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Deng X, Chen Y, Chen K, Ludyga S, Zhang Z, Cheval B, Zhu W, Chen J, Ishihara T, Hou M, Gao Y, Kamijo K, Yu Q, Hillman CH, Kramer AF, Erickson KI, Delli Paoli AG, McMorris T, Gerber M, Kuang J, Cheng Z, Pindus D, Dupuy O, Heath M, Herold F, Zou L. A friend in need is a friend indeed: Acute tandem rope skipping enhances inter-brain synchrony of socially avoidant individuals. Brain Cogn 2024; 180:106205. [PMID: 39053200 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2024.106205] [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: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Team-based physical activity (PA) can improve social cognition; however, few studies have investigated the neurobiological mechanism underlying this benefit. Accordingly, a hyper-scanning protocol aimed to determine whether the interbrain synchrony (IBS) is influenced by an acute bout of team-based PA (i.e., tandem rope skipping). Specifically, we had socially avoidant participants (SOA, N=15 dyads) and their age-matched controls (CO, N=16 dyads) performed a computer-based cooperative task while EEG was recorded before and after two different experimental conditions (i.e., 30-min of team-based PA versus sitting). Phase locking value (PLV) was used to measure IBS. Results showed improved frontal gamma band IBS after the team-based PA compared to sitting when participants received successful feedback in the task (Mskipping = 0.016, Msittting = -0.009, p = 0.082, ηp2 = 0.387). The CO group showed a larger change in frontal and central gamma band IBS when provided failure feedback in the task (Mskipping = 0.017, Msittting = -0.009, p = 0.075, ηp2 = 0.313). Thus, results suggest that socially avoidant individuals may benefit from team-based PA via improved interbrain synchrony. Moreover, our findings deepen our understanding of the neurobiological mechanism by which team-based PA may improve social cognition among individuals with or without social avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinmei Deng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; The Shenzhen Humanities & Social Sciences Key Research Bases of the Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yangdi Chen
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kexin Chen
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Sebastian Ludyga
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Zhihao Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Boris Cheval
- Department of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Ecole Normale Supérieure Rennes, Bruz, France; Laboratory VIPS2, University of Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Weijia Zhu
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianyu Chen
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Toru Ishihara
- Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Meijun Hou
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yangping Gao
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Keita Kamijo
- Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Chukyo University, Nagoya 466-8666, Japan
| | - Qian Yu
- Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Macau
| | - Charles H Hillman
- Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, & Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Arthur F Kramer
- Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - Kirk I Erickson
- AdventHealth Research Institute, Neuroscience, Orlando, FL, 32101; Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh 15260
| | | | - Terry McMorris
- Department Sport and Exercise Science, Institute for Sport, University of Chichester, College Lane, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 6PE, United Kingdom
| | - Markus Gerber
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jin Kuang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhihui Cheng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dominika Pindus
- Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA; Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Olivier Dupuy
- Laboratory MOVE (EA 6314), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France; School of Kinesiology and Physical Activity Science (EKSAP), Faculty of Medicine. University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Matthew Heath
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London ON N6A 3K7, Canada; Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, University of Western Ontario, London ON, N6A 3K7, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Fabian Herold
- Research Group Degenerative and Chronic Diseases, Movement, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Liye Zou
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Body-Brain-Mind Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
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Lim M, Carollo A, Bizzego A, Chen AS, Esposito G. Culture, sex and social context influence brain-to-brain synchrony: an fNIRS hyperscanning study. BMC Psychol 2024; 12:350. [PMID: 38877525 PMCID: PMC11179279 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01841-3] [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: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unique interpersonal synchrony occurs during every social interaction, and is shaped by characteristics of participating individuals in these social contexts. Additionally, depending on context demands, interpersonal synchrony is also altered. The study therefore aims to investigate culture, sex, and social context effects simultaneously in a novel role-play paradigm. Additionally, the effect of personality traits on synchrony was investigated across cultures, and a further exploratory analysis on the effects of these variables on pre- and post-session empathy changes was conducted. METHODS 83 dyads were recruited in two waves from Singapore and Italy and took part in a within-subjects session where they interacted with each other as themselves (Naturalistic Conversation) and as others (Role-Play and Role Reversal). Big Five Inventory (administered pre-session) and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (administered pre- and post-session) were used as measures of personality and empathy respectively, while synchrony was measured using hyperscanning functional near-infrared spectroscopy in the prefrontal cortex. After data-preprocessing and preliminary analyses, a mixture of multiple linear regression and exploratory forward stepwise regression models were used to address the above study aims. RESULTS Results revealed significant main and interaction effects of culture, sex and social context on brain-to-brain synchrony, particularly in the medial left cluster of the prefrontal cortex, and a unique contribution of extraversion and openness to experience to synchrony in the Italian cohort only. Finally, culture-driven differences in empathy changes were identified, where significant increases in empathy across sessions were generally only observed within the Singaporean cohort. CONCLUSIONS Main findings indicate lowered brain-to-brain synchrony during role-playing activities that is moderated by the dyad's sex make-up and culture, implying differential processing of social interactions that is also influenced by individuals' background factors. Findings align with current literature that role-playing is a cognitively demanding activity requiring greater levels of self-regulation and suppression of self-related cognition as opposed to interpersonal co-regulation characterized by synchrony. However, the current pattern of results would be better supported by future studies investigating multimodal synchronies and corroboration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyu Lim
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Alessandro Carollo
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Andrea Bizzego
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Annabel Sh Chen
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
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Konrad K, Gerloff C, Kohl SH, Mehler DMA, Mehlem L, Volbert EL, Komorek M, Henn AT, Boecker M, Weiss E, Reindl V. Interpersonal neural synchrony and mental disorders: unlocking potential pathways for clinical interventions. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1286130. [PMID: 38529267 PMCID: PMC10962391 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1286130] [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: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Interpersonal synchronization involves the alignment of behavioral, affective, physiological, and brain states during social interactions. It facilitates empathy, emotion regulation, and prosocial commitment. Mental disorders characterized by social interaction dysfunction, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), often exhibit atypical synchronization with others across multiple levels. With the introduction of the "second-person" neuroscience perspective, our understanding of interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) has improved, however, so far, it has hardly impacted the development of novel therapeutic interventions. Methods To evaluate the potential of INS-based treatments for mental disorders, we performed two systematic literature searches identifying studies that directly target INS through neurofeedback (12 publications; 9 independent studies) or brain stimulation techniques (7 studies), following PRISMA guidelines. In addition, we narratively review indirect INS manipulations through behavioral, biofeedback, or hormonal interventions. We discuss the potential of such treatments for ASD, RAD, and SAD and using a systematic database search assess the acceptability of neurofeedback (4 studies) and neurostimulation (4 studies) in patients with social dysfunction. Results Although behavioral approaches, such as engaging in eye contact or cooperative actions, have been shown to be associated with increased INS, little is known about potential long-term consequences of such interventions. Few proof-of-concept studies have utilized brain stimulation techniques, like transcranial direct current stimulation or INS-based neurofeedback, showing feasibility and preliminary evidence that such interventions can boost behavioral synchrony and social connectedness. Yet, optimal brain stimulation protocols and neurofeedback parameters are still undefined. For ASD, RAD, or SAD, so far no randomized controlled trial has proven the efficacy of direct INS-based intervention techniques, although in general brain stimulation and neurofeedback methods seem to be well accepted in these patient groups. Discussion Significant work remains to translate INS-based manipulations into effective treatments for social interaction disorders. Future research should focus on mechanistic insights into INS, technological advancements, and rigorous design standards. Furthermore, it will be key to compare interventions directly targeting INS to those targeting other modalities of synchrony as well as to define optimal target dyads and target synchrony states in clinical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Konrad
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
- JARA Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
| | - Christian Gerloff
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
- JARA Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Cambridge Centre for Data-Driven Discovery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Simon H. Kohl
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
- JARA Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
| | - David M. A. Mehler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Center (CUBRIC), Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Lena Mehlem
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Emily L. Volbert
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Maike Komorek
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Alina T. Henn
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Maren Boecker
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Eileen Weiss
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Vanessa Reindl
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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Takeuchi N. A dual-brain therapeutic approach using noninvasive brain stimulation based on two-person neuroscience: A perspective review. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING : MBE 2024; 21:5118-5137. [PMID: 38872529 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2024226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Our actions and decisions in everyday life are heavily influenced by social interactions, which are dynamic feedback loops involving actions, reactions, and internal cognitive processes between individual agents. Social interactions induce interpersonal synchrony, which occurs at different biobehavioral levels and comprises behavioral, physiological, and neurological activities. Hyperscanning-a neuroimaging technique that simultaneously measures the activity of multiple brain regions-has provided a powerful second-person neuroscience tool for investigating the phase alignment of neural processes during interactive social behavior. Neural synchronization, revealed by hyperscanning, is a phenomenon called inter-brain synchrony- a process that purportedly facilitates social interactions by prompting appropriate anticipation of and responses to each other's social behaviors during ongoing shared interactions. In this review, I explored the therapeutic dual-brain approach using noninvasive brain stimulation to target inter-brain synchrony based on second-person neuroscience to modulate social interaction. Artificially inducing synchrony between the brains is a potential adjunct technique to physiotherapy, psychotherapy, and pain treatment- which are strongly influenced by the social interaction between the therapist and patient. Dual-brain approaches to personalize stimulation parameters must consider temporal, spatial, and oscillatory factors. Multiple data fusion analysis, the assessment of inter-brain plasticity, a closed-loop system, and a brain-to-brain interface can support personalized stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoyuki Takeuchi
- Department of Physical Therapy, Akita University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita, 010-8543, Japan
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5
