Effects of home-based EEG neurofeedback training as a non-pharmacological intervention for Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVES: Aberrant movement-related cortical activity has been linked to impaired motor function in Parkinson's disease (PD). Dopaminergic drug treatment can restore these, but dosages and long-term treatment are limited by adverse side-effects. Effective non-pharmacological treatments could help reduce reliance on drugs. This experiment reports the first study of home-based electroencephalographic (EEG) neurofeedback training as a non-pharmacological candidate treatment for PD. Our primary aim was to test the feasibility of our EEG neurofeedback intervention in a home setting. METHODS: Sixteen people with PD received six home visits comprising symptomology self-reports, a standardised motor assessment, and a precision handgrip force production task while EEG was recorded (visits 1, 2 and 6); and 3 × 1-hr EEG neurofeedback training sessions to supress the EEG mu rhythm before initiating handgrip movements (visits 3 to 5). RESULTS: Participants successfully learned to self-regulate mu activity, and this appeared to expedite the initiation of precision movements (i.e., time to reach target handgrip force off-medication pre-intervention = 628 ms, off-medication post-intervention = 564 ms). There was no evidence of wider symptomology reduction (e.g., Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III Motor Examination, off-medication pre-intervention = 29.00, off-medication post intervention = 30.07). Interviews indicated that the intervention was well-received. CONCLUSION: Based on the significant effect of neurofeedback on movement-related cortical activity, positive qualitative reports from participants, and a suggestive benefit to movement initiation, we conclude that home-based neurofeedback for people with PD is a feasible and promising non-pharmacological treatment that warrants further research.

Opportunities to improve goat production and food security in Botswana through forage nutrition and the use of supplemental feeds.

Goats fulfil a central role in food and nutritional security across Africa with over half of households owning or rearing goats in rural areas. However, goat performance is poor and mortality high. This study assessed the nutritional quality of commonly used feeds and proposes feed-baskets to enhance goat nutrition and health. Feeds were collected from 11 areas within the Central District of Botswana, and macronutrient analyses were conducted, including crude protein, fibre fractions, ash, and metabolizable energy (ME). Forage nutrition was compared across seasons and soil types. Additionally, seasonal supplementation trials were conducted to evaluate consumption rates of various supplements, including crop residues, pellets, Lablab purpureus, and Dichrostachys cinerea. Each supplement was provided ad libitum for a 24-h period, and consumption rates determined. Findings revealed significant differences in nutrition among various feed sources, across seasons, and in relation to soil types (p < 0.001). Consumption rates of supplements were higher during the dry season, possibly due to reduced forage availability. Supplement consumption rates varied across supplement type, with crop residues accounting for approximately 1% of dry matter intake, compared to up to 45% for pellets, 13% for L. purpureus, and 15% for D. cinerea. While wet season feed baskets exhibited higher ME values compared to dry-season feed-baskets, the relative impact of supplementation was more pronounced during the dry season. These results highlight the potential for optimizing goat diets through improved grazing and browsing management, especially during the reduced nutritional availability in the dry season in Botswana. Such diet optimisation may improve goat health and productivity, which may positively impact the food and financial security of smallholders by providing both increased yields and increased resilience. Importantly, rural communities can experience some of the lowest food security levels in the region. The interventions explored in this study utilise natural capital, often freely available, which can be deployed through existing husbandry systems, potentially making them accessible and practical to smallholders.

Cerastecins inhibit membrane lipooligosaccharide transport in drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections have limited treatment options. Synthesis, transport and placement of lipopolysaccharide or lipooligosaccharide (LOS) in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria are important for bacterial virulence and survival. Here we describe the cerastecins, inhibitors of the A. baumannii transporter MsbA, an LOS flippase. These molecules are potent and bactericidal against A. baumannii, including clinical carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates. Using cryo-electron microscopy and biochemical analysis, we show that the cerastecins adopt a serpentine configuration in the central vault of the MsbA dimer, stalling the enzyme and uncoupling ATP hydrolysis from substrate flipping. A derivative with optimized potency and pharmacokinetic properties showed efficacy in murine models of bloodstream or pulmonary A. baumannii infection. While resistance development is inevitable, targeting a clinically unexploited mechanism avoids existing antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Although clinical validation of LOS transport remains undetermined, the cerastecins may open a path to narrow-spectrum treatment modalities for important nosocomial infections.

