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Patel M, Braun JA, Henderson LA, Dawood T, Macefield VG. The effects of electrical stimulation of ventromedial prefrontal cortex on skin sympathetic nerve activity. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae235. [PMID: 38839074 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Skin sympathetic nerve activity (SSNA) is primarily involved in thermoregulation and emotional expression; however, the brain regions involved in the generation of SSNA are not completely understood. In recent years, our laboratory has shown that blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal intensity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) are positively correlated with bursts of SSNA during emotional arousal and increases in signal intensity in the vmPFC occurring with increases in spontaneous bursts of SSNA even in the resting state. We have recently shown that unilateral transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) of the dlPFC causes modulation of SSNA but given that the current was delivered between electrodes over the dlPFC and the nasion, it is possible that the effects were due to current acting on the vmPFC. To test this, we delivered tACS to target the right vmPFC or dlPFC and nasion and recorded SSNA in 11 healthy participants by inserting a tungsten microelectrode into the right common peroneal nerve. The similarity in SSNA modulation between ipsilateral vmPFC and dlPFC suggests that the ipsilateral vmPFC, rather than the dlPFC, may be causing the modulation of SSNA during ipsilateral dlPFC stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariya Patel
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Joe A Braun
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Luke A Henderson
- School of Medical Sciences (Neuroscience), Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, 94 Mallett Street, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Tye Dawood
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Vaughan G Macefield
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
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2
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Riadh O, Naoufel O, Ben Rejeb MR, Le Gall D. The role of cognitive estimation in understanding the mental states of others. Cogn Neuropsychol 2024:1-20. [PMID: 38782712 DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2024.2354449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have emphasized the critical role of the prefrontal cortex in cognitive estimation and theory of mind, however, none of them has questioned the possible role of cognitive estimation processes in understanding the mental states of others. In this study, we compared 30 patients with focal prefrontal cortex damage and 30 control subjects matched by gender, age, and education level on their performances on a cognitive estimation task and two tasks assessing theory of mind: the "Faux-Pas" task and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes task. The results showed that patients were significantly impaired compared with control subjects on both abilities of cognitive estimation and theory of mind. Moreover, regression analyses showed that performance on theory of mind was predicted by the scores on cognitive estimation. Finally, using voxel-based lesion analysis, we identified a partially common bilaterally distributed prefrontal network involved in both these domains centred within the ventral and dorsomedial areas with extension to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ouerchefani Riadh
- Higher Institute of Human sciences, University of Tunis El-Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
- Univ Angers, Université de Nantes, LPPL, SFR CONFLUENCES, Angers, France
| | | | - Mohamed Riadh Ben Rejeb
- Faculty of Human and Social Science of Tunisia, Department of Psychology, University of Tunis I, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Didier Le Gall
- Univ Angers, Université de Nantes, LPPL, SFR CONFLUENCES, Angers, France
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3
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Ghirelli A, Spinelli EG, Canu E, Basaia S, Castelnovo V, Cecchetti G, Sibilla E, Domi T, Magnani G, Caso F, Caroppo P, Prioni S, Villa C, Rossi G, Tremolizzo L, Appollonio I, Verde F, Ticozzi N, Silani V, Filippi M, Agosta F. Clinical and neuroanatomical characterization of the semantic behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia in a multicenter Italian cohort. J Neurol 2024:10.1007/s00415-024-12338-9. [PMID: 38597943 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12338-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Semantic behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (sbvFTD) is a neurodegenerative condition presenting with specific behavioral and semantic derangements and predominant atrophy of the right anterior temporal lobe (ATL). The objective was to evaluate clinical, neuropsychological, neuroimaging, and genetic features of an Italian sbvFTD cohort, defined according to recently proposed guidelines, compared to semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA) and behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD) patients. METHODS Fifteen sbvFTD, sixty-three bvFTD, and twenty-five svPPA patients and forty controls were enrolled. Patients underwent clinical, cognitive evaluations, and brain MRI. Symptoms of bvFTD patients between onset and first visit were retrospectively recorded and classified as early and late. Grey matter atrophy was investigated using voxel-based morphometry. RESULTS sbvFTD experienced early criteria-specific symptoms: world, object and person-specific semantic loss (67%), complex compulsions and rigid thought (60%). Sequentially, more behavioral symptoms emerged (apathy/inertia, loss of empathy) along with non-criteria-specific symptoms (anxiety, suspiciousness). sbvFTD showed sparing of attentive/executive functions, especially compared to bvFTD and better language functions compared to svPPA. All sbvFTD patients failed at the famous face recognition test and more than 80% failed in understanding written metaphors and humor. At MRI, sbvFTD had predominant right ATL atrophy, almost specular to svPPA. Three sbvFTD patients presented pathogenic genetic variants. CONCLUSION We replicated the application of sbvFTD diagnostic guidelines in an independent Italian cohort, demonstrating that the presence of person-specific semantic knowledge loss and mental rigidity, along with preserved executive functions and a predominant right ATL atrophy with sparing of frontal lobes, should prompt a diagnosis of sbvFTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alma Ghirelli
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Edoardo Gioele Spinelli
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Canu
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Basaia
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Veronica Castelnovo
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Giordano Cecchetti
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Sibilla
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Teuta Domi
- Experimental Neuropathology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Magnani
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Caso
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Caroppo
- Unit of Neurology 5-Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Prioni
- Unit of Neurology 5-Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Villa
- Unit of Neurology 5-Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomina Rossi
- Unit of Neurology 5-Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucio Tremolizzo
- Neurology Unit, "San Gerardo" Hospital and University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Ildebrando Appollonio
- Neurology Unit, "San Gerardo" Hospital and University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Federico Verde
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- "Dino Ferrari" Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- "Dino Ferrari" Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- "Dino Ferrari" Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Filippi
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neurophysiology Service, IRCSS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neurorehabilitation Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Agosta
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy.
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
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Silveri MC, Lo Monaco MR, Tondinelli A, Petracca M, Zinzi P, Fragapane S, Pozzi G, Pagnini F, Bentivoglio AR, Di Tella S. Social cognition in Parkinson's disease and functional movement disorders. Neurol Sci 2024:10.1007/s10072-024-07452-5. [PMID: 38521891 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-024-07452-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Functional movement disorders (FMD) can overlap with Parkinson's disease (PD), and distinguishing between the two clinical conditions can be complex. Framing social cognition (theory of mind) (TOM) disorder, attention deficit, and psychodynamic features of FMD and PD may improve diagnosis. METHODS Subjects with FMD and PD and healthy controls (HC) were administered tasks assessing TOM abilities and attention. The psychodynamic hypothesis of conversion disorder was explored by a questionnaire assessing dissociative symptoms. A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tasks was also administered to FMD and PD. RESULTS Although both FMD and PD scored lower than HC on all TOM tests, significant correlations between TOM and neuropsychological tasks were found only in PD but not in FMD. Only PD showed a reduction in attentional control. Dissociative symptoms occurred only in FMD. DISCUSSION Cognitive-affective disturbances are real in FMD, whereas they are largely dependent on cognitive impairment in PD. Attentional control is preserved in FMD compared to PD, consistent with the hypothesis that overload of voluntary attentional orientation may be at the basis of the onset of functional motor symptoms. On a psychodynamic level, the confirmation of dissociative symptoms in FMD supports the conversion disorder hypothesis. CONCLUSION FMD and PD can be distinguished on an affective and cognitive level. At the same time, however, the objective difficulty often encountered in distinguishing between the two pathologies draws attention to how blurred the boundary between 'organic' and 'functional' can be.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Caterina Silveri
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123, Milan, Italy
- Department of Geriatrics, Orthopedics and Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCCS, L.go A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Rita Lo Monaco
- Department of Geriatrics, Orthopedics and Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCCS, L.go A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy.
| | - Alice Tondinelli
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123, Milan, Italy
| | - Martina Petracca
- Department of Geriatrics, Orthopedics and Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCCS, L.go A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Zinzi
- Department of Geriatrics, Orthopedics and Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCCS, L.go A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Fragapane
- Department of Geriatrics, Orthopedics and Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCCS, L.go A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Gino Pozzi
- Department of Geriatrics, Orthopedics and Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCCS, L.go A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Pagnini
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Bentivoglio
- Department of Geriatrics, Orthopedics and Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCCS, L.go A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Sonia Di Tella
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123, Milan, Italy
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5
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Ouerchefani R, Ouerchefani N, Ben Rejeb MR, Le Gall D. Pragmatic language comprehension: Role of theory of mind, executive functions, and the prefrontal cortex. Neuropsychologia 2024; 194:108756. [PMID: 38103682 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The specific contribution of focal damage of the prefrontal cortex and the cognitive mechanisms accounting for communicative-pragmatic disorders remains unclear. The objective of the current study was to investigate the impact of focal prefrontal cortex damage on the ability to understand indirect speech or hints and to identify the prefrontal neural mechanisms involved. We also examined the underlying cognitive mechanisms of disorders of indirect speech understanding particularly theory of mind and executive functions. Thirty patients with focal prefrontal cortex damage and 30 control subjects were compared on their performances on the Hinting task assessing pragmatic language skills, the "Faux-Pas" task and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes task assessing Theory of Mind and a battery of executive tasks. Patients were significantly impaired compared with control subjects on all these abilities. Both deficits of executive functions and theory of mind were able to predict impaired ability of patients in understanding non-literal meanings on the Hinting task. Finally, using voxel-based lesion analysis we identified a partially shared neural prefrontal network involved in all these abilities centered on the dorsomedial and ventral regions of the prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riadh Ouerchefani
- University of Tunis El Manar, High Institute of Human Sciences, Department of Psychology, 26 Boulevard Darghouth Pacha, Tunis, Tunisia; Univ Angers, Université de Nantes, LPPL, SFR Confluences, F-49000 Angers, France.
| | - Naoufel Ouerchefani
- Department of Neurosurgery, Foch Hospital, 40 Rue Worth, 92151 Suresnes, Paris, France.
| | - Mohamed Riadh Ben Rejeb
- University of Tunis I, Faculty of Human and Social Science of Tunisia, Department of Psychology, Boulevard 9 Avril, C.P. 1007, Tunis, Tunisia.
| | - Didier Le Gall
- Univ Angers, Université de Nantes, LPPL, SFR Confluences, F-49000 Angers, France.
