1
|
Brusa F, Suphi Erden M, Sedda A. Exploring the role of disgust in hands and feet laterality judgement tasks. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024; 77:1418-1429. [PMID: 37800303 PMCID: PMC11181741 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231207336] [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: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
The hand laterality task (HLT) and the foot laterality task (FLT) are used to explore motor imagery, the ability to imagine an action without executing it. With our limbs, we interact with our body, with others, and with the environment. These contacts might cause negative feelings, such as disgust. Disgust is elicited by different drivers. For instance, body products and body envelope violations provoke disgust to avoid contaminations and to avoid damaging our bodies. However, not much is known about how disgust changes our motor imagery processes. In this study, we examined whether there is any difference in the ability to imagine hands and feet when these are emotionally charged with reminders of disgust. Thirty-six participants completed an online version of a classic (neutral) HLT and FLT and two emotionally charged (disgust) versions. Our findings show that when body parts are modified so that they elicit emotional processing, disgust is salient overall, rather than being salient specifically for actions. This is true for both our hands and our feet.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Brusa
- Psychology Department, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mustafa Suphi Erden
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK; Edinburgh Centre for Robotics, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Anna Sedda
- Psychology Department, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Brusa F, Erden MS, Sedda A. More implicit and more explicit motor imagery tasks for exploring the mental representation of hands and feet in action. Exp Brain Res 2023; 241:2765-2778. [PMID: 37855915 PMCID: PMC10635989 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-023-06718-2] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
The mental representation of the body in action can be explored using motor imagery (MI) tasks. MI tasks can be allocated along a continuum going from more implicit to more explicit tasks, where the discriminant is the degree of action monitoring required to solve the tasks (which is the awareness of using the mental representation of our own body to monitor our motor imagery). Tasks based on laterality judgments, such as the Hand Laterality Task (HLT) and the Foot Laterality Task (FLT), provide an example of more implicit tasks (i.e., less action monitoring is required). While, an example of a more explicit task is the Mental Motor Chronometry task (MMC) for hands and feet, where individuals are asked to perform or imagine performing movements with their limbs (i.e., more action monitoring is required). In our study, we directly compared hands and feet at all these tasks for the first time, as these body districts have different physical features as well as functions. Fifty-five participants were asked to complete an online version of the HLT and FLT (more implicit measure), and an online version of the MMC task for hands and feet (more explicit measure). The mental representation of hands and feet in action differed only when the degree of action monitoring decreased (HLT ≠ FLT); we observed the presence of biomechanical constraints only for hands. Differently, when the degree of action monitoring increased hands and feet did not show any difference (MMC hands = MMC feet). Our results show the presence of a difference in the mental representation of hands and feet in action that specifically depends on the degree of action monitoring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Brusa
- Psychology Department, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
- Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Mustafa Suphi Erden
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Centre for Robotics, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Anna Sedda
- Psychology Department, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Scandola M, Pietroni G, Landuzzi G, Polati E, Schweiger V, Moro V. Bodily Illusions and Motor Imagery in Fibromyalgia. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 15:798912. [PMID: 35126075 PMCID: PMC8811121 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.798912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterised by chronic, continuous, widespread pain, often associated with a sense of fatigue, non-restorative sleep and physical exhaustion. Due to the nature of this condition and the absence of other neurological issues potentially able to induce disorders in body representations per se, it represents a perfect model since it provides an opportunity to study the relationship between pain and the bodily self. Corporeal illusions were investigated in 60 participants with or without a diagnosis of FM by means of an ad hoc devised interview. In addition, motor imagery was investigated and illusions relating to body part movements and changes in body size, feelings of alienness, and sensations of body parts not belonging to one's own body (disownership and somatoparaphrenic-like sensations) were found. Crucially, these symptoms do not correlate with any of the clinical measures of pain or functional deficits. The results showed that motor imagery was also impaired, and the severity of the deficits found correlated with the functional impairment of the participant. This indicates that disorders in body representations and motor imagery are part of the clinical expression of FM. However, while motor imagery seems to be linked to reduced autonomy and functional deficits, bodily illusions are independent and potentially represent a concurrent symptom.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Scandola
- NPSY-Lab.VR, Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Giorgia Pietroni
- NPSY-Lab.VR, Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Enrico Polati
- Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Vittorio Schweiger
- Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Valentina Moro
- NPSY-Lab.VR, Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Scarpina F, Bastoni I, Villa V, Mendolicchio L, Castelnuovo G, Mauro L, Sedda A. Self-perception in anorexia nervosa: When the body becomes an object. Neuropsychologia 2022; 166:108158. [PMID: 35033502 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Women with anorexia nervosa (AN) act as if they have a larger body, as evidenced in obstacle avoidance tasks, where an allocentric perspective is adopted. This alteration emerges not only when they perform, but also when they imagine movements. However, no previous study has investigated own body centered tasks. As such, in this study we aim at documenting if women with AN show an altered behaviour also when the task requires a first-person perspective. METHOD We explored the performance of eleven woman affected by AN compared to eighteen matched controls, in two motor imagery tasks based on a self-frame of reference, the Hand Laterality Task and the Mental Motor Chronometry Task. Moreover, two control tasks relative to visual imagery were administered. RESULTS In the Hand Laterality Task, affected participants did not adopt a motor strategy to judge hands laterality (i.e. no biomechanical constraints effect). Crucially, they also showed an altered behavior in the control task. Similarly, they did not show the expected isochrony in the Mental Motor Chronometry Task, when actions pertained the left (but not the right) hand, in absence of any difference in the control task. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal altered imagery processes in AN. Specifically, affected participants adopt a third-person, rather than a first-person perspective, even when the task requires to imagine their own body in an internal frame of reference. In other words, participants with AN objectify body stimuli. Different mechanisms (i.e., checking behaviour; mirror self-reflection; altered multisensory integration) can explain such an altered imagery in AN.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federica Scarpina
- "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Italy; I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. di Neurologia e Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy.
