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Marder M, Geremia Parise A. Extending cognition: a vegetal rejoinder to extensionless thought and to extended cognition. Plant Signal Behav 2024; 19:2345984. [PMID: 38654490 PMCID: PMC11057674 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2024.2345984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
In this paper, we propose a crucial supplement to the framework of plant cognition, namely extending cognition. We argue that plants and other organisms with an open-ended body plan actively extend their cognition when growing tissues or organs. Their cognition expands with their body expansion. After considering the defining features of extending cognition, we present a model where growth, along with aspects of plant physiology (e.g. biochemical exudates), as well as the "negative extension" of growing away from obstacles or stressful environments, are the building blocks for a more refined understanding of plant cognition. We conclude by outlining the general implications of the theory of extending cognition and indicating directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Marder
- Department of Philosophy, University of the Basque Country, UPV-EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
- Philosophy, Ikerbasque: Basque Foundation for Science, Vitoria, Spain
| | - André Geremia Parise
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
- School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, UK
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Ye JY, Chen R, Chu H, Lin HC, Liu D, Jen HJ, Banda KJ, Kustanti CY, Chou KR. Dual-task training in older adults with cognitive impairment: A meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of randomized controlled trials. Int J Nurs Stud 2024; 155:104776. [PMID: 38703695 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2024.104776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of simultaneous dual-task training on cognitive function, physical function, and depression in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. METHODS Comprehensive database searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Ovid-Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus up to December 2022. Randomized controlled trials were included to assess the efficacy of simultaneous dual-task training for older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. The analysis utilized Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 3.0, presenting Hedges' g and the corresponding 95 % confidence interval (CI) for the pooled effect size and, applying a random-effects model. The I2 and Cochran's Q tests were employed to evaluate heterogeneity. The Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool was employed to assess study quality. The Copenhagen Trial Unit (version 0.9.5.10 Beta) was employed for trial sequential analysis, providing a rigorous methodology for evaluating cumulative evidence from multiple studies. RESULTS Of the 1676 studies identified, 20 studies involving 1477 older adults with cognitive impairment were included. Dual-task training significantly enhanced global cognition (0.477, 95 % CI: 0.282 to 0.671), executive function (-0.310, 95 % CI: -0.586 to -0.035), working memory (0.714, 95 % CI: 0.072 to 1.355), gait (0.418, 95 % CI: 0.252 to 0.583), physical activity (0.586, 95 % CI: 0.012 to 1.16), and depression (-0.703, 95 % CI: -1.253 to -0.153). Trial sequential analyses revealed the robustness of this meta-analysis, which was based on a sufficient sample size from the included studies. Moreover, dual-task training demonstrated beneficial effects on global cognition, executive function, working memory, and gait. CONCLUSIONS Dual-task training improved cognition, physical function, and depression among older adults with cognitive impairment. Accordingly, dual-task training should be considered a clinical nonpharmacological intervention for older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Nevertheless, the trial sequential analysis results were consistent with those of the pairwise meta-analysis but only global cognition reached significance by crossing the trial sequential analysis boundary. Future studies with higher-quality designs and larger sample sizes are required to obtain more conclusive results regarding other outcomes. REGISTRATION PROSPERO CRD42023418598.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-You Ye
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Ruey Chen
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei, Taiwan; Post-Baccalaureate Program in Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsin Chu
- Institute of Aerospace and Undersea Medicine, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Chen Lin
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Research Center in Nursing Clinical Practice, Wan Fang Hospital Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Doresses Liu
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Research Center in Nursing Clinical Practice, Wan Fang Hospital Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiu-Ju Jen
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kondwani Joseph Banda
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Endoscopy Unit, Surgery Department, Kamuzu Central Hospital, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Christina Yeni Kustanti
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Bethesda Yakkum, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Kuei-Ru Chou
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei, Taiwan; Research Center in Nursing Clinical Practice, Wan Fang Hospital Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Psychiatric Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Research Center for Neuroscience, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Howard SR, Barron AB. Understanding the limits to animal cognition. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R294-R300. [PMID: 38593777 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
The thriving field of comparative cognition examines the behaviour of diverse animals in cognitive terms. Comparative cognition research has primarily focused on the abilities of animals - what tasks they can do - rather than on the limits of their cognition - tasks that exceed an animal's cognitive abilities. We propose that understanding and identifying cognitive limits is as important as demonstrating the capacities of animal minds. Here, we identify challenges that have deterred the study of cognitive limits related to epistemic, practical and publication problems. The epistemic problem is concerned with how we can confidently infer a cognitive limit from null or negative results. The practical problem is how can we be certain our research has identified a cognitive limit rather than failures in tasks due to methodological or experimental design issues. The publication problem outlines the publication bias toward positive and exciting results over negative or null results in animal cognition. We propose solutions to these three challenges and examples of how to conduct research to confidently identify and confirm cognitive limits in animals. We believe a refocus on the cognitive limits of animals is the next step in the field of comparative cognition. Knowing the limits to the intelligence of different animals will aid us in appreciating the diversity of animal intelligence, and will resolve outstanding questions of how cognition evolves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scarlett R Howard
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Andrew B Barron
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.
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Goyal P, Didomenico RJ, Pressler SJ, Ibeh C, White-Williams C, Allen LA, Gorodeski EZ. Cognitive Impairment in Heart Failure: A Heart Failure Society of America Scientific Statement. J Card Fail 2024; 30:488-504. [PMID: 38485295 DOI: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2024.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is common among adults with heart failure (HF), as both diseases are strongly related to advancing age and multimorbidity (including both cardiovascular and noncardiovascular conditions). Moreover, HF itself can contribute to alterations in the brain. Cognition is critical for a myriad of self-care activities that are necessary to manage HF, and it also has a major impact on prognosis; consequently, cognitive impairment has important implications for self-care, medication management, function and independence, and life expectancy. Attuned clinicians caring for patients with HF can identify clinical clues present at medical encounters that suggest cognitive impairment. When present, screening tests such as the Mini-Cog, and consideration of referral for comprehensive neurocognitive testing may be indicated. Management of cognitive impairment should focus on treatment of underlying causes of and contributors to cognitive impairment, medication management/optimization, and accommodation of deficiencies in self-care. Given its implications on care, it is important to integrate cognitive impairment into clinical decision making. Although gaps in knowledge and challenges to implementation exist, this scientific statement is intended to guide clinicians in caring for and meeting the needs of an increasingly complex and growing subpopulation of patients with HF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parag Goyal
- Program for the Care and Study of the Aging Heart, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Robert J Didomenico
- University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Chicago, IL
| | | | - Chinwe Ibeh
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | | | - Larry A Allen
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - Eiran Z Gorodeski
- University Hospitals, Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH.