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Tafuri B, Urso D, Nigro S, Macchitella L, De Blasi R, Ray Chaudhuri K, Logroscino G. Grey-matter correlates of empathy in 4-Repeat Tauopathies. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:138. [PMID: 37758794 PMCID: PMC10533505 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00576-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss of empathy is an early and central symptom of frontotemporal lobar degeneration spectrum diseases. We aimed to investigate the topographical distribution of morphometric brain changes associated with empathy in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and Corticobasal Syndrome (CBS) patients. Twenty-seven participants with CBS and 31 with PSP were evaluated using Interpersonal Reactivity Index scales in correlation with gray matter atrophy using a voxel-based morphometry approach. Lower levels of empathy were associated with an increased atrophy in fronto-temporal cortical structures. At subcortical level, empathy scores were positively correlated with gray matter volume in the amygdala, hippocampus and the cerebellum. These findings allow to extend the traditional cortico-centric view of cognitive empathy to the cerebellar regions in patients with neurodegenerative disorders and suggest that the cerebellum may play a more prominent role in social cognition than previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Tafuri
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico", Tricase, Lecce, Italy
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Bari, Italy
| | - Daniele Urso
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico", Tricase, Lecce, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
| | - Salvatore Nigro
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico", Tricase, Lecce, Italy
- Institute of Nanotechnology (NANOTEC), National Research Council, Lecce, Italy
| | - Luigi Macchitella
- IRCCS "E. Medea"- Unit for Severe disabilities in developmental age and young adults (Developmental Neurology and Neurorehabilitation), Brindisi, Italy
| | - Roberto De Blasi
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico", Tricase, Lecce, Italy
| | - K Ray Chaudhuri
- Department of Neurosciences, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
| | - Giancarlo Logroscino
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico", Tricase, Lecce, Italy.
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Bari, Italy.
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Kieckhaefer C, Schilbach L, Bzdok D. Social belonging: brain structure and function is linked to membership in sports teams, religious groups, and social clubs. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:4405-4420. [PMID: 36161309 PMCID: PMC10110433 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Human behavior across the life span is driven by the psychological need to belong, right from kindergarten to bingo nights. Being part of social groups constitutes a backbone for communal life and confers many benefits for the physical and mental health. Capitalizing on the neuroimaging and behavioral data from ∼40,000 participants from the UK Biobank population cohort, we used structural and functional analyses to explore how social participation is reflected in the human brain. Across 3 different types of social groups, structural analyses point toward the variance in ventromedial prefrontal cortex, fusiform gyrus, and anterior cingulate cortex as structural substrates tightly linked to social participation. Functional connectivity analyses not only emphasized the importance of default mode and limbic network but also showed differences for sports teams and religious groups as compared to social clubs. Taken together, our findings establish the structural and functional integrity of the default mode network as a neural signature of social belonging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Kieckhaefer
- LVR Klinikum Düsseldorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Bergische Landstraße 2, 40629 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Leonhard Schilbach
- LVR Klinikum Düsseldorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Bergische Landstraße 2, 40629 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Medical Faculty, Ludwig Maximilians University, Bavariaring 19, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Danilo Bzdok
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McGill University, 3801 rue University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, 3775 rue University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
- Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, 6666 rue Saint-Urbain, Montreal, Quebec H2S 3H1, Canada
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8
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Atzil S, Satpute AB, Zhang J, Parrish MH, Shablack H, MacCormack JK, Leshin J, Goel S, Brooks JA, Kang J, Xu Y, Cohen M, Lindquist KA. The impact of sociality and affective valence on brain activation: A meta-analysis. Neuroimage 2023; 268:119879. [PMID: 36642154 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Thirty years of neuroimaging reveal the set of brain regions consistently associated with pleasant and unpleasant affect in humans-or the neural reference space for valence. Yet some of humans' most potent affective states occur in the context of other humans. Prior work has yet to differentiate how the neural reference space for valence varies as a product of the sociality of affective stimuli. To address this question, we meta-analyzed across 614 social and non-social affective neuroimaging contrasts, summarizing the brain regions that are consistently activated for social and non-social affective information. We demonstrate that across the literature, social and non-social affective stimuli yield overlapping activations within regions associated with visceromotor control, including the amygdala, hypothalamus, anterior cingulate cortex and insula. However, we find that social processing differs from non-social affective processing in that it involves additional cortical activations in the medial prefrontal and posterior cingulum that have been associated with mentalizing and prediction. A Bayesian classifier was able to differentiate unpleasant from pleasant affect, but not social from non-social affective states. Moreover, it was not able to classify unpleasantness from pleasantness at the highest levels of sociality. These findings suggest that highly social scenarios may be equally salient to humans, regardless of their valence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shir Atzil
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | | | - Jiahe Zhang
- Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Holly Shablack
- Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA, United States
| | | | - Joseph Leshin
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | | | - Jeffrey A Brooks
- Hume AI, New York, NY, United States; University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Jian Kang
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Yuliang Xu
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Matan Cohen
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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9
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Math anxiety is more closely associated with math performance in female students than in male students. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04349-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
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10
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Tomasino B, Canderan C, Bonivento C, Rumiati RI. Attention to the other's body sensations modulates the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:6617746. [PMID: 35751298 PMCID: PMC9949495 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsac043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory of Mind (ToM) is involved in experiencing the mental states and/or emotions of others. A further distinction can be drawn between emotion and perception/sensation. We investigated the mechanisms engaged when participants' attention is driven toward specific states. Accordingly, 21 right-handed healthy individuals performed a modified ToM task in which they reflected about someone's emotion or someone's body sensation, while they were in a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The analysis of brain activity evoked by this task suggests that the two conditions engage a widespread common network previously found involved in affective ToM (temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), parietal cortex, dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), medial- prefrontal cortex (MPFC), Insula). Critically, the key brain result is that body sensation implicates selectively ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC). The current findings suggest that only paying attention to the other's body sensations modulates a self-related representation (VMPFC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Tomasino
- Scientific Institute IRCCS 'Eugenio Medea', Polo FVG, Pasian di Prato (UD), Udine 33037, Italy
| | - Cinzia Canderan
- Scientific Institute IRCCS 'Eugenio Medea', Polo FVG, Pasian di Prato (UD), Udine 33037, Italy
| | - Carolina Bonivento
- Scientific Institute IRCCS 'Eugenio Medea', Polo FVG, Pasian di Prato (UD), Udine 33037, Italy
| | - Raffaella I Rumiati
- Neuroscience and Society Lab, Neuroscience Area, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste 34136, Italy
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11
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Li W, Lou W, Zhang W, Tong RKY, Jin R, Peng W. Gyrus rectus asymmetry predicts trait alexithymia, cognitive empathy, and social function in neurotypical adults. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:1941-1954. [PMID: 35567793 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Reduced empathy and elevated alexithymia are observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which has been linked to altered asymmetry in brain morphology. Here, we investigated whether trait autism, empathy, and alexithymia in the general population is associated with brain morphological asymmetry. We determined left-right asymmetry indexes for cortical thickness and cortical surface area (CSA) and applied these features to a support-vector regression model that predicted trait autism, empathy, and alexithymia. Results showed that less leftward asymmetry of CSA in the gyrus rectus (a subregion of the orbitofrontal cortex) predicted more difficulties in social functioning, as well as reduced cognitive empathy and elevated trait alexithymia. Meta-analytic decoding of the left gyrus rectus annotated functional items related to social cognition. Furthermore, the link between gyrus rectus asymmetry and social difficulties was accounted by trait alexithymia and cognitive empathy. These results suggest that gyrus rectus asymmetry could be a shared neural correlate among trait alexithymia, cognitive empathy, and social functioning in neurotypical adults. Left-right asymmetry of gyrus rectus influenced social functioning by affecting the cognitive processes of emotions in the self and others. Interventions that increase leftward asymmetry of the gyrus rectus might improve social functioning for individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlong Li
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Wutao Lou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Wenyun Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Raymond Kai-Yu Tong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Richu Jin
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Weiwei Peng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
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12
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Li W, Ye S, Zhu B, Hoffman M, Zhou J, Yang Q. Individual differences in harm-related moral values are associated with functional integration of large-scale brain networks of emotional regulation. J Neuropsychol 2023. [PMID: 36642964 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Emotions affects moral judgements, and controlled cognitive processes regulate those emotional responses during moral decision making. However, the neurobiological basis of this interaction is unclear. We used a graph theory measurement called participation coefficient ('PC') to quantify the resting-state functional connectivity within and between four meta-analytic groupings (MAGs) associated with emotion generation and regulation, to test whether that measurement predicts individual differences in moral foundations-based values. We found that the PC of one of the MAGs (MAG2) was positively correlated with one of the five recognized moral foundations-the one based on harm avoidance. We also found that increased inter-module connectivity between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and middle temporal gyrus with other nodes in the four MAGs was likewise associated with higher endorsement of the Harm foundation. These results suggest that individuals' sensitivity to harm is associated with functional integration of large-scale brain networks of emotional regulation. These findings add to our knowledge of how individual variations in our moral values could be reflected by intrinsic brain network organization and deepen our understanding of the relationship between emotion and cognition during evaluations of moral values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuer Ye
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bing Zhu
- Department of Basic Education, Zhejiang Agricultural Business College, Shaoxing, China
| | - Morris Hoffman
- Second Judicial District, State of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Jia Zhou
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qun Yang
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
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13
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Bertoux M. Cognizione sociale. Neurologia 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/s1634-7072(22)47091-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
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14
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Emerging findings of glutamate-glutamine imbalance in the medial prefrontal cortex in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis of spectroscopy studies. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 272:1395-1411. [PMID: 35322293 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-022-01397-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
One of the main challenges in investigating the neurobiology of ADHD is our limited capacity to study its neurochemistry in vivo. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) estimates metabolite concentrations within the brain, but approaches and findings have been heterogeneous. To assess differences in brain metabolites between patients with ADHD and healthy controls, we searched 12 databases screening for MRS studies. Studies were divided into 'children and adolescents' and 'adults' and meta-analyses were performed for each brain region with more than five studies. The quality of studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Thirty-three studies met our eligibility criteria, including 874 patients with ADHD. Primary analyses revealed that the right medial frontal area of children with ADHD presented higher concentrations of a composite of glutamate and glutamine (p = 0.02, SMD = 0.53). Glutamate might be implicated in pruning and neurodegenerative processes as an excitotoxin, while glutamine excess might signal a glutamate depletion that could hinder neurotrophic activity. Both neuro metabolites could be implicated in the differential cortical thinning observed in patients with ADHD across all ages. Notably, more homogeneous designs and reporting guidelines are the key factors to determine how suitable MRS is for research and, perhaps, for clinical psychiatry. Results of this meta-analysis provided an overall map of the brain regions evaluated so far, addressed the role of glutamatergic metabolites in the pathophysiology of ADHD, and pointed to new perspectives for consistent use of the tool in the field.
