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Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) Apr 2024The brain networks for the first (L1) and second (L2) languages are dynamically formed in the bilingual brain. This study delves into the neural mechanisms associated... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
The brain networks for the first (L1) and second (L2) languages are dynamically formed in the bilingual brain. This study delves into the neural mechanisms associated with logographic-logographic bilingualism, where both languages employ visually complex and conceptually rich logographic scripts. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, we examined the brain activity of Chinese-Japanese bilinguals and Japanese-Chinese bilinguals as they engaged in rhyming tasks with Chinese characters and Japanese Kanji. Results showed that Japanese-Chinese bilinguals processed both languages using common brain areas, demonstrating an assimilation pattern, whereas Chinese-Japanese bilinguals recruited additional neural regions in the left lateral prefrontal cortex for processing Japanese Kanji, reflecting their accommodation to the higher phonological complexity of L2. In addition, Japanese speakers relied more on the phonological processing route, while Chinese speakers favored visual form analysis for both languages, indicating differing neural strategy preferences between the 2 bilingual groups. Moreover, multivariate pattern analysis demonstrated that, despite the considerable neural overlap, each bilingual group formed distinguishable neural representations for each language. These findings highlight the brain's capacity for neural adaptability and specificity when processing complex logographic languages, enriching our understanding of the neural underpinnings supporting bilingual language processing.
Topics: Humans; Multilingualism; Male; Female; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Young Adult; Brain; Brain Mapping; Adult; Phonetics; Reading; Language; Japan
PubMed: 38652552
DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae150 -
Contact Lens & Anterior Eye : the... Apr 2024It is important to be able to measure the range of clear focus in clinical practice to advise on presbyopia correction techniques and to optimise the correction power....
It is important to be able to measure the range of clear focus in clinical practice to advise on presbyopia correction techniques and to optimise the correction power. Both subjective and objective techniques are necessary: subjective techniques (such as patient reported outcome questionnaires and defocus curves) assess the impact of presbyopia on a patient and how the combination of residual objective accommodation and their natural DoF work for them; objective techniques (such as autorefraction, corneal topography and lens imaging) allow the clinician to understand how well a technique is working optically and whether it is the right choice or how adjustments can be made to optimise performance. Techniques to assess visual performance and adverse effects must be carefully conducted to gain a reliable end-point, considering the target size, contrast and illumination. Objective techniques are generally more reliable, can help to explain unexpected subjective results and imaging can be a powerful communication tool with patients. A clear diagnosis, excluding factors such as binocular vision issues or digital eye strain that can also cause similar symptoms, is critical for the patient to understand and adapt to presbyopia. Some corrective options are more permanent, such as implanted inlays / intraocular lenses or laser refractive surgery, so the optics can be trialled with contact lenses in advance (including differences between the eyes) to better communicate with the patient how the optics will work for them so they can make an informed choice.
PubMed: 38641525
DOI: 10.1016/j.clae.2024.102156 -
Journal of Ophthalmic & Vision Research 2024The present study sets out to investigate the effect of cyclopentolate-induced cycloplegia on distance and near deviation and the accommodative convergence/accommodation...
PURPOSE
The present study sets out to investigate the effect of cyclopentolate-induced cycloplegia on distance and near deviation and the accommodative convergence/accommodation (AC/A) ratio.
METHODS
This prospective study was performed on 30 subjects. The inclusion criteria included a lack of any active ocular pathology and systemic diseases, no history of ocular surgery, and nonuse of various medications. Refraction, near and distance deviation were measured for all subjects, and the same examinations were repeated after the administration of two drops of cyclopentolate 1% to both eyes.
RESULTS
The obtained data from 30 subjects, including 19 males, with a mean age of 22.53 1.74 years were analyzed. The mean SD of near deviation in dry and cycloplegic conditions were -6.9 8.1 and +6.4 9.1 prism diopters, respectively, which were statistically significant ( 0.001). Distance deviation in cycloplegic conditions demonstrated an average difference of 0.8 prism diopters, compared to dry conditions ( 0.001). AC/A ratios were 4.7 2.5 and 9.7 3.9 (Δ/D) in non-cycloplegic and cycloplegic conditions, respectively, which was a statistically significant difference ( 0.001). The multiple regression indicated that among all under study variables, refraction (B coefficient: -2.4; 0.001) and near pre-cycloplegic deviation (B coefficient: 0.56; 0.001) were significantly associated with post-cycloplegic near deviation.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study indicated that cycloplegia causes a considerable esophoric shift in near deviation and a negligible esophoric shift in distance deviation. As a result, the AC/A ratio demonstrated a significant increase due to unequal changes in near and distance deviation.
PubMed: 38638622
DOI: 10.18502/jovr.v19i1.15442 -
PloS One 2024To determine the effect of sex as a risk factor regarding presbyopia.
PURPOSE
To determine the effect of sex as a risk factor regarding presbyopia.