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5
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Bäckryd E. Chronic Pain and Time - A Theoretical Analysis. J Pain Res 2023; 16:4329-4335. [PMID: 38145034 PMCID: PMC10741732 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s435830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background When theoretically discussing pain, the distinction between acute and chronic pain is not always taken into consideration. By contrast, informed by the pain medicine distinction between acute and chronic pain, the present theoretical paper analyses the phenomena of chronicity and chronification in the pain setting. Methods Philosopher Fredrik Svenaeus and his paper The phenomenology of chronic pain: embodiment and alienation (Continental Philosophy Review 2015;48:107-122) is used as a dialogue partner. Results Three aspects, relevant for clinicians, are discussed: (1) the distinction between emotion and mood, arguing that the process of chronification entails pain evolving from the former to the latter; (2) chronification as a process in which the pain patient becomes aware of his/her temporality, both the past and the future coming to the fore (as opposed to severe acute pain in which only the present counts, ie, getting rid of the pain now); (3) the acquisition of a pain-related narrative identity, interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programs being described as helping patients regain a narrative identity that is not dominated by pain or by a fruitless chase after pain relief. Conclusion Chronic pain reminds us of our temporality and of the narrative character of our lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Bäckryd
- Pain and Rehabilitation Center, and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Rubinov M. Circular and unified analysis in network neuroscience. eLife 2023; 12:e79559. [PMID: 38014843 PMCID: PMC10684154 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Genuinely new discovery transcends existing knowledge. Despite this, many analyses in systems neuroscience neglect to test new speculative hypotheses against benchmark empirical facts. Some of these analyses inadvertently use circular reasoning to present existing knowledge as new discovery. Here, I discuss that this problem can confound key results and estimate that it has affected more than three thousand studies in network neuroscience over the last decade. I suggest that future studies can reduce this problem by limiting the use of speculative evidence, integrating existing knowledge into benchmark models, and rigorously testing proposed discoveries against these models. I conclude with a summary of practical challenges and recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mika Rubinov
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, and Psychology, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
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Mercante B, Enrico P, Deriu F. Cognitive Functions following Trigeminal Neuromodulation. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2392. [PMID: 37760833 PMCID: PMC10525298 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11092392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Vast scientific effort in recent years have been focused on the search for effective and safe treatments for cognitive decline. In this regard, non-invasive neuromodulation has gained increasing attention for its reported effectiveness in promoting the recovery of multiple cognitive domains after central nervous system damage. In this short review, we discuss the available evidence supporting a possible cognitive effect of trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS). In particular, we ask that, while TNS has been widely and successfully used in the treatment of various neuropsychiatric conditions, as far as research in the cognitive field is concerned, where does TNS stand? The trigeminal nerve is the largest cranial nerve, conveying the sensory information from the face to the trigeminal sensory nuclei, and from there to the thalamus and up to the somatosensory cortex. On these bases, a bottom-up mechanism has been proposed, positing that TNS-induced modulation of the brainstem noradrenergic system may affect the function of the brain networks involved in cognition. Nevertheless, despite the promising theories, to date, the use of TNS for cognitive empowering and/or cognitive decline treatment has several challenges ahead of it, mainly due to little uniformity of the stimulation protocols. However, as the field continues to grow, standardization of practice will allow for data comparisons across studies, leading to optimized protocols targeting specific brain circuitries, which may, in turn, influence cognition in a designed manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beniamina Mercante
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (B.M.); (P.E.)
| | - Paolo Enrico
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (B.M.); (P.E.)
| | - Franca Deriu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (B.M.); (P.E.)
- AOU Sassari, Unit of Endocrinology, Nutritional and Metabolic Disorders, 07100 Sassari, Italy
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Kassaw C, Wale T, Negash M, Temesgen K, Mekuriaw B, Tolessa O, Abdisa EN, Chekol YA, Ayano G, Anbesaw T. Cognitive disorder and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal service at Dilla University Referral Hospital, 2022. Front Glob Womens Health 2023; 4:1061626. [PMID: 37275210 PMCID: PMC10235606 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2023.1061626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cognition is defined as the mental activity or process of learning information and understanding through reason, experience, and the senses. In Sub-Saharan African nations like Ethiopia, such assessments of a pregnant mother's mental health during antenatal care are uncommon procedures. Instead, there is a greater focus on the physical well-being of the woman and her fetus. As a result, this study aimed to evaluate the cognitive deficits and related factors in a pregnant women attending an antenatal care service. Methods This hospital-based cross-sectional study included 415 pregnant women who were receiving antenatal care at Dilla University Referral Hospital in Dilla, Gedeo Zone, Ethiopia. In this study, respondents were chosen using systematic random sampling, and study participants were interviewed using administered questions to gather pertinent data. This study used the OSLO Social Support Scale, the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test, and the Mini-Mental Status Examination to assess the social support, cognitive status, and current substance use history of a respondent. Descriptive statistics including frequencies, graphs, and percentages were used to describe the results. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the connection between independent factors and the outcome variable at a 95 percent confidence level and p < 0.05. Result Among all respondents who came for antenatal care visits, only 24 (5.8%) were unmarried (single, divorced, widowed). The mean age of respondents was 26 years old and 155 (37.3%) had attended secondary school. Variables such as strong social support [0.11 (0.03-0.23), p < 0.02], being a follower of orthodox religion [0.24 (0.12-0.39), p < 0.04], ≥5,000 Ethiopian birr monthly income [0.28 (0.17-0.48), p < 0.02], age >26 years old [1.23 (1.14-2.54), p < 0.04], unplanned pregnancy [2.78 (1.45-4.32), p < 0.02], and rural residence [3.90 (2.23-7.34), p < 0.04] were significantly associated with cognitive impairment at 95% confidence interval and a p-value <0.05. Conclusion This study found that pregnant women who attended antenatal care experienced a significant reduction in cognitive disorders. Additionally, this study revealed adjustable factors such as unwanted pregnancy, social support, and religiosity. It is preferable to check a pregnant woman's cognitive condition at antenatal services and to follow-up on each additional visit.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tiruwork Wale
- Department of Psychiatry, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia
| | - Misrak Negash
- Department of Psychiatry, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia
| | - Kiber Temesgen
- Department of Psychiatry, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia
| | | | - Omega Tolessa
- Department of Nursing, Wolkite University, Wolkite, Ethiopia
| | | | | | - Getinet Ayano
- Research and Training Department, Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital,Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Tamrat Anbesaw
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Science, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
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Zuschnegg J, Schoberer D, Häussl A, Herzog SA, Russegger S, Ploder K, Fellner M, Hofmarcher-Holzhacker MM, Roller-Wirnsberger R, Paletta L, Koini M, Schüssler S. Effectiveness of computer-based interventions for community-dwelling people with cognitive decline: a systematic review with meta-analyses. BMC Geriatr 2023; 23:229. [PMID: 37041494 PMCID: PMC10091663 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-03941-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive deficits arise with age and can increase the risk for subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which may result in dementia, leading to health problems, care dependency and institutionalization. Computer-based cognitive interventions (CCIs) have the potential to act as important counteraction functions in preserving or improving cognition concomitant to available pharmacological treatment. The aim was to assess the effectiveness of CCIs performed individually with a personal or tablet computer, game console, virtual, augmented, or mixed reality application on cognition in community-dwelling people with SCD, MCI and dementia. METHODS A systematic review with meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed. The systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, Web of Science, Scopus and PsycINFO. In addition, a search for gray literature and backward citation searching were carried out. To judge on the evidence, two reviewers independently used the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. The standardized mean difference (SDM) for pooling comparable studies using the random-effects model was applied. RESULTS Twenty-four RCTs were identified, of which 1 RCT examined CCIs in individuals with SCD, 18 RCTs with MCI, and 6 RCTs with dementia. Most interventions were conducted with personal computers. Meta-analyses with 12 RCTs showed significant effects of computer-based cognitive interventions for people with MCI in the domains memory, working memory, attention/concentration/processing speed and executive functioning, but no significant improvements in global cognition and language. Regarding dementia a meta-analysis pooled with 4 RCTs demonstrated a tendency towards, but no significant increase of memory functions (SMD 0.33, CI 95% [-0.10, 0.77]). One RCT regarding SCD reported significant improvements in memory functions for participants conducting a cognitive training on a personal computer. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrated that CCIs have beneficial effects on domain-specific cognition in people with MCI but no significant effects on people with dementia. In terms of SCD, one study showed significant improvements in memory functions. It seems that the beneficial effect for cognitive preservation or improvement due to CCIs occurs at the earliest intervention state. However, more research on SCD is needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CDR42020184069.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Zuschnegg
- Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6, Graz, 8010, Austria
| | - Daniela Schoberer
- Institute of Nursing Science, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Alfred Häussl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036, Graz, Austria
| | - Sereina A Herzog
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Silvia Russegger
- DIGITAL - Institute for Information and Communication Technologies, JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Steyrergasse 17, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Karin Ploder
- Austrian Red Cross Organization, Styrian Branch, Merangasse 26, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Maria Fellner
- digitAAL Life GmbH, Schuberststraße 6a, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Regina Roller-Wirnsberger
- Department of Internal Medicine, Research Unit Aging and Old Age Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 15, 8036, Graz, Austria
| | - Lucas Paletta
- DIGITAL - Institute for Information and Communication Technologies, JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Steyrergasse 17, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Marisa Koini
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 22, 8036, Graz, Austria
| | - Sandra Schüssler
- Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6, Graz, 8010, Austria.
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Buczyłowska D, Zhao T, Singh N, Jurczak A, Siry A, Markevych I. Exposure to greenspace and bluespace and cognitive functioning in children - A systematic review. Environ Res 2023; 222:115340. [PMID: 36731600 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The field of greenspace and bluespace research in relation to cognitive outcomes is rapidly growing. Several systematic reviews have already been published on this topic but none of them are specific to cognitive outcomes in the entire age range of children. Moreover, only a few of them have examined the effects of bluespace in addition to greenspace. Also, theses reviews are focused either only on observational studies or experimental studies. Our systematic review focuses on cognitive outcomes in relation to greenspace and bluespace in children and adolescents aged 0-18; it captures both observational and experimental studies. Cognitive outcomes are presented according to an evidence-based taxonomy of human cognitive abilities: the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory. METHODS We conducted searches in the PubMed and PsychInfo databases, from their inception dates to 17 December 2021. We used three-text terms related to outcome, exposure, and population as well as MeSH terms for outcome and population. Further, the reference lists and existing reviews were searched ("snowball" search) until 21 April 2022 to detect additional studies. For the results reporting, we followed the updated guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA). We included observational and experimental studies on greenspace or bluespace exposure in relation to cognitive functioning, published in English, German, or Polish. Two reviewers independently checked study eligibility and extracted data. Two reviewers evaluated the risk of bias according to the Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) tool. At all stages, discrepancies between the two reviewers were solved via discussion with a third reviewer. RESULTS Records identified from PubMed (n = 2030) and PsycINFO (n = 1168) were deduplicated and screened. Twenty one reports were first selected. The "snowball" search revealed 16 additional reports. Altogether, 39 studies (17 experimental and 22 observational) published in 37 reports were qualified. The data extraction showed that the methodology used in the studies was heterogenous and the findings were inconsistent. The majority of the studies investigated attentional functioning, which we subdivided into two categories according to the CHC theory: attentional control and reaction and decision speed (12 studies) and attentional control and processing speed (10 studies). Eleven studies investigated working memory and/or short-term memory that we categorized as CHC working memory capacity. Nine studies investigated intellectual functioning, which we categorized as CHC general ability, fluid reasoning, and comprehension-knowledge. Two studies investigated visual-spatial skills, which we categorized as CHC visual processing and psychomotor speed. One study measured parent-reported attention; two studies examined early childhood/cognitive development; three studies examined decision-making and self-regulation, which can be categorized as several CHC theory abilities. DISCUSSION The heterogeneity of the included studies does not permit clear conclusions for our review. In accordance with previous systematic reviews, greenspace and bluespace were not more strongly related to a particular domain of cognitive functioning than other cognitive domains, and no effects of age or type of exposure assessment on the association between nature and cognition were detected. Further research is needed, including state-of-the-art of assessment of cognitive outcomes and diverse exposure assessment methods within both observational and experimental approaches. Expertise will be required in several domains, such as environmental epidemiology, cognitive psychology, and neuropsychology. Systematic review registration number (INPLASY): 202220018.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tianyu Zhao
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, LMU University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany; Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Nitika Singh
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Anna Jurczak
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland; Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Siry
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Iana Markevych
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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Abstract
Since Kepler and Descartes in the early-1600s, vision science has been committed to a triangulation model of stereo vision. But in the early-1800s, we realized that disparities are responsible for stereo vision. And we have spent the past 200 years trying to shoe-horn disparities back into the triangulation account. The first part of this article argues that this is a mistake, and that stereo vision is a solution to a different problem: the eradication of rivalry between the two retinal images, rather than the triangulation of objects in space. This leads to a 'minimal theory of 3D vision', where 3D vision is no longer tied to estimating the scale, shape, and direction of objects in the world. The second part of this article then asks whether the other aspects of 3D vision, which go beyond stereo vision, really operate at the same level of visual experience as stereo vision? I argue they do not. Whilst we want a theory of real-world 3D vision, the literature risks giving us a theory of picture perception instead. And I argue for a two-stage theory, where our purely internal 'minimal' 3D percept (from stereo vision) is linked to the world through cognition. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'New approaches to 3D vision'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Linton
- Presidential Scholars in Society and Neuroscience, Center for Science and Society, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Visual Inference Lab, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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12
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Parise AG, Gubert GF, Whalan S, Gagliano M. Ariadne’s thread and the extension of cognition: A common but overlooked phenomenon in nature? Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1069349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Over recent decades, our philosophical and scientific understanding of cognition has changed dramatically. We went from conceiving humans as the sole truly cognitive species on the planet to endowing several organisms with cognitive capacities, from considering brains as the exclusive seat of cognition to extending cognitive faculties to the entire physical body and beyond. That cognition could extend beyond the organism’s body is no doubt one of the most controversial of the recent hypotheses. Extended cognition (ExC) has been discussed not only to explain aspects of the human cognitive process, but also of other species such as spiders and more recently, plants. It has been suggested that ExC could offer insights for the grounding of environmentally extended cognitive traits in evolved ecological functions. Here, we reviewed the ecological literature for possible ExC examples that satisfy the mutual manipulability criterion, which can be used to establish experimentally the boundaries of cognitive systems. Our conclusion is that ExC might be far more common than previously thought, and present in organisms as diverse as plants, fungi, termites, spiders, mammals, and slime moulds. Experimental investigation is needed to clarify this idea which, if proven correct, could illuminate a new path into understanding the origins and evolution of cognition.
