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Lacroix A, Harquel S, Barbosa LS, Kovarski K, Garrido MI, Vercueil L, Kauffmann L, Dutheil F, Gomot M, Mermillod M. Reduced spatial frequency differentiation and sex-related specificities in fearful face detection in autism: Insights from EEG and the predictive brain model. Autism Res 2024. [PMID: 39092565 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Face processing relies on predictive processes driven by low spatial frequencies (LSF) that convey coarse information prior to fine information conveyed by high spatial frequencies. However, autistic individuals might have atypical predictive processes, contributing to facial processing difficulties. This may be more normalized in autistic females, who often exhibit better socio-communicational abilities than males. We hypothesized that autistic females would display a more typical coarse-to-fine processing for socio-emotional stimuli compared to autistic males. To test this hypothesis, we asked adult participants (44 autistic, 51 non-autistic) to detect fearful faces among neutral faces, filtered in two orders: from coarse-to-fine (CtF) and from fine-to-coarse (FtC). Results show lower d' values and longer reaction times for fearful detection in autism compared to non-autistic (NA) individuals, regardless of the filtering order. Both groups presented shorter P100 latency after CtF compared to FtC, and larger amplitude for N170 after FtC compared to CtF. However, autistic participants presented a reduced difference in source activity between CtF and FtC in the fusiform. There was also a more spatially spread activation pattern in autistic females compared to NA females. Finally, females had faster P100 and N170 latencies, as well as larger occipital activation for FtC sequences than males, irrespective of the group. Overall, the results do not suggest impaired predictive processes from LSF in autism despite behavioral differences in fear detection. However, they do indicate reduced brain modulation by spatial frequency in autism. In addition, the findings highlight sex differences that warrant consideration in understanding autistic females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeline Lacroix
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, Grenoble, France
| | - Sylvain Harquel
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, Grenoble, France
- Defitech Chair in Clinical Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo S Barbosa
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, Grenoble, France
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
| | - Klara Kovarski
- Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Lettres, INSPE, Paris, France
- LaPsyDÉ, Université Paris-Cité, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Marta I Garrido
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Computational Psychiatry Lab, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Graeme Clark Institute for Biomedical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laurent Vercueil
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, Grenoble, France
| | - Louise Kauffmann
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, Grenoble, France
| | - Frédéric Dutheil
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, LaPSCo, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Marie Gomot
- Université de Tours, INSERM, Imaging Brain and Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Tours, France
| | - Martial Mermillod
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, Grenoble, France
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2
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Sheng Y, Wang Y, Wang X, Zhang Z, Zhu D, Zheng W. No sex difference in maturation of brain morphology during the perinatal period. Brain Struct Funct 2024:10.1007/s00429-024-02828-x. [PMID: 39020216 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02828-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence have documented sex differences in brain anatomy from early childhood to late adulthood. However, whether sex difference of brain structure emerges in the neonatal brain and how sex modulates the development of cortical morphology during the perinatal stage remains unclear. Here, we utilized T2-weighted MRI from the Developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP) database, consisting of 41 male and 40 female neonates born between 35 and 43 postmenstrual weeks (PMW). Neonates of each sex were arranged in a continuous ascending order of age to capture the progressive changes in cortical thickness and curvature throughout the developmental continuum. The maturational covariance network (MCN) was defined as the coupled developmental fluctuations of morphology measures between cortical regions. We constructed MCNs based on the two features, respectively, to illustrate their developmental interdependencies, and then compared the network topology between sexes. Our results showed that cortical structural development exhibited a localized pattern in both males and females, with no significant sex differences in the developmental trajectory of cortical morphology, overall organization, nodal importance, and modular structure of the MCN. Furthermore, by merging male and female neonates into a unified cohort, we identified evident dependencies influences in structural development between different brain modules using the Granger causality analysis (GCA), emanating from high-order regions toward primary cortices. Our findings demonstrate that the maturational pattern of cortical morphology may not differ between sexes during the perinatal period, and provide evidence for the developmental causality among cortical structures in perinatal brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucen Sheng
- School of Foreign Languages, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Wang
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomin Wang
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Institute of Brain Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Dalin Zhu
- Department of Medical Imaging Center, Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child-Care Hospital Lanzhou, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China.
| | - Weihao Zheng
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China.
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3
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Del Bianco T, Lai MC, Mason L, Johnson MH, Charman T, Loth E, Banaschewski T, Buitelaar J, Murphy DGM, Jones EJH. Sex differences in social brain neural responses in autism: temporal profiles of configural face-processing within data-driven time windows. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14038. [PMID: 38890406 PMCID: PMC11189412 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64387-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Face-processing timing differences may underlie visual social attention differences between autistic and non-autistic people, and males and females. This study investigates the timing of the effects of neurotype and sex on face-processing, and their dependence on age. We analysed EEG data during upright and inverted photographs of faces from 492 participants from the Longitudinal European Autism Project (141 neurotypical males, 76 neurotypical females, 202 autistic males, 73 autistic females; age 6-30 years). We detected timings of sex/diagnosis effects on event-related potential amplitudes at the posterior-temporal channel P8 with Bootstrapped Cluster-based Permutation Analysis and conducted Growth Curve Analysis (GCA) to investigate the timecourse and dependence on age of neural signals. The periods of influence of neurotype and sex overlapped but differed in onset (respectively, 260 and 310 ms post-stimulus), with sex effects lasting longer. GCA revealed a smaller and later amplitude peak in autistic female children compared to non-autistic female children; this difference decreased in adolescence and was not significant in adulthood. No age-dependent neurotype difference was significant in males. These findings indicate that sex and neurotype influence longer latency face processing and implicates cognitive rather than perceptual processing. Sex may have more overarching effects than neurotype on configural face processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Del Bianco
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Henry Wellcome Building, Birkbeck University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
- School of Social Sciences and Professions, London Metropolitan University, London, UK.
