An intriguing question in cognitive neuroscience is whether alpha oscillations shape how the brain transforms the continuous sensory inputs into distinct percepts. According to the alpha temporal resolution hypothesis, sensory signals arriving within a single alpha cycle are integrated, whereas those in separate cycles are segregated. Consequently, shorter alpha cycles should be associated with smaller temporal binding windows and higher temporal resolution. However, the evidence supporting this hypothesis is contentious, and the neural mechanisms remain unclear. In this review, we first elucidate the alpha temporal resolution hypothesis and the neural circuitries that generate alpha oscillations. We then critically evaluate study designs, experimental paradigms, psychophysics, and neurophysiological analyses that have been employed to investigate the role of alpha frequency in temporal binding. Through the lens of this methodological framework, we then review evidence from between-subject, within-subject, and causal perturbation studies. Our review highlights the inherent interpretational ambiguities posed by previous study designs and experimental paradigms and the extensive variability in analysis choices across studies. We also suggest best practice recommendations that may help to guide future research. To establish a mechanistic role of alpha frequency in temporal parsing, future research is needed that demonstrates its causal effects on the temporal binding window with consistent, experimenter-independent methods.

Visual representations of food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) express diverse dietary and sociocultural norms, especially as they relate to healthy eating habits. This article investigates government recommendations for healthy eating habits expressed in the visual representation of Latin American FBDGs. Drawing on 15 images published between 1991 and 2017, we conducted an anthropological visual analysis guided by the methodology proposed by James Collier and Malcolm Collier: unstructured analyses, open viewing analyses, structured analyses and microanalyses. Here, we explore government recommendations based on visual representation shapes, food classification systems, lifestyle recommendations and embedded sociocultural elements. Our main findings relate to how dietary and sociocultural norms are used to promote eating practices considered healthy. Dietary norms focus on variety, proportionality, and moderation, as expressed in terms of food classification and food standards considered healthy. Sociocultural norms are referenced by the use of cultural symbols as strategies to promote traditional foods, cooking practices, commensality, water consumption and physical activity. Ultimately, we argue that FBDG visual representations contain embedded messages that counsel individuals to plan, buy, prepare and consume food with family; to consume foods considered healthy; to pay full attention to their meals, without distractions, such as television and cell phones; and to celebrate traditional, local and/or native foods and culinary preparations.

Human information processing is limited by attentional resources. That is, via attentional mechanisms humans select information that is relevant for their goals, and discard other information. While limitations of attentional processing have been investigated extensively in each sensory modality, there is debate as to whether sensory modalities access shared resources, or if instead distinct resources are dedicated to individual sensory modalities. Research addressing this question has used dual task designs, with two tasks performed either in a single sensory modality or in two separate modalities. The rationale is that, if two tasks performed in separate sensory modalities interfere less or not at all compared to two tasks performed in the same sensory modality, then attentional resources are distinct across the sensory modalities. If task interference is equal regardless of whether tasks are performed in separate sensory modalities or the same sensory modality, then attentional resources are shared across the sensory modalities. Due to their complexity, dual task designs face many methodological difficulties. In the present review, we discuss potential confounds and countermeasures. In particular, we discuss 1) compound interference measures to circumvent problems with participants dividing attention unequally across tasks, 2) staircase procedures to match difficulty levels of tasks and counteracting problems with interpreting results, 3) choosing tasks that continuously engage participants to minimize issues arising from task switching, and 4) reducing motor demands to avoid sources of task interference, which are independent of the involved sensory modalities.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) can provide access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices using neurological activity alone without voluntary movements. As with traditional AAC access methods, BCI performance may be influenced by the cognitive-sensory-motor and motor imagery profiles of those who use these devices. Therefore, we propose a person-centered, feature matching framework consistent with clinical AAC best practices to ensure selection of the most appropriate BCI technology to meet individuals\' communication needs.
The proposed feature matching procedure is based on the current state of the art in BCI technology and published reports on cognitive, sensory, motor, and motor imagery factors important for successful operation of BCI devices.
Considerations for successful selection of BCI for accessing AAC are summarized based on interpretation from a multidisciplinary team with experience in AAC, BCI, neuromotor disorders, and cognitive assessment. The set of features that support each BCI option are discussed in a hypothetical case format to model possible transition of BCI research from the laboratory into clinical AAC applications.
This procedure is an initial step toward consideration of feature matching assessment for the full range of BCI devices. Future investigations are needed to fully examine how person-centered factors influence BCI performance across devices.

