Environmental and anthropogenic factors mediating the functional connectivity of the mesquite lizard along the eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.

Functional connectivity, the extent to which a landscape facilitates or impedes the dispersal of individuals across the landscape, is a key factor for the survival of species. Anthropogenic activities, such as urbanization, agriculture and roads, negatively impact functional connectivity of most species, particularly low-vagility species like lizards. Here, we examine how a landscape modified by anthropogenic activities affects the functional connectivity, at both broad and fine scales, of a widely distributed generalist lizard Sceloporus grammicus in the eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Mexico. We estimated for the first time the species' genetic structure, gene flow and functional connectivity in agricultural and forest zones using genomic data, a comprehensive landscape characterization and novel methods including gravity models. Our results showed not only marked genetic differentiation across the study region but also that functional connectivity is maintained for tens of kilometres despite S. grammicus low vagility. Specifically, we found that substrate and air temperature facilitated connectivity over broad and fine scales, respectively, while agricultural cover, relative humidity and slope were important for connectivity and gene flow. Contrastingly, forest cover and roads favoured (broad-scale) and limited (fine-scale) connectivity, likely associated with movement facilitated by small forest patches and with thermoregulation. Altogether, these results support that S. grammicus alternates its thermoregulatory behaviour depending on the distance travelled and the habitat environmental conditions, and that it can disperse through relatively modified landscapes, mainly using agricultural zones. The information obtained is crucial to understanding the response of lizards to current anthropogenic pressures and their potential to adapt.

New evidence for the sensorimotor mismatch theory of weight perception and the size-weight illusion.

The size-weight illusion is a phenomenon where a smaller object is perceived heavier than an equally weighted larger object. The sensorimotor mismatch theory proposed that this illusion occurs because of a mismatch between efferent motor commands and afferent sensory feedback received when lifting large and small objects (i.e., the application of too little and too much lifting force, respectively). This explanation has been undermined by studies demonstrating a separation between the perceived weight of objects and the lifting forces that are applied on them. However, this research suffers from inconsistencies in the choice of lifting force measures reported. Therefore, we examined the contribution of sensorimotor mismatch in the perception of weight in the size-weight illusion and in non-size-weight illusion stimuli and evaluated the use of a lifting force aggregate measure comprising the four most common lifting force measures used in previous research. In doing so, the sensorimotor mismatch theory was mostly supported. In a size-weight illusion experiment, the lifting forces correlated with weight perception and, contrary to some earlier research, did not adapt over time. In a non-size-weight illusion experiment, switches between lifting light and heavy objects resulted in perceiving the weight of these objects differently compared to no switch trials, which mirrored differences in the manner participants applied forces on the objects. Additionally, we reveal that our force aggregate measure can allow for a more sensitive and objective examination of the effects of lifting forces on objects.

The Influence of Light Wavelength on Human HPA Axis Rhythms: A Systematic Review.

Environmental light entrains many physiological and behavioural processes to the 24 h solar cycle. Such light-driven circadian rhythms are centrally controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which receives information from the short-wavelength-sensitive intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. The SCN synchronizes local clocks throughout the body affecting sleep/wake routines and the secretion of neuroendocrine-linked hormones such as melatonin from the pineal gland and cortisol via the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Although the effects of light parameters on melatonin have been recently reviewed, whether the experimental variation of the spectral power distribution and intensity of light can induce changes in cortisol rhythms remains unclear. Thus, this systematic review evaluated the effects of daytime exposure to lights of different spectral wavelength characteristics and luminance intensity on the cortisol levels in healthy individuals. A search of the PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library databases on 19 June 2023 identified 3418 articles, of which 12 studies (profiling 337 participants) met the inclusion and risk of bias criteria. An analysis of the literature indicated that exposure to bright lights of any colour during the late night or early morning can induce significant increases in cortisol secretion relative to time-matched dim light comparison conditions. Furthermore, exposure to bright lights with stronger short-wavelength (blue/green) components in the early morning typically induced greater increases in cortisol relative to lights with stronger long-wavelength (red) components. Thus, the circadian regulation of cortisol is sensitive to the wavelength composition of environmental lighting, in line with the more commonly studied melatonin. As such, wavelength characteristics should be optimized and reported in light intervention studies (particularly for the investigation of cortisol-associated disorders and HPA axis function), and exposure to short-wavelength light during sensitive periods should be carefully considered in constructed environments (e.g., bedroom and classroom lighting and device screens).