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Deng X, Chen K, Chen X, Zhang L, Lin M, Li X, Gao Q. Parental involvement affects parent-adolescents brain-to-brain synchrony when experiencing different emotions together: An EEG-based hyperscanning study. Behav Brain Res 2024; 458:114734. [PMID: 37926335 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Parental involvement (PI) is a broad and multifaceted construct, which refers to the parental demonstration of interest in their child, caring, and warmth (Davis et al., 2021). Parental involvement affects parent-adolescent's relationship and communication. However, there was little research to examine the underlying neural mechanism. The present study aimed to explore how parental involvement is associated with the brain-to-brain synchronous activation between parent-adolescent dyads when sharing emotional experience together by using the electroencephalograph (EEG) hyperscanning. EEG was recorded simultaneously in a sample of 26 parent-adolescent dyads (Mparents'age=43.312, SD=5.468; Madolescents' age=12.077, SD=1.412) when completing the picture processing task. Phase locking values (PLVs) in beta band and gamma band were used to compare the differences in the parent-adolescent dyads' induced brain-to-brain synchrony between the high parental involvement group (HPI) and the low parental involvement group (LPI). Results showed that greater beta brain-to-brain synchrony was observed in the HPIs than in the LPIs when experiencing positive emotions together in the central region. However, there was no significant difference between the HPIs and the LPIs in the negative and neutral condition. Moreover, greater gamma brain-to-brain synchrony was observed when viewing negative emotional stimuli together than viewing positive emotional stimuli together in the LPIs in the central region. However, there was no significant difference between different emotional conditions in the HPIs. Findings of the present study provide neuroscientific evidence that parental involvement may strengthen parent-adolescent's emotional interaction and communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinmei Deng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kexin Chen
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaoming Chen
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Fushun No.1 Middle School, Zigong, China
| | - Mingping Lin
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Lihu Subdistrict No. 1 Primary School, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoqing Li
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Qiufeng Gao
- Department of Society, School of Government, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
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Shimon-Raz O, Yeshurun Y, Ulmer-Yaniv A, Levinkron A, Salomon R, Feldman R. Attachment Reminders Trigger Widespread Synchrony across Multiple Brains. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7213-7225. [PMID: 37813569 PMCID: PMC10601370 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0026-23.2023] [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: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Infant stimuli elicit widespread neural and behavioral response in human adults, and such massive allocation of resources attests to the evolutionary significance of the primary attachment. Here, we examined whether attachment reminders also trigger cross-brain concordance and generate greater neural uniformity, as indicated by intersubject correlation. Human mothers were imaged twice in oxytocin/placebo administration design, and stimuli included four ecological videos of a standard unfamiliar mother and infant: two infant/mother alone (Alone) and two mother-infant dyadic contexts (Social). Theory-driven analysis measured cross-brain synchrony in preregistered nodes of the parental caregiving network (PCN), which integrates subcortical structures underpinning mammalian mothering with cortical areas implicated in simulation, mentalization, and emotion regulation, and data-driven analysis assessed brain-wide concordance using whole-brain parcellation. Results demonstrated widespread cross-brain synchrony in both the PCN and across the neuroaxis, from primary sensory/somatosensory areas, through insular-cingulate regions, to temporal and prefrontal cortices. The Social context yielded significantly more cross-brain concordance, with PCNs striatum, parahippocampal gyrus, superior temporal sulcus, ACC, and PFC displaying cross-brain synchrony only to mother-infant social cues. Moment-by-moment fluctuations in mother-infant social synchrony, ranging from episodes of low synchrony to tightly coordinated positive bouts, were tracked online by cross-brain concordance in the preregistered ACC. Findings indicate that social attachment stimuli, representing evolutionary-salient universal cues that require no verbal narrative, trigger substantial interbrain concordance and suggest that the mother-infant bond, an icon standing at the heart of human civilization, may function to glue brains into a unified experience and bind humans into social groups.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Infant stimuli elicit widespread neural response in human adults, attesting to their evolutionary significance, but do they also trigger cross-brain concordance and induce neural uniformity among perceivers? We measured cross-brain synchrony to ecological mother-infant videos. We used theory-driven analysis, measuring cross-brain concordance in the parenting network, and data-driven analysis, assessing brain-wide concordance using whole-brain parcellation. Attachment cues triggered widespread cross-brain concordance in both the parenting network and across the neuroaxis. Moment-by-moment fluctuations in behavioral synchrony were tracked online by cross-brain variability in ACC. Attachment reminders bind humans' brains into a unitary experience and stimuli characterized by social synchrony enhance neural similarity among participants, describing one mechanism by which attachment bonds provide the neural template for the consolidation of social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yaara Yeshurun
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | | | - Ayelet Levinkron
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Roy Salomon
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
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7
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Hakim U, De Felice S, Pinti P, Zhang X, Noah JA, Ono Y, Burgess PW, Hamilton A, Hirsch J, Tachtsidis I. Quantification of inter-brain coupling: A review of current methods used in haemodynamic and electrophysiological hyperscanning studies. Neuroimage 2023; 280:120354. [PMID: 37666393 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120354] [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: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hyperscanning is a form of neuroimaging experiment where the brains of two or more participants are imaged simultaneously whilst they interact. Within the domain of social neuroscience, hyperscanning is increasingly used to measure inter-brain coupling (IBC) and explore how brain responses change in tandem during social interaction. In addition to cognitive research, some have suggested that quantification of the interplay between interacting participants can be used as a biomarker for a variety of cognitive mechanisms aswell as to investigate mental health and developmental conditions including schizophrenia, social anxiety and autism. However, many different methods have been used to quantify brain coupling and this can lead to questions about comparability across studies and reduce research reproducibility. Here, we review methods for quantifying IBC, and suggest some ways moving forward. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we reviewed 215 hyperscanning studies, across four different brain imaging modalities: functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), functional magnetic resonance (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Overall, the review identified a total of 27 different methods used to compute IBC. The most common hyperscanning modality is fNIRS, used by 119 studies, 89 of which adopted wavelet coherence. Based on the results of this literature survey, we first report summary statistics of the hyperscanning field, followed by a brief overview of each signal that is obtained from each neuroimaging modality used in hyperscanning. We then discuss the rationale, assumptions and suitability of each method to different modalities which can be used to investigate IBC. Finally, we discuss issues surrounding the interpretation of each method.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Hakim
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, Malet Place Engineering Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
| | - S De Felice
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - P Pinti
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, Malet Place Engineering Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom; Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - X Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - J A Noah
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Y Ono
- Department of Electronics and Bioinformatics, School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - P W Burgess
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - A Hamilton
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - J Hirsch
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, Malet Place Engineering Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Departments of Neuroscience and Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Yale University, Wu Tsai Institute, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - I Tachtsidis
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, Malet Place Engineering Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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Marzoratti A, Liu ME, Krol KM, Sjobeck GR, Lipscomb DJ, Hofkens TL, Boker SM, Pelphrey KA, Connelly JJ, Evans TM. Epigenetic modification of the oxytocin receptor gene is associated with child-parent neural synchrony during competition. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 63:101302. [PMID: 37734257 PMCID: PMC10518595 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101302] [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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) occurs when neural electrical activity temporally aligns between individuals during social interactions. It has been used as a metric for interpersonal closeness, often during naturalistic child-parent interactions. This study evaluated whether other biological correlates of social processing predicted the prevalence of INS during child-parent interactions, and whether their observed cooperativity modulated this association. Child-parent dyads (n = 27) performed a visuospatial tower-building task in cooperative and competitive conditions. Neural activity was recorded using mobile electroencephalogram (EEG) headsets, and experimenters coded video-recordings post-hoc for behavioral attunement. DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTRm) was measured, an epigenetic modification associated with reduced oxytocin activity and socioemotional functioning. Greater INS during competition was associated with lower child OXTRm, while greater behavioral attunement during competition and cooperation was associated with higher parent OXTRm. These differential relationships suggest that interpersonal dynamics as measured by INS may be similarly reflected by other biological markers of social functioning, irrespective of observed behavior. Children's self-perceived communication skill also showed opposite associations with parent and child OXTRm, suggesting complex relationships between children's and their parents' social functioning. Our findings have implications for ongoing developmental research, supporting the utility of biological metrics in characterizing interpersonal relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Analia Marzoratti
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Megan E Liu
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kathleen M Krol
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Gus R Sjobeck
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Daniel J Lipscomb
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Tara L Hofkens
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Steven M Boker
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Jessica J Connelly
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Tanya M Evans
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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9
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Deng X, Yang M, Chen X, Zhan Y. The role of mindfulness on theta inter-brain synchrony during cooperation feedback processing: An EEG-based hyperscanning study. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2023; 23:100396. [PMID: 37521502 PMCID: PMC10372402 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2023.100396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mindfulness appears to improve empathy and understanding in relationships, which are necessary for successful cooperation. However, the impact of mindfulness on cooperation has not been fully studied. This study used hyperscanning technique to examine the effect of mindfulness on the inter-brain synchrony of interacting individuals during the cooperative tasks. Forty-one dyads were randomly assigned to a mindfulness group or a non-mindfulness group. Dyads of the mindfulness group performed a short mindfulness exercise following a 15-minute mindfulness audio guidance. Dyads of the non-mindfulness group were instructed to rest quietly with their eyes closed. Then, simultaneously and continuously EEG was recorded from all dyads when they completed a computer-based cooperative game task. Reaction times (RTs) and success rates were used to indicate the behavioral performance, and phase locking value (PLV) was used to indicate the inter-brain synchrony. The results showed that (1) Greater theta inter-brain synchrony during the cooperative computer game tasks was observed in the mindfulness group than in the non-mindfulness group; (2) Greater theta inter-brain synchrony was observed in the successful cooperation conditions as compared to those in the failure cooperation conditions; (3) Greater theta inter-brain synchrony was observed at the frontal region as compared to those at the parietal-occipital region in the successful cooperation condition. The results expand the neural basis of the effects of mindfulness on cooperation feedback processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinmei Deng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Meng Yang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaomin Chen
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yong Zhan
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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10
