Neurocognitive performance of badminton players at different competitive levels in visuospatial attention tasks.

Visuospatial attention (VSA) is a cognitive function that enables athletes, particularly those engaged in open-skill sports, to allocate attentional resources efficiently to the appropriate target and in the appropriate direction. Studies have indicated that expert players exhibit superior cognitive performance to that of novices. However, no study has investigated differences in VSA performance among elite, expert, and intermediate badminton players or the potential neurophysiological mechanisms underlying such differences. Accordingly, the present study explored neuropsychological and neurophysiological parameters during VSA tasks among badminton players of varying competitive levels. The study included 54 participants and divided them into three groups according to their competition records: elite (n = 18), expert (n = 18), and intermediate (n = 18). Their neuropsychological performance and brain event-related potentials (ERPs) during the Posner cueing paradigm were collected. Although the three groups did not differ in their accuracy rates, ERP N2 amplitudes, or N2 or P3 latencies, the elite and expert groups exhibited notably faster reaction times and more pronounced P3 amplitudes than did the intermediate group during the cognitive task. However, we did not observe these between-group differences when we controlled for the covariate training years. Additionally, the elite and expert groups exhibited comparable neurocognitive performance. These findings indicate that badminton players' competitive levels influence their VSA. However, the beneficial effects on neuropsychological and neurophysiological performance could stabilize after a certain level of badminton competence is reached. Year of training could also be a major factor influencing badminton players' neurocognitive performance in VSA tasks.

Distinct effects of long-term Tai Chi Chuan and aerobic exercise interventions on motor and neurocognitive performance in early-stage Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by movement disorders and probable cognitive impairment. Exercise plays an important role in PD management, and recent studies have reported improvement in motor symptoms and cognitive function following aerobic and Tai Chi Chuan exercise. AIM: To explore the different effects of Tai Chi Chuan and aerobic exercise on the clinical motor status and neurocognitive performance of patients with early-stage PD. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Parkinson's Disease Center at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and National Cheng Kung University Hospital. POPULATION: Patients with idiopathic PD. METHODS: Fifty-six patients with PD were recruited and divided into three groups: aerobic exercise (AE, N.=14), Tai Chi Chuan exercise (TE, N.=16), and control (CG, N.=13). Before and after a 12-week intervention period, we used unified Parkinson's disease rating scale Part III (UPDRS-III) scores and neuropsychological (e.g., accuracy rates [ARs] and reaction times [RTs]) and neurophysiological (e.g., event-related potential [ERP] N2 and P3 latencies and amplitudes) parameters to respectively assess the patients' clinical motor symptoms and neurocognitive performance when performing a working memory (WM) task. RESULTS: Compared to baseline, UPDRS-III scores were significantly lower in the AE and TE groups after the intervention period, whereas those for the CG group were higher. In terms of the neurocognitive parameters, when performing the WM task after the intervention period, the AE group exhibited significantly faster RTs and larger ERP P3 amplitudes, the TE group exhibited an improvement only in ERP P3 amplitude, and the CG group exhibited a significantly reduced ERP P3 amplitude. However, neither the TE nor the AE group exhibited improved ARs and ERP N2 performance. CONCLUSIONS: The present study supported the distinct effectiveness of Tai Chi Chuan and aerobic exercise for improving motor symptoms and providing neurocognitive benefits in PD patients. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: These results have important implications regarding the use of these exercise interventions for managing PD, particularly in the early stages.

Acute resistance exercise combined with whole body vibration and blood flow restriction: Molecular and neurocognitive effects in late-middle-aged and older adults.

