The increase in absolute theta power and the inhibition of light stimulus in cybersickness

Cybersickness results from the visual vestibule conflict, that is, the incoherence between the sensations related to real movement, in the virtual environment, and the visual stimuli. In response to the virtual environment, one can observe discomforts such as nausea, difficulty in concentrating, and headaches, among others. There are no studies in the literature that analyze the inhibition control of light stimuli in individuals sensitive to Cybersickness. Therefore, this study looked at the control of light stimulus inhibition in Cybersickness. The Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire was used to divide the subjects into experimental and control groups, and quantify the signs and symptoms, comparing them before and after 3D virtual immersion and. Participants in both groups were examined with EEGq for absolute theta band power in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex during the light stimulus inhibition task before and after participants watched the 3D video. The partial results showed that there was an increase in the absolute theta band power in both groups comparing the moments before and after, as well as a significant difference in the experimental group compared to the control, for the same moment. Thus, it was observed that individuals who were exposed to 3D virtual reality and developed Cybersikness, showed greater absolute theta band power in the areas studied.

Risks of Obesity in Adolescence: The Role of Physical Activity in Executive Functions

The aim of this study was to analyze the efficiency of a physical activity program on executive performance in obese adolescents. Fifteen adolescents (5 males and 10 females), with a mean age of 14.73 years and an IMC mean of 36.74 participated in the study. None of the participants presented a compulsive eating disorder when screened by the Binge Eating Scale. A pretest and posttest assessment, twelve months later, was conducted by using a neuropsychological battery that evaluated the cognitive flexibility (Comprehensive Trail Making Test), inhibition control (Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test and by the Frontal Assessment Battery), and planning (Tower of London). ANOVA of repeated measures was performed. The within-subjects tests demonstrated significant statistical differences between the two moments of evaluation at the level of inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility tasks, with higher performances in the second evaluation. These results suggest that the inclusion of obese adolescents in such programs may promote their executive capacities.

Effects of go/no-go training on food-related action tendencies, liking and choice

Inhibitory control training effects on behaviour (e.g. ‘healthier’ food choices) can be driven by changes in affective evaluations of trained stimuli, and theoretical models indicate that changes in action tendencies may be a complementary mechanism. In this preregistered study, we investigated the effects of food-specific go/no-go training on action tendencies, liking and impulsive choices in healthy participants. In the training task, energy-dense foods were assigned to one of three conditions: 100% inhibition (no-go), 0% inhibition (go) or 50% inhibition (control). Automatic action tendencies and liking were measured pre- and post-training for each condition. We found that training did not lead to changes in approach bias towards trained foods (go and no-go relative to control), but we warrant caution in interpreting this finding as there are important limitations to consider for the employed approach–avoidance task. There was only anecdotal evidence for an effect on food liking, but there was evidence for contingency learning during training, and participants were on average less likely to choose a no-go food compared to a control food after training. We discuss these findings from both a methodological and theoretical standpoint and propose that the mechanisms of action behind training effects be investigated further.

Working Memory Vs Inhibitory Control: Peran terhadap Informasi Tidak Relevan sebuah Kajian Neuropsikologi

Studi terdahulu melaporkan bahwa working memory (WM) memainkan peran penting dalam mengabaikan informasi tidak relevan sehingga hanya informasi relevan saja yang bekerja pada sistem working memory. Studi lainnya melaporkan bahwa inhibition control (IC) diperlukan untuk menghambat stimulus yang tidak relevan dan menghambat respons yang tidak dihendaki. WM dan IC adalah dua konstrak kognitif yang berbeda dan keduanya memberikan respons pada informasi tidak relevan. Namun, bagaimanakah dinamika kedua konstrak tersebut merespons informasi tidak relevan? Studi literatur kali ini bermaksud untuk menguraikan: (a) konsep mengenai working memory (WM) dan inhibitory control (IC); (b) mekanisme neural pada informasi yang tidak relevan; (c) mekanisme neural working memory dan inhibitory control pada informasi yang tidak relevan. Studi literatur ini menyimpulkan bahwa kapasitas working memory dan inhibitory control merupakan mekanisme kontrol kognitif terhadap informasi tidak relevan. Prefrontal cortex pada otak teraktivasi ketika working memory dan inhibitory control merespons informasi tidak relevan. Namun, working memory hanya menandai atau mengabaikan informasi tidak relevan sementara inhibitory control menghambat informasi tidak relevan. Inhibitory control memperkuat dan meningkatkan kinerja working memory ketika informasi tidak relevan tidak hanya cukup untuk diabaikan saja.

Reflecting on the Role and Impact of the Constitutional Value of uBuntu on the Concept of Contractual Freedom and Autonomy in South Africa

Private parties have the freedom and autonomy to enter into a contract. This autonomy is deeply rooted in their dignity and personal liberties. Private individuals, in furtherance of their autonomy and freedom to enter into a contract, have certain reasonable expectations, most fundamental of which is the desire that maximum respect is given to their legitimately concluded agreement. The concept of contractual freedom and autonomy connotes the idea that private individuals (natural and juristic) have the liberty to arrange their affairs in a manner that meets their economic interest without governmental inhibition, control and/or interference. However, the operative scope and the practical manifestations of the concept of contractual freedom are circumscribed in the constitutional, statutory, legislative and other socio-cultural orders of States. This article seeks to reflect on the role and influence of the constitutional value of ubuntu on the principle of contractual freedom and autonomy, and the naturally accompanying concepts of pacta sunt servanda and sanctity of contract in South Africa. The article provides an analysis of the judicial interpretation and views on the concept of contractual freedom and autonomy relative to other competing values that underlie the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Furthermore, the article appraises the impact of those judicial views on international commercial agreements. The article also discusses the extent to which communitarian values such as the concept of ubuntu have been infused into South African contract law and further reflects on the implication of infusing such communitarian values in both domestic and international contracts. The article concludes with a suggestion that the introduction of traditional African values in South African contract law fundamentally alters the theoretical foundations of the principle of contractual freedom and autonomy in both domestic and international contracts.