1
|
Houghton CJ, Coelho NC, Chiang A, Hedayati S, Parikh SB, Ozbaki-Yagan N, Wacholder A, Iannotta J, Berger A, Carvunis AR, O'Donnell AF. Cellular processing of beneficial de novo emerging proteins. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.28.610198. [PMID: 39257767 PMCID: PMC11384008 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.28.610198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
Novel proteins can originate de novo from non-coding DNA and contribute to species-specific adaptations. It is challenging to conceive how de novo emerging proteins may integrate pre-existing cellular systems to bring about beneficial traits, given that their sequences are previously unseen by the cell. To address this apparent paradox, we investigated 26 de novo emerging proteins previously associated with growth benefits in yeast. Microscopy revealed that these beneficial emerging proteins preferentially localize to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Sequence and structure analyses uncovered a common protein organization among all ER-localizing beneficial emerging proteins, characterized by a short hydrophobic C-terminus immediately preceded by a transmembrane domain. Using genetic and biochemical approaches, we showed that ER localization of beneficial emerging proteins requires the GET and SND pathways, both of which are evolutionarily conserved and known to recognize transmembrane domains to promote post-translational ER insertion. The abundance of ER-localizing beneficial emerging proteins was regulated by conserved proteasome- and vacuole-dependent processes, through mechanisms that appear to be facilitated by the emerging proteins' C-termini. Consequently, we propose that evolutionarily conserved pathways can convergently govern the cellular processing of de novo emerging proteins with unique sequences, likely owing to common underlying protein organization patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carly J Houghton
- Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine (CEBaM), Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
| | - Nelson Castilho Coelho
- Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine (CEBaM), Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
| | - Annette Chiang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States
| | - Stefanie Hedayati
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States
| | - Saurin B Parikh
- Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine (CEBaM), Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
| | - Nejla Ozbaki-Yagan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States
| | - Aaron Wacholder
- Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine (CEBaM), Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
| | - John Iannotta
- Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine (CEBaM), Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
| | - Alexis Berger
- Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine (CEBaM), Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
| | - Anne-Ruxandra Carvunis
- Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine (CEBaM), Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
| | - Allyson F O'Donnell
- Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine (CEBaM), Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kiseleva A, Rekow D, Schaal B, Leleu A. Olfactory facilitation of visual categorization in the 4-month-old brain depends on visual demand. Dev Sci 2024:e13562. [PMID: 39188074 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13562] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
To navigate their environment, infants rely on intersensory facilitation when unisensory perceptual demand is high, a principle known as inverse effectiveness. Given that this principle was mainly documented in the context of audiovisual stimulations, here we aim to determine whether it applies to olfactory-to-visual facilitation. We build on previous evidence that the mother's body odor facilitates face categorization in the 4-month-old brain, and investigate whether this effect depends on visual demand. Scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded in two groups of 4-month-old infants while they watched 6-Hz streams of visual stimuli with faces displayed every 6th stimulus to tag a face-selective response at 1 Hz. We used variable natural stimuli in one group (Nat Group), while stimuli were simplified in the other group (Simp Group) to reduce perceptual categorization demand. During visual stimulation, infants were alternatively exposed to their mother's versus a baseline odor. For both groups, we found an occipito-temporal face-selective response, but with a larger amplitude for the simplified stimuli, reflecting less demanding visual categorization. Importantly, the mother's body odor enhances the response to natural, but not to simplified, face stimuli, indicating that maternal odor improves face categorization when it is most demanding for the 4-month-old brain. Overall, this study demonstrates that the inverse effectiveness of intersensory facilitation applies to the sense of smell during early perceptual development. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Intersensory facilitation is a function of unisensory perceptual demand in infants (inverse effectiveness). This inverse relation between multisensory and unisensory perception has been mainly documented using audiovisual stimulations. Here we show that olfactory-to-visual facilitation depends on visual demand in 4-month-old infants. The inverse effectiveness of intersensory facilitation during early perceptual development applies to the sense of smell.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kiseleva
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UBFC, CNRS, INRAe, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Diane Rekow
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UBFC, CNRS, INRAe, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Benoist Schaal
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UBFC, CNRS, INRAe, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Arnaud Leleu
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UBFC, CNRS, INRAe, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rekow D, Baudouin JY, Kiseleva A, Rossion B, Durand K, Schaal B, Leleu A. Olfactory-to-visual facilitation in the infant brain declines gradually from 4 to 12 months. Child Dev 2024. [PMID: 39022837 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
During infancy, intersensory facilitation declines gradually as unisensory perception develops. However, this trade-off was mainly investigated using audiovisual stimulations. Here, fifty 4- to 12-month-old infants (26 females, predominately White) were tested in 2017-2020 to determine whether the facilitating effect of their mother's body odor on neural face categorization, as previously observed at 4 months, decreases with age. In a baseline odor context, the results revealed a face-selective electroencephalographic response that increases and changes qualitatively between 4 and 12 months, marking improved face categorization. At the same time, the benefit of adding maternal odor fades with age (R2 = .31), indicating an inverse relation with the amplitude of the visual response, and generalizing to olfactory-visual interactions previous evidence from the audiovisual domain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diane Rekow
