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Parents play a vital role in supporting children with learning disabilities, but little is known about their understanding of this diagnosis. The experiences of parents with the diagnostic process and the services their children receive post-diagnosis vary widely. Parents who participated in this study reported that they understand learning disabilities broadly but not their underlying neurobiology. Those who noted understanding the neurobiology indicated that it helped them better support their child, and those who did not understand it wanted to learn more. Parents generally noted that their children received less support during COVID-19 and that they had to seek more private services in order to support their child's academic progress, which caused additional strain on families. Finally, parents reported that having a child with a learning disability negatively affected their mental health, especially when parents feel like they have had to advocate strongly for their child to receive services.

Teaching physiology can be challenging as students are initially required to understand basic and abstract concepts. Thus students typically view physiology as a "difficult" subject and place an emphasis on rote learning and memorization. Here, we attempted to address this knowledge gap by introducing a pedagogical intervention into the neurophysiology lesson plan of first-year medical and health physiology students at the University of La Reunion. This intervention aimed to better link abstract concepts (e.g., saltatory conduction) and a pathological disorder (multiple sclerosis), together with a discussion of a specific therapeutic intervention (fampridine). Students were required to complete readings (focused on neurophysiology aspects) and two online quizzes before two scheduled in-person lectures. They could also pose questions on a dedicated online forum. Thereafter, the in-person lectures discussed questions posted on the online forum, provided feedback on poorly answered questions (from the online quizzes), and dealt with questions posed by students attending classes. Student feedback regarding the pedagogic intervention was assessed by an anonymous online survey. This survey revealed that the pedagogical intervention was positively received. For example, 94% of respondents agreed the course was well developed, while 80% indicated that the pedagogical intervention was beneficial in terms of their understanding of basic and abstract neurophysiology concepts. Together, this pedagogical intervention was enthusiastically received by the students who better understood how basic nerve physiology concepts fit into the broader context and that such an understanding can result in the development and the roll-out of unique therapeutic interventions for multiple sclerosis.

The current study investigates the effects of instruction with the storytelling approach on sixth-graders' values, attitudes and motivation in relation to the study of the human nervous system. The instruction consisted of a series of lessons on the human nervous system in which nine stories were included. The study employed a one-group pre-test and post-test design. Twenty-four pupils, all of whom were girls, participated in the study. The Dilemma Cases Form (Inventory), an attitude scale towards science, and a motivation scale for science were administered before and after the intervention. Pre and post-tests were compared using the non-parametric Wilcoxson's Rank Sum Tests. The results indicated that sixth-graders who were exposed to story-telling as part of the instruction improved their scores on the values and attitudes toward science scales but not those for motivation. Based on the results, it is argued that the story-telling approach in the unit on the human nervous system could be a good source of enrichment for sixth graders in science education.

When we memorize multiple words simultaneously, semantic relatedness among those words assists memory. For example, the information about "apple", "banana," and "orange" will be connected via a common concept of "fruits" and become easy to retain and recall. Neural mechanisms underlying this semantic integration in verbal working memory remain unclear. Here I used electroencephalography (EEG) and investigated neural signals when healthy human participants memorized five nouns semantically related (Sem trial) or not (NonSem trial). The regularity of oscillatory signals (8-30 Hz) during the retention period was found to be lower in NonSem than Sem trials, indicating that memorizing words unrelated to each other induced a non-harmonic (irregular) waveform in the temporal cortex. These results suggest that (i) semantic features of a word are retained as a set of neural oscillations at specific frequencies and (ii) memorizing words sharing a common semantic feature produces harmonic brain responses through a resonance or integration (sharing) of the oscillatory signals.

Anatomical dissections and prosected cadaveric specimens are currently believed to be the most beneficial delivery method for tertiary anatomy education. However, there is increasing demand within the tertiary medical education community for alternative delivery methods to complement current teaching practices, particularly in the complex field of neuroanatomy. To ensure that students learning of neuroanatomy is effective, it is necessary to take an evidenced-based approach. Therefore, this review will compare and contrast the different factors involved in learning neuroanatomy and the different modalities that can be used to teach this complex topic. Further, this review will also highlight the differences between individual and mixed-model delivery systems, which may influence the current pedagogies surrounding tertiary neuroanatomy in the dynamic educational setting.

Among the various systems taught in the preclinical phases, the nervous system is more challenging to learn than other systems. In this report, a novel teaching methodology, "real-life scenario (RLS) blended teaching," is described and its effectiveness in facilitating inquisitive learning in undergraduate medical students is evaluated. This mixed-method study was conducted among three groups ("group 1," n = 83; "group 2," n = 85; and "group 3;" n = 79) of undergraduate medical students (18--20 yr) in the neurology and behavioral sciences module. RLS was presented to students in the form of demonstrations, role-plays, videos, and group activities. "Group 1" students underwent traditional teaching-learning sessions. "Group 2" students underwent RLS blended sessions and were provided with multiple miniassignments in a vignette format. "Group 3" students received RLS blended sessions, multiple miniassignments, peer discussions, multiple formative assessments, and facilitator feedback sessions. The student performances on different exams were compared in terms of their group, and their perceptions of RLS were documented. Students exposed to RLS sessions blended with multiple assignments, peer discussions, multiple formative assignments, and facilitator feedback sessions performed well in the final summative assessments (67.87%) compared with those exposed to RLS sessions and assignments (50.21%) or exposed to traditional teaching alone (50.34%). RLS sessions increased students' curiosity and motivated them to learn the subject well. RLS sessions stimulated student interest and facilitated their learning. RLS along with effective use of multiple assignments, formative assessments, and/or feedback sessions significantly improved student learning. This demonstrates the effectiveness of this active method in teaching various subjects with appropriate modifications.

