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Ghanem K, Saltoun K, Suvrathan A, Draganski B, Bzdok D. Longitudinal microstructural changes in 18 amygdala nuclei resonate with cortical circuits and phenomics. Commun Biol 2024; 7:477. [PMID: 38637627 PMCID: PMC11026520 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06187-5] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The amygdala nuclei modulate distributed neural circuits that most likely evolved to respond to environmental threats and opportunities. So far, the specific role of unique amygdala nuclei in the context processing of salient environmental cues lacks adequate characterization across neural systems and over time. Here, we present amygdala nuclei morphometry and behavioral findings from longitudinal population data (>1400 subjects, age range 40-69 years, sampled 2-3 years apart): the UK Biobank offers exceptionally rich phenotyping along with brain morphology scans. This allows us to quantify how 18 microanatomical amygdala subregions undergo plastic changes in tandem with coupled neural systems and delineating their associated phenome-wide profiles. In the context of population change, the basal, lateral, accessory basal, and paralaminar nuclei change in lockstep with the prefrontal cortex, a region that subserves planning and decision-making. The central, medial and cortical nuclei are structurally coupled with the insular and anterior-cingulate nodes of the salience network, in addition to the MT/V5, basal ganglia, and putamen, areas proposed to represent internal bodily states and mediate attention to environmental cues. The central nucleus and anterior amygdaloid area are longitudinally tied with the inferior parietal lobule, known for a role in bodily awareness and social attention. These population-level amygdala-brain plasticity regimes in turn are linked with unique collections of phenotypes, ranging from social status and employment to sleep habits and risk taking. The obtained structural plasticity findings motivate hypotheses about the specific functions of distinct amygdala nuclei in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karam Ghanem
- The Neuro - Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
- Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Karin Saltoun
- The Neuro - Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Aparna Suvrathan
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Department of Pediatrics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience (BRaIN) Research Program, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Bogdan Draganski
- LREN, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Neurology Department, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Danilo Bzdok
- The Neuro - Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
- Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Weiniger SP, Schilaty ND. Interoceptive posture awareness and accuracy: a novel photographic strategy towards making posture actionable. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1359594. [PMID: 38638696 PMCID: PMC11025613 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1359594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Interoception, sometimes referred to as the 'hidden sense,' communicates the state of internal conditions for autonomic energy regulation and is important for human motor control as well as self-awareness. The insula, the cortex of interoception, integrates internal senses such as hunger, thirst and emotions. With input from the cerebellum and proprioceptive inputs, it creates a vast sensorimotor network essential for static posture and dynamic movement. With humans being bipedal to allow for improved mobility and energy utilization, greater neuromotor control is required to effectively stabilize and control the four postural zones of mass (i.e., head, torso, pelvis, and lower extremities) over the base of support. In a dynamic state, this neuromotor control that maintains verticality is critical, challenging energy management for somatic motor control as well as visceral and autonomic functions. In this perspective article, the authors promote a simple series of posture photographs to allow one to integrate more accurate alignment of their postural zones of mass with respect to the gravity line by correlating cortical interoception with cognitive feedback. Doing this focuses one on their body perception in space compared to the objective images. Strengthening interoceptive postural awareness can shift the net result of each zone of postural mass during day-to-day movement towards stronger posture biomechanics and can serve as an individualized strategy to optimize function, longevity, and rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven P. Weiniger
- College of Graduate Studies, University of Western States, Portland, OR, United States
- BodyZone.com, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Nathan D. Schilaty
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
- Department of Medical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
- Center for Neuromusculoskeletal Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
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3
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Palermo L, Boccia M. The Body in Neurosciences: Representation, Perception and Space Processing. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1708. [PMID: 38137156 PMCID: PMC10741805 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13121708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The Special Issue "The Body in Neurosciences: Representation, Perception and Space Processing" deals with the understanding of body processing in terms of the multisensorial perception of bodily related information, interoception, and mental representation, as well as its relationship with the peripersonal, interpersonal, and extrapersonal spaces, integrating findings from normal and pathological functioning [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana Palermo