| | - Ilaria Bastoni
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. dei Disturbi del Comportamento Alimentare, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy; I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy
| | - Valentina Villa
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. dei Disturbi del Comportamento Alimentare, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy; I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy
| | - Leonardo Mendolicchio
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy; Psychology Department, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Leonardo Mauro
- "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Italy; I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. di Neurologia e Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy
| | - Anna Sedda
- Psychology Department, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Scarpina F, Paschino C, Scacchi M, Mauro A, Sedda A. EXPRESS: Does physical weight alter the mental representation of the body? Evidence from motor imagery in obesity. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2022; 75:2349-2365. [PMID: 35001709 DOI: 10.1177/17470218221075038] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Obesity is a clinical condition that impacts severely the physical body. However, evidence related to the mental representation of the body in action is scarce. The few available studies only focus on avoiding obstacles, rather than participants imagining their own body. METHOD To advance knowledge in this field, we assessed the performance of twenty-two individuals with obesity compared to thirty individuals with a healthy weight in two tasks that implied different motor (more implicit vs. more explicit) imagery strategies. Two tasks were also administered to control for visual imagery skills, to rule out confounding factors. Moreover, we measured body uneasiness, through a standard questionnaire, as body image negativity could impact on other body representation components. RESULTS Our findings do not show differences in the motor imagery tasks between individuals with obesity and individuals with healthy weight. On the other hand, some differences emerge in visual imagery skills. Crucially, individuals with obesity did report a higher level of body uneasiness. CONCLUSIONS Despite a negative body image and visual imagery differences, obesity per se does not impact on the representation of the body in action. Importantly, this result is independent from the level of awareness required to access the mental representation of the body.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federica Scarpina
- "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Italy 9314.,I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. di Neurologia e Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy
| | - Clara Paschino
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. di Neurologia e Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy 9354
| | - Massimo Scacchi
- I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Divisione di Endocrinologia e Malattie Metaboliche, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy 155032.,Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Mauro
- "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Italy 155032.,I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. di Neurologia e Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy
| | - Anna Sedda
- Psychology Department, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK 3120.,Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Moro V, Corbella M, Ionta S, Ferrari F, Scandola M. Cognitive Training Improves Disconnected Limbs' Mental Representation and Peripersonal Space after Spinal Cord Injury. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18189589. [PMID: 34574514 PMCID: PMC8470420 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18189589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Paraplegia following spinal cord injury (SCI) affects the mental representation and peripersonal space of the paralysed body parts (i.e., lower limbs). Physical rehabilitation programs can improve these aspects, but the benefits are mostly partial and short-lasting. These limits could be due to the absence of trainings focused on SCI-induced cognitive deficits combined with traditional physical rehabilitation. To test this hypothesis, we assessed in 15 SCI-individuals the effects of adding cognitive recovery protocols (motor imagery–MI) to standard physical rehabilitation programs (Motor + MI training) on mental body representations and space representations, with respect to physical rehabilitation alone (control training). Each training comprised at least eight sessions administered over two weeks. The status of participants’ mental body representation and peripersonal space was assessed at three time points: before the training (T0), after the training (T1), and in a follow-up assessment one month later (T2). The Motor + MI training induced short-term recovery of peripersonal space that however did not persist at T2. Body representation showed a slower neuroplastic recovery at T2, without differences between Motor and the Motor + MI. These results show that body and space representations are plastic after lesions, and open new rehabilitation perspectives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Moro
- NPSY-Lab.VR, Human Sciences Department, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy;
- Correspondence: (V.M.); (M.S.)
