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Scalabrini A. Through the cracks of consciousness - The relevance of temporal dynamics for the psychological baseline of the self and its dissociative counterpart: A commentary on "Beyond task response-Pre-stimulus activity modulates contents of consciousness" by Northoff, Zilio, and Zhang. Phys Life Rev 2024; 50:100-102. [PMID: 39018893 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2024.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Scalabrini
- University of Bergamo, Department of Human and Social Sciences, Bergamo, Italy.
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Scalabrini A, Cavicchioli M, Benedetti F, Mucci C, Northoff G. The nested hierarchical model of self and its non-relational vs relational posttraumatic manifestation: an fMRI meta-analysis of emotional processing. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02520-w. [PMID: 38514803 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02520-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Different kinds of traumatic experiences like natural catastrophes vs. relational traumatic experiences (e.g., sex/physical abuse, interpersonal partner violence) are involved in the development of the self and PTSD psychopathological manifestations. Looking at a neuroscience approach, it has been proposed a nested hierarchical model of self, which identifies three neural-mental networks: (i) interoceptive; (ii) exteroceptive; (iii) mental. However, it is still unclear how the self and its related brain networks might be affected by non-relational vs relational traumatic experiences. Departing from this background, the current study aims at conducting a meta-analytic review of task-dependent fMRI studies (i.e., emotional processing task) among patients with PTSD due to non-relational (PTSD-NR) and relational (PTSD-R) traumatic experiences using two approaches: (i) a Bayesian network meta-analysis for a region-of-interest-based approach; (ii) a coordinated-based meta-analysis. Our findings suggested that the PTSD-NR mainly recruited areas ascribed to the mental self to process emotional stimuli. Whereas, the PTSD-R mainly activated regions associated with the intero-exteroceptive self. Accordingly, the PTSD-R compared to the PTSD-NR might not reach a higher symbolic capacity to process stimuli with an emotional valence. These results are also clinically relevant in support of the development of differential treatment approaches for non-relational vs. relational PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Scalabrini
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, P.le S. Agostino, 2, Bergamo, 24129, Italy.
| | - Marco Cavicchioli
- University Vita- Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Via Olgettina, 58, Milan, 20132, Italy.
| | - Francesco Benedetti
- University Vita- Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Via Olgettina, 58, Milan, 20132, Italy
- Psychiatry & Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Stamira d'Ancona, 20, 20127, Milan, Italy
| | - Clara Mucci
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, P.le S. Agostino, 2, Bergamo, 24129, Italy
| | - Georg Northoff
- The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research & University of Ottawa. Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, 145 Carling Avenue, Rm. 6435, Ottawa, ON, K1Z 7K412, Canada
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Çatal Y, Northoff G. Where do the symptoms come from in depression? Topography and dynamics matter. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae067. [PMID: 38515441 PMCID: PMC10957125 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
This scientific commentary refers to 'Brain dynamics predictive of response to psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression', by Vohryzek et al. (https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcae049).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasir Çatal
- The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research & University of Ottawa, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1Z 7K412, Canada
| | - Georg Northoff
- The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research & University of Ottawa, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1Z 7K412, Canada
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Brugnoli MP. Spiritual healing in palliative care with clinical hypnosis: neuroscience and therapy. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS 2023:1-13. [PMID: 38117544 DOI: 10.1080/00029157.2023.2281466] [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: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
THIS PAPER REVIEWS The neuroscientific features of inner consciousness, including its role in suffering and in accessing states of mind that relieve suffering; details salient meditative and hypnotic approaches appropriate for palliative settings of care; discusses core principles and orientations shared by effective approaches; and proposes early integration of hypnotic training as a coping skill and a platform for spiritual exploration, as desired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Paola Brugnoli
- Interdisciplinary Research Group in Neurobioethics (GdN) at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum (APRA), Roma, Italy
- Chairperson Ethical Committee ISH International Society of Hypnosis, Verona, Italy
- President SIPMU Italian Scientific Society Clinical Hypnosis in Psychotherapy and Humanistic Medicine, Verona, Italy
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Scalabrini A, De Amicis M, Brugnera A, Cavicchioli M, Çatal Y, Keskin K, Pilar JG, Zhang J, Osipova B, Compare A, Greco A, Benedetti F, Mucci C, Northoff G. The self and our perception of its synchrony - Beyond internal and external cognition. Conscious Cogn 2023; 116:103600. [PMID: 37976779 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2023.103600] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The self is the core of our mental life which connects one's inner mental life with the external perception. Since synchrony is a key feature of the biological world and its various species, what role does it play for humans? We conducted a large-scale psychological study (n = 1072) combining newly developed visual analogue scales (VAS) for the perception of synchrony and internal and external cognition complemented by several psychological questionnaires. Overall, our findings showed close connection of the perception of synchrony of the self with both internal (i.e., body and cognition) and external (i.e., others, environment/nature) synchrony being associated positively with adaptive and negatively with maladaptive traits of self. Moreover, we have demonstrated how external (i.e., life events like the COVID-19 pandemic) variables modulate the perception of the self's internal-external synchrony. These findings suggest how synchrony with self plays a central role during times of uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Scalabrini
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy.
