Search Results (912)

Background/Objectives: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and it tends to remain during adulthood. It not only affects cognitive abilities and behavior but also often presents emotional disturbances and alterations in the perceived quality of life. These symptoms are primarily related to dysfunctions in the ventromedial and dorsolateral prefrontal network. The main objective was to evaluate the feasibility and explore the initial outcomes of an integrated protocol combining neuropsychological treatment and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Methods: This study presents a single-case experimental A-B design of a 21-year-old woman, diagnosed with predominantly inattentive ADHD, treated at the University Psychology Clinic of Loyola Andalucía University. The treatment was carried out twice a week for 5 weeks (10 sessions in total), with 20 min of anodal tDCS at F3 and cathodal tDCS at F4 (2 mA), while digital neurorehabilitation exercises and psychotherapeutic support were provided. Results: An overall significant improvement was observed in cognitive functions (p = 0.008), with clinically significant gains in cognitive flexibility, visual working memory, and planning. Mixed results were found in inhibition, with improvement in interference control but no change in response inhibition. No significant changes were observed in sustained attention, auditory working memory, or processing speed. In terms of emotional state, an overall improvement was noted (p = 0.046), particularly in depression symptoms and perceived quality of life related to physical and psychological health. However, no significant changes were observed in anxiety symptoms or in areas related to the environment and social relationships. These findings reflect pilot-level evidence of clinical change within a feasibility framework. Conclusions: The combined treatment was found to be safe and feasible, showing promising preliminary improvements in cognitive and emotional domains. As a single-case study, these results serve as hypothesis-generating evidence for future controlled trials. Full article

Background/Objectives: Young adulthood is a critical developmental period during which lifestyle behaviors may shape intrinsic brain network dynamics that support cognition. This pilot longitudinal intervention study examined whether variability in physical activity and sedentary behavior during an 8-week exercise and/or cognitive intervention protocol was associated with changes in intrinsic brain dynamics and cognitive and mood outcomes in undergraduate young adults. Methods: Participants (n = 32) completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) at baseline (T1) and post-intervention (T2). Dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) was estimated from 53 intrinsic connectivity networks derived using spatially constrained independent component analysis (ICA). Ten recurring dynamic connectivity states were identified and individualized using constrained dynamic double functional independent primitives (c-ddFIPs). State occupancy and dynamic convergence and divergence metrics were computed to characterize network flexibility. Results: Greater moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was modestly but consistently associated with increased occupancy of integrative higher-order states, particularly States 6 and 7, and reduced occupancy of more segregated configurations. More physically active individuals also demonstrated greater divergence between integrative and low-engagement states, whereas greater sedentary time corresponded to increased similarity among segregated configurations. Working memory performance showed parallel associations with more integrative and better-differentiated dynamic patterns. Conclusions: These findings suggest that dynamic functional network reconfiguration may represent a neurobiological mechanism linking lifestyle behaviors and cognitive health in young adulthood. Furthermore, they highlight the translational promise of engagement-driven, low-burden programs for college-aged young adults, showing that even modest variability in habitual physical activity corresponds to greater engagement and differentiation of integrative connectivity states linked to executive and broader cognitive functions. Full article

Industrial metaverse systems enable shared, immersive environments for coordinating complex, data-intensive industrial workflows; however, ensuring effective and usable interaction remains a key barrier to professional adoption. This study examines immersive point cloud- and CAD-based inspection tasks in an industrial metaverse context using a mixed-methods evaluation that combines perceived usability ratings, cognitive workload assessment (NASA-TLX), validated presence and flow instruments, qualitative interviews, and structured observation. The results indicate that users generally experienced smooth navigation, manageable cognitive workload, and a meaningful sense of spatial presence, supporting focused and task-oriented engagement. At the same time, execution-level challenges—particularly related to tool discoverability, annotation flexibility, system feedback clarity, and interaction ergonomics—introduced workflow friction for some users. By triangulating quantitative, qualitative, and observational evidence, the study derives actionable design recommendations, including adaptive onboarding, improved feedback mechanisms, and refinements to interaction design. Overall, the findings provide empirical insight into how usability, cognitive workload, presence, and flow jointly shape user experience in industrial metaverse inspection environments and inform the development of more robust, user-centered industrial systems. Full article

