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Bacha-Trams M, Yorulmaz GE, Glerean E, Ryyppö E, Tapani K, Virmavirta E, Saaristo J, Jääskeläinen IP, Sams M. Sisterhood predicts similar neural processing of a film. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120712. [PMID: 38945181 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120712] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Relationships between humans are essential for how we see the world. Using fMRI, we explored the neural basis of homophily, a sociological concept that describes the tendency to bond with similar others. Our comparison of brain activity between sisters, friends and acquaintances while they watched a movie, indicate that sisters' brain activity is more similar than that of friends and friends' activity is more similar than that of acquaintances. The increased similarity in brain activity measured as inter-subject correlation (ISC) was found both in higher-order brain areas including the default-mode network (DMN) and sensory areas. Increased ISC could not be explained by genetic relation between sisters neither by similarities in eye-movements, emotional experiences, and physiological activity. Our findings shed light on the neural basis of homophily by revealing that similarity in brain activity in the DMN and sensory areas is the stronger the closer is the relationship between the people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Bacha-Trams
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland; Institute of Research Methods in Psychology - Media-based Knowledge Construction, Computer Science and Applied Cognitive Science, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
| | - Gökce Ertas Yorulmaz
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Enrico Glerean
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Elisa Ryyppö
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Karoliina Tapani
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Eero Virmavirta
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Jenni Saaristo
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Iiro P Jääskeläinen
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland; Advanced Magnetic Imaging (AMI) Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.
| | - Mikko Sams
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland; Aalto Studios - MAGICS, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
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2
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Pan Y, Vinding MC, Zhang L, Lundqvist D, Olsson A. A Brain-To-Brain Mechanism for Social Transmission of Threat Learning. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2304037. [PMID: 37544901 PMCID: PMC10558655 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Survival and adaptation in environments require swift and efficacious learning about what is dangerous. Across species, much of such threat learning is acquired socially, e.g., through the observation of others' ("demonstrators'") defensive behaviors. However, the specific neural mechanisms responsible for the integration of information shared between demonstrators and observers remain largely unknown. This dearth of knowledge is addressed by performing magnetoencephalography (MEG) neuroimaging in demonstrator-observer dyads. A set of stimuli are first shown to a demonstrator whose defensive responses are filmed and later presented to an observer, while neuronal activity is recorded sequentially from both individuals who never interacted directly. These results show that brain-to-brain coupling (BtBC) in the fronto-limbic circuit (including insula, ventromedial, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) within demonstrator-observer dyads predict subsequent expressions of learning in the observer. Importantly, the predictive power of BtBC magnifies when a threat is imminent to the demonstrator. Furthermore, BtBC depends on how observers perceive their social status relative to the demonstrator, likely driven by shared attention and emotion, as bolstered by dyadic pupillary coupling. Taken together, this study describes a brain-to-brain mechanism for social threat learning, involving BtBC, which reflects social relationships and predicts adaptive, learned behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafeng Pan
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- Department of Clinical NeuroscienceKarolinska InstitutetStockholm17165Sweden
| | - Mikkel C. Vinding
- Department of Clinical NeuroscienceKarolinska InstitutetStockholm17165Sweden
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and ResearchCopenhagen University Hospital ‐ Amager and HvidovreCopenhagen2650Denmark
| | - Lei Zhang
- Centre for Human Brain HealthSchool of PsychologyUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamB15 2TTUK
- Institute for Mental HealthSchool of PsychologyUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamB15 2TTUK
- SocialCognitive and Affective Neuroscience UnitDepartment of CognitionEmotionand Methods in PsychologyFaculty of PsychologyUniversity of ViennaVienna1010Austria
| | - Daniel Lundqvist
- Department of Clinical NeuroscienceKarolinska InstitutetStockholm17165Sweden
| | - Andreas Olsson
- Department of Clinical NeuroscienceKarolinska InstitutetStockholm17165Sweden
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3
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Tikka P, Kaipainen M, Salmi J. Narrative simulation of social experiences in naturalistic context - A neurocinematic approach. Neuropsychologia 2023; 188:108654. [PMID: 37507066 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108654] [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: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Narratives may be regarded as simulations of everyday social situations. They are key to studying the human mind in socio-culturally determined contexts as they allow anchoring to the common ground of embodied and environmentally-engaged cognition. Here we review recent findings from naturalistic neuroscience on neural functions in conditions that mimic lifelike situations. We will focus particularly on neurocinematics, a research field that applies mediated narratives as stimuli for neuroimaging experiments. During the last two decades, this paradigm has contributed to an accumulation of insights about the neural underpinnings of behavior and sense-making in various narratively contextualized situations particularly pertaining to socio-emotional encounters. One of the key questions in neurocinematics is, how do intersubjectively synchronized brain activations relate to subjective experiences? Another question we address is how to bring natural contexts into experimental studies. Seeking to respond to both questions, we suggest neurocinematic studies to examine three manifestations of the same phenomenon side-by-side: subjective experiences of narrative situations, unfolding of narrative stimulus structure, and neural processes that co-constitute the experience. This approach facilitates identifying experientially meaningful activity patterns in the brain and points out what they may mean in relation to shared and communicable contents. Via rich-featured and temporally contextualized narrative stimuli, neurocinematics attempts to contribute to emerging holistic theories of neural dynamics and connectomics explaining typical and atypical interindividual variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Tikka
- Enactive Virtuality Lab, Baltic School of Film, Media and Arts, Tallinn University, Estonia.
