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Ni J, Yang J, Ma Y. Social bonding in groups of humans selectively increases inter-status information exchange and prefrontal neural synchronization. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002545. [PMID: 38502637 PMCID: PMC10950240 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Social groups in various social species are organized with hierarchical structures that shape group dynamics and the nature of within-group interactions. In-group social bonding, exemplified by grooming behaviors among animals and collective rituals and team-building activities in human societies, is recognized as a practical adaptive strategy to foster group harmony and stabilize hierarchical structures in both human and nonhuman animal groups. However, the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the effects of social bonding on hierarchical groups remain largely unexplored. Here, we conducted simultaneous neural recordings on human participants engaged in-group communications within small hierarchical groups (n = 528, organized into 176 three-person groups) to investigate how social bonding influenced hierarchical interactions and neural synchronizations. We differentiated interpersonal interactions between individuals of different (inter-status) or same (intra-status) social status and observed distinct effects of social bonding on inter-status and intra-status interactions. Specifically, social bonding selectively increased frequent and rapid information exchange and prefrontal neural synchronization for inter-status dyads but not intra-status dyads. Furthermore, social bonding facilitated unidirectional neural alignment from group leader to followers, enabling group leaders to predictively align their prefrontal activity with that of followers. These findings provide insights into how social bonding influences hierarchical dynamics and neural synchronization while highlighting the role of social status in shaping the strength and nature of social bonding experiences in human groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaxin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
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Xu P, Wang S, Yang Y, Guragai B, Zhang Q, Zhang J, Jin Z, Li L. cTBS to Right DLPFC Modulates Physiological Correlates of Conflict Processing: Evidence from a Stroop task. Brain Topogr 2024; 37:37-51. [PMID: 37880501 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-023-01015-1] [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: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Conflict typically occurs when goal-directed processing competes with more automatic responses. Though previous studies have highlighted the importance of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC) in conflict processing, its causal role remains unclear. In the current study, the behavioral experiment, the continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS), and the electroencephalography (EEG) were combined to explore the effects of behavioral performance and physiological correlates during conflict processing, after the cTBS over the rDLPFC and vertex (the control condition). Twenty-six healthy participants performed the Stroop task which included congruent and incongruent trials. Although the cTBS did not induce significant changes in the behavioral performance, the cTBS over the rDLPFC reduced the Stroop effects of conflict monitoring-related frontal-central N2 component and theta oscillation, and conflict resolution-related parieto-occipital alpha oscillation, compared to the vertex stimulation. Moreover, a significant hemispheric difference in alpha oscillation was exploratively observed after the cTBS over the rDLPFC. Interestingly, we found the rDLPFC stimulation resulted in significantly reduced Stroop effects of theta and gamma oscillation after response, which may reflect the adjustment of cognitive control for the next trial. In conclusion, our study not only demonstrated the critical involvement of the rDLPFC in conflict monitoring, conflict resolution processing, and conflict adaptation but also revealed the electrophysiological mechanism of conflict processing mediated by the rDLPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Xu
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Song Wang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Yulu Yang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Bishal Guragai
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Qiuzhu Zhang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Junjun Zhang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Zhenlan Jin
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Ling Li
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China.
