Frontiers in Psychology

This study aims to assess women's perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) used in breast cancer screening in France by examining their knowledge of AI and the barriers to their participation in organized screening. The results of a survey conducted in June 2025 among a national sample of 2000 women (aged 40-75) reveal limited participation and persistent concerns among women. Nevertheless, despite a low awareness of specific AI applications, a large majority of the women surveyed are very favorable to the use of AI in breast cancer diagnosis, even considering it a lever to increase screening participation.

Importance: Problematic use of the internet (PUI) behaviors, including problematic gaming, social media use, smartphone use, and general internet use, have been increasingly studied worldwide. So far, it is unclear what the global prevalence of PUI is. Objective: To critically appraise existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the prevalence of PUI behaviors and generate aggregated global prevalence estimates across different manifestations and definitions. Data Sources: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Review Library were searched for relevant articles from database inception to the most recent available search prior to manuscript preparation. Searches targeted systematic reviews and meta-analyses reporting prevalence for PUI-related behaviors. Study Selection: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies reporting prevalence estimates for problematic gaming, problematic internet use, problematic smartphone use, problematic social media use, or sexting were included. Scoping reviews were retained for descriptive synthesis only. Data Extraction and Synthesis: An umbrella review methodology was used. Data extraction and methodological appraisal were conducted using AMSTAR-2 to assess the quality of included systematic reviews up to February 2026. Primary studies included in each review were extracted and pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Analyses were conducted to estimate pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and heterogeneity across non-overlapping primary studies. Small-study effects were examined. Main Outcomes and Measures: Global pooled prevalence estimates for PUI behaviors, including problematic gaming, problematic internet use, problematic smartphone use, problematic social media use, and sexting. Results: Eleven reviews, including 10 systematic reviews and 1 scoping review, met inclusion criteria, representing data from 3,145,428 individuals, of whom 3,030,023 were included in pooled prevalence analyses. Across regions, pooled prevalence estimates were 6% (95% CI, 5%-7%) for problematic gaming, 16% (95% CI, 15%-17%) for problematic internet use, 32% (95% CI, 28%-35%) for problematic smartphone use, and 23% (95% CI, 19%-28%) for problematic social media use. Substantial heterogeneity (I2 > 99%) was observed across primary studies, reflecting variation in study methodologies, sampled populations, and definitions of PUI behaviors. Conclusions and Relevance: PUI behaviors appear to affect a substantial proportion of the global population. However, methodological concerns were common, with 9 of 10 systematic reviews rated as having low or critically low confidence according to AMSTAR-2. Evidence remains concentrated in East Asia and Europe, and many reviews combine heterogeneous populations and sampling strategies. Additional high-quality epidemiological research, including studies in underrepresented regions, is needed to refine prevalence estimates, clarify risk factors, and support the development of standardized criteria for PUI behaviors.

Flow state, characterized by optimal engagement and performance, represents a key concept in understanding human performance and cognitive resource allocation. Grounded in Csikszentmihalyis and Sherrys flow theory and the Limited Capacity Model of Motivated Mediated Message Processing (LC4MP), this study investigated physiological and neural correlates of flow state during a simulated driving task under different music conditions and difficulty levels. Using a 2 x 3 factorial design with 20 participants, this study examined self-selected versus non-self-selected music across three difficulty levels, testing the relationship between task switching, cognitive resource allocation, and flow state. Physiological measures included heart rate and EEG (alpha/theta power) using a 4-channel Muse 2 headband, alongside a self-report measure of flow experience. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed significant physiological changes during self-selected music: heart rate decreased ({beta} = -5.15, p < .001), while alpha ({beta} = 5829.77, p < .001) and theta power ({beta} = 7637.24, p < .001) increased. Task difficulty also showed significant effects, with heart rate decreasing during hard ({beta} = -6.70, p < .001) and moderate ({beta} = -3.40, p = .001) conditions. In particular, while physiological measures showed robust changes, the self-reported flow state did not reach significance. Task switching rates showed significant decreases during self-selected music ({beta} = -0.86, p < .001) and hard difficulty ({beta} = -0.61, p < .001), supporting the LC4MP frameworks predictions regarding cognitive resource allocation. These findings demonstrate how task switching and cognitive resource allocation relate to flow state induction. The results highlight the importance of multimodal measurement approaches and demonstrate that personal relevance through music selection and task difficulty significantly influence physiological and neural responses during performance. Future research should employ more comprehensive measurement approaches to better capture the complexity of flow-related neural activity and its relationship to task switching and cognitive resource allocation.

