The use of brain electrophysiology techniques to study language: A basic guide for the beginning consumer of electrophysiology information

ABSTRACT This article provides a basic background for the professional who is interested in utilizing event-related potential (ERP) approaches to study language processes but has little background or knowledge of the technique. First, a brief history of the emergence of this technology is presented, followed by definitions, a theoretical overview, and a practical guide to conducting ERP studies. The bases for choice of electrode positions, equipment characteristics (e.g., filter settings), and analyses are also discussed. Finally, examples of language studies that utilize this information in a research study are provided. 3 The use of brain electrophysiology techniques to study language: A basic guide for the beginning consumer of electrophysiology information. Dennis L. Molfese, Victoria J. Molfese, and Spencer Kelly University of Louisville There has been a long-standing interest by researchers and theorists in brain-behavior relations. This interest has led to the development and adaptation of instruments and methodologies that measure the brain's responses for use in studying developmental issues. Techniques such as electroencephalography (EEG), event-related potentials (ERP), and brainstem evoked response (BSER) all share a common approach to cortical electrophysiology -scalp electrodes are used to detect electrical activity generated by the brain. These techniques can provide insights into brain-behavior developmental issues that complement and supplement information obtained through more traditional behavioral measures. This article reviews the history of cortical electrophysiological approaches to investigate brainbehavior relations. An overview of the procedure is provided along with rationales for various components of it. We briefly will also comment on how these approaches compare to other techniques, such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). A final section will describe the current use of ERP techniques in longitudinal research to investigate the relation between brain functioning in infancy and subsequent cognitive and language development in school aged children, with a focus on reading and reading disability

Impairments in Attention in Occasionally Snoring Children: An Event-Related Potential Study

Objective—To determine whether minimal snoring is benign in children. Procedure—22 rarely snoring children (mean age=6.9 years, 11 females) and age- and sexmatched controls participated in an auditory oddball task wearing 128-electrode nets. Parents completed Conner’s Parent Rating Scales-Revised Long (CPRS-R:L). Results—Snorers scored significantly higher on 4 CPRS-R:L subscales. Stepwise regression indicated that two ERP variables from a region of the ERP that peaked at 844 ms post-stimulus onset predicted CPRS-R:L ADHD Index scores. Conclusions—Occasional snorers according to parental report do exhibit ADHD-like behaviors. Basic sensory processing is longer than in controls, suggesting that delayed frontal activation requires more effort in snorers

VST: the telescope progress toward stars

The VST telescope is in an advanced stage of integration in Chile, after a period of work spent mainly on the active optics system, started in mid-2007. We present the results of the recent work on the primary and secondary mirror support systems and on the mirror cell auxiliary units

The proper name as starting point for basic reading skills

Does alphabetic-phonetic writing start with the proper name and how does the name affect reading and writing skills? Sixty 4- to 5½-year-old children from middle SES families with Dutch as their first language wrote their proper name and named letters. For each child we created unique sets of words with and without the child’s first letter of the name to test spelling skills and phonemic sensitivity. Name writing correlated with children’s knowledge of the first letter of the name and phonemic sensitivity for the sound of the first letter of the name. Hierarchical regression analysis makes plausible that both knowledge of the first letter’s name and phonemic sensitivity for this letter explain why name writing results in phonetic spelling with the name letter. Practical implications of the findings are discussed

How do cardiologists select patients for dual antiplatelet therapy continuation beyond 1 year after a myocardial infarction? Insights from the EYESHOT Post-MI Study

Background: Current guidelines suggest to consider dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) continuation for longer than 12 months in selected patients with myocardial infarction (MI). Hypothesis: We sought to assess the criteria used by cardiologists in daily practice to select patients with a history of MI eligible for DAPT continuation beyond 1 year. Methods: We analyzed data from the EYESHOT Post-MI, a prospective, observational, nationwide study aimed to evaluate the management of patients presenting to cardiologists 1 to 3 years from the last MI event. Results: Out of the 1633 post-MI patients enrolled in the study between March and December 2017, 557 (34.1%) were on DAPT at the time of enrolment, and 450 (27.6%) were prescribed DAPT after cardiologist assessment. At multivariate analyses, a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with multiple stents and the presence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) resulted as independent predictors of DAPT continuation, while atrial fibrillation was the only independent predictor of DAPT interruption for patients both at the second and the third year from MI at enrolment and the time of discharge/end of the visit. Conclusions: Risk scores recommended by current guidelines for guiding decisions on DAPT duration are underused and misused in clinical practice. A PCI with multiple stents and a history of PAD resulted as the clinical variables more frequently associated with DAPT continuation beyond 1 year from the index MI

Neuroscience and education: prime time to build the bridge

As neuroscience gains social traction and entices media attention, the notion that education has much to benefit from brain research becomes increasingly popular. However, it has been argued that the fundamental bridge toward education is cognitive psychology, not neuroscience. We discuss four specific cases in which neuroscience synergizes with other disciplines to serve education, ranging from very general physiological aspects of human learning such as nutrition, exercise and sleep, to brain architectures that shape the way we acquire language and reading, and neuroscience tools that increasingly allow the early detection of cognitive deficits, especially in preverbal infants. Neuroscience methods, tools and theoretical frameworks have broadened our understanding of the mind in a way that is highly relevant to educational practice. Although the bridge’s cement is still fresh, we argue why it is prime time to march over it