Pablo Maceira-Elvira, Traian Popa, Anne-Christine Schmid, Andéol Cadic-Melchior, Henning Müller, Roger Schaer, Leonardo G Cohen, Friedhelm C Hummel
{"title":"Native learning ability and not age determines the effects of brain stimulation.","authors":"Pablo Maceira-Elvira, Traian Popa, Anne-Christine Schmid, Andéol Cadic-Melchior, Henning Müller, Roger Schaer, Leonardo G Cohen, Friedhelm C Hummel","doi":"10.1038/s41539-024-00278-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41539-024-00278-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Healthy aging often entails a decline in cognitive and motor functions, affecting independence and quality of life in older adults. Brain stimulation shows potential to enhance these functions, but studies show variable effects. Previous studies have tried to identify responders and non-responders through correlations between behavioral change and baseline parameters, but results lack generalization to independent cohorts. We propose a method to predict an individual's likelihood of benefiting from stimulation, based on baseline performance of a sequential motor task. Our results show that individuals with less efficient learning mechanisms benefit from stimulation, while those with optimal learning strategies experience none or even detrimental effects. This differential effect, first identified in a public dataset and replicated here in an independent cohort, was linked to one's ability to integrate task-relevant information and not age. This study constitutes a further step towards personalized clinical-translational interventions based on brain stimulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":48503,"journal":{"name":"npj Science of Learning","volume":"9 1","pages":"69"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11603171/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142740997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Herman G van de Werfhorst, Dieuwke Zwier, Sara Geven, Thijs Bol, Carla Haelermans
{"title":"Inequality in pandemic effects on school track placement and the role of social and academic embeddedness.","authors":"Herman G van de Werfhorst, Dieuwke Zwier, Sara Geven, Thijs Bol, Carla Haelermans","doi":"10.1038/s41539-024-00283-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41539-024-00283-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Using register data and linked student-level sociometric survey data from the Netherlands, this study examines whether the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schooling outcomes (track recommendation and track enrollment in the seventh and ninth grades) is conditional on students' academic and social embeddedness in the school setting. We estimated the counterfactual outcomes for the cohort that went through the school transition during the pandemic based on the outcomes of the pre-pandemic cohort, with similar earlier achievements, schools, and social backgrounds. Results show that the pandemic's effect on tracking outcomes is weaker than its effect on student test scores elsewhere reported. Nevertheless, the pandemic has had stronger adverse impact on disadvantaged students. Moreover, student self-efficacy, academic motivation, and parental involvement are related to more negligible negative pandemic effects on schooling outcomes. We find no evidence for an association between student grit or parental network centrality and the magnitude of estimated pandemic effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":48503,"journal":{"name":"npj Science of Learning","volume":"9 1","pages":"71"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11603330/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142740994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Spatiotemporal predictions guide attention throughout the adult lifespan.","authors":"Nir Shalev, Sage Boettcher, Anna C Nobre","doi":"10.1038/s41539-024-00281-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41539-024-00281-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Older adults struggle with tasks requiring selective attention amidst distractions. Experimental observations about age-related decline have relied on visual search designs using static displays. However, natural environments often embed dynamic structures that afford proactive anticipation of task-relevant information. We investigate the capacity to benefit from spatiotemporal predictions across the adult lifespan. Participants (N = 300, aged 20-80) searched for multiple targets that faded in and out of displays among distractors. Half of the targets appeared at a fixed time and approximate location, whereas others appeared unpredictably. Overall search performance was reduced with age. Nevertheless, prediction-led behaviour, reflected in a higher detection of predictable targets, remained resistant to aging. Predictions were most pronounced when targets appeared in quick succession. When evaluating response speed, predictions were also significant but reduced with progressing age. While our findings confirm an age-related decline, we identified clear indications for proactive attentional guidance throughout adulthood.