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Pfaus JG, Safron A, Zakreski E. From distal to proximal to interactive: behavioral and brain synchrony during attraction, courtship, and sexual interaction-implications for clinical assessments of relationship style and quality. Sex Med Rev 2023; 11:312-322. [PMID: 37544764 DOI: 10.1093/sxmrev/qead034] [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: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Synchronous behaviors between individuals are nonverbal signs of closeness and common purpose. In the flow from initial attraction to intimate sexual interaction, attention and synchrony move from distal to proximal to interactive and are mediated by sensitized activation of neural systems for sexual motivation, arousal, and desire and those that recognize and mimic common facial and body movements between individuals. When reinforced by sexual pleasure and other relationship rewards, this results in the strengthening of attraction and bonding and the display of more common motor patterns. As relationships falter, nonverbal behaviors likely become asynchronous. OBJECTIVES To define behavioral, romantic, and sexual synchrony during phases of attraction and how their disruption can be observed and utilized by clinicians to assess individual relationship styles and quality. METHODS We review the literature on behavioral and attentional synchrony in humans and animals in an effort to understand experiential and innate mechanisms of synchrony and asynchrony and how they develop, as well as implications for attraction, relationship initiation, maintenance of romantic and sexual closeness, and relationship disintegration. RESULTS Evidence is presented that behavioral synchrony and the neural mechanisms that underlie it are vital to relationship formation and satisfaction. CONCLUSION Behavioral synchrony helps to create feelings of sexual and romantic synergy, cohesion, and arousal among individuals. Asynchrony is aversive and can spark feelings of discontent, aversion, and jealousy. Thus, observing patterns of nonverbal sexual and romantic synchrony between individuals offers insights into the potential quality of their relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- James G Pfaus
- Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, 18200, Czech Republic
- Center for Sexual Health and Intervention, Czech National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, 25067, Czech Republic
| | - Adam Safron
- Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, 21224, United States
| | - Ellen Zakreski
- Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, 18200, Czech Republic
- Center for Sexual Health and Intervention, Czech National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, 25067, Czech Republic
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11
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Tancredi D, Cardinali I. Being a Dog: A Review of the Domestication Process. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14050992. [PMID: 37239352 DOI: 10.3390/genes14050992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The process of canine domestication represents certainly one of the most interesting questions that evolutionary biology aims to address. A "multiphase" view of this process is now accepted, with a first phase during which different groups of wolves were attracted by the anthropogenic niche and a second phase characterized by the gradual establishment of mutual relationships between wolves and humans. Here, we provide a review of dog (Canis familiaris) domestication, highlighting the ecological differences between dogs and wolves, analyzing the molecular mechanisms which seem to have influenced the affiliative behaviors first observed in Belyaev's foxes, and describing the genetics of ancient European dogs. Then, we focus on three Mediterranean peninsulas (Balkan, Iberian and Italian), which together represent the main geographic area for studying canine domestication dynamics, as it has shaped the current genetic variability of dog populations, and where a well-defined European genetic structure was pinpointed through the analysis of uniparental genetic markers and their phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Tancredi
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, Università degli Studi di Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Irene Cardinali
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, Università degli Studi di Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
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12
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Sarkar A, Wrangham RW. Evolutionary and neuroendocrine foundations of human aggression. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:468-493. [PMID: 37003880 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Humans present a behavioural paradox: they are peaceful in many circumstances, but they are also violent and kill conspecifics at high rates. We describe a social evolutionary theory to resolve this paradox. The theory interprets human aggression as a combination of low propensities for reactive aggression and coercive behaviour and high propensities for some forms of proactive aggression (especially coalitionary proactive aggression). These tendencies are associated with the evolution of groupishness, self-domestication, and social norms. This human aggression profile is expected to demand substantial plasticity in the evolved biological mechanisms responsible for aggression. We discuss the contributions of various social signalling molecules (testosterone, cortisol, oxytocin, vasopressin, serotonin, and dopamine) as the neuroendocrine foundation conferring such plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amar Sarkar
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Richard W Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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13
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Lotter LD, Kohl SH, Gerloff C, Bell L, Niephaus A, Kruppa JA, Dukart J, Schulte-Rüther M, Reindl V, Konrad K. Revealing the neurobiology underlying interpersonal neural synchronization with multimodal data fusion. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 146:105042. [PMID: 36641012 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Humans synchronize with one another to foster successful interactions. Here, we use a multimodal data fusion approach with the aim of elucidating the neurobiological mechanisms by which interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) occurs. Our meta-analysis of 22 functional magnetic resonance imaging and 69 near-infrared spectroscopy hyperscanning experiments (740 and 3721 subjects) revealed robust brain regional correlates of INS in the right temporoparietal junction and left ventral prefrontal cortex. Integrating this meta-analytic information with public databases, biobehavioral and brain-functional association analyses suggested that INS involves sensory-integrative hubs with functional connections to mentalizing and attention networks. On the molecular and genetic levels, we found INS to be associated with GABAergic neurotransmission and layer IV/V neuronal circuits, protracted developmental gene expression patterns, and disorders of neurodevelopment. Although limited by the indirect nature of phenotypic-molecular association analyses, our findings generate new testable hypotheses on the neurobiological basis of INS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon D Lotter
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine - Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Max Planck School of Cognition, Stephanstrasse 1A, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Simon H Kohl
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany; JARA Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
| | - Christian Gerloff
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany; JARA Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany; Chair II of Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Laura Bell
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany; Audiovisual Media Center, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Alexandra Niephaus
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jana A Kruppa
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany; JARA Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Juergen Dukart
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine - Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Martin Schulte-Rüther
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany; JARA Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Vanessa Reindl
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany; JARA Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany; Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, S639818, Singapore
| | - Kerstin Konrad
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany; JARA Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
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14
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Wang LS, Cheng JT, Hsu IJ, Liou S, Kung CC, Chen DY, Weng MH. Distinct cerebral coherence in task-based fMRI hyperscanning: cooperation versus competition. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:421-433. [PMID: 35266996 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
This study features an functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) hyperscanning experiment from 2 sites, 305 km apart. The experiment contains 2 conditions: the dyad collaborated to win and then split the reward in the cooperation condition, whereas the winner took all the reward in the competition condition, thereby resulting in dynamic strategic interactions. To calculate the cerebral coherence in such jittered event-related fMRI tasks, we first iteratively estimated the feedback-related blood oxygenation level-dependent responses of each trial, using 8 finite impulse response functions (16 s) and then concatenated the beta volume series. With the right temporal-parietal junction (rTPJ) as the seed, the interpersonal connected brain areas were separately identified: the right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG) (cooperation) and the left precuneus (lPrecuneus) (competition), both peaking at the designated frequency bin (1/16 s = 0.0625 Hz), but not in permuted pairs. In addition, the extended coherence analyses on shorter and longer concatenated volumes verified that only in the optimal trial frequency did the rTPJ-rSTG and rTPJ-lPrecuneus couplings peak. In sum, our approach both showcases a flexible analysis method that widens the applicability of interpersonal coherence in the rapid event-related fMRI hyperscanning and reveals a context-based inter-brain coupling between interacting pairs during cooperation and during competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le-Si Wang
- Institute of Creative Industries Design, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), No. 1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan
| | - Jen-Tang Cheng
- Department of Economics, NCKU, No. 1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan
| | - I-Jeng Hsu
- Department of Economics, NCKU, No. 1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan
| | - Shyhnan Liou
- Institute of Creative Industries Design, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), No. 1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Chia Kung
- Department of Psychology, NCKU, No. 1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan.,Mind Research and Imaging (MRI) Center, No. 1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan
| | - Der-Yow Chen
- Department of Psychology, NCKU, No. 1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan.,Mind Research and Imaging (MRI) Center, No. 1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Hung Weng
- Department of Economics, NCKU, No. 1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan
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15
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Schwartz L, Levy J, Endevelt-Shapira Y, Djalovski A, Hayut O, Dumas G, Feldman R. Technologically-assisted communication attenuates inter-brain synchrony. Neuroimage 2022; 264:119677. [PMID: 36244598 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The transition to technologically-assisted communication has permeated all facets of human social life; yet, its impact on the social brain is still unknown and the effects may be particularly intense during periods of developmental transitions. Applying a two-brain perspective, the current preregistered study utilized hyperscanning EEG to measure brain-to-brain synchrony in 62 mother-child pairs at the transition to adolescence (child age; M = 12.26, range 10-14) during live face-to-face interaction versus technologically-assisted remote communication. The live interaction elicited 9 significant cross-brain links between densely inter-connected frontal and temporal areas in the beta range [14-30 Hz]. Mother's right frontal region connected with the child's right and left frontal, temporal, and central regions, suggesting its regulatory role in organizing the two-brain dynamics. In contrast, the remote interaction elicited only 1 significant cross-brain-cross-hemisphere link, attenuating the robust right-to-right-brain connectivity during live social moments that communicates socio-affective signals. Furthermore, while the level of social behavior was comparable between the two interactions, brain-behavior associations emerged only during the live exchange. Mother-child right temporal-temporal synchrony linked with moments of shared gaze and the degree of child engagement and empathic behavior correlated with right frontal-frontal synchrony. Our findings indicate that human co-presence is underpinned by specific neurobiological processes that should be studied in depth. Much further research is needed to tease apart whether the "Zoom fatigue" experienced during technological communication may stem, in part, from overload on more limited inter-brain connections and to address the potential cost of social technology for brain maturation, particularly among youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linoy Schwartz
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Jonathan Levy
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel; Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Finland
| | | | - Amir Djalovski
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Olga Hayut
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Guillaume Dumas
- Precision Psychiatry and Social Physiology laboratory, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ruth Feldman
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel; Child Study Center, Yale University, United States.