Sex and stress hormone dysregulation as clinical manifestations of hypothalamic function in migraine disorder: A meta-analysis.

Migraine is a leading cause of disability in young adults. It occurs more frequently in females, often comorbidly with stress disorders, suggesting an association with hypothalamic sex and stress hormonal function and a likely interaction with autonomic nervous system activation. Thus, this study aimed to meta-analyse current literature pertaining to female and male sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone concentration), hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) cortisol responses and heart rate variability (HRV) in migraineurs and controls aged 13-65 years. A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, CINAHL and Web of Science databases on 29/08/2022 identified 29 studies for meta-analysis (encompassing 719 migraineur and 592 control participants) that met inclusion and NHLBI risk of bias criteria. Results demonstrated that estrogen concentrations of female migraineurs were reduced (g = -.60, 95% CI [-.91, -.29], p < .001) in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, compared to controls. No differences were found in progesterone levels overall in female migraineurs, nor in testosterone levels in male migraineurs compared to controls. Further, early diurnal cortisol concentrations were elevated (g = .32, 95% CI [.00, .63], p = .036) in female and male migraineurs compared to controls, though no differences were found in HRV of female or male migraineurs compared to controls. These findings of dysregulation of estrogen in females and cortisol dysregulation in female and male migraineurs indicate perturbed hypothalamic function and highlight the association of migraine with stress and the need for further rigorous investigation of hypothalamic neuroendocrine functions in migraineurs of both sexes.

Visual Motor Reaction Times Predict Receptive and Expressive Language Development in Early School-Age Children.

Proficiency of multisensory processing and motor skill are often associated with early cognitive, social, and language development. However, little research exists regarding the relationship between multisensory motor reaction times (MRTs) to auditory, visual and audiovisual stimuli, and classical measures of receptive language and expressive vocabulary development in school-age children. Thus, this study aimed to examine the concurrent development of performance in classical tests of receptive (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test; abbreviated as PPVT) and expressive vocabulary (Expressive Vocabulary Test; abbreviated as EVT), nonverbal intelligence (NVIQ) (determined with the aid of Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices; abbreviated as RCPM), speed of visual-verbal processing in the Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) test, Eye-Hand Co-ordination (EHC) in the SLURP task, and multisensory MRTs, in children (n = 75), aged between 5 and 10 years. Bayesian statistical analysis showed evidence for age group differences in EVT performance, while PPVT was only different for the youngest group of children aged 5-6, supporting different developmental trajectories in vocabulary acquisition. Bayesian correlations revealed evidence for associations between age, NVIQ, and vocabulary measures, with decisive evidence and a higher correlation (r = 0.57 to 0.68) between EVT, MRT tasks, and EHC visuomotor processing. This was further supported by regression analyses indicating that EVT performance was the strongest unique predictor of multisensory MRTs, EHC, and RAN time. Additionally, visual MRTs were found to predict both receptive and expressive vocabulary. The findings of the study have important implications as accessible school-based assessments of the concurrent development of NVIQ, language, and multisensory processing; and hence as rapid and timely measures of developmental and neurodevelopmental status.

Flash Electroretinography as a Measure of Retinal Function in Myopia and Hyperopia: A Systematic Review.

Refractive errors (myopia and hyperopia) are the most common visual disorders and are severe risk factors for secondary ocular pathologies. The development of refractive errors has been shown to be associated with changes in ocular axial length, suggested to be induced by outer retinal elements. Thus, the present study systematically reviewed the literature examining retinal function as assessed using global flash electroretinograms (gfERGs) in human clinical refractive error populations. Electronic database searching via Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Psych INFO, and CINAHL retrieved 981 unique records (last searched on the 29 May 2022). Single case studies, samples with ocular comorbidities, drug trials, and reviews were excluded. Demographic characteristics, refractive state, gfERG protocol details, and waveform characteristics were extracted for the eight studies that met the inclusion criteria for the review and were judged to have acceptable risk of bias using the OHAT tool (total N = 552 participants; age 7 to 50). Study synthesis suggests that myopia in humans involves attenuation of gfERG photoreceptor (a-wave) and bipolar cell (b-wave) function, consistent with the animal literature. Meaningful interpretation of the overall findings for hyperopia was limited by inconsistent reporting, highlighting the need for future studies to report key aspects of gfERG research design and outcomes more consistently for myopic and hyperopic refractive errors.