Previously, we described a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) for first-year students that featured a unique approach to brain mapping in a model organism (rat). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted this course for an online learning environment, emphasizing image analysis (identifying immunoreactive signal in an immunohistochemical stain, making neuroanatomical distinctions in a cytoarchitectural stain) and translation of image data to the brain atlas. Using a quasiexperimental mixed methods approach, we evaluated aspects of student engagement and perceived gains in student confidence with respect to the nature and process of science and student science identity development. Additionally, we examined the dynamics of mentorship and student connectedness experienced in the online-only context. We found that the majority of students reported positive affective outcomes for the course in domains such as project ownership and project engagement in addition to positive responses toward perceived mentorship received during the course. Unsurprisingly, students expressed frustration in not being able to freely communicate with members of the course in an organic face-to-face environment. Furthermore, we found that students encountered greater difficulty in mastering image software skills causing a delay in producing consistent-quality data maps. From our analysis of the course, we have identified both useful approaches and areas for course improvement in any future iterations of the online research course. New & Noteworthy: Herein, we describe the process of converting a novel, face-to-face neuroanatomy course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) to an online-only research setting. We document student affective and skill gains resultant from participating in this course and examine best practices for structuring online CUREs to maximize student learning and success.

Methods based on simulation pedagogy are widely used to practice hands-on skills in safety environment. The usability of an EEG simulator on clinical neurophysiology course was evaluated. Second-year biomedical laboratory science students (N = 35) on this course were included in the study. They were divided into three groups. Two groups used the EEG simulator with different feedback modes and one group did not use the simulator. Results were expected to reveal a correlation between user experience and learning outcomes. This study made used of a mixed method study design. During the study, students were asked to keep a learning diary throughout the course on their experience. Diaries were analyzed qualitatively based on content analyses. Quantitative analyses based on an UX questionnaire that measures classical usability aspects (efficiency, perspicuity, dependability) and user experience aspects (novelty, stimulation) and the students' feelings to use simulator. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSSTM software. The quantitative and qualitative analyses showed that the use of the EEG simulator, which was evaluating teaching-learning process, has an extra benefit in clinical neurophysiology education and students felt that the simulator was useful in learning. The simulation debriefing session should be followed by a full theoretical and practical session. Students compared their learning from the simulator with that of the actual placement which fosters the reflective practice of learning, again deepening the understanding of the EEG electrode placement and different wave patterns.

Many directors of learning and writing centers minimize their ability to remain current with the field, conduct research, and delineate their job duties due to pressing daily demands. Scholars urge them to do so in light of the needs of students, new directors, and university restructuring. This article presents the four-step renewal process of coaching expert Richard Boyatzis whose Intentional Change Theory combines neuroscience, psychology, and management literature. Directors assess their work lives, recognize defense mechanisms, articulate original dreams for their work, and set a learning agenda. The value of Boyatzis' work is in the respect it affords the individual, allowing each director to set unique goals.

Terminology represents a significant factor in healthcare communication between specialists and patients. The present paper deals with the lexicosemantic characteristics of multi-word lexical units "multiple sclerosis," "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis," "Parkinson's disease," "Alzheimer's disease," "epidural abscess," "Huntington's chorea," and "carpal tunnel syndrome." The research questions focus on collocations, word combinations, and concordances in which they regularly appear; the first lemma to the left and the first lemma to the right from the studied lexeme demonstrate the principal positions of our interest. Simultaneously, the researcher considers their semantic restrictions, semantic prosody, and grammatical relations that influence their lexical features. The whole linguistic material is investigated in the framework of the text corpus English Web 2015 (enTenTen15) with the help of the search tool Sketch Engine. To begin the research, the frequencies of these lexical units are elaborated. The researcher also looks into the morphological classification of the studied words as these two factors affect them from the lexicological perspective. The research outcomes confirm that the nervous disease names appear in a wide range of structures, and they considerably contribute to successful communication in the medical surroundings. Moreover, the results indicate that the lexicosemantic behaviour of the terms reflects extralinguistic factors (psychological, social) of individual communication acts. The phenomenon is to be further examined and interpreted within the corpus analyses of other chosen lexical units, not only from the field of medicine. Eventually, the researcher outlines possible pedagogical implications of the research results in the process of teaching English.

The neural basis for long-term behavioral improvements resulting from multi-session transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with working memory training (WMT) remains unclear. In this study, we used task-related electroencephalography (EEG) measures to investigate the lasting neurophysiological effects of anodal high-definition (HD)-tDCS applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) during a challenging WMT. Thirty-four healthy young adults were randomized to sham or active tDCS groups and underwent ten 30-minute training sessions over ten consecutive days, preceded by a pre-test and followed by post-tests performed one day and three weeks after the last session, respectively, by performing high-load WM tasks along with EEG recording. Multi-session HD-tDCS significantly enhanced the behavioral benefits of WMT. Compared to the sham group, the active group showed facilitated increases in theta, alpha, beta, and gamma task-related oscillations at the end of training and significantly increased P300 response 3 weeks post-training. Our findings suggest that applying anodal tDCS over the left dlPFC during multi-session WMT can enhance the behavioral benefits of WMT and facilitate sustained improvements in WM-related neural efficiency.