- Development of Olfactory Communication & Cognition Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Université de Bourgogne, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, INRAe, Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon, France
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jean-Yves Baudouin
- Laboratoire "Développement, Individu, Processus, Handicap, Éducation" (DIPHE), Département Psychologie du Développement, de l'Éducation et des Vulnérabilités (PsyDÉV), Institut de Psychologie, Université de Lyon (Lumière Lyon 2), Bron, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Anna Kiseleva
- Development of Olfactory Communication & Cognition Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Université de Bourgogne, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, INRAe, Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon, France
| | - Bruno Rossion
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, IMoPA, Nancy, France
- Université de Lorraine, CHRU-Nancy, Service de Neurologie, Nancy, France
| | - Karine Durand
- Development of Olfactory Communication & Cognition Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Université de Bourgogne, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, INRAe, Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon, France
| | - Benoist Schaal
- Development of Olfactory Communication & Cognition Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Université de Bourgogne, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, INRAe, Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon, France
| | - Arnaud Leleu
- Development of Olfactory Communication & Cognition Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Université de Bourgogne, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, INRAe, Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon, France
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Meredith Weiss S, Aydin E, Lloyd-Fox S, Johnson MH. Trajectories of brain and behaviour development in the womb, at birth and through infancy. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:1251-1262. [PMID: 38886534 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01896-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Birth is often seen as the starting point for studying effects of the environment on human development, with much research focused on the capacities of young infants. However, recent imaging advances have revealed that the complex behaviours of the fetus and the uterine environment exert influence. Birth is now viewed as a punctuate event along a developmental pathway of increasing autonomy of the child from their mother. Here we highlight (1) increasing physiological autonomy and perceptual sensitivity in the fetus, (2) physiological and neurochemical processes associated with birth that influence future behaviour, (3) the recalibration of motor and sensory systems in the newborn to adapt to the world outside the womb and (4) the effect of the prenatal environment on later infant behaviours and brain function. Taken together, these lines of evidence move us beyond nature-nurture issues to a developmental human lifespan view beginning within the womb.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Staci Meredith Weiss
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychology, Cambridge, UK.
- University of Roehampton, School of Psychology, London, UK.
| | - Ezra Aydin
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychology, Cambridge, UK
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarah Lloyd-Fox
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mark H Johnson
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychology, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Quek GL, de Heering A. Visual periodicity reveals distinct attentional signatures for face and non-face categories. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae228. [PMID: 38879816 PMCID: PMC11180377 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Observers can selectively deploy attention to regions of space, moments in time, specific visual features, individual objects, and even specific high-level categories-for example, when keeping an eye out for dogs while jogging. Here, we exploited visual periodicity to examine how category-based attention differentially modulates selective neural processing of face and non-face categories. We combined electroencephalography with a novel frequency-tagging paradigm capable of capturing selective neural responses for multiple visual categories contained within the same rapid image stream (faces/birds in Exp 1; houses/birds in Exp 2). We found that the pattern of attentional enhancement and suppression for face-selective processing is unique compared to other object categories: Where attending to non-face objects strongly enhances their selective neural signals during a later stage of processing (300-500 ms), attentional enhancement of face-selective processing is both earlier and comparatively more modest. Moreover, only the selective neural response for faces appears to be actively suppressed by attending towards an alternate visual category. These results underscore the special status that faces hold within the human visual system, and highlight the utility of visual periodicity as a powerful tool for indexing selective neural processing of multiple visual categories contained within the same image sequence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve L Quek
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Westmead Innovation Quarter, 160 Hawkesbury Rd, Westmead NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Adélaïde de Heering
- Unité de Recherche en Neurosciences Cognitives (UNESCOG), ULB Neuroscience Institue (UNI), Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences (CRCN), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, 50-CP191, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Saurels BW, Peluso N, Taubert J. A behavioral advantage for the face pareidolia illusion in peripheral vision. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10040. [PMID: 38693189 PMCID: PMC11063176 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60892-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Investigation of visual illusions helps us understand how we process visual information. For example, face pareidolia, the misperception of illusory faces in objects, could be used to understand how we process real faces. However, it remains unclear whether this illusion emerges from errors in face detection or from slower, cognitive processes. Here, our logic is straightforward; if examples of face pareidolia activate the mechanisms that rapidly detect faces in visual environments, then participants will look at objects more quickly when the objects also contain illusory faces. To test this hypothesis, we sampled continuous eye movements during a fast saccadic choice task-participants were required to select either faces or food items. During this task, pairs of stimuli were positioned close to the initial fixation point or further away, in the periphery. As expected, the participants were faster to look at face targets than food targets. Importantly, we also discovered an advantage for food items with illusory faces but, this advantage was limited to the peripheral condition. These findings are among the first to demonstrate that the face pareidolia illusion persists in the periphery and, thus, it is likely to be a consequence of erroneous face detection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Blake W Saurels