(1) Background: Brain cancer is the ninth leading cause of cancer death in the US, with approximately 76,000 newly diagnosed cases annually. Studies show that at time of diagnosis, up to six-months post-treatment, 50%-80% of brain cancer survivors (BCS) report cognitive dysfunction. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has gained increasing attention as a persistent disability experienced by up to 75% of all BCS, which affects memory, concentration, executive function, etc. Studies show cognitive training with computerized gaming as improving cognitive function for patients with stroke, dementia, and Parkinsons. It is of significant clinical interest to develop innovative interventions that reduce MCI. Aim: To improve cognitive performance of BCS suffering with MCI by evaluating the feasibility, acceptability and effect of a Virtual Reality Cognitive Rehabilitation Training (VR-CRT) platform during four weeks of cognitive training. (2) Methods: We employed a quasi-experimental pretest/posttest non-randomized/non-blinded single-arm design for 4 weeks, with an experimental group (n=6, after attrition) using VR-CRT. Participants were selected based on convenience sampling using the electronic medical record to identify qualified patients, guided by inclusion/exclusion criteria. Feasibility was defined by retention as >80%, with usability testing using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and NASA-TLX surveys. The Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT), Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA) test, and Trail Making A-B (TM-A/B) test were used to measure cognitive performance, comparing baseline to post week-four. (3) Results: The feasibility criteria of >80% was met. All SUS and NASA scores were in the higher index, suggesting a high degree of usability, with low workload demand. For effect, the COWA findings showed a significant improvement (41.38%), with a paired sample T-Test confirming that the participants COWA scores improved significantly from pre- to post-intervention (p = 0.03), indicating enhanced verbal fluency and executive functioning after intervention. HVLT (combined) showed improvements of 18.75% for Form A and 11.32% for Form B, which also showed a significant improvement (p = .04) in the retention discrimination index from pre- to post-test. The TM-A/B test showed an improvement (25.97%), suggesting that the participants spent less time completing both parts A and B, but was not statistically significant. (4) Conclusion: This study fulfilled our aim to demonstrate modest to significant cognitive improvement using VR-CRT with brain cancer patients with MCI. Despite the small sample size, we believe the use of virtual reality will lead to important advances for patients with MCI, particularly the frontal lobe brain region, expressed in executive function.

BackgroundHealthcare workers are at increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to prolonged exposure to high-stress clinical environments. Although the Health Belief Model (HBM) has been widely used to explain health behaviors, its application to psychological outcomes such as PTSD remains limited. The role of cognitive-emotional processes, particularly experiential avoidance, in linking health beliefs to trauma symptoms is not well understood. MethodsThis study adopted a quantitative cross-sectional design to collect data from 475 healthcare workers in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Participants completed standardized measures assessing Health Belief Model constructs, experiential avoidance, and PTSD symptoms. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), with bootstrapping used to test direct, indirect (mediation), and moderation effects. Cluster analysis was also conducted using SPSS to validate differences in PTSD symptom severity across psychological constructs and demographic variables. ResultsExperiential avoidance significantly predicted PTSD symptoms ({beta} = 0.395, 95% CI [0.231, 0.565]). HBM constructs were negatively associated with experiential avoidance ({beta} = - 0.198, 95% CI [-0.270, -0.108]) and PTSD symptoms ({beta} = -0.119, 95% CI [-0.216, -0.006]). Mediation analysis indicated that experiential avoidance partially mediated the relationship between HBM constructs and PTSD ({beta} = -0.078, 95% CI [-0.132, -0.037]), with a total effect of - 0.197. Age moderated the relationship between HBM and experiential avoidance ({beta} = -0.114, 95% CI [-0.207, -0.025]) as well as the indirect pathway to PTSD. Sex significantly predicted PTSD symptoms ({beta} = 0.358, 95% CI [0.214, 0.501]). Cluster analysis showed that experiential avoidance and perceived barriers significantly differentiated high and low PTSD symptom groups. ConclusionThe findings support a conditional cognitive-emotional model in which Health Belief Model constructs influence PTSD symptoms both directly and indirectly through experiential avoidance. Demographic factors shape the strength of these relationships, while perceived barriers and experiential avoidance emerge as key determinants of trauma-related distress among healthcare workers.