| | - Michela Corbella
- NPSY-Lab.VR, Human Sciences Department, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy;
- Department of Rehabilitation, IRCCS Sacro Cuore “Don Calabria” Hospital, Negrar, 37024 Verona, Italy;
| | - Silvio Ionta
- Sensory-Motor Lab (SeMoLa), Department of Ophthalmology, University of Lausanne, Jules Gonin Eye Hospital-Fondation Asile des Aveugles, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland;
| | - Federico Ferrari
- Department of Rehabilitation, IRCCS Sacro Cuore “Don Calabria” Hospital, Negrar, 37024 Verona, Italy;
| | - Michele Scandola
- NPSY-Lab.VR, Human Sciences Department, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy;
- Correspondence: (V.M.); (M.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
The effect of handedness on mental rotation of hands: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 85:2829-2881. [PMID: 33389042 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-020-01444-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Body-specific mental rotation is thought to rely upon internal representations of motor actions. Handedness is a source of distinctly different motor experience that shapes the development of such internal representations. Yet, the influence of handedness upon hand mental rotation has never been systematically evaluated. Five databases were searched for studies evaluating hand left/right judgement tasks in adults. Two independent reviewers performed screening, data extraction, and critical appraisal. Eighty-seven datasets were included, with 72 datasets pooled; all had unclear/high risk of bias. Meta-analyses showed that right-handers were faster, but not more accurate, than left-handers at hand mental rotation. A unique effect of handedness was found on performance facilitation for images corresponding to the dominant hand. Meta-analyses showed that right-handers were quicker at identifying images of right hands than left hands-a dominance advantage not evident in left-handers. Differing hand representations (more lateralised hand dominance in right-handers) likely underpin these findings. Given potential differences between hand preference and motor performance, future research exploring their distinct contributions to mental rotation is warranted.
Collapse
|
8
|
Talking with hands: body representation in British Sign Language users. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:731-744. [PMID: 33392694 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-06013-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Body representation (BR) refers to the mental representation of motor, sensory, emotional and semantic information about the physical body. This cognitive representation is used in our everyday life, continuously, even though most of the time we do not appreciate it consciously. In some cases, BR is vital to be able to communicate. A crucial feature of signed languages (SLs), for instance, is that body parts such as hands are used to communicate. Nevertheless, little is known about BR in SL: is the communicative function of the body overwriting the physical constraints? Here, we explored this question by comparing twelve British Sign Language (BSL) learners to seventeen tango dancers (body expertise but not for communication) and fourteen control subjects (no special body expertise). We administered the Body Esteem Scale (BES), the Hand Laterality Task (HLT) and the Mental Motor Chronometry (MMC). To control for visual imagery, we administered ad hoc control tasks. We did not identify parameters able to differentiate between SL users and the other groups, whereas the more implicit parameters distinguished clearly tango dancers from controls. Importantly, neither tasks on visual imagery nor the BES revealed differences. Our findings offer initial evidence that linguistic use of the body not necessarily influences the cognitive components we explored of body representation.
Collapse
|
9
|
Stojic F, Chau T. Nonspecific Visuospatial Imagery as a Novel Mental Task for Online EEG-Based BCI Control. Int J Neural Syst 2020; 30:2050026. [PMID: 32498642 DOI: 10.1142/s0129065720500264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) can provide a means of communication to individuals with severe motor disorders, such as those presenting as locked-in. Many BCI paradigms rely on motor neural pathways, which are often impaired in these individuals. However, recent findings suggest that visuospatial function may remain intact. This study aimed to determine whether visuospatial imagery, a previously unexplored task, could be used to signify intent in an online electroencephalography (EEG)-based BCI. Eighteen typically developed participants imagined checkerboard arrow stimuli in four quadrants of the visual field in 5-s trials, while signals were collected using 16 dry electrodes over the visual cortex. In online blocks, participants received graded visual feedback based on their performance. An initial BCI pipeline (visuospatial imagery classifier I) attained a mean accuracy of [Formula: see text]% classifying rest against visuospatial imagery in online trials. This BCI pipeline was further improved using restriction to alpha band features (visuospatial imagery classifier II), resulting in a mean pseudo-online accuracy of [Formula: see text]%. Accuracies exceeded the threshold for practical BCIs in 12 participants. This study supports the use of visuospatial imagery as a real-time, binary EEG-BCI control paradigm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Filip Stojic
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Canada.,Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 27 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A1, Canada.,Terrance Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, 160 College St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Tom Chau
- Paediatric Rehabilitation Intelligent Systems, Multidisciplinary (PRISM) Laboratory, 150 Kilgour Rd, East York, Ontario, Canada M4G 1R8, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Conson M, Cecere R, Baiano C, De Bellis F, Forgione G, Zappullo I, Trojano L. Implicit Motor Imagery and the Lateral Occipitotemporal Cortex: Hints for Tailoring Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17165851. [PMID: 32806702 PMCID: PMC7459529 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17165851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Background: Recent evidence has converged in showing that the lateral occipitotemporal cortex is over-recruited during implicit motor imagery in elderly and in patients with neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease. These data suggest that when automatically imaging movements, individuals exploit neural resources in the visual areas to compensate for the decline in activating motor representations. Thus, the occipitotemporal cortex could represent a cortical target of non-invasive brain stimulation combined with cognitive training to enhance motor imagery performance. Here, we aimed at shedding light on the role of the left and right lateral occipitotemporal cortex in implicit motor imagery. Methods: We applied online, high-frequency, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the left and right lateral occipitotemporal cortex while healthy right-handers judged the laterality of hand images. Results: With respect to the sham condition, left hemisphere stimulation specifically reduced accuracy in judging the laterality of right-hand images. Instead, the hallmark of motor simulation, i.e., the biomechanical effect, was never influenced by rTMS. Conclusions: The lateral occipitotemporal cortex seems to be involved in mental representation of the dominant hand, at least in right-handers, but not in reactivating sensorimotor information during simulation. These findings provide useful hints for developing combined brain stimulation and behavioural trainings to improve motor imagery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Conson
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (R.C.); (C.B.); (G.F.); (I.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-08-2327-5327
| | - Roberta Cecere
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (R.C.); (C.B.); (G.F.); (I.Z.)
