Luria revisited: cognitive research in schizophrenia, past implications and future challenges

Between Meanings and Senses-Making Spaces: Agency and Ownership Emergence Formalization from Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Position, for an AI-Friendly Model

Sense of agency and sense of ownership are considered crucial in autonomous systems. However, drawbacks still exist regarding how to represent their causal origin and internal structure, either in formalized psychological models or in artificial systems. This paper considers that these drawbacks are based on the ontological and epistemological duality in mainstream psychology and AI. By shedding light on the cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) and dialectical logic, and by building on and extending related work, this paper attempts to investigate how the noted duality affects investigating the self and "I". And by differentiating between the space of meanings and the sense-making space, the paper introduces CHAT's position of the causal emergence of agency and ownership by stressing the twofold transition theory being central to CHAT. Furthermore, a qualitative formalized model is introduced to represent the emergence of agency and ownership through the emergence of the contradictions-based meaning with potential employment in AI.

Neuropsychology of the parietal lobe: Luria's and contemporary conceptions

The parietal lobe, constituting approximately 20% of the human brain, comprises two main regions: the somatosensory cortex and the posterior parietal cortex. The former is responsible for receiving and processing information from the organism itself or its external environment, while the latter performs concurrent summaries and higher cognitive functions. The present study seeks to integrate modern research findings with Luria's previous discoveries in order to gain a nuanced understanding of the roles assigned to the parietal lobe as well as its lateralization differences.

The "Creativity Crisis" as a Mind in Crisis: A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Position

Creativity is considered a global ability and crucial for ordinary-daily and special (e.g., science, aesthetic) activities. In this paper, from the position of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), we expand the debate about the creativity crisis and hypothesize that the noted crisis is only the tip of the iceberg represented by the crisis of the postmodern' incoherent mind, reflecting the crisis of self-realization as a leading activity in the individualistic epoch. By investigating creativity as an original functionality of the mind, two key titles are stressed. One is the halting of the activity system; two, it is the inconsistency between the objective meanings sphere and the subjective sense-making sphere. Both titles represent the epistemological rupture embedded in the mainstream culture and praxis rooted in the internal contradictions of individualism and post-modernism as worldview and practices, leading the mind to close its eyes on the contradictions which are the crucial source of grasping the internal content (abstraction and generalization) of the given experience, hence, a crucial source of creativity. Thus, it is considered that not only creativity is in crisis, but also the coherence of the mind as well, as an extreme result of the shattered postmodern existence.

Neuropsychology of epilepsy surgery and theory-based practice: an opinion review

The present review attempts to discuss how some of the central concepts from the Lurian corpus of theories are relevant to the modern neuropsychology of epilepsy and epilepsy surgery. Through the lenses of the main Lurian concepts (such as the qualitative syndrome analysis), we discuss the barriers to clinical reasoning imposed by quadrant-based views of the brain, or even atheoretical, statistically-based and data-driven approaches. We further advice towards a systemic view inspired by Luria's clinical work and theorizing, given their importance towards our clinical practice, by contrasting it to the modular views when appropriate. Luria provided theory-guided methods of assessment and rehabilitation of higher cortical functions. Although his work did not specifically address epilepsy, his theory and clinical approaches actually apply to the whole neuropathology spectrum and accounting for the whole panorama of neurocognition. This holistic and systemic approach to the brain is consistent with the network approach of the neuroimaging era. As to epilepsy, the logic of cognitive functions organized into complex functional systems, contrary to modular views of the brain, heralds current knowledge of epilepsy as a network disease, as well as the concept of the functional deficit zone.

Activity system, schizotypal personality, and mentalization: A study between halted activity and COVID-19 conducted in Henan, China

The pandemic-related lifestyle has potentially imposed crucial disturbances on daily and long-term activities, which, in turn, were associated with thought disturbance. This study investigates how the characteristics of the activity system during pandemic-related restrictions are associated with other psychomental aspects. By focusing on PTSD, mentalization, and schizotypal personality, and by inquiring about the main components of the activity system of 852 college students (Zhengzhou, Henan, China)- including the goals orienting their activity, goals' terms and types, the motivation levels and sources, the activity type and engagement time, the flow of the activity, and how due to pandemic lifestyle-results revealed that the activity system's components have significant associations with PTSD, reflective function, and schizotypal traits. Additionally, some of the activity system's elements have a significant predictive role regarding schizotypal traits. The study considered that the life narrative during the pandemic has been disturbed; hence, this may have a crucial effect on mind coherence. Additionally, the outcomes from the pandemic context will support mental health interventions in other similar contexts where the life narrative is severely affected.

