The alpha power increase that occurs when the eyes are closed is one of the most well-known effects in human electrophysiology. In particular, previous psychological studies have investigated whether ...eye closure can boost memory performance under certain circumstances, providing contradictory evidence across sensory input modalities. Although alpha power is modulated during different phases of memory and these modulations are correlated with performance, few studies have reported on the relationship between eye closure, memory, and alpha-band power. The present study investigates the influence of eye closure while participants (n = 21) performed an auditory recognition memory task with spoken words during the recording of magnetoencephalography (MEG) data. Our results showed no evidence for a behavioural effect of eye closure in the performance of the task. In addition, electrophysiological responses to the stimuli showed the expected alpha event-related desynchronization (ERD) 0.5–1 s and a high-alpha/beta event-related synchronization (ERS) 1–2 s after word onset. The data showed the expected memory effect, i.e. remembered words elicited greater 10 Hz ERD than forgotten words in the brain regions typically associated with the language network, suggesting a modulation of tau rhythm. Eye closure modulated alpha rhythm only in posterior-parietal and occipital regions. The lack of interaction and the different localizations found for modulations of tau and classical alpha rhythms suggests that these rhythms play distinct functional roles in memory performance.
•We studied the effect of eye-closure alpha on memory retrieval.•We found no evidence of a behavioural effect of eye closure.•Eye closure modulated posterior-parietal and occipital rhythms.•Memory effects modulated the tau rhythm in language-related areas and right parietal-frontal lobes.•Tau and alpha rhythms seem to play distinct functional roles in auditory memory performance.
This study aimed to evaluate the role of chest computed tomography (CT) in complementing reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in asymptomatic candidates for elective surgery in ...the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We prospectively included 464 asymptomatic patients who underwent a triple screening workup for SARS-CoV-2 infection (health questionnaire, RT-PCR, and low-dose chest CT) during the 48 h prior to undergoing elective surgery. A positive RT-PCR and/or CT findings suggestive of COVID-19 (CO-RADS 4/5) were considered diagnostic criteria for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Most patients (64.7%) underwent otorhinolaryngology surgery. No patients had positive RT-PCR results or symptoms suggestive of SARS-CoV-2 in the health questionnaire. Only 22 (4.7%) had signs compatible with lung infection; in 20 of these, the CT findings were atypical or indeterminate for COVID-19 (CO-RADS 2/3) and in 2 they were compatible with COVID-19 pneumonia in resolution. In the immediate postoperative period, no cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were confirmed.
In our series of asymptomatic patients, low-dose CT did not add any value to the results of RT-PCR and a health questionnaire in preoperative screening for SARS-CoV-2.
El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar el papel de la tomografía computarizada (TC) de tórax complementaria a la prueba de la reacción en cadena de la polimerasa con transcripción inversa (RT-PCR) en pacientes asintomáticos candidatos a cirugía electiva en el contexto de la pandemia de COVID-19.
Se incluyeron, de forma prospectiva, 464 pacientes asintomáticos que se sometieron a una triple estrategia de cribado de infección por SARS-CoV-2 (cuestionario de salud, prueba de RT-PCR y TC torácica de baja dosis) durante las 48 horas previas a la realización de una cirugía electiva. Un resultado positivo en la prueba de RT-PCR y/o la identificación de hallazgos tomográficos sugestivos de neumonía COVID-19 (categorías CO-RADS 4 y 5) fueron considerados criterios diagnósticos de infección por SARS-CoV-2.
La mayor parte de los pacientes se sometieron a cirugías de otorrinolaringología (64,7%). Ningún paciente presentó un resultado positivo en la prueba de RT-PCR ni síntomas sugestivos de infección por SARS-CoV-2 en el cuestionario de salud. Únicamente 22 (4,7%) mostraron signos compatibles con infección pulmonar; 20 de ellos atípica o indeterminada para COVID-19 (CO-RADS 2, 3) y 2 compatibles con neumonía COVID-19 en resolución. Durante el postoperatorio inmediato no se confirmó ningún caso positivo para SARS-CoV-2.
En nuestra serie, la realización de una TC torácica de baja dosis de radiación en pacientes asintomáticos para el cribado preoperatorio de infección por SARS-CoV-2 no proporcionó un valor diagnóstico adicional a la RT-PCR y el cuestionario de salud.
PDF