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15
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Fahoum N, Pick H, Ivancovsky T, Shamay-Tsoory S. Free Your Mind: Creative Thinking Contributes to Overcoming Conflict-Related Biases. Brain Sci 2022; 12:1566. [PMID: 36421890 PMCID: PMC9688209 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12111566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Conflicts between groups are difficult to resolve, partly because humans tend to be biased in judging outgroup members. The aim of the current article is to review findings on the link between creativity and conflict-related biases and to offer a model that views creative cognition as an ability that may contribute to overcoming conflict-related biases. Our proposed model conforms to the twofold model of creativity. According to this model, creativity involves a generation phase and an evaluation phase, and these phases correspond to the neural mechanisms that underlie conflict-related biases. Specifically, we contend that the generation phase of creativity affects conflict-related biases by exerting an influence on stereotypes and prejudice, outgroup-targeted emotions, and ingroup empathy biases, all of which rely on the default mode network. Conversely, the evaluation phase of creativity, which is usually associated with activation in the executive control network and action-observation system, may be related to herding behaviors. Building on the shared mechanisms of creativity and conflicts, we propose that studies examining creativity-based interventions may be effective in promoting reconciliation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nardine Fahoum
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Hadas Pick
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Tal Ivancovsky
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
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16
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An Investigation of the Validity of the Edinburgh Social Cognition Test (ESCoT) in Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2022; 28:1016-1028. [PMID: 36281634 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617721001223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Social cognition is frequently impaired following an acquired brain injury (ABI) but often overlooked in clinical assessments. There are few validated and appropriate measures of social cognitive abilities for ABI patients. The current study examined the validity of the Edinburgh Social Cognition Test (ESCoT, Baksh et al., ) in measuring social cognition following an ABI. METHODS Forty-one patients with ABI were recruited from a rehabilitation service and completed measures of general ability, executive functions and social cognition (Faux Pas; FP, Reading the Mind in the Eyes; RME, Social Norms Questionnaire; SNQ and the ESCoT). Forty-one controls matched on age, sex and years of education also performed the RME, SNQ and ESCoT. RESULTS A diagnosis of ABI was significantly associated with poorer performance on all ESCoT measures and RME while adjusting for age, sex and years of education. In ABI patients, the ESCoT showed good internal consistency with its subcomponents and performance correlated with the other measures of social cognition demonstrating convergent validity. Better Trail Making Test performance predicted better ESCoT total, RME and SNQ scores. Higher TOPF IQ was associated with higher RME scores, while higher WAIS-IV working memory predicted better FP performance. CONCLUSIONS The ESCoT is a brief, valid and internally consistent assessment tool able to detect social cognition deficits in neurological patients. Given the prevalence of social cognition deficits in ABI and the marked impact these can have on an individual's recovery, this assessment can be a helpful addition to a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is associated with social and criminal transgressions; studies from countries around the world have documented such behavior in persons with this condition. An overview and analysis of social and criminal transgressions in bvFTD and their potential neurobiological mechanisms can provide a window for understanding the relationship of antisocial behavior and the brain. METHODS This review evaluated the literature on the frequency of social and criminal transgressions in bvFTD and the neurobiological disturbances that underlie them. RESULTS There is a high frequency of transgressions among patients with bvFTD due to impairments in neurocognition, such as social perception, behavioral regulation, and theory of mind, and impairments in social emotions, such as self-conscious emotions and empathy. Additionally, there is significant evidence for a specific impairment in an innate sense of morality. Alterations in these neurobiological processes result from predominantly right-hemisphere pathology in frontal (ventromedial, orbitofrontal, inferolateral frontal), anterior temporal (amygdala, temporal pole), limbic (anterior cingulate, amygdala), and insular regions. CONCLUSIONS Overlapping disturbances in neurocognition, social emotions, and moral reasoning result from disease in the mostly mesial and right-sided frontotemporal network necessary for responding emotionally to others and for behavioral control. With increased sophistication in neurobiological interventions, future goals may be the routine evaluation of these processes among individuals with bvFTD who engage in social and criminal transgressions and the targeting of these neurobiological mechanisms with behavioral, pharmacological, and other interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario F Mendez
- Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles; and Neurology Service, Neurobehavior Unit, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
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18
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Couette M, Mouchabac S, Adrien V, Cagnone V, Bourla A, Ferreri F. Functional neuro-anatomy of social cognition in posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review. Psychiatry Res 2022; 315:114729. [PMID: 35870294 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common mental disorder following one or more traumatic events in which patients exhibit behavioural and emotional disturbances. Recent studies report alterations in social cognition with cerebral functioning modifications. While it is now established that brain function can be modified and severely altered following successive childhood traumas, less studies have focused on brain alterations in adults with normal social cognition development. METHODS We conducted a selective literature review by querying PubMed and Embase databases for titles of articles research on PTSD adults published from January 2000 to December 2021 focusing on adulthood traumatic events. RESULTS Majority of studies reported frontolimbic rupture, with limbic structures like amygdala missing top-down control of frontal regulation. These cerebral dysfunctions could be observed even without overt behavioural defects on social cognition tests. CONCLUSION These results can be analysed in light of intrinsic cerebral networks and we propose an attentional model of social threat information processing opening up perspective of social attentional rehabilitation in adjunction to usual care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryline Couette
- AP-HP, DMU Médecine, Service de Médecine Intensive Réanimation, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri-Mondor, Créteil 94010, France; CARMAS (Cardiovascular and Respiratory Manifestations of Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis), University Paris Est Créteil, Créteil F-94010, France.
| | - Stephane Mouchabac
- Department of Psychiatry, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, APHP-Sorbonne Université, Paris 75012, France; iCRIN (Infrastructure for Clinical Research in Neurosciences), Brain Institute (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
| | - Vladimir Adrien
- Department of Psychiatry, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, APHP-Sorbonne Université, Paris 75012, France; iCRIN (Infrastructure for Clinical Research in Neurosciences), Brain Institute (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
| | - Vanessa Cagnone
- Department of Psychiatry, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, APHP-Sorbonne Université, Paris 75012, France; iCRIN (Infrastructure for Clinical Research in Neurosciences), Brain Institute (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
| | - Alexis Bourla
- Department of Psychiatry, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, APHP-Sorbonne Université, Paris 75012, France; iCRIN (Infrastructure for Clinical Research in Neurosciences), Brain Institute (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
| | - Florian Ferreri
- Department of Psychiatry, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, APHP-Sorbonne Université, Paris 75012, France; iCRIN (Infrastructure for Clinical Research in Neurosciences), Brain Institute (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
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19
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Ben Simon E, Vallat R, Rossi A, Walker MP. Sleep loss leads to the withdrawal of human helping across individuals, groups, and large-scale societies. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001733. [PMID: 35998121 PMCID: PMC9398015 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans help each other. This fundamental feature of homo sapiens has been one of the most powerful forces sculpting the advent of modern civilizations. But what determines whether humans choose to help one another? Across 3 replicating studies, here, we demonstrate that sleep loss represents one previously unrecognized factor dictating whether humans choose to help each other, observed at 3 different scales (within individuals, across individuals, and across societies). First, at an individual level, 1 night of sleep loss triggers the withdrawal of help from one individual to another. Moreover, fMRI findings revealed that the withdrawal of human helping is associated with deactivation of key nodes within the social cognition brain network that facilitates prosociality. Second, at a group level, ecological night-to-night reductions in sleep across several nights predict corresponding next-day reductions in the choice to help others during day-to-day interactions. Third, at a large-scale national level, we demonstrate that 1 h of lost sleep opportunity, inflicted by the transition to Daylight Saving Time, reduces real-world altruistic helping through the act of donation giving, established through the analysis of over 3 million charitable donations. Therefore, inadequate sleep represents a significant influential force determining whether humans choose to help one another, observable across micro- and macroscopic levels of civilized interaction. The implications of this effect may be non-trivial when considering the essentiality of human helping in the maintenance of cooperative, civil society, combined with the reported decline in sufficient sleep in many first-world nations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eti Ben Simon
- Center for Human Sleep Science, Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Raphael Vallat
- Center for Human Sleep Science, Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Aubrey Rossi
- Center for Human Sleep Science, Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Matthew P. Walker
- Center for Human Sleep Science, Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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20
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Sánchez Tombe JR. Lesions in the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex and their Impact on Social Cognition. REVISTA COLOMBIANA DE PSICOLOGÍA 2022. [DOI: 10.15446/rcp.v31n2.88206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims: To identify the impact of ventromedial prefrontal cortex injury (vmPFC) on social cognition (SC) processes in a stroke patient in relation to a control group matched by age, gender and schooling. Possible associations between post-injury behavior and impacted neuropsychological attributes of emotion recognition, Theory of Mind (ToM), and empathy are discussed. Method: A patient with stroke in right vmPFC and 10 healthy participants completed different screening, neuropsychological assessment and SC tests. Results: Correlations were found between damage in vmPFC and alterations in affective ToM, working and retrograde memory, mood and relational alterations in the patient. Discrepancies were found with respect to other studies in relation to the laterality of the injury and the impact of cognitive and affective empathy which seems to be relatively intact. Conclusions: There is a need to clarify the role of affective ToM after acquired brain injury (ABI) in vmPFC. A protocol is needed to assess and intervene in aspects of ToM that would involve documenting strengths and deficits of ToM: inter and intrapersonal after an ABI. Similarly, there is a need to address the lateralization of different domains of function in vmPFC and their relationship to affective ToM.