Some pressures are more equal than others: Effects of isolated pressure on performance.

It is commonly assumed that performance is impaired by pressure and that different types of individual situational factors can produce equivalent pressure. Our aim was to explore the psychophysiological effects of pressure to test this assumption. Eighty-one novices completed a golf putting task under control and eight individual pressure conditions: time, difficulty, video, team, goal, fame, shame, and distraction. Performance was measured by the number of holed putts and ball-hole distance. Psychological, physiological and kinematic measures were collected. Performance was impaired by time and difficulty conditions but improved by team, goal and shame conditions compared to control. Perceived pressure and effort were higher than control in all conditions except distraction. Conscious processing was greater than control in all conditions except distraction and time constraint. Heart rate was faster with time, team, fame and shame. Heart rate variability and muscle activity were largely unaffected. Putter kinematics provided evidence of swing profiles slowing and/or becoming constrained in conditions where conscious processing increased, while the swing became faster in the time-pressure condition where conscious processing was decreased. Taken together, these results reveal heterogenous effects of pressure on performance, with performance impaired, unaffected, and improved by individual pressure situations. Similarly, heterogeneity characterized the effects of pressure on psychological, physiological and kinematic responses associated with task performance. In sum, the evidence challenges the standard tacit assumptions about the pressure-performance relationship in sport.

Breast Cancer Polygenic-Risk Score Influence on Risk-Reducing Endocrine Therapy Use: Genetic Risk Estimate (GENRE) Trial 1-Year and 2-Year Follow-Up.

Refinement of breast cancer risk estimates with a polygenic-risk score (PRS) may improve uptake of risk-reducing endocrine therapy (ET). A previous clinical trial assessed the influence of adding a PRS to traditional risk estimates on ET use. We stratified participants according to PRS-refined breast cancer risk and evaluated ET use and ET-related quality of life (QOL) at 1-year (previously reported) and 2-year follow-ups. Of 151 participants, 58 (38.4%) initiated ET, and 22 (14.6%) discontinued ET by 2 years; 42 (27.8%) and 36 (23.8%) participants were using ET at 1- and 2-year follow-ups, respectively. At the 2-year follow-up, 39% of participants with a lifetime breast cancer risk of 40.1% to 100.0%, 18% with a 20.1% to 40.0% risk, and 16% with a 0.0% to 20.0% risk were taking ET (overall P = 0.01). Moreover, 40% of participants whose breast cancer risk increased by 10% or greater with addition of the PRS to a traditional breast cancer-risk model were taking ET versus 0% whose risk decreased by 10% or greater (P = 0.004). QOL was similar for participants taking or not taking ET at 1- and 2-year follow-ups, although most who discontinued ET did so because of adverse effects. However, these QOL results may have been skewed by the long interval between QOL surveys and lack of baseline QOL data. PRS-informed breast cancer prevention counseling has a lasting, but waning, effect over time. Additional follow-up studies are needed to address the effect of PRS on ET adherence, ET-related QOL, supplemental breast cancer screening, and other risk-reducing behaviors. PREVENTION RELEVANCE: Risk-reducing medications for breast cancer are considerably underused. Informing women at risk with precise and individualized risk assessment tools may substantially affect the incidence of breast cancer. In our study, a risk assessment tool (IBIS-polygenic-risk score) yielded promising results, with 39% of women at highest risk starting preventive medication.

Rethinking efficiency: Growth curves as a proxy for inputs and impacts in finishing beef systems.