| | | | - Agostino Brugnera
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
| | | | - Yasir Çatal
- The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research & University of Ottawa. Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, 145 Carling Avenue, Rm. 6435, Ottawa, Ontario K1Z 7K4, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Kaan Keskin
- Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 35100 Bornova-İzmir, Turkey
| | - Javier Gomez Pilar
- Biomedical Engineering Group, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER‑BBN), Valladolid, Spain
| | - Jianfeng Zhang
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Bella Osipova
- Moscow State University of Psychology and Education (MSUPE)
| | - Angelo Compare
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Andrea Greco
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Francesco Benedetti
- University Vita- Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy; Psychiatry & Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Clara Mucci
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Georg Northoff
- University Vita- Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy; The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research & University of Ottawa. Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, 145 Carling Avenue, Rm. 6435, Ottawa, Ontario K1Z 7K4, Canada; Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Tianmu Road 305, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310013, China; Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Tianmu Road 305, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310013, China.
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Scalabrini A, Palladini M, Mazza MG, Mucci C, Northoff G, Benedetti F. In Between the Psychological and Physiological Self - The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on the Neuro-Socio-Ecological and Inflammatory Mind-Body-Brain System. CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2023; 20:342-350. [PMID: 37791086 PMCID: PMC10544257 DOI: 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20230414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on individuals' sense of self perturbating the sense of connectedness with the others, touching upon deep existential fears and deep intersubjective and cultural layers, emphasizing the importance of a neuro-socio-ecological alignment for the sense of security of psychological self. We can still observe after years how social distancing measures, quarantines, and lockdowns have disrupted social connections and routines, leading to feelings of isolation, anxiety and depressive symptomatology. Furthermore, from a physiological perspective, some people continue to experience health problems long after having COVID-19, and these ongoing health problems are sometimes called post-COVID-19 syndrome or post-COVID conditions (PASC). In this complex scenario, through the operationalization of the sense of self and its psychological and physiological baseline, our aim is to try to shed some new light on elements of resilience vs. vulnerability. Here we intend the self and its baseline as the crossroads between psychology and physiology and we show how COVID-19 pandemic, especially in post-COVID-19 syndrome (PACS), left traces in the mind-body-brain system at a neuro-socio-ecological and inflammatory level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Scalabrini
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Mariagrazia Palladini
- University Vita- Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- Psychiatry & Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Mario Gennaro Mazza
- University Vita- Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- Psychiatry & Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Clara Mucci
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Georg Northoff
- The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research & University of Ottawa. Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, 145 Carling Avenue, Rm. 6435, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1Z 7K412
- Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Tianmu Road 305, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310013, China
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Tianmu Road 305, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310013, China
| | - Francesco Benedetti
- University Vita- Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- Psychiatry & Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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Lechner S, Northoff G. Temporal imprecision and phase instability in schizophrenia resting state EEG. Asian J Psychiatr 2023; 86:103654. [PMID: 37307700 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103654] [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: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is characterized by temporal imprecision and irregularities on neuronal, psychological cognitive, and behavioral levels which are usually tested during task-related activity. This leaves open whether analogous temporal imprecision and irregularities can already be observed in the brain's spontaneous activity as measured during the resting state; this is the goal of our study. Building on recent task-related data, we, using EEG, aimed to investigate the temporal precision and regularity of phase coherence over time in healthy, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder participants. To this end, we developed a novel methodology, nominal frequency phase stability (NFPS), that allows to measure stability over phase angles in selected frequencies. By applying sample entropy quantification to the time-series of the nominal frequency phase angle time series, we found increased irregularities in theta activity over a frontocentral electrode in schizophrenia but not in bipolar disorder. We therefore assume that temporal imprecision and irregularity already occur in the brain's spontaneous activity in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Lechner
- University of Ottawa, The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, 145 Carling Avenue, Rm. 6435, Ottawa K1Z 7K4 ON, Canada; Research Group Neuroinformatics, Faculty of Computer Science, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria; Vienna Doctoral School Cognition, Behavior and Neuroscience, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Georg Northoff
- University of Ottawa, The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, 145 Carling Avenue, Rm. 6435, Ottawa K1Z 7K4 ON, Canada; Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Roger Guindon Hall 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa K1H 8M5 ON, Canada; Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Tianmu Road 305, Hangzhou 310013, China; Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Tianmu Road 305, Hangzhou 310013, China.