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16
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Measurement of interpersonal physiological synchrony in dyads: A review of timing parameters used in the literature. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:1215-1230. [PMID: 35556231 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-01011-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
When individuals share interpersonal connections, such as the bond between a mother and child or between a therapist and their client, they often exhibit measurable coordination of some physiological response patterns during their interactions known as interpersonal physiological synchrony (IPS Butler, 2011; Palumbo et al., 2016; Tscacher & Meier, 2019). However, as there is no single definition of IPS in the literature, researchers across fields have not established a standardized method for its study. This paper outlines methodological considerations that researchers should take into account when designing studies of IPS. Due to the inherent temporal component of synchrony analyses, we direct particular focus to the issue of measurement timing. Synchrony is described across multiple physiological processes, including electrodermal skin activation, cardiac function, respiration, and neural oscillatory activity, and we make specific recommendations for each. Across physiological measures and analytic strategies, we recommend that when determining an experimental timeframe in which to isolate periods of dyadic IPS, researchers should account for the timing of both the biological systems of interest and the psychological processes theorized to underlie their activity in that particular context. In adopting this strategy, researchers can ensure that they capture all of the fluctuations associated with a psychological process of interest and can add to the growing body of literature examining physiological correlates of interpersonal bonds.
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17
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Cheng X, Guo B, Hu Y. Distinct neural couplings to shared goal and action coordination in joint action: evidence based on fNIRS hyperscanning. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2022; 17:956-964. [PMID: 35325237 PMCID: PMC9527463 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsac022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Joint action is central to human nature, enabling individuals to coordinate in time and space to achieve a joint outcome. Such interaction typically involves two key elements: shared goal and action coordination. Yet, the substrates entrained to these two components in joint action remained unclear. In the current study, dyads performed two tasks involving both sharing goal and action coordination, i.e. complementary joint action and imitative joint action, a task only involving shared goal and a task only involving action coordination, while their brain activities were recorded by the functional near-infrared spectroscopy hyperscanning technique. The results showed that both complementary and imitative joint action (i.e. involving shared goal and action coordination) elicited better behavioral performance than the task only involving shared goal/action coordination. We observed that the interbrain synchronization (IBS) at the right inferior frontal cortex (IFC) entrained more to shared goal, while left-IFC IBS entrained more to action coordination. We also observed that the right-IFC IBS was greater during completing a complementary action than an imitative action. Our results suggest that IFC plays an important role in joint action, with distinct lateralization for the sub-components of joint action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojun Cheng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Bing Guo
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yinying Hu
- Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
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18
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Lin JFL, Imada T, Meltzoff AN, Hiraishi H, Ikeda T, Takahashi T, Hasegawa C, Yoshimura Y, Kikuchi M, Hirata M, Minabe Y, Asada M, Kuhl PK. Dual-MEG interbrain synchronization during turn-taking verbal interactions between mothers and children. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:4116-4134. [PMID: 36130088 PMCID: PMC10068303 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac330] [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: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Verbal interaction and imitation are essential for language learning and development in young children. However, it is unclear how mother-child dyads synchronize oscillatory neural activity at the cortical level in turn-based speech interactions. Our study investigated interbrain synchrony in mother-child pairs during a turn-taking paradigm of verbal imitation. A dual-MEG (magnetoencephalography) setup was used to measure brain activity from interactive mother-child pairs simultaneously. Interpersonal neural synchronization was compared between socially interactive and noninteractive tasks (passive listening to pure tones). Interbrain networks showed increased synchronization during the socially interactive compared to noninteractive conditions in the theta and alpha bands. Enhanced interpersonal brain synchrony was observed in the right angular gyrus, right triangular, and left opercular parts of the inferior frontal gyrus. Moreover, these parietal and frontal regions appear to be the cortical hubs exhibiting a high number of interbrain connections. These cortical areas could serve as a neural marker for the interactive component in verbal social communication. The present study is the first to investigate mother-child interbrain neural synchronization during verbal social interactions using a dual-MEG setup. Our results advance our understanding of turn-taking during verbal interaction between mother-child dyads and suggest a role for social "gating" in language learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo-Fu Lotus Lin
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), University of Washington, Portage Bay Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan.,Institute of Linguistics, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
| | - Toshiaki Imada
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), University of Washington, Portage Bay Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Andrew N Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), University of Washington, Portage Bay Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Hirotoshi Hiraishi
- Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1 Chome-20-1 Handayama, Higashi Ward, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Takashi Ikeda
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | | | - Chiaki Hasegawa
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Yuko Yoshimura
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Kikuchi
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Masayuki Hirata
- Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka University Medical School, 2 Chome-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshio Minabe
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Minoru Asada
- Department of Adaptive Machine Systems, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), University of Washington, Portage Bay Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
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19
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Gugnowska K, Novembre G, Kohler N, Villringer A, Keller PE, Sammler D. Endogenous sources of interbrain synchrony in duetting pianists. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4110-4127. [PMID: 35029645 PMCID: PMC9476614 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
When people interact with each other, their brains synchronize. However, it remains unclear whether interbrain synchrony (IBS) is functionally relevant for social interaction or stems from exposure of individual brains to identical sensorimotor information. To disentangle these views, the current dual-EEG study investigated amplitude-based IBS in pianists jointly performing duets containing a silent pause followed by a tempo change. First, we manipulated the similarity of the anticipated tempo change and measured IBS during the pause, hence, capturing the alignment of purely endogenous, temporal plans without sound or movement. Notably, right posterior gamma IBS was higher when partners planned similar tempi, it predicted whether partners' tempi matched after the pause, and it was modulated only in real, not in surrogate pairs. Second, we manipulated the familiarity with the partner's actions and measured IBS during joint performance with sound. Although sensorimotor information was similar across conditions, gamma IBS was higher when partners were unfamiliar with each other's part and had to attend more closely to the sound of the performance. These combined findings demonstrate that IBS is not merely an epiphenomenon of shared sensorimotor information but can also hinge on endogenous, cognitive processes crucial for behavioral synchrony and successful social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Gugnowska
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Research Group Neurocognition of Music and Language, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany
| | - Giacomo Novembre
- Neuroscience of Perception and Action Lab, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Natalie Kohler
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Research Group Neurocognition of Music and Language, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Peter E Keller
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW 2751, Australia
| | - Daniela Sammler
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Research Group Neurocognition of Music and Language, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany
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20
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Adolescent social anxiety undermines adolescent-parent interbrain synchrony during emotional processing: A hyperscanning study. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2022; 22:100329. [PMID: 36111264 PMCID: PMC9449656 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2022.100329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Social anxiety severely impacts adolescents’ social interactions with others; however, the underlying neural mechanism has not been revealed. This study examined how adolescent's social anxiety level influences the interbrain synchrony within adolescent-parent dyads during emotional processing by using electroencephalograph (EEG) hyperscanning. A sample of 25 adolescent-parent dyads completed the picture processing task. Adolescents’ ages ranged from 10 to 14 years old. The results showed that (1) at parietal areas, greater gamma interbrain synchrony was observed in the high social anxiety adolescent-parent dyads (HSAs) than the low social anxiety adolescent-parent dyads (LSAs) in the positive conditions. However, greater gamma interbrain synchrony of the picture processing task was observed in the LSAs than the HSAs in the negative conditions. (2) Compared with the neutral condition, LSAs induced greater interbrain synchronization in the negative condition than in the neutral condition at central and parietal areas. However, HSAs induced greater interbrain synchronization in the positive condition than in the negative condition at parietal areas. (3) HSAs induced greater interbrain synchronization at parietal areas than in the central areas in positive conditions. The results provide neurological evidence that the way parent and adolescent process different emotions in the same emotional episode could be affected by the adolescent's anxiety level.
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21
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Hu Y, Zhu M, Liu Y, Wang Z, Cheng X, Pan Y, Hu Y. Musical Meter Induces Interbrain Synchronization during Interpersonal Coordination. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0504-21.2022. [PMID: 36280287 PMCID: PMC9616439 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0504-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Music induces people to coordinate with one another. Here, we conduct two experiments to examine the underlying mechanism of the interbrain synchronization (IBS) that is induced by interpersonal coordination when people are exposed to musical beat and meter. In experiment 1, brain signals at the frontal cortex were recorded simultaneously from two participants of a dyad by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning, while each tapped their fingers to aural feedback from their partner (coordination task) or from themselves (independence task) with and without the musical meter. The results showed enhanced IBS at the left-middle frontal cortex in case of the coordination task with musical beat and meter. The IBS was significantly correlated with the participants performance in terms of coordination. In experiment 2, we further examined the IBS while the participants coordinated their behaviors in various metrical contexts, such as strong and weak meters (i.e., high/low loudness of acoustically accenting beats). The results showed that strong meters elicited higher IBS at the middle frontal cortex than weak meters. These findings reveal that the musical beat and meter can affect brain-to-brain coupling in action coordination between people, and provide insights into the interbrain mechanism underlying the effects of music on cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinying Hu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Min Zhu
- College of Emergency Management, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Zixuan Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Xiaojun Cheng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yafeng Pan
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yi Hu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
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22
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Sened H, Zilcha-Mano S, Shamay-Tsoory S. Inter-brain plasticity as a biological mechanism of change in psychotherapy: A review and integrative model. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:955238. [PMID: 36092652 PMCID: PMC9458846 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.955238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent models of psychopathology and psychotherapy highlight the importance of interpersonal factors. The current review offers a biological perspective on these interpersonal processes by examining inter-brain synchrony—the coupling of brain activity between people interacting with one another. High inter-brain synchrony is associated with better relationships in therapy and in daily life, while deficits in the ability to achieve inter-brain synchrony are associated with a variety of psychological and developmental disorders. The review suggests that therapy improves patients’ ability to achieve such synchrony through inter-brain plasticity—a process by which recurring exposure to high inter-brain synchrony leads to lasting change in a person’s overall ability to synchronize. Therapeutic sessions provide repeated situations with high inter-brain synchrony. This can lead to a long-term increase in the ability to synchronize, first with the therapist, then generalized to other interpersonal relationships, ultimately leading to symptom reduction. The proposed inter-brain plasticity model offers a novel biological framework for understanding relational change in psychotherapy and its links to various forms of psychopathology and provides testable hypotheses for future research. Understanding this mechanism may help improve existing psychotherapy methods and develop new ones.
