Temporal disorientations and distortions during isolation.

Understanding how the brain maps time is central to neuroscience, behavior, psychology, and cognition. Just as in spatial navigation, self-positioning in a temporal cognitive map depends on numerous factors that are both exogenous and endogenous (e.g. time of day and experienced durations, respectively). The deprivation of external temporal landmarks can greatly reduce the ability of participants to orient in time and to formulate an adequate endogenous representation of time. However, this area of investigation in humans shows a great paucity of empirical data. This article aims at unearthing some of the experimental work that has systematically explored how humans' awareness of time is affected by varying degrees of isolation protocols. The assessment of the literature on the impact of isolation (broadly construed) on human temporalities may contribute to contextualizing the temporal distortions and disorientations reported during the ongoing worldwide pandemic Covid-19.

The role of virtual reality simulation in surgical training in the light of COVID-19 pandemic: Visual spatial ability as a predictor for improved surgical performance: a randomized trial.

INTRODUCTION: Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, surgical training has become increasingly challenging due to required social distancing. Therefore, the use of virtual reality (VR)-simulation could be a helpful tool for imparting surgical skills, especially in minimally invasive environments. Visual spatial ability (VSA) might influence the learning curve for laparoscopic surgical skills. However, little is known about the influence of VSA for surgical novices on VR-simulator training regarding the complexity of different tasks over a long-term training period. Our study evaluated prior VSA and VSA development in surgical trainees during VR-simulator training, and its influence on surgical performance in simulator training. METHODS: In our single-center prospective two-arm randomized trial, VSA was measured with a tube figure test before curriculum training. After 1:1 randomization, the training group (TG) participated in the entire curriculum training consisting of 48 different VR-simulator tasks with varying difficulty over a continuous nine-day training session. The control group (CG) performed two of these tasks on day 1 and 9. Correlation and regression analyses were used to assess the influence of VSA on VR-related surgical skills and to measure procedural abilities. RESULTS: Sixty students (33 women) were included. Significant improvements in the TG in surgical performance and faster completion times were observed from days 1 to 9 for the scope orientation 30° right-handed (SOR), and cholecystectomy dissection tasks after the structured 9-day training program. After training, the TG with pre-existing low VSA scores achieved performance levels similar to those with pre-existing high VSA scores for the two VR simulator tasks. Significant correlations between VSA and surgical performance on complex laparoscopic camera navigation SOR tasks were found before training. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that that all trainees improved their surgical skills irrespective of previous VSA during structured VR simulator training. An increase in VSA resulted in improvements in surgical performance and training progress, which was more distinct in complex simulator tasks. Further, we demonstrated a positive relationship between VSA and surgical performance of the TG, especially at the beginning of training. Our results identified pre-existing levels of VSA as a predictor of surgical performance.

Surviving COVID-19: The Neuroscience of Smart Working and Distance Learning.

The persistence of the coronavirus-caused respiratory disease (COVID-19) and the related restrictions to mobility and social interactions are forcing a significant portion of students and workers to reorganize their daily activities to accommodate the needs of distance learning and agile work (smart working). What is the impact of these changes on the bosses/teachers' and workers/students' experience? This article uses recent neuroscience research findings to explore how distance learning and smart working impact the following three pillars that reflect the organization of our brain and are at the core of school and office experiences: (a) the learning/work happens in a dedicated physical place; (b) the learning/work is carried out under the supervision of a boss/professor; and (c) the learning/work is distributed between team members/classmates. For each pillar, we discuss its link with the specific cognitive processes involved and the impact that technology has on their functioning. In particular, the use of videoconferencing affects the functioning of Global Positioning System neurons (neurons that code our navigation behavior), mirror neurons, self-attention networks, spindle cells, and interbrain neural oscillations. These effects have a significant impact on many identity and cognitive processes, including social and professional identity, leadership, intuition, mentoring, and creativity. In conclusion, just moving typical office and learning processes inside a videoconferencing platform, as happened in many contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic, can in the long term erode corporate cultures and school communities. In this view, an effective use of technology requires us to reimagine how work and teaching are done virtually, in creative and bold new ways.

Navigating Through a COVID-19 World: Avoiding Obstacles.

Individuals with balance and gait problems encounter additional challenges navigating this post-coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) world. All but the best fitting facemasks partially obscure the lower visual field. Facemask use by individuals with balance and gait problems has the potential to further compromise walking safety. More broadly, as the world reopens for business, balance and gait testing in clinics and research laboratories will also be impacted by facemask use. Here, we highlight some of the challenges faced by patients, clinicians, and researchers as they return to "normal" after COVID-19.Video Abstract is available for insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A328).