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13
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Xu HM, Xie SW, Liu TY, Zhou X, Feng ZZ, He X. Microbiota alteration of Chinese young male adults with high-status negative cognitive processing bias. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:989162. [PMID: 36937259 PMCID: PMC10015002 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.989162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Evidence suggests that negative cognitive processing bias (NCPB) is a significant risk factor for depression. The microbiota-gut-brain axis has been proven to be a contributing factor to cognitive health and disease. However, the connection between microbiota and NCPB remains unknown. This study mainly sought to explore the key microbiota involved in NCPB and the possible pathways through which NCPB affects depressive symptoms. Methods Data in our studies were collected from 735 Chinese young adults through a cross-sectional survey. Fecal samples were collected from 35 young adults with different levels of NCPB (18 individuals were recruited as the high-status NCPB group, and another 17 individuals were matched as the low-status NCPB group) and 60 with different degrees of depressive symptoms (27 individuals were recruited into the depressive symptom group, as D group, and 33 individuals were matched into the control group, as C group) and analyzed by the 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing technique. Results As a result, the level of NCPB correlated with the degree of depressive symptoms as well as anxiety symptoms and sleep quality (p < 0.01). The β-diversity of microbiota in young adults was proven to be significantly different between the high-status NCPB and the low-status NCPB groups. There were several significantly increased bacteria taxa, including Dorea, Christensenellaceae, Christe -senellaceae_R_7_group, Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group, Eggerthellaceae, Family-XIII, Family_XIII_AD3011_group, Faecalibaculum, and Oscillibacter. They were mainly involved in pathways including short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolism. Among these variable bacteria taxa, Faecalibaculum was found associated with both NCPB and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, five pathways turned out to be significantly altered in both the high-status NCPB group and the depressive symptom group, including butanoate metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, propanoate metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis, valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation. These pathways were related to SCFA metabolism. Discussion Fecal microbiota is altered in Chinese young male adults with high status NCPB and may be involved in the biochemical progress that influences depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Min Xu
- Department of Medical Psychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Taiyuan, China
| | - Shen-Wei Xie
- Department of Medical Psychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) 953 Hospital, Army Medical University, Rìkazé, China
| | - Tian-Yao Liu
- Department of Medical Psychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xia Zhou
- Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zheng-Zhi Feng
- Department of Medical Psychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Zheng-Zhi Feng,
| | - Xie He
- Department of Medical Psychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Xie He,
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14
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Shi P, Feng X. Motor skills and cognitive benefits in children and adolescents: Relationship, mechanism and perspectives. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1017825. [PMID: 36478944 PMCID: PMC9721199 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1017825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There is a strong interaction between motor skills and cognitive benefits for children and young people. The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between motor skill types and their development and the cognitive benefits of children and adolescents. In turn, on this basis, it proposes pathways and mechanisms by which motor skills improve cognition, and provide a basis for subsequent teaching of skills that follow the laws of brain cognitive development. METHODS This paper summarizes the research on the relationship between different types of motor skills and their development and cognitive benefits of children and adolescents. Based on these relationships, pathways, and mechanisms for motor skills to improve cognition are tentatively proposed. RESULTS There is an overall pattern of "open > closed, strategy > interception, sequence > continuous" between motor skill types and the cognitive benefits of children and adolescents. Long-term motor skill learning practice is accompanied by increased cognitive benefits as skill proficiency increases. The dynamic interaction between motor skills and physical activity exposes children and adolescents to environmental stimuli and interpersonal interactions of varying complexity, promoting the development of agility, coordination and cardiorespiratory fitness, enhancing their motor experience, which in turn improves brain structure and functional activity. CONCLUSION Motor skills training promote cognitive efficiency in children and adolescents. Motor skill interventions that are open-ended, strategic and sequential in nature are more effective. Environmental stimuli, interpersonal interaction, agility, coordination, and cardiorespiratory fitness can be considered as skill attribute moderators of motor skills to improve cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Shi
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaosu Feng
- Physical Education College, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
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15
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Beckage B, Moore FC, Lacasse K. Incorporating human behaviour into Earth system modelling. Nat Hum Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01478-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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16
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Lewis LS, Krupenye C. Eye-tracking as a window into primate social cognition. Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23393. [PMID: 35635515 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, noninvasive, restraint-free eye-tracking research with primates has transformed our understanding of primate social cognition. The use of this technology with many primate species allows for the exploration and comparison of how these species attend to and understand social agents and interactions. The ability to compare and contrast the cognitive capacities of various primate species, including humans, provides insight into the evolutionary mechanisms and selective pressures that have likely shaped social cognition in similar and divergent ways across the primate order. In this review, we begin by discussing noninvasive behavioral methods used to measure primate gaze and attention before the introduction of noninvasive, restraint-free eye-tracking methodologies. Next, we focus on findings from recent eye-tracking research on primate social cognition, beginning with simple visual and search mechanisms. We then discuss the results that have built on this basic understanding of how primates view images and videos, exploring discrimination and knowledge of social agents, following social cues, tracking perspectives and predicting behavior, and the combination of eye-tracking and other behavioral and physiological methods. Finally, we discuss some future directions of noninvasive eye-tracking research on primate social cognition and current eye-tracking work-in-progress that builds on these previous studies, investigating underexplored socio-cognitive capacities and utilizing new methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura S Lewis
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Christopher Krupenye
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
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17
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Kuchling F, Fields C, Levin M. Metacognition as a Consequence of Competing Evolutionary Time Scales. Entropy 2022; 24:e24050601. [PMID: 35626486 PMCID: PMC9141326 DOI: 10.3390/e24050601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Evolution is full of coevolving systems characterized by complex spatio-temporal interactions that lead to intertwined processes of adaptation. Yet, how adaptation across multiple levels of temporal scales and biological complexity is achieved remains unclear. Here, we formalize how evolutionary multi-scale processing underlying adaptation constitutes a form of metacognition flowing from definitions of metaprocessing in machine learning. We show (1) how the evolution of metacognitive systems can be expected when fitness landscapes vary on multiple time scales, and (2) how multiple time scales emerge during coevolutionary processes of sufficiently complex interactions. After defining a metaprocessor as a regulator with local memory, we prove that metacognition is more energetically efficient than purely object-level cognition when selection operates at multiple timescales in evolution. Furthermore, we show that existing modeling approaches to coadaptation and coevolution—here active inference networks, predator–prey interactions, coupled genetic algorithms, and generative adversarial networks—lead to multiple emergent timescales underlying forms of metacognition. Lastly, we show how coarse-grained structures emerge naturally in any resource-limited system, providing sufficient evidence for metacognitive systems to be a prevalent and vital component of (co-)evolution. Therefore, multi-scale processing is a necessary requirement for many evolutionary scenarios, leading to de facto metacognitive evolutionary outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franz Kuchling
