Negative affect impedes perceptual filling-in in the uniformity illusion.

The notion of cognitive penetrability, i.e., whether perceptual contents can in principle be influenced by non-perceptual factors, has sparked a significant debate over methodological concerns and the correct interpretation of existing findings. In this study, we combined predictive processing models of visual perception and affective states to investigate influences of affective valence on perceptual filling-in in extrafoveal vision. We tested how experimentally induced affect would influence the probability of perceptual filling-in occurring in the uniformity illusion (N = 50). Negative affect led to reduced occurrence rates and increased onset times of visual uniformity. This effect was selectively observed in illusionary trials, requiring perceptual filling-in, and not in control trials, where uniformity was the veridical percept, ruling out biased motor responses or deliberate judgments as confounding variables. This suggests an influential role of affective status on subsequent perceptual processing, specifically on how much weight is ascribed to priors as opposed to sensory evidence.

Trait anxiety is linked to increased usage of priors in a perceptual decision making task.

Current predictive processing accounts consider negative affect to result from elevated rates of prediction error, thereby motivating changes in the degree with which prior expectancies and sensory evidence influence our perceptions. Trait anxiety is associated with the amount of negative affect a person is experiencing and has been linked to aberrant strategies in decision making and belief updating. Here, we assessed the degree to which induced prior expectancies influenced motion judgements in a simple perceptual decision making task in 117 healthy participants with varying levels of trait anxiety. High trait anxious individuals showed increased usage of priors, independent from the amount of sensory uncertainty that was perceived. This finding demonstrates aberrant strategies of belief updating in anxiety even in evaluating nonthreatening visual motion stimuli, and thus suggest an influential role of affective traits in processes of perceptual inference.

Short communication: Pro- and antioxidative indicators in serum of dairy cows during late pregnancy and early lactation: Testing the effects of parity, different dietary energy levels, and farm.

Dairy cows face metabolic challenges in the transition from late pregnancy to early lactation. The energy demands for the growing fetus and the onset of milk production are increasing but voluntary feed intake often decreases around parturition and cannot meet these demands. This energy balance, among others, can change the oxidative status. Oxidative stress occurs when antioxidant defense mechanisms are not sufficient to cope with the increasing generation of reactive oxygen species. Our objectives were to investigate (1) the effect of parity on the oxidative status of dairy cows (n = 247) in late pregnancy and early lactation; and (2) the effect of different inclusion rates of concentrate feeding (150 vs. 250 g/kg of energy-corrected milk) during early lactation on 2 farms including 87 cows in total. In addition, we aimed to compare the oxidative status across the 2 farms using equal portions of concentrate feeding. For these purposes, we measured concentrations of the derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (dROM) and the ferric reducing ability (FRAP) in serum on d -50, -14, +8, +28, and +100 relative to calving. Furthermore, we calculated the oxidative status index (OSi) as dROM/FRAP × 100. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed model. Cows in the first and second lactations had greater dROM, FRAP, and OSi than cows in their third and greater lactations. Hence, supporting the antioxidative side of the balance might be of particular importance in the first and second lactations. Feeding different amounts of concentrates did not affect dROM, FRAP, or OSi under our experimental conditions, suggesting that the relatively small differences in energy intake were not affecting the oxidative status. Comparing farms, cows from one farm were notable for having greater dROM and lower FRAP, resulting in a greater OSi compared with cows on the other farm. Milk yield showed a time by farm interaction with 7% less milk on d 100 on the farm with the greater OSi. Moreover, cows on that farm had 1.4-fold greater ß-hydroxybutyrate concentrations. Our results emphasize the value of assessing oxidative status with regard to both the pro- and antioxidative sides, and support the association between oxidative and metabolic status. Further investigations are needed to determine the applicability of OSi as a prognostic tool during early lactation and to determine which factors have the greatest influence on oxidative status.

Circulating adiponectin concentrations during the transition from pregnancy to lactation in high-yielding dairy cows: testing the effects of farm, parity, and dietary energy level in large animal numbers.