Limited research exists regarding the effects of resistance exercise (RE) combined with whole body vibration (WBV), blood flow restriction (BFR), or both on the neuropsychological performance of working memory (WM) in late-middle-aged and older adults and regarding the physiological mechanisms underlying this effect. This study thus explored the acute molecular and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying WM performance following RE combined with WBV, BFR, or both. Sixty-six participants were randomly assigned into a WBV, BFR, or WBV + BFR group. Before and after the participants engaged in a single bout of isometric RE combined with WBV, BFR, or both, this study gathered data on several neurocognitive measures of WM performance, namely, accuracy rate (AR), reaction time (RT), and brain event-related potential (specifically P3 latency and amplitude), and data on biochemical indices, such as the levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), norepinephrine (NE), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Although none of the RE modalities significantly affected RTs and P3 latencies, ARs and P3 amplitudes significantly improved in the WBV and WBV + BFR groups. The WBV + BFR group exhibited greater improvements than the WBV group did. Following acute RE combined with WBV, BFR, or both, IGF-1 and NE levels significantly increased in all groups, whereas BDNF levels did not change. Crucially, only the changes in NE levels were significantly correlated with improvements in ARs in the WBV + BFR and WBV groups. The findings suggest that combining acute RE with WBV, BFR, or both could distinctively mitigate neurocognitive decline in late-middle-aged and older adults.

Fatigue Affects Body Acceleration During Vertical Jumping and Agility Tasks in Elite Young Badminton Players.

BACKGROUND: Badminton is a sport demanding both high aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels, and fatigue can significantly impact game performance. However, relevant studies are limited, and none have employed a wearable inertial measurement unit (IMU) to investigate the effects of fatigue on athletic performance in the field. HYPOTHESIS: Overall performance and body acceleration in both time and frequency domains during the fundamental badminton skills of vertical jumping and changes of direction will be affected by fatigue. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3. METHODS: A total of 38 young badminton players competing at the Division I level participated. Body accelerations while performing vertical jump and agility-T tests before and immediately after undergoing a fatigue protocol were measured by an IMU, positioned at the L4 to L5 level. RESULTS: Jumping height decreased significantly by 4 cm (P < 0.01) after fatigue with greater downward acceleration (1.03 m/s2, P < 0.05) during the squatting subphase. Finishing time increased significantly by 50 ms only during the 10-m side-shuffling of the agility-T test (P = 0.02) after fatigue with greater peak and mean accelerations (3.83 m/s2, P = 0.04; 0.43 m/s2, P < 0.01), and higher median and mean frequency (0.38 Hz, P = 0.04, 0.11 Hz, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study using a wearable IMU demonstrates the effects of fatigue on body acceleration in badminton players. The frequency-domain analysis further indicated that fatigue might lead to loss of voluntary control of active muscles and increased impacts on the passive elastic elements. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The findings imply that fatigue can lead to diminished athletic performance and highlight the potential for an increased risk of sports injuries. Consequently, maintaining precision in monitoring fatigue is crucial for elite young badminton players.

The relationships between motor skills and executive functions in children with and without autism spectrum disorder.

To date, information on associations between motor skills and executive functions (EF) in autistic children is limited. The purpose of this study was to compare motor skills and EF performance between autistic children and typically developing (TD) children and to examine the relationships between motor skills and EF in these two groups. Forty-eight autistic children and 48 TD children aged 6 to 12 years were recruited for this study. Motor skills were measured with the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2 (BOT-2). EF was assessed with the Stroop Color and Word Test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST), and the Test of Attentional Performance: Go/No-go test. Independent sample t-tests were used to compare the BOT-2 scores and EF measures between autistic children and TD children. Pearson product-moment correlation and regressions were conducted to assess the relationships between the BOT-2 scores and the EF measures for each group. Results showed that autistic children scored significantly lower than TD children on all four BOT-2 composite scores and a total motor composite. Autistic children also demonstrated significantly lower levels of performance on all EF measures than TD children. Further, autistic children showed more significant associations between motor skills and EF than TD children, particularly pronounced in the domains of fine manual control and manual coordination to cognitive flexibility, as well as manual coordination and inhibitory control. Continued development of motor skills and EF in autistic children is important. The relationships between motor skills and EF were significant among autistic children, suggesting future research on promoting EF through motor skill interventions in autistic children is required.