- Department of Biology, Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA;
| | - Chris Fields
- 23 Rue des Lavandières, 11160 Caunes Minervois, France;
| | - Michael Levin
- Department of Biology, Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA;
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02138, USA
- Correspondence:
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18
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Levin M. Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere: An Experimentally-Grounded Framework for Understanding Diverse Bodies and Minds. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:768201. [PMID: 35401131 PMCID: PMC8988303 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.768201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology and bioengineering provide the opportunity to create novel embodied cognitive systems (otherwise known as minds) in a very wide variety of chimeric architectures combining evolved and designed material and software. These advances are disrupting familiar concepts in the philosophy of mind, and require new ways of thinking about and comparing truly diverse intelligences, whose composition and origin are not like any of the available natural model species. In this Perspective, I introduce TAME-Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere-a framework for understanding and manipulating cognition in unconventional substrates. TAME formalizes a non-binary (continuous), empirically-based approach to strongly embodied agency. TAME provides a natural way to think about animal sentience as an instance of collective intelligence of cell groups, arising from dynamics that manifest in similar ways in numerous other substrates. When applied to regenerating/developmental systems, TAME suggests a perspective on morphogenesis as an example of basal cognition. The deep symmetry between problem-solving in anatomical, physiological, transcriptional, and 3D (traditional behavioral) spaces drives specific hypotheses by which cognitive capacities can increase during evolution. An important medium exploited by evolution for joining active subunits into greater agents is developmental bioelectricity, implemented by pre-neural use of ion channels and gap junctions to scale up cell-level feedback loops into anatomical homeostasis. This architecture of multi-scale competency of biological systems has important implications for plasticity of bodies and minds, greatly potentiating evolvability. Considering classical and recent data from the perspectives of computational science, evolutionary biology, and basal cognition, reveals a rich research program with many implications for cognitive science, evolutionary biology, regenerative medicine, and artificial intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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19
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Widloski J, Foster DJ. Flexible rerouting of hippocampal replay sequences around changing barriers in the absence of global place field remapping. Neuron 2022; 110:1547-1558.e8. [PMID: 35180390 PMCID: PMC9473153 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Flexibility is a hallmark of memories that depend on the hippocampus. For navigating animals, flexibility is necessitated by environmental changes such as blocked paths and extinguished food sources. To better understand the neural basis of this flexibility, we recorded hippocampal replays in a spatial memory task where barriers as well as goals were moved between sessions to see whether replays could adapt to new spatial and reward contingencies. Strikingly, replays consistently depicted new goal-directed trajectories around each new barrier configuration and largely avoided barrier violations. Barrier-respecting replays were learned rapidly and did not rely on place cell remapping. These data distinguish sharply between place field responses, which were largely stable and remained tied to sensory cues, and replays, which changed flexibly to reflect the learned contingencies in the environment and suggest sequenced activations such as replay to be an important link between the hippocampus and flexible memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Widloski
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - David J Foster
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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20
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Lehmann KDS, Shogren FG, Fallick M, Watts JC, Schoenberg D, Wiegmann DD, Bingman VP, Hebets EA. Exploring Higher-Order Conceptual Learning in an Arthropod with a Large Multisensory Processing Center. Insects 2022; 13:insects13010081. [PMID: 35055924 PMCID: PMC8780652 DOI: 10.3390/insects13010081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary It is difficult to measure animal intelligence because the definition of ‘intelligence’ varies, and many animals are good at specific tasks used to measure intelligence or cognition. To address this, scientists often look for evidence of common cognitive abilities. One such ability, the ability to learn concepts, is thought to be rare in animals, especially invertebrates. Concepts include the ideas of ‘same’ and ‘different’. These concepts can be applied to anything in the environment while also being independent of those objects and can help animals understand and survive their environment. Amblypygids, a relative of spiders, live in tropical and subtropical areas, are very good learners, and have a large, complex brain region known to process information from multiple senses. We tested whether amblypygids could learn the concept of ‘same’ by training them to move toward a stimulus that matched with an initial stimulus. We also trained some individuals to learn the concept ‘different’ by training them to move toward a non-matching stimulus. When we used new stimuli, the amblypygids did not move toward the correct stimulus significantly more often than the incorrect stimulus, suggesting either they are unable to learn these higher-order concepts or our experimental design failed to elicit that ability. Abstract Comparative cognition aims to understand the evolutionary history and current function of cognitive abilities in a variety of species with diverse natural histories. One characteristic often attributed to higher cognitive abilities is higher-order conceptual learning, such as the ability to learn concepts independent of stimuli—e.g., ‘same’ or ‘different’. Conceptual learning has been documented in honeybees and a number of vertebrates. Amblypygids, nocturnal enigmatic arachnids, are good candidates for higher-order learning because they are excellent associational learners, exceptional navigators, and they have large, highly folded mushroom bodies, which are brain regions known to be involved in learning and memory in insects. In Experiment 1, we investigate if the amblypygid Phrynus marginimaculatus can learn the concept of same with a delayed odor matching task. In Experiment 2, we test if Paraphrynus laevifrons can learn same/different with delayed tactile matching and nonmatching tasks before testing if they can transfer this learning to a novel cross-modal odor stimulus. Our data provide no evidence of conceptual learning in amblypygids, but more solid conclusions will require the use of alternative experimental designs to ensure our negative results are not simply a consequence of the designs we employed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenna D. S. Lehmann
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; (K.D.S.L.); (F.G.S.); (M.F.); (D.S.)
| | - Fiona G. Shogren
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; (K.D.S.L.); (F.G.S.); (M.F.); (D.S.)
| | - Mariah Fallick
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; (K.D.S.L.); (F.G.S.); (M.F.); (D.S.)
| | - James Colton Watts
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA;
| | - Daniel Schoenberg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; (K.D.S.L.); (F.G.S.); (M.F.); (D.S.)
| | - Daniel D. Wiegmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA;
- J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA;
| | - Verner P. Bingman
- J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA;
- Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
| | - Eileen A. Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; (K.D.S.L.); (F.G.S.); (M.F.); (D.S.)
