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Hintergrund: Der Behandlungserfolg bei chronischen Krankheiten ist u.a. mit dem Lebensstil der Patient:innen assoziiert. Betroffenen fällt es oft schwer, Lebensstilanpassungen adäquat umzusetzen. Personalisierte Gruppenangebote könnten dazu beitragen, die Erfolgsquote zu erhöhen. [zum vollständigen Text gelangen Sie über die oben angegebene URL]

Departing from the pioneering work of VanSledright and Maggioni (2016), this article revisits questions about epistemic beliefs and the role these beliefs play in the teaching and learning of history. Eighteen recent studies on epistemic beliefs of history teachers (n=7) and students (n=11) are reviewed, guided by questions regarding conceptualization, relationships with other constructs (e.g., historical reasoning and teaching beliefs), expression of beliefs in teachers and students, differences in age and educational level, suggestions for pedagogical principles, and contextual factors that inhibit or support history teachers in “putting their beliefs into practice”. Results reveal that epistemic beliefs are conceptualized based on developmental and dimensional frameworks, although most recent studies integrated developmental and dimensional approaches. Important findings regarding students and teachers are highlighted, resulting in implications for research and practice.

High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) is a variant of tDCS, which produces more focal stimulation, delimiting brain current flow to a defined region compared to conventional tDCS. To date, only one study has been conducted to investigate HD-tDCS effects on language recovery in aphasia. Here, we aimed to assess the effects of cathodal HD-tDCS on verb naming by comparing two current intensities: 1 vs 2 mA. In a double-blinded cross over study, two groups of 10 aphasic individuals were submitted to active cathodal HD-tDCS and sham stimulation over the right homolog of Broca's area, while performing a verb naming task. Indeed, we reasoned that, by applying inhi- bitory current over the right Broca's area, we would decrease the inhibitory impact from the right hemisphere to the left perilesional cortex, thus boosting language recovery. The groups differed in the intensity of the active stimulation (1 mA or 2 mA). In both groups, each condition was carried out in five consecutive daily sessions with one week of interval between the two experimental conditions. A significant improvement in verb naming was found only after cathodal HD- tDCS at 2 mA, which endured one week after the end of treatment. The improvement was not observed on the group receiving cathodal HD-tDCS at 1 mA. Our findings showed that HD-tDCS applied to the right intact hemisphere are effica- cious for language recovery. These results indicate that HD-tDCS represents a promising new technique for language rehabilitation. However, systematic determination of stimulation intensity appears to be crucial for obtaining relevant effects.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread worldwide, affecting millions of people and exposing them to home quarantine, isolation, and social distancing. While recent reports showed increased distress and depressive/anxiety state related to COVID-19 crisis, we investigated how home quarantine affected sleep parameters in healthy individuals. 160 healthy individuals who were in home quarantine in April 2020 for at least one month participated in this study. Participants rated and compared their quantitative sleep parameters (time to go to bed, sleep duration, getting-up time) and sleep quality factors, pre-and during home quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, participants’ chronotype was determined to see if sleep parameters are differentially affected in different chronotypes. Time to fall asleep and get-up in the morning were significantly delayed in all participants, indicating a significant circadian misalignment. Sleep quality was reported to be significantly poorer in all participants and chronotypes. Poor sleep quality included more daily disturbances (more sleep disturbances, higher daily dysfunctions due to low quality of sleep) and less perceived sleep quality (lower subjective sleep quality, longer time taken to fall asleep at night, more use of sleep medication for improving sleep quality) during home quarantine. Home quarantine due to COVID-19 pandemic has a detrimental impact on sleep quality. Online interventions including self-help sleep programs, stress management, relaxation practices, stimulus control, sleep hygiene, and mindfulness training are available interventions in the current situation., EXCLI Journal; 19:Doc1297; ISSN 1611-2156

The goal of this paper is to examine existing methods to study the "Human Brain Connectome" with a specific focus on the neurophysiological ones. In recent years, a new approach has been developed to evaluate the anatomical and functional organization of the human brain: the aim of this promising multimodality effort is to identify and classify neuronal networks with a number of neurobiologically meaningful and easily computable measures to create its connectome. By defining anatomical and functional connections of brain regions on the same map through an integrated approach, comprising both modern neurophysiological and neuroimaging (i.e. flow/metabolic) brain-mapping techniques, network analysis becomes a powerful tool for exploring structural-functional connectivity mechanisms and for revealing etiological relationships that link connectivity abnormalities to neuropsychiatric disorders. Following a recent IFCN-endorsed meeting, a panel of international experts was selected to produce this current state-of-art document, which covers the available knowledge on anatomical and functional connectivity, including the most commonly used structural and functional MRI, EEG, MEG and non-invasive brain stimulation techniques and measures of local and global brain connectivity. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology.

