Fidelity of a Motivational Interviewing Intervention for Improving Return to Work for People with Musculoskeletal Disorders

The objective of this study was to conduct a fidelity evaluation of a motivational interviewing (MI) intervention delivered by social insurance caseworkers, in a three-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) for improving return to work for people on sick leave with musculoskeletal disorders. The caseworkers received six days of MI training, including an intervention manual prior to the trial onset, as well as supervision throughout the trial. The caseworkers recorded 21 MI sessions at regular intervals during the trial. An independent MI analysis center scored the recordings using the MI treatment integrity code (MITI 4). In addition, three experienced MI trainers assessed the adherence to the MI intervention manual on a 1–4 Likert scale and MI competence. Total MITI 4 mean scores were at beginning proficiency levels for two components (global technical, mean 3.0; SD 0.6 and the reflections/questions ratio, mean 1.1; SD 0.2) and under beginning proficiency for two components (global relational, mean 3.2; SD 0.7 and complex question, mean 34.0; SD 21.2). The MI trainers’ assessment showed similar results. The mean adherence score for the MI sessions was 2.96 (SD 0.9). Despite delivering a thorough course and supervision package, most of the caseworkers did not reach proficiency levels of good MI competence during the study. The fidelity evaluation showed that a large amount of training, supervision and practice is needed for caseworkers to become competent MI providers. When planning to implement MI, it is important that thorough consideration is given regarding the resources and the time needed to train caseworkers to provide MI in a social insurance setting.

Auditory perceptual learning depends on temporal regularity and certainty

Detecting and learning structure in sounds is fundamental to human auditory perception. Evidence for such auditory perceptual learning comes from previous studies where listeners were better at detecting repetitions of a short noise snippet embedded in longer, ongoing noise when the same snippet recurred across trials compared to when the snippet was novel in each trial. However, previous work has mainly used (a) temporally regular presentations of the repeating noise snippet and (b) highly predictable inter-trial onset timings for the snippet sequences. As a result, it is unclear how these temporal features affect perceptual learning. In five online experiments, participants judged whether or not a repeating noise snippet was present, unaware that the snippet could be unique to that trial or used in multiple trials. In two experiments, temporal regularity was manipulated by jittering the timing of noise-snippet repetitions within a trial. In two subsequent experiments, temporal onset certainty was manipulated by varying the onset time of the entire snippet sequence across trials. We found that both temporal jittering and onset uncertainty reduced auditory perceptual learning. In addition, we observed that these reductions in perceptual learning were ameliorated when the same snippet occurred in both temporally manipulated and unmanipulated trials. Our study demonstrates the importance of temporal regularity and onset certainty for auditory perceptual learning.

Oculo-retinal dynamics can explain the perception of minimal recognizable configurations

Natural vision is a dynamic and continuous process. Under natural conditions, visual object recognition typically involves continuous interactions between ocular motion and visual contrasts, resulting in dynamic retinal activations. In order to identify the dynamic variables that participate in this process and are relevant for image recognition, we used a set of images that are just above and below the human recognition threshold and whose recognition typically requires >2 s of viewing. We recorded eye movements of participants while attempting to recognize these images within trials lasting 3 s. We then assessed the activation dynamics of retinal ganglion cells resulting from ocular dynamics using a computational model. We found that while the saccadic rate was similar between recognized and unrecognized trials, the fixational ocular speed was significantly larger for unrecognized trials. Interestingly, however, retinal activation level was significantly lower during these unrecognized trials. We used retinal activation patterns and oculomotor parameters of each fixation to train a binary classifier, classifying recognized from unrecognized trials. Only retinal activation patterns could predict recognition, reaching 80% correct classifications on the fourth fixation (on average, ∼2.5 s from trial onset). We thus conclude that the information that is relevant for visual perception is embedded in the dynamic interactions between the oculomotor sequence and the image. Hence, our results suggest that ocular dynamics play an important role in recognition and that understanding the dynamics of retinal activation is crucial for understanding natural vision.