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa—Loc. Germaneto, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Maddalena Boccia
- Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy;
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
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Meneguzzo P, Dal Brun D, Collantoni E, Meregalli V, Todisco P, Favaro A, Tenconi E. Linguistic embodiment in typical and atypical anorexia nervosa: Evidence from an image-word matching task. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2023; 31:837-849. [PMID: 37415396 DOI: 10.1002/erv.3008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The integration of sensory, motor, and cognitive systems is embodied cognition, according to which mind and body are not separate and distinct, and our body (and our brain, as part of the body) contributes to determining our mental and cognitive processes. In spite of limited data available, Anorexia nervosa (AN) appears as a condition in which embodied cognition is altered, in particular, if we consider bodily sensations and visuospatial information processing. We aimed to evaluate the ability to correctly identify body parts and actions in both full (AN) and atypical AN (AAN), looking at the role of the underweight status. METHOD A group of 143 females (AN = 45, AAN = 43, unaffected women = 55) was enrolled. All participants performed a linguistic embodied task to evaluate the association between a picture-showing a bodily action-and a written verb. Additionally, a subsample of 24 AN participants performed a retest after stable weight recovery. RESULTS Both AN and AAN demonstrated an abnormal ability to evaluate the picture-written verb associations, especially if the involved bodily effectors were the same in both stimuli (i.e., pictorial and verbal) and needed a longer response time. CONCLUSIONS Specific embodied cognition linked to body schema seems to be impaired in persons with AN. The longitudinal analysis showed a difference between AN and AAN only in the underweight condition, suggesting the presence of an abnormal linguistic embodiment. More attention should be devoted to embodiment during AN treatment to improve bodily cognition, which might, in turn, diminish body misperception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Meneguzzo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - David Dal Brun
- Department of Linguistic and Literary Studies, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Enrico Collantoni
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Valentina Meregalli
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Patrizia Todisco
- Eating Disorders Unit, Casa di Cura "Villa Margherita, Vicenza, Italy
| | - Angela Favaro
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Tenconi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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5
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Campos C, Rocha NB, Barbosa F. Dissociating cognitive and affective empathy across psychopathy dimensions: The role of interoception and alexithymia. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1082965. [PMID: 37457066 PMCID: PMC10345207 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1082965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examined the associations between psychopathy dimensions (triarchic phenotypes and classical factors), empathy domains (cognitive and affective), and interoception (interoceptive attention and accuracy) while accounting for the putative role of alexithymia. A community sample (n = 515) completed an online survey encompassing: Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (boldness, meanness, disinhibition); Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (primary and secondary psychopathy); Body Perception Questionnaire (interoceptive attention); Interoceptive Accuracy Scale; Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Hierarchical linear regression models were implemented for hypothesis-driven analyses examining the associations between psychopathy, empathy, and interoception while controlling for sex, age, and alexithymia. Exploratory path models were employed to investigate alexithymia and/or cognitive empathy as mediators between interoception and psychopathy. Our results largely confirmed the postulated empathy profiles across psychopathy dimensions, as meanness and primary psychopathy displayed a broad empathy impairment, while disinhibition and secondary psychopathy were only associated with diminished cognitive empathy. Importantly, boldness displayed a unique pattern (enhanced cognitive empathy and reduced affective empathy), further reinforcing its importance within the constellation of psychopathy traits. Contrary to our hypotheses, self-perceived interoceptive attention and accuracy were not associated with either psychopathy dimension after controlling for alexithymia. However, interoceptive accuracy and alexithymia were associated with cognitive empathy, while alexithymia was also positively related to all psychopathy dimensions (as expected), despite the unexpected strong and negative association with boldness. Exploratory analyses suggested significant indirect effects (mediation) between interoceptive accuracy and psychopathy via alexithymia and/or cognitive empathy. These mediating effects must be interpreted with caution and future studies should be designed to formally test this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Campos
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Neurocognition Group|LabRP, School of Health, Center for Rehabilitation Research, Polytechnic University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Barbosa Rocha
- School of Health, Center for Translational Health and Medical Biotechnology Research, Polytechnic University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernando Barbosa
