Age-Related Influence of Contingencies on a Saccade Task

Background: Adolescence is characterized by increased risk-taking and sensation seeking, presumably brought about by developmental changes within reward-mediating brain circuits. A better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying reward-seeking during adolescence can have critical implications for the development of strategies to enhance adolescent performance in potentially dangerous situations. Yet little research has investigated the influence of age on the modulation of behavior by incentives with neuroscience-based methods Methods: A monetary reward antisaccade task (the RST) was used with 23 healthy adolescents and 30 healthy adults. Performance accuracy, latency and peak velocity of saccade responses (prosaccades and antisaccades) were analyzed. Results: Performance accuracy across all groups was improved by incentives (obtain reward, avoid punishment) for both, prosaccades and antisaccades. However, modulation of antisaccade errors (direction errors) by incentives differed between groups: adolescents modulated saccade latency and peak velocity depending on contingencies, with incentives aligning their performance to that of adults; adults did not show a modulation by incentives. Conclusions: These findings suggest that incentives modulate a global measure of performance (percent direction errors) in adults and adolescents, and exert a more powerful influence on the control of incorrect motor responses in adolescents than in adults. These findings suggest that this task can be used in neuroimaging studies as a probe of the influence of incentives on cognitive control from a developmental perspective as well as in health and disease

Antique cultural heritage of Celje in the museal context

Celje se ponaša z bogato zgodovino. Po priključitvi rimski državi je prejelo ime Municipium Claudium Celeia in doživelo svoje prvo obdobje razcveta. Vendar pa je, kot mnoga druga mesta, tudi Celeja bila v času preseljevanja ljudstev porušena. Obilica celejanskih materialnih ostankov je srednjeveškim meščanom neredko služila kot gradbeni ali dekorativni material. V stoletjih po renesansi, zaznamovanih z okrepljenim zanimanjem za antiko in razmahom zbirateljstva, pa so bile mnoge antične dragocenosti iz Celja prenešene v privatne zbirke, kasneje tudi v javne muzeje, na Dunaju in v Gradcu. V luči prebujene zavesti o pomenu ohranjanja kulturne dediščine znotraj lokalnega okolja je leta 1882 hrambo materialne dediščine prevzel novo ustanovljeni Mestni muzej Celje. Muzej je po 2. svetovni vojni postal profesionalna institucija, v šestdesetih letih prejšnjega stoletja pa je prerasel v Pokrajinski muzej regionalnega pomena in v taki obliki deluje še danes. Zadnja desetletja so Celje zaznamovale izjemne arheološke najdbe, ki so danes predstavljene in situ in v sodobnih razstavnih prostorih. Inovativnost njihovih ustvarjalcev ni bila spregledana, saj so za svoje delo prejeli tako domača, kot tudi mednarodna priznanja.Celje is known fot its rich history. After the annexation to the Roman Empire, it recieved the name Municipium Claudium Celeia and experienced its first periode of flourishing. Like many other towns, Celje was later ruined during the Migration Period. Numerous material remainders of Ancient Celeia more often than not served as building or decorative material to the town\u27s medieval inhabitants. During the centuries that succeeded the Renaissance, marqued by the reinforced interest for the Antique and by the expansion of collecting, a lot of antique valuables from Celje were transfered to private collections, and later also to public museums in Vienna and Graz. In the light of a newfound awareness of the importance of preserving the cultural heritage within its local environement, the storage of material heritage was trusted to the newly opened Town Museum of Celje in 1882. The museum became a professional institution after the Second World War, and in the sixties it grew into the Regional Museum of Celje. The last decades in Celje were marqued by some impressive archeological findings, which are today presented in situ and in contemporary exhibition spaces. Inovativeness of their creators was not overlooked, for they have recieved national as well as international awards for their work

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Light Therapy for Antepartum Depression

Objective: Affective disorder during pregnancy is a common condition requiring careful judgment to treat the depression while minimizing risk to the fetus. Following up on promising pilot trials, we studied the efficacy of light therapy. Method: Twenty-seven pregnant women with nonseasonal major depressive disorder according to DSM-IV (outpatients, university polyclinic) were randomly assigned to 7,000 lux fluorescent bright white or 70 lux dim red (placebo) light administered at home in the morning upon awakening for 1 h/d in a 5-week double-blind trial carried out between October 2004 and October 2008. Clinical state was monitored weekly with the 29-item Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) with Atypical Depression Supplement (SIGH-ADS). Changes of rating scale scores over time were analyzed with the general linear model. Differences from baseline of SIGH-ADS and 17-item HDRS scores at every time point were the dependent variables, time was the within-subjects factor, and treatment was the between-subjects factor. The model also included baseline score of depression and gestational age at intervention start. Results: The superiority of bright light over dim light placebo was shown for both SIGH-ADS (R-2 = 0.251; F-3,F-23 = 3.91; P = 50% improvement) at week 5 was significantly greater for bright light (81.3%, n = 16) than for placebo light (45.5%, n = 11) (P < .05). Remission (final score 8) was attained by 68.6% versus 36.4%, respectively (P < .05). Expectation ratings did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusions: Bright white light treatment for 5 weeks improved depression during pregnancy significantly more than placebo dim red light. The study provides evidence that light therapy, a simple, cost-effective antidepressant modality with minimal side effects for the mother and no known risk for the unborn child, may be a useful non-pharmacologic approach in this difficult situation