Exploring Affective and Cognitive Measurements in Global Online Learning

The chapter tries to identify cognitive and affective factors that affect learners' online learning. Based on a comprehensive review of the theories and frameworks, constructs related to cognitive and affective performance were identified which further serve as the bases for the development of two instruments: cognitive measurement in online learning and affective measurement in online learning. The endeavor is significant at both theoretical and practical levels. Theoretically, the chapter contributes to the understanding of the factors (cognitive and affective) that affect online learning by revealing the underlying constructs in online environment. Practically, it provides educators with the instruments that can be used to measure cognitive and affective aspects in online learning. Finally, the recommendations are made in relation to the use of the instruments.

Timing is everything: Clinical courses of Hunter syndrome associated with age at initiation of therapy in a sibling pair

Hunter syndrome, or mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) II, is a rare lysosomal disorder characterized by progressive, multi-system disease. As most symptoms cannot be reversed once established, early detection and treatment prior to the onset of clinical symptoms are critical. However, it is difficult to identify affected individuals early in disease, and therefore the long-term outcomes of initiating treatment during this optimal time period are incompletely described. We report long-term clinical outcomes of treatment when initiated prior to obvious clinical signs by comparing the courses of two siblings with neuronopathic Hunter syndrome (c.1504T>G[p.W502G]), one who was diagnosed due to clinical disease (Sibling-O, age 3.7 years) and the other who was diagnosed before disease was evident (Sibling-Y, age 12 months), due to his older sibling’s findings. The brothers began enzyme replacement therapy within a month of diagnosis. Around the age of 5 years, Sibling-O had a cognitive measurement score in the impaired range of <55 (average range 85-115), whereas Sibling-Y at this age received a score of 91. Sibling-O has never achieved toilet training and needs direct assistance with toileting, dressing, and washing, while Sibling-Y is fully toilet-trained and requires less assistance with daily activities. Both siblings have demonstrated sensory-seeking behaviors, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and sleep difficulties; however, Sibling-O demonstrates physical behaviors that his brother does not, namely biting, pushing, and frequent elopement. Since the time of diagnosis, Sibling-O has experienced significant joint contractures and a steady deterioration in mobility leading to the need for an adaptive stroller at age 11, while Sibling-Y at age 10.5 could hike more than 6 miles without assistance. After nearly a decade of therapy, there were more severe and life-limiting disease manifestations for Sibling-O; data from caregiver interview indicated substantial differences in Quality of Life for the child and the family, dependent on timing of ERT. The findings from this sibling pair provide evidence of superior somatic and neurocognitive outcomes associated with presymptomatic treatment of Hunter syndrome, aligned with current considerations for newborn screening.

Spatial Navigation Game in EEG-integrated VR for Screening Cognitive Impairment: Protocol for Feasibility and Pilot Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Spatial navigation impairment is recognized as a potential marker of preclinical dementia. Virtual reality (VR) technology has been introduced as a promising framework for dementia research. Recent work has demonstrated further possibilities that integrating electroencephalography (EEG) sensors into VR headsets can provide invaluable information relevant to cognitive impairment. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to explore the feasibility of spatial navigation assessment in EEG-integrated VR devices for assessing cognitive impairment. This study will further investigate the neurophysiological characteristics of wearable EEG sensors during a VR spatial navigation game. METHODS Participants recruited for the study will be grouped into three based on their cognitive status (mild Alzheimer’s disease group, mild cognitive impairment group, and healthy controls). The spatial navigation game is designed based on the hidden goal task to assess egocentric and allocentric spatial information processing. As outcome measures, spatial navigation errors, spectral density characteristics of EEG signals, and behavioral responses in VR will be analyzed. RESULTS A spatial navigation game for VR was developed in March 2021. Recruitment commenced in June 2021. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study will provide a comprehensive understanding of VR-based spatial navigation assessment, in terms of cognitive measurement including early screening. If positive, our approach based on EEG-integrated VR devices could constitute an effective cognitive impairment screening test tool that can provide brain dynamic characteristics as well as information on spatial navigation deficits.

Longitudinal Associations between the Neighborhood Built Environment and Cognition in US Older Adults: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Few studies have examined associations between neighborhood built environments (BE) and longitudinally measured cognition. We examined whether four BE characteristics were associated with six-year change in global cognition and processing speed. We obtained data on 1816 participants without dementia from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. BE measures included social destination density, walking destination density, proportion of land dedicated to retail, and network ratio (street connectivity). Global cognition was measured with the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) and processing speed with the Digit Symbol Coding test (DSC). Multivariable random intercept logistic models tested associations between neighborhood BE at 2010–2012 and maintained/improved cognition (versus decline) from 2010–2018, and mediation by minutes of physical activity (PA)/week. The sample was an average of 67 years old (standard deviation = 8.2) (first cognitive measurement) and racially/ethnically diverse (29% African American, 11% Chinese, 17% Hispanic, 44% White). Compared to individuals with no walking destinations in the 1-mile surrounding their residence, those with 716 walking destinations (maximum observed) were 1.24 times more likely to have maintain/improved DSC score (Odds ratio: 1.24; 95% confidence interval: 1.03–1.45). No other associations were observed between BE and cognition, and PA minutes/week did not mediate the association between walking destination density and DSC change. This study provides limited evidence for an association between greater neighborhood walking destinations and maintained/improved processing speed in older age and no evidence for associations between the other BE characteristics and cognition. Future studies with finer grained BE and cognitive measures and longer-term follow up may be required.