Purpose: To compare 4 Gy x 5 (1 week) to 3 Gy x 10 (2 weeks) in relieving pain and distress in patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC). Methods and Materials: The randomized SCORE-2 trial compared 4 Gy x 5 (n = 101) to 3 Gy x 10 (n = 102) for MESCC. In this additional analysis, these regimens were compared for their effect in relieving pain and distress. Distress was evaluated with the distress-thermometer (0 = no distress, 10 = extreme distress) and pain on a linear scale (0 = no pain, 10 = worst pain). Relief of distress was defined as decrease of >= 2 points; complete and partial pain relief were defined as achieving a score of 0 points and a decrease >= 2 points, respectively, without increase of analgesic use. This prospective secondary analysis of the SCORE-2 trial aimed to show that 4 Gy x 5 was not inferior to 3 Gy x 10 regarding distress and pain relief. Analyses were performed using the unconditional test of noninferiority for binomial differences based on restricted maximum likelihood estimates (noninferiority margin: -20%). Evaluations were performed before, directly after, and 1, 3, and 6 months after radiation therapy. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02189473). Results: At baseline, median distress scores were 8 (2-10) points in the 4 Gy x 5 group and 8 (2-10) points in the 3 Gy x 10 group. At 1 month, distress relief rates were 58.1% (43/74) and 62.7% (47/75) (difference: -4.6%; 95% confidence interval, -20.0% to +11.1%; P = .025). At baseline, median pain scores were 7 (2-10) and 7 (2-10) points, respectively. At 1 month, complete pain relief rates were 23.5% (16/68) versus 20.0% (14/70) (difference, +3.5%; 95% confidence interval, -10.4% to +17.5%; P < .001), and overall pain relief rates were 52.9% (36/68) versus 57.1% (40/70) (difference, -4.2%; 95% confidence interval, -20.5% to +12.3%; P = .029). Distress and pain relief rates after 4 Gy x 5 were largely comparable to 3 Gy x 10 at all time points. Associated 95% confidence intervals did not point toward any relevant differences. Conclusions: In patients with MESCC and poor to intermediate survival prognoses, 4 Gy x 5 appeared noninferior to 3 Gy x 10 regarding pain and distress relief. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the human motor cortex at an intensity of 1 mA with an electrode size of 35 cm(2) has been shown to induce shifts of cortical excitability during and after stimulation. These shifts are polarity-specific with cathodal tDCS resulting in a decrease and anodal stimulation in an increase of cortical excitability. In clinical and cognitive studies, stronger stimulation intensities are used frequently, but their physiological effects on cortical excitability have not yet been explored. Therefore, here we aimed to explore the effects of 2 mA tDCS on cortical excitability. We applied 2 mA anodal or cathodal tDCS for 20 min on the left primary motor cortex of 14 healthy subjects. Cathodal tDCS at 1 mA and sham tDCS for 20 min was administered as control session in nine and eight healthy subjects, respectively. Motor cortical excitability was monitored by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-elicited motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) from the right first dorsal interosseous muscle. Global corticospinal excitability was explored via single TMS pulse-elicited MEP amplitudes, and motor thresholds. Intracortical effects of stimulation were obtained by cortical silent period (CSP), short latency intracortical inhibition (SICI) and facilitation (ICF), and I wave facilitation. The above-mentioned protocols were recorded both before and immediately after tDCS in randomized order. Additionally, single-pulse MEPs, motor thresholds, SICI and ICF were recorded every 30 min up to 2 h after stimulation end, evening of the same day, next morning, next noon and next evening. Anodal as well as cathodal tDCS at 2 mA resulted in a significant increase of MEP amplitudes, whereas 1 mA cathodal tDCS decreased corticospinal excitability. A significant shift of SICI and ICF towards excitability enhancement after both 2 mA cathodal and anodal tDCS was observed. At 1 mA, cathodal tDCS reduced single-pulse TMS-elicited MEP amplitudes and shifted SICI and ICF towards inhibition. No significant changes were observed in the other protocols. Sham tDCS did not induce significant MEP alterations. These results suggest that an enhancement of tDCS intensity does not necessarily increase efficacy of stimulation, but might also shift the direction of excitability alterations. This should be taken into account for applications of the stimulation technique using different intensities and durations in order to achieve stronger or longer lasting after-effects.

