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Lonardo L, Völter CJ, Lamm C, Huber L. Dogs follow human misleading suggestions more often when the informant has a false belief. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210906. [PMID: 34284633 PMCID: PMC8292766 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated whether dogs (Canis familiaris) distinguish between human true (TB) and false beliefs (FB). In three experiments with a pre-registered change of location task, dogs (n = 260) could retrieve food from one of two opaque buckets after witnessing a misleading suggestion by a human informant (the 'communicator') who held either a TB or a FB about the location of food. Dogs in both the TB and FB group witnessed the initial hiding of food, its subsequent displacement by a second experimenter, and finally, the misleading suggestion to the empty bucket by the communicator. On average, dogs chose the suggested container significantly more often in the FB group than in the TB group and hence were sensitive to the experimental manipulation. Terriers were the only group of breeds that behaved like human infants and apes tested in previous studies with a similar paradigm, by following the communicator's suggestion more often in the TB than in the FB group. We discuss the results in terms of processing of goals and beliefs. Overall, we provide evidence that pet dogs distinguish between TB and FB scenarios, suggesting that the mechanisms underlying sensitivity to others' beliefs have not evolved uniquely in the primate lineage.
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Karl S, Sladky R, Lamm C, Huber L. Neural Responses of Pet Dogs Witnessing Their Caregiver's Positive Interactions with a Conspecific: An fMRI Study. Cereb Cortex Commun 2021; 2:tgab047. [PMID: 34447934 PMCID: PMC8382916 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgab047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We have limited knowledge on how dogs perceive humans and their actions. Various researchers investigated how they process human facial expressions, but their brain responses to complex social scenarios remain unclear. While undergoing fMRI, we exposed pet dogs to videos showing positive social and neutral nonsocial interactions between their caregivers and another conspecific. Our main interest was how the dogs responded to their caregivers (compared to a stranger) engaging in a pleasant interaction with another dog that could be seen as social rival. We hypothesized that the dogs would show activation increases in limbic areas such as the amygdala, hypothalamus, and insula and likely show higher attention and arousal during the positive caregiver-dog interaction. When contrasting the social with the nonsocial interaction, we found increased activations in the left amygdala and the insular cortex. Crucially, the dogs' hypothalamus showed strongest activation when the caregiver engaged in a positive social interaction. These findings indicate that dogs are sensitive to social affective human-dog interactions and likely show higher valence attribution and arousal in a situation possibly perceived as a potential threat to their caregiver bonds. Our study provides a first window into the neural correlates of social and emotional processing in dogs.
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Hartmann H, Riva F, Rütgen M, Lamm C. Placebo Analgesia Does Not Reduce Empathy for Naturalistic Depictions of Others' Pain in a Somatosensory Specific Way. Cereb Cortex Commun 2021; 2:tgab039. [PMID: 34296184 PMCID: PMC8276832 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgab039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The shared representations account postulates that sharing another's pain recruits underlying brain functions also engaged during first-hand pain. Critically, direct causal evidence for this was mainly shown for affective pain processing, while the contribution of somatosensory processes to empathy remains controversial. This controversy may be explained, however, by experimental paradigms that did not direct attention towards a specific body part, or that did not employ naturalistic depictions of others' pain. In this preregistered functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we aimed to test whether causal manipulation of first-hand pain affects empathy for naturalistic depictions of pain in a somatosensory-matched manner. Forty-five participants underwent a placebo analgesia induction in their right hand and observed pictures of other people's right and left hands in pain. We found neither behavioral nor neural evidence for somatosensory-specific modulation of pain empathy. However, exploratory analyses revealed a general effect of the placebo on empathy, and higher brain activity in bilateral anterior insula when viewing others' right hands in pain (i.e., corresponding to one's own placebo hand). These results refine our knowledge regarding the neural mechanisms of pain empathy, and imply that the sharing of somatosensory representations seems to play less of a causal role than the one of affective representations.
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Kutlikova HH, Geniole SN, Eisenegger C, Lamm C, Jocham G, Studer B. Not giving up: Testosterone promotes persistence against a stronger opponent. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 128:105214. [PMID: 33836382 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105214] [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] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent research suggests that when we lack a sense of control, we are prone to motivational failures and early quitting in competitions. Testosterone, on the other hand, is thought to boost competitiveness. Here we investigate the interaction between these factors, testing the testosterone's potential to enhance persistence in a competition against a stronger opponent, depending on experimentally manipulated perceived control. Healthy participants were administered a single dose of testosterone or placebo. They first underwent a task designed to either induce low or high perceived control and then entered a costly competition against a progressively stronger opponent that they could quit at any time. In the placebo group, men with low perceived control quitted twice as early as those with high perceived control. Testosterone countered this effect, making individuals with low control persist in the competition for as long as those with high perceived control, and did so also despite raising participants' explicit awareness of the opponents' advantage. This psychoendocrinological effect was not modulated by basal cortisol levels, CAG repeat polymorphism of the androgen receptor gene, or trait dominance. Our results provide the first causal evidence that testosterone promotes competitive persistence in humans and demonstrate that this effect depends on the psychological state elicited prior to the competition, broadening our understanding of the complex relationships between testosterone and social behaviors.