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health and Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Luke Mason
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Henry Wellcome Building, Birkbeck University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mark H Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Eva Loth
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Jan Buitelaar
- Donders Center of Medical Neurosciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Declan G M Murphy
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Henry Wellcome Building, Birkbeck University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
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Vance DE, Billings R, Lambert CC, Fazeli PL, Goodin BR, Kempf MC, Rubin LH, Turan B, Wise J, Hellemann G, Lee J. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Social Cognition Among People Living with HIV: Implications for Non-Social Cognition and Social Everyday Functioning. Neuropsychol Rev 2024:10.1007/s11065-024-09643-5. [PMID: 38869661 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-024-09643-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Social cognition-the complex mental ability to perceive social stimuli and negotiate the social environment-has emerged as an important cognitive ability needed for social functioning, everyday functioning, and quality of life. Deficits in social cognition have been well documented in those with severe mental illness including schizophrenia and depression, those along the autism spectrum, and those with other brain disorders where such deficits profoundly impact everyday life. Moreover, subtle deficits in social cognition have been observed in other clinical populations, especially those that may have compromised non-social cognition (i.e., fluid intelligence such as memory). Among people living with HIV (PLHIV), 44% experience cognitive impairment; likewise, social cognitive deficits in theory of mind, prosody, empathy, and emotional face recognition/perception are gradually being recognized. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to summarize the current knowledge of social cognitive ability among PLHIV, identified by 14 studies focused on social cognition among PLHIV, and provides an objective consensus of the findings. In general, the literature suggests that PLHIV may be at-risk of developing subtle social cognitive deficits that may impact their everyday social functioning and quality of life. The causes of such social cognitive deficits remain unclear, but perhaps develop due to (1) HIV-related sequelae that are damaging the same neurological systems in which social cognition and non-social cognition are processed; (2) stress related to coping with HIV disease itself that overwhelms one's social cognitive resources; or (3) may have been present pre-morbidly, possibly contributing to an HIV infection. From this, a theoretical framework is proposed highlighting the relationships between social cognition, non-social cognition, and social everyday functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Vance
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| | - Rebecca Billings
- UAB Libraries, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | | | - Pariya L Fazeli
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Burel R Goodin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Leah H Rubin
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bulent Turan
- Department of Psychology, Koc University, Rumelifeneri Caddesi, Turkey
| | - Jenni Wise
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Gerhard Hellemann
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Junghee Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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5
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Msika EF, Despres M, Piolino P, Narme P. Dynamic and/or multimodal assessments for social cognition in neuropsychology: Results from a systematic literature review. Clin Neuropsychol 2024; 38:922-962. [PMID: 37904259 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2023.2266172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Objective: Despite the prevalence of socio-cognitive disturbances, and their important diagnostic/therapeutic implications, the assessment of these disturbances remains scarce. This systematic review aims to identify available social cognition tools for adult assessment that use multimodal and/or dynamic social cues, specifying their strengths and limitations (e.g. from a methodological, psychometric, ecological, and clinical perspective). Method: An electronic search was conducted in Pubmed, PsychINFO, Embase and Scopus databases for articles published up to the 3th of January 2023 and the first 200 Google Scholar results on the same date. The PRISMA methodology was applied, 3884 studies were screened based on title and abstract and 329 full texts were screened. Articles using pseudo-dynamic methodologies (e.g. morphing), reported only subjective or self-reported measures, or investigated only physiological or brain activity responses were excluded. Results: In total, 149 works were included in this review, representing 65 assessment tools (i.e. 48% studying emotion recognition (n = 31), 32% Theory of Mind (n = 21), 5% empathy (n = 3), 1.5% moral cognition/social reasoning (n = 1), and 14% being multimodal (n = 9)). For each study, the tool's main characteristics, psychometric properties, ecological validity indicators and available norms are reported. The tools are presented according to social-cognitive process assessed and communication channels used. Conclusions: This study highlights the lack of validated and standardized tools. A few tools appear to partially meet some clinical needs. The development of methodologies using a first-person paradigm and taking into account the multidimensional nature of social cognition seems a relevant research endeavour for greater ecological validity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva-Flore Msika
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, Université Paris Cité, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Mathilde Despres
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, Université Paris Cité, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Pascale Piolino
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, Université Paris Cité, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Pauline Narme
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, Université Paris Cité, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
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6
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Nowling D, Crum KI, Joseph J. Sex differences in development of functional connections in the face processing network. J Neuroimaging 2024; 34:280-290. [PMID: 38169075 PMCID: PMC10939922 DOI: 10.1111/jon.13185] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Understanding sex differences in typical development of the face processing network is important for elucidating disruptions during atypical development in sex-linked developmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder. Based on prior sex difference studies in other cognitive domains, this study examined whether females show increased integration of core and extended face regions with age for face viewing, while males would show increased segregation. METHODS This study used a cross-sectional design with typically developing children and adults (n = 133) and a functional MRI face localizer task. Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis examined functional connectivity between canonical and extended face processing network regions with age, with greater segregation indexed by decreased core-extended region connectivity with age and greater integration indexed by increased core-extended region connectivity with age. RESULTS PPI analysis confirmed increased segregation for males-right fusiform face area (FFA) coupling to right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) opercular when viewing faces and left amygdala when viewing objects decreased with age. Females showed increased integration with age (increased coupling of the right FFA to right IFG opercular region and right occipital face area [OFA] to right IFG orbital when viewing faces and objects, respectively) and increased segregation (decreased coupling with age of the right OFA with IFG opercular region when viewing faces). CONCLUSIONS Development of core and extended face processing network connectivity follows sexually dimorphic paths. These differential changes mostly occur across childhood and adolescence, with males experiencing segregation and females both segregation and integration changes in connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan Nowling
