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Yeung AWK. The reverberation of implementation errors in a neuroimaging meta-analytic software package: A citation analysis to a technical report on GingerALE. Heliyon 2024; 10:e38084. [PMID: 39328511 PMCID: PMC11425161 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2024] [Accepted: 09/17/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024] Open
Abstract
GingerALE, a widely used neuroimaging meta-analysis software package, contained errors in earlier versions that were later corrected. The technical report "Implementation errors in the GingerALE Software: description and recommendations" by Eickhoff et al. (2017) documented these errors and their corresponding fixes. In the current study, the papers that cited the GingerALE technical report were analyzed to identify the reasons for these citations. In August 2023, a search through Web of Science Core Collection identified 158 papers that cited the GingerALE technical report. These papers were manually examined to extract the citation statements and code the citation reasons into 12 categories. The analysis revealed that the most frequent reason for citing the report was to justify the use of a specific statistical threshold, followed by a simple acknowledgement of using GingerALE, acknowledging the impact of the errors in earlier versions of GingerALE on prior studies or the lack of effect on current results, and justifying the number of experiments in a meta-analysis. A small number of reasons related to non-GingerALE software, matters not related to activation likelihood estimation (ALE), or statements not mentioned in the GingerALE technical report.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy Wai Kan Yeung
- Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Applied Oral Sciences and Community Dental Care, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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2
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Kulakova E, Bonicalzi S, Williams AL, Haggard P. Comparing third-party responsibility with intention attribution: An fMRI investigation of moral judgment. Conscious Cogn 2024; 125:103762. [PMID: 39298931 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies demonstrate that moral responsibility judgments activate the social cognition network, presumably reflecting mentalising processes. Conceptually, establishing an agent's intention is a sub-process of responsibility judgment. However, the relationship between both processes on a neural level is poorly understood. To date, neural correlates of responsibility and intention judgments have not been compared directly. The present fMRI study compares neural activation elicited by third-party judgments of responsibility and intention in response to animated pictorial stimuli showing harm events. Our results show that the social cognition network, in particular Angular Gyrus (AG) and right Temporo-Parietal Junction (RTPJ), showed stronger activation during responsibility vs. intention evaluation. No greater activations for the reverse contrast were observed. Our imaging results are consistent with conceptualisations of intention attribution as a sub-process of responsibility judgment. However, they question whether the activation of the social cognition network, particularly AG/RTPJ, during responsibility judgment is limited to intention evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Kulakova
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, United Kingdom; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Sofia Bonicalzi
- Dipartimento FilCoSpe, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy; Fakultät für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie und Religionswissenschaft, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
| | - Adrian L Williams
- Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Haggard
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, United Kingdom; Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France; Institut d'études Avancées de Paris, Paris, France
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3
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van Herk L, Schilder FP, de Weijer AD, Bruinsma B, Geuze E. Heightened SAM- and HPA-axis activity during acute stress impairs decision-making: A systematic review on underlying neuropharmacological mechanisms. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 31:100659. [PMID: 39070283 PMCID: PMC11277380 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Individuals might be exposed to intense acute stress while having to make decisions with far-reaching consequences. Acute stress impairs processes required for decision-making by activating different biological stress cascades that in turn affect the brain. By knowing which stress system, brain areas, and receptors are responsible for compromised decision-making processes, we can effectively find potential pharmaceutics that can prevent the deteriorating effects of acute stress. We used a systematic review procedure and found 44 articles providing information on this topic. Decision-making processes could be subdivided into 4 domains (cognitive, motivational, affective, and predictability) and could be referenced to specific brain areas, while mostly being impaired by molecules associated with the sympathetic-adrenal-medullar and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axes. Potential drugs to alleviate these effects included α1 and β adrenoceptor antagonists, α2 adrenoceptor agonists, and corticotropin releasing factor receptor1/2 antagonists, while consistent stress-like effects were found with yohimbine, an α2 adrenoceptor antagonist. We suggest possible avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas van Herk
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Frank P.M. Schilder
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Antoin D. de Weijer
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan Bruinsma
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Elbert Geuze
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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4
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Zheng X, Wang J, Yang X, Xu L, Becker B, Sahakian BJ, Robbins TW, Kendrick KM. Oxytocin, but not vasopressin, decreases willingness to harm others by promoting moral emotions of guilt and shame. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02590-w. [PMID: 38769372 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02590-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Prosocial and moral behaviors have overlapping neural systems and can both be affected in a number of psychiatric disorders, although whether they involve similar neurochemical systems is unclear. In the current registered randomized placebo-controlled trial on 180 adult male and female subjects, we investigated the effects of intranasal administration of oxytocin and vasopressin, which play key roles in influencing social behavior, on moral emotion ratings for situations involving harming others and on judgments of moral dilemmas where others are harmed for a greater good. Oxytocin, but not vasopressin, enhanced feelings of guilt and shame for intentional but not accidental harm and reduced endorsement of intentionally harming others to achieve a greater good. Neither peptide influenced arousal ratings for the scenarios. Effects of oxytocin on guilt and shame were strongest in individuals scoring lower on the personal distress subscale of trait empathy. Overall, findings demonstrate for the first time that oxytocin, but not vasopressin, promotes enhanced feelings of guilt and shame and unwillingness to harm others irrespective of the consequences. This may reflect associations between oxytocin and empathy and vasopressin with aggression and suggests that oxytocin may have greater therapeutic potential for disorders with atypical social and moral behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Zheng
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiayuan Wang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xi Yang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Department of Psychology, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Hills Rd., Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
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5
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Zhu W, Wang K, Li C, Tian X, Wu X, Matkurban K, Xia LX. Neural correlates of individual differences in moral identity and its positive moral function. J Neuropsychol 2024. [PMID: 38738605 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12371] [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: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Moral identity is an important moral variable which has positive moral functions, such as contributing to prosocial behaviours, reducing antisocial behaviours, and resisting the risk factors of antisocial behaviours. However, little is known about the neural correlates of moral identity and the neural basis of the effect of moral identity on the risk factors of antisocial behaviours, including moral disengagement. In this study, we explored these issues in 142 college students by estimating the regional homogeneity (ReHo) through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The whole-brain correlation analyses found that higher internalized moral identity was correlated with higher ReHo in the precuneus. Furthermore, the ReHo in the precuneus was negatively correlated with moral disengagement, suggesting positive moral functions of the neural mechanisms of moral identity. These findings deepen our understanding of individual differences in moral identity and provide inspiration for the education of moral identity and the intervention for moral disengagement from the perspective of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfeng Zhu
- Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students' Mental Development and Learning, Tianjin, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students' Mental Development and Learning, Tianjin, China
| | - Chenxing Li
- Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students' Mental Development and Learning, Tianjin, China
| | - Xue Tian
- Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students' Mental Development and Learning, Tianjin, China
| | - Xinyan Wu
- Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students' Mental Development and Learning, Tianjin, China
| | - Kalbinur Matkurban
- Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students' Mental Development and Learning, Tianjin, China
| | - Ling-Xiang Xia
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
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Wang G, Tang J, Yin Z, Yu S, Shi X, Hao X, Zhao Z, Pan Y, Li S. The neurocomputational signature of decision-making for unfair offers in females under acute psychological stress. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 30:100622. [PMID: 38533483 PMCID: PMC10963855 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress is a crucial factor affecting social decision-making. However, its impacts on the behavioral and neural processes of females' unfairness decision-making remain unclear. Combining computational modeling and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), this study attempted to illuminate the neurocomputational signature of unfairness decision-making in females. We also considered the effect of trait stress coping styles. Forty-four healthy young females (20.98 ± 2.89 years) were randomly assigned to the stress group (n = 21) and the control group (n = 23). Acute psychosocial stress was induced by the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), and participants then completed the one-shot ultimatum game (UG) as responders. The results showed that acute psychosocial stress reduced the adaptability to fairness and lead to more random decision-making responses. Moreover, in the stress group, a high level of negative coping style predicted more deterministic decision. fNIRS results showed that stress led to an increase of oxy-hemoglobin (HbO) peak in the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ), while decreased the activation of left middle temporal gyrus (lMTG) when presented the moderately unfair (MU) offers. This signified more involvement of the mentalization and the inhibition of moral processing. Moreover, individuals with higher negative coping scores showed more deterministic decision behaviors under stress. Taken together, our study emphasizes the role of acute psychosocial stress in affecting females' unfairness decision-making mechanisms in social interactions, and provides evidences for the "tend and befriend" pattern based on a cognitive neuroscience perspec.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangya Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Tang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhouqian Yin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Siyu Yu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Xindi Shi
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiurong Hao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhudele Zhao
- College of Science, Northeastern University, 02115, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yafeng Pan
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- The State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shijia Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, 200335, Shanghai, China