Quantifying and improving efficiency within beef systems is essential for economic and environmental sustainability. The industry standard for assessing efficiency is liveweight gain per day, however, this metric is limited in that it values each day of a growing animal's life as equally costly, despite the increasing maintenance requirements, inputs, and emissions associated with increasing liveweight. Quantifying the area under the growth curve (AUC) considers both time and liveweight as a cost and therefore may hold potential as a better estimate of cost, impact, and efficiency in beef systems. Liveweight data was taken from 439 finishing beef cattle split across three herds grazing on different pastures, known as 'farmlets'. Analysis was conducted in three parts: [1] Validation of AUC as a proxy for costs using data from a sub-set of 87 animals that had been part of a previous life cycle assessment (LCA) study in which dry matter intake (DMI), methane emissions (CH4), and nitrous oxide emissions (N2O) were calculated. [2] Calculation of AUC relative to liveweight gain (LWG AUC-1) and comparison of that metric against the industry standard of liveweight gain per day (LWG day-1). [3] Assessment of how LWG AUC-1 varied with breed, sex, and management. When comparing to LCA results, AUC correlated significantly with DMI (r = 0.886), CH4 (r = 0.788) and N2O (r = 0.575) emissions. Over the full dataset, there was a negative non-linear relationship between LWG AUC-1 and slaughter age (r = -0.809). There was a significant difference in LWG AUC-1 between breeds (p = 0.046) and farmlets (p = 0.028), but not sex (p = 0.388). LWG AUC-1 has the potential to act as a proxy for feed intake and emissions. In that regard it is superior to LWG day-1, whilst requiring no additional data. Results highlighted the decreasing efficiency of beef cattle over time and the potential benefits of earlier slaughter. The use of LWG AUC-1 could allow farmers to improve their understanding of efficiency within their herds, aiding informed management decision making.

Longitudinal functional outcomes and late effects of radiation following treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The study objectives were: provide longitudinal data on upper aerodigestive tract function and late complications following IMRT for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and elucidate factors that might predict a worse outcome. The hypotheses were: (1) Despite advances such as IMRT, radiation will cause significant functional decline and late complications that often progress or arise years after treatment. (2) Larger radiation volume will be associated with poorer outcomes. METHODS: Longitudinal, observational cohort study of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with retrospective analysis of prospectively collected, population-based data. Late sequelae and validated measures of overall performance, speech, and swallowing were documented pre-treatment and 3,6,12, 24, 36 and ≥ 60-months post-treatment. RESULTS: Forty-two patients treated curatively with radiation (N = 9) or chemoradiation (N = 33) were followed for a median 74 months. Functional outcomes showed an initial nadir at 3 months associated with acute effects of treatment, followed by initial recovery. There was subsequent functional decline years post-treatment with advancing dysphagia/aspiration, trismus, muscle spasm, and hypoglossal nerve palsy. Univariable regression analysis revealed that increasing high-dose radiation volumes (PTV 70 Gy) were associated with increased likelihood of less than solid diet (Performance Status Scale (PSS)-Normalcy of Diet score < 50; p = 0.04), and reduced PSS-Understandability of Speech (p = 0.005). The probability of poor outcome increased with time. Eleven percent of patients were tube feed dependent at ≥ 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Despite improvements in radiation delivery, late effects of radiation remain common. Higher radiation volumes are associated with poorer outcomes that worsen over time.

Do Sustainable Palliative Single Fraction Radiotherapy Practices Proliferate or Perish 2 Years after a Knowledge Translation Campaign?

In early 2017, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and CancerCare Manitoba undertook a comprehensive knowledge translation (KT) campaign to improve the utilization of single fraction radiotherapy (SFRT) over multiple fraction radiotherapy (MFRT) for palliative management of bone metastases. The campaign significantly increased short-term SFRT utilization. We assess the time-dependent effects of KT-derived SFRT utilization 12-24 months removed from the KT campaign in a Provincial Cancer Program. This study identified patients receiving palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases in Manitoba in the 2018 calendar year using the provincial radiotherapy database. The proportion of patients treated with SFRT in 2018 was compared to 2017. Logistic regression analyses identified risk factors associated with MFRT receipt. In 2018, 1008 patients received palliative radiotherapy for bone metastasis, of which 63.3% received SFRT, a small overall increase in SFRT use over 2017 (59.1%). However, 41.1% of ROs demonstrated year-over-year decreases in SFRT utilization, indicative of a time-dependent loss of SFRT prescription habits derived from KT. Although SFRT use increased slightly overall in 2018, evidence of compliance fatigue was observed, suggestive of a time-perishing property of RO prescription behaviours derived from KT methodologies. Verification of the study's findings in larger cohorts would be beneficial. These findings highlight the need for additional longitudinal KT reinforcement practices in the years following KT campaigns.