- Correspondence:
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21
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Abstract
Across taxa, mate choice is a highly selective process involving both intra- and intersexual selection processes aiming to pass on one’s genes, making mate choice a pivotal tool of sexual selection. Individuals adapt mate choice behavior dynamically in response to environmental and social changes. These changes are perceived sensorily and integrated on a neuronal level, which ultimately leads to an adequate behavioral response. Along with perception and prior to an appropriate behavioral response, the choosing sex has (1) to recognize and discriminate between the prospective mates and (2) to be able to assess and compare their performance in order to make an informed decision. To do so, cognitive processes allow for the simultaneous processing of multiple information from the (in-) animate environment as well as from a variety of both sexual and social (but non-sexual) conspecific cues. Although many behavioral aspects of cognition on one side and of mate choice displays on the other are well understood, the interplay of neuronal mechanisms governing both determinants, i.e., governing cognitive mate choice have been described only vaguely. This review aimed to throw a spotlight on neuronal prerequisites, networks and processes supporting the interaction between mate choice, sex roles and sexual cognition, hence, supporting cognitive mate choice. How does neuronal activity differ between males and females regarding social cognition? Does sex or the respective sex role within the prevailing mating system mirror at a neuronal level? How does cognitive competence affect mate choice? Conversely, how does mate choice affect the cognitive abilities of both sexes? Benefitting from studies using different neuroanatomical techniques such as neuronal activity markers, differential coexpression or candidate gene analyses, modulatory effects of neurotransmitters and hormones, or imaging techniques such as fMRI, there is ample evidence pointing to a reflection of sex and the respective sex role at the neuronal level, at least in individual brain regions. Moreover, this review aims to summarize evidence for cognitive abilities influencing mate choice and vice versa. At the same time, new questions arise centering the complex relationship between neurobiology, cognition and mate choice, which we will perhaps be able to answer with new experimental techniques.
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22
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Fuss T. Mate Choice, Sex Roles and Sexual Cognition in Vertebrates: Mate Choice Turns Cognition or Cognition Turns Mate Choice? Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.749495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The idea of “smart is sexy,” meaning superior cognition provides competitive benefits in mate choice and, therefore, evolutionary advantages in terms of reproductive fitness, is both exciting and captivating. Cognitively flexible individuals perceive and adapt more dynamically to (unpredictable) environmental changes. The sex roles that females and males adopt within their populations can vary greatly in response to the prevalent mating system. Based on how cognition determines these grossly divergent sex roles, different selection pressures could possibly shape the (progressive) evolution of cognitive abilities, suggesting the potential to induce sexual dimorphisms in superior cognitive abilities. Associations between an individual’s mating success, sexual traits and its cognitive abilities have been found consistently across vertebrate species and taxa, providing evidence that sexual selection may well shape the supporting cognitive prerequisites. Yet, while superior cognitive abilities provide benefits such as higher feeding success, improved antipredator behavior, or more favorable mate choice, they also claim costs such as higher energy levels and metabolic rates, which in turn may reduce fecundity, growth, or immune response. There is compelling evidence in a variety of vertebrate taxa that females appear to prefer skilled problem-solver males, i.e., they prefer those that appear to have better cognitive abilities. Consequently, cognition is also likely to have substantial effects on sexual selection processes. How the choosing sex assesses the cognitive abilities of potential mates has not been explored conclusively yet. Do cognitive skills guide an individual’s mate choice and does learning change an individual’s mate choice decisions? How and to which extent do individuals use their own cognitive skills to assess those of their conspecifics when choosing a mate? How does an individual’s role within a mating system influence the choice of the choosing sex in this context? Drawing on several examples from the vertebrate world, this review aims to elucidate various aspects associated with cognitive sex differences, the different roles of males and females in social and sexual interactions, and the potential influence of cognition on mate choice decisions. Finally, future perspectives aim to identify ways to answer the central question of how the triad of sex, cognition, and mate choice interacts.
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23
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Abstract
We typically distinguish between V1 as an egocentric perceptual map and the hippocampus as an allocentric cognitive map. In this article, we argue that V1 also functions as a post-perceptual egocentric cognitive map. We argue that three well-documented functions of V1, namely (i) the estimation of distance, (ii) the estimation of size, and (iii) multisensory integration, are better understood as post-perceptual cognitive inferences. This argument has two important implications. First, we argue that V1 must function as the neural correlates of the visual perception/cognition distinction and suggest how this can be accommodated by V1's laminar structure. Second, we use this insight to propose a low-level account of visual consciousness in contrast to mid-level accounts (recurrent processing theory; integrated information theory) and higher-level accounts (higher-order thought; global workspace theory). Detection thresholds have been traditionally used to rule out such an approach, but we explain why it is a mistake to equate visibility (and therefore the presence/absence of visual experience) with detection thresholds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Linton
- Centre for Applied Vision Research, City, University of London, Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB, UK
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24
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Fields C, Glazebrook JF, Levin M. Minimal physicalism as a scale-free substrate for cognition and consciousness. Neurosci Conscious 2021; 2021:niab013. [PMID: 34345441 PMCID: PMC8327199 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niab013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Theories of consciousness and cognition that assume a neural substrate automatically regard phylogenetically basal, nonneural systems as nonconscious and noncognitive. Here, we advance a scale-free characterization of consciousness and cognition that regards basal systems, including synthetic constructs, as not only informative about the structure and function of experience in more complex systems but also as offering distinct advantages for experimental manipulation. Our "minimal physicalist" approach makes no assumptions beyond those of quantum information theory, and hence is applicable from the molecular scale upwards. We show that standard concepts including integrated information, state broadcasting via small-world networks, and hierarchical Bayesian inference emerge naturally in this setting, and that common phenomena including stigmergic memory, perceptual coarse-graining, and attention switching follow directly from the thermodynamic requirements of classical computation. We show that the self-representation that lies at the heart of human autonoetic awareness can be traced as far back as, and serves the same basic functions as, the stress response in bacteria and other basal systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Fields
- 23 Rue des Lavandières, 11160 Caunes Minervois, France
| | - James F Glazebrook
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Eastern Illinois University, 600 Lincoln Ave, Charleston, IL 61920 USA
- Department of Mathematics, Adjunct Faculty, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 1409 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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25
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Dukes D, Abrams K, Adolphs R, Ahmed ME, Beatty A, Berridge KC, Broomhall S, Brosch T, Campos JJ, Clay Z, Clément F, Cunningham WA, Damasio A, Damasio H, D’Arms J, Davidson JW, de Gelder B, Deonna J, de Sousa R, Ekman P, Ellsworth PC, Fehr E, Fischer A, Foolen A, Frevert U, Grandjean D, Gratch J, Greenberg L, Greenspan P, Gross JJ, Halperin E, Kappas A, Keltner D, Knutson B, Konstan D, Kret ME, LeDoux JE, Lerner JS, Levenson RW, Loewenstein G, Manstead ASR, Maroney TA, Moors A, Niedenthal P, Parkinson B, Pavlidis L, Pelachaud C, Pollak SD, Pourtois G, Roettger-Roessler B, Russell JA, Sauter D, Scarantino A, Scherer KR, Stearns P, Stets JE, Tappolet C, Teroni F, Tsai J, Turner J, Van Reekum C, Vuilleumier P, Wharton T, Sander D. The rise of affectivism. Nat Hum Behav 2021; 5:816-820. [PMID: 34112980 PMCID: PMC8319089 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01130-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Research over the past decades has demonstrated the explanatory power of emotions, feelings, motivations, moods, and other affective processes when trying to understand and predict how we think and behave. In this consensus article, we ask: has the increasingly recognized impact of affective phenomena ushered in a new era, the era of affectivism?
