The physiological state of the brain before an incoming stimulus has substantial consequences for subsequent behavior and neural processing. For example, the phase of ongoing posterior alpha-band oscillations (8–14 Hz) immediately before visual stimulation has been shown to predict perceptual outcomes and downstream neural activity. Although this phenomenon suggests that these oscillations may phasically route information through functional networks, many accounts treat these periodic effects as a consequence of ongoing activity that is independent of behavioral strategy. Here, we investigated whether alpha-band phase can be guided by top-down control in a temporal cueing task. When participants were provided with cues predictive of the moment of visual target onset, discrimination accuracy improved and targets were more frequently reported as consciously seen, relative to unpredictive cues. This effect was accompanied by a significant shift in the phase of alpha-band oscillations, before target onset, toward each participant’s optimal phase for stimulus discrimination. These findings provide direct evidence that forming predictions about when a stimulus will appear can bias the phase of ongoing alpha-band oscillations toward an optimal phase for visual processing, and may thus serve as a mechanism for the top-down control of visual processing guided by temporal predictions.

Background: Qualitative studies have suggested that perceived partner satisfaction is an important predictor of patient satisfaction in post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. To better characterize these relationships, a couple-based study employing a quantitative analysis was conducted. Methods: BREAST-Q and a novel partner survey were used to assess relationships among patient satisfaction, perceived partner satisfaction, and reported partner satisfaction in 11 couples. Breast reconstruction patients completed the postoperative BREAST-Q, and their partners completed a survey designed to assess satisfaction with their emotional relationship, partner’s breasts, partner’s medical care, and sexual relationship. Results: The majority of patients were married. Seventy-three percent of women had an implant-based reconstruction, while 27% had an abdominal-based reconstruction. The majority (82%) of patients reported no complications with reconstructive procedures. The mean patient BREAST-Q score was 86 (range, 48–97), and the mean partner score was 87 (64–98). There was a correlation of 0.85 between reported partner satisfaction and patient satisfaction. Fifty-eight percent of partners reported being afraid to touch their partner’s reconstructed breasts out of fear of causing pain; 7% of patients reported experiencing pain in the area of their reconstructed breasts. Conclusions: This study reveals that partner satisfaction with breast reconstruction correlates with patient satisfaction. With this knowledge, we will be able to formulate suggestions on how preoperative consultations could be conducted as to optimize patient and partner satisfaction and bridge the gap between patient and partner knowledge of postoperative pain.

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