Improving testicular examinations on paediatric patients in the emergency department: A quality improvement study to improve early diagnosis of testicular torsion.

Objective: Male paediatric patients presenting with abdominal and/or testicular pain are common in the emergency department. As a time-sensitive diagnosis, the importance of early recognition, referral, and definitive management is critical. Missed or delayed diagnoses and management of testicular torsion can result in significant long-term sequelae including impaired fertility and psychological burden. In this quality improvement study, we utilised educational posters aiming to improve awareness of testicular torsion as a differential for abdominal pain and therefore, improve the quality of testicular examinations performed in the emergency department. Methods: Observational pre- and post-intervention study was conducted at a tertiary hospital emergency department. A pre-interventional retrospective review of the electronic medical records was conducted. All male patients under 16-years-old presenting with "abdominal pain" or "testicular problem" were included. We assessed the rate of testicular examination and the quality of the examination based on four domains: Cremasteric reflex, lie, swelling, and hardness. Educational posters targeting both patients and clinicians were placed around the emergency department. Subsequent review of the electronic medical records post-intervention was performed assessing the same domains. Results: A total of 235 presentations were analysed with 124 in the pre-intervention group and 111 in the post-intervention group. Overall rate of documented testicular examinations increased by 14% (p=0.032). The quality of testicular examinations also improved from an average of 0.85 domains documented to 2.29 post-intervention (p<0.001). Subgroup analysis found doctors in training had a greater improvement in both rate and quality of documented testicular examination. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated the value of continuing education in promoting awareness of testicular torsion in the emergency department. We found a clear improvement in the quality of clinical documentation of a time-sensitive condition which may infer a decreased risk of missed and delayed diagnosis of testicular torsion.

Effects of Cooperation and Competition on Performance, Emotion, and Effort: Goal and Means Interdependence.

Social interdependence theory proposes that task structure influences performance via social interaction. Using this framework, we examined sport performance. Fifty-six males performed a basketball task under four conditions: as an individual (individual, perform your best) and as a member of a team of two (cooperation, where teammates sought to better their individual performance; means independent competition, where two teams competed sequentially to outperform the other team; means interdependent competition, where two teams competed simultaneously to outperform the other team). Task performance (points) was better during means independent competition than other conditions. Anxiety and effort peaked during the competitions and enjoyment was greater during competition and cooperation than during the individual condition. Emotions, effort, and actions are discussed as explanations for the performance effects. Social interdependence theory provides a valuable framework to understand emotion, motivation, and performance. Team competition can be used to promote effort and enhance performance in sport.

Carpal tunnel syndrome and Raynaud's phenomenon: a narrative review.

BACKGROUND: Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is a recognized symptom associated with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and is also the vascular manifestation of hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). The symptoms of HAVS and CTS are such that there is a significant possibility of misdiagnosis and an incorrect attribution of vascular and sensory symptoms. An understanding of the relationship between RP and CTS is essential when undertaking health surveillance of vibration-exposed workers presenting with combined vascular and sensory symptoms. AIMS: To clarify the relationship between CTS and Raynaud's phenomenon. METHODS: A systematic search was undertaken of studies that reviewed links between CTS and Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). RESULTS: A total of 4170 papers were identified, with 21 articles that were then reviewed in full, including 1 meta-analysis of 8 studies. Eighteen papers, not included in the meta-analysis, were found including 3 case control studies, 9 case reports, 2 prospective studies and 4 retrospective reviews. Papers were reviewed on the basis of the diagnostic criteria used for CTS and RP. Our review of the literature confirms a substantial body of evidence of a relationship between RP and CTS. CONCLUSIONS: It is recommended that assessment of vibration exposed individuals who report concurrent RP and separate sensory symptoms suggestive of, or compatible with CTS, should formally exclude CTS before attributing symptoms to HAVS.