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7
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Yang D, He X. Unveiling the Paradox of Selflessness: Exploring Perceptions of Hypocrisy and Priority Outgroup in Intergroup Moral Dilemmas. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2024; 17:1295-1311. [PMID: 38524286 PMCID: PMC10961072 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s452940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study examines the impact of prioritizing the out-group in intergroup moral dilemmas. The research aims to achieve three primary objectives: 1) investigating the relationship between out-group prioritization and perceptions of hypocrisy, 2) exploring the influence of perceived hypocrisy and negative emotions on moral judgments, and 3) uncovering the underlying reasons for perceiving outgroup prioritization as hypocritical. Methods Experiments 1, 2 and 3 involved presenting Chinese participants with out-group rescuers and in-group rescuers and asking them to rate the two on three dimensions: level of hypocrisy, level of morality, and negative emotions toward the rescuers. In Experiment 3, the degree of similarity between participants and rescuers was manipulated to control for the level at which participants projected their own intrinsic motivations (ie, self-interest) onto the rescuers. Results Experiments 1 and 2 jointly showed that participants perceived the out-group rescuer as more hypocritical and immoral compared to the in-group rescuer, and that participants had stronger negative emotions toward the out-group rescuer. Mediation analysis also demonstrated that the perception of hypocrisy and negative emotions largely mediated the relationship between the different rescuers and participants' evaluation of the rescuers' morality. In Experiment 3, participants gave higher hypocrisy ratings to high projection out-group rescuers compared to low projection out-group rescuers. Conclusion In intergroup dilemmas, choosing to sacrifice the in-group to rescue the outgroup is perceived as more hypocritical, immoral, and objectionable. Perceived hypocrisy arises from an incongruity between individuals' subjective judgments of the rescuers' self-interest motives and the altruistic choice made by the rescuers to rescue the out-group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danni Yang
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xianyou He
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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8
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Li Y, Yin Y, Yu Y, Hu X, Liu X, Wu S. The potential predictors for treatment-resistance depression after selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors therapy in Han Chinese: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Early Interv Psychiatry 2024. [PMID: 38320861 DOI: 10.1111/eip.13509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
AIM Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are among the most important antidepressants. However, there is limited research on predicting the occurrence of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) after 5 years. Examining the predictive effect of TRD occurrence using resting-state fMRI in patients initiating SSRIs treatment at the onset of major depressive disorder (MDD) could potentially enhance TRD management. METHODS A total of 60 first-episode drug-naive MDD patients who met the criteria, along with 41 healthy controls of Han Chinese ethnicity, were recruited. All MDD patients received SSRIs as the initial treatment for relieving depressive symptoms. Resting-state fMRI scans were conducted for all subjects. Follow-up assessments were conducted over a period of five years, during which MDD patients were categorized into treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and non-treatment-resistant depression (NRD) groups based on disease progression. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), and Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) values were calculated and compared among the three groups. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed to identify potential predictors. RESULTS After 5 years of follow-up, it was found that 43 MDD patients were classified as NRD, while 17 were classified as TRD. In comparison to TRD, NRD exhibited decreased ALFF in the left middle cingulum gyrus (MCG.L) and in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG.R), as well as decreased ReHo in MCG.L. Furthermore, NRD showed increased fALFF in the left precuneus (PCUN.L). The area under the curve (AUC) values were as follows: 0.724 (MCG.L by ALFF), 0.732 (MFG.R), 0.767 (PCUN.L), 0.774 (MCG.L by ReHo), 0.878 (combined), 0.547 (HAMD), and 0.408 (HAMA) respectively. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that PCUN.L, MFG.R, MCG.L, and the combined measures may indicate the possibility of developing TRD after 5 years when SSRIs are used as the initial therapy for relieving depressive symptoms in MDD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Li
- Department of Radiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Affiliated Mental Health Centre & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yan Yin
- Department of Psychosomatic, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Affiliated Mental Health Centre & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yingyi Yu
- Department of Radiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Affiliated Mental Health Centre & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiwen Hu
- The sixth ward of Psychiatry Department, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Affiliated Mental Health Centre & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - XiaoYan Liu
- The fifth ward of Psychiatry Department, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Affiliated Mental Health Centre & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Sha Wu
- Department of intensive care unit, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Affiliated Mental Health Centre & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Hangzhou, China
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9
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Rasgado-Toledo J, Duvvada SS, Shah A, Ingalhalikar M, Alluri V, Garza-Villarreal EA. Structural and functional pathology in cocaine use disorder with polysubstance use: A multimodal fusion approach structural-functional pathology in cocaine use disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 128:110862. [PMID: 37690585 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110862] [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: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is described as a compulsive urge to seek and consume cocaine despite the inimical consequences. MRI studies from different modalities have shown that CUD patients exhibit structural and/or functional connectivity pathology among several brain regions. Nevertheless, both connectivities are commonly studied and analyzed separately, which may potentially obscure its relationship between them, and with the clinical pathology. Here, we compare structural and functional brain networks in CUD patients and healthy controls (HC) using multimodal fusion. The sample consisted of 63 (8 females) CUD patients and 42 (9 females) healthy controls (HC), recruited as part of the SUDMEX CONN database. For this, we computed a battery of graph-based measures from multi-shell diffusion-weighted imaging and resting state fc-fMRI to quantify local and global connectivity. Then we used multimodal canonical component analysis plus joint independent component analysis (mCCA+jICA) to compare between techniques and evaluate group differences and its association with clinical alteration. Unimodal results showed a striatal decrease in the participation coefficient but applied supervised data fusion revealed other regions with cocaine-related alterations in joint functional communication. When performing multimodal fusion analysis, we observed a higher centrality of the interrelationship and a lower participation coefficient in patients with CUD. In contrast to the unimodal approach, the multimodal fusion method was able to reveal latent information about brain regions involved in impairment due to cocaine abuse. The present results could help in understanding the pathology of CUD to develop better pre-treatment/post-treatment intervention designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jalil Rasgado-Toledo
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Sai Siddharth Duvvada
- Cognitive Science Lab, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Apurva Shah
- Symbiosis Center for Medical Image Analysis, Symbiosis International University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Madhura Ingalhalikar
- Symbiosis Center for Medical Image Analysis, Symbiosis International University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Vinoo Alluri
- Cognitive Science Lab, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Eduardo A Garza-Villarreal
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico.
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10
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Vlot N, Postma A, Oudman E. When Do Korsakoff Patients Justify Immoral Behaviors? The Influence of Premorbid Delinquency and Self-Other Perspectives in Moral Decision-Making and Moral Reasoning. J Clin Med 2023; 12:6257. [PMID: 37834901 PMCID: PMC10573903 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12196257] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder caused by a vitamin B1 deficiency. KS is characterized by profound amnesia and often accompanied by poor executive functioning, decreased social-cognitive abilities, and difficulties in behavioral regulation. As moral behaviors and attitudes may provide insight in socio-behavioral interactions, the current study aimed to evaluate everyday moral maturity by administering self- versus other-oriented moral dilemmas in a group of KS patients (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 20). Responses were scored according to the Kohlberg stages of moral reasoning. Furthermore, we assessed premorbid delinquency and current neurocognitive functioning as possible relevant factors. Our results show that KS patients were prone to lower levels of moral maturity when confronted with moral dilemmas relating to themselves, compared to dilemmas relating to (un)personal others in KS patients, while healthy subjects showed an opposite pattern. Moral immaturity could find its origin already before the onset of the KS diagnosis, as suggested by the elevated premorbid levels of delinquent behavior and correlation between premorbid delinquency and moral maturity in KS. Lower moral maturity could therefore be a possible predisposing factor to both delinquency and later development of Korsakoff's syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nairobi Vlot
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands (A.P.)
- Lelie Care Group, Slingedael Korsakoff Expertise Center, Slinge 901, 3086 EZ Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Albert Postma
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands (A.P.)
- Lelie Care Group, Slingedael Korsakoff Expertise Center, Slinge 901, 3086 EZ Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erik Oudman
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands (A.P.)
- Lelie Care Group, Slingedael Korsakoff Expertise Center, Slinge 901, 3086 EZ Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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11
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Armbruster D, Lesch KP, Strobel A. The long and the short of it: 5-HTTLPR and moral judgement. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114524. [PMID: 37269929 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114524] [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: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Differences in moral sentiments are widespread. Increasingly, their biological correlates are investigated to elucidate potential sources of divergent moral attitudes and choices. Serotonin is one such potential modulator. We investigated the effects of a functional serotonergic polymorphism, 5-HTTLPR, which was previously linked to moral choices albeit with inconsistent findings. N = 157 healthy young adults completed a set of congruent and incongruent moral dilemmas. In addition to the traditional moral response score, this set allows by using a process dissociation (PD) approach an estimation a deontological and a utilitarian parameter. While there was no main effect of 5-HTTLPR on any of the three moral judgement parameters, there was an interaction effect between 5-HTTLPR and endocrine status on PD parameters, which was mainly due to the deontological but not the utilitarian parameter. In men and free cycling women, LL homozygotes showed reduced deontological tendencies compared to S allele carriers. Contrariwise, in women using oral contraceptives, LL homozygotes had increased deontology parameter scores. Furthermore, LL genotypes in general reported less difficulty in making harmful choices, which were in addition associated with less negative emotions. The findings suggest that 5-HTTLPR might be involved in modulating cognitive and emotional processes contributing to moral decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Armbruster
- Personality Psychology and Assessment, Institute of Psychology, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany.
