Supra-Threshold LS CE-Chirp Auditory Brainstem Response in the Elderly.

Introduction: Aging deteriorates peripheral and central auditory structures and functions. In elders, for an accurate audiological evaluation, it is important to explore beyond the cochlear receptor. Audiograms provide an estimation of hearing thresholds, while the amplitudes and latencies of supra-threshold auditory brainstem response (ABR) can offer noninvasive measures of the auditory pathways functioning.

Cochlear dysfunction as an early biomarker of cognitive decline in normal hearing and mild hearing loss.

Introduction: Age-related hearing loss is an important risk factor for cognitive decline. However, audiogram thresholds are not good estimators of dementia risk in subjects with normal hearing or mild hearing loss. Here we propose to use distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) as an objective and sensitive tool to estimate the risk of cognitive decline in older adults with normal hearing or mild hearing loss.

EOG-Based Human-Computer Interface: 2000-2020 Review.

Electro-oculography (EOG)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) is a relevant technology influencing physical medicine, daily life, gaming and even the aeronautics field. EOG-based BCI systems record activity related to users' intention, perception and motor decisions. It converts the bio-physiological signals into commands for external hardware, and it executes the operation expected by the user through the output device.

Speech Perception and Dichotic Listening Are Associated With Hearing Thresholds and Cognition, Respectively, in Unaided Presbycusis.

Presbycusis or age-related hearing loss is a prevalent condition in the elderly population, which affects oral communication, especially in background noise, and has been associated with social isolation, depression, and cognitive decline. However, the mechanisms that relate hearing loss with cognition are complex and still elusive. Importantly, recent studies show that the use of hearing aids in presbycusis, which is its standard management, can induce neuroplasticity and modify performance in cognitive tests.

Neural links between facial emotion recognition and cognitive impairment in presbycusis.

Objectives: Facial emotion recognition (FER) is impaired in people with dementia and with severe to profound hearing loss, probably reflecting common neural changes. Here, we aim to study the association between brain structures and FER impairment in mild to moderate age-related hearing loss participants.

Methods: We evaluated FER in a cross-sectional cohort of 111 Chilean nondemented elderly participants.

Electro-Encephalography and Electro-Oculography in Aeronautics: A Review Over the Last Decade (2010-2020).

Electro-encephalography (EEG) and electro-oculography (EOG) are methods of electrophysiological monitoring that have potentially fruitful applications in neuroscience, clinical exploration, the aeronautical industry, and other sectors. These methods are often the most straightforward way of evaluating brain oscillations and eye movements, as they use standard laboratory or mobile techniques. This review describes the potential of EEG and EOG systems and the application of these methods in aeronautics.

Effects of Mental Effort on Premotor Muscle Activity and Maximal Grip Force.

The present study sought to evaluate how mental effort modulates premotor activity within forearm muscles in the context of an isometric grasping task. Muscle activity of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and extensor digitorum communis (EDC) was recorded during the application of maximum grip forces in nineteen healthy adult subjects. Each subject was examined under two experimental conditions: 1) spontaneous initiation of grasp (SI) and 2) focused concentration preceding the initiation of grasp (CA).

Temporal Deployment of Attention by Mental Training: an fMRI Study.

In this study, we employed a visuo-motor imagery task of alertness as a mental training to examine temporal processing of motor responses within healthy young adults. Participants were divided into two groups (group 1; n = 20 who performed the mental training before the real physical task and a control group who performed the physical task without mental training). We vary the time interval between the imperative stimulus and the preceding one (fore-period) in which temporal preparation and arousal increase briefly.

Reduced suprathreshold auditory nerve responses are associated with slower processing speed and thinner temporal and parietal cortex in presbycusis.

Unlabelled: Epidemiological evidence shows an association between hearing loss and dementia in elderly people. However, the mechanisms that connect hearing impairments and cognitive decline are still unknown. Here we propose that a suprathreshold auditory-nerve impairment is associated with cognitive decline and brain atrophy.

Insula and Amygdala Atrophy Are Associated With Functional Impairment in Subjects With Presbycusis.

Hearing loss is an important risk factor for dementia. However, the mechanisms that relate these disorders are still unknown. As a proxy of this relationship, we studied the structural brain changes associated with functional impairment in activities of daily living in subjects with age related hearing loss, or presbycusis.

Cingulate Cortex Atrophy Is Associated With Hearing Loss in Presbycusis With Cochlear Amplifier Dysfunction.

Age-related hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline and has been proposed as a risk factor for dementia. However, the mechanisms that relate hearing loss to cognitive decline remain elusive. Here, we propose that the impairment of the cochlear amplifier mechanism is associated with structural brain changes and cognitive impairment.

Collaboration of Cerebello-Rubral and Cerebello-Striatal Loops in a Motor Preparation Task.

In this study, we used fMRI to identify brain regions associated with concentration (sustained attention) during a motor preparation task. In comparison with a non-concentration task, increased activities were observed (P < 0.05, FWE-corrected P values) in cerebellar lobules VI and VII, motor cortex, pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA), thalamus, red nucleus (RN), and caudate nucleus (CN).

Effects of verbal encouragement on force and electromyographic activations during exercise.

Background: The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of verbal encouragement on isometric force and associated electromyographic (EMG) parameters during a handgrip task.

Methods: Twenty-three participants (12 women and 11 men) performed maximal voluntary isometric handgrip contractions following three conditions: 1) verbal encouragement (VE) condition: participants executed isometric contractions while being verbally encouraged; 2) non-verbal encouragement (nVE) condition: the same starting and stopping signal but without encouragement; 3) non-concentration and non-motivation (nCM) condition: self-initiated contractions without concentration and motivation. Start and stop of the contraction were self-initiated.

Exploration and Identification of Cortico-Cerebellar-Brainstem Closed Loop During a Motivational-Motor Task: an fMRI Study.

The cerebellum is involved not only in motor coordination, training, and memory, but also in cognition and emotion. Lobule VI in particular belongs to sensorimotor, salience, and executive cerebellar networks. This study aims to determine whether lobule VI would constitute an integrative interface between motor and cognitive/emotional circuits during a motor task with verbal encouragement, likely in conjunction with the basal ganglia (reward and motivational system).