The role of spatial perception in auditory looming bias: neurobehavioral evidence from impossible ears.

Introduction: Spatial hearing enables both voluntary localization of sound sources and automatic monitoring of the surroundings. The auditory looming bias (ALB), characterized by the prioritized processing of approaching (looming) sounds over receding ones, is thought to serve as an early hazard detection mechanism. The bias could theoretically reflect an adaptation to the low-level acoustic properties of approaching sounds, or alternatively necessitate the sound to be localizable in space.

Predicting infant vocabulary from neural connectivity and maternal speech: A machine learning approach.

Identifying early predictors of language development is essential for understanding how infants acquire vocabulary during the first years of life. While previous studies have established the importance of infant-directed speech (IDS) and neural speech processing, this longitudinal study introduces a novel approach by combining EEG-based functional connectivity analysis and machine learning to assess the joint contribution of maternal and infant neural factors to language outcomes. Data were collected at birth and nine months, including maternal personality and speech characteristics, alongside infant EEG responses during speech processing.

CoreTIA: a modular, statistically robust transduction inhibition assay for AAV neutralization.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy is often limited by pre-existing neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), yet current assays for NAb detection lack standardization and rarely quantify uncertainty, complicating cross-study comparisons. We present coreTIA (core Transduction Inhibition Assay), a comprehensive framework providing a modular experimental protocol and a statistically robust analysis pipeline. This integrated method delivers precise, reproducible NAb titers with quantified uncertainty for every result.

Hypnotizability and Visual Imagery Inside and Outside Hypnosis: A Replication and Extension.

This study investigates the relationship between hypnotizability inside and outside hypnosis. Hypnotizability reflects one's responsiveness to hypnotic suggestions. Imagery vividness seems to be crucial for hypnosis, but the empirical data are inconsistent.

Autistic traits relate to speed/accuracy trade-off but not statistical learning and updating.

Cognitive and social alterations characterize Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), yet comprehensive explanations are challenged by ASD's heterogeneity. One candidate framework is predictive processing, which posits that predictive processes are altered in ASD (e.g.

Non-Invasive EEG Recordings in Epileptic Dogs ().

In addition to characteristic and easily identifiable behavioural signs-namely epileptic seizures-electroencephalography (EEG) has long been a standard component of epilepsy diagnosis protocols. In veterinary practice, EEG is typically performed in a semi-invasive manner, using subcutaneous electrodes and sedation. Here, we propose that the non-invasive polysomnography protocol, originally developed for basic research, can serve as a more welfare-friendly yet informative alternative for assessing epileptic brain activity in dogs.

The interplay between executive functions and updating predictive representations.

Modifying habits, particularly unwanted behaviors, is often challenging. Cognitive research has focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying habit formation and how habits can be rewired. A key mechanism is statistical learning, the continuous, implicit extraction of probabilistic patterns from the environment, which forms the basis of predictive processing.

Tube-Fed vs Orally-Fed Children with Early Childhood Feeding Disorders.

BACKGROUND Children with feeding disorders may require tube feeding when oral intake is insufficient. This study compared the clinical management and parental experiences of tube-fed children versus orally-fed children with feeding disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 22 children under 3 years old diagnosed with feeding disorders, treated at the Early Childhood Eating and Sleeping Disorders Clinic, between July 2018 and December 2020.

Investigating attentional bias in low-dependence smokers with steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs): Linking wanting, liking, and neural responses.

While traditional electrophysiological measures such as ERPs have been successfully used to study individual differences, their signal-to-noise ratio often limits the precision of single-subject analyses. To address this, the present study had two primary aims: (1) to explore the utility of steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) method for investigating addiction-specific cognitive processes and (2) to examine the relationship between the imbalance of self-reported wanting and liking, and the neural correlates of tobacco smoking-related attentional bias. A total of 39 participants, including smokers (N = 22) and non-smokers (N = 17), were exposed to a passive visual oddball paradigm comprising rapidly flickering stimuli under two conditions: neutral (e.

Multiple Practice Success Scaffolds Long-Term Test-Enhanced Learning in Preschoolers.

Retrieval practice is known to enhance long-term memory retention, a phenomenon termed as retrieval practice effect. Two experiments (NWhite = 202), showed that the effect was present in preschool age (5-6 years) and had a boundary condition, namely, amount of initial learning. Specifically, there was a considerable effect only when children reached a sufficient retrieval success rate during practice as a consequence of multiple initial learning cycles.

Shaping the Visual Mismatch Response: The Influence of Exogenous Components and Stimulus Placement.

This study investigated the relationship between the pattern-specific event-related potential (ERP) components (C1, C2, C3) and the component specific to automatic change detection in the visual modality (visual mismatch response, vMMR) and the influence of stimulus placement on the latter. These insights would help to understand whether the emergence of vMMR is due to the modulation of exogenous activity or a specific deviant-related activity and advance the methodology of investigating vMMR. In two experiments, we presented checkerboard patterns in passive oddball sequences consisting of frequent (standard) and rare (deviant) events to examine vMMR as a function of the stimulated half-fields.

Side bias behaviour in dogs (Canis familiaris) is influenced by task complexity.

Side bias is often reported in canine cognition experiments when dogs' behaviour is tested in two-way choice tasks. Recently it has been proposed that side bias, which remains consistent over time and across different situations, may parallel a human psychiatric condition known as visual neglect. Here we tested an additional factor that could contribute to the development of side bias behaviour in dogs: task complexity.