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Dukes
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland,Department of Special Education, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland,;
| | - Kathryn Abrams
- Berkeley Law School, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ralph Adolphs
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Mohammed E. Ahmed
- Department of Computer Science, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andrew Beatty
- Department of Anthropology, Brunel University London, London, UK
| | - Kent C. Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Susan Broomhall
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for History of Emotions, Australian Catholic University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Tobias Brosch
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland,Department of Psychology, FPSE, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joseph J. Campos
- Institute of Human Development, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA,USA
| | - Zanna Clay
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Fabrice Clément
- Cognitive Science Centre, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | | | - Antonio Damasio
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hanna Damasio
- Dornsife Cognitive Neuroscience Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Justin D’Arms
- Department of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jane W. Davidson
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for History of Emotions, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Beatrice de Gelder
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands,Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Julien Deonna
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland,Department of Philosophy, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ronnie de Sousa
- Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul Ekman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA,Paul Ekman Group, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Ernst Fehr
- Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Agneta Fischer
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ad Foolen
- Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ute Frevert
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Didier Grandjean
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland,Department of Psychology, FPSE, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan Gratch
- Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California, Playa Vista, CA, USA
| | - Leslie Greenberg
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - James J. Gross
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Eran Halperin
- Psychology Department, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Arvid Kappas
- Department of Psychology and Methods, Jacobs University Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Dacher Keltner
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Brian Knutson
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - David Konstan
- Department of Classics, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mariska E. Kret
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Joseph E. LeDoux
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer S. Lerner
- Harvard Kennedy School and Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Robert W. Levenson
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - George Loewenstein
- Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Terry A. Maroney
- Vanderbilt University Law School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Agnes Moors
- Department of Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Paula Niedenthal
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Brian Parkinson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - loannis Pavlidis
- Department of Computer Science, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Catherine Pelachaud
- CNRS-Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Seth D. Pollak
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Gilles Pourtois
- Department of Experimental, Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - James A. Russell
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Disa Sauter
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Klaus R. Scherer
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland,Department of Psychology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Stearns
- Department of History, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Jan E. Stets
- Department of Sociology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Christine Tappolet
- Département de Philosophie, Université de Montreal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Fabrice Teroni
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland,Department of Philosophy, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jeanne Tsai
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Turner
- Department of Sociology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Carien Van Reekum
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading UK
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland,Department of Neuroscience, University Medical School, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Tim Wharton
- School of Humanities, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK
| | - David Sander
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland,Department of Psychology, FPSE, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland,;
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26
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McKeown A. What Do We Owe to Novel Synthetic Beings and How Can We Be Sure? Camb Q Healthc Ethics 2021; 30:479-91. [PMID: 34109928 DOI: 10.1017/S0963180120001036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Embodiment is typically given insufficient weight in debates concerning the moral status of Novel Synthetic Beings (NSBs) such as sentient or sapient Artificial Intelligences (AIs). Discussion usually turns on whether AIs are conscious or self-aware, but this does not exhaust what is morally relevant. Since moral agency encompasses what a being wants to do, the means by which it enacts choices in the world is a feature of such agency. In determining the moral status of NSBs and our obligations to them, therefore, we must consider how their corporeality shapes their options, preferences, values, and is constitutive of their moral universe. Analysing AI embodiment and the coupling between cognition and world, the paper shows why determination of moral status is only sensible in terms of the whole being, rather than mental sophistication alone, and why failure to do this leads to an impoverished account of our obligations to such NSBs.
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Yu Q, Herold F, Becker B, Klugah-Brown B, Zhang Y, Perrey S, Veronese N, Müller NG, Kramer AF, Zou L. Cognitive benefits of exercise interventions: an fMRI activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:601-619. [PMID: 33675397 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02247-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Despite a growing number of functional MRI studies reporting exercise-induced changes during cognitive processing, a systematic determination of the underlying neurobiological pathways is currently lacking. To this end, our neuroimaging meta-analysis included 20 studies and investigated the influence of physical exercise on cognition-related functional brain activation. The overall meta-analysis encompassing all experiments revealed physical exercise-induced changes in the left parietal lobe during cognitive processing. Subgroup analysis further revealed that in the younger-age group (< 35 years old) physical exercise induced more widespread changes in the right hemisphere, whereas in the older-age group (≥ 35 years old) exercise-induced changes were restricted to the left parietal lobe. Subgroup analysis for intervention duration showed that shorter exercise interventions induced changes in regions connected with frontoparietal and default mode networks, whereas regions exhibiting effects of longer interventions connected with frontoparietal and dorsal attention networks. Our findings suggest that physical exercise interventions lead to changes in functional activation patterns primarily located in precuneus and associated with frontoparietal, dorsal attention and default mode networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Yu
- Exercise and Mental Health Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Fabian Herold
- Research Group Neuroprotection, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, Sichuan, China
| | - Ben Klugah-Brown
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, Sichuan, China
| | - Yanjie Zhang
- Exercise and Mental Health Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Stephane Perrey
- , EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ Montpellier, IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicola Veronese
- Primary Care Department, Azienda ULSS 3 (Unità Locale Socio Sanitaria) Serenissima, Dolo-Mirano District, Venice, Italy
| | - Notger G Müller
- Research Group Neuroprotection, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Arthur F Kramer
- Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Beckman Institute, University of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Liye Zou
- Exercise and Mental Health Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
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28
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Abstract
We advance an account that grounds cognition, specifically decision-making, in an activity all organisms as autonomous systems must perform to keep themselves viable—controlling their production mechanisms. Production mechanisms, as we characterize them, perform activities such as procuring resources from their environment, putting these resources to use to construct and repair the organism's body and moving through the environment. Given the variable nature of the environment and the continual degradation of the organism, these production mechanisms must be regulated by control mechanisms that select when a production is required and how it should be carried out. To operate on production mechanisms, control mechanisms need to procure information through measurement processes and evaluate possible actions. They are making decisions. In all organisms, these decisions are made by multiple different control mechanisms that are organized not hierarchically but heterarchically. In many cases, they employ internal models of features of the environment with which the organism must deal. Cognition, in the form of decision-making, is thus fundamental to living systems which must control their production mechanisms. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Basal cognition: conceptual tools and the view from the single cell’.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Bechtel
- Department of Philosophy, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Leonardo Bich
- IAS-Research Centre for Life, Mind and Society, Department of Philosophy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Avenida de Tolosa 70, Donostia-San Sebastian 20018, Spain
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29
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30
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Muratore IB, Traniello JFA. Fungus-Growing Ants: Models for the Integrative Analysis of Cognition and Brain Evolution. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:599234. [PMID: 33424560 PMCID: PMC7793780 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.599234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - James F. A. Traniello
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
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31
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Abstract
Nervous systems are typically described as static networks passively responding to external stimuli (i.e., the 'sensorimotor hypothesis'). However, for more than a century now, evidence has been accumulating that this passive-static perspective is wrong. Instead, evidence suggests that nervous systems dynamically change their connectivity and actively generate behavior so their owners can achieve goals in the world, some of which involve controlling their sensory feedback. This review provides a brief overview of the different historical perspectives on general brain function and details some select modern examples falsifying the sensorimotor hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Brembs
- Universität Regensburg, Institut für Zoologie - Neurogenetik, Regensburg, Germany.