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Natalie Peluso
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jessica Taubert
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Turk-Browne NB, Aslin RN. Infant neuroscience: how to measure brain activity in the youngest minds. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:338-354. [PMID: 38570212 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
The functional properties of the infant brain are poorly understood. Recent advances in cognitive neuroscience are opening new avenues for measuring brain activity in human infants. These include novel uses of existing technologies such as electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG), the availability of newer technologies including functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and optically pumped magnetometry (OPM), and innovative applications of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in awake infants during cognitive tasks. In this review article we catalog these available non-invasive methods, discuss the challenges and opportunities encountered when applying them to human infants, and highlight the potential they may ultimately hold for advancing our understanding of the youngest minds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas B Turk-Browne
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Richard N Aslin
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Romagnano V, Kubon J, Sokolov AN, Fallgatter AJ, Braun C, Pavlova MA. Dynamic brain communication underwriting face pareidolia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2401196121. [PMID: 38588422 PMCID: PMC11032489 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2401196121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Face pareidolia is a tendency to seeing faces in nonface images that reflects high tuning to a face scheme. Yet, studies of the brain networks underwriting face pareidolia are scarce. Here, we examined the time course and dynamic topography of gamma oscillatory neuromagnetic activity while administering a task with nonface images resembling a face. Images were presented either with canonical orientation or with display inversion that heavily impedes face pareidolia. At early processing stages, the peaks in gamma activity (40 to 45 Hz) to images either triggering or not face pareidolia originate mainly from the right medioventral and lateral occipital cortices, rostral and caudal cuneus gyri, and medial superior occipital gyrus. Yet, the difference occurred at later processing stages in the high-frequency range of 80 to 85 Hz over a set of the areas constituting the social brain. The findings speak rather for a relatively late neural network playing a key role in face pareidolia. Strikingly, a cutting-edge analysis of brain connectivity unfolding over time reveals mutual feedforward and feedback intra- and interhemispheric communication not only within the social brain but also within the extended large-scale network of down- and upstream regions. In particular, the superior temporal sulcus and insula strongly engage in communication with other brain regions either as signal transmitters or recipients throughout the whole processing of face-pareidolia images.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Romagnano
- Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen72076, Germany
| | - Julian Kubon
- Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen72076, Germany
| | - Alexander N. Sokolov
- Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen72076, Germany
| | - Andreas J. Fallgatter
- Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen72076, Germany
| | - Christoph Braun
- Magnetoencephalography Center, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen72076, Germany
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen72076, Germany
| | - Marina A. Pavlova
- Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen72076, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Klaey-Tassone M, Soussignan R, Durand K, Roy SL, Damon F, Villière A, Fillonneau C, Prost C, Patris B, Sagot P, Schaal B. Testing detectability, attractivity, hedonic specificity, extractability, and robustness of colostrum odor-Toward an olfactory bioassay for human neonates. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22474. [PMID: 38419350 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Human milk odor is attractive and appetitive for human newborns. Here, we studied behavioral and heart-rate (HR) responses of 2-day-old neonates to the odor of human colostrum. To evaluate detection in two conditions of stimulus delivery, we first presented the odor of total colostrum against water. Second, the hedonic specificity of total colostrum odor was tested against vanilla odor. Third, we delivered only the fresh effluvium of colostrum separated from the colostrum matrix; the stability of this colostrum effluvium was then tested after deep congelation; finally, after sorptive extraction of fresh colostrum headspace, we assessed the activity of colostrum volatiles eluting from the gas chromatograph (GC). Regardless of the stimulus-delivery method, neonates displayed attraction reactions (HR decrease) as well as appetitive oral responses to the odor of total colostrum but not to vanilla odor. The effluvium separated from the fresh colostrum matrix remained appetitive but appeared labile under deep freezing. Finally, volatiles from fresh colostrum effluvium remained behaviorally active after GC elution, although at lower magnitude. In sum, fresh colostrum effluvium and its eluate elicited a consistent increase in newborns' oral activity (relative to water or vanilla), and they induced shallow HR decrease. Newborns' appetitive oral behavior was the most reproducible response criterion to the effluvium of colostrum. In conclusion, a set of unidentified volatile compounds from human colostrum is robust enough after extraction from the original matrix and chromatographic processing to continue eliciting appetitive responses in neonates, thus opening new directions to isolate and assay specific volatile molecules of colostrum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magali Klaey-Tassone
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory; Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne-Inrae-Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | - Robert Soussignan
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory; Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne-Inrae-Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | - Karine Durand
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory; Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne-Inrae-Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | - Sarah Le Roy
- Flavour Research Group, MAPS2, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés-Environnement-Agroalimentaire (GEPEA), CNRS (UMR 6144), ONIRIS, Nantes, France
| | - Fabrice Damon