Evidence for temporal disintegration of information processing during sensorimotor integration in GTS.

In Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS), a neuropsychiatric disorder defined by the presence of tics, bindings of perceptual and motor processes in what cognitive theories refer to as event files is altered. The neural basis of such abnormal coupling though is currently unclear, particularly as regards oscillatory activity in theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands. The inter-relation between oscillatory activities in the theta, but also the alpha and beta band during event file binding and retrieval was investigated in the present study in patients with GTS and healthy controls (HC) using a well-established stimulus-response event file task and concomitant EEG recording.

Development of a human analogue ADHD diagnostic system for family dogs.

Dogs exhibit natural variability in inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity traits, sometimes with extreme manifestations resembling to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms in humans. Using human-standard diagnostic methods, we developed a comprehensive approach for supporting diagnosing ADHD in dogs (N = 1872) based on a validated questionnaire that consists of two parts: a symptom section that provides factor scores for three areas (inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity), and a functionality section that evaluates the extent to which these symptoms cause functional impairments. Based on the functionality section, we classified dogs as functionally impaired if they showed impairment in at least 4 out of the 7 questions of at least one area (n = 116; 6.

Hierarchy-Dependent Behaviour of Dogs in the Strange Situation Test: High-Ranking Dogs Show Less Stress and Behave Less Friendly with a Stranger in the Presence of Their Owner.

Cohabiting family dogs form hierarchies, and there are rank-related differences in certain behaviours even in noncompetitive situations. For companion dogs, the main limited resource could be the owner, but this assumption needs further behavioural testing. We hypothesized that dogs' hierarchical status within multi-dog household is associated with variations in their attachment and dependency behaviours toward their owner.

Do dogs understand?-Contrasting anecdotal reports, neuroimaging, and behavioural evidence on language comprehension.

Dogs are the earliest domesticated species which still live alongside humans in unprecedented numbers. While various aspects of their socio-cognition have been shown to have adapted to the human environment during domestication, evidence on language comprehension is contradicting and inconclusive. In this review article, in an attempt to answer the hypothetical question: "Do dogs understand human language?" I try to summarize all recent behavioural, neurocognitive, as well as anecdotal reports we have on language comprehension in dogs.

The Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Inhibitory Control Training on Working Memory in Post-stroke Rehabilitation.

Aim: The impairment of working memory is a common phenomenon after stroke and critically affects daily functioning. Transcranial direct current stimulation and computer- based cognitive training are widely used in neurorehabilitation to enhance cognitive functions. This study examined the single vs combined effect of anodal stimulation and computer-based inhibitory control training on working memory function among post-stroke patients.

The effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on frontal alpha asymmetry and visuospatial attention in food-reward contexts: a triple-blind randomized sham-controlled study.

Background: Research indicates a connection between right frontal brain activity dominance and the inhibitory system. However, the underlying brain mechanism regarding attentional control remains unclear. In this preregistered experiment, we explored the association between frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) - which is an electrophysiological measure of the difference in alpha power between the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex - and the behavioral and brain activity components of attentional bias and disengagement, as observed in a visuospatial cueing (VSC) task.

Capturing the Electrical Activity of all Cortical Neurons: Are Solutions Within Reach?

Recent advancements in high-density implantable intracortical electrode technology have significantly improved neural interfaces for both research and clinical applications. However, a significant challenge persists: scaling up these devices to achieve recording of nearly all single-unit activity across large brain volumes. This critical review explores recent progress in neural electrode design, focusing on the challenges of achieving scalable solutions for this ambitious goal.

I see sick people: Beliefs about sensory detection of infectious disease are largely consistent across cultures.

Identifying cues to contagious disease is critical for effectively tracking and defending against interpersonal infection threats. People hold lay beliefs about the types of sensory information most relevant for identifying whether others are sick with transmissible illnesses. Are these beliefs universal, or do they vary along cultural and ecological dimensions? Participants in 58 countries (N = 19,217) judged how effective, and how likely they were to use, cues involving each of the five major sensory modalities in an imagined social interaction during a flu outbreak.

An upper temporal limit of action-effect integration as reflected by motor adaptation.

Motor parameters of simple, repetitive actions like tapping, pinching, or pushing a button differ as a function of their action effects - adding a consistent, immediate sound-effect to such actions leads to a decrease in applied force. This action-effect related motor adaptation occurs only, however, when the sound-effect follows actions within about 200 ms, which has been hypothesized to reflect a temporal limit of action-effect integration. Using a university student sample, the present study replicated the effect of action-sound effect delays on force application.

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of a New Fluorescent Ligand for the M Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor.

The M muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (MR) is a G protein-coupled receptor involved in regulating cardiovascular functions and mediation of central muscarinic effects, such as movement, temperature control, and antinociceptive responses. Molecular probes targeting this receptor are therefore important in exploring its pathophysiological role at a molecular level. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a new fluorescent probe for MR based on an anthranilamide ligand.

Individual differences in probabilistic learning and updating predictive representations in individuals with obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

Background: Obsessive-compulsive (OC) tendencies involve intrusive thoughts and rigid, repetitive behaviours that also manifest at the subclinical level in the general population. The neurocognitive factors driving the development and persistence of the excessive presence of these tendencies remain highly elusive, though emerging theories emphasize the role of implicit information processing. Despite various empirical studies on distinct neurocognitive processes, the incidental retrieval of environmental structures in dynamic and noisy environments, such as probabilistic learning, has received relatively little attention.