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23
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Triki Z, Daughters K, De Dreu CKW. Oxytocin has 'tend-and-defend' functionality in group conflict across social vertebrates. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210137. [PMID: 35369742 PMCID: PMC8977669 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0137] [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] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Across vertebrate species, intergroup conflict confronts individuals with a tension between group interests best served by participation in conflict and personal interest best served by not participating. Here, we identify the neurohormone oxytocin as pivotal to the neurobiological regulation of this tension in distinctly different group-living vertebrates, including fishes, birds, rodents, non-human primates and humans. In the context of intergroup conflict, a review of emerging work on pro-sociality suggests that oxytocin and its fish and birds homologues, isotocin and mesotocin, respectively, can elicit participation in group conflict and aggression. This is because it amplifies (i) concern for the interests of genetically related or culturally similar ‘in-group’ others and (ii) willingness to defend against outside intruders and enemy conspecifics. Across a range of social vertebrates, oxytocin can induce aggressive behaviour to ‘tend-and-defend’ the in-group during intergroup contests. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Intergroup conflict across taxa’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zegni Triki
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Carsten K W De Dreu
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Center for Research in Experimental Economics and Political Decision Making, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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24
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Hu Y, Cheng X, Pan Y, Hu Y. The intrapersonal and interpersonal consequences of interpersonal synchrony. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2022; 224:103513. [PMID: 35093851 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Interpersonal synchrony, the time-matching behaviors, is pervasive in human interactions. This resonation of movements or other forms was generally considered as one of critical survival skills for humans, as the important consequences of synchronizing with other persons in review of the empirical data in this article. These include positive affects towards and between interacting partners, but also include complex effects on the individual level. The intrapersonal effects of interpersonal synchrony are varied with positive or negative ones, including cognitive style, attitude bias, mood state, self-regulatory ability, and academic performance. At the interpersonal level, synchronized movement consistently affects the interaction with the partner and his/her affiliations, but they can be eliminated or magnified by several moderators, such as physiological arousal, shared intentionality, group bias, and musical rhythm. Finally, the research discussed the possible mechanisms underlying the effects of interpersonal synchrony in psychological and biological aspects.
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25
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It Takes Two: Interpersonal Neural Synchrony Is Increased after Musical Interaction. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12030409. [PMID: 35326366 PMCID: PMC8946180 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12030409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Music’s deeply interpersonal nature suggests that music-derived neuroplasticity relates to interpersonal temporal dynamics, or synchrony. Interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) has been found to correlate with increased behavioral synchrony during social interactions and may represent mechanisms that support them. As social interactions often do not have clearly delineated boundaries, and many start and stop intermittently, we hypothesize that a neural signature of INS may be detectable following an interaction. The present study aimed to investigate this hypothesis using a pre-post paradigm, measuring interbrain phase coherence before and after a cooperative dyadic musical interaction. Ten dyads underwent synchronous electroencephalographic (EEG) recording during silent, non-interactive periods before and after a musical interaction in the form of a cooperative tapping game. Significant post-interaction increases in delta band INS were found in the post-condition and were positively correlated with the duration of the preceding interaction. These findings suggest a mechanism by which social interaction may be efficiently continued after interruption and hold the potential for measuring neuroplastic adaption in longitudinal studies. These findings also support the idea that INS during social interaction represents active mechanisms for maintaining synchrony rather than mere parallel processing of stimuli and motor activity.
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26
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Chen D, Zhang R, Liu J, Wang P, Bei L, Liu C, Li X. Gamma‐band neural coupling during conceptual alignment. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:2992-3006. [PMID: 35285571 PMCID: PMC9120565 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25831] [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: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Conceptual alignment is a prerequisite for mutual understanding. However, little is known about the neurophysiological brain‐to‐brain underpinning during conceptual alignment for mutual understanding. Here, we recorded multi‐channel electroencephalogram (EEG) simultaneously from two participants in Experiment 1 and adopted the dual‐tACS techniques in Experiment 2 to investigate the underlying brain‐to‐brain EEG coupling during conceptual alignment and the possible enhancement effect. Our results showed that 1) higher phase‐locking value (PLV), a sensitive measure for quantifying neural coupling strength between EEG signals, at the gamma frequency band (28–40 Hz), was observed in the left temporoparietal site (left TP) area between successful versus unsuccessful conceptual alignment. The left TP gamma coupling strength correlated with the accuracy of conceptual alignment and differentiated whether subjects belonged to the SUCCESS or FAILURE groups in our study. 2) In‐phase gamma‐band transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) over the left TP area increased the accuracy of subjects in the SUCCESS group but not the FAILURE group. 3) The effect of perspective‐taking on the accuracy was mediated by the gamma coupling strength within the left TP area. Our results support the role of gamma‐band coupling between brains for interpersonal conceptual alignment. We provide dynamic interpersonal neurophysiological insights into the formation of successful communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danni Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science East China Normal University Shanghai China
| | - Ruqian Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science East China Normal University Shanghai China
| | - Jieqiong Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science East China Normal University Shanghai China
| | - Pu Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine The Seventh Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen University Shenzhen China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Rehabilitation Medicine and Clinical Translation Guangzhou China
| | - Litian Bei
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science East China Normal University Shanghai China
| | - Chang‐Chia Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery University of Virginia School of Medicine Charlottesville USA
| | - Xianchun Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science East China Normal University Shanghai China
- Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center Shanghai China
- Institute of Wisdom in China East China Normal University Shanghai China
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27
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Fear, love, and the origins of canid domestication: An oxytocin hypothesis. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2022; 9:100100. [PMID: 35755921 PMCID: PMC9216449 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The process of dog domestication likely involved at least two functional stages. The initial stage occurred when subpopulations of wolves became synanthropes, benefiting from life nearby or in human environments. The second phase was characterized by the evolution of novel forms of interspecific cooperation and social relationships between humans and dogs. Here, we discuss possible roles of the oxytocin system across these functional stages of domestication. We hypothesize that in early domestication, oxytocin played important roles in attenuating fear and stress associated with human contact. In later domestication, we hypothesize that oxytocin's most critical functions were those associated with affiliative social behavior, social engagement, and cooperation with humans. We outline possible neurobiological changes associated with these processes and present a Siberian fox model of canid domestication in which these predictions can be tested. Lastly, we identify limitations of current studies on the neuroendocrinology of domestication and discuss challenges and opportunities for future research. We propose various roles for oxytocin across canid domestication. In early domestication, oxytocin primarily regulated fear and anxiety toward humans. In late domestication, oxytocin facilitated interspecific social bonds and cooperation. Comparative neurobiology is critical for understanding oxytocin's roles in domestication. Experimentally domesticated Siberian foxes provide a powerful model for these studies.
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28
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Lee M, Lindo J, Rilling JK. Exploring gene-culture coevolution in humans by inferring neuroendophenotypes: A case study of the oxytocin receptor gene and cultural tightness. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 21:e12783. [PMID: 35044077 PMCID: PMC8917075 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The gene-culture coevolution (GCC) framework has gained increasing prominence in the social and biological sciences. While most studies on human GCC concern the evolution of low-level physiological traits, attempts have also been made to apply GCC to complex human traits, including social behavior and cognition. One major methodological challenge in this endeavor is to reconstruct a specific biological pathway between the implicated genes and their distal phenotypes. Here, we introduce a novel approach that combines data on population genetics and expression quantitative trait loci to infer the specific intermediate phenotypes of genes in the brain. We suggest that such "neuroendophenotypes" will provide more detailed mechanistic insights into the GCC process. We present a case study where we explored a GCC dynamics between the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and cultural tightness-looseness. By combining data from the 1000 Genomes project and the Gene-Tissue-Expression project (GTEx), we estimated and compared OXTR expression in 10 brain regions across five human superpopulations. We found that OXTR expression in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was highly variable across populations, and this variation correlated with cultural tightness and socio-ecological threats worldwide. The mediation models also suggested possible GCC dynamics where the increased OXTR expression in the ACC mediates or emerges from the tight culture and higher socio-ecological threats. Formal selection scans further confirmed that OXTR alleles linked to enhanced receptor expression in the ACC underwent positive selection in East Asian countries with tighter social norms. We discuss the implications of our method in human GCC research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minwoo Lee
- Department of Anthropology, Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - John Lindo
- Department of Anthropology, Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - James K. Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
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29
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Zelenina M, Kosilo M, da Cruz J, Antunes M, Figueiredo P, Mehta MA, Prata D. Temporal Dynamics of Intranasal Oxytocin in Human Brain Electrophysiology. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:3110-3126. [PMID: 34979544 PMCID: PMC9290557 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a key modulator of human social cognition, popular in behavioral neuroscience. To adequately design and interpret intranasal OT (IN-OT) research, it is crucial to know for how long it affects human brain function once administered. However, this has been mostly deduced from peripheral body fluids studies, or uncommonly used dosages. We aimed to characterize IN-OT’s effects on human brain function using resting-state EEG microstates across a typical experimental session duration. Nineteen healthy males participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject, cross-over design of 24 IU of IN-OT in 12-min windows 15 min-to-1 h 42min after administration. We observed IN-OT effects on all microstates, across the observation span. During eyes-closed, IN-OT increased duration and contribution of A and contribution and occurrence of D, decreased duration and contribution of B and C; and increased transition probability C-to-B and C-to-D. In eyes-open, it increased A-to-C and A-to-D. As microstates A and D have been related to phonological auditory and attentional networks, respectively, we posit IN-OT may tune the brain for reception of external stimuli, particularly of social nature—tentatively supporting current neurocognitive hypotheses of OT. Moreover, we contrast our overall results against a comprehensive literature review of IN-OT time-course effects in the brain, highlighting comparability issues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Janir da Cruz
- Laboratory of Psychophysics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015 , Switzerland
- Institute for Systems and Robotics–Lisbon (LARSyS) and Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1049-001 , Portugal
| | - Marília Antunes
- Centro de Estatística e Aplicações e Departamento de Estatística e Investigação Operacional, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Figueiredo
- Institute for Systems and Robotics–Lisbon (LARSyS) and Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1049-001 , Portugal
- INESC-ID, Instituto Superior Técnico, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mitul A Mehta
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Diana Prata
- Address correspondence to Dr. Diana Prata, Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.