| | | | - Juha Salmi
- Translational Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
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4
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Li X, Lou W, Zhang W, Tong RKY, Hu L, Peng W. Ongoing first-hand pain facilitates somatosensory resonance but inhibits affective sharing in empathy for pain. Neuroimage 2022; 263:119599. [PMID: 36049698 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations of empathy for others' pain among patients with chronic pain remained inconsistent. Here, applying a capsaicin-based ongoing pain model on healthy participants, this study investigated how ongoing first-hand pain influences empathic reactions to vicarious pain stimuli. Healthy participants were randomly treated with topical capsaicin cream (capsaicin group) or hand cream (control group) on the left forearm. Video clips showing limbs in painful and non-painful situations were used to induce empathic responses. The capsaicin group showed greater empathic neural responses in the right primary somatosensory cortex (S1) than the control group but smaller responses in the left anterior insula (AI) accompanied with smaller empathic pain-intensity ratings. Notably, the intensity of ongoing pain negatively correlated with empathy-related neural responses in the left AI. Inter-subject phase synchronization analysis was used to assess stimulus-dependent dynamic functional connectivity within or between brain regions engaged in pain empathy. The capsaicin group showed greater empathy-related neural synchronization within S1 and between S1 and AI, but less synchronization within AI and between AI and MCC. Behaviorally, the differential inter-subject pain-intensity rating alignment between painful and non-painful videos was more positive for the capsaicin group than for the control group, and this effect was partially mediated by the inter-subject neural synchronization between S1 and AI. These results suggest that ongoing first-hand pain facilitates neural activation and synchronization within brain regions associated with empathy-related somatosensory resonance at the cost of inhibiting activation and synchronization within brain regions engaged in empathy-related affective sharing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyun Li
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wutao Lou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wenyun Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Raymond Kai-Yu Tong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Li Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weiwei Peng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
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5
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Cohen D, Landau DH, Friedman D, Hasler BS, Levit-Binnun N, Golland Y. Exposure to social suffering in virtual reality boosts compassion and facial synchrony. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2021.106781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Dor-Ziderman Y, Cohen D, Levit-Binnun N, Golland Y. Synchrony with distress in affective empathy and compassion. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13889. [PMID: 34287922 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Sensitivity to suffering of others is a core factor in social cohesion and evolutionary success. The emergence of such sensitivity may occur via two neuro-functional mechanisms. One is sharing the pain and distress of others, which relies on affective empathy. The other involves a caring concern for others' wellbeing, termed compassion. Both affective empathy and compassion are triggered by cues of pain and distress, exhibited by suffering targets. Yet, the mechanisms underlying distress processing in empathy and compassion are not clear. In the current research, we investigated synchrony with a target's distress, as a putative mechanism for continuous processing of distress cues. Participants viewed a video of a target in distress when given two different instructions: they were asked to continuously rate their distress in the affective empathy condition, or their feelings of care in the compassion condition. We used these dynamic ratings as well as participants' autonomic and facial responses to assess multi-channel synchrony with the target's self-rated distress fluctuations. Dynamic ratings and facial corrugator responses were significantly positively synchronized with the target's distress. For the corrugator responses, synchrony with the target was more pronounced than synchrony with participants' own ratings. Autonomic responses exhibited negative synchrony with the target's distress. Synchrony was higher in the affective empathy than in the compassion condition, across channels. These results point to the key role of subjective and physiological synchrony with the target's distress in empathic sharing of negative experiences. They also highlight the attenuation of embodied resonance with distress in compassionate experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yair Dor-Ziderman
- Sagol Center for Brain and Mind, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel.,Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Daniela Cohen
- Sagol Center for Brain and Mind, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Nava Levit-Binnun
- Sagol Center for Brain and Mind, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Yulia Golland
- Sagol Center for Brain and Mind, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel
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7
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Saarimäki H. Naturalistic Stimuli in Affective Neuroimaging: A Review. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:675068. [PMID: 34220474 PMCID: PMC8245682 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.675068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Naturalistic stimuli such as movies, music, and spoken and written stories elicit strong emotions and allow brain imaging of emotions in close-to-real-life conditions. Emotions are multi-component phenomena: relevant stimuli lead to automatic changes in multiple functional components including perception, physiology, behavior, and conscious experiences. Brain activity during naturalistic stimuli reflects all these changes, suggesting that parsing emotion-related processing during such complex stimulation is not a straightforward task. Here, I review affective neuroimaging studies that have employed naturalistic stimuli to study emotional processing, focusing especially on experienced emotions. I argue that to investigate emotions with naturalistic stimuli, we need to define and extract emotion features from both the stimulus and the observer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heini Saarimäki
- Human Information Processing Laboratory, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
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8
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Escitalopram enhances synchrony of brain responses during emotional narratives in patients with major depressive disorder. Neuroimage 2021; 237:118110. [PMID: 33933596 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
One-week treatment with escitalopram decreases amygdala responses to fearful facial expressions in depressed patients, but it remains unknown whether it also modulates processing of complex and freely processed emotional stimuli resembling daily life emotional situations. Inter-subject correlation (ISC) offers a means to track brain activity during complex, dynamic stimuli in a model-free manner. Twenty-nine treatment-seeking patients with major depressive disorder were randomized in a double-blind study design to receive either escitalopram or placebo for one week, after which functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed. During fMRI the participants listened to spoken emotional narratives. Level of ISC between the escitalopram and the placebo group was compared across all the narratives and separately for the episodes with positive and negative valence. Across all the narratives, the escitalopram group had higher ISC in the default mode network of the brain as well as in the fronto-temporal narrative processing regions, whereas lower ISC was seen in the middle temporal cortex, hippocampus and occipital cortex. Escitalopram increased ISC during positive parts of the narratives in the precuneus, medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate and fronto-insular cortex, whereas there was no significant synchronization in brain responses to positive vs negative events in the placebo group. Increased ISC may imply improved emotional synchronization with others, particularly during observation of positive events. Further studies are needed to test whether this contributes to the later therapeutic effect of escitalopram.
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9
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Toledo F, Thaler M. Gamma frequencies as a predictor for the accomplishment of a motor task guided through the action observation network. NeuroRehabilitation 2021; 48:139-148. [PMID: 33386819 DOI: 10.3233/nre-201508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Action observation describes a concept where the subsequent motor behavior of an individual can be modulated though observing an action. This occurs through the activation of neurons in the action observation network, acting on a variety of motor learning processes. This network has been proven highly useful in the rehabilitation of patients with acquired brain injury, placing "action observation" as one of the most effective techniques for motor recovery in physical neurorehabilitation. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to define an EEG marker for motor learning, guided through observation. METHODS Healthy subjects (n = 41) participated voluntarily for this research. They were asked to repeat an unknown motor behavior, immediately after observing a video. During the observation, EEG raw signals where collected with a portable EEG and the results were later compared with success and fail on repeating the motor procedure. The comparison was then analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U test for non-parametrical data, with a confidence interval of 95%. RESULTS A significant relation between motor performance and neural activity was found for Alpha (p = 0,0149) and Gamma (0,0005) oscillatory patterns. CONCLUSION Gamma oscillations with frequencies between 41 and 49,75 Hz, seem to be an adequate EEG marker for motor performance guided through the action observation network. The technology used for this paper is easy to use, low-cost and presents valid measurements for the recommended oscillatory frequencies, implying a possible use on rehabilitation, by collecting data in real-time during therapeutic interventions and assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felippe Toledo
- Lunex International University of Health, Exercise and Sports, Differdange, Luxembourg
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10
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Movies and narratives as naturalistic stimuli in neuroimaging. Neuroimage 2020; 224:117445. [PMID: 33059053 PMCID: PMC7805386 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Using movies and narratives as naturalistic stimuli in human neuroimaging studies has yielded significant advances in understanding of cognitive and emotional functions. The relevant literature was reviewed, with emphasis on how the use of naturalistic stimuli has helped advance scientific understanding of human memory, attention, language, emotions, and social cognition in ways that would have been difficult otherwise. These advances include discovering a cortical hierarchy of temporal receptive windows, which supports processing of dynamic information that accumulates over several time scales, such as immediate reactions vs. slowly emerging patterns in social interactions. Naturalistic stimuli have also helped elucidate how the hippocampus supports segmentation and memorization of events in day-to-day life and have afforded insights into attentional brain mechanisms underlying our ability to adopt specific perspectives during natural viewing. Further, neuroimaging studies with naturalistic stimuli have revealed the role of the default-mode network in narrative-processing and in social cognition. Finally, by robustly eliciting genuine emotions, these stimuli have helped elucidate the brain basis of both basic and social emotions apparently manifested as highly overlapping yet distinguishable patterns of brain activity.