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory; Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne-Inrae-Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | - Angélique Villière
- Flavour Research Group, MAPS2, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés-Environnement-Agroalimentaire (GEPEA), CNRS (UMR 6144), ONIRIS, Nantes, France
| | - Catherine Fillonneau
- Flavour Research Group, MAPS2, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés-Environnement-Agroalimentaire (GEPEA), CNRS (UMR 6144), ONIRIS, Nantes, France
| | - Carole Prost
- Flavour Research Group, MAPS2, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés-Environnement-Agroalimentaire (GEPEA), CNRS (UMR 6144), ONIRIS, Nantes, France
| | - Bruno Patris
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory; Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne-Inrae-Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | - Paul Sagot
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Biology, University Hospital Dijon and Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Benoist Schaal
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory; Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne-Inrae-Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Nava E, Giraud M, Bolognini N. The emergence of the multisensory brain: From the womb to the first steps. iScience 2024; 27:108758. [PMID: 38230260 PMCID: PMC10790096 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The becoming of the human being is a multisensory process that starts in the womb. By integrating spontaneous neuronal activity with inputs from the external world, the developing brain learns to make sense of itself through multiple sensory experiences. Over the past ten years, advances in neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques have allowed the exploration of the neural correlates of multisensory processing in the newborn and infant brain, thus adding an important piece of information to behavioral evidence of early sensitivity to multisensory events. Here, we review recent behavioral and neuroimaging findings to document the origins and early development of multisensory processing, particularly showing that the human brain appears naturally tuned to multisensory events at birth, which requires multisensory experience to fully mature. We conclude the review by highlighting the potential uses and benefits of multisensory interventions in promoting healthy development by discussing emerging studies in preterm infants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Nava
- Department of Psychology & Milan Centre for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Michelle Giraud
- Department of Psychology & Milan Centre for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Department of Psychology & Milan Centre for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Calce RP, Rekow D, Barbero FM, Kiseleva A, Talwar S, Leleu A, Collignon O. Voice categorization in the four-month-old human brain. Curr Biol 2024; 34:46-55.e4. [PMID: 38096819 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.11.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Voices are the most relevant social sounds for humans and therefore have crucial adaptive value in development. Neuroimaging studies in adults have demonstrated the existence of regions in the superior temporal sulcus that respond preferentially to voices. Yet, whether voices represent a functionally specific category in the young infant's mind is largely unknown. We developed a highly sensitive paradigm relying on fast periodic auditory stimulation (FPAS) combined with scalp electroencephalography (EEG) to demonstrate that the infant brain implements a reliable preferential response to voices early in life. Twenty-three 4-month-old infants listened to sequences containing non-vocal sounds from different categories presented at 3.33 Hz, with highly heterogeneous vocal sounds appearing every third stimulus (1.11 Hz). We were able to isolate a voice-selective response over temporal regions, and individual voice-selective responses were found in most infants within only a few minutes of stimulation. This selective response was significantly reduced for the same frequency-scrambled sounds, indicating that voice selectivity is not simply driven by the envelope and the spectral content of the sounds. Such a robust selective response to voices as early as 4 months of age suggests that the infant brain is endowed with the ability to rapidly develop a functional selectivity to this socially relevant category of sounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta P Calce
- Crossmodal Perception and Plasticity Laboratory, Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Diane Rekow
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Université de Bourgogne, CNRS, Inrae, Institut Agro Dijon, 21000 Dijon, France; Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Francesca M Barbero
- Crossmodal Perception and Plasticity Laboratory, Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Anna Kiseleva
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Université de Bourgogne, CNRS, Inrae, Institut Agro Dijon, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Siddharth Talwar
- Crossmodal Perception and Plasticity Laboratory, Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Arnaud Leleu
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Université de Bourgogne, CNRS, Inrae, Institut Agro Dijon, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Olivier Collignon
- Crossmodal Perception and Plasticity Laboratory, Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; School of Health Sciences, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, The Sense Innovation and Research Center, 1007 Lausanne & Sion, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Köster M, Brzozowska A, Bánki A, Tünte M, Ward EK, Hoehl S. Rhythmic visual stimulation as a window into early brain development: A systematic review. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 64:101315. [PMID: 37948945 PMCID: PMC10663747 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhythmic visual stimulation (RVS), the periodic presentation of visual stimuli to elicit a rhythmic brain response, is increasingly applied to reveal insights into early neurocognitive development. Our systematic review identified 69 studies applying RVS in 0- to 6-year-olds. RVS has long been used to study the development of the visual system and applications have more recently been expanded to uncover higher cognitive functions in the developing brain, including overt and covert attention, face and object perception, numeral cognition, and predictive processing. These insights are owed to the unique benefits of RVS, such as the targeted frequency and stimulus-specific neural responses, as well as a remarkable signal-to-noise ratio. Yet, neural mechanisms underlying the RVS response are still poorly understood. We discuss critical challenges and avenues for future research, and the unique potentials the method holds. With this review, we provide a resource for researchers interested in the breadth of developmental RVS research and hope to inspire the future use of this cutting-edge method in developmental cognitive neuroscience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Köster
- University of Regensburg, Institute of Psychology, Germany.