Dairy cows experience a negative energy balance due to increasing energy demands and insufficient voluntary feed intake in the transition from late pregnancy to early lactation. For supplying sufficient energy toward the conceptus and the mammary gland, insulin sensitivity in peripheral tissues is reduced leading to adipose tissue mobilization. Adiponectin, an insulin-sensitizing adipokine, is presumably related to energy metabolism and could play an important role in these metabolic adaptations. We hypothesize (1) that primiparous cows would differ from pluriparous cows in their circulating adiponectin concentrations during the transition from late pregnancy to early lactation and (2) that feeding different energy levels would affect the adiponectin concentrations during early lactation in dairy cows. For the first hypothesis, we examined 201 primiparous and 456 pluriparous Holstein dairy cows on three experimental farms. Ante partum, primiparous cows had lower adiponectin and greater NEFA concentrations than pluriparous cows, but vice versa post partum. Hence, adiponectin might be involved in the energy partitioning in primiparous cows (conceptus and lactation vs other still growing body tissues) with changing priorities from pregnancy to lactation. For the second hypothesis, 110 primiparous and 558 pluriparous Holstein and Simmental dairy cows in six experimental farms received either roughage with 6.1 or 6.5 MJ NEl/kg dry matter (adjusted with different amounts of wheat straw) ad libitum, combined with either 150 or 250 g concentrates/kg energy corrected milk. Greater amounts of concentrate lead to greater milk yield, but did not affect the blood variables. The higher energy level in the roughage led to greater glucose and IGF-1 but lower adiponectin in pluriparous cows. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms behind the roughage effect and its metabolic consequences.

Investigating peripheral sources of speech-in-noise variability in listeners with normal audiograms.

A current initiative in auditory neuroscience research is to better understand why some listeners struggle to perceive speech-in-noise (SIN) despite having normal hearing sensitivity. Various hypotheses regarding the physiologic bases of this disorder have been proposed. Notably, recent work has suggested that the site of lesion underlying SIN deficits in normal hearing listeners may be either in "sub-clinical" outer hair cell damage or synaptopathic degeneration at the inner hair cell-auditory nerve fiber synapse. In this study, we present a retrospective investigation of these peripheral sources and their relationship with SIN performance variability in one of the largest datasets of young normal-hearing listeners presented to date. 194 participants completed detailed case history questionnaires assessing noise exposure, SIN complaints, tinnitus, and hyperacusis. Standard and extended high frequency audiograms, distortion product otoacoustic emissions, click-evoked auditory brainstem responses, and SIN performance measures were also collected. We found that: 1) the prevalence of SIN deficits in normal hearing listeners was 42% when based on subjective report and 8% when based on SIN performance, 2) hearing complaints and hyperacusis were more common in listeners with self-reported noise exposure histories than controls, 3) neither extended high frequency thresholds nor compound action potential amplitudes differed between noise-exposed and control groups, 4) extended high frequency hearing thresholds and compound action potential amplitudes were not predictive of SIN performance. These results suggest an association between noise exposure and hearing complaints in young, normal hearing listeners; however, SIN performance variability is not explained by peripheral auditory function to the extent that these measures capture subtle physiologic differences between participants.

[Cardiological functional diagnostics]. / Kardiologische Funktionsdiagnostik.

Cardiovascular diseases are common; therefore, adequate and guideline-based diagnostics and treatment are essential. In addition to an electrocardiogram (ECG) and (treadmill) exercise tests, echocardiography plays the pivotal role in functional cardiac testing. It is permanently available at the bedside and has a high diagnostic accuracy; however, examinations such as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) as well as nuclear medical imaging, e.g. single proton emission CT (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) are becoming more and more common in clinical practice. This is due to the wide range of additional information and the high diagnostic accuracy. In the following article, the individual possibilities of non-invasive cardiac functional testing are presented and their meaningful application will be discussed; however, studies on the meaningful application of non-invasive diagnostics are scarce.

[Injuries of the acromioclavicular joint in athletes]. / Verletzungen des Schultereckgelenks bei Sportlern.

Acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) dislocation is a common injury to the shoulder girdle, especially in contact and high velocity sports. Besides the severity of the injury, and particularly in competitive and elite athletes and the type of sports, individual career plans and in and out of season injuries have to be taken into account when advising treatment for athletes. Conservative treatment is reserved for low-grade dislocations and in-season athletes. The aim is fast pain relief and a safe return to competitive sport. High-grade ACJ dislocations in athletes should be treated surgically. Arthroscopic and arthroscopically-assisted techniques can offer a lower risk of infection, a higher patient acceptance in terms of cosmetic perspectives and the potential to treat concomitant glenohumeral lesions and may avoid potential disadvantages of open techniques, such as secondary obligatory implant removal and extensive soft tissue preparation with a relevant approach morbidity.

The auditory brainstem is a barometer of rapid auditory learning.