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Zelič Ž, Sebastiani L, Santarcangelo EL. Association of Hypnotizability, Interoception, and Emotion. Int J Clin Exp Hypn 2023:1-13. [PMID: 37363858 DOI: 10.1080/00207144.2023.2226188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The present scoping review reports the reciprocal relations between hypnotizability, interoception, and emotion. Brain morpho-functional differences may account for the lower interoceptive accuracy, higher interoceptive sensitivity, and different emotional strategies observed in highly hypnotizable participants with respect to medium-to-low hypnotizables. Since interoception is relevant to both physical and mental health and hypnotizability can predict both interoceptive abilities and the efficacy of interoception-based mental training, this allows for the development of new forms of treatment and rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Žan Zelič
- Department of Translational Medicine and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Sebastiani
- Department of Translational Medicine and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Enrica Laura Santarcangelo
- Department of Translational Medicine and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Italy
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Dyadic inter-brain EEG coherence induced by interoceptive hyperscanning. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4344. [PMID: 36927763 PMCID: PMC10020471 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31494-y] [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: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous single-brain studies suggested interoception plays a role in interpersonal synchronization. The aim of the present study was to assess the electrophysiological intersubject coherence through electrophysiological (EEG) hyperscanning recording during simple dyadic synchronization tasks when the participants focused on their breath. To this aim, the neural activity of 15 dyads of participants was collected during the execution of a cognitive and motor synchronization task in two distinct IA conditions: focus and no focus on the breath condition. Individuals' EEG frequency bands were recorded through EEG hyperscanning and coherence analysis was performed. Results showed greater EEG coherence was observed for the alpha band in frontopolar brain regions (Fp1, Fp2) and also in central brain regions (C3, C4) within the dyads, during the focus on the breath condition for the motor compared to the cognitive synchronization task; during the same experimental condition, delta and theta band showed augmented inter-individual coherence in the frontal region (Fz) and central areas (C3, C4). To conclude, the current hyperscanning study highlights how the manipulation of the interoceptive focus (obtained through the focus on the breath) strengthens the manifestation of the EEG markers of interpersonal tuning during a motor synchronization task in specific brain areas.
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8
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Embodied empathy and abstract concepts' concreteness: Evidence from contemplative practices. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
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9
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Carro N, Ibar C, D'Adamo P, Gonzalez D, Berg G, Fabre B, Lozada M. Hair cortisol reduction and social integration enhancement after a mindfulness-based intervention in children. Child Care Health Dev 2023; 49:73-79. [PMID: 35312189 DOI: 10.1111/cch.13008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over recent decades, chronic stress at an early age has become a worrying health problem in children. We seek to evaluate an intervention involving mindfulness-based practices and prosocial activities in 7- to 8-year-old children. METHODS Stress levels were determined using hair cortisol concentration (HCC), and social integration was measured by means of a sociogram. The program had previously proven to be effective in decreasing salivary cortisol levels and in favouring social integration in children. A total of 35 children participated in the study: 18 constituted the intervention group and 17 the wait-list group. In both groups, HCC and social integration were evaluated before and after the intervention conducted throughout an entire school year. RESULTS The experimental group showed a significant reduction in HCC, as well as significant enhancement of social integration levels, whereas no changes were observed in the wait-list group. CONCLUSIONS This is the first research to show that HCC, a reliable neuroendocrine indicator, decreased as a result of a mindfulness-based program. This successful outcome adds new evidence to previous findings regarding the reduction of chronic stress in children following participation in this program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Carro
- INIBIOMA-CONICET, National University of Comahue, Neuquén, Argentina
| | - Carolina Ibar
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Clinical Biochemistry Department, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paola D'Adamo
- CyC IPEHCS-CONICET, National University of Comahue, Neuquén, Argentina
| | - Diego Gonzalez
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Clinical Biochemistry Department, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Berg
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Clinical Biochemistry Department, CONICET, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Bibiana Fabre
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, INFIBIOC, Clinical Biochemistry Department, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariana Lozada
- INIBIOMA-CONICET, National University of Comahue, Neuquén, Argentina