Exploring the top-cited literature in telerehabilitation for joint replacement using the descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics model: A thematic and bibliometric analysis.

BACKGROUND: Telerehabilitation offers a novel approach supplementing or replacing traditional physical rehabilitation. While research on telerehabilitation for joint replacement (TJR) has expanded, no study has investigated the top 100 cited articles (T100TJR) using the descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics (DDPP) model. This study aims to examine the features of T100TJR in TJR through the DDPP approaches. METHODS: A comprehensive search of the Web of Science Core Collection was conducted to locate all pertinent English-language documents from the database's inception until August 2, 2023. The T100TJR articles were then identified based on citation counts. The DDPP analytics model, along with 7 visualization techniques, was used to analyze metadata elements such as countries, institutions, journals, authors, references, and keywords. An impact timeline view was employed to highlight 2 particularly noteworthy articles. RESULTS: We analyzed 712 articles and observed a consistent upward trend in publications, culminating in a noticeable peak in 2022. The United States stood out as the primary contributor. A detailed examination of the top 100 articles (T100TJR) revealed the following leading contributors since 2010: the United States (by country), University of Sherbrooke, Canada (by institutions), 2017 (by publication year), and Dr Hawker from Canada (by authors). We delineated 4 major themes within these articles. The theme "replacement" dominated, featuring in 89% of them. There was a strong correlation between the citations an article garnered and its keyword prominence (F = 3030.37; P < .0001). Additionally, 2 particularly high-impact articles were underscored for recommendation. CONCLUSIONS: Telerehabilitation for TJR has seen rising interest, with the U.S. leading contributions. The study highlighted dominant themes, especially "replacement," in top-cited articles. The significant correlation between article citations and keyword importance indicates the criticality of keyword selection. The research underscores the importance of 2 pivotal articles, recommending them for deeper insights.

Motion sense sensitivity of the ankle is abnormal and correlated with motor performance in children with and without a probable developmental coordination disorder.

This study systematically examined ankle motion sense sensitivity and its relation to motor functions in children with and without a probable developmental coordination disorder (pDCD). Seventy-two children aged 10-11 years were recruited, including thirty-six children with pDCD and 36 age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) children. Children placed their dominant foot on a passive ankle motion apparatus that induced plantar flexion of the ankle under nine constant velocities ranging between 0.15 and 1.35°/s. The adjusted movement detection time (ADT) to passive ankle motion was obtained to measure ankle motion sense sensitivity. The results showed that, in comparison to that in the TD group, ankle ADT was significantly increased by 22-59% for the range of velocities in the pDCD group. A correlation analysis showed that mean ADTs were significantly correlated with the manual dexterity (r = -0.33, p = 0.005) and balance (r = -0.24, p = 0.046) scores on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2) in the combined group. Similar correlations were found between the ADTs and the manual dexterity (r = -0.37, p = 0.028) and total motor (r = -0.34, p = 0.047) scores in the TD group. This study documents that ankle motion sense sensitivity to passive foot motion is reduced and is likely to contribute to poor motor performance in children with and without pDCD.