The income-achievement gap is a significant and stubborn problem in the United States, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, we link two emerging literatures that have historically been disparate: the neurobiology of poverty as a form of early life stress, and research on educational policies with the potential to reduce SES-based disparities in academic achievement. In doing so, we (1) integrate the literature on poverty-related mechanisms that contribute to early life stress, alter neurobiology, and lead to educational inequities, and (2) based on this research, highlight policies and practices at the school/classroom level and broader structural level that have the potential to address the problem of inequity in our educational systems. We emphasize that educational inequity is a systemic issue, and its resolution will require coordination of local, state, and national policies.

The US Department of Justice released the final report on school violence and showed that middle school is the age when violence is high, accounting for more than 70% of all violence cases (Zweig et al., 2013). After having perpetrated, the probability that the perpetrator will commit violence again will increase significantly (Office of the Surgeon General, et al., 2001), In the later review of the perpetrators, almost 100% admitted that they were unable to control their violent behavior at that time and seemed to have an invisible impulse to urge them to commit violence, and even when they knew the harm of the violent behavior, they still committed violence without scruples (Willems et al., 2018). This indicates that among the 30% of middle school students prone to violence, the underlying age-related neuroendocrine changes are most likely to be the driving force leading to violence. In this commentary, the authors argue that school violence intervention based on neuroendocrine mechanisms may be more effective than other external factors (Rivara et al., 2016). It is of greater practical significance to use the interactive network formed between testosterone, cortisol, and dopamine at different brain center sites as the target of intervention.

To be ready to learn, children need to be focused, engaged, and able to bounce back from setbacks. However, many children come to school with heightened or diminished physiological arousal due to exposure to poverty-related risks. While stress physiology plays a role in explaining how adversity relates to processes that support students' cognitive development, there is a lack of studies of physiological stress response in educational settings. This review integrates relevant studies and offers future directions for research on the role of stress physiology in the school adaptation of elementary school students, focusing on these important questions: (a) What are the links between physiological stress response and learning-related skills and behaviors, and do they vary as a function of proximal and distal experiences outside of school?; (b) How are school experiences associated with students' physiological stress response and related cognitive and behavioral adaptations?; and (c) How can we leverage measures of students' physiological stress response in evaluations of school-based interventions to better support the school success of every student? We hope to stimulate a new wave of research that will advance the science of developmental stress physiology, as well as improve the application of these findings in educational policy and practice.

Health education is one of the knowledge areas in which augmented reality (AR) technology is widespread, and it has been considered as a facilitator of the learning process. In literature, there are still few studies detailing the role of mobile AR in neuroanatomy. Specifically, for the spinal cord, the teaching-learning process may be hindered due to its abstract nature and the absence of three-dimensional models. In this sense, we implemented a mobile application with AR technology named "NitLabEduca" for studying the spinal cord with an interactive exploration of 3D rotating models in the macroscopic scale, theoretical content of its specificities, animations, and simulations regarding its physiology. To investigate "NitLabEduca's" effects, eighty individuals with and without previous neuroanatomy knowledge were selected and grouped into control and experimental groups. Divided, they performed learning tasks through a questionnaire. We used the System Usability Scale (SUS) to evaluate the usability level of the mobile application and a complimentary survey to verify the adherence level to the use of mobile applications in higher education. As a result, we observed that participants of both groups who started the task with the application and finished with text had more correct results in the test (p < 0.001). SUS results were promising in terms of usability and learning factor. We concluded that studying the spinal cord through "NitLabEduca" seems to favor learning when used as a complement to the printed material.

Neurotransmission represents a key concept in the history of biology. The objective of this study is to elicit Moroccan university students? conceptions of neurotransmission and highlight potential difficulties and obstacles that may hinder its effective learning. A questionnaire was administered to 120 science students as a pre-test. After the neurotransmission course at Dhar El Mahraz Faculty of Science, the same questionnaire was re-administered. The results of the study appeared that the majority of the science students had deficiencies at integrating and assimilating the concept of neurotransmission and other related concepts.

Speech-related professionals such as speech language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists make use of neuro-advancements including neurotechnologies such as cochlear implants (CIs), brain-computer interfaces, and deep brain stimulation. Speech-related professionals could occupy many roles in relation to their interaction with neuro-advancements reflecting the roles expected of them by their professional organizations. These roles include: service provider, promoter of neuro-products such as CIs, educator of others, neuro-related knowledge producer and researcher, advocates for their fields and their clients in relation to neuro-advancements, and influencers of neuro-policy, neuroethics and neuro-governance discussions. Lifelong learning, also known as professional development, is used as a mechanism to keep professionals up to date on knowledge needed to perform their work and could be used to support the fulfillment of all the roles in relation to neuro-advancements. Using 300 English language Canadian newspapers and academic articles from SCOPUS and the 70 databases of EBSCO-Host as sources, we found that the neuro-advancement content linked to speech-related professionals centered around CIs and brain computer interfaces, with other neuro-technologies being mentioned much less. Speech-related professionals were mostly mentioned in roles linked to clinical service provision, but rarely to not at all in other roles such as advocate, researcher or influencer of neuroethics and neuro-governance discussions. Furthermore, lifelong learning was not engaged with as a topic. The findings suggest that the mentioning of and engagement with roles of speech-related professionals linked to neuro-advancements falls short given the expectations of roles of speech-related professionals for example. We submit that these findings have implications for the education of speech-related professionals, how others perceive the role and identity of speech-related professionals, and how speech-related professionals perceive their own role.