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Pfabigan DM, Rütgen M, Kroll SL, Riečanský I, Lamm C. The administration of the opioid buprenorphine decreases motivational error signals. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 128:105199. [PMID: 33933894 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105199] [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] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
While opioid addiction has reached pandemic proportions, we still lack a good understanding of how the administration of opioids interacts with cognitive functions. Error processing - the ability to detect erroneous actions and correct one's behaviour afterwards - is one such cognitive function that might be susceptible to opioidergic influences. Errors are hypothesised to induce aversive negative arousal, while opioids have been suggested to reduce aversive arousal induced by unpleasant and stressful stimuli. Thus, this study investigated whether the acute administration of an opioid would affect error processing. In a double-blind between-subject study, 42 male volunteers were recruited and received either 0.2 mg buprenorphine (a partial µ-opioid receptor agonist and κ-opioid receptor antagonist) or a placebo pill before they performed a stimulus-response task provoking errors. Electroencephalograms (EEG) were recorded while participants performed the task. We observed no group differences in terms of reaction times, error rates, and affective state ratings during the task between buprenorphine and control participants. Additional measures of adaptive control, however, showed interfering effects of buprenorphine administration. On the neural level, decreased Pe (Error Positivity) amplitudes were found in buprenorphine compared to control participants following error commission. Further, frontal delta oscillations were decreased in the buprenorphine group after all responses. Our neural results jointly demonstrate a general reduction in error processing in those participants who received an opioid before task completion, thereby suggesting that opioids might have indeed the potential to dampen motivational error signals. Importantly, the effects of the opioid were evident in more elaborate error processing stages, thereby impacting on processes of conscious error appraisal and evidence accumulation.
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Rütgen M, Pfabigan DM, Tik M, Kraus C, Pletti C, Sladky R, Klöbl M, Woletz M, Vanicek T, Windischberger C, Lanzenberger R, Lamm C. Detached empathic experience of others' pain in remitted states of depression - An fMRI study. Neuroimage Clin 2021; 31:102699. [PMID: 34049164 PMCID: PMC8167276 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder is strongly associated with impairments and difficulties in social interactions. Deficits in empathy, a vital skill for social interactions, have been identified as a risk factor for relapse. However, research on empathy in remitted states of depression is scarce. We chose a social neuroscience approach to investigate potentially altered neural processes involved in sub-components of empathy in remitted states of depression. We expected aberrations in cognitive components of empathy, based on previous reports regarding their role as risk factors for relapse. METHODS Employing functional magnetic resonance imaging and a pain empathy task (video clips of painful medical treatments), we compared behavioral and neural empathic responses of unmedicated remitted depressive patients (N = 32) to those of untreated acutely depressed patients (N = 29) and healthy controls (N = 35). Self-report ratings of pain evaluation and affect-sharing were obtained. RESULTS Compared to controls and acutely depressed patients, remitted depressive patients reported higher pain evaluation and showed increased activity in the right temporo-parietal junction. This region, which is central to self-other distinction and which has been linked to adopting a detached perspective, also exhibited reduced connectivity to the anterior insula. Furthermore, we observed reduced activity in regions involved in emotion processing (amygdala) and perception of affective facial expressions (fusiform face area, posterior superior temporal sulcus). CONCLUSIONS Remitted states of depression are associated with a detached empathic style in response to others' pain, characterized by increased self-other distinction, lowered affective processing, and reduced connectivity between empathy-related brain regions. Although this may prevent emotional harm in specific situations, it may reduce opportunities for positive experiences in social interactions in the long run.
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Schurz M, Uddin LQ, Kanske P, Lamm C, Sallet J, Bernhardt BC, Mars RB, Bzdok D. Variability in Brain Structure and Function Reflects Lack of Peer Support. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:4612-4627. [PMID: 33982758 PMCID: PMC8408465 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans are a highly social species. Complex interactions for mutual support range from helping neighbors to building social welfare institutions. During times of distress or crisis, sharing life experiences within one's social circle is critical for well-being. By translating pattern-learning algorithms to the UK Biobank imaging-genetics cohort (n = ~40 000 participants), we have delineated manifestations of regular social support in multimodal whole-brain measurements. In structural brain variation, we identified characteristic volumetric signatures in the salience and limbic networks for high- versus low-social support individuals. In patterns derived from functional coupling, we also located interindividual differences in social support in action-perception circuits related to binding sensory cues and initiating behavioral responses. In line with our demographic profiling analysis, the uncovered neural substrates have potential implications for loneliness, substance misuse, and resilience to stress.
