MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Psychophysiology' source. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:43:34 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5668649&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2012.01364.x (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5668649 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:06:07 +0100 5668649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5649986&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01345.x This study provides initial validation of N2 conflict adaptation effects as cognitive function‐related aspects of cognitive control. (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5649986 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5649986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5649988&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01339.x (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5649988 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5649988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5649987&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01344.x In this study, 71 subjects (36 men, M = 20 years) breathed at 6 breaths per min. In condition one, subjects paced their breathing by inhaling and exhaling as a vertical bar moved up and down. In condition two, breathing was paced by a timed slideshow of positive images; subjects inhaled during a black screen and exhaled as the image appeared. Cardiac, respiratory, and self‐reported dyspnea and emotional indices were recorded. Tidal volume and the intensity and unpleasantness of dyspnea were reduced when paced breathing was combined with pleasant images. These results show that positive affect can reduce dyspnea during slow paced breathing, and may have applications for induced cardiovascular resonance. (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5649987 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5649987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5621227&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01340.x AbstractThis experiment investigated the moderating effect of masked anger versus sadness primes on objective task difficulty's impact on effort‐related cardiovascular response. Cardiovascular measures (ICG and blood pressure) were assessed during a habituation period and an easy versus difficult short‐term memory task during which participants were exposed to masked emotional facial expressions. As expected, sadness primes led to stronger cardiac preejection period (PEP) responses than anger primes when the task was easy. When the task was difficult, we observed the reversed pattern. Here, anger primes led to stronger PEP reactivity than sadness primes. Heart rate responses described the corresponding pattern. The results demonstrate that masked anger and sadness primes have different... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5621227 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:04:05 +0100 5621227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5621228&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01338.x AbstractEvent‐related potentials were used to examine the preparation of hand and foot responses in tasks using both limb systems. As in tasks using only one system, opposite lateralized readiness potentials were observed for hand and foot responses (Experiment 1). Furthermore, movement‐related activity at Cz was more positive prior to hand than foot responses, revealing that Cz activity can be used to index selective movement preparation by one limb system. In Experiment 2, two responses were cued prior to stimulus onset. Cue‐related activity at Cz was more positive with hand than foot cuing, reinforcing the conclusion that Cz activity is sensitive to selective preparation for one of these limb systems. Overall, the results show that it is possible to carry out motor preparation of ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5621228 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5621228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5610978&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01334.x (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5610978 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:55:37 +0100 5610978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5561954&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01330.x AbstractEffects of deception and expected duration on the rating of perceived exertion (RPE), affect, and heart rate (HR) were examined during treadmill (n = 12) and cycling (n = 8) exercise. Participants completed three conditions: (1) 20 MIN—exercise for 20 min, stop after 20 min; (2) 10 MIN—exercise for 10 min, in 10th min be told to exercise for 10 min more; and (3) UNKNOWN—no information about duration. Intensities were set at 70% and 65% of peak oxygen uptake for treadmill and cycling, respectively. RPE increased (treadmill) and affect decreased (treadmill and cycling) in the absence of changes in HR and oxygen uptake in the 10 MIN conditions. These changes suggest a disruption to a feed‐forward/feedback system. The lower HR in the UNKNOWN conditions sug... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5561954 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5561954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5561953&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01332.x This study examined whether frontal alpha electroencephalographic (EEG) asymmetry moderates the association between stressful life events and depressive symptoms in children at familial risk for depression. Participants included 135 children ages 6 to 13, whose mothers had either a history of depression or no history of major psychiatric conditions. Frontal EEG was recorded while participants watched emotion‐eliciting films. Symptoms and stressful life events were obtained via the Child Behavior Check List and a clinical interview, respectively. High‐risk children displayed greater relative right lateral frontal activation (F7/F8) than their low‐risk peers during the films. For high‐risk children, greater relative left lateral frontal activation moderated the association between st... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5561953 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5561953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5561952&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01331.x AbstractThis paper reviews research on age‐related changes in working memory and attention control. This work is interpreted within a framework labeled “GOLDEN aging” (growing of lifelong differences explains normal aging), which is based on the idea that normal aging (as opposed to pathological aging) represents maturational processes causing progressive shifts in the distributions of mental abilities over the lifespan. As such, brain phenomena observed in normal aging are already apparent, under appropriate conditions, in younger adults. Among the phenomena that can be interpreted according to the GOLDEN aging framework are reductions in working memory capacity, impairments of inhibitory processes, increases in frontal lobe activation, and lack of suppression of responses as a func... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5561952 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5561952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5561951&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01333.x AbstractEvent‐related potentials (ERPs) served to investigate whether phonological representations from both the first (L1) and second (L2) language of bilinguals are activated during silent reading of L2 words. French‐English late bilinguals and control monolingual English speakers read interlingual homophones (e.g., “knee” in English, which has substantial phonological overlap with the French word “nid,” meaning “nest”) and matched control words. Results showed a reduction in N400 amplitude in response to interlingual homophones in comparison to control words for bilinguals, but not for English monolinguals. The reduced N400 response to homophones in bilinguals suggests facilitation of word recognition. These results suggest parallel activation of both L1 and L2 phonologi... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5561951 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5561951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5561950&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01335.x AbstractLittle is known about transient effects of foods and nutrients on reactivity to mental stress. In a randomized crossover study of healthy adults (n = 20), we measured heart rate variability (respiratory sinus arrhythmia), blood pressure, and other hemodynamic variables after three test meals varying in type and amount of fat. Measurements were collected at rest and during speech and cold pressor tasks. There were significant postmeal changes in resting diastolic blood pressure (−4%), cardiac output (+18%), total peripheral resistance (−17%), and interleukin‐6 (−27%). Heart rate variability and hemodynamic reactivity to stress was not affected by meal content. We recommend that future studies control for time since last meal and continue to examine effects of meal conten... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5561950 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5561950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5561949&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01336.x AbstractDeviations from repetitive auditory stimuli evoke a mismatch negativity (MMN). Counterintuitively, omissions of repetitive stimuli do not. Violations of patterns reflecting complex rules also evoke MMN. To detect a MMN to missing stimuli, we developed an auditory gestalt task using one stimulus. Groups of six pips (50 ms duration, 330 ms stimulus onset asynchrony [SOA], 400 trials), were presented with an intertrial interval (ITI) of 750 ms while subjects (n = 16) watched a silent video. Occasional deviant groups had missing 4th or 6th tones (50 trials each). Missing stimuli evoked a MMN (p < .05). The missing 4th (−0.8 µV, p <.01) and the missing 6th stimuli (−1.1 µV, p < .05) were more negative than standard 6th stimuli (0.3 µV). MMN can be... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5561949 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5561949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5561948&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01337.x AbstractThe present study used event‐related potentials (ERPs) to provide precise temporal information about the modulation of masked repetition priming effects × word frequency during the course of target word recognition. Contrary to the pattern seen with behavioral response times in prior research, we predicted that high‐frequency words should generate larger and earlier peaking repetition priming effects than low‐frequency words in the N400 time window. This prediction was supported by the results of two experiments. Furthermore, repetition priming effects in the N250 time window were found for low‐frequency words in both experiments, whereas for high‐frequency words these effects were seen only at the shorter (50 ms stimulus onset asynchrony [SOA]) used in Experiment ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5561948 Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5561948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5526925&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01313.x AbstractPrevious studies demonstrated that concealed crime‐related memories can be validly identified using the Concealed Information Test (CIT). However, its field applicability is still debated, and it is specifically unknown how emotional arousal during a crime would influence CIT results. In the current study, emotional arousal during a mock crime and the time delay between mock crime and CIT examination were manipulated. At the immediate and the delayed CIT occasion, central crime details were better remembered than peripheral ones and enhanced emotional arousal further reduced memory for peripheral information. Electrodermal, respiratory, and cardiovascular responses to central crime details were strong and CIT validity was unaffected by delaying the test when arousal was induced d... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5526925 Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:19:59 +0100 5526925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5516321&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01328.x AbstractUnderlying mechanisms of increased pressor responses to stress in Blacks are poorly understood. Cardiovascular regulation of normotensive Black (n = 43) and Caucasian (n = 90) Africans was studied during a cold pressor and color‐word conflict test. Autonomic evaluation was performed by spectral analysis. Higher diastolic pressor and heart rate responses to the cold pressor test were observed in Black compared to Caucasian Africans. Autonomic efferent outflow to stress was comparable between groups. Transient downregulation of baroreflex during stress was evident in Blacks but not in Caucasians. Greater diastolic pressor responses were related to a higher cardiac reactivity, a baroreflex desensitization, and higher stress perception in Black Africans. Thus, increased stres... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5516321 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:16:20 +0100 5516321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5516331&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01314.x AbstractDuring speech perception, acoustic correlates of syllable structure and pitch periodicity are directly reflected in electrophysiological brain activity. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings were made while 10 participants listened to natural or formant‐synthesized speech at moderately fast or ultrafast rate. Cross‐correlation analysis was applied to show brain activity time‐locked to the speech envelope, to an acoustic marker of syllable onsets, and to pitch periodicity. The envelope yielded a right‐lateralized M100‐like response, syllable onsets gave rise to M50/M100‐like fields with an additional anterior M50 component, and pitch (ca. 100 Hz) elicited a neural resonance bound to a central auditory source at a latency of 30 ms. The strength of these MEG componen... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5516331 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5516331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5516330&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01315.x AbstractThe present ERP study investigated individual differences in the integration of verbal descriptions and visual object representations. Participants saw pictures of objects (e.g., a swimming duck) after listening to noun phrases describing the same object in the identical state, a shape‐mismatching state (“flying duck”), or an incongruent object (e.g., “sliced bread”). Individual differences in the vividness of mental imagery and preference for mental imagery were assessed after the experiment. ERP effects of context arose 170 ms after picture onset, differentiating the incongruent‐object context from the other two. The N400 mirrored these context effects. Self‐rated vividness of imagery affected responses to pictures already after 100 ms, and modulated the N400 ef... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5516330 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5516330 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5516329&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01318.x AbstractInformation is stored in distributed cortical networks, but it is unclear how distributed stores are synthesized into a unified percept. Activation of local circuits in the gamma range (30 < < 80 Hz), and distributed stores in the low theta range (3–5 Hz) may underlie perceptual binding. Words have a crucial role in semantic memory. Within memory, the activation of distributed semantic stores is facilitated by conceptually related previous items, termed semantic priming. We sought to detect event‐related brain oscillations (EROs) sensitive to semantic activation and priming. Here, we show that low theta evoked power and intertrial phase locking (4–5 Hz) from 250–350 msec over left hemisphere language areas was greater to related than to unrelated words. ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5516329 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5516329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5516328&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01320.x This article describes the mechanics and rationale of four different approaches to the statistical testing of electrophysiological data: (1) the Neyman‐Pearson approach, (2) the permutation‐based approach, (3), the bootstrap‐based approach, and (4) the Bayesian approach. These approaches are evaluated from the perspective of electrophysiological studies, which involve multivariate (i.e., spatiotemporal) observations in which source‐level signals are picked up to a certain extent by all sensors. Besides formal statistical techniques, there are also techniques that do not involve probability calculations but are very useful in dealing with multivariate data (i.e., verification of data‐based predictions, cross‐validation, and localizers). Moreover, data‐based decision making can... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5516328 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5516328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5516327&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01321.x We examined this by estimating cardiac stress from heart rate variability (HRV). Thirty‐eight participants were monitored while observing environmental scenarios at familiar and unfamiliar locations. Image scenarios included pedestrian and driving scenes in a random order. HRV indices including heart rate (HR), QT variability index (QTVI) and Total HRV Power (TP) were quantified. Familiar locations were associated with higher HR (p < .0005) and lower TP (p = .005) than unfamiliar locations, suggesting they were more stressful. HRV responses to pedestrian and driving scenarios indicated that stress was not influenced by either the type of image scenario or the order of image presentation. There were no gender‐related differences in cardiac responses. HRV is a useful surrogate... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5516327 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5516327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5516326&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01323.x AbstractIt is known that sensorimotor gating measured by the prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex (PPI) matures during childhood. Since certain disorders in children, for example, enuresis, show a significant loss in PPI, the PPI as a tool for investigating brainstem reflex control mechanism gains in importance. Therefore, it is crucial to know the natural course of PPI maturation in childhood. A total of 122 healthy children aged from 3–10 years and 10 healthy adults were examined. PPI was initiated by a 120 ms and a 60 ms prepulse and was measured by the EMG of M. orbicularis oculi. For the respective prepulse intervals, the PPI level in each age group increased from 3 to 9 or 10 years and showed a similar course. The findings confirm and extend knowledge about the maturation ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5516326 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5516326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5516325&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01324.x This study was aimed at examining the relation of an individual's EEG asymmetry in the lateral frontal cortex, assessed in resting conditions, to affective flexibility. An auditory paradigm was used to induce negative (sad) and positive (cheerful) affective states, and state‐dependent shifts of dorsolateral EEG asymmetry in response to and after the emotional provocations were observed. A Left > Right activation pattern at rest was associated with a shift to the right during negative and a shift to the left during positive stimulation, and efficient recovery after negative stimulation. Right > Left participants appeared unresponsive to both sounds. Distinct and differentiated responses to provocation with negative and positive affect and efficient recovery suggest that Left... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5516325 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5516325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5516324&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01325.x AbstractWith the two‐choice go/no‐go paradigm, we investigated whether timbre attribute can be transmitted as partial information from the stimulus identification stage to the response preparation stage in auditory tone processing. We manipulated two attributes of the stimulus: timbre (piano vs. violin) and acoustic intensity (soft vs. loud) to ensure an earlier processing of timbre than intensity. We associated the timbre attribute more with go trials. Results showed that lateralized readiness potentials (LRPs) were consistently elicited in no‐go trials. This showed that the timbre attribute had been transmitted to the response preparation stage before the intensity attribute was processed in the stimuli identification stage. Such a result provides evidence for the continuous model ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5516324 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5516324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5516323&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01326.x We examined the distractor suppression mechanisms indexed by the Pd. The Pd may reflect mechanisms that guide attention away from distractors during search or mechanisms involved in the subsequent resolution of target features. To determine which of these alternatives was more likely, we had participants view search arrays that contained only a target, only a distractor, or both. The Pd elicited by distractors was substantially larger when the display also contained a target, consistent with the idea that this component reflects a mechanism of distractor suppression activated during the resolution and disambiguation of target features. (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5516323 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5516323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5516322&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01327.x AbstractIndividuals with schizophrenia (SZ) or bipolar disorder with psychosis (BPP) may share neurophysiological abnormalities as measured in auditory paired‐stimuli paradigms with electroencephalography (EEG). Such investigations have been limited, however, by quantifying only event‐related potential peaks and/or broad frequency bands at limited scalp locations without considering possible mediating factors (e.g., baseline differences). Results from 64‐sensor EEG collected in 180 age‐ and gender‐matched participants reveal (i) accentuated prestimulus gamma oscillations and (ii) reduced P2 amplitudes and theta/alpha oscillations to S1 among participants with both SZ and BPP. Conversely, (iii) N1s in those with SZ to S1 were reduced compared to healthy volunteers and those with B... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5516322 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5516322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5410351&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01292.x (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5410351 Thu, 17 Nov 2011 04:16:33 +0100 5410351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5410353&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01319.x AbstractCardiovascular reactivity to stress and α‐adrenergic receptor (α‐AR) function may contribute to the development of hypertension. As Black Americans have an increased risk of hypertension, we evaluated associations between α1A‐AR (Arg492Cys), α2A‐AR (‐1291C/G), and α2B‐AR (Ins/Del301‐303) gene variants and cardiovascular reactivity in 500 normotensive Black youth. Heart rate, preejection period, total peripheral resistance, and blood pressure were measured during cold and psychological stress. The Arg492Cys polymorphism in the α1A‐AR gene was associated with heart rate reactivity to stress, but the association depended on sex. The ‐1291C/G promoter polymorphism in the α2A‐AR gene was associated with vascular reactivity to stress; vasoconstriction increased... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5410353 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5410353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5410352&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01322.x AbstractIn a mental rotation task of objects, typically, reaction time (RT) increases and the rotation related negativity (RRN) increases in amplitude with increasing angles of rotation. However, in a mental rotation task of hands, different RT profiles can be observed for outward and inward rotated hands. In the present study, we examined the neurophysiological correlates of these asymmetries in the RT profiles. We used a mental rotation task with stimuli of left and right hands. In line with previous studies, the behavioral results showed a linear increase in RT for outward rotations, but not for inward rotations as a function of angular disparity. Importantly, the ERP results revealed an RRN for outward rotated stimuli, but not for inward rotated stimuli. This is the first study to show... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5410352 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5410352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5389809&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01316.x AbstractGiven evidence linking blunted cardiovascular and cortisol reactions to acute stress and a range of adverse behavioral outcomes, the present study examined the associations between cardiovascular and cortisol reactivity and cognitive ability measured independently of the stress task exposure. Cognitive ability was assessed using the Alice Heim‐4 test of general intelligence and two memory tasks in 724 men and women who were part of the Dutch Famine Birth Cohort Study. Blood pressure and heart rate, as well as cortisol reactivity, were measured to a battery of three standard acute stress tasks. Poorer cognitive ability was associated with lower cardiovascular reactions to stress and lower cortisol area under the curve. Our results are consistent with recent findings implicating lo... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5389809 Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:27:58 +0100 5389809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5389810&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01317.x AbstractWe explored the feasibility of investigating complex goal‐directed actions with event‐related brain potentials by studying the aiming phase of throwing. A virtual reality environment was set up, allowing aimed throws at distant targets, with participants standing upright and moving relatively unrestrained. After a separate practice session, the contingent negative variation (CNV) was measured during preparation for a simple button release, unaimed throws, and aimed throws at targets of two levels of difficulty. Consistent with expectations, CNV amplitude was larger for all throwing conditions compared to button release. It further increased with task difficulty in the aimed throwing conditions, reflecting the increasing motor programming demands for more difficult goal‐direct... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5389810 Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5389810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5389814&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01306.x AbstractDimensional models of psychosis assume a continuum between schizotypy and schizophrenia. However, little is known about the overlap in brain functional alterations between schizotypy and schizophrenia. Fifty‐four healthy volunteers underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during an antisaccade task, a measure of cognitive control known to be impaired in schizophrenia, and a prosaccade task. Higher positive schizotypy was correlated with higher antisaccade error rates. Associations between reduced blood oxygenation level dependent signal and higher schizotypy were found during antisaccades in the putamen, thalamus, cerebellum, and visual cortex and during prosaccades in the visual cortex, supplementary eye field, and posterior intraparietal sulcus. These findings show that ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5389814 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5389814 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5389813&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01307.x We examined effects of knowing where to attend to‐be‐remembered information in advance versus after the fact. Participants performed a visuospatial short‐term memory task with orienting cues that appeared before or after a memory display and reported whether a probe item had appeared on the cued side. Event‐related potentials (ERPs) were recorded for cues, memory displays, and probes. Performance was better in precued versus postcued conditions. ERPs to orienting cues and memory displays were lateralized in relation to the direction of attention in precued but not postcued conditions. ERPs to recognition probes were lateralized, but this was similar between pre‐ and postcued conditions. Results suggest that we can orient visuospatial attention outwardly to external events and inw... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5389813 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5389813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5389812&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01308.x AbstractThe present study investigated whether, like fear conditioned to pictures of snakes and spiders, fear conditioned to angry faces resists extinction even after verbal instruction and removal of the shock electrode. Participants were trained in a differential Pavlovian fear conditioning procedure with angry face or happy face conditional stimuli (CSs). Prior to extinction, half the participants in each group were informed that no more unconditional stimuli would be presented and the shock electrode was removed. In the absence of this manipulation, participants showed resistance to extinction after training with angry face CSs, but not after training with happy face CSs. Instructed extinction and electrode removal abolished fear conditioning regardless of the emotion expressed by the ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5389812 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5389812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5389811&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01312.x This study examined age‐related differences in the ERP correlates of external feedback processing (i.e., the feedback‐related negativity [FRN]) in adolescent and young adult males, using a simple gambling task involving unpredictable monetary losses and gains of low and high magnitude. The FRN was larger after losses than gains, and was modulated by the magnitude of gains, but not the magnitude of losses, for all participants regardless of age. FRN amplitude was larger in adolescents than adults and also discriminated relatively less strongly between gains and losses in adolescents. In addition, the morphology of the waveform after high losses suggests that feedback in this condition may have been processed less efficiently by adolescents. Our results suggest that, although the FRN in ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5389811 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5389811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5365319&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01309.x AbstractRecent experiments revealed psychological sweating to be a ubiquitous phenomenon in passively heated individuals. Since heating potentiates sweating, and since most research into psychological sweating was not conducted in this thermal state, these observations required thermoneutral verification. Thermoneutral subjects performed mental arithmetic (at 26oC) with psychological sweating evaluated from nine sites (ventilated capsules, skin conductance). Discharged sweating was evident from three glabrous sites (P < .05). However, significant sweating was evident from two nonglabrous surfaces (P < .05), and skin conductance increased at the volar and dorsal finger surfaces (P < .05). Each of these changes occurred while core and skin temperatures remained stable (P... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5365319 Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5365319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5365320&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01310.x AbstractPreliminary information about responses facilitates performance, especially when the information can be grouped into stimulus‐response sets, for example, into fingers belonging to the same hand. Here, we studied the mechanisms of supposedly fast and automatic exogenous as compared to slow and controlled endogenous grouping of same‐hand fingers. As compared to endogenous cuing, exogenous cuing facilitated reaction times and induced larger amplitudes of the contingent negative variation, but did not show any advantage in amplitude or latency of the lateralized readiness potential or in the magnitude of current source density over the motor cortices. Similarly, the stimulus preceding negativity did not seem to be a plausible explanation for the observed effect. Therefore, at least... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5365320 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5365320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5338096&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01303.x AbstractSevere and chronic stress affects the hippocampus, especially during development. However, studies concerning structural alterations of the hippocampus yielded a rather inconsistent picture. Moreover, further anxiety‐relevant brain regions, such as the insula, might be implicated in the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We combined magnetic resonance (MR) volumetric and spectroscopic analyses of hippocampus and insula in highly traumatized refugees without a history of alcohol/substance abuse or other comorbid diseases. No PTSD‐related difference was apparent in the volumes or neurometabolite levels of bilateral hippocampus or insula. However, an association between left hippocampal N‐acetyl‐aspartate (NAA) and adverse childhood experiences indicated ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5338096 Sun, 23 Oct 2011 02:11:49 +0100 5338096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5338098&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01301.x AbstractWe investigated the influence of temporal preparation on information processing. Single‐pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the primary motor cortex was delivered during a between‐hand choice task. The time interval between the warning and the imperative stimulus varied across blocks of trials was either optimal (500 ms) or nonoptimal (2500 ms) for participants' performance. Silent period duration was shorter prior to the first evidence of response selection for the optimal condition. Amplitude of the motor evoked potential specific to the responding hand increased earlier for the optimal condition. These results revealed an early release of cortical inhibition and a faster integration of the response selection‐related inputs to the corticospinal pathway when... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5338098 Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5338098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5338097&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01304.x AbstractThe limited research on the functional meaning of infant EEG frequency bands has used measures of EEG power. The purpose of this study was to examine task‐related changes in frontal EEG coherence measures for three infant EEG frequency bands (2–5 Hz, 6–9 Hz, 10–13 Hz) during a spatial working memory task. Eight‐month‐olds exhibited baseline‐to‐task changes in frontal EEG coherence for all infant frequency bands. Both the 2–5 Hz and the 10–13 Hz bands differentiated frontal functional connectivity during the distinct processing stages, but each band provided unique information. The 10–13 Hz band, however, was the only frequency band to distinguish frontal EEG coherence values during correct and incorrect responses. These data reveal valuable informa... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5338097 Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5338097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5316821&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01311.x (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5316821 Sat, 15 Oct 2011 15:17:31 +0100 5316821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5305880&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01298.x AbstractThe current study examined whether punishment has direct and lasting effects on error‐related brain activity, and whether this effect is larger with increasing trait anxiety. Participants were told that errors on a flanker task would be punished in some blocks but not others. Punishment was applied following 50% of errors in punished blocks during the first half of the experiment (i.e., acquisition), but never in the second half (i.e., extinction). The ERN was enhanced in the punished blocks in both experimental phases—this enhancement remained stable throughout the extinction phase. More anxious individuals were characterized by larger punishment‐related modulations in the ERN. The study reveals evidence for lasting, punishment‐based modulations of the ERN that increase wi... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5305880 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:03:12 +0100 5305880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5298187&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01305.x This study aimed to develop a method for quantifying VT‐BRS and SV‐BRS gain using an established HR‐BRS gain measurement approach. ECG and beat‐to‐beat blood pressure (BP) were recorded in 31 young healthy participants during three tasks. Sequences of R‐to‐R wave intervals (RRI) of the ECG, pulse transit time (PTT), and SV were measured to assess HR‐, VT‐, and SV‐BRS gain using the cross‐spectral technique of computing the BP‐RRI, BP‐PTT, and BP‐SV transfer functions. Gain in each BRS arch was measured in individuals with intact BRS functioning. Functional overlap and independence was noted in the BRS arches. The implications of the proposed method are discussed. (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5298187 Sun, 09 Oct 2011 12:55:48 +0100 5298187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5298190&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01297.x AbstractThe postauricular reflex (PAR) is anomalous because it seems to be potentiated during positive emotions and inhibited during negative states, unlike eyeblink and other components of the startle reflex. Two evolutionary explanations based on simian facial emotion expressions were tested. Reflexes were elicited while 47 young adult volunteers made lip pursing or grimacing poses and viewed neutral, intimidating, or appetitive photos. The PAR was enhanced during appetitive slides, but only as subjects carried out the lip‐pursing maneuver. These results support the nursing hypothesis, which assumes that infant mammals instinctively retract their pinnae while nursing in order to comfortably position the head. Appetitive emotions prime the ear‐retraction musculature, even in higher pr... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5298190 Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5298190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5298189&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01300.x AbstractTo investigate the influence of different intensities and durations of exercise before bedtime on the sleep pattern and core body temperature of individuals considered good sleepers, we selected 17 healthy males and all underwent 5 nonconsecutive days of study. Measurements of polysomnographic parameters and core body temperature were taken at baseline and after each experimental protocol, performed at night. We found increased sleep efficiency (p = .016) among all protocols compared with baseline data and increase in REM sleep latency (p = .047) between two experiments; there was decrease in the percentage of stage 1 sleep (p = .046) and wake after sleep onset (p = .003). Core body temperature did not change significantly during the nights following exercise. Exerc... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5298189 Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5298189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5298188&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01302.x AbstractVisual motion processing is compromised in schizophrenia (SZ), but it is uncertain what neural deviations account for their motion analysis abnormalities. Neural activations were measured with dense‐array electroencephalography while 14 medicated SZ and 14 healthy persons performed a paired‐stimuli forced choice speed discrimination task. SZ had (a) worse‐at‐speed discrimination, replicating previous findings, (b) normal early extrastriate neural activity (N1) to both motion stimuli, (c) reduced later extrastriate activity (P2) specifically to the second stimulus, and (d) following P2, an enhanced later N2 over parietal cortex. Stronger P2 and N2 responses were associated with better speed discrimination performance across groups. These findings indicate that the neural cor... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5298188 Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5298188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5262519&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01293.x We present evidence that a multitude of mid‐frontal event‐related potential (ERP) components partially reflect a common theta band oscillatory process. Specifically, mid‐frontal ERP components in the N2 time range and error‐related negativity time range are parsimoniously characterized as reflections of theta band activities. Forty participants completed three different tasks with varying stimulus–response demands. Permutation tests were used to identify the dominant time–frequency responses of stimulus‐ and response‐locked conditions as well as the enhanced responses to novelty, conflict, punishment, and error. A dominant theta band feature was found in all conditions, and both ERP component amplitudes and theta power measures were similarly modulated by novelty, conflict,... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5262519 Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:51:59 +0100 5262519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5262520&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01291.x AbstractWe assessed the influence of the variables outcome potential, feedback valence, magnitude, and probability on the amplitude of the feedback negativity (FN). Outcome potential was defined as the a priori valence of an upcoming feedback, that is, is there a potential win or potential loss? All these variables have been studied previously, although never together, but the findings have been contradictory. We analyzed the event‐related potential (ERP) after feedback presentation in a reinforcement‐learning task to examine the effects of all the variables on feedback negativity. Our results show that outcome potential, feedback valence, probability, and magnitude all influence feedback related ERPs. Taken together, the findings suggest that ERPs in the time range of the feedback neg... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5262520 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5262520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5239885&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01294.x AbstractStress is known to influence the hippocampus. Eyeblink conditional discrimination learning is dependent on the hippocampus, but the effects of stress on the task are unknown. Male participants were allocated to a psychosocial stress condition (Trier Social Stress Test) or a control condition. Afterwards, a conditional discrimination task was performed. A tone (the CS) predicted an airpuff (the US) only when preceded by a specific visual stimulus (a red or a green colored square, the S+ and S−). Stressed participants showed a rise in cortisol and an increase in negative affect. Stressed participants also failed to acquire the conditional discrimination. They responded to all of the presented CS irrespective of the preceding occasion setter (S+ or S−). Controls, in contrast, acqu... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5239885 Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:57:11 +0100 5239885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5228036&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01202.x AbstractThe majority of studies investigating risky decision making focus on the high‐conflict condition, and very few consider the low‐conflict condition in which there is either a very high or a very low probability of risk. Even though the high‐risk condition and low‐risk condition are both considered low‐conflict decision scenarios and both behavioral outcomes are highly predictable, these conditions still differ in terms of the probabilities of reward and punishment. In the following study, we investigated both behavioral and electrophysiological correlates associated with high‐ and low‐risk conditions within the low‐conflict scenario, as well as high‐conflict condition, in a modified gambling game. The behavioral results showed that, within the low‐conflict scenar... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5228036 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:46:32 +0100 5228036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5228035&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01208.x This study was designed to test two hypotheses about why the mismatch negativity (MMN) to a duration deviant sound seems more susceptible to conditional inference effects. The MMNs to duration and frequency glide deviant sounds were significantly smaller when their occurrence was conditionally linked to the identity of a prior deviant as opposed to when they occurred randomly in a sequence. Results provide support for the learned conditional inference interpretation of reduced MMN size to linked deviants. We discuss alternate explanations and conclude that conditional inference studies could provide insight into the dynamics of probability‐based prediction in the auditory system. (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5228035 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:46:28 +0100 5228035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5239890&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01295.x AbstractWhile response delays after task switching have been widely used as an index to investigate the limits of cognitive flexibility, little is known about their counterpart in error rates. It has been hypothesized that at least some postswitching errors are not caused by simple response errors but by task confusion, which refers to the establishment and execution of an incorrect task set. The aim of the current study is to provide evidence for this hypothesis. Using a multitrial paradigm, we firstly dissociated task confusion from simple cue encoding failure, and then measured the error‐related negativity (ERN) and the following error positivity (Pe) as indices of the brain's error processing. We predicted that task confusion, if it exists, would cause ambiguity to the criteria of co... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5239890 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5239890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5239889&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01296.x AbstractThe study aimed to establish the association of work stress, expressed as effort‐reward imbalance (ERI), and C‐reactive protein (CRP) in 152 healthy Jordanian male employees. Self‐report work stress, anthropometric data, and blood for CRP analysis were collected. A significant correlation between ERI and CRP (r = 0.29, p < .01), and between waist circumference with CRP (r = 0.44, p < .01) was found. Central obesity explained most of the variance in CRP after controlling for various covariates, and ERI was not a significant predictor of CRP (ΔR2 = 0.02; β = 0.15, p = .052). However, when only the centrally obese group was considered, ERI accounted for 5.0% of the variability in the CRP (β = 0.24, p < .05). Results of this study c... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5239889 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5239889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5239888&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01299.x AbstractP3 amplitude reduction (P3‐AR) is associated with biological vulnerability to a spectrum of externalizing (EXT) disorders, such as conduct disorder, antisocial behavior, and substance use disorders. P3 amplitude, however, can be affected by the context within which it is measured, for example, by the position of the target in the sequence of stimuli during an oddball task. We hypothesized that EXT‐related P3‐AR may be due to attention or working memory deficits in EXT that would weaken these stimulus sequence effects. Using a community‐based sample of adolescent males, we examined the relationship between P3 and EXT as a function of the number of standards preceding the target. Higher EXT was associated with significantly smaller P3 amplitude, regardless of the number of st... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5239888 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5239888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5239887&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01289.x This study examined the effects of stress on taste perception. Participants (N = 38; 21 women) completed two laboratory sessions: one stress (public speaking, math, and cold pressor) and one control rest session. The taste perception test was conducted at the end of each session and included rating the intensity and pleasantness of sweet, salty, sour, and savory solutions at suprathreshold concentrations. Cardiovascular, hormonal, and mood measures were collected throughout the sessions. Participants showed the expected changes in cardiovascular, hormonal, and mood measures in response to stress. Reported intensity of the sweet solution was significantly lower on the stress day than on the rest day. Cortisol level poststress predicted reduced intensity of salt and sour, suggesting that... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5239887 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5239887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5239886&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01290.x AbstractDifferential patterns of physiological arousal to win and loss events during gambling is central to psychological conceptualizations of gambling behaviors but is poorly researched. We recorded heart rate (HR) and skin conductance responses (SCRs) to wins and losses while 23 healthy participants played for small incentives on a simulated electronic gambling task. Wins produced large SCRs whereas losses did not, and large wins produced larger SCRs than small wins. Electrodermal measures also correlated with reward responsiveness on a personality measure and with ratings of excitement during gambling. HR evidenced a slight deceleration before event outcomes, and the rebound HR was larger after wins than after losses. The study demonstrates that physiological changes to gambling events... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5239886 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5239886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5211058&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01278.x AbstractOxytocin is known to promote social affiliation. The mechanism by which this occurs is unknown, but it may involve changes in social information processing. In a placebo‐controlled study, we examined the influence of intranasal oxytocin on effortful and automatic attentional shifting in 57 participants using a spatial cueing task with emotional and neutral faces. For effortful processing, oxytocin decreased the speed of shifting attention to sad faces presented for 750 ms and facilitated disengagement from right hemifield sad and angry faces presented for 200 ms. For automatic processing, symptoms of depression moderated the relationship between drug and disengagement. Oxytocin attenuated an attentional bias to masked angry faces on disengagement trials in persons with high d... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5211058 Thu, 08 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5211058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5211057&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01287.x AbstractThe purpose of the study was to objectively measure the exercise intensity associated with affective responses of “good” and “fairly good.” In Study 1, 8 active females completed 20 min of affect‐regulated exercise to feel “good” or “fairly good” (order counterbalanced) followed by an intensity replication session. On‐line gas analysis was used during the replication session to measure the physiological cost of exercising. In Study 2, 10 females completed either 3 trials of exercise to feel “good” (n = 5) or 3 trials to feel “fairly good” (n = 5). Each trial consisted of an affect‐regulated session followed by a replication session. Across studies, the intensity to feel “fairly good” was significantly higher than to feel “good.” Both ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5211057 Thu, 08 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5211057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5211059&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01274.x AbstractAuditory mechanisms automatically detect both basic features of sounds and the rules governing their presentation. In the oddball paradigm, the auditory system detects the sameness (or no‐variability) rule when the same reference tone is consistently repeated. We used two oddball protocols, the classical one with a fixed reference and a modified one with a jittered reference, to determine whether the auditory system can detect subthreshold violations of sameness. We found that the response to the repeated standard was not modified by the small jitter. However, the response to the frequency oddball was smaller under the jittered protocol, indicating hypersensitivity to sameness. The sensitivity to jitter was largest when the oddball deviated by 8%, was smaller for 40%, and disappe... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5211059 Wed, 07 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5211059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5197548&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01269.x AbstractEvent‐related brain potentials (ERPs) are important research tools because they provide insights into mental processing at high temporal resolution. Their usefulness, however, is limited by the need to average over a large number of trials, sacrificing information about the trial‐by‐trial variability of latencies or amplitudes of specific ERP components. Here we propose a novel method based on an iteration strategy of the residues of averaged ERPs (RIDE) to separate latency‐variable component clusters. The separated component clusters can then serve as templates to estimate latencies in single trials with high precision. By applying RIDE to data from a face‐priming experiment, we separate priming effects and show that they are robust against latency shifts and within‐co... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5197548 Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5197548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5197547&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01272.x AbstractMass univariate analysis is a relatively new approach for the study of ERPs/ERFs. It consists of many statistical tests and one of several powerful corrections for multiple comparisons. Multiple comparison corrections differ in their power and permissiveness. Moreover, some methods are not guaranteed to work or may be overly sensitive to uninteresting deviations from the null hypothesis. Here we report the results of simulations assessing the accuracy, permissiveness, and power of six popular multiple comparison corrections (permutation‐based control of the familywise error rate [FWER], weak control of FWER via cluster‐based permutation tests, permutation‐based control of the generalized FWER, and three false discovery rate control procedures) using realistic ERP data. In add... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5197547 Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5197547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5197546&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01273.x AbstractEvent‐related potentials (ERPs) and magnetic fields (ERFs) are typically analyzed via ANOVAs on mean activity in a priori windows. Advances in computing power and statistics have produced an alternative, mass univariate analyses consisting of thousands of statistical tests and powerful corrections for multiple comparisons. Such analyses are most useful when one has little a priori knowledge of effect locations or latencies, and for delineating effect boundaries. Mass univariate analyses complement and, at times, obviate traditional analyses. Here we review this approach as applied to ERP/ERF data and four methods for multiple comparison correction: strong control of the familywise error rate (FWER) via permutation tests, weak control of FWER via cluster‐based permutation tests,... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5197546 Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5197546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5197545&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01279.x AbstractAnxiety is associated with enhanced action monitoring. Research to date, however, has employed extreme group designs that fail to address the full spectrum of anxiety, and in which overlapping and co‐occurring symptoms obscure the exact nature of the relationships between anxiety and action monitoring. To address these limitations, relationships between distinct dimensions of anxiety and neural indicators of action monitoring were examined in a sample of female undergraduates. Results revealed that higher anxious apprehension (i.e., worry) was associated with enhanced early action monitoring activity, as indexed by the error‐related negativity/correct‐response negativity. Anxious arousal (i.e., somatic tension) on the other hand, was unrelated to measures of action monitoring... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5197545 Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5197545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5197544&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01280.x AbstractThe present study compared cortisol and soluble tumor necrosis factor‐α receptor II (sTNFαRII) responses provoked by cold pressor, hot water, ischemic, and neutral water (i.e., room temperature) modalities. Oral fluid samples were collected before, immediately after, and during recovery to assess physiological responses. From baseline, the cold pressor, but not hot water or ischemic modalities, produced a significant time‐dependent elevation in cortisol, whereas cortisol significantly decreased for the neutral water task. When compared to baseline, the cold pressor, hot water, and ischemic modalities were associated with decreased sTNFαRII responses over time. The sTNFαRII response to neutral water initially decreased but returned to approximate baseline levels. Pain rating... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5197544 Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5197544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5197543&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01281.x AbstractAlthough daytime emotional stressful events are often presumed to cause sleep disturbances, the few studies of stressful life events on sleep physiology have resulted in various and contradictory findings. As research has focused in particular on stress in itself, the present study is the first to investigate the effect using polysomnography (PSG). Results indicate a significant increase in sleep fragmentation, as expressed by decreased sleep efficiency, total sleep time, percentage of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and an increased wake after sleep onset latency, total time awake, latency to SWS, number of awakenings and number of awakenings from REM sleep. The results demonstrate that negative emotion correlates with enhanced sleep fragmentation helping us to understand why slee... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5197543 Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5197543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5197542&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01282.x AbstractThe effects of force production on medial‐frontal negativity (MFN), reflecting the activity of an internal action‐monitoring system, were investigated in a force‐production task. A precue indicated a low or high force before a stimulus signaled the execution of the same or opposite force. An incorrectly exerted force was assumed to involve an error of force selection if the opposite force was required (invalid precue), and an error of force execution if the same force was required (valid precue). The task was repeated to examine any improvements in monitoring sensitivity. No force‐related effects were observed on MFN amplitude. Although performance improved, there was no evidence of a force‐error sensitive monitoring system. As the MFN and motor activity were affected by ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5197542 Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5197542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5197541&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01276.x This study aimed at replicating and extending previous results on the association between baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (BRS) and cognitive performance. Thirty men and 31 women performed an arithmetic task. After adjusting for numerical aptitude and effort, no predictors of performance were found in men. In women, the relationships between BRS and parameters related to correct responses were modulated by blood pressure (BP). BRS was inversely associated with these parameters for participants with BP>1 SD above the mean, whereas the associations were positive in participants with BP<1 SD below the mean. Also for women, BRS was positively associated with number of errors during the task. These results suggest that the relation between BRS and performance varies as a function of the t... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5197541 Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5197541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5211056&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01288.x AbstractPrevious research has demonstrated deficits in preresponse motor activity in schizophrenia, as evidenced by a reduced lateralized readiness potential (LRP). The LRP deficit could be due to increased activation of the incorrect response (e.g., failure to suppress competition) or to reduced activation of the correct response (e.g., a low‐level impairment in response preparation). To distinguish these possibilities, we asked whether the LRP impairment is increased under conditions of strong response competition. We manipulated the compatibility of stimulus‐response mappings (Experiment 1) and the compatibility of the target with flankers (Experiment 2). In both experiments, the patient LRP was reduced as much under conditions of low response competition as under high competition. ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5211056 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5211056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5197540&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01277.x AbstractWe performed electroencephalogram (EEG) recording in a precuing task to investigate the planning processes of reach‐to‐grasp movements in human. In this reaction time (RT) task, subjects had to reach, grasp, and pull an object as fast as possible after a visual GO signal. We manipulated two parameters: the hand shape for grasping (precision grip or side grip) and the force required to pull the object (high or low). Three seconds before the GO onset, a cue provided advance information about force, grip, both parameters, or no information at all. EEG data show that reach‐to‐grasp movements generate differences in the topographic distribution of the late Contingent Negative Variation (ICNV) amplitude between the 4 precuing conditions. Along with RT data, it confirms that two d... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5197540 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5197540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5185558&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01283.x AbstractThis experiment examined the effects of consuming a high‐fat meal on cardiovascular reactivity and the ability of exercise to act as a moderator between dietary fat consumption and cardiovascular reactivity. Forty healthy, college‐age students were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups: (1) low‐fat meal, no exercise; (2) low‐fat meal, postprandial exercise; (3) high‐fat meal, no exercise; and (4) high‐fat meal, postprandial exercise. To induce stress, all participants performed a public speaking task, while heart rate and blood pressure reactivity were measured. Multilevel analyses revealed that consuming a high‐fat meal led to heightened mean arterial pressure reactivity. Acute high‐intensity exercise resulted in attenuated heart rate and mean arteri... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5185558 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5185558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5185561&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01284.x AbstractIs color a critical factor when processing the emotional content of natural scenes? Under challenging perceptual conditions, such as when pictures are briefly presented, color might facilitate scene segmentation and/or function as a semantic cue via association with scene‐relevant concepts (e.g., red and blood/injury). To clarify the influence of color on affective picture perception, we compared the late positive potentials (LPP) to color versus grayscale pictures, presented for very brief (24 ms) and longer (6 s) exposure durations. Results indicated that removing color information had no effect on the affective modulation of the LPP, regardless of exposure duration. These findings imply that the recognition of the emotional content of scenes, even when presented very brief... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5185561 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5185561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5185560&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01285.x AbstractThere is increasing evidence that women's physiological sexual arousal is facilitated by moderate sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation. Literature also suggests that the level of SNS activation may play a role in the degree to which SNS activity affects sexual arousal. We provide the first empirical examination of a possible curvilinear relationship between SNS activity and women's genital arousal using a direct measure of SNS activation in 52 sexually functional women. The relationship between heart rate variability (HRV), a specific and sensitive marker of SNS activation, and vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA), a measure of genital arousal, was analyzed. Moderate increases in SNS activity were associated with higher genital arousal, while very low or very high SNS activation wa... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5185560 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5185560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5185559&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01286.x AbstractWe previously found that simultaneously executing a mental countermeasure and an explicit required response impairs reaction time (RT)‐based detection of countermeasure use in a P300‐ based concealed information test. To address this issue, we increased the numbers of irrelevant stimuli to eight, and manipulated the proportions of to‐be‐countered irrelevant stimuli from 25% to 50% to 75% in three groups. Results: Based on P300 data, 100% of the simple guilty (no countermeasure use) and 92% of the innocent subjects were correctly identified as having or not having concealed information. In the countermeasure groups, detection rates varied from 71% to 92% across the different groups. Notably, in the present study with eight irrelevant items, simultaneous countermeasure use wa... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5185559 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5185559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5147633&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01271.x This study examined skin conductance responses, the late positive complex of the event‐related potential, and pupillary dilation responses as autonomic and central correlates of the orienting reflex (OR) in the context of indifferent and significant stimuli. In particular, we aimed to clarify the inconsistencies surrounding the pupillary dilation response as an OR index. An auditory dishabituation paradigm was employed, and physiological measures were recorded from 24 participants. Response decrement to a repeated stimulus, response recovery to a change stimulus, and subsequent dishabituation were assessed. Findings confirmed expectations that the skin conductance response and the late positive complex are indices of the OR. The pupillary dilation response, however, demonstrated an unexp... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5147633 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:56:02 +0100 5147633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5111319&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01270.x AbstractThe present study investigated the brain dynamics accompanying spatial navigation based on distinct reference frames. Participants preferentially using an allocentric or an egocentric reference frame navigated through virtual tunnels and reported their homing direction at the end of each trial based on their spatial representation of the passage. Task‐related electroencephalographic (EEG) dynamics were analyzed based on independent component analysis (ICA) and subsequent clustering of independent components. Parietal alpha desynchronization during encoding of spatial information predicted homing performance for participants using an egocentric reference frame. In contrast, retrosplenial and occipital alpha desynchronization during retrieval covaried with homing performance of par... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5111319 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:06:43 +0100 5111319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5111323&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01233.x AbstractLow autonomic (re)activity is a consistent correlate of antisocial behavior in juveniles. However, longitudinal research relating autonomic measures to persistent antisocial behavior has remained scarce. Therefore, in the present study we examined the predictive value of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV, often studied as respiratory sinus arrhythmia) for reoffending in delinquent male adolescents. At initial assessment, HR and HRV were measured at rest and in response to a public speaking task. Registered reoffending was assessed after 5‐year follow‐up. Attenuated HR response and stronger HRV response to stress predicted higher reoffending rates. Results provide evidence that HR/HRV reactivity are neurobiological markers for persistent juvenile antisocial behavio... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5111323 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5111323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5111322&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01234.x AbstractWe studied the neuronal mechanisms that implement acoustic short‐term memory (ASTM) for pitch using event‐related potentials (ERP). Experiment 1 isolated an ERP component, the sustained anterior negativity (SAN), that increased in amplitude with increasing memory load in ASTM using stimuli with equal duration at all memory loads. The SAN load effect found in Experiment 1, when pitch had to be remembered to perform the task, was absent in Experiment 2 using the same sounds when memory was not required. In Experiment 3, the memory task was performed without or with concurrent articulatory suppression during the retention interval to prevent rehearsal via an articulatory loop. Load‐related effects observed in Experiment 1 were found again, whether participants engaged in concurr... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5111322 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5111322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5111321&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01268.x AbstractFearful faces readily activate the amygdala. Yet, whether fearful faces evoke fear is unclear. Startle studies show no potentiation of startle by fearful faces, suggesting that such stimuli do not activate defense mechanisms. However, the response to biologically relevant stimuli may be sensitized by anxiety. The present study tested the hypothesis that startle would not be potentiated by fearful faces in a safe context, but that startle would be larger during fearful faces compared to neutral faces in a threat‐of‐shock context. Subjects viewed fearful and neutral faces in alternating periods of safety and threat of shock. Acoustic startle stimuli were presented in the presence and absence of the faces. Startle was transiently potentiated by fearful faces compared to neutral fa... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5111321 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5111321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5111320&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01267.x AbstractEvent‐related potential (ERP) counterparts of practice effects in multiplication fact retrieval were examined. Participants performed a multiplication verification task after having practiced a specific problem set. Practice was either active (retrieval of solutions to multiplication problems) or passive (reexposure to the same operands plus the correct result). Behavioral data showed retrieval‐induced facilitation for practiced items and retrieval‐induced forgetting for related, unpracticed items, irrespective of practice type. ERPs revealed that, for the active practice group, forgetting was reflected in a reduced N100 component time‐locked to result onset. Irrespective of practice type, forgetting was also reflected in a reduced result‐locked P350 component, whereas fa... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5111320 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5111320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5081392&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01266.x AbstractThe concealed information test (CIT) assesses an examinee's crime‐relevant memory on the basis of physiological differences between crime‐relevant and irrelevant items. The CIT based on autonomic measures has been used for criminal investigations, while the CIT based on event‐related potentials (ERPs) has been suggested as a useful alternative. To combine these two methods, we developed a quantification method of ERPs measured in the autonomic‐based CIT where each item was repeated only 5 times. Results showed that the peak amplitude of the ERP difference wave between crime‐relevant and irrelevant items could discriminate between guilty and innocent participants effectively even when only 5 trials were used for averaging. This ERP measure could detect some participants wh... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5081392 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:16:58 +0100 5081392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5262522&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01262.x This study measured within‐session reliability, temporal course, effect of varying interpair interval (IPI), and peak definition and ratio calculation methods on P50 paired‐click measures in healthy participants. Results indicate higher reliability for difference (ICC=.72) than ratio (ICC=.44) method; when P50 peaks are defined as baseline‐to‐peak than peak‐to‐peak; time‐related changes; and comparable P50 paired‐click measures at long (9 s) and short (3–7 s) IPIs. After controlling for time effects, P50 paired‐click measures are relatively reliable within‐session and are best measured using the difference method and defined as baseline‐to‐peak amplitude; time effects must be taken into account when measuring P50 paired‐click measures in a long paradigm; and IPI... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5262522 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5262522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5262521&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01263.x AbstractThe irrelevant sound effect (ISE) describes reduced verbal short‐term memory during irrelevant changing‐state sounds which consist of different and distinct auditory tokens. Steady‐state sounds lack such changing‐state features and do not impair performance. An EEG experiment (N=16) explored the distinguishing neurophysiological aspects of detrimental changing‐state speech (3‐token sequence) compared to ineffective steady‐state speech (1‐token sequence) on serial recall performance. We analyzed evoked and induced activity related to the memory items as well as spectral activity during the retention phase. The main finding is that the behavioral sound effect was exclusively reflected by attenuated token‐induced gamma activation most pronounced between 50–60 Hz an... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5262521 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5262521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5081395&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01232.x AbstractMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) mortality. Dysfunctional autonomic control of the CV system may represent a mechanism explaining this relationship. Poor CV recovery after exercise, indicative of dysfunctional autonomic control of the CV system, predicts CV events and death. This is the first study to examine the association between MDD and postexercise CV recovery. Some 886 patients underwent exercise stress tests. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were measured at rest, peak exercise, 1 min, and 5 min after exercise. Patients with MDD had slower HR recovery (p=.026) 1 min after exercise than non‐MDD patients. No other effects of MDD were found. MDD is accompanied by a dysregulation in autonomic... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5081395 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5081395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5081394&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01264.x We report the results of an experiment designed to elucidate the extent to which the error related ERP components are affected by response and stimulus similarity. We examined the ERPs under varying degrees of mismatch between the representations of actual and appropriate responses. We replicated the design used in an earlier study, which demonstrated that response similarity rather than stimulus similarity affected the amplitude of the error related negativity (ERN). We report the results of a spatial‐temporal principal component analysis (PCA), which indicates that response similarity affects the amplitudes of the ERN and the fronto‐central positive component, but not those of the P300 and the frontal negativity. The results provide evidence to suggest that the ERN and the proceeding... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5081394 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5081394 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5081393&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01265.x AbstractWe investigated the effects of repetition priming on indices of conflict adaptation. Event‐related potentials (ERPs) were obtained while 210 healthy individuals (111 female, 99 male) completed an Eriksen flanker task. Error rates, response times (RTs), and N2 and P3 amplitudes showed significant conflict adaptation (i.e., previous‐trial congruencies influenced current‐trial measures). After omitting trials with stimulus‐response repetitions, RTs did not index conflict adaptation, but did show switching effects; error rates and N2 and P3 amplitudes remained sensitive to conflict adaptation. P3 amplitudes positively correlated with RTs. N2 amplitudes correlated with RTs only on incongruent trials following congruent trials after excluding repetitions. Results indicate that ne... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5081393 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5081393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5071882&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01235.x AbstractNegative affect is thought to be an important factor in the maintenance of cigarette smoking, and thus it is important to further develop objective measures of smoking‐related emotional responses. Nonsmokers, nonabstinent smokers, and abstinent smokers participated in a cue reactivity task where eyeblink startle amplitude and startle probe P300 (P3) suppression were measured during the presentation of emotional pictures. During unpleasant pictures, the amplitude of both measures was smaller in nonabstinent smokers than in nonsmokers or abstinent smokers. P3 suppression, but not startle amplitude, was larger in abstinent smokers than in nonsmokers. Abstinence‐induced increases in cigarette craving were associated with P3 suppression during tobacco‐related pictures. Results sug... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5071882 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:24:23 +0100 5071882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5041670&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01228.x This article provides an electrophysiological measurement of the time course of this spread of attention in humans using a sustained contralateral posterior negative (SPCN) event‐related potential component. This component being elicited only when stimuli are presented laterally, the position of lateralization was varied to modulate the onset of this SPCN. Curves that became lateralized further from the central starting point yielded a later SPCN onset than curves that lateralized nearer. This provides converging evidence that attention moves along the curve. (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5041670 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:58:23 +0100 5041670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5041672&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01226.x AbstractThe adaptive gain theory highlights the pivotal role of the locus coeruleus–noradrenergic (LC‐NE) system in regulating task engagement. In humans, however, LC‐NE functional dynamics remain largely unknown. We evaluated the utility of two candidate psychophysiological markers of LC‐NE activity: the P3 event‐related potential and pupil diameter. Electroencephalogram and pupillometry data were collected from 24 participants who performed a 37‐min auditory oddball task. As predicted by the adaptive gain theory, prestimulus pupil diameter exhibited an inverted U‐shaped relationship to P3 and task performance such that largest P3 amplitudes and optimal performance occurred at the same intermediate level of pupil diameter. Large phasic pupil dilations, by contrast, were elic... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5041672 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5041672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5041671&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01227.x AbstractIn an increasingly globalized world mastering a second language (L2) provides a clear advantage. However, after early childhood, not everyone can easily learn a foreign language. The present study explored whether the large variability found in L2 attainment in the normal population, not diagnosed as learning disabled, is related to preattentive speech perception abilities. Using event‐related potentials (ERPs) we examined the mismatch negativity, P3a, and the late discriminative negativity (MMN‐P3a‐LDN) complex, which served as an index for preattentive foreign phonological contrast discrimination abilities. Our results show that, compared to unsuccessful L2 learners, successful L2 learners had shorter latencies of the MMN and P3a components and higher amplitudes of the LDN ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5041671 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5041671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5011088&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01221.x AbstractThe integrated effect of the cholesterol and CYP46 genotypes on the risk of cognitive decline needs to be determined. Using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI), 145 mentally healthy middle‐aged and older adults were recruited to investigate the influence of cholesterol and CYP46 genotypes on cognitive event‐related potentials (ERPs). The subjects with a high low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) level displayed significantly lower amplitude ERPs, although the CASI scores showed no difference. There was no association between the CYP46 genotypes, CASI scores, cholesterol levels, and measures of ERPs. No interaction between LDL‐C level and CYP46 genotypes was noted. The LDL‐C level is an independent predictor of low P300 amplitude. Prevention and tre... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5011088 Sat, 09 Jul 2011 23:53:02 +0100 5011088 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5011090&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01230.x AbstractYouth with conduct problems (CPs) or depression are at high risk for early initiation of substance use, and for future substance use disorders (SUDs). Comorbid CPs and depression increase risk even further, yet understanding how these conditions interact remains elusive. One hypothesis is that altered mesolimbic dopamine function contributes to symptoms of CPs, depression, and SUDs. Cardiac pre‐ejection period (PEP) reactivity to incentives is linked theoretically and functionally to central dopamine responding. We evaluated PEP reactivity to reward as a prospective biomarker of substance use in a study of 206 youth with depression, CPs, CPs and depression, or no psychiatric condition. Children were 8–12 years old at the first of three annual assessments. Reduced PEP reactivity... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5011090 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5011090 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5011089&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01231.x AbstractPhobic fear is accompanied by intense bodily responses modulated by the amygdala. An amygdala moderated psychophysiological measure related to arousal is electrodermal activity. We evaluated the contributions of electrodermal activity to amygdala‐parahippocampal regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during phobic memory encoding in subjects with spider or snake phobia. Recognition memory was increased for phobia‐related slides and covaried with rCBF in the amygdala and the parahippocampal gyrus. The covariation between parahippocampal rCBF and recognition was related to electrodermal activity suggesting that parahippocampal memory processes were associated with sympathetic activity. Electrodermal activity further mediated the amygdala effect on parahippocampal activity. Memory en... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5011089 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5011089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4978650&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01229.x AbstractThe anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is central to evaluating performance outcomes and has been linked to individual differences in affective responses to feedback. We used electrophysiological source localization to examine the feedback‐related negativity (FRN) and related ACC activity during a gambling task in relation to punishment and reward sensitivity among 16‐ to 17‐year‐old adolescents (n=20) and 18‐ to 29‐year‐old adults (n=30). The FRN was larger for monetary loss compared to win feedback and larger for high relative to low monetary value feedback, with no age differences in the FRN for win or loss feedback. Self‐reported sensitivity to punishment accounted for unique variance (over sex and sensitivity to reward) in FRNs, with higher scores relating to larg... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4978650 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:55:37 +0100 4978650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4971576&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01225.x We examined latent change score (LCS) modeling as an approach to the analysis of children's skin conductance level (SCL) throughout a stressful task—a simulated interadult argument—as it relates to externalizing and internalizing symptoms. LCS is an extension of traditional multilevel modeling (MLM), which allows estimation of proportional growth terms. Children (age 6–12 years; N=150) were from two‐parent families. Mothers reported on children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Results indicated that the LCS models outperformed the traditional MLM. The use of LCS yielded important novel information regarding profile and pattern of responding for various children and is likely to advance understanding of relations between children's physiological responses and psychopathol... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4971576 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 22:42:41 +0100 4971576 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4915441&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01222.x AbstractWe used an intermittent stimulus presentation to investigate event‐related potential (ERP) components associated with perceptual reversals during binocular rivalry. The combination of spatiotemporal ERP analysis with source imaging and statistical parametric mapping of the concomitant source differences yielded differences in three time windows: reversals showed increased activity in early visual (∼120 ms) and in inferior frontal and anterior temporal areas (∼400–600 ms) and decreased activity in the ventral stream (∼250–350 ms). The combination of source imaging and statistical parametric mapping suggests that these differences were due to differences in generator strength and not generator configuration, unlike the initiation of reversals in right inferior parietal ar... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4915441 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 18:39:21 +0100 4915441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4905805&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01223.x AbstractEye movements were monitored during picture viewing, and effects of hedonic content, perceptual composition, and repetition on scanning assessed. In Experiment 1, emotional and neutral pictures that were figure‐ground compositions or more complex scenes were presented for a 6‐s free viewing period. Viewing emotional pictures or complex scenes prompted more fixations and broader scanning of the visual array, compared to neutral pictures or simple figure‐ground compositions. Effects of emotion and composition were independent, supporting the hypothesis that these oculomotor indices reflect enhanced information seeking. Experiment 2 tested an orienting hypothesis by repeatedly presenting the same pictures. Although repetition altered specific scan patterns, emotional, compared t... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4905805 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:10:11 +0100 4905805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4896730&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01224.x AbstractAuditory evoked potentials (AEPs) provide an objective measure of auditory cortical function, but AEPs from cochlear implant (CI) users are contaminated by an electrical artifact. Here, we investigated the effects of electrical artifact attenuation on AEP quality. The ability of independent component analysis (ICA) in attenuating the CI artifact while preserving the AEPs was evaluated. AEPs recovered from CI users were systematically correlated with age, demonstrating that individual differences were well preserved. CI users with high‐quality AEPs were characterized by a significantly shorter duration of deafness. Finally, a simulation study revealed very high spatial correlations between original and recovered normal hearing AEPs (r>.95) that were previously contaminated with... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4896730 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:02:38 +0100 4896730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4833352&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01219.x AbstractPupillary responses have been shown to be sensitive to both task load and emotional content. We investigated the interplay of these factors in the processing of single words that varied in emotional valence and arousal. Two tasks of different cognitive load, uninstructed reading and a lexical decision task, were employed, followed by an unannounced recognition task. Reaction times were faster and incidental memory performance was better for high‐arousing than for low‐arousing words. In contrast to previous findings for pictures and sounds, high‐arousing words elicited smaller pupillary responses than low‐arousing words; these effects were independent of task load, which increased pupil diameter. Therefore, emotional arousal attributed to words does not mandatorily activate ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4833352 Wed, 18 May 2011 21:02:49 +0100 4833352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4833353&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01217.x We report three experiments investigating the cognitive processes associated with this pupil old/new effect. Using a remember/know procedure, we found that the effect occurred for old items that were both remembered and known at recognition, although it was attenuated for known compared to remembered items. In Experiment 2, the pupil old/new effect was observed when items were presented acoustically, suggesting the effect does not depend on low‐level visual processes. The pupil old/new effect was also greater for items encoded under deep compared to shallow orienting instructions, suggesting it may reflect the strength of the underlying memory trace. Finally, the pupil old/new effect was also found when participants falsely recognized items as being old. We propose that pupils respond to... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4833353 Sun, 15 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4833353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4823252&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01215.x AbstractThe alternative outcome refers to the outcome of the unselected option in decision‐making tasks, which has significant influence on the chosen outcome evaluation. Most paradigms have presented the alternative outcome either after or simultaneous with the chosen outcome, which complicates the observation on the brain activity associated with the alternative outcome. To circumvent this perceived shortcoming, we modified the classic paradigm designed by Yeung and Sanfey (2004) such that the alternative outcome was presented before the chosen outcome in each trial while an electroencephalogram was recorded. The feedback‐related negativity (FRN) elicited by the positive alternative outcome was larger than that elicited by the negative alternative outcome, suggesting that the partici... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4823252 Sat, 14 May 2011 23:52:41 +0100 4823252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4815032&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01220.x AbstractTo study the mechanism underlying the influence of psychological pressure on task performance, we investigated the relationship between prefrontal activation, autonomic arousal, and performance in an n‐back working memory task with 3 load levels (l‐, 2‐, and 3‐back tasks) under evaluative pressure. The tasks were performed by 32 university students with or without evaluative observation by experimenters. The error rate and prefrontal activation were found to increase with pressure only in the highest load task (3‐back). In contrast, autonomic arousal increased with pressure regardless of the task condition. Correlation analysis showed a positive correlation of the error rate with prefrontal activation in the 3‐back task and no consistent correlation with autonomic arous... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4815032 Thu, 12 May 2011 20:45:52 +0100 4815032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4815034&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01214.x AbstractWe studied whether a multifeature mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm using naturally produced speech stimuli is feasible for studies of auditory discrimination accuracy of adult participants. A naturally produced trisyllabic pseudoword was used in the paradigm, and MMNs were recorded to changes that were acoustic (changes in fundamental frequency or intensity) or potentially phonological (changes in vowel identity or vowel duration). All the different changes were presented in three different word segments (initial, middle, or final syllable). All changes elicited an MMN response, but the vowel duration change elicited a different response pattern than the other deviant types. Changes in vowel duration and identity also had an effect on MMN lateralization. Our results show that ass... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4815034 Wed, 11 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4815034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4815033&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01216.x AbstractThis research was designed to extend the literature on heart rate variability (HRV) in cognitive performance contexts by examining whether a subtle threat cue (the color red) in a test environment influences HRV reactivity and whether HRV reactivity is associated with change in cognitive performance. Thirty‐three participants took an IQ test, briefly viewed red or a chromatic or achromatic control color, and then took a parallel form of the IQ test. High frequency (HF)‐HRV (often referred to as respiratory sinus arrhythmia), was assessed before and after the color manipulation. Results indicated that participants who viewed red (relative to a control color) exhibited a decrease in HF‐HRV and that decreased HF‐HRV was associated with worse IQ performance. These findings demo... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4815033 Wed, 11 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4815033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4784034&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01218.x AbstractThe effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on cortical excitability are usually inferred from indirect indexes, such as EMG responses. It has now become possible to directly evaluate rTMS impact by means of concurrent EEG recording. The aim of this study was to examine the modulation induced by high frequency rTMS (20 Hz) over left primary motor cortex on the ongoing oscillatory activity. Thirteen subjects underwent two sham and a real rTMS session while acquiring EEG. Event‐related desynchronization/synchronization was calculated for the α and β bands. rTMS induced a dose‐dependent increase in synchronization in both bands over central and parietal sites. The strongest effect found for the α band outlasted the end of the stimulation. Considering prev... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4784034 Thu, 05 May 2011 19:03:55 +0100 4784034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4755612&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01213.x AbstractSchizophrenia (SZ) patients showed increased volitional saccade latencies, suggesting deficient volitional initiation of action. Yet increased volitional saccade latencies may also result from deficits in attention shifts. To dissociate attention shifting and saccade initiation, we asked 25 SZ patients and 25 healthy subjects to make saccades toward newly appearing (onset) targets and toward the loci of disappearing (offset) targets. Similar onsets and offsets were also used as attention cues in a Posner‐type manual task. As expected, onsets and offsets had similar effects on attention. In contrast, saccade latencies were considerably longer with offset compared to onset targets, reflecting additional time for volitional saccade initiation. Unexpectedly, SZ patients had normal sa... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4755612 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:07:19 +0100 4755612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4755613&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01209.x AbstractWe evaluated the relationship between conscious awareness and the ERN/Ne and Pe in a digit entering task. On each trial, participants rated the accuracy of their responses on a three‐point scale (incorrect, unsure, correct). The ERN/Ne was present on incorrect trials judged as incorrect. The Pe was evident on the same trials but also on correct and incorrect trials judged as unsure. We propose that the ERN/Ne occurs when there is an incorrect execution of a correct motor plan and the representation of the correct response is available for comparison with the actual response. The mismatch information that results from this comparison can be transferred to the Pe process and conscious awareness. However, the Pe process and conscious awareness do not only depend on this transfer of ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4755613 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4755613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4749590&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01212.x In this study, we investigated the neurophysiological processing correlates of subject‐verb agreement in Spanish using Unagreement, a phenomenon characterized by a person mismatch between subject and verb that nonetheless produces a grammatical pattern. Unagreement was compared to well‐formed sentences with full agreement, and ill‐formed sentences with a person mismatch. Compared to control sentences, Unagreement produced a left posterior negativity followed by a more central negativity; no P600 effect was observed. In contrast, person violations generated a negativity that was widely distributed over the scalp, followed by a P600 effect. These data suggest that the comprehension of qualitatively different agreement patterns, which could reflect the performance of different processin... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4749590 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:25:08 +0100 4749590 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4737352&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01205.x AbstractThe current study employed a modified gambling task, in which probabilistic cues were provided to elicit positive or negative expectations. Event‐related potentials (ERPs) to “final outcome” and “probabilistic cues” were analyzed. Difference waves between the negative condition and the corresponding positive condition were examined. The results confirm that feedback related negativity (FRN) amplitude is modulated by the interaction of outcome valence and expectancy by showing larger FRN difference waves for unexpected than expected outcomes. More interestingly, the difference wave between ERPs elicited by positive and negative expectations showed a negative deflection, with a frontal midline source density around 280 ms after onset of the predictive cue. Negative expectat... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4737352 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:18:49 +0100 4737352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4727302&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01207.x AbstractWe investigated whether the absence of one item in a regularly spaced visual array (gap cue) captures attention in a task‐set‐independent fashion. Participants searched for a large target among medium‐size distractors (size task) or a red target among gray distractors (color task). Target arrays were preceded by uninformative cue arrays that contained a color singleton or a gap cue. The N2pc component was measured as an index of attentional capture. Color singleton cues captured attention only in the color task, but gap cues captured attention in both tasks. For cue arrays containing a color singleton and a gap cue on opposite sides, an N2pc was triggered by the color singleton in the color task. The absence of an item in a regular array triggered task‐set‐independent att... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4727302 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 03:29:16 +0100 4727302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4716356&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01211.x AbstractSpontaneous dissociative alterations in awareness and perception among highly suggestible individuals following a hypnotic induction may result from disruptions in the functional coordination of the frontal‐parietal network. We recorded EEG and self‐reported state dissociation in control and hypnosis conditions in two sessions with low and highly suggestible participants. Highly suggestible participants reliably experienced greater state dissociation and exhibited lower frontal‐parietal phase synchrony in the alpha2 frequency band during hypnosis than low suggestible participants. These findings suggest that highly suggestible individuals exhibit a disruption of the frontal‐parietal network that is only observable following a hypnotic induction. (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4716356 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:54:15 +0100 4716356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4716358&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01206.x AbstractThe error‐related negativity (ERN) is a negative deflection in the event‐related potential (ERP) following an erroneous response and is thought to reflect activity of the anterior cingulate cortex. There is accumulating evidence that the component has trait‐like properties; prior evidence further suggests test–retest reliability estimates ranging from .40 to .82 over a period of 2 to 6 weeks. The present study examined temporal stability over a longer time period. Error‐related brain activity was recorded from 26 subjects during an arrow version of the flankers task on two occasions separated by 1.5 to 2.5 years. Depending on the scoring method, test–retest reliability of the ERN ranged from .56 to .67. These data are consistent with previous suggestions that the ERN is... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4716358 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4716358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4716357&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01210.x AbstractWe investigated to what degree tonic skin conductance levels (SCL) and cardiac autonomic dysfunction are interrelated in schizophrenia. Heart rate variability (HRV) and SCL were simultaneously assessed in 18 unmedicated patients and 18 controls matched for age, sex, weight, and smoking habits. For comparison to prior studies, phasic sympathetic skin responses (SPR) were also recorded. Compared to controls, patients had prolonged SPR latency and reduced SPR amplitude with a right‐greater‐than‐left asymmetry, which was inversely correlated with positive symptoms. An autonomic imbalance was reflected in linear and nonlinear measures of HRV and increased SCL. Patients showed a stronger nonlinear association between SCL and heart rate than controls. HRV and SCL findings were stron... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4716357 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4716357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4699561&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01204.x AbstractBrain responses to engaging stimuli may be reflected both in event‐related potentials (ERPs) and in electroencephalogram (EEG) oscillations. Previous studies investigating the effects of top‐down factors on stimulus encoding revealed similar modulation of late ERPs and alpha‐band desynchronization (α‐ERD) by relevant target stimuli. Focusing on the bottom‐up effects of emotional content and picture size, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship of the late positive potential (LPP) and α‐ERD during the viewing of emotional pictures. Results showed similar affective modulation by picture arousal of the LPP and α‐ERD. Moreover, picture size reduction diminished overall magnitude of both responses, but did not dampen affective modulation of either respon... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4699561 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:44:11 +0100 4699561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4688049&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01200.x AbstractIn this human ERP study, effects of language‐specific phonotactic restrictions on automatic auditory speech processing were investigated by means of the dorsal fricative assimilation (DFA) that is obligatory in German grammar. Using a multiple passive oddball paradigm, we studied the deviance‐related processing of phonotactically ill‐formed strings violating DFA. Eight VC‐syllables were created by exhaustively combining the vowels and the dorsal fricatives , resulting in four well‐formed and four ill‐formed stimuli that were contrasted in oddball blocks with changing probabilities of occurrence. Only the ill‐formed deviants elicited a negative ERP deflection maximal at about 100 msec after the onset of the fricative. This negativity is considered to reflect a phonotac... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4688049 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:39:05 +0100 4688049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4678381&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.1208.x This study was designed to test two hypotheses about why the mismatch negativity (MMN) to a duration deviant sound seems more susceptible to conditional inference effects. The MMNs to duration and frequency glide deviant sounds were significantly smaller when their occurrence was conditionally linked to the identity of a prior deviant as opposed to when they occurred randomly in a sequence. Results provide support for the learned conditional inference interpretation of reduced MMN size to linked deviants. We discuss alternate explanations and conclude that conditional inference studies could provide insight into the dynamics of probability‐based prediction in the auditory system. (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4678381 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 23:25:45 +0100 4678381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4678382&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.1202.x AbstractThe majority of studies investigating risky decision making focus on the high‐conflict condition, and very few consider the low‐conflict condition in which there is either a very high or a very low probability of risk. Even though the high‐risk condition and low‐risk condition are both considered low‐conflict decision scenarios and both behavioral outcomes are highly predictable, these conditions still differ in terms of the probabilities of reward and punishment. In the following study, we investigated both behavioral and electrophysiological correlates associated with high‐ and low‐risk conditions within the low‐conflict scenario, as well as high‐conflict condition, in a modified gambling game. The behavioral results showed that, within the low‐conflict scenar... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4678382 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4678382 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4666161&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01201.x AbstractAge‐related slowing of reaction times (RTs) is well documented but whether the phenomenon reflects deficits in movement preparation and/or response generation processes is unclear. To gain further insight into this issue, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to investigate motor cortex (M1) excitability and short‐interval intracortical inhibitory (SICI) processes during a Go/NoGo RT task in younger and older adults. Single‐ and paired‐pulse TMS was delivered over the left M1 during preparation and response generation periods in a right‐hand muscle. Younger adults had shorter RTs and a larger increase in corticospinal excitability at response generation period than older adults. SICI modulation for both groups showed a large reduction in inhibition immediately ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4666161 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 23:07:21 +0100 4666161 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4666165&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01181.x AbstractThis experiment investigated the combined effect of masked affective stimuli and task difficulty on effort‐related cardiovascular response. Cardiovascular reactivity (ICG, blood pressure) was recorded during a baseline period and performance of an easy or difficult attention task in which participants were exposed to masked sad vs. happy facial expressions. As expected, participants in the sad‐faces/easy and happy‐faces/difficult conditions showed stronger sympathetic nervous system discharge to the heart and vasculature—shorter preejection period, higher systolic blood pressure—indicating more effort than participants in the sad‐faces/difficult and happy‐faces/easy conditions. Total peripheral resistance reacted similarly as preejection period and systolic blood pres... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4666165 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4666165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4666164&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01194.x AbstractThe present study examined the effect of acute exercise on flow mediated dilation (FMD) and reactivity to neurovascular challenges among female smokers and nonsmokers. FMD was determined by arterial diameter, velocity, and blood flow measured by Doppler ultrasonography after forearm occlusion. Those measures and blood pressure and heart rate were also assessed in response to forehead cold and the Stroop Color‐Word Conflict Test (CWT) before and after 30 min of rest or an acute bout of cycling exercise (∼50% VO2peak). Baseline FMD and stress responses were not different between smokers and nonsmokers. Compared to passive rest, exercise increased FMD and decreased arterial velocity and blood flow responses during the Stroop CWT and forehead cold in both groups. Overall, acute exe... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4666164 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4666164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4666163&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01199.x AbstractIn 2005, DeLong, Urbach, and Kutas took advantage of the a/an English indefinite article phonological alternation and the sensitivities of the N400 ERP component to show that readers can neurally preactivate individual words of a sentence (including nouns and their prenominal indefinite articles) in a graded fashion with a likelihood estimated from the words' offline probabilities as sentence continuations. Here we report an additional finding from that study: a prolonged ERP frontal positivity to less probable noun continuations. We suggest that this positivity is consistent with hypotheses that additional neural processing may be invoked when highly expected continuations are not encountered in the input and speculate briefly on possible functional correlates. (Source: Psychophys... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4666163 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4666163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4666162&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01203.x AbstractWe investigated effects of different proportions of incongruent trials on behavioral and event‐related potential (ERP) interference measures associated with response conflict in the Stroop and flanker task. From the literature, we hypothesized that response conflict is greater when incongruent trials are rare compared to when incongruent trials are frequent. In support, the behavioral results on both tasks and the ERP results on the Stroop task (N450) showed that interference effects were significantly larger when incongruent trials were rare than frequent. In contrast, the ERP results on the flanker task N200 showed a larger interference effect when incongruent trials were frequent than rare. Because results for the flanker N200 were opposite to behavioral effects and theoretica... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4666162 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4666162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4655001&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01197.x This study investigated whether these schemata are immature in adolescence. An N400 sentential priming paradigm compared risky, predictable, and incongruent sentence processing in adolescents and adults. Adults and teens processed predictable sentences similarly, as evidenced by equivalent N400 priming. However, in adults, more activation was required to access final words in a risky sentence than when the situation was predictable and benign. Conversely, teens showed little difference in N400s generated by risky or expected sentences. This suggests that risky scenario final words were unexpected for adults but not for adolescents because of age‐related differences in world knowledge and risk‐related schemata. This study may help to explain why teenagers engage in risky activities when... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4655001 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:24:29 +0100 4655001 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4655002&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01196.x AbstractNumerous studies have shown that the N1 event‐related potential (ERP) response is attenuated when it is elicited by self‐initiated sounds. This N1 suppression effect is generally interpreted to reflect an internal prediction mechanism, which enables the discrimination of the sensory consequences of our own actions and those of others. The blocked design used in the forerunner studies (i.e., self‐ and externally initiated sounds presented in different blocks) seriously limits the relevance of these findings, because the N1 effect can simply be explained by contextual task differences. In the present study, self‐ and externally initiated sounds were mixed within blocks. N1 suppression was found, and its magnitude was even larger than that observed in a traditional blocked con... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4655002 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4655002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4646106&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01198.x AbstractPrevious neuroimaging work has identified anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) abnormalities in recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD), implicating a persistent underlying predisposition to depression. Error‐monitoring studies in MDD, as indexed by error‐related negativity (ERN), have yielded conflicting results, probably because of task differences or confounds in patient samples. ERN patterns were examined in remitted (n=19) and acutely depressed (n=17) patients, classified as a function of illness stage, and their matched controls in a go/no‐go task using high‐density ERPs. Results showed an abnormally larger ERN (p<.05) in remitted patients, especially in younger cases. Overall, ERN was found to decrease with age across all groups. The findings of increased ERN in remi... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4646106 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:18:43 +0100 4646106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4646108&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01195.x AbstractDeficits in processing contextual information are one of the main features of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia, but the neurophysiologic substrate underlying this dysfunction is poorly understood. We used ERPs to investigate local contextual processing in schizophrenic patients. Local context was defined as the occurrence of a short predictive series of stimuli occurring before delivery of a target event. Response times of predicted targets were faster in controls compared to patients. Schizophrenia patients failed to generate the P3b latency shift between predicted and random targets that was observed in controls and demonstrated a prominent reduction of the peak of an early latency context dependent positivity. The current study provides evidence of contextual processing de... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4646108 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4646108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4646107&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01193.x AbstractPrior research suggests that nonpredictive symbolic central cues can produce nonvoluntary shifts of endogenous attention when associations between cues and spatial locations are overlearned during cognitive development. The present ERP study extends this research by first showing that overlearned cue–spatial location associations necessary to support nonvoluntary attentional orienting can be rapidly formed in adult humans. A second experiment indicates that the nonvoluntary orienting formed by such rapid learning is semireflexive (amenable to top‐down influence) rather than reflexive (resistant to top‐down influence). A third experiment suggests that the rapid formation of endogenous nonvoluntary orienting requires explicit rather than implicit learning of cue–location asso... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4646107 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4646107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4567536&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01189.x AbstractChanges in attention allocation with complex task learning reflect processing automatization and more efficient control. We studied these changes using ERP and EEG spectral analyses in subjects playing Space Fortress, a complex video game comprising standard cognitive task components. We hypothesized that training would free up attentional resources for a secondary auditory oddball task. Both P3 and delta EEG showed a processing trade‐off between game and oddball tasks, but only some game events showed reduced attention requirements with practice. Training magnified a transient increase in alpha power following both primary and secondary task events. This contrasted with alpha suppression observed when the oddball task was performed alone, suggesting that alpha may be related to ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4567536 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:36:40 +0100 4567536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4546303&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01187.x This study determined which peripheral variables would better predict the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and time to exhaustion (TE) during exercise at different intensities. Ten men performed exercises at first lactate threshold (LT1), second lactate threshold (LT2), 50% of the distance from LT1 to LT2 (TT50%), and 25% of the distance from LT2 to maximal power output (TW25%). Lactate, catecholamines, potassium, pH, glucose, V̇O2, VE, HR, respiratory rate (RR) and RPE were measured and plotted against the exercise duration for the slope calculation. Glucose, dopamine, and noradrenaline predicted RPE in TT50% (88%), LT2 (64%), and TW25% (77%), but no variable predicted RPE in LT1. RPE (55%), RPE+HR (86%), and RPE+RR (92% and 55%) predicted TE in LT1, TT50%, LT2, and TW25%, respectively... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4546303 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 18:47:18 +0100 4546303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4546304&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01192.x AbstractTo investigate the development of advance task‐set updating and reconfiguration, behavioral and event‐related potential (ERP) data were recorded in children (9–10 years), adolescents (13–14 years), and young adults (20–27 years) in a cued task‐switching paradigm. In pure blocks, the same task was repeated. In mixed blocks, comprised of stay and switch trials, two tasks were intermixed. Age differences were found for stay‐pure performance (mixing costs) in the 600‐ms but not in the 1200‐ms cue‐target interval (CTI). Children showed larger reaction time mixing costs than adults. The ERPs suggested that the larger costs were due to delayed anticipatory task‐set updating in children. Switch‐stay performance decrements (switch costs) were age‐invariant in both ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4546304 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4546304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4537312&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01188.x AbstractOrienting of attention to emotionally negative stimuli is accompanied by rapid heart rate (HR) deceleration, reflecting enhanced attentional and sensory processing. We studied whether similar emotional modulation of cardiac responding is observed in infants. HR and eye movements were recorded from 7‐month‐old infants while they observed a fearful or happy face that was flanked after 700 ms by a peripheral distractor for 2000 ms. An attentional bias for fearful faces was indicated by less frequent and longer latency saccades toward the distractors during fearful than happy trials. HR deceleration was significantly larger during fearful than happy trials on which infants did not make a distractor‐directed saccade. For trials with a distractor‐directed saccade, no difference b... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4537312 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 20:22:29 +0100 4537312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4533613&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01191.x This study examines the early affective consequences of two close forms of suppression. Participants (N=37) were shown negative, positive, and neutral pictures and cued either to attend to the pictures, or to perform expressive or physiological suppression (i.e., reduce body reactions). Continuous measures of experience, expressivity, and autonomic responses showed that both suppression strategies produced rapid response modulation. Common effects of the two strategies included a transient increase in negative feeling, a durable decrease in positive feeling, and a decrease in expressivity, cardiovascular activity, and oxygenation. The two strategies were significantly different only in response to positive stimuli, with physiological suppression showing a larger decrease in experience inte... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4533613 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 22:59:45 +0100 4533613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4533614&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01190.x AbstractWe investigated whether speakers can use an internal channel to monitor their speech for taboo utterances and prevent these from being spoken aloud. Therefore event‐related potentials were measured while participants carried out the SLIP task. In this task, speech errors were elicited that could either result in taboo words (taboo‐eliciting trials) or neutral words (neutral‐eliciting trials). In taboo‐eliciting trials, there was an augmented negative wave around 600 ms after the pronunciation cue even though there were no overt errors. This component has previously been interpreted as reflecting conflict. These results indicate that taboo utterances can indeed be detected and corrected internally. (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4533614 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4533614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4503602&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01186.x AbstractIn his seminal paper, Donders proposed that Choice reaction time (RT) tasks differ from Go/No‐go RT tasks only by the insertion of a response decision operation. We evaluated this possibility by comparing the time course of Laplacian‐transformed ERPs, recorded over the primary (M1s) and supplementary motor areas (SMAs) in a Choice and in a Go/No‐go task. Laplacian‐transformed ERPs showed that a component that develops over the SMAs during the RT of Choice tasks vanishes in our Go/No‐go task. This indicates that a process, absent in the Go/No‐go task, was “inserted” in the Choice task. The Choice versus Go/No‐go manipulation also modified the motor command: the activity recorded over M1s and the delay separating EMG onset from response completion depended on the na... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4503602 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:43:25 +0100 4503602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4503606&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01182.x AbstractThe role of personal responsibility in decision‐making and its influence on the outcome evaluation process have been investigated relatively rarely in cognitive neuroscience. The present event‐related brain potential (ERP) study manipulated the subjective sense of responsibility by modifying outcome controllability in a gambling task. Participants reported a higher sense of responsibility and produced a larger fERN when they were told that the game was ‘controllable’ compared with when they were told that the game was ‘uncontrollable.’ In addition, fERN amplitude was correlated with individual self‐reports of personal responsibility over the outcomes. These results indicate that self‐attribution of responsibility associated with different degrees of controllability ... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4503606 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4503606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4503605&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01184.x AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine associations of objectively measured physical activity with daily mood ratings and psychophysiological stress responses. We recruited 40 healthy females (aged 28.7 ± 6.1 yrs) who completed a once‐a‐day mood rating scale for 7 days, along with a 7‐day assessment of physical activity using accelerometers and psychophysiological stress testing. The findings suggest that levels of physical activity as measured using an accelerometer are associated with both depressive symptoms over the past 2 weeks (CES‐D) (r=−.33, p=.038) and with daily positive emotional style (r=.49, p=.001). The relationship between physical activity and positive emotional style remained after controlling for age, body mass index, and negative emotional style (t=3.31,... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4503605 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4503605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4503604&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01183.x AbstractMEG and EEG studies of event‐related responses often involve comparisons of grand averages, requiring homogeneity of the variances. Here, we examine the possibility, implied by the nature of neural sources and the measuring principles involved, that the M100 component of auditory‐evoked magnetic fields of different subjects, hemispheres, to different stimuli, and at different sensors differs by scaling factors. Such a multiplicative model predicts a linear increase in the standard deviation with the mean, and thus would have important implications for averaging and comparing such data. Our analyses, at the sensor and the source level, clearly show that the multiplicative model applies. We therefore propose geometric, rather than arithmetic, averaging of the M100 component acros... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4503604 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4503604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4503603&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01185.x This study examines whether these variables explain the SES‐AL relationship in a population‐based sample of 208 51‐ to 69‐year‐old White, Black, and Hispanic adults in the Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study. AL was based on nine markers of physiological dysregulation. SES was inversely associated with a composite measure of AL; hostility and poor sleep quality helped to explain the association between AL and SES. Factor analyses revealed four AL components corresponding to the bodily systems of interest. SES was significantly associated with two AL components, suggesting that the effects of SES on physiological dysregulation are specific to certain systems in a middle to early old‐age population. (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4503603 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4503603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4485418&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01179.x AbstractAlthough a deficit perceiving phonemes, as indexed by the mismatch negativity (MMN), is apparent in developmental dyslexia (DD), studies have not yet addressed whether this deficit might be a result of deficient native language speech representations. The present study examines how a native‐vowel prototype and an atypical vowel are discriminated by 9‐year‐old children with (n=14) and without (n=12) DD. MMN was elicited in all conditions in both groups. The control group revealed enhanced MMN to the native‐vowel prototype in comparison to the atypical vowel. Children with DD did not show enhanced MMN amplitude to the native‐vowel prototype, suggesting impaired tuning to native language speech representations. Furthermore, higher MMN amplitudes to the native‐vowel prototy... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4485418 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:41:36 +0100 4485418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4485420&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01178.x AbstractOur previous study showed that placebo expectations can develop in a transferable manner; for example, a placebo expectation developed within an analgesic experience may lead to reduced anxiety. Considering that activities in such emotion‐responsive areas as the amygdala and insula can be detected through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we used fMRI to further study the transferable placebo anxiolytic effect. A main‐effect analysis showed that activity in the amygdala and insula was reduced in the placebo condition, whereas an interaction analysis showed activity in the two regions was selectively attenuated in the placebo condition when unpleasant pictures were viewed. We also observed greater activity in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex under placebo cond... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4485420 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4485420 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4485419&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01180.x AbstractTo investigate the time course of emotional expression processing, we recorded ERPs to facial stimuli. The first task was to discriminate emotional expressions. Enhanced negativity of the face‐specific N170 was elicited by emotional as opposed to neutral faces, followed by the occipital negativity (240–340 ms poststimulus). The second task was to classify face gender. Here, N170 was unaffected by the emotional expression. However, emotional expression effect was expressed in the anterior positivity (160–250 ms poststimulus) and subsequent occipital negativity (240–340 ms poststimulus). Results support the thesis that structural encoding relevant to gender recognition and simultaneous expression analysis are independent processes. Attention modulates facial emotion processin... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4485419 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4485419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4395831&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01171.x This article presents a keyword‐based bibliometric study of the thematic evolution of the journal Psychophysiology since its first publication in 1964 until 2008. Bibliometric maps showing the most relevant associations among the main topics treated by the journal are provided separately for the periods 1964–1978, 1979–1988, 1989–1998, and 1999–2008. These maps offer insight into the conceptual structure of psychophysiology as a research discipline and help to visualize the division of the field into several interconnected subfields. Bibliometric maps created by co‐word analysis can be used by both experts and novices to understand the current state of the art of a scientific field and to predict where future research could lead. (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4395831 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:58:36 +0100 4395831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4395834&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01175.x AbstractAlthough it is well established that performance is influenced by competitive pressure, our understanding of the mechanisms which underlie the pressure–performance relationship is limited. The current experiment examined mediators of the relationship between competitive pressure and motor skill performance of experts. Psychological, physiological, and kinematic responses to three levels of competitive pressure were measured in 50 expert golfers, during a golf putting task. Elevated competitive pressure increased putting accuracy, anxiety, effort, and heart rate, but decreased grip force. Quadratic effects of pressure were noted for self‐reported conscious processing and impact velocity. Mediation analyses revealed that effort and heart rate partially mediated improved performan... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4395834 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4395834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4395833&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01176.x This study on 16 healthy participants used evidence from ERPs to decide whether this advantage is due to better processing in the right hemisphere or to overload of the left one. N2pc and P3 components evoked by T1 and T2 were measured, as well as the VEPs evoked by the stream of distractor stimuli. Already at the onset of the stream, these VEPs peaked earlier at the right than at the left hemisphere. N2pc was evoked earlier and P3 amplitudes were larger with left than with right T2. Previously reported side differences in T1‐evoked N2pc were no longer obtained after correcting for constant hemispheric differences. The faster VEP latencies at the right hemisphere from the very beginning of the stimulus series may reflect an advantage in structuring fast sequences, which may cause the lef... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4395833 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4395833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4395832&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01177.x AbstractDistinct psychological processes have been proposed to unfold in decision‐making. The time course of neural mechanisms supporting these processes has not been fully identified. The present MEG study examined spatio‐temporal activity related to components of decision‐making proposed to support reward valuation, reward prediction, and outcome evaluation. Each trial presented information on reward value (10 or 50 cents) and reward probability (10%, 50%, or 90%). Brain activity related to those inputs and to outcome feedback was evaluated via electromagnetic responses in source space. Distributed dipole activity reflected reward value and reward probability 150–350 ms after information arrival. Neural responses to reward‐value information peaked earlier than those to reward�... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4395832 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4395832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4390681&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2010.01174.x AbstractTones that are self‐generated elicit a smaller N1 than externally triggered tones. Typically, however, self‐generated tones are also more predictable in time than externally triggered ones. The present study investigated whether the attenuated N1 can be explained by predictability based on the temporal relationship between action and effect. Participants listened to tones that were self‐generated by a key‐press or preceded by a visual cue. The tones followed the key‐presses or cues after a fixed (predictable context) or variable delay (unpredictable context). Tones triggered by a key‐press elicited a smaller N1 than tones following a visual cue. This finding suggests that the reduced N1 to self‐generated tones is not merely due to the fact that the tone's timing can b... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4390681 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 21:53:18 +0100 4390681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4390685&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2010.01172.x AbstractHumans must often focus attention onto relevant sensory signals in the presence of simultaneous irrelevant signals. This type of attention has been explored in vision with the N2pc component, and the present study sought to find an analogous auditory effect. In Experiment 1, two 750‐ms sounds were presented simultaneously, one from each of two lateral speakers. On each trial, participants indicated whether one of the two sounds was a pre‐defined target. We found that targets elicited an N2ac component: a negativity in the N2 latency range at anterior contralateral electrodes. We also observed a later and more posterior contralateral positivity. Experiment 2 replicated these effects and demonstrated that they arose from competition between attended and unattended tones rather th... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4390685 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4390685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4390684&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2011.01169.x AbstractAccording to the E‐Z Reader model of eye‐movement control, the completion of an early stage of lexical processing, the familiarity check, causes the eyes to move forward during reading (Reichle, Pollatsek, Fisher, & Rayner, 1998). Here, we report an event‐related potential (ERP) experiment designed to examine the hypothesized familiarity check at the electrophysiological level. The results indicate ERP components modulated by word frequency at the time of the predicted familiarity check. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that an early stage of lexical processing is linked to the “decisions” about when to move the eyes during reading. (Source: Psychophysiology) Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4390684 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4390684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4390683&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2010.01170.x AbstractThe hypothesis of physiological emotion specificity has been tested using pattern classification analysis (PCA). To address limitations of prior research using PCA, we studied effects of feature selection (sequential forward selection, sequential backward selection), classifier type (linear and quadratic discriminant analysis, neural networks, k‐nearest neighbors method), and cross‐validation method (subject‐ and stimulus‐(in)dependence). Analyses were run on a data set of 34 participants watching two sets of three 10‐min film clips (fearful, sad, neutral) while autonomic, respiratory, and facial muscle activity were assessed. Results demonstrate that the three states can be classified with high accuracy by most classifiers, with the sparsest model having only five featur... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4390683 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4390683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4390682&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2010.01173.x AbstractWe address the degree to which resting EEG bandpower is associated with cognitive performance in 73 healthy older adults (aged 56–70). Relative theta (4–6.5 Hz) power was significantly correlated with immediate and delayed verbal recall, attention, and executive function measures. Relative delta and alpha power and peak alpha frequency did not correlate with any cognitive measures. These data indicate that high resting theta power in healthy older adults is associated with better cognitive function and may be a marker of healthy neurocognitive aging. Comparison of these with previous findings suggests that two forms of theta‐frequency oscillations may exist; one indicative of healthy neurocognitive function and the other, EEG/alpha slowing linked to (future) substantial cogni... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4390682 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4390682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4339672&cid=s_32233_25_f&fid=32233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1111%252Fj.1469-8986.2010.01168.x AbstractSensory gating deficit in schizophrenia patients has been well‐documented. However, a central conceptual issue, regarding whether the gating deficit results from an abnormal initial response (S1) or difficulty in attenuating the response to the repeating stimulus (S2), raise doubts about the validity and utility of the S2/S1 ratio as a measure of sensory gating. This meta‐analysis study, therefore, sought to determine the consistency and relative magnitude of the effect of the two essential components (S1 and S2) and the ratio. The results of weighted random effects meta‐analysis revealed that the overall effect sizes for the S1 amplitude, S2 amplitude, and P50 S2/S1 ratio were −0.19 (small), 0.65 (medium to large), and 0.93 (large), respectively. These results confirm that... Psychophysiology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4339672 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:05:29 +0100 4339672