How to cite: Sánchez Tombe, J. R. (2022). Lesions In The Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex And Their Impact On Social Cognition. Revista Colombiana de Psicología,31(2), 11-26. https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v31n2.88206
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21
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Anselmo A, Lucifora C, Rusconi P, Martino G, Craparo G, Salehinejad MA, Vicario CM. Can we rewire criminal mind via non-invasive brain stimulation of prefrontal cortex? Insights from clinical, forensic and social cognition studies. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 42:1-11. [PMID: 35600259 PMCID: PMC9107958 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03210-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Non-compliance with social and legal norms and regulations represents a high burden for society. Social cognition deficits are frequently called into question to explain criminal violence and rule violations in individuals diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (APD), borderline personality disorder (BPD), and psychopathy. In this article, we proposed to consider the potential benefits of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) to rehabilitate forensic population. We focused on the effects of NIBS of the prefrontal cortex, which is central in social cognition, in modulating aggression and impulsivity in clinical disorders, as well as in forensic population. We also addressed the effect of NIBS on empathy, and theory of mind in non-clinical and/or prison population. The reviewed data provide promising evidence on the beneficial effect of NIBS on aggression/impulsivity dyscontrol and social cognitive functions, suggesting its relevance in promoting reintegration of criminals into society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Anselmo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università di Messina, via Concezione 6-8, 98121 Messina, Italy
| | - Chiara Lucifora
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council (ISTC-CNR), Roma, RM Italy
| | - Patrice Rusconi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università di Messina, via Concezione 6-8, 98121 Messina, Italy
| | - Gabriella Martino
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Craparo
- Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, UKE-Kore University of Enna, Cittadella Universitaria, 94100 Enna, Italy
| | - Mohammad A. Salehinejad
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Carmelo M. Vicario
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università di Messina, via Concezione 6-8, 98121 Messina, Italy
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22
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Silveri MC, Di Tella S, Lo Monaco MR, Petracca M, Tondinelli A, Antonucci G, Pozzi G, Di Lazzaro G, Calabresi P, Bentivoglio AR. Theory of mind: A clue for the interpretation of functional movement disorders. Acta Neurol Scand 2022; 145:571-578. [PMID: 35112347 PMCID: PMC9303374 DOI: 10.1111/ane.13585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Functional movement disorders (FMD) refer to a heterogeneous group of manifestations incongruent with known neurological diseases. Functional neuroimaging studies in FMD indicate the overlap between cerebral regions in which abnormal activation occurs and those considered crucial for theory of mind (ToM), the ability to attribute mental states. The aim of this study was to explore whether FMD might be related to ToM disorders to the extent that they reduce the ability to make inferences about the mental states underlying motor behaviour during social interaction. Materials & Methods Eighteen subjects with FMD and 28 matched healthy controls (HC) were given a ToM battery. The severity of FMD was rated by the Simplified‐FMD Rating Scale (S‐FMDRS). Dissociative symptoms were evaluated by the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES‐II). Results FMD scored worse than the HC in most ToM tasks: second‐order False Beliefs (p = .005), Faux‐Pas Recognition Test (p < .001) and Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (p = .020); control questions elicited normal scores. The DES‐II indicated dissociative‐borderline psychopathology and negatively correlated with accuracy on the second‐order False Belief (Spearman's rho = −.444; p = .032); the positive correlation between DES‐II and severity of motor symptoms (S‐FMDRS) approached significance (Spearman's rho test = .392; p = .054). ToM disorders were not correlated with S‐FMDRS, due to the typical variability in FMD over time with regard to the severity of symptoms and the district of body involved. Conclusions Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that FMD are related to ToM deficits, and future studies are needed to define the specific nature of this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Caterina Silveri
- Department of Psychology Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario ‘Agostino Gemelli’ IRCSS Rome Italy
| | - Sonia Di Tella
- Department of Psychology Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan Italy
| | - Maria Rita Lo Monaco
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario ‘Agostino Gemelli’ IRCSS Rome Italy
- Institute of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Rome Italy
| | - Martina Petracca
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario ‘Agostino Gemelli’ IRCSS Rome Italy
| | - Alice Tondinelli
- Department of Psychology Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan Italy
| | - Gabriella Antonucci
- Department of Psychology Sapienza Università di Roma and IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia Rome Italy
| | - Gino Pozzi
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario ‘Agostino Gemelli’ IRCSS Rome Italy
- Department of Neurosciences Section of Psychiatry Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Rome Italy
| | - Giulia Di Lazzaro
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario ‘Agostino Gemelli’ IRCSS Rome Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine University Tor Vergata Rome Italy
| | - Paolo Calabresi
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario ‘Agostino Gemelli’ IRCSS Rome Italy
- Institute of Neurology Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Rome Italy
| | - Anna Rita Bentivoglio
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario ‘Agostino Gemelli’ IRCSS Rome Italy
- Institute of Neurology Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Rome Italy
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Ebisch SJH, Scalabrini A, Northoff G, Mucci C, Sergi MR, Saggino A, Aquino A, Alparone FR, Perrucci MG, Gallese V, Di Plinio S. Intrinsic Shapes of Empathy: Functional Brain Network Topology Encodes Intersubjective Experience and Awareness Traits. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12040477. [PMID: 35448008 PMCID: PMC9024660 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12040477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Trait empathy is an essential personality feature in the intricacy of typical social inclinations of individuals. Empathy is likely supported by multilevel neuronal network functioning, whereas local topological properties determine network integrity. In the present functional MRI study (N = 116), we aimed to trace empathic traits to the intrinsic brain network architecture. Empathy was conceived as composed of two dimensions within the concept of pre-reflective, intersubjective understanding. Vicarious experience consists of the tendency to resonate with the feelings of other individuals, whereas intuitive understanding refers to a natural awareness of others’ emotional states. Analyses of graph theoretical measures of centrality showed a relationship between the fronto-parietal network and psychometric measures of vicarious experience, whereas intuitive understanding was associated with sensorimotor and subcortical networks. Salience network regions could constitute hubs for information processing underlying both dimensions. The network properties related to empathy dimensions mainly concern inter-network information flow. Moreover, interaction effects implied several sex differences in the relationship between functional network organization and trait empathy. These results reveal that distinct intrinsic topological network features explain individual differences in separate dimensions of intersubjective understanding. The findings could help understand the impact of brain damage or stimulation through alterations of empathy-related network integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjoerd J. H. Ebisch
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences (DNISC), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (A.A.); (F.R.A.); (M.G.P.); (S.D.P.)
- Institute of Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Via Luigi Polacchi 11, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Andrea Scalabrini
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences (DiSPuTer), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy;
| | - Georg Northoff
- The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada;
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
- Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310030, China
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310030, China
- TMU Research Centre for Brain and Consciousness, Shuang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Humanities in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Clara Mucci
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, 24129 Bergamo, Italy;
| | - Maria Rita Sergi
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (M.R.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Aristide Saggino
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (M.R.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Antonio Aquino
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences (DNISC), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (A.A.); (F.R.A.); (M.G.P.); (S.D.P.)
| | - Francesca R. Alparone
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences (DNISC), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (A.A.); (F.R.A.); (M.G.P.); (S.D.P.)
| | - Mauro Gianni Perrucci
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences (DNISC), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (A.A.); (F.R.A.); (M.G.P.); (S.D.P.)
- Institute of Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Via Luigi Polacchi 11, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Vittorio Gallese
- Unit of Neuroscience, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy;
| | - Simone Di Plinio
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences (DNISC), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (A.A.); (F.R.A.); (M.G.P.); (S.D.P.)