To capture patterns in the environment, neurons in the auditory brainstem rapidly alter their firing based on the statistical properties of the soundscape. How this neural sensitivity relates to behavior is unclear. We tackled this question by combining neural and behavioral measures of statistical learning, a general-purpose learning mechanism governing many complex behaviors including language acquisition. We recorded complex auditory brainstem responses (cABRs) while human adults implicitly learned to segment patterns embedded in an uninterrupted sound sequence based on their statistical characteristics. The brainstem's sensitivity to statistical structure was measured as the change in the cABR between a patterned and a pseudo-randomized sequence composed from the same set of sounds but differing in their sound-to-sound probabilities. Using this methodology, we provide the first demonstration that behavioral-indices of rapid learning relate to individual differences in brainstem physiology. We found that neural sensitivity to statistical structure manifested along a continuum, from adaptation to enhancement, where cABR enhancement (patterned>pseudo-random) tracked with greater rapid statistical learning than adaptation. Short- and long-term auditory experiences (days to years) are known to promote brainstem plasticity and here we provide a conceptual advance by showing that the brainstem is also integral to rapid learning occurring over minutes.

[Arthroscopically assisted stabilization of acute injury to the acromioclavicular joint with the double TightRope™ technique: one-year results]. / Arthroskopisch assistierte Stabilisierung akuter Schultereckgelenkverletzungen in Doppel-TightRope™-Technik : Einjahresergebnisse.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological results of 37 consecutive patients (Ø age 37.9; 4♀, 33♂) following arthroscopically assisted and image intensifier-controlled AC joint reconstruction using the double TightRope™ technique for acute AC joint separations grade V according to Rockwood. MATERIAL AND METHODS: After 12 months 30 patients with a mean age of 38.8 years (range 18.6-65.8 years) could be included. The postoperative assessment included the Subjective Shoulder Value (SSV), Constant Score (CS), and Taft Score (TF) as well as radiological evaluation using bilateral stress views and bilateral Alexander views for determining vertical and horizontal AC joint instability. RESULTS: The clinical scores reached 91.4±9.8% for SSV, 87.8±5.2 for CS, and 10.1±2.1 points for TF. The initial coracoclavicular distance (CCD) was 22.1±5.6 mm and could be reduced to 8.6±2.8 mm postoperatively (p<0.05). The CCD increased at final follow-up to 12.8±2.4 mm. The difference of the CCD compared to the contralateral side was initially 13.7±4.8 mm; postoperatively it was 0.3±3.0 mm with an increase at final follow-up to 3.6±3.5 mm. A posterior instability on the Alexander view occurred in 53.3% of patients. A correlation between inferior clinical results and horizontal instability could be detected. Only one patient was slightly tender to palpation at the AC joint. CONCLUSION: Following arthroscopic AC joint stabilization using the double TightRope™ technique, despite partial recurrent instability, favorable clinical results can be expected.

[Treatment of acute acromioclavicular joint instability with modern reconstruction procedures]. / Versorgung von akuten Schultereckgelenkinstabilitäten mit modernen Rekonstruktionsverfahren.

During the past few years numerous arthroscopic and arthroscopically assisted reconstruction techniques for the stabilization of acute high-grade acromioclavicular joint instability have been adapted either from open procedures or have been made arthroscopically applicable. Currently, pulley-like implants are being used at an increasing rate and the short-term and mid-term clinical and radiological results are at least equal to open techniques.

Musicians have fine-tuned neural distinction of speech syllables.

One of the benefits musicians derive from their training is an increased ability to detect small differences between sounds. Here, we asked whether musicians' experience discriminating sounds on the basis of small acoustic differences confers advantages in the subcortical differentiation of closely related speech sounds (e.g., /ba/ and /ga/), distinguishable only by their harmonic spectra (i.e., their second formant trajectories). Although the second formant is particularly important for distinguishing stop consonants, auditory brainstem neurons do not phase-lock to its frequency range (above 1000 Hz). Instead, brainstem neurons convert this high-frequency content into neural response timing differences. As such, speech tokens with higher formant frequencies elicit earlier brainstem responses than those with lower formant frequencies. By measuring the degree to which subcortical response timing differs to the speech syllables /ba/, /da/, and /ga/ in adult musicians and nonmusicians, we reveal that musicians demonstrate enhanced subcortical discrimination of closely related speech sounds. Furthermore, the extent of subcortical consonant discrimination correlates with speech-in-noise perception. Taken together, these findings show a musician enhancement for the neural processing of speech and reveal a biological mechanism contributing to musicians' enhanced speech perception in noise.

Frequency-dependent effects of background noise on subcortical response timing.

