Long-Covid: Neuropsychological function at 6 and 12months - relation to depression and self-reported symptoms

Objective: Studies have reported significant cognitive impairment following Covid-19, although the majority of reports rely on patients' self-report or short screening instruments to quantify cognitive function. Additionally, little is known about the development of cognitive impairment post Covid-19 and how these trajectories are related to psychiatric and medical variables. Method(s): Patients presenting a spectrum of neurological symptoms following Covid-19 infection were recruited from a national multicenter study. At 6 (N = 77) and 12 (N = 58) months post-covid infection, they completed a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. At 6 months self-reported symptoms of cognitive dysfunction and fatigue were extracted from questionnaires and depression diagnoses from the MINI neuropsychiatric interview. A control group (N = 58), antibody verified Covid-19 negative, completed neuropsychological assessment. Result(s): At 6 months, verbal and visual memory, attention/working memory, and executive function were significantly reduced in patients compared to healthy controls. These impairments were not associated to acute illness severity indexes, and only moderately correlated to subjective cognitive complaints, level of fatigue, and diagnosis of depression at 6 months. There was a significant improvement in cognitive function across affected domains from 6 to 12 months post infection. This improvement was not associated with depression or self-report at 6 months, nor was the improvement related to acute illness severity. Conclusion(s): Covid-19 patients presenting with neurological symptoms showed significant cognitive impairment at 6 months. However, at 12 months their cognitive functions were normalized and no longer different from healthy controls. These results indicate a good prognosis regarding cognitive function in most patients following Covid-19 infection.Copyright © 2023

Worked Examples Moderate the Effect of Math Learning Anxiety on Children's Math Learning and Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic

We investigated whether worked examples could be used to reduce cognitive load on mathematics learners who may have reduced available cognitive resources due to experiencing anxiety or excess stress. Across 2 days, 280 fifth-grade students learned from a difficult lesson on ratio, half of whom reviewed worked examples at key problem-solving opportunities during instruction. We also measured two sources of students' worry during learning: math anxiety and worries about learning during the pandemic. We explored the attentional and affective effects of worked examples and worries in addition to their effects on learning. Results suggest that math anxiety, but not pandemic learning worries, negatively predicted procedural and conceptual learning from the lesson. In line with previous research and cognitive load theory, math anxiety also predicted greater mind wandering during testing and lower situational interest during learning. Critically, reviewing worked examples during learning mitigated these effects on learning and engagement. Pandemic-related learning worries were unrelated to learning outcomes but did predict affective and motivational outcomes. Educational implications are discussed.

Cognitive, Motor, & Negative Valence Systems in Neurologic Pasc: A Preliminary Study

Background: Nervous system post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (NS-PASC) include cognitive and mental health symptoms. To further define these, we applied a Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach to examine motor, positive valence (PV) and negative valence (NV) systems, and social processing data in The COVID Mind Study of NS-PASC. Method(s): NS-PASC participants (>3 months after COVID-19) referred from a NeuroCOVID Clinic and non-COVID controls from New Haven, CT and Baltimore, MD completed an RDoC test battery for cognition (language, declarative and working memory, cognitive control, perception), motor, PV, NV, and social processes. To date, 3T MRI with diffusion tensor imaging was performed in 11 NS-PASC to assess white matter integrity (global white matter fractional anisotropy [FA]) as a contributor to alterations identified on the RDoC tests. Analysis of Covariance examined group differences after adjusting for sex, race, ethnicity, age, and years of education. Result(s): 25 NS-PASC participants (age 43.4+/-11.3 yrs, 76% female, 402 days after COVID-19 symptom onset) and 29 controls (age 46.2.6+/-13.1 yrs, 66% female) completed the battery. Controls were more racially diverse and less educated than NS-PASC (43% vs. 12% Black, p=0.005;14.5 vs. 16.1 yrs of education, p< 0.05). Means and statistics for RDoC between NS-PASC and controls are shown in Table. NS-PASC performed worse in language, verbal working and declarative memory, and perception and reported greater cognitive control difficulties (e.g., behavioral inhibition, set shifting) without issues on performance-based metrics (Stroop, Trail Making Test-Part B), and had slower motor function. NS-PASC reported more NV issues including greater symptoms of depression, rumination in response to depressive mood, apathy, childhood trauma, anxiety, and perceived stress. There were no differences in PV and social processing. In a subset of NS-PASC participants who underwent MRI, there was a dynamic range of FA values with a mean of 0.509 (IQR 0.481 - 0.536). Conclusion(s): Our findings extend previous PASC studies characterizing cognitive and mental health alterations, indicating that additional RDoC assessments warrant focus, including alterations in motor and the negative valence system. In future analyses, we will examine white matter integrity as a pathophysiologic contributor to these RDoC systems.