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Öztürk Y, Özyurt G, Turan S, Mutlu C, Tufan AE, Pekcanlar Akay A. Association of theory of mind and empathy abilities in adolescents with social anxiety disorder. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-020-00707-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Rao X, Wang W, Luo S, Qiu J, Li H. Brain structures associated with individual differences in decisional and emotional forgiveness. Neuropsychologia 2022; 170:108223. [PMID: 35339505 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In responding to interpersonal conflicts, forgiveness goes a long way. Past brain imaging studies have examined the activation patterns of forgiving responses. However, the individual differences in brain structures associated with decisional forgiveness and emotional forgiveness are not well understood. In this voxel-based morphometry study, participants (85 men, 210 women) completed the Decisional Forgiveness Scale (DFS) and the Emotional Forgiveness Scale (EFS) and underwent an anatomical magnetic resonance imaging scan. Higher DFS scores were associated with larger GM volumes in a cluster that included regions in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Higher EFS scores were associated with larger GM volumes in a cluster that included regions in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the superior frontal gyrus (SFG), which were also associated with smaller GM volumes in a cluster that included regions in the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL). The associations between the identified regions and DFS scores and EFS scores were supported by the cross-validation test. In addition, the GMV of OFC, mPFC and SFG partially mediated the relationship between DFS and EFS. These results provide direct neuroanatomical evidence for an association between decisional and emotional forgiveness and brain regions which are critical for cognitive control, theory of mind and moral judgment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Rao
- Department of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China
| | - Wenyuan Wang
- Department of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China
| | - Shuili Luo
- Department of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, China.
| | - Haijiang Li
- Department of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China; The Research Base of Online Education for Shanghai Middle and Primary Schools, Shanghai, 200234, China.
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LaVarco A, Ahmad N, Archer Q, Pardillo M, Nunez Castaneda R, Minervini A, Keenan JP. Self-Conscious Emotions and the Right Fronto-Temporal and Right Temporal Parietal Junction. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020138. [PMID: 35203902 PMCID: PMC8869976 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
For more than two decades, research focusing on both clinical and non-clinical populations has suggested a key role for specific regions in the regulation of self-conscious emotions. It is speculated that both the expression and the interpretation of self-conscious emotions are critical in humans for action planning and response, communication, learning, parenting, and most social encounters. Empathy, Guilt, Jealousy, Shame, and Pride are all categorized as self-conscious emotions, all of which are crucial components to one’s sense of self. There has been an abundance of evidence pointing to the right Fronto-Temporal involvement in the integration of cognitive processes underlying the expression of these emotions. Numerous regions within the right hemisphere have been identified including the right temporal parietal junction (rTPJ), the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and the inferior parietal lobule (IPL). In this review, we aim to investigate patient cases, in addition to clinical and non-clinical studies. We also aim to highlight these specific brain regions pivotal to the right hemispheric dominance observed in the neural correlates of such self-conscious emotions and provide the potential role that self-conscious emotions play in evolution.
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ter Harmsel JF, van Dongen JDM, Zijlmans J, van der Pol TM, Marhe R, Popma A. Neurobiological Responses towards Stimuli Depicting Aggressive Interactions in Delinquent Young Adults and Controls: No Relation to Reactive and Proactive Aggression. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020124. [PMID: 35203888 PMCID: PMC8869761 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurobiological measures underlying aggressive behavior have gained attention due to their potential to inform risk assessment and treatment interventions. Aberrations in responsivity of the autonomic nervous system and electrophysiological responses to arousal-inducing stimuli have been related to emotional dysregulation and aggressive behavior. However, studies have often been performed in community samples, using tasks that induce arousal but not specifically depict aggression. In this study, we examined differences in psychophysiological (i.e., heart rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, skin conductance level) and electrophysiological responses (i.e., P3, late positive potential, mu suppression) to aggressive versus neutral scenes in a sample of 118 delinquent young adults and 25 controls (all male, aged 18–27). With respect to group differences, we only found significant higher SCL reactivity during the task in the delinquent group compared to controls, but this was irrespective of condition (aggressive and neutral interactions). Within the delinquent group, we also examined associations between the neurobiological measures and reactive and proactive aggression. No significant associations were found. Therefore, although we found some indication of emotional dysregulation in these delinquent young adults, future studies should further elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying emotional dysregulation in relation to different types of aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna F. ter Harmsel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (J.Z.); (T.M.v.d.P.); (R.M.); (A.P.)
- Forensic Mental Health Care, Inforsa, 1059 GL Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: (J.F.t.H.); (J.D.M.v.D.)
| | - Josanne D. M. van Dongen
- Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: (J.F.t.H.); (J.D.M.v.D.)
| | - Josjan Zijlmans
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (J.Z.); (T.M.v.d.P.); (R.M.); (A.P.)
| | - Thimo M. van der Pol
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (J.Z.); (T.M.v.d.P.); (R.M.); (A.P.)
- Forensic Mental Health Care, Inforsa, 1059 GL Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Research and Quality of Care, ARKIN Mental Health Institute, 1033 NN Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Reshmi Marhe
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (J.Z.); (T.M.v.d.P.); (R.M.); (A.P.)
- Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arne Popma
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (J.Z.); (T.M.v.d.P.); (R.M.); (A.P.)
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Moving Crisis to Opportunities: A Corporate Perspective on the Impact of Compassionate Empathic Behaviour on the Well-Being of Employees. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GLOBAL BUSINESS AND COMPETITIVENESS 2022. [PMCID: PMC8725425 DOI: 10.1007/s42943-021-00040-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The recent raging pandemic has disrupted the world economy in a humongous way causing socio-psychological stressors affecting the mental well-being of employees. The fear of losing jobs due to economic shutdowns, or facing challenges of digitisation of the workplace, or fear of contaminating illness generated a feeling of despair and panic to more serious paranoia behaviour amongst the employees. The present study aims at investigating how did the leadership use prosocial empathic skills during this pandemic to manage the mental well-being of their respective employees, so that they are motivated and engaged for meaningful performance. The major themes that emerged from the structured interviews of the apex leadership were (1) compassionate empathic behaviour impacts the employee motivation and performance; (2) open, honest and timely vertical communication promotes trust and bonding; (3) support for employee autonomy impacts their well-being; (4) encouraging competence and self-efficacy in employees; (5) promoting positive and healthy relationships by displaying compassionate empathy positively impacts mental health and thereby employee performance during crisis. Right from providing unified Communication platform, to displaying empathic leadership, the apex leadership unanimously believes that people are their best assets and if managed well in the crisis can help them stem the storm successfully.
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Gainotti G. Is There a Causal Link between the Left Lateralization of Language and Other Brain Asymmetries? A Review of Data Gathered in Patients with Focal Brain Lesions. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1644. [PMID: 34942946 PMCID: PMC8699490 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11121644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This review evaluated if the hypothesis of a causal link between the left lateralization of language and other brain asymmetries could be supported by a careful review of data gathered in patients with unilateral brain lesions. In a short introduction a distinction was made between brain activities that could: (a) benefit from the shaping influences of language (such as the capacity to solve non-verbal cognitive tasks and the increased levels of consciousness and of intentionality); (b) be incompatible with the properties and the shaping activities of language (e.g., the relations between language and the automatic orienting of visual-spatial attention or between cognition and emotion) and (c) be more represented on the right hemisphere due to competition for cortical space. The correspondence between predictions based on the theoretical impact of language on other brain functions and data obtained in patients with lesions of the right and left hemisphere was then assessed. The reviewed data suggest that different kinds of hemispheric asymmetries observed in patients with unilateral brain lesions could be subsumed by common mechanisms, more or less directly linked to the left lateralization of language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido Gainotti
- Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Psychiatric sequelae of stroke affecting the non-dominant cerebral hemisphere. J Neurol Sci 2021; 430:120007. [PMID: 34624794 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2021.120007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
There are a plethora of cognitive sequelae in addition to neglect and extinction that arise with unilateral right hemispheric stroke (RHS). Cognitive deficits following non-dominant (right) hemisphere stroke are common with unilateral neglect and extinction being the most recognized examples. The severity of RHS is usually underestimated by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), which in terms of lateralized right hemisphere cognitive deficits, tests only for visual inattention/extinction. They account for 2 out of 42 total possible points. Additional neuropsychiatric sequelae include but are not limited to deficiencies in affective prosody comprehension and production (aprosodias), understanding and expressing facial emotions, empathy, recognition of familiar faces, anxiety, mania, apathy, and psychosis. These sequelae have a profound impact on patients' quality of life; affecting communication, interpersonal relationships, and the ability to fulfill social roles. They also pose additional challenges to recovery. There is presently a gap in the literature regarding a cohesive overview of the significant cognitive sequelae following RHS. This paper serves as a narrative survey of the current understanding of the subject, with particular emphasis on neuropsychiatric poststroke syndromes not predominantly associated with left hemisphere lesions (LHL), bilateral lesions, hemiplegia, or paralysis. A more comprehensive understanding of the neuropsychological consequences of RHS extending beyond the typical associations of unilateral neglect and extinction may have important implications for clinical practice, including the ways in which clinicians approach diagnostics, treatment, and rehabilitation.