The childhood condition of visual difficulties caused by brain damage, commonly termed cortical or cerebral visual impairment (CVI), is well established but has no internationally accepted definition. Clarification of its core features is required to advance research and clinical practice. This systematic review aimed to identify the definitions of childhood CVI in the original scientific literature to describe and critically appraise a consensual definition of the condition. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINAHL and AMED databases were searched in January 2017. Studies were included if they (1) were published original research, (2) contained a childhood CVI sample, (3) contained a definition of CVI and (4) described their CVI identification/diagnostic method. Thematic analysis identified concepts within definitions and narrative synthesis was conducted. Of 1150 articles, 51 met inclusion criteria. Definitions were subdivided according to detail (descriptive definition, description not reaching definition status and diagnostic/operationalising criteria). Three themes concerning visual deficits, eye health and brain integrity were identified (each containing subthemes) and analysed individually across definitions. The most common themes were \'visual impairment\' (n=20), \'retrochiasmatic pathway damage\'(n=13) and \'normal/near normal eye health\' (n=15). The most consensual definition identified here may not be the best quality for advancing our understanding of CVI. We argue for the alternative definition: CVI is a verifiable visual dysfunction which cannot be attributed to disorders of the anterior visual pathways or any potentially co-occurring ocular impairment. We propose reporting guidelines to permit comparison across studies and increase the evidence base for more reliable clinical assessment and diagnosis.

In the past decades, neuroimaging of humans has gained a position of status within neuroscience, and data-driven approaches and functional connectivity analyses of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data are increasingly favored to depict the complex architecture of human brains. However, the reliability of these findings is jeopardized by too many analysis methods and sometimes too few samples used, which leads to discord among researchers. We propose a tunable consensus clustering paradigm that aims at overcoming the clustering methods selection problem as well as reliability issues in neuroimaging by means of first applying several analysis methods (three in this study) on multiple datasets and then integrating the clustering results. To validate the method, we applied it to a complex fMRI experiment involving affective processing of hundreds of music clips. We found that brain structures related to visual, reward, and auditory processing have intrinsic spatial patterns of coherent neuroactivity during affective processing. The comparisons between the results obtained from our method and those from each individual clustering algorithm demonstrate that our paradigm has notable advantages over traditional single clustering algorithms in being able to evidence robust connectivity patterns even with complex neuroimaging data involving a variety of stimuli and affective evaluations of them. The consensus clustering method is implemented in the R package \"UNCLES\" available on http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/UNCLES/index.html .

The MCCB is widely used in clinical trials of schizophrenia, but its relationship to occupational functioning still needs further elaboration. While previous research has indicated that various domains of neurocognition assessed by individual tests are related to work functioning, these reports preceded the development of the MCCB as the standard neurocognitive test battery in the field. In the current study, the vocational functioning of 131 Norwegian participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who were enrolled in a vocational rehabilitation program were assessed on the Vocational Cognitive Rating Scale (VCRS), the Work Behavior Inventory (WBI), and the Complexity Scale (CS) as well as on the MCCB. Significant correlations were found between most MCCB domains and VCRS Total Score. MCCB processing speed and attention were most powerfully related to and predictive of WBI scores. When participants were divided into \"low complexity\" or \"higher complexity\" work categories, participants in the \"low-complexity\" group performed significantly worse than participants in the \"higher-complexity\" group regarding processing speed, working memory, visual learning and the composite score. The same pattern emerged for participants working sheltered compared to competitive jobs. The VCRS, WBI and CS may be useful in vocational rehabilitation. They bridge an important gap between test- and occupational-setting, providing valuable information about impairments related to occupational functioning. We found the MCCB to be sensitive to occupational functioning as measured by VCRS, WBI and CS, with neurocognition accounting for a small but significant proportion of the variance in these different measures of occupational functioning.