| | - Chiara Baiano
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (R.C.); (C.B.); (G.F.); (I.Z.)
| | - Francesco De Bellis
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (F.D.B.); (L.T.)
| | - Gabriela Forgione
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (R.C.); (C.B.); (G.F.); (I.Z.)
| | - Isa Zappullo
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (R.C.); (C.B.); (G.F.); (I.Z.)
| | - Luigi Trojano
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (F.D.B.); (L.T.)
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Imagined paralysis alters somatosensory evoked-potentials. Cogn Neurosci 2020; 11:205-215. [PMID: 32663094 DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2020.1772737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies employing body illusions have shown that multisensory conflict can alter body representations and modulate low-level sensory processing. One defining feature of these body illusions is that they are sensory driven and thus passive on behalf of the participant. Thus, it remained to establish whether explicit alteration of own-body representations modulates low-level sensory processing. We investigated whether tibial nerve somatosensory-evoked potentials were modulated when participants imagined paralysis of their legs and arms. Imagined paralysis of the legs decreased P40 amplitude, but not imagined paralysis of the arms. These results show modulation of early somatosensory processing via explicit, top-down alteration to the internal representation of the body. Interestingly, P40 suppression positively correlated with bodily awareness scores whereas it negatively correlated with body dissociation scores. This suggests that the ability to actively alter own-body representation and its corresponding sensory processing depends upon dispositions to attend to and focus on bodily sensations.
Collapse
|
12
|
Farina E, Borgnis F, Pozzo T. Mirror neurons and their relationship with neurodegenerative disorders. J Neurosci Res 2020; 98:1070-1094. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thierry Pozzo
- INSERM UMR1093‐CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche‐Comté Dijon France
- IT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Ferrara Italy
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Rojas P, de Hoz R, Ramírez AI, Ferreras A, Salobrar-Garcia E, Muñoz-Blanco JL, Urcelay-Segura JL, Salazar JJ, Ramírez JM. Changes in Retinal OCT and Their Correlations with Neurological Disability in Early ALS Patients, a Follow-Up Study. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9120337. [PMID: 31771268 PMCID: PMC6955774 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9120337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To compare early visual changes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with healthy controls in a baseline exploration, to follow-up the patients after 6 months, and to correlate these visual changes with neurological disability. METHODS All patients underwent a comprehensive neurological and ophthalmological examination. A linear mixed analysis and Bonferroni p-value correction were performed, testing four comparisons as follows: Control baseline vs. control follow-up, control baseline vs. ALS baseline, control follow-up vs. ALS follow-up, and ALS baseline vs. ALS follow-up. RESULTS The mean time from the diagnosis was 10.80 ± 5.5 months. The analysis of the optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed: (1) In ALS baseline vs. control baseline, a macular significantly increased thickness of the inner macular ring temporal and inferior areas; (2) in ALS follow-up vs. ALS baseline, a significant macular thinning in the inner and outer macular ring inferior areas; (3) in ALS follow-up vs. ALS baseline, a significant peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thinning in the superior and inferior quadrants; and (4) ALS patients showed a moderate correlation between some OCT pRNFL parameters and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) score. CONCLUSION The OCT showed retinal changes in patients with motoneuron disease and could serve as a complementary tool for studying ALS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Rojas
- General University Hospital Gregorio Marañón, Ophthalmic Institute of Madrid, 28007 Madrid, Spain; (P.R.); (J.L.U.-S.)
- Ramón Castroviejo Ophthalmological Research Institute, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (R.d.H.); (A.I.R.); (E.S.-G.)
| | - Rosa de Hoz
- Ramón Castroviejo Ophthalmological Research Institute, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (R.d.H.); (A.I.R.); (E.S.-G.)