The involvement of articulatory motor cortex in motor imagery of speech

Motor imagery of speech is thought to involve motor planning and simulated execution of speech actions. However, the precise cortical mechanisms subserving motor imagery are poorly understood. For instance, it is unclear to which extent articulatory motor cortex is involved during motor imagery of speech. We investigated the involvement of motor cortex during articulatory motor imagery through transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to determine its contribution to motor imagery processing. We collected motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) to assess motor cortex excitability in three conditions: speech motor imagery, auditory speech perception, and baseline (no action). MEPs were collected at two time points after trial onset (200ms and 500ms), to measure the relative engagement of tongue primary motor cortex. The results showed that MEPs were larger for the motor imagery than for the baseline condition at 500ms post trial onset only, with no differences between the auditory speech perception and baseline conditions. These results suggest greater facilitation of tongue motor cortex during motor imagery of speech compared to rest, supporting the idea that motor cortex is engaged in motor simulation of complex speech actions.

Microsaccades during high speed continuous visual search

ABSTRACTHere, we provide an analysis of the microsaccades that occurred during continuous visual search and targeting of small faces that we pasted either into cluttered background photos or into a simple gray background. Subjects continuously used their eyes to target singular 3-degree upright or inverted faces in changing scenes. As soon as the participant’s gaze reached the target face, a new face was displayed in a different and random location. Regardless of the experimental context (e.g. background scene, no background scene), or target eccentricity (from 4 to 20 degrees of visual angle), we found that the microsaccade rate dropped to near zero levels within only 12 milliseconds after trial onset. There were almost never any microsaccades before the saccade to the face. One subject completed 118 consecutive trials without a single microsaccade. However, in about 20% of the trials, there was a single corrective microsaccade that occurred almost immediately after the preceding saccade’s offset. These corrective microsaccades were task oriented because their facial landmark targeting distributions matched those of saccades within both the upright and inverted face conditions. Our findings show that a single feedforward pass through the visual hierarchy for each stimulus is likely all that is needed to effectuate prolonged continuous visual search. In addition, we provide evidence that microsaccades can serve perceptual functions like correcting saccades or effectuating task-oriented goals during continuous visual search.

M79. COMPONENTS OF VISUAL SEARCH IN EARLY-ONSET SCHIZOPHRENIA, ADHD AND ASD: AN EYE TRACKING STUDY

Background Superior visual search is a replicated finding in the literature on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Conversely, results from the literature on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are more mixed, with some studies showing typical performance and others pointing out less efficient serial search in ADHD. Finally, most studies on visual search in Schizophrenia highlighted deficits in focal attentional processing. However, similarities between attentional impairments in the three clinical groups have also been reported. The primary goal of our study is to determine the diagnostic specificity of search deficits. To our knowledge, the literature systematically comparing the visual search performance in patients with ADHD and Schizophrenia is limited to one study, while no study has so far included an ASD group in the comparison. Methods Four groups of young adults, namely 29 typically developing (TD; 19.8±1.6, 41% males), 26 with ASD (19.7±1.9, 96% males), 28 with ADHD (19.9±1.4, 54% males) and 21 with Early-Onset Schizophrenia (SCZ; 19.7±1.7, 71% males) were presented a visual search task in which they had to quickly detect a target item among several similar-to-target distractor items. Eye movements were recorded binocularly with the Eye Link 1000+ system. Participants were matched on age and full-scale IQ. The ocular-motor behaviour was analysed using Data Viewer 3.2 and SPSS 2.3. Results Initiation of search – latency of the first saccade on the search grid – was typical in all participants except those with SCZ, who had significant higher intra-subject variability (ISV) than both TD and ADHD, but no delay in initiating search. Within search, ASD manifested significantly reduced mean and ISV of total search duration – between the first saccade on the grid and the last fixation on target – and of the first part of search – between the first saccade on the grid and the first fixation on target – in comparison with all other groups, including TD. Conversely, SCZ and ASD were significantly more variable than TD and ADHD regarding the duration of first fixation on target, while also being, to a lesser extent, slower than ADHD, but not than TD. Additionally, SCZ needed a higher frequency of fixations on target than ASD, but not compared to ADHD or TD, before making a decision. In the post-search phase – between the onset of the last fixation on target and the button press on the keyboard – SCZ were the slowest and most variable group, followed by ASD and ADHD who differed?non-significantly? from controls. The overall search performance – between trial onset and button press – resulted in typical manual mean RT in ASD and ADHD while being atypically longer in SCZ, compared to all other groups. Compared to TD, ISV was at par in ADHD, lower in ASD, and higher in SCZ. Discussion Results suggest that the ability to extract individual targets is intact in ASD and ADHD. However, ASD only show a bias toward local information, as indicated by more variable first fixation duration, despite intact global processing. By contrast, lower search efficiency in SCZ might be explained by both (a) abnormal global processing due to impairment in the guidance mechanisms that affect the time until the first fixation on target, and (b) a deficit in central discrimination, with resulting difficulties in extracting critical features of the target.