The prefrontal cortex is involved in mood and emotional processing. In patients suffering from depression, the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is hypoactive, while activity of the right DLPFC is enhanced. Counterbalancing these pathological excitability alterations by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) or transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) improves mood in these patients. In healthy subjects, however, rTMS of the same areas has no major effect, and the effects of tDCS are mixed. We aimed to evaluate the effects of prefrontal tDCS on emotion and emotion-related cognitive processing in healthy humans. In a first study, we administered excitability-enhancing anodal, excitability-diminishing cathodal, and placebo tDCS to the left DLPFC, combined with antagonistic stimulation of the right frontopolar cortex, and tested acute emotional changes by an adjective checklist. Subjective emotions were not influenced by tDCS. Emotional face identification, however, which was explored in a second experiment, was subtly improved by a tDCS-driven excitability modulation of the prefrontal cortex, markedly by anodal tDCS of the left DLPFC for positive emotional content. We conclude that tDCS of the prefrontal cortex improves emotion processing in healthy subjects, but does not influence subjective emotional state. Open-Access-Publikationsfonds 2012 peerReviewed

Many markets require large area surface relief micro- and nanostructures. Important examples are light management structures for display applications or the radiation power management in solar systems. Structuring techniques with both up-scaling and mass production potential are an essential precondition for their realization. Interference lithography is a promising technique to originate fine-tailored structures on areas of up to 1.2 × 1.2 m2. Subsequent replication techniques have the potential for enabling an industrial fabrication. After a description of the basic technologies, we present application examples of large area structures used as template for polarization optical films. Furthermore, light trapping structures for crystalline silicon solar cells are shown. For this application, etching masks were fabricated by nanoimprint lithography. A subsequent etching step was applied to transfer the structures into the silicon. Finally, 3-dimensional photonic structures with distinguished optical properties are presented.

International audience; no abstract

River engineering Innovative field and laboratory instrumentation

A principal problem of interactive 3D VE is the tension between a linear content and the interactive accessibility inside the VE. Addressing this problem the Mindstage project mapped a lecture of the highly acclaimed film designer Christopher Hobbs onto an interactive multi-user VE. The story (our lecture) had to be included in its entirety and be accessible to groups and students for individual study. This paper addresses how we applied spatial design to approach the task and developed the prototype.

BACKGROUND: Low intensity transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), including alternating or direct current stimulation (tACS or tDCS), applies weak electrical stimulation to modulate the activity of brain circuits. Integration of tES with concurrent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows for the mapping of neural activity during neuromodulation, supporting causal studies of both brain function and tES effects. Methodological aspects of tES-fMRI studies underpin the results, and reporting them in appropriate detail is required for reproducibility and interpretability. Despite the growing number of published reports, there are no consensus-based checklists for disclosing methodological details of concurrent tES-fMRI studies. OBJECTIVE: To develop a consensus-based checklist of reporting standards for concurrent tES-fMRI studies to support methodological rigor, transparency, and reproducibility (ContES Checklist). METHODS: A two-phase Delphi consensus process was conducted by a steering committee (SC) of 13 members and 49 expert panelists (EP) through the International Network of the tES-fMRI (INTF) Consortium. The process began with a circulation of a preliminary checklist of essential items and additional recommendations, developed by the SC based on a systematic review of 57 concurrent tES-fMRI studies. Contributors were then invited to suggest revisions or additions to the initial checklist. After the revision phase, contributors rated the importance of the 17 essential items and 42 additional recommendations in the final checklist. The state of methodological transparency within the 57 reviewed concurrent tES-fMRI studies was then assessed using the checklist. RESULTS: Experts refined the checklist through the revision and rating phases, leading to a checklist with three categories of essential items and additional recommendations: (1) technological factors, (2) safety and noise tests, and (3) methodological factors. The level of reporting of checklist items varied among the 57 concurrent tES-fMRI papers, ranging from 24% to 76%. On average, 53% of checklist items were reported in a given article. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the ContES checklist is expected to enhance the methodological reporting quality of future concurrent tES-fMRI studies, and increase methodological transparency and reproducibility.