The Contribution of Visual and Auditory Working Memory and Non-Verbal IQ to Motor Multisensory Processing in Elementary School Children.

Although cognitive abilities have been shown to facilitate multisensory processing in adults, the development of cognitive abilities such as working memory and intelligence, and their relationship to multisensory motor reaction times (MRTs), has not been well investigated in children. Thus, the aim of the current study was to explore the contribution of age-related cognitive abilities in elementary school-age children (n = 75) aged 5-10 years, to multisensory MRTs in response to auditory, visual, and audiovisual stimuli, and a visuomotor eye-hand co-ordination processing task. Cognitive performance was measured on classical working memory tasks such as forward and backward visual and auditory digit spans, and the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM test of nonverbal intelligence). Bayesian Analysis revealed decisive evidence for age-group differences across grades on visual digit span tasks and RCPM scores but not on auditory digit span tasks. The results also showed decisive evidence for the relationship between performance on more complex visually based tasks, such as difficult items of the RCPM and visual digit span, and multisensory MRT tasks. Bayesian regression analysis demonstrated that visual WM digit span tasks together with nonverbal IQ were the strongest unique predictors of multisensory processing. This suggests that the capacity of visual memory rather than auditory processing abilities becomes the most important cognitive predictor of multisensory MRTs, and potentially contributes to the expected age-related increase in cognitive abilities and multisensory motor processing.

Potentially inappropriate prescribing in older adults with cancer receiving specialist palliative care: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Older adults (≥ 65 years) with cancer receiving palliative care often have other health conditions requiring multiple medications. AIM: To describe and assess the appropriateness of prescribing for older adults with cancer in the last seven days of life in an inpatient palliative care setting. METHOD: Retrospective observational study of medical records for 180 patients (60.6% male; median age: 74 years; range 65-94 years) over a two-year period. Medication appropriateness was assessed using: STOPPFrail, OncPal deprescribing guideline and criteria for identifying Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing in older adults with Cancer receiving Palliative Care (PIP-CPC). RESULTS: 94.5% of patients had at least one other health condition (median 3, IQR 2-5). The median number of medications increased from five (IQR 3-7) seven days before death, to 11 medications on the day of death (IQR 9-15). The prevalence of PIP varied depending on the tool used: STOPPFrail (version 1: 17.2%, version 2: 19.4%), OncPal (12.8%), PIP-CPC (30%). However, the retrospective nature of the study limited the applicability of the tools. Increasing number of medications had a statistically significant effect on risk of PIP across all tools (STOPPFrail (version 1: 1.29 (1.13-1.37), version 2: 1.30 (1.16-1.48)); OncPal 1.13 (1.01-1.27); PIP-CPC 0.70 (0.61-0.82)). CONCLUSION: This study found that the number of medications prescribed to older adults with cancer increased as time to death approached, and the prevalence of PIP varied with the application of different tools. The study also highlights the difficulties of examining PIP in this patient cohort.

Age-related decrease in motor contribution to multisensory reaction times in primary school children.