Zooming in or zoning out: examining undergraduate learning experiences with zoom and the role of mind-wandering

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a systematic change in course modalities due to the nationwide suspension of in-person instruction, resulting in the transition to emergency remote distance learning via Zoom. This transition certainly facilitated affordances of flexibility and continuity, but with it brought issues of unfamiliarity, lack of confidence, anxiety, distractions, and validity from both the instructors and the student perspectives. This in situ study aimed to better understand the students' learning experiences with Zoom by assessing the social, cognitive, and behavioral factors influencing learner's mind-wandering and its effect on online engagement. Undergraduate students from 14 classes across two research institutions in California (N = 633) were recruited to participate in an online survey while distance learning through a pandemic. Structural equation modeling was used to conduct a path analysis to explain the factors impacting students' online engagement mediated by students' frequency to mind-wander. Study findings revealed that (1) self-efficacy and trait anxiety had significant direct effects on students' mind-wandering;(2) self-efficacy, trait anxiety, task-value beliefs, and mind-wandering had significant direct effects on students' online engagement;and finally (3) the frequency of students' mind-wandering partially mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and engagement and between trait anxiety and engagement. Identifying these structural relationships further confirmed our hypotheses on sources contributing to students' mind-wandering while learning remotely, provided insights into potential mechanisms underpinning students' online engagement, and suggests practical pedagogical learning experience design recommendations for instructors to immediately implement while teaching and learning with Zoom..

Cognitive Flexibility

This is the second in series of studies designed to test direct and conditional effects of embedded cognitive practice in phonics instruction. Students identified in winter of kindergarten with minimal alphabet knowledge were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: explicit phonics (Plain) (n = 28) or explicit phonics with embedded cognitive flexibility practice (Flex) (n = 29). The core of both conditions was an explicit structured literacy approach: the Flex condition was differentiated by brief cognitive flexibility practice switching letter or word dimensions. Instruction was delivered individually over a six-week period. In spite of Covid-19 impacts, both treatment groups exhibited significant gains on reading outcomes. However, there were no significant differences between the conditions on growth in decoding, encoding, or cognitive flexibility. Future research should consider the timing and design of instruction to determine how cognitive abilities, as well as alphabet knowledge, contribute to acquisition of early reading skills.

How Motivation, Nomophobic Design and Environmental Demands Predict Students' Media Multitasking when Participating in Online Courses During COVID-19: An Empirical Study with a HCI Time and Temporality Lens

There is an emerging shift in human-computer interaction (HCI) research from things to events and towards time and temporality as a design material, which is made even more urgent by the unique time of the COVID-19 period. This paper pushes this shift forwards by investigating factors and the way that these shape online media multitasking behaviour over time during COVID-19. We model the factors along the WHAT and HOW dimensions of the HCI-over-Time model (HCIoT) with self-report data from 117 university students and objective behavioural data from 40 university students, who participated in an online course over 2 weeks during COVID-19. The results indicated a pervasiveness of media multitasking behaviour over time in an online course, driven by individual factors and enhanced by their mutual fit. Based on interpretation of our data, we suggest conceptualizing the COVID-19 period as the larger temporal environment in the HCIoT model. The discussion further explains how the broader idea of human-computer-environment fit is significant to understand HCIoT through an interaction lens. We discuss methodological issues related to differentiating between self-report and behavioural measures when applying the HCIoT model. The conclusion supports the feasibility and significance of conceptualizing media multitasking during COVID-19 as temporal HCI and of further developing and operationalizing the HCIoT model by using both behavioural and self-report measures.