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology, School of Optics and Optometry, Complutense University of Madrid, 28037 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana I. Ramírez
- Ramón Castroviejo Ophthalmological Research Institute, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (R.d.H.); (A.I.R.); (E.S.-G.)
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology, School of Optics and Optometry, Complutense University of Madrid, 28037 Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Ferreras
- Miguel Servet University Hospital, Aragonese Institute of Health Sciences, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain;
| | - Elena Salobrar-Garcia
- Ramón Castroviejo Ophthalmological Research Institute, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (R.d.H.); (A.I.R.); (E.S.-G.)
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - José L. Muñoz-Blanco
- Department of Neurology, ALS-Neuromuscular Unit, Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute, 28007 Madrid, Spain;
| | - José L. Urcelay-Segura
- General University Hospital Gregorio Marañón, Ophthalmic Institute of Madrid, 28007 Madrid, Spain; (P.R.); (J.L.U.-S.)
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan J. Salazar
- Ramón Castroviejo Ophthalmological Research Institute, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (R.d.H.); (A.I.R.); (E.S.-G.)
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology, School of Optics and Optometry, Complutense University of Madrid, 28037 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (J.J.S.); (J.M.R.)
| | - José M. Ramírez
- Ramón Castroviejo Ophthalmological Research Institute, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (R.d.H.); (A.I.R.); (E.S.-G.)
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (J.J.S.); (J.M.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Scarpina F, Magnani FG, Tagini S, Priano L, Mauro A, Sedda A. Mental representation of the body in action in Parkinson's disease. Exp Brain Res 2019; 237:2505-2521. [PMID: 31327026 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-019-05608-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Mixed findings characterize studies in Parkinson's disease (PD): some studies indicate a relationship between physical impairments and the ability to mentally represent the body, while others suggest spared abilities for this cognitive function. To clarify the matter, in the present study we explored the mental representations of the body in action in the same PD patients, taking also into account lateralization of symptoms and visual imagery skills. 10 PD patients with left- (lPD), 10 with right (rPD) lateralized symptoms (lPD), and 20 matched healthy controls have been recruited for the study. All patients were screened for neuropsychological impairments. To explore a more implicit component we used the hand laterality task (HLT), while the mental motor chronometry (MMC) was used to explore a more explicit one. Two control tasks, with objects instead of body parts, were administered to control for visual imagery skills. In the HLT, we detected the effects of biomechanical constraints effects in both controls and PD patients. In the latter group, importantly, this was true independently from lateralization of symptoms. In the MMC, we found the expected positive correlation between executed and imagined movements for both hands in controls only, while all PD patients, again independently form lateralization, only showed this effect for the left hand. In terms of visual imagery, only rPD patients differed from controls when asked to implicitly rotate letters, and in terms of accuracy only. However, this difference is explained by executive functions measured through the neuropsychological assessment rather than by a "pure" visual imagery impairment. In summary, our findings suggest that two different aspects of the mental representations of the body in action, one more implicit and the other more explicit, can be differently affected by PD. These impairments are unlikely explained by a basic visual imagery deficit. When present, impairments concern a higher dimension, related to motor functions and awareness, and not driven by sensory impairments, as shown by the independence of effects from physical laterality of symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federica Scarpina
- Division of Neurology and Neuro-Rehabilitation, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Via Cadorna 90, 28824, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy.
| | - Francesca Giulia Magnani
- Cognitive Neuropsychology Center, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.,NeuroMi-Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Sofia Tagini
- Division of Neurology and Neuro-Rehabilitation, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Via Cadorna 90, 28824, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy.,CIMeC, Center for the Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Priano
- Division of Neurology and Neuro-Rehabilitation, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Via Cadorna 90, 28824, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy.,"Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandro Mauro
- Division of Neurology and Neuro-Rehabilitation, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Via Cadorna 90, 28824, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy.,"Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Anna Sedda
- Psychology Department, School of Social Sciences, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Rohani M, Meysamie A, Zamani B, Sowlat MM, Akhoundi FH. Reduced retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in ALS patients: a window to disease progression. J Neurol 2018; 265:1557-1562. [PMID: 29713825 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-018-8863-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess RNFL thickness in ALS patients and compare it to healthy controls, and to detect possible correlations between RNFL thickness in ALS patients and disease severity and duration. METHODS Study population consisted of ALS patients and age- and sex-matched controls. We used the revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R) as a measure of disease severity. RNFL thickness in the four quadrants were measured with a spectral domain OCT (Topcon 3D, 2015). RESULTS We evaluated 20 ALS patients (40 eyes) and 25 healthy matched controls. Average RNFL thickness in ALS patients was significantly reduced compared to controls (102.57 ± 13.46 compared to 97.11 ± 10.76, p 0.04). There was a significant positive correlation between the functional abilities of the patients based on the ALSFRS-R and average RNFL thickness and also RNFL thickness in most quadrants. A linear regression analysis proved that this correlation was independent of age. In ALS patients, RNFL thickness in the nasal quadrant of the left eyes was significantly reduced compared to the corresponding quadrant in the right eyes even after adjustment for multiplicity (85.80 ± 23.20 compared to 96.80 ± 16.96, p = 0.008). CONCLUSION RNFL thickness in ALS patients is reduced compared to healthy controls. OCT probably could serve as a marker of neurodegeneration and progression of the disease in ALS patients. RNFL thickness is different among the right and left eyes of ALS patients pointing to the fact that asymmetric CNS involvement in ALS is not confined to the motor system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Rohani