In hippocampal CA1 neurons of wild-type mice, a short tetanus (15 or 20 pulses at 100 Hz) or a standard tetanus (100 pulses at 100 Hz) to a naive input pathway induces long-term potentiation (LTP) of the responses. Low-frequency stimulation (LFS; 1000 pulses at 1 Hz) 60 min after the standard tetanus reverses LTP (depotentiation [DP]), while LFS applied 60 min prior to the standard tetanus suppresses LTP induction (LTP suppression). We investigated LTP, DP, and LTP suppression of both field excitatory postsynaptic potentials and population spikes in CA1 neurons of mice lacking the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP[subscript 3]) receptor (IP[subscript 3]R)-binding protein released with IP[subscript 3] (IRBIT). The mean magnitudes of LTP induced by short and standard tetanus were not different in mutant and wild-type mice. In contrast, DP and LTP suppression were attenuated in mutant mice, whereby the mean magnitude of responses after LFS or tetanus were significantly greater than in wild-type mice. These results suggest that, in hippocampal CA1 neurons, IRBIT is involved in DP and LTP suppression, but is not essential for LTP. The attenuation of DP and LTP suppression in mice lacking IRBIT indicates that this protein, released during or after priming stimulations, determines the direction of LTP expression after the delivery of subsequent stimulations.

Background & aims: Echolalia, the repetition of one's or others' utterances, is a behavior present in typical development, autism spectrum disorder, aphasias, Tourette's, and other clinical groups. Despite the broad range of conditions in which echolalia can occur, it is considered primarily through a disorder-specific lens, which limits a full understanding of the behavior. Method: Empirical and review papers on echolalia across disciplines and etiologies were considered for this narrative review. Literatures were condensed into three primary sections, including echolalia presentations, neural mechanisms, and treatment approaches. Main contribution: Echolalia, commonly observed in autism and other developmental conditions, is assessed, observed, and treated in a siloed fashion, which reduces our collective knowledge of this communication difference. Echolalia should be considered as a developmental, transdiagnostic, and communicative phenomenon. Echolalia is commonly considered as a communicative behavior, but little is known about its neural etiologies or efficacious treatments. Conclusions: This review is the first to synthesize echolalia from a transdiagnostic perspective, which allows for the direct comparisons across and within clinical groups to inform assessment, treatment, conceptualization, and research recommendations. Implications: Considering echolalia transdiagnostically highlights the lack of consensus on operationalization and measurement across and within disorders. Clinical and research future directions need to prioritize consistent definitions of echolalia, which can be used to derive accurate prevalence estimates. Echolalia should be considered as a communication strategy, used similarly across developmental and clinical groups, with recommended strategies of shaping to increase its effectiveness.

Patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings of neuronal activity require a large amount of space and equipment. The technique is difficult to master and not conducive to demonstration to more than a few medical students. Therefore, neurophysiological education is mostly limited to classroom-based pedagogies such as lectures. However, the demonstration of concepts such as changes in membrane potential and ion channel activity is best achieved with hands-on approaches. This article details an in silico activity suitable for large groups of medical students that demonstrates the key concepts in neurophysiology using the LabAXON simulation software. Learning activities in our practical include: (1) measurements of voltage and time parameters of the neuronal action potential and its relationship to the Nernst potentials of Na[superscript +] and K[superscript +]; (2) determination of the stimulus threshold to evoke action potentials; (3) demonstration of the refractory period of an action potential; and (4) voltage-clamp experiments to determine the current-voltage relationship of voltage-gated Na[superscript +] and K[superscript +] channels and the voltage dependence of, and recovery from, inactivation of voltage-gated Na[superscript +] channels. We emphasized the accuracy of quantitative measurements as well as the correct use of units. The level of difficulty of the activity can be altered through different multiple choice questions relating to material introduced in the associated lectures. This practical activity is suitable for different class sizes and is adaptable for delivery with online platforms. Student feedback showed that the students felt the activity helped them consolidate their understanding of the lecture material.

The role of flexibility on athletic performance is going on to be studied both acutely and how it affects the performance in the long-term. It is important to understand the effects of various stretching types and define the most appropriate form in order to maximize the human movement and performance. Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching techniques are commonly used at athletic and clinic settings with the aim of optimizing motor performance and rehabilitation in order to increase range of motion. Yet, new research results put forth that the relation between performance and stretching is not as its thought and come up to this belief with suspicion. The aim of this review is to focus on the positive effects of PNF stretching on performance and to provide the reader with the latest researches on athletic performance. The researches reveal that PNF stretching can increase athletic performance in the long-term. Besides, it is more possible to obtain and maintain the benefits of PNF techniques if they are performed accurately and consistently.