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Kikuchi Y, Tanioka K, Hiroyasu T, Hiwa S. Interpersonal brain synchronization during face-to-face economic exchange between acquainted dyads. OXFORD OPEN NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 2:kvad007. [PMID: 38596234 PMCID: PMC10913825 DOI: 10.1093/oons/kvad007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Interpersonal brain synchronization (IBS) has been observed during social interactions and involves various factors, such as familiarity with the partner and type of social activity. A previous study has shown that face-to-face (FF) interactions in pairs of strangers increase IBS. However, it is unclear whether this can be observed when the nature of the interacting partners is different. Herein, we aimed to extend these findings to pairs of acquaintances. Neural activity in the frontal and temporal regions was recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy hyperscanning. Participants played an ultimatum game that required virtual economic exchange in two experimental settings: face-to-face and face-blocked conditions. Random pair analysis confirmed whether IBS was induced by social interaction. Contrary to the aforementioned study, our results did not show any cooperative behavior or task-induced IBS increase. Conversely, the random pair analysis results revealed that the pair-specific IBS was significant only in the task condition at the left and right superior frontal, middle frontal, orbital superior frontal, right superior temporal, precentral and postcentral gyri. Our results tentatively suggested that FF interaction in acquainted pairs did not increase IBS and supported the idea that IBS is affected by 'with whom we interact and how'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuto Kikuchi
- Graduate School of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto610-0394, Japan
| | - Kensuke Tanioka
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Informatics, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Hiroyasu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Informatics, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Satoru Hiwa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Informatics, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
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Hirsch J, Zhang X, Noah JA, Bhattacharya A. Neural mechanisms for emotional contagion and spontaneous mimicry of live facial expressions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210472. [PMID: 36871593 PMCID: PMC9985973 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0472] [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: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Viewing a live facial expression typically elicits a similar expression by the observer (facial mimicry) that is associated with a concordant emotional experience (emotional contagion). The model of embodied emotion proposes that emotional contagion and facial mimicry are functionally linked although the neural underpinnings are not known. To address this knowledge gap, we employed a live two-person paradigm (n = 20 dyads) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy during live emotive face-processing while also measuring eye-tracking, facial classifications and ratings of emotion. One dyadic partner, 'Movie Watcher', was instructed to emote natural facial expressions while viewing evocative short movie clips. The other dyadic partner, 'Face Watcher', viewed the Movie Watcher's face. Task and rest blocks were implemented by timed epochs of clear and opaque glass that separated partners. Dyadic roles were alternated during the experiment. Mean cross-partner correlations of facial expressions (r = 0.36 ± 0.11 s.e.m.) and mean cross-partner affect ratings (r = 0.67 ± 0.04) were consistent with facial mimicry and emotional contagion, respectively. Neural correlates of emotional contagion based on covariates of partner affect ratings included angular and supramarginal gyri, whereas neural correlates of the live facial action units included motor cortex and ventral face-processing areas. Findings suggest distinct neural components for facial mimicry and emotional contagion. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Face2face: advancing the science of social interaction'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy Hirsch
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, PO Box 208091, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Xian Zhang
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - J. Adam Noah
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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Hirsch J, Zhang X, Noah JA, Dravida S, Naples A, Tiede M, Wolf JM, McPartland JC. Neural correlates of eye contact and social function in autism spectrum disorder. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265798. [PMID: 36350848 PMCID: PMC9645655 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Reluctance to make eye contact during natural interactions is a central diagnostic criterion for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the underlying neural correlates for eye contacts in ASD are unknown, and diagnostic biomarkers are active areas of investigation. Here, neuroimaging, eye-tracking, and pupillometry data were acquired simultaneously using two-person functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during live "in-person" eye-to-eye contact and eye-gaze at a video face for typically-developed (TD) and participants with ASD to identify the neural correlates of live eye-to-eye contact in both groups. Comparisons between ASD and TD showed decreased right dorsal-parietal activity and increased right ventral temporal-parietal activity for ASD during live eye-to-eye contact (p≤0.05, FDR-corrected) and reduced cross-brain coherence consistent with atypical neural systems for live eye contact. Hypoactivity of right dorsal-parietal regions during eye contact in ASD was further associated with gold standard measures of social performance by the correlation of neural responses and individual measures of: ADOS-2, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition (r = -0.76, -0.92 and -0.77); and SRS-2, Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (r = -0.58). The findings indicate that as categorized social ability decreases, neural responses to real eye-contact in the right dorsal parietal region also decrease consistent with a neural correlate for social characteristics in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy Hirsch