BACKGROUND: The presence of neuropsychological impairment is a hallmark of chronic solvent-induced encephalopathy (CSE), and using clinical neuropsychological procedures to generate a valid assessment of the condition is crucial for its diagnosis. The goals of this consensus document are to provide updated knowledge of the neuropsychological characteristics of CSE and to provide internationally acceptable guidelines for using neuropsychological assessments in the process of diagnosing patients who are suspected of having CSE.
METHODS: A European working group that was composed of experts in the field of the clinical diagnosis of CSE met at several round-table meetings and prepared this report. The first section of the consensus paper addresses a review of the relevant literature that was published between 1985 and March 2012. The second section addresses recommendations for the clinical neuropsychological assessment of patients who are suspected of having CSE.
RESULTS: The literature review indicates that the most common neuropsychological impairments in CSE patients are within the domains of attention, particularly the speed of information processing, memory, and motor performance. It appears that the influence of CSE on memory processes mainly involves immediate recall and generally involves verbal, visual and visuospatial material. In the second section, six recommendations are presented regarding important functional domains for the neuropsychological diagnostic process of CSE that relate to the evaluation of neuropsychological impairment, the assessment and evaluation of symptoms, differential diagnostic considerations, the reliability and validity of neuropsychological test results, and the retesting of patients.
CONCLUSIONS: These recommendations will contribute to the improvement of the process for accurately diagnosing CSE, better counselling for CSE patients, the comparability of epidemiological data between countries, and finally, by raising awareness, these recommendations will contribute to combating the adverse health effects of occupational exposure to solvents.

The current study applies semantic differential to explore the semantic perception of emergency signs, in an attempt to analyze the meanings of emergency signs in regard to the psychological exigencies of the general public. The results indicate that problems concerning recognition accuracy have been observed, but also that the evaluation of the semantic meaning of the signs is positive. However, a number of emotional factors also emerge, indicating that if improvements should be made to the existing emergency signs, it would better facilitate evacuation in the event of an emergency. As for the design guidelines, the emergency signs should be readily recognizable and have a single meaning. Multiple symbolic meanings should be eliminated. Concrete design guidelines include: (a) safety movement, (b) clarity, and (c) safety. To avoid confusion in sign recognition, in addition to the improvements made based on the abovementioned guidelines, educational promotional activities carried out by the government would also prove very beneficial.

OBJECTIVE: To find the proportion of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) in a referral cohort of patients with a first-time diagnosis of mild dementia.
BACKGROUND: The proportion of DLB among the dementia sufferers is not known and the clinical consensus criteria have low sensitivity. We employed the revised DLB criteria to study the proportion with DLB in a community sample of patients with mild dementia.
METHODS: From March 2005 to March 2007, we included 196 patients from referrals to all geriatric medicine, old age psychiatry and neurology outpatient clinics in Rogaland and Hordaland counties in Western Norway. Standardized clinical instruments and diagnostic criteria were employed.
RESULTS: 65% had Alzheimer dementia, 20% DLB (16% probable DLB), 5.6% vascular dementia, 5.6% Parkinson disease with dementia, 2.0% frontotemporal dementia and 1.5% alcoholic dementia. There were no significant differences in the proportion with DLB according to age bands and dementia severity groups. The revised criteria for a clinical diagnosis of DLB increased the proportion of probable DLB by 25% compared to the previous criteria.
CONCLUSIONS: DLB is common in patients with mild dementia, and is the second most common type of dementia. The introduction of new clinical criteria for DLB leads to an increase in the proportion diagnosed with probable DLB.