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Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

MUSICAL IMPROVISATION IS ONE OF THE MOST complex forms of creative behavior, often associated with increased executive functions. However, most traditional piano programs do not include improvisation skills. This research examined the effects of music improvisation in a novel jazz piano training intervention on executive functions and neural oscillatory activity in healthy older adults. Forty adults were recruited and randomly assigned to either jazz piano training (n = 20, 10 females) or a control group (n = 20, 13 females). The jazz piano training program included aural skills, basic technique, improvisation, and repertoire with 30 hours of training over 10 days. All participants at pre- and post-testing completed a battery of standardized cognitive measures (i.e., processing speed, inhibition, verbal fluency), and neurophysiological data was recorded during resting state and a musical improvisation task using electroencephalography (EEG). Results showed significantly enhanced processing speed and inhibition performance for those who received jazz piano training as compared to controls. EEG data revealed changes in frontal theta power during improvisation in the training group compared to controls. Learning to improvise may contribute to cognitive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth and proliferation within healthcare of Virtual Reality (VR) technology's make it a promising platform for treating central nervous system (CNS)-related ailments. From neurorehabilitation to pain management and even cognitive enhancement, there are numerous benefits that VR offers this portion of medicine. Nevertheless, multiple risks among motion sickness and eye strain, exist with utilizing this new tech for CNS treatments. Beyond immediate physical harm concerns like these - researching the long-term impact on this area remains paramount regarding future implementation. The utilization of VR technology in the field of CNS presents considerable promise, the same its potential risks necessitate a meticulous analysis and resolution before its extensive acceptance across clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the sensory processes involved in interacting with virtual reality artwork. It discusses different artistic creations and the sensory experiences they elicit. The study concludes that empathic connections between the user and the virtual environment can enhance sensory experiences. The article emphasizes the importance of the body and its interaction with virtual environments in enhancing artistic experiences. It also discusses the impact of virtual reality on the arts and the role of the viewer, highlighting how VR art environments allow for active participation and experimentation. The text explores the relationship between the viewer's body and the immersive environment, emphasizing the importance of bodily experience and interaction. It concludes by discussing the potential of immersive VR environments in creating new sensory connections and social relations. The text also explores how immersive and interactive artworks challenge traditional notions of space and perception, and highlights the importance of bodily and sensory experiences in artistic knowledge and social relationships. It suggests further research on the impact of virtual corporealities on self-conception and social interactions in artistic experiences. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: Increased prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has led to a need for new neuropsychological intervention tools in this population. This meta-analysis aimed to learn about the efficacy of virtual reality (VR)-based neuropsychological interventions in improving cognitive functioning in patients with MCI. Method: This review followed the recommendations of the PRISMA statement, and it was registered in PROSPERO. The studies examined were collected from the PsycINFO, Web of Science, Pubmed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases. Results: The systematic search yielded 258 articles, of which 13 randomized controlled trials were selected. VR-based neuropsychological interventions had moderate effects on global cognition (g = 0.30; 95% CI = 0.05, 0.56; p = 0.02), small effects on attention (g = 0.27; 95% CI = 0.04, 0.49; p = 0.02), and large effects on executive function (g = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.38, 0.81; p < 0.0001), but non-significant effects on working memory, episodic memory, language, or visuoconstruction. When the length of the intervention was considered, VR-based interventions of 15 or more hours had moderate effects on working memory (g = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.11, 0.99; p = 0.01), and large effects on language (g = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.01, 1.20; p = 0.05) and visuoconstruction (g = 1.13; 95% CI = 0.58, 1.67; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Results suggest that VR-based interventions are beneficial for improving cognitive functioning in patients with MCI, and allow us to make recommendations that could have implications for clinical decision-making in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Life experiences that are complex, sustained, and intense, such as active participation in music and speaking multiple languages, have been suggested to contribute to maintaining or improving cognitive performance and mental health. The current study focuses on whether lifetime musical and multilingual experiences differentially relate to cognition and well-being in older adults, and tests whether there is a cumulative effect of both experiences. Methods A total of 11,335 older adults from the population-based Lifelines Cohort Study completed a musical and multilingual background and experience questionnaire. Latent class analysis was used to categorize individuals into subgroups according to their various musical and multilingual experiences resulting in a (1) nonmusical, low-multilingual group; (2) nonmusical, high-multilingual group; (3) musical, low-multilingual group; and (4) musical high-multilingual group. To determine whether the groups differed in terms of cognition or emotional affect, differences in Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT) and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule scores were investigated by means of multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results Having high-multilingual, and not musical, experience was related to better RFFT performance compared to no experience, but not to more positive affect. Having both musical and high-multilingual experiences is related to better RFFT performance and more positive affect in advanced age compared to having only one experience or none. Importantly, these results were found independently of age, level of education, and socioeconomic status. Discussion Musical and multilingual experiences are related to healthy aging, especially when combined, which supports the suggestion that a broader spectrum of lifetime experiences relates to cognitive reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequent use of GPS-based navigation assistance is found to negatively affect spatial learning. Displaying landmarks effectively while providing wayfinding instructions on such services could facilitate spatial learning because landmarks help navigators to structure and learn an environment by serving as cognitive anchors. However, simply