PSXI-29 Assessing enteric methane emissions from Nellore and Angus-Nellore crossbred cattle in a tropical, intensive beef cattle production system

Crossbreeding has been used to improve performance in beef cattle; however, the effects of breed composition on methane production, yield and intensity from cattle in a tropical intensive system remain unknown. To assess the impact of breed composition on enteric methane emissions, Nellore (NE; yr 1: BW = 171.5 ± 19.4 kg; n = 10; yr 2: BW = 215.8 ± 32.3 kg, n = 25) and Angus-Nellore crossbred (AN; yr 1: BW = 214.2 ± 26.4 kg, n = 10; yr 2: BW = 242.5 ± 32.2 kg, n = 25) were compared. At trial onset, 10 mo old steers grazed Megathyrsus maximus ‘Mombaça’ in the grazing period (GP) and then were finished in a feedlot (FL) (35:65% corn silage:concentrate diet). Steers (n = 8) from each breed composition were randomly selected in GP and FL to measure CH4 production using a sulfur hexafluoride technique and DMI using titanium dioxide. The NE produced 19% less CH4 than AN in GP (17.21 vs 21.17 kg, P < 0.01), and no difference was observed in FL (22.34 vs 22.67 kg, P > 0.10). However, in FL, NE had greater CH4 intensity (CH4/ADG) compared to AN (122.76 vs 97.49 g/kg, P < 0.01). Furthermore, CH4/carcass weight was greater for NE than AN (0.079 vs 0.067 g/kg CW, P < 0.01). Breed composition did not influence CH4 yield (CH4/DMI) in either phase. The percentage CH4/GEI (Ym) for GP was higher for AN than NE (4.5 vs 3.8%), but lower than the IPCC recommended Ym of 6.5%. In FL, Ym was similar between breed composition (5.0%) and greater than the IPCC Ym of 3%. In our study the introduction of Angus into Nellore has potential to reduce CH4 intensity in tropical climates, resulting in less methane emission per kg beef produced.

When an Event Is Perceived Depends on Where We Attend

Does the moment when an event is perceived depends on where it is presented? To measure when participants perceived events, they were first familiarized with trial duration, by watching the hand of a clock rotating. Then, the hand was removed, and stimuli were presented at a random time from the trial onset. Participants indicated the location where the hand would have been when the stimulus was presented. The stimuli’s eccentricity, the appearance, and location of the spatial features of the clock were varied. The targets were reported earlier if they were presented in spatial proximity to the clock outline, even when it was not presented during the trial. The effect was replicated with stimuli presented at the same distance from fixation but at different distances from the spatial features. In summary, the time of an event is perceived earlier if it is presented near attended features in the visual scene.

Verbal Insight Revisited: fMRI evidence for early processing in bilateral insulae for solutions with AHA! experience shortly after trial onset

In insight problem solving solutions with AHA! experience have been assumed to be the consequence of restructuring of a problem which usually takes place shortly before the solution. However, evidence from priming studies suggests that solutions with AHA! are not spontaneously generated during the solution process but already relate to prior subliminal processing. We test this hypothesis by conducting an fMRI study using a modified compound remote associates paradigm which incorporates semantic priming. We observe stronger brain activity in bilateral anterior insulae already shortly after trial onset in problems that were later solved with than without AHA!. This early activity was independent of semantic priming but may be related to other lexical properties of attended words helping to reduce the amount of solutions to look for. In contrast, there was more brain activity in bilateral anterior insulae during solutions that were solved without than with AHA!. This timing (after trial start / during solution) x solution experience (with / without AHA!) interaction was significant.The results suggest that a) solutions accompanied with AHA! relate to early solution-relevant processing and b) both solution experiences differ in timing when solution-relevant processing takes place. In this context, we discuss the potential role of the anterior insula as part of the salience network involved in problem-solving by allocating attentional resources.