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany; Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia; Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander Strobel
- Personality and Individual Differences, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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12
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Wijaya VG, Oba K, Ishibashi R, Sugiura M. Why people hesitate to help: Neural correlates of the counter-dynamics of altruistic helping and individual differences in daily helping tendencies. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1080376. [PMID: 36998358 PMCID: PMC10044345 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1080376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent psychological and neuroimaging studies on altruism–egoism dilemmas have promoted our understanding of the processes underlying altruistic motivation; however, little attention has been paid to the egoistic counter-dynamics that prompt hesitancy to help. These counter-dynamics may involve the construction of reasons not to help based on contextual elaboration and explain individual differences in the tendency to help others in daily life. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we explored the neural correlates of altruism–egoism dilemmas during empathy-driven helping decisions, with particular attention to the counter-dynamics related to individual helping tendency traits. We used two context-rich helping decision scenarios. In the empathy dilemma (Emp) scenario, empathy-driven motivation to help a poor person was associated with a cost, whereas in the economic-dilemma (Eco) scenario, self-beneficial motivation to help a non-poor person was associated with a cost. Our results showed activation of the right anterior prefrontal cortices, supramarginal gyrus, and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) for the altruism–egoism dilemma (i.e., Emp > Eco). A significant negative effect of the helping tendency trait score was observed on PCC activation; interestingly, this effect was observed for both Emp and Eco dilemmas. The identified neural correlates of altruism–egoism dilemmas appear to be related to the construction of decision reasons based on contextual elaboration in naturalistic situations. In contrast to the classical view, our results suggest a two-stage model that includes an altruistic helping decision followed by counter-dynamics to determine the individual helping tendency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidya Gani Wijaya
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Kentaro Oba
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ryo Ishibashi
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Motoaki Sugiura
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- *Correspondence: Motoaki Sugiura,
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13
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Interpersonal relationships modulate subjective ratings and electrophysiological responses of moral evaluations. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:125-141. [PMID: 36253608 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-01041-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
This study explored how interpersonal relationships modulate moral evaluations in moral dilemmas. Participants rated moral acceptability in response to altruistic (prescriptive) and selfish (proscriptive) behavior conducted by allocators (i.e., a friend or stranger), toward the participants themselves or another stranger in a modified Dictator Game (Experiments 1 and 2). Event-related potential (ERP) data were recorded as participants observed the allocators' behavior (Experiment 2). Moral acceptability ratings showed that when the allocator was a friend, participants evaluated the friend's altruistic and selfish behavior toward another stranger as being less morally acceptable than when their friend showed the respective behavior toward the participants themselves. The ERP results showed that participants exhibited more negative medial frontal negativity (MFN) amplitude whether observing a friend's altruistic or selfish behavior toward a stranger (vs. participant oneself), indicating that friends' altruistic and selfish behaviors toward strangers (vs. participants) were processed as being less acceptable at the earlier and semi-automatic processing stage in brains. However, this effect did not emerge when the allocator was a stranger in subjective ratings and MFN results. In the later-occurring P3 component, no interpersonal relationship modulation occurred in moral evaluations. These findings suggest that interpersonal relationships affect moral evaluations from the second-party perspective.
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14
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Seara-Cardoso A. The "(a)moral brain": When things go wrong. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 197:107-117. [PMID: 37633704 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821375-9.00008-6] [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: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
In the past decades, a growing interest of neuroscience on moral judgment and decision-making has shed new light on the neurobiological correlates of human morality. It is now understood that moral cognition relies on a complex integration of cognitive and affective information processes that implicate a widely distributed brain network. Moral cognition relies on the coordination of several domain-general processes, subserved by domain-general neural networks, rather than a specific moral cognition system subserved by a specific neural network. In this chapter, we will first briefly review what is currently known about the "moral brain," i.e., the network of brain regions consistently implicated in studies of moral cognition, which include decision-making, affective processing, mentalizing, and perspective-taking processing regions. We will then review the evidence of the impairments found in this network in individuals with psychopathy, a condition whose characteristics indicate profound disturbances in appropriate moral processing. We will present data from neuroimaging studies with forensic/clinical, general population, as well as child and adolescent samples, which seem to converge to support the notion that the moral dysfunction observed in individuals with psychopathy may stem from a disruption of affective components of moral processing rather than from an inability to compute moral judgments per se.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Seara-Cardoso
- Psychology Research Centre, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
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15
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Tonnaer F, van Zutphen L, Raine A, Cima M. Amygdala connectivity and aggression. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 197:87-106. [PMID: 37633721 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821375-9.00002-5] [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: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Neurobiological models propose that reactive aggression is predicated on impairments in amygdala-prefrontal connectivity that subserves moral decision-making and emotion regulation. The amygdala is a key component within this neural network that modulates reactive aggression. We provide a review of amygdala dysfunctional brain networks leading to reactive aggressive behavior. We elaborate on key concepts, focusing on moral decision-making and emotion regulation in a developmental context, and brain network connectivity factors relating to amygdala (dys)function-factors which we suggest predispose to reactive aggression. We additionally discuss insights into the latest treatment interventions, providing the utilization of the scientific findings for practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franca Tonnaer
- Department of Research, Ventio Crime Prevention Science Institute, Rijckholt, The Netherlands
| | - Linda van Zutphen
- Department of Conditions for LifeLong Learning, Educational Sciences, Open University, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Adrian Raine
- Department of Criminology, Richard Perry University, Berkeley, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Maaike Cima
- Department of Research, Ventio Crime Prevention Science Institute, Rijckholt, The Netherlands; Department of Developmental Psychopathology, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Research, VIGO Groep, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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16
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Weziak-Bialowolska D, Lee MT, Bialowolski P, Chen Y, VanderWeele TJ, McNeely E. Prospective associations between strengths of moral character and health: longitudinal evidence from survey and insurance claims data. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2023; 58:163-176. [PMID: 35916915 PMCID: PMC9344441 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-022-02344-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Excellent character, reflected in adherence to high standards of moral behavior, has been argued to contribute to well-being. The study goes beyond this claim and provides insights into the role of strengths of moral character (SMC) for physical and mental health. METHODS This study used longitudinal observational data merged with medical insurance claims data collected from 1209 working adults of a large services organization in the US. Self-reported physical and mental health as well as diagnostic information on depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular disease were used as outcomes. The prospective associations between SMC (7 indicators and a composite measure) and physical and mental health outcomes were examined using lagged linear and logistic regression models. A series of sensitivity analyses provided evidence for the robustness of results. RESULTS The results suggest that persons who live their life according to high moral standards have substantially lower odds of depression (by 21-51%). The results were also indicative of positive associations between SMC and self-reports of mental health (β = 0.048-0.118) and physical health (β = 0.048-0.096). Weaker indications were found for a protective role of SMC in mitigating anxiety (OR = 0.797 for the indicator of delayed gratification) and cardiovascular disease (OR = 0.389 for the indicator of use of SMC for helping others). CONCLUSIONS SMC may be considered relevant for population mental health and physical health. Public health policies promoting SMC are likely to receive positive reception from the general public because character is both malleable and aligned with the nearly universal human desire to become a better person.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Weziak-Bialowolska
- Sustainability and Health Initiative (SHINE), Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. .,Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Centre for Evaluation and Analysis of Public Policies, Faculty of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland.
| | - Matthew T. Lee
- Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA , Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Piotr Bialowolski
- Sustainability and Health Initiative (SHINE), Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA ,Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA ,Department of Economics, Kozminski University, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ying Chen
- Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA ,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA
| | - Tyler J. VanderWeele
- Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA ,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA
| | - Eileen McNeely
- Sustainability and Health Initiative (SHINE), Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA
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17
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Breakdown of utilitarian moral judgement after basolateral amygdala damage. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2119072119. [PMID: 35878039 PMCID: PMC9351380 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2119072119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Most of us would regard killing another person as morally wrong, but when the death of one saves multiple others, it can be morally permitted. According to a prominent computational dual-systems framework, in these life-and-death dilemmas, deontological (nonsacrificial) moral judgments stem from a model-free algorithm that emphasizes the intrinsic value of the sacrificial action, while utilitarian (sacrificial) moral judgments are derived from a model-based algorithm that emphasizes the outcome of the sacrificial action. Rodent decision-making research suggests that the model-based algorithm depends on the basolateral amygdala (BLA), but these findings have not yet been translated to human moral decision-making. Here, in five humans with selective, bilateral BLA damage, we show a breakdown of utilitarian sacrificial moral judgments, pointing at deficient model-based moral decision-making. Across an established set of moral dilemmas, healthy controls frequently sacrifice one person to save numerous others, but BLA-damaged humans withhold such sacrificial judgments even at the cost of thousands of lives. Our translational research confirms a neurocomputational hypothesis drawn from rodent decision-making research by indicating that the model-based algorithm which underlies outcome-based, utilitarian moral judgements in humans critically depends on the BLA.