adding landmarks on mobile maps may tax additional cognitive resources and thus adversely affect cognitive load in mobile map users during navigation. To address this potential issue, we set up the present study experimentally to investigate how the number of landmarks (i.e., 3 vs. 5 vs. 7 landmarks), displayed on a mobile map one at a time at intersections during turn-by-turn instructions, affects spatial learning, cognitive load, and visuospatial encoding during map consultation in a virtual urban environment. Spatial learning of the environment was measured using a landmark recognition test, a route direction test, and Judgements of Relative Directions (JRDs). Cognitive load and visuospatial encoding were assessed using electroencephalography (EEG) by analyzing power modulations in distinct frequency bands as well as peak amplitudes of event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Behavioral results demonstrate that landmark and route learning improve when the number of landmarks shown on a mobile map increases from three to five, but that there is no further benefit in spatial learning when depicting seven landmarks. EEG analyses show that relative theta power at fronto-central leads and P3 amplitudes at parieto-occipital leads increase in the seven-landmark condition compared to the three- and five-landmark conditions, likely indicating an increase in cognitive load in the seven-landmark condition. Visuospatial encoding indicated by greater theta ERS and alpha ERD at occipital leads with a greater number of landmarks on mobile maps. We conclude that the number of landmarks visualized when following a route can support spatial learning during map-assisted navigation but with a potential boundary—visualizing landmarks on maps benefits users’ spatial learning only when the number of visualized landmarks shown does not exceed users’ cognitive capacity. These results shed more light on neuronal correlates underlying cognitive load and visuospatial encoding during spatial learning in map-assisted navigation. Our findings also contribute to the design of neuro-adaptive landmark visualization for mobile navigation aids that aim to adapt to users’ cognitive load to optimize their spatial learning in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) is becoming an increasingly popular tool in neuroscience and mental health research. In recent years, efforts have been made to virtualise neuropsychological testing with the intent to increase the ecological validity of cognitive assessments. However, there are some limitations in the current literature—feasibility and acceptability data are often not reported or available and sample sizes have generally been small. In this study, we describe the development and establish the feasibility and acceptability of use of a novel functional cognition VR shopping task, VStore, in three separate samples with data from a total of 210 participants. Two samples include healthy volunteers between the ages of 20 and 79 and there is one clinical cohort of patients with psychosis. Main VStore outcomes were: 1) verbal recall of 12 grocery items, 2) time to collect items, 3) time to select items on a self-checkout machine, 4) time to make the payment, 5) time to order hot drink, and 6) total time. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed by the completion rate across the three studies. VR induced adverse effects were assessed preand post-VStore administration to establish tolerability. Finally, as an exploratory objective, VStore’s ability to differentiate between younger and older age groups, and between patients and matched healthy controls was examined as preliminary indication of its potential utility. The overall completion rate across the studies was exceptionally high (99.95%), and VStore did not induce any adverse effects. Additionally, there was a clear difference in VStore performance metrics between both the patients and controls and between younger and older age groups, suggesting potential clinical utility of this VR assessment. These findings demonstrate that VStore is a promising neuropsychological tool that is well-tolerated and feasible to administer to both healthy and clinical populations. We discuss the implications for future research involving neuropsychological testing based on our experience and the contemporary literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of New Architecture is the property of New Architecture Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives Preliminary evidence suggests that piano training may enhance areas of executive functions and psychosocial outcomes in aging adults. However, little is known regarding specific cognitive outcomes affected and whether or not enhancements are sustainable. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of piano training on cognitive performance, psychosocial well-being, and physiological stress and immune function in older adults. Methods Older adults (N = 155, 60–80 years) completed an initial 3-h assessment of standardized cognitive and psychosocial measures. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the 3 groups: piano training, computer-assisted cognitive training, or a no-treatment control group. Training groups completed a 16-week program with 2 group training sessions per week for 90 min each session. All participants completed a standard battery of executive functions (working memory, processing speed, verbal fluency), psychosocial measures (musical and general self-efficacy, mood), and physiological measures (cortisol and immune function) at pretesting, posttesting, and at a 3-month follow-up time point. Results The results showed that piano training and computer-assisted cognitive training enhanced working memory and processing speed as compared to controls. Piano training significantly increased verbal fluency skills in category switching, as compared to computer-assisted cognitive training and no-treatment controls. Participants in piano training demonstrated enhanced general and musical self-efficacy posttraining; however, no significant differences were found for physiological measures. Discussion Piano training resulted in a unique advantage in category switching as compared to computer-assisted cognitive training and no-treatment controls. Music training programs may mitigate or prevent cognitive deficits in verbal skills. Clinical Trial Registration NCT02564601 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging may be associated with conditions characterized by motor and cognitive alterations, which could have a detrimental impact on daily life. Although motors and cognitive aspects have always been treated as separate entities, recent literature highlights their relationship, stressing a strong association between locomotion and executive functions. Thus, designing interventions targeting the risks deriving from both components' impairments is crucial: the dual-task represents a starting point. Although its role in targeting and decreasing difficulties in aging is well known, most interventions are focused on a single domain, proposing a vertical model in which patients emerge only for a single aspect per time during assessment and rehabilitation. In this perspective, we propose a view of the individual as a whole between mind and body, suggesting a multicomponent and multidomain approach that could integrate different domains at the same time retracing lifelike situations. Virtual Reality, thanks to the possibility to develop daily environments with engaging challenges for