Clinical experience with the alpha2A-adrenoceptor agonist, guanfacine, and N-acetylcysteine for the treatment of cognitive deficits in "Long-COVID19"

Background: Prolonged cognitive deficits ("brain fog") following COVID19 infection (long-COVID) are common and debilitating, yet there are currently no approved treatments. Cognitive impairment particularly targets the working memory and executive functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The PFC has unusual neurotransmission and neuromodulation that render it vulnerable to stressors, and basic research has identified mechanisms that protect PFC connections. Based on the basic neuroscience data, we tried a combined open label treatment to bolster prefrontal function: the alpha2A-adrenoceptor agonist, guanfacine, which strengthens prefrontal connectivity, and the anti-oxidant, N- acetylcysteine (NAC), which protects mitochondria and reduces kynurenic acid blockade of NMDA receptors. Case report: Twelve patients with "brain fog" including difficulties in executive functions were treated with guanfacine (1mg, PO bedtime for the first month, increased to 2mg after 1 month, if well-tolerated) and 600 mg NAC daily. Guanfacine+NAC improved cognitive abilities in eight of the twelve patients;four patients discontinued therapy, two for unspecified reasons and two due to hypotension and/or dizziness, common side effects of guanfacine. Those who stayed on guanfacine+NAC reported improved working memory, concentration, and executive functions, including a resumption of normal workloads. One patient briefly stopped taking guanfacine due to a hypotensive episode and reported a return of cognitive deficits that abated with resumed guanfacine treatment. Conclusion(s): Although placebo-controlled trials will be needed to more rigorously demonstrate efficacy, as these agents have established safety, they may be immediately helpful in treating the large number of patients suffering from prolonged cognitive deficits following COVID19 infection.Copyright © 2022 The Author(s)

Treatment of cognitive symptoms in post-COVID-19 syndrome - a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) approach

Background: Despite the acute infection's remission, COVID-19 is associated with clinically severe residual symptoms (i.e., post-COVID-19 syndrome). One of the most prevalent and incapacitating symptoms of the syndrome is fatigue, accompanied by cognitive impairment. Very few therapy options are effective for post-acute SARS-Cov-2 sequelae (PASC). There is a possibility that non-invasive brain stimulation methods could become successful and convenient treatment options for post-acute and chronic COVID-19. There are already the first clinical results for the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the therapy of PASC. Our goal was to study the potential tDCS effect on cognitive impairment in patients with PASC. Method(s): We present a four-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel study with a 4-week active dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) tDCS (20 tDCS applications;anode on the F3;2 mA, 30 min/tDCS session). Patients were evaluated with tests measuring attention (digit span forward), working memory (digit span backward), and psychomotor speed (digit symbol substitution test) at baseline, after two weeks, and at the end of four weeks of treatment. The tests were chosen according to previous studies on the assessment of cognitive function in patients after COVID-19. Result(s): 15 out of 34 enrolled patients were included in Intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis. The treatment groups did not differ in age, gender, and baseline cognitive tests. There wasn't a significant difference in cognitive tests results between active DLPFC tDCS and sham tDCS after four weeks. However, the study is still in progress and the results will be updated. No major side effects were observed during and after the treatment. Supported by grant No. NU22-D-133 of the MH CR. Research Category and Technology and Methods Clinical Research: 9. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Keywords: cognitive symptoms, post-acute sequelae of SARS-Cov-2, transcranial direct current stimulation, dorsolateral prefrontal cortexCopyright © 2023

Growth of Executive Functions in Preschool-Age Children During the COVID-19 Lockdown: Empirical Evidence.