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11
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Finding the neural correlates of collaboration using a three-person fMRI hyperscanning paradigm. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:23066-23072. [PMID: 32843342 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1917407117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have an extraordinary ability to interact and cooperate with others. Despite the social and evolutionary significance of collaboration, research on finding its neural correlates has been limited partly due to restrictions on the simultaneous neuroimaging of more than one participant (also known as hyperscanning). Several studies have used dyadic fMRI hyperscanning to examine the interaction between two participants. However, to our knowledge, no study to date has aimed at revealing the neural correlates of social interactions using a three-person (or triadic) fMRI hyperscanning paradigm. Here, we simultaneously measured the blood-oxygenation level-dependent signal from 12 triads (n = 36 participants), while they engaged in a collaborative drawing task based on the social game of Pictionary General linear model analysis revealed increased activation in the brain regions previously linked with the theory of mind during the collaborative phase compared to the independent phase of the task. Furthermore, using intersubject correlation analysis, we revealed increased synchronization of the right temporo-parietal junction (R TPJ) during the collaborative phase. The increased synchrony in the R TPJ was observed to be positively associated with the overall team performance on the task. In sum, our paradigm revealed a vital role of the R TPJ among other theory-of-mind regions during a triadic collaborative drawing task.
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12
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Kostorz K, Flanagin VL, Glasauer S. Synchronization between instructor and observer when learning a complex bimanual skill. Neuroimage 2020; 216:116659. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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13
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Jääskeläinen IP, Klucharev V, Panidi K, Shestakova AN. Neural Processing of Narratives: From Individual Processing to Viral Propagation. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:253. [PMID: 32676019 PMCID: PMC7333591 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Narratives, in the form of, e.g., written stories, mouth-to-mouth accounts, audiobooks, fiction movies, and media-feeds, powerfully shape the perception of reality and widely influence human decision-making. In this review, we describe findings from recent neuroimaging studies unraveling how narratives influence the human brain, thus shaping perception, cognition, emotions, and decision-making. It appears that narrative sense-making relies on default-mode network (DMN) structures of the brain, especially precuneus. Activity in precuneus further seems to differ for fictitious vs. real narratives. Notably, high inter-subject correlation (ISC) of brain activity during narrative processing seems to predict the efficacy of a narrative. Factors that enhance the ISC of brain activity during narratives include higher levels of attention, emotional arousal, and negative emotional valence. Higher levels of attentional suspense seem to co-vary with activity in the temporoparietal junction, emotional arousal with activity in dorsal attention network, and negative emotional valence with activity in DMN. Lingering after-effects of emotional narratives have been further described in DMN, amygdala, and sensory cortical areas. Finally, inter-individual differences in personality, and cultural-background related analytical and holistic thinking styles, shape ISC of brain activity during narrative perception. Together, these findings offer promising leads for future studies elucidating the effects of narratives on the human brain, and how such effects might predict the efficacy of narratives in modulating decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iiro P Jääskeläinen
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University School of Science, Espoo, Finland.,International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vasily Klucharev
- International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ksenia Panidi
- International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna N Shestakova
- International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
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14
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Bacha-Trams M, Ryyppö E, Glerean E, Sams M, Jääskeläinen IP. Social perspective-taking shapes brain hemodynamic activity and eye movements during movie viewing. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 15:175-191. [PMID: 32227094 PMCID: PMC7304509 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Putting oneself into the shoes of others is an important aspect of social cognition. We measured brain hemodynamic activity and eye-gaze patterns while participants were viewing a shortened version of the movie 'My Sister's Keeper' from two perspectives: that of a potential organ donor, who violates moral norms by refusing to donate her kidney, and that of a potential organ recipient, who suffers in pain. Inter-subject correlation (ISC) of brain activity was significantly higher during the potential organ donor's perspective in dorsolateral and inferior prefrontal, lateral and inferior occipital, and inferior-anterior temporal areas. In the reverse contrast, stronger ISC was observed in superior temporal, posterior frontal and anterior parietal areas. Eye-gaze analysis showed higher proportion of fixations on the potential organ recipient during both perspectives. Taken together, these results suggest that during social perspective-taking different brain areas can be flexibly recruited depending on the nature of the perspective that is taken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Bacha-Trams
- Department As per style, full first names should be in author group. Hence we have inserted the first names from the title page. Kindly check and confirm. of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Brain and Mind Laboratory, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Elisa Ryyppö
- Department As per style, full first names should be in author group. Hence we have inserted the first names from the title page. Kindly check and confirm. of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Brain and Mind Laboratory, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Enrico Glerean
- Department As per style, full first names should be in author group. Hence we have inserted the first names from the title page. Kindly check and confirm. of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Brain and Mind Laboratory, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
- International Laboratory for Social Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, 101000 Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Mikko Sams
- Department As per style, full first names should be in author group. Hence we have inserted the first names from the title page. Kindly check and confirm. of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Brain and Mind Laboratory, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Iiro P Jääskeläinen
- Department As per style, full first names should be in author group. Hence we have inserted the first names from the title page. Kindly check and confirm. of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Brain and Mind Laboratory, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
- International Laboratory for Social Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, 101000 Moscow, Russian Federation
- Advanced Magnetic Imaging (AMI) Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
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15
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Bretas RV, Taoka M, Suzuki H, Iriki A. Secondary somatosensory cortex of primates: beyond body maps, toward conscious self-in-the-world maps. Exp Brain Res 2020; 238:259-272. [PMID: 31960104 PMCID: PMC7007896 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05727-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent human imaging studies have revealed the involvement of the secondary somatosensory cortex (SII) in processes that require high-level information integration, such as self-consciousness, social relations, whole body representation, and metaphorical extrapolations. These functions are far beyond its known role in the formation of body maps (even in their most complex forms), requiring the integration of different information modalities in addition to somatosensory information. However, no evidence of such complex processing seems to have been detected at the neuronal level in animal experiments, which would constitute a major discrepancy between human and non-human animals. This article scrutinizes this gap, introducing experimental evidence of human and non-human primates’ SII functions set in context with their evolutionary significance and mechanisms, functionally situating the human SII as a primate brain. Based on the presented data, a new concept of a somatocentric holistic self is proposed, represented as a more comprehensive body-in-the-world map in the primate SII, taking into account evolutionary aspects that characterize the human SII and its implication in the emergence of self-consciousness. Finally, the idea of projection is introduced from the viewpoint of cognitive science, providing a logical explanation to bridge this gap between observed behavior and neurophysiological data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael V Bretas
- Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Miki Taoka
- Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suzuki
- Graduate School of Social Informatics, Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Iriki
- Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan. .,Azrieli Program in Brain, Mind and Consciousness, Canadian Institute of Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada.