patients, as well as to manage different devices to collect multiple data, provides the optimal scenario in which the integration could occur. Artificial Intelligence, otherwise, offers the best methodologies to integrate a great amount of various data to create a predictive model and identify appropriate and individualized interventions. Based on these assumptions the present perspective aims to propose the development of a new approach to an integrated, multimethod, multidimensional training in order to enhance cognition and physical aspects based on behavioral data, incorporating consolidated technologies in an innovative approach to neurology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of older adults is increasing globally. Aging is associated with cognitive and sensory decline. Additionally, declined auditory performance and cognitive function affect the quality of life of older adults. Therefore, it is important to develop an intervention method to improve both auditory and cognitive performances. The current study aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of auditory and cognitive training on auditory ability and cognitive functions in healthy older adults. Fifty healthy older adults were randomly divided into four training groups—an auditory-cognitive training group (AC training; n = 13), an auditory training group (A training; n = 13), a cognitive training group (C training; n = 14), and an active control group (n = 12). During the training period, we reduced the sound intensity level in AC and A training groups and increase training task difficulty in AC, A, and C training groups based on participants' performance. Cognitive function measures [digit-cancelation test (D-CAT); logical memory (LM); digit span (DS)], auditory measures [pure-tone audiometry (PTA)], and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed before and after the training periods. We found three key findings. First, the AC training group showed difference between other training groups (A, C, and active control training groups) in regional gray matter volume (rGMV) in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the left inferior temporal gyrus (L. ITG), the left superior frontal gyrus, the left orbitofrontal cortex, the right cerebellum (lobule 7 Crus 1). Second, the auditory training factor groups (ATFGs, the AC and A training groups) improved auditory measures and increased the rGMV and functional connectivity (FC) in the left temporal pole compared to the non-ATFGs (the C training group and active control group). Third, the cognitive training factor groups (CTFGs; the AC and C training groups) showed statistically significant improvement in cognitive performances in LM and D-CAT compared to the non-CTFGs (the A training group and active control group). Therefore, the auditory training factor and cognitive training factor would be useful in enhancing the quality of life of older adults. The current AC training study, the plasticity of the brain structure was observed after 4 weeks of training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While aging is characterized by neurodegeneration, musical training is associated with experience-driven brain plasticity and protection against age-related cognitive decline. However, evidence for the positive effects of musical training mostly comes from cross-sectional studies while randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes are rare. The current study compares the influence of six months of piano training with music listening/musical culture lessons in 121 musically naïve healthy elderly individuals with regard to white matter properties using fixel-based analysis. Analyses revealed a significant fiber density decline in the music listening/musical culture group (but not in the piano group), after six months, in the fornix, which is a white matter tract that naturally declines with age. In addition, these changes in fiber density positively correlated to episodic memory task performances and the amount of weekly piano training. These findings not only provide further evidence for the involvement of the fornix in episodic memory encoding but also more importantly show that learning to play the piano at an advanced age may stabilize white matter microstructure of the fornix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dementia is increasingly prevalent globally. Existing questionnaire-based cognitive assessment tools may not comprehensively assess cognitive function and real-time task-performance across all cognitive domains. CAVIRE (Cognitive Assessment by VIrtual REality), a fully immersive virtual reality system incorporating automated audio-visual instructions and a scoring matrix was developed to assess the six cognitive domains, with potential to maintain consistency in execution of the testing environment and possibly time-saving in busy primary care practice. Aims: This is a feasibility study to compare the completion times of the questionnaire-based Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the CAVIRE in cognitively-healthy Asian adults aged between 35 and 74 years, overall, and in and across each 10-year age group (35–44; 45–54; 55–64; 65–74). Methods: A total of 100 participants with a MoCA score of 26 or more were recruited equally into the four 10-year age groups at a primary care clinic in Singapore. Completion time for the MoCA assessment for each participant was recorded. They were assessed using the CAVIRE, comprising 13 segments featuring common everyday activities assessing all six cognitive domains, and the completion time was also recorded through the embedded automated scoring and timing framework. Results: Completion time for CAVIRE as compared to MoCA was significantly (p < 0.01) shorter, overall (mean difference: 74.9 (SD) seconds) and in each age group. Younger, vs. older, participants completed both the MoCA and CAVIRE tasks in a shorter time. There was a greater variability in the completion time for the MoCA, most markedly in the oldest group, whereas completion time was less variable for the CAVIRE tasks in all age groups, with most consistency in the 45–54 year-age group. Conclusion: We demonstrate almost equivalent completion times for a VR and a questionnaire-based cognition assessment, with inter-age group variation in VR completion time synonymous to that in conventional screening methods. The CAVIRE has the potential to be an alternative screening modality for cognition in the primary care setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique ability to identify one's own body and experience it as one's own is fundamental in goal-oriented behavior and survival. However, the mechanisms underlying the so-called body ownership are yet not fully understood. Evidence based on Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI) paradigms has demonstrated that body ownership is a product of reception and integration of self and externally generated multisensory information, feedforward and feedback processing of sensorimotor signals, and prior knowledge about the body. Crucially, however, these designs commonly involve the processing of proximal modalities while the contribution of distal sensory signals to the experience of ownership remains elusive. Here we propose that, like any robust percept, body ownership depends on the integration and prediction across all sensory modalities, including distal sensory signals pertaining to the environment. To test our hypothesis, we created an embodied goal-oriented Virtual Air Hockey Task, in which participants