The neuropsychological profile of parietal and occipital lobe epilepsy

Despite the extensive body of research in clinical neurology on the functional organization of posterior cortices, parietal and occipital lobe epilepsy (PLE and OLE) have not as yet received the attention afforded frontal and temporal lobe epilepsy (FLE and TLE), perhaps due to their low prevalence. Posterior epilepsies however, represent a challenge for epileptology in general and neuropsychological differential diagnosis in particular. Our main purpose was to examine the likely existence of a pattern of cognitive dysfunction characterizing patients suffering from seizures with a parietal and/or occipital ictal onset. We hypothesized that such patients would present difficulties in the visuospatial and visuoconstructive domains, since spatial analysis and synthesis is an inherent feature of posterior cortical systems. Participants were 14 patients with epilepsy and 14 healthy controls matched for demographic characteristics (gender, age, and education level). We used an extensive battery of neuropsychological tests to assess auditory-verbal memory and learning, episodic memory, attention and working memory, verbal abilities, haptic perception, arithmetic abilities, and executive functions. Special attention was given to visuospatial abilities. Depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed through a self-administered questionnaire. Nonparametric (Mann-Whitney U test) statistical tests were conducted. We found that patients with epilepsy performed significantly worse in visuoconstruction, verbal, and executive functions compared to their healthy matches. Finally, we interpret our findings from the perspective of Luria of mental functions organized into functional systems and the current trends in epileptology to view epilepsy as a system (network) problem.

Self-perception of mental illness, and subjective and objective cognitive functioning in people with schizophrenia

Background: People with schizophrenia may have a negative self-perception of mental illness. However, the relationship between the self-perception of illness and subjective and objective cognitive functioning remains unclear. Method: Thirty-seven people with schizophrenia were enrolled in the study group. All subjects completed self-reported self-perception of mental illness questionnaires (Birchwood Insight Scale [BIS], Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness [ISMI]), subjective cognitive functioning (Scale to Investigate Cognition in Schizophrenia [SSTICS]) and objective cognitive functioning (Luria Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery [LNNB]). Results: Spearman's rank analysis showed that awareness of illness (domain of insight) was positively associated with most domains of SSTICS and ISMI. Total insight was positively correlated with alienation (domain of ISMI).  Need for treatment (domain of insight) was negatively correlated with stigma resistance (domain of ISMI). Awareness of symptoms (domain of insight) and total insight were negatively associated with receptive speech and arithmetic (LNNB subtest), respectively. ISMI was positively correlated with most domains of SSTICS, but not with LNNB. The group with good insight had higher scores in attention (domain of SSTICS) and total SSTICS and alienation, stereotype endorsement, social withdrawal (domains of ISMI) and total ISMI than the group with poor insight. The group with mild to moderate internalized stigma had higher scores in explicit memory, attention, language, praxia (domains of SSTICS) and total SSTICS than the group with no internalized stigma. Conclusion: We identified that awareness of illness (domain of insight), internalized stigma were significantly associated with most domains of SSTICS, but not with LNNB. Total insight and awareness of symptoms (domain of insight) were significantly associated with receptive speech and arithmetic (LNNB subtest), respectively. Schizophrenia with higher insight or more internalized stigma reported more subjective cognitive impairment. Future studies with larger samples involving follow up are necessary to verify our findings and extend the applicability.

Theoretical Modeling of Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia by Means of Errors and Corresponding Brain Networks

The current evidence of cognitive disturbances and brain alterations in schizophrenia does not provide the plausible explanation of the underlying mechanisms. Neuropsychological studies outlined the cognitive profile of patients with schizophrenia, that embodied the substantial disturbances in perceptual and motor processes, spatial functions, verbal and non-verbal memory, processing speed and executive functioning. Standardized scoring in the majority of the neurocognitive tests renders the index scores or the achievement indicating the severity of the cognitive impairment rather than the actual performance by means of errors. At the same time, the quantitative evaluation may lead to the situation when two patients with the same index score of the particular cognitive test, demonstrate qualitatively different performances. This may support the view why test paradigms that habitually incorporate different cognitive variables associate weakly, reflecting an ambiguity in the interpretation of noted cognitive constructs. With minor exceptions, cognitive functions are not attributed to the localized activity but eventuate from the coordinated activity in the generally dispersed brain networks. Functional neuroimaging has progressively explored the connectivity in the brain networks in the absence of the specific task and during the task processing. The spatio-temporal fluctuations of the activity of the brain areas detected in the resting state and being highly reproducible in numerous studies, resemble the activation and communication patterns during the task performance. Relatedly, the activation in the specific brain regions oftentimes is attributed to a number of cognitive processes. Given the complex organization of the cognitive functions, it becomes crucial to designate the roles of the brain networks in relation to the specific cognitive functions. One possible approach is to identify the commonalities of the deficits across the number of cognitive tests or, common errors in the various tests and identify their common "denominators" in the brain networks. The qualitative characterization of cognitive performance might be beneficial in addressing diffuse cognitive alterations presumably caused by the dysconnectivity of the distributed brain networks. Therefore, in the review, we use this approach in the description of standardized tests in the scope of potential errors in patients with schizophrenia with a subsequent reference to the brain networks.