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18
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Jiang Q, Zhuo L, Wang Q, Lin W. The Neural Basis of Moral Judgement for Self and for Others: Evidence From Event-Related Potentials. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:919499. [PMID: 35693541 PMCID: PMC9184798 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.919499] [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: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental and neuroscience works have demonstrated that the moral judgment is influenced by theory of mind (ToM), which refers to the ability to represent the mental states of different agents. However, the neural and cognitive time course of interactions between moral judgment and ToM remains unclear. The present event-related potential (ERP) study investigated the underlying neural substrate of the interaction between moral judgment and ToM by contrasting the ERPs elicited by moral judgments for self and for others in moral dilemmas. In classic moral dilemmas, the agents must choose between the utilitarian choice (taking the action to kill or harm an innocent person but saving more people) and the non-utilitarian choice (taking no action to kill or harm the innocent person but letting some people die). The ERPs were recorded from participants who made moral judgments for self and for others when the agent made utilitarian or non-utilitarian choices during the dilemma. The results revealed that the moral judgment for others elicited a larger frontal late positive component (LPC, 500–900 ms) than that for self when the agents made utilitarian choices, while no difference was observed on early components of N1, P2, and N2. Moreover, individual differences in mentalizing ability were negatively correlated with the LPC amplitudes. These findings suggested that ToM modulated the late controlled process but not the early automatic process during moral judgments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Jiang
- Research Center of Psychology and Education, School of Marxism, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- *Correspondence: Qin Jiang,
| | - Linglin Zhuo
- Research Center of Psychology and Education, School of Marxism, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenxia Lin
- Research Center of Psychology and Education, School of Marxism, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
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19
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Freitas CCMDC, Osório FDL. Moral judgment and hormones: A systematic literature review. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265693. [PMID: 35385511 PMCID: PMC8985980 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This systematic review of the literature aims to evaluate possible associations between moral judgment and hormones. The electronic databases PsycINFO, PubMed, Scielo, Web of Science, Scopus, and LILACS were used. Twenty studies with different methodological designs were reviewed, covering the hormones cortisol, oxytocin, and testosterone, assessing aspects related to polymorphisms in receptor genes, endogenous levels, and exogenous administration. Taken together, the reviewed studies showed a trend towards an association between hormones and moral judgment, with important specificities involving biological, environmental, and individual aspects. Endogenous levels of cortisol, released under stress, showed negative associations with altruistic and utilitarian decisions only in highly emotionally charged dilemmas. Oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms (rs2268498, rs237889, and rs2254298) and acute administration of this hormone were associated with variability in moral judgment, with sex as an important moderating variable. Testosterone studies have tended to show a positive association with utilitarian moral judgments, particularly in female and in individuals with low prenatal exposure to this hormone. Knowing how hormones influence moral judgment may help expand our understanding of the plurality of human behavior. However, this area of research is new and still little explored, which does not allow for conclusions with a high level of evidence. Subsequent research will benefit from methodological improvements to extend current findings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Flávia de Lima Osório
- Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- National Institute for Science and Technology (INCT-TM, CNPq), Brasília, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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20
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Zhang Y, Mai X. 欺骗的认知神经网络模型. CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN-CHINESE 2022. [DOI: 10.1360/tb-2021-0963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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21
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Marín-Morales A, Bueso-Izquierdo N, Hidalgo-Ruzzante N, Pérez-García M, Catena-Martínez A, Verdejo-Román J. "Would You Allow Your Wife to Dress in a Miniskirt to the Party"? : Batterers Do Not Activate Default Mode Network During Moral Decisions About Intimate Partner Violence. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2022; 37:NP1463-NP1488. [PMID: 32529936 DOI: 10.1177/0886260520926494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Moral convictions consist of assessments based on perceptions of morality and immorality, of right and wrong. There are people who, based on morality, commit crimes. For instance, social and moral norms based on inequality appear to play an important role in the batterer's behavior to commit violent acts. Research shows that batterers consider themselves to be moral persons, are defenders of their beliefs, and, if necessary, are self-delusional, enjoying a "feeling" of moral worth. The main aim of this work was to uncover the brain mechanisms underlying moral decision making related to intimate partner violence (IPV) against women. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study comparing moral decisions related to IPV and general violence (GV) in a sample of convicted Spanish men. The two groups of our sample were recruited from the Center for Social Insertion (CSI; Granada, Spain): batterers (BG, n = 21), people convicted for IPV, and other criminals (OCG, n = 20) convicted of violating other legal norms without violence against people. Greene's classical dilemmas were used to validate IPV and GV dilemmas. First, our results showed that IPV and GV dilemmas activate the same brain areas as those activated by Greene's dilemmas, primarily involving the default mode network (DMN), which suggests that IPV and GV dilemmas are both moral dilemmas. Second, our results showed that other criminals activated the DMN during both types of dilemmas. Nevertheless, batterers activated the DMN during the GV dilemmas but not during the IPV ones, suggesting that decisions about their female partners do not entail moral conflict. Thus, these preliminary results showed that batterers do not activate moral areas during IPV dilemmas specifically, but do so during GV dilemmas. These results suggest that intervention programs for batterers should aim to specifically modify the value system held by the abuser toward his female partner and not toward other people.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Juan Verdejo-Román
- University of Granada, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Technology, Madrid, Spain
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22
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Asamizuya T, Saito H, Higuchi R, Naruse G, Ota S, Kato J. Effective Connectivity and Criminal Sentencing Decisions: Dynamic Causal Models in Laypersons and Legal Experts. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4304-4316. [PMID: 35040933 PMCID: PMC9528897 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This magnetic resonance imaging study is designed to obtain relevant implications for criminal justice and explores the effective connectivity underlying expertise. Laypersons and experts considered sentences for remorseful and remorseless defendants, respectively, with and without mitigation, in hypothetical murder cases. Two groups revealed no differential activation. However, dynamic causal modeling analysis found distinct patterns of connectivity associated with subjects’ expertise and mitigating factors. In sentencing for remorseful defendants, laypersons showed increased strength in all bidirectional connections among activated regions of Brodmann area (BA) 32, BA23, the right posterior insula, and the precuneus. In contrast, legal experts sentenced based on mitigation reasoning, showed increased strength only in the bidirectional connection between the insula and the precuneus. When sentencing for remorseless ones without mitigation, both laypersons and experts increased the connection strength, but with reverse directionality, between regions; legal experts strengthened connectivity from BA10 to other regions, that is, the right anterior insula and BA23, but the directionality was reversed in laypersons. In addition, the strength of connection to BA32 and BA10 was correlated with changes in punishments by mitigating factors. This is a crucial result that establishes the validity of the connectivity estimates, which were uninformed by the independent (behavioral) differences in the severity of punishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Asamizuya
- Graduate School of Law and Politics, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0035, Japan
- Center for Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-0041, Japan
| | - Hiroharu Saito
- Graduate School of Law and Politics, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0035, Japan
- Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0035, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Higuchi
- Graduate School of Law and Politics, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0035, Japan
| | - Go Naruse
- Graduate School of Law and Politics, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0035, Japan
| | - Shozo Ota
- Graduate School of Law and Politics, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0035, Japan
- School of Law, Meiji University, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
| | - Junko Kato
- Address correspondence to Junko Kato, Graduate School of Law and Politics, The University of Tokyo; Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0035, Japan.
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Han H. Cerebellum and Emotion in Morality. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1378:179-194. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-99550-8_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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24
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Neural basis of in-group bias and prejudices: A systematic meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1214-1227. [PMID: 34715150 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
In-group favoritism and prejudices relate to discriminatory behaviors but, despite decades of research, understanding of their neural correlates has been limited. A systematic coordinate-based meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies (altogether 87 original datasets, n = 2328) was conducted to investigate neural inter-group biases, i.e., responses toward in-group vs. out-group in different contexts. We found inter-group biases in some previously identified brain regions (e.g., the medial prefrontal cortex, insula) but also in many previously non-identified brain regions (e.g., the cerebellum, precentral gyrus). Sub-group analyses indicated that neural correlates of inter-group biases may be mostly context-specific. Regarding different types of group memberships, inter-group bias toward trivial groups was evident only in the cingulate cortex, while inter-group biases toward "real" groups (ethnic, national, or political groups) involved broader sets of brain regions. Additionally, there were heightened neural threat responses toward out-groups' faces and stronger neural empathic responses toward in-groups' suffering. We did not obtain significant publication bias. Overall, the findings provide novel implications for theory and prejudice-reduction interventions.