The addition of background noise to an auditory signal delays brainstem response timing. This effect has been extensively documented using manual peak selection. Peak picking, however, is impractical for large-scale studies of spectrotemporally complex stimuli, and leaves open the question of whether noise-induced delays are frequency-dependent or occur across the frequency spectrum. Here we use an automated, objective method to examine phase shifts between auditory brainstem responses to a speech sound (/da/) presented with and without background noise. We predicted that shifts in neural response timing would also be reflected in frequency-specific phase shifts. Our results indicate that the addition of background noise causes phase shifts across the subcortical response spectrum (70-1000 Hz). However, this noise-induced delay is not uniform such that some frequency bands show greater shifts than others: low-frequency phase shifts (300-500 Hz) are largest during the response to the consonant-vowel formant transition (/d/), while high-frequency shifts (720-1000 Hz) predominate during the response to the steady-state vowel (/a/). Most importantly, phase shifts occurring in specific frequency bands correlate strongly with shifts in the latencies of the predominant peaks in the auditory brainstem response, while phase shifts in other frequency bands do not. This finding confirms the validity of phase shift detection as an objective measure of timing differences and reveals that this method detects noise-induced shifts in timing that may not be captured by traditional peak latency measurements.

Context-dependent encoding in the auditory brainstem subserves enhanced speech-in-noise perception in musicians.

Musical training strengthens speech perception in the presence of background noise. Given that the ability to make use of speech sound regularities, such as pitch, underlies perceptual acuity in challenging listening environments, we asked whether musicians' enhanced speech-in-noise perception is facilitated by increased neural sensitivity to acoustic regularities. To this aim we examined subcortical encoding of the same speech syllable presented in predictable and variable conditions and speech-in-noise perception in 31 musicians and nonmusicians. We anticipated that musicians would demonstrate greater neural enhancement of speech presented in the predictable compared to the variable condition than nonmusicians. Accordingly, musicians demonstrated more robust neural encoding of the fundamental frequency (i.e., pitch) of speech presented in the predictable relative to the variable condition than nonmusicians. The degree of neural enhancement observed to predictable speech correlated with subjects' musical practice histories as well as with their speech-in-noise perceptual abilities. Taken together, our findings suggest that subcortical sensitivity to speech regularities is shaped by musical training and may contribute to musicians' enhanced speech-in-noise perception.

[Arthroscopic reconstruction of the glenoid concavity with an autologous bone block procedure]. / Arthroskopische Pfannenrandrekonstruktion mit autologer Spanplastik.

Open bone block procedures for glenohumeral stabilization have been used for a long time in different variations. Recently published clinical and radiological studies were able to demonstrate that anatomical reconstruction of the glenoid concavity using a pre-shaped iliac crest autograft represents an effective and durable treatment option for bony-mediated anterior shoulder instability. With the advancement of arthroscopic techniques and the development of sophisticated instruments and implants apposition of the bone block can now be performed via an all-arthroscopic approach. This article describes the history, principles, indications, surgical technique and early results of the all-arthroscopic iliac crest bone block procedure.

[Arthroscopic stabilization of acute acromioclavicular joint dislocation]. / Arthroskopische Stabilisierung der akuten Schultereckgelenksprengung.

During the past few years arthroscopic and minimal invasive techniques for stabilization of acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocations have gained increasing interest. Well established procedures for open surgery were modified and implemented to attain an arthroscopic level. Furthermore implants were developed which enable these reconstructive techniques to be performed arthroscopically without the disadvantages of open procedures. The short to mid-term results described so far concerning the clinical and radiological outcome of arthroscopic stabilization techniques show an at least equal outcome to those presented in open surgery.

[Conservative therapy of antero-inferior glenoid fractures]. / Konservative Therapie anteroinferiorer Glenoidfrakturen.

The adequate treatment of antero-inferior glenoid rim fractures is a controversial issue. Marginal knowledge exists about the results of non-operative treatment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the results of conservative treatment of acute fragment type lesions (type Ib) of the antero-inferior glenoid.A total of 10 patients (5 female and 5 male, mean age 56.5 years) were included in this retrospective study. A complete clinical examination of the shoulders and four functional scores, the Constant Score (CS), Rowe Score (RS), Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI) and Subjective Shoulder Value (SSV) as well as a radiologic evaluation using true a/p and axillary radiographs were performed.After a mean follow-up of 26.4 months no clinical signs of subjective instability or redislocation were found. The median CS reached 80.5 points (range 52-88) versus 84 points (range 73-90) on the healthy contralateral side (p >0.05). The RS, WOSI and SSV achieved 95 points (range 70-100), 86.7% (range 51-99.6%) and 85 % (range 50-100%), respectively. The radiologic evaluation showed a consolidated fragment in all patients. The anterior subchondral sclerosis zone was reformed completely in seven patients. The mean intra-articular step-off was 2 mm (range 0-6 mm). Osteoarthritis was seen in two cases (one grade I and one grade II according to Samilson and Prieto) none of which was symptomatic and the one grade II was present at the time of trauma.The conservative treatment of acute fragment type lesions (type Ib) of the antero-inferior glenoid can lead to excellent and satisfactory clinical results and therefore represents a suitable treatment alternative in the middle aged patient population. Nevertheless, future studies have to explicitly define the exact indications for a conservative versus surgical treatment approach.