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Bukowski H, Todorova B, Boch M, Silani G, Lamm C. Socio-cognitive training impacts emotional and perceptual self-salience but not self-other distinction. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2021; 216:103297. [PMID: 33773331 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Training to inhibit imitative tendencies has been shown to reduce self-other interferences in both automatic imitation and perspective taking, suggesting that an enhancement of self-other distinction is transferrable from the motor to the cognitive domain. This study examined whether socio-cognitive training specifically enhances self-other distinction, or rather modulates self-salience, that is, the relative attentional priority of information pertaining to the self-perspective over information pertaining to the other person's perspective. Across two experiments, participants trained on one day to either imitate, inhibit imitation, inhibit control stimuli, or they were imitated. On the following day they completed a visuo-tactile affective perspective-taking paradigm measuring both self-other distinction and emotional self-salience, and a shape matching paradigm measuring perceptual self-salience. Results indicate no significant or consistent impact of training on self-other distinction performance, but reveal an increased emotional and perceptual self-salience following training to inhibit imitative tendencies. Together, these findings raise the question whether socio-cognitive training improves performance via enhanced self-other distinction, and invite to consider self-salience as a complementary angle to explain the past, present, and future findings on self-other distinction.
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Nitschke JP, Forbes PAG, Ali N, Cutler J, Apps MAJ, Lockwood PL, Lamm C. Resilience during uncertainty? Greater social connectedness during COVID-19 lockdown is associated with reduced distress and fatigue. Br J Health Psychol 2021; 26:553-569. [PMID: 33099800 PMCID: PMC8247344 DOI: 10.1111/bjhp.12485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social connections are crucial for our health and well-being. This is especially true during times of high uncertainty and distress, such as during the COVID-19 lockdown. This period was characterized by unprecedented physical distancing (often communicated as social distancing) measures resulting in significant changes to people's usual social lives. Given the potential effects of this disruption on people's well-being, it is crucial to identify factors which are associated with negative health outcomes, and conversely, those that promote resilience during times of adversity. AIMS We examined the relationship between individuals' levels of social connectedness during lockdown and self-reported stress, worry, and fatigue. METHOD Survey data were collected from 981 individuals in a representative sample of Austrian citizens. Data collection occurred during the last week of a six-week nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The final sample consisted of 902 participants. Participants were asked to complete validated questionnaires to assess levels of social connectedness as well as measures of perceived stress, worry-both general and COVID-19 specific-and symptoms of fatigue during the previous two weeks. RESULTS Our results demonstrate that greater social connectedness during the lockdown period was associated with lower levels of perceived stress, as well as general and COVID-19-specific worries. Furthermore, we found a negative relationship between fatigue and social connectedness, which was mediated by feelings of stress, general worries, and COVID-19-specific worries-respectively, indicating that individuals with smaller network sizes, who were highly distressed during the pandemic, were also likely to report feeling more fatigued. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the important role that social connections play in promoting resilience by buffering against negative physical and mental health outcomes, particularly in times of adversity in times of adversity.
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Wagner IC, Konrad BN, Schuster P, Weisig S, Repantis D, Ohla K, Kühn S, Fernández G, Steiger A, Lamm C, Czisch M, Dresler M. Durable memories and efficient neural coding through mnemonic training using the method of loci. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/10/eabc7606. [PMID: 33658191 PMCID: PMC7929507 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc7606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Mnemonic techniques, such as the method of loci, can powerfully boost memory. We compared memory athletes ranked among the world's top 50 in memory sports to mnemonics-naïve controls. In a second study, participants completed a 6-week memory training, working memory training, or no intervention. Behaviorally, memory training enhanced durable, longer-lasting memories. Functional magnetic resonance imaging during encoding and recognition revealed task-based activation decreases in lateral prefrontal, as well as in parahippocampal and retrosplenial cortices in both memory athletes and participants after memory training, partly associated with better performance after 4 months. This was complemented by hippocampal-neocortical coupling during consolidation, which was stronger the more durable memories participants formed. Our findings advance knowledge on how mnemonic training boosts durable memory formation through decreased task-based activation and increased consolidation thereafter. This is in line with conceptual accounts of neural efficiency and highlights a complex interplay of neural processes critical for extraordinary memory.