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30
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Tereshchenko S, Azanova A, Shubina M, Gorbacheva N. Oxytocin genetic pathway (CD38) and SDQ psychosocial characteristics in adolescent schoolchildren. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2022; 122:117-123. [DOI: 10.17116/jnevro2022122111117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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31
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Inter-group conflict affects inter-brain synchrony during synchronized movements. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118661. [PMID: 34800668 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Interpersonal synchrony refers to alignment in time of interacting individuals. Recent neuroimaging findings indicate that the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) - a core region of the observation-execution system - is not only activated during tasks that involve synchrony, but also coupled between interaction partners, suggesting a key role for the IFG in mediating interpersonal synchrony. In this study we investigated whether inter-brain synchrony (IBS) is modulated by inter-group relationships. We examined this question in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - one of the world's most prolonged and intractable conflicts. Using functional Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning, we measured IBS among ingroup vs. inter-group dyads (same-nationality dyads and Jewish-Palestinian dyads, respectively) while they performed a task entailing 2D movement synchrony. The results point to an increase in behavioral synchrony and greater enjoyment in the ingroup dyads, compared to the inter-group dyads. Critically, IBS in the left IFG significantly increased throughout task and it was higher among ingroup compared to inter-group dyads. Our findings highlight the effect of group membership on IBS plasticity.
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32
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Li J, Pan J, Zhu C, Wang Y. Inter-brain synchronization is weakened by the introduction of external punishment. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:625-633. [PMID: 34964895 PMCID: PMC9327410 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Punishment is a popular institution to enforce social norms in human society. However, how the punishment institution impacts the inter-brain neural signatures of two-person social interactions is still an open question. By performing electroencephalography recording of brain activity in two interacting parties as they simultaneously played both the revised repeated ultimatum game (rrUG) and the revised repeated dictator game (rrDG), this study focused on exploring how the introduction of external punishment influences inter-brain synchronization between the two parties. The data showed a significant negative effect of external punishment on inter-brain synchronization, with greater inter-brain synchronization observed in the rrDG than in the rrUG. We proposed a possible mechanism underlying this result. In the rrDG, the similar moral motivation of both proposers and responders results in inter-brain synchronization between them. However, in the rrUG, the introduction of external punishment crowds out the intrinsic moral motivation of the proposers, thereby undermining the inter-brain synchronization. Moreover, we found a significant positive correlation between the rejection rate from responders for disadvantageous inequal offer and inter-brain synchronization in the rrDG. These findings contribute to understanding the negative effect of punishment institution and shed light on the inter-brain mechanism underlying social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbiao Li
- School of Economics, Institute for Study of
Brain-Like Economics, Shandong University, Jinan 251000, China,China Academy of Corporate Governance, Reinhard
Selten Laboratory, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China,Nankai University Binhai College, Tianjin 300270, China
| | - Jingjing Pan
- China Academy of Corporate Governance, Reinhard
Selten Laboratory, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Chengkang Zhu
- Correspondence should be addressed to Chengkang Zhu, School of
Economics, Institute for Study of Brain-Like Economics, Shandong University, Jinan 250100,
China. E-mail:
| | - Yiwen Wang
- School of Economics and Management, Fuzhou
University, Fuzhou 350108, China
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33
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Abu Elheja R, Palgi Y, Feldman R, Zagoory-Sharon O, Keisari S, Shamay-Tsoory SG. The role of oxytocin in regulating loneliness in old age. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 133:105413. [PMID: 34563837 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Loneliness is prevalent in old age and is associated with reduced positive social interactions. Building on studies showing that oxytocin (OT) levels rise during social interactions, we hypothesized that following participation in positive social interaction involving synchronized movements, OT levels would increase, while state loneliness levels would diminish. A total of 63 older adults (aged M = 78.93, SD = 9.99; Range = 65-101) participated in the study. Participants completed emotional and social loneliness scales and provided saliva samples pre- and post-participation in the "mirror game", which requires movement synchronization and is known to promote connectedness and closeness. Results indicate a reduced state of loneliness following the mirror game. Importantly, the change in OT levels predicted the change in social loneliness, defined as the absence of social interactions with people in the social network. On the other hand, emotional loneliness, marked by deficient emotional contact, only decreased among participants who experienced high levels of closeness with their partner in the mirror game. Findings suggest that context-dependent change in endogenous OT may serve as biomarker for the social effects of oxytocin on loneliness in old age and can help in the development of targeted interventions for treating loneliness in old age.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Abu Elheja
- Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Israel.
| | - Y Palgi
- Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - R Feldman
- Center for Developmental, Social, and Relationship Neuroscience, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel
| | - O Zagoory-Sharon
- Center for Developmental, Social, and Relationship Neuroscience, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel
| | - S Keisari
- School of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa, Israel
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34
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Susnoschi Luca I, Putri FD, Ding H, Vuckovič A. Brain Synchrony in Competition and Collaboration During Multiuser Neurofeedback-Based Gaming. FRONTIERS IN NEUROERGONOMICS 2021; 2:749009. [PMID: 38235241 PMCID: PMC10790838 DOI: 10.3389/fnrgo.2021.749009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
EEG hyperscanning during multiuser gaming offers opportunities to study brain characteristics of social interaction under various paradigms. In this study, we aimed to characterize neural signatures and phase-based functional connectivity patterns of gaming strategies during collaborative and competitive alpha neurofeedback games. Twenty pairs of participants with no close relationship took part in three sessions of collaborative or competitive multiuser neurofeedback (NF), with identical graphical user interface, using Relative Alpha (RA) power as a control signal. Collaborating dyads had to keep their RA within 5% of each other for the team to be awarded a point, while members of competitive dyads scored points if their RA was 10% above their opponent's. Interbrain synchrony existed only during gaming but not during baseline in either collaborative or competitive gaming. Spectral analysis and interbrain connectivity showed that in collaborative gaming, players with higher resting state alpha content were more active in regulating their RA to match those of their partner. Moreover, interconnectivity was the strongest between homologous brain structures of the dyad in theta and alpha bands, indicating a similar degree of planning and social exchange. Competitive gaming emphasized the difference between participants who were able to relax and, in this way, maintain RA, and those who had an unsuccessful approach. Analysis of interbrain connections shows engagement of frontal areas in losers, but not in winners, indicating the formers' attempt to mentalise and apply strategies that might be suitable for conventional gaming, but inappropriate for the alpha neurofeedback-based game. We show that in gaming based on multiplayer non-verbalized NF, the winning strategy is dependent on the rules of the game and on the behavior of the opponent. Mental strategies that characterize successful gaming in the physical world might not be adequate for NF-based gaming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioana Susnoschi Luca
- Biomedical Research Division, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Finda Dwi Putri
- Biomedical Research Division, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Hao Ding
- Section of Movement Disorders and Neurostimulation, Biomedical Statistics and Multimodal Signal Processing Unit, Department of Neurology, Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Aleksandra Vuckovič
- Biomedical Research Division, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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Thorson KR, McKernan SM, West TV, Woolley JD, Mendes WB, Stauffer CS. Oxytocin increases physiological linkage during group therapy for methamphetamine use disorder: a randomized clinical trial. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21004. [PMID: 34697392 PMCID: PMC8546069 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99957-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients and psychotherapists often exhibit behavioral, psychological, and physiological similarity. Here, we test whether oxytocin—a neuropeptide that can enhance expressivity and social perception—influences time-lagged “linkage” of autonomic nervous system responses among participants and facilitators during group therapy. Physiological linkage estimates (n = 949) were created from ten cohorts, each with two facilitators (n = 5) and four to six participants (n = 48), over six weekly sessions of group therapy for methamphetamine use disorder. All participants of a cohort received oxytocin or placebo intranasally in a randomized double-blind procedure before each session. Cardiac interbeat intervals (IBI) were measured continuously during sessions to estimate physiological linkage, operationalized as one cohort-mate’s IBI reactivity during one minute predicting another cohort-mate’s IBI reactivity during the following minute. In oxytocin cohorts, participants and facilitators experienced significant physiological linkage to their cohort-mates (i.e., their physiological responses were predicted by the prior responses of their cohort-mates) and significantly more linkage than people in placebo cohorts. Both effects occurred during the first and second sessions but not later sessions. Results suggest that oxytocin may enhance psychosocial processes often associated with linkage—such as social engagement—in groups and highlight oxytocin’s potential to improve group cohesion during group therapy. Clinical Trials Registration: NCT02881177, First published on 26/08/2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R Thorson
- Department of Psychology, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
| | - Scott M McKernan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tessa V West
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joshua D Woolley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 4150 Clement St, San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA
| | - Wendy Berry Mendes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christopher S Stauffer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA. .,Portland VA Medical Center, 1601 E 4th Plain Blvd (V3SATP), Vancouver, WA, 98661, USA.
