In this report, we give an overview of the proceedings from the online Imperial College London Neurotechnology Symposium 2020. The first part deals with the fundamentals of how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to inform research frameworks used in the field of neurotechnology. The second part goes a level higher and shows how AI can be used in cutting-edge cellular and molecular methodologies and their applications. The final part focuses on the efforts to ''decode'' neural systems in brain-computer interfaces to advance neuroprosthetics.
Introduction. In modern sports, a high level of physical performance of the athlete is due to the functional properties and condition of all body systems. Of particular importance is the assessment of the functional state of the central nervous system. At the same time, the potential risk of injuries increases with each passing year, so one of the main tasks of sports physicians, psychologists, physiologists, especially in high-achievement sports, is to reduce injuries in sports. The aim of the study was to compare the state of psychophysiological functions of highly qualified athletes who specialize in sports with varying degrees of extremeness (snowboarding, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing). Material and methods. To determine the state of psychophysiological functions of athletes used diagnostic complex "Diagnostics-1" (MV Makarenko, VS Lyzogub). The group of respondents included qualified athletes engaged in skiing, characterized by the predominance of dynamic speed and a high probability of injury. These sports make special demands primarily on the central nervous system of athletes. In accordance with the purpose of the work, we studied the latent periods of simple visual-motor reaction, simple and complex reaction of choice, the efficiency of sensorimotor activity and the dynamics of nervous processes in the feedback mode, the accuracy of the reaction to a moving object and the ratio of reactions of advance and delay, dynamic muscular endurance of the right and left hands (according to the tapping test), as well as the basic properties of the nervous system namely the functional mobility of nervous processes and the strength of nervous processes. Results. Athletes with a higher degree of extreme sports and risk of injury (snowboarders and skiers) showed a higher psychophysiological status in terms of strength of nervous processes and indicators of reaction to a moving object, a higher level of dynamic muscular endurance in terms of tapping test. Conclusions. The identified differences in the state of psychophysiological functions in athletes with varying degrees of extreme sports activities and the level of risk of injury can have prognostic value and be used to optimize sports improvement in these sports.
Personality traits describe the typical behavior of a person. These traits are related to cognitive processing. While extraversion represents a Behavior Activation System (BAS), neuroticism is a part of the Behavior Inhibition System (BIS). Independence of these systems allows assuming the existence of several personality types with different Extraversion and Neuroticism scores. These traits are also related to monoaminergic systems functioning, differences in EEG alpha asymmetry, and attention control during processing of emotionally laden stimuli. However, personality traits-related EEG differences are not consistent within studies. To investigate these relationships between EEG waves and personality, a study with 235 participants was conducted. After fulfilling the EPI questionnaire, resting-state EEG with closed eyes was recorded. Attention control and dominance of subcortical processes were evaluated with theta/beta ration (TBR) and the delta/beta ratio (DBR). Cluster analysis revealed the existence of two personality types with high Extraversion and low Neuroticism, and low Extraversion and high Neuroticism. These clusters had a small difference in TBR in the right parietal lobe. Spearman correlation supported this finding, revealed a connection of Extraversion with higher TBR in all areas except lateral prefrontal lobe and DBR in the parietal lobe, and left medial areas. Due to this, existence in attention control between introverts and extraverts is concluded.
The article reveals the procedure of selecting real media reports (RMR) on the COVID-19 pandemic in experimental studies. We assumed that RMR during the pandemic and several lockdowns had a real impact on people from different social groups. To monitor messages about COVID-19, we used the online service "Software product LOOQME" The algorithm to form the RMR sample was as follows: (a) search for all media messages available on the platform, (b) analysis of selected RMR by online service, (c) forming of an experimental content sample and its embedding in the experiment. The method of selecting RMR considered in this article includes a theoretical rationale for RMR; broad thematic selection of RMR using media monitoring systems; forming an experimental content sample with the use of parameters and selection criteria; additional procedure for rating the selected RMR according to a particular criterion with the participation of experts.
The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has led to the development of stress disorders and increased societal anxiety. The mass media is one of the most decisive factors leading to anxiety and stress in society during a pandemic. However, the mechanisms of mass media's stressogenic effects remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate age-specific characteristics of gaze behavior related to the perception of anxiety-provoking information. This study was funded by a grant from the National Research Foundation of Ukraine in 2020-2021 (grant № 2020.01/0050). One hundred eighty-nine volunteers took part in the study (164 participants aged between 17 and 22 years old (students, control group), 25 people aged between 59 and 71 (experimental group)). We surveyed participants to determine their level of stress, depression, and anxiety and analyzed eye-tracking data during text perception by using the web eye-tracking technology EyePass. Results showed significant age-related differences in gaze behavior while reading texts with negative elements. Aged adults had shorter median fixation duration. There was no difference between groups in the number of fixations. We can assume that except age factor, other variables might have contributed to our result, namely the occupation of participants, professors at the Scientific and Educational Institute of Journalism, with developed professional skills (reading pattern, method of information perception) but from another side higher vulnerability to adverse COVID-19 outcomes compared to younger adults. Acknowledgements The authors of this article express their sincere gratitude to the National Research Foundation of Ukraine, thanks to whose financial and organizational support (grant “Stressogenic Elements of the Latent Impact of Real Media Reports on the COVID-19 Pandemic on Social Groups” № 2020.01/0050), it became possible to conduct this study and publish the experimental results. Words of gratitude to the management and Scientific Council of the Foundation, curators of the project. Vast gratitude to the experts for their high evaluation of our project, thanks to whom our application won the competition. We want to express particular thanks to the management and our colleagues fromTaras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, whose care and assistance contributed to the effective work within the project. Words of gratitude to colleagues and students who agreed to participate and actually contributed to the timely collection and processing of the experimental data. Disclosure statement No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors. Data availability statement The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in Mendeley Data https://doi.org/10.17632/rpytj9dkmx.3 * Corresponding author: Yurii Havrylets, 0000-0002-4899-5815 havrylets@knu.ua
This article reveals the preparation for the investigation of the latent impact of media reports about COVID-19 on social groups. The research project of the Institute of Journalism, funded by the National Research Foundation of Ukraine, shows how to use media monitoring to form an experimental sample of media reports on COVID-19 as well as how to make a sociological and psychological description of the method of forming experimental groups. The purpose of this study is to form a methodological basis for experiments. We will use all this as a proven tool for organizing experiments in the subsequent stages of research. Accordingly, the search for media messages on the topic of COVID-19 by the LOOQME service showed the existence of an information boom in the media (this does not take into account the flow of messages on social networks), measured daily by tens of thousands of media messages. Undoubtedly, each person does not “digest” so much information, respectively, is not affected by it in full. Therefore, the question arises about the functioning of a human being as an interpreter of specific messages available to them, but taking into account public opinion as an interpretive filter: what people are saying and how they relate to COVID. All this is the filter that sets the vector of perception and understanding. This factor we will take into account in the following stages of the project.
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