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Craighero L. An embodied approach to fetal and newborn perceptual and sensorimotor development. Brain Cogn 2024; 179:106184. [PMID: 38843762 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2024.106184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/17/2024]
Abstract
The embodied approach argues that interaction with the environment plays a crucial role in brain development and that the presence of sensory effects generated by movements is fundamental. The movement of the fetus is initially random. Then, the repeated execution of the movement creates a link between it and its sensory effects, allowing the selection of movements that produce expected sensations. During fetal life, the brain develops from a transitory fetal circuit to the permanent cortical circuit, which completes development after birth. Accordingly, this process must concern the interaction of the fetus with the intrauterine environment and of the newborn with the new aerial environment, which provides a new sensory stimulation, light. The goal of the present review is to provide suggestions for neuroscientific research capable of shedding light on brain development process by describing from a functional point of view the relationship between the motor and sensory abilities of fetuses and newborns and the increasing complexity of their interaction with objects in the womb and outside of it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laila Craighero
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
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2
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Fossataro C, Noel JP, Bruno V. Editorial: The bodily self in the multisensory world. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1418014. [PMID: 38779447 PMCID: PMC11109373 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1418014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean-Paul Noel
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Valentina Bruno
- Manibus Lab, Psychology Department, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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3
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Paromov D, Moïn-Darbari K, Cedras AM, Maheu M, Bacon BA, Champoux F. Body representation drives auditory spatial perception. iScience 2024; 27:109196. [PMID: 38433911 PMCID: PMC10906536 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
In contrast to the large body of findings confirming the influence of auditory cues on body perception and movement-related activity, the influence of body representation on spatial hearing remains essentially unexplored. Here, we use a disorientation task to assess whether a change in the body's orientation in space could lead to an illusory shift in the localization of a sound source. While most of the participants were initially able to locate the sound source with great precision, they all made substantial errors in judging the position of the same sound source following the body orientation-altering task. These results demonstrate that a change in body orientation can have a significant impact on the auditory processes underlying sound localization. The illusory errors not only confirm the strong connection between the auditory system and the representation of the body in space but also raise questions about the importance of hearing in determining spatial position.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Paromov
- Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Karina Moïn-Darbari
- Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | | | - Benoit-Antoine Bacon
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - François Champoux
- Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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4
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Radziun D, Korczyk M, Szwed M, Ehrsson HH. Are blind individuals immune to bodily illusions? Somatic rubber hand illusion in the blind revisited. Behav Brain Res 2024; 460:114818. [PMID: 38135190 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114818] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Multisensory awareness of one's own body relies on the integration of signals from various sensory modalities such as vision, touch, and proprioception. But how do blind individuals perceive their bodies without visual cues, and does the brain of a blind person integrate bodily senses differently from a sighted person? To address this question, we aimed to replicate the only two previous studies on this topic, which claimed that blind individuals do not experience the somatic rubber hand illusion, a bodily illusion triggered by the integration of correlated tactile and proprioceptive signals from the two hands. We used a larger sample size than the previous studies and added Bayesian analyses to examine statistical evidence in favor of the lack of an illusion effect. Moreover, we employed tests to investigate whether enhanced tactile acuity and cardiac interoceptive accuracy in blind individuals could also explain the weaker illusion. We tested 36 blind individuals and 36 age- and sex-matched sighted volunteers. The results show that blind individuals do not experience the somatic rubber hand illusion based on questionnaire ratings and behavioral measures that assessed changes in hand position sense toward the location of the rubber hand. This conclusion is supported by Bayesian evidence in favor of the null hypothesis. The findings confirm that blind individuals do not experience the somatic rubber hand illusion, indicating that lack of visual experience leads to permanent changes in multisensory bodily perception. In summary, our study suggests that changes in multisensory integration of tactile and proprioceptive signals may explain why blind individuals are "immune" to the nonvisual version of the rubber hand illusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominika Radziun
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | | | - Marcin Szwed
