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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that influences an individual's cognitive functions and social interaction. While most studies have focused on children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD, elevated levels of autistic traits in subclinical populations may also influence individuals' daily functioning. Autistic traits are also linked to the Big Five personality. In particular, neuroticism (emotion instability) has been shown to be positively associated with autistic traits, which may contribute to behavioral symptoms of autistic traits. The present study aimed to investigate the association between autistic symptoms and sensorimotor processing among a subclinical population. One hundred young adults (Mage = 20.32 years; SD = 3.69 years; 69 female) completed a choice reaction time (RT) task, and their behavioral performance was analyzed using the ex-Gaussian modeling. The Autism Quotient (AQ) and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) were used to assess autistic traits and neuroticism, respectively. The mediation analysis was conducted to examine the behavioral mechanism through which autistic traits influence sensorimotor processing. The results showed that the AQ score was negatively correlated with RT and positively correlated with neuroticism score. Importantly, the mediation analysis indicated an indirect effect, suggesting that neuroticism mediates the association between the AQ score and RT. The findings indicated a possible mechanism of the association between autistic traits and sensorimotor responses and suggested that neuroticism should be included as an intervention target for ASD. The present study contributes to the research on autistic traits and has practical implications for future intervention programs to improve daily functioning among individuals with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the absolute and relative reliability of the Ruler Drop Test (RDT) for assessing dual-task, choice, and discrimination reaction time. In addition, the construct validity of the RDT is examined in comparison to the Deary-Liewald reaction time (DLRT). Methods: Tests were administered by the same evaluator, one week apart. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC3.1) was used to measure relative reliability, and the standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC95) were used to measure absolute reliability. Spearman correlation test was used to measure construct validity. Results: The results showed that the relative reliability was good for the choice ruler drop (ICC = 0.81), moderate for the dual-task ruler drop test (ICC = 0.70) and discrimination ruler drop test (ICC = 0.72), and good for simple ruler drop test. However, the simple ruler drop test had poor reliability (ICC = 0.57). The RDT shows construct validity compared to the DLRT. Conclusion: We conclude that the RDT is a suitable instrument for measuring dual-task, choice and discrimination reaction time. Future studies should explore the reliability of these measures in other populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of practicing sports activities on manual skills, focused on reaction time depending on manual laterality. The objectives of the study were to identify the differences in improving simple, optional, and cognitive reaction times in the manual executions of student athletes who practice team sports involving the manual handling of the ball (volleyball, basketball, handball) in comparison with student athletes who practice individual sports and with non-athletic students; to identify the differences regarding the reaction time of the right- and left-handed executions depending on the manual lateralization of the subjects (right- and left-handedness) between the three experimental samples: team sports group (TSG), individual sports group (ISG), and the group of non-athletes (NAG) through the use of computer tests. The study included 335 subjects who were divided into three groups: TSG with 102 subjects, ISG with 112 subjects, and NAG with 121 subjects. The subjects of the study were given five computer tests to evaluate three types of reaction time: simple reaction time (Start/Stop Test), choice reaction time (Check Boxes Test, Hit-the-dot Test), and time of cognitive reaction (Trail making Test part A and B). The results were analyzed regarding right- and left-handedness, as well as the execution hand (right hand or left hand) in solving the tests. The results of the study highlighted significant statistical differences between the three groups: TSG, ISG, and NAG. The best results were recorded by TSG in all tests, and the lowest by NAG. Statistically significant differences were also recorded between the executions with the dominant hand compared to the executions with the non-dominant hand in relation to right- and left-handedness. The study highlighted that the smallest differences in all the study groups were recorded in the simple reaction time test, where the differences between the right-handed and left-handed executions were the lowest, reflecting the best level of symmetrization of the motor executions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The duration, accuracy, and consistency of responses to various types of stimuli are widely accepted as indirect indicators of the efficiency of brain information processing, but current clinical tests appear to lack sufficient sensitivity to detect subtle impairments. Immersive virtual reality (VR) offers a new means to acquire measures of perceptual-motor responses to moving visual stimuli that require rapid conflict resolution, but their test-retest reliability has not yet been demonstrated. Repeated measures. We analyzed data from 19 healthy young adults who performed a 40-trial VR test on three consecutive days. We focused on response time (RT) and perceptual latency (PL) for eye, neck, arm, and whole-body step displacements involved in executing a reaching/lunging movement in a right or left direction toward a peripherally located virtual target. Measures of RT and PL included a 40-trial mean, an intra-individual variability (IIV) value, and a rate correct score (RCS) that incorporated both response duration and accuracy. Most mean and IIV values for PL and RT demonstrated a positive distributional skew that was substantially reduced by natural logarithm transformation. While a learning effect was evident between sessions 1 and 2 for 7 of 8 mean PL and RT measures, 3-session intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values were moderate to excellent for 15 of 16 transformed PL and RT measures (range:.618 to.922). The composite RCS metric did not require transformation for either PL or RT, whose respective 3-session ICC values were.877 and.851. This moderate to excellent test-retest reliability for various VR measures of perceptual-motor function, combined with evidence of their validity from both past and future research, suggest that these measures can advance clinical detection of impaired brain processing and longitudinal assessments of potentially modifiable performance deficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the study was to identify the level of improvement in cognitive flexibility manifested by choice and cognition reaction times in relation to manual and podal skills as a result of the implementation of a program of therapeutic exergame exercises, for a time interval of 6 weeks at the level of students. 