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The bodily fundament of empathy: The role of action, nonaction-oriented, and interoceptive body representations. Psychon Bull Rev 2022:10.3758/s13423-022-02231-9. [PMID: 36510091 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-022-02231-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Mental representations with bodily contents or in various bodily formats have been suggested to play a pivotal role in social cognition, including empathy. However, there is a lack of systematic studies investigating, in the same sample of participants and using an individual differences approach, whether and to what extent the sensorimotor, perceptual, and interoceptive representations of the body could fulfill an explanatory role in the empathic abilities.To address this goal, we carried out two studies in which healthy adults were given measures of interoceptive sensibility (IS), action (aBR), and nonaction-oriented body representations (NaBR), and affective, cognitive, and motor empathy. A higher tendency to be self-focused on interoceptive signals predicted higher affective, cognitive, and motor empathy levels. A better performance in tasks probing aBR and NaBR predicted, respectively, higher motor and cognitive empathy levels.These findings support the view that the various facets of the empathic response are differently grounded in the body since they diversely involve representations with a different bodily format.Individual differences in the focus on one's internal body state representation can directly modulate all the components of the empathic experience. Instead, a body representation used interpersonally to represent both one's own body and others' bodies, in particular in its spatial specificity, could be necessary to accurately understand other people's minds (cognitive empathy), while a sensorimotor body representation used to represent both one's own body and others' bodies actions, could be fundamental for the self-awareness of feelings expressed in actions (motor empathy).
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Angioletti L, Balconi M. Delta-Alpha EEG pattern reflects the interoceptive focus effect on interpersonal motor synchronization. FRONTIERS IN NEUROERGONOMICS 2022; 3:1012810. [PMID: 38235477 PMCID: PMC10790895 DOI: 10.3389/fnrgo.2022.1012810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Little is known about how the modulation of the interoceptive focus impacts the neural correlates of high-level social processes, such as synchronization mechanisms. Therefore, the current study aims to explore the intraindividual electrophysiological (EEG) patterns induced by the interoceptive focus on breath when performing cognitive and motor tasks requiring interpersonal synchronization. A sample of 28 healthy caucasian adults was recruited and asked to perform two tasks requiring interpersonal synchronization during two distinct conditions: while focusing on the breath or without the focus on the breath. EEG frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, and beta band) were recorded from the frontal, temporo-central, and parieto-occipital regions of interest. Significant results were observed for the delta and alpha bands. Notably, higher mean delta values and alpha desynchronization were observed in the temporo-central area during the focus on the breath condition when performing the motor compared to the cognitive synchronization task. Taken together these results could be interpreted considering the functional meaning of delta and alpha band in relation to motor synchronization. Indeed, motor delta oscillations shape the dynamics of motor behaviors and motor neural processes, while alpha band attenuation was previously observed during generation, observation, and imagery of movement and is considered to reflect cortical motor activity and action-perception coupling. Overall, the research shows that an EEG delta-alpha pattern emerges in the temporo-central areas at the intra-individual level, indicating the attention to visceral signals, particularly during interpersonal motor synchrony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Angioletti
- International Research Center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Balconi
- International Research Center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
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12
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Canino S, Raimo S, Boccia M, Di Vita A, Palermo L. On the Embodiment of Social Cognition Skills: The Inner and Outer Body Processing Differently Contributes to the Affective and Cognitive Theory of Mind. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12111423. [PMID: 36358350 PMCID: PMC9688437 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12111423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
A specific interpretation of embodiment assigns a central role to the body representations (BR) in cognition. In the social cognition domain, BR could be pivotal in representing others’ actions and states. However, empirical evidence on the relationship between different BR and social cognition, in terms of Theory of Mind (ToM), in the same sample of participants is missing. Here, this relationship was explored considering individual differences in the action-oriented BR (aBR), nonaction-oriented BR (NaBR), and subjective predisposition toward internal bodily sensations (interoceptive sensibility, ISe). Eighty-two healthy adults were given behavioral measures probing aBR, NaBR, ISe, and affective/cognitive ToM. The results suggest that NaBR, which mainly relies on exteroceptive signals, predicts individual differences in cognitive ToM, possibly because it can allow differentiating between the self and others. Instead, the negative association between affective ToM and ISe suggests that an alteration of the internal body state representation (i.e., over-reporting interoceptive sensations) can affect emotional processing in social contexts. The finding that distinct aspects of the body processing from within (ISe) and from the outside (NaBR) differently contribute to ToM provides empirical support to the BR role in social cognition and can be relevant for developing interventions in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Canino
- Department of Health Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
- Correspondence: (S.C.); (L.P.)