Background: During the lockdown for COVID-19, children were limited in a number of activities which are essential for the development of executive functions (play, social interaction, and organized sport). Earlier studies found an increase in executive function issues in children during the pandemic, based on caregivers' reports. Objective: The present study was a pioneer in exploring the dynamics of children's executive function development during the lockdown. Our purpose was to explore the effect of the lockdown on the growth of executive functions in children over a one-year period, as compared to their peers before the pandemic. Design: The sample consisted of two cohorts of children. All the children had been attending the same kindergartens but in different periods of time. The executive functions of both groups were assessed twice, with a year's break in-between (the first group was assessed before the pandemic; the second, during the pandemic). These groups were comparable in gender composition, age, and family's place of residence. Results: The results have confirmed concerns about the slower growth of executive functioning in children during the lockdown versus their peers before the pandemic, especially for cognitive flexibility and working memory. Inhibition was not significantly affected by the lockdown. Moderation analysis showed that the lockdown impacted girls differently than boys in terms of working memory. The negative effect of social restrictions on working memory was significantly higher in females. Conclusion: Our findings illuminate the negative effects the pandemic-related social restrictions had on the growth of children's cognitive flexibility and working memory. For working memory, the effect of social isolation varied depending on the child's gender.

Neurodiverse undergraduate psychology students' experiences of presentations in education and employment

PurposeAudio-visual presentations - delivered either in real-life or virtually - feature heavily in educational assessments and employer recruitment. This study explored neurodivergent undergraduate students' experiences of presentations. The aim was to understand how neurodivergent students describe experiences of presentations in educational and workplace contexts and how neurodivergent students experienced training, support activities and learning technologies associated with presentations.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory qualitative phenomenological approach was taken, from students' perspectives. Overall, 12 neurodivergent undergraduate students (M-age = 21.89 years, SDage = 2.57;nine women, two men, one non-binary) discussed their experiences of presentations within educational and/or professional contexts via semi-structured remote interviews. The sample included individuals with diagnoses of anxiety, depression, dyslexia, borderline personality disorder, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, and panic disorder.FindingsThematic Analysis of interview transcript data revealed four main themes (with sub-themes in parentheses): Control (preparedness;delivery);Audience Perceptions and Behaviours (expectations of "normality";shared knowledge;audience "expertise");Intervention Efficacy (early access;individuality;learning technologies) and Value of Presentation Skills (reciprocity between education - workplace;self-efficacy;self-esteem;learner development).Research limitations/implicationsThe dataset was extracted from a relatively small sample from a single university and indeed a single academic discipline. Furthermore, the dataset was collected during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic - although this gives us a valuable snapshot of students' experiences and perceptions during this time, whether the author can extrapolate these findings in future is unclear.Practical implicationsThe findings help understand how we better support students. Better ways to support learners can be developed in developing presentation and audience skills. This research shows that alternative assessment provisions must be based on individuals and their own specific needs and skills, rather than their divergence label. This research can inform the development of digital learning technologies.Social implicationsThis research can inform how educators, coaches, trainers, and facilitators "train" audiences to be more inclusive and less prejudicial/biased. We can understand how to better construct social spaces for presentations, in the classroom and the world of work.Originality/valueThis report presents a valid and valuable methodological approach, conducted and reported transparently. This research was conducted during a crucial, unprecedented and precarious time period for learners and education professionals. Implications are considered with respect to the design of teaching, learning and assessment activities;facilitator, learner, and peer behaviours;the role of digital learning technologies;and employment/employability.

The Aversive Lens: Stress effects on the prefrontal-cingulate cortical pathways that regulate emotion.

ARNSTEN, A.F.T., M.K.P. Joyce and A.C. Roberts. The Aversive Lens: Stress effects on the prefrontal-cingulate cortical pathways that regulate emotion. NEUROSCI BIOBEHAV REV XXX-XXX, 2022. The symptoms of major-depressive-disorder include psychic pain and anhedonia, i.e. seeing the world through an "aversive lens". The neurobiology underlying this shift in worldview is emerging. Here these data are reviewed, focusing on how activation of subgenual cingulate (BA25) induces an "aversive lens", and how higher prefrontal cortical (PFC) areas (BA46/10/32) provide top-down regulation of BA25 but are weakened by excessive dopamine and norepinephrine release during stress exposure, and dendritic spine loss with chronic stress exposure. These changes may generate an attractor state, which maintains the brain under the control of BA25, requiring medication or neuromodulatory treatments to return connectivity to a more flexible state. In line with this hypothesis, effective anti-depressant treatments reduce the activity of BA25 and restore top-down regulation by higher circuits, e.g. as seen with SSRI medications, ketamine, deep brain stimulation of BA25, or rTMS to strengthen dorsolateral PFC. This research has special relevance in an era of chronic stress caused by the COVID19 pandemic, political unrest and threat of climate change.

