OperatorEYEVP: Operator Dataset for Fatigue Detection Based on Eye Movements, Heart Rate Data, and Video Information.

Detection of fatigue is extremely important in the development of different kinds of preventive systems (such as driver monitoring or operator monitoring for accident prevention). The presence of fatigue for this task should be determined with physiological and objective behavioral indicators. To develop an effective model of fatigue detection, it is important to record a dataset with people in a state of fatigue as well as in a normal state. We carried out data collection using an eye tracker, a video camera, a stage camera, and a heart rate monitor to record a different kind of signal to analyze them. In our proposed dataset, 10 participants took part in the experiment and recorded data 3 times a day for 8 days. They performed different types of activity (choice reaction time, reading, correction test Landolt rings, playing Tetris), imitating everyday tasks. Our dataset is useful for studying fatigue and finding indicators of its manifestation. We have analyzed datasets that have public access to find the best for this task. Each of them contains data of eye movements and other types of data. We evaluated each of them to determine their suitability for fatigue studies, but none of them fully fit the fatigue detection task. We evaluated the recorded dataset by calculating the correspondences between eye-tracking data and CRT (choice reaction time) that show the presence of fatigue.

Brain atrophy and cognitive decline in bipolar disorder: Influence of medication use, symptomatology and illness duration.

Bipolar disorder (BPD) is a chronic condition characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression. To date, the association of biological and psychopathological processes in BPD has not been extensively studied on a cognitive and cortical basis at the same time. We investigated whether brain atrophy (in prefrontal, temporal and occipital cortices) was associated with cognitive, biological and clinical processes in patients with BPD and healthy controls (HCs). A total of 104 participants (56 with BPD) completed tasks that measured attention, memory, information processing speed, inhibitory control, visuospatial working memory and cognitive flexibility. In addition, structural brain scans were obtained using high-resolution MRI. Outcomes of the measurements were examined using robust multiple mediation analyses. BPD patients showed greater cortical atrophy across all regions of interest when compared to HCs, linked to cognitive decline. BPD patients had slower reaction times and markedly increased errors of commission on the tasks. The outcomes were significantly influenced by medication use, symptomatology and illness duration. The findings showcase the complexity of brain structures and networks as well as the physiological mechanisms underlying diverse BPD symptomatology and endophenotypes. These differences were pronounced in patients with BPD, motivating further investigations of pathophysiological mechanisms involved in brain atrophy and cognitive decline.

Facial processing in bipolar disorder is mediated by clinical and biological aspects

Objective: The process of detecting faces can be considered one of the initial steps in face recognition, which is essential for human interaction. We sought to investigate whether a face perception task reliably detects subtle perceptual disturbances between patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy controls. Methods: In this multisite study, we examined differences between BD patients and matched healthy controls. Participants were instructed to detect the orientation (either left or right) of a face when it was presented as a face/non-face pair on a computer screen using Bayesian entropy estimation. Data analyses compared performance between the groups. Results: Overall, BD patients exhibited more perceptual disturbances compared with controls. BD patients who took olanzapine had better performance and faster reaction times (RTs) than patients who took lithium or were medication-naive. BD patients who took lithium had better performance and faster RTs than medication-naive patients. The medication-naive BD group exhibited greater disturbances than all other groups. Conclusion: These findings highlight the reliability of the face perception task used herein and may be important for public health initiatives and follow-up studies that seek to understand the diverse effects of other variables that can affect sensory processing in this population.

Serum levels of olanzapine are associated with acute cognitive effects in bipolar disorder.

Bipolar (BPD) patients have deficits in cognition, but there are still controversies about the effects of some medications on their cognitive performance. Here, we investigated the relationship between cognition in terms of executive functions, memory, and attention in both first-episode medication-naive BPD patients and BPD patients taking olanzapine. Forty-one healthy controls, 40 unmedicated drug-naive BPD patients, and 34 BPD patients who took only olanzapine were recruited for the study. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Flanker test, Stroop test, and Corsi-block test. Bayesian multivariate regression analysis was run considering maximum robustness to avoid bias and to predict the outcomes. Our results revealed that unmedicated medication-naive BPD patients performed worse than healthy controls and the olanzapine group in some tasks. Additionally, BPD patients who took olanzapine had better cognitive performance than healthy controls and unmedicated BPD patients. The acute cognitive effects were predicted by olanzapine dosage and serum levels (i.e., large effects). The potential pro-cognitive effects of olanzapine in BPD patients should be carefully interpreted by considering various other clinical variables. We expect that our findings will contribute to further research in this area, with the goal of helping other researchers, patients, and the population.

