Red and green defocus curves and duochrome test in different age groups / Curvas de desenfoque rojo y verde y prueba de duocromo en diferentes grupos de edad

Purpose: To compare the eye defocus curves (DCs) obtained with stimuli on red, green, and white backgrounds and to investigate the applicability of the duochrome test (DT) in different age groups. Methods: 12 elderly (ELD: 59.3 ± 3.9 years) and 8 young (YG: 22.1 ± 1.1 years) subjects were recruited. An optometric assessment with the DT was carried out to obtain the subjective refraction at distance. DCs at distance on green, white, and red backgrounds were measured and the following parameters were deduced: dioptric difference between red-green, green-white, red-white focal positions (minima of the DCs), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and widths of the DCs for red, green, and white. Results: The DC difference between the green-white focal positions (mean ± standard deviation) was -0.12±0.17 diopters (D) (ELD, p = 0.012) and -0.11±0.12 D (YG, p = 0.039), while the red-white difference was not statistically significant. The DC red-green difference was 0.20±0.16 D (ELD, p = 0.002) and 0.18±0.18 D (YG, p = 0.008). The ELD BCVA with green background was significantly worse than BCVA with red (p = 0.007) and white (p = 0.007). The mean value of the DC's width in ELD for green (1.01±0.36 D) was higher than for red (0.77±0.21 D) and for white (0.84±0.35 D), but with no statistical significance. Conclusion: Both age groups showed a slight focusing preference for red when using white light. Moreover, ELD showed a worse BCVA with a green compared to a red background. Despite these results deduced by DC analyses, these aspects do not compromise the possibility of using the DT in clinical practice both in the young and in the elderly. Furthermore, the difference of about 0.20 D between red-green DC in both groups confirms the clinical appropriateness of the widespread use of 0.25 D step as the standard minimum difference in power between correcting lenses.(AU)

Oculomotor behaviors in youth with an eating disorder: findings from a video-based eye tracking task.

BACKGROUND: The oculomotor circuit spans many cortical and subcortical areas that have been implicated in psychiatric disease. This, combined with previous findings, suggests that eye tracking may be a useful method to investigate eating disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to assess oculomotor behaviors in youth with and without an eating disorder. METHODS: Female youth with and without an eating disorder completed a structured task involving randomly interleaved pro-saccade (toward at a stimulus) and anti-saccade (away from stimulus) trials with video-based eye tracking. Differences in saccades (rapid eye movements between two points), eye blinks and pupil were examined. RESULTS: Youth with an eating disorder (n = 65, Mage = 17.16 ± 3.5 years) were compared to healthy controls (HC; n = 65, Mage = 17.88 ± 4.3 years). The eating disorder group was composed of individuals with anorexia nervosa (n = 49), bulimia nervosa (n = 7) and other specified feeding or eating disorder (n = 9). The eating disorder group was further divided into two subgroups: individuals with a restrictive spectrum eating disorder (ED-R; n = 43) or a bulimic spectrum eating disorder (ED-BP; n = 22). In pro-saccade trials, the eating disorder group made significantly more fixation breaks than HCs (F(1,128) = 5.33, p = 0.023). The ED-BP group made the most anticipatory pro-saccades, followed by ED-R, then HCs (F(2,127) = 3.38, p = 0.037). Groups did not differ on rate of correct express or regular latency pro-saccades. In anti-saccade trials, groups only significantly differed on percentage of direction errors corrected (F(2, 127) = 4.554, p = 0.012). The eating disorder group had a significantly smaller baseline pupil size (F(2,127) = 3.60, p = 0.030) and slower pro-saccade dilation velocity (F(2,127) = 3.30, p = 0.040) compared to HCs. The ED-R group had the lowest blink probability during the intertrial interval (ITI), followed by ED-BP, with HCs having the highest ITI blink probability (F(2,125) = 3.63, p = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that youth with an eating disorder may have different oculomotor behaviors during a structured eye tracking task. The oculomotor behavioral differences observed in this study presents an important step towards identifying neurobiological and cognitive contributions towards eating disorders.

