Neural networks underlying visual illusions: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis.

Visual illusions have long been used to study visual perception and contextual integration. Neuroimaging studies employ illusions to identify the brain regions involved in visual perception and how they interact. We conducted an Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis and meta-analytic connectivity modeling on fMRI studies using static and motion illusions to reveal the neural signatures of illusory processing and to investigate the degree to which different areas are commonly recruited in perceptual inference.

GPS Digital Nudge to Limit Road Crashes in Non-Expert Drivers.

Many automotive industries are developing technologies to assist human drivers in suggesting wiser choices to improve drivers' behaviour. The technology that makes use of this modality is defined as a "digital nudge". An example of a digital nudge is the GPS that is installed on smartphones.

Technological innovation of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) as a tool for commercial aviation pilots with insulin-treated diabetes and stakeholders/regulators: A new chance to improve the directives?

Civil aviation pilots who develop insulin-treated diabetes and want to renew a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) represent a medical, social and regulatory problem. This depends on justified concerns about hypoglycemia, the most threatening event for people who carry out jobs requiring a high level of concentration and reliability. This negatively affects social and working aspects of pilots' lives, who have a high profile and a high-cost professional qualification.

Cognitive Reserve in Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis of fMRI Studies.

Cognitive reserve (CR) has been defined as the ability to optimize or maximize performance through differential recruitment of brain networks. In the present study, we aimed at providing evidence for a consistent brain network underpinning CR in healthy and pathological aging. To pursue this aim, we performed a coordinate-based meta-analysis of 17 functional magnetic resonance imaging studies on CR proxies in healthy aging, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Domain-Specific Interference Tests on Navigational Working Memory in Military Pilots.

Introduction: Human navigation is a very complex ability that encompasses all four stages of human information processing (sensory input, perception/cognition, selection, and execution of an action), involving both cognitive and physical requirements. During flight, the pilot uses all of these stages and one of the most critical aspect is interference. In fact, spatial tasks competing for the same cognitive resource cause greater distraction from a concurrent task than another task that uses different resource modalities.

Rehabilitation from airsickness in military pilots: long-term treatment effectiveness.

Background: Airsickness (AS) still represents a major issue in aviation medicine and affects many student pilots and aircrew members. This study aimed at producing an update of the Italian Air Force rehabilitation program for AS, including data on a prolonged follow-up (> 8 yr).

Methods: Data from 20 military pilots with a past history of rehabilitation for incapacitating AS were compared to those of 65 normal controls.

Mental rotation task in a pilot during and after pregnancy.

Introduction: Discordant findings have been reported about the change in pregnant women's cognitive test performance. Visuo-spatial abilities, which are crucial in terrestrial/flight navigation, could be influenced by hormonal variations.

Case Report: A 32-yr-old Italian Air Force pilot underwent a 2-D Mental Rotation Task (MRT) and hormonal assessment in the second trimester of pregnancy and 1 yr after delivery.

Gender effects on mental rotation in pilots vs. nonpilots.

Introduction: Mental rotation ability has an important role in human navigation and, together with other cognitive abilities such as processing speed, working memory, and attention, is crucial for aircraft navigation. In the human performance literature, mental rotation tasks have consistently yielded reports of gender differences favoring men. The aim of this study was to compare the gender difference measured in a specialized population of aviators vs.