Reversing characters (digits and letters) when writing, and complete mirror writing, raise one of the oldest and most mysterious questions in developmental and educational psychology: Why do five-year-old children write symbols (e.g., [reversed E] for E) they have neither learnt nor seen? Attempts to draw up a complete explanatory theory of character reversal in writings by typically developing children were long hindered by the existence of a seemingly satisfactory explanation (left-hand writing), the failure to bring together research in neuropsychology and educational psychology, and the failure to consider the shape and structure of the characters. The present paper remedies this situation by describing a new, comprehensive theory based on recent neuropsychological findings and extensive empirical observations. The theory assumes that a character's orientation, detected in the early visual processing area, is deleted (or made inaccessible) by the mirror generalization process during transfer to memory. Consequently, there is a period, usually around age five, during which children have representations of the characters' shapes but not their orientations. Hence, when asked to write a character, children have to improvise its orientation, and the orientation they choose (implicitly, non-consciously) is often derived from the writing direction in their culture.

This article investigates the relations among the tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) state, event related potentials (ERPs) to correct feedback to questions, and subsequent memory. ERPs were used to investigate neurocognitive responses to feedback to general information questions for which participants had expressed either being or not being in a TOT state. For questions in which participants were unable to answer within 3 s, they indicated whether they were experiencing a TOT state and then were immediately provided with the correct answer. Feedback during a TOT state, as opposed to not knowing the answer, was associated with enhanced positivity over centro-parietal electrodes 250-700 ms post-feedback, and this enhanced positivity mediated a positive relationship between TOTs and later recall. Although effects of increased semantic access during TOT states cannot be ruled out, these results suggest that information received during TOT states elicits enhanced processing--suggestive of curiosity--leading to enhanced learning of studied material.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by amyloid plaques, synapse dysfunction, and memory loss. The production and accumulation of A[beta] peptides, a major component of the amyloid plaques, is sensitive to many genetic and environmental factors. Recently, research has focused on the role of oxidative stress in initiating or exacerbating the neurodegeneration associated with A[beta] production. Lipid peroxidation, a type of oxidative stress that results in damaging cellular products such as 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), has been demonstrated to increase the concentration of A[beta] peptides through several mechanisms. In addition to their association with memory loss and synapse dysfunction, these A[beta] peptides cause lipid peroxidation. This positive feedback relationship between lipid peroxidation and A[beta] peptides may be the causative sequence of events initiating the pathogenic cascade of AD. This article examines the relationship between lipid peroxidation and amyloidogenesis in order to determine the sequence of events leading to A[beta]-plaque deposition and potential treatments with antioxidants targeting lipid peroxidation and its products.

The distinct pathway and controversial morphology of cranial nerve XI (spinal accessory nerve) make it unique among the cranial nerves. In the past decade, several anatomical and embryological studies have further elucidated the structure and function of CN XI. In this review, the evolutionary history of CN XI and its phylogenetic relationship to CN X, the vagus nerve, are considered in light of these recent investigations to provide a fuller anatomical picture of the CN XI. Implications for anatomical education are also considered.

"Basic Concepts in Neurophysiology" was a 3-wk online course developed during six synchronous meetings combined with asynchronous activities. We proposed an active learning course that used free online platforms to teach physiology during a period in which undergraduates were not in classrooms or taking online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Herein, we report the course organization and the students' involvement in, acceptance of, and evaluation of the course. To address the students' perceptions about these points, we sent a questionnaire to 49 participants who finished the course. We found that although most students (52.5%) had never taken a course with similar methods before, almost all of them (95%) liked the flipped class model. Additionally, a majority of the students (92.5%) said that the method increased their study frequency during the social distancing period, which is an important aspect to consider during this challenging time for both students and professors.

Traditionally teachers display the learning outline at the beginning and conclusions at the end of didactic teaching sessions, and students may find it difficult to understand how teaching activities relate to learning objectives and what they should study for assessments. We introduced the "concept-sharing approach" in our neurophysiology course. This approach explicates how the content relates with learning objectives throughout the entirety of each teaching session to help the students assimilate the learning material and direct their learning in an objective-orientated way. In this study, we aimed to examine satisfaction of the concept-sharing approach in medical students and to investigate the relationship between student perception of this teaching strategy and academic performance. The results demonstrated that most participants (74.1%) had a positive impression of this teaching strategy at the end of the course, which was significantly >50.7% at the beginning of the course (P < 0.001). The participants who agreed the concept-sharing approach was useful had significantly higher final assessment (P = 0.014) and end-of-course formative assessment scores (P = 0.001). The findings indicate that after experiencing this new teaching approach, medical students appreciate its utility and that students who engage with this approach are more likely to perform well in assessments. In summary, the concept-sharing approach is a simple teaching strategy which was favored by students and may promote academic performance.

The first-year student experience in college is a crucial time for personal and professional development, especially for students entering science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Unfortunately, it is also the time when students most commonly leave STEM, largely due to disconnection from faculty and peers. The Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) is a program that introduces first-year undergraduates to research in a variety of fields. The program has shown positive outcomes for student success and retention in STEM fields. However, it has not been demonstrated whether this program can increase social connectedness and assurance, potentially contributing to students' longer-term retention in STEM. In this pilot study, we measured social connectedness/assurance among students before and after a 16-week course in neurophysiology. We found that combined scores of social connectedness and assurance significantly increased by the end of the course. We also found that individual constructs of social connectedness and assurance significantly increased. Furthermore, the majority of students from FRI were retained in STEM fields. We plan future studies to include collection of longitudinal data and measures to identify additional reasons that the FRI increased these positive outcomes among our student participants.