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Borairi S, Fearon P, Madigan S, Plamondon A, Jenkins J. A mediation meta-analysis of the role of maternal responsivity in the association between socioeconomic risk and children's language. Child Dev 2021; 92:2177-2193. [PMID: 34664260 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This meta-analysis tested maternal responsivity as a mediator of the association between socioeconomic risk and children's preschool language abilities. The search included studies up to 2017 and meta-analytic structural equation modeling, allowed us to examine the magnitude of the indirect effect across 17 studies (k = 19). The meta-analysis included 6433 predominantly White, English speaking children (Mage = 36 months; 50% female) from Western, industrialized countries. All paths in the model were statistically significant, notably, the indirect effect was significant (b = -.052), showing that maternal responsivity may be a proximal intervening variable between socioeconomic risk and children's language development. Moderator analyses found that the indirect effect was stronger for sensitive parenting than warmth and when parenting was assessed in the family home.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Borairi
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pasco Fearon
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sheri Madigan
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Andre Plamondon
- FSÉ Department of Educational Foundations and Practices, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jennifer Jenkins
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Riadh O, Naoufel O, Ben Rejeb MR, Le Gall D. Impaired social perception from eyes and face visual cues: evidence from prefrontal cortex damage. Soc Neurosci 2021; 16:607-626. [PMID: 34544320 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2021.1983458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Despite the key role that decoding of social-perceptual cues from faces plays in interpersonal communication, it is only recently that the potential of prefrontal cortex damage to disrupt this ability has been recognized. In fact, few studies to date had assessed whether the ability to identify the state of mind of others from the whole or part of the face is disrupted after prefrontal cortex damage and whether these two abilities are associated and share overlapped neural systems. In the present study, 30 patients with focal prefrontal lesions and 30 matched control subjects were assessed on their ability to recognize six basic emotions from facial expressions of the whole face and to identify states of mind of others from photographs of only the eyes using the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task". Results showed that frontal patients were significantly impaired compared with control subjects on both tasks. Moreover, regression analyses showed that these two abilities are associated and reciprocally predictive of one another. Finally, using voxel-based lesion analysis; we identified a partially common bilaterally distributed prefrontal network in the decoding of both emotional cues from both the whole face and eyes centered within the dorsomedial and ventral regions with extension to the lateral frontal pole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ouerchefani Riadh
- University of Tunis El Manar, High Institute of Human Sciences, Department of Psychology, 26 Boulevard Darghouth Pacha, Tunis, Tunisia.,Univ Angers, Université De Nantes, LPPL, SFR CONFLUENCES, F-49000 Angers, France
| | | | - Mohamed Riadh Ben Rejeb
- , University Tunis I, Faculty of Human and Social Science of Tunisia, Department of Psychology, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Didier Le Gall
- Univ Angers, Université De Nantes, LPPL, SFR CONFLUENCES, F-49000 Angers, France
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Levi-Shachar O, Gvirts HZ, Goldwin Y, Bloch Y, Shamay-Tsoory S, Boyle D, Maoz H. The association between symptom severity and theory of mind impairment in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Psychiatry Res 2021; 303:114092. [PMID: 34252635 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The aim was to investigate the correlation between ADHD symptom severity and impairments in "theory of mind" (ToM) and empathy, and the improvement in these functions following the administration of methylphenidate (MPH). Fifty children aged 6-12 years with ADHD participated in the study. Symptom severity was assessed using the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham Questionnaire-IV (SNAP-IV). ToM performance was assessed using the "ToM test" and the "Faux-Pas Recognition Test". A significant negative correlation was found between the SNAP-IV Conners index, the oppositional and deportment subscales, and ToM test scores. MPH administration improved ToM scores in a magnitude that was negatively correlated with baseline performance. Additionally, Children with more severe behavioral problems showed greater improvement in ToM following administration of MPH. We conclude that severity of ADHD symptoms, most notably behavioral symptoms, is correlated with deficits in ToM. Administration of MPH improves ToM performance, with the greatest improvement occurring in children with more severe behavioral symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orit Levi-Shachar
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Geha Mental Health Center, Petah-Tikva, Israel
| | - Hila Z Gvirts
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Psychology, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | | | - Yuval Bloch
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Shalvata Mental Health Center, Hod-Hasharon, Israel
| | | | - Dennis Boyle
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Hagai Maoz
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Shalvata Mental Health Center, Hod-Hasharon, Israel.
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34
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Saladino V, Lin H, Zamparelli E, Verrastro V. Neuroscience, Empathy, and Violent Crime in an Incarcerated Population: A Narrative Review. Front Psychol 2021; 12:694212. [PMID: 34393924 PMCID: PMC8355490 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.694212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Empathy is a fundamental construct that allows individuals to perceive and understand the cognitive and emotional state of others. Empathy is not only a psychological and sociological concept; it also heavily impacts our daily lives by affecting our decisions and actions. Empathy is connected to and involves specific parts of the brain which, if damaged or of reduced volume, can lead to actions that are morally unjust, aggressive, or simply denoting a lack of understanding and sensitivity. The literature affirms that the low level of empathy, guilt, embarrassment, and moral reasoning displayed by violent and psychopathic criminals is strongly associated with empathy-linked brain regions that are smaller in size or less developed. The aim of this review is to show empirical data over the last 5 years on the connection between empathy and neuroscience among violent and psychopathic offenders, reflecting on future research on the topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Saladino
- Department of Human Sciences, Society and Health, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino, Italy
| | - Hannah Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Valeria Verrastro
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
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Zhuang Q, Xu L, Zhou F, Yao S, Zheng X, Zhou X, Li J, Xu X, Fu M, Li K, Vatansever D, Kendrick KM, Becker B. Segregating domain-general from emotional context-specific inhibitory control systems - ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex serve as emotion-cognition integration hubs. Neuroimage 2021; 238:118269. [PMID: 34139360 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory control hierarchically regulates cognitive and emotional systems in the service of adaptive goal-directed behavior across changing task demands and environments. While previous studies convergently determined the contribution of prefrontal-striatal systems to general inhibitory control, findings on the specific circuits that mediate emotional context-specific impact on inhibitory control remained inconclusive. Against this background we combined an evaluated emotional Go/No Go task with fMRI in a large cohort of subjects (N=250) to segregate brain systems and circuits that mediate domain-general from emotion-specific inhibitory control. Particularly during a positive emotional context, behavioral results showed a lower accuracy for No Go trials and a faster response time for Go trials. While the dorsal striatum and lateral frontal regions were involved in inhibitory control irrespective of emotional context, activity in the ventral striatum (VS) and medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) varied as a function of emotional context. On the voxel-wise whole-brain network level, limbic and striatal systems generally exhibited highest changes in global brain connectivity during inhibitory control, while global brain connectivity of the left mOFC was less decreased during emotional contexts. Functional connectivity analyses moreover revealed that negative coupling between the VS with inferior frontal gyrus (IFG)/insula and mOFC varied as a function of emotional context. Together these findings indicate separable domain- general as well as emotional context-specific inhibitory brain systems which specifically encompass the VS and its connections with frontal regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhuang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Lei Xu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Shuxia Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Zheng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xinqi Zhou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jialin Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaolei Xu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Meina Fu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keshuang Li
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Deniz Vatansever
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
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36
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Block G, Jannati A, Maynard TR, Pascual-Leone A, O’Connor MG. Personality in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Associations With Face Memory Deficit and Theory of Mind. Cogn Behav Neurol 2021; 34:117-128. [PMID: 34074866 PMCID: PMC8186733 DOI: 10.1097/wnn.0000000000000271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the personality profiles of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using a standard personality assessment and to investigate the association between personality, ASD-related face memory deficit (FMD), and theory of mind (ToM). In a broader context, to examine whether there are distinct clinical phenotypes in the ASD population that have implications for personality development and treatment. METHOD Fifty-five adults with ASD and 22 neurotypical (NT) adults underwent a battery of neuropsychological tests, including measures of personality, face memory, and ToM. We compared ASD and NT groups in terms of their Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) profiles. Additional analyses focused on the association between specific PAI scales and FMD. Performance on the Eyes Test was compared across groups and was examined in relation to FMD. RESULTS Adults with ASD demonstrated significant elevations on several PAI scales compared with NT adults. The presence of FMD was associated with differing PAI profiles among the ASD adults. The ASD adults with FMD scored significantly higher on scales that are sensitive to positive impression management and treatment rejection and significantly lower on scales that are sensitive to borderline personality, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and stress. There was a significant association between performance on the Eyes Test and FMD in the ASD group. CONCLUSION Adults with ASD have a unique personality profile. Further, ASD adults with FMD have reduced insight into their difficulties with emotional processing and may not be as sensitive as ASD adults without FMD to the emotions of others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Block
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Neuromodulation Program and Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ali Jannati
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Neuromodulation Program and Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Taylor R. Maynard
- Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alvaro Pascual-Leone
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research and Center for Memory Health, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, USA
- Institut Guttman de Neurorehabilitació, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Margaret G. O’Connor
- Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Sergiou CS, Santarnecchi E, Romanella SM, Wieser MJ, Franken IHA, Rassin EGC, van Dongen JDM. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Targeting the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Reduces Reactive Aggression and Modulates Electrophysiological Responses in a Forensic Population. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2021; 7:95-107. [PMID: 34087482 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have shown that impairments in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex play a crucial role in violent behavior in forensic patients who also abuse cocaine and alcohol. Moreover, interventions that aimed to reduce violence risk in those patients are found not to be optimal. A promising intervention might be to modulate the ventromedial prefrontal cortex by high-definition (HD) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). The current study aimed to examine HD-tDCS as an intervention to increase empathic abilities and reduce violent behavior in forensic substance dependent offenders. In addition, using electroencephalography, we examined the effects on the P3 and the late positive potential of the event-related potentials in reaction to situations that depict victims of aggression. METHODS Fifty male forensic patients with a substance dependence were tested in a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized study. The patients received HD-tDCS 2 times a day for 20 minutes for 5 consecutive days. Before and after the intervention, the patients completed self-reports and performed the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm, and electroencephalography was recorded while patients performed an empathy task. RESULTS Results showed a decrease in aggressive responses on the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm and in self-reported reactive aggression in the active tDCS group. Additionally, we found a general increase in late positive potential amplitude after active tDCS. No effects on trait empathy and the P3 were found. CONCLUSIONS Current findings are the first to find positive effects of HD-tDCS in reducing aggression and modulating electrophysiological responses in forensic patients, showing the potential of using tDCS as an intervention to reduce aggression in forensic mental health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen S Sergiou