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - H Henrik Ehrsson
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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5
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Orioli G, Parisi I, van Velzen JL, Bremner AJ. Visual objects approaching the body modulate subsequent somatosensory processing at 4 months of age. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19300. [PMID: 37989781 PMCID: PMC10663495 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45897-4] [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: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
We asked whether, in the first year of life, the infant brain can support the dynamic crossmodal interactions between vision and somatosensation that are required to represent peripersonal space. Infants aged 4 (n = 20, 9 female) and 8 (n = 20, 10 female) months were presented with a visual object that moved towards their body or receded away from it. This was presented in the bottom half of the screen and not fixated upon by the infants, who were instead focusing on an attention getter at the top of the screen. The visual moving object then disappeared and was followed by a vibrotactile stimulus occurring later in time and in a different location in space (on their hands). The 4-month-olds' somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were enhanced when tactile stimuli were preceded by unattended approaching visual motion, demonstrating that the dynamic visual-somatosensory cortical interactions underpinning representations of the body and peripersonal space begin early in the first year of life. Within the 8-month-olds' sample, SEPs were increasingly enhanced by (unexpected) tactile stimuli following receding visual motion as age in days increased, demonstrating changes in the neural underpinnings of the representations of peripersonal space across the first year of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Orioli
- Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK.
| | - Irene Parisi
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - José L van Velzen
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
| | - Andrew J Bremner
- Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
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6
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Biggio M, Escelsior A, Murri MB, Trabucco A, Delfante F, da Silva BP, Bisio A, Serafini G, Bove M, Amore M. "Surrounded, detached": the relationship between defensive peripersonal space and personality. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1244364. [PMID: 37900289 PMCID: PMC10603239 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1244364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Personality shapes the cognitive, affective, and behavioral interactions between individuals and the environment. Defensive peripersonal space (DPPS) is the projected interface between the body and the world with a protective function for the body. Previous studies suggest that DPPS displays inter-individual variability that is associated with psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety. However, DPPS may share a link with personality traits. Methods Fifty-five healthy participants were assessed with the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5)-Adult to evaluate personality dimensions. Subjects underwent the Hand Blink Reflex (HBR) task that estimates the DPPS limits by assessing the modulation of blink intensity in response to the median nerve stimulation. Data of the HBR was analyzed with Bayesian multilevel models, while the relationship between DPPS and personality traits was explored using network analysis. Results HBR was best modeled using a piecewise linear regression model, with two distinct slope parameters for electromyographic data. Network analyzes showed a positive correlation between the proximal slope and detachment personality trait, suggesting that individuals with higher scores in the detachment trait had an increased modulation of HBR, resulting in a larger extension of the DPPS. Discussion Features of the detachment personality trait include avoidance of interpersonal experiences, restricted affectivity, and suspiciousness, which affect interpersonal functioning. We suggest that DPPS may represent a characteristic feature of maladaptive personality traits, thus constitute a biomarker or a target for rehabilitative interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Biggio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Centro Polifunzionale di Scienze Motorie, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Escelsior
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Martino Belvederi Murri
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alice Trabucco
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Beatriz Pereira da Silva
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Ambra Bisio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Centro Polifunzionale di Scienze Motorie, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Marco Bove
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Centro Polifunzionale di Scienze Motorie, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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7
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Bruns P, Röder B. Development and experience-dependence of multisensory spatial processing. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:961-973. [PMID: 37208286 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Multisensory spatial processes are fundamental for efficient interaction with the world. They include not only the integration of spatial cues across sensory modalities, but also the adjustment or recalibration of spatial representations to changing cue reliabilities, crossmodal correspondences, and causal structures. Yet how multisensory spatial functions emerge during ontogeny is poorly understood. New results suggest that temporal synchrony and enhanced multisensory associative learning capabilities first guide causal inference and initiate early coarse multisensory integration capabilities. These multisensory percepts are crucial for the alignment of spatial maps across sensory systems, and are used to derive more stable biases for adult crossmodal recalibration. The refinement of multisensory spatial integration with increasing age is further promoted by the inclusion of higher-order knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Bruns