As the field of noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) expands, there is a growing need for comprehensive guidelines on training practitioners in the safe and effective administration of NIBS techniques in their various research and clinical applications. This article provides recommendations on the structure and content of this training. Three different types of practitioners are considered (Technicians, Clinicians, and Scientists), to attempt to cover the range of education and responsibilities of practitioners in NIBS from the laboratory to the clinic. Basic or core competencies and more advanced knowledge and skills are discussed, and recommendations offered regarding didactic and practical curricular components. We encourage individual licensing and governing bodies to implement these guidelines. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-20T13:26:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_12703_Tese Jaisa Klauss.pdf: 16866673 bytes, checksum: 426f422918d5d6b84f119d5043b4a80e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-11-22 Os transtornos do uso de substâncias são bastante prevalentes e, potencialmente, incapacitantes ao longo do curso da doença. Todavia, ainda não se dispõe de opções terapêuticas com eficácia e tolerabilidade satisfatórias. A estimulação transcraniana por corrente contínua (ETCC) é uma nova modalidade de estimulação cerebral não-invasiva com poucos eventos adversos, que mostrou resultados promissores na dependência química. Neste estudo, investigamos se a extensão da intervenção reduziria o craving (usualmente traduzido por fissura) e as recaídas ao uso de álcool e crack-cocaína em pacientes dependentes químicos. Conduzimos dois ensaios clínicos randomizados, duplo-cegos e sham-controlados. Pacientes com transtorno do uso de álcool e usuários de crack-cocaína foram alocados nos grupos ETCC ativo [5 x 7 cm2, 2 mA, por 20 minutos, catodo e anodo sobre o Córtex Pré-Frontal dorsolateral (CPFdl) esquerdo e direito, respectivamente] ou placebo (sham-ETCC). A ETCC ativa ou sham-ETCC foi aplicada em dias alternados, totalizando 10 sessões. O craving foi monitorado pela versão abreviada (cinco itens) da escala obsessivo-compulsiva de beber ou de uso de cocaína semanalmente, por cinco semanas. As recaídas foram monitoradas durante 90 dias após a alta. Para o ensaio clínico do álcool, os escores de craving diminuíram significativamente ao longo das aferições apenas no grupo de ETCC ativo. O tamanho do efeito foi de 0.3 e 1.1 para os grupos ETCC-sham e ETCC ativo, respectivamente. A análise entre grupos das diferenças dos escores de craving foi aproximadamente significante, com tamanho de efeito de 0.58, favorecendo o maior efeito no grupo ETCC ativo. No seguimento de três meses pós-intervenção, 72,2% dos pacientes do grupo sham-ETCC haviam sofrido recaída, enquanto 72,7% do grupo ETCC ativo permaneciam abstinentes. No estudo dos dependentes de crack-cocaína, os escores de craving diminuíram progressivamente ao longo das medidas nos dois grupos. O tamanho do efeito foi de 0.77 e 0.97, nos grupos sham-ETCC e ETCC ativo, respectivamente. O tamanho de efeito entre grupos foi 0.34, favorecendo o grupo ETCC ativo. As taxas de recaídas foram elevadas e similares entre os grupos em 30 e 60 dias de seguimento após a alta hospitalar. Assim, a ETCC estendida sobre o CPFdl, para o transtorno do uso do álcool, foi bem tolerada e é uma terapia coadjuvante promissora que poderia ser usada para reduzir o craving pelo álcool e as recaídas, facilitando a abstinência ao álcool. No entanto, as sessões estendidas de ETCC para os usuários de crack-cocaína não tiveram efeitos adicionais sobre o craving ou as recaídas ao uso de crack em uma amostra de pacientes com transtorno severo. Montagens de ETCC visando outras regiões e a extensão das sessões precisam ser investigadas buscando maior eficácia no controle do craving e das recaídas ao uso de crack-cocaína.

Neuromodulation techniques such as tDCS have provided important insight into the neurophysiological mechanisms that mediate cognition. Albeit anodal tDCS (a-tDCS) often enhances cognitive skills, the role of cathodal tDCS (c-tDCS) in visual cognition is largely unexplored and inconclusive. Here, in a single-blind, sham-controlled study, we investigated the offline effects of 1.5 mA c-tDCS over the right occipital cortex of 86 participants on four tasks assessing perception and memory of both faces and objects. Results demonstrated that c-tDCS does not overall affect performance on the four tasks. However, post-hoc exploratory analysis on participants' race (Caucasian vs. non-Caucasians), showed a "face-specific" performance decrease (≈10%) in non-Caucasian participants only. This preliminary evidence suggests that c-tDCS can induce "other-race effect (ORE)-like" behavior in non-Caucasian participants that did not show any ORE before stimulation (and in case of sham stimulation). Our results add relevant information about the breadth of cognitive processes and visual stimuli that can be modulated by c-tDCS, about the design of effective neuromodulation protocols, and have important implications for the potential neurophysiological bases of ORE.

