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Background The management of Medication overuse headache (MOH) represents a difficult challenge for clinicians and headache experts, particularly for the responder rate after a successful withdrawal treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of demographic and clinical characteristics as well as the score of Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MSQ), Migraine Disability Questionnaire and Leeds Dependence Questionnaire in predicting a response after a successful withdrawal treatment in patients with MOH. Methods This ancillary study is part of a randomized trial that demonstrated the safety and the efficacy of a 3-month treatment with sodium valproate (VPA) (800 mg/day vs placebo) in MOH. Demographic and clinical characteristics and questionnaire results were obtained from the entire sample. Results A significant correlation was found only between MOH relapse and the total MSQ score, the Role Preventive sub-scale and the Emotional Function sub-scale, suggesting a poorer quality of life in non responders. Conclusion A high MSQ score could be associated with a poor short-term outcome in MOH patients after a successful treatment with detoxification followed by a new treatment.

Patients affected by Parkinson's disease (PD) may present with lower urinary tract (LUT) dysfunction characterized by involuntary detrusor overactivity. We evaluated possible impact of a 2-week course of low frequency 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on LUT behavior in eight advanced PD patients complaining of urinary disturbances. We tested the effects of rTMS measuring urodynamic examination and the International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS) questionnaire, used for evaluation of subjective LUTS. rTMS was able to improve temporarily LUT behavior in PD patients, increasing bladder capacity and the first sensation of filling phase. Moreover, a reduction of IPSS score was noticed, due to an improvement on filling phase symptoms. The beneficial effects assessed with the IPSS lasted for up to 2 weeks after the end of the stimulation. rTMS seems to be an effective, noninvasive alternative treatment for PD patients with urinary disturbances. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society.

The effect of dopamine agonists (DAs) on cognition in Parkinson's disease (PD) is not yet completely established. Previous papers reported a worsening effect on some cognitive functions with some DAs, but not with others, suggesting that DAs may differently affect cognition in PD patients according to their pharmacological characteristics. We set out to test the effect of rotigotine and cabergoline on cognitive functions in a group of forty non-demented early-mild PD patients (HY2). Subjects were randomly divided into two groups and evaluated in a randomized cross-over study using neuropsychological tests; at the same time, motor function was monitored under three different treatment conditions: DA (rotigotine or cabergoline), L-dopa, and off therapy. Rotigotine and cabergoline were chosen because while they share a mixed D1 and D2 receptor profile, the former is non-ergolinic and the latter ergolinic. No significant differences were found in cognitive function between the basal condition and the DA treatments. On the basis of the present data, which we compare with previous findings regarding pramipexole IR and pergolide, we hypothesize that combined stimulation of both dopamine receptor families, as occurs with rotigotine, cabergoline, L-dopa and pergolide, may preserve cognitive functions more than pure D2 family stimulation.

The aim of this study was to develop quantitative analytical methods in the application of the pendulum test to both normal and spastic subjects. The lower leg was released by a torque motor from different starting positions. The resulting changes in the knee angle were fitted by means of a time-varying model. Stiffness and viscosity coefficients were derived for each half-cycle oscillation in both flexion and extension, and for all knee starting positions. This method was applied to the assessment of the effects of Botulinum toxin A (BTX) in progressive multiple sclerosis patients in a follow-up study. About half of the patients showed a significant decrement in stiffness and viscosity coefficients.

We compared the performance of skilled drummers with that of nondrummers and nonmusicians in the Simon and spatial stimulus—response compatibility (SRC) tasks to investigate whether and to what extent spatial performance can be modified by motor behaviors acquired in real life. Drummers were chosen because, compared with other musicians and the general population, their efficient performance depends mainly on the processing of spatial information. Although the Simon effect was equivalent for the three groups, the spatial SRC effect was less pronounced in drummers. The advantage was present even when feet were used as responding effectors, suggesting a central locus of the effect. These results suggest that spatial stimulus—response translations are influenced by real-life motor training, with drummers’ training speeding up the intentional stimulus—response translations when stimulus and response locations are on opposite sides.