On verbal working memory. Descriptive study in postintensive care syndrome patients after COVID-19 infection in a functional rehabilitation unit in Spain. A pilot study

Introduction: Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) is a physical, cognitive, emotional and functional condition resulting from prolonged stays in ICU (Intensive Care Unit). In pathologies with clinical characteristics similar to SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, most patients showed cognitive deficits after discharge from ICU. Further studies are needed on verbal working memory among PICS patients. Objective(s): To analyse the verbal working-memory performance among patients with PICS after COVID-19 infection in a Functional Rehabilitation Unit in Madrid (Spain) using the Spanish version of the Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP-S). Method(s): This study was conducted in the Hospital Central de la Cruz Roja, in Madrid (Spain). A sample of 17 PICS adult patients was included, with age ranging from 56 to 74 years old (mean = 68.35 years;13 males). Patients were assessed around three weeks after referral from their reference hospital. The Working Memory Test (WMT) of the SCIP-S was used as outcome. Descriptive analyses were conducted (mean and standard deviation) on standardized scores (z) based on age-adjusted general population norms. Significant impairment was set at z < -1.5. Result(s): Mean z-score on WMT was -.64 (S.D. = .60) from the total sample, with 5.9% of cases with significant impairment (mean = -1.53). Conclusion(s): These preliminary results show low probable presence of impairment on verbal working memory among PICS patients after COVID-19 infection. Longitudinal studies, with larger samples, are needed where the premorbid cognitive level is considered.

The Impact of COVID-19 Distance Learning on Students' Math Anxiety: An Exploratory Study

In spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a rapid shift to distance learning worldwide. Although recent research has focused on the impact that this transition had on students' education and well-being, little has been done in particular on math education and on math anxiety (MA). Since MA is believed to be linked to the teaching methods, it could be hypothesized that the new learning environment affected MA levels. Thus, this study investigated whether students' levels of MA evaluated before and during the first wave of the pandemic changed as a consequence of the distance learning implementation. Moreover, we were interested in investigating whether students' satisfaction with the teaching methods, their effort in math, and their academic achievement were correlated to MA before and during the COVID-19 distance learning. Participants were 117 Italian middle and high school students. No significant differences between pre -and mid-pandemic MA were found when considering the entire sample. Analyzing separately, results indicated that high-MA students reported significantly lower MA levels during distance learning, however no difference was observed for moderate-and low-MA individuals. Furthermore, satisfaction with the teaching methods, effort in math, and math achievement were negatively correlated with MA, both before and during distance education.