This longitudinal study investigates the development of alphabetic skills from kindergarten to third grade and the contribution of the three different executive function (EF) abilities—working memory (WM), cognitive flexibility, and inhibition—to these skills among children from diverse SES. A comprehensive battery of early literacy, reading, and EF tasks was administered individually to assess reading abilities and various EF facets at three time points (kindergarten, first grade, and third grade). The results revealed significant differences in alphabetic skills and reading abilities (reading fluency) from kindergarten to third grade among children from different SES backgrounds, with children from higher SES backgrounds exhibiting better alphabetic and reading skills than those from lower SES backgrounds. These differences decreased in the third grade. The various EF components contributed differently at each age and SES level to the alphabetic and reading abilities. Auditory WM (AWM) was a significant predictor of reading ability in all SES groups, especially the low SES group. Among the high and medium SES groups in first grade, AWM and cognitive flexibility emerged as significant predictors, while visual WM was significant in the low SES group. EF abilities contributed less to reading in all SES groups in the third grade as compared to earlier ages. This trend suggests a gradual narrowing of the SES-related gap in reading development, associated with the role of school exposure in reducing disparities rooted in varied home environments. These findings suggest that early screening in kindergarten, particularly among low SES populations, could identify children at risk for reading difficulties and inform targeted interventions that support the development of critical executive function skills alongside literacy instruction. Full article

Background: Chronic pain is a prevalent and disabling condition that affects physical health but also cognitive domains. Executive functions, including inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory, essentials for self-regulation, treatment adherence, and coping with symptoms, are particularly compromised. Physiotherapy interventions, traditionally aimed at physical outcomes, may also influence executive functions; however, their impact remains unclear. Objective: This review aimed to synthesize current evidence regarding the effects of physiotherapy-related interventions on executive function in adults with chronic pain. Methods: The review followed the Cochrane Handbook and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) guidelines, and the protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024611800). A comprehensive search was performed. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) included adults with chronic pain (≥3 months) whose executive function outcomes were evaluated after physiotherapy-based interventions. Results: Out of 12,391 records, 10 randomized controlled trials were included. Populations primarily had fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain, and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Interventions encompassed transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), neurofeedback, structured exercise, and multimodal physical-cognitive-mindfulness training. Intervention durations ranged from one session to 16 weeks. Executive function was assessed with diverse neuropsychological tests. tDCS improved attention, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. Exercise interventions showed benefits in working memory and inhibitory control. Conclusions: Preliminary evidence suggests that physiotherapy interventions, particularly anodal tDCS and structured exercise, may improve executive functions in individuals with chronic pain. Future trials should incorporate long-term follow-up. Integrating cognitive targets into physiotherapy may enhance the multidimensional management of chronic pain. Full article

Background/Objectives: Lucid dreaming—dreaming with the awareness that one is dreaming—has been explored from many perspectives, including those of cognitive neuroscience and various ancient cultural traditions. Lucid dreaming appears within the Tibetan-Buddhist literature together with dream yoga, a set of contemplative practices aimed at cultivating lucidity during dreams along with other qualities such as visual imagination, somatic awareness, and cognitive flexibility. These practices include deity visualization, which is the practice of bringing to mind a detailed image of a being whose qualities the practitioner wishes to cultivate. We examined whether it is possible to induce a lucid dream of Chenrezig, the ultimate embodiment of compassion in a Tibetan-Buddhist context. Methods: Five participants slept in the sleep laboratory for 7 overnight sessions with polysomnographic recording and auditory reminders to visualize Chenrezig during REM sleep. Results: Lucid dreams were reported by two participants. A frequent lucid dreamer with no prior Tibetan-Buddhist training experienced a lucid dream that included a visualization of Chenrezig following auditory cueing during REM sleep. A monastic participant with no prior history of lucid dreaming reported their first-ever lucid dream on the night following their laboratory session. Conclusions: This exploratory study illustrates, via collaborative research including monastic scholars trained in neuroscience, that dream content can be intentionally shaped using an approach that integrates contemplative visualization practices with modern techniques of dream engineering. Full article