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16
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Smirnov D, Saarimäki H, Glerean E, Hari R, Sams M, Nummenmaa L. Emotions amplify speaker-listener neural alignment. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:4777-4788. [PMID: 31400052 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals often align their emotional states during conversation. Here, we reveal how such emotional alignment is reflected in synchronization of brain activity across speakers and listeners. Two "speaker" subjects told emotional and neutral autobiographical stories while their hemodynamic brain activity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The stories were recorded and played back to 16 "listener" subjects during fMRI. After scanning, both speakers and listeners rated the moment-to-moment valence and arousal of the stories. Time-varying similarity of the blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) time series was quantified by intersubject phase synchronization (ISPS) between speaker-listener pairs. Telling and listening to the stories elicited similar emotions across speaker-listener pairs. Arousal was associated with increased speaker-listener neural synchronization in brain regions supporting attentional, auditory, somatosensory, and motor processing. Valence was associated with increased speaker-listener neural synchronization in brain regions involved in emotional processing, including amygdala, hippocampus, and temporal pole. Speaker-listener synchronization of subjective feelings of arousal was associated with increased neural synchronization in somatosensory and subcortical brain regions; synchronization of valence was associated with neural synchronization in parietal cortices and midline structures. We propose that emotion-dependent speaker-listener neural synchronization is associated with emotional contagion, thereby implying that listeners reproduce some aspects of the speaker's emotional state at the neural level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Smirnov
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering (NBE), and Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Heini Saarimäki
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering (NBE), and Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Enrico Glerean
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering (NBE), and Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Riitta Hari
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering (NBE), and Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.,Department of Art, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Mikko Sams
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering (NBE), and Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Lauri Nummenmaa
- Turku PET Centre and Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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17
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Nastase SA, Gazzola V, Hasson U, Keysers C. Measuring shared responses across subjects using intersubject correlation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2019; 14:667-685. [PMID: 31099394 PMCID: PMC6688448 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Our capacity to jointly represent information about the world underpins our social experience. By leveraging one individual's brain activity to model another's, we can measure shared information across brains-even in dynamic, naturalistic scenarios where an explicit response model may be unobtainable. Introducing experimental manipulations allows us to measure, for example, shared responses between speakers and listeners or between perception and recall. In this tutorial, we develop the logic of intersubject correlation (ISC) analysis and discuss the family of neuroscientific questions that stem from this approach. We also extend this logic to spatially distributed response patterns and functional network estimation. We provide a thorough and accessible treatment of methodological considerations specific to ISC analysis and outline best practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Nastase
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Valeria Gazzola
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, KNAW, 105BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, 1018 WV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Uri Hasson
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Christian Keysers
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, KNAW, 105BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, 1018 WV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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18
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Bacha-Trams M, Alexandrov YI, Broman E, Glerean E, Kauppila M, Kauttonen J, Ryyppö E, Sams M, Jääskeläinen IP. A drama movie activates brains of holistic and analytical thinkers differentially. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2019; 13:1293-1304. [PMID: 30418656 PMCID: PMC6277741 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsy099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
People socialized in different cultures differ in their thinking styles. Eastern-culture people view objects more holistically by taking context into account, whereas Western-culture people view objects more analytically by focusing on them at the expense of context. Here we studied whether participants, who have different thinking styles but live within the same culture, exhibit differential brain activity when viewing a drama movie. A total of 26 Finnish participants, who were divided into holistic and analytical thinkers based on self-report questionnaire scores, watched a shortened drama movie during functional magnetic resonance imaging. We compared intersubject correlation (ISC) of brain hemodynamic activity of holistic vs analytical participants across the movie viewings. Holistic thinkers showed significant ISC in more extensive cortical areas than analytical thinkers, suggesting that they perceived the movie in a more similar fashion. Significantly higher ISC was observed in holistic thinkers in occipital, prefrontal and temporal cortices. In analytical thinkers, significant ISC was observed in right-hemisphere fusiform gyrus, temporoparietal junction and frontal cortex. Since these results were obtained in participants with similar cultural background, they are less prone to confounds by other possible cultural differences. Overall, our results show how brain activity in holistic vs analytical participants differs when viewing the same drama movie.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Bacha-Trams
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
- Correspondence should be addressed to Mareike Bacha-Trams, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, School of Science, Aalto University, PO Box 12200, FI-00076 AALTO, 02150 Espoo, Finland. E-mail:
| | - Yuri I Alexandrov
- Laboratory of Neural Bases of Mind, Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Psychology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Emilia Broman
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Enrico Glerean
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Information Technology, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Minna Kauppila
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Janne Kauttonen
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Elisa Ryyppö
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Mikko Sams
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Iiro P Jääskeläinen
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
- Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
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19