| | | | - Anna Bánki
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Psychology, Austria
| | - Markus Tünte
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Psychology, Austria
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Taubert J, Wally S, Dixson BJ. Preliminary evidence of an increased susceptibility to face pareidolia in postpartum women. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230126. [PMID: 37700700 PMCID: PMC10498352 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
As primates, we are hypersensitive to faces and face-like patterns in the visual environment, hence we often perceive illusory faces in otherwise inanimate objects, such as burnt pieces of toast and the surface of the moon. Although this phenomenon, known as face pareidolia, is a common experience, it is unknown whether our susceptibility to face pareidolia is static across our lifespan or what factors would cause it to change. Given the evidence that behaviour towards face stimuli is modulated by the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT), we reasoned that participants in stages of life associated with high levels of endogenous OT might be more susceptible to face pareidolia than participants in other stages of life. We tested this hypothesis by assessing pareidolia susceptibility in two groups of women; pregnant women (low endogenous OT) and postpartum women (high endogenous OT). We found evidence that postpartum women report seeing face pareidolia more easily than women who are currently pregnant. These data, collected online, suggest that our sensitivity to face-like patterns is not fixed and may change throughout adulthood, providing a crucial proof of concept that requires further research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Taubert
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, McElwain Building, St Lucia, 4072 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Samantha Wally
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, McElwain Building, St Lucia, 4072 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Barnaby J. Dixson
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, McElwain Building, St Lucia, 4072 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Psychology and Social Sciences, The University of Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Lenc T, Peter V, Hooper C, Keller PE, Burnham D, Nozaradan S. Infants show enhanced neural responses to musical meter frequencies beyond low-level features. Dev Sci 2023; 26:e13353. [PMID: 36415027 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Music listening often entails spontaneous perception and body movement to a periodic pulse-like meter. There is increasing evidence that this cross-cultural ability relates to neural processes that selectively enhance metric periodicities, even when these periodicities are not prominent in the acoustic stimulus. However, whether these neural processes emerge early in development remains largely unknown. Here, we recorded the electroencephalogram (EEG) of 20 healthy 5- to 6-month-old infants, while they were exposed to two rhythms known to induce the perception of meter consistently across Western adults. One rhythm contained prominent acoustic periodicities corresponding to the meter, whereas the other rhythm did not. Infants showed significantly enhanced representations of meter periodicities in their EEG responses to both rhythms. This effect is unlikely to reflect the tracking of salient acoustic features in the stimulus, as it was observed irrespective of the prominence of meter periodicities in the audio signals. Moreover, as previously observed in adults, the neural enhancement of meter was greater when the rhythm was delivered by low-pitched sounds. Together, these findings indicate that the endogenous enhancement of metric periodicities beyond low-level acoustic features is a neural property that is already present soon after birth. These high-level neural processes could set the stage for internal representations of musical meter that are critical for human movement coordination during rhythmic musical behavior. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: 5- to 6-month-old infants were presented with auditory rhythms that induce the perception of a periodic pulse-like meter in adults. Infants showed selective enhancement of EEG activity at meter-related frequencies irrespective of the prominence of these frequencies in the stimulus. Responses at meter-related frequencies were boosted when the rhythm was conveyed by bass sounds. High-level neural processes that transform rhythmic auditory stimuli into internal meter templates emerge early after birth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Lenc
- Institute of Neuroscience (IONS), Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels, Belgium
- MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Varghese Peter
- MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
- School of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Caitlin Hooper
- MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Peter E Keller
- MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
- Center for Music in the Brain & Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Denis Burnham
- MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sylvie Nozaradan
- Institute of Neuroscience (IONS), Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels, Belgium
- MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Pareidolic faces receive prioritized attention in the dot-probe task. Atten Percept Psychophys 2023; 85:1106-1126. [PMID: 36918509 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02685-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Face pareidolia occurs when random or ambiguous inanimate objects are perceived as faces. While real faces automatically receive prioritized attention compared with nonface objects, it is unclear whether pareidolic faces similarly receive special attention. We hypothesized that, given the evolutionary importance of broadly detecting animacy, pareidolic faces may have enough faceness to activate a broad face template, triggering prioritized attention. To test this hypothesis, and to explore where along the faceness continuum pareidolic faces fall, we conducted a series of dot-probe experiments in which we paired pareidolic faces with other images directly competing for attention: objects, animal faces, and human faces. We found that pareidolic faces elicited more prioritized attention than objects, a process that was disrupted by inversion, suggesting this prioritized attention was unlikely to be driven by low-level features. However, unexpectedly, pareidolic faces received more privileged attention compared with animal faces and showed similar prioritized attention to human faces. This attentional efficiency may be due to pareidolic faces being perceived as not only face-like, but also as human-like, and having larger facial features-eyes and mouths-compared with real faces. Together, our findings suggest that pareidolic faces appear automatically attentionally privileged, similar to human faces. Our findings are consistent with the proposal of a highly sensitive broad face detection system that is activated by pareidolic faces, triggering false alarms (i.e., illusory faces), which, evolutionarily, are less detrimental relative to missing potentially relevant signals (e.g., conspecific or heterospecific threats). In sum, pareidolic faces appear "special" in attracting attention.