511 students participated in the crosssectional study, of which 279 male (54.6%) and 232 female (45.4%), divided into two groups: the experimental group 266 (521%) subjects and the control group 245 (48%) subjects. The implementation of the experimental program comprising of 8 physical therapeutic exergames took place for 6 weeks, in one session per week, within the physical education lessons, only for the male and female experimental groups. In the initial and final testing session, 2 standardized tests were applied: TMT part A, B and 2 tests adapted for this study: Square Test and 25 Squares Test. The progress registered by the male and female experimental groups was statistically significant. In all tests, the experimental groups showed higher progress compared to the control groups. Depending on the gender differences, it was found that the male experimental and control groups made better progress compared to the female groups in the following tests: TMT part A, Square Test, 25 Squares Tests. The implementation of a physical therapeutic exergame program determined the improvement of cognitive flexibility manifested by choice and cognitive reaction times in conditions of manual and podal motor skills, demonstrating the effectiveness of exergame technologies adapted and implemented for prophylactic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: to conduct a comparative analysis of psychomotor abilities in athletes of cyclic sports (short track), martial arts (karate, taekwondo) and esports (CS:GO). Materials, participants and methods: The study involved athletes of percussion martial arts (n=10, age 18,9±0,12, candidates for master of sports), elite players of semi-professional CS:GO teams (n=10, age 19,2±0,50), short track speed skaters (n=10, age 19±0,09, masters of sports). The choice reaction time, the frequency of local movements (60-second tapping test), and the reaction time to a change in the size of the object (Size-test) were determined. Research results. Esports athletes have the best reaction time of choice and tapping test compared to other athletes. The wrestlers showed the best reaction to distinguishing the size of an object in the Size-Test. Skaters have high rates of complex reaction time and frequency of movements. The duration of the tapping test has a likely inverse relationship with the frequency of tapping. Conclusions. It was found that esports athletes have a significantly better choice reaction time (p<0,05) than martial arts athletes. The results of short track skaters do not have significant differences with martial arts and esports athletes (p>0.05). The results of the tapping test in terms of the total number of movements and the average number for 5 s in esports athletes tend to be higher compared to short track speed skaters and martial arts athletes. The fastest response time to a change in the size of an object in the Size-test was shown by martial arts athletes, the slowest by short-track skaters. This reflects the trend towards better results of this type of reaction in martial arts athletes compared to short track speed skaters and esports athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effects of mental fatigue (MF) on affective responses during an aerobic exercise session at moderate intensity. We submitted 12 insufficiently active adults (50% women; M age = 24.9 years, SD = 3.0; M BMI = 24.3 kg/m2; SD = 2.6) to two 30-minute pre-exercise conditions: an MF condition (Stroop Color-Word task) and a control condition (watching a documentary) prior to their performance of 20 minutes of aerobic treadmill exercise at 40–59% of heart rate reserve. The minimum washout interval between conditions was two days. Perceived MF and motivation to perform physical exercise were assessed before and after conditions with a visual analog scale of 100 mm. We assessed participants' affective and exertion responses with the Feeling Scale, Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and heart rate during every two minutes of physical exercise. Implicit attitudes toward physical exercise were assessed by the Implicit Association Test before the MF and control conditions and after the physical exercise session. The participants in the MF condition reported lower pleasure (M difference = −1.57, 95% CI = −2.64 to −0.50, d = 0.93, p =.008) and higher exertion (RPE) (M difference = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.04 to 2.27, d = 0.66, p =.043) compared to those in the control condition. Participants who experienced MF also reported a more negative implicit attitude toward physical exercise than in the control condition (β = −0.47, 95% CI= −0.73 to −0.21, d = 1.41, p <.001). While these findings should be cross-validated in subsequent research with a larger and more diverse participant sample, there appears to be value in minimizing pre-exercise mental fatigue to avoid negative MF effects on the exercisers' affective experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Visual choice reaction time can be measured in reaching, which is an important task to investigate after stroke owing to its high clinical importance in activities of daily living. The study aim was to evaluate the visual choice reaction time during reaching tasks in the ipsilateral and contralateral spaces before and after a single training session of choice reaction time in patients after a mild stroke. Methods. The cross-sectional study involved 7 individuals after a mild stroke. The visual choice reaction time was evaluated during reaching in the affected and unaffected sides in the ipsilateral and contralateral spaces. All individuals trained the choice reaction time during a functional reaching task in a single session. In the training, 6 circles were used in a randomized sequence in 5 blocks, with 10 stimuli per block, for a total of 50 repetitions. Results. There was a significant reduction in the choice reaction time for the unaffected side in the ipsilateral space after training (p = 0.041). The other task conditions did not show a statistical difference, but a clinical relevance based on Cohen's d (d > 0.60). Conclusions. A single training session can decrease the choice reaction time for the affected side during tasks in the ipsilateral space after a mild stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying pedophilic sexual interest among persons who have sexually offended against children (PSOCs) is important for risk assessment because not all PSOCs are pedophilic. Existing physiological and self-report methods have several limitations. In the present study, sexual interest was assessed indirectly by means of a computer task: the Choice Reaction Time (CRT) task in 49 extrafamilial PSOCs and 25 persons without a history of sexual offences against children (control group). The results showed that PSOCs, the participants with a DSM-IV diagnosis of pedophilia or with a high score on pedophilic interest (measured by the SSPI-2) performed equally fast in the different age category stimuli. In other words, no effect of sexual orientation towards children was found. The control group however, showed longer reaction times for the adult and adolescent stimuli compared to the child stimuli, indicative that they did not have a sexual orientation towards children. The present study found only partial evidence for the validity of the CRT paradigm, as it was effective in discriminating age orientation in the control group but not in the group of PSOCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown the novelty of lexical-tone chimeras (artificially constructed speech sounds created by combining normal speech sounds of a given language) to native speakers of the language from which the chimera components were drawn. However, the source of such novelty remains unclear. Our goal in this study was to separate the effects of chimeric tonal novelty in Mandarin speech from the effects of auditory signal manipulations. We recruited 20 native speakers of Mandarin and constructed two sets of lexical-tone chimeras by interchanging the envelopes and fine structures of both a falling/yi4/and a rising/yi2/Mandarin tone through 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32, and 64 auditory filter banks. We conducted pitch-perception ability tasks via a two-alternative, forced-choice paradigm to produce behavioral (versus physiological) pitch perception data. We also obtained electroencephalographic measurements through the scalp-recorded frequency-following response (FFR). Analyses of variances and post hoc Greenhouse-Geisser procedures revealed that the differences observed in the participants' reaction times and FFR measurements were attributable primarily to chimeric novelty rather than signal manipulation effects. These findings can be useful in assessing neuroplasticity and developing speech-processing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acquiring expertise in a task