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Xian Zhang
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - J. Adam Noah
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Swethasri Dravida
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Adam Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Mark Tiede
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Julie M. Wolf
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America
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Huang X, Izumi SI, Suzukamo Y. Neural and behavioral alterations of a real-time interpersonal distance (IPD) development process in differing social status interactions. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:969440. [PMCID: PMC9616044 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.969440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundEvidence showed neural changes in interpersonal distance (IPD) interaction, and neural activities are affected by relationships (such as friends or strangers). Behavior studies proved that social status strongly affects IPD between two persons. However, how the differing social status impacts neural alterations in the IPD interactions remains unknown.ObjectivesThe teacher-student relationship is a typical representation of the difference in social status. The present study aims to investigate the IPD performance and brain processes underlying real-time differing social status during the development process from teacher-student interactions.Materials and methodsWe designed three within-subject experiments corresponding to the inclusion, control, and affection stages of IPD. Altogether, 38 valid healthy participants participated in three experiments with a teacher (differing social status condition, DS condition) and a peer student (peer social status condition, PS condition) separately. This study employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and modified real-time stop-distance paradigms to record IPD performance and neural processes.ResultsFor IPD performance, significantly larger IPD gaps were shown in the DS condition than in the PS condition, and IPD feedback affected IPD performance. For neural alterations, activated frontopolar area (FPA, BA10), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, BA9/BA46), and Broca’s area (BA45) were observed across the IPD stages. Importantly, brain activation shifts with the development of IPD. In addition, results showed that differences in Oxy-Hb changes were located in the FPA (BA10), DLPFC (BA9/BA46), and Broca’s area (BA45) between the DS and PS conditions across IPD stages. Additionally, negative correlations were found between Oxy-Hb changes and IPD performance.ConclusionWe propose prefrontal cortex (PFC) and Broca’s area involvement in IPD interactions, initially focusing on evaluation and action periods, and later on IPD-evaluation processes after feedback. In addition, a difference in Oxy-Hb activities implies the complexity of relationships and social status in IPD interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Huang
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Izumi
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- *Correspondence: Shin-Ichi Izumi,
| | - Yoshimi Suzukamo
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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Gilmore N, Yücel MA, Li X, Boas DA, Kiran S. Investigating Language and Domain-General Processing in Neurotypicals and Individuals With Aphasia - A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Pilot Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:728151. [PMID: 34602997 PMCID: PMC8484538 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.728151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain reorganization patterns associated with language recovery after stroke have long been debated. Studying mechanisms of spontaneous and treatment-induced language recovery in post-stroke aphasia requires a network-based approach given the potential for recruitment of perilesional left hemisphere language regions, homologous right hemisphere language regions, and/or spared bilateral domain-general regions. Recent hardware, software, and methodological advances in functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) make it well-suited to examine this question. fNIRS is cost-effective with minimal contraindications, making it a robust option to monitor treatment-related brain activation changes over time. Establishing clear activation patterns in neurotypical adults during language and domain-general cognitive processes via fNIRS is an important first step. Some fNIRS studies have investigated key language processes in healthy adults, yet findings are challenging to interpret in the context of methodological limitations. This pilot study used fNIRS to capture brain activation during language and domain-general processing in neurotypicals and individuals with aphasia. These findings will serve as a reference when interpreting treatment-related changes in brain activation patterns in post-stroke aphasia in the future. Twenty-four young healthy controls, seventeen older healthy controls, and six individuals with left hemisphere stroke-induced aphasia completed two language tasks (i.e., semantic feature, picture naming) and one domain-general cognitive task (i.e., arithmetic) twice during fNIRS. The probe covered bilateral frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes and included short-separation detectors for scalp signal nuisance regression. Younger and older healthy controls activated core language regions during semantic feature processing (e.g., left inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis) and lexical retrieval (e.g., left inferior frontal gyrus pars triangularis) and domain-general regions (e.g., bilateral middle frontal gyri) during hard versus easy arithmetic as expected. Consistent with theories of post-stroke language recovery, individuals with aphasia activated areas outside the traditional networks: left superior frontal gyrus and left supramarginal gyrus during semantic feature judgment; left superior frontal gyrus and right precentral gyrus during picture naming; and left inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis during arithmetic processing. The preliminary findings in the stroke group highlight the utility of using fNIRS to study language and domain-general processing in aphasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Gilmore