Empathy, a key element of social interaction, involves both cognitive and affective processes and is commonly investigated through measures such as empathic accuracy and affective physiological synchrony. While physiological synchrony offers a continuous measure of affective processes, empathic accuracy typically relies on discrete self-reports, leaving their temporal relationship largely unexplored. Advancing this line of research requires datasets that integrate time-continuous self-reports with physiological signals, yet such datasets--particularly those focusing on the empathizee--remain limited. To fill this gap, we present EMPAC (Empathy Measurement: Physiological, Affective, and Cognitive), a multimodal dataset constructed. To create empathy-eliciting stimuli, professional actors performed emotionally intense, pseudo-autobiographical narratives while their physiological signals (e.g., ECG, EDA) and continuous self-reported emotional states were recorded. We then conducted two observer experiments using these video recordings. In Experiment 1, to validate the stimuli as empathy-eliciting materials, observers continuously rated emotional intensity without being informed of the specific emotion portrayed, following the protocol of previous studies on time-series empathic accuracy. Yet this approach sometimes revealed a gap between the emotion category portrayed by the target and that perceived by the observers. In Experiment 2, we introduced a revised procedure in which the target emotion category was disclosed prior to viewing, revealing that specifying the target emotion led to a different relationship between individual empathy traits and empathic accuracy than observed in Experiment 1. EMPAC thus provides a rich, temporally aligned resource for investigating empathy dynamics in naturalistic settings and for evaluating methodological variations in empathic accuracy paradigms.

Engagement is widely recognised as central to learning and academic achievement. Electrodermal activity (EDA) has emerged as an objective physiological indicator of engagement, as it measures sympathetic nervous system activation. However, the high cost of wearable EDA sensors has limited its widespread application. This study answers the call for affordable, high-temporal-resolution engagement measures by validating a video-based quantitative assessment method. Researchers collected 75 minutes of synchronised EDA and video data from 12 upper secondary students (aged 17-18) during regular instruction. Novel software was developed to analyse student movement and sound level for academically relevant content. The OpenPose AI model for pose estimation was also applied. This approach produced six distinct movement variables: two AI-based and four non-AI-based. Six linear models using varying movement variables and sound level were tested to predict tonic EDA levels. All models effectively predicted EDA levels, with non-AI-based movement metrics outperforming AI-based alternatives. The four non-AI-based movement models showed similar performance, indicating that compressed versions reduced computational time without sacrificing predictive power. These findings validate a novel, objective method for comparing engagement across learning activities on short timescales. This method is particularly useful for collaborative learning environments and enables controlling for movement and sound in quantitative classroom analyses.

Background School stress and psychosomatic complaints are linked and increase in high-income countries, with differences between countries. Evidence of how these parameters develop in Italy, particularly through combined parental and self-reported perspectives across age and gender, is limited. Methods A population-based online survey investigated school stress and psychosomatic complaints in children and adolescents aged 6-19 years, analyzing proxy- and self-reported data based on standardized validated instruments. Data was stratified by gender and age for children (6-10), early adolescents (11-14), and late adolescents (15-19). Results For early and late adolescents, the gender gap was evident, with higher levels of stress and health complaints in late adolescent girls. In this group, 56% of the girls self-reported rather/high school stress, and 43% of the boys. Parents perceived school stress and psychosomatic problems of their children as less severe than adolescents themselves. Parents stated a higher effect of parental help with school problems, and a lower effect of physical activity and digital media use on their childrens psychosomatic problems. Physical activity was related to fewer psychosomatic complaints, especially in girls. Conclusions This study identified late adolescent girls as vulnerable group, underscoring the critical need for gender-specific early prevention strategies starting in childhood, particularly for families with lower socioeconomic status. Parental perspectives may underestimate adolescents stress levels and psychosomatic well-being. In early adolescence, less digital media use may prevent psychosomatic problems, in late adolescence, physical activity may be a preventive method. Further longitudinal investigations should put a special focus on self- and proxy-reported perspectives.