is often thought of as an automatic process that follows inevitably with practice according to the log‐log law (aka: power law) of learning. However, as Ericsson, Chase, and Faloon (1980) showed, this is not true for digit‐span experts and, as we show, it is certainly not true for Tetris players at any level of expertise. Although some people may simply "twitch" faster than others, the limit to Tetris expertise is not raw keypress time but the techniques acquired by players that allow them to use the tools provided by the hardware and software to compensate for the game's relentlessly increasing drop speed. Unfortunately, these increases in drop speed between Tetris levels make performance plateaus very short and quickly followed by game death. Hence, a player's success at discovering, exploring, and practicing new techniques for the tasks of board preparation, board maintenance, optimal placement discovery, zoid rotation, lateral movement of zoids, and other tasks important to expertise in Tetris is limited. In this paper, we analyze data collected from 492 Tetris players to reveal the challenges they confronted while constructing expertise via the discovery of new techniques for gameplay at increasingly difficult levels of Tetris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of the studies on attentional focus have shown that participants who were instructed to focus externally performed better than those who were taught to focus internally. However, in most of these studies the participants performed complex motor tasks. Due to the scarcity of data on the effects of attentional focus specifically on simple motor tasks, our purpose in the current study was to examine these effects on two simple reaction time (RT) tasks. The study was conducted on a cloud-based experimental software. Participants were allocated to three experimental groups: an external focus group (n = 44), an internal focus group (n = 46), and a control group (no attentional instructions; n = 47). The participants performed two tasks: a choice-RT task and a Simon task. Participants in all three groups practiced eight blocks of 20 trials from each task in a counterbalanced order – a total of 180 trials for each task. The sole difference between the three groups was the administered attentional focus instructions. The findings suggest that attentional focus instructions do not affect the performance of a choice-RT task or a Simon-task in a computerized online study. It is possible that the simple RT-based tasks in the current study were not sensitive to the attentional focus manipulation, since in such simple tasks there are not many actions that internal focus can disrupt. Although we asked the participants to what extent they followed the instructions, we cannot say whether their responses represent their actual attentional focus when performing the tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Associations between dietary factors and general cognition in the elderly have been documented; however, little is known about reaction time ability in relation to midlife diet. The present study aimed to investigate associations between reaction time and midlife dietary factors, specifically foods, nutrients and Mediterranean diet (MeDi) pattern. The UK Women's Cohort Study collected dietary information from middle-aged women (52 (sd 9·4) years old) using a validated 217-item FFQ in 1995–1998. In 2010–2011, a sub-group of 664 participants completed online reaction time ability tests including simple reaction time (SRT) and choice reaction time; 503 participants were eligible for analysis. Participants were grouped into fast and slow groups by their median reaction time. The intake of particular foods, nutrients, adherence to the MeDi and cooking methods (roasting/baking, frying and barbecuing/grilling) were explored in relation to reaction times. We did not find any significant associations between reaction times and investigated foods, nutrients or adherence to the MeDi in adjusted models. However, consumers of roasted/baked fish and fried vegetables were associated with slower SRT (adjusted OR 1·46, 95 % CI 1·00, 2·13, P = 0·049; and adjusted OR 1·64, 95 % CI 1·12, 2·39, P = 0·010, respectively) compared with non-consumers of that particularly cooked food. Overall, our findings show no significant associations between midlife diet and reaction time ability 10–15 years later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study hypothesis held that in subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD), the reaction time (RT) tests of the higher cognition demand would have more readily improved under the program of analog microgravity (μG) modeled with "dry" immersion (DI). To test this hypothesis, 10 subjects with PD have passed through a program of seven DI sessions (each 45 min long) within 25–30 days, with overall μG dose 5 1/4 h. Five patients were enrolled as controls, without DI (noDI group). Simple RT (SRT), disjunctive RT (DRT), and choice RT (CRT) were assessed in four study points: before the DI program (preDI), 1 day after the DI program (postDI), 2 weeks after the DI program (DI2w), and 2 months after the DI program (DI2m). The motor time (MT) was assessed with the tapping test (TT). Additionally, signal detection time (SDT) and central processing time (CPT) were extracted from the data. Before the program of DI, the RT tests are in accordance with their cognition load: SRT (284 ± 37 ms), DRT (338 ± 38 ms), and CRT (540 ± 156 ms). In accordance with the hypothesis, CRT and DRT have improved under DI by, respectively, 20 and 8% at the study point "DI2w," whereas SRT, SDT, and MT did not change (<5% in the preDI point, p > 0.05). Thus, the program of DI provoked RT improvement specifically in the cognitively loaded tasks, in a "dose of cognition-reaction" manner. The accuracy of reaction has changed in none of the RT tests. The neurophysiologic, hormonal/neuroendocrine, behavioral, neural plasticity, and acclimation mechanisms may have contributed to such a result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effects of distractors in older and younger participants in choice and simple reaction time tasks with concurrent registration of event-related potentials. In the task the participants had to prevent a disk from falling into a bin after a color or luminosity change (target stimuli). Infrequently, task-irrelevant stimuli (schematic faces or threatening objects) were superimposed on the target stimuli (distractors), or the bin disappeared which required no response (Nogo trials). Reaction time was delayed to the distractors, but this effect was similar in the two age groups. As a robust age-related difference, in the older group a large anterior positivity and posterior negativity emerged to the distractors within the 100–200 ms post-stimulus range, and these components were larger for schematic faces than for threatening objects. sLORETA localized the age-specific effect to the ventral stream of the visual system and to anterior structures considered as parts of the executive system. The Nogo stimuli elicited a late positivity (Nogo P3) with longer latency in the older group. We interpreted the age-related differences as decreased but compensated resistance to task-irrelevant change of the target stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dyslipidaemia, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension contribute to the risk of cognitive disorder and dementia. However very few and conflicting results are available with respect to the impact of lipoprotein ratios on cognitive functions in healthy individuals. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the association of lipid profile and its ratios with reaction time in young healthy individuals. 