Recommendations for Physical Activity in Asthma: A Work Group Report of the AAAAI Sports, Exercise, and Fitness Committee.

Regular physical activity not only improves general health but also can positively impact asthma outcomes, such as control and quality of life. Despite this, many asthma patients do not engage in regular physical activity because they mistakenly believe that they should restrict exercise participation. Health care providers have an opportunity to influence the physical activity levels of their patients during regular office visits. Nonetheless, health care providers often overlook physical activity counseling as an adjunct to pharmacological therapy in asthma patients, and in particular, overlook physical activity counseling. Some providers who acknowledge the benefits of physical activity report being unaware how to approach a conversation with patients about this topic. To address these issues, members of the Sports, Exercise, and Fitness Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) performed a focused literature search to identify and evaluate the effects of physical activity in patients with asthma. The purpose of this report is to summarize the evidence for physical activity's impact on asthma patients' disease control, pulmonary function, and overall well-being. Several subpopulations of patients with asthma, including children, adolescents, and older adults, are considered individually. In addition, this report offers practical recommendations for clinicians, including how to identify and overcome barriers to counseling, and methods to incorporate physical activity counseling into asthma treatment practice.

The effects of fatigued working memory functions on hypothesis testing during acquisition of a motor skill.

Implicit motor learning paradigms aim to minimize verbal-analytical engagement in motor performance. Some paradigms do this by decreasing working memory activity during practice, which reduces explicit processes associated with the search for motor solutions (e.g., hypothesis testing). Here we designed a mentally demanding motor task to fatigue working memory prior to motor practice and then tested whether it reduced hypothesis testing. Fifty-nine participants were randomly assigned to complete the mentally demanding motor task (cognitive fatigue group) or to complete an undemanding motor task (nonfatigued control group). Feelings of fatigue, working memory functions, electroencephalography (EEG) Fz power, and vagal control were assessed pre- and posttask to quantify the effect of the mentally demanding motor task on cognitive fatigue. Thereafter, an adapted shuffleboard task was completed to determine the impact on hypothesis testing. Hypothesis testing was assessed by self-report, technique changes, and equipment-use solutions. Additionally, verbal-analytical engagement in motor performance was (indirectly) gauged with EEG T7-Fz connectivity and T7 power measures. Participants in the cognitive fatigue group reported more fatigue and displayed moderated working memory functions and Fz theta power. During practice of the shuffleboard task, participants also displayed more technique changes and higher verbal-analytical engagement in motor planning (EEG T7-Fz connectivity), compared with participants in the control group. The mentally demanding motor task suppressed working memory functions, but resulted in more, rather than less, hypothesis testing during shuffleboard practice. The implications are discussed in the context of implicit motor learning theory. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Selected functional outcomes in advanced oral cancer: Comparison of surgery alone versus surgery with postoperative radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Study objectives were to determine whether the addition of postoperative radiation (PORT) resulted in a decline in oral function relative to surgery alone and to describe the longitudinal course of oral function following treatment of advanced oral cancer. METHODS: This was a 36-month retrospectively analyzed observational cohort study of patients with stage III-IV oral cancer. Prospectively collected, oral functional outcomes were acquired pretreatment and 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months post-treatment. RESULTS: One hundred and eighteen patients were included. Forty-three patients treated with surgery alone were compared to 75 who received surgery with PORT. Mixed model analysis demonstrated the acute effect of PORT was associated with patient-rated xerostomia (p < 0.001) and the late or persistent effect was associated with decreased clinician-rated eating in public (p = 0.008), understandability of speech (p = 0.02), and normalcy of diet (p = 0.005) compared with surgery alone. There were no differences between surgery alone and PORT groups in clinician-rated feeding tube dependence or patient-rated speech handicap. CONCLUSIONS: The use of PORT was associated with a demonstrable decline in oral function in four of six outcomes measures relative to surgery alone.