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Golland Y, Levit-Binnun N, Hendler T, Lerner Y. Neural dynamics underlying emotional transmissions between individuals. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 12:1249-1260. [PMID: 28575520 PMCID: PMC5597885 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsx049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotional experiences are frequently shaped by the emotional responses of co-present others. Research has shown that people constantly monitor and adapt to the incoming social–emotional signals, even without face-to-face interaction. And yet, the neural processes underlying such emotional transmissions have not been directly studied. Here, we investigated how the human brain processes emotional cues which arrive from another, co-attending individual. We presented continuous emotional feedback to participants who viewed a movie in the scanner. Participants in the social group (but not in the control group) believed that the feedback was coming from another person who was co-viewing the same movie. We found that social–emotional feedback significantly affected the neural dynamics both in the core affect and in the medial pre-frontal regions. Specifically, the response time-courses in those regions exhibited increased similarity across recipients and increased neural alignment with the timeline of the feedback in the social compared with control group. Taken in conjunction with previous research, this study suggests that emotional cues from others shape the neural dynamics across the whole neural continuum of emotional processing in the brain. Moreover, it demonstrates that interpersonal neural alignment can serve as a neural mechanism through which affective information is conveyed between individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia Golland
- Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Sagol Center for Brain and Mind, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Nava Levit-Binnun
- Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Sagol Center for Brain and Mind, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Talma Hendler
- Functional Brain Center, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.,School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Yulia Lerner
- Functional Brain Center, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Israel.,Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
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20
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Hauswald A, Tucciarelli R, Lingnau A. MEG adaptation reveals action representations in posterior occipitotemporal regions. Cortex 2018; 103:266-276. [PMID: 29673783 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
When we observe other people's actions, a number of parietal and precentral regions known to be involved in the planning and execution of actions are recruited for example seen as power decreases in alpha and beta frequencies indicative of increased activation. It has been argued that this recruitment reflects the process of simulating the observed action, thereby providing access to the meaning of the action. Alternatively, it has been suggested that rather than providing access to the meaning of an action, parietal and precentral regions might be recruited as a consequence of action understanding. A way to distinguish between these alternatives is to examine where in the brain and at which time point it is possible to discriminate between different types of actions (e.g., pointing or grasping) irrespective of the way these are performed. To this aim, we presented participants with videos of simple hand actions performed with the left or right hand towards a target on the left or the right side while recording magnetoencephalography (MEG) data. In each trial, participants were presented with two subsequent videos (S1, S2) depicting either the same (repeat trials) or different (non-repeat trials) actions. We predicted that areas that are sensitive to the type of action should show stronger adaptation (i.e., a smaller decrease in alpha and beta power) in repeat in comparison to non-repeat trials. Indeed, we observed less alpha and beta power decreases during the presentation of S2 when the action was repeated compared to when two different actions were presented indicating adaptation of neuronal populations that are selective for the type of action. Sources were obtained exclusively in posterior occipitotemporal regions, supporting the notion that an early differentiation of actions occurs outside the motor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Hauswald
- Center for Mind/ Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy; Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Austria; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Raffaele Tucciarelli
- Center for Mind/ Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy; Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Angelika Lingnau
- Center for Mind/ Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy; Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, United Kingdom
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21
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Nummenmaa L, Lahnakoski JM, Glerean E. Sharing the social world via intersubject neural synchronisation. Curr Opin Psychol 2018; 24:7-14. [PMID: 29550395 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sociability and capability of shared mental states are hallmarks of the human species, and pursuing shared goals oftentimes requires coordinating both behaviour and mental states. Here we review recent work using indices of intersubject neural synchronisation for measuring similarity of mental states across individuals. We discuss the methodological advances and limitations in the analyses based on intersubject synchrony, and discuss how these kinds of model-free analysis techniques enable the investigation of the brain basis of complex social processes. We argue that similarity of brain activity across individuals can be used, under certain conditions, to index the similarity of their subjective states of consciousness, and thus be used for investigating brain basis of mutual understanding and cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauri Nummenmaa
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland; Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Finland.
| | - Juha M Lahnakoski
- Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Enrico Glerean
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland; Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Finland
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22
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Poikonen H, Toiviainen P, Tervaniemi M. Dance on cortex: enhanced theta synchrony in experts when watching a dance piece. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 47:433-445. [PMID: 29359365 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Poikonen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petri Toiviainen
- Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Mari Tervaniemi
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Cicero Learning, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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23
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Lankinen K, Smeds E, Tikka P, Pihko E, Hari R, Koskinen M. Haptic contents of a movie dynamically engage the spectator's sensorimotor cortex. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 37:4061-4068. [PMID: 27364184 PMCID: PMC5108418 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 06/12/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Observation of another person's actions and feelings activates brain areas that support similar functions in the observer, thereby facilitating inferences about the other's mental and bodily states. In real life, events eliciting this kind of vicarious brain activations are intermingled with other complex, ever-changing stimuli in the environment. One practical approach to study the neural underpinnings of real-life vicarious perception is to image brain activity during movie viewing. Here the goal was to find out how observed haptic events in a silent movie would affect the spectator's sensorimotor cortex. The functional state of the sensorimotor cortex was monitored by analyzing, in 16 healthy subjects, magnetoencephalographic (MEG) responses to tactile finger stimuli that were presented once per second throughout the session. Using canonical correlation analysis and spatial filtering, consistent single-trial responses across subjects were uncovered, and their waveform changes throughout the movie were quantified. The long-latency (85-175 ms) parts of the responses were modulated in concordance with the participants' average moment-by-moment ratings of own engagement in the haptic content of the movie (correlation r = 0.49; ratings collected after the MEG session). The results, obtained by using novel signal-analysis approaches, demonstrate that the functional state of the human sensorimotor cortex fluctuates in a fine-grained manner even during passive observation of temporally varying haptic events. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4061-4068, 2016. © 2016 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaisu Lankinen
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, and MEG Core, Aalto NeuroImaging, School of Science, Aalto University, P.O. Box 12200, FI-00076 AALTO, Finland.