- Department of Speech Language & Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Meryem Ayse Yücel
- Neurophotonics Center, Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xinge Li
- Neurophotonics Center, Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - David A Boas
- Neurophotonics Center, Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Department of Speech Language & Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
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Noah JA, Zhang X, Dravida S, DiCocco C, Suzuki T, Aslin RN, Tachtsidis I, Hirsch J. Comparison of short-channel separation and spatial domain filtering for removal of non-neural components in functional near-infrared spectroscopy signals. NEUROPHOTONICS 2021; 8:015004. [PMID: 33598505 PMCID: PMC7881368 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.8.1.015004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Significance: With the increasing popularity of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), the need to determine localization of the source and nature of the signals has grown. Aim: We compare strategies for removal of non-neural signals for a finger-thumb tapping task, which shows responses in contralateral motor cortex and a visual checkerboard viewing task that produces activity within the occipital lobe. Approach: We compare temporal regression strategies using short-channel separation to a spatial principal component (PC) filter that removes global signals present in all channels. For short-channel temporal regression, we compare non-neural signal removal using first and combined first and second PCs from a broad distribution of short channels to limited distribution on the forehead. Results: Temporal regression of non-neural information from broadly distributed short channels did not differ from forehead-only distribution. Spatial PC filtering provides results similar to short-channel separation using the temporal domain. Utilizing both first and second PCs from short channels removes additional non-neural information. Conclusions: We conclude that short-channel information in the temporal domain and spatial domain regression filtering methods remove similar non-neural components represented in scalp hemodynamics from fNIRS signals and that either technique is sufficient to remove non-neural components.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Adam Noah
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Function Laboratory, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Xian Zhang
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Function Laboratory, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Swethasri Dravida
- Yale School of Medicine, Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Courtney DiCocco
- Yale School of Medicine, Brain Function Laboratory, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Tatsuya Suzuki
- Meiji University, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Electrical Engineering Program, Kawasaki, Japan
- Meiji University, School of Science and Technology, Department of Electronics and Bioinformatics, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Richard N. Aslin
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
- Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Ilias Tachtsidis
- University College London, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joy Hirsch
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Function Laboratory, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
- University College London, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, London, United Kingdom
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Comparative Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
- Address all correspondence to Joy Hirsch,
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Descorbeth O, Zhang X, Noah JA, Hirsch J. Neural processes for live pro-social dialogue between dyads with socioeconomic disparity. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 15:875-887. [PMID: 32879986 PMCID: PMC7543936 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
An emerging theoretical framework suggests that neural functions associated with stereotyping and prejudice are associated with frontal lobe networks. Using a novel neuroimaging technique, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), during a face-to-face live communication paradigm, we explore an extension of this model to include live dynamic interactions. Neural activations were compared for dyads of similar and dissimilar socioeconomic backgrounds. The socioeconomic status of each participant was based on education and income levels. Both groups of dyads engaged in pro-social dialectic discourse during acquisition of hemodynamic signals. Post-scan questionnaires confirmed increased anxiety and effort for high-disparity dyads. Consistent with the frontal lobe hypothesis, left dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex (DLPFC), frontopolar area and pars triangularis were more active during speech dialogue in high than in low-disparity groups. Further, frontal lobe signals were more synchronous across brains for high- than low-disparity dyads. Convergence of these behavioral, neuroimaging and neural coupling findings associate left frontal lobe processes with natural pro-social dialogue under 'out-group' conditions and advance both theoretical and technical approaches for further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Descorbeth