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Brigitte Röder
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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8
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Fossataro C, Adenzato M, Bruno M, Fontana E, Garbarini F, Ardito RB. The role of early attachment experiences in modulating defensive peripersonal space. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3835. [PMID: 36882581 PMCID: PMC9992660 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30985-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Selecting appropriate defensive behaviours for threats approaching the space surrounding the body (peripersonal space, PPS) is crucial for survival. The extent of defensive PPS is measured by recording the hand-blink reflex (HBR), a subcortical defensive response. Higher-order cortical areas involved in PPS representation exert top-down modulation on brainstem circuits subserving HBR. However, it is not yet known whether pre-existing models of social relationships (internal working models, IWM) originating from early attachment experiences influence defensive responses. We hypothesized that organized IWM ensure adequate top-down regulation of brainstem activity mediating HBR, whereas disorganized IWM are associated with altered response patterns. To investigate attachment-dependent modulation on defensive responses, we used the Adult Attachment Interview to determine IWM and recorded HBR in two sessions (with or without the neurobehavioral attachment system activated). As expected, the HBR magnitude in individuals with organized IWM was modulated by the threat proximity to the face, regardless of the session. In contrast, for individuals with disorganized IWM, attachment system activation enhances HBR regardless of the threat position, suggesting that triggering emotional attachment experiences magnifies the threatening valence of external stimuli. Our results indicate that the attachment system exerts a strong modulation on defensive responses and the magnitude of PPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlotta Fossataro
- MANIBUS Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
| | - Mauro Adenzato
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | | | - Elena Fontana
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Garbarini
- MANIBUS Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), Turin, Italy
| | - Rita B Ardito
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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9
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Setti F, Handjaras G, Bottari D, Leo A, Diano M, Bruno V, Tinti C, Cecchetti L, Garbarini F, Pietrini P, Ricciardi E. A modality-independent proto-organization of human multisensory areas. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:397-410. [PMID: 36646839 PMCID: PMC10038796 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01507-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The processing of multisensory information is based upon the capacity of brain regions, such as the superior temporal cortex, to combine information across modalities. However, it is still unclear whether the representation of coherent auditory and visual events requires any prior audiovisual experience to develop and function. Here we measured brain synchronization during the presentation of an audiovisual, audio-only or video-only version of the same narrative in distinct groups of sensory-deprived (congenitally blind and deaf) and typically developed individuals. Intersubject correlation analysis revealed that the superior temporal cortex was synchronized across auditory and visual conditions, even in sensory-deprived individuals who lack any audiovisual experience. This synchronization was primarily mediated by low-level perceptual features, and relied on a similar modality-independent topographical organization of slow temporal dynamics. The human superior temporal cortex is naturally endowed with a functional scaffolding to yield a common representation across multisensory events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Setti
- MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | | | - Davide Bottari
- MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | - Andrea Leo
- Department of Translational Research and Advanced Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Matteo Diano
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Valentina Bruno
- Manibus Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Carla Tinti
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Luca Cecchetti
- MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | | | - Pietro Pietrini
- MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
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10
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Fossataro C, Galigani M, Rossi Sebastiano A, Bruno V, Ronga I, Garbarini F. Spatial proximity to others induces plastic changes in the neural representation of the peripersonal space. iScience 2022; 26:105879. [PMID: 36654859 PMCID: PMC9840938 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105879] [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: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Peripersonal space (PPS) is a highly plastic "invisible bubble" surrounding the body whose boundaries are mapped through multisensory integration. Yet, it is unclear how the spatial proximity to others alters PPS boundaries. Across five experiments (N = 80), by recording behavioral and electrophysiological responses to visuo-tactile stimuli, we demonstrate that the proximity to others induces plastic changes in the neural PPS representation. The spatial proximity to someone else's hand shrinks the portion of space within which multisensory responses occur, thus reducing the PPS boundaries. This suggests that PPS representation, built from bodily and multisensory signals, plastically adapts to the presence of conspecifics to define the self-other boundaries, so that what is usually coded as "my space" is recoded as "your space". When the space is shared with conspecifics, it seems adaptive to move the other-space away from the self-space to discriminate whether external events pertain to the self-body or to other-bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlotta Fossataro