METHODS
Maximum accommodation was pharmacologically induced (40% cabachol corneal iontophoresis) in 97 rhesus monkeys (49 males and 48 females) ranging in age from 8 to 36 years old. Accommodation was measured by Hartinger coincidence refractometry.
RESULTS
Accommodative amplitude measured refractometrically decreased with age, and the rate of change was not different between males and females (p = 0.827).
CONCLUSIONS
Presbyopia is essentially sex neutral, and no one is spared. There may be modest variations between different populations for various reasons, but essentially it is monotonously predictable. At present there is no biological therapeutic.
Topics: Male; Animals; Female; Macaca mulatta; Presbyopia; Accommodation, Ocular; Aging; Lens, Crystalline
PubMed: 38635668
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300476 -
BMC Ophthalmology Apr 2024Convergence insufficiency is a common issue in the field of binocular vision. Various treatment options have been suggested for managing this condition, but their...
BACKGROUND
Convergence insufficiency is a common issue in the field of binocular vision. Various treatment options have been suggested for managing this condition, but their efficacy in individuals with presbyopia remains unclear. The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of home-based vision therapy and prism prescription, in presbyopic patients with convergence insufficiency.
METHODS/DESIGN
It is a randomized, prospective, double-blind clinical trial, with total of 150 participants randomly assigned to the three groups. The Control Group will receive a new near glasses as a conventional prescription, along with aimless and random eye movement exercises that do not have any convergence or accommodation effects. The Home Vision Therapy Group will receive new near glasses with accommodative and convergence eye exercises. The Prism Group will receive a near prismatic glasses prescribed using the Sheard's criterion. All treatments will be administered for a period of 2 months, and measurements of the modified convergence insufficiency symptoms survey (CISS), near point convergence, near phoria, and positive fusional vergence will be taken at baseline, one month later, and at the end of the treatment.
DISCUSSION
We aim to identify which component - either the prism prescription or the home vision therapy - is more effective in improving binocular abilities and reducing patients' symptom scores.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05311917 with last update on 04/22/2023.
Topics: Humans; Ocular Motility Disorders; Prospective Studies; Strabismus; Eye Movements; Orthoptics; Vision, Binocular; Accommodation, Ocular; Convergence, Ocular; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 38622543
DOI: 10.1186/s12886-024-03411-y -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Mar 2024Determination of the number of pupils at risk of developing pre-myopia and selected ophthalmic parameters in a group of 1155 children aged 8. Ophthalmic examinations...
Determination of the number of pupils at risk of developing pre-myopia and selected ophthalmic parameters in a group of 1155 children aged 8. Ophthalmic examinations were performed in Polish 8-year-old, /1518 individuals/; 1155 of whom presented complete data for analysis. There was a total of 554 (47.9%) girls and 602 (52.1%) boys. Examination of the anterior and posterior segment of the eye, evaluation of accommodation, convergence, heterophoria, alignment of the eyeball, muscular balance with ocular mobility in 9 directions of gaze, and spatial vision were tested. Refraction was obtained under cycloplegia. Refractions (spherical equivalent, SE). were categorized as pre-myopia (-0.50 D-+0.75 D), myopia (≤-0.5 D), emmetropia (>-0.5 D to ≤+0.5 D), mildly hyperopia (>+0.5 D to ≤+2.0 D) and hyperopia (>+2.0 D). Data analysis was performed using Statistica 13.5 software: chi-squared, Pearson's, -Student, and U Mann-Whitney tests. -values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Pre-myopia was diagnosed in as many as 704 subjects (60.9%) with a similar frequency among both girls-328 (46.6%)-and boys with 376 (53.4%). Current data indicates that the growing group of myopic individuals in many industrialized countries is the sixth most common cause of blindness. Further research is crucial to understand the factors underlying accommodative and binocular mechanisms for myopia development and progression and to make recommendations for targeted interventions to slow the progression of myopia in a group of early school children.
PubMed: 38610742
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13071977 -
Journal of Cataract and Refractive... Jun 2024
Topics: Humans; Lens Implantation, Intraocular; Incidence; Accommodation, Ocular; Lenses, Intraocular; Visual Acuity; Risk Factors; Phacoemulsification
PubMed: 38598414
DOI: 10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000001451 -
Open Medicine (Warsaw, Poland) 2024Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness with a poor quality of life (QoL). The main aim of this study was to measure the QoL and factors that affect the QoL of...
Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness with a poor quality of life (QoL). The main aim of this study was to measure the QoL and factors that affect the QoL of patients with schizophrenia placed in a social welfare institution. This cross-sectional study included 287 patients with schizophrenia who were treated in a long-stay social care institution in which QoL was assessed using five different instruments: the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale, the EuroQoL Five-Dimension-Five-Level scale (including the visual analog scale), the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire - Short Form, and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. To determine the impact of patients' characteristics on score values, multiple linear regression using backward elimination was employed. Due to non-normality in the distribution of the dependent variables, a Box-Cox power transformation was applied to each dependent variable prior to conducting multiple linear regression analysis. Results revealed that patients with schizophrenia have lower QoL. Our study revealed that age, level of education, type of accommodation, type of pavilion, age of onset of the disease, number of prescribed antipsychotics, number of psychiatric comorbidities, duration of therapy, and the number of daily doses of antipsychotics are dominant contributors to the QoL in patients with schizophrenia who were treated in social welfare institution.