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Kroll SL, Thayer JF, Williams DP, Pfabigan DM, Baumgartner MR, Lamm C, Quednow BB. Chronic non-medical prescription opioid use and empathy for pain: Does pain make the difference? Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13776. [PMID: 33569774 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13776] [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: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Non-medical prescription opioid use (NMPOU) is at the heart of the opioid epidemic in the United States. Although chronic opioid use is commonly accompanied by deficits in social functioning, little is known about the impact of chronic NMPOU on social cognitive functions. Social neuroscience models suggest that empathy activates similar or even equivalent neural structures as those underpinning the first-hand experience in that emotional state (e.g., pain). Therefore, we measured subjective and psychophysiological responses during an empathy-for-pain task in 23 individuals with NMPOU, objectively confirmed by hair and urine testing, and compared them with 29 opioid-naïve healthy controls. NMPOU individuals showed lower other-related and self-related unpleasantness ratings when seeing others in pain than controls. No differences between the control and NMPOU group were found in skin conductance responses and heart rate variability (HRV) assessed by root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) in response to the task. However, RMSSD-HRV was strongly negatively correlated with self-related unpleasantness and craving in the NMPOU group. A subsequent mediation analysis showed a total effect of RMSSD-HRV on self-related unpleasantness with no mediation of craving. This indicates that stronger emotion regulation indexed by high RMSSD-HRV might have downregulating effects on sharing others' pain in NMPOU individuals but not in healthy controls, which was further accompanied by decreased ratings of personal distress and empathetic concern. These results contribute to a better understanding of social functioning in chronic opioid users, suggesting adequate emotion regulation and empathy trainings as therapeutic targets for future interventions of opioid use disorders and long-term pain treatment with opioids.
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Rütgen M, Wirth EM, Riečanský I, Hummer A, Windischberger C, Petrovic P, Silani G, Lamm C. Beyond Sharing Unpleasant Affect-Evidence for Pain-Specific Opioidergic Modulation of Empathy for Pain. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2773-2786. [PMID: 33454739 PMCID: PMC8107785 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
It is not known how specific the neural mechanisms underpinning empathy for different domains are. In the present study, we set out to test whether shared neural representations between first-hand pain and empathy for pain are pain-specific or extend to empathy for unpleasant affective touch as well. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and psychopharmacological experiments, we investigated if placebo analgesia reduces first-hand and empathic experiences of affective touch, and compared them with the effects on pain. Placebo analgesia also affected the first-hand and empathic experience of unpleasant touch, implicating domain-general effects. However, and in contrast to pain and pain empathy, administering an opioid antagonist did not block these effects. Moreover, placebo analgesia reduced neural activity related to both modalities in the bilateral insular cortex, while it specifically modulated activity in the anterior midcingulate cortex for pain and pain empathy. These findings provide causal evidence that one of the major neurochemical systems for pain regulation is involved in pain empathy, and crucially substantiates the role of shared representations in empathy.
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Boch M, Karl S, Sladky R, Huber L, Lamm C, Wagner IC. Tailored haemodynamic response function increases detection power of fMRI in awake dogs (Canis familiaris). Neuroimage 2021; 224:117414. [PMID: 33011420 PMCID: PMC7616344 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of awake and unrestrained dogs (Canis familiaris) has been established as a novel opportunity for comparative neuroimaging, promising important insights into the evolutionary roots of human brain function and cognition. However, data processing and analysis pipelines are often derivatives of methodological standards developed for human neuroimaging, which may be problematic due to profound neurophysiological and anatomical differences between humans and dogs. Here, we explore whether dog fMRI studies would benefit from a tailored dog haemodynamic response function (HRF). In two independent experiments, dogs were presented with different visual stimuli. BOLD signal changes in the visual cortex during these experiments were used for (a) the identification and estimation of a tailored dog HRF, and (b) the independent validation of the resulting dog HRF estimate. Time course analyses revealed that the BOLD signal in the primary visual cortex peaked significantly earlier in dogs compared to humans, while being comparable in shape. Deriving a tailored dog HRF significantly improved the model fit in both experiments, compared to the canonical HRF used in human fMRI. Using the dog HRF yielded significantly increased activation during visual stimulation, extending from the occipital lobe to the caudal parietal cortex, the bilateral temporal cortex, into bilateral hippocampal and thalamic regions. In sum, our findings provide robust evidence for an earlier onset of the dog HRF in two visual stimulation paradigms, and suggest that using such an HRF will be important to increase fMRI detection power in canine neuroimaging. By providing the parameters of the tailored dog HRF and related code, we encourage and enable other researchers to validate whether our findings generalize to other sensory modalities and experimental paradigms.
