with respect to different types and levels of spatial filtering is comparable to that obtained from V1, despite considerable differences in the respective cortical circuitry

Estimating the Heritability of Experiencing Child Maltreatment in an Extended Family Design

Child-driven genetic factors can contribute to negative parenting and may increase the risk of being maltreated. Experiencing childhood maltreatment may be partly heritable, but results of twin studies are mixed. In the current study, we used a cross-sectional extended family design to estimate genetic and environmental effects on experiencing child maltreatment. The sample consisted of 395 individuals (225 women; M age = 38.85 years, rangeage = 7–88 years) from 63 families with two or three participating generations. Participants were oversampled for experienced maltreatment. Self-reported experienced child maltreatment was measured using a questionnaire assessing physical and emotional abuse, and physical and emotional neglect. All maltreatment phenotypes were partly heritable with percentages for h 2 ranging from 30% (SE = 13%) for neglect to 62% (SE = 19%) for severe physical abuse. Common environmental effects (c 2) explained a statistically significant proportion of variance for all phenotypes except for the experience of severe physical abuse (c 2 = 9%, SE = 13%, p = .26). The genetic correlation between abuse and neglect was ρg = .73 (p = .02). Common environmental variance increased as socioeconomic status (SES) decreased (p = .05), but additive genetic and unique environmental variances were constant across different levels of SES

Fully three-dimensional sound speed-corrected multi-wavelength photoacoustic breast tomography

Photoacoustic tomography is a contrast agent-free imaging technique capable of visualizing blood vessels and tumor-associated vascularization in breast tissue. While sophisticated breast imaging systems have been recently developed, there is yet much to be gained in imaging depth, image quality and tissue characterization capability before clinical translation is possible. In response, we have developed a hybrid photoacoustic and ultrasound-transmission tomographic system PAM3. The photoacoustic component has for the first time three-dimensional multi-wavelength imaging capability, and implements substantial technical advancements in critical hardware and software sub-systems. The ultrasound component enables for the first time, a three-dimensional sound speed map of the breast to be incorporated in photoacoustic reconstruction to correct for inhomogeneities, enabling accurate target recovery. The results demonstrate the deepest photoacoustic breast imaging to date namely 48 mm, with a more uniform field of view than hitherto, and an isotropic spatial resolution that rivals that of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The in vivo performance achieved, and the diagnostic value of interrogating angiogenesis-driven optical contrast as well as tumor mass sound speed contrast, gives confidence in the system's clinical potential.Comment: 33 pages Main Body, 9 pages Supplementary Materia

The relationship between basal and acute HPA axis activity and aggressive behavior in adults

The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis seems to play a major role in the development, elicitation, and enhancement of aggressive behavior in animals. Increasing evidence suggests that this is also true for humans. However, most human research on the role of the HPA axis in aggression has been focusing on highly aggressive children and adolescent clinical samples. Here, we report on a study of the role of basal and acute HPA axis activity in a sample of 20 healthy male and female adults. We used the Taylor Aggression Paradigm to induce and measure aggression. We assessed the cortisol awakening response as a trait measure of basal HPA axis activity. Salivary free cortisol measures for the cortisol awakening response were obtained on three consecutive weekdays immediately following awakening and 30, 45, and 60 min after. Half of the subjects were provoked with the Taylor Aggression Paradigm to behave aggressively; the other half was not provoked. Acute HPA axis activity was measured four times, once before and three times after the induction of aggression. Basal cortisol levels were significantly and negatively related to aggressive behavior in the provoked group and explained 67% of the behavioral variance. Cortisol levels following the induction of aggression were significantly higher in the provoked group when baseline levels were taken into account. The data implicate that the HPA axis is not only relevant to the expression of aggressive behavior in clinical groups, but also to a large extent in healthy ones

Predicting growth curves of early childhood externalizing problems: Differential susceptibility of children with difficult temperament

Using an accelerated longitudinal design, the development of externalizing problems from age 2 to 5 years was investigated in relation to maternal psychopathology, maternal parenting, gender, child temperament, and the presence of siblings. The sample consisted of 150 children selected at age 2-3 years for having high levels of externalizing problems. Parenting was measured using observational methods, and maternal reports were used for the other variables. Overall, mean levels of externalizing problems decreased over time, and higher initial levels (intercept) were related to a stronger decrease (negative slope) in externalizing problems. Results showed that higher levels of maternal psychopathology were related to less decrease in early childhood externalizing problems. Parental sensitive behavior predicted a stronger decrease in externalizing problems, but only for children with difficult temperaments. A stronger decrease of externalizing problems in children with older siblings also pertained only to children with difficult temperaments. Thus, temperamentally difficult children appear to be more susceptible to environmental influences on the development of externalizing behaviors. Our results indicate that the role of siblings in early childhood externalizing problems deserves more research attention, and that intervention efforts need to take into account temperamental differences in children's susceptibility to environmental influences. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC