RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Around twenty percent of meningitis survivors experience after-effects. However, very little research on their psychological impact has been conducted. This report details a small explorative investigation into these psychological impacts. OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact sequelae have on the meningitis survivors affected. METHODS AND MEASURES: Thematic analysis of one-hundred individual user's blog posts, self-reporting one or more sequelae after a diagnosis of meningitis. RESULTS: Blog posters' experiences varied greatly. Common trends in experience were mapped onto three themes. 'Struggling to Adjust to the New Normal' captures blog posters' struggles in returning to their lives post-hospitalization. 'Navigating Possibilities for Positivity' explores how blog posters either reported positive change due to their illness experience or felt a pressure, or inability, to do so. 'The Impact of Knowledge and Support' overarching two sub-themes; 'Lack of Awareness Causing Further Suffering' and 'Validation Leads to Narrative Shift'. These sub-themes contrast differences in experience blog posters reported, with and without knowledge, of the cause of their symptoms and support in dealing with the resulting difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent and structured after-care would benefit patients experiencing sequelae. Suggestions of a possible format this could take are put forward. In addition, self-regulatory models of illness perception help explain some variations in blog posters experiences, with possible intervention plans based on these models also suggested. However, limitations, including the comparatively small and highly selected sample, mean that further research is necessary to validate the findings and assess their validity, widespread applicability, and financial feasibility.

RESUMEN

Predictive processing accounts of autism posit that autistic individuals' perception is less biased by expectations than nonautistic individuals', perhaps through stronger precision-weighting of prediction errors. Since precision-weighting is fundamental to all information processing, under this theory, the differences between autistic and nonautistic individuals should be domain-general and observable in both behavior and brain responses. This study used EEG, behavioral responses, and eye-tracking co-registration during gaze-direction adaptation, to investigate whether increased precision-weighting of prediction errors is evident through smaller adaptation after-effects in autistic adolescents compared with nonautistic peers. Multilevel modeling showed that autistic and nonautistic adolescents' responses were consistent with behavioral adaptation, with Bayesian statistics providing extremely strong evidence for the absence of a group difference. Cluster-based permutation testing of ERP responses did not show the expected adaptation after-effect but did show habituation to repeated stimulus presentation, and no group difference was detected, a result not consistent with the theoretical account. Combined with the few other available studies, the current findings raise challenges for the theory, suggesting no fundamental difference in precision-weighting of prediction errors in autism.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Sleep is conserved across species, and it is believed that a fixed amount of sleep is needed for normal neurobiological functions. Sleep rebound follows sleep deprivation; however, continuous sleep deprivation for longer durations is believed to be detrimental to the animal's wellbeing. Under some physiologically demanding situations, such as migration in birds, the birth of new offspring in cetaceans, and sexual interactions in pectoral sandpipers, animals are known to forgo sleep. The mechanisms by which animals forgo sleep without having any obvious negative impact on the proper functioning of their neurobiological processes are yet unknown. Therefore, a simple assay is needed to study how animals forgo sleep. The assay should be ecologically relevant so it can offer insights into the physiology of the organisms. Equally important is that the organism should be genetically amenable, which helps in understanding the cellular and molecular processes that govern such behaviors. This paper presents a simple method of sociosexual interaction to understand the process by which animals forgo sleep. In the case of Drosophila melanogaster, when males and females are in proximity, they are highly active and lose a significant amount of sleep. In addition, there is no sleep rebound afterward, and instead, males engaged in sexual interactions continue to show normal sleep. Thus, sexual drive in the fruit flies is a robust assay to understand the underlying mechanism by which animals forgo sleep.

RESUMEN

Background: Colorectal cancer is the 3rd most common cancer in the UK. Through early detection and improved treatments more people than ever are surviving this disease. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the cornerstones of management, but these invasive treatments can cause a number of long-term and late effects. Using qualitative methods this study aimed to; explore peoples experiences with long-term and late effects of colorectal cancer, how these effects impacted on their lives and how participants managed them. Method: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 participants who had completed curative treatment. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using the Framework approach to identify themes and categorise text data. Results: Many long-term and late effects of colorectal cancer were explored including bowel dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, pain, metastatic disease and cognitive dysfunction. These effects caused distress for many and were linked to depression and social limitation. Previously unidentified long-term effects included decreased libido and joint pain which respondents attributed to chemotherapy. Anxiety and depression were found predominantly to be late effects. Management of long-term and late effects was varied with healthcare services often ineffective. Conclusion: Insight gained into long-term and late effects and their treatment, indicated that many participants suffered because of their after-effects and had unmet health needs. It adds a qualitative insight into an area where quantitative research has already been conducted. Improvements in cancer follow-up could offer opportunities to effectively identify, manage and monitor these effects. Further interventional studies are required to develop effective care pathways to achieve optimal care.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Time-restricted feeding (TRF) has been shown to improve the disordered metabolic and immunologic functions associated with obesity, however little is known about its post-effects after the cessation of TRF practice. In the current study, we determined how long the effects of TRF persist, and whether the effects are tissue-dependent. There were four groups of mice in this study: overweight and obese mice were randomized into (1) TRF group (TRF for 6 weeks), (2) post-TRF group (TRF for 4 weeks and later ad libitum), (3) continuous ad libitum of high-fat diet (HFD-AL), and (4) the lean control-fed low-fat diet ad libitum. Blood, liver, and adipose tissues were collected to measure the metabolic, inflammatory, and immune cell parameters. The results showed that TRF withdrawal quickly led to increased body weight/adiposity and reversed fasting blood glucose. However, fasting insulin and insulin resistance index HOMA-IR remained lower in the post-TRF than in the HFD-AL group. In addition, TRF-induced reduction in blood monocytes waned in the post-TRF group, but the TRF effects on mRNA levels of proinflammatory immune cells (macrophages Adgre1 and Itgax) and cytokine (Tnf) in adipose tissue remained lower in the post-TRF group than in the HFD-AL group. Furthermore, the TRF group was protected from the down-regulation of Pparg mRNA expression in adipose tissue, which was also observed in the post-TRF group to a lesser extent. The post-TRF animals displayed liver mass similar to those in the TRF group, but the TRF effects on the mRNA of inflammation markers in the liver vanished completely. Together, these results indicate that, although the lasting effects of TRF may differ by tissues and genes, the impact of TRF on adipose tissue inflammation and immune cell infiltration could last a couple of weeks, which may, in part, contribute to the maintenance of insulin sensitivity even after the cessation of TRF.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Prism adaptation (PA) is a well-known and widely used technique for rehabilitating unilateral spatial neglect and studying sensory-motor plasticity. However, there is conflicting evidence in the literature regarding its effectiveness which may arise from differences in the type of prisms used, clinical characteristics of the patients, and the procedure used in training. Individual differences may play a role in PA effectiveness in rehabilitating neglect, affecting both its development and its effects. Field-dependent/independent cognitive style is a pervasive characteristic of individual functioning, affecting how environmental information is processed. Here, we tested the hypothesis that cognitive style plays a role in PA efficacy by submitting to a protocol of prism adaptation to 38 health participants, who were classified as field-dependent (FD, N = 19) or field-independent (FI, N = 19), by using the Embedded Figure Test. Results show that during the exposure phase, FI individuals needed a lesser number of pointing movements to reduce the deviation error than FD individuals. However, there are no differences in the extinction of sensory-motor and cognitive after-effects. These results suggest that prismatic adaptation is affected by individuals' cognitive style since FI individuals will need fewer trials to reach adaptation and this could explain why using this rehabilitation technique with a unique, standard protocol is not always effective.