Bibliologos – the vaccine from ignorance and nonsense

The neologism “Bibliologos” is literally translated from Greek as a “Book mind”. Real areas of bibliologos existence are education, science, management. Bibliologos can be considered from three points of view: first, genetic (or rather epistemological, theoretical and cognitive) measurement, revealing the initial substances and philosophical categories that are inherent to both the National Logos in general and its varieties – Bibliologos; secondly, the socio-functional dimension, considering the productive forces, material tools and bibliosphere technologies; thirdly, system-structural measurement, studying signs, symbols and documents that form the system of bibliologos. Hence, there are three private definitions: genetic, functional and system-structural. The generalization of private definitions is the general definition: Bibliologos-Σ is a collective mind of a civilized society in the form of a productive force providing creation, preservation, use of book culture.The idea of the Bibliologos in all interpretations will undoubtedly find use in such areas of modern mental labor as education, science, management for to educate a new type of person. It is obvious. Prospects of the synthesis of book culture and digital culture are problematic. It should be assumed that in the future digital sphere for processing the Big Data arrays, Big Logos will be required as the universal vaccine from ignorance and nonsense.

Randomized Controlled Trials of a Psychosocial Intervention for Improving the Cognitive Function among Older Adults: A Scoping Review

Aim: The goal is to explore available evidence and provide greater clarity to what is described as psychosocial intervention to improve cognitive function among older population with MCI as well as identifying areas for future research. Methods: An electronic literature search of PubMed, Cochrane, Ebscohost, Medline, Scopus, and gray resource was conducted to find articles published in English language between 2010 and September 2020. This review focused on research undertaken using randomized clinical trials study design. We extracted information regarding the publication date, geographical location, study setting, intervention mechanism, type of cognitive measurement used, and outcome of the studies. References of this literature were also reviewed to ensure comprehensive search. Result: Out of 240 potential records found, a total of 27 articles were identified following the first round of screening and deletion of duplicates. Full-text article reviews and analysis in the second round of screening narrowed the selection down to four articles. Another three relevant articles obtained from references were also included making a total of seven articles in the final analysis. Findings: Psychosocial intervention strategies for improvement of cognitive function, done in various setting all over the globe, covered a range of approaches including art therapy, visual art therapy, therapeutic writing therapy, reminiscence activity, and cognitive behavioral approach. Most were conducted in weekly basis within 1-to-2-hour duration of session. Cognitive function of older adult in psychosocial intervention group was significantly improved in two studies. Three studies showed no significant improvement at all in the cognitive function, and another one reported success in improving cognitive function over time in the intervention group than in control group. One study did not describe the interaction effect. Different types of cognitive measurement also were used to quantify different domains of cognitive function in the reviewed studies. Conclusion: The idea of using psychosocial intervention for improving cognitive function has begun to increasingly accepted recently. Findings from the limited studies are encouraging, although the outcome of the cognitive function was mixed. Large-scale and longer duration of psychosocial intervention with bigger sample size is warranted for future studies.

Research on Cognitive Matching of Biological Morphological Features and Images for Profiling Design

To obtain high-quality bionic design scheme of product form, this paper explores the matching relationship between users’ biological form features and their images from the level of implicit cognition, providing objective basis for effective selection of ideographic biological form features in bionic design of product form. The eye movement experiment was used to screen the biomorphic feature group that was focused on. Questionnaire survey and cluster analysis were used to obtain the main image phrases of the morphological feature group. The two collected materials were combined with implicit cognitive measurement (IAT) to obtain the response time data of the subjects in the classification task. According to Greenwald’s method to verify the effectiveness of the data as a whole, the response time of the combination of various features and images in the compatibility group is sorted to obtain the design guidance conclusion. Taking the white shouldered eagle as an example, the experimental data showed high validity by t-test, and the implicit effect value of the compatibility group was 0.68. According to the analysis of the data, the main image that most matches the head shape characteristics of the white shouldered eagle is “Ferocious”, and the main image that most matches the wing shape characteristics is “Lightsome”, and there is no difference in the implicit cognitive attitude between men and women. The designer takes this as the design reference to improve the effectiveness of the design output. This study can provide more objective suggestions for the bionic design of the related product shape.

Using Ensembles of Cognitive Models to Answer Substantive Questions

Cognitive measurement models decompose observed behavior into latent cognitive processes. For situations with more than one condition, such models allow to test hypotheses on the level of the latent processes. We propose a fully Bayesian ensemble model approach to test hypotheses on the level of the latent processes in situations in which multiple measurement models or model classes exist. In the first step, one needs to perform a Bayesian model selection step comparing the hypotheses within each model class. Aggregating the results of the first step yields ensemble posterior model probabilities. We provide an example for a working memory data set using an ensemble of a resource model and a slots model.