Video based eye tracking is a promising method for studying differences between individuals with and without a psychiatric disease of interest. While some studies have explored oculomotor behaviors in individuals with an eating disorder, much remains unknown. The present study investigated saccades (fast eye movements between two points), eye blinks and pupil responses between female youth (aged 10­25 years) with and without an eating disorder during a pro-saccade (looking at a point) and anti-saccade (looking away from a point) eye tracking task. Individuals with an eating disorder made more pro-saccade guesses, had a smaller pupil size and blinked less before a trial started. In individuals with a restrictive type eating disorder (e.g., anorexia nervosa restrictive type), pupil responses may have a relationship with emotional dysregulation (poorly regulated emotional responses). Overall, this study represents an important step towards identifying oculomotor behavior differences in individuals with an eating disorder compared to controls.

Rationale and design of the BeyeOMARKER study: prospective evaluation of blood- and eye-based biomarkers for early detection of Alzheimer's disease pathology in the eye clinic.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common, complex and multifactorial disease that may require screening across multiple routes of referral to enable early detection and subsequent future implementation of tailored interventions. Blood- and eye-based biomarkers show promise as low-cost, scalable and patient-friendly tools for early AD detection given their ability to provide information on AD pathophysiological changes and manifestations in the retina, respectively. Eye clinics provide an intriguing real-world proof-of-concept setting to evaluate the performance of these potential AD screening tools given the intricate connections between the eye and brain, presumed enrichment for AD pathology in the aging population with eye disorders, and the potential for an accelerated diagnostic pathway for under-recognized patient groups. METHODS: The BeyeOMARKER study is a prospective, observational, longitudinal cohort study aiming to include individuals visiting an eye-clinic. Inclusion criteria entail being ≥ 50 years old and having no prior dementia diagnosis. Excluded eye-conditions include traumatic insults, superficial inflammation, and conditions in surrounding structures of the eye that are not engaged in vision. The BeyeOMARKER cohort (n = 700) will undergo blood collection to assess plasma p-tau217 levels and a brief cognitive screening at the eye clinic. All participants will subsequently be invited for annual longitudinal follow-up including remotely administered cognitive screening and questionnaires. The BeyeOMARKER + cohort (n = 150), consisting of 100 plasma p-tau217 positive participants and 50 matched negative controls selected from the BeyeOMARKER cohort, will additionally undergo Aß-PET and tau-PET, MRI, retinal imaging including hyperspectral imaging (primary), widefield imaging, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT-Angiography (secondary), and cognitive and cortical vision assessments. RESULTS: We aim to implement the current protocol between April 2024 until March 2027. Primary outcomes include the performance of plasma p-tau217 and hyperspectral retinal imaging to detect AD pathology (using Aß- and tau-PET visual read as reference standard) and to detect cognitive decline. Initial follow-up is ~ 2 years but may be extended with additional funding. CONCLUSIONS: We envision that the BeyeOMARKER study will demonstrate the feasibility of early AD detection based on blood- and eye-based biomarkers in alternative screening settings, and will improve our understanding of the eye-brain connection. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The BeyeOMARKER study (Eudamed CIV ID: CIV-NL-23-09-044086; registration date: 19th of March 2024) is approved by the ethical review board of the Amsterdam UMC.

Research on high-speed digital optical signal jitter measurement technology based on clock recovery algorithm using eye diagram opening area.

With the rapid development of information technology, high-speed digital optical signal transmission technology has become the core of modern communication networks. However, the increase in transmission rates brings challenges such as noise, distortion, and interference, which affect the accuracy of clock recovery. To address these issues, this study proposes a clock recovery algorithm based on the eye diagram opening area to improve the accuracy and efficiency of high-speed digital optical signal jitter measurement. The proposed method extracts clock information from the signal using the opening area and curvature characteristics of the eye diagram for jitter measurement. Experimental results demonstrate that the clock recovery algorithm based on the eye diagram opening area can stably reconstruct the signal eye diagram and obtain jitter parameters under different optical power conditions. At optical powers of -7.2 dBm, -12.2 dBm, and -17.2 dBm, the Q-factors were 8.8, 7.6, and 4.3, respectively, and the RMS jitter values were 12.2 ps, 13.4 ps, and 21.2 ps, respectively. At optical powers of -2.3 dBm, 0.1 dBm, 2.4 dBm, 4.6 dBm, and 6.0 dBm, the Q-factors were 9.1, 9.3, 9.5, 9.7, and 10.0, respectively, and the average jitter values were 8.9 ps, 8.5 ps, 8.0 ps, 7.5 ps, and 7.0 ps. These results indicate that the proposed algorithm performs excellently under low optical power conditions and maintains high recovery accuracy even when jitter increases at higher optical powers. The clock recovery algorithm based on the eye diagram opening area significantly improves the accuracy and stability of high-speed digital optical signal jitter measurement, enriches the theoretical research of clock recovery algorithms, and shows significant advantages in improving signal transmission quality, reducing bit error rate, and enhancing communication link reliability. The research outcomes provide key technical support for the optimization of modern high-speed optical communication systems.