Background Multimorbidity is increasingly prevalent, and associated with worse clinical and psychosocial burdens. Interoception, the brain's ability to sense and interpret internal bodily signals, may contribute to multimorbidity, through its link with health behaviors, stress regulation, and mental health. This study examines whether self-reported interoceptive accuracy and attention is associated with multimorbidity, by identifying multimorbid subgroups and their interoceptive profiles. Methods Morbidity classes were identified through latent class analyses in two Dutch survey datasets, focusing on depression and alexithymia (DA-dataset; N = 671) and lifestyle factors (L-dataset; N = 1022). Linear regression analyses were used to assess interoceptive accuracy and attention (by the Interoceptive Accuracy Scale and Interoceptive Attention Scale respectively) among different subgroups. Results Multimorbid subgroups were characterized by older age, low socioeconomic position, and elevated physical, psychological, and behavioral problems. Multimorbid classes exhibited lower interoceptive accuracy (DA-dataset: B = -1.14, 95% CI = [-2.89, 0.62]; L-dataset: B = -2.36, 95% CI = [-3.83, -0.89]) and higher attention (DA-dataset: B = 3.62, 95% CI = [0.97, 6.27]; L-dataset: B = 1.07, 95% CI = [-1.42, 3.56]) compared to healthier classes. Conclusion Multimorbid populations demonstrated lower interoceptive accuracy and higher interoceptive attention. This highlights the psychosocial complexity of multimorbid populations which may impact their self-management and health behavior. These findings underscore the need to expand treatments to include psychosocial domains for multimorbid patients.

Introduction Gender norms and roles are important determinants of physical and mental health in the key period of adolescence. Yet, the gendered pathways to mental health in adolescents are not fully understood. Using a conceptual framework for global adolescent mental health that we developed based on a Delphi process, we empirically investigated the associations between six gender-related constructs and adolescent mental health. Methods We used cross-sectional Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) data from Ethiopia (2020) to explore the associations between sex, gender norms, psychological competencies, gender attitudes, gender roles, with the latter two also serving as mediators, and psychological distress (GHQ-12), using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Results The SEM model contained measurements from 1,584 adolescents, including 843 girls and 741 boys, with a median age of 13 years. Out of 14 pathways tested, we found statistically significant associations between psychological competencies and psychological distress; sex and gender attitudes; and between gender norms and psychological competencies, gender attitudes, and gender roles. Hence, the gender-related constructs were mostly associated with each other, rather than with psychological distress. Conclusion The gender-related constructs are strongly interrelated, thereby attenuating their individual effects on psychological distress. The interplay of gender-related constructs should be considered when developing interventions to promote mental health in adolescents.

With the emergence of electroencephalography (EEG) as a tool in the cognitive domain, new demands are being placed on the technology to keep up with functional applications, especially in the context of at-home neural monitoring. New use cases have fostered development of wearable EEG (wEEG) devices: portable, low-cost headsets used for EEG monitoring. This evolution of technology and application has not been accompanied by development in technology evaluation, often relying on function-agnostic markers to assess devices for efficacy in this new space. With current methods limited in scope, this study designed, tested and evaluated a novel functionally-focused comparative protocol for wEEG devices. Eight participants undertook a protocol for the evaluation of four established wEEG devices, assessing cognitive resolution and general usability. Compared to a well-established traditional analysis method (eyes open/eyes closed protocol), the novel design proposed here enabled the same analysis of headset resolution, while also providing additional context into user preferences and opening downstream possibilities for specific cognitive insights. Future research could enable the development of this protocol into a standardised method to ensure the performance of wEEG technology can satisfy emerging clinical needs.