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Kathleen I. Crum
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Jane Joseph
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
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7
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Rubianes M, Drijvers L, Muñoz F, Jiménez-Ortega L, Almeida-Rivera T, Sánchez-García J, Fondevila S, Casado P, Martín-Loeches M. The Self-reference Effect Can Modulate Language Syntactic Processing Even Without Explicit Awareness: An Electroencephalography Study. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:460-474. [PMID: 38165746 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02104] [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] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Although it is well established that self-related information can rapidly capture our attention and bias cognitive functioning, whether this self-bias can affect language processing remains largely unknown. In addition, there is an ongoing debate as to the functional independence of language processes, notably regarding the syntactic domain. Hence, this study investigated the influence of self-related content on syntactic speech processing. Participants listened to sentences that could contain morphosyntactic anomalies while the masked face identity (self, friend, or unknown faces) was presented for 16 msec preceding the critical word. The language-related ERP components (left anterior negativity [LAN] and P600) appeared for all identity conditions. However, the largest LAN effect followed by a reduced P600 effect was observed for self-faces, whereas a larger LAN with no reduction of the P600 was found for friend faces compared with unknown faces. These data suggest that both early and late syntactic processes can be modulated by self-related content. In addition, alpha power was more suppressed over the left inferior frontal gyrus only when self-faces appeared before the critical word. This may reflect higher semantic demands concomitant to early syntactic operations (around 150-550 msec). Our data also provide further evidence of self-specific response, as reflected by the N250 component. Collectively, our results suggest that identity-related information is rapidly decoded from facial stimuli and may impact core linguistic processes, supporting an interactive view of syntactic processing. This study provides evidence that the self-reference effect can be extended to syntactic processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Rubianes
- Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
- UCM-ISCIII Center for Human Evolution and Behavior, Madrid, Spain
| | - Linda Drijvers
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Francisco Muñoz
- Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
- UCM-ISCIII Center for Human Evolution and Behavior, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Jiménez-Ortega
- Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
- UCM-ISCIII Center for Human Evolution and Behavior, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Sabela Fondevila
- Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
- UCM-ISCIII Center for Human Evolution and Behavior, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Casado
- Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
- UCM-ISCIII Center for Human Evolution and Behavior, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Martín-Loeches
- Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
- UCM-ISCIII Center for Human Evolution and Behavior, Madrid, Spain
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8
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Luo Y, Pluta D, Brodrick BB, Palka JM, McCoy J, Lohrenz T, Gu X, Vannucci M, Montague PR, McAdams CJ. Diminished Adaptation, Satisfaction, and Neural Responses to Advantageous Social Signals in Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024; 9:305-313. [PMID: 37951540 PMCID: PMC10939989 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Development and recurrence of 2 eating disorders (EDs), anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, are frequently associated with environmental stressors. Neurobehavioral responses to social learning signals were evaluated in both EDs. METHODS Women with anorexia nervosa (n = 25), women with bulimia nervosa (n = 30), or healthy comparison women (n = 38) played a neuroeconomic game in which the norm shifted, generating social learning signals (norm prediction errors [NPEs]) during a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. A Bayesian logistic regression model examined how the probability of offer acceptance depended on cohort, block, and NPEs. Rejection rates, emotion ratings, and neural responses to NPEs were compared across groups. RESULTS Relative to the comparison group, both ED cohorts showed less adaptation (p = .028, ηp2 = 0.060), and advantageous signals (positive NPEs) led to higher rejection rates (p = .014, ηp2 = 0.077) and less positive emotion ratings (p = .004, ηp2 = 0.111). Advantageous signals increased neural activations in the orbitofrontal cortex for the comparison group but not for women with anorexia nervosa (p = .018, d = 0.655) or bulimia nervosa (p = .043, d = 0.527). More severe ED symptoms were associated with decreased activation of dorsomedial prefrontal cortex for advantageous signals. CONCLUSIONS Diminished neural processing of advantageous social signals and impaired norm adaptation were observed in both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, while no differences were found for disadvantageous social signals. Development of neurocognitive interventions to increase responsivity to advantageous social signals could augment current treatments, potentially leading to improved clinical outcomes for EDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Luo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China; Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, Virginia
| | - Dustin Pluta
- Department of Statistics, Rice University, Houston, Texas
| | - Brooks B Brodrick
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas at Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas
| | - Jayme M Palka
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas at Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas
| | - Jordan McCoy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas at Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas
| | - Terry Lohrenz
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, Virginia
| | - Xiaosi Gu
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | | | - P Read Montague
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, Virginia; Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia; Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Carrie J McAdams
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas at Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas.
