In a recent commentary, Memmert critiqued claims that attentional misdirection is directly analogous to inattentional blindness (IB) and cautioned against assuming too close a similarity between the two phenomena. One important difference highlighted in his analysis is that most lab-based inductions of IB rely on the taxing of attention through a demanding primary task, whereas attentional misdirection typically involves simply the orchestration of spatial attention. The present commentary argues that, rather than reflecting a complete dissociation between IB and attentional misdirection, this difference highlights potential grounds for delineating mechanistically distinct forms of IB: spatial inattentional blindness, which stems from the covert misallocation of spatial attention, and central inattentional blindness, which stems from disruption or preoccupation of perceptual mechanisms that interface with higher-level processes such as working memory.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOphthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg
April 2010
Purpose: Volume measurements calculated from axial and coronal CT scans were compared to determine which method more accurately determines orbital volume.
Methods: Thirty facial CT scans were used to measure 30 normal orbits using an image analysis program (Dextroscope, Singapore). The 3-dimensional volumes determined from axial scans and coronal scans were analyzed.
Arch Facial Plast Surg
February 2010
Objectives: To measure the orbital volume of unilateral pure blowout fractures with computed tomography before and after surgery and to compare 3-dimensional (3-D) imaging systems.
Methods: Twenty-four patients were evaluated with facial computed tomographic scans before and after surgery. Both the orbital volume and the displaced soft tissue volume were measured by 2 operators using 2 different 3-D software programs (Vitrea; Vital Images Inc, Minnetonka, Minnesota; and Dextroscope; Bracco AMT Inc, Princeton, NJ).
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg
October 2009
Objective: To study the outcome of patients with orbital apex lesions treated with endoscopic decompression alone.
Design: Retrospective medical chart review with a mean follow-up of 25.6 months.
Arch Facial Plast Surg
October 2009
Objective: To determine the efficacy of an over-the-counter topical skin adhesive pad for reducing central forehead and glabellar rhytids over a 4-week period.
Design: Prospective series involving 30 healthy volunteers with central forehead and glabellar rhytids at a tertiary care academic medical center. The participants used topical skin adhesive pads over the central forehead area and the glabella for 4 weeks in an effort to reduce rhytids.
The sequelae of trauma to the nose include nasal deformity and nasal obstruction that can have a long-term negative impact on patient quality of life. Successful management of posttraumatic nasal obstruction relies on a detailed history, careful analysis, and accurate diagnosis. Dividing the nose into horizontal thirds assists in preoperative analysis as well as surgical treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAge-related changes in the structure of the nose can obstruct the nasal airway and adversely affect quality of life. Several procedures are available to restore the patency of the airway, but not all are appropriate for all patients. Also, long-term outcomes data on such procedures are lacking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Distortion of the philtrum, which lends considerable symmetry to the midface, leads to a poor esthetic outcome.
Objective: This case series describes reconstructive approaches to six philtral defects after Mohs micrographic surgery. Reconstructive approaches including advancement flaps, full-thickness skin grafts, and second-intention healing are illustrated.