IntroductionOccupational stress among rescue workers is a major global public health concern. Rescue workers, including paramedics, firefighters, and disaster response teams, are consistently exposed to traumatic events, long working hours, physical hazards, and emotionally charged situations. These chronic stressors make them one of the most vulnerable groups to psychological distress, burnout, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorders. In the local context of Pakistan, workplace mental health remains a neglected area. Despite stress and burnout being widely reported in these sectors, limited evidence-based interventions are available. Therefore, the study aims to develop and evaluate a locally tailored intervention to improve the mental health and psychosocial well-being of rescue workers. ObjectivesO_LITo develop a culturally appropriate stress management intervention to promote mental health for rescue workers in Rawalpindi. C_LIO_LITo validate the content and structure of stress management intervention for rescue workers C_LIO_LITo evaluate the effectiveness of stress management intervention for rescue workers in Rawalpindi C_LI MethodThe ethical approval of the study has already been obtained from the ethical review board of Health Services Academy (00013/HSA/PhD-2022) and Rescue 1122 District Headquarters, Rawalpindi. Data will be collected after obtaining informed written consent from relevant stakeholders. Data collection will start from April 2026 and will be completed in six months. Data compilation and results are expected by December 2026. Data collection will involve a scoping review to explore stress determinants and intervention components, and then a qualitative phase in which data will be collected through focus group discussions from potential Stakeholders (rescue workers, mental health experts, and program managers) to identify and validate stress determinants. Triangulation of data will be done to integrate qualitative findings with findings from the review. In the second phase, validation will be done by intervention development experts. The third phase aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed intervention using a quasi-experimental pre-post design. A total of 154 participants evaluated with the Perceived Stress Scale Score will be employed through a stratified sampling technique. The primary outcome is defined as remission from stress at 3 months, measured with the PSS. DiscussionIt is anticipated that the study will result in the development of a culturally appropriate and evidence-based stress management intervention for rescue workers, thus contributing to sustainable improvement in rescuers mental health and job performance.

Given the growing crisis in youth mental health, there is a critical need to rebuild and sustain healthy social environments. Cooperative experiences (e.g., sports, clubs) may promote mental health but we lack rigorously tested measures to drive research and evaluation. This study sought to develop a measure of cooperative experiences and test associations with health. We developed and revised a measure of cooperative experiences based on interdisciplinary literature and 20 cognitive interviews. We recruited youth aged 13-25 years (N = 262) through youth-serving organizations and snowball sampling to complete an investigator-administered (n = 50) or self-administered (n = 212) survey assessing cooperative experiences (48 items), mental and physical health, and demographics. We assessed item characteristics, dimensionality, reliability, and construct validity. Multivariable linear regressions were used to estimate the association between the total score and self-reported health. Participants were 57% female, 69% Latino, 55% high school students, and 25% college students. The measure was reduced to 35 items (alpha = 0.90) with six subscales: sense of a unified group (7 items, alpha = 0.83), goal alignment (3 items, alpha = 0.80), inclusion and shared purpose (10 items, alpha = 0.88), social exclusion (2 items, alpha = 0.91), positive interdependence (7 items, alpha = 0.77), and negative interdependence (6 items, alpha = 0.87). A higher total score was associated with better self-reported mental health (beta = 0.25 standard deviation change in health score for each standard deviation change in cooperation scale, 95% CI [0.108, 0.394], p = 0.001) and self-reported general health (beta = 0.25, 95% CI [0.107, 0.395], p = 0.001). The study provides preliminary support for the reliability and validity of a new measure of exposure to cooperative experiences among youth. The measure holds promise as a tool to examine the relationship between social environments and health outcomes in real-world settings.