The learning of modern languages in primary school (PL) was recently promoted to statutory status in the curriculum of England and Wales, but practice remains patchy. Low PL capacity amongst primary school teachers and constraints on curricular time persist. Viewed through the lenses of policy, learning theory and context, current PL practice can be problematised to find solutions. Neurobiological evidence attests to how the young brain learns language, particularly its heightened sensitivity to language phonology. Additionally, policy documents' currently eclectic approach is discussed. Activity Theory's framework is employed to interconnect such contextual and theoretical factors. The evidence suggests that without optimising the PL environment, learning may be at least ineffective, or at worst, detrimental to pupils' future language learning.

Children in foster care have experienced significant trauma due to the loss of primary attachment figures and the circumstances associated with that loss. Children who have suffered trauma generally present with cognitive, social, physical, and emotional vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities are often expressed in the P-12 academic setting through difficulties with behavioral and emotional self-regulation, academic functioning, and physical ailments and illness related to chronic stress-induced compromised immune systems. This results in academic failure for half of all children in care. Training in how to respond to children who have suffered trauma is essential to ensure that children are comfortable and feel secure in the classroom so that they can access their education. To that end, a framework to support children in P-12 settings who are particularly vulnerable to academic failure due to trauma is presented.

The author looks at the psychology of sexuality and its origins in the brain's cortex. She discusses how the cues for desire sometimes overshadow mere physiological cues and how they may be healthy or unhealthy. She argues that understanding the intricate neurochemical and neurostructural workings of the mind and the central and autonomic nervous systems in both men and women--and their dependence on early attunement--helps therapists and patients distinguish sexual play from predatory, trauma-inducing sexual aggression and that this distinction is crucial given the centrality of the mammalian emotional circuit of play in our brain processes, including the sexual. She discusses the dangers of mistaking forcible rape fantasy for a real-life desire and examines other fantasies and the sexual role play that fuel our sexuality. She warns of the psychological and emotional damages of isolating, nonconsenual sex. And she discusses how sexual play can provide emotional attunement, joy, and sociability to human life.

The ability to understand the relationship between the reversal potential and the membrane potential is a fundamental skill that must be mastered by students studying membrane excitability. To clarify this relationship, we have reframed a classic experiment carried out by Hodgkin and Katz, where we compare graphically the membrane potential at three phases of the action potential (resting potential, action potential peak, and afterhyperpolarization) to reversal potential for K[superscript +] (E[subscript K]), reversal potential for Na (E[subscript Na]), and membrane potential (E[subscript m]) (calculated by the Goldman Hodgkin Katz equation) to illustrate that the membrane potential approaches the reversal potential of the ion to which it is most permeable at that instant.

Dopamine plays a critical role in behavioral tasks requiring interval timing (time perception in a seconds-to-minutes range). Although some studies demonstrate the role of dopamine receptors as a controller of the speed of the internal clock, other studies demonstrate their role as a controller of motivation. Both D1 dopamine receptors (D1DRs) and D2 dopamine receptors (D2DRs) within the dorsal striatum may play a role in interval timing because the dorsal striatum contains rich D1DRs and D2DRs. However, relative to D2DRs, the precise role of D1DRs within the dorsal striatum in interval timing is unclear. To address this issue, rats were trained on the peak-interval 20-sec procedure, and D1DR antagonist SCH23390 was infused into the bilateral dorsocentral striatum before behavioral sessions. Our results showed that the D1DR blockade drastically reduced the maximum response rate and increased the time to start responses with no effects on the time to terminate responses. These findings suggest that the D1DRs within the dorsal striatum are required for motivation to respond, but not for modulation of the internal clock speed.

This paper is part two of the article entitled, "Dynamic Neuroscientific Systemology: Using Tri-Squared Meta-Analysis and Innovative Instructional Design to Develop a Novel Distance Education Model for the Systemic Creation of Engaging Online Learning Environments" published in the July-September 2015 issue of i-manager's "Journal of Educational Technology." The aim of this paper is to introduce three novel problem-solving conceptual solutions which are: (1) Neuro-Holistic Learning© as an (2) "Integrated Kinesthetic Approach to Cognitive Learning©" using a (3) "Collaborative Interactive Thought Exchange©" as a dialogue and discussion procedure. The purpose of this original and novel instructional methodology is to conceptually addresses the four main challenges faced by 21 century African American high school and college students, particularly African American males, who are attempting to succeed in life and in their future professional careers. As an instructional methodology, Neuro-Holistic Learning© provides an active solution that addresses the needs of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who are actively seeking novel methods to aid in the achievement of their respective academic goals, increase student retention, and meet their institutional graduation objectives. The results of this dynamic and engaging approach to learning determinedly responds to HBCU high standards of academic excellence and collaborative goals to produce dynamic global citizens and actively responsive alumni. [For "Dynamic Neuroscientific Systemology: Using Tri-Squared Meta-Analysis and Innovative Instructional Design to Develop a Novel Distance Education Model for the Systemic Creation of Engaging Online Learning Environments," see EJ1098559.]

