A cognitive and neurophysiological test of change from an individual's baseline.

Objective: An automated cognitive neurophysiological test is presented that characterizes how an individual was affected by a drug or treatment. The test calculates sub-scores for working memory task performance, cortical activation, and alertness, and combines the sub-scores into an overall score.

Methods: The test was applied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of alcohol, caffeine, diphenhydramine, and sleep deprivation in 16 healthy adults.

Report of the International Conference on Risk Communication Strategies for BSL-4 laboratories, Tokyo, October 3-5, 2007.

Working with highly pathogenic agents such as Ebola or Marburg virus in the context of infection control or biodefense research requires high-biocontainment laboratories of the Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) to protect researchers and laboratory staff from infection and to prevent the unintentional release of harmful agents. The public perception of research on highly pathogenic agents and the operation of high-containment facilities is often ambivalent: while the output of the biomedical research is highly valued, the existence of a BSL-4 lab is often viewed with concern. Biomedical research perspectives and public perceptions often differ and can lead to tensions that could have negative effects on research, society, and politics.