The 95% control lines on both confirmed cases and days of infection with COVID-19 were applied to compare the impact on public health between 2020 and 2021 using the hT-index.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, is now a worldwide pandemic. The number of infected people has continually increased, and currently, this pandemic continues to present challenges to public health. Scatter plots are frequently used to interpret the impact in relation to confirmed cases. However, the 95% confidence intervals are rarely given to the scatter plot. The objective of this study was to; Develop 95% control lines on daily confirmed cases and infected days for countries/regions in COVID-19 (DCCIDC) and; Examine their impacts on public health (IPH) using the hT-index. METHODS: All relevant COVID-19 data were downloaded from GitHub. The hT-index, taking all DCCIDCs into account, was applied to measure the IPHs for counties/regions. The 95% control lines were proposed to highlight the outliers of entities in COVID-19. The hT-based IPHs were compared among counties/regions between 2020 and 2021 using the choropleth map and the forest plot. The features of the hT-index were explained using the line chart and the box plot. RESULTS: The top 2 countries measured by hT-based IPHs were India and Brazil in 2020 and 2021. The outliers beyond the 95% confidence intervals were Hubei (China), with a lower hT-index favoring 2021 ( = 6.4 in 2021 vs 15.55 in 2020) and higher hT indices favoring 2021 in Thailand (28.34 vs 14,77) and Vietnam (27.05 vs 10.88). Only 3 continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe had statistically and significantly fewer DCCIDCs (denoted by the hT-index) in 2021. The hT-index generalizes the h-index and overcomes the disadvantage without taking all elements (e.g., DCCIDCs) into account in features. CONCLUSIONS: The scatter plot combined with the 95% control lines was applied to compare the IPHs hit by COVID-19 and suggested for use with the hT-index in future studies, not limited to the field of public health as we did in this research.

The effects of a magic-based intervention on self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and quality of life among community-dwelling older adults: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Magic-based programs have been utilised to enhance well-being across various health aspects. However, there is a lack of studies on whether performing magic tricks can provide mental health benefits for older adults living in the community. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of a magic-based intervention program on self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and quality of life (QOL), and to examine the relationship between these factors in older adults. METHODS: Thirty-eight participants, aged 60-90 years, were randomly assigned to either a magic intervention group or a control group. The magic intervention program, tailored for older adults, was conducted for 90 min, twice weekly, over 6 weeks. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF scores were measured and analyzed in both groups before and after the intervention. RESULTS: The magic-based intervention significantly increased self-esteem and reduced depressive symptoms in older adults, with large effect sizes. However, no significant impact on QOL was observed. Additionally, no significant correlation was found between the improvement in self-esteem and the reduction in depressive levels. Despite this, a moderate but significant negative correlation was detected between the post-intervention scores of RSE and GDS-15 in the magic intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that the magic intervention program was beneficial in promoting mental health in community-dwelling older adults. Implementing magic programs in communities appears to be an effective approach to enhance self-esteem and alleviate depressive symptoms in the older population.

MVPA and Motor Proficiency between Children with ADHD and Typical Development: Associations with Sleep Quality.

PURPOSE: This study examined the associations of motor proficiency with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sleep quality in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and children with typical development (TD). METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 88 medical-naive children with ADHD age 6-12 yr (mean (SD) age, 8.43 (1.38) yr; 81.8% boys) and 40 age-matched children with TD (mean (SD) age, 8.46 (1.44) yr; 60% boys). MVPA was recorded by a wGT3X-BT accelerometer for 7 consecutive days. Motor proficiency was assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-Third Edition. Sleep quality was assessed using a self-report questionnaire. RESULTS: Children with ADHD spent significantly less time in MVPA daily, displayed less proficiency in locomotor and ball skills, and reported poorer sleep quality (e.g., longer sleep latency, less sleep duration, and lower sleep efficiency) than children with TD. MVPA guideline attainment and sleep duration significantly predicted locomotor skills development; in turn, locomotor skills predicted MVPA guideline attainment. MVPA and ball skills increased by age in children with ADHD. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the importance of promoting MVPA, motor proficiency, and sleep duration in children with ADHD and TD since childhood.

The predictive relationships between advanced dynamic balance and physical activity/quality of life in Parkinson's disease.

