Eye movement study on facial emotion processing in patients with Alzheimer's disease / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To explore the effect of visual processing patterns on emotional face processing in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).Methods:From June 2020 to August 2021, twenty-two AD patients (AD group) who met the conditions of this study were selected from the memory impairment clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, and demographically matched twenty-one elderly healthy people (control group) were selected from the patients' family members and community residents. The two groups of subjects performed emotional face visual scanning and facial recognition experiments after completing the evaluation of the cognitive scale and eye movement data were recorded in the emotional face visual scanning task. Statistical analysis of the obtained results was performed using SPSS 23.0 Windows version software. The data that conformed to the normal distribution were tested by independent samples t-test and variance analysis, and the data that did not conform to the normal distribution were tested by nonparametric test. Results:(1)In the emotional face recognition task, the total accuracy of facial emotion recognition of AD patients(0.52(0.42, 0.59)) was lower than that of the normal control group(0.67(0.64, 0.69)), and the difference was statistically significant( Z=-4.023, P<0.01), which was mainly manifested in recognizing complex facial emotion. (2) In the emotional face visual processing task, the saccade count ((1.96±0.97), (2.50±0.44)), fixation count ((3.93±2.58), (6.37±2.08))and fixation time ((1 205.89±727.32)s, (1 761.38±525.54)s)of AD patients were lower than those of the control group( t=-2.314, -3.402, -2.880, all P<0.05), and the surrounding facial fixation time (384.95 (276.51, 587.78)s, 276.06 (190.03, 384.55)s) was higher than that of the control group( Z=-2.478, P=0.013). Patients with AD had a lower fixation count than that in the control group on the eye area of surprise ((3.76±2.90), (6.25±2.19)), anger ((4.48±2.72), (7.06±2.55)) and disgust ((4.10±2.45), (6.67±2.45)), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=-3.164, -3.207, -3.436, all P<0.05). Patients with AD had a lower fixation time than those of the control group on the eye area of surprise ((1 150.26±753.22)s, (1 779.91±551.66)s), angry ((1 430.85±869.52)s, (1 944.51±612.63)s) and disgust ((1 266.14±765.67)s, (1 898.33±676.02)s), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=-3.115, -2.247, -2.865, all P<0.05). (3) Spearman correlation analysis showed that the accuracy of overall emotional face recognition was positively correlated with the fixation time in the eye area in AD patients ( r=0.429, P<0.05). Conclusion:The impaired visual processing of AD patients causes emotional face recognition disorders. Therefore, AD patients have different visual processing patterns in emotional face processing than age-matched normal controls, mainly manifested as the decreased fixation on the eye area.

Tareas de búsqueda visual: modelos, bases neurológicas, utilidad y prospectiva / Visual Search Tasks: Models, Neurological Bases, Usefulness and Prospective

Resumen Las tareas de búsqueda visual, fundamentadas en el reconocimiento de una forma, característica o estímulo visual en particular, han contribuido al desarrollo de la investigación en psicología. A partir de una revisión narrativa sobre las maneras de implementar dichas tareas, y haciendo un cotejo de su uso como elemento de instrumentalización de la investigación, se encuentra que diferentes modelos paradigmáticos convergen para el entendimiento de diversos procesos psicológicos. Se hace manifiesto que las tareas de búsqueda visual, no solo pueden implicar registros de actividad oculo-motora, sino que además operacionalizan sistemas de modulación de procesos atencionales y perceptuales, los cuales esencialmente están alineados con recompensas de tipo exógeno. Dichas recompensas, sumadas a procesos de adaptación al entorno, se integran para reivindicar la noción percepción para la acción.

Abstract Visual search tasks, that are based on the recognition of either a characteristic or an specific visual stimulus, have contributed to the development of psychological research. By doing a narrative review of the ways to carry out these tasks, and considering their usages as factors that instrumentalise research, several paradigms emerge so as to understand multiple psychological processes. It has been manifested that visual search tasks can imply eye-movement recordings as well as operationalizing systems connected to the modulation of both attentional and perceptual processes, which are essentially aligned with exogenous rewards. These rewards, added to some processes related to the adaptation to the environment, are incorporated in such a way that the notion of perception to action is enforced.

Três hipóteses sobre a natureza das tarefas de nomeação seriada rápida / Three hypotheses on the nature of rapid automatized naming tasks

O presente estudo investigou a natureza das tarefas de nomeação seriada rápida, considerando três hipóteses sobre o que elas representariam: (1) medidas da recuperação de códigos fonológicos da memória de longo prazo; (2) medidas da velocidade de processamento geral; e (3) medidas de processos relacionados ao reconhecimento de padrões visuais. Participaram da pesquisa 174 crianças brasileiras cursando o 5º ano do Ensino Fundamental em escolas particulares. Análises fatoriais confirmatórias indicaram que nenhuma das três hipóteses se mostrou consistente com os dados. Porém, em um modelo de regressão estrutural construído para avaliar a contribuição desses fatores para a nomeação seriada rápida, o único que contribuiu significativamente foi o fator 'velocidade de processamento geral'...

The present study aimed to investigate the nature of rapid automatized naming tasks, considering three hypotheses about what they represent: (1) measures of retrieval of phonological codes from a long-term store; (2) measures of general processing speed; and (3) measures of visual pattern recognition processes. The participants were 174 children from the 5th grade of Brazilian private schools. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that none of the hypotheses were consistent with the data. However, in a structural regression model the factor 'general processing speed' was the only one that contributed significantly to rapid automatized naming...