Effects of mode and medium in reading comprehension tests on cognitive load

Monitoring students' competences is vital in order to inform teachers, administrators, and policymakers about students' learning progress and achievement heterogeneity. For educational researchers, it is a matter of accountability to use state of the art designs to make assessments as reliable, valid and efficient as possible. Digital media have recently been described as a "third space " for learning, located between learning at home and at school (McDougall & Potter, 2019;Potter & McDougall, 2017). This view has gained new relevance in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced schools across the globe into distance learning and thus further increased reliance on computers for schooling (Helm et al., 2021). Large-scale assessments such as PIRLS and PISA have started to incorporate computers into their test administration (Hu beta mann et al., 2017;Yamamoto, Shin, & Khorramdel, 2019). Administering tests on the computer comes with the option to use testing modes that adapt to each examinee's ability (Davey, 2011;Frey et al., 2017). Reading comprehension assessments in elementary school are of particular interest, because reading comprehension affects students' educa-tional futures and their ability to participate in society and life in general (OECD, 2019;Wigfield et al., 2016). As such, it is one of the most important skills that children are taught in elementary school. There, children move from learning individual letters to decoding the meaning of words, on to understanding the content of a sentence, paragraph, or text (Becker, McElvany, & Kortenbruck, 2010). Between grades two and three, children tend to begin reading fluently (see Chall, 1983). Still, reading ability in fourth grade students is considerably heterogeneous, with only 34% of US students participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reaching reading proficiency (as defined by the NAEP), and 35% not reaching the basic reading level (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019). Computer-based tests (CBTs) and computer-adaptive tests (CATs) can potentially improve the assessment of reading comprehension over paper-and-pencil tests (PPTs). CBTs have higher technical demands, but offer more control over the test situation (i.e., exposure control or time limits) and provide additional quality control data (e.g., rapid guessing detection) and process data (e.g., log files) compared to PPTs. In addition, adaptive item selection can make a test design much more efficient (Davey, 2011). However, for beginning readers, the effects of reading on screen versus reading on paper and the potential effects of adaptive item selection that adjusts to individual ability are not well-researched. Existing research has focused on test score equivalence between different formats of test administration regarding test scores. Research into the test experience has been limited. Inspired by basic research on instruc-tional design and cognitive psychology, it has been suggested that taking a CBT, CAT, or PPT can lead to different test experiences (Colwell, 2013;Ortner, Weisskopf, & Koch, 2014). An important aspect of the test experience is an examinee's cognitive load and its relation to working memory. Reading comprehension is closely related to working memory (Daneman & Carpenter, 1980), as comprehension relies on remembering previous words in a sentence or paragraph. This holds true for elementary school children (Seigneuric, Ehrlich, Oakhill, & Yuill, 2000). Cognitive load is the strain that carrying out a task, such as learning or reading, puts on a person's working memory (Sweller, van Merrie & BULL;nboer, & Paas, 2019). Cognitive load theory (CLT) is often applied in instructional

An Integrated Modeling Framework for Application Layer Security

Cybersecurity is a complex problem. To study the complexity underneath the system and forecast possible future cyber events, we used system dynamics (SD)modeling and simulation.Network operations are normally modeled and simulated using the discrete-event simulation (DES) techniques. Since the primary focus of the DES modeling is packet traffic, the cyberattacks and resulting defenses are viewed from the layer 3 (network layer) of the open system interconnection (OSI) model. This does not discover more harmful attacks that might occur at higher(layer 4 and above) OSI layers. There are 32 million small businesses across the United States and 81 percent of them do not have cybersecurity personnel. Today’s extraordinary (COVID-19) situation, application layer (layer 7) security is the key concern for everyone, because every business revenue is heavily dependent on online/always-on presence. Research shows that almost 70 percent of successful cyber attacks are happening at the application layer. This paper presents a new integrated SD modeling framework for the application layer security to help small businesses from cyberattacks.

Donepezil Beyond Alzheimer’s Disease? A Narrative Review of Therapeutic Potentials of Donepezil in Different Diseases

Donepezil hydrochloride is an acetylcholine esterase inhibitor studied and approved to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, this drug can have positive therapeutic potential in treating different conditions, including various neurodegenerative disorders such as other types of dementia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, psychiatric and mood disorders, and even infectious diseases. Hence, this study reviewed the therapeutic potential of this drug in treating Alzheimer’s and other diseases by reviewing the articles from databases including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane, and Science Direct. It was shown that donepezil could affect the pathophysiology of these diseases via mechanisms such as increasing the concentration of acetylcholine, modulating local and systemic inflammatory processes, affecting acetylcholine receptors like nicotinic and muscarinic receptors, and activating various cellular signaling via receptors like sigma-1 receptors. Despite many therapeutic potentials, this drug has not yet been approved for treating non-Alzheimer’s diseases, and more comprehensive studies are needed.

Cognitive and emotional regulation processes of spontaneous facial self-touch are activated in the first milliseconds of touch: Replication of previous EEG findings and further insights.