Correlates of clinical variables on early-stage visual processing in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

The use of noninvasive tools can help understand mental states and changes that are caused by medications, symptom severity, and other clinical variables. We investigated low-level visual processing using the contrast sensitivity function (CSF), a reliable, robust, and widely used approach. Our main purpose was (1) to evaluate visual impairments in schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BPD) patients and (2) to investigate associations between clinical variables and visual function in both diseases. Fifty-six healthy controls (HCs; mean age = 31.04 years), 42 BPD patients (mean age = 32.84 years) who took only lithium, and 39 SCZ patients who took only olanzapine (mean age = 32.80 years) were recruited for this study. CSF differed between groups. Both groups of patients exhibited lower discrimination at low, mid-, and high spatial frequencies compared with HCs. No differences were observed between patients, with the exception of high spatial frequency. These impairments were also related to clinical variables, revealed by a strong effect in the mediation analyses. These findings may aid investigations of other clinical variables and the role of state- and trait-like effects on visual and cognitive processing in these patient populations. This study underscores the need for visual remediation interventions.

Combined influence of medication and symptom severity on visual processing in bipolar disorder.

Previous studies have reported visual impairments in patients with bipolar disorder (BPD), but unclear were whether clinical variables would be associated with those disturbances. Here, we investigate the relationship between visual functioning, in terms of color discrimination, and the impact of BPD duration, mood state, and the patients' medication. Forty-five participants (25-45 years old) were recruited for this study. Color discrimination was performed using the Cambridge Colour Test. Serial multiple mediations were run to investigate the assumption of association between color discrimination and the clinical variables. Our findings showed that, compared with healthy controls, BPD patients' performance was worse for the Protan, Deutan, and Tritan vectors, revealing deterioration of color discrimination. In addition, the mediation analyses revealed a strong direct (p < .001) and moderate-to-high indirect effects (p < .01) of medication and symptom severity on color discrimination. Overall, both longer the duration of the disease and greater the symptom severity of BPD patients resulted in worse performance. It highlights the importance of examining the wider clinical context of an affective disorder to understand how it affects visual processing in this population.

Facial processing in bipolar disorder is mediated by clinical and biological aspects.

OBJECTIVE: The process of detecting faces can be considered one of the initial steps in face recognition, which is essential for human interaction. We sought to investigate whether a face perception task reliably detects subtle perceptual disturbances between patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy controls. METHODS: In this multisite study, we examined differences between BD patients and matched healthy controls. Participants were instructed to detect the orientation (either left or right) of a face when it was presented as a face/non-face pair on a computer screen using Bayesian entropy estimation. Data analyses compared performance between the groups. RESULTS: Overall, BD patients exhibited more perceptual disturbances compared with controls. BD patients who took olanzapine had better performance and faster reaction times (RTs) than patients who took lithium or were medication-naive. BD patients who took lithium had better performance and faster RTs than medication-naive patients. The medication-naive BD group exhibited greater disturbances than all other groups. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the reliability of the face perception task used herein and may be important for public health initiatives and follow-up studies that seek to understand the diverse effects of other variables that can affect sensory processing in this population.

Age-related episodic memory decline and the role of amyloid-ß: a systematic review.

Aging has been associated with the functional decline of episodic memory (EM). Unanswered questions are whether the decline of EM occurs even during healthy aging and whether this decline is related to amyloid-ß (Aß) deposition in the hippocampus. OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this study was to investigate data on the relationship between the age-related EM decline and Aß deposition. METHODS: We searched the Cochrane, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases and reference lists of retrieved articles that were published in the past 10 years. The initial literature search identified 517 studies. After screening the title, abstract, key words, and reference lists, 56 studies met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: The overall results revealed that increases in Aß are related to lower hippocampal volume and worse performance on EM tests. The results of this systematic review revealed that high levels of Aß may be related to EM deficits and the progression to Alzheimer's disease. CONCLUSIONS: We discussed the strengths and pitfalls of various tests and techniques used for investigating EM and Aß deposition, methodological issues, and potential directions for future research.

O envelhecimento tem sido associado a um declínio funcional da memória episódica (ME). Algo ainda sem resposta é se o declínio da ME ocorre mesmo no envelhecimento saudável e se esse declínio pode estar relacionado à deposição de Aß no hipocampo. OBJETIVO: Nosso objetivo principal foi investigar os dados sobre a relação entre a memória episódica e a deposição de Aß no envelhecimento saudável. MÉTODOS: Nós buscamos nas bases de dados Cochrane, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science e nas listas de referências dos estudos dos últimos 10 anos. A busca inicial nas bases de dados identificou 517 estudos. Após a triagem de título, resumos, palavras-chave e referências, 56 estudos atenderam aos critérios de inclusão. RESULTADOS: O resultado geral revelou que o aumento de Aß estava relacionado ao menor volume do hipocampo e pior desempenho em testes de ME. Em resumo, os resultados da presente revisão sistemática revelaram que altos níveis de Aß podem estar relacionados ao declínio de ME e conversão progressiva para a Doença de Alzheimer. CONCLUSÕES: Aqui, discutimos os pontos fortes e as limitações dos testes e técnicas para investigar a deposição ME e Aß, bem como questões metodológicas e direções futuras.