- Department of Neurology, Hazrat Rasool Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Division of Neurology, Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic and the Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alipasha Meysamie
- Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Babak Zamani
- Department of Neurology, Firoozgar Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Fahimeh Haji Akhoundi
- Department of Neurology, Firoozgar Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Vali-e-Asr Sq., Beh-Afarin Blvd, Tehran, 1417613151, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Scandola M, Aglioti SM, Avesani R, Bertagnoni G, Marangoni A, Moro V. Corporeal illusions in chronic spinal cord injuries. Conscious Cogn 2017; 49:278-290. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2017.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
17
|
Abstract
OBJECTIVES It is unclear whether the primary motor cortex (PMC) is involved in the mental simulation of movement [i.e., motor imagery (MI)]. The present study aimed to clarify PMC involvement using a highly novel adaptation of the hand laterality task (HLT). METHODS Participants were administered single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to the hand area of the left PMC (hPMC) at either 50 ms, 400 ms, or 650 ms post stimulus presentation. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from the right first dorsal interosseous via electromyography. To avoid the confound of gross motor response, participant response (indicating left or right hand) was recorded via eye tracking. Participants were 22 healthy adults (18 to 36 years), 16 whose behavioral profile on the HLT was consistent with the use of a MI strategy (MI users). RESULTS hPMC excitability increased significantly during HLT performance for MI users, evidenced by significantly larger right hand MEPs following single-pulse TMS 50 ms, 400 ms, and 650 ms post stimulus presentation relative to baseline. Subsequent analysis showed that hPMC excitability was greater for more complex simulated hand movements, where hand MEPs at 50 ms were larger for biomechanically awkward movements (i.e., hands requiring lateral rotation) compared to simpler movements (i.e., hands requiring medial rotation). CONCLUSIONS These findings provide support for the modulation of PMC excitability during the HLT attributable to MI, and may indicate a role for the PMC during MI. (JINS, 2017, 23, 185-193).
Collapse
|
18
|
Gibson RM, Owen AM, Cruse D. Brain-computer interfaces for patients with disorders of consciousness. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2016; 228:241-91. [PMID: 27590972 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2016.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The disorders of consciousness refer to clinical conditions that follow a severe head injury. Patients diagnosed as in a vegetative state lack awareness, while patients diagnosed as in a minimally conscious state retain fluctuating awareness. However, it is a challenge to accurately diagnose these disorders with clinical assessments of behavior. To improve diagnostic accuracy, neuroimaging-based approaches have been developed to detect the presence or absence of awareness in patients who lack overt responsiveness. For the small subset of patients who retain awareness, brain-computer interfaces could serve as tools for communication and environmental control. Here we review the existing literature concerning the sensory and cognitive abilities of patients with disorders of consciousness with respect to existing brain-computer interface designs. We highlight the challenges of device development for this special population and address some of the most promising approaches for future investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R M Gibson
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada; University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
| | - A M Owen
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada; University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - D Cruse
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Sedda A, Tonin D, Salvato G, Gandola M, Bottini G. Left caloric vestibular stimulation as a tool to reveal implicit and explicit parameters of body representation. Conscious Cogn 2016; 41:1-9. [PMID: 26837046 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Homeostatic parameters, such as temperature, are related to body representation. In this study, we measured whether caloric vestibular stimulation (CVS) alters body temperature and tactile processing, and if in the direction predicted by a holistic body matrix representation. Skin temperature and tactile two-point discrimination (TPD) acuity were measured for both arms before, immediately after and with a delay from CVS. Participants were also administered a personality questionnaire and an anxiety inventory to rule out confounding factors. Two control experiments were planned to exclude casual variations. Our results show that temperature drops significantly in both arms after CVS. CVS also induces a bilateral improvement in tactile acuity (even though not immediately after but in the delayed condition). Finally, these effects are not due to learning, as demonstrated by the control experiment. In summary, our results suggest that vestibular stimulation updates body representation, supporting the evidence in favor of a body matrix.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Sedda
- Psychology, School of Life Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - D Tonin
- School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - G Salvato
