Philipp Alexander Schroeder

SignificanceOptical imaging with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) often produces complex datasets. The Brain Imaging Data Structure specification (BIDS) has evolved to harmonize fNIRS recordings and to facilitate data sharing, transparency, and reproducibility. However, the conversion of raw fNIRS recordings and associated metadata into BIDS format remains time-consuming and error-prone.AimWe aim to present SNIRF2BIDS, an R package that streamlines the conversion of fNIRS data to the BIDS format through a graphical user interface.ApproachSNIRF2BIDS automates dataset restructuring, metadata organization, and file naming in accordance with the current BIDS specification. The SNIRF2BIDS-GUI requires R (≥4.0.0), including recent versions of shiny (≥1.13) and rlang (≥1.1.7). The backend for conversion configures Python and MNE-BIDS to be available for R via reticulate (≥1.45). After initial setup, the tool operates locally without requiring data transfer to online platforms.ResultsWe demonstrate the functionality of SNIRF2BIDS in a step-by-step tutorial, guiding users from raw fNIRS recordings to fully BIDS-compliant datasets.ConclusionsSNIRF2BIDS enables standardized organization of fNIRS datasets, thereby reducing manual work and minimizing the risk of human error. It fosters data sharing, thus supporting reproducible workflows and meta-scientific progress in the growing fNIRS research community.

Emotions influence how we control our thoughts and actions, but theories propose different mechanisms and make opposing predictions how valence and/or arousal modulate control exertion. This meta-analysis of 34 studies (72 experiments, N = 3,748) examined whether and how task-irrelevant emotional stimuli influence the congruency sequence effect (CSE), a widely used measure of control in conflict tasks like Stroop. Overall, results showed increased CSEs following negative compared to positive stimuli across a variety of different experimental procedures (g = .12). This negativity-boost for control was stronger in studies that used tonic (sustained) affect inductions, presented non-threatening stimuli, controlled for feature-binding confounds, and employed the flanker task. In contrast, arousal showed opposing effects depending on the overlap between emotional and task stimuli, as well as the format of the emotional stimuli—for example, high-arousing words or stimuli embedded within the task appeared to facilitate control. The valence findings support affective control accounts suggesting that negative affect enhances control adjustment. The arousal findings are compatible with theories assuming that emotional stimuli interact with attentional resources. Based on these results, we offer a tentative integrative framework that combines elements from several existing models to explain how emotional stimuli can interact with control operations.

Background/Objectives: Chronic attention problems occur in approximately 25% of children after acquired brain injury (ABI). When delivered daily, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may improve attention; however, access to daily in-clinic tDCS treatment can be limited by other commitments, including concurrent therapy, school commitments, and caregiver schedules. Treatment access can be improved through home-based interventions, though these require several practical and safety considerations in a pediatric ABI population. This study evaluated the safety, feasibility, and tolerability of remotely monitored at-home tDCS during online gamified attention training in pediatric ABI. Methods: We conducted a randomized, single-blind, dose-controlled clinical trial of at home tDCS in Brisbane, Australia (10 tDCS sessions; 20 min; 1 mA or 2 mA; bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). Participants attended our clinic at baseline for clinical assessments, fitting of the personalized tDCS headband, and training in how to use tDCS at home. All sessions were remotely supervised using live videoconferencing. We assessed the feasibility and tolerability of at-home tDCS and our customized, personalized at-home tDCS headband as primary outcomes. As secondary outcomes, we evaluated changes in functional connectivity (fc) and reaction time (RT). Results: Seventy-three participants were contacted over six months (January-June 2023) and ten were enrolled (5 males; mean age: 12.10 y [SD: 2.9]), satisfying a priori recruitment timelines (CONSORT reporting). All families successfully set up tDCS and completed attention training with excellent protocol adherence. There were no serious adverse events over the 100 total sessions. Nine participants completed all stimulation sessions (1 mA: n = 5, 2 mA: n = 4). Participants in the 2 mA group reported greater tingling, itching, and discomfort (all p < 0.05). One participant in the 1 mA group was unable to complete all sessions due to tolerability challenges; however, these challenges were resolved in the second half of the intervention by gradually increasing the stimulation duration across the 10 days alongside additional coaching and support. Conclusions: Overall, daily remotely supervised at-home tDCS in patients with pediatric ABI is safe, feasible, and tolerable. Our results support larger, sham-controlled efficacy trials and provide a foundation for the development of safe and effective at-home stimulation therapeutics that may offer targeted improvement of neurocognitive symptoms in children.

Background: Chocolate is the most craved energy‐dense food. Yet, most individuals can limit their chocolate consumption. Here, we investigate the cognitive mechanisms underlying chocolate consumption in a chocolate bogus taste test in a cross‐sectional experimental design.Method: High chocolate cravers abstained from chocolate for a week, followed by a virtual reality chocolate exposure with biometric trajectory recordings of their stopping responses and an ad‐libitum bogus taste test of spontaneous chocolate intake. A single‐target implicit association task and a computerised stop‐signal task served as unstandardised control tasks 1–2 days before chocolate intake.Results: Associations of parameters from all tasks with chocolate intake were small (|r| < 0.23). Elastic net models misestimated food intake by min. 160 kcal (generalisation: 180 kcal) and feature selection was only possible with L1 penalty. At the group level, participants showed a more controlled and delayed movement towards chocolate relative to neutral cues, evidenced by lower peak acceleration and peak velocity and faster stopping latency.Discussion: The findings demonstrate the complex cognitive‐behavioural underpinnings of food intake, food craving and abstinence.