Background: With advancing age, cognitive control and postural-gait regulation decline, while dual-task interference intensifies, leading to restricted mobility and increased fall risk. Variable-priority cognitive-motor dual-task training (VPDT) enhances attentional flexibility and task integration by systematically shifting attentional allocation during training. However, its effects on cognitive and physical function remain unclear. Objective: To review the effects of VPDT on cognitive and physical function in older adults. Method: A comprehensive database search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and CINAHL databases from inception to April 2025, relevant articles were selected, data were extracted using a PICO framework and synthesized narratively. Result: Eight controlled trials (n = 284) were included. Across studies, VPDT was generally associated with improvements in functional balance and mobility outcomes, while between-group differences versus fixed-priority dual-task training (FPDT) were inconsistent. Cognitive outcomes were sparsely reported (only one trial), and psychosocial outcomes were assessed in only a small subset of studies, precluding firm inferences regarding cognitive or psychosocial benefits. Overall risk of bias was predominantly “some concerns,” with two studies rated “high risk,” and overall certainty of evidence ranged from low to moderate due to risk of bias, small samples, and heterogeneity in protocols and outcomes. Conclusions: VPDT may improve physical function in older adults, particularly balance and mobility, but current evidence does not demonstrate a consistent incremental advantage over FPDT. Confidence in comparative effects remains limited due to small sample sizes, risk-of-bias concerns, and heterogeneity in intervention design and outcome measurement. Full article

The objective was to evaluate the impact of a 3-month comprehensive rehabilitation program on functional outcomes and caregiver burden in a 73-year-old male with end-stage Parkinson’s disease (PD) following pallidotomy. Baseline evaluation included cardiorespiratory, digestive, and neuromusculoskeletal assessments, complemented by a multidomain geriatric assessment: activities of daily living (Barthel Index), cognition (MoCA), nutrition (MNA), mental health (GDS, UCLA Loneliness Scale), sarcopenia (AWGS criteria), frailty (Clinical Frailty Scale), fatigue (FSS), mobility (De Morton Mobility Index), fall risk (Morse Fall Scale), and caregiver burden (Zarit Burden Interview). The patient then underwent a structured 3-month rehabilitation program consisting of strengthening and flexibility training, cardiopulmonary endurance exercise, functional task practice, and psychological and nutritional counseling, with monthly evaluations. At baseline, the patient presented with generalized rigidity, fatigue, low cardiorespiratory endurance, total ADL dependence, malnutrition, sarcopenia, frailty, loneliness, and high caregiver burden, but intact cognition and mood. After rehabilitation, he achieved short distance walking, improved appetite and weight gain, and reduced scores in Zarit Burden, Fatigue Severity Scale, and MNA. Functional independence (Barthel Index) and respiratory capacity (single-breath count) improved, while frailty and sarcopenia remained stable without progression. In advanced PD, comprehensive rehabilitation can yield meaningful gains in mobility, nutrition, and functional independence while alleviating caregiver burden. Frailty and sarcopenia remain strongly associated with disease progression and highlight the need for sustained multidisciplinary care for both patients and caregivers. Full article

Behavioral flexibility allows animals to adjust their behavior in response to environmental changes. Hummingbirds, with their tetrachromatic color vision and enlarged hippocampal formation, represent an excellent model for studying cognitive flexibility in color discrimination. We evaluated three components of behavioral flexibility (exploration, exploitation, and inhibition) in two sympatric hummingbird species, the resident White-eared Hummingbird (Basilinna leucotis) and the migratory Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus), using a reversal learning task with artificial flowers of different colors for evaluating exploration, exploitation, and inhibition simultaneously. Birds were trained to associate nectar rewards with either spectrally similar (red-yellow) or dissimilar (red-violet) color pairs. Our results revealed interspecific differences in exploration behavior depending on the rewarding color during training, while both species showed similar exploitation and inhibition capacities. The migratory S. platycercus showed stronger neophobia toward non-red flowers compared to the resident B. leucotis. Both species quickly learned the color-rewarding association when red was rewarding but required more visits when non-red colors were rewarding. These findings suggest that while both species can flexibly adjust their foraging behavior, differences in their ecology and migratory behavior may influence their initial responses to novel color cues. Full article