Collapse
|
16
|
Bertels J, de Heering A, Bourguignon M, Cleeremans A, Destrebecqz A. What determines the neural response to snakes in the infant brain? A systematic comparison of color and grayscale stimuli. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1027872. [PMID: 36993883 PMCID: PMC10040846 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1027872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Snakes and primates have coexisted for thousands of years. Given that snakes are the first of the major primate predators, natural selection may have favored primates whose snake detection abilities allowed for better defensive behavior. Aligning with this idea, we recently provided evidence for an inborn mechanism anchored in the human brain that promptly detects snakes, based on their characteristic visual features. What are the critical visual features driving human neural responses to snakes is an unresolved issue. While their prototypical curvilinear coiled shape seems of major importance, it remains possible that the brain responds to a blend of other visual features. Coloration, in particular, might be of major importance, as it has been shown to act as a powerful aposematic signal. Here, we specifically examine whether color impacts snake-specific responses in the naive, immature infant brain. For this purpose, we recorded the brain activity of 6-to 11-month-old infants using electroencephalography (EEG), while they watched sequences of color or grayscale animal pictures flickering at a periodic rate. We showed that glancing at colored and grayscale snakes generated specific neural responses in the occipital region of the brain. Color did not exert a major influence on the infant brain response but strongly increased the attention devoted to the visual streams. Remarkably, age predicted the strength of the snake-specific response. These results highlight that the expression of the brain-anchored reaction to coiled snakes bears on the refinement of the visual system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie Bertels
- ULBabyLab, Consciousness, Cognition and Computation Group (CO3), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratoire de Neuroanatomie et de Neuroimagerie Translationnelles (LNT), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Julie Bertels,
| | - Adelaïde de Heering
- LulLABy, Unité de Recherche en Neurosciences Cognitives (UNESCOG), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Bourguignon
- Laboratoire de Neuroanatomie et de Neuroimagerie Translationnelles (LNT), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Axel Cleeremans
- ULBabyLab, Consciousness, Cognition and Computation Group (CO3), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Arnaud Destrebecqz
- ULBabyLab, Consciousness, Cognition and Computation Group (CO3), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Peykarjou S. Frequency tagging with infants: The visual oddball paradigm. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1015611. [PMID: 36425830 PMCID: PMC9679632 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1015611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Combining frequency tagging with electroencephalography (EEG) provides excellent opportunities for developmental research and is increasingly employed as a powerful tool in cognitive neuroscience within the last decade. In particular, the visual oddball paradigm has been employed to elucidate face and object categorization and intermodal influences on visual perception. Still, EEG research with infants poses special challenges that require consideration and adaptations of analyses. These challenges include limits to attentional capacity, variation in looking times, and presence of artefacts in the EEG signal. Moreover, potential differences between age-groups must be carefully evaluated. This manuscript evaluates challenges theoretically and empirically by (1) a systematic review of frequency tagging studies employing the oddball paradigm and (2) combining and re-analyzing data from seven-month-old infants (N = 124, 59 females) collected in a categorization task with artifical, unfamiliar stimuli. Specifically, different criteria for sequence retention and selection of harmonics, the influence of bins considered for baseline correction and the relation between fast periodic visual stimulation (FPVS) responses and looking time are analyzed. Overall, evidence indicates that analysis decisions should be tailored based on age-group to optimally capture the observed signal. Recommendations for infant frequency tagging studies are developed to aid researchers in selecting appropriate stimulation and analysis strategies in future work.
Collapse
|
18
|
Natural Contrast Statistics Facilitate Human Face Categorization. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0420-21.2022. [PMID: 36096649 PMCID: PMC9536856 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0420-21.2022] [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: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to detect faces in the environment is of utmost ecological importance for human social adaptation. While face categorization is efficient, fast and robust to sensory degradation, it is massively impaired when the facial stimulus does not match the natural contrast statistics of this visual category, i.e., the typically experienced ordered alternation of relatively darker and lighter regions of the face. To clarify this phenomenon, we characterized the contribution of natural contrast statistics to face categorization. Specifically, 31 human adults viewed various natural images of nonface categories at a rate of 12 Hz, with highly variable images of faces occurring every eight stimuli (1.5 Hz). As in previous studies, neural responses at 1.5 Hz as measured with high-density electroencephalography (EEG) provided an objective neural index of face categorization. Here, when face images were shown in their naturally experienced contrast statistics, the 1.5-Hz face categorization response emerged over occipito-temporal electrodes at very low contrast [5.1%, or 0.009 root-mean-square (RMS) contrast], quickly reaching optimal amplitude at 22.6% of contrast (i.e., RMS contrast of 0.041). Despite contrast negation preserving an image's spectral and geometrical properties, negative contrast images required twice as much contrast to trigger a face categorization response, and three times as much to reach optimum. These observations characterize how the internally stored natural contrast statistics of the face category facilitate visual processing for the sake of fast and efficient face categorization.