</p>","PeriodicalId":48503,"journal":{"name":"npj Science of Learning","volume":"9 1","pages":"70"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11582576/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142689306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Interbrain neural correlates of self and other integration in joint statistical learning.","authors":"Zheng Zheng, Jun Wang","doi":"10.1038/s41539-024-00280-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41539-024-00280-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While statistical learning is often studied individually, its collective representation through self-other integration remains unclear. This study examines dynamic self-other integration and its multi-brain mechanism using simultaneous recordings from dyads. Participants (N = 112) each repeatedly responded to half of a fixed stimulus sequence with either an active partner (joint context) or a passive observer (baseline context). Significant individual statistical learning was evident in the joint context, characterized by decreased reaction time (RT) and intra-brain neural responses, followed by a quadratic trend (i.e., first increasing and then decreasing) upon insertion of an interference sequence. More importantly, Brain-to-Brain Coupling (BtBC) in the theta band also showed learning and modulation-related trends, with its slope negatively and positively correlating with the slopes of RT and intra-brain functional connectivity, respectively. These results highlight the dynamic nature of self-other integration in joint statistical learning, with statistical regularities implicitly and spontaneously modulating this process. Notably, the BtBC serves as a key neural correlate underlying the dynamics of self-other integration.</p>","PeriodicalId":48503,"journal":{"name":"npj Science of Learning","volume":"9 1","pages":"68"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11579319/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142683043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Feature versus object in interpreting working memory capacity.","authors":"Wuji Lin, Chenxi Lv, Jiejie Liao, Yuan Hu, Yutong Liu, Jingyuan Lin","doi":"10.1038/s41539-024-00279-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41539-024-00279-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The debate about whether the capacity of working memory (WM) varies with the complexity of memory items continues. This study employed novel experimental materials to investigate the role of complexity in WM capacity. Across seven experiments, we explored the relationship between complexity and WM capacity. The results indicated that the complexity of memory items significantly affects WM capacity. However, given the non-linear relationship between complexity and WM capacity, we propose that WM may not allocate resources directly to each individual item. Instead, it might integrate these items to some extent before storage.</p>","PeriodicalId":48503,"journal":{"name":"npj Science of Learning","volume":"9 1","pages":"67"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11568228/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142639895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mathematics interest, self-efficacy, and anxiety predict STEM career choice in emerging adulthood.","authors":"Rebecca Ferdinand, Margherita Malanchini, Kaili Rimfeld","doi":"10.1038/s41539-024-00275-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41539-024-00275-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To examine the combined effects of maths anxiety (MA), maths self-efficacy (MSE), and maths interest (MI) on STEM career choice, we analysed self-report data from 7908 Twins Early Development Study participants, collected at ages 16 (MSE, MI), 18 (MA) and 21 (STEM career choice). When analysed in the same model, MSE did not independently predict STEM career choice. MI (OR = 1.75) was a stronger predictor than MA (OR = 0.79), which was not significant after controlling for maths achievement. MI was a significant positive predictor of STEM career choices for both males (OR = 1.88) and females (OR = 1.77). However, MA was only predictive for males (OR = 0.62), and MSE was only predictive for females in the unadjusted model (OR = 1.77). These results highlight the importance of nurturing maths interest to bridge the STEM skills gap, regardless of sex. Future research should consider the co-development of maths-related psychological constructs to further understand their influence on STEM career paths.</p>","PeriodicalId":48503,"journal":{"name":"npj Science of Learning","volume":"9 1","pages":"66"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11561120/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142630574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancing mathematical learning outcomes through a low-cost single-channel BCI system.","authors":"Zhe Hou, Xiang Li, Jiawen Yang, Shi Yang Xu","doi":"10.1038/s41539-024-00277-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41539-024-00277-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigates the effectiveness of a Low-Cost Single-Channel BCI system in improving mathematical learning outcomes, self-efficacy, and alpha power in university students. Eighty participants were randomly assigned to either a BCI group receiving real-time neurofeedback based on alpha rhythms or a sham feedback group. Results showed that the BCI group had significantly higher mathematical performance, self-efficacy, and alpha power compared to the sham feedback group. Mathematics