| | - Eero Smeds
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, and MEG Core, Aalto NeuroImaging, School of Science, Aalto University, P.O. Box 12200, FI-00076 AALTO, Finland
| | - Pia Tikka
- Department of Media, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16500, FI-00076 AALTO, Finland
| | - Elina Pihko
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, and MEG Core, Aalto NeuroImaging, School of Science, Aalto University, P.O. Box 12200, FI-00076 AALTO, Finland
| | - Riitta Hari
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, and MEG Core, Aalto NeuroImaging, School of Science, Aalto University, P.O. Box 12200, FI-00076 AALTO, Finland.,Department of Art, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Aalto University, P.O. Box 31000, FI-00076 AALTO, Finland
| | - Miika Koskinen
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, and MEG Core, Aalto NeuroImaging, School of Science, Aalto University, P.O. Box 12200, FI-00076 AALTO, Finland.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
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24
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Bacha-Trams M, Glerean E, Dunbar R, Lahnakoski JM, Ryyppö E, Sams M, Jääskeläinen IP. Differential inter-subject correlation of brain activity when kinship is a variable in moral dilemma. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14244. [PMID: 29079809 PMCID: PMC5660240 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14323-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous behavioural studies have shown that humans act more altruistically towards kin. Whether and how knowledge of genetic relatedness translates into differential neurocognitive evaluation of observed social interactions has remained an open question. Here, we investigated how the human brain is engaged when viewing a moral dilemma between genetic vs. non-genetic sisters. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, a movie was shown, depicting refusal of organ donation between two sisters, with subjects guided to believe the sisters were related either genetically or by adoption. Although 90% of the subjects self-reported that genetic relationship was not relevant, their brain activity told a different story. Comparing correlations of brain activity across all subject pairs between the two viewing conditions, we found significantly stronger inter-subject correlations in insula, cingulate, medial and lateral prefrontal, superior temporal, and superior parietal cortices, when the subjects believed that the sisters were genetically related. Cognitive functions previously associated with these areas include moral and emotional conflict regulation, decision making, and mentalizing, suggesting more similar engagement of such functions when observing refusal of altruism from a genetic sister. Our results show that mere knowledge of a genetic relationship between interacting persons robustly modulates social cognition of the perceiver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Bacha-Trams
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.
| | - Enrico Glerean
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
- Turku Pet Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Robin Dunbar
- Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Juha M Lahnakoski
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
- Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisa Ryyppö
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Mikko Sams
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Iiro P Jääskeläinen
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.
- Advanced Magnetic Imaging (AMI) Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.
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25
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Novembre G, Knoblich G, Dunne L, Keller PE. Interpersonal synchrony enhanced through 20 Hz phase-coupled dual brain stimulation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2017; 12:nsw172. [PMID: 28119510 PMCID: PMC5390732 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Synchronous movement is a key component of social behaviour in several species including humans. Recent theories have suggested a link between interpersonal synchrony of brain oscillations and interpersonal movement synchrony. The present study investigated this link. Using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) applied over the left motor cortex, we induced beta band (20 Hz) oscillations in pairs of individuals who both performed a finger-tapping task with the right hand. In-phase or anti-phase oscillations were delivered during a preparatory period prior to movement and while the tapping task was performed. In-phase 20 Hz stimulation enhanced interpersonal movement synchrony, compared to anti-phase or sham stimulation, particularly for the initial taps following the preparatory period. This was confirmed in an analysis comparing real vs. pseudo pair surrogate data. No enhancement was observed for stimulation frequencies of 2 Hz (matching the target movement frequency) or 10 Hz (alpha band). Thus, phase-coupling of beta band neural oscillations across two individuals' (resting) motor cortices supports the interpersonal alignment of sensorimotor processes that regulate rhythmic action initiation, thereby facilitating the establishment of synchronous movement. Phase-locked dual brain stimulation provides a promising method to study causal effects of interpersonal brain synchrony on social, sensorimotor and cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Novembre
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behavior and Development, Western Sydney University, Australia.
| | - Günther Knoblich
- Department of Cognitive Science, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Laura Dunne
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behavior and Development, Western Sydney University, Australia
| | - Peter E Keller
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behavior and Development, Western Sydney University, Australia
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26
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Gillmeister H, Bowling N, Rigato S, Banissy MJ. Inter-Individual Differences in Vicarious Tactile Perception: a View Across the Lifespan in Typical and Atypical Populations. Multisens Res 2017; 30:485-508. [DOI: 10.1163/22134808-00002543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Touch is our most interpersonal sense, and so it stands to reason that we represent not only our own bodily experiences, but also those felt by others. This review will summarise brain and behavioural research on vicarious tactile perception (mirror touch). Specifically, we will focus on vicarious touch across the lifespan in typical and atypical groups, and will identify the knowledge gaps that are in urgent need of filling by examining what is known about how individuals differ within and between typical and atypical groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helge Gillmeister
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Natalie Bowling
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW, UK
| | - Silvia Rigato
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Michael J. Banissy
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW, UK
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27
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Adolphs R, Nummenmaa L, Todorov A, Haxby JV. Data-driven approaches in the investigation of social perception. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:rstb.2015.0367. [PMID: 27069045 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The complexity of social perception poses a challenge to traditional approaches to understand its psychological and neurobiological underpinnings. Data-driven methods are particularly well suited to tackling the often high-dimensional nature of stimulus spaces and of neural representations that characterize social perception. Such methods are more exploratory, capitalize on rich and large datasets, and attempt to discover patterns often without strict hypothesis testing. We present four case studies here: behavioural studies on face judgements, two neuroimaging studies of movies, and eyetracking studies in autism. We conclude with suggestions for particular topics that seem ripe for data-driven approaches, as well as caveats and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph Adolphs
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Lauri Nummenmaa
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, School of Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland Turku PET Centre and Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | | | - James V Haxby
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
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28
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Raos V, Savaki HE. Perception of actions performed by external agents presupposes knowledge about the relationship between action and effect. Neuroimage 2016; 132:261-273. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Revised: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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29
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Stolk A, Verhagen L, Toni I. Conceptual Alignment: How Brains Achieve Mutual Understanding. Trends Cogn Sci 2016; 20:180-191. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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30
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Hari R, Parkkonen L. The brain timewise: how timing shapes and supports brain function. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 370:rstb.2014.0170. [PMID: 25823867 PMCID: PMC4387511 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
We discuss the importance of timing in brain function: how temporal dynamics of the world has left its traces in the brain during evolution and how we can monitor the dynamics of the human brain with non-invasive measurements. Accurate timing is important for the interplay of neurons, neuronal circuitries, brain areas and human individuals. In the human brain, multiple temporal integration windows are hierarchically organized, with temporal scales ranging from microseconds to tens and hundreds of milliseconds for perceptual, motor and cognitive functions, and up to minutes, hours and even months for hormonal and mood changes. Accurate timing is impaired in several brain diseases. From the current repertoire of non-invasive brain imaging methods, only magnetoencephalography (MEG) and scalp electroencephalography (EEG) provide millisecond time-resolution; our focus in this paper is on MEG. Since the introduction of high-density whole-scalp MEG/EEG coverage in the 1990s, the instrumentation has not changed drastically; yet, novel data analyses are advancing the field rapidly by shifting the focus from the mere pinpointing of activity hotspots to seeking stimulus- or task-specific information and to characterizing functional networks. During the next decades, we can expect increased spatial resolution and accuracy of the time-resolved brain imaging and better understanding of brain function, especially its temporal constraints, with the development of novel instrumentation and finer-grained, physiologically inspired generative models of local and network activity. Merging both spatial and temporal information with increasing accuracy and carrying out recordings in naturalistic conditions, including social interaction, will bring much new information about human brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riitta Hari
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-AALTO 00076, Espoo, Finland
| | - Lauri Parkkonen
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-AALTO 00076, Espoo, Finland
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Abstract
This paper considers communication in terms of inference about the behaviour of others (and our own behaviour). It is based on the premise that our sensations are largely generated by other agents like ourselves. This means, we are trying to infer how our sensations are caused by others, while they are trying to infer our behaviour: for example, in the dialogue between two speakers. We suggest that the infinite regress induced by modelling another agent - who is modelling you - can be finessed if you both possess the same model. In other words, the sensations caused by others and oneself are generated by the same process. This leads to a view of communication based upon a narrative that is shared by agents who are exchanging sensory signals. Crucially, this narrative transcends agency - and simply involves intermittently attending to and attenuating sensory input. Attending to sensations enables the shared narrative to predict the sensations generated by another (i.e. to listen), while attenuating sensory input enables one to articulate the narrative (i.e. to speak). This produces a reciprocal exchange of sensory signals that, formally, induces a generalised synchrony between internal (neuronal) brain states generating predictions in both agents. We develop the arguments behind this perspective, using an active (Bayesian) inference framework and offer some simulations (of birdsong) as proof of principle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Friston
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, UCL, United Kingdom.