Effect of label elements in bottled water: Impact on consumer preferences, purchase intentions and health perception through affective sensory tests.

Bottled water has become a popular beverage choice worldwide, with consumers increasingly seeking healthier options. However, label elements can significantly influence consumer perception and purchasing decisions. The research aimed to assess how label elements affect the liking, purchase intention, preference and concept of healthy bottled water. Two stages involved 180 and 100 participants aged between 18 and 40, provided sociodemographic information. The first stage used a hedonic scale and ranking test to perception of nine labels with different elements. The second stage selected a consensus label from prior tests. Four labels were designed, differing in brand color and nutritional information placement. In this last stage, the acceptability, preference ranking and concept of healthy were re-evaluated and eye tracking via the Pupil Lab program. Findings showed varied responses in acceptability and purchase intention among consumers. However, significant differences were observed in preferences and healthiness perceptions based on label characteristics. The label with the highest preference and perceived healthiness featured a sky-blue design with nutritional information on the right side. Combining sensory testing and eye tracking offers valuable insights for designing labels that positively impact consumer perception. The results provide important implications for bottled water manufacturers and marketers in developing effective labeling strategies to meet consumer preferences and promote healthier choices.

Highly selective and sensitive colorimetric chemosensor using PVA/chitosan ion-imprinted nanofibers for copper ion detection and removal.

Herein, a highly efficient colorimetric chemosensor incorporating ion-imprinted electrospun nanofiber was developed for the removal and detection of Cu2+ ions. In this regard, PVA/chitosan composites were used as the polymeric matrix, and 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol was employed for complex formation. The prepared naked-eye sensor was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction analysis, revealing the morphological, structural, and molecular properties of the sensor. The results showed that the colorimetric chemosensor based on copper-imprinted nanofiber (Cu-INF) possesses higher selectivity for Cu2+ compared to interference ions. The selectivity coefficient (k) and relative selectivity coefficient (K') indicated the selective behavior of Cu-INF in the adsorption of Cu2+ in binary systems including Cu2+/Co2+, Cu2+/Ni2+, and Cu2+/Zn2+. Furthermore, the ion-imprinted nanofiber was used for the preconcentration of copper ions, demonstrating a high adsorption capacity of 128.205 mg g-1 for Cu2+. The equilibrium adsorption isotherm and adsorption kinetics of Cu2+ on Cu-INF followed the Freundlich adsorption isotherm and a pseudo-second-order model, respectively. The developed sensor exhibited a linear detection range of 5 × 10-8 - 2 × 10-7 M with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.07 × 10-8 M for copper ions. The results indicated satisfactory adsorption and successful detection of Cu2+ at trace concentrations.

Application of eye and hand interventions in brain magnetic resonance imaging of young children.

Objective: To explore the feasibility of eye and hand interventions in young children during brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: A total of 414 4- to 6-year-old children who underwent brain MRI at our hospital were randomly divided into 4 groups: the routine posture group (n = 105), eye mask group (n = 102), fixed hand apron group (n = 108), and eye mask and fixed hand apron group (n = 99). All the children underwent brain MRI when they were awake (without using sedatives). The success rate of brain MRI and the quality of brain MR images were compared among the four groups. Results: The success rate of brain MRI was the highest in the eye mask and fixed hand apron group (94.9 %), followed by the eye mask group (85.3 %) (P < 0.05). The brain MR image quality was the best for children wearing eye masks and fixed hand aprons (5 points, 69 patients), followed by those wearing eye masks (5 points, 53 patients) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: When children undergo brain MRI, simultaneous eye and hand interventions can greatly improve the success rate of the examination and the quality of MR images. This study protocol was registered at the Chinese clinical trial registry (ChiCTR2100050248).

Eye-Movement Suppression in the Visual World Paradigm.