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9
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Pisanu E, Arbula S, Rumiati RI. Agreeableness modulates mental state decoding: Electrophysiological evidence. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26593. [PMID: 38339901 PMCID: PMC10826893 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Agreeableness is one of the five personality traits which is associated with theory of mind (ToM) abilities. One of the critical processes involved in ToM is the decoding of emotional cues. In the present study, we investigated whether this process is modulated by agreeableness using electroencephalography (EEG) while taking into account task complexity and sex differences that are expected to moderate the relationship between emotional decoding and agreeableness. This approach allowed us to identify at which stage of the neural processing agreeableness kicks in, in order to distinguish the impact on early, perceptual processes from slower, inferential processing. Two tasks were employed and submitted to 62 participants during EEG recording: the reading the mind in the eyes (RME) task, requiring the decoding of complex mental states from eye expressions, and the biological (e)motion task, involving the perception of basic emotional actions through point-light body stimuli. Event-related potential (ERP) results showed a significant correlation between agreeableness and the contrast for emotional and non-emotional trials in a late time window only during the RME task. Specifically, higher levels of agreeableness were associated with a deeper neural processing of emotional versus non-emotional trials within the whole and male samples. In contrast, the modulation in females was negligible. The source analysis highlighted that this ERP-agreeableness association engages the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Our findings expand previous research on personality and social processing and confirm that sex modulates this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Raffaella Ida Rumiati
- Neuroscience Area, SISSATriesteItaly
- Dipartimento di Medicina dei SistemiUniversità degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”RomeItaly
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10
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MacKay CE, Desroches AS, Smith SD. An Event-Related Potential (ERP) Examination of the Neural Responses to Emotional and Movement-Related Images. Cogn Neurosci 2024; 15:1-11. [PMID: 38362596 DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2024.2313597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Previous research has suggested that the perception of emotional images may also activate brain regions related to the preparation of motoric plans. However, little research has investigated whether these emotion-movement interactions occur at early or later stages of visual perception. In the current research, event-related potentials (ERPs) were used to examine the time course of the independent - and combined - effects of perceiving emotions and implied movement. Twenty-five participants viewed images from four categories: 1) emotional with implied movement, 2) emotional with no implied movement, 3) neutral with implied movement, and 4) neutral with no implied movement. Both emotional stimuli and movement-related stimuli led to larger N200 (200-300 ms) waveforms. Furthermore, at frontal sites, there was a marginal interaction between emotion and implied movement, such that negative stimuli showed greater N200 amplitudes vs. neutral stimuli, but only for images with implied movement. At posterior sites, a similar effect was observed for images without implied movement. The late positive potential (LPP; 500-1000 ms) was significant for emotion (at frontal sites) and movement (at frontal, central, and posterior sites), as well as for their interaction (at parietal sites), with larger LPPs for negative vs. neutral images with movement only. Together, these results suggest that the perception of emotion and movement interact at later stages of visual perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine E MacKay
- Department of Psychology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Amy S Desroches
- Department of Psychology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Stephen D Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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11
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Kitamura T, Ramesh K, Terranova JI. Understanding Others' Distress Through Past Experiences: The Role of Memory Engram Cells in Observational Fear. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 38:215-234. [PMID: 39008018 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-62983-9_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
For individuals to survive and function in society, it is essential that they recognize, interact with, and learn from other conspecifics. Observational fear (OF) is the well-conserved empathic ability of individuals to understand the other's aversive situation. While it is widely known that factors such as prior similar aversive experience and social familiarity with the demonstrator facilitate OF, the neural circuit mechanisms that explicitly regulate experience-dependent OF (Exp OF) were unclear. In this review, we examine the neural circuit mechanisms that regulate OF, with an emphasis on rodent models, and then discuss emerging evidence for the role of fear memory engram cells in the regulation of Exp OF. First, we examine the neural circuit mechanisms that underlie Naive OF, which is when an observer lacks prior experiences relevant to OF. In particular, the anterior cingulate cortex to basolateral amygdala (BLA) neural circuit is essential for Naive OF. Next, we discuss a recent study that developed a behavioral paradigm in mice to examine the neural circuit mechanisms that underlie Exp OF. This study found that fear memory engram cells in the BLA of observers, which form during a prior similar aversive experience with shock, are reactivated by ventral hippocampal neurons in response to shock delivery to the familiar demonstrator to elicit Exp OF. Finally, we discuss the implications of fear memory engram cells in Exp OF and directions of future research that are of both translational and basic interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Kitamura
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Kritika Ramesh
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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Bourdage R, Narme P, Neeskens R, Papma J, Franzen S. An Evaluation of Cross-Cultural Adaptations of Social Cognition Testing: A Systematic Review. Neuropsychol Rev 2023:10.1007/s11065-023-09616-0. [PMID: 37975971 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-023-09616-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Social cognition remains one of the most difficult cognitive domains to assess in diverse populations due to a lack of culturally appropriate tools. This study systematically reviewed literature on neuropsychological tests for social cognition that have been translated, adapted, are cross-cultural, or are assembled for diverse, specifically "Global South," populations. The aim was to identify assessments appropriate for diverse populations, outline and evaluate their methodological approaches, and provide procedural recommendations for future research. The PRISMA systematic review search strategy produced 10,957 articles, of which 287 were selected for full-text screening. The study had to include a neuropsychological assessment of social cognition. The full text of the resulting 287 articles was then screened; the study had to include a translated, adapted, cross-cultural test, or an assembled test for Global South populations. Eighty-four articles were included in this study: 24 for emotion recognition, 45 for theory of mind, 9 for moral reasoning, and six for social cognition in general. Overall, there were 31 translations, 27 adaptations, 14 cross-cultural tests, and 12 assembled tests for Global South populations. Regarding quality, 35 were of low quality, 27 were of moderate quality, and 22 were high quality. This study provides an overview of social cognition tests modified or assembled for diverse populations and gives examples of methodological procedures. It highlights the variability in procedure quality and provides possible reasons for this variability. Finally, it suggests a need to report rigorous modification and assembly procedure in order to have modified and assembled social cognition tests appropriate for diverse populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renelle Bourdage
- Laboratoire Mémoire Cerveau et Cognition (UR 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
| | - Pauline Narme
- Laboratoire Mémoire Cerveau et Cognition (UR 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Raquel Neeskens
- Alzheimer Center & Department of Neurology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Janne Papma
- Alzheimer Center & Department of Neurology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sanne Franzen
- Alzheimer Center & Department of Neurology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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13
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Saito A, Sato W, Yoshikawa S. Sex differences in the rapid detection of neutral faces associated with emotional value. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:84. [PMID: 37964327 PMCID: PMC10644416 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00567-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rapid detection of faces with emotional meaning is essential for understanding the emotions of others, possibly promoting successful interpersonal relationships. Although few studies have examined sex differences in the ability to detect emotional faces, it remains unclear whether faces with emotional meaning capture the attention of females and males differently, because emotional faces have visual saliency that modulates visual attention. To overcome this issue, we tested the rapid detection of the neutral faces associated with and without learned emotional value, which are all regarded as free from visual saliency. We examined sex differences in the rapid detection of the neutral female and male faces associated with emotional value. METHODS First, young adult female and male participants completed an associative learning task in which neutral faces were associated with either monetary rewards, monetary punishments, or no monetary outcomes, such that the neutral faces acquired positive, negative, and no emotional value, respectively. Then, they engaged in a visual search task in which previously learned neutral faces were presented as discrepant faces among newly presented neutral distractor faces. During the visual search task, the participants were required to rapidly identify discrepant faces. RESULTS Female and male participants exhibited comparable learning abilities. The visual search results demonstrated that female participants achieved rapid detection of neutral faces associated with emotional value irrespective of the sex of the faces presented, whereas male participants showed this ability only for male faces. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrated that sex differences in the ability to rapidly detect neutral faces with emotional value were modulated by the sex of those faces. The results suggest greater sensitivity to faces with emotional significance in females, which might enrich interpersonal communication, regardless of sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akie Saito
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, 619-0288, Japan.