In this study we investigated in a Simon-like task whether task-irrelevant spatial information, delivered by centrally presented patterns, interfered with response selection in the same way as laterally presented stimuli. Second, we asked whether such interference was equal for different kinds of stimuli. Participants were required to respond to the colour of two framed squares, two arrows, or two schematic eyes by pressing one of two lateralized response keys. The results consistently show that the Simon effect occurs independently of the nature of the stimulus, as classically reported for lateralized stimuli. Response times were influenced by the direction and frame-relative position of the stimuli, being faster for responses corresponding to the direction indicated by the stimuli than for noncorresponding responses regardless of stimulus types. Contrary to findings with lateralized nondirectional stimuli, such an effect increased with increasing RTs indicating that for centrally presented patterns the extraction of spatial information is time consuming. Spatial location has been demonstrated to be automatically coded with a large variety of stimuli, even in situations in which it is irrelevant to the task to be performed (e.g., Tsal & Lavie, 1993). The effects of irrelevant spatial codes emerge very clearly in the Simon task in which participants are presented with two different lateralized patterns (i.e., placed in the periphery of the visual field) and are required to press the right-side key in response to one pattern, and the left-side key in response to the other (Simon & Rudell, 1967; see Hommel & Prinz, 1997; Lu & Proctor, 1995, for reviews). Even though participants are clearly instructed to select the response exclusively on the basis of the relevant nonspatial stimulus dimension, irrelevant information concerning stimulus location is processed. As a consequence, faster responses are made when the position of the stimulus and the position of the response key are located on the same side (right-right or left-left; i.e., corresponding S-R pairings) compared to when they are positioned differently (stimulus on the right side and response on the left side, or vice versa; i.e., noncorresponding S-R pairings). Recent studies seem to suggest that stimulus position is not the only dimension capable of automatically activating a response spatial code that influences performance. For instance, central arrows have been shown to influence both voluntary (e.g., Posner, 1980) and automatic (e.g., Danziger, Kingston, & Ward, 2001; Eimer, 1997; Hommel, Pratt, Colzato, & Godijn, 2001; Ristic, Friesen, & Kingstone, 2002; Tipples, 2002) orienting of visual attention. Furthermore, it seems well established that centrally presented arrows (i.e., presented at central fixation) can produce the Simon effect (e.g., Masaki, Takasawa, & Yamazaki, 2000). This result is not surprising since arrows are commonly used to convey spatial information and have therefore acquired a directional meaning. Gaze direction is another stimulus shown to deliver spatial information (e.g., Ansorge, 2003b; Zorzi, Mapelli, Rusconi, & Umilta, 2003; Langton & Bruce, 2000). However, not only does it provide the observer with directional spatial information, but it can communicate different types of crucial information such as the focus of attention, interest, emotions, and intentions of others (e.g., Baron-Cohen & Cross, 1994; Emery, 2000). Eye direction is also capable of automatically and reflexively triggering the orienting behaviour of the observer (e.g., Driver et al., 1999; Friesen & Kingstone, 1998; Friesen, Ristic, & Kingstone, 2004; Langton & Bruce, 1999). All this makes gaze direction biologically relevant for survival and the eyes a key social cue for understanding the mind of others (Baron-Cohen, 1995). Recently, Zorzi et al. (2003) showed that the direction of eye-like stimuli elicits a specific spatial code, independent from the stimulus spatial position, which can influence lateralized manual responses. …

The Simon effect, that is the advantage of the spatial correspondence between stimulus and response locations when stimulus location is task irrelevant, occurs even when the task is performed by two participants, each performing a go/no-go task. This effect, known as the joint Simon effect, does not emerge when participants sit outside each other's peripersonal space, thus suggesting that the presence of an active confederate in peripersonal space might provide a reference for response coding. The present study investigated whether this finding is due to the distance separating the participants and/or to the distance separating each participant and the other agent's response. In two experiments, pairs of participants performed a social detection task sitting outside each other's arm reach, with response keys located close to the participants or outside arm reach. When the response key was located outside the participant's arm reach, he/she could reach it by means of a tool. In Experiment 1, by means of a tool, participants could reach their response key only, while in Experiment 2, they could reach also their co-agent's response key. The joint Simon effect did not emerge when participants could not reach the co-actor's response, while it emerged when they could potentially reach the other participant's response using the tool, but only when turn taking was required. These results may be taken as evidence that the possibility to reach and act upon the co-actor's response key may be at the bases of compatibility effects observed in joint action contexts requiring complementary responses.