Traditional measurement of multisensory facilitation in tasks such as speeded motor reaction tasks (MRT) consistently show age-related improvement during early childhood. However, the extent to which motor function increases with age and hence contribute to multisensory motor reaction times in young children has seldom been examined. Thus, we aimed to investigate the contribution of motor development to measures of multisensory (auditory, visual, and audiovisual) and visuomotor processing tasks in three young school age groups of children (n = 69) aged (5-6, n = 21; 7-8, n = 25.; 9-10 n = 18 years). We also aimed to determine whether age-related sensory threshold times for purely visual inspection time (IT) tasks improved significantly with age. Bayesian results showed decisive evidence for age-group differences in multisensory MRT and visuo-motor processing tasks, though the evidence showed that threshold time for visual identification IT performance was only slower in the youngest age group children (5-6) compared to older groups. Bayesian correlations between performance on the multisensory MRT and visuo-motor processing tasks indicated moderate to decisive evidence in favor of the alternative hypothesis (BF10 = 4.71 to 91.346), though not with the threshold IT (BF10 < 1.35). This suggests that visual sensory system development in children older than 6 years makes a less significant contribution to the measure of multisensory facilitation, compared to motor development. In addition to this main finding, multisensory facilitation of MRT within race-model predictions was only found in the oldest group of children (9-10), supporting previous suggestions that multisensory integration is likely to continue into late childhood/early adolescence at least.

Visual Processing During the Interictal Period Between Migraines: A Meta-Analysis.

Migraine is a poorly understood neurological disorder and a leading cause of disability in young adults, particularly women. Migraines are characterized by recurring episodes of severe pulsating unilateral headache and usually visual symptoms. Currently there is some disagreement in the electrophysiological literature regarding the universality of all migraineurs exhibiting physiological visual impairments also during interictal periods (i.e., the symptom free period between migraines). Thus, this meta-analysis investigated the evidence for altered visual function as measured electrophysiologically via pattern-reversal visual evoked potential (VEP) amplitudes and habituation in adult migraineurs with or without visual aura and controls in the interictal period. Twenty-three studies were selected for random effects meta-analysis which demonstrated slightly diminished VEP amplitudes in the early fast conducting P100 component but not in N135, and substantially reduced habituation in the P100 and the N135 in migraineurs with and without visual aura symptoms compared to controls. No statistical differences were found between migraineurs with and without aura, possibly due to inadequate studies. Overall, insufficient published data and substantial heterogeneity between studies was observed for all latency components of pattern-reversal VEP, highlighting the need for further electrophysiological experimentation and more targeted temporal analysis of visual function, in episodic migraineurs.

Natural and anthropogenic landscape factors shape functional connectivity of an ecological specialist in urban Southern California.

Identifying how natural (i.e., unaltered by human activity) and anthropogenic landscape variables influence contemporary functional connectivity in terrestrial organisms can elucidate the genetic consequences of environmental change. We examine population genetic structure and functional connectivity among populations of a declining species, the Blainville's horned lizard (Phrynosoma blainvillii), in the urbanized landscape of the Greater Los Angeles Area in Southern California, USA. Using single nucleotide polymorphism data, we assessed genetic structure among populations occurring at the interface of two abutting evolutionary lineages, and at a fine scale among habitat fragments within the heavily urbanized area. Based on the ecology of P. blainvillii, we predicted which environmental variables influence population structure and gene flow and used gravity models to distinguish among hypotheses to best explain population connectivity. Our results show evidence of admixture between two evolutionary lineages and strong population genetic structure across small habitat fragments. We also show that topography, microclimate, and soil and vegetation types are important predictors of functional connectivity, and that anthropogenic disturbance, including recent fire history and urban development, are key factors impacting contemporary population dynamics. Examining how natural and anthropogenic sources of landscape variation affect contemporary population genetics is critical to understanding how to best manage sensitive species in a rapidly changing landscape.

Genomics-informed delineation of conservation units in a desert amphibian.

Delineating conservation units (CUs, e.g., evolutionarily significant units, ESUs, and management units, MUs) is critical to the recovery of declining species because CUs inform both listing status and management actions. Genomic data have strengths and limitations in informing CU delineation and related management questions in natural systems. We illustrate the value of using genomic data in combination with landscape, dispersal and occupancy data to inform CU delineation in Nevada populations of the Great Basin Distinct Population Segment of the Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris). R. luteiventris occupies naturally fragmented aquatic habitats in this xeric region, but beaver removal, climate change and other factors have put many of these populations at high risk of extirpation without management intervention. We addressed three objectives: (i) assessing support for ESUs within Nevada; (ii) evaluating and revising, if warranted, the current delineation of MUs; and (iii) evaluating genetic diversity, effective population size, adaptive differentiation and functional connectivity to inform ongoing management actions. We found little support for ESUs within Nevada but did identify potential revisions to MUs based on unique landscape drivers of connectivity that distinguish these desert populations from those in the northern portion of the species range. Effective sizes were uniformly small, with low genetic diversity and weak signatures of adaptive differentiation. Our findings suggest that management actions, including translocations and genetic rescue, might be warranted. Our study illustrates how a carefully planned genetic study, designed to address priority management goals that include CU delineation, can provide multiple insights to inform conservation action.

Landscape Composition and Management History Affect Alfalfa Weevil but not its Parasitoid.

It is widely recognized that both local and landscape-scale factors can be important drivers of crop pests, natural enemies, and biocontrol services. However, recent syntheses have found that landscape effects are inconsistent across study systems, highlighting the need for system-specific research to guide management decisions. In particular, studies conducted in perennial crops and that examine landscape configuration, not just composition, are especially lacking. We studied the impact of local and landscape factors on alfalfa weevil Hypera postica and its parasitoid Bathyplectes curculionis. Although classical biological control efforts have largely suppressed H. postica in the eastern United States, it remains problematic in the western United States. We sampled 20 production alfalfa fields in southeastern Wyoming to estimate H. postica density, parasitism rates by B. curculionis, and vegetation at local scales. We used remotely sensed imagery to characterize both landscape composition and configuration surrounding each sampled field. We used a hypothesis-driven modeling approach to determine which model was most predictive of H. postica and parasitism rate by B. curculionis. Landscape composition was the best model to predict H. postica densities. Host density was the best predictor of parasitism rates by B. curculionis. Production fields that had received insecticide applications in the last 5 years had higher weevil densities than fields that had not received insecticide applications. Stand age was not associated with weevil density or parasitism rate. In conclusion, we found local, landscape, and management components to be important in this system.

Faster social attention disengagement in individuals with higher autism traits.

INTRODUCTION: Atypical visual and social attention has often been associated with clinically diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and with the broader autism phenotype. Atypical social attention is of particular research interest given the importance of facial expressions for social communication, with faces tending to attract and hold attention in neurotypical individuals. In autism, this is not necessarily so, where there is debate about the temporal differences in the ability to disengage attention from a face. METHOD: Thus, we have used eye-tracking to record saccadic latencies as a measure of time to disengage attention from a central task-irrelevant face before orienting to a newly presented peripheral nonsocial target during a gap-overlap task. Neurotypical participants with higher or lower autism-like traits (AT) completed the task that included central stimuli with varied expressions of facial emotion as well as an inverted face. RESULTS: High AT participants demonstrated faster saccadic responses to detect the nonsocial target than low AT participants when disengaging attention from a face. Furthermore, faster saccadic responses were recorded when comparing disengagement from upright to inverted faces in low AT but not in high AT participants. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these results extend findings of atypical social attention disengagement in autism and highlight how differences in attention to faces in the broader autism phenotype can lead to apparently superior task performance under certain conditions. Specifically, autism traits were linked to faster attention orienting to a nonsocial target due to the reduced attentional hold of the task irrelevant face stimuli. The absence of an inversion effect in high AT participants also reinforces the suggestion that they process upright or inverted faces similarly, unlike low AT participants for whom inverted faces are thought to be less socially engaging, thus allowing faster disengagement.