Spontaneously touching one's own face (sFST) is an everyday behavior that occurs in people of all ages, worldwide. It is-as opposed to actively touching the own face-performed without directing one's attention to the action, and it serves neither instrumental (scratching, nose picking) nor communicative purposes. These sFST have been discussed in the context of self-regulation, emotional homeostasis, working memory processes, and attention focus. Even though self-touch research dates back decades, neuroimaging studies of this spontaneous behavior are basically nonexistent. To date, there is only one electroencephalography study that analyzed spectral power changes before and after sFST in 14 participants. The present study replicates the previous study on a larger sample. Sixty participants completed a delayed memory task of complex haptic relief stimuli while distracting sounds were played. During the retention interval 44 of the participants exhibited spontaneous face touch. Spectral power analyses corroborated the results of the replicated study. Decreased power shortly before sFST and increased power right after sFST indicated an involvement of regulation of attentional, emotional, and working memory processes. Additional analyses of spectral power changes during the skin contact phase of sFST revealed that significant neurophysiological changes do not occur while skin contact is in progress but at the beginning of sFST (movement toward face and initial skin contact). The present findings clearly illustrate the complexity of sFST and that the specific trigger mechanisms and functions of this spontaneous behavior need to be further investigated in controlled, experimental studies.

Adolescent Sleep Behavioral Interventions and Opportunities to Improve Cognitive Functioning: A Call for Action

Sleep is related to cognitive functioning, learning, and brain development in the adolescent population. Recent research indicates a rise in the presence of chronic sleep disorders such as insomnia in adolescents, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, research on the effectiveness of sleep interventions for adolescents is necessary to guide treatment in adolescents. The authors conducted a systematic review of literature examining research on outcomes of treatment interventions for insomnia on sleep quality and cognitive functioning in adolescents. Results indicate a dearth of research examining effectiveness of treatment in adolescents, particularly in relation to the impact of such treatment on cognitive functioning in adolescents. The following paper provides a brief overview of existing research on treatment of insomnia or related problems including initiating, maintaining and awaking for adolescent populations with a focus on improvement of cognitive functioning within this population. The authors discuss existing barriers to research, emphasize the need to expand sleep research to include cognitive functioning outcomes, and inform best practices for treatment in adolescents following COVID-19. Lastly, the authors propose a call to action encouraging more widespread recognition of the need for research in this area. Key Take Away Points 24 out of 735 records identified through databases were screened for eligibility. The search and subsequent screening procedures outlined several limitations including a dearth of randomized clinical trials, RCTs assessing effectiveness of behavioral interventions specific to insomnia, adequate selection of cognitive functioning measures, sleep assessment measures and other study designs limitations. Only two records remained in the study with CBTi interventions and included objective measures specific for the assessment of insomnia and cognitive functioning. The two remaining studies reported changes in their interventions for working memory tasks;however, effect size and other study design limitations were reported. Barriers and considerations for the insomnia related symptoms and treatment continues to merit attention due to its impact for learning in adolescent population.

Creating Accessible Infographics: Describing Scientific Data in Ways Everyone Can Understand

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust scientific literature into the global spotlight this year, as information about the virus, how to keep safe, and how to get vaccinated has been continually updated at a rapid pace. Much of this information is being conveyed through infographics. This has resulted in an abundance of easy-to-grasp information for sighted people with no learning disabilities, but this positive impact has not been extended to people with visual or learning disabilities. In effect, these infographics often serve to further marginalize individuals with disabilities. Consistent methods for writing descriptions of images should be developed and implemented by first looking at how information moves from working memory to long-term memory, and then examining how cognitive fatigue can inhibit understanding of complex images and scientific information vital to individuals with disabilities. Considering how best to describe scientific images with concise alternative text and in plain language will have clear and immediate benefits for the health and well-being of those with print-related disabilities.

The Contribution of Cognitive Factors to Compulsive Buying Behaviour: Insights from Shopping Habit Changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The last decade has seen an increase in compulsive behaviours among young adults worldwide, particularly in 2020, during restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Importantly, even if shopping is an ordinary activity in everyday life, it can become a compulsive behaviour for certain individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of working memory and decision-making style in compulsive behaviour. A total of 105 participants (65 F, 40 M) were recruited online from May 2020 to December 2020. They completed a series of questionnaires to measure shopping compulsive behaviour, decision-making styles, deficits in working memory and online shopping habits. The results show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, people spent much more time shopping online, made more purchases and spent more money than prior to the pandemic. Moreover, both higher working memory deficits and spontaneous decision-making style predicted a greater tendency to engage in compulsive buying. These results suggest the need to develop specific training programs to improve cognitive aspects related to compulsive shopping behaviour.