Psychological and Neurophysiological Screening Investigation of the Collective and Personal Stress Resilience.

Methodological approaches to assess the human cognitive status are constantly evolving. At the same time, the creation of new assessment methods is accompanied by traditional research. This paper discusses the direction of research on the search for markers of stress resilience. The basis for the formation of the research algorithm was the assessment of activation factors of emotional states, including preceding stress-sensory (cognitive and informational) and psycho-emotional factors. This was determined using methodological techniques, stress factors, working conditions in professional teams, etc. For an express analysis (25-40 min) of diagnosing stress resistance, a research algorithm was justified, consisting of clinical and psychological testing, as well as EEG with traditional tests and analysis of indicators and spectra. Therefore, this research was aimed at the psychological and neurophysiological substantiation of approaches to express algorithms for assessing cognitive functions and resilience to stress under time deficit. A study on 102 healthy subjects and 38 outpatients of a neuropsychiatric clinic was performed. Basic outcomes: the integrative indicator SCL-90-R-"general index of severity" has a high statistical significance (p < 0.05) in both healthy subjects and neuropsychiatric outpatients. The effectiveness of the Mini-Mult test in conditions of time deficit is determined by the results of the scales of hypochondria, depression, hysteria, paranoia, psychasthenia, schizoid and hypomania (p < 0.05). Furthermore, we used a line of logical thinking techniques. A line of four logical methods is highly informative in assessing the mental status in conditions of time deficit. EEG power indices and spectra in theta, delta and alpha frequency ranges are an effective reflection of cognitive status. In this article, a testing algorithm as a variant for assessing neurocognitive status in screening studies of large groups is discussed.

MRI Assessment of Motor Capabilities in Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy According to the Motor Function Measure Scale.

The research was aimed on the study of motor capabilities on the Motor Function Measure (MFM) scale in ambulant and non-ambulant patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and to conduct a correlation analysis between the results of the MFM scale and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data. A total of 46 boys who had genetically confirmed Duchenne muscular dystrophy (age from 2.1 to 16.7 years) and were in clinical rehabilitation were investigated. An assessment was performed according to the Motor Function Measure scale (subsections D1, D2, D3, and the total score), an MRI obtaining T1-VI of the muscles of the pelvic girdle was conducted, and the thighs and lower legs were further assessed in terms of the severity of fibrous-fat degeneration according to the Mercuri scale. In ambulant patients, the ability to stand up and move (D1) was 74.4%, axial and proximal motor functions (D2)­97.6%, distal motor functions (D3)­96.2%, and total score was 87.9%. In non-ambulant patients, the ability to stand up and move (D1) was 1.7%, axial and proximal motor functions (D2)­47%, distal motor functions (D3)­67.5%, and the total score­33.1%. A high inverse correlation (r = −0.7, p < 0.05) of the MRI data of the pelvic girdle and thighs with tasks D1, as well as a noticeable inverse correlation with tasks D2 (r = −0.6, p < 0.05) of the scale MFM, were revealed in the ambulant group of patients. In the non-ambulant group of patients, the MRI data of the lower legs muscles were characterized by a high inverse correlation (r = −0.7, p < 0.05) with tasks D3 and a noticeable inverse correlation (r = −0.6, p < 0.05) with tasks D1 of the MFM scale. Conclusion: The Motor Function Measure scale allows effective assessment of the motor capabilities of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at different stages of the disease, which is confirmed by visualization of fibro-fatty muscle replacement.

Long-Latency Event-Related Potentials (300-1000 ms) of the Visual Insight.

The line of insight research methods that have high temporal and surface resolution is not large-these are EEGs, EPs, and fMRI, as well as their combinations and various options for assessing temporal events of random understanding. The objective of this research was to study the classification of insight for visual illusory images consisting of several objects simultaneously according to the analysis of early, middle, late, and ultra-late components (up to 1000 ms) of event-related potentials (ERPs). ERP research on 42 healthy subjects (men) aged 20-28 years was performed. The stimuli were a line of visual images with an incomplete set of signs, as well as images-illusions, which, with different perceptions, represent different images. The results showed the similarity of the tests to correct recognition of fragments of unrecognition and double images. At the intermediate stage of perception (100-200 ms), in both cases, the activity of the central and frontal cortex decreased, mainly in the left hemisphere. At the later stages of information processing (300-500 ms), the temporal-parietal and occipital brain parts on the right were activated, with the difference that when double objects were perceived, this process expanded to 700-800 ms with the activation of the central and occipital fields of the right hemisphere. Outcomes allowed discussing two possible options for actualizing the mechanisms of long-term memory that ensure the formation of insight-the simultaneous perception of images as part of an illusion. The first of them is associated with the inhibition of the frontal cortex at the stage of synthesis of information flows, with the subsequent activation of the occipital brain parts. The second variant is traditional and manifests itself in the activation of the frontal brain areas, with the subsequent excitation of all brain fields by the mechanisms of exhaustive search.

Physiological and Medico-Social Research Trends of the Wave P300 and More Late Components of Visual Event-Related Potentials.

To extend the application of the late waves of the event-related potentials (ERPs) to multiple modalities, devices and software the underlying physiological mechanisms and responses of the brain for a particular sensory system and mental function must be carefully examined. The objective of this study was aimed to study the sensory processes of the "human-computer interaction" model when classifying visual images with an incomplete set of signs based on the analysis of early, middle, late and slow ERPs components. 26 healthy subjects (men) aged 20-26 years were investigated. ERPs in 19 monopolar sites according to the 10/20 system were recorded. Discriminant and factor analyzes (BMDP Statistical Software) were applied. The component N450 is the most specialized indicator of the perception of unrecognizable (oddball) visual images. The amplitude of the ultra-late components N750 and N900 is also higher under conditions of presentation of the oddball image, regardless of the location of the registration points. In brain pathology along with the pronounced asymmetry of the wave distribution, reduction of the N150 wave and lengthening of its peak latency, a line of regularities were noted. These include-a pronounced reduction in peak latency P250 and N350, an increased amplitude of N350 in the frontal and central points of registration, a decrease in the amplitude of N450 in the left frontal cortex and its increase in the occipital registration points, activation of the occipital cortex at a time interval of 400-500 ms, as well as fusion later waves. We called such phenomena of the development of cognitive ERP in brain pathology "the incongruence of ERP components". The results of the research are discussed in the light of the paradigm of the P300 wave application in brain-computer interface systems, as well as with the peculiarities in brain pathology.