RESUMEN

Urbanization dramatically increases the amount of light at night, which may disrupt avian circadian organization. We measured activity patterns of great tits breeding in the city and forest, and subsequently measured two clock properties of these birds under controlled conditions: tau (endogenous circadian clock speed) and after-effects (history dependency of the clock relative to previous conditions). City and forest birds showed a high repeatability of activity onset (0.60 and 0.41, respectively), with no difference between habitats after controlling for date effects. Activity duration and offset showed more variance, without a difference between birds from the two habitats. Tau did not differ between city and forest birds, however, city birds showed stronger after-effects, taking more days to revert to their endogenous circadian period. Finally, onset of activity was correlated with clocks speed in both habitats. Our results suggest that potential differences in activity timing of city birds is not caused by different clock speeds, but by a direct response to light. Persistence in after-effects suggests a reduced sensitivity of the clock to light at night. Urbanization may select for clock properties that increase the inertia of the endogenous circadian system to improve accuracy of activity rhythms when exposed to noisier lighting cues.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Prism adaptation (PA) is a useful method to investigate short-term sensorimotor plasticity. Following active exposure to prisms, individuals show consistent after-effects, probing that they have adapted to the perturbation. Whether after-effects are transferable to another task or remain specific to the task performed under exposure, represents a crucial interest to understand the adaptive processes at work. Motor imagery (MI, i.e., the mental representation of an action without any concomitant execution) offers an original opportunity to investigate the role of cognitive aspects of motor command preparation disregarding actual sensory and motor information related to its execution. The aim of the study was to test whether prism adaptation through MI led to transferable after-effects. Forty-four healthy volunteers were exposed to a rightward prismatic deviation while performing actual (Active group) versus imagined (MI group) pointing movements, or while being inactive (inactive group). Upon prisms removal, in the MI group, only participants with the highest MI abilities (MI+ group) showed consistent after-effects on pointing and, crucially, a significant transfer to throwing. This was not observed in participants with lower MI abilities and in the inactive group. However, a direct comparison of pointing after-effects and transfer to throwing between MI+ and the control inactive group did not show any significant difference. Although this interpretation requires caution, these findings suggest that exposure to intersensory conflict might be responsible for sensory realignment during prism adaptation which could be transferred to another task. This study paves the way for further investigations into MI's potential to develop robust sensorimotor adaptation.

RESUMEN

The article is concerned with the after-effects of social stress on work performance. In a lab-based experiment, seventy participants were assigned to either a stress condition or a no-stress condition. In the stress condition, participants received fake negative performance feedback and they were ostracised by two confederates of the experimenter. Participants carried out the following tasks: attention and divergent creativity. The effects of social stress were examined at three levels: performance after-effects on unscheduled probe tasks, extra-role behaviour and subjective operator state. The manipulation check confirmed that participants experienced social stress. The results showed after-effects of social stress for some forms of extra-role behaviour (i.e. spontaneous reactions) and for the accuracy component of attention. Furthermore, social stress was found to increase negative affect and to reduce self-esteem. The findings point to the importance of assessing different types of after-effects rather than limiting the methodological approach to instant effects on performance.Practitioner summary: The study aimed to examine the multiple effects of social stress. Social stress resulted in increased negative affect and lower self-esteem. Furthermore, social stress was found to reduce the propensity of humans to show extra-role behaviour (i.e. providing spontaneous help to others).

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

A major challenge in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation trials is that of an inefficient sham protocol. This could potentially amplify the gap in behavioral outcomes following true and control treatments. Intermediate theta-burst stimulation (imTBS) is a promising sham alternative since it uses actual TMS pulses, thus mimicking the sensory effects of stimulation without producing physiological aftereffects. Here, we critically review controlled experiments that have examined physiological and behavioral aftereffects following imTBS with the intention to further investigate what appears to be a promising sham control modality for TBS studies.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