| | - Simona Raimo
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Maddalena Boccia
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Di Vita
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Liana Palermo
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
- Correspondence: (S.C.); (L.P.)
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13
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Mothers' interoceptive sensibility mediates affective interaction between mother and infant. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6273. [PMID: 35428844 PMCID: PMC9011379 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09988-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Interoceptive sensibility, which denotes the self-perceived sensitivity to inner-body sensations, has been associated with the emotional experiences and inferences of others’ emotional states. Focusing on the role of interoceptive sensibility in the emotional states and psychological well-being of mothers during caregiving, this study explores how physiological arousal and interoceptive sensibility mediate the association between mother–infant interaction and maternal well-being using an experience sampling method. Infant-directed-singing (IDS) with social touch was used to facilitate mother–infant interaction. Pairs of 2–8-month-old infants and their mothers participated. Mothers in an IDS group (N = 25) and a no-IDS group (N = 26) recorded their and the infant’s daily feelings and physiological states using a smartphone application for one month. All participants, including the control group (N = 78) who neither performed IDS nor used the application, answered the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness questionnaire before and after the recording period. Results indicated that IDS improved mother–infant interactions and positive feelings, enhancing maternal physiological arousal. Increased interoceptive sensibility enhanced infants’ positive feelings in the IDS group, whereas in the no-IDS group, it weakened mother’s positive feelings, suggesting that maternal interoceptive sensibility mediated the effects of IDS on mother and infant well-being.
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Zhou H, Gao Q, Chen W, Wei Q. Action Understanding Promoted by Interoception in Children: A Developmental Model. Front Psychol 2022; 13:724677. [PMID: 35264994 PMCID: PMC8900726 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.724677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Action understanding of children develops from simple associative learning to mentalizing. With the rise of embodied cognition, the role of interoception in action observation and action understanding has received more attention. From a developmental perspective, this study proposes a novel developmental model that explores how interoception promotes action understanding of children across ages. In early infancy, most actions observed in infants come from interactions with their caregivers. Babies learn about action effects through automatic interoceptive processing and interoceptive feedback. Interoception in early infancy is not fully developed, such as the not fully developed gastrointestinal tract and intestinal nervous system. Therefore, in early infancy, action understanding is based on low-level and original interoceptive information. At this stage, after observing the actions of others, infants can create mental representations or even imitate actions without external visual feedback, which requires interoception to provide internal reference information. By early childhood, children begin to infer action intentions of other people by integrating various types of information to reach the mentalizing level. Interoception processing requires the integration of multiple internal signals, which promotes the information integration ability of children. Interoception also provides inner information for reasoning about action intention. This review also discussed the neural mechanisms of interoception and possible ways by which it could promote action understanding of children. In early infancy, the central autonomic neural network (CAN) automatically processes and responds to the actions of caregivers on infants, providing interoceptive information for action understanding of infants. In infancy, the growth of the somatomotor system provides important internal reference information for observing and imitating the actions of infants. In early childhood, the development of interoception of children facilitates the integration of internal and external information, which promotes the mentalization of action understanding of children. According to the proposed developmental model of action understanding of children promoted by interoception, there are multilevel and stage-dependent characteristics that impact the role of interoception in action understanding of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhou
- Center for Brain, Mind and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
- Department of Psychology, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