| | - Wataru Sato
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, 619-0288, Japan
- Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Oiwake-cho, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Sakiko Yoshikawa
- Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Oiwake-cho, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
- Faculty of the Art and Design, Kyoto University of The Arts, 2-116 Uryuuzan, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
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14
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Mariani Wigley ILC, Björnsdotter M, Scheinin NM, Merisaari H, Saunavaara J, Parkkola R, Bonichini S, Montirosso R, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, Tuulari JJ. Infants' sex affects neural responses to affective touch in early infancy. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22419. [PMID: 37860896 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Social touch is closely related to the establishment and maintenance of social bonds in humans, and the sensory brain circuit for gentle brushing is already active soon after birth. Brain development is known to be sexually dimorphic, but the potential effect of sex on brain activation to gentle touch remains unknown. Here, we examined brain activation to gentle skin stroking, a tactile stimulation that resembles affective or social touch, in term-born neonates. Eighteen infants aged 11-36 days, recruited from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, were included in the study. During natural sleep, soft brush strokes were applied to the skin of the right leg during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 3 cm/s velocity. We examined potential differences in brain activation between males (n = 10) and females (n = 8) and found that females had larger blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) responses (brushing vs. rest) in bilateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), right ventral striatum and bilateral inferior striatum, pons, and cerebellum compared to males. Moreover, the psychophysiological interactions (PPI) analysis, setting the left and right OFC as seed regions, revealed significant differences between males and females. Females exhibited stronger PPI connectivity between the left OFC and posterior cingulate or cuneus. Our work suggests that social touch neural responses are different in male and female neonates, which may have major ramifications for later brain, cognitive, and social development. Finally, many of the sexually dimorphic brain responses were subcortical, not captured by surface-based neuroimaging, indicating that fMRI will be a relevant technique for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Malin Björnsdotter
- Department of Affective Psychiatry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Noora M Scheinin
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Harri Merisaari
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Radiology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jani Saunavaara
- Department of Radiology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Riitta Parkkola
- Department of Radiology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Radiology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Sabrina Bonichini
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Rosario Montirosso
- 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Linnea Karlsson
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku Collegium for Science, Medicine and Technology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Hasse Karlsson
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku Collegium for Science, Medicine and Technology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jetro J Tuulari
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku Collegium for Science, Medicine and Technology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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15
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Zhang X, Wang S, Sun Y, Ding Y. Gender moderates the association between resting vagally mediated heart rate variability and attentional control. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1165467. [PMID: 37654989 PMCID: PMC10466397 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1165467] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Women typically exhibit weaker attentional control ability than men. Lower resting vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is thought to reflect the poorer function of the neurophysiological pathways underlying attentional control and thus, poorer attentional control ability. However, existing findings are inconsistent regarding the relationship between vmHRV and attentional control. Gender may be an important moderator. Objective To examine whether gender moderates the relationship between resting vmHRV and attentional control, and to provide neurophysiological evidence for elucidating gender differences in attentional control ability. Methods Two hundred and twenty college students completed the Attentional Control Scale to evaluate their attentional control ability. Resting vmHRV was assessed during a 5 min baseline period using an electrocardiographic amplifier (ECG100C) of the Biopac MP150 physiological recorder. Results (1) There was no significant difference in the total scores of the Attentional Control Scale between men and women (t = 0.498, p > 0.05), but the scores of the attentional shifting dimension of women were significantly lower than those of men (t = 1.995, p < 0.05); (2) Resting vmHRV was significantly negatively correlated with attentional control in women(r = -0.233, p < 0.01), whereas the correlation was not significant in men; (3) Gender significantly moderated the relationship between resting vmHRV and attentional control (B = -3.088, 95% boot CI [-5.431, -0.745], t = -2.598, p < 0.05); (4) Among participants with lower resting vmHRV, there was no significant difference in attentional control between men and women (B = 2.284, 95% boot CI [-0.748, 5.310], p > 0.05), but among participants with higher resting vmHRV, men scored significantly higher than women in attentional control (B = -3.377, 95% boot CI [-6.406, -0.348], p < 0.05). Conclusion Gender moderates the relationship between resting vmHRV and attentional control, with higher resting vmHRV in women reflecting a compensatory response to deficits in attentional control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaocong Zhang
- Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Holistic Integrated Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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16
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Török E, Kelemen O, Kéri S. Mentalization, Oxytocin, and Cortisol in the General Population. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1329. [PMID: 37374111 DOI: 10.3390/life13061329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Although evidence suggests the role of oxytocin and cortisol in social cognition and emotion regulation, it is less known how their peripheral levels are related to social perception (biological motion detection) and mentalization (self-reflection, emotional awareness, and affect regulation) in the general population. We assessed 150 healthy individuals from the general community on a mentalization questionnaire, a scale measuring the intensity of positive and negative emotions, and measured oxytocin and cortisol levels in the saliva. Oxytocin but not cortisol level and biological motion detection predicted mentalization abilities. There was a positive correlation between mentalization and positive emotions and between mentalization and biological motion detection. These results suggest that oxytocin, but not cortisol, plays a role in low-level perceptual and self-reflective aspects of social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edina Török
- Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 1111 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Oguz Kelemen
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6722 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Szabolcs Kéri
- Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 1111 Budapest, Hungary
- National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology, and Neurosurgery, 1145 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Physiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
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17