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36
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Pan Y, Novembre G, Olsson A. The Interpersonal Neuroscience of Social Learning. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021; 17:680-695. [PMID: 34637374 DOI: 10.1177/17456916211008429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The study of the brain mechanisms underpinning social behavior is currently undergoing a paradigm shift, moving its focus from single individuals to the real-time interaction among groups of individuals. Although this development opens unprecedented opportunities to study how interpersonal brain activity shapes behaviors through learning, there have been few direct connections to the rich field of learning science. Our article examines how the rapidly developing field of interpersonal neuroscience is (and could be) contributing to our understanding of social learning. To this end, we first review recent research extracting indices of brain-to-brain coupling (BtBC) in the context of social behaviors and, in particular, social learning. We then discuss how studying communicative behaviors during learning can aid the interpretation of BtBC and how studying BtBC can inform our understanding of such behaviors. We then discuss how BtBC and communicative behaviors collectively can predict learning outcomes, and we suggest several causative and mechanistic models. Finally, we highlight key methodological and interpretational challenges as well as exciting opportunities for integrating research in interpersonal neuroscience with social learning, and we propose a multiperson framework for understanding how interpersonal transmission of information between individual brains shapes social learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafeng Pan
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet
| | - Giacomo Novembre
- Neuroscience of Perception and Action Lab, Italian Institute of Technology
| | - Andreas Olsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet
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37
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Zhang T, Han S. Non-phase-locked alpha oscillations are involved in spontaneous racial categorization of faces. Neuropsychologia 2021; 160:107968. [PMID: 34310972 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Racial categorization of faces has a notable impact on human behavior, but its neural underpinnings remain unresolved. Previous electroencephalography (EEG) research focused on contributions of phase-locked neural activities to racial categorization of faces. We investigated functional roles of non-phase-locked neural oscillations in spontaneous racial categorization of faces by recording EEG from Chinese adults who performed an individuation task on Asian/White faces in Experiment 1 and on Asian/Black faces in Experiment 2. We quantified neural processes involved in spontaneous racial categorization of faces by examining repetition suppression of non-phase-locked neural oscillations when participants viewed faces of one race presented repeatedly in the same block of trials (repetition condition), or faces of two races presented alternately in the same block of trials (alternating condition). We found decreased power of alpha (9-13 Hz) oscillations in the repetition than alternating conditions at 80-240 ms over frontal-central electrodes induced by White/Black (but not Asian) faces. Moreover, larger repetition suppression of alpha oscillations in response to White/Black (vs. Asian) faces predicted greater implicit negative attitudes toward White/Black faces across individuals. Our findings suggest that non-phase-locked alpha oscillations are engaged in spontaneous racial categorization of faces and are associated with implicit negative attitudes toward other-race faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Zhang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shihui Han
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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38
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Liu H, Zhao C, Wang F, Zhang D. Inter-brain amplitude correlation differentiates cooperation from competition in a motion-sensing sports game. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:552-564. [PMID: 33693825 PMCID: PMC8138086 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cooperation and competition are two basic modes of human interaction. Their underlying neural mechanisms, especially from an interpersonal perspective, have not been fully explored. Using the electroencephalograph-based hyperscanning technique, the present study investigated the neural correlates of both cooperation and competition within the same ecological paradigm using a classic motion-sensing tennis game. Both the inter-brain coupling (the inter-brain amplitude correlation and inter-brain phase-locking) and the intra-brain spectral power were analyzed. Only the inter-brain amplitude correlation showed a significant difference between cooperation and competition, with different spatial patterns at theta, alpha and beta frequency bands. Further inspection revealed distinct inter-brain coupling patterns for cooperation and competition; cooperation elicited positive inter-brain amplitude correlation at the delta and theta bands in extensive brain regions, while competition was associated with negative occipital inter-brain amplitude correlation at the alpha and beta bands. These findings add to our knowledge of the neural mechanisms of cooperation and competition and suggest the significance of adopting an inter-brain perspective in exploring the neural underpinnings of social interaction in ecological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huashuo Liu
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Chenying Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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Zhou X, Pan Y, Zhang R, Bei L, Li X. Mortality threat mitigates interpersonal competition: an EEG-based hyperscanning study. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:621-631. [PMID: 33755182 PMCID: PMC8138089 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Awareness of death has been shown to influence human cognition and behavior. Yet, how mortality threat (MT) impacts our daily social behavior remains elusive. To address this issue, we developed a dyadic experimental model and recruited 86 adults (43 dyads) to complete two computer-based tasks (i.e. competitive and cooperative button-pressing). We manipulated dyads’ awareness of death [MT vs neutral control (NC)] and simultaneously measured their neurophysiological activity using electroencephalography during the task. Several fundamental observations were made. First, the MT group showed significantly attenuated competition and slightly promoted cooperation. Second, compared to NC, MT significantly decreased gamma-band inter-brain synchronization (IBS) in the competitive context, which was associated with increased subjective fear of death within dyads. Notably, those effects were context-specific: we did not observe comparable results in the cooperative context. Finally, a machine-learning approach was successfully used to discriminate between the MT and NC groups based on accumulated IBS. Together, these findings indicate that MT to some extent mitigates interpersonal competition, and such mitigation might be associated with changes in gamma-band IBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Yafeng Pan
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17165, Sweden
| | - Ruqian Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Litian Bei
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Xianchun Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
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Müller V, Ohström KRP, Lindenberger U. Interactive brains, social minds: Neural and physiological mechanisms of interpersonal action coordination. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:661-677. [PMID: 34273378 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
It is now widely accepted that inter-brain synchronization is an important and inevitable mechanism of interpersonal action coordination and social interaction behavior. This review of the current literature focuses first on the forward model for interpersonal action coordination and functional system theory for biological systems, two broadly similar concepts for adaptive system behavior. Further, we review interacting-brain and/or hyper-brain dynamics studies, to show the interplay between intra- and inter-brain connectivity resulting in hyper-brain network structure and network topology dynamics, and consider the functioning of interacting brains as a superordinate system. The concept of a superordinate system, or superorganism, is then evaluated with respect to neuronal and physiological systems group dynamics, which show further accompanying mechanisms of interpersonal interaction. We note that fundamental problems need to be resolved to better understand the neural mechanisms of interpersonal action coordination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Müller
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin, 14195, Germany.
| | - Kira-Rahel P Ohström
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin, 14195, Germany
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin, 14195, Germany; Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, England, and Berlin, Germany
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41
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Peng W, Lou W, Huang X, Ye Q, Tong RKY, Cui F. Suffer together, bond together: Brain-to-brain synchronization and mutual affective empathy when sharing painful experiences. Neuroimage 2021; 238:118249. [PMID: 34116146 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous behavioral studies have shown that sharing painful experiences can strengthen social bonds and promote mutual prosociality, yet the neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. We hypothesized that sharing a painful experience induces brain-to-brain synchronization and mutual empathy for each other's pain between pain-takers and pain-observers, which then leads to enhanced social bonding. To test this hypothesis, we adopted an electroencephalographic (EEG) hyper-scanning technique to assess neuronal and behavioral activity during a Pain-Sharing task in which high- or low-intensity pain stimulation was randomly delivered to one participant of a dyad on different experimental trials. Single-brain analysis showed that sensorimotor α-oscillation power was suppressed more when expecting high-intensity pain than when expecting low-intensity pain similarly for self-directed or partner-directed pain. Dual-brain analysis revealed that expecting high-intensity pain induced greater brain-to-brain synchronization of sensorimotor α-oscillation phases between pain-takers and pain-observers than did expecting low-intensity pain. Mediation analysis further revealed that brain-to-brain synchronization of sensorimotor α-oscillations mediated the effects of pain-stimulation intensity on mutual affective sharing for partner-directed pain. This mutual affective empathy during the task predicted the social bonding, as indexed by prosocial inclinations measured after the task. These results support the hypothesis that sharing a painful experience triggers emotional resonance between pairs of individuals through brain-to-brain synchronization of neuronal α-oscillations recorded over the sensorimotor cortex, and this emotional resonance further strengthens social bonds and motivates prosocial behavior within pairs of individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Peng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wutao Lou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Huang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qian Ye
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Raymond Kai-Yu Tong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Fang Cui
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
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Gifford A, Marmelat V, Beadle JN. A Narrative Review Examining the Utility of Interpersonal Synchrony for the Caregiver-Care Recipient Relationship in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias. Front Psychol 2021; 12:595816. [PMID: 34025493 PMCID: PMC8137821 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.595816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The stressful nature of caring for an older adult with a chronic disease, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), can create barriers between the caregiver-care recipient, as they try to navigate their continuously changing social relationship. Interpersonal synchrony (i.e., matching or similarity of movement, emotions, hormones, or brain activity), is an innovative approach that could help to sustain caregiving relationship dynamics by promoting feelings of connection and empathy through shared behavior and experiences. This review investigates the current literature on interpersonal synchrony from an interdisciplinary perspective by examining interpersonal synchrony through psychological, neural, and hormonal measures across the adult lifespan. We then present a case for examining the degree to which interpersonal synchrony can be used to facilitate affiliation and well-being in the caregiver-care recipient relationship. We find that there is significant evidence in healthy adult populations that interpersonal synchrony can support affiliative feelings, prosocial behavior, and well-being. Characterizing the psychological, neural, and hormonal mechanisms of interpersonal synchrony is a first step towards laying the groundwork for the development of tools to support relational closeness and empathy in the caregiving context. Finally, we explore the strengths and limitations of using interpersonal synchrony to support relational well-being, and discuss possible avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Gifford
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Vivien Marmelat
- Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Janelle N Beadle
- Department of Gerontology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, United States
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43
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Dumas G, Fairhurst MT. Reciprocity and alignment: quantifying coupling in dynamic interactions. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210138. [PMID: 34040790 PMCID: PMC8113897 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent accounts of social cognition focus on how we do things together, suggesting that becoming aligned relies on a reciprocal exchange of information. The next step is to develop richer computational methods that quantify the degree of coupling and describe the nature of the information exchange. We put forward a definition of coupling, comparing it to related terminology and detail, available computational methods and the level of organization to which they pertain, presenting them as a hierarchy from weakest to richest forms of coupling. The rationale is that a temporally coherent link between two dynamical systems at the lowest level of organization sustains mutual adaptation and alignment at the highest level. Postulating that when we do things together, we do so dynamically over time and we argue that to determine and measure instances of true reciprocity in social exchanges is key. Along with this computationally rich definition of coupling, we present challenges for the field to be tackled by a diverse community working towards a dynamic account of social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Dumas