Eye movements in the visual world paradigm are known to depend not only on linguistic input but on such factors as task, pragmatic context, affordances, etc. However, the degree to which eye movements may depend on task rather than on linguistic input is unclear. The present study for the first time tests how task constraints modulate eye movement behavior in the visual world paradigm by probing whether participants could refrain from looking at the referred image. Across two experiments with and without comprehension questions (total N = 159), we found that when participants were instructed to avoid looking at the referred images, the probability of fixating these reduced from 58% to 18% while comprehension scores remained high. Although language-mediated eye movements could not be suppressed fully, the degree of possible decoupling of eye movements from language processing suggests that participants can withdraw at least some looks from the referred images when needed. If they do so to different degrees in different experimental conditions, comparisons between conditions might be compromised. We discuss some cases where participants could adopt different viewing behaviors depending on the experimental condition, and provide some tentative ways to test for such differences.

Dysthyroid Optic Neuropathy Complicated by Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder: A Case Report.

Introduction: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune disorder that principally targets the central nervous system, specifically the spinal cord and optic nerves. NMOSD is often associated with thyroid pathologies such as Graves' disease or Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Thyroid eye disease (TED) is an autoimmune condition characterized by inflammation and hypertrophy of the extraocular muscles. Dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON), a critical complication of TED, may lead to irreversible visual loss. We report a case of DON complicated by NMOSD. Case Presentation: We report a case of an autoimmune disease presenting as DON in a 44-year-old Japanese woman with a history of Graves' disease, who experienced reduced visual acuity and orbital pain. Brain magnetic resonance imaging disclosed hypertrophy of the rectus muscles, compressing the optic nerve bilaterally. Consequently, she was diagnosed with DON and underwent three courses of steroid semi-pulse therapy and left orbital decompression surgery, alleviating optic nerve compression. Nevertheless, the visual prognosis remained poor. A subsequent serological test showed positive for aquaporin-4 antibody. Treatment with satralizumab, an interleukin-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, was initiated in conjunction with steroids to suppress the autoimmune response and reduce NMOSD relapse risk. Following this treatment, no NMOSD recurrences were reported. Conclusion: This case highlights the necessity of considering the possible coexistence of DON and NMOSD in patients with autoimmune diseases.

A Simple Orbital Lymphatic Malformation Clinically Mimics Primary Conjunctival Cyst.

Introduction: A simple orbital lymphatic malformation usually presents with acute proptosis with ophthalmoplegia after an upper respiratory tract infection. Various treatments have been described but the lesions often recur after treatment due to their infiltrative nature. Case Presentations: A 6-year-old girl presented with a 5 × 10 mm translucent mass in the left inferior fornix for 3 years but she denied diplopia and visual disturbance. Orbital computed tomography with contrast emphasized the clinical findings, a nonseptated cystic lesion without enhancement in the anterior orbit. The lesion was surgically totally excised. Histopathological findings revealed an endothelial lining cyst without intraluminal cells consistent with a lymphatic malformation. In a 1-year follow-up, the lesion does not recur. Conclusion: The simple orbital lymphatic malformation can present as a single nonseptate cystic lesion. Pathological study should be done for the definitive diagnosis. Surgical excision can achieve a favorable outcome.

Efficacy assessment of liposome crosslinked hyaluronic acid and standard hyaluronic acid eye drops for dry eye disease management: a comparative study employing the ocular surface analyzer and subjective questionnaires.

Introduction: Dry eye disease (DED) is a prevalent condition causing ocular discomfort and visual disturbances, often managed with artificial tears. This study aimed to assess and compare the efficacy of eye drops containing Crosslinked Hyaluronic Acid (CHA) with liposomes and crocin and standard Hyaluronic Acid (HA) for DED management. Methods: A single-blind, longitudinal study was conducted on 24 participants (48 eyes), randomized to receive one of the two treatments. Ocular health measures, including the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) and the standard patient evaluation of eye dryness (SPEED) scores, were assessed at baseline and 6 weeks post-treatment using the Ocular Surface Analyzer. Results: CHA achieved a lipid layer thickness increase of 1.29 ± 1.08 Guillon pattern degree (p < 0.01), FNIBUT increase 0.64 ± 0.77 s (p < 0.01), MNIBUT increase1.28 ± 4.74 s (p = 0.19), OSDI decrease 11.72 ± 6.73 score points (p < 0.01) and SPEED decrease 1.16 ± 5.05 score points (p = 0.27). Significant reductions in the OSDI and SPEED scores post-treatment were observed with both treatments, indicating their effectiveness. Conclusion: CHA with liposomes exhibits superior efficacy compared to standard HA eye drops in the management of DED. These findings highlight the potential for personalized treatment strategies incorporating CHA, indicating a more effective approach to DED management. However, further research is required to validate these results and investigate the long-term effects, which may pave the way for a data-driven and optimized approach to managing DED.