Medical students consider anatomy, neurology, and traumatology as difficult study topics. A recent study showed that the daily quiz "Two Opportunities to Practice per day (TOPday)" positively supported biomedical students in analyzing and solving biomechanical problems. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of TOPday on self-confidence, enthusiasm, and test results for the topics anatomy, neurology and traumatology. Second-year medical students were enrolled in a four-week course on the human skeletal system at the Radboudumc (n = 799). They were randomized over three topic groups (anatomy, neurology, and traumatology) and received TOPday quizzes on every course day. At the end of the course students filled in a non-anonymous questionnaire. Students highly appreciated TOPday (7.5 ± 0.9) and this did not differ between groups (anatomy: 7.4 ± 0.8; neurology: 7.4 ± 1.1; traumatology: 7.5 ± 0.8; P = 0.68). Many students reported that TOPday increased their self-confidence (65% of the students) and enthusiasm (69% of the students) for their topic. However, test results of the students did not improve. A potential explanation for the latter result may relate to the different cognitive processes that are required to study anatomy, neurology, and traumatology compared to biomechanics. In conclusion, appreciation, self-confidence and enthusiasm were positively associated with TOPday, but test results were not.

The urgency of the problem stated in the article is caused by the fact that modern scientific studies show that sustainable neuro-associative connections with the object of addiction arise at chemical addiction. The aim of this study is to examine the features of the reciprocal organization of constructive activities in drug addiction. Study of the constructive activity of patients with drug addiction in comparison with the group in norm was carried out by using the experimental method. The study found a decrease of constructive activity in drug addiction by the characteristics of performance pace and accuracy, regulated by reciprocal and auditory-motor coordination, which, in turn, are also significantly reduced. Reciprocal organization in drug addiction is characterized by impaired proprioceptive kinesthetic afferentation of motor act at safety of outer space organization of movements, lack of differentiation and low handling of movements, movement program disorders, as well as the replacement of the right movements by motor patterns and stereotypes. The obtained results are experimental psychological argument for the need to introduce neuropsychological block in the system of psychotherapeutic impact, which includes the tasks aimed at increasing reciprocal organizations to improve the general level of constructive activity in order to create alternative to the stereotyped models of mental activity and patterns of behavior.

Research consistently demonstrates that attention deficits have a deleterious effect on academic achievement. Impairments in attention, and not hyperactivity/impulsivity, are associated with learning difficulties and academic problems in students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To date, most studies have focused on symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity, with little research being conducted on interventions for students with ADHD, inattentive subtype. This study examines the use of neurofeedback as an intervention to improve reading achievement in a public school setting. A multiple-baseline-across-participants single-case model was used to assess five fourth-grade students who received 40 daily sessions of neurofeedback. Following the intervention, improvements were observed on objective measures of attention: a continuous performance test (Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test [IVA+Plus]) and/or a test of shifting attention (CNS Vital Signs, Shifting Attention Test [CNS-VS, SAT]). Results on tests of reading fluency revealed little change, although participants demonstrated gains on a measure of reading comprehension (Gray Oral Reading Tests-Fifth Edition [GORT-5]). Results suggest that neurofeedback helped participants to become more accurately engaged with the text with more focused attention to content. Thus, neurofeedback may be a viable option to assist children with attention deficits for improving both attention and reading achievement. [Additional funding for this research was provided by the Foundation for Neurofeedback and Neuromodulation Research (formerly, the International Society for Neurofeedback and Research Foundation) and Brain Science International. This article was published in "NeuroRegulation," v3 n2 p55-77 2016.]

Despite identical learning experiences, individuals differ in the memory formed of those experiences. Molecular mechanisms that control the neurophysiological bases of long-term memory formation might control how precisely the memory formed reflects the actually perceived experience. Memory formed with sensory specificity determines its utility for selectively cueing subsequent behavior, even in novel situations. Here, a rodent model of auditory learning capitalized on individual differences in learning-induced auditory neuroplasticity to identify and characterize neural substrates for sound-specific (vs. general) memory of the training signal's acoustic frequency. Animals that behaviorally revealed a naturally induced signal-"specific" memory exhibited long-lasting signal-specific neurophysiological plasticity in auditory cortical and subcortical evoked responses. Animals with "general" memories did not exhibit learning-induced changes in these same measures. Manipulating a histone deacetylase during memory consolidation biased animals to have more signal-specific memory. Individual differences validated this brain-behavior relationship in both natural and manipulated memory formation, such that the degree of change in sensory cortical and subcortical neurophysiological responses could be used to predict the behavioral precision of memory.

Growth hormone (GH) deficiency is associated with cognitive decline which occur both in normal aging and in endocrine disorders. Several brain areas express receptors for GH although their functional role is unclear. To determine how GH affects the capacity for learning and memory by specific actions in one of the key areas, the hippocampus, we injected recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) in male rats to express green fluorescent protein (GFP) combined with either GH, antagonizing GH (aGH), or no hormone, in the dorsal CA1. We found that aGH disrupted memory in the Morris water maze task, and that aGH treated animals needed more training to relearn a novel goal location. In a one-trial spontaneous location recognition test, the GH treated rats had better memory performance for object locations than the two other groups. Histological examinations revealed that GH increased the dendritic spine density on apical dendrites of CA1, while aGH reduced the spine density. GH increased the relative amount of immature spines, while aGH decreased the same amount. Our results imply that GH is a neuromodulator with strong influence over hippocampal plasticity and relational memory by mechanisms involving modulation of dendritic spines. The findings are significant to the increasing aging population and GH deficiency patients.