It is known that subjective time and work efficiency are affected by visual stimuli. However, existing studies only consider the effects of visual information on the user during viewing and ignore the after effects. Using smart glasses lets users see visual information while moving until just before arriving at the office or school. We hypothesize that the user's effects from the visual information they were looking at just before working or studying affects the subsequent work. Through two user studies, we investigated whether information presented on smart glasses affected subsequent work efficiency. In the first experiment, participants were presented with avatars running at two levels of speed, or no avatars, through simulated smart glasses in a virtual environment. They then solved a dot-clicking task on a desktop monitor. In the second experiment, we investigated whether the same effect could be shown while walking in the real environment, with a running and a fast-walking avatar both at the same speed in order to see the difference in the effects of the different movements. In the first experiment, we confirmed that the speed of later work tended to improve when presenting the running human-shaped avatar. From the results of the second experiment, which was conducted in the real environment, we did not confirm that the subsequent work speed varied depending on the type of avatar being displayed. As a reason for the trend of improvement in the task efficiency in the first experiment, observation of fast human motion may have unconsciously accelerated the observers' body movement speed due to the mirror neuron mechanism. As a reason for why the work speed did not improve in the second experiment, the participants may be affected by other pedestrians and running cars. Additionally, it was difficult to see the images on the smart glasses while walking in the real environment.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Infrared thermography has shown after roots of grasses freeze, ice spreads into the crown and then acropetally into leaves initially through vascular bundles. Leaves freeze singly with the oldest leaves freezing first and the youngest freezing later. Visualising the vascular system in its native 3-dimensional state will help in the understanding of this freezing process. A 2 cm section of the crown that had been infiltrated with aniline blue was embedded in paraffin and sectioned with a microtome. A photograph of the surface of the tissue in the paraffin block was taken after the microtome blade removed each 20 µm section. Two hundred to 300 images were imported into Adobe After Effects and a 3D volume of the region infiltrated by aniline blue dye was constructed. The reconstruction revealed that roots fed into what is functionally a region inside the crown that could act as a reservoir from which all the leaves are able to draw water. When a single root was fed dye solution, the entire region filled with dye and the vascular bundles of every leaf took up the dye; this indicated that the vascular system of roots was not paired with individual leaves. Fluorescence microscopy suggested the edge of the reservoir might be composed of phenolic compounds. When plants were frozen, the edges of the reservoir became leaky and dye solution spread into the mesophyll outside the reservoir. The significance of this change with regard to freezing tolerance is not known at this time. Thermal cameras that allow visualisation of water freezing in plants have shown that in crops like wheat, oats and barley, ice forms first at the bottom of the plant and then moves upwards into leaves through water conducting channels. Leaves freeze one at a time with the oldest leaves freezing first and then younger ones further up the stem freeze later. To better understand why plants freeze like this, we reconstructed a 3-dimensional view of the water conducting channels. After placing the roots of a wheat plant in a blue dye and allowing it to pull the dye upwards into leaves, we took a part of the stem just above the roots and embedded it in paraffin. We used a microtome to slice a thin layer of the paraffin containing the plant and then photographed the surface after each layer was removed. After taking about 300 images, we used Adobe After Effects software to re-construct the plant with the water conducting system in three dimensions. The 3D reconstruction showed that roots fed into a roughly spherical area at the bottom of the stem that could act as a kind of tank or reservoir from which the leaves pull up water. When we put just one root in dye, the entire reservoir filled up and the water conducting channels in every leaf took up the dye. This indicates that the water channels in roots were not directly connected to specific leaves as we had thought. When plants were frozen, the dye leaked out of the reservoir and spread into cells outside. Research is continuing to understand the significance of this change during freezing. It is possible that information about this effect can be used to help breeders develop more winter-hardy crop plants.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Many patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) complain of respiratory distress, chest pain, and arthralgia even after their recovery. We tried to give saibokuto to a 61-year-old man who has suffered from those symptoms as after effects of COVID-19 for more than 2 months. We report that after administration of saibokuto, almost all symptoms have disappeared within 3 weeks.