The present study examined whether thematic reversal anomalies are processed similarly across subject and object experiencer constructions in Malayalam. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded as 30 first-language speakers of Malayalam read transitive sentences with the two types of experiencer verbs, in which the thematic role assignment for the preceding arguments was either correct or reverse. The reversal anomaly became apparent only at the position of the experiencer verb. A linear mixed-models analysis confirmed a biphasic N400-P600 effect at the verb for both verb types when the argument roles were reverse. Thus, our results suggest a uniform processing strategy for TRAs irrespective of the type of experiencer verb involved. However, the N400 amplitude was larger for the object experiencer verb compared to subject experiencer verbs. We suggest that the quantitative difference observed for object experiencer verbs is due to the inverse linking of grammatical function and thematic roles associated with these verbs. In other words, verb-specific linking properties modulate the processing of TRAs involving object experiencer verbs. We argue that this modulation occurs because the parser recalibrates cue weighting when the expected form-to-meaning mappings are overridden by the inverse linking properties of object experiencer verbs.

Cognitive decline, particularly Alzheimers disease, represents a significant global health concern. While traditional risk factors are well documented, an evolutionary perspective grounded in life history theory offers critical insights into the intergenerational dynamics influencing cognitive aging. This study empirically analyzed the relationship between reproductive history and late-life cognitive performance in women, as measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Colombian version (MOCA-Col). Specifically, we examined the moderating role of the number of grandchildren on the association between parity and cognitive performance. Using an observational, cross-sectional design with a sample of 145 women (mean age = 69.9 years), a cumulative ordinal logistic regression model was fitted to MOCA-Col scores, incorporating age and the interaction between the standardized number of children and grandchildren. A higher number of children was significantly associated with lower odds of being in a better cognitive category ({beta} = -0.869, SE = 0.305, p = 0.0104, OR = 0.42). Crucially, a significant positive interaction between number of children and number of grandchildren was observed ({beta} = 0.354, SE = 0.093, p < 0.001, OR = 1.42), indicating that the negative association between parity and cognition progressively attenuated as the number of grandchildren increased. This evidence supports human life history models and the grandmother hypothesis, suggesting that intergenerational investment may mitigate the cumulative biological costs of reproduction. The findings reflect an evolutionary trade-off between early reproductive effort and later somatic maintenance.

BackgroundSmartphone addiction is an emerging public health concern among university students in sub-Saharan Africa. Limited data exist on its prevalence and associated factors in Uganda. ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the prevalence of smartphone addiction and its associated sociodemographic and economic factors among students at Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU). MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 287 undergraduate students at IUIU Kampala campus. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire incorporating the Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Version (SAS-SV). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed using modified Poisson regression. ResultsThe prevalence of smartphone addiction was 76.7% (95% CI: 71.4 to 81.2). Female students were 1.16 times more likely to be addicted than male students (APR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.32). Students who spent more time on smartphones than on academic revision were 1.33 times more likely to be addicted (95% CI: 1.11 to 1.61). Those using smartphones for five or more hours daily were 1.32 times more likely to be addicted (95% CI: 1.02 to 1.48). ConclusionSmartphone addiction is highly prevalent at IUIU. Female gender and prolonged daily screen time are significant independent predictors. Targeted digital wellness programmes and institutional policy interventions are urgently needed.

Purpose: Modified Barium Swallow (MBS) studies utilize videofluoroscopy, a dynamic X-ray technique for evaluating swallowing anatomy and physiology. Each MBS exam typically includes multiple bolus trials, often involving different bolus consistencies. Accurate classification of bolus types is essential, as swallowing dynamics, aspiration risks, and residue levels vary with bolus consistency. In this preliminary study, we propose a deep learning-based approach for automated bolus type classification in MBS, aiming to provide a standardized and efficient framework for automated processing of swallowing assessments. Methods: A total of 206 patients (Mean +/- SD age: 60.24 +/- 9.02 years; 89.32% men) underwent MBS examinations, comprising 277 individual MBS studies. The dataset included 2,752 bolus-level video segments, categorized by bolus type as follows: 1,711 liquid (IDDSI 0-3, 62.17%), 521 pudding (IDDSI 4, 18.93%), and 520 solid boluses (IDDSI 7, cookie or cracker, 18.89%). To standardize variable video lengths for the data pipeline, each MBS video was temporally segmented into a fixed-length frame sequence, with shorter videos padded using static frames and longer videos randomly cropped to the target length. We employed an Inflated 3D convolutional neural network to develop the deep learning model. Results: Each video segment contained an average of 273.03 +/- 195.81 frames. On the independent test set, the deep learning model achieved an overall accuracy of 96.13%, and the macro F1-score was 95.05% in classifying food bolus types within MBS videos. Conclusions: The developed AI-based system demonstrated effective automated classification of food bolus types in MBS videos, representing an important step toward fully automated MBS analysis for swallowing efficiency assessment. The AI model reduces the reliance on manual labels, thereby promising to streamline clinical and research workflows.