Potential implications of Luria's work for the neuropsychology of epilepsy and epilepsy surgery: A perspective for re-examination

The pioneeristic work of Alexander Romanovic Luria into the field of human neuropsychology offered eminent contributions to clinical praxis by providing theory guided methods and instruments for the study of higher cortical functions. However, lots of this knowledge corpus either remains untranslated and thus inaccessible, or in some cases selectively overlooked by academic authorities and consequently not passed to the future generations of experts. Although Luria was not exclusively devoted to the study of epilepsy, his theories and clinical approaches actually penetrate the whole neuropathology spectrum. His holistic and systemic approach to the brain sounds nowadays more than opportune and consistent with the network approach of the modern neuroimaging era. As to epilepsy, the logic underlying the Lurian approach (cognitive functions organized into complex functional systems with intra- and/or inter-hemispheric distribution, as opposed to the modularistic view of the brain) seems consistent with our current knowledge in epileptology with respect to epileptic networks, as well as the modern construct of the functional deficit zone. These contributions seem to be highly promising for the neuropsychology of epilepsy and epilepsy surgery, since they provide clinicians with valuable methods and theories to assist them in the localization -and lateralization- of cognitive deficits. Consequently they are of great applicability in the context of the preoperative neuropsychological monitoring of patients candidates for epilepsy surgery, where neuropsychologist are called upon to provide surgeons with anatomical data.

Increased risk of developing schizophrenia in animals exposed to cigarette smoke during the gestational period

Cigarette smoking during the prenatal period has been investigated as a causative factor of obstetric abnormalities, which lead to cognitive and behavioural changes associated with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to investigate behaviour and AChE activity in brain structures in adult rats exposed to cigarette smoke during the prenatal period. Pregnant rats were divided into non-PCSE (non-prenatal cigarette smoke exposure) and PCSE (prenatal cigarette smoke exposure) groups. On post-natal day 60, the rats received saline or ketamine for 7days and were subjected to behavioural tasks. In the locomotor activity task, the non-PCSE+ketamine and PCSE+ketamine groups exhibited increased locomotor activity compared with the saline group. In the social interaction task, the non-PCSE+ketamine and PCSE+ketamine groups exhibited an increased latency compared with the control groups. However, the PCSE+ketamine group exhibited a decreased latency compared with the non-PCSE+ketamine group, which indicates that the cigarette exposure appeared to decrease, the social deficits generated by ketamine. In the inhibitory avoidance task, the non-PCSE+ketamine, PCSE, and PCSE+ketamine groups exhibited impairments in working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. In the pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) test, cigarette smoke associated with ketamine resulted in impaired PPI in 3 pre-pulse (PP) intensity groups compared with the control groups. In the biochemical analysis, the AChE activity in brain structures increased in the ketamine groups; however, the PCSE+ketamine group exhibited an exacerbated effect in all brain structures. The present study indicates that exposure to cigarette smoke during the prenatal period may affect behaviour and cerebral cholinergic structures during adulthood.

Aging into Perceptual Control: A Dynamic Causal Modeling for fMRI Study of Bistable Perception

Aging is accompanied by stereotyped changes in functional brain activations, for example a cortical shift in activity patterns from posterior to anterior regions is one hallmark revealed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of aging cognition. Whether these neuronal effects of aging could potentially contribute to an amelioration of or resistance to the cognitive symptoms associated with psychopathology remains to be explored. We used a visual illusion paradigm to address whether aging affects the cortical control of perceptual beliefs and biases. Our aim was to understand the effective connectivity associated with volitional control of ambiguous visual stimuli and to test whether greater top-down control of early visual networks emerged with advancing age. Using a bias training paradigm for ambiguous images we found that older participants (n = 16) resisted experimenter-induced visual bias compared to a younger cohort (n = 14) and that this resistance was associated with greater activity in prefrontal and temporal cortices. By applying Dynamic Causal Models for fMRI we uncovered a selective recruitment of top-down connections from the middle temporal to Lingual gyrus (LIN) by the older cohort during the perceptual switch decision following bias training. In contrast, our younger cohort did not exhibit any consistent connectivity effects but instead showed a loss of driving inputs to orbitofrontal sources following training. These findings suggest that perceptual beliefs are more readily controlled by top-down strategies in older adults and introduce age-dependent neural mechanisms that may be important for understanding aberrant belief states associated with psychopathology.