RESUMEN

Anxiety is usually transient in nature, but if the symptoms are severe and persistent in the absence of stressor, then it is considered as anxiety disorder. Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which was declared as pandemic by World Health Organization in March 2020 affected the lives of human beings worldwide. A panic and anxious situation was created due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Medical health practitioners have been connected with the patients and hence can better speculate the psychology of human beings. The present study was designed to find out the manifestation of anxiety as repercussion of COVID-19 on the basis of opinion of medical practitioners. A survey was conducted among the medical practitioners from India and Bangladesh to find out the possibility of anxiety as after-effect of COVID-19 through questionnaires. Results of the study showed that 95% medical practitioners were in the view to have chances of anxiety with more possibility to have social anxiety and post-traumatic stress anxiety disorder as a consequence of COVID-19. Female and male genders have equal chances, whereas transgender have lesser chances to have anxiety disorders as a consequence of COVID-19. Population above 50 years age might have maximum chance of having anxiety as after-effect of COVID-19. The study concludes to have chances of anxiety as repercussion of COVID-19.

RESUMEN

Microfibers, which are sourced from textiles and some products from the fishery industry, are the biggest contributors to microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems. In addition to these synthetic microfibers, naturally derived microfibers can also be found in aquatic environments. However, there are limited studies on the ecotoxicity of natural microfibers. To shed light on this topic, this study assessed and compared the toxicity of natural and synthetic microfibers on Daphnia magna, using lyocell, polyester (PET) and polypropylene (PP) microfibers. To evaluate the adverse effect of microfibers on D. magna, after effects including depuration, food intake, growth, mortality, and immobilization rate were continually observed for up to 96 h after the initial 48 h of exposure to the microfibers. Immobilization rate decreased in the following order: PP, PET, and lyocell. However, the depuration of microfibers in the lyocell and PET treatment groups was similar, with higher mortality rates than in the PP treatment group. Furthermore, despite the high rates of food intake following exposure, the lyocell and PET exposed groups exhibited growth inhibition during the same period. This growth inhibition corresponded with, and was likely due to, reductions in the length of gut microvilli, probably an expression of gut damage, which is believed to have reduced nutrient absorption in the affected individuals. Based on the results of this study, it was confirmed that even natural microfibers, and not just synthetic microfibers, can have adverse effects on aquatic organisms. This study confirmed not only the toxicity of microfibers, but also the consequences of their after effects. These results could be the basis for future research on the after effects of microplastics on aquatic organisms and provide directions for further microplastic ecotoxicity studies.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: While prism adaptation (PA) has been recognized as a promising tool for treating spatial neglect, implementation as a standard treatment in clinical care has been lagging. Limited evidence for the generalization of after-effects to everyday activities has been a barrier towards implementation. OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether a home-friendly standardized PA protocol (Peg-the-Mole, PTM) induces after-effects that can transfer to wheelchair maneuvering. We also examined the impact of using constant (1 starting hand position) or variable (3 starting hand positions) training conditions on the transfer of after-effects to wheelchair maneuvering. METHODS: Sixty participants were randomly assigned to one of four PTM conditions: 1) prisms/constant training; 2) prisms/variable training; 3) sham goggles/constant training; 4) sham goggles/variable training. RESULTS: The use of PTM with rightward shifting prisms induced after-effects on proprioceptive and visual pointing outcome tasks. Groups using PTM with prism goggles showed a leftward shift in their position within a wheelchair course and a reduction in the number of right-sided collisions. The training condition did not have an impact on the transfer of after-effects to wheelchair driving. CONCLUSION: PTM is a clinically appealing PA protocol that induces after-effects that can transfer to an everyday activity relevant to patients with neglect.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Whether sensorimotor adaptation can be generalized from one context to others represents a crucial interest in the field of neurological rehabilitation. Nonetheless, the mechanisms underlying transfer to another task remain unclear. Prism Adaptation (PA) is a useful method employed both to study short-term plasticity and for rehabilitation. Neuro-imaging and neuro-stimulation studies show that the cerebellum plays a substantial role in online control, strategic control (rapid error reduction), and realignment (after-effects) in PA. However, the contribution of the cerebellum to transfer is still unknown. The aim of this study was to test whether interfering with the activity of the cerebellum affected transfer of prism after-effects from a pointing to a throwing task. For this purpose, we delivered cathodal cerebellar transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to healthy participants during PA while a control group received cerebellar Sham Stimulation. We assessed longitudinal evolutions of pointing and throwing errors and pointing trajectories orientations during pre-tests, exposure and post-tests. Results revealed that participants who received active cerebellar stimulation showed (1) altered error reduction and pointing trajectories during the first trials of exposure; (2) increased magnitude but reduced robustness of pointing after-effects; and, crucially, (3) slightly altered transfer of after-effects to the throwing task. Therefore, the present study confirmed that cathodal cerebellar tDCS interferes with processes at work during PA and provides evidence for a possible contribution of the cerebellum in after-effects transfer.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Non-invasive low-intensity transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) of the brain is an evolving field that has brought remarkable attention in the past few decades for its ability to directly modulate specific brain functions. Neurobiological after-effects of tES seems to be related to changes in neuronal and synaptic excitability and plasticity, however mechanisms are still far from being elucidated. We aim to review recent results from in vitro and in vivo studies that highlight molecular and cellular mechanisms of transcranial direct (tDCS) and alternating (tACS) current stimulation. Changes in membrane potential and neural synchronization explain the ongoing and short-lasting effects of tES, while changes induced in existing proteins and new protein synthesis is required for long-lasting plastic changes (LTP/LTD). Glial cells, for decades supporting elements, are now considered constitutive part of the synapse and might contribute to the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity. This review brings into focus the neurobiological mechanisms and after-effects of tDCS and tACS from in vitro and in vivo studies, in both animals and humans, highlighting possible pathways for the development of targeted therapeutic applications.