- MANIBUS Lab, Psychology Department, University of Turin, Turin 10123, Italy
| | - Mattia Galigani
- MANIBUS Lab, Psychology Department, University of Turin, Turin 10123, Italy
| | | | - Valentina Bruno
- MANIBUS Lab, Psychology Department, University of Turin, Turin 10123, Italy
| | - Irene Ronga
- MANIBUS Lab, Psychology Department, University of Turin, Turin 10123, Italy
| | - Francesca Garbarini
- MANIBUS Lab, Psychology Department, University of Turin, Turin 10123, Italy,Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), Turin 10123, Italy,Corresponding author
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11
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Daprati E, Nico D. Vulnerability factors and neuropsychiatric disorders: What could be learned from individual variability in cognitive functions. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1019030. [PMID: 36619098 PMCID: PMC9815448 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1019030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Daprati
- Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi and CBMS, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy,*Correspondence: Elena Daprati ✉
| | - Daniele Nico
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
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12
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The influence of sensory potentials on transcranial magnetic stimulation - Electroencephalography recordings. Clin Neurophysiol 2022; 140:98-109. [PMID: 35760007 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2022.05.015] [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: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE It remains unclear to what extent Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation-evoked potentials (TEPs) reflect sensory (auditory and somatosensory) potentials as opposed to cortical excitability. The present study aimed to determine; a) the extent to which sensory potentials contaminate TEPs using a spatially-matched sham condition, and b) whether sensory potentials reflect auditory or somatosensory potentials alone, or a combination of the two. METHODS Twenty healthy participants received active or sham stimulation, with the latter consisting a sham coil click combined with scalp electrical stimulation. Two additional conditions i) electrical stimulation and ii) auditory stimulation alone, were included in a subset of 13 participants. RESULTS Signals from active and sham stimulation were correlated in spatial and temporal domains > 55 ms post-stimulation. Relative to auditory or electrical stimulation alone, sham stimulation resulted in a) larger potentials, b) stronger correlations with active stimulation and c) a signal that was not a linear sum of electrical and auditory stimulation alone. CONCLUSIONS Sensory potentials can confound interpretations of TEPs at timepoints > 55 ms post-stimulation. Furthermore, TEP contamination cannot be explained by auditory or somatosensory potentials alone, but instead reflects a non-linear interaction between both. SIGNIFICANCE Future studies may benefit from controlling for sensory contamination using spatially-matched sham conditions, and which consist of combined auditory and somatosensory stimulation.
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13
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Wearing a Mask Shapes Interpersonal Space during COVID-19 Pandemic. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12050682. [PMID: 35625068 PMCID: PMC9139907 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12050682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Social distancing norms have been promoted after the COVID-19 pandemic. In this work, we tested interpersonal space (IPS) in 107 subjects through a reaching-comfort distance estimation task. In the main experiment, subjects had to estimate the comfort and reach space between an avatar wearing or not wearing a face mask. We found that IPS was greater between avatars not wearing a mask with respect to stimuli with the mask on, while reaching space was not modulated. IPS increment in the NoMask condition with respect to the Mask condition correlated with anxiety traits, as shown with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, rather than with transient aspects related to the pandemic situation. In the control experiment, the avatars with a mask were removed to further explore the conditioning effect provided by the presence of the facial protection in the main experiment. We found a significant difference comparing this condition with the same condition of the main experiment, namely, the distances kept between avatars not wearing a mask in the main experiment were greater than those between the same stimuli in the control experiment. This showed a contextual adaptation of IPS when elements related to the actual pandemic situation were relevant. Additionally, no significant differences were found between the control experiment and the Mask condition of the main experiment, suggesting that participants had internalized social distancing norms and wearing a mask has become the new normal. Our results highlight the tendency of people in underestimating the risk of contagion when in the presence of someone wearing a mask.