Gait and balance problems commonly occur in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, balance tasks with only one performance objective (e.g., sit-to-stand) may not be sufficient, compared to dual motor tasks (e.g., carrying a tray while walking), to be applied to the assessments and interventions which are designed to promote PD patients' balance functioning, physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life (HQoL). The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine whether advanced dynamic balance, measured by a demanding motor-motor dual task, is a significant predictor of PA/HQoL in older adults with and without PD. Participants with (n = 22) and without (n = 23) PD were assessed using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the single leg hop and stick series task (SLHS), the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE), and the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ39). We calculated the R2 change, namely the incremental validity, between the multiple regression models before and after adding the scores on the BBS/SLHS. While controlling for biological and socioeconomic covariates, competence in the SLHS task provided moderate and large levels of incremental validity to PA (ΔR2 = 0.08, Cohen's f2 = 0.25, p = .035) and HQoL (ΔR2 = 0.13, Cohen's f2 = 0.65, p < .001), respectively. In particular for participants with PD, the SLHS explained significantly more variance in HQoL in relation to psychosocial functioning (ΔR2 = 0.25, Cohen's f2 = 0.42, p = .028) compared to the BBS (p = .296). Assessing advanced dynamic balance by means of a highly demanding dual-task paradigm was not only strongly associated with PA but also covered a wider spectrum of HQoL components. This approach is recommended for use in evaluations and interventions carried out in clinical and research settings in order to promote healthy living.

Table Tennis, as a Method of Sensorimotor Training, Induces Haptic and Motor Gains in Children With a Probable Developmental Coordination Disorder.

This study examined whether table tennis as a method of sensorimotor training improves haptic and motor function and to what extent haptic function gain correlates with changes in motor ability in children with probable developmental coordination disorder (pDCD). Children with pDCD were randomly assigned to the table tennis and nontraining control groups. The children in the table tennis group received 36 sessions of table tennis training, including ball balancing, hitting the ball against the wall, strokes, and serving. Haptic sensitivity, acuity, and motor function domains were measured. The results showed a 41.5% improvement in haptic sensitivity in children exposed to table tennis training compared with 2.8% in those without training. This improved haptic sensitivity significantly correlated with motor function gain, suggesting that somatosensory gains occur simultaneously with changes in motor function in children with pDCD. This novel upper limb motor training approach may be an interesting method of sensorimotor training in neurological rehabilitation in children with pDCD.

Visual responses of patients with generalized anxiety disorder who cycling in the virtual sportscapes with different tree cover densities.

The tree density of virtual sportscape is the main factor that determines the benefits that generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) patients can obtain when they exercise with virtual environment. By using pupil size, fixation count and time as metrics, this research aimed to clarify the relationship between tree cover density and stress in the virtual environment. Ninety GAD patients were randomly grouped into the 36-60% tree density (high tree density, HTDS), 20-35% tree density (medium tree density, MTDS), or control groups (n = 30). Researchers used eye-tracking technology to analyze fixation time, fixation count and changes in pupil size to evaluate the stress changes of participants after 20 min of aerobic exercise in a virtual environment. The results showed that pupil size expanded in GAD patients after exercising in the virtual environment. Furthermore, GAD patient cycling in the MTDS group can show smaller pupil size than those in HTDS. Those results suggest that GAD patient cycling 20 min in the MTDS group can perceived lower stress. The results of eye tracking analysis showed that GAD patients spend more time and counts observing tree elements in HTDS and MTDS sportscapes. Specifically, they spent more 48% and 27% time on tree and green plants in the HTDS condition and MTDS condition, respectively, than in non-natural sportsscapes. Although 36-60% tree density of virtual natural sportscape can get more visual attention from GAD patients, 20-35% tree density of virtual natural sportscape is more capable of reducing their stress.

Corrigendum: The Effects of a Magic Intervention Program on Cognitive Function and Neurocognitive Performance in Elderly Individuals With Mild Cognitive Impairment.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.854984.].

Effects of 12 weeks of aerobic exercise combined with resistance training on neurocognitive performance in obese women.