Collapse
|
19
|
Poncet F, Leleu A, Rekow D, Damon F, Dzhelyova MP, Schaal B, Durand K, Faivre L, Rossion B, Baudouin JY. A neural marker of rapid discrimination of facial expression in 3.5- and 7-month-old infants. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:901013. [PMID: 36061610 PMCID: PMC9434348 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.901013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Infants’ ability to discriminate facial expressions has been widely explored, but little is known about the rapid and automatic ability to discriminate a given expression against many others in a single experiment. Here we investigated the development of facial expression discrimination in infancy with fast periodic visual stimulation coupled with scalp electroencephalography (EEG). EEG was recorded in eighteen 3.5- and eighteen 7-month-old infants presented with a female face expressing disgust, happiness, or a neutral emotion (in different stimulation sequences) at a base stimulation frequency of 6 Hz. Pictures of the same individual expressing other emotions (either anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, or neutrality, randomly and excluding the expression presented at the base frequency) were introduced every six stimuli (at 1 Hz). Frequency-domain analysis revealed an objective (i.e., at the predefined 1-Hz frequency and harmonics) expression-change brain response in both 3.5- and 7-month-olds, indicating the visual discrimination of various expressions from disgust, happiness and neutrality from these early ages. At 3.5 months, the responses to the discrimination from disgust and happiness expressions were located mainly on medial occipital sites, whereas a more lateral topography was found for the response to the discrimination from neutrality, suggesting that expression discrimination from an emotionally neutral face relies on distinct visual cues than discrimination from a disgust or happy face. Finally, expression discrimination from happiness was associated with a reduced activity over posterior areas and an additional response over central frontal scalp regions at 7 months as compared to 3.5 months. This result suggests developmental changes in the processing of happiness expressions as compared to negative/neutral ones within this age range.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Poncet
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INRAE, Institut Agro, Dijon, France
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Saint-Martin-d’Hères, France
- *Correspondence: Fanny Poncet,
| | - Arnaud Leleu
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INRAE, Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | - Diane Rekow
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INRAE, Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | - Fabrice Damon
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INRAE, Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | | | - Benoist Schaal
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INRAE, Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | - Karine Durand
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INRAE, Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | - Laurence Faivre
- Inserm UMR 1231 GAD, Genetics of Developmental Disorders, and Centre de Référence Maladies Rares “Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs,” FHU TRANSLAD, CHU Dijon and Université de Bourgogne-Franche Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Bruno Rossion
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, CRAN–UMR 7039, Nancy, France
- Service de Neurologie, Université de Lorraine, CHRU-Nancy, Nancy, France
| | - Jean-Yves Baudouin
- Laboratoire “Développement, Individu, Processus, Handicap, Éducation”, Département Psychologie du Développement, de l’Éducation et des Vulnérabilités, Institut de Psychologie, Université de Lyon, Université Lumière Lyon 2, Bron, France
- Jean-Yves Baudouin,
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Kabdebon C, Fló A, de Heering A, Aslin R. The power of rhythms: how steady-state evoked responses reveal early neurocognitive development. Neuroimage 2022; 254:119150. [PMID: 35351649 PMCID: PMC9294992 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive and painless recording of cerebral activity, particularly well-suited for studying young infants, allowing the inspection of cerebral responses in a constellation of different ways. Of particular interest for developmental cognitive neuroscientists is the use of rhythmic stimulation, and the analysis of steady-state evoked potentials (SS-EPs) - an approach also known as frequency tagging. In this paper we rely on the existing SS-EP early developmental literature to illustrate the important advantages of SS-EPs for studying the developing brain. We argue that (1) the technique is both objective and predictive: the response is expected at the stimulation frequency (and/or higher harmonics), (2) its high spectral specificity makes the computed responses particularly robust to artifacts, and (3) the technique allows for short and efficient recordings, compatible with infants' limited attentional spans. We additionally provide an overview of some recent inspiring use of the SS-EP technique in adult research, in order to argue that (4) the SS-EP approach can be implemented creatively to target a wide range of cognitive and neural processes. For all these reasons, we expect SS-EPs to play an increasing role in the understanding of early cognitive processes. Finally, we provide practical guidelines for implementing and analyzing SS-EP studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Kabdebon
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France; Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Ana Fló
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CNRS ERL 9003, INSERM U992, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin Center, Gif/Yvette, France
| | - Adélaïde de Heering
- Center for Research in Cognition & Neuroscience (CRCN), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Richard Aslin
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Eisenstein M. Sniffing out smell's effects on human behaviour. Nature 2022; 606:S18-S20. [PMID: 35732777 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-022-01632-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
|
22
|
Leleu A, Rekow D. L’odeur maternelle aide le nourrisson à catégoriser des objets ressemblant à des visages. Med Sci (Paris) 2022; 38:541-544. [DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2022067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
|
23
|
Rekow D, Baudouin JY, Durand K, Leleu A. Smell what you hardly see: Odors assist visual categorization in the human brain. Neuroimage 2022; 255:119181. [PMID: 35413443 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual categorization is the brain ability to rapidly and automatically respond to a certain category of inputs. Whether category-selective neural responses are purely visual or can be influenced by other sensory modalities remains unclear. Here, we test whether odors modulate visual categorization, expecting that odors facilitate the neural categorization of congruent visual objects, especially when the visual category is ambiguous. Scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded while natural images depicting various objects were displayed in rapid 12-Hz streams (i.e., 12 images / second) and variable exemplars of a target category (either human faces, cars, or facelike objects in dedicated sequences) were interleaved every 9th stimulus to tag category-selective responses at 12/9 = 1.33 Hz in the EEG frequency spectrum. During visual stimulation, participants (N = 26) were implicitly exposed to odor contexts (either body, gasoline or baseline odors) and performed an orthogonal cross-detection task. We identify clear category-selective responses to every category over the occipito-temporal cortex, with the largest response for human faces and the lowest for facelike objects. Critically, body odor boosts the response to the ambiguous facelike objects (i.e., either perceived as nonface objects or faces) over the right hemisphere, especially for participants reporting their presence post-stimulation. By contrast, odors do not significantly modulate other category-selective responses, nor the general visual response recorded at 12 Hz, revealing a specific influence on the categorization of congruent ambiguous stimuli. Overall, these findings support the view that the brain actively uses cues from the different senses to readily categorize visual inputs, and that olfaction, which has long been considered as poorly functional in humans, is well placed to disambiguate visual information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diane Rekow
- Development of Olfactory Communication & Cognition Lab, Center for Taste, Smell & Feeding Behavior, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, Inrae, Institut Agro Dijon, 21000, Dijon, France.