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Emiliano Santarnecchi
- Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sara M Romanella
- Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Matthias J Wieser
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ingmar H A Franken
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eric G C Rassin
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Josanne D M van Dongen
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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38
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Tantik Pak A, Nacar Dogan S, Sengul Y. Evaluation of structural changes in orbitofrontal cortex in relation to medication overuse in migraine patients: a diffusion tensor imaging study. ARQUIVOS DE NEURO-PSIQUIATRIA 2021; 79:483-488. [PMID: 34320053 DOI: 10.1590/0004-282x-anp-2020-0360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migraine is a prevalent neurological disease that leads to severe headaches. Moreover, it is the commonest among the primary headaches that cause medication overuse headache (MOH). The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is one of the structures most associated with medication overuse. OBJECTIVE To determine microstructural changes in the OFC among migraine patients who developed MOH, through the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) technique. METHODS Fifty-eight patients who had been diagnosed with migraine based on the Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-III-B) were included in the study. Patients were sub-classified into two groups, with and without MOH, based on the MOH criteria of ICHD-III-B. DTI was applied to each patient. The OFC fractional anisotropy (FA), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the two groups were compared. RESULTS The mean age of all the patients was 35.98±7.92 years (range: 18-65), and 84.5% (n=49) of them were female. The two groups, with MOH (n=25) and without (n=33), were alike in terms of age, gender, family history, migraine with or without aura and duration of illness. It was found that there was a significant difference in FA values of the left OFC between the two groups (0.32±0.01 versus 0.29±0.01; p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS An association was found between MOH and changes to OFC microstructure. Determination of neuropathology and factors associated with medication overuse among migraine patients is crucial in terms of identifying the at-risk patient population and improving proper treatment strategies specific to these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aygul Tantik Pak
- Gaziosmanpasa Training and Research Hospital, Department of Neurology, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Sebahat Nacar Dogan
- Gaziosmanpasa Training and Research Hospital, Department of Radiology, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Yildizhan Sengul
- Gaziosmanpasa Training and Research Hospital, Department of Neurology, Istanbul, Turkey
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Canty AL, Cao Y, Neumann D, Shum DHK. The functional significance of cognitive empathy and theory of mind in early and chronic schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2021; 299:113852. [PMID: 33761402 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Theoretical models suggest that it is the interplay between social cognitive processes that result in adaptive social functioning in schizophrenia. This study explored the relative contributions of, and interplay between, cognitive empathy, affective theory of mind (ToM), neurocognition, and severity of clinical symptoms, in predicting the social functioning of individuals with schizophrenia. Clinical participants (early schizophrenia n = 26, chronic schizophrenia n = 32) were administered an ecologically valid measure of ToM (viz., the Virtual Assessment of Mentalising Ability or VAMA) and the Empathy Quotient (EQ) as part of a larger neuropsychological and social functioning assessment battery. Results indicated that individuals with early schizophrenia reported significantly better cognitive empathy than individuals with chronic schizophrenia. ToM was found to have added value in predicting both community functioning and functional capacity that was beyond that accounted for by cognitive empathy, clinical symptoms, and neurocognition for both clinical groups. Further, our results indicated that the capacity to demonstrate empathic understanding of another's situation (i.e., cognitive empathy) mediates the relationship between ToM and social functioning. Together, our findings highlight the intricate and compounding nature of social cognition constructs, and their effect on social functioning for individuals with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allana L Canty
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yuan Cao
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - David Neumann
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia
| | - David H K Shum
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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40
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Samadani A, Kim S, Moon J, Kang K, Chau T. Neurophysiological Synchrony Between Children With Severe Physical Disabilities and Their Parents During Music Therapy. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:531915. [PMID: 33994913 PMCID: PMC8119766 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.531915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Although physiological synchronization has been associated with the level of empathy in emotionally meaningful relationships, little is known about the interbrain synchrony between non-speaking children with severe disabilities and their familial caregivers. In a repeated measures observational study, we ascertained the degree of interbrain synchrony during music therapy in 10 child-parent dyads, where the children were non-speaking and living with severe motor impairments. Interbrain synchrony was quantified via measurements of spectral coherence and Granger causality between child and parent electroencephalographic (EEG) signals collected during ten 15-min music therapy sessions per dyad, where parents were present as non-participating, covert observers. Using cluster-based permutation tests, we found significant child-parent interbrain synchrony, manifesting most prominently across dyads in frontal brain regions within β and low γ frequencies. Specifically, significant dyadic coherence was observed contra-laterally, between child frontal right and parental frontal left regions at β and lower γ bands in empathy-related brain areas. Furthermore, significant Granger influences were detected bidirectionally (from child to parent and vice versa) in the same frequency bands. In all dyads, significant increases in session-specific coherence and Granger influences were observed over the time course of a music therapy session. The observed interbrain synchrony suggests a cognitive-emotional coupling during music therapy between child and parent that is responsive to change. These findings encourage further study of the socio-empathic capacity and interpersonal relationships formed between caregivers and non-speaking children with severe physical impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Song Kim
- School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Jae Moon
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kyurim Kang
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Music and Health Science Research Collaboratory (MaHRC), Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tom Chau
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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41
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Hegde RR, Guimond S, Bannai D, Zeng V, Padani S, Eack SM, Keshavan MS. Theory of Mind impairments in early course schizophrenia: An fMRI study. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 136:236-243. [PMID: 33621908 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to the ability to perceive others' mental states. Lower ToM has often been associated with poorer functional outcomes in schizophrenia, making it an important treatment target. However, little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms associated with ToM impairments in early course schizophrenia. This study aimed to validate the False Belief task to measure ToM in schizophrenia and to identify aberrant brain activity associated with impairments. 36 individuals with early course schizophrenia and 17 controls were administered the Hinting Task and performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) False Belief task. Between-group differences were examined in a priori regions of interest (ROIs) known to be associated with ToM tasks: medial prefrontal cortex, ventral medial prefrontal cortex, and both the left and right temporal parietal junction (TPJ). We observed a significant positive association between Hinting Task performance and False Belief accuracy, validating the False Belief task as a measure of ToM. Compared to controls, individuals with schizophrenia exhibited reduced brain activation in all four ROIs during the fMRI False Belief task. Furthermore, task-related activations in bilateral TPJs were shown to be positively associated with ToM abilities regardless of diagnosis. Individuals with schizophrenia with lower performance on the False Belief task showed significant reductions in task-related activation in the bilateral TPJ compared to controls, while reductions were not significant for those with higher performance. Our findings suggest that lower neural activity in the bilateral TPJ are associated with ToM impairments observed in individuals with early course schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachal R Hegde
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Synthia Guimond
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Psychoeducation and Psychology, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau, QC, Canada
| | - Deepthi Bannai
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Victor Zeng
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shezal Padani
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shaun M Eack
- Department of Psychiatry and School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Matcheri S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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The neurobiology of human aggressive behavior: Neuroimaging, genetic, and neurochemical aspects. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 106:110059. [PMID: 32822763 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In modern societies, there is a strive to improve the quality of life related to risk of crimes which inevitably requires a better understanding of brain determinants and mediators of aggression. Neurobiology provides powerful tools to achieve this end. Pre-clinical and clinical studies show that changes in regional volumes, metabolism-function and connectivity within specific neural networks are related to aggression. Subregions of prefrontal cortex, insula, amygdala, basal ganglia and hippocampus play a major role within these circuits and have been consistently implicated in biology of aggression. Genetic variations in proteins regulating the synthesis, degradation, and transport of serotonin and dopamine as well as their signal transduction have been found to mediate behavioral variability observed in aggression. Gene-gene and gene-environment interactions represent additional important risk factors for aggressiveness. Considering the social burden of pathological forms of aggression, more basic and translational studies should be conducted to accelerate applications to clinical practice, justice courts, and policy making.
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43
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Yordanova J, Kolev V, Nicolardi V, Simione L, Mauro F, Garberi P, Raffone A, Malinowski P. Attentional and cognitive monitoring brain networks in long-term meditators depend on meditation states and expertise. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4909. [PMID: 33649378 PMCID: PMC7921394 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84325-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Meditation practice is suggested to engage training of cognitive control systems in the brain. To evaluate the functional involvement of attentional and cognitive monitoring processes during meditation, the present study analysed the electroencephalographic synchronization of fronto-parietal (FP) and medial-frontal (MF) brain networks in highly experienced meditators during different meditation states (focused attention, open monitoring and loving kindness meditation). The aim was to assess whether and how the connectivity patterns of FP and MF networks are modulated by meditation style and expertise. Compared to novice meditators, (1) highly experienced meditators exhibited a strong theta synchronization of both FP and MF networks in left parietal regions in all mediation styles, and (2) only the connectivity of lateralized beta MF networks differentiated meditation styles. The connectivity of intra-hemispheric theta FP networks depended non-linearly on meditation expertise, with opposite expertise-dependent patterns found in the left and the right hemisphere. In contrast, inter-hemispheric FP connectivity in faster frequency bands (fast alpha and beta) increased linearly as a function of expertise. The results confirm that executive control systems play a major role in maintaining states of meditation. The distinctive lateralized involvement of FP and MF networks appears to represent a major functional mechanism that supports both generic and style-specific meditation states. The observed expertise-dependent effects suggest that functional plasticity within executive control networks may underpin the emergence of unique meditation states in expert meditators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Yordanova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev str., bl. 23, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Vasil Kolev
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev str., bl. 23, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria.
