Predicting continued dizziness after an acute peripheral vestibular disorder.

Objective: To identify individuals at risk of developing ongoing dizziness 3 months after an acute peripheral vestibular disorder episode, which is usually functionally compensated or even healed within a few weeks.

Methods: In a prospective longitudinal study, we assessed fear of bodily sensations and cognitions related to anxiety at the time of hospital admission and 3 months later in 43 patients with an episode of vestibular neuritis (VN) or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). All participants were assessed for mental disorders using a structured clinical interview.

Temporal dynamics of selective attention and conflict resolution during cross-dimensional Go-NoGo decisions.

Background: Decision-making is a fundamental capacity which is crucial to many higher-order psychological functions. We recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) during a visual target-identification task that required go-nogo choices. Targets were identified on the basis of cross-dimensional conjunctions of particular colors and forms.

Fractionating the neural mechanisms of cognitive control.

Modifications of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were established. In these new task variants, participants were asked to exert sequential control over attentional sets or over intentional sets (task domain factor). Attentional set shifting requires changing the priorities by which sensory stimuli are selected, whereas intentional set shifting requires changing the priorities by which motor responses are selected.