Visual processing and BDNF levels in first-episode schizophrenia.

Previous studies have shown that patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (SCZ) have deficits in early visual processing, namely contrast processing. The brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) is an important measure to investigate neuroplasticity in some visual functions like visual perception. In this study, we investigated the relationship between visual processing and BDNF levels in first-episode SCZ patients. Thirty-nine healthy controls and 43 first-episode SCZ patients were enrolled. Contrast sensitivity measurements were conducted using low, mid- and high spatial frequencies. First-episode SCZ patients had higher contrast sensitivity than healthy controls for all frequencies, except for the middle spatial frequency. Negative correlations were found between BDNF, contrast sensitivity and clinical variables, mostly for middle and high spatial frequencies among females. Our results provide support for (i) the association of SCZ with alterations of magno- and parvocellular pathway functioning and (ii) decreased BDNF levels in first-episode SCZ patients. This study highlights the importance of using biomarkers along with other measures to investigate visual processing in SCZ and other disorders.

Age-related episodic memory decline and the role of amyloid-ß: a systematic review / Declínio da memória episódica relacionado à idade e o papel da beta-amiloide: uma revisão sistemática

ABSTRACT Aging has been associated with the functional decline of episodic memory (EM). Unanswered questions are whether the decline of EM occurs even during healthy aging and whether this decline is related to amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in the hippocampus. Objective: The main purpose of this study was to investigate data on the relationship between the age-related EM decline and Aβ deposition. Methods: We searched the Cochrane, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases and reference lists of retrieved articles that were published in the past 10 years. The initial literature search identified 517 studies. After screening the title, abstract, key words, and reference lists, 56 studies met the inclusion criteria. Results: The overall results revealed that increases in Aβ are related to lower hippocampal volume and worse performance on EM tests. The results of this systematic review revealed that high levels of Aβ may be related to EM deficits and the progression to Alzheimer's disease. Conclusions: We discussed the strengths and pitfalls of various tests and techniques used for investigating EM and Aβ deposition, methodological issues, and potential directions for future research.

RESUMO O envelhecimento tem sido associado a um declínio funcional da memória episódica (ME). Algo ainda sem resposta é se o declínio da ME ocorre mesmo no envelhecimento saudável e se esse declínio pode estar relacionado à deposição de Aβ no hipocampo. Objetivo: Nosso objetivo principal foi investigar os dados sobre a relação entre a memória episódica e a deposição de Aβ no envelhecimento saudável. Métodos: Nós buscamos nas bases de dados Cochrane, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science e nas listas de referências dos estudos dos últimos 10 anos. A busca inicial nas bases de dados identificou 517 estudos. Após a triagem de título, resumos, palavras-chave e referências, 56 estudos atenderam aos critérios de inclusão. Resultados: O resultado geral revelou que o aumento de Aβ estava relacionado ao menor volume do hipocampo e pior desempenho em testes de ME. Em resumo, os resultados da presente revisão sistemática revelaram que altos níveis de Aβ podem estar relacionados ao declínio de ME e conversão progressiva para a Doença de Alzheimer. Conclusões: Aqui, discutimos os pontos fortes e as limitações dos testes e técnicas para investigar a deposição ME e Aβ, bem como questões metodológicas e direções futuras.

Sensitivity of Visual System in 5-Day "Dry" Immersion With High-Frequency Electromyostimulation.

The aim of this work was to study the sensitivity of the visual system in 5-day "dry" immersion with a course of high-frequency electromyostimulation (HFEMS) and without it. "Dry" immersion (DI) is one of the most effective models of microgravity. DI reproduces three basic effects of weightlessness: physical inactivity, support withdrawal and elimination of the vertical vascular gradient. The "dry" immersion included in the use of special waterproof and highly elastic fabric on of immersion in a liquid similar in density to the tissues of the human body. The sensitivity of the visual system was assessed by measuring contrast sensitivity and magnitude of the Müller-Lyer illusion. The visual contrast sensitivity was measured in the spatial frequency range from 0.4 to 10.0 cycles/degree. The strength of visual illusion was assessed by means of motor response using "tracking." Measurements were carried out before the start of immersion, on the 1st, 3rd, 5th days of DI, and after its completion. Under conditions of "dry" immersion without HFEMS, upon the transition from gravity to microgravity conditions (BG and DI1) we observed significant differences in contrast sensitivity in the low spatial frequency range, whereas in the experiment with HFEMS-in the medium spatial frequency range. In the experiment without HFEMS, the Müller-Lyer illusion in microgravity conditions was absent, while in the experiment using HFEMS it was significantly above zero at all stages. Thus, we obtained only limited evidence in favor of the hypothesis of a possible compensating effect of HFEMS on changes in visual sensitivity upon the transition from gravity to microgravity conditions and vice versa. The study is a pilot and requires further research on the effect of HFEMS on visual sensitivity.