were to hit a virtual puck into a goal. In two conditions, we manipulated the congruency of distal multisensory cues (auditory and visual) while preserving proximal and action-driven signals entirely predictable. Compared to a fully congruent condition, our results revealed a significant decrease on three dimensions of ownership evaluation when distal signals were incongruent, including the subjective report as well as physiological and kinematic responses to an unexpected threat. Together, these findings support the notion that the way we represent our body is contingent upon all the sensory stimuli, including distal and action-independent signals. The present data extend the current framework of body ownership and may also find applications in rehabilitation scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Following mild-moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI), an individual experiences a range of emotional changes. It is often difficult for the patient to reconcile with their post-injury persona, and the memory of pre-injury personhood is particularly painful. Insight into one's cognitive deficits subsequent to injury can lead to an existential crisis and a sense of loss, including loss of self. OBJECTIVE: Restoration of cognitive functions and reconciliation with loss of pre-traumatic personhood employing a holistic method of neuropsychological rehabilitation in a patient suffering from TBI. METHODS: Ms. K.S, a 25-year-old female, presented with emotional disturbances following TBI. She reported both retrograde and anterograde amnesia. A multidimensional holistic rehabilitation was planned. Treatment addressed cognitive deficits through the basic functions approach. Cognitive behavioural methods for emotional regulation like diary writing helped reduce irritability and anger outbursts. Use of social media created new modes of memory activation and interactions. Compensatory strategies were used to recover lost skills, music-based attention training helped foster an individualised approach to the sense of one's body and self. RESULTS: As a result of these differing strategies, changes were reflected in neuro-psychological tests, depression score and the patient's self-evaluation. This helped generate a coherent self-narrative. CONCLUSION: Treatment challenges in such cases are increased due to patient's actual deficits caused by neuronal/biochemical changes. Innovative and multi-pronged rehabilitation strategies which involve everyday activities provided an answer to some of these problems. This method of rehabilitation may provide an optimistic context for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vision of an art masterpiece is associated with brain arousal by neural processes occurring quite spontaneously in the viewer. This aesthetic experience may even elicit a response in the motor areas of the observers. In the neurorehabilitation of patients with stroke, art observation has been used for reducing psychological disorders, and creative art therapy for enhancing physical functions and cognitive abilities. Here, we developed a virtual reality task which allows patients, by moving their hand on a virtual canvas, to have the illusion of painting some art masterpieces, such as The Creation of Adam of Michelangelo or The birth of Venus of Botticelli. Twenty healthy subjects (experiment 1) and four patients with stroke (experiment 2) performed this task and a control one in which they simply colored the virtual canvas. Results from User Satisfaction Evaluation Questionnaire and the NASA Task Load Index highlighted an appropriate level of usability. Moreover, despite the motor task was the same for art and control stimuli, the art condition was performed by healthy subjects with shorter trajectories (p = 0.001) and with a lower perception of physical demand (p = 0.049). In experiment 2, only the patients treated with artistic stimuli showed a reduction in the erroneous movements performed orthogonally to the canvas (p < 0.05). This finding reminds the so-called Mozart effect that improves the performance of subjects when they listen to classic music. Thus, we called this improvement in the performance when interacting with an artistic stimulus as Michelangelo effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of musical practice on cognition are well established yet rarely compared with other kinds of artistic training or expertise. This study aims to compare the possible effect of musical and theater regular practice on cognition across the lifespan. Both of these artistic activities require many hours of individual or collective training in order to reach an advanced level. This process requires the interaction between higher-order cognitive functions and several sensory modalities (auditory, verbal, visual and motor), as well as regular learning of new pieces. This study included participants with musical or theater practice, and healthy controls matched for age (18–84 years old) and education. The objective was to determine whether specific practice in these activities had an effect on cognition across the lifespan, and a protective influence against undesirable cognitive outcomes associated with aging. All participants underwent a battery of cognitive tasks that evaluated processing speed, executive function, fluency, working memory, verbal and visual long-term memories, and non-verbal reasoning abilities. Results showed that music and theater artistic practices were strongly associated with cognitive enhancements. Participants with musical practice were better in executive functioning, working memory and non-verbal reasoning, whereas participants with regular acting practice had better long-term verbal memory and fluency performance. Thus, taken together, results suggest a differential effect of these artistic practices on cognition across the lifespan. Advanced age did not seem to reduce the benefit, so future studies should focus on the hypothetical protective effects of artistic practice against cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most exciting possibilities of virtual reality is inducing in participants the illusion of owning a virtual body. This has become an established methodological paradigm allowing the study of the psychological and neural correlates of various scenarios that are impossible in the real world, such as gender or age switching. Thus far, full-body ownership illusions have been implemented by using real-time body tracking and avatars based on computer-generated imagery (CGI). We propose an alternative technique to induce perceived ownership over a (photorealistic) virtual body using 180° stereoscopic video, synchronous touch, and narration. We describe the technical components of our novel technique and an example implementation as part of a science–art project that enables participants to experience virtual bodies of different ages, and present the results of an experimental evaluation study based on this experience. Consistent with previous virtual embodiment studies using CGI-based techniques, we found that participants accept a photorealistic virtual body as their own irrespective of its appearance as indicated by similar ratings of the strength of body ownership over a virtual body of a child versus an adult. We further show that our novel technique can alter participants' cognition in accordance with the characteristics of their virtual body. Specifically, young adult participants who were embodied in the virtual body of a child significantly overestimated the duration of the virtual reality experience compared to a control group who was embodied in a virtual body of their own age. This finding corresponds to chronological age differences in time estimations and extends previous research on virtual child embodiment. Overall, these findings provide initial evidence for the potential of our novel technique to create photorealistic embodiment experiences with comparable psychological effects as have been found using CGI-based techniques while reducing the costs and technical complexity in the production and application of virtual body ownership illusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we offer a thorough review of the empirical literature on the conditions under which an object, such as a tool or a prosthetic (whether real or virtual), can be experienced as being in some sense a part or extension of one's body. We discuss this literature both from the standpoint of the apparent malleability of our body representations, and also from within the framework of radical embodied cognition, which understands the phenomenon to result not from an alteration to a representation, but rather from the achievement of a certain kind of sensory/motor coupling. We highlight both the tensions between these frameworks, and also areas where they can productively complement one another for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aging population is growing rapidly, raising rates of cognitive impairment, which makes strategies for protection against cognitive impairment increasingly important. There is little evidence indicating highly effective interventions preventing or slowing onset of cognitive impairment. Music playing influences brain and cognitive function, activating multiple brain areas and using cognitive and motor functions as well as multiple sensory systems, simultaneously. The purpose of this study was to review the current evidence related to playing a musical instrument being a potentially protective mechanism against cognitive decline among older adults. Using scoping review procedures, four databases were searched. Paired reviewers analyzed articles for content, design, and bias. Eleven studies met study criteria and were included in the review. All studies showed that music playing was correlated with positive outcomes on cognitive ability; more high-quality research is needed in this area to understand mechanisms behind potential cognitive protection of music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Episodic memories (EMs) are recollections of contextually rich and personally relevant past events. EM has been linked to the sense of self, allowing one to mentally travel back in subjective time and re-experience past events. However, the sense of self has recently been linked to online multisensory processing and bodily self-consciousness (BSC). It is currently unknown whether EM depends on BSC mechanisms. Here, we used a new immersive virtual reality (VR) system that maintained the perceptual richness of life episodes and fully controlled the experimental stimuli during encoding and retrieval, including the participant’s body. Our data reveal a classical EM finding, which shows that memory for complex real-life like scenes decays over time. However, here we also report a novel finding that delayed retrieval performance can be enhanced when participants view their body as part of the virtual scene during encoding. This body effect was not observed when no virtual body or a moving control object was shown, thereby linking the sense of self, and BSC in particular, to EMs. The present VR methodology and the present behavioral findings will enable to study key aspects of EM in healthy participants and may be especially beneficial for the restoration of self-relevant memories in future experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this meta-analysis was to review studies that applied musical instrument playing as an intervention to improve cognitive functioning of older adults with and without cognitive impairment. English-language articles published between 1990 and 2018 were searched using electronic databases. Music therapy journals were also hand searched for relevant research. Inclusion criteria for participants were older adults, ages 60 years and older, and any clinical diagnosis of cognitive impairment had to be due to aging. Searches used combinations of the following keywords: older adults, instrument playing, and cognitive outcomes measures. A total of 10 studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in the final analysis: five studies with healthy older adults, two with older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), two studies with older adults with dementia, and one study with both healthy older adults and older adults with MCI. The results of this meta-analysis demonstrated that different types of cognitive involvement were demanded from instrument playing. Furthermore, depending on the type of involvement, a target cognitive domain was found to be differentially impacted by the instrument playing intervention. This study supports using different types of instrument playing for interventions targeting specific cognitive domains of older adults with varying levels of cognitive aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin D deficiency may exacerbate adverse neurocognitive outcomes in the progression of diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and other dementias. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is prodromal for these neurocognitive disorders and neuroimaging studies suggest that, in the elderly, this cognitive impairment is associated with a reduction in hippocampal volume and white matter structural integrity. To test whether vitamin D is associated with neuroanatomical correlates of MCI, we analyzed an existing structural and diffusion MRI dataset of elderly patients with MCI. Based on serum 25‐OHD levels, patients were categorized into serum 25‐OHD deficient (<12 ng/mL, n = 27) or not‐deficient (>12 ng/mL, n = 29). Freesurfer 6.0 was used to parcellate the whole brain into 164 structures and segment the hippocampal subfields. Whole‐brain structural connectomes were generated using probabilistic tractography with MRtrix. The network‐based statistic (NBS) was used to identify subnetworks of connections that significantly differed between the groups. We found a significant reduction in total hippocampal volume in the serum 25‐OHD deficient group especially in the CA1, molecular layer, dentate gyrus, and fimbria. We observed a connection deficit in 13 regions with the right hippocampus at the center of the disrupted network. Our results demonstrate that low vitamin D is associated with reduced volumes of hippocampal subfields and connection deficits in elderly people with MCI, which may exacerbate neurocognitive outcomes. Longitudinal studies are now required to determine if vitamin D can serve as a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease and if intervention can prevent the progression from MCI to major cognitive disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging is accompanied by cognitive decline, although recent research indicates that the rate of decline depends on multiple lifestyle factors. One of such factors is musical practice, an activity that involves several sensory and motor systems and a wide range of high-level cognitive processes. This paper describes the first systematic review and meta-analysis, to our knowledge, of the impact of musical practice on healthy neurocognitive aging. The