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14
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Kumaravel VP, Farella E, Parise E, Buiatti M. NEAR: An artifact removal pipeline for human newborn EEG data. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 54:101068. [PMID: 35085870 PMCID: PMC8800139 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Electroencephalography (EEG) is arising as a valuable method to investigate neurocognitive functions shortly after birth. However, obtaining high-quality EEG data from human newborn recordings is challenging. Compared to adults and older infants, datasets are typically much shorter due to newborns’ limited attentional span and much noisier due to non-stereotyped artifacts mainly caused by uncontrollable movements. We propose Newborn EEG Artifact Removal (NEAR), a pipeline for EEG artifact removal designed explicitly for human newborns. NEAR is based on two key steps: 1) A novel bad channel detection tool based on the Local Outlier Factor (LOF), a robust outlier detection algorithm; 2) A parameter calibration procedure for adapting to newborn EEG data the algorithm Artifacts Subspace Reconstruction (ASR), developed for artifact removal in mobile adult EEG. Tests on simulated data showed that NEAR outperforms existing methods in removing representative newborn non-stereotypical artifacts. NEAR was validated on two developmental populations (newborns and 9-month-old infants) recorded with two different experimental designs (frequency-tagging and ERP). Results show that NEAR artifact removal successfully reproduces established EEG responses from noisy datasets, with a higher statistical significance than the one obtained by existing artifact removal methods. The EEGLAB-based NEAR pipeline is freely available at https://github.com/vpKumaravel/NEAR.
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15
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Pellegrini RA, Finzi S, Veglia F, Di Fini G. Narrative and Bodily Identity in Eating Disorders: Toward an Integrated Theoretical-Clinical Approach. Front Psychol 2021; 12:785004. [PMID: 34975677 PMCID: PMC8714898 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.785004] [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: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Eating disorders (EDs) can be viewed as “embodied acts” that help to cope with internal and external demands that are perceived as overwhelming. The maintenance of EDs affects the entire identity of the person; the lack of a defined; or valid sense of self is expressed in terms of both physical body and personal identity. According to attachment theory, primary relationships characterized by insecurity, traumatic experiences, poor mirroring, and emotional attunement lead to the development of dysfunctional regulatory strategies. Although the literature shows an association between attachment style or states of mind, trauma, behavioral strategies, and various EDs, the debate is still ongoing and the results are still conflicting. Therefore, we believe it is important to examine and treat EDs by understanding which narrative trajectory intercepts distress in relation to narrative and embodied self-concept. Drawing on clinical observation and a narrative review of the literature, we focus on the construction and organization of bodily and narrative identity. Because bodily representations are the primary tools for generating meaning, organizing experience, and shaping social identity from the earliest stages of life, we focus on the role that bodily interactions and sensorimotor and proprioceptive patterns have played in the development of EDs. We consider the role that lack of attunement, insecure attachment, and relational trauma play in mentalizing, affecting self-representation and emotion regulation strategies. The paper also considers a semantic mode of trauma in EDs that involves a top-down pathway through beliefs and narratives about oneself based on lack of amiability, on devaluation, and on humiliation memories. Finally, we would like to highlight the proposal of an integrated model with multiple access model to psychotherapy that takes into account the complexity of ED patients in whom aspects related to dysregulation, body image disintegration, and post-traumatic symptoms are associated with a suffering sense of self and a retraumatizing narrative.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Finzi
- Centro Clinico Crocetta, Scuola di Specializzazione in Psicoterapia Cognitiva, Turin, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- *Correspondence: Sarah Finzi,
| | - Fabio Veglia
- Centro Clinico Crocetta, Scuola di Specializzazione in Psicoterapia Cognitiva, Turin, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giulia Di Fini
- Centro Clinico Crocetta, Scuola di Specializzazione in Psicoterapia Cognitiva, Turin, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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