Resection of the alar cartilage has long been a mainstay of aesthetic rhinoplasty. One drawback of this technique is the destabilization of the ala/lateral nasal wall complex. Herein we describe the cephalic turn-in flap, a technique for reinforcement of the alar cartilage after removal of its cephalic portion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFacial Plast Surg Clin North Am
February 2009
The perioperative period can be anxiety provoking for rhinoplasty patients. Patients rely on the skill and confidence of the surgeon to attain optimal results. Having an established strategy for the preoperative, anesthetic, and postoperative care of this patient population is critical to achieving a successful outcome and to ensuring a positive experience for the patient.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Even in the era of high output implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) devices, a certain proportion of patients cannot be successfully defibrillated with 10 J safety margin. In practice, either the use of a single- or double-coil lead does not guarantee successful termination of induced ventricular fibrillation. Therefore, we investigated the effectiveness of the subcutaneous finger lead placed at the subcutaneous tissue dorsal to the left ventricle in terms of defibrillation threshold (DFT) lowering.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRejuvenation of the lower eyelid blepharoplasty in men requires consideration of different esthetic norms than those considered in women. Although both require a thorough understanding of anatomy, and the process of aging in each includes descent of the globe, pseudoherniation of the orbital fat, and skeletonization of the inferior bony rim, the goals for male blepharoplasty differ. The authors review the primary surgical approaches in lower lid blepharoplasty (transconjunctival skin-muscle flap) and the currently described techniques used to address displaced orbital fat, with special consideration of the male patient.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArch Facial Plast Surg
December 2007
Objective: To examine the efficacy of 2 over-the-counter cosmeceutical creams in reducing facial rhytids-Freeze 24/7 Anti-Wrinkle Cream (Freeze 24/7 International LLC, New York, New York) and LiftFusion Micro-Injected M-Tox Transdermal Face Lift (Fusionbeauty, Inc, Boca Raton, Florida)-against placebo (Nutraderm Therapeutic Lotion; Healthpoint, Inc, San Antonio, Texas).
Methods: A prospective, blinded clinical trial was performed on 42 subjects, comparing 2 cosmeceutical creams that each represent a class of purported rapid rhytid reduction formulas with placebo. Independent analysis by 2 facial plastic surgeons was performed as well as completion of self-assessment questionnaires by the participants.
Arch Facial Plast Surg
January 2007
Objective: To measure the efficacy of functional rhinoplasty techniques with a validated quality-of-life instrument.
Design: Prospective observational outcomes study of patients with severe nasal obstruction owing to septal deviation, internal or external valve collapse, and turbinate hypertrophy who subsequently underwent functional rhinoplasty. Preoperative and postoperative evaluations were performed using the Nasal Obstruction Symptoms Evaluation scale.
The current study examines whether aversively conditioned stimuli can modulate attention to such a degree that they impair the perception of subsequently presented nonemotional targets. In the initial phase of this study, participants viewed 3 categories of photographs, 1 of which was paired with an aversive noise. Following conditioning, participants searched for a target embedded within a series of 17 rapidly presented images on each trial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArch Facial Plast Surg
October 2006
Objective: To describe a modified extracorporeal septoplasty technique and measure its efficacy with a validated quality-of-life instrument.
Design: A prospective observational outcomes study of patients with severe septal deviation who subsequently underwent anterior septal reconstruction. Preoperative and postoperative evaluation was performed using photographs and the Nasal Obstruction Symptoms Evaluation scale.
The amygdala is implicated in emotional processing, and its rich subcortical connections have led to suggestions that processing of emotional stimuli occurs independently of attention. Using a novel attentional manipulation in conjunction with fMRI, we showed that emotion-related amygdala activity was modulated by attention, but that the degree of such modulation correlated with the personality variable harm avoidance, associated with trait anxiety. Participants ignored emotional distractors while searching through a rapid stream of pictures for a target, about which they were provided either specific or nonspecific descriptive information (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEmotional stimuli often attract attention, but at what cost to the processing of other stimuli? Given the potential costs, to what degree can people override emotion-based attentional biases? In Experiment 1, participants searched for a single target within a rapid serial visual presentation of pictures; an irrelevant, emotionally negative or neutral picture preceded the target by either two or eight items. At the shorter lag, negative pictures spontaneously induced greater deficits in target processing than neutral pictures did. Thus, attentional biases to emotional information induced a temporary inability to process stimuli that people actively sought.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe variety and complexity of periorbital surgical procedures continue to increase. Successful completion of reconstructive and esthetic ocular procedures requires an exacting knowledge of the relevant anatomy. Interestingly, the definition of ocular and periorbital anatomy continues to evolve, including more recent descriptions of the orbitomalar ligament and a new understanding of eyelid lymphatics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg
May 2005
Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of using porous high-density polyethylene (PHDPE) in the repair of orbital defects.
Design: Retrospective case series.
Setting: Academic tertiary care trauma center.
Arch Facial Plast Surg
August 2005