- Undergraduates of Yale College (Descorbeth), New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Xian Zhang
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - J Adam Noah
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Joy Hirsch
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, WC1E 6BT, UK
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Dravida S, Noah JA, Zhang X, Hirsch J. Joint Attention During Live Person-to-Person Contact Activates rTPJ, Including a Sub-Component Associated With Spontaneous Eye-to-Eye Contact. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:201. [PMID: 32581746 PMCID: PMC7283505 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Eye-to-eye contact is a spontaneous behavior between interacting partners that occurs naturally during social interactions. However, individuals differ with respect to eye gaze behaviors such as frequency of eye-to-eye contacts, and these variations may reflect underlying differences in social behavior in the population. While the use of eye signaling to indicate a shared object of attention in joint attention tasks has been well-studied, the effects of the natural variation in establishing eye contact during joint attention have not been isolated. Here, we investigate this question using a novel two-person joint attention task. Participants were not instructed regarding the use of eye contacts; thus all mutual eye contact events between interacting partners that occurred during the joint attention task were spontaneous and varied with respect to frequency. We predicted that joint attention systems would be modulated by differences in the social behavior across participant pairs, which could be measured by the frequency of eye contact behavior. We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning and eye-tracking to measure the neural signals associated with joint attention in interacting dyads and to record the number of eye contact events between them. Participants engaged in a social joint attention task in which real partners used eye gaze to direct each other's attention to specific targets. Findings were compared to a non-social joint attention task in which an LED cue directed both partners' attention to the same target. The social joint attention condition showed greater activity in right temporoparietal junction than the non-social condition, replicating prior joint attention results. Eye-contact frequency modulated the joint attention activity, revealing bilateral activity in social and high level visual areas associated with partners who made more eye contact. Additionally, when the number of mutual eye contact events was used to classify each pair as either "high eye contact" or "low eye contact" dyads, cross-brain coherence analysis revealed greater coherence between high eye contact dyads than low eye contact dyads in these same areas. Together, findings suggest that variation in social behavior as measured by eye contact modulates activity in a subunit of the network associated with joint attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swethasri Dravida
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - J. Adam Noah
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Xian Zhang
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Joy Hirsch
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Noah JA, Zhang X, Dravida S, Ono Y, Naples A, McPartland JC, Hirsch J. Real-Time Eye-to-Eye Contact Is Associated With Cross-Brain Neural Coupling in Angular Gyrus. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:19. [PMID: 32116606 PMCID: PMC7016046 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct eye contact between two individuals is a salient social behavior known to initiate and promote interpersonal interaction. However, the neural processes that underlie these live interactive behaviors and eye-to-eye contact are not well understood. The Dynamic Neural Coupling Hypothesis presents a general theoretical framework proposing that shared interactive behaviors are represented by cross-brain signal coherence. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) adapted for hyper scanning, we tested this hypothesis specifically for neural mechanisms associated with eye-to-eye gaze between human participants compared to similar direct eye-gaze at a dynamic video of a face and predicted that the coherence of neural signals between the two participants during reciprocal eye-to-eye contact would be greater than coherence observed during direct eye-gaze at a dynamic video for those signals originating in social and face processing systems. Consistent with this prediction cross-brain coherence was increased for signals within the angular gyrus (AG) during eye-to-eye contact relative to direct eye-gaze at a dynamic face video (p < 0.01). Further, activity in the right temporal-parietal junction (TPJ) was increased in the real eye-to-eye condition (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). Together, these findings advance a functional and mechanistic understanding of the AG and cross-brain neural coupling associated with real-time eye-to-eye contact.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Adam Noah
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Xian Zhang
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Swethasri Dravida
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Yumie Ono
- Department of Electronics and Bioinformatics, School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Adam Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - James C McPartland
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Joy Hirsch