In the present study, we examined the pupillary response of White participants who were asked to tell the truth or lie to White or Black partners. Research on cues to deception has assumed that lying is more cognitively demanding that truth telling. In line with this assumption, previous studies have shown that lying is associated with greater pupil dilation, a behavioral cue that typically manifests itself under conditions of stress or cognitive effort. In accordance with these results, we predicted greater pupil dilation when lying than when telling the truth. Furthermore, pupil dilation was expected to be greater when responding to White than Black partners. Finally, we hypothesized that pupil dilation would be greater when lying to White than Black partners. Participants were instructed to answer a set of questions, half truthfully and half deceptively. They were led to believe that White vs. Black partners (one male and one female) would ask the questions via computer connection. Indeed, we used feminine and masculine synthetic voices. Pupil dilation was assessed with a remote eye-tracking system. Results provided support for the first two hypotheses. However, the predicted interaction between race of partners and truth status of message (lying vs. telling the truth) was nonsignificant. Our findings highlight the importance of considering race in the study of truthful and deceptive communications.

Previous research has shown an effect of handle-response correspondence on key-press responses when participants judged the upright or inverted orientation of photographed one-handled graspable objects. In three experiments, we explored whether this effect still holds for symmetric graspable objects that are usually grasped by two hands (i.e. two-handled objects; e.g. shears). In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were required to perform a between-hand response in order to categorize cooking or amusement objects appearing as grasped from either an allocentric (Experiment 1) or an egocentric perspective (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, they were required to perform a within-hand response to categorize the same stimuli appearing as grasped from an egocentric perspective. Across all three experiments, results showed that categorization was more difficult when the objects were displayed as grasped on the opposite side than the response rather than on the same side. We discuss the implications of these results for theories of action potentiation and spatial coding and suggest that different mechanisms may be recruited depending on the required action (i.e. response mode).

Recent findings suggested that the orienting of attention towards gazed at locations (i.e., the gaze cueing effect) could result from the conflict emerging in incongruent trials between the spatial information conveyed by gaze direction and the target spatial position. In two experiments, we assessed this hypothesis by investigating whether this effect is influenced by the same trial-by-trial modulations that are reported in a spatial conflict task, i.e., the Simon task. In Experiment 1, we compared the trial-by-trial modulations emerging in the Simon task with those emerging in a gaze cueing task, while in Experiment 2, we compared gaze and arrows cues. Trial-by-trial modulations were evident in both tasks. In the Simon task, correspondence sequence affected both corresponding and noncorresponding responses, this resulting in a larger Simon effect when the preceding trial was corresponding and an absent effect when the preceding trial was noncorresponding. Differently, in the gaze cueing task, congruence sequence affected only congruent responses with faster responses when the preceding trial was congruent compared to when it was incongruent, resulting in a larger gaze cuing effect when the preceding trial was congruent. Same results were evident with nonpredictive arrow cues. These findings speak against a spatial conflict account.

Scientific reports 6, 21706 (2016). doi:10.1038/srep21706, Published by Nature Publishing Group, London

Transcatheter patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure might be effective in improving migraines. To assess the efficacy of PFO closure in migraineurs with a moderate to large right-to-left shunt and instrumental evidence of embolic cerebral damage, 76 highly symptomatic migraineurs were prospectively investigated. The presenting clinical syndrome was stroke in 16 patients, repeated transient ischemic attack in 32 patients, and lone migraine associated with cerebral ischemic lesions on magnetic resonance imaging in 28 patients. Migraine severity was assessed before PFO closure and monthly for 6 months after discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy. At the end of 12 months of follow-up, the averaged postprocedural total score was compared with the baseline score. Transcatheter PFO closure was successful in all patients, and the 12-month PFO closure rate was 97%. The baseline total migraine score was similar in patients with stroke, transient ischemic attack, and lone migraine (6.8 +/- 1.6, 6.7 +/- 1.4, and 6.9 +/- 1.7 respectively, p = NS). After a mean follow-up of 13.7 +/- 2.4 months, no recurrent cerebrovascular episodes had occurred. At the end of the follow-up period, a significant reduction in the total migraine score was observed in all groups, regardless of the initial clinical presentation. Migraine was completely abolished in 35 patients (46%), improved in 27 (36%), and unchanged in 14 (18%). The proportion of patients with migraine suppression and improvement was similar in the 3 groups. In conclusion, in highly symptomatic migraineurs with previous ischemic cerebral events and instrumental evidence of cerebral embolism, transcatheter PFO closure can result in improvement of migraine severity in a high percentage of patients. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Inc. (Am J Cardiol 2009;104:434-439)