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Forbes PAG, Korb S, Radloff A, Lamm C. The effects of self-relevance vs. reward value on facial mimicry. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2021; 212:103193. [PMID: 33142141 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2020.103193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Facial mimicry is a ubiquitous social behaviour modulated by a range of social cues, including those related to reward value and self-relevance. However, previous research has typically focused on a single moderator at a time, and it remains unknown how moderators interact when studied together. We compared the influence of reward value and self-relevance, by conditioning participants to associate certain faces with winning or losing money for themselves, or, with winning or losing money for another person. After conditioning, participants watched videos of these faces making happy and angry facial expressions whilst we recorded facial electromyographic activity. We found greater smile mimicry (activation of the Zygomaticus Major muscle) in response to happy expressions performed by faces associated with participants' own outcomes vs. faces associated with another person's outcomes. In contrast to previous research, whether a face was associated with winning or losing money did not modulate facial mimicry responses. These results, although preliminary, suggest that when faces are associated with both self-relevance and reward value, self-relevance could supersede the impact of reward value during facial mimicry.
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Karl S, Boch M, Zamansky A, van der Linden D, Wagner IC, Völter CJ, Lamm C, Huber L. Exploring the dog-human relationship by combining fMRI, eye-tracking and behavioural measures. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22273. [PMID: 33335230 PMCID: PMC7747637 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79247-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioural studies revealed that the dog-human relationship resembles the human mother-child bond, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report the results of a multi-method approach combining fMRI (N = 17), eye-tracking (N = 15), and behavioural preference tests (N = 24) to explore the engagement of an attachment-like system in dogs seeing human faces. We presented morph videos of the caregiver, a familiar person, and a stranger showing either happy or angry facial expressions. Regardless of emotion, viewing the caregiver activated brain regions associated with emotion and attachment processing in humans. In contrast, the stranger elicited activation mainly in brain regions related to visual and motor processing, and the familiar person relatively weak activations overall. While the majority of happy stimuli led to increased activation of the caudate nucleus associated with reward processing, angry stimuli led to activations in limbic regions. Both the eye-tracking and preference test data supported the superior role of the caregiver's face and were in line with the findings from the fMRI experiment. While preliminary, these findings indicate that cutting across different levels, from brain to behaviour, can provide novel and converging insights into the engagement of the putative attachment system when dogs interact with humans.
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Zhao Y, Rütgen M, Zhang L, Lamm C. Pharmacological fMRI provides evidence for opioidergic modulation of discrimination of facial pain expressions. Psychophysiology 2020; 58:e13717. [PMID: 33140886 PMCID: PMC7816233 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The endogenous opioid system is strongly involved in the modulation of pain. However, the potential role of this system in perceiving painful facial expressions from others has not been sufficiently explored as of yet. To elucidate the contribution of the opioid system to the perception of painful facial expressions, we conducted a double‐blind, within‐subjects pharmacological functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, in which 42 participants engaged in an emotion discrimination task (pain vs. disgust expressions) in two experimental sessions, receiving either the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone or an inert substance (placebo). On the behavioral level, participants less frequently judged an expression as pain under naltrexone as compared to placebo. On the neural level, parametric modulation of activation in the (putative) right fusiform face area (FFA), which was correlated with increased pain intensity, was higher under naltrexone than placebo. Regression analyses revealed that brain activity in the right FFA significantly predicted behavioral performance in disambiguating pain from disgust, both under naltrexone and placebo. These findings suggest that reducing opioid system activity decreased participants' sensitivity for facial expressions of pain, and that this was linked to possibly compensatory engagement of processes related to visual perception, rather than to higher level affective processes, and pain regulation. The behavioral and neural findings of this psychopharmacological fMRI study shed light on a causal role of the opioid system in the discrimination of painful facial expressions, paving the way for further exploration of clinical implications in the domains of pain diagnosis and treatment, on the one hand, and future research on the relationship between basic socio‐perceptual processing and empathy, on the other.
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Wagner IC, Rütgen M, Hummer A, Windischberger C, Lamm C. Placebo-induced pain reduction is associated with negative coupling between brain networks at rest. Neuroimage 2020; 219:117024. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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Hartmann H, Rütgen M, Riva F, Lamm C. Another's pain in my brain: No evidence that placebo analgesia affects the sensory-discriminative component in empathy for pain. Neuroimage 2020; 224:117397. [PMID: 32971262 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The shared representations account of empathy suggests that sharing other people's emotions relies on neural processes similar to those engaged when directly experiencing such emotions. Recent research corroborated this by showing that placebo analgesia induced for first-hand pain resulted in reduced pain empathy and decreased activation in shared neural networks. However, those studies did not report any placebo-related variation of somatosensory engagement during pain empathy. The experimental paradigms used in these studies did not direct attention towards a specific body part in pain, which may explain the absence of effects for somatosensation. The main objective of this preregistered study was to implement a paradigm overcoming this limitation, and to investigate whether placebo analgesia may also modulate the sensory-discriminative component of empathy for pain. We induced a localized, first-hand placebo analgesia effect in the right hand of 45 participants by means of a placebo gel and conditioning techniques, and compared this to the left hand as a control condition. Participants underwent a pain task in the MRI scanner, receiving painful or non-painful electrical stimulation on their left or right hand, or witnessing another person receiving such stimulation. In contrast to a robust localized placebo analgesia effect for self-experienced pain, the empathy condition showed no differences between the two hands, neither for behavioral nor neural responses. We thus report no evidence for somatosensory sharing in empathy, while replicating previous studies showing overlapping brain activity in the affective-motivational component for first-hand and empathy for pain. Hence, in a more rigorous test aiming to overcome limitations of previous work, we again find no causal evidence for the engagement of somatosensory sharing in empathy. Our study refines the understanding of the neural underpinnings of empathy for pain, and the use of placebo analgesia in investigating such models.