inclusion criteria for the review required that studies were empirical works in English or Spanish that they explored the effects of musical practice on older people; they included an assessment of cognitive functions and/or an assessment of brain status; and they included a sample of participants aged 59 years or older with no cognitive impairment or brain damage. This review led to the selection of 13 studies: 9 correlational studies involving older musicians and non-musicians and 4 experimental studies involving short-term musical training programs. The results of the meta-analysis showed cognitive and cerebral benefits of musical practice, both in domain-specific functions (auditory perception) and in other rather domain-general functions. Moreover, these benefits seem to protect cognitive domains that usually decline with aging and boost other domains that do not decline with aging. The origin of these benefits may reside, simultaneously, in the specific training of many of these cognitive functions during musical practice (specific training mechanism), in the improvement of compensatory cognitive processes (specific compensatory mechanism), and in the preservation of general functions with a global influence on others, such as perceptual capacity, processing speed, inhibition and attention (general compensatory mechanism). Therefore, musical practice seems to be a promising tool to reduce the impact of cognitive problems associated to aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain states are traditionally recognized via sleep-wake cycles, but modern neuroscience is beginning to identify many sub-states within these larger arousal types. Multiple lines of converging evidence now point to the infraslow oscillation (ISO) as a mediator of brain sub-states, with impacts ranging from the creation of resting state networks (RSNs) in awake subjects to interruptions in neural activity during sleep. This review will explore first the basic characteristics of the ISO in human subjects before reviewing findings in sleep and in animals. Networks of consistently correlated brain regions known as RSNs seen in human functional neuroimaging studies oscillate together at infraslow frequencies. The infraslow rhythm subdivides nonREM in a manner that may correlate with plasticity. The mechanism of this oscillation may be found in the thalamus and may ultimately come from glial cells. Finally, I review the functional impacts of ISOs on brain phenomena ranging from higher frequency oscillations, to brain networks, to information representation and cognitive performance. ISOs represent a relatively understudied phenomenon with wide effects on the brain and behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Understanding the mechanisms and consequences of attributing socialness to artificial agents has important implications for how we can use technology to lead more productive and fulfilling lives. Here, we integrate recent findings on the factors that shape behavioral and brain mechanisms that support social interactions between humans and artificial agents. We review how visual features of an agent, as well as knowledge factors within the human observer, shape attributions across dimensions of socialness. We explore how anthropomorphism and dehumanization further influence how we perceive and interact with artificial agents. Based on these findings, we argue that the cognitive reconstruction within the human observer is likely to be far more crucial in shaping our interactions with artificial agents than previously thought, while the artificial agent's visual features are possibly of lesser importance. We combine these findings to provide an integrative theoretical account based on the “like me” hypothesis, and discuss the key role played by the Theory‐of‐Mind network, especially the temporal parietal junction, in the shift from mechanistic to social attributions. We conclude by highlighting outstanding questions on the impact of long‐term interactions with artificial agents on the behavioral and brain mechanisms of attributing socialness to these agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Cognitive decline happens to everyone when aging, but to some more than others. Studies with children, adults, and professional musicians suggest that making music could be associated with better cognitive functioning. In older adults however, this association is less well investigated, which is therefore the aim of this study. Methods: In this cross-sectional study data from 1101 participants aged 64 and older from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam were used. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to test the association between making music and cognitive functioning and time spent making music and cognitive functioning. ANCOVA analyses were performed to differentiate between participants who made no music, only sang, only played an instrument or both sang and played an instrument in terms of cognitive functioning. Results: Making music was significantly positively associated with letter fluency, learning and attention/short-term memory. Time spent making music yielded no significant results. The ANCOVA analyses showed higher scores for participants who only played an instrument compared to participants who made no music on learning, working memory and processing speed. For processing speed the instrument only group also had a higher score than participants who only sang. Discussion: Making music at least once every two weeks and especially playing a musical instrument, is associated with better attention, episodic memory and executive functions. The results suggest that making music might be a potential protective factor for cognitive decline; however, to support this notion a longitudinal study design is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Video game technology is changing from 2D to 3D and virtual reality (VR) graphics. In this research, we analyze how an identical video game that is either played in a 2D, stereoscopic 3D or Head-Mounted-Display (HMD) VR version is experienced by the players, and how brands that are placed in the video game are affected. The game related variables, which are analyzed, are presence, attitude towards the video game and arousal while playing the video game. Brand placement related variables are attitude towards the placed brands and memory (recall and recognition) for the placed brands. 237 players took part in the main study and played a jump’n’run game consisting of three levels. Results indicate that presence was higher in the HMD VR than in the stereoscopic 3D than in the 2D video game, but neither arousal nor attitude towards the video game differed. Memory for the placed brands was lower in the HMD VR than in the stereoscopic 3D than in the 2D video game, whereas attitudes towards the brands were not affected. A post hoc study (n = 53) shows that cognitive load was highest in the VR game, and lowest in the 3D game. Subjects reported higher levels of dizziness and motion-sickness in the VR game than in the 3D and in the 2D game. Limitations are addressed and implications for researchers, marketers and video game developers are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have reported that music training not only improves children's musical skills, but also enhances their cognitive functions. However, there is a disagreement about what domain(s) might be affected. Moreover, effects of short-term (