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Merle T. Fairhurst
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Bundeswehr University, Munich, Germany
- Faculty of Philosophy and Munich Center for Neuroscience, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
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De Meulemeester C, Lowyck B, Luyten P. The role of impairments in self-other distinction in borderline personality disorder: A narrative review of recent evidence. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:242-254. [PMID: 33901500 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Impairments in maintaining a differentiated sense of "self" and "other" are thought to be a central feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, studies directly focusing on self-other distinction (SOD) in BPD are scarce, and these findings have not yet been integrated with novel insights into the neural mechanism involved in SOD. Here, we present a narrative review of recent behavioral and neuroimaging findings focusing on impairments in SOD in BPD. Behavioral findings of SOD at the embodied level provide preliminary evidence for impairments in multisensory integration in BPD. Furthermore, both behavioral and neuroscientific data converge to suggest that SOD impairments in BPD reflect an inability to shift between self and other representations according to task demands. Research also suggests that disruptions in infant-caregiver synchrony may play a role in the development of these impairments. Based on these findings, we present a new, integrative model linking impairments in SOD to reduced neural and behavioral synchrony in BPD. The implications of these findings for future research and clinical interventions are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benedicte Lowyck
- University Psychiatric Hospital UPC KU Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Patrick Luyten
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, UK
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45
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Reinero DA, Dikker S, Van Bavel JJ. Inter-brain synchrony in teams predicts collective performance. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:43-57. [PMID: 32991728 PMCID: PMC7812618 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research in economics and psychology attempting to identify ingredients that make up successful teams, neuroscientists have only just begun to study how multiple brains interact. Recent research has shown that people's brain activity becomes synchronized with others' (inter-brain synchrony) during social engagement. However, little is known as to whether inter-brain synchrony relates to collective behavior within teams. Here, we merge the nascent field of group neuroscience with the extant literature of team dynamics and collective performance. We recruited 174 participants in groups of 4 and randomly assigned them to complete a series of problem-solving tasks either independently or as a team, while simultaneously recording each person's brain activity using an electroencephalography hyperscanning setup. This design allowed us to examine the relationship between group identification and inter-brain synchrony in explaining collective performance. As expected, teammates identified more strongly with one another, cooperated more on an economic game, and outperformed the average individual on most problem-solving tasks. Crucially, inter-brain synchrony, but not self-reported group identification, predicted collective performance among teams. These results suggest that inter-brain synchrony can be informative in understanding collective performance among teams where self-report measures may fail to capture behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego A Reinero
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Suzanne Dikker
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jay J Van Bavel
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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46
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Abraham E, Posner J, Wickramaratne PJ, Aw N, van Dijk MT, Cha J, Weissman MM, Talati A. Concordance in parent and offspring cortico-basal ganglia white matter connectivity varies by parental history of major depressive disorder and early parental care. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 15:889-903. [PMID: 33031555 PMCID: PMC7543940 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Social behavior is transmitted cross-generationally through coordinated behavior within attachment bonds. Parental depression and poor parental care are major risks for disruptions of such coordination and are associated with offspring's psychopathology and interpersonal dysfunction. Given the key role of the cortico-basal ganglia (CBG) circuits in social communication, we examined similarities (concordance) of parent-offspring CBG white matter (WM) connections and how parental history of major depressive disorder (MDD) and early parental care moderate these similarities. We imaged 44 parent-offspring dyads and investigated WM connections between basal-ganglia seeds and selected regions in temporal cortex using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography. We found significant concordance in parent-offspring strength of CBG WM connections, moderated by parental lifetime-MDD and care. The results showed diminished neural concordance among dyads with a depressed parent and that better parental care predicted greater concordance, which also provided a protective buffer against attenuated concordance among dyads with a depressed parent. Our findings provide the first neurobiological evidence of concordance between parents-offspring in WM tracts and that concordance is diminished in families where parents have lifetime-MDD. This disruption may be a risk factor for intergenerational transmission of psychopathology. Findings emphasize the long-term role of early caregiving in shaping the neural concordance among at-risk and affected dyads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Abraham
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Posner
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Priya J Wickramaratne
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Natalie Aw
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Milenna T van Dijk
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jiook Cha
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Myrna M Weissman
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Departments of Epidemiology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ardesheer Talati
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Divisions of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
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47
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Kingsbury L, Hong W. A Multi-Brain Framework for Social Interaction. Trends Neurosci 2020; 43:651-666. [PMID: 32709376 PMCID: PMC7484406 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Social interaction can be seen as a dynamic feedback loop that couples action, reaction, and internal cognitive processes across individual agents. A fuller understanding of the social brain requires a description of how the neural dynamics across coupled brains are linked and how they coevolve over time. We elaborate a multi-brain framework that considers social interaction as an integrated network of neural systems that dynamically shape behavior, shared cognitive states, and social relationships. We describe key findings from multi-brain experiments in humans and animal models that shed new light on the function of social circuits in health and disease. Finally, we discuss recent progress in elucidating the cellular-level mechanisms underlying inter-brain neural dynamics and outline key areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyle Kingsbury
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Weizhe Hong
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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48
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Tang Y, Liu X, Wang C, Cao M, Deng S, Du X, Dai Y, Geng S, Fan Y, Cui L, Li F. Different strategies, distinguished cooperation efficiency, and brain synchronization for couples: An fNIRS-based hyperscanning study. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01768. [PMID: 32710600 PMCID: PMC7507397 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Individuals may employ different strategies when cooperating with others. For example, when two participants are asked to press buttons simultaneously, they may press the buttons as quickly as possible (immediate response strategy) or press them in a delayed pattern (delayed response strategy). Despite recognition of interpersonal brain synchronization (IBS) as a fundamental neural mechanism of cooperation, it remains unclear how various strategies influence cooperative behavior and its neural activities. METHODS To address this issue, 43 married couples were recruited to complete a button-press cooperative task, during which IBS was recorded by functional near-infrared spectroscopy hyperscanning. RESULTS Behavioral results showed that couples who adopted a delayed response strategy performed better than those who adopted an immediate response strategy and those without any obvious strategy, and a new measure (cooperation coefficient) was used to index the level of cooperation. In addition, stronger IBS in the right frontal cortex was observed in the delayed response condition. The greater couples' perceived parenting stress, the more likely they were to perform well in tasks and the stronger their brain synchronization, since they tended to choose the delayed response strategy. CONCLUSION The delayed response strategy may better unify dyad partners' response modes, trigger synchronized psychological processes, and enable their brains to become synchronized. The study extends understanding of cooperation by comparing the contributions of different strategies underlying cooperative behavior with corresponding neural evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Tang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,Developmental and Behavioral Pediatric Department & Child Primary Care Department, Brain and Behavioral Research Unit of Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Developmental and Behavioral Pediatric Department & Child Primary Care Department, Brain and Behavioral Research Unit of Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chenbo Wang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Miao Cao
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Shining Deng
- Developmental and Behavioral Pediatric Department & Child Primary Care Department, Brain and Behavioral Research Unit of Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiujuan Du
- Developmental and Behavioral Pediatric Department & Child Primary Care Department, Brain and Behavioral Research Unit of Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Dai
- Developmental and Behavioral Pediatric Department & Child Primary Care Department, Brain and Behavioral Research Unit of Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shujie Geng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Yun Fan
- Developmental and Behavioral Pediatric Department & Child Primary Care Department, Brain and Behavioral Research Unit of Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lijuan Cui
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Li
- Developmental and Behavioral Pediatric Department & Child Primary Care Department, Brain and Behavioral Research Unit of Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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49
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Group Cooperation, Carrying-Capacity Stress, and Intergroup Conflict. Trends Cogn Sci 2020; 24:760-776. [PMID: 32620334 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Peaceful intergroup relations deteriorate when individuals engage in parochial cooperation and parochial competition. To understand when and why intergroup relations change from peaceful to violent, we present a theoretical framework mapping out the different interdependence structures between groups. According to this framework, cooperation can lead to group expansion and ultimately to carrying-capacity stress. In such cases of endogenously created carrying-capacity stress, intergroup relations are more likely to become negatively interdependent, and parochial competition can emerge as a response. We discuss the cognitive, neural, and hormonal building blocks of parochial cooperation, and conclude that conflict between groups can be the inadvertent consequence of human preparedness - biological and cultural - to solve cooperation problems within groups.
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50
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Valencia AL, Froese T. What binds us? Inter-brain neural synchronization and its implications for theories of human consciousness. Neurosci Conscious 2020; 2020:niaa010. [PMID: 32547787 PMCID: PMC7288734 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niaa010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The association between neural oscillations and functional integration is widely recognized in the study of human cognition. Large-scale synchronization of neural activity has also been proposed as the neural basis of consciousness. Intriguingly, a growing number of studies in social cognitive neuroscience reveal that phase synchronization similarly appears across brains during meaningful social interaction. Moreover, this inter-brain synchronization has been associated with subjective reports of social connectedness, engagement, and cooperativeness, as well as experiences of social cohesion and ‘self-other merging’. These findings challenge the standard view of human consciousness as essentially first-person singular and private. We therefore revisit the recent controversy over the possibility of extended consciousness and argue that evidence of inter-brain synchronization in the fastest frequency bands overcomes the hitherto most convincing sceptical position. If this proposal is on the right track, our understanding of human consciousness would be profoundly transformed, and we propose a method to test this proposal experimentally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lucía Valencia
- Psychobiology and Neuroscience Department, Faculty of Psychology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.,Embodied Cognitive Science Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Tom Froese
- Embodied Cognitive Science Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
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