Epileptogenesis is commonly defined by the emergence of spontaneous seizures after an initial insult; however, convergent experimental and clinical evidence indicates that the underlying disease process begins well before seizures become clinically detectable. During this pre-seizure phase, persistent molecular cascades remodel synaptic plasticity, circuit architecture, and glial–immune signaling. These processes are associated with trait-like alterations in cognition, affect, and behavior. Despite their clinical relevance, these neurobehavioral signatures remain poorly integrated into molecular models of epileptogenesis and are rarely considered as translational biomarkers of disease progression. This review synthesizes evidence linking core epileptogenic molecular cascades—maladaptive synaptic plasticity, glial–immune signaling, oxidative–metabolic stress, and activity-dependent gene regulation—to reproducible alterations in executive control, cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, and motivational–social behavior. We outline an integrative framework in which these phenotypes are conceptualized as system-level readouts of progressive network reconfiguration rather than nonspecific “comorbidities” or mere consequences of recurrent seizures. Within this perspective, neurobehavioral markers can complement electrophysiological and molecular measures by capturing disease-relevant changes during windows when anti-epileptogenic interventions would be most effective. To increase mechanistic specificity, we provide representative pathway and gene-level anchors across epileptogenesis stages, a structured molecular-to-neurobehavioral mapping, and an operational biomarker panel specifying confounders and minimal controls. These anchors are included to ground the framework in experimentally documented molecular nodes with stage-dependent relevance; examples are representative rather than exhaustive, and evidence strength is indicated as preclinical mechanistic versus associative human observations. Finally, we discuss methodological requirements for biomarker validity (specificity, temporal anchoring, and cross-model consistency) and outline how integrating molecular and neurobehavioral trajectories may refine target discovery and improve the translation of anti-epileptogenic strategies. Conceptualizing epileptogenesis as a progressive disease process with measurable pre-seizure neurobehavioral signatures may broaden biomarker strategies beyond seizure occurrence and support the development of disease-modifying interventions. Full article

Hypnosis has traditionally been conceptualized as a clinical technique for reducing physiological symptoms (e.g., pain, nausea) and psychological symptoms (e.g., anxiety, intrusive thoughts), yet emerging neuroscientific evidence suggests it operates through the fundamental mechanisms of emotional regulation and self-integration. This integrative review synthesizes research on clinical hypnosis from cognitive neuroscience, affective science, and clinical practice to examine how hypnotic phenomena modulate large-scale brain networks—particularly the default mode network (DMN), executive control network (ECN), and salience network (SaN)—to reorganize emotional experience and self-referential processing. We propose a formal mechanistic model in which hypnotic induction produces heightened experiential plasticity through coordinated network reconfiguration, enabling adaptive emotion regulation and reduced dissociative fragmentation. Central to this framework is the construct of Fundamental Peace (FP), operationalized as a dynamic neuro-experiential state characterized by: (1) flexible attentional control without effortful suppression; (2) emotional coherence across self-states; (3) reduced self-referential rigidity; (4) compassionate self-awareness. Unlike equanimity (affective neutrality) or well-being (positive evaluation), Fundamental Peace represents integrated regulatory capacity under changing conditions. Key findings from neuroimaging studies demonstrate that hypnotic states consistently reduce DMN activity, enhance ECN-SaN coupling, and modulate connectivity patterns associated with self-referential processing. Meta-analytic evidence from 85 controlled experimental trials shows robust pain reduction effects, while clinical studies document improvements in trauma-related dissociation and emotional dysregulation. We critically evaluate this framework against alternative theories (dissociated control, cold control, predictive processing, social-cognitive models), specify testable predictions, and assess evidence quality across neuroimaging and clinical domains. Implications for trauma treatment, clinical implementation, and future research integrating causal inference methods are discussed, alongside ethical and cultural considerations. Full article