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25
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Lloyd CS, Nicholson AA, Densmore M, Théberge J, Neufeld RWJ, Jetly R, McKinnon MC, Lanius RA. Shame on the brain: Neural correlates of moral injury event recall in posttraumatic stress disorder. Depress Anxiety 2021; 38:596-605. [PMID: 33369799 DOI: 10.1002/da.23128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Moral injury (MI) is consistently associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidality. METHODS We investigated neural activation patterns associated with MI event recall using functional magnetic resonance imaging in participants with military and public safety-related PTSD, relative to civilian MI-exposed controls. RESULTS MI recall in the PTSD as compared to control group was associated with increased neural activation among salience network nodes involved in viscerosensory processing and hyperarousal (right posterior insula, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex; dACC), regions involved in defensive responding (left postcentral gyrus), and areas responsible for top-down cognitive control of emotions (left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; dlPFC). Within the PTSD group, measures of state and trait shame correlated negatively with activity among default mode network regions associated with self-related processing and moral cognition (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex; dmPFC) and salience network regions associated with viscerosensory processing (left posterior insula), respectively. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that MI event processing is altered in military and public safety-related PTSD, relative to MI-exposed controls. Here, it appears probable that as individuals with PTSD recall their MI event, they experience a surge of blame-related processing of bodily sensations within salience network regions, including the right posterior insula and the dACC, which in turn, prompt regulatory strategies at the level of the left dlPFC aimed at increasing cognitive control and inhibiting emotional affect. These results are consistent with previous findings showing enhanced sensory processing and altered top-down control in PTSD samples during autobiographical memory recall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantelle S Lloyd
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Mood Disorders Program, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Homewood Research Institute, Homewood Health, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew A Nicholson
- Homewood Research Institute, Homewood Health, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maria Densmore
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Imaging Division, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jean Théberge
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Imaging Division, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard W J Neufeld
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rakesh Jetly
- Canadian Forces, Health Services, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Margaret C McKinnon
- Mood Disorders Program, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Homewood Research Institute, Homewood Health, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ruth A Lanius
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Homewood Research Institute, Homewood Health, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.,Imaging Division, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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26
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Hiraishi H, Ikeda T, Saito DN, Hasegawa C, Kitagawa S, Takahashi T, Kikuchi M, Ouchi Y. Regional and Temporal Differences in Brain Activity With Morally Good or Bad Judgments in Men: A Magnetoencephalography Study. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:596711. [PMID: 33911998 PMCID: PMC8072487 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.596711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Many neuroimaging studies on morality focus on functional brain areas that relate to moral judgment specifically in morally negative situations. To date, there have been few studies on differences in brain activity under conditions of being morally good and bad along a continuum. To explore not only the brain regions involved but also their functional connections during moral judgments, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG), which is superior to other imaging modalities for analyzing time-dependent brain activities; only men were recruited because sex differences might be a confounding factor. While analyses showed that general patterns of brain activation and connectivity were similar between morally good judgments (MGJs) and morally bad judgments (MBJs), activation in brain areas that subserve emotion and “theory of mind” on the right hemisphere was larger in MGJ than MBJ conditions. In the left local temporal region, the connectivity between brain areas related to emotion and reward/punishment was stronger in MBJ than MGJ conditions. The time-frequency analysis showed distinct laterality (left hemisphere dominant) occurring during early moral information processing in MBJ conditions compared to MGJ conditions and phase-dependent differences in the appearance of theta waves between MBJ and MGJ conditions. During MBJs, connections within the hemispheric regions were more robust than those between hemispheric regions. These results suggested that the local temporal region on the left hemisphere is more important in the execution of MBJs during early moral valence processing than in that with MGJs. Shorter neuronal connections within the hemisphere may allow to make MBJs punctual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirotoshi Hiraishi
- Department of Biofunctional Imaging, Preeminent Medical Photonics Education and Research Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Takashi Ikeda
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.,United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Daisuke N Saito
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.,Department of Psychology, Yasuda Women's University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Chiaki Hasegawa
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Sachiko Kitagawa
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Takahashi
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Kikuchi
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.,United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Yasuomi Ouchi
- Department of Biofunctional Imaging, Preeminent Medical Photonics Education and Research Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
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27
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Yazdanpanah A, Soltani S, Mirfazeli FS, Shariat SV, Jahanbakhshi A, GhaffariHosseini F, Alavi K, Hosseinpour P, Javadnia P, Grafman J. Iranian and American Moral Judgments for Everyday Dilemmas Are Mostly Similar. Front Psychol 2021; 12:640620. [PMID: 33859595 PMCID: PMC8042310 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.640620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Moral judgment is a complex cognitive process that partly depends upon social and individual cultural values. There have been various efforts to categorize different aspects of moral judgment, but most studies depend upon rare dilemmas. We recruited 25 subjects from Tehran, Iran, to rate 150 everyday moral scenarios developed by Knutson et al. Using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), we observed that the same moral dimensions (except socialness dimension) were driven by the same moral cognitive factors (norm violation, intention, and social affect) in Iranian vs. American studies. However, there were minor differences in the factor loadings between the two cultures. Furthermore, based on the EFA results, we developed a short form of the questionnaire by removing eleven of the fifteen scenarios from each of the ten categories. These results could be used in further studies to better understand the similarities and differences in moral judgment in everyday interactions across different cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aryan Yazdanpanah
- Cognitive Systems Laboratory, Control and Intelligent Processing Center of Excellence (CIPCE), School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sarvenaz Soltani
- Mental Health Research Center, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Sadat Mirfazeli
- Mental Health Research Center, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Vahid Shariat
- Mental Health Research Center, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amin Jahanbakhshi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Skull Base Research Center, Rasool-e-Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Faraneh GhaffariHosseini
- Mental Health Research Center, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kaveh Alavi
- Mental Health Research Center, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parisa Hosseinpour
- Faculty of Medicine, Rasool-e-Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parisa Javadnia
- Faculty of Medicine, Rasool-e-Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jordan Grafman
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Neurology, Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Center, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Feinberg School of Medicine and Department of Psychology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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28
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Ligthart S, Meynen G, Biller-Andorno N, Kooijmans T, Kellmeyer P. Is Virtually Everything Possible? The Relevance of Ethics and Human Rights for Introducing Extended Reality in Forensic Psychiatry. AJOB Neurosci 2021; 13:144-157. [PMID: 33780323 DOI: 10.1080/21507740.2021.1898489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Extended Reality (XR) systems, such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), provide a digital simulation either of a complete environment, or of particular objects within the real world. Today, XR is used in a wide variety of settings, including gaming, design, engineering, and the military. In addition, XR has been introduced into psychology, cognitive sciences and biomedicine for both basic research as well as diagnosing or treating neurological and psychiatric disorders. In the context of XR, the simulated 'reality' can be controlled and people may safely learn to cope with their feelings and behavior. XR also enables to simulate environments that cannot easily be accessed or created otherwise. Therefore, Extended Reality systems are thought to be a promising tool in the resocialization of criminal offenders, more specifically for purposes of risk assessment and treatment of forensic patients. Employing XR in forensic settings raises ethical and legal intricacies which are not raised in case of most other healthcare applications. Whereas a variety of normative issues of XR have been discussed in the context of medicine and consumer usage, the debate on XR in forensic settings is, as yet, straggling. By discussing two general arguments in favor of employing XR in criminal justice, and two arguments calling for caution in this regard, the present paper aims to broaden the current ethical and legal debate on XR applications to their use in the resocialization of criminal offenders, mainly focusing on forensic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Philipp Kellmeyer
- Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine (IBME), University of Zurich.,University Medical Center Freiburg
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29
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Olivo D, Di Ciano A, Mauro J, Giudetti L, Pampallona A, Kubera KM, Hirjak D, Wolf RC, Sambataro F. Neural Responses of Benefiting From the Prosocial Exchange: The Effect of Helping Behavior. Front Psychol 2021; 12:606858. [PMID: 33746829 PMCID: PMC7969530 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.606858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prosocial behavior is critical for the natural development of an individual as well as for promoting social relationships. Although this complex behavior results from gratuitous acts occurring between an agent and a recipient and a wealth of literature on prosocial behavior has investigated these actions, little is known about the effects on the recipient and the neurobiology underlying them. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify neural correlates of receiving prosocial behavior in the context of real-world experiences, with different types of action provided by the agent, including practical help and effort appreciation. Practical help was associated with increased activation in a network of regions spanning across bilateral superior temporal sulcus, temporoparietal junction, temporal pole, and medial prefrontal cortex. Effort appreciation was associated with activation and increased task-modulated connectivity of the occipital cortex. Prosocial-dependent brain responses were associated with positive affect. Our results support the role of the theory of mind network and the visual cortices in mediating the positive effects of receiving gratuitous help. Moreover, they indicate that specific types of prosocial behavior are mediated by distinct brain networks, which further demonstrates the uniqueness of the psychological processes underlying prosocial actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Olivo
- Department of Neuroscience (DNS), University of Padua, Padua, Italy.,Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | | | - Jessica Mauro
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | | | | | - Katharina M Kubera
- Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Psychiatry, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dusan Hirjak
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Robert Christian Wolf
- Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Psychiatry, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fabio Sambataro
- Department of Neuroscience (DNS), University of Padua, Padua, Italy.,Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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30
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Abstract
Morality, the set of shared attitudes and practices that regulate individual behavior to facilitate cohesion and well-being, is a function of the brain, yet its localization is uncertain. Neuroscientific study of morality has been conducted by examining departures from moral conduct after neurologic insult and by functional neuroimaging of moral decision-making in cognitively intact individuals. These investigations have yielded conflicting results: Acquired sociopathy, a syndromic surrogate for acquired immorality, has been reported predominantly after right frontotemporal lesions, whereas functional neuroimaging during moral decision-making has demonstrated bilateral activation. Although morality is bilaterally represented, the right hemisphere is clinically more critical in light of focal lesion data suggesting that moral behavior is subserved by a network of right frontotemporal structures and their subcortical connections. Evolution may have endowed the brain with bilaterally represented but unilaterally right-dominant morality. The unilateral dominance of morality permits concentration of an essential social cognitive function to support the perceptual and executive operations of moral behavior within a single hemisphere; the bilateral representation of morality allows activation of reserve tissue in the contralateral hemisphere in the event of an acquired hemispheric injury. The observed preponderance of right hemisphere lesions in individuals with acquired immorality offers a plausible hypothesis that can be tested in clinical settings. Advances in the neuroscience of morality promise to yield potentially transformative clinical and societal benefits. A deeper understanding of morality would help clinicians address disordered conduct after acquired neurologic insults and guide society in bolstering public health efforts to prevent brain disease.