| | - Christopher Frith
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, UCL, United Kingdom
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The neural basis of hand gesture comprehension: A meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 57:88-104. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Honma M, Koyama S, Kawamura M. Hesitant avoidance while walking: an error of social behavior generated by mutual interaction. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1013. [PMID: 26257675 PMCID: PMC4508494 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Altering physical actions when responding to changing environmental demands is important but not always effectively performed. This ineffectiveness, which is an error of social behavior generated by mutual interactions, is not well understood. This study investigated mechanisms of a hesitant behavior that occurs in people walking toward each other, causing people to move in the same direction when attempting to avoid a collision. Using a motion capture device affixed to 17 pairs, we first confirmed the hesitant behavior by a difference between the experimental task, which involved an indeterminate situation to assess the actions of another individual, and the control task, which involved a predetermined avoiding direction, in a real-time situation involving two people. We next investigated the effect of three external factors: long distance until an event, synchronized walking cycle, and different foot relations in dyads on the hesitant behavior. A dramatic increase in freezing and near-collision behavior occurred in dyads for which the avoiding direction was not predetermined. The behavior related with the combination of long distance until an event, synchronized walking cycle, and different foot relations in dyads. We found that the hesitant behavior is influenced by an interpersonal relationship under enough distance to predict other movement. The hesitant behavior has possibly emerged as an undesired by-product of joint action. These results contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms of adaptive control of perception-action coupling in mutual interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motoyasu Honma
- Department of Psychology, Rikkyo University Saitama, Japan ; Department of Neurology, Showa University School of Medicine Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Mitsuru Kawamura
- Department of Neurology, Showa University School of Medicine Tokyo, Japan
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Herbec A, Kauppi JP, Jola C, Tohka J, Pollick FE. Differences in fMRI intersubject correlation while viewing unedited and edited videos of dance performance. Cortex 2015; 71:341-8. [PMID: 26298503 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2015.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2014] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Intersubject correlation (ISC) analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data provides insight into how continuous streams of sensory stimulation are processed by groups of observers. Although edited movies are frequently used as stimuli in ISC studies, there has been little direct examination of the effect of edits on the resulting ISC maps. In this study we showed 16 observers two audiovisual movie versions of the same dance. In one experimental condition there was a continuous view from a single camera (Unedited condition) and in the other condition there were views from different cameras (Edited condition) that provided close up views of the feet or face and upper body. We computed ISC maps for each condition, as well as created a map that showed the difference between the conditions. The results from the Unedited and Edited maps largely overlapped in the occipital and temporal cortices, although more voxels were found for the Edited map. The difference map revealed greater ISC for the Edited condition in the Postcentral Gyrus, Lingual Gyrus, Precentral Gyrus and Medial Frontal Gyrus, while the Unedited condition showed greater ISC in only the Superior Temporal Gyrus. These findings suggest that the visual changes associated with editing provide a source of correlation in maps obtained from edited film, and highlight the utility of using maps to evaluate the difference in ISC between conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jukka-Pekka Kauppi
- Department of Computer Science and Helsinki Institute for Information Technology, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Corinne Jola
- Division of Psychology, Abertay University, Dundee, UK
| | - Jussi Tohka
- Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañon, Madrid, Spain
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Hihara S, Taoka M, Tanaka M, Iriki A. Visual Responsiveness of Neurons in the Secondary Somatosensory Area and its Surrounding Parietal Operculum Regions in Awake Macaque Monkeys. Cereb Cortex 2015; 25:4535-50. [PMID: 25962920 PMCID: PMC4816798 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous neurophysiological studies performed in macaque monkeys have shown that the secondary somatosensory cortex (SII) is essentially engaged in the processing of somatosensory information and no other sensory input has been reported. In contrast, recent human brain-imaging studies have revealed the effects of visual and auditory stimuli on SII activity, which suggest multisensory integration in the human SII. To determine whether multisensory responses of the SII also exist in nonhuman primates, we recorded single-unit activity in response to visual and auditory stimuli from the SII and surrounding regions in 8 hemispheres from 6 awake monkeys. Among 1157 recorded neurons, 306 neurons responded to visual stimuli. These visual neurons usually responded to rather complex stimuli, such as stimulation of the peripersonal space (40.5%), observation of human action (29.1%), and moving-object stimulation outside the monkey's reach (23.9%). We occasionally applied auditory stimuli to visual neurons and found 10 auditory-responsive neurons that exhibited somatosensory responses. The visual neurons were distributed continuously along the lateral sulcus covering the entire SII, along with other somatosensory neurons. These results highlight the need to investigate novel functional roles-other than somesthetic sensory processing-of the SII.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayaka Hihara
- Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan Section of Cognitive Neurobiology, Department of Maxillofacial Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan
| | - Miki Taoka
- Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan Section of Cognitive Neurobiology, Department of Maxillofacial Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan
| | - Michio Tanaka
- Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan Section of Cognitive Neurobiology, Department of Maxillofacial Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan
| | - Atsushi Iriki
- Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan Section of Cognitive Neurobiology, Department of Maxillofacial Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan
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Jola C, Pollick FE, Calvo-Merino B. "Some like it hot": spectators who score high on the personality trait openness enjoy the excitement of hearing dancers breathing without music. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:718. [PMID: 25309393 PMCID: PMC4161163 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Music is an integral part of dance. Over the last 10 years, however, dance stimuli (without music) have been repeatedly used to study action observation processes, increasing our understanding of the influence of observer’s physical abilities on action perception. Moreover, beyond trained skills and empathy traits, very little has been investigated on how other observer or spectators’ properties modulate action observation and action preference. Since strong correlations have been shown between music and personality traits, here we aim to investigate how personality traits shape the appreciation of dance when this is presented with three different music/sounds. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between personality traits and the subjective esthetic experience of 52 spectators watching a 24 min lasting contemporary dance performance projected on a big screen containing three movement phrases performed to three different sound scores: classical music (i.e., Bach), an electronic sound-score, and a section without music but where the breathing of the performers was audible. We found that first, spectators rated the experience of watching dance without music significantly different from with music. Second, we found that the higher spectators scored on the Big Five personality factor openness, the more they liked the no-music section. Third, spectators’ physical experience with dance was not linked to their appreciation but was significantly related to high average extravert scores. For the first time, we showed that spectators’ reported entrainment to watching dance movements without music is strongly related to their personality and thus may need to be considered when using dance as a means to investigate action observation processes and esthetic preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne Jola
- Division of Psychology, University of Abertay Dundee Dundee, UK ; School of Psychology, University of Glasgow Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Beatriz Calvo-Merino
- Department of Psychology, City University London London, UK ; Department of Psychology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid Madrid, Spain
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Nummenmaa L, Saarimäki H, Glerean E, Gotsopoulos A, Jääskeläinen IP, Hari R, Sams M. Emotional speech synchronizes brains across listeners and engages large-scale dynamic brain networks. Neuroimage 2014; 102 Pt 2:498-509. [PMID: 25128711 PMCID: PMC4229500 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.07.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Speech provides a powerful means for sharing emotions. Here we implement novel intersubject phase synchronization and whole-brain dynamic connectivity measures to show that networks of brain areas become synchronized across participants who are listening to emotional episodes in spoken narratives. Twenty participants' hemodynamic brain activity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while they listened to 45-s narratives describing unpleasant, neutral, and pleasant events spoken in neutral voice. After scanning, participants listened to the narratives again and rated continuously their feelings of pleasantness–unpleasantness (valence) and of arousal–calmness. Instantaneous intersubject phase synchronization (ISPS) measures were computed to derive both multi-subject voxel-wise similarity measures of hemodynamic activity and inter-area functional dynamic connectivity (seed-based phase synchronization, SBPS). Valence and arousal time series were subsequently used to predict the ISPS and SBPS time series. High arousal was associated with increased ISPS in the auditory cortices and in Broca's area, and negative valence was associated with enhanced ISPS in the thalamus, anterior cingulate, lateral prefrontal, and orbitofrontal cortices. Negative valence affected functional connectivity of fronto-parietal, limbic (insula, cingulum) and fronto-opercular circuitries, and positive arousal affected the connectivity of the striatum, amygdala, thalamus, cerebellum, and dorsal frontal cortex. Positive valence and negative arousal had markedly smaller effects. We propose that high arousal synchronizes the listeners' sound-processing and speech-comprehension networks, whereas negative valence synchronizes circuitries supporting emotional and self-referential processing. We model how emotional speech synchronizes brains across listeners. Participants listened to emotional and neutral narratives during fMRI scan. Arousal synchronized auditory cortices and Broca's area. Valence synchronized limbic system, prefrontal, and orbitofrontal cortices. Valence and arousal triggered distinct patterns of dynamic functional connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauri Nummenmaa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland; Brain Research Unit, O.V. Lounasmaa Laboratory, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland; Turku PET Centre, Finland.
| | - Heini Saarimäki
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland
| | - Enrico Glerean
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland
| | - Athanasios Gotsopoulos
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland
| | - Iiro P Jääskeläinen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland
| | - Riitta Hari
- Brain Research Unit, O.V. Lounasmaa Laboratory, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland; Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland
| | - Mikko Sams
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland; Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland
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Lahnakoski JM, Glerean E, Jääskeläinen IP, Hyönä J, Hari R, Sams M, Nummenmaa L. Synchronous brain activity across individuals underlies shared psychological perspectives. Neuroimage 2014; 100:316-24. [PMID: 24936687 PMCID: PMC4153812 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
For successful communication, we need to understand the external world consistently with others. This task requires sufficiently similar cognitive schemas or psychological perspectives that act as filters to guide the selection, interpretation and storage of sensory information, perceptual objects and events. Here we show that when individuals adopt a similar psychological perspective during natural viewing, their brain activity becomes synchronized in specific brain regions. We measured brain activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) from 33 healthy participants who viewed a 10-min movie twice, assuming once a ‘social’ (detective) and once a ‘non-social’ (interior decorator) perspective to the movie events. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to derive multisubject voxelwise similarity measures (inter-subject correlations; ISCs) of functional MRI data. We used k-nearest-neighbor and support vector machine classifiers as well as a Mantel test on the ISC matrices to reveal brain areas wherein ISC predicted the participants' current perspective. ISC was stronger in several brain regions—most robustly in the parahippocampal gyrus, posterior parietal cortex and lateral occipital cortex—when the participants viewed the movie with similar rather than different perspectives. Synchronization was not explained by differences in visual sampling of the movies, as estimated by eye gaze. We propose that synchronous brain activity across individuals adopting similar psychological perspectives could be an important neural mechanism supporting shared understanding of the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juha M Lahnakoski
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, FI-00076 Espoo, Finland; Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, School of Science, Aalto University, FI-00076 Espoo, Finland.
| | - Enrico Glerean
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, FI-00076 Espoo, Finland
| | - Iiro P Jääskeläinen
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, FI-00076 Espoo, Finland
| | - Jukka Hyönä
- Department of Psychology, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Riitta Hari
- Brain Research Unit, O.V. Lounasmaa Laboratory, School of Science, Aalto University, FI-00076 Espoo, Finland
| | - Mikko Sams
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, FI-00076 Espoo, Finland
| | - Lauri Nummenmaa
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, FI-00076 Espoo, Finland; Brain Research Unit, O.V. Lounasmaa Laboratory, School of Science, Aalto University, FI-00076 Espoo, Finland; Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, FI-20521 Turku, Finland
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