A systematic scoping review of interventions to optimise medication prescribing and adherence in older adults with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Older adults with cancer often require multiple medications (polypharmacy) comprising cancer-specific treatments, supportive care medications (e.g. analgesics), and medications for pre-existing health conditions. Increasing numbers of medications may increase risks of potentially inappropriate prescribing and non-adherence. OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of evaluations of interventions aimed at optimising medication prescribing and/or adherence in older adults with cancer. METHODS: A systematic scoping review was undertaken. Four databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO) were searched using relevant search terms (e.g. cancer, older adults). Eligible studies evaluated interventions seeking to improve medication prescribing and/or adherence in older adults (≥65 years) with cancer using a comparative evaluation. All outcomes for studies that met inclusion criteria were included in the review. Extracted data were collated using tables and accompanying narrative descriptive summaries. The review was reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. RESULTS: Nine studies met inclusion criteria comprising five randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and four before-and-after study designs. Studies were primarily conducted in oncology clinics, ranging from single study sites to 109 oncology clinics. Sample sizes ranged between 33 and 4844 patients. Interventions most commonly involved patient education (n = 6) delivered by pharmacists or nurses. Three studies reported on prescribing-related outcomes and seven studies reported on adherence-related outcomes, using different terminology and assessment methods. Prescribing-related outcomes focused on medication appropriateness (using Beers criteria) and drug-related problems including drug interactions. Adherence-related outcomes included assessments of self-reported medication adherence and calculation of patients' medication possession ratio. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review highlights a lack of robust evaluations of interventions aimed at optimising medication prescribing and adherence in older adults with cancer. Future research should improve rigour during intervention development, evaluation and reporting in order to generate findings that could inform future practice.

Circadian Sleep-Activity Rhythm across Ages in Down Syndrome.

Across all ages, individuals with Down syndrome (DS) experience high rates of sleep problems as well as cognitive impairments. This study sought to investigate whether circadian rhythm disruption was also experienced by people with DS and whether this kind of sleep disorder may be correlated with cognitive performance. A cross-sectional study of 101 participants (58 with DS, 43 with typical development) included individuals in middle childhood (6-10 years old), adolescence (11-18 years old), and young adulthood (19-26 years old). Sleep and markers of circadian timing and robustness were calculated using actigraphy. Cognitive and behavioral data were gathered via a novel touchscreen battery (A-MAPTM, Arizona Memory Assessment for Preschoolers and Special Populations) and parent questionnaire. Results indicated that children and adolescents with DS slept the same amount as peers with typical development, but significant group differences were seen in phase timing. The circadian robustness markers, interdaily stability and intradaily variability of sleep-wake rhythms, were healthiest for children regardless of diagnostic group and worst for adults with DS. Amplitude of the 24-h activity profile was elevated for all individuals with DS. In analyses of the correlations between sleep quality, rhythms, and cognition in people with DS, interdaily stability was positively correlated with reaction time and negatively correlated with verbal and scene recall, a finding that indicates increased stability may paradoxically correlate with poorer cognitive outcomes. Further, we found no relations with sleep efficiency previously found in preschool and adult samples. Therefore, the current findings suggest that a thorough examination of sleep disorders in DS must take into account age as well as circadian robustness to better understand sleep-cognitive correlations in this group.

The Age-Related Changes in Speed of Visual Perception, Visual Verbal and Visuomotor Performance, and Nonverbal Intelligence During Early School Years.

Speed of sensory information processing has long been recognized as an important characteristic of global intelligence, though few studies have concurrently investigated the contribution of different types of information processing to nonverbal IQ in children, nor looked at whether chronological age vs. months of early schooling plays a larger role. Thus, this study investigated the speed of visual information processing in three tasks including a simple visual inspection time (IT) task, a visual-verbal processing task using Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) of objects as an accepted preschool predictor of reading, and a visuomotor processing task using a game-like iPad application, (the "SLURP" task) that requires writing like skills, in association with nonverbal IQ (Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices) in children (n = 100) aged 5-7 years old. Our results indicate that the rate and accuracy of information processing for all three tasks develop with age, but that only RAN and SLURP rates show significant improvement with years of schooling. RAN and SLURP also correlated significantly with nonverbal IQ scores, but not with IT. Regression analyses demonstrate that months of formal schooling provide additional contributions to the speed of dual-task visual-verbal (RAN) and visuomotor performance and Raven's scores supporting the domain-specific hypothesis of processing speed development for specific skills as they contribute to global measures such as nonverbal IQ. Finally, RAN and SLURP are likely to be useful measures for the early identification of young children with lower intelligence and potentially poor reading.

Action video game training improves text reading accuracy, rate and comprehension in children with dyslexia: a randomized controlled trial.