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31
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Tsikandilakis M, Leong MQ, Yu Z, Paterakis G, Bali P, Derrfuss J, Mevel PA, Milbank A, Tong EMW, Madan C, Mitchell P. "Speak of the Devil… and he Shall Appear": Religiosity, Unconsciousness, and the Effects of Explicit Priming in the Misperception of Immorality. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 86:37-65. [PMID: 33484351 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-020-01461-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Psychological theory and research suggest that religious individuals could have differences in the appraisal of immoral behaviours and cognitions compared to non-religious individuals. This effect could occur due to adherence to prescriptive and inviolate deontic religious-moral rules and socio-evolutionary factors, such as increased autonomic nervous system responsivity to indirect threat. The latter thesis has been used to suggest that immoral elicitors could be processed subliminally by religious individuals. In this manuscript, we employed masking to test this hypothesis. We rated and pre-selected IAPS images for moral impropriety. We presented these images masked with and without negatively manipulating a pre-image moral label. We measured detection, moral appraisal and discrimination, and physiological responses. We found that religious individuals experienced higher responsivity to masked immoral images. Bayesian and hit-versus-miss response analyses revealed that the differences in appraisal and physiological responses were reported only for consciously perceived immoral images. Our analysis showed that when a negative moral label was presented, religious individuals experienced the interval following the label as more physiologically arousing and responded with lower specificity for moral discrimination. We propose that religiosity involves higher conscious perceptual and physiological responsivity for discerning moral impropriety but also higher susceptibility for the misperception of immorality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myron Tsikandilakis
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
- Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
| | - Man Qing Leong
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhaoliang Yu
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | | | - Persefoni Bali
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Jan Derrfuss
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Pierre-Alexis Mevel
- Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Alison Milbank
- Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Eddie M W Tong
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Peter Mitchell
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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32
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Khan DM, Kamel N, Muzaimi M, Hill T. Effective Connectivity for Default Mode Network Analysis of Alcoholism. Brain Connect 2020; 11:12-29. [PMID: 32842756 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2019.0721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: With the recent technical advances in brain imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers' interests have inclined over the years to study brain functions through the analysis of the variations in the statistical dependence among various brain regions. Through its wide use in studying brain connectivity, the low temporal resolution of the fMRI represented by the limited number of samples per second, in addition to its dependence on brain slow hemodynamic changes, makes it of limited capability in studying the fast underlying neural processes during information exchange between brain regions. Materials and Methods: In this article, the high temporal resolution of the electroencephalography (EEG) is utilized to estimate the effective connectivity within the default mode network (DMN). The EEG data are collected from 20 subjects with alcoholism and 25 healthy subjects (controls), and used to obtain the effective connectivity diagram of the DMN using the Partial Directed Coherence algorithm. Results: The resulting effective connectivity diagram within the DMN shows the unidirectional causal effect of each region on the other. The variations in the causal effects within the DMN between controls and alcoholics show clear correlation with the symptoms that are usually associated with alcoholism, such as cognitive and memory impairments, executive control, and attention deficiency. The correlation between the exchanged causal effects within the DMN and symptoms related to alcoholism is discussed and properly analyzed. Conclusion: The establishment of the causal differences between control and alcoholic subjects within the DMN regions provides valuable insight into the mechanism by which alcohol modulates our cognitive and executive functions and creates better possibility for effective treatment of alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danish M Khan
- Centre for Intelligent Signal & Imaging Research (CISIR), Electrical & Electronic Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Malaysia.,Department of Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering, NED University of Engineering & Technology, University Road, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Nidal Kamel
- Centre for Intelligent Signal & Imaging Research (CISIR), Electrical & Electronic Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Malaysia
| | - Mustapha Muzaimi
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian Malaysia
| | - Timothy Hill
- Neurotherapy & Psychology, Brain Therapy Centre, Kent Town, Australia
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33
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Balconi M, Fronda G. Morality and management: an oxymoron? fNIRS and neuromanagement perspective explain us why things are not like this. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 20:1336-1348. [PMID: 33123863 PMCID: PMC7716886 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00841-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The neuroscience interest for moral decision-making has recently increased. To investigate the processes underlying moral behavior, this research aimed to investigate neurophysiological and behavioral correlates of decision-making in moral contexts. Specifically, functional Near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) allowed to record oxygenated (O2Hb) and deoxygenated (HHb) cerebral hemoglobin concentrations during different moral conditions (professional fit, company fit, social fit) and offers types (fair, unfair, neutral). Moreover, individuals' responses to offers types and reaction time (RTs) were considered. Specifically, from hemodynamic results emerged a difference in O2Hb and HHb activity according to moral conditions and offers types in different brain regions. In particular, O2Hb increase and a HHb decrease were observed in ventromedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (VMPFC, DLPFC) for fair offers in professional fit condition and in superior temporal sulcus (STS) for unfair offers in social fit condition. Moreover, an increase of left O2Hb activity in professional fit condition and in right VMPFC for unfair offers in company fit condition was observed. In addition, from behavioral results, an RTs increase in company and social fit condition for fair and unfair offers emerged. This study, therefore, shows the behavioral and neurophysiological correlates of moral decision-making that guide moral behavior in different context, such as company one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Balconi
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Fronda
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy.
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy.