| | - Qiyang Gao
- Center for Brain, Mind and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
- Department of Psychology, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Center for Brain, Mind and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
- Department of Psychology, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
| | - Qiaobo Wei
- Center for Brain, Mind and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
- Department of Psychology, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
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Grabli FE, Quesque F, Borg C, Witthöft M, Michael GA, Lucas C, Pasquier F, Lebouvier T, Bertoux M. Interoception and social cognition in chronic low back pain: a common inference disturbance? An exploratory study. Pain Manag 2021; 12:471-485. [PMID: 34894713 DOI: 10.2217/pmt-2021-0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Lower interoceptive abilities are a characteristic of chronic pain conditions. Social support plays an important role in chronic low back pain (cLBP) but social cognitive skills have rarely been investigated. This study aimed to characterize interoceptive and social cognitive abilities in cLBP and to study the relationship between both domains that have been brought closer together by brain predictive coding models. Materials & methods: Twenty-eight patients with cLBP and 74 matched controls were included. Interoceptive accuracy (Heart Beat Perception Task), sensibility/awareness (Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness) and mental-states inference abilities (Mini-Social Cognition and Emotional Assessment) were assessed. Results: cLBP Patients had lower interoceptive accuracy and mentalizing performance. Conclusion: Less efficient interoceptive accuracy and mentalizing abilities were found in cLBP patients without correlation between these performances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent El Grabli
- Inserm, U1172 - CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Centre of Excellence in Neurodegenerative Disease, Univ. Lille, Labex DISTAlz, F-59000, Lille, France.,Centre d'Evaluation et de Traitement de la Douleur, Service de Neurochirurgie, CHU Lille, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - François Quesque
- Inserm, U1172 - CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Centre of Excellence in Neurodegenerative Disease, Univ. Lille, Labex DISTAlz, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Céline Borg
- Neurology/Neuropsychology CMRR Unit, Hospital Nord, Saint-Priest-en-Jarez, 42270, France.,Department of Psychology, University of Lyon, Lyon, 69500, France
| | - Michael Witthöft
- Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, 55122, Germany
| | - George A Michael
- Laboratoire d'Etude des Mécanismes Cognitifs (EA 3082), Université Lumière Lyon 2, Bron Cedex, 69676, France
| | - Christian Lucas
- Centre d'Evaluation et de Traitement de la Douleur, Service de Neurochirurgie, CHU Lille, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Florence Pasquier
- Inserm, U1172 - CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Centre of Excellence in Neurodegenerative Disease, Univ. Lille, Labex DISTAlz, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Thibaud Lebouvier
- Inserm, U1172 - CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Centre of Excellence in Neurodegenerative Disease, Univ. Lille, Labex DISTAlz, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Maxime Bertoux
- Inserm, U1172 - CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Centre of Excellence in Neurodegenerative Disease, Univ. Lille, Labex DISTAlz, F-59000, Lille, France
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16
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Bohlen L, Shaw R, Cerritelli F, Esteves JE. Osteopathy and Mental Health: An Embodied, Predictive, and Interoceptive Framework. Front Psychol 2021; 12:767005. [PMID: 34777176 PMCID: PMC8578726 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.767005] [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: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, mental and musculoskeletal disorders present with high prevalence, disease burden, and comorbidity. In order to improve the quality of care for patients with persistent physical and comorbid mental health conditions, person-centered care approaches addressing psychosocial factors are currently advocated. Central to successful person-centered care is a multidisciplinary collaboration between mental health and musculoskeletal specialists underpinned by a robust therapeutic alliance. Such a collaborative approach might be found in osteopathy, which is typically utilized to treat patients with musculoskeletal disorders but may arguably also benefit mental health outcomes. However, research and practice exploring the reputed effect of osteopathy on patients with mental health problems lack a robust framework. In this hypothesis and theory article, we build upon research from embodied cognition, predictive coding, interoception, and osteopathy to