In Virtual Reality (VR) it is possible to induce illusions in which users report and behave as if they have entered into altered situations and identities. The effect can be robust enough for participants to respond “realistically,” meaning behaviors are altered as if subjects had been exposed to the scenarios in reality. The circumstances in which such VR illusions take place were first introduced in the 80’s. Since then, rigorous empirical evidence has explored a wide set of illusory experiences in VR. Here, we compile this research and propose a neuroscientific model explaining the underlying perceptual and cognitive mechanisms that enable illusions in VR. Furthermore, we describe the minimum instrumentation requirements to support illusory experiences in VR, and discuss the importance and shortcomings of the generic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delusions and misperceptions about the body are a conspicuous feature of numerous neurological and psychiatric conditions. In stark contrast to such pathological cases, the immediacy and familiarity of our ordinary experience of our body can make it seem as if our representation of our body is highly accurate, even infallible. Recent research has begun to demonstrate, however, that large and systematic distortions of body representation are a normal part of healthy cognition. Here, I describe this research, focusing on distortions of body representations underlying tactile distance perception and position sense. I also discuss evidence for distortions of higher-order body representations, such as the conscious body image. Finally, I will end with a discussion of the potential relations among different body representations and their distortions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The efficacy of using sung words as a mnemonic device for verbal memory has been documented in persons with probable Alzheimer’s dementia (AD), but it is not yet known whether this effect is related to music training. Given that music training can enhance cognitive functioning, we explored the effects of music training and modality (sung vs. spoken) on verbal memory in persons with and without AD.Method: We used a mixed factorial design to compare learning (5 trials), delayed recall (30-min and, 24-hour), and recognition of sung versus spoken information in 22 healthy elderly (15 musicians), and 11 people with AD (5 musicians).Results: Musicians with AD showed better total learning (over 5 trials) of sung information than nonmusicians with AD. There were no significant differences in delayed recall and recognition accuracy (of either modality) between musicians with and without AD, suggesting that music training may facilitate memory function in AD. Analysis of individual performances showed that two of the five musicians with AD were able to recall some information on delayed recall, whereas the nonmusicians with AD recalled no information on delay. The only significant finding in regard to modality (sung vs. spoken) was that total learning was significantly worse for sung than spoken information for nonmusicians with AD. This may be due to the need to recode information presented in song into spoken recall, which may be more cognitively demanding for this group.Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate that music training modulates memory of sung and spoken information in AD. The mechanism underlying these results is unclear, but may be due to music training, higher cognitive abilities, or both. Our findings highlight the need for further research into the potentially protective effect of music training on cognitive abilities in our aging population. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The focus of this review is on driving neuroplasticity in a positive direction using evidence-based interventions that also have the potential to improve general health. One goal is to provide an overview of the many ways new neuroscience can inform treatment protocols to empower and motivate clients to make the lifestyle choices that could help build brain power and could increase adherence to healthy lifestyle changes that have also been associated with simultaneously enhancing vigorous longevity, health, happiness, and wellness. Another goal is to explore the use of a focus in clinical practice on helping clients appreciate this new evidence and use evolving neuroscience in establishing individualized goals, designing strategies for achieving them and increasing treatment compliance. The timing is urgent for such interventions with goals of enhancing brain health across the lifespan and improving statistics on dementia worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-electrode recordings of local field potentials (LFPs) provide the opportunity to investigate the spatiotemporal organization of neural activity on the scale of several millimeters. In particular, the phases of oscillatory LFPs allow studying the coordination of neural oscillations in time and space and to tie it to cognitive processing. Given the computational roles of LFP phases, it is important to know how they relate to the phases of the underlying current source densities (CSDs) that generate them. Although CSDs and LFPs are distinct physical quantities, they are often (implicitly) identified when interpreting experimental observations. That this identification is problematic is clear from the fact that LFP phases change when switching to different electrode montages, while the underlying CSD phases remain unchanged. In this study we use a volume-conductor model to characterize discrepancies between LFP and CSD phase-patterns, to identify the contributing factors, and to assess the effect of different electrode montages. Although we focus on cortical LFPs recorded with two-dimensional (Utah) arrays, our findings are also relevant for other electrode configurations. We found that the main factors that determine the discrepancy between CSD and LFP phase-patterns are the frequency of the neural oscillations and the extent to which the laminar CSD profile is balanced. Furthermore, the presence of laminar phase-differences in cortical oscillations, as commonly observed in experiments, precludes identifying LFP phases with those of the CSD oscillations at a given cortical depth. This observation potentially complicates the interpretation of spike-LFP coherence and spike-triggered LFP averages. With respect to reference strategies, we found that the average-reference montage leads to larger discrepancies between LFP and CSD phases as compared with the referential montage, while the Laplacian montage reduces these discrepancies. We therefore advice to conduct analysis of two-dimensional LFP recordings using the Laplacian montage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can an avatar's body movements change a person's perception of good and bad? We discuss virtual embodiment according to theories of embodied cognition (EC), and afferent and sensorimotor correspondences. We present an example study using virtual reality (VR) to test EC theory, testing the effect of altered virtual embodiment on perception. Participants either controlled an avatar whose arm movements were similar to their own or reflected the mirror opposite of their arm movements. We measured their associations of "good" and "bad" with the left and right (i.e., space-valence associations). This study demonstrated how VR could be used to examine the possible ways that systems of the body (e.g., visual, motor) may interact to influence cognition. The implications of this research suggest that visual feedback alone is not enough to alter space-valence