A robust finding is that resting-state frontal theta/beta ratio (TBR), a spontaneous electroencephalographic (EEG) frequency band parameter, is increased in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Accumulating evidence suggests that TBR might also provide an objective marker of executive cognitive control (and more specifically attentional control; AC) in healthy adults. The present study aimed to further investigate this conception by assessing EEG frequency band power and AC twice (with a one-week interval) in 41 young female adults. In line with our predictions, the negative association between TBR and trait AC, as measured with an often used self-report measure, was replicated. Results also demonstrated that test-retest reliability of resting-state frontal TBR was very good (r=.93) and, moreover, TBR measured at the first session predicted AC during the second session (r=-.44). These consistent results further reinforce the notion that frontal TBR could be used as a reliable biomarker for prefrontally-mediated executive AC.

Listeners adjust their phonetic categories to cope with variations in the speech signal (phonetic recalibration). Previous studies have shown that lipread speech (and word knowledge) can adjust the perception of ambiguous speech and can induce phonetic adjustments (Bertelson, Vroomen, & de Gelder in Psychological Science, 14(6), 592–597, 2003; Norris, McQueen, & Cutler in Cognitive Psychology, 47(2), 204–238, 2003). We examined whether orthographic information (text) also can induce phonetic recalibration. Experiment 1 showed that after exposure to ambiguous speech sounds halfway between /b/ and /d/ that were combined with text (b or d) participants were more likely to categorize auditory-only test sounds in accordance with the exposed letters. Experiment 2 replicated this effect with a very short exposure phase. These results show that listeners adjust their phonetic boundaries in accordance with disambiguating orthographic information and that these adjustments show a rapid build-up.

<b><i>Background:</i></b> There is consistent evidence showing an interplay between psychological processes and immune function in health and disease processes. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> The present systematic review and meta-analysis aims to provide a concise overview of the effectiveness of stress-reducing psychological interventions on the activation of immune responses in both healthy subjects and patients. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Included are 3 types of challenges: in vivo, in vitro, and psychophysiological. Such challenges are designed to mimic naturally occurring immune-related threats. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, and PsychInfo, resulting in 75 eligible studies. The risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Across all studies, a small-to-medium effect size was found for the effects of psychological interventions on optimization of the immune function (<i>g</i> = 0.33; 95% CI 0.22–0.43). While the largest effects were found for in vivo immune-related challenges (<i>g</i> = 0.61; 95% CI 0.34–0.88; especially on studies that incorporated skin tests and wound healing), studies incorporating psychophysiological challenges and in vitro immune-related stimulations similarly suggest more optimal immune responses among those receiving stress-reducing interventions (<i>g</i> = 0.28; 95% CI 0.15–0.42). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> These findings showed substantial heterogeneity depending on the type of challenge, the study populations, and the intervention types. These data demonstrate support for the effectiveness of stress-reducing psychological interventions in improving immunity in studies that tested immune function by means of incorporating an in vivo<i>,</i>in vitro, or psychophysiological challenge. Future research should more consistently incorporate challenges into the study design to gather more insights in the mechanisms underlying the optimized immune function following a psychological intervention. This is also relevant for clinical practice, as psychological interventions can possibly supplement, or at least partially replace, current drug treatments in various somatic conditions to reduce side effects.

Individuals with developmental dyslexia (DD) may experience, besides reading problems, other speech-related processing deficits. Here, we examined the influence of visual articulatory information (lip-read speech) at various levels of background noise on auditory word recognition in children and adults with DD. We found that children with a documented history of DD have deficits in their ability to gain benefit from lip-read information that disambiguates noise-masked speech. We show with another group of adult individuals with DD that these deficits persist into adulthood. These deficits could not be attributed to impairments in unisensory auditory word recognition. Rather, the results indicate a specific deficit in audio-visual speech processing and suggest that impaired multisensory integration might be an important aspect of DD.

There is initial support for the effectiveness of approach-avoidance trainings in altering food-related health behaviors. Furthermore, outcome expectancies induced by verbal suggestions might optimize the effectiveness of these interventions, as shown in placebo research. The present study investigated the effectiveness of a gamified approach-avoidance training on food-related outcomes and whether verbal suggestions could strengthen those effects. A total of 120 participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 conditions: serious gaming only, verbal suggestions only, serious gaming combined with verbal suggestions, or a gaming control condition. Virtual food preference and food choice were assessed with a food choice task, with pairs differing in healthiness or in healthiness and attractiveness. Implicit food preference was assessed with an Implicit Association Test and food intake with a bogus taste test. Participants in both serious gaming conditions made healthier food choices for pairs differing in healthiness and attractiveness and had healthier implicit food preferences compared to gaming control. No effects were found on food intake. These findings provide the first preliminary support for the effects of a gamified approach-avoidance training on virtual food choice and implicit food preference. Future studies should further elucidate these effects, also in other health domains such as physical activity.