propose an embodied, predictive and interoceptive framework that underpins osteopathic person-centered care for individuals with persistent physical and comorbid mental health problems. Based on the premise that, for example, chronic pain and comorbid depression are underlined by overly precise predictions or imprecise sensory information, we hypothesize that osteopathic treatment may generate strong interoceptive prediction errors that update the generative model underpinning the experience of pain and depression. Thus, physical and mental symptoms may be reduced through active and perceptual inference. We discuss how these theoretical perspectives can inform future research into osteopathy and mental health to reduce the burden of comorbid psychological factors in patients with persistent physical symptoms and support person-centered multidisciplinary care in mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Bohlen
- Osteopathic Research Institute, Osteopathie Schule Deutschland, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Robert Shaw
- Scandinavian College of Osteopathy, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Francesco Cerritelli
- Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
- Clinical-based Human Research Department, Foundation COME Collaboration, Pescara, Italy
| | - Jorge E. Esteves
- Clinical-based Human Research Department, Foundation COME Collaboration, Pescara, Italy
- Research Department, University College of Osteopathy, London, United Kingdom
- International College of Osteopathic Medicine, Malta, Italy
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17
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Bogdanova OV, Bogdanov VB, Dureux A, Farnè A, Hadj-Bouziane F. The Peripersonal Space in a social world. Cortex 2021; 142:28-46. [PMID: 34174722 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The PeriPersonal Space (PPS) has been defined as the space surrounding the body, where physical interactions with elements of the environment take place. As our world is social in nature, recent evidence revealed the complex modulation of social factors onto PPS representation. In light of the growing interest in the field, in this review we take a close look at the experimental approaches undertaken to assess the impact of social factors onto PPS representation. Our social world also influences the personal space (PS), a concept stemming from social psychology, defined as the space we keep between us and others to avoid discomfort. Here we analytically compare PPS and PS with the aim of understanding if and how they relate to each other. At the behavioral level, the multiplicity of experimental methodologies, whether well-established or novel, lead to somewhat divergent results and interpretations. Beyond behavior, we review physiological and neural signatures of PPS representation to discuss how interoceptive signals could contribute to PPS representation, as well as how these internal signals could shape the neural responses of PPS representation. In particular, by merging exteroceptive information from the environment and internal signals that come from the body, PPS may promote an integrated representation of the self, as distinct from the environment and the others. We put forward that integrating internal and external signals in the brain for perception of proximal environmental stimuli may also provide us with a better understanding of the processes at play during social interactions. Adopting such an integrative stance may offer novel insights about PPS representation in a social world. Finally, we discuss possible links between PPS research and social cognition, a link that may contribute to the understanding of intentions and feelings of others around us and promote appropriate social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olena V Bogdanova
- Integrative Multisensory Perception Action & Cognition Team (Impact), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Lyon, France; University of Lyon 1, France; INCIA, UMR 5287, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, France.
| | - Volodymyr B Bogdanov
- Integrative Multisensory Perception Action & Cognition Team (Impact), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Lyon, France; University of Lyon 1, France; Ecole Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'Etat, Laboratoire Génie Civil et Bâtiment, Vaulx-en-Velin, France
| | - Audrey Dureux
- Integrative Multisensory Perception Action & Cognition Team (Impact), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Lyon, France; University of Lyon 1, France
| | - Alessandro Farnè
- Integrative Multisensory Perception Action & Cognition Team (Impact), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Lyon, France; University of Lyon 1, France; Hospices Civils de Lyon, Neuro-Immersion Platform, Lyon, France; Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Italy
| | - Fadila Hadj-Bouziane
- Integrative Multisensory Perception Action & Cognition Team (Impact), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Lyon, France; University of Lyon 1, France.