Exploring the relationship between physiological measures of cochlear and brainstem function.

OBJECTIVE: Otoacoustic emissions and the speech-evoked auditory brainstem response are objective indices of peripheral auditory physiology that are used clinically for assessing hearing function. While each measure has been extensively explored, their interdependence and the relationships between them remain relatively unexplored. METHODS: Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and speech-evoked auditory brainstem responses (sABRs) were recorded from 28 normal-hearing adults. Through correlational analyses, DPOAE characteristics were compared to measures of sABR timing and frequency encoding. Data were organized into two DPOAE (Strength and Structure) and five brainstem (Onset, Spectrotemporal, Harmonics, Envelope Boundary, and Pitch) composite measures. RESULTS: DPOAE Strength shows significant relationships with sABR Spectrotemporal and Harmonics measures. DPOAE Structure shows significant relationships with sABR Envelope Boundary. Neither DPOAE Strength nor Structure is related to sABR Pitch. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study show that certain aspects of the speech-evoked auditory brainstem responses are related to, or covary with, cochlear function as measured by distortion product otoacoustic emissions. SIGNIFICANCE: These results form a foundation for future work in clinical populations. Analyzing cochlear and brainstem function in parallel in different clinical populations will provide a more sensitive clinical battery for identifying the locus of different disorders (e.g., language based learning impairments, hearing impairment).

[Anterior glenoid rim defects of the shoulder]. / Anteriore Glenoidranddefekte der Schulter.

Bony instability of the shoulder due to glenoid defects has recently received increasing attention. Glenoid defects can be divided into acute fragment-type lesions (type I), chronic fragment-type lesions (type II) and glenoid bone loss without a bony fragment (type III). The diagnosis and classification are mainly based on imaging methods including a radiographic instability series and/or computed tomography. The management of anterior glenoid rim lesions depends on many factors including the clinical presentation, type of lesion, concomitant pathology as well as age and functional demands of the patient. If bony-mediated instability is present, surgery is indicated. In the majority of cases fragment-type lesions can be successfully treated using either arthroscopic or open reconstruction techniques.Small erosion-type lesions can also be managed via soft-tissue procedures, whereas large erosion-type lesions with significant bone loss may necessitate bone-grafting procedures (autologous iliac crest or coracoid transfer) to restore glenoid concavity and shoulder stability. Although glenoid bone grafting is usually performed via an open approach, recent clinical studies have shown that it can be successfully managed by advanced arthroscopic techniques.

Deficient brainstem encoding of pitch in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Deficient prosody is a hallmark of the pragmatic (socially contextualized) language impairment in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Prosody communicates emotion and intention and is conveyed through acoustic cues such as pitch contour. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the subcortical representations of prosodic speech in children with ASD. METHODS: Using passively evoked brainstem responses to speech syllables with descending and ascending pitch contours, we examined sensory encoding of pitch in children with ASD who had normal intelligence and hearing and were age-matched with typically developing (TD) control children. RESULTS: We found that some children on the autism spectrum show deficient pitch tracking (evidenced by increased Frequency and Slope Errors and reduced phase locking) compared with TD children. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first demonstration of subcortical involvement in prosody encoding deficits in this population of children. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings may have implications for diagnostic and remediation strategies in a subset of children with ASD and open up an avenue for future investigations.

On the relationship between speech- and nonspeech-evoked auditory brainstem responses.

Auditory brainstem response (ABR) reflects activation of the neural generators along the ascending auditory pathway when a sound is heard. In this study, we explored the relationship between brainstem encoding of click and speech signals in normal-learning children and in those with language-based learning problems. To that end, ABR was recorded from both types of stimuli. We found that the normal pattern of correlation between click- and speech-evoked ABRs was disrupted when speech-evoked ABRs were delayed. Thus, delayed responses to speech were not indicative of clinically abnormal responses to clicks. We conclude that these two responses reflect largely separate neural processes and that only processes involved in encoding complex signals such as speech are impaired in children with learning problems.