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; NeuroMi, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milano, Italy; Cognitive Neuropsychology Center, Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - M Gandola
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; NeuroMi, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milano, Italy
| | - G Bottini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; NeuroMi, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milano, Italy; Cognitive Neuropsychology Center, Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Zapparoli L, Saetta G, De Santis C, Gandola M, Zerbi A, Banfi G, Paulesu E. When I am (almost) 64: The effect of normal ageing on implicit motor imagery in young elderlies. Behav Brain Res 2016; 303:137-51. [PMID: 26851363 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.01.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Motor imagery (M.I.) is a cognitive process in which movements are mentally evoked without overt actions. Behavioral and fMRI studies show a decline of explicit M.I. ability (e.g., the mental rehearsal of finger oppositions) with normal ageing: this decline is accompanied by the recruitment of additional cortical networks. However, none of these studies investigated behavioral and the related fMRI ageing modifications in implicit M.I. tasks, like the hand laterality task (HLT). To address this issue, we performed a behavioral and fMRI study: 27 younger subjects (mean age: 31 years) and 29 older subjects (mean age: 61 years) underwent two event-related design fMRI experiments. In the HLT, participants were asked to decide whether a hand rotated at different angles was a left or right hand. To test the specificity of any age related difference in the HLT, we used a letter rotation task as a control experiment: here subjects had to decide whether rotated letters were presented in a standard or a mirror orientation. We did not find any group difference in either behavioral task; however, we found significant additional neural activation in the elderly group in occipito-temporal regions: these differences were stronger for the HLT rather than for the LRT with group by task interactions effects in right occipital cortices. We interpret these results as evidence of compensatory processes associated with ageing that permit a behavioral performance comparable to that of younger subjects. This process appears to be more marked when the task specifically involves motor representations, even when these are implicitly evoked.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Zapparoli
- fMRI Unit-IRCCS Galeazzi, Milan, Italy; Psychology Department & Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
| | - Gianluca Saetta
- Psychology Department & Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Carlo De Santis
- Psychology Department & Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Martina Gandola
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Banfi
- fMRI Unit-IRCCS Galeazzi, Milan, Italy; University Vita e Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Eraldo Paulesu
- fMRI Unit-IRCCS Galeazzi, Milan, Italy; Psychology Department & Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Scandola M, Aglioti SM, Pozeg P, Avesani R, Moro V. Motor imagery in spinal cord injured people is modulated by somatotopic coding, perspective taking, and post-lesional chronic pain. J Neuropsychol 2016; 11:305-326. [PMID: 26800319 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Revised: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Motor imagery (MI) allows one to mentally represent an action without necessarily performing it. Importantly, however, MI is profoundly influenced by the ability to actually execute actions, as demonstrated by the impairment of this ability as a consequence of lesions in motor cortices, limb amputations, movement limiting chronic pain, and spinal cord injury. Understanding MI and its deficits in patients with motor limitations is fundamentally important as development of some brain-computer interfaces and daily life strategies for coping with motor disorders are based on this ability. We explored MI in a large sample of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) using a comprehensive battery of questionnaires to assess the ability to imagine actions from a first-person or a third-person perspective and also imagine the proprioceptive components of actions. Moreover, we correlated MI skills with personality measures and clinical variables such as the level and completeness of the lesion and the presence of chronic pain. We found that the MI deficits (1) concerned the body parts affected by deafferentation and deefferentation, (2) were present in first- but not in third-person perspectives, and (3) were more altered in the presence of chronic pain. MI is thus closely related to bodily perceptions and representations. Every attempt to devise tools and trainings aimed at improving autonomy needs to consider the cognitive changes due to the body-brain disconnection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Scandola
- NPSY-Lab.VR, Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology, University of Verona, Italy.,IRCCS 'S. Lucia' Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore M Aglioti
- IRCCS 'S. Lucia' Foundation, Rome, Italy.,SCNLab, Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Polona Pozeg
- Center for Neuroprosthetics, School of Life Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland.,Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
| | - Renato Avesani
- Department of Rehabilitation, 'Sacro Cuore Don Calabria' Hospital, Negrar, Italy
| | - Valentina Moro
- NPSY-Lab.VR, Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology, University of Verona, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Eisen A, Lemon R, Kiernan MC, Hornberger M, Turner MR. Does dysfunction of the mirror neuron system contribute to symptoms in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis? Clin Neurophysiol 2015; 126:1288-94. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2015.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2014] [Revised: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
|
23
|