PubMed: 38584834
DOI: 10.1515/med-2024-0947 -
BMC Ophthalmology Apr 2024The purpose of this study was to analyze myopic regression after corneal refractive surgery (CRS) in civilian pilots and to explore the factors that may cause long-term...
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to analyze myopic regression after corneal refractive surgery (CRS) in civilian pilots and to explore the factors that may cause long-term myopic regression.
METHODS
We included civilian pilots who had undergone CRS to correct their myopia and who had at least 5 years of follow-up. We collected retrospective data and completed eye examinations and a questionnaire to assess their eye habits.
RESULTS
A total of 236 eyes were evaluated in this study. 211 eyes had Intrastromal ablations (167 eyes had laser in situ keratomileusis, LASIK, 44 eyes had small incision lenticule extraction, SMILE) and 25 eyes had subepithelial ablations (15 eyes had laser epithelial keratomileusis, LASEK and 10 eyes had photorefractive keratectomy, PRK). The mean preoperative spherical equivalent (SE) was - 2.92 ± 1.11 D (range from - 1.00 to -5.00 D). A total of 56 eyes (23.6%) suffered from myopic regression after CRS. Comparisons of individual and eye characteristics between the regression and non-regression groups revealed statistically significant differences in age, cumulative flight time, postoperative SE (at 6 months and current), uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), accommodative amplitude (AA), positive relative accommodation (PRA), postoperative period, types of CRS and eye habits. Generalized propensity score weighting (GPSW) was used to balance the distribution of covariates among different age levels, types of CRS, cumulative flying time, postoperative period and continuous near-work time. The results of GPS weighted logistic regression demonstrated that the associations between age and myopic regression, types of CRS and myopic regression, continuous near-work time and myopic regression were significant. Cumulative flying time and myopic regression, postoperative period and myopic regression were no significant. Specifically, the odds ratio (OR) for age was 1.151 (P = 0.022), and the OR for type of CRS was 2.769 (P < 0.001). The OR for continuous near-work time was 0.635 with a P value of 0.038.
CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report to analyze myopic regression after CRS in civilian pilots. Our study found that for each year increase in age, the risk of civilian pilots experiencing myopic regression was increased. Intrastromal ablations had a lower risk of long-term myopia regression than subepithelial ablations. There is a higher risk of myopic progression with continuous near-work time > 45 min and poor accommodative function may be related factors in this specific population.
Topics: Humans; Infant; Retrospective Studies; Cornea; Photorefractive Keratectomy; Visual Acuity; Refraction, Ocular; Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; Lasers, Excimer; Myopia; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 38561680
DOI: 10.1186/s12886-024-03399-5 -
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease Reports 2024Cumulative effects of traumatic brain injury is of increasing concern, especially with respect to its role in the etiology and pathogenesis of neurodegenerative...
Changes in Brain Structure and Function in a Multisport Cohort of Retired Female and Male Athletes, Many Years after Suffering a Concussion: Implications for Neuroplasticity and Neurodegenerative Disease Pathogenesis.
BACKGROUND
Cumulative effects of traumatic brain injury is of increasing concern, especially with respect to its role in the etiology and pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
Compare regional brain volume and connectivity between athletes with a history of concussion and controls.
METHODS
We evaluated whole-brain volumetric effects with Bayesian regression models and functional connectivity with network-based statistics, in 125 retired athletes (a mean of 11 reported concussions) and 36 matched controls.
RESULTS
Brain regions significantly lower in volume in the concussed group included the middle frontal gyrus, hippocampus, supramarginal gyrus, temporal pole, and inferior frontal gyrus. Conversely, brain regions significantly larger included the hippocampal and collateral sulcus, middle occipital gyrus, medial orbital gyrus, caudate nucleus, lateral orbital gyrus, and medial postcentral gyrus. Functional connectivity analyses revealed increased edge strength, most marked in motor domains. Numerous edges of this network strengthened in athletes were significantly weakened with concussion. Aligned to meta-analytic neuroimaging data, the observed changes suggest functional enhancement within the motor, sensory, coordination, balance, and visual processing domains in athletes, attenuated by concussive head injury with a negative impact on memory and language.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that engagement in sport may benefit the brain across numerous domains, but also highlights the potentially damaging effects of concussive head injury. Future studies with longitudinal cohorts including autopsy examination are needed to determine whether the latter reflects tissue loss from brain shearing, or the onset of a progressive Alzheimer's disease like proteinopathy.
PubMed: 38549627
DOI: 10.3233/ADR-240021