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34
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Li Q, Cao X, Liu S, Li Z, Wang Y, Cheng L, Yang C, Xu Y. Dynamic Alterations of Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations in Patients With Drug-Naïve First-Episode Early Onset Schizophrenia. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:901. [PMID: 33122982 PMCID: PMC7573348 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormalities in static neural activity have been widely reported in early onset schizophrenia (EOS). However, dynamic brain activity alterations over time in EOS are unclear. Here, we investigated whether temporal dynamic changes in spontaneous neural activity are influenced by EOS. A total of 78 drug-naïve first-episode patients with EOS and 90 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. Dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (dALFF) was performed to examine the abnormal time-varying local neural activity in EOS. Furthermore, we investigated the relationships between abnormalities in dALFF variability and clinical characteristics in EOS patients. Compared to HCs, EOS patients showed significantly decreased dALFF variability in the bilateral precuneus, right superior marginal gyrus, right post-central gyrus and increased dALFF in the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG). Moreover, increased dALFF variability in MTG was negatively associated with negative symptoms in EOS. Our findings reveal increased dynamic local neural activity in higher order networks of the cortex, suggesting that enhanced spontaneous brain activity may be a predominant neural marker for brain maturation. In addition, decreased dALFF variability in the default mode network (DMN) and limbic system may reflect unusually dynamic neural activity. This dysfunctional brain activity could distinguish between patients and HCs and deepen our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of EOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Li
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment for Mental Disorder, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.,Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xiaohua Cao
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Sha Liu
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment for Mental Disorder, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.,Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Zexuan Li
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment for Mental Disorder, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.,Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yanfang Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Long Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Chengxiang Yang
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment for Mental Disorder, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.,Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yong Xu
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment for Mental Disorder, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.,Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.,Department of Mental Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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35
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Han H. Comment on Raine (2019) 'The neuromoral theory of antisocial, violent, and psychopathic behavior'. F1000Res 2020; 9:274. [PMID: 32789010 PMCID: PMC7405258 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.23346.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Raine (2019) reviewed previous research on the neural correlates of antisocial, violent, and psychopathic behavior based on previous studies of neuroscience of morality. The author identified neural circuitries associated with the aforementioned types of antisocial behaviors. However, in the review, Raine acknowledged a limitation in his arguments, the lack of evidence supporting the presence of the neural circuitries. In this correspondence, I intend to show that some of his concerns, particularly those about the insula and cingulate cortex, can be addressed with additional evidence from recent neuroimaging research. In addition, I will propose that the additional evidence can also provide some insights about how to design future neuroimaging studies to examine the functionality of the striatum in the circuitries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyemin Han
- Educational Psychology Program, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
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36
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Simmank F, Avram M, Fehse K, Sander T, Zaytseva Y, Paolini M, Bao Y, Silveira S. Morality in advertising: An fMRI study on persuasion in communication. Psych J 2020; 9:629-643. [PMID: 32515144 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Advertising slogans serve the function of persuasive communication by presenting catchy phrases. To decide whether a slogan is convincing or not, cognitive reasoning is assumed to be complemented by a more implicit and intuitive route of information processing, presumably similar to evaluating normative judgments in moral statements. We employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while Western male subjects judged advertising slogans and moral statements as another decision task with subjective nature. Compared to a neutral control condition that targeted declarative memory and to an aesthetic-related condition, the evaluation processes in both domains engaged the anterior medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which is associated with decision-making incorporating personal value. Conjoint activations were also observed in the left temporoparietal junction (TPJ) when compared to the aesthetics condition. Results are discussed with reference to domain-independence, a suspected difference to aesthetic-like appreciations, and functional organization in the mPFC and the TPJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Simmank
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Mihai Avram
- Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.,TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Kai Fehse
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Yuliya Zaytseva
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic.,Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marco Paolini
- Department of Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Yan Bao
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Sarita Silveira
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
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37
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Abstract
Social cognition refers to a complex set of mental abilities underlying social stimulus perception, processing, interpretation, and response. Together, these abilities support the development of adequate social competence and adaptation. Social cognition has a protracted development through infancy to adulthood. Given the preponderance of social dysfunctions across neurologic conditions, social cognition is now recognized as a core domain of functioning that warrants clinical attention. This chapter provides an overview of the construct of social cognition, defines some of the most clinically significant sociocognitive abilities (face processing, facial expression processing, joint attention, theory of mind, empathy, and moral processing), and introduces the neural networks and frameworks associated with these abilities. Broad principles for understanding the development of social cognition are presented, and a summary of normative developmental milestones of clinically relevant sociocognitive abilities is proposed. General guidelines for sound social cognition assessment in children and adolescents are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Beaudoin
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Miriam H Beauchamp
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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38
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Leue A, Beauducel A. A meta-analysis of the P3 amplitude in tasks requiring deception in legal and social contexts. Brain Cogn 2019; 135:103564. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Moral decision making under modafinil: a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind crossover fMRI study. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:2747-2759. [PMID: 31037409 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05250-y] [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: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Modafinil is increasingly used by healthy humans as a neuroenhancer in order to improve cognitive functioning. Research on the effects of modafinil on cognition yielded most consistent findings for complex tasks relying on the prefrontal cortex (PFC). OBJECTIVES The present randomized placebo-controlled double-blind crossover study aimed to investigate the effect of a single dose of modafinil (200 mg) on everyday moral decision making and its neural correlates, which have been linked to the ventro- and dorsomedial PFC. METHODS Healthy male study participants were presented with short stories describing everyday moral or neutral dilemmas. Each moral dilemma required a decision between a personal desire and a moral standard, while the neutral dilemmas required decisions between two personal desires. The participants underwent this task twice, once under the influence of modafinil and once under placebo. Brain activity associated with the processing of the dilemmas was assessed by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS For the processing of moral vs. neutral dilemmas, activations were found in a network of brain regions linked to social cognitive processes including, among others, the bilateral medial PFC, the insula, and the precuneus. Modafinil was found to increase the number of moral decisions and had no effect on brain activity associated with dilemma processing. Exploratory analyses revealed reduced response-locked activity in the dorsomedial PFC for moral compared to neutral dilemmas under modafinil, but not under placebo. CONCLUSIONS The results are discussed in terms of altered predictions of others' emotional states under modafinil, possibly due to higher processing efficiency.
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Han H, Soylu F, Anchan DM. Connecting levels of analysis in educational neuroscience: A review of multi-level structure of educational neuroscience with concrete examples. Trends Neurosci Educ 2019; 17:100113. [PMID: 31685129 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2019.100113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In its origins educational neuroscience has started as an endeavor to discuss implications of neuroscience studies for education. However, it is now on its way to become a transdisciplinary field, incorporating findings, theoretical frameworks and methodologies from education, and cognitive and brain sciences. Given the differences and diversity in the originating disciplines, it has been a challenge for educational neuroscience to integrate both theoretical and methodological perspectives in education and neuroscience in a coherent way. We present a multi-level framework for educational neuroscience, which argues for integration of multiple levels of analysis, some originating in brain and cognitive sciences, others in education, as a roadmap for the future of educational neuroscience, with concrete examples in mathematical learning and moral education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyemin Han
- Educational Psychology Program, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States.
| | - Firat Soylu
- Educational Psychology Program, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - D Mona Anchan
- Educational Psychology Program, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
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41
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Desai RH, Reilly M, van Dam W. The multifaceted abstract brain. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0122. [PMID: 29914991 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
concepts play a central role in human behaviour and constitute a critical component of the human conceptual system. Here, we investigate the neural basis of four types of abstract concepts, examining their similarities and differences through neuroimaging meta-analyses. We examine numerical and emotional concepts, and two higher-order abstract processes, morality judgements and theory of mind. Three main findings emerge. First, representation of abstract concepts is more widespread than is often assumed. Second, representations of different types of abstract concepts differ in important respects. Each of the domains examined here was associated with some unique areas. Third, some areas were commonly activated across domains and included inferior parietal, posterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex. We interpret these regions in terms of their role in episodic recall, event representation and social-emotional processing. We suggest that different types of abstract concepts can be represented and grounded through differing contributions from event-based, interoceptive, introspective and sensory-motor representations. The results underscore the richness and diversity of abstract concepts, argue against single-mechanism accounts for representation of all types of abstract concepts and suggest mechanisms for their direct and indirect grounding.This article is part of the theme issue 'Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use and representation in the brain'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rutvik H Desai
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Mind and Brain, University of South Carolina, 220 Discovery Building, 915 Greene St., Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Megan Reilly
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Mind and Brain, University of South Carolina, 220 Discovery Building, 915 Greene St., Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Wessel van Dam
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Mind and Brain, University of South Carolina, 220 Discovery Building, 915 Greene St., Columbia, SC 29208, USA
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42
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Body odors (even when masked) make you more emotional: behavioral and neural insights. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5489. [PMID: 30940875 PMCID: PMC6445102 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41937-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Morality evolved within specific social contexts that are argued to shape moral choices. In turn, moral choices are hypothesized to be affected by body odors as they powerfully convey socially-relevant information. We thus investigated the neural underpinnings of the possible body odors effect on the participants’ decisions. In an fMRI study we presented to healthy individuals 64 moral dilemmas divided in incongruent (real) and congruent (fake) moral dilemmas, using different types of harm (intentional: instrumental dilemmas, or inadvertent: accidental dilemmas). Participants were required to choose deontological or utilitarian actions under the exposure to a neutral fragrance (masker) or body odors concealed by the same masker (masked body odor). Smelling the masked body odor while processing incongruent (not congruent) dilemmas activates the supramarginal gyrus, consistent with an increase in prosocial attitude. When processing accidental (not instrumental) dilemmas, smelling the masked body odor activates the angular gyrus, an area associated with the processing of people’s presence, supporting the hypothesis that body odors enhance the saliency of the social context in moral scenarios. These results suggest that masked body odors can influence moral choices by increasing the emotional experience during the decision process, and further explain how sensory unconscious biases affect human behavior.