Background/Objectives: To the best of our knowledge, there have been no previous studies conducted on the long-term effects of an exercise intervention on deficits in inhibitory control in obese individuals. The aim of this study was thus to examine the effect of 12 weeks of a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise on behavioral and cognitive electrophysiological performance involving cognitive interference inhibition in obese individuals. Methods: Thirty-two qualified healthy obese women were randomly divided into either an exercise group (EG, age: 34.76 ± 5.52 years old; BMI: 29.35 ± 3.52 kg/m2) or a control group (CG, age: 33.84 ± 7.05 years old; BMI: 29.61 ± 4.31 kg/m2). All participants performed the Stroop task, with electrophysiological signals being collected simultaneously before and after a 12-week intervention. The estimated V̇O2max, muscular strength, and body fat percentage (measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) were also assessed within one week before and after the intervention. Participants in the EG group engaged in 30 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise combined with resistance exercise, 5 sessions per week for 12 weeks, while the participants in the CG group maintained their regular lifestyle without engaging in any type of exercise. Results: The results revealed that although a 12-week exercise intervention did not enhance the behavioral indices [e.g., accuracy rates (ARs) and reaction times (RTs)] in the EG group, significantly shorter N2 and P3 latencies and greater P2 and P3 amplitudes were observed. Furthermore, the fat percentage distribution (e.g. total body fat %, trunk fat %, and leg fat %) and level of physical fitness (e.g. estimated V̇O2max and muscular strength) in the EG group were significantly improved. The changes prior to and after the intervention in the P3 amplitude and trunk fat percentage were significantly negatively correlated in the EG group (r = -0.521, p = 0.039). Conclusions: These findings suggested that 12 weeks of aerobic exercise combined with resistance exercise in obese women affects cognitive function broadly, but not specifically in terms of inhibitory control. The percentage of decreased trunk fat may play a potential facilitating role in inhibition processing in obesity.

Levels and patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior in adults with and without visual impairment.

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available on objectively measured physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) among adults with and without visual impairment (VI). OBJECTIVE: To compare PA and SB levels and patterns in adults with and without VI and to examine how these differ based on sex and day of the week. METHODS: Thirty-two participants with VI and 32 participants without VI participated in this cross-sectional study. PA and SB were assessed using GT3X ActiGraph accelerometers during waking hours for 7 days, and variables were examined in terms of disability group, sex, and day of the week. Nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used, and significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: PA did not differ in terms of sex or day of the week in participants with VI. The PA of participants without VI was significantly higher for men than it was for women and was significantly higher during weekdays than on weekend days. Total sedentary time and the duration of SB breaks were significantly longer for female participants with VI than for those without VI. The number of sedentary bouts lasting ≥10 min during weekend days was significantly higher for participants with VI than for those without VI. CONCLUSIONS: Most adults with and without VI did not meet the recommended levels of daily PA and spend a large portion of the day being sedentary. Interventions to enhance PA and reduce sedentary time in adults with and without VI are required.

Visual Attention, Behavioral Intention, and Choice Behavior Among Older Consumers Toward Sports Marketing Images: An Eye-Tracking Study.

Mental health benefits (i.e., relaxing and relieving pressure) can influence consumers' consumption decisions. However, there is still no clear understanding of the impact of mental health benefits on visual attention, behavioral intention, and choice behavior. Study 1 was thus aimed at exploring the visual attention and behavioral intention of older consumers with respect to exercise consumption. A sample of 186 older consumers was investigated. An eye-tracking analysis was used to evaluate the visual attention of participants observing health promotion messages, and questionnaires were used to assess the behavioral intention of the older consumers under consideration in this work. The findings confirmed that marketing pictures combining natural sportscapes with prevention focus messages (i.e., conveying information to consumers that it is safe and not easy to be injured when engaging in yoga activities in natural settings) can best capture older consumers' visual attention (e.g., fixation numbers and fixation times) and behavioral intentions. In Study 2, 75 participants were recruited. It was found that marketing pictures combining natural sportscapes with prevention focus messages were selected more by the participants, with health communication images successfully attracting them to choose the sports program products being presented. The findings of the two studies suggested that marketing pictures can effectively stimulate consumers' visual attention and has effects on their behavioral intention and choices toward exercising in a safe, natural environment.