Dynamic visual attention training using Action Video Games (AVGs) is a promising intervention for dyslexia. This study investigated the efficacy of 5 h (10 × 30 min) of AVG training in dyslexic children (aged 8-13) using 'Fruit Ninja', while exploring whether increasing attentional and eye movement demands enhanced AVG effectiveness. Regular (AVG-R; n = 22) and enhanced AVG training (AVG+; n = 23) were compared to a treatment-as-usual comparison group (n = 19) on reading, rapid naming, eye movements and visuo-temporal processing. Playing 'Fruit Ninja' for only 5 h significantly improved reading accuracy, rate, comprehension and rapid naming of both AVG groups, compared to the comparison group, though increasing attentional demands did not enhance AVG efficacy. Participants whose low contrast magnocellular-temporal processing improved most following training also showed significantly greater improvement in reading accuracy. The findings demonstrate a clear role for visual attention in reading and highlight the clinical applicability of AVGs as a fun, motivational and engaging intervention for dyslexia.

Long-Wavelength-Filtered Light Transiently Inhibits Negative Lens-Induced Axial Eye Growth in the Chick Myopia Model.

Purpose: Eye growth and myopia development in chicks, and some other animal models, can be suppressed by rearing under near-monochromatic, short-wavelength blue light. We aimed to determine whether similar effects could be achieved using glass filters that transmit a broader range of short and middle wavelengths. Methods: On day 6 or 7 post-hatch, 169 chicks were assigned to one of three monocular lens conditions (-10 D, +10 D, plano) and reared for 7 or 10 days under one of four 201-lux lighting conditions: (1) B410 long-wavelength-filtered light, (2) B460 long-wavelength-filtered light, (3) Y48 short-wavelength-filtered light, or (4) HA50 broadband light. Results: At 7 days, B410 (but not B460) long-wavelength-filtered light had significantly inhibited negative lens induced axial growth relative to Y48 short-wavelength-filtered light (mean difference in experimental eye = -0.249 mm; P = 0.006) and HA50 broadband light (mean difference = -0.139 mm; P = 0.038). B410 filters also inhibited the negative lens-induced increase in vitreous chamber depth relative to all other filter conditions. Corresponding changes in refraction did not occur, and biometric measurements in a separate cohort of chicks suggested that the axial dimension changes were transient and not maintained at 10 days. Conclusions: Chromatic effects on eye growth can be achieved using filters that transmit a broad range of wavelengths even in the presence of strong cues for myopia development. Translational Relevance: Broad-wavelength filters that provide a more "naturalistic" visual experience relative to monochromatic light have potential to alter myopia development, although the effects shown here were modest and transient and require exploration in further species.

Development of criteria for identifying potentially inappropriate prescribing in older adults with cancer receiving palliative care (PIP-CPC).

OBJECTIVES: To develop criteria for identifying potentially inappropriate prescribing of medications for symptomatic relief in older adults (≥65 years) with cancer who are receiving palliative care and have an estimated life expectancy of <1 year. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A two-round Delphi exercise was conducted using web-based questionnaires. A panel of 18 expert stakeholders with expertise in palliative care, oncology and/or geriatric medicine across Ireland and the United Kingdom rated their level of agreement with each statement using a 5-point Likert scale and had the option of adding free-text comments throughout the questionnaire. A priori decision rules were used to accept or reject criteria. RESULTS: Twenty-eight criteria were presented in Round 1. Group consensus was achieved for 15 criteria which were included in the final set of criteria. Following a review of the panel's ratings and additional comments for the remaining 13 criteria, four criteria were removed from Round 2. Group consensus was achieved for all nine criteria included in Round 2. The final set comprised 24 criteria relating to: anorexia-cachexia (n = 1); anxiety (n = 2); constipation (n = 5); delirium (n = 1); depression (n = 3); diarrhoea (n = 1); dyspnoea/breathlessness (n = 1); fatigue (n = 2); insomnia (n = 2); nausea and vomiting (n = 2); pain (n = 3); duplicate drug classes (n = 1). CONCLUSION: A consensus-agreed set of prescribing criteria has been developed for identifying potentially inappropriate prescribing of medications for symptomatic relief in older adults with cancer who are receiving palliative care and have an estimated life expectancy of less than one year. Future studies should examine the application and validity of these criteria.