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Lengersdorff LL, Wagner IC, Lockwood PL, Lamm C. When Implicit Prosociality Trumps Selfishness: The Neural Valuation System Underpins More Optimal Choices When Learning to Avoid Harm to Others Than to Oneself. J Neurosci 2020; 40:7286-7299. [PMID: 32839234 PMCID: PMC7534918 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0842-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans learn quickly which actions cause them harm. As social beings, we also need to learn to avoid actions that hurt others. It is currently unknown whether humans are as good at learning to avoid others' harm (prosocial learning) as they are at learning to avoid self-harm (self-relevant learning). Moreover, it remains unclear how the neural mechanisms of prosocial learning differ from those of self-relevant learning. In this fMRI study, 96 male human participants learned to avoid painful stimuli either for themselves or for another individual. We found that participants performed more optimally when learning for the other than for themselves. Computational modeling revealed that this could be explained by an increased sensitivity to subjective values of choice alternatives during prosocial learning. Increased value sensitivity was further associated with empathic traits. On the neural level, higher value sensitivity during prosocial learning was associated with stronger engagement of the ventromedial PFC during valuation. Moreover, the ventromedial PFC exhibited higher connectivity with the right temporoparietal junction during prosocial, compared with self-relevant, choices. Our results suggest that humans are particularly adept at learning to protect others from harm. This ability appears implemented by neural mechanisms overlapping with those supporting self-relevant learning, but with the additional recruitment of structures associated to the social brain. Our findings contrast with recent proposals that humans are egocentrically biased when learning to obtain monetary rewards for self or others. Prosocial tendencies may thus trump egocentric biases in learning when another person's physical integrity is at stake.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We quickly learn to avoid actions that cause us harm. As "social animals," we also need to learn and consider the harmful consequences our actions might have for others. Here, we investigated how learning to protect others from pain (prosocial learning) differs from learning to protect oneself (self-relevant learning). We found that human participants performed better during prosocial learning than during self-relevant learning, as they were more sensitive toward the information they collected when making choices for the other. Prosocial learning recruited similar brain areas as self-relevant learning, but additionally involved parts of the "social brain" that underpin perspective-taking and self-other distinction. Our findings suggest that people show an inherent tendency toward "intuitive" prosociality.
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Rauchbauer B, Dunbar RI, Lamm C. Being mimicked affects inhibitory mechanisms of imitation. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2020; 209:103132. [PMID: 32683097 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2020.103132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of being mimicked on automatic imitation indices and social cohesion. 180 female participants were either interactively mimicked or anti-mimicked. In the mimicry condition, a confederate topographically aligned, during anti-mimicry, misaligned, their behavior to the participants. Being mimicked may evoke a sense of overlap between self and other generated movements. This so-created self-other overlap may generalize to other forms of imitation and social cohesion. Here, we investigated the effects of being mimicked on automatic imitation indices, using the Imitation-Inhibition Task. These indices are the baseline corrected facilitation and inhibition index, and the interference index which depicts the relation between facilitation and inhibition. In case of a generalized self-other overlap, we expect an increase in the facilitation, inhibition, and interference index, after the Mimicry as compared to the Anti-Mimicry condition. We furthermore predicted that the modulation of the indices would predict higher social cohesion ratings. Yet, our results showed a lower inhibition index after being mimicked, respectively an increase after Anti-Mimicry, with no effects on social cohesion ratings. This suggests that potential self-other overlap after being mimicked does not generalize to automatic imitation indices. Instead, being mimicked may have increased self-regulatory processes, and task performance.