Effects of Auditory and Visual White Noise on Oculomotor Inhibition in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Protocol for a Crossover Study.

BACKGROUND: In attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), poor inhibitory control is one of the main characteristics, with oculomotor inhibition impairments being considered a potential biomarker of the disorder. While auditory white noise has demonstrated the ability to enhance working memory in this group, visual white noise is still unexplored and so are the effects of both types of white noise stimulation on oculomotor inhibition. OBJECTIVE: This crossover study aims to explore the impact of auditory and visual white noise on oculomotor inhibition in children with ADHD and typically developing (TD) children. The study will investigate the impact of different noise levels (25% and 50% visual, 78 dB auditory), and performance will be evaluated both with and without noise stimulation. We hypothesize that exposure to white noise will improve performance in children with ADHD and impair the performance for TD children. METHODS: Memory-guided saccades and prolonged fixations, known for their sensitivity in detecting oculomotor disinhibition in ADHD, will be used to assess performance. Children diagnosed with ADHD, withdrawing from medication for 24 hours, and TD children without psychiatric disorders were recruited for the study. RESULTS: Data collection was initiated in October 2023 and ended in February 2024. A total of 97 participants were enrolled, and the first results are expected between September and November 2024. CONCLUSIONS: This study will examine whether cross-modal sensory stimulation can enhance executive function, specifically eye movement control, in children with ADHD. In addition, the study will explore potential differences between auditory and visual noise effects in both groups. Our goal is to identify implications for understanding how noise can be used to improve cognitive performance. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06057441; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06057441. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/56388.

Implementing mobile eye tracking in psychological research: A practical guide.

Eye tracking provides direct, temporally and spatially sensitive measures of eye gaze. It can capture visual attention patterns from infancy through adulthood. However, commonly used screen-based eye tracking (SET) paradigms are limited in their depiction of how individuals process information as they interact with the environment in "real life". Mobile eye tracking (MET) records participant-perspective gaze in the context of active behavior. Recent technological developments in MET hardware enable researchers to capture egocentric vision as early as infancy and across the lifespan. However, challenges remain in MET data collection, processing, and analysis. The present paper aims to provide an introduction and practical guide to starting researchers in the field to facilitate the use of MET in psychological research with a wide range of age groups. First, we provide a general introduction to MET. Next, we briefly review MET studies in adults and children that provide new insights into attention and its roles in cognitive and socioemotional functioning. We then discuss technical issues relating to MET data collection and provide guidelines for data quality inspection, gaze annotations, data visualization, and statistical analyses. Lastly, we conclude by discussing the future directions of MET implementation. Open-source programs for MET data quality inspection, data visualization, and analysis are shared publicly.

Bolstering family therapy: Assimilating EMDR into ABFT in youth residential treatment.

The psychotherapy field has a long history of integration to improve treatment effectiveness. One type, assimilative integration, offers innovative opportunities to family therapy to incorporate the clinical and research contributions of different approaches. This paper contributes to the literature on integration by exploring how Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can be assimilated into Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) for youth in residential psychiatric treatment. ABFT seeks to improve attachment security to parental figures by asking adolescents and young adults to discuss attachment ruptures. This process, specially designed for patients with internalizing disorders, can provoke anxiety, particularly for a patient population that commonly has a history of trauma and adverse life experiences. EMDR is a first-line therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and has the potential to be effective in treating various other mental health conditions. When patient emotional withdrawal or dysregulation due to breaches in trust between child and parent emerges in ABFT, EMDR may help desensitize associated memories and bolster the family therapy process. The authors provide an overview of both models, and a detailed case study as an example. The paper concludes with a discussion on implications, integration efforts, and limitations.

Incidence and risk factors of fellow-eyes wet conversion in unilateral neovascular age-related macular degeneration over 15-year follow-up.