RESUMEN

Calibration is the process by which the execution of actions becomes scaled to the (changing) relationship between environmental features and the actor's action capabilities. Though much research has investigated how individuals calibrate to perturbed optic flow, it remains unclear how different experimental factors contribute to the magnitude of calibration transfer. In the present study, we assessed how testing environment (Experiment 1), an adapted pretest-calibration-posttest design (Experiment 2), and bilateral ankle loading (Experiment 3) affected the magnitude of calibration to perturbed optic flow. We found that calibration transferred analogously to real-world and virtual environments. Although the magnitude of calibration transfer found here was greater than that reported by previous researchers, it was evident that calibration occurred rapidly and quickly plateaued, further supporting the claim that calibration is often incomplete despite continued calibration trials. We also saw an asymmetry in calibration magnitude, which may be due to a lack of appropriate perceptual-motor scaling prior to calibration. The implications of these findings for the assessment of distance perception and calibration in real-world and virtual environments are discussed.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Background: It is controversial whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has potential benefits in improving the awareness of patients with disorder of consciousness (DOC). We hypothesized that rTMS could improve consciousness only in DOC patients who have measurable brain responses to rTMS. Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the EEG after-effects induced by rTMS in DOC patients and attempted to propose a prediction algorithm to discriminate between DOC patients who would respond to rTMS treatment from those who would not. Methods: Twenty-five DOC patients were enrolled in this study. Over 4 weeks, each patient received 20 sessions of 20 Hz rTMS that was applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). For each patient, resting-state EEG was recorded before and immediately after one session of rTMS to assess the neurophysiologic modification induced by rTMS. The coma recovery scale revised (CRS-R) was used to define responders with improved consciousness. Results: Of the 25 DOC patients, 10 patients regained improved consciousness and were classified as responders. The responders were characterized by more preserved alpha power and a significant reduction of delta power induced by rTMS. The analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed that the algorithm calculated from the relative alpha power and the relative delta power had a high accuracy in identifying DOC patients who were responders. Conclusions: DOC patients who had more preserved alpha power and a significant reduction in the delta band that was induced by rTMS are likely to regain improved consciousness, which provides a tool to identify DOC patients who may benefit in terms of therapeutic consciousness.