Adults struggle to learn non-native speech contrasts even after years of exposure. While laboratory-based training approaches yield learning, the optimal training conditions for maximizing speech learning in adulthood are currently unknown. Vagus nerve stimulation has been shown to prime adult sensory-perceptual systems towards plasticity in animal models. Precise temporal pairing with auditory stimuli can enhance auditory cortical representations with a high degree of specificity. Here, we examined whether sub-perceptual threshold transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), paired with non-native speech sounds, enhances speech category learning in adults. Twenty-four native English-speakers were trained to identify non-native Mandarin tone categories. Across two groups, tVNS was paired with the tone categories that were easier- or harder-to-learn. A control group received no stimulation but followed an identical thresholding procedure as the intervention groups. We found that tVNS robustly enhanced speech category learning and retention of correct stimulus-response associations, but only when stimulation was paired with the easier-to-learn categories. This effect emerged rapidly, generalized to new exemplars, and was qualitatively different from the normal individual variability observed in hundreds of learners who have performed in the same task without stimulation. Electroencephalography recorded before and after training indicated no evidence of tVNS-induced changes in the sensory representation of auditory stimuli. These results suggest that paired-tVNS induces a temporally precise neuromodulatory signal that selectively enhances the perception and memory consolidation of perceptually salient categories.

The beneficial effects of exercise on cognition are well established; however specific exercise parameters regarding the frequency and duration of physical activity that provide optimal cognitive health have not been well defined. Here, we explore the effects of the duration of exercise and sedentary periods on long-term object location memory (OLM) in mice. We use a weak object location training paradigm that is subthreshold for long-term memory formation in sedentary controls, and demonstrate that exercise enables long-term memories to form. We show that 14- and 21-d of running wheel access enables mice to discriminate between familiar and novel object locations after a 24 h delay, while 2- or 7-d running wheel access provides insufficient exercise for such memory enhancement using the subthreshold learning paradigm. After 14- and 21-d of wheel running, exercise-induced cognitive enhancement then decays back to baseline performance following 3-d of sedentary activity. However, exercise-induced cognitive enhancement can be reactivated by an additional period of just 2 d exercise, previously shown to be insufficient to induce cognitive enhancement on its own. The reactivating period of exercise is capable of enhancing memory after three- or seven-sedentary days, but not 14-d. These data suggest a type of "molecular memory" for the exercise stimulus, in that once exercise duration reaches a certain threshold, it establishes a temporal window during which subsequent low-level exercise can capitalize on the neurobiological adaptations induced by the initial period of exercise, enabling it to maintain the benefits on cognitive function. These findings provide new information that may help to guide future clinical studies in exercise.

This state-of-the art paper focuses on the poorly explored issue of foreign language aptitude, attempting to present the latest developments in this field and reconceptualizations of the construct from the perspective of neuroscience. In accordance with this goal, it first discusses general directions in neurolinguistic research on foreign language aptitude, starting with the earliest attempts to define the neurological substrate for talent, sources of difficulties in the neurolinguistic research on foreign language aptitude and modern research methods. This is followed by the discussion of the research on the phonology of foreign language aptitude with emphasis on functional and structural studies as well as their consequences for the knowledge of the concept. The subsequent section presents the studies which focus on lexical and morphosyntactic aspects of foreign language aptitude. The paper ends with a discussion of the limitations of contemporary research, the future directions of such research and selected methodological issues.

Objective: To assess impact of tactile stimulation on neurobehavioral development of premature infants in Assiut City. Design: Quasi-experimental research design. Setting: The study was conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Assiut University Children Hospital, Assiut General Hospital, Health Insurance Hospital (ElMabarah Hospital) and El-Eyman for Gynecology and Obstetric Hospital. Subjects: The study subjects included a convenient sample of 50 premature infants divided into study or control groups and they were matched with gestational age and birth weight. Tool: Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale is used to assess neurobehavioral development of infants from birth to two months of age. Method: Premature infants divided into two groups; (a) study group who receiving tactile stimulation (b) control group who receiving routine hospital care only. Neurobehavioral development using Brazelton's Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale (NBAS) was assessed at initial contact and after 5 days of intervention and on discharge. Results: showed that the premature infants of the study had better neurobehavioral development than those in the control group with statistical significant differences were found between the study and the control groups Conclusion: It was concluded from the findings of the current study that premature infants who received tactile stimulation had better neurobehavioral development than those who didn't receive it and had only the hospital routine care.

Intracranial surgery means any surgery performed inside the skull to treat problems in the brain and surrounding structures. Aim: Evaluate the impact of nursing educational program on reducing or preventing postoperative complications for patients after intracranial surgery. Subjects and methods: Sixty adult patients had intracranial surgery (burr hole, craniotomy and craniectomy) were included in this study. Their age ranged from 18-65 years old, fully conscious after operation. Patients divided into two groups; control group (30 patients who received routine care) and study group (30 patients who received nursing educational program). Three tools were used for data collection; tool I patient assessment sheet, tool II nursing educational program after intracranial surgery and tool III patient evaluation sheet. Results: A good improvement in total knowledge scores of study group patients after application of nursing educational program. Significant reduction and/or prevention of systemic and neurosurgical postoperative complications for study group patients after application of nursing educational program. Conclusion: Improving patients' knowledge in study group had a favorable effect in reducing or preventing systemic and neurosurgical postoperative complications than in control group. Recommendation: Establishment of health care educational center in neurosurgery department to educate patients about their conditions.