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32
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Fahlman A, Cozzi B, Manley M, Jabas S, Malik M, Blawas A, Janik VM. Conditioned Variation in Heart Rate During Static Breath-Holds in the Bottlenose Dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus). Front Physiol 2020; 11:604018. [PMID: 33329056 PMCID: PMC7732665 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.604018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous reports suggested the existence of direct somatic motor control over heart rate (f H) responses during diving in some marine mammals, as the result of a cognitive and/or learning process rather than being a reflexive response. This would be beneficial for O2 storage management, but would also allow ventilation-perfusion matching for selective gas exchange, where O2 and CO2 can be exchanged with minimal exchange of N2. Such a mechanism explains how air breathing marine vertebrates avoid diving related gas bubble formation during repeated dives, and how stress could interrupt this mechanism and cause excessive N2 exchange. To investigate the conditioned response, we measured the f H-response before and during static breath-holds in three bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) when shown a visual symbol to perform either a long (LONG) or short (SHORT) breath-hold, or during a spontaneous breath-hold without a symbol (NS). The average f H (if Hstart), and the rate of change in f H (dif H/dt) during the first 20 s of the breath-hold differed between breath-hold types. In addition, the minimum instantaneous f H (if Hmin), and the average instantaneous f H during the last 10 s (if Hend) also differed between breath-hold types. The dif H/dt was greater, and the if Hstart, if Hmin, and if Hend were lower during a LONG as compared with either a SHORT, or an NS breath-hold (P < 0.05). Even though the NS breath-hold dives were longer in duration as compared with SHORT breath-hold dives, the dif H/dt was greater and the if Hstart, if Hmin, and if Hend were lower during the latter (P < 0.05). In addition, when the dolphin determined the breath-hold duration (NS), the f H was more variable within and between individuals and trials, suggesting a conditioned capacity to adjust the f H-response. These results suggest that dolphins have the capacity to selectively alter the f H-response during diving and provide evidence for significant cardiovascular plasticity in dolphins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Fahlman
- Global Diving Research Inc., Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Research Department, Fundación Oceanogràfic de la Comunidad Valenciana, Valencia, Spain
| | - Bruno Cozzi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Mercy Manley
- Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, The Mirage, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Sandra Jabas
- Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, The Mirage, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Marek Malik
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Internal Cardiology Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Ashley Blawas
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, United States
| | - Vincent M. Janik
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
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33
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Zhou Y, Sun L, Peng X, Solvi C, Peng F. Chromatic, achromatic and bimodal negative patterning discrimination by free-flying bumble bees. Anim Behav 2020; 169:93-101. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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34
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Krieger J, Hörnig MK, Laidre ME. Shells as 'extended architecture': to escape isolation, social hermit crabs choose shells with the right external architecture. Anim Cogn 2020; 23:1177-1187. [PMID: 32770436 PMCID: PMC7700067 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-020-01419-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Animals’ cognitive abilities can be tested by allowing them to choose between alternatives, with only one alternative offering the correct solution to a novel problem. Hermit crabs are evolutionarily specialized to navigate while carrying a shell, with alternative shells representing different forms of ‘extended architecture’, which effectively change the extent of physical space an individual occupies in the world. It is unknown whether individuals can choose such architecture to solve novel navigational problems. Here, we designed an experiment in which social hermit crabs (Coenobita compressus) had to choose between two alternative shells to solve a novel problem: escaping solitary confinement. Using X-ray microtomography and 3D-printing, we copied preferred shell types and then made artificial alterations to their inner or outer shell architecture, designing only some shells to have the correct architectural fit for escaping the opening of an isolated crab’s enclosure. In our ‘escape artist’ experimental design, crabs had to choose an otherwise less preferred shell, since only this shell had the right external architecture to allow the crab to free itself from isolation. Across multiple experiments, crabs were willing to forgo preferred shells and choose less preferred shells that enabled them to escape, suggesting these animals can solve novel navigational problems with extended architecture. Yet, it remains unclear if individuals solved this problem through trial-and-error or were aware of the deeper connection between escape and exterior shell architecture. Our experiments offer a foundation for further explorations of physical, social, and spatial cognition within the context of extended architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Krieger
- Department of Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstraße 23, 17489, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Marie K Hörnig
- Department of Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstraße 23, 17489, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Mark E Laidre
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
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35
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Abstract
Many animals manipulate their environments in ways that appear to augment cognitive processing. Adult humans show remarkable flexibility in this domain, typically relying on internal cognitive processing when adequate but turning to external support in situations of high internal demand. We use calendars, calculators, navigational aids and other external means to compensate for our natural cognitive shortcomings and achieve otherwise unattainable feats of intelligence. As yet, however, the developmental origins of this fundamental capacity for cognitive offloading remain largely unknown. In two studies, children aged 4-11 years (n = 258) were given an opportunity to manually rotate a turntable to eliminate the internal demands of mental rotation--to solve the problem in the world rather than in their heads. In study 1, even the youngest children showed a linear relationship between mental rotation demand and likelihood of using the external strategy, paralleling the classic relationship between angle of mental rotation and reaction time. In study 2, children were introduced to a version of the task where manually rotating inverted stimuli was sometimes beneficial to performance and other times redundant. With increasing age, children were significantly more likely to manually rotate the turntable only when it would benefit them. These results show how humans gradually calibrate their cognitive offloading strategies throughout childhood and thereby uncover the developmental origins of this central facet of intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adam Bulley
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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36
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Abstract
Direct replication studies follow an original experiment's methods as closely as possible. They provide information about the reliability and validity of an original study's findings. The present paper asks what comparative cognition should expect if its studies were directly replicated, and how researchers can use this information to improve the reliability of future research. Because published effect sizes are likely overestimated, comparative cognition researchers should not expect findings with p-values just below the significance level to replicate consistently. Nevertheless, there are several statistical and design features that can help researchers identify reliable research. However, researchers should not simply aim for maximum replicability when planning studies; comparative cognition faces strong replicability-validity and replicability-resource trade-offs. Next, the paper argues that it may not even be possible to perform truly direct replication studies in comparative cognition because of: 1) a lack of access to the species of interest; 2) real differences in animal behavior across sites; and 3) sample size constraints producing very uncertain statistical estimates, meaning that it will often not be possible to detect statistical differences between original and replication studies. These three reasons suggest that many claims in the comparative cognition literature are practically unfalsifiable, and this presents a challenge for cumulative science in comparative cognition. To address this challenge, comparative cognition can begin to formally assess the replicability of its findings, improve its statistical thinking and explore new infrastructures that can help to form a field that can create and combine the data necessary to understand how cognition evolves.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Markus Boeckle
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Deparmtent of Psychology and Psychodynamics, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, St. Pölten, Austria
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