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Northoff G, Scalabrini A, Fogel S. Topographic-dynamic reorganisation model of dreams (TRoD) - A spatiotemporal approach. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 148:105117. [PMID: 36870584 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Dreams are one of the most bizarre and least understood states of consciousness. Bridging the gap between brain and phenomenology of (un)conscious experience, we propose the Topographic-dynamic Re-organization model of Dreams (TRoD). Topographically, dreams are characterized by a shift towards increased activity and connectivity in the default-mode network (DMN) while they are reduced in the central executive network, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (except in lucid dreaming). This topographic re-organization is accompanied by dynamic changes; a shift towards slower frequencies and longer timescales. This puts dreams dynamically in an intermediate position between awake state and NREM 2/SWS sleep. TRoD proposes that the shift towards DMN and slower frequencies leads to an abnormal spatiotemporal framing of input processing including both internally- and externally-generated inputs (from body and environment). In dreams, a shift away from temporal segregation to temporal integration of inputs results in the often bizarre and highly self-centric mental contents as well as hallucinatory-like states. We conclude that topography and temporal dynamics are core features of the TroD, which may provide the connection of neural and mental activity, e.g., brain and experience during dreams as their "common currency".
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Northoff
- Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Neural Dynamics, The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Andrea Scalabrini
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy.
| | - Stuart Fogel
- Sleep and Neuroscience, The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute and Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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Cera N, Monteiro J, Esposito R, Di Francesco G, Cordes D, Caldwell JZK, Cieri F. Neural correlates of psychodynamic and non-psychodynamic therapies in different clinical populations through fMRI: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:1029256. [PMID: 36644207 PMCID: PMC9832372 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.1029256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the ongoing crisis in psychiatric and psychological care, contributing to what we have identified as a new psychological and psychiatric pandemic. Psychotherapy is an effective method for easing the psychological suffering experienced also by the various impacts of COVID-19. This treatment can be examined from a neurological perspective, through the application of brain imaging techniques. Specifically, the meta-analysis of imaging studies can aid in expanding researchers' understanding of the many beneficial applications of psychotherapy. Objectives We examined the functional brain changes accompanying different mental disorders with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), through a meta-analysis, and systematic review in order to better understand the general neural mechanism involved in psychotherapy and the potential neural difference between psychodynamic and non-psychodynamic approaches. Data sources The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were employed for our systematic review and meta-analysis. We conducted a computer-based literature search, following the Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes (PICO) approach, to retrieve all published articles in English regarding the above-described topics from PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, and Web of Science. Study eligibility criteria participants and interventions We combined terms related to psychotherapy and fMRI: ("psychotherapy" [All Fields] OR "psychotherapy" [MeSH Terms] OR "psychotherapy" [All Fields] OR "psychotherapies" [All Fields] OR "psychotherapy s" [All Fields]) AND ("magnetic resonance imaging" [MeSH Terms]) OR ("magnetic"[All Fields] AND "resonance"[All Fields] AND "imaging"[All Fields]) OR ("magnetic resonance imaging"[All Fields] OR "fmri"[All Fields]). We considered (1) whole brain fMRI studies; (2) studies in which participants have been involved in a clinical trial with psychotherapy sessions, with pre/post fMRI; (3) fMRI results presented in coordinate-based (x, y, and z) in MNI or Talairach space; (4) presence of neuropsychiatric patients. The exclusion criteria were: (1) systematic review or meta-analysis; (2) behavioral study; (3) single-case MRI or fMRI study; and (4) other imaging techniques (i.e., PET, SPECT) or EEG. Results After duplicates removal and assessment of the content