associations. Multiple sensory experiences of media (i.e., sensorimotor feedback) may be necessary to influence cognition, not simply visual feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many adults with HIV often have physical and neuropsychiatric challenges that may interfere with their ability to work and earn a living. Others may stop working to reduce job-related stress, hoping this will improve their health. Yet, cognitive stimulation from engagement in employment may exert neuroprotective effects on one’s cognitive reserve and cognitive health, which may facilitate successful cognitive aging. This point is particularly germane given that: (1) by 2020 nearly 70% of adults with HIV will be 50 and older, (2) over half of adults with HIV experience HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders, and (3) only 20% of adults with HIV are continuously employed full-time. This article describes several ways in which employment can be neuroprotective of cognitive reserve and cognitive functioning as it relates specifically to adults with HIV. Implications for practice and research are provided, especially as this premise may also be applicable to other clinical populations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Chronic use of alcohol is associated with structural and functional alterations in brain areas that subserve cognitive processes. Of particular importance is the prefrontal cortex (PFC) that is involved in higher order behaviors such as decision making, risk assessment and judgment. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie alcohol's effects on PFC function is important for developing strategies to overcome the cognitive deficits that may predispose individuals to relapse. Our previous studies showed that acutely applied ethanol inhibits network activity in slices of prefrontal cortex and that exogenous and endogenous cannabinoids modulate up-state dynamics. In the present study, we examined the effects of repeated alcohol exposure on cannabinoid regulation of up-states in slice cultures of the prefrontal cortex. Compared to controls, up-state duration, but not amplitude was enhanced when measured 4 days after a 10 day ethanol exposure (44mMethanol; equivalent to 0.2% blood ethanol). Administration of the CB1 agonist WIN 55,212-2 enhanced the amplitude of up-states in control cultures but not in those treated previously with ethanol. This lack of effect occurred in the absence of any noticeable change in CB1 receptor protein expression. Chronic ethanol treatment and withdrawal also blunted WIN's inhibition of electrically evoked GABA IPSCs in layer II/III pyramidal neurons but not those in layer V/VI. WIN inhibited the amplitude of spontaneous GABA IPSCs in both layers and the magnitude of this effect was not altered by ethanol treatment. However, in layer V/VI neurons, WIN's effect on sIPSC frequency was greater in ethanol treated cultures. WIN also inhibited electrically evoked NMDA EPSCs in both layer II/III and V/VI neurons but this action was unaffected by ethanol treatment and withdrawal. Overall, these results suggest that ethanol's down-regulation of cannabinoid signaling results in altered network activity in the prefrontal cortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous work has reported that it is not difficult to give people the illusion of ownership over an artificial body, providing a powerful tool for the investigation of the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying body perception and self consciousness. We present an experimental study that uses immersive virtual reality focused on identifying the perceptual building blocks of this illusion. We systematically manipulated visuotactile and visual sensorimotor contingencies, visual perspective, and the appearance of the virtual body in order to assess their relative role and mutual interaction. Consistent results from subjective reports and physiological measures showed that a first person perspective over a fake humanoid body is essential for eliciting a body ownership illusion. We found that the level of realism of the virtual body, in particular the realism of skin tone, plays a critical role: when high enough, the illusion can be triggered by the sole effect of the spatial overlap between the real and virtual bodies, providing congruent visuoproprioceptive information, with no need for the additional contribution of congruent visuotactile and/or visual sensorimotor cues. Additionally, we found that the processing of incongruent perceptual cues can be modulated by the level of the illusion: when the illusion is strong, incongruent cues are not experienced as incorrect. Participants exposed to asynchronous visuotactile stimulation can experience the ownership illusion and perceive touch as originating from an object seen to contact the virtual body. Analogously, when the level of realism of the virtual body and/or the spatial overlap of the two bodies is not high enough, the contribution of congruent multisensory and/or sensorimotor cues is required for evoking the illusion. On the basis of these results and inspired by findings from neurophysiological recordings in the monkey, we propose a model that accounts for many of the results reported in the literature [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multimodal virtual environments (VE) succeed better than single-sensory technologies in creating a sense of presence. We hypothesize that the underlying cognitive mechanism is related to a faster mental processing of multimodal events. Comparing simple detection times of unimodal (auditory, visual, and haptic) events, with bimodal and trimodal combinations, we show that mental processing times are in the following order: unimodal < bimodal < trimodal. Given this processing-speed advantage, multimodal VE users start their cognitive process faster, thus, in a similar exposure time they can pay attention to more informative cues and subtle details in the environment and integrate them creatively. This richer, more complete and coherent experience may contribute to an enhanced sense of presence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We agree that it is important to study behaviour in psychology but warn against putting behaviour on a scientific pedestal. We argue that this would be problematic for at least three reasons. First, behaviour should not be seen as disconnected from thoughts and feelings; moreover, quarantining different domains of responses does not help to explain human psychology comprehensively. Second, because behaviour hardly ever speaks for itself, it is essential to gather other responses from participants (including self-reports and "finger movement responses") to understand what their behaviour really means. Finally, and most importantly, we observe that the main response to the crisis in social psychology has consisted of calls to change our empirical practices. Here this call takes the form of arguing for studying one particular dependent variable: behaviour. Even though we agree that there is value in measuring behaviour, promoting such practices is not going to be a silver bullet that overcomes the key challenges that social psychology as a discipline is currently facing. To do that, a more fruitful avenue would be to focus on the theory that needs to underpin and inform that empirical work. Indeed, without a proper theoretical framework to guide the study of behaviour, developing a "science of behaviour" is in our view rather futile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]