PURPOSE: Incidence and risk factors of fellow eye wet conversion in unilateral neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) over 15-years follow-up. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed 593 unilateral nAMD patients with a minimum of five years up to 15 years of follow-up. The demographic data, visual acuity, fellow eye nAMD conversion rate, and the number of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections in the primary eye were evaluated. Also, the nAMD-converted fellow eyes were divided into two groups based on the time of conversion (less and more than two years from the first injection in the primary eye). Based on the data types, the T-test, Chi-square, and Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze. RESULTS: The total cases were 593 patients, and 248 eyes (41.82%) converted to nAMD in the mean interval of 34.92 ± 30.62 months. The males exhibited a predisposition to wet conversion at 2.54 years earlier than their female counterparts (P = 0.025). In all the converted fellow eyes, the mean age was 2.3 years higher at presentation in the group who converted within two years of follow-up in compared to eyes that converted after two years (79.82 ± 8.64 vs 77.51 ± 8.5 years, P = 0.035). Additionally, eyes converting within two years had a mean baseline LogMAR visual acuity of 0.44 ± 0.47, compared to 0.32 ± 0.41 for conversions after two years (P = 0.014). CONCLUSION: This study reported that males showed a predisposition to fellow eye nAMD conversion at an earlier age. Additionally, there was a trend of faster fellow eye nAMD conversion in individuals with higher age and lower baseline visual acuity. KEY MESSAGES: What is known • Certain risk factors may make the fellow eye of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) more likely to progress to wet conversion. • Identifying these risk factors for fellow eye wet conversion can help prevent it, potentially preserving the patient's vision quality for a longer duration. • The studies on the incidence of wet conversion in the fellow eye have yielded controversial results. What is new • During the 15-year follow-up period, nearly half (47.58%) of the fellow eyes that underwent wet conversion did so within the initial two years following the wet conversion of the first eye. • Males showed a predisposition to fellow eye nAMD conversion at an earlier age. • There was a trend of faster fellow eye nAMD conversion in individuals with higher age and lower baseline visual acuity.

Effects of repeated unihemispheric concurrent dual-site tDCS and virtual reality games on motor coordination of sedentary adolescent girls.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the effects of repetitive unihemispheric concurrent dual-site anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCSUHCDS) associated with the use of virtual reality games (VR) on the motor coordination of sedentary adolescent girls. METHODS: Thirty-six inactive adolescent girls were randomly assigned into 3 groups (n = 12 per group): (1) VR + a-tDCSUHCDS, (2) VR + sham-tDCSUHCDS, and (3) Control. The VR + a-tDCSUHCDS and VR + s-tDCSUHCDS groups received the intervention three times a week for four weeks. In each experimental session, participants first received either 20 min of a-tDCSUHCDS (2 mA at each anodal electrode) targeting the primary motor cortex (M1) and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) or sham and then performed VR for 1 h. The control group received no intervention. Eye-hand coordination (EHC) and bimanual coordination (BC) were measured at baseline, post-intervention, and two weeks later (retention test) using the automatic scoring mirror tracer and continuous two-arm coordination test, respectively. RESULTS: Results showed that the EHC was significantly higher in the VR + a-tDCS and VR + s-tDCS groups at post-intervention (all ps< 0.001) and the retention test (all ps< 0.001) compared to the control group. Moreover, the EHC was significantly higher in the VR + a-tDCS group compared to the VR + s-tDCS group (p = 0.024) at the retention. Similarly, VR + a-tDCS and VR + s-tDCS improved BC compared to the control group at post-intervention (all ps< 0.001) and retention test (all ps< 0.001). In addition, higher BC was observed in the VR + a-tDCS group compared to the VR + s-tDCS group (p< 0.001) at the retention test. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that adding a-tDCSUHCDS to VR over 12 sessions may have an additional effect on VR training for improving and retaining motor coordination in sedentary adolescent girls.

Auditory guidance of eye movements toward threat-related images in the absence of visual awareness.

The human brain is sensitive to threat-related information even when we are not aware of this information. For example, fearful faces attract gaze in the absence of visual awareness. Moreover, information in different sensory modalities interacts in the absence of awareness, for example, the detection of suppressed visual stimuli is facilitated by simultaneously presented congruent sounds or tactile stimuli. Here, we combined these two lines of research and investigated whether threat-related sounds could facilitate visual processing of threat-related images suppressed from awareness such that they attract eye gaze. We suppressed threat-related images of cars and neutral images of human hands from visual awareness using continuous flash suppression and tracked observers' eye movements while presenting congruent or incongruent sounds (finger snapping and car engine sounds). Indeed, threat-related car sounds guided the eyes toward suppressed car images, participants looked longer at the hidden car images than at any other part of the display. In contrast, neither congruent nor incongruent sounds had a significant effect on eye responses to suppressed finger images. Overall, our results suggest that only in a danger-related context semantically congruent sounds modulate eye movements to images suppressed from awareness, highlighting the prioritisation of eye responses to threat-related stimuli in the absence of visual awareness.