89 individuals (54 male and 35 female) with mean age of 31.20 ± 3.19 years were selected for this observational study conducted at AIIMS Rishikesh and written consent was obtained. TC, TG, HDL were measured by semi auto analyzer following the manufacturers' instruction and LDL was calculated by Friedewald formula. Reaction time (simple and choice reaction time) was assessed using a software package, Deary–Liewald reaction time task. Association of various parameters was calculated by pearson's correlation coefficient using SPSS version 23.0. Reaction time showed significant negative association with BMI (r = − 0.323, p = 0.002) in total study participants as well as with TG (r = − 0.440, p = 0.008) and TG/HDL (r = − 0.402, p = 0.025) in female individuals. From this study, it could be concluded that TG/HDL ratio, the superlative predictor of concomitant presence of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome may be considered as a biomarker for assessment of cognitive function in young healthy female individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed (I) to investigate the impact of the number of stimulus-responses alternatives on reaction time (RT) under quasi-realistic fencing situations, and (II) to elucidate whether the regression slope based on the RT and the number of stimulus-responses alternatives could distinguish between beginners and experienced fencers. Ten beginners (7 men) and 10 experienced (6 men) fencers participated in the study. A video-based method was used to present four typical fencing movement techniques (i.e. "stimulus") after which the participants had to perform an offensive (high or low attack) or defensive (high or low defence) action (i.e. "response"). The simple-RT (specific stimulus known in advance), 2Choice-RT (only defensive or offensive stimuli), and 4Choice-RT (all possible stimuli) were evaluated. The increase in the number of stimulus-responses alternatives was associated with higher RT (4Choice-RT > 2Choice-RT > Simple-RT; p < 0.05). Beginners always presented higher RT compared to fencers (range: 25.5–34.8%; p < 0.05) and also showed a steeper slope of the relationship between RT and the number of stimulus-responses alternatives (range: 35.2–55.2%; p < 0.05). These results suggest that the capability to quickly respond to specific fencing stimuli increases with training experience, being the differences accentuated with increasing number of stimulus-responses alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-distance running and, in particular, running marathons has become an increasingly popular activity among the elderly. The aim of the study was to examine the effects of a marathon effort on the psychomotor performance and catecholamine concentration in runners over 50 years of age. The participants were male runners (n = 28) who completed the 32nd Wrocław Marathon in Poland. The runners' psychomotor performance was assessed on the basis of their choice reaction times (CRT), heart rate (HR) and running speed measurements. In addition, the adrenaline (A) and noradrenaline (NA) as well as lactate (LA) levels and anaerobic threshold (AT) were measured. The runners' CRT after crossing the finish line was significantly longer by 50 ms (p < 0.05) in response to each emitted audiovisual stimulus, as compared with baseline. The mean running speed was reduced by 1 km/h between the first speed measurement (5th km of the run) and the last (42.195 km) (p < 0.05). The observed three-fold increase in adrenaline and noradrenaline levels indicates an intense activity of the sympathetic–adrenergic system. The cognitive function levels in the studied marathon runners returned to baseline after 30 min of recovery, and the function of the sympathetic–adrenergic system by seven days after completing the marathon race. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Balance control is an essential element of locomotion that enhances biomotor abilities and physical performance. Individuals with extensive soccer experience display superior static single leg balance control compared to athletes of other sports as well as non-athletes. However, during a match, players often encounter greater challenges to single leg balance that require rapid decision-making skills and dynamic stability. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if individuals with extensive soccer training demonstrate superior single-leg balance control compared to non-athletes during a dynamic lower limb reaching task. Method: 22 varsity soccer players were matched with 21 non-athlete controls. Single-leg balance control was assessed during a Go/No-Go lower limb reaching task. Centre of pressure displacement (dCOP) was measured for both the dominant and non-dominant feet and compared between groups. Results: Soccer players displayed reduced dCOP during All Go trials compared to non-athletes, particularly in the medial-lateral plane. Additionally, soccer players displayed reduced anterior-posterior dCOP during Go/No-Go trials compared to non-athletes, particularly on their dominant foot. Conclusion: Athletes with soccer-specific training demonstrate improved executive control and use of proprioceptive information, which results in an improved ability to maintain single-support balance and corral COP during a dynamic visuomotor lower limb-reaching task. As such, balance training may be a useful addition to athlete training regimes to improve sport-specific performance. Future research would compare these results to athletes of other sports to explore balance control during a visuomotor reaching task and how it may differ based on sport training history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The article presents a comparative analysis of interrelations of psychophysiological and physiological indicators of martial art athletes while performing functional tests. Material and methods: 63 martial art athletes were divided into groups: the 1st group -- 34 athletes of "striking" martial arts (taekwondo ITF, WTF, karate, hand-to-hand fight), age (17.58 ±0.08) years; the 2nd group -- 18 Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestlers, age (18.94 ±0.33) years; the 3rd group -- 11 judo and sambo athletes, age (18.73 ±0.23) years. Participants performed a test to define the choice reaction time with parallel control of the heart rate for 3 minutes. Results: Indicators of the 1st and the 3rd groups did not significantly differ. Relevant excess of specific weight of significant and confident correlations was found in the 2nd group. The synchronization labilization indicator in the 2nd group was twice as high as in the 1st and the 3rd groups. The mean correlation coefficient in all groups belonged to the average interval. The indicator values of system formation in the 2nd group were significantly higher than in the other groups. Conclusions: Wrestlers are characterized by a higher degree of adaptation tension opportunities in comparison with other athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: One of the most common complications of diabetes peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the loss of balance, postural control disorder and falling down. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to compare the effect of resistance and aquatic exercises on balance in DPN patients in 2019, in the Shahbazi pool, Kermanshah, Iran. Materials and Methods: This randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 30 women inflicted with DPN who referred to Diabetes Research Center in Kermanshah. The subjects were selected through convenience sampling method and were randomly divided into three groups, including aquatic exercises (n=10), resistance exercises (n=10), and control (n=10). Resistance and aquatic exercise groups had a training program of 8 weeks which included 40-minute sessions three times a week. The static and dynamic balance, simple reaction time, and choice reaction time of the subjects were evaluated before and after the exercises. Finally, ANCOVA and paired t-test were used for the data analysis. A p-value of less than 0.5 was considered statistically significant. Results: Both resistance and aquatic exercises resulted in improvement regarding simple reaction time, choice reaction time, and static and dynamic balance, compared to the control group (P<0.001). Aquatic exercise protocol resulted in significant improvement in static balance with the eyes closed (P<0.001) and choice reaction time (P=0.001), compared to the resistance and control groups. Conclusion: Based on the results, it seems that aquatic exercises are more effective regarding balance and simple and choice reaction time in