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18
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Zhang J, Dong D. Book Review: The Interoceptive Mind: From Homeostasis to Awareness. Front Psychol 2021. [PMCID: PMC7876277 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.637640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- School of Marxism, Institute of Philosophy, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, China
- School of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Da Dong
- Department of Philosophy, Center for the Study of Language and Cognition, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Da Dong
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19
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Horváth Á, Vig L, Ferentzi E, Köteles F. Cardiac and Proprioceptive Accuracy Are Not Related to Body Awareness, Perceived Body Competence, and Affect. Front Psychol 2021; 11:575574. [PMID: 33519590 PMCID: PMC7840531 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.575574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Interoception in the broader sense refers to the perception of internal states, including the perception of the actual state of the internal organs (visceroception) and the motor system (proprioception). Dimensions of interoception include (1) interoceptive accuracy, i.e., the ability to sense internal changes assessed with behavioral tests, (2) confidence rating with respect to perceived performance in an actual behavioral test, and (3) interoceptive sensibility, i.e., the self-reported generalized ability to perceive body changes. The relationship between dimension of cardioceptive and proprioceptive modalities and their association with affect are scarcely studied. In the present study, undergraduate students (N = 105, 53 males, age: 21.0 ± 1.87 years) filled out questionnaires assessing positive and negative affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule), interoceptive sensibility (Body Awareness Questionnaire), and body competence (Body Competence Scale of the Body Consciousness Questionnaire). Following this, they completed a behavioral task assessing cardioceptive accuracy (the mental heartbeat tracking task by Schandry) and two tasks assessing proprioceptive accuracy with respect to the tension of arm flexor muscles (weight discrimination task) and the angular position of the elbow joint (joint position reproduction task). Confidence ratings were measured with visual analog scales after the tasks. With the exception of a weak association between cardioceptive accuracy and the respective confidence rating, no associations between and within modalities were found with respect to various dimensions of interoception. Further, the interoceptive dimensions were not associated with state and trait positive and negative affect and perceived body competence. In summary, interoceptive accuracy scores do not substantially contribute to conscious representations of cardioceptive and proprioceptive ability. Within our data, non-pathological affective states (PANAS) are not associated with the major dimensions of interoception for the cardiac and proprioceptive modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Áron Horváth
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Luca Vig
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Ferentzi
- Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Köteles
- Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
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20
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Emotion perception and theory of mind in obesity: a systematic review on the impact of social cognitive deficits on dysfunctional eating behaviors. Surg Obes Relat Dis 2020; 17:618-629. [PMID: 33249085 DOI: 10.1016/j.soard.2020.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this paper was to summarize our current understanding of emotion perception and Theory of Mind (ToM) in obesity and how they relate to dysfunctional eating behaviors (DEB), frequently found in candidates for bariatric surgery. The literature was searched using the electronic databases PsychInfo, Medline, and Web of Science databases, and by additional hand searches through reference lists and specialist eating disorders journals. Relevant studies were included if they were written in English, included participants suffering from obesity and evaluation with tasks assessing social cognition, such as emotion recognition and perception, as well as ToM. Twelve studies analyzed for this systematic review suggest that deficits in such social cognitive domains may lie behind many emotional and social difficulties present in people with obesity, be they bariatric or not, which usually favor DEB. Our review suggests that people with obesity of all ages score significantly less than controls on instruments assessing emotion recognition and ToM, justifying a possible relationship between social cognitive impairments and dysfunctional eating behaviors, such as binges, emotional eating, and addition to food, frequently seen in people with obesity. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the social cognitive foundations of eating behavior in individuals with obesity. They can help not only the presurgical behavioral assessment, but also guide postoperative follow-up of this population.
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21
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Kjölstad G, Gyllensten AL, Gard G. Body awareness in healthy subjects – a qualitative study. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOTHERAPY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/21679169.2020.1845792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gunvor Gard
- Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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22
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Grimshaw GM, Philipp MC. Bodies in mind: using peripheral psychophysiology to probe emotional and social processes. J R Soc N Z 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/03036758.2020.1792944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gina M. Grimshaw
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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