Emre Eskicioğlu

Objectives: This three-wave longitudinal study examined intra-seasonal cognitive trajectories across a competitive basketball season in youth basketball players and age-comparable non-athlete controls. Methods: Ninety-one youth basketball players (U12, U14, U16) and 30 non-athlete controls completed computerized cognitive assessments at pre-season, mid-season, and post-season. Visuospatial attention (Change Detection Test [CDT]), motion anticipation (Timewall Test), and inhibitory control with processing speed (Flanker Task) were evaluated under standardized laboratory conditions. Primary athlete-control analyses combined the U12 and U14 cohorts (~U13), whereas U16 analyses were exploratory and included basketball players only because no age-comparable U16 control group was available. Results: Basketball players and non-athlete controls showed small, nominally significant differences in competitive seasonal change in visual attention and change-detection ability (p = 0.046, η² = 0.017) and response time (p = 0.020, η² = 0.025). Basketball players also showed within-season improvements in temporal estimation and motion anticipation (p < 0.001). Processing speed improved similarly in both groups, with no significant Time × Group interaction (p = 0.92), whereas Flanker accuracy (p = 0.40) and interference control (p = 0.82) showed no significant differential seasonal change. Exploratory U16 analyses showed no significant seasonal changes across the assessed cognitive domains (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Cognitive performance changed selectively across the competitive season. Differences between basketball players and non-athlete controls were most evident in the seasonal pattern of change-detection performance. At the same time, basketball players also showed within-group improvements in temporal estimation and motion anticipation. Processing speed improved in both groups. Overall, the findings indicate domain-specific longitudinal cognitive changes but do not establish basketball-specific causal effects.

Objective: This study evaluated the test–retest reliability of a newly developed web-based dichotic listening test with Turkish syllables presented to individuals with normal hearing. By adapting the dichotic listening paradigm from its traditional laboratory implementation to a digital format, this study aimed to increase accessibility. Materials and Methods: Forty-seven participants aged between 18 and 35 with normal hearing completed a web-based Turkish dichotic listening test. Participants were recruited online and completed the test using their own devices and headphones. A retest session was conducted two weeks after the first test. Results: The test exhibited high test-retest reliability across both ears in the non-forced condition (ICC_right = .79; ICC_left = .80), moderate reliability in the forced right condition (ICC = .70), and notably lower reliability in the forced left condition (ICC = .40).Conclusion: The findings indicate that the DL test provides high reliability under non-forced conditions, but its reliability decreases under attentional conditions.

Objective of the study: The study aimed to examine how the manipulation of static interstimulus intervals (ISI) influences cortical somatosensory responses to non-painful tactile stimuli when applied to the dominant and non-dominant hands. Methods: Nineteen healthy, right-handed volunteers participated in the EEG study.non-painful tactile stimuli were delivered to the right and left fingertips in separate sessions. The ISI was set at a short 2-second interval (ISI2) and a long 8-second interval (ISI8) in separate sessions. The primary measure was the Peak-to-Peak Maximum (PPMax) amplitude, calculated between the late cortical N2 (200 ms) and P2 (around 300 ms) components. A three-way repeated-measures ANOVA (ISI x Electrode x Hand) was used for statistical analysis. Results: A significant main effect of ISI was found (p < .001), with PPMax amplitudes significantly higher in the ISI8 session compared to ISI2. Crucially, there was no significant main effect of the hand. Conclusion(s): The increased amplitude at ISI8 supports the concept that longer intervals facilitate recovery from habituation. The absence of a significant difference between the dominant and non-dominant hands, contrary to typical lateralized findings, suggests a weakening of this lateralized pattern under static ISI conditions.

Background and Purpose: In the dichotic listening test, not only the asymmetry of the auditory system is evaluated but also the associated cognitive processes. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of male and female voices on dichotic listening. Methods: Participants consisted of 10 men and 14 women, aged 18–45 (28.54±6.23) without neurological or auditory disorders. The dichotic listening test was applied to four different sessions. These sessions: female voices in both ears, male voices in both ears, male and female voices in both ears (mono session), male voices in the right ear, female voices in the left ear, and female voices in the right ear, and male voices in the left ear (stereo). Results: It was determined that brain lateralization was significantly reduced in the female session compared with the stereo session; in other words, right ear dominance decreased (p=0.026, d=-0.293). It was determined that there was a significant difference between the number of errors in male and stereo sessions. Conclusion: Participants preferred the syllables voiced with male voice more in mono and stereo sessions. It is observed that female participants mostly prefer syllables voiced with a male voice, and male participants prefer syllables voiced with a female voice.

Olfaction is critical for maintaining daily life activities. It is crucial to measure olfactory performance for the diagnosis and treatment of certain neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, impairments and a lack of quality in the olfactory system may indicate the early diagnosis of some diseases such as Parkinson's. In this context, there are several imaging methods available for evaluating olfactory function. In addition to the conventional methods used in measuring the brain's responsiveness to olfactory stimuli, this article presents a systematic review of the current applicability of optical brain imaging (i.e., functional near-infrared spectroscopy) in the evaluation of olfactory function. A database literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, the Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. This review excluded animal studies, clinical studies, pathology-or neurodegenerative disease-related studies, newborn-related studies, cross -modal-and dual-task related studies, and non-original research studies. Thus, seven studies were examined to discuss the pitfalls and perspectives of the use of optical brain imaging under olfactory stimulation. As for this conclusion, they can be used to evaluate olfactory performance in healthy individuals through the interpretation of hemodynamic changes. Further studies are needed to standardize the applicability of these optical imaging techniques.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to determine the age-related latency interval of P1 latencies of children with normal hearing, and to evaluate the P1 latency changes after surgery in children who underwent cochlear implantation. Materials and methods: We evaluated 60 children with normal hearing and 16 children with cochlear implants aged 0-6 years using cortical auditory evoked potentials. P1 latencies were measured only once in the children with normal hearing, and on the postoperative first day, and the first, third, and sixth postoperative months in the children with cochlear implants. Results: There was a statistically significant decrease in the P1 latencies as the age increased in children with normal hearing (P < 0.001). It was determined that when the external part of the cochlear implant was applied, the P1 latencies of children with cochlear implants were significantly longer than those of age-matched children with normal hearing (P < 0.001). This difference disappeared in 10 children with implants at the third and sixth months, but significant differences remained in 6 children. Conclusion: P1 latency could be used as an objective tool to evaluate the normal development of auditory pathways, and may be helpful in the effective programming of children undergoing cochlear implantation.