| | - Valentina Nicolardi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Social and Cognitive Neurosciences Laboratory, IRCCS, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Simione
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Mauro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Garberi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonino Raffone
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions, Nalanda University, Rajgir, India
| | - Peter Malinowski
- School of Psychology, Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), Liverpool, UK
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44
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Ouerchefani R, Ouerchefani N, Kammoun B, Ben Rejeb MR, Le Gall D. A Voxel-based lesion study on facial emotion recognition after circumscribed prefrontal cortex damage. J Neuropsychol 2021; 15:533-563. [PMID: 33595204 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown inconsistent findings regarding the contribution of the different prefrontal regions in emotion recognition. Moreover, the hemispheric lateralization hypothesis posits that the right hemisphere is dominant for processing all emotions regardless of affective valence, whereas the valence specificity hypothesis posits that the left hemisphere is specialized for processing positive emotions while the right hemisphere is specialized for negative emotions. However, recent findings suggest that the evidence for such lateralization has been less consistent. In this study, we investigated emotion recognition of fear, surprise, happiness, sadness, disgust, and anger in 30 patients with focal prefrontal cortex lesions and 30 control subjects. We also examined the impact of lesion laterality on recognition of the six basic emotions. The results showed that compared to control subjects, the frontal subgroups were impaired in recognition of three negative basic emotions of fear, sadness, and anger - regardless of the lesion laterality. Therefore, our findings did not establish that each hemisphere is specialized for processing specific emotions. Moreover, the voxel-based lesion symptom mapping analysis showed that recognition of fear, sadness, and anger draws on a partially common bilaterally distributed prefrontal network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riadh Ouerchefani
- High Institute of Human Sciences, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunisia.,Laboratory of Psychology of Pays de la Loire (EA 4638), University of Angers, France
| | | | - Brahim Kammoun
- Department of Neurosurgery, Habib Bourguiba Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia.,Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia
| | | | - Didier Le Gall
- Laboratory of Psychology of Pays de la Loire (EA 4638), University of Angers, France
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45
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Emotion Recognition and Traffic-Related Risk-Taking Behavior in Patients with Neurodegenerative Diseases. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2021; 27:136-145. [PMID: 32812527 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617720000740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), such as Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and Huntington's disease, inevitably lead to impairments in higher-order cognitive functions, including the perception of emotional cues and decision-making behavior. Such impairments are likely to cause risky daily life behavior, for instance, in traffic. Impaired recognition of emotional expressions, such as fear, is considered a marker of impaired experience of emotions. Lower fear experience can, in turn, be related to risk-taking behavior. The aim of our study was to investigate whether impaired emotion recognition in patients with NDD is indeed related to unsafe decision-making in risky everyday life situations, which has not been investigated yet. METHODS Fifty-one patients with an NDD were included. Emotion recognition was measured with the Facial Expressions of Emotions: Stimuli and Test (FEEST). Risk-taking behavior was measured with driving simulator scenarios and the Action Selection Test (AST). Data from matched healthy controls were used: FEEST (n = 182), AST (n = 36), and driving simulator (n = 18). RESULTS Compared to healthy controls, patients showed significantly worse emotion recognition, particularly of anger, disgust, fear, and sadness. Furthermore, patients took significantly more risks in the driving simulator rides and the AST. Only poor recognition of fear was related to a higher amount of risky decisions in situations involving a direct danger. CONCLUSIONS To determine whether patients with an NDD are still fit to drive, it is crucial to assess their ability to make safe decisions. Measuring emotion recognition may be a valuable contribution to this judgment.
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Weddell R, Fisher-Hicks S. Correlates of the personality change judgments of individuals who have MS. Brain Inj 2021; 35:345-355. [PMID: 33395314 DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2020.1865568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: This is the first study to estimate prevalence of self-reported personality change (PC) in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods developed in traumatic brain injury studies explore physical, and psychosocial triggers for PC judgments.Participants: 69 MS clinic attendees living with their partner.Measures: Participants rated the degree of PC. 28 Current and pre-MS characteristics were rated. The Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale, the MS Neuropsychological Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory-FastScreen, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale quantified neuropsychological status. The Family Questionnaire, McMaster Assessment Device and the Social Provisions Scale sampled perceived social influences.Results: 54% perceived substantial PC. Current characteristics predicted PC better than perceived behavior changes. PC was associated with specific characteristics denoting stress reactions, emotional distress, perceived cognitive impairment and poorer family functioning. PC was not significantly related to severity of physical symptoms or social support. This study also suggested that the specific characteristics questionnaire probed at least 2 components of reconstructed identity: PC/Reactivity and Disability.Conclusions: This study raises methodological concerns about measures that simply sum ratings of characteristics related to self-identity. It also proposes possible ways of collaborating with individuals in their efforts to respond constructively to PC and other changes. .
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47
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Chuang SP, Wu JYW, Wang CS. Metacognitive Beliefs, Cognitive Functioning, Psychiatric Symptoms and Empathy in People with Schizophrenia. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2021; 17:2209-2217. [PMID: 34262281 PMCID: PMC8274239 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s313932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with schizophrenia often exhibit deficits in empathy, which plays a major role in social cognition and interpersonal relationship. However, little work has investigated potential factors that influence empathy in schizophrenia. The study aimed to investigate the relationship among metacognition, psychiatric symptoms, cognitive functioning and empathy in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. METHODS Forty-eight people with schizophrenia were enrolled in the study group. All subjects participated in the metacognitions questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS), neurocognitive functioning, interpersonal reactivity index (IRI), and the pictorial empathy test (PET). RESULTS Stepwise regression analysis revealed that cognitive self-consciousness (domain of metacognitions questionnaire-30) accounted for 37% of the variance in perspective taking scores (domain of interpersonal reactivity index). Resistance (subscale of brief psychiatric rating scale) and positive beliefs about worry (domain of metacognitions questionnaire-30) accounted for 34% of the variance in fantasy (domain of interpersonal reactivity index). Activation (subscale of brief psychiatric rating scale) was a significant predictor for empathic concern (domain of interpersonal reactivity index). Resistance, cognitive confidence (domain of metacognitions questionnaire-30), intellectual processes and inhibitory control (go-no-go task) accounted for 38% of the variance in personal distress. Negative symptoms (subscale of brief psychiatric rating scale) and cognitive self-consciousness were significant predictors for the pictorial empathy test. CONCLUSION The study was aimed to examine self-perception of metacognitive beliefs and empathy. More research is needed to explore the association between metacognitive beliefs, cognitive functioning and psychiatric symptoms on empathy in people with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Ping Chuang
- Department of Psychiatry, Zuoying Branch of Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | | | - Chien Shu Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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48
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Gainotti G. Unconscious processing of emotions and the right hemisphere. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 183:27-46. [PMID: 34389122 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-822290-4.00003-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Many influential authors maintain that, even if emotions are conscious experiences, the processing of information that produces emotions is usually unconscious. This chapter discusses the nonconscious aspects of emotional processing and the critical role played in them by the right hemisphere. This chapter first reviews the studies that have demonstrated the existence of unconscious or subconscious forms of emotional processing and then discusses the data supporting the hypothesis that the right hemisphere is dominant for the processing of emotions. After these topics are reviewed, the chapter will discuss investigations that have shown that the right and left amygdala have different roles in the processing of emotional stimuli, the former being involved in nonconscious and the latter in conscious forms of emotional learning. This chapter will also address the distinction proposed by Freud between "removed" and "nonremoved" forms of unconscious processing and will consider whether "nonremoved preverbal implicit memories" have a preferential link with the right hemisphere. The possibility that the right hemisphere may play a critical role not only in the formation of nonremoved subconscious memories but also in the development of denial phenomena, resulting from dynamic processes of unconscious repression, will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido Gainotti
- Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy; Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
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49
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Mazza M, Attanasio M, Pino MC, Masedu F, Tiberti S, Sarlo M, Valenti M. Moral Decision-Making, Stress, and Social Cognition in Frontline Workers vs. Population Groups During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Explorative Study. Front Psychol 2020; 11:588159. [PMID: 33329249 PMCID: PMC7710972 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.588159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
On March 9, 2020, Italy has gone into "lockdown" because of COVID-19 pandemic, with a national quarantine. All non-essential working activities and schools of all levels have been temporarily closed: consequently, the entire population have been forced to dramatically change their daily habits. The pandemic raised important psychological, moral, social, and economic issues. Our research focused on the moral decision-making of people during an emergency. This paper reports two studies. The aim of Study 1 was to evaluate moral decision-making, level of perceived stress, ability of mentalizing and empathy in university students and Italian workers. 224 front-line workers (FLW), 413 second-line workers (SLW), and 663 university students (US), during Italian Phase 1 of lockdown, completed an online questionnaire. The results of Study 1 showed that participants in the FLW group are more likely to choose utilitarian solutions and judge as morally acceptable actions finalized to saving lives of more people if this requires sacrificing a low number of individuals. At the same time, decision-making was experienced as less unpleasant and less arousing with respect to the other two groups, demonstrating a greater ability to keep emotional control under pressure. In Study 2, we compared the same variables used in Study 1, selecting two professional categories from the FLW group engaged in emergency during COVID-19, namely healthcare providers (n = 82) and public safety personnel (n = 117). Our results showed that healthcare providers were more stressed and emotionally involved than public safety personnel, with higher empathic concern and arousal in moral decision-making. We suggest it is essential providing immediate psychological support and monitoring physical and emotional well-being for workers in the front-line during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to prevent experiences of moral distress or mental health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Mazza
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
- Regional Centre for Autism, Abruzzo Region Health System, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Margherita Attanasio
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
- Regional Centre for Autism, Abruzzo Region Health System, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Pino
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
- Regional Centre for Autism, Abruzzo Region Health System, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Francesco Masedu
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Sergio Tiberti
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Michela Sarlo
- Department of Communication Sciences, Humanities and International Studies, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy
| | - Marco Valenti
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
- Regional Centre for Autism, Abruzzo Region Health System, L’Aquila, Italy
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How to become more grateful? The mediating role of resilience between empathy and gratitude. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-020-01178-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe current study examined the relationship between empathy, resilience, and gratitude. Specifically, the study investigated the potential mediating role of resilience between empathy and gratitude. The study involved 214 participants who completed the Gratitude Resentment and Appreciation Test-Revised (GRAT-R), the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE), and the Resilience Measurement Scale (SPP-25). The results showed significant positive correlations among resilience, empathy, and gratitude. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that resilience, gender, and affective empathy were direct predictors of the level of gratitude. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis supported the hypothesis that resilience played a mediating role between empathy and gratitude. Implications for research and the promotion of positive psychology programs for adults are discussed.
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