The present work was aimed at investigating whether the flanker compatibility effect can be eliminated by means of a posthypnotic suggestion influencing attentional focusing. In Experiment 1, participants who scored high and low on hypnotic susceptibility performed the flanker compatibility task when naturally awake and when under a posthypnotic suggestion aimed at increasing the target's discriminability from the flankers. Results showed that the posthypnotic suggestion effectively eliminated the flanker compatibility effect in highly susceptible participants, whereas low-susceptibility participants did not show any reduction in the effect. In Experiment 2, highly susceptible participants performed the task after receiving a suggestion but without the induction of hypnosis. Results showed that the suggestion alone was not sufficient to reduce the flanker compatibility effect. These results support the view that in highly susceptible participants, hypnotic suggestion can influence the ability to focus on relevant information.

Gaze direction and facial expressions are critical components of face processing and have been shown to influence attention deployment. We investigated whether gaze direction (direct vs. averted) combined with a neutral or angry expression modulates the deployment of attentional resources over time. In a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) paradigm participants had to decide the gender of a neutral or an angry target face with direct or averted gaze (T1) and then to judge the orientation of a target picture of a landscape (T2), following the face at different time intervals. Results showed no attentional blink effect (i.e., no deterioration in T2 accuracy) when T1 was an angry face with direct gaze, whereas it was present for angry faces with averted gaze or neutral faces with either averted or direct gaze. These findings are consistent with appraisal theories and are discussed against the background of automatic processing of threat stimuli.

In the present study two separate stimulus–response compatibility effects (functional affordance and Simon-like effects) were investigated with centrally presented pictures of an object tool (a torch) characterized by a structural separation between the graspable portion and the goal-directed portion. In Experiment 1, participants were required to decide whether the torch was red or blue, while in Experiment 2 they were required to decide whether the torch was upright or inverted. Our results showed that with the same stimulus two types of compatibility effect emerged: one based on the direction signalled by the goal-directed portion of the tool (a Simon-like effect as observed in Experiment 1), and the other based on the actions associated with an object (a functional affordance effect as observed in Experiment 2). Both effects emerged independently of the person's intention to act on the stimulus, but depended on the stimulus properties that were processed in order to perform the task.

The present work aimed at assessing whether the interference exerted by task-irrelevant spatial information is comparable in high- and low-susceptible individuals and whether it may be eliminated by means of a specific posthypnotic suggestion. To this purpose high- and low-susceptible participants were tested using a Simon-like interference task after the administration of a suggestion aimed at preventing the processing of the irrelevant spatial information conveyed by the stimuli. The suggestion could be administered either in the absence or following a standard hypnotic induction. We showed that, outside from the hypnotic context, the Simon effect was similar in high and low-susceptible participants and it was significantly reduced following the posthypnotic suggestion in high-susceptible participants only. These results show that a specific posthypnotic suggestion can alter information processing in high-susceptible individuals and reduce the interfering effect exerted by arrow stimuli.

It has been demonstrated that visual objects activate responses spatially corresponding to the orientation (left or right) of their graspable parts. To investigate the role of attention orienting in the generation of this effect, which we will refer to as affordance effect, we ran three experiments in which the target stimulus could either correspond or not with a dynamic event capturing attention. Participants were required to press a left or right key according to the vertical orientation (upward or inverted) of objects presented with their handles oriented to the right or to the left. In Experiments 1 and 2, the objects were located above or below fixation, while in Experiment 3, to assess the contemporary presence of the affordance and Simon effects, the objects were located to the left or right of fixation. The results showed that while the affordance effect, when evident, was always relative to the target object, irrespective of its attentional capturing properties, the Simon effect occurred relative to the event capturing attention. These findings suggest that automatic and controlled processes of visual attention may play a differential role in the occurrence of the two effects.