Neuromagnetische Korrelate der Plastizität im auditorischen Kortex aufgrund von Diskriminationslernen

In dieser Dissertation wird der Frage nachgegangen, ob intensives Diskriminationslernen plastische Veränderungen im auditorischen Kortex bewirkt. Im 1. Experiment wurde daher die Wirkung eines dreiwöchigen Frequenzdiskrimi-nationstrainings untersucht. Zwei magnetoenzephalographische (MEG) Messungen definierten die ?normalen? MMN-Amplituden, eine Messung während, am Ende des Trainings und 3 Wochen danach wurden damit korreliert. Im Laufe des Trainings verbesserte sich die gerade noch unterscheidbare Frequenzdifferenz deutlich und erhöhten sich die Amplituden der N1m und des MMF bis zum Ende des Trainings und fielen 3 Wochen danach leicht ab. Im 2. Experiment wurden die neuronalen ?Spuren? des Lernens von nicht-nativem Mora-timing untersucht. Deutsche Probanden lernten in 10 Trainingseinheiten von 1 1/2 Stunden japanische Wortpaare zu diskriminieren, die sich in mehreren Stufen durch die Länge eines Mora unterschieden. Ein deutlicher Anstieg der Diskriminationsleistung korrelierte signifikant mit der MMF-Amplitude und mit der Abnahme der Reaktionszeiten im Training und der Latenzen der MMF. Im 3. Experiment wurden japanische Probanden als Muttersprachler mit dem gleichen Paradigma auf Kurzzeitplastizität untersucht. Im Vergleich zu den deutschen Probanden zeigte sich eine erhöhte Sensitivität des MMF für kleinere Unterschiede auf dem ?anni?- und ?kiyo?-Kontinuum vor dem Training. Es konnte erstmalig gezeigt werden, dass intensives Diskriminationslernen zu plastischen Veränderungen im menschlichen Gehirn führen, wie sie in neuromagnetischen Antworten gezeigt wurden. Muttersprachler weisen dafür eine erhöhte Sensitivität, jedoch keine Kurzzeitplastizität auf

Problems of civil production by high-tech enterprises

The article clearly demonstrates the need for product diversification in high-tech enterprises. The main problems associated with the development of diversification in the enterprise are stated. Shows the relationship between the release of diversified products, revenue and profit

Therapeutic success in relapse prevention in alcohol use disorder : the role of treatment motivation and drinking-related treatment goals

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Addictive Diseases on 5. Nov 2020, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10550887.2020.1820810Background Changing addictive behavior is a complex process with high demands on motivation. The Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change provides a theoretical framework for explaining and predicting behavioral change, although its predictive value for addiction is somewhat inconsistent. Objective The aim of the present study is to extend the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change by investigating not only treatment motivation but also the predictive value of the type of drinking-related treatment goal. Additional predictors, such as substance-related and sociodemographic variables, are also included in analyses seeking to predict return to drinking during relapse prevention treatment for alcohol use disorder. Methods In this observational study, 99 inpatients from a treatment center for alcohol use disorder were recruited. Treatment motivation was assessed in accordance with the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, drinking-related treatment goal through a self-report questionnaire, and substance-related and sociodemographic variables via the clinic information system. Associations between the potential predictors and covariates were explored using stepwise logistic regression. Results During treatment, 42.6% of participants had at least one relapse. Scoring higher on the action dimension at admission (OR = 0.81, p = .04) and being employed (OR = 0.37, p = .02) were significant predictors of abstinence during treatment. Conclusions This study confirms that treatment motivation contributes to the prediction of treatment outcome, even when controlling for other variables. In future research, the underlying mechanisms of treatment motivation should be further explored

Reduced mismatch negativity in posttraumatic stress disorder: a compensatory mechanism for chronic hyperarousal?

Mismatch Negativity (MMN) is yet poorly understood in the context of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD, e.g. [Morgan 3rd, C.A., Grillon, C., 1999. Abnormal mismatch negativity in women with sexual assault-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol. Psychiatry 45, 827-832.]). PTSD symptoms like hyperarousal, emotional pressure and avoidance may interfere with pre-attentive sensory processing. We tested this in an optimized MMN design [Näätänen, R., Pakarinen, S., Rinne, T., Takegata, R. (2004) The mismatch negativity (MMN): towards the optimal paradigm. Clin. Neurophysiol. 115: 140-144.] with PTSD victims and a control group without PTSD. A group of PTSD subjects was compared with gender and age-matched, healthy comparison subjects without PTSD. A "memory trace" was elicited by frequently presented "standard" auditory stimuli (50% occurrence) of 1 kHz, 75 ms duration, intermittently with 8 rare "deviants", which differed in frequency (higher/lower), intensity (louder/softer), duration (shorter), direction (left/right) or by the presence of a gap in the sound. During presentation of tones a silent film was shown. Psychometric data were collected by SCID, BSI, Attentiveness Inventory, Edinburgh Handedness Questionnaire, and the PTSD Screening Scale by Breslau et al. [Breslau, N., Peterson, E.L., Kessler, R.C., Schultz, L.R. (1999) Short screening scale for DSM-IV posttraumatic stress disorder. Am. J. Psychiatry 156: 908-911.]. Group comparisons of the MMN were performed for left/right-frontal/temporal, and for midline electrode sites. A good differentiation of both groups was found in psychometric and electrophysiological data. The PTSD group revealed on most BSI scales enhanced values of psychic aberration. The amplitude of the MMN was significantly reduced in the PTSD compared to non-PTSD subjects. MMN was significantly correlated with the total PTSD score. The data suggest a reduction in pre-attentive auditory sensory memory in PTSD due to specific symptom variables such as hyperarousal, sleeplessness, impaired concentration and a general enhanced excitation of the nervous system. This protective inhibition is thought to be a fine-tuning process in PTSD in order to prevent arousal overload