University Students are particularly vulnerable to disordered eating behaviors (DEB) and attitudes (DEA). This study expands upon the knowledge base of DEA and DEB in university students by employing a netnography as a precursor to the main study to establish the following research questions: What is the relationship between the perceived quality of dining services and DEA? What is the relationship between the perceived availability of dining services and DEA? And lastly, how does prior experience with dining services affect eating patterns and attitudes toward food? The first study utilized a netnographic approach in order to evaluate issues with university dining services, leading to the design of the second study. Students at an upper Midwestern university (n=88) were surveyed via convenience sampling. Eating attitudes, eating behaviors, and relationships with dining services were measured. A statistically significant relationship between the availability of services and the DEA was found. A statistically significant relationship between the availability of services and risk behaviors was found. However, no statistically significant correlation existed between first-year dependence on on-campus dining services and risk behavior related to eating disorders or eating attitudes. Based on this, we know the quality of nutrition and the availability of services impacted students eating attitudes and behaviors, not inherent dependence.

Background and Objectives: Arts and cultural engagement may contribute to well-being in later life. However, evidence from longitudinal studies from Asia, including Japan, remains limited. This study examined the association of arts and cultural engagement with subsequent multidimensional well-being among older adults in Japan, one of the fastest-aging countries. Research Design and Methods: This longitudinal study used panel data from 354 individuals aged 60 and older (mean age 74.0 years; 78.6% women) who completed self-administered questionnaires by mail between 2022 and 2024. The PERMA-Profiler was used to assess five multifaceted aspects of psychological well-being: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Frequencies of arts and cultural engagement at baseline were measured for active (e.g., activities by individuals and participation in groups, such as music and painting) and receptive (e.g., visiting museums, galleries, and theaters) forms. Results: Multivariable linear regression analysis, adjusted for the covariates including baseline PERMA scores, showed that higher frequencies of active engagement were positively associated with higher PERMA scores for all domains. Higher frequencies of receptive engagement were associated with the domains of positive emotion, meaning, and accomplishment, but not clearly associated with engagement and relationships. Restricted cubic spline analyses suggested clearer positive frequency-response patterns for active engagement than for receptive engagement. Discussion and Implications: Arts and cultural engagement, both active and receptive forms, was associated with subsequent multiple aspects of well-being in later life. These findings suggest the importance of ensuring access to arts and cultural opportunities for older adults to create, participate, and connect.

The proliferation of gambling advertising has intensified concerns regarding its influence on vulnerable populations, yet the neural mechanisms underlying cue-reactivity to these stimuli remain underexplored in ecologically valid settings. This study protocol proposes a novel methodological framework to investigate prefrontal cortical responses to gambling advertisements in individuals with varying degrees of gambling experience. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study will recruit 44 participants, divided into a clinical group (individuals with high-frequency gambling or gambling disorder) and a matched control group. Neural activity will be recorded using fNIRS while participants view gambling-related, neutral, violent, and sexual stimuli. Secondary measures include validated scales for gambling severity (SOGS), impulsivity, sensation seeking, and alexithymia. Data analysis will primarily utilize inter-subject correlation (ISC) to quantify neural synchronization and multiband frequency decomposition to capture dynamic affective processing. Advanced preprocessing, including short-channel regression, will be applied to ensure signal robustness. Discussion: By combining portable neuroimaging with a data-driven ISC approach, this study aims to identify objective neural markers of gambling vulnerability. The findings will provide novel insights into the idiosyncratic processing of commercial stimuli, potentially informing public health policies and the development of more effective evidence-based regulations for gambling marketing.