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Ivan S, Daniela O, Jaroslava BD. Sex differences matter: Males and females are equal but not the same. Physiol Behav 2023; 259:114038. [PMID: 36423797 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.114038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences between males and females can be detected early in life. They are present also later even to a much greater extent affecting our life in adulthood and a wide spectrum of physical, psychological, cognitive, and behavioral characteristics. Moreover, sex differences matter also in individual's health and disease. In this article, we reviewed at first the sex differences in brain organization and function with respect to the underlying biological mechanisms. Since the individual functional differences in the brain, in turn, shape the behavior, sex-specific psychological/behavioral differences that can be observed in infants but also adults are consequently addressed. Finally, we briefly mention sex-dependent variations in susceptibility to selected disorders as well as their pathophysiology, diagnosis, and response to therapy. The understanding of biologically determined variability between males and females can have important implications, especially in gender-specific health care. We have the impression that it is very important to emphasize that sex matters. Males and females are differently programmed by nature, and it must be respected. Even though we as males and females are not the same, we would like to emphasize that we are still equal and together form a worthy colorful continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szadvári Ivan
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ostatníková Daniela
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
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18
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Zhang K, Du X, Liu X, Su W, Sun Z, Wang M, Du X. Gender differences in brain response to infant emotional faces. BMC Neurosci 2022; 23:79. [PMID: 36575370 PMCID: PMC9793562 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-022-00761-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Infant emotional stimuli can preferentially engage adults' attention and provide valuable information essential for successful interaction between adults and infants. Exploring the neural processes of recognizing infant stimuli promotes better understandings of the mother-infant attachment mechanisms. Here, combining task-functional magnetic resonance imaging (Task-fMRI) and resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI), we investigated the effects of infants' faces on the brain activity of adults. Two groups including 26 women and 25 men were recruited to participate in the current study. During the task-fMRI, subjects were exposed to images of infant emotional faces (including happy, neutral, and sad) randomly. We found that the brains of women and men reacted differently to infants' faces, and these differential areas are in facial processing, attention, and empathetic networks. The rs-fMRI further showed that the connectivity of the default-mode network-related regions increased in women than in men. Additionally, brain activations in regions related to emotional networks were associated with the empathetic abilities of women. These differences in women might facilitate them to more effective and quick adjustments in behaviors and emotions during the nurturing infant period. The findings provide special implications and insights for understanding the neural processing of reacting to infant cues in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaihua Zhang
- grid.410585.d0000 0001 0495 1805School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250358 Shandong China
| | - Xiaoyu Du
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XFaculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010 Australia
| | - Xianling Liu
- grid.411634.50000 0004 0632 4559Department of Medicine Imaging, The People’s Hospital of Jinan Central District, Jinan, 250014 Shandong China
| | - Wei Su
- grid.410585.d0000 0001 0495 1805School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250358 Shandong China
| | - Zhenhua Sun
- grid.410747.10000 0004 1763 3680School of Information Science and Engineering, Linyi University, Linyi, 276000 Shandong China
| | - Mengxing Wang
- grid.507037.60000 0004 1764 1277College of Medical Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318 China
| | - Xiaoxia Du
- grid.412543.50000 0001 0033 4148Department of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, No.399 Shanghai Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, 200438 China
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19
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Guo Y, Gan J, Wang W, Ma J, Li Y. Prosocial motivation can promote the time-based prospective memory of school-age children. Psych J 2022; 12:222-229. [PMID: 36513391 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In real life, we are often motivated to plan things to be performed at specific times in the future. Some of these intended actions help other individuals, and thus involve time-based prospective memory (TBPM) under prosocial motivational conditions. Children's social development is very rapid, and they have relatively stable prosocial motivation during school age. Few studies have paid attention to this issue. This study focuses on three aspects of this issue: (1) the impact of prosocial motivation on the TBPM of school-age children, (2) whether there are sex differences in this effect, and, for the first time, (3) the processing mechanism by which prosocial motivation affects TBPM in school-age children in the framework of the motivation cognitive model. A total of 112 elementary school students, aged between 8 and 12, participated in the experiment, using a 2 (group: prosocial motivation, control) × 2 (sex: boy, girl) between-subjects design. The results showed that prosocial motivation can significantly reduce children's time difference of TBPM. However, we found no sex differences in the effect of prosocial motivation on TBPM in the above two indicators. With regard to the processing mechanism, we found that the prosocial motivation group paid more attention to external time information throughout the experiment. However, their internal attention and the effectiveness of attention did not improve. These results partially support the motivation cognitive model. Overall, this study found that prosocial motivation relies mainly on external attention to improve the TBPM performance of school-age children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfei Guo
- Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Jiaqun Gan
- Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Jialin Ma
- Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Yongxin Li
- Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
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20
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Bonelli C, Mancuso L, Manuello J, Liloia D, Costa T, Cauda F. Sex differences in brain homotopic co-activations: a meta-analytic study. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:2839-2855. [PMID: 36269398 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02572-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
An element of great interest in functional connectivity is 'homotopic connectivity' (HC), namely the connectivity between two mirrored areas of the two hemispheres, mainly mediated by the fibers of the corpus callosum. Despite a long tradition of studying sexual dimorphism in the human brain, to our knowledge only one study has addressed the influence of sex on HC.We investigated the issue of homotopic co-activations in women and men using a coordinate-based meta-analytic method and data from the BrainMap database. A first unexpected observation was that the database was affected by a sex bias: women-only groups are investigated less often than men-only ones, and they are more often studied in certain domains such as emotion compared to men, and less in cognition. Implementing a series of sampling procedures to equalize the size and proportion of the datasets, our results indicated that females exhibit stronger interhemispheric co-activation than males, suggesting that the female brain is less lateralized and more integrated than that of males. In addition, males appear to show less intense but more extensive co-activation than females. Some local differences also appeared. In particular, it appears that primary motor and perceptual areas are more co-activated in males, in contrast to the opposite trend in the rest of the brain. This argues for a multidimensional view of sex brain differences and suggests that the issue should be approached with more complex models than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Bonelli
- FocusLab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Giuseppe Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Mancuso
- FocusLab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Giuseppe Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
| | - Jordi Manuello
- FocusLab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Giuseppe Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
- Department of Psychology, GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Donato Liloia
- FocusLab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Giuseppe Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
- Department of Psychology, GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Tommaso Costa
- FocusLab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Giuseppe Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy.