The Effects of a Magic Intervention Program on Cognitive Function and Neurocognitive Performance in Elderly Individuals With Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Objectives: Cognitive training is one of the management options for elderly individuals who suffer from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and an effective way to improve executive function. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a magic intervention program as a method of cognitive training in improving cognitive function and neurocognitive performance in this group. Methods: Twenty-four participants aged 60-80 years with MCI were recruited and randomly assigned to a magic intervention group or a control group. The magic intervention group received a 6-week magic intervention program. The primary endpoints were the scores for the cognitive assessment tests [e.g., Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)] for general cognitive function. The secondary endpoints were the behavioral [e.g., accuracy and reaction times] and the electroencephalographic [e.g., event-related potential (ERP) P3 amplitudes] performance during the Flanker task to assess attention and inhibitory control. All variables were measured before and after the magic intervention. Results: The results showed that the 6-week magic intervention significantly improved the MoCA scores in the cognitive assessment tests although no significant pre-post intervention difference was observed in the MMSE scores. In terms of neurocognitive performance, the magic intervention had significantly positive effects on the accuracy, reaction times, and P3 amplitudes when performing the Flanker task. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the 6-week magic intervention had beneficial effects on the cognitive and electrophysiological performance in the elderly subjects with MCI. For such a group, lifestyle intervention programs that encourage participation such as the magic practice and performance may be a viable suggestion to prevent the progression of MCI to Alzheimer's disease.

Cyclic Strain Mitigates Nanoparticle Internalization by Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.

Background: Intravascular delivery of nanoparticles for theranostic application permits direct interaction of nanoparticles and vascular cells. Since vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), the major components of the vascular wall, are constantly subjected to mechanical stimulation from hemodynamic influence, we asked whether cyclic strain may modulate internalization of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) by cultured VSMCs. Methods: Cyclic strain (1 Hz and 10%) was applied with Flexcell system in cultured VSMCs from rats, with cell-associated MNPs (MNPcell) determined by a colorimetric iron assay. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy were used for morphology studies. Confocal microscopy was used to demonstrate distribution of actin assembly in VSMCs. Results: Incubation of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)-coated MNPs with VSMCs for 4 h induced microvilli formation and MNP internalization. Application of cyclic strain for 4-12 h significantly reduced MNPcell by up to 65% (p < 0.05), which was associated with blunted microvilli and reduced vesicle size/cell, but not vesicle numbers/cell. Confocal microscopy demonstrated that both cyclic strain and fibronectin coating of the culture plate reduced internalized MNPs, which were co-localized with vinculin. Furthermore, cytochalasin D reduced MNPcell, suggesting a role of actin polymerization in MNP uptake by VSMCs; however, a myosin II ATPase inhibitor, blebbistatin, exhibited no effect. Cyclic strain also attenuated uptake of PAA-MNPs by LN-229 cells and uptake of poly-L-lysine-coated MNPs by VSMCs. Conclusion: In such a dynamic milieu, cyclic strain may impede cellular internalization of nanocarriers, which spares the nanocarriers and augments their delivery to the target site in the lumen of vessels or outside of the circulatory system.

The Visual Attention and Psychological Responses from Older Customers to Wellness Service Pictures of Hotels.

Understanding the visual attention and psychological responses of consumers to marketing pictures allows hotel managers to design more attractive advertisements. Therefore, the purposes of the present study were to use an eye-tracking analysis to explore whether there were different effects from tourist hotels' wellness service pictures based on whether they had natural or built clues. The psychological responses with regard to perceived well-being and willingness to pay were also examined. Eighty-five older consumers were recruited. Their eye movement performance while observing marketing pictures with different visual clues and their subsequent psychological responses were measured. It was found that wellness service pictures with natural clues captured more visual attention and induced higher willingness-to-pay perceptions than those with built clues in these older consumers. The present results suggest that marketing pictures with natural clues may create positive visual responses in older customers and further enhance their purchase intention.