The Effect of Socioeconomic Disparities on Prefrontal Activation in Initiating Joint Attention: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Evidence From Two Socioeconomic Status Groups

Decreased frontal lobe complexity in left-behind children during joint attention: a fNIRS study with multivariable and multiscale sample entropy analysis

Human brain development is shaped by experiences, especially during preschool, the critical period for cognitive and socioemotional development. This study employed the functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy technique to explore the neural differences between left-behind children (LBC) and non-left-behind children (NLBC) on joint attention. Through collecting brain image data of 50 children (26 boys, aged 65.08 ± 6.28 months) and conducting multivariable and multiscale sample entropy (MMSE) analysis, the present study found that: (i) LBC showed lower brain complexity than NLBC in right prefrontal cortex; (ii) all participants demonstrated higher brain complexity in responding to joint attention conditions, compared to initiating joint attention ones; (iii) their brain complexity during joint attention was negatively associated with their emotional abilities. The findings advance our understanding of early brain development in LBC by providing evidence for the neural process characteristics of joint attention. Implications for early intervention to promote their brain development are also addressed.

Interactions between emotions and eating behaviors: Main issues, neuroimaging contributions, and innovative preventive or corrective strategies

Emotional eating is commonly defined as the tendency to (over)eat in response to emotion. Insofar as it involves the (over)consumption of high-calorie palatable foods, emotional eating is a maladaptive behavior that can lead to eating disorders, and ultimately to metabolic disorders and obesity. Emotional eating is associated with eating disorder subtypes and with abnormalities in emotion processing at a behavioral level. However, not enough is known about the neural pathways involved in both emotion processing and food intake. In this review, we provide an overview of recent neuroimaging studies, highlighting the brain correlates between emotions and eating behavior that may be involved in emotional eating. Interaction between neural and neuro-endocrine pathways (HPA axis) may be involved. In addition to behavioral interventions, there is a need for a holistic approach encompassing both neural and physiological levels to prevent emotional eating. Based on recent imaging, this review indicates that more attention should be paid to prefrontal areas, the insular and orbitofrontal cortices, and reward pathways, in addition to regions that play a major role in both the cognitive control of emotions and eating behavior. Identifying these brain regions could allow for neuromodulation interventions, including neurofeedback training, which deserves further investigation.