comparison to resistance exercises, in DPN patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study tested the hypotheses that eccentric cycling (ECC) would be more cognitively demanding than concentric cycling (CONC), and attention and vigilance would improve more after ECC than CONC.Methods: Thirty young adults performed CONC and two bouts of ECC (ECC1 and ECC2) for 20 min at a similar workload (227.5 ± 51.5 W) with 1-week apart. Cognitive load during exercise was assessed by the average error from the target torque over 1200 (60 rpm × 20 min) revolutions, choice reaction time (CRT), the NASA-task load index (NASA-TLX), and prefrontal cortex oxygenation and deoxygenation (HHb) by near-infrared spectroscopy. Attention and vigilance were assessed by a sustained attention to response task (SART) before, immediately, and at every 15 min for 60 min after exercise or sitting (control).Results: Heart rate was lower during ECC1 (115.5 ± 20.3 bpm) and ECC2 (116.7 ± 21.0 bpm) than CONC (156.9 ± 19.4 bpm). The torque error was greater for ECC1 (26.1 ± 9.0%) and ECC2 (19.4 ± 9.0%) than CONC (10.8 ± 3.7%). CRT (CONC: 602.8 ± 69.0, ECC1: 711.1 ± 113.0, ECC2: 693.6 ± 122.6 ms) and mental demand in NASA-TLX (46.8 ± 25.8, 80.0 ± 15.3, 60.3 ± 17.6) were greater for ECC1 and ECC2 than CONC. Decreases in HHb were greater for ECC1 (- 0.41 ± 0.37 µM) and ECC2 (- 0.40 ± 0.40 µM) than CONC (0.10 ± 0.40 µM) and control (- 0.21 ± 0.28 µM). Attention and vigilance decreased 2-8% after 20-min sitting, but improved 2-10% immediately after ECC2, and did not decline from the baseline for 30 min after ECC1 or 60 min after CONC and ECC2.Conclusion: Cognitive load was greater during ECC than CONC, but post-exercise attention and vigilance changes were not largely different between ECC and CONC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined endurance performance and choice reaction time (CRT) in the heat following precooling via crushed ice ingestion. Prior to an 800 kJ cycle time trial (CTT) in hot and humid conditions (34.2 ± 0.9°C, 52.9 ± 8.1% Relative Humidity), nine male endurance athletes consumed either 7 g⋅kg−1 of water (CON) or crushed ice (ICE) in 30 min. A 4-CRT task was completed before, during and post the CTT. Core temperature (Tcore) was significantly lower after precooling with ICE (−0.6 ± 0.4°C, p = 0.002) but not CON (−0.2 ± 0.2°C; p = 0.083). Mean power output improved by 7.8% following ICE compared to CON (p = 0.011). Throughout the CTT, CRT significantly improved in both conditions (p = 0.036), and although no significant differences occurred between conditions (p = 0.421), a moderate effect at 800 kJ suggests that ICE was becoming faster (d = 0.56, 0.25–1.32 90% CI). Thermal sensation was lower with ICE (p ≤ 0.05); however, heart rate and perceived exertion were similar between conditions (p > 0.05). Ice ingestion significantly reduced Tcore coinciding with improved CTT performance. However, it remains equivocal whether ice ingestion is beneficial for decision-making during exercise in the heat. Abbreviations: Tbrain: Brain temperature; CRT: Choice reaction time; CI: Confidence interval; Tcore: Core temperature; CTT: Cycle time trial; MPO: Mean power output; RPE: Rating of perceived exertion; RPTS: Rating of perceived thermal sensation; RH: Relative humidity; USG: Urine specific gravity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hick-Hyman law states that choice response time (RT) increases linearly with increasing information uncertainty. Neuroimaging studies suggest that the representation of uncertainty in support of response generation is mediated by the cognitive control network (CCN), which is disrupted in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, we predicted that patients with AD would be sensitive to increased uncertainty particularly under conditions that place demands on the internal representation of uncertainty, and that choice RT performance under these conditions would be associated with performance on tests of executive function. Cognitively normal older adults (CN) and patients with AD completed card-sorting tasks that separately manipulated either externally cued uncertainty (i.e., number of sorting piles with a fixed probability of each stimulus type) or more internally driven uncertainty (i.e., the probability of each stimulus type with a fixed number of sorting piles). Consistent with our predictions, AD patients were impaired relative to CN particularly on the internally driven uncertainty task, and RT in this task was associated with performance on neuropsychological measures of executive functioning but not episodic memory. We suggest that this pattern of findings is consistent with presumed disruptions to the CCN in AD and provides neuropsychological evidence in support of the role of the CCN in the representation of uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anticipatory synergy adjustment (ASA) is a feed-forward control mechanism that describes a continuous decrease in the stability of the current motor state beginning about 150 ms prior to a state transition. Recently, we described an associated phenomenon in which the system stability was reduced solely in response to a cue that generates an expectation of a state change, independent of whether the state change actually occurs. Both phenomena are of the same kind (stability reduction), but evoked by distinct antecedent conditions. Since, logically, cuing for movement must occur before the initiation of that movement, we named this new phenomenon ‘Stage-1 ASA’ and rechristened the well-established version ‘Stage-2 ASA’. Here, we used a four-finger, isometric force production task to explore (1) the effect of healthy aging on Stage-1 ASA, and (2) if Stage-1 ASA resulted in a more rapid state change. Young and older adult participants produced 10% of their maximal force when they did not expect to produce any change in the force, and when they expected to change their force in an unknown direction and at an unknown time. In the latter condition, the 10% constant-force phase was followed by a choice reaction time task, in which the participants rapidly changed their force to follow a moving target presented on a computer monitor. Both young and older adults displayed equivalent amount of Stage-1 ASA. This was driven by a 42% reduction in finger-force variability in young adults. In contrast, it was driven by a 38% increase in finger-force variability in older adults. We speculate that the reduction in finger force variability assists the young adults in rapid state changes via two mechanisms: (1) the finger forces occupy a restricted set of states that are optimal for quick state transitions, and (2) lower variability during steady state translates into lower self-motion during state transition. Self-motion is the covariation between finger forces that fails to change the total force. The older adults are unable to adopt this strategy, and the increase in finger-force variability arises from (1) the adoption of an alternative strategy of destabilizing the attractor associated with the current state to facilitate state transitions and (2) the inability to coordinate multiple finger forces. Finally, older adults displayed longer reaction times than young adults, but a clear relation between Stage-1 ASA and consequent behavioral benefit in terms of reduced reaction time remained elusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1952, W. E. Hick published an article in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, “On the rate of gain of information.” It played a seminal role in the cognitive revolution and established one of the few widely acknowledged laws in psychology, relating choice reaction time to the number of stimulus–response alternatives (or amount of uncertainty) in a task. We review the historical context in which Hick conducted his study and describe his experiments and theoretical analyses. We discuss the article’s immediate impact on researchers, as well as challenges to and shortcomings of Hick’s law and his analysis, including effects of stimulus–response compatibility, practice, very large set sizes and sequential dependencies. Contemporary modeling developments are also described in