Analysis of psychometric properties of the cube test to evaluate visuospatial reasoning / Análise das propriedades psicométricas do teste dos cubos: para a avaliação do raciocínio visuoespacial

The objective of the present research was to contribute with new information regarding the validity evidence of the Cube Test. More specifically, psychometric properties of the items were analyzed through the Item Response Theory (IRT) and the test structure was analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The sample was composed of 684 subjects, with a mean age of 21.3 years (SD = 5.94) and 50.3% were female. Results showed that IRT analyses confirm the adjustment of the items to the model, whereas the CFA suggested that a two-factor model was the most adequate. The findings, besides offering favorable results about the instrument, supported the validity evidence present in the Cube Test manual. (AU)

O objetivo da pesquisa foi contribuir com novas informações acerca das evidências de validade do Teste dos Cubos. Mais especificamente, analisaram-se as propriedades psicométricas dos itens por meio da Teoria de Resposta ao Item, e a estrutura do teste utilizando a Análise Fatorial Confirmatória. A amostra foi composta por 684 sujeitos, com idade média de 21,3 anos (DP=5,94), sendo 50,3% feminino. Nos resultados, as análises realizadas pela Teoria de Resposta ao Item corroboraram o ajuste dos itens ao modelo, enquanto a Análise Fatorial Confirmatória apontou o modelo com dois fatores como sendo o mais adequado. Os dados encontrados, além de oferecerem resultados favoráveis sobre o instrumento, sustentam as evidências de validade contidas no manual do Teste dos Cubos. (AU)

Procesamiento cortical de la visión: interacción de subsistemas parietales / Cortical processing of vision: parietal subsystems interaction

El procesamiento visual en el contexto de la neuropsicología exige la articulación de distintos niveles de análisis. Esto hace que el estudio de la visión se encuentre permeado por el avance en distintas disciplinas lo cual plantea como reto a la neuropsicología la construcción de un marco conceptual y de organización cerebral que permita la articulación de los vastos y distintos conocimientos que en la actualidad se tienen sobre el tema. Por tal motivo el presente artículo tiene como objetivo revisar los aportes de los principales modelos dicotómicos del procesamiento visual empleados en neuropsicología para detenernos con mayor detalle en la participación del Lóbulo Parietal Posterior y los retos que plantea a dichos modelos.

Visual processing requires, from a neuropsychological view, the integration of different analysis levels. This makes visual studies dependent on the advances produced by different scientific disciplines, leading into an increasing and comprehensive conceptual demand as well as more consistent brain functioning models. Thus, the aim of this article is to review the most outstanding dichotomic visual processing models used in neuropsychology, so as to painstakingly analyze the role of the Posterior Parietal Lobe and the risks taken by those different models.

Produção e compreensão do texto escrito: Um estudo junto a surdos universitários / Production and comprehension of written texts: A study of deaf university students

Em Fávero e Pimenta (2006), apontou-se que a dificuldade dos surdos na compreensão de problemas escritos de matemática relaciona-se ao uso inadequado da LIBRAS pelos profissionais da instituição escolar, como instrumento para a organização de significados semióticos e aquisição deconhecimentos. Com o intuito de estudar o significado das irregularidades apontadas na literatura arespeito da produção escrita dos surdos, analisamos a produção de 6 surdos escolarizados,5 universitários e 1 secundarista, entre 17 e 29 anos, 4 do sexo masculino e 2 do feminino, em resposta a um protocolo sobre a sua compreensão de um texto jornalístico e sobre sua concepção arespeito de suas competências e dificuldades no que diz respeito à produção e compreensão textual.Evidenciou-se que: os participantes desvalorizam suas próprias competências de produção ecompreensão textual; apresentam uma adequada compreensão do texto; utilizam o processamento visual na escrita. Reitera-se a defesa da língua de sinais como língua materna dos surdos e anecessidade de se considerar o processamento visual e o desenvolvimento da consciência sintática emorfossintática, na aquisição da segunda língua. Para tanto, defende-se a importância da pesquisa,tendo por método de investigação, o próprio procedimento de intervenção psicopedagógica, o quesignifica considerar a atividade mediada.

Fávero and Pimenta (2006) demonstrated that the difficulties that deaf individuals experience incomprehending written mathematical problems is related to teaching professionals inadequate use of Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS) as an instrument for knowledge acquisition and for the organisation of symbolic meaning. In order to understand the irregularities observed in the literature regarding written production by deaf individuals, research was carried out involving six deaf subject saged between 17 and 29 (four male and two female), of which five were college students and one wasin secondary school. Subjects responded to a series of questions regarding comprehension of a newspaper article and evaluation of their own strengths and weaknesses in relation to textual production and comprehension. It was found that the subjects undervalued their textual production and comprehension skills, showed adequate textual comprehension and used visual processing in writing. Thus, the defence of sign language as the native language of deaf individuals is reiterated asis the need to take into account both visual processing and the development of syntactic and morphosyntactic awareness in the acquisition of a second language. We advocate further research which takes mediated activity into account, adopting the psycho-pedagogical intervention it self as the study method.