Jelsone-Swain L, Persad C, Burkard D, Welsh RC. Action processing and mirror neuron function in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: an fMRI study. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0119862. [PMID: 25885533 PMCID: PMC4401664 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a highly debilitating and rapidly fatal neurodegenerative disease. It has been suggested that social cognition may be affected, such as impairment in theory of mind (ToM) ability. Despite these findings, research in this area is scarce and the investigation of neural mechanisms behind such impairment is absent. Nineteen patients with ALS and eighteen healthy controls participated in this study. Because the mirror neuron system (MNS) is thought to be involved in theory of mind, we first implemented a straightforward action-execution and observation task to assess basic MNS function. Second, we examined the social-cognitive ability to understand actions of others, which is a component of ToM. We used fMRI to assess BOLD activity differences between groups during both experiments. Theory of mind was also measured behaviorally using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RME). ALS patients displayed greater BOLD activity during the action-execution and observation task, especially throughout right anterior cortical regions. These areas included the right inferior operculum, premotor and primary motor regions, and left inferior parietal lobe. A conjunction analysis showed significantly more co-activated voxels during both the observation and action-execution conditions in the patient group throughout MNS regions. These results support a compensatory response in the MNS during action processing. In the action understanding experiment, healthy controls performed better behaviorally and subsequently recruited greater regions of activity throughout the prefrontal cortex and middle temporal gyrus. Lastly, action understanding performance was able to cluster patients with ALS into high and lower performing groups, which then differentiated RME performance. Collectively, these data suggest that social cognition, particularly theory of mind, may be affected in a subset of patients with ALS. This impairment may be related to functioning of the MNS and other regions related to action processing and understanding. Implications for future research are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Jelsone-Swain
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken, SC, United States of America
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Carol Persad
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - David Burkard
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Robert C. Welsh
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Zapparoli L, Invernizzi P, Gandola M, Berlingeri M, De Santis A, Zerbi A, Banfi G, Paulesu E. Like the back of the (right) hand? A new fMRI look on the hand laterality task. Exp Brain Res 2014; 232:3873-95. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-014-4065-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Accepted: 08/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
25
|
Conson M, Trojano L, Vitale C, Mazzarella E, Allocca R, Barone P, Grossi D, Santangelo G. The role of embodied simulation in mental transformation of whole-body images: evidence from Parkinson's disease. Hum Mov Sci 2013; 33:343-53. [PMID: 24290611 DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2013.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Revised: 10/23/2013] [Accepted: 10/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
It has been repeatedly demonstrated that mentally performing an action and mentally transforming body-parts entail simulation of one's own body movements, consistent with predictions of embodied cognition theories. However, the involvement of embodied simulation in mental transformation of whole-body images is still disputed. Here, we assessed own body transformation in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with symptoms most affecting the left or the right body side. PD patients were required to perform left-right judgments on front-facing or back-facing human figures, and a letter rotation task. Results demonstrated that PD patients were selectively impaired in judging the side of back-facing human figures corresponding to their own most affected side, but performed as well as healthy subjects on mental transformation of front-facing bodies and on letter rotation. These findings demonstrate a parallel impairment between motor and mental simulation mechanisms in PD patients, thus highlighting the specific contribution of embodied cognition to mental transformation of whole-body images.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Conson
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Viale Ellittico 31, 81100 Caserta, Italy.
| | - Luigi Trojano
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Viale Ellittico 31, 81100 Caserta, Italy; Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, IRCCS Institute of Telese Terme (BN), Italy
| | - Carmine Vitale
- IDC "Hermitage-Capodimonte", Naples, Italy; University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Mazzarella
- Department of Neuromotor Physiology, Scientific Institute Foundation Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Allocca
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo Barone
- IDC "Hermitage-Capodimonte", Naples, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Center, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Dario Grossi
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Viale Ellittico 31, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Gabriella Santangelo
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Viale Ellittico 31, 81100 Caserta, Italy; IDC "Hermitage-Capodimonte", Naples, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Fiori F, Sedda A, Ferrè ER, Toraldo A, Querzola M, Pasotti F, Ovadia D, Piroddi C, Dell'Aquila R, Redaelli T, Bottini G. Motor imagery in spinal cord injury patients: Moving makes the difference. J Neuropsychol 2013; 8:199-215. [DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2012] [Revised: 03/25/2013] [Accepted: 03/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Fiori
- Center of Cognitive Neuropsychology; A.O. Niguarda Ca' Granda; Milan Italy
| | - Anna Sedda
- Department of Humanistic Studies - Psychology Section; University of Pavia; Italy
| | | | - Alessio Toraldo
- Department of Humanistic Studies - Psychology Section; University of Pavia; Italy
| | - Matteo Querzola
- Center of Cognitive Neuropsychology; A.O. Niguarda Ca' Granda; Milan Italy
| | - Fabrizio Pasotti
- Center of Cognitive Neuropsychology; A.O. Niguarda Ca' Granda; Milan Italy
| | - Daniela Ovadia
- Center of Cognitive Neuropsychology; A.O. Niguarda Ca' Granda; Milan Italy
| | - Chiara Piroddi
- Unipolar Spinal Unit; A.O. Niguarda Ca' Granda; Milan Italy
| | | | | | - Gabriella Bottini
- Center of Cognitive Neuropsychology; A.O. Niguarda Ca' Granda; Milan Italy
- Department of Humanistic Studies - Psychology Section; University of Pavia; Italy
| |
Collapse
|