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Dravida S, Ono Y, Noah JA, Zhang X, Hirsch J. Co-localization of theta-band activity and hemodynamic responses during face perception: simultaneous electroencephalography and functional near-infrared spectroscopy recordings. NEUROPHOTONICS 2019; 6:045002. [PMID: 31646152 PMCID: PMC6803809 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.6.4.045002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Face-specific neural processes in the human brain have been localized to multiple anatomical structures and associated with diverse and dynamic social functions. The question of how various face-related systems and functions may be bound together remains an active area of investigation. We hypothesize that face processing may be associated with specific frequency band oscillations that serve to integrate distributed face processing systems. Using a multimodal imaging approach, including electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), simultaneous signals were acquired during face and object picture viewing. As expected for face processing, hemodynamic activity in the right occipital face area (OFA) increased during face viewing compared to object viewing, and in a subset of participants, the expected N170 EEG response was observed for faces. Based on recently reported associations between the theta band and visual processing, we hypothesized that increased hemodynamic activity in a face processing area would also be associated with greater theta-band activity originating in the same area. Consistent with our hypothesis, theta-band oscillations were also localized to the right OFA for faces, whereas alpha- and beta-band oscillations were not. Together, these findings suggest that theta-band oscillations originating in the OFA may be part of the distributed face-specific processing mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swethasri Dravida
- Yale School of Medicine, Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Yumie Ono
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - J. Adam Noah
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Xian Zhang
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Joy Hirsch
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Comparative Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
- University College London, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, London, United Kingdom
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Rojiani R, Zhang X, Noah A, Hirsch J. Communication of emotion via drumming: dual-brain imaging with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2019; 13:1047-1057. [PMID: 30215809 PMCID: PMC6204489 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsy076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonverbal communication of emotion is essential to human interaction and relevant to many clinical applications, yet it is an understudied topic in social neuroscience. Drumming is an ancient nonverbal communication modality for expression of emotion that has not been previously investigated in this context. We investigate the neural response to live, natural communication of emotion via drumming using a novel dual-brain neuroimaging paradigm. Hemodynamic signals were acquired using whole-head functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Dyads of 36 subjects participated in two conditions, drumming and talking, alternating between 'sending' (drumming or talking to partner) and 'receiving' (listening to partner) in response to emotionally salient images from the International Affective Picture System. Increased frequency and amplitude of drum strikes was behaviorally correlated with higher arousal and lower valence measures and neurally correlated with temporoparietal junction (TPJ) activation in the listener. Contrast comparisons of drumming greater than talking also revealed neural activity in right TPJ. Together, findings suggest that emotional content communicated by drumming engages right TPJ mechanisms in an emotionally and behaviorally sensitive fashion. Drumming may provide novel, effective clinical approaches for treating social-emotional psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Joy Hirsch
- Department of Psychiatry.,Department of Neuroscience.,Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.,Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Hirsch J, Adam Noah J, Zhang X, Dravida S, Ono Y. A cross-brain neural mechanism for human-to-human verbal communication. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 13:907-920. [PMID: 30137601 PMCID: PMC6137318 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsy070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural mechanisms that mediate dynamic social interactions remain understudied despite their evolutionary significance. The interactive brain hypothesis proposes that interactive social cues are processed by dedicated brain substrates and provides a general theoretical framework for investigating the underlying neural mechanisms of social interaction. We test the specific case of this hypothesis proposing that canonical language areas are upregulated and dynamically coupled across brains during social interactions based on talking and listening. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was employed to acquire simultaneous deoxyhemoglobin (deOxyHb) signals of the brain on partners who alternated between speaking and listening while doing an Object Naming & Description task with and without interaction in a natural setting. Comparison of interactive and non-interactive conditions confirmed an increase in neural activity associated with Wernicke's area including the superior temporal gyrus (STG) during interaction (P = 0.04). However, the hypothesis was not supported for Broca's area. Cross-brain coherence determined by wavelet analyses of signals originating from the STG and the subcentral area was greater during interaction than non-interaction (P < 0.01). In support of the interactive brain hypothesis these findings suggest a dynamically coupled cross-brain neural mechanism dedicated to pathways that share interpersonal information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy Hirsch
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - J Adam Noah
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Xian Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Swethasri Dravida
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Medical Student Training Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yumie Ono
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Electronics and Bioinformatics, School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
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