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Zhang L, Lengersdorff L, Mikus N, Gläscher J, Lamm C. Using reinforcement learning models in social neuroscience: frameworks, pitfalls and suggestions of best practices. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 15:695-707. [PMID: 32608484 PMCID: PMC7393303 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent years have witnessed a dramatic increase in the use of reinforcement learning (RL) models in social, cognitive and affective neuroscience. This approach, in combination with neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, enables quantitative investigations into latent mechanistic processes. However, increased use of relatively complex computational approaches has led to potential misconceptions and imprecise interpretations. Here, we present a comprehensive framework for the examination of (social) decision-making with the simple Rescorla-Wagner RL model. We discuss common pitfalls in its application and provide practical suggestions. First, with simulation, we unpack the functional role of the learning rate and pinpoint what could easily go wrong when interpreting differences in the learning rate. Then, we discuss the inevitable collinearity between outcome and prediction error in RL models and provide suggestions of how to justify whether the observed neural activation is related to the prediction error rather than outcome valence. Finally, we suggest posterior predictive check is a crucial step after model comparison, and we articulate employing hierarchical modeling for parameter estimation. We aim to provide simple and scalable explanations and practical guidelines for employing RL models to assist both beginners and advanced users in better implementing and interpreting their model-based analyses.
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Bikson M, Hanlon CA, Woods AJ, Gillick BT, Charvet L, Lamm C, Madeo G, Holczer A, Almeida J, Antal A, Ay MR, Baeken C, Blumberger DM, Campanella S, Camprodon JA, Christiansen L, Loo C, Crinion JT, Fitzgerald P, Gallimberti L, Ghobadi-Azbari P, Ghodratitoostani I, Grabner RH, Hartwigsen G, Hirata A, Kirton A, Knotkova H, Krupitsky E, Marangolo P, Nakamura-Palacios EM, Potok W, Praharaj SK, Ruff CC, Schlaug G, Siebner HR, Stagg CJ, Thielscher A, Wenderoth N, Yuan TF, Zhang X, Ekhtiari H. Guidelines for TMS/tES clinical services and research through the COVID-19 pandemic. Brain Stimul 2020; 13:1124-1149. [PMID: 32413554 PMCID: PMC7217075 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2020.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has broadly disrupted biomedical treatment and research including non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS). Moreover, the rapid onset of societal disruption and evolving regulatory restrictions may not have allowed for systematic planning of how clinical and research work may continue throughout the pandemic or be restarted as restrictions are abated. The urgency to provide and develop NIBS as an intervention for diverse neurological and mental health indications, and as a catalyst of fundamental brain research, is not dampened by the parallel efforts to address the most life-threatening aspects of COVID-19; rather in many cases the need for NIBS is heightened including the potential to mitigate mental health consequences related to COVID-19. OBJECTIVE To facilitate the re-establishment of access to NIBS clinical services and research operations during the current COVID-19 pandemic and possible future outbreaks, we develop and discuss a framework for balancing the importance of NIBS operations with safety considerations, while addressing the needs of all stakeholders. We focus on Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and low intensity transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES) - including transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS). METHODS The present consensus paper provides guidelines and good practices for managing and reopening NIBS clinics and laboratories through the immediate and ongoing stages of COVID-19. The document reflects the analysis of experts with domain-relevant expertise spanning NIBS technology, clinical services, and basic and clinical research - with an international perspective. We outline regulatory aspects, human resources, NIBS optimization, as well as accommodations for specific demographics. RESULTS A model based on three phases (early COVID-19 impact, current practices, and future preparation) with an 11-step checklist (spanning removing or streamlining in-person protocols, incorporating telemedicine, and addressing COVID-19-associated adverse events) is proposed. Recommendations on implementing social distancing and sterilization of NIBS related equipment, specific considerations of COVID-19 positive populations including mental health comorbidities, as well as considerations regarding regulatory and human resource in the era of COVID-19 are outlined. We discuss COVID-19 considerations specifically for clinical (sub-)populations including pediatric, stroke, addiction, and the elderly. Numerous case-examples across the world are described. CONCLUSION There is an evident, and in cases urgent, need to maintain NIBS operations through the COVID-19 pandemic, including anticipating future pandemic waves and addressing effects of COVID-19 on brain and mind. The proposed robust and structured strategy aims to address the current and anticipated future challenges while maintaining scientific rigor and managing risk.