The eyes as the exclamation mark of the face: exploring the relationship between eye size, intensity of female facial expressions and attractiveness in a range of emotions.

Background-objective: The eyes play an important role in communicating emotions and shape the determination of other facial attributes. Here, we explored the relationship between eye size, perceived intensity and attractiveness of facial expressions. Methods: A sample of N = 63 participants (men and women, aged 18-35) rated attractiveness and emotional intensity for images displaying emotionally expressive women's faces with digitally manipulated eye size (15% smaller, unchanged, or 15% larger). Results: The analysis of perceived intensity showed an interaction parameter between eye size and gender. Female individuals reported differences when comparing unchanged and larger eyes; male participants showed differences across all eye size comparisons (smaller-unchanged, smaller-larger, unchanged-larger). Regarding perceived attractiveness, faces with smaller eyes registered lower mean scores than both unchanged and larger. The lowest intensity level was associated with neutral faces and the highest with fearful ones. Faces displaying happiness were perceived as the most attractive. Conclusion: Larger eyes seem to make emotions more intense and attractive. We suggest that the more intense phenomenon serves an evolutive purpose, as it might encourage caretaking behavior.

Friend or foe? Using eye-tracking technology to investigate the visual discrimination ability of giant pandas.

The role that visual discriminative ability plays among giant pandas in social communication and individual discrimination has received less attention than olfactory and auditory modalities. Here, we used an eye-tracker technology to investigate pupil fixation patterns for 8 captive male giant pandas Ailuropoda melanoleuca. We paired images (N = 26) of conspecifics against: 1) sympatric predators (gray wolves and tigers), and non-threatening sympatric species (golden pheasant, golden snub-nosed monkey, takin, and red panda), 2) conspecifics with atypical fur coloration (albino and brown), and 3) zookeepers/non-zookeepers wearing either work uniform or plain clothing. For each session, we tracked the panda's pupil movements and measured pupil first fixation point (FFP), fixation latency, total fixation count (TFC), and duration (TFD) of attention to each image. Overall, pandas exhibited similar attention (FFPs and TFCs) to images of predators and non-threatening sympatric species. Images of golden pheasant, snub-nosed monkey, and tiger received less attention (TFD) than images of conspecifics, whereas images of takin and red panda received more attention, suggesting a greater alertness to habitat or food competitors than to potential predators. Pandas' TFCs were greater for images of black-white conspecifics than for albino or brown phenotypes, implying that familiar color elicited more interest. Pandas reacted differently to images of men versus women. For images of women only, pandas gave more attention (TFC) to familiar combinations (uniformed zookeepers and plain-clothed non-zookeepers), consistent with the familiarity hypothesis. That pandas can use visual perception to discriminate intra-specifically and inter-specifically, including details of human appearance, has applications for panda conservation and captive husbandry.

A Case of Traumatic Hyphema Diagnoses by Telemedicine Between a Remote Island and the Mainland of Tokyo.

Chichijima Island, part of the Ogasawara Islands in Tokyo, is a remote island with a population of approximately 2,000, served by a few resident general practitioners (GPs). This case report discusses the application of teleophthalmology in managing pediatric ocular trauma on this remote island. A pediatric patient sustained an ocular injury from a badminton shuttlecock and was initially examined by a resident GP using a recordable slit-lamp microscope. The ocular images were transmitted to a mainland ophthalmologist through a telemedicine system. The specialist provided remote consultation and recommended further examination and treatment, leading to the patient's transfer to the mainland. The successful management of this case underscores the critical role of telemedicine in enhancing healthcare delivery in isolated regions. With advancements in medical technology, teleophthalmology is expected to become increasingly vital in providing specialized care in remote and underserved areas. The case highlights the importance of telemedicine in improving access to specialized medical expertise, ensuring timely and effective patient care, and potentially reducing the need for patient transfers to more equipped healthcare facilities.