- Department of Psychology, GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Franco Cauda
- FocusLab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Giuseppe Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
- Department of Psychology, GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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21
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Learning about threat from friends and strangers is equally effective: An fMRI study on observational fear conditioning. Neuroimage 2022; 263:119648. [PMID: 36162633 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans often benefit from social cues when learning about the world. For instance, learning about threats from others can save the individual from dangerous first-hand experiences. Familiarity is believed to increase the effectiveness of social learning, but it is not clear whether it plays a role in learning about threats. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we undertook a naturalistic approach and investigated whether there was a difference between observational fear learning from friends and strangers. Participants (observers) witnessed either their friends or strangers (demonstrators) receiving aversive (shock) stimuli paired with colored squares (observational learning stage). Subsequently, participants watched the same squares, but without receiving any shocks (direct-expression stage). We observed a similar pattern of brain activity in both groups of observers. Regions related to threat responses (amygdala, anterior insula, anterior cingulate cortex) and social perception (fusiform gyrus, posterior superior temporal sulcus) were activated during the observational phase, possibly reflecting the emotional contagion process. The anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex were also activated during the subsequent stage, indicating the expression of learned threat. Because there were no differences between participants observing friends and strangers, we argue that social threat learning is independent of the level of familiarity with the demonstrator.
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22
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Proverbio AM, Cerri A. The Recognition of Facial Expressions Under Surgical Masks: The Primacy of Anger. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:864490. [PMID: 35784837 PMCID: PMC9243392 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.864490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The need to wear surgical masks in everyday life has drawn the attention of psychologists to the negative effects of face covering on social processing. A recent but not homogeneous literature has highlighted large costs in the ability to recognize emotions. Methods Here it was investigated how mask covering impaired the recognition of facial mimicry in a large group of 220 undergraduate students. Sex differences in emotion recognition were also analyzed in two subgroups of 94 age-matched participants. Subjects were presented with 112 pictures displaying the faces of eight actors (4 women and 4 men) wearing or not wearing real facemasks, and expressing seven emotional states (neutrality, surprise, happiness, sadness, disgust, anger and fear). The task consisted in categorizing facial expressions while indicating the emotion recognizability with a 3-point Likert scale. Scores underwent repeated measures ANOVAs. Results Overall, face masking reduced emotion recognition by 31%. All emotions were affected by mask covering except for anger. Face covering was most detrimental to sadness and disgust, both relying on mouth and nose expressiveness. Women showed a better performance for subtle expressions such as surprise and sadness, both in masked and natural conditions, and men for fear recognition (in natural but especially masked conditions). Conclusion Anger display was unaffected by masking, also because corrugated forehead and frowning eyebrows were clearly exposed. Overall, facial masking seems to polarize non-verbal communication toward the happiness/anger dimension, while minimizing emotions that stimulate an empathic response in the observer.
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The neural substrates of sex differences in balanced time perspective: A unique role for the precuneus. Brain Imaging Behav 2022; 16:2239-2247. [PMID: 35670932 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-022-00694-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in various aspects of behaviour and cognition have been widely observed. Few studies, however, have explored potential sex differences in maintaining a balanced time perspective or their underlying neural correlates. To address these questions, two studies were conducted. In Study 1, time perspective was assessed in 1913 college students (796 males and 1117 females), revealing that females had a significantly more balanced time perspective relative to males. In Study 2, 58 males and 47 females underwent an assessment of time perspective and structural brain imaging. Voxel-based morphometry analysis and cortical thickness analysis were conducted to explore associations between the structural imaging data and balanced time perspective. Compared with males, females demonstrated a more balanced time perspective in the context of lower grey matter volume in the bilateral precuneus, right cerebellum, right putamen and left supplementary motor area. Analysis of cortical thickness failed to reveal any significant sex differences. Furthermore, lower grey matter volume of bilateral precuneus was associated with more balanced time perspective among all participants. Our findings point to a critical role for the precuneus in modulating a balanced time perspective, and extend our understanding of sex differences in human cognition. Future studies are required to determine whether sex differences in balanced time perspective are predictive of functional outcomes in daily life.
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Development of an Ecologically Valid Assessment for Social Cognition Based on Real Interaction: Preliminary Results. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12020054. [PMID: 35200305 PMCID: PMC8869373 DOI: 10.3390/bs12020054] [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: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Many social cognitive assessment measures that are appropriate for clinical use are currently available, but there is a general concern about their ecological validity. This study aimed to develop an applicable real interaction-based test to assess social cognition. A sample of 50 subjects (mean age 22 ± 5.8, 56% women) took the Social Interaction Test as well as two instruments for assessing social cognition: (1) the Movie for Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC) and (2) branch 4 from the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). The test showed no incidence on its application. The reliability of the 18-item final version of the test was a medium-high level (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.701). To assess the internal structure of the test, a multidimensional scaling procedure was used. The common space of coordinates for the two-dimensional solution showed a normalized raw stress of 0.076 and Tucker’s congruence coefficient of 0.965. The social interaction test showed stronger association with MASC (more realistic, video-based format) than with MSCEIT (less realistic, paper-based format). The Social Interaction Test is applicable and feasible to use it to assess social cognition in the general population.