Do Coordinated Knowledge Translation Campaigns Persuade Radiation Oncologists to Use Single-Fraction Radiation Therapy Compared With Multiple-Fraction Radiation Therapy for Bone Metastases?

PURPOSE: Although level 1 evidence supports the use of single-fraction radiation therapy (SFRT) compared with multiple-fraction radiation therapy (MFRT) for the palliative management of bone metastases, SFRT is underused. In early 2017, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and CancerCare Manitoba undertook a comprehensive knowledge translation campaign in Manitoba, Canada featuring educational outreach visits, local consensus meetings, and audit and feedback interventions to encourage greater use of SFRT. This study assessed the impact of this campaign on SFRT use and identified variables associated with MFRT usage. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This retrospective, population-based cohort study identified all patients treated with palliative radiation therapy for bone metastases in Manitoba, Canada, from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017, using the provincial radiation therapy database. Baseline characteristics were extracted and tabulated by fractionation schedule. The proportion of patients treated with SFRT in 2017 (postintervention) was compared with the 2016 (preintervention) levels. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors associated with MFRT use. RESULTS: In 2017, 927 patients received palliative radiation therapy for bone metastasis, of which 548 (59.1%) received SFRT, a 21.1% absolute increase in SFRT use compared with 2016 levels (38.0%). With use of multivariable analysis, variables associated with receipt of MFRT included: complicated bone metastasis, soft tissue extension, hematological primary malignancy, and treatment at a subsidiary center. CONCLUSION: The comprehensive knowledge translation campaign carried out in Manitoba resulted in a significant increase in SFRT use for bone metastases. Continued audit/feedback strategies are recommended to further reinforce knowledge translation efforts supporting SFRT use in the future.

Impact of Personalized Genetic Breast Cancer Risk Estimation With Polygenic Risk Scores on Preventive Endocrine Therapy Intention and Uptake.

Endocrine therapy is underutilized to reduce breast cancer incidence among women at increased risk. Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) assessing 77 breast cancer genetic susceptibility loci personalizes risk estimates. We examined effect of personalized PRS breast cancer risk prediction on intention to take and endocrine therapy uptake among women at increased risk. Eligible participants had a 10-year breast cancer risk ≥5% by Tyrer-Cuzick model [International Breast Cancer Intervention Study (IBIS)] or ≥3.0 % 5-year Gail Model risk with no breast cancer history or hereditary breast cancer syndrome. Breast cancer risk was estimated, endocrine therapy options were discussed, and endocrine therapy intent was assessed at baseline. After genotyping, PRS-updated breast cancer risk estimates, endocrine therapy options, and intent to take endocrine therapy were reassessed; endocrine therapy uptake was assessed during follow-up. From March 2016 to October 2017, 151 patients were enrolled [median (range) age, 56.1 (36.0-76.4 years)]. Median 10-year and lifetime IBIS risks were 7.9% and 25.3%. Inclusion of PRS increased lifetime IBIS breast cancer risk estimates for 81 patients (53.6%) and reduced risk for 70 (46.4%). Of participants with increased breast cancer risk by PRS, 39 (41.9%) had greater intent to take endocrine therapy; of those with decreased breast cancer risk by PRS, 28 (46.7%) had less intent to take endocrine therapy (P < 0.001). On multivariable regression, increased breast cancer risk by PRS was associated with greater intent to take endocrine therapy (P < 0.001). Endocrine therapy uptake was greater among participants with increased breast cancer risk by PRS (53.4%) than with decreased risk (20.9%; P < 0.001). PRS testing influenced intent to take and endocrine therapy uptake. Assessing PRS effect on endocrine therapy adherence is needed.Prevention Relevance: Counseling women at increased breast cancer risk using polygenic risk score (PRS) risk estimates can significantly impact preventive endocrine therapy uptake. Further development of PRS testing to personalize breast cancer risk assessments and endocrine therapy counselling may serve to potentially reduce the incidence of breast cancer in the future.

Electroencephalographic neurofeedback training can decrease conscious motor control and increase single and dual-task psychomotor performance.