For the past few years, the potential of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for the treatment of several pathologies has been investigated. In the language domain, several studies, in healthy and brain-damaged populations, have already shown that tDCS is effective in enhancing naming, repetition and semantic word generation. In those studies, different tDCS electrode configurations have been tested, however, a direct comparison between different montages in verbal learning has never been conducted. In this study, we aimed to explore the impact of bihemispheric and unihemispheric tDCS on verbal learn- ing task performance in two groups (young vs. elderly). Fifteen healthy volunteers participated per group. Each participant received three stimulation conditions: unihemispheric anodal tDCS over the left tem- poral area, bihemispheric tDCS over the left (anodal) and right (cathodal) temporal areas and a sham condition. During active stimulation, tDCS (20 min, 2 mA) was applied while each participant learned twenty pseudowords (arbitrarily assigned to corresponding pictures). No significant differences were found between the three conditions for the young group with regard to accuracy and vocal reaction times. In contrast, in the elderly group, real stimulation improved performance compared to sham but bihemispheric tDCS was more efficient than unilateral stimulation. These results suggest that bihemi- spheric stimulation is more effective in improving language learning but this effect is age-dependent. The hypothesis is advanced that cortical changes in the course of aging might differentially impact on tDCS efficacy on behavioral performance. These data may also have implications for treatment of stroke patients with language impairment.

Objective: To investigate the dopamine-dependent effect of combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with visually cued gait training on cortical excitability and functional mobility in individuals with Parkinson's disease. Design: A pilot, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Methods: Twenty-two patients with Parkinson's disease were randomly assigned to 2 groups: (i) active anodal tDCS over the supplementary motor area (experimental group), or (ii) sham tDCS (control group). After tDCS, both groups participated in a visually cued gait training. Functional mobility was evaluated with the Timed Up and Go test (TUG). Cortical excitability was assessed by active motor threshold and motor-evoked potential amplitudes elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients in on and off medication states. Results: In the TUG test both groups achieved improvements either in on or off medication condition compared with baseline. However, for both medication conditions, these gains were maintained only in the experimental group during 1-month follow-up, compared with baseline. In the experimental group, enhancement of cortical excitability was observed at post-intervention and 1-month follow-up (both only for the "on" phase) compared with baseline. Conclusion: These findings suggest that tDCS, independent of dopaminergic medication state, might prolong the positive effect induced by cued gait training on functional mobility.

The field of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) has experienced significant growth in the past 15 years. One of the tES techniques leading this increased interest is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Significant research efforts have been devoted to determining the clinical potential of tDCS in humans. Despite the promising results obtained with tDCS in basic and clinical neuroscience, further progress has been impeded by a lack of clarity on international regulatory pathways. Therefore, a group of research and clinician experts on tDCS were convened to review the research and clinical use of tDCS. This report reviews the regulatory status of tDCS and summarizes the results according to research, off-label, and compassionate use of tDCS in the following countries: Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Portugal, South Korea, Taiwan, and the US. Research use, off label treatment, and compassionate use of tDCS are employed in most of the countries reviewed in this study. It is critical that a global or local effort is organized to pursue definite evidence to either approve and regulate or restrict the use of tDCS in clinical practice on the basis of adequate randomized controlled treatment trials., F.F. is supported by a grant from National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Grant number 1R44NS08063201). A.R.B. is supported by the following grants: 2013 NARSAD Young Investigator from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (Grant Number 20493), 2013 FAPESP Young Researcher from the São Paulo State Foundation (Grant Number 20911-5) and National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, Grant Number 470904). J.B. is supported by the 2013 NARSAD Young Investigator from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (Grant Number 20988). H.E. is supported by grants from Tehran University of Medical Sciences. J.L. (SFRH/BPD/86027/2012) and S.C. (SFRH/BPD/86041/2012) are supported by grants from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). C.H.J. is supported by MOST (101-2811-H-008-014). G.V. is supported by as the Department of Science and Technology (Government of India) Research Grant (SR/CSI/158/2012) as well as Wellcome Trust / DBT India Alliance Senior Fellowship Research Award (500236/Z/11/Z). N.B. is supported by a F.A.R. grant from the University of Milano-Bicocca. M.B. is supported by NIH (NINDS, NIMH, NCI), Wallace H Coulter Foundation, Grove Foundation, DoD. W.C. is supported by National Council for Scientific and Technological Development-CNPq WC-301256/2013-6. The group is also grateful to the support from the Conselho Brasileiro de Neuromodulacao Clinica – Instituto Scala.