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Andermann M, Izurieta Hidalgo NA, Rupp A, Schmahl C, Herpertz SC, Bertsch K. Behavioral and neurophysiological correlates of emotional face processing in borderline personality disorder: are there differences between men and women? Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 272:1583-1594. [PMID: 35661904 PMCID: PMC9653371 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-022-01434-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Emotional dysregulation is a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD); it is, for example, known to influence one's ability to read other people's facial expressions. We investigated behavioral and neurophysiological foundations of emotional face processing in individuals with BPD and in healthy controls, taking participants' sex into account. 62 individuals with BPD (25 men, 37 women) and 49 healthy controls (20 men, 29 women) completed an emotion classification task with faces depicting blends of angry and happy expressions while the electroencephalogram was recorded. The cortical activity (late positive potential, P3/LPP) was evaluated using source modeling. Compared to healthy controls, individuals with BPD responded slower to happy but not to angry faces; further, they showed more anger ratings in happy but not in angry faces, especially in those with high ambiguity. Men had lower anger ratings than women and responded slower to angry but not happy faces. The P3/LPP was larger in healthy controls than in individuals with BPD, and larger in women than in men; moreover, women but not men produced enlarged P3/LPP responses to angry vs. happy faces. Sex did not interact with behavioral or P3/LPP-related differences between healthy controls and individuals with BPD. Together, BPD-related alterations in behavioral and P3/LPP correlates of emotional face processing exist in both men and women, supposedly without sex-related interactions. Results point to a general 'negativity bias' in women. Source modeling is well suited to investigate effects of participant and stimulus characteristics on the P3/LPP generators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Andermann
- Department of Neurology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Natalie A. Izurieta Hidalgo
- Department for General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany ,School of Medicine, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Pichincha Ecuador
| | - André Rupp
- Department of Neurology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Schmahl
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sabine C. Herpertz
- Department for General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department for General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Leopoldstr. 13, 80802, Munich, Germany. .,NeuroImaging Core Unit Munich (NICUM), University Hospital LMU, Munich, Germany.
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Fuss T. Mate Choice, Sex Roles and Sexual Cognition: Neuronal Prerequisites Supporting Cognitive Mate Choice. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.749499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Across taxa, mate choice is a highly selective process involving both intra- and intersexual selection processes aiming to pass on one’s genes, making mate choice a pivotal tool of sexual selection. Individuals adapt mate choice behavior dynamically in response to environmental and social changes. These changes are perceived sensorily and integrated on a neuronal level, which ultimately leads to an adequate behavioral response. Along with perception and prior to an appropriate behavioral response, the choosing sex has (1) to recognize and discriminate between the prospective mates and (2) to be able to assess and compare their performance in order to make an informed decision. To do so, cognitive processes allow for the simultaneous processing of multiple information from the (in-) animate environment as well as from a variety of both sexual and social (but non-sexual) conspecific cues. Although many behavioral aspects of cognition on one side and of mate choice displays on the other are well understood, the interplay of neuronal mechanisms governing both determinants, i.e., governing cognitive mate choice have been described only vaguely. This review aimed to throw a spotlight on neuronal prerequisites, networks and processes supporting the interaction between mate choice, sex roles and sexual cognition, hence, supporting cognitive mate choice. How does neuronal activity differ between males and females regarding social cognition? Does sex or the respective sex role within the prevailing mating system mirror at a neuronal level? How does cognitive competence affect mate choice? Conversely, how does mate choice affect the cognitive abilities of both sexes? Benefitting from studies using different neuroanatomical techniques such as neuronal activity markers, differential coexpression or candidate gene analyses, modulatory effects of neurotransmitters and hormones, or imaging techniques such as fMRI, there is ample evidence pointing to a reflection of sex and the respective sex role at the neuronal level, at least in individual brain regions. Moreover, this review aims to summarize evidence for cognitive abilities influencing mate choice and vice versa. At the same time, new questions arise centering the complex relationship between neurobiology, cognition and mate choice, which we will perhaps be able to answer with new experimental techniques.
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Effect of Sex and Reproductive Status on Inhibitory Control and Social Cognition in the Domestic Dog ( Canis familiaris). Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11082448. [PMID: 34438905 PMCID: PMC8388798 DOI: 10.3390/ani11082448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Various behavioral differences exist between male and female dogs, but very little research has focused on how sex influences cognition. Even fewer studies have taken sex hormones into account. Our aim was to investigate whether dogs’ sex and neutering status can influence two important cognitive traits: inhibitory control and social cognition. Inhibitory control was assessed using the cylinder test. In this task, the dog is required to inhibit reaching for a treat directly through a transparent barrier, and instead go around the barrier to access the treat. Social cognition was assessed using the unsolvable task, during which a food reward is visible but impossible to access. Dogs have three opportunities for action in this situation: (a) persisting with the problem independently, (b) seeking attention from a human, or (c) abandoning the task. Males were more impulsive and independent compared to females, whereas females had greater inhibitory control and were more likely to gaze at a human during a problem-solving situation. Since neutering status did not affect the results, it seems likely that these sex differences arose during early development and were not affected by levels of circulating sex hormones to a great extent. Abstract Sex differences in a variety of cognitive traits have long been reported in various species, including dogs. However, only a few canine studies have taken the possible effect of reproductive hormones into account. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sex and reproductive status of pet dogs (N = 1032) on two cognitive traits: inhibitory control and social cognition. Inhibitory control was assessed using the cylinder test, and the dogs’ tendency to initiate social contact with a human during a problem-solving situation was assessed using the unsolvable task. Female dogs had a significantly higher success rate in the cylinder test compared to males, and they spent significantly more time in human-directed behavior during the unsolvable task. In contrast, males spent significantly more time in independent behavior during the unsolvable task. Reproductive status had no significant effect on the results of the cylinder test or the unsolvable task. Our results showed that female dogs asked for more help/used a more cooperative strategy during a problem-solving situation and had greater inhibitory control compared to males. According to our results, it seems likely that these sex differences were not influenced to a large extent by reproductive hormones.
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