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43
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Pretus C, Hamid N, Sheikh H, Ginges J, Tobeña A, Davis R, Vilarroya O, Atran S. Neural and Behavioral Correlates of Sacred Values and Vulnerability to Violent Extremism. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2462. [PMID: 30627108 PMCID: PMC6309619 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Violent extremism is often explicitly motivated by commitment to abstract ideals such as the nation or divine law-so-called "sacred" values that are relatively insensitive to material incentives and define our primary reference groups. Moreover, extreme pro-group behavior seems to intensify after social exclusion. This fMRI study explores underlying neural and behavioral relationships between sacred values, violent extremism, and social exclusion. Ethnographic fieldwork and psychological surveys were carried out among 535 young men from a European Muslim community in neighborhoods in and around Barcelona, Spain. Candidates for an fMRI experiment were selected from those who expressed willingness to engage in or facilitate, violence associated with jihadist causes; 38 of whom agreed to be scanned. In the scanner, participants were assessed for their willingness to fight and die for in-group sacred values before and after an experimental manipulation using Cyberball, a toss ball game known to yield strong feelings of social exclusion. Results indicate that neural activity associated with sacred value processing in a sample vulnerable to recruitment into violent extremism shows marked activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus, a region previously associated with sacred values and rule retrieval. Participants also behaviorally expressed greater willingness to fight and die for sacred versus nonsacred values, consistent with previous studies of combatants and noncombatants. The social exclusion manipulation specifically affected nonsacred values, increasing their similarities with sacred values in terms of heightened left inferior frontal activity and greater expressed willingness to fight and die. These findings suggest that sacralization of values interacts with willingness to engage in extreme behavior in populations vulnerable to radicalization. In addition, social exclusion may be a relevant factor motivating violent extremism and consolidation of sacred values. If so, counteracting social exclusion and sacralization of values should figure into policies to prevent radicalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Pretus
- Artis International, Scottsdale, AZ, United States
- Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nafees Hamid
- Artis International, Scottsdale, AZ, United States
- Department of Security and Crime Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hammad Sheikh
- Artis International, Scottsdale, AZ, United States
- Department of Psychology, New School for Social Research, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jeremy Ginges
- Artis International, Scottsdale, AZ, United States
- Department of Psychology, New School for Social Research, New York, NY, United States
| | - Adolf Tobeña
- Artis International, Scottsdale, AZ, United States
- Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Richard Davis
- Artis International, Scottsdale, AZ, United States
- School of Politics and Global Studies, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- The Changing Character of War Centre, Pembroke College, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
| | - Oscar Vilarroya
- Artis International, Scottsdale, AZ, United States
- Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Scott Atran
- Artis International, Scottsdale, AZ, United States
- The Changing Character of War Centre, Pembroke College, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Jean Nicod – Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
- Gerald Ford School of Public Policy and Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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Santens P, Vanschoenbeek G, Miatton M, De Letter M. The moral brain and moral behaviour in patients with Parkinson's disease: a review of the literature. Acta Neurol Belg 2018; 118:387-393. [PMID: 30014443 DOI: 10.1007/s13760-018-0986-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Morality is a complex and versatile concept that necessitates the integrated activity of multiple interacting networks in the brain. Numerous cortical and subcortical areas, many of which are implicated in either emotional and cognitive control or Theory of Mind, are involved in the processing of moral behaviour. Different methods have been used to investigate various aspects of morality, which has lead to confusing and sometimes opposing results. Emotional, cognitive and personality changes have long been recognized in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, suggesting a potential impact on moral aspects of behaviour in daily living situations. Alterations in social cognition have been described in all stages of PD but these are rather directly related to PD pathology and not to dopaminergic or DBS treatment. There are no convincing data supporting the hypothesis that dopaminergic treatment or deep brain stimulation of the STN per se interfere with morality in PD patients, although subgroups of patients may display socially unacceptable behaviour. Research in social cognition in PD patients is a fascinating topic that needs further attention in view of the impact on quality of life for PD patients and their caregivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Santens
- Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 13K12, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Giel Vanschoenbeek
- Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 13K12, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marijke Miatton
- Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 13K12, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Miet De Letter
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 2P1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
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45
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Garrigan B, Adlam AL, Langdon PE. Moral decision-making and moral development: Toward an integrative framework. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2018.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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46
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The role of Prefrontal Cortex in a Battle of the Sexes Dilemma involving a Conflict between Tribal and Romantic love. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12133. [PMID: 30108251 PMCID: PMC6092421 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30611-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural basis of dilemmas involving decisions with profound affective impact, such as in romantic life, remains to be understood. The "Battle of the Sexes" is a paradigm from Game Theory that can be used to experimentally address such dilemmas. A form of in-group love, tribal love in football fans, provides the opportunity to study strong affective dilemmas when tribal and romantic love compete for hedonic decision-making. Here, we used for the first time a "Battle of the Sexes" dilemma using fMRI. We investigated, in 44 male football fans, the neural correlates of cooperative behaviour under conflicting choices in the context of romantic versus tribal love. We identified a critical functional segregation of prefrontal regions in affective decision-making. The orbitofrontal cortex signalled emotional appraisal of the dilemma. The medial anterolateral and the ventromedial prefrontal cortices reflected reciprocal cooperation instead of selfish engagement in football-related activities. The lateral portion of anterolateral prefrontal cortex was recruited during ultimate deliberation. In sum, emotional appraisal and rational choice reflected a contiguous functional parcellation in anterolateral prefrontal cortex: appraisal (medial) vs. choice (lateral region).
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47
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Bagga D, Reichert JL, Koschutnig K, Aigner CS, Holzer P, Koskinen K, Moissl-Eichinger C, Schöpf V. Probiotics drive gut microbiome triggering emotional brain signatures. Gut Microbes 2018; 9:486-496. [PMID: 29723105 PMCID: PMC6287679 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2018.1460015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Experimental manipulation of the gut microbiome was found to modify emotional and cognitive behavior, neurotransmitter expression and brain function in rodents, but corresponding human data remain scarce. The present double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised study aimed at investigating the effects of 4 weeks' probiotic administration on behavior, brain function and gut microbial composition in healthy volunteers. Forty-five healthy participants divided equally into three groups (probiotic, placebo and no intervention) underwent functional MRI (emotional decision-making and emotional recognition memory tasks). In addition, stool samples were collected to investigate the gut microbial composition. Probiotic administration for 4 weeks was associated with changes in brain activation patterns in response to emotional memory and emotional decision-making tasks, which were also accompanied by subtle shifts in gut microbiome profile. Microbiome composition mirrored self-reported behavioral measures and memory performance. This is the first study reporting a distinct influence of probiotic administration at behavioral, neural, and microbiome levels at the same time in healthy volunteers. The findings provide a basis for future investigations into the role of the gut microbiota and potential therapeutic application of probiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Bagga
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria,BioTechMed, Graz, Austria
| | - Johanna Louise Reichert
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria,BioTechMed, Graz, Austria
| | - Karl Koschutnig
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria,BioTechMed, Graz, Austria
| | - Christoph Stefan Aigner
- Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Medical Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
| | - Peter Holzer
- BioTechMed, Graz, Austria,Department of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Centre, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Kaisa Koskinen
- BioTechMed, Graz, Austria,Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Veronika Schöpf
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria,BioTechMed, Graz, Austria,CONTACT Prof. DI Dr. Veronika Schöpf Institute of Psychology University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2 8010 Graz, Austria
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48
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Zijlmans J, Marhe R, Bevaart F, Luijks MJA, van Duin L, Tiemeier H, Popma A. Neural Correlates of Moral Evaluation and Psychopathic Traits in Male Multi-Problem Young Adults. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:248. [PMID: 29942267 PMCID: PMC6004505 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Multi-problem young adults (18-27 years) present with a plethora of problems, including varying degrees of psychopathic traits. The amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) have been implicated in moral dysfunction in psychopathy in adolescents and adults, but no studies have been performed in populations in the transitional period to adulthood. We tested in multi-problem young adults the hypothesis that psychopathic traits are related to amygdala and vmPFC activity during moral evaluation. Additionally, we explored the relation between psychopathic traits and other regions consistently implicated in moral evaluation. Our final sample consisted of 100 multi-problem young adults and 22 healthy controls. During fMRI scanning, participants judged whether pictures showed a moral violation on a 1-4 scale. Whole brain analysis revealed neural correlates of moral evaluation consistent with the literature. Region of interest analyses revealed positive associations between the affective callous-unemotional dimension of psychopathy and activation in the left vmPFC, left superior temporal gyrus, and left cingulate. Our results are consistent with altered vmPFC function during moral evaluation in psychopathy, but we did not find evidence for amygdala involvement. Our findings indicate the affective callous-unemotional trait of psychopathy may be related to widespread altered activation patterns during moral evaluation in multi-problem young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josjan Zijlmans
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Reshmi Marhe
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Floor Bevaart
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marie-Jolette A Luijks
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Laura van Duin
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Arne Popma
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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49
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Holtzman GS. Neuromoral Diversity: Individual, Gender, and Cultural Differences in the Ethical Brain. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:501. [PMID: 29163093 PMCID: PMC5671561 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey S Holtzman
- Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, United States.,Center for Translational Bioethics and Healthcare Policy, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA, United States
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50
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Domínguez D JF, van Nunspeet F, Gupta A, Eres R, Louis WR, Decety J, Molenberghs P. Lateral orbitofrontal cortex activity is modulated by group membership in situations of justified and unjustified violence. Soc Neurosci 2017; 13:739-755. [DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2017.1392342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan F. Domínguez D
- School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Félice van Nunspeet
- Social, Health, and Organizational Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ayushi Gupta
- School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Robert Eres
- School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Jean Decety
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Pascal Molenberghs
- School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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