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Bukowski H, Tik M, Silani G, Ruff C, Windischberger C, Lamm C. When differences matter: rTMS/fMRI reveals how differences in dispositional empathy translate to distinct neural underpinnings of self-other distinction in empathy. Cortex 2020; 128:143-161. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 01/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Knight EL, McShane BB, Kutlikova HH, Morales PJ, Christian CB, Harbaugh WT, Mayr U, Ortiz TL, Gilbert K, Ma-Kellams C, Riečanský I, Watson NV, Eisenegger C, Lamm C, Mehta PH, Carré JM. Weak and Variable Effects of Exogenous Testosterone on Cognitive Reflection Test Performance in Three Experiments: Commentary on Nave, Nadler, Zava, and Camerer (2017). Psychol Sci 2020; 31:890-897. [PMID: 32586198 DOI: 10.1177/0956797619885607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Botvinik-Nezer R, Holzmeister F, Camerer CF, Dreber A, Huber J, Johannesson M, Kirchler M, Iwanir R, Mumford JA, Adcock RA, Avesani P, Baczkowski BM, Bajracharya A, Bakst L, Ball S, Barilari M, Bault N, Beaton D, Beitner J, Benoit RG, Berkers RMWJ, Bhanji JP, Biswal BB, Bobadilla-Suarez S, Bortolini T, Bottenhorn KL, Bowring A, Braem S, Brooks HR, Brudner EG, Calderon CB, Camilleri JA, Castrellon JJ, Cecchetti L, Cieslik EC, Cole ZJ, Collignon O, Cox RW, Cunningham WA, Czoschke S, Dadi K, Davis CP, Luca AD, Delgado MR, Demetriou L, Dennison JB, Di X, Dickie EW, Dobryakova E, Donnat CL, Dukart J, Duncan NW, Durnez J, Eed A, Eickhoff SB, Erhart A, Fontanesi L, Fricke GM, Fu S, Galván A, Gau R, Genon S, Glatard T, Glerean E, Goeman JJ, Golowin SAE, González-García C, Gorgolewski KJ, Grady CL, Green MA, Guassi Moreira JF, Guest O, Hakimi S, Hamilton JP, Hancock R, Handjaras G, Harry BB, Hawco C, Herholz P, Herman G, Heunis S, Hoffstaedter F, Hogeveen J, Holmes S, Hu CP, Huettel SA, Hughes ME, Iacovella V, Iordan AD, Isager PM, Isik AI, Jahn A, Johnson MR, Johnstone T, Joseph MJE, Juliano AC, Kable JW, Kassinopoulos M, Koba C, Kong XZ, Koscik TR, Kucukboyaci NE, Kuhl BA, Kupek S, Laird AR, Lamm C, Langner R, Lauharatanahirun N, Lee H, Lee S, Leemans A, Leo A, Lesage E, Li F, Li MYC, Lim PC, Lintz EN, Liphardt SW, Losecaat Vermeer AB, Love BC, Mack ML, Malpica N, Marins T, Maumet C, McDonald K, McGuire JT, Melero H, Méndez Leal AS, Meyer B, Meyer KN, Mihai G, Mitsis GD, Moll J, Nielson DM, Nilsonne G, Notter MP, Olivetti E, Onicas AI, Papale P, Patil KR, Peelle JE, Pérez A, Pischedda D, Poline JB, Prystauka Y, Ray S, Reuter-Lorenz PA, Reynolds RC, Ricciardi E, Rieck JR, Rodriguez-Thompson AM, Romyn A, Salo T, Samanez-Larkin GR, Sanz-Morales E, Schlichting ML, Schultz DH, Shen Q, Sheridan MA, Silvers JA, Skagerlund K, Smith A, Smith DV, Sokol-Hessner P, Steinkamp SR, Tashjian SM, Thirion B, Thorp JN, Tinghög G, Tisdall L, Tompson SH, Toro-Serey C, Torre Tresols JJ, Tozzi L, Truong V, Turella L, van 't Veer AE, Verguts T, Vettel JM, Vijayarajah S, Vo K, Wall MB, Weeda WD, Weis S, White DJ, Wisniewski D, Xifra-Porxas A, Yearling EA, Yoon S, Yuan R, Yuen KSL, Zhang L, Zhang X, Zosky JE, Nichols TE, Poldrack RA, Schonberg T. Variability in the analysis of a single neuroimaging dataset by many teams. Nature 2020; 582:84-88. [PMID: 32483374 PMCID: PMC7771346 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2314-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 448] [Impact Index Per Article: 112.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Data analysis workflows in many scientific domains have become increasingly complex and flexible. Here we assess the effect of this flexibility on the results of functional magnetic resonance imaging by asking 70 independent teams to analyse the same dataset, testing the same 9 ex-ante hypotheses1. The flexibility of analytical approaches is exemplified by the fact that no two teams chose identical workflows to analyse the data. This flexibility resulted in sizeable variation in the results of hypothesis tests, even for teams whose statistical maps were highly correlated at intermediate stages of the analysis pipeline. Variation in reported results was related to several aspects of analysis methodology. Notably, a meta-analytical approach that aggregated information across teams yielded a significant consensus in activated regions. Furthermore, prediction markets of researchers in the field revealed an overestimation of the likelihood of significant findings, even by researchers with direct knowledge of the dataset2-5. Our findings show that analytical flexibility can have substantial effects on scientific conclusions, and identify factors that may be related to variability in the analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging. The results emphasize the importance of validating and sharing complex analysis workflows, and demonstrate the need for performing and reporting multiple analyses of the same data. Potential approaches that could be used to mitigate issues related to analytical variability are discussed.
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