The control of human movements is thought to automize with repetition, promoting consistent execution and reduced dual-task costs. However, contingencies such as illness or constraints to regular movement patterns can promote conscious motor control, which can reduce movement proficiency and make dual-task situations more difficult. This experiment evaluated whether electroencephalographic neurofeedback training can reduce the adverse effects of conscious motor control. Twenty-five participants completed the timed-up-and-go task while wearing a leg brace to de-automize their regular movement, under both single and dual-task (walking + serial sevens) conditions, both before and after 30-min of neurofeedback training. Three different types of neurofeedback were prescribed across three laboratory visits. We hypothesised that training to decrease central EEG alpha-power at scalp sites above the supplementary motor area would facilitate performance compared to opposite (increase central EEG alpha-power) or sham neurofeedback training. Results revealed a pre-test to post-test improvement in performance on the single-task and on both aspects of the dual-task when participants were trained to decrease central EEG alpha-power. There were no benefits of opposite or sham neurofeedback training. Mediation analyses revealed that the improvement in dual-task motor performance was mediated by the improvement in cognitive performance. This suggests that the neurofeedback protocol was beneficial because it helped to reduce conscious control of the motor task. The findings could have important implications for rehabilitation and high-performance (e.g., elite sport) domains; neurofeedback could be prescribed to help alleviate the problems that can arise when individuals exert conscious motor control.

Watch out for the hazard! Blurring peripheral vision facilitates hazard perception in driving.

The objectives of this paper were to directly examine the roles of central and peripheral vision in hazard perception and to test whether perceptual training can enhance hazard perception. We also examined putative cortical mechanisms underpinning any effect of perceptual training on performance. To address these objectives, we used the gaze-contingent display paradigm to selectively present information to central and peripheral parts of the visual field. In Experiment 1, we compared hazard perception abilities of experienced and inexperienced drivers while watching video clips in three different viewing conditions (full vision; clear central and blurred peripheral vision; blurred central and clear peripheral vision). Participants' visual search behaviour and cortical activity were simultaneously recorded. In Experiment 2, we determined whether training with clear central and blurred peripheral vision could improve hazard perception among non-licensed drivers. Results demonstrated that (i) information from central vision is more important than information from peripheral vision in identifying hazard situations, for screen-based hazard perception tests, (ii) clear central and blurred peripheral vision viewing helps the alignment of line-of-gaze and attention, (iii) training with clear central and blurred peripheral vision can improve screen-based hazard perception. The findings have important implications for road safety and provide a new training paradigm to improve hazard perception.

Identification of potent inhibitors of the sortilin-progranulin interaction.

High-throughput screening methods have been used to identify two novel series of inhibitors that disrupt progranulin binding to sortilin. Exploration of structure-activity relationships (SAR) resulted in compounds with sufficient potency and physicochemical properties to enable co-crystallization with sortilin. These co-crystal structures supported observed SAR trends and provided guidance for additional avenues for designing compounds with additional interactions within the binding site.

I Am Great, but Only When I Also Want to Dominate: Maladaptive Narcissism Moderates the Relationship Between Adaptive Narcissism and Performance Under Pressure.

Narcissism-performance research has focused on grandiose narcissism but has not examined the interaction between its so-called adaptive (reflecting overconfidence) and maladaptive (reflecting a domineering orientation) components. In this research, the authors tested interactions between adaptive and maladaptive narcissism using two motor tasks (basketball and golf in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively) and a cognitive task (letter transformation in Experiment 3). Across all experiments, adaptive narcissism predicted performance under pressure only when maladaptive narcissism was high. In the presence of maladaptive narcissism, adaptive narcissism also predicted decreased pre-putt time in Experiment 2 and an adaptive psychophysiological response in Experiment 3, reflecting better processing efficiency. Findings suggest that individuals high in both aspects of narcissism perform better under pressure thanks to superior task processing. In performance contexts, the terms "adaptive" and "maladaptive"-adopted from social psychology-are oversimplistic and inaccurate. The authors believe that "self-inflated narcissism" and "dominant narcissism" are better monikers for these constructs.