performance, alpha wave intensity, and self-efficacy showed significant positive correlations after training, indicating that neurofeedback training may have promoted their interaction and integration. These findings demonstrate the potential of BCI technology in enhancing mathematical learning outcomes and highlight the importance of considering pre-test performance and self-efficacy in predicting learning outcomes, with implications for personalized learning interventions and the integration of BCI technology in educational settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":48503,"journal":{"name":"npj Science of Learning","volume":"9 1","pages":"65"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11555232/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142630571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Targeted memory reactivation with sleep disruption does not weaken week-old memories.","authors":"Nathan W Whitmore, Erika M Yamazaki, Ken A Paller","doi":"10.1038/s41539-024-00276-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41539-024-00276-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>When memories are reactivated during sleep, they are potentially transformed and strengthened. However, disturbed sleep may make this process ineffective. In a prior study, memories formed shortly before sleep were weakened by auditory stimulation when that stimulation provoked memory reactivation while also disrupting sleep - a procedure known as targeted memory reactivation with sleep disruption (TMR-SD). Here we used TMR-SD to test whether memory weakening occurs for less-fragile memories. Participants first learned locations of 74 objects on a monitor. One week later, TMR-SD auditory cues linked with 50% of the previously learned object locations were presented during sleep. Even though the cues disturbed sleep, memories were not weakened when reactivated in this way, compared to when not reactivated. Whereas memory storage is vulnerable to disruption shortly after learning, this new evidence supports the notion that memory storage gradually gains resistance to the harm caused by reactivation combined with sleep disruption.</p>","PeriodicalId":48503,"journal":{"name":"npj Science of Learning","volume":"9 1","pages":"64"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11538536/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142584453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A transient memory lapse in humans 1-3 h after training.","authors":"Beverly A Wright, Ruijing Ning","doi":"10.1038/s41539-024-00272-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-024-00272-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In many non-human species, learning retention decreases temporarily following training. This has led to the suggestion that these lapses reflect a fundamental component of memory formation. If so, transient memory lapses should also be prevalent in humans, and should occur for all types of learning. In line with these predictions, we report two cases of transient memory lapses in humans that occur 1-3 h after training on a perceptual-discrimination task. The results indicate that the occurrence of transient memory lapses extends to perceptual learning, a form of skill learning, and suggest that transient memory lapses may be a common but overlooked facet of memory formation in humans.</p>","PeriodicalId":48503,"journal":{"name":"npj Science of Learning","volume":"9 1","pages":"63"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11484814/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142478062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Luigi A E Degni, Sara Garofalo, Gianluca Finotti, Francesca Starita, Trevor W Robbins, Giuseppe di Pellegrino
{"title":"Sex differences in motivational biases over instrumental actions.","authors":"Luigi A E Degni, Sara Garofalo, Gianluca Finotti, Francesca Starita, Trevor W Robbins, Giuseppe di Pellegrino","doi":"10.1038/s41539-024-00246-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41539-024-00246-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Motivational (i.e., appetitive or aversive) cues can bias value-based decisions by affecting either direction and intensity of instrumental actions. Despite several findings describing important interindividual differences in these biases, whether biological sex can also play a role is still up to debate. By comparing females and males in both appetitive and aversive Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer paradigms we found that, while motivational cues similarly bias the direction of instrumental actions in both sexes, the intensity of such actions is increased by the cue in male participants only. The present results constitute compelling evidence that a crucial motivational bias of daily actions directed to obtaining rewards or avoiding punishments is modulated by biological sex. This evidence sheds new light on the role of sex in motivational processes that underlie decision-making, highlighting the importance of considering sex as a crucial factor in future research on this topic.</p>","PeriodicalId":48503,"journal":{"name":"npj Science of Learning","volume":"9 1","pages":"62"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11461879/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142394360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}