detail. Perhaps most impressive about Hick’s law is that it continues to spawn research efforts to the present and that it is regarded as a fundamental law of interface design for human–computer interaction using technologies that did not exist at the time of Hick’s research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the influence of TSD on cognitive functioning in a group of firefighters. Subjects and methods: Sixty volunteers who were active male fire brigade officers were examined with a computerized battery test that consisted of simple reaction time (SRT) (repeated three times), choice reaction time, visual attention test, and delayed matching to sample. Six series of measurements were undertaken over a period of TSD. Results: Performance in the second attempt in SRT test was significantly worse in terms of increased number of errors and, consequently, decreased number of correct responses during TSD. In contrast, the choice reaction time number of correct responses as well as the visual attention test reaction time for all and correct responses significantly improved compared to initial time points. Conclusion: The study has confirmed that subjects committed significantly more errors and, consequently, noted a smaller number of correct responses in the second attempt of SRT test. However, the remaining results showed reversed direction of TSD influence. TSD potentially leads to worse performance in a relatively easy task in a group of firefighters. Errors during repetitive tasks in firefighting routines could potentially translate into catastrophic consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of aerobic exercise, fluid loss and rehydration on cognitive performance in well-trained athletes. Ten endurance-trained males (25 ± 5 years; 175 ± 5 cm; 70.35 ± 5.46 kg; VO2max, 62.95 ± 7.20 ml · kg.min−1) lost ~2.5 ± 0.6% body mass via continuous cycling exercise at ~65% peak sustainable power output (60 min duration) before consuming different beverages (Water = W1 and W2, Sustagen Sport = SS, Powerade = PD) and foodad libitumon four separate occasions. Cognitive function using a four-choice reaction time task (CRT), body mass, fluid consumption volumes, urine samples and subjective ratings (alertness, concentration, energy) were obtained before and after exercise, and hourly during recovery (for 4 h). CRT latency was significantly reduced immediately after exercise compared to pre-exercise measures for all trials (W1 = −16 ± 18 ms, W2 = −22 ± 21 ms, PD = −22 ± 22 ms, SS = −19 ± 26 ms). However, this effect was short-lived with subsequent measures not different from pre-exercise values. No difference in CRT accuracy was observed at any time across all trials. Subjective ratings were not different at any time across all trials. Aerobic exercise, hypohydration or an interaction between these two may provide a small cognitive performance benefit. However, these effects are temporary and confined to the immediate post-exercise period. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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The article discusses the gender differences among first-year medical students regarding reaction time to exam stress and how they handle it. Other topics addressed include how exam stress affects cognitive functions of students, choice reaction time (CRT), and auditory and visual functions of both the genders.

The purpose of the present study was to determine if it is possible to affect the level of simple (SRT) and choice (CRT) reaction time of fencers with a specific 9-week (in total 350 minutes) training intervention. The research sample consisted of 19 healthy fencers (12 boys, 16±1.1 years and 7 girls, 16.4±0.9 years). Five of the tested subjects were selected as the control group that did not participate in the reaction time training. The training of the experimental group was conducted on an Electronic Fencing Target (EFT-1). All tested individuals completed an entrance and exit reaction time test on the Fitrosword device, which consisted of hitting the target with an epée from the guard position after lighting of an LED light (green, red, yellow) by using various motor responses of the armed arm. No difference in reaction time (SRT, CRT) was found between the experimental and control groups for the entrance test. A significant difference between groups was found for results of the CRT (p = 0.116, d = 0.722) after the 9-week training. A significant difference in CRT was also found between the entrance and the exit tests in the experimental group (p = 0.013, r = 0.469). This difference was not significant in the case of the control group (p = 0.345, r = 0.298). Based on these results, we can assume a positive impact of specific reaction time training on response speed. We can use these results in the training process to improve reaction time, which is an important component of overall sports performance in many combat disciplines, such as karate, boxing, taekwondo, judo, and fencing, as well as motorsports, ball games, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe two sets of experiments that examine the ability of vibrotactile encoding of simple position error and combined object states (calculated from an optimal controller) to enhance performance of reaching and manipulation tasks in healthy human adults. The goal of the first experiment (tracking) was to follow a moving target with a cursor on a computer screen. Visual and/or vibrotactile cues were provided in this experiment, and vibrotactile feedback was redundant with visual feedback in that it did not encode any information above and beyond what was already available via vision. After only 10 minutes of practice using vibrotactile feedback to guide performance, subjects tracked the moving target with response latency and movement accuracy values approaching those observed under visually guided reaching. Unlike previous reports on multisensory enhancement, combining vibrotactile and visual feedback of performance errors conferred neither positive nor negative effects on task performance. In the second experiment (balancing), vibrotactile feedback encoded a corrective motor command as a linear combination of object states (derived from a linear-quadratic regulator implementing a trade-off between kinematic and energetic performance) to teach subjects how to balance a simulated inverted pendulum. Here, the tactile feedback signal differed from visual feedback in that it provided information that was not readily available from visual feedback alone. Immediately after applying this novel 'goal-aware' vibrotactile feedback, time to failure was improved by a factor of three. Additionally, the effect of vibrotactile training persisted after the feedback was removed. These results suggest that vibrotactile encoding of appropriate combinations of state information may be an effective form of augmented sensory feedback that can be applied, among other purposes, to compensate for lost or compromised proprioception as commonly observed, for example, in stroke survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares two versions of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) training (7 and 16 muscle groups) on oxygen consumption (VO2), heart rates, rating of perceived exertion and choice reaction time. Football (soccer) players (N=26; M age=13.4 yr., SD=0.5) were randomly assigned to either 7 muscle groups PMR, 16 muscle groups PMR, or a control group. PMR training requires the participants to tense a muscle, hold the muscle contraction, and then relax it. Measurement was conducted prior to and after the completion of 12 sessions of PMR. The dependent variables were measured following four bouts of intermittent exercise consisting of 12min. of running at 60% VO2max for 10min. followed by running at 90% VO2max for 2min. with a 3-min. rest for each bout. Lower VO2, heart rate, perceived exertion, and quicker reaction time were expected in both relaxation groups compared to the control group. The results revealed a significant reduction in heart rates and choice reaction time for both relaxation groups, but the longer version produced significantly quicker choice reaction time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to validate an adaptation of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) as an indirect latency-based measure of sexual orientation. Furthermore, reliability and criterion validity of the IRAP were compared to two established indirect measures of sexual orientation: a Choice Reaction Time task (CRT) and a Viewing Time (VT) task. A sample of 87 heterosexual and 35 gay men completed all three indirect measures in an online study. The IRAP and the VT predicted sexual orientation nearly perfectly. Both measures also showed a considerable amount of convergent validity. Reliabilities (internal consistencies) reached satisfactory levels. In contrast, the CRT did not tap into sexual orientation in the present study. In sum, the VT measure performed best, with the IRAP showing only slightly lower reliability and criterion validity, whereas the CRT did not yield any evidence of reliability or criterion validity in the present research. The results were discussed in the light of specific task properties of the indirect latency-based measures (task-relevance vs. task-irrelevance). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is limited information on the effects of sports drinks on cognitive function after exercise in the heat. We aimed to investigate the effects of ingesting a commercially available carbohydrate-electrolyte (CHO) solution on cognitive performance following exercise-induced hyperthermia. Methods: Twelve participants completed three practices of cognitive tests, one full familiarisation and two experimental trials in an environmental chamber (dry bulb temperature: 30.2 ± 0.3°C, relative humidity: 70 ± 3%). The experimental trials consisted of five cognitive tests (symbol digit matching, search and memory, digit span, choice reaction time and psychomotor vigilance test) performed before and after a 75-min run on a treadmill at 70% VO2 max. One ml/kg body mass of a 6.8% CHO solution or placebo was consumed at the start, every 15 min during exercise and between cognitive tests after exercise. Core temperature, heart rate, blood glucose concentrations, subjective ratings and cognitive performance were assessed (symbol digit matching, search and memory, digit span, choice reaction time and psychomotor vigilance). Results: Participants were hyperthermic at the end of the run (placebo: 39.5 ± 0.4°C, CHO: 39.6 ± 0.5°C; Mean ± SD; p = 0.37). The change in blood glucose was higher with CHO ingestion (1.6, 0.7 to 4.5 mmol/L) (median, range) than with placebo ingestion (0.9, -0.1 to 4.7 mmol/L; p < 0.05). CHO ingestion reduced the maximum span of digits memorized, in contrast to an increase in maximum span with placebo ingestion (p < 0.05). CHO solution had no effect on other cognitive tests (p > 0.05). Conclusions: These results suggest that CHO solution ingestion may impair short-term memory following exertional heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The objective of this study was to determine the level and rate of change of reaction time during the developmental period from early childhood to early adulthood. Polynomial regression analysis was applied to determine the age at which the best reaction time results are achieved. Methods. The study involved 550 females between the ages of 7 and 20 years. Participants completed a computer test measuring simple reaction times to visual and auditory stimuli and choice reaction time during the ontogenetic developmental period. Results. Analysis of the results for age group distinguished two sub-periods of reaction time dynamics: a progressive increase throughout the developmental period followed by a plateau phase. This was evident for all reaction time measures (simple and choice) particularly in the case of that data collected empirically. Conclusions. best reaction times to visual and auditory stimuli were approximately at the age of 17 years. In turn, quickest choice reaction time was approximately one year earlier in life. The most dynamic increase in the results of both simple reaction times was between the age of 7 and 8 years, whereas for choice reaction time this was between 10 and 11 years of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the hypothesis that Japanese female nurses with a reduced total power (TP) component of heart rate variability (HRV) will show an imbalance in sympathovagal activity during night-time work. We carried out this study on 10 healthy female nurses (30.9 ± 3.1 years) working a night shift from 16:00 to 09:00. Heart rate (HR) and the different frequency power components of HRV were measured to estimate individual patterns of sympathovagal activity. A latent imbalance of sympathovagal activity was defined as higher HR and reduced TP, and subjects were divided into two groups based on TP values taken before the night shift. To evaluate central fatigue, we performed three different fatigue tests before and after night work in all subjects. Our results suggest that nurses with reduced HRV have an imbalance of sympathovagal activity but do not suffer from the effects of central fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Decision time, also known as choice reaction time, has been frequently discussed in the field of psychology. The Hick–Hyman Law (HHL) has been a fundamental model that has revealed the quantitative relationship between the mean choice reaction time of human and the information entropy of stimuli. However, the HHL is only focused on rule-based behavior in which rules for selecting response according to stimulus are certain and neglects to model the knowledge-based behavior in which choices are uncertain and influenced by human belief. In this article, we explored the decision time related to one basic knowledge-based behavior—uncertain binary choice, where selections of response are determined by human belief degrees but not by stimuli uncertainties. Two experiments were conducted: one for verifying the HHL and the other for uncertain binary choice. The former (experiment) demonstrated the effectiveness of the HHL, and the latter one indicated that there is an exponential relationship existing between decision time and entropy of belief degree in uncertain binary choice. Moreover, data obtained from both experiments showed that the disturbance term of decision time should not be seen as probabilistic as existing studies have assumed, which highlighted the necessity and advantage of uncertain regression analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-related declines in central processing may affect corticospinal (CS) excitability that underlies the emergence of voluntary responses to external stimuli. We used single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the primary motor cortex to explore the evolution of CS excitability in 14 young and ten elderly healthy right-handed participants. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) were elicited in the right or left first dorsal interosseus (FDI) during the preparatory and premotor periods of a choice reaction time (CRT) task, which required selection of left or right index finger responses. Both age groups showed significant suppression of CS excitability in the preparatory period. However, suppression was generally less pronounced in older than in young adults. Moreover, our data indicated that a reduced suppression in the right FDI during the preparatory period was associated with longer reaction times (RTs) in older adults only. In the premotor period, both age groups demonstrated comparable facilitation levels towards movement onset. Our findings indicate that increased RTs among older individuals could be directly associated with declines in preparatory processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before cell replacement therapies can enter the clinic, it is imperative to test the therapeutic benefits in well-described animal models. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of 6-hydroxydopamine lesions to the medial forebrain bundle and subsequent grafting of embryonic day (E)12.5 ventral mesencephalon into the denervated striatum in C57/Bl6 mice on a battery of simple motor tests (drug-induced rotation, rotarod, and corridor) and the lateralised choice reaction time task conducted in the mouse nine-hole box. Histological analysis confirmed effective lesions and good graft survival. The lesion induced marked deficits in the choice reaction time task, the rotarod test, and corridor test, and these deficits were partially but significantly alleviated in the grafted mice. Although the lesions induced significant rotation following injections of amphetamine and apomorphine, respectively, the grafts did not, suprisingly, alleviate the rotation deficit. This study shows the ability of ventral mesencephalic tissue to ameliorate some of the lesion-induced deficits, and the power of operant testing in detecting small but significant improvements. The behavioural tests presented are useful drug-free approaches for evaluating cell-based therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies show that the prolonged use of dextromethorphan produces cognitive deterioration in humans. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a single dose of dextroemthrophan on psychomotor performance and working memory capacity. Materials and Methods: This is a randomized, double-blind, controlled, and prospective study. Thirty-six (17 women, 19 men) medical students enrolled in the study; half of them (7 women, 11 men) were given placebo, while the other half (10 women, 8 men) received dextromethorphan. The choice reaction time, critical flicker fusion threshold, and N-back working memory task were measured before and after 2 h of taking the drugs. Results: Dextromethorphan showed a significant deterioration in the 3-back working memory task (P<0.05). No significant changes were seen as regards the choice reaction time components (total, recognition, motor) and critical flicker fusion threshold (P>0.05). On the other hand, placebo showed no significant changes as regards the choice reaction time, critical flicker fusion threshold, and N-back working memory task (P>0.05). Conclusion: A single dose of dextromethorphan has no effect on attention and arousal but may significantly impair the working memory capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Imaging studies show that placebo enhance release of dopamine in the mesolimbic and mesocortical tracts. Dopamine in these areas are involved in attention and working memory function. Purpose: We wanted to investigating the effect of placebo on psychomotor function and working memory capacity. Method:31 medical students participated in this single blind, crossover trial. Choice reaction time, critical flicker fusion threshold, n-back working memory tasks measured before and after one hour of the students receiving placebo in three different occasions as stimulant, unknown, and inert substance. Results: Placebo, as stimulant, significantly enhanced choice reaction time and working memory function (P < 0.05) while showed no significant effect on critical flicker fusion threshold (P > 0.05). Placebo as unknown significantly deteriorates working memory capacity (P < 0.05). Placebo as inert substance shows no significant changes regarding choice reaction time, critical flicker fusion threshold, and working memory task. Conclusion: Placebo, as stimulant enhanced attention and improved working memory capacity, while as unknown may deteriorate working memory function [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent results on the nature and limits of multisensory enhancement are inconsistent when stimuli are presented across spatial regions. We presented visual, tactile and visuotactile stimuli to participants in two speeded response tasks. Each unisensory stimulus was presented to either the left or right hemispace, and multisensory stimuli were presented as either aligned (e.g. visual right/tactile right) or misaligned (e.g. visual right/tactile left). The first task was a simple reaction time (SRT) paradigm where participants responded to all stimulations irrespective of spatial position. Results showed that multisensory gain and coactivation were the same for spatially aligned and misaligned visuotactile stimulation. In the second task, a choice reaction time (CRT) paradigm where participants responded to right-sided stimuli only, misaligned stimuli yielded slower reaction times. No difference in multisensory gain was found between the SRT and CRT tasks for aligned stimulation. Overall, the results suggest that when spatial information is task-irrelevant, multisensory integration of spatially aligned and misaligned stimuli is equivalent. However, manipulating task requirements can alter this effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Choice reaction time generally increases linearly with the logarithm of the number of potential stimulus-response alternatives, a regularity known as Hick's law. Two apparent violations of this generalization, which have been reported for aimed eye movements (Kveraga, Boucher, & Hughes, Experimental Brain Research, 146, 307-314, ), and arm movements (Wright, Marino, Belovsky, & Chubb, Experimental Brain Research, 179, 475-496, ), occurred when the indicator stimulus was an abrupt change at the location that was the target of the to-be-made movement. We report two experiments that examined and rejected the hypothesis that these abrupt-onset indicator stimuli triggered a shift in exogenous attention and that this led to unusually small uncertainty effects. Each experiment compared this indicator stimulus with a single alternative: Experiment 1 tested an indicator stimulus at all locations other than the target; Experiment 2 tested a central pointer to the target. Neither alternative led to an uncertainty effect for pointing responses that was of the size typically observed for other responses using the same stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Choice-reaction time (CRT) is an experimental information-processing paradigm. Based on an interference effect in visual attention, the CRT method has been shown to be suitable for measuring sexual orientation in men and women. The present study assessed the potential of the CRT to identify deviant (i.e., pedophilic) sexual interest. Participants were patients from forensic-psychiatric hospitals: 21 child molesters and 21 non-sex offenders. The dependent variable was reaction time in an ostensible seek-and-locate task (i.e., identifying the position of a dot superimposed on a picture of a person). There was an interaction effect between stimulus age category and participant group status: Child molesters took longer to respond to pictures of children relative to pictures of adults. Non-sex offenders showed an opposite pattern (i.e., longer reaction times with pictures of adults than with pictures of children). In addition, the data supported the notion of sexual content induced delay: Subjects took longer for the task with nude stimuli than with clothed ones. A subtractive preference index, derived from the reaction times for child and adult stimulus material, allowed distinguishing participants from both groups almost perfectly (ROC-AUC = .998). We conclude that a match of sexual interest with properties of visual stimuli led to a cognitive interference effect: Attentional resources were drawn from the ostensible task of locating the dot towards exploring the picture. This opens up the possibility of using this interference effect (i.e., the delay of response times) for diagnostic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing body of work explores the effects of computer software on cognition but little focuses on people with intellectual disabilities (learning disabilities). To test whether interactive software may reduce choice reaction time (CRT), 16 people with severe intellectual disabilities were randomly allocated to either an intervention or a control group. The intervention group spent eight sessions playing a switch-controlled computer game that required a timed response while the control group spent the same amount of time playing a computer-based matching game that did not require a timed response. Both groups completed a test of CRT before and after the intervention. The intervention group showed a significant reduction in their CRT from baseline while the control group did not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]