This study investigates the impact of a Virtual Reality (VR)-based intervention on the enhancement of executive functions—cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory—in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Employing a single-case experimental design with repeated measures, the research was conducted with two male participants, aged 9 and 10, both formally diagnosed with ASD. The intervention was structured into four phases: Baseline (no training), Intervention (targeted VR training), Generalization (skill transfer testing), and Follow-up (maintenance assessment). Each participant engaged in a total of 18 tasks (six per executive function), delivered through immersive VR environments featuring gamified elements, adaptive feedback, and increasing difficulty. Each task consisted of up to 15 sub-items, scored as correct or incorrect. Results indicate consistent improvements across executive function domains during the intervention phase, with partial maintenance at follow-up and evidence of task generalization. Given the single-case framework and limited sample size, findings should be interpreted as exploratory and hypothesis-generating rather than population-generalizable. The study provides proof-of-concept evidence supporting the feasibility and potential of immersive VR-based executive function training for ASD populations, warranting further validation through larger-scale controlled trials. Full article

The mental health issues of medical postgraduate students are increasingly prominent, and it is urgently necessary to explore the stressors and protective factors. This study adopted an integrative approach to examine the moderating role of psychological flexibility in the relationship between multiple types of life stress and mental health. A total of 5819 medical postgraduate students from a medical university and its affiliated hospitals in Beijing were surveyed in a multi-center cross-sectional study. Measures included psychological worry, supervisory relationship, work–life balance, school support, psychological flexibility, and psychological health. The results showed that all four types of stressors were significantly associated with mental health. Psychological worry was positively associated with psychological distress, while the other three variables were negatively associated with it. Psychological flexibility was negatively associated with psychological distress and the relationship between each stressor and psychological health was weaker with higher levels of psychological flexibility. These findings highlight the heterogeneity in the pathways by which different stressors affect psychological health, underscore the critical role of psychological flexibility in coping with internally generated cognitive stress, and provide theoretical and practical implications for psychological interventions among medical postgraduates. Full article

Color metaphors may shape how people mentally represent abstract legal values such as justice and thereby influence legal socialization and law-related cognition. We tested whether black/white color terms are metaphorically linked to justice conceived specifically as a legal value, and whether these linkages vary with task demands. In two preregistered experiments that controlled for affective valence, word frequency, and semantic relatedness, Experiment 1 employed a Stroop-style lexical-judgment task with law-relevant terms and found faster responses to justice-related (legal) words than to injustice-related words and higher accuracy for white-colored stimuli, but no reliable color × meaning interaction—suggesting the absence of an automatic color–justice congruency effect during early, automatic processing. Experiment 2 used a translation-matching paradigm in which participants selected black or white translations for unfamiliar foreign words; here, participants systematically matched justice-related (legal) items with white and injustice-related items with black at rates above chance, revealing explicit color–justice associations. Together, the results point to a robust mental linkage of white with justice as a legal value, while black–injustice mappings emerge primarily under explicit selection demands. These findings suggest that black/white color metaphors organize law-related moral cognition but are flexibly activated depending on cognitive task and processing level. Full article

This study examined associations between vocabulary knowledge, reading fluency, cognitive flexibility, and metacognitive monitoring accuracy in reading comprehension among fifth-grade students. Participants (N = 104) completed measures of cognitive–linguistic abilities and reading comprehension, with global metacomprehension judgments after reading and item-level confidence ratings. Metacognitive monitoring accuracy was assessed using calibration of global metacomprehension judgments and item-level confidence ratings. Calibration bias (confidence minus performance) indexed miscalibration direction, and its absolute value indexed calibration accuracy. Resolution reflected discrimination between correct and incorrect item-level responses. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used exploratorily to examine theoretically motivated direct and indirect pathways via reading comprehension. Vocabulary knowledge showed the strongest associations with calibration accuracy and resolution, fully mediated by comprehension. Reading fluency showed a dual pattern: it contributed positively to resolution through comprehension, while also showing direct associations with lower calibration accuracy, indicating greater miscalibration and overconfident judgment tendencies among more fluent readers. Cognitive flexibility was not significantly related to any monitoring index. By jointly examining distinct indices of monitoring accuracy and separating comprehension-mediated from direct pathways, the study clarifies how cognitive–linguistic abilities may support or bias metacognitive monitoring in developing readers. Linguistic abilities, particularly vocabulary and fluency were central to students’ comprehension monitoring accuracy. Full article