| | - Jean-Yves Baudouin
- Laboratoire Développement, Individu, Processus, Handicap, Éducation (DIPHE), Département Psychologie du Développement, de l'Éducation et des Vulnérabilités (PsyDÉV), Institut de psychologie, Université de Lyon (Lumière Lyon 2), 5, avenue Pierre-Mendès-France, 69676, Bron, France
| | - Karine Durand
- Development of Olfactory Communication & Cognition Lab, Center for Taste, Smell & Feeding Behavior, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, Inrae, Institut Agro Dijon, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Arnaud Leleu
- Development of Olfactory Communication & Cognition Lab, Center for Taste, Smell & Feeding Behavior, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, Inrae, Institut Agro Dijon, 21000, Dijon, France.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Fotopoulou A, von Mohr M, Krahé C. Affective regulation through touch: homeostatic and allostatic mechanisms. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2021; 43:80-87. [PMID: 34841013 PMCID: PMC7612031 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
We focus on social touch as a paradigmatic case of the embodied, cognitive, and metacognitive processes involved in social, affective regulation. Social touch appears to contribute three interrelated but distinct functions to affective regulation. First, it regulates affects by fulfilling embodied predictions about social proximity and attachment. Second, caregiving touch, such as warming an infant, regulates affect by socially enacting homeostatic control and co-regulation of physiological states. Third, affective touch such as gentle stroking or tickling regulates affect by allostatic regulation of the salience and epistemic gain of particular experiences in given contexts and timescales. These three functions of affective touch are most likely mediated, at least partly, by different neurobiological processes, including convergent hedonic, dopaminergic and analgesic, opioidergic pathways for the attachment function, 'calming' autonomic and endocrine pathways for the homeostatic function, while the allostatic function may be mediated by oxytocin release and related 'salience' neuromodulators and circuits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aikaterini Fotopoulou
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mariana von Mohr
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, London, UK
| | - Charlotte Krahé
- Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Is human face recognition lateralized to the right hemisphere due to neural competition with left-lateralized visual word recognition? A critical review. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 227:599-629. [PMID: 34731327 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02370-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The right hemispheric lateralization of face recognition, which is well documented and appears to be specific to the human species, remains a scientific mystery. According to a long-standing view, the evolution of language, which is typically substantiated in the left hemisphere, competes with the cortical space in that hemisphere available for visuospatial processes, including face recognition. Over the last decade, a specific hypothesis derived from this view according to which neural competition in the left ventral occipito-temporal cortex with selective representations of letter strings causes right hemispheric lateralization of face recognition, has generated considerable interest and research in the scientific community. Here, a systematic review of studies performed in various populations (infants, children, literate and illiterate adults, left-handed adults) and methodologies (behavior, lesion studies, (intra)electroencephalography, neuroimaging) offers little if any support for this reading lateralized neural competition hypothesis. Specifically, right-lateralized face-selective neural activity already emerges at a few months of age, well before reading acquisition. Moreover, consistent evidence of face recognition performance and its right hemispheric lateralization being modulated by literacy level during development or at adulthood is lacking. Given the absence of solid alternative hypotheses and the key role of neural competition in the sensory-motor cortices for selectivity of representations, learning, and plasticity, a revised language-related neural competition hypothesis for the right hemispheric lateralization of face recognition should be further explored in future research, albeit with substantial conceptual clarification and advances in methodological rigor.
Collapse
|
26
|
Damon F, Mezrai N, Magnier L, Leleu A, Durand K, Schaal B. Olfaction in the Multisensory Processing of Faces: A Narrative Review of the Influence of Human Body Odors. Front Psychol 2021; 12:750944. [PMID: 34675855 PMCID: PMC8523678 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.750944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A recent body of research has emerged regarding the interactions between olfaction and other sensory channels to process social information. The current review examines the influence of body odors on face perception, a core component of human social cognition. First, we review studies reporting how body odors interact with the perception of invariant facial information (i.e., identity, sex, attractiveness, trustworthiness, and dominance). Although we mainly focus on the influence of body odors based on axillary odor, we also review findings about specific steroids present in axillary sweat (i.e., androstenone, androstenol, androstadienone, and estratetraenol). We next survey the literature showing body odor influences on the perception of transient face properties, notably in discussing the role of body odors in facilitating or hindering the perception of emotional facial expression, in relation to competing frameworks of emotions. Finally, we discuss the developmental origins of these olfaction-to-vision influences, as an emerging literature indicates that odor cues strongly influence face perception in infants. Body odors with a high social relevance such as the odor emanating from the mother have a widespread influence on various aspects of face perception in infancy, including categorization of faces among other objects, face scanning behavior, or facial expression perception. We conclude by suggesting that the weight of olfaction might be especially strong in infancy, shaping social perception, especially in slow-maturing senses such as vision, and that this early tutoring function of olfaction spans all developmental stages to disambiguate a complex social environment by conveying key information for social interactions until adulthood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Damon
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, Inrae, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|