of each published study, we included 38 sources. The map including all studies that assessed longitudinal differences in brain activity showed two homogeneous clusters in the left inferior frontal gyrus, and caudally involving the anterior insular cortex (p < 0.0001, corr.). Similarly, studies that assessed psychotherapy-related longitudinal changes using emotional or cognitive tasks (TASK map) showed a left-sided homogeneity in the anterior insula (p < 0.000) extending to Broca's area of the inferior frontal gyrus (p < 0.0001) and the superior frontal gyrus (p < 0.0001). Studies that applied psychodynamic psychotherapy showed Family-Wise Error (FWE) cluster-corrected (p < 0.05) homogeneity values in the right superior and inferior frontal gyri, with a small cluster in the putamen. No FWE-corrected homogeneity foci were observed for Mindful- based and cognitive behavioral therapy psychotherapy. In both pre- and post-therapy results, studies showed two bilateral clusters in the dorsal anterior insulae (p = 0.00001 and p = 0.00003, respectively) and involvement of the medial superior frontal gyrus (p = 0.0002). Limitations Subjective experiences, such as an individual's response to therapy, are intrinsically challenging to quantify as objective, factual realities. Brain changes observed both pre- and post-therapy could be related to other factors, not necessary to the specific treatment received. Therapeutic modalities and study designs are generally heterogeneous. Differences exist in sample characteristics, such as the specificity of the disorder and number and duration of sessions. Moreover, the sample size is relatively small, particularly due to the paucity of studies in this field and the little contribution of PDT. Conclusions and implications of key findings All psychological interventions seem to influence the brain from a functional point of view, showing their efficacy from a neurological perspective. Frontal, prefrontal regions, insular cortex, superior and inferior frontal gyrus, and putamen seem involved in these neural changes, with the psychodynamic more linked to the latter three regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Cera
- Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- CIBIT-Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jessica Monteiro
- Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Roberto Esposito
- Department of Radiology, Area Vasta 1/ASUR Marche, Pesaro, Italy
| | | | - Dietmar Cordes
- Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, NV, United States
- Department of Brain Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Jessica Z. K. Caldwell
- Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Filippo Cieri
- Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, NV, United States
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An integrative perspective on the role of touch in the development of intersubjectivity. Brain Cogn 2022; 163:105915. [PMID: 36162247 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2022.105915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Touch concerns a fundamental component of sociality. In this review, we examine the hypothesis that somatomotor development constitutes a crucial psychophysiological element in the ontogeny of intersubjectivity. An interdisciplinary perspective is provided on how the communication channel of touch contributes to the sense of self and extends to the social self. During gestation, the transformation of random movements into organized sequences of actions with sensory consequences parallels the development of the brain's functional architecture. Brain subsystems shaped by the coordinated activity of somatomotor circuits to support these first body-environment interactions are the first brain functional arrangements to develop. We propose that tactile self-referring behaviour during gestation constitutes a prototypic mode of interpersonal exchange that supports the subsequent development of intersubjective exchange. The reviewed research suggests that touch constitutes a pivotal bodily experience that in early stages builds and later filters self-other interactions. This view is corroborated by the fact that aberrant social-affective touch experiences appear fundamentally associated with attachment anomalies, interpersonal trauma, and personality disorders. Given the centrality of touch for the development of intersubjectivity and for psychopathological conditions in the social domain, dedicated research is urged to elucidate the role of touch in the evolution of subjective self-other coding.
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Williams R, Trentini C. Two modes of being together: The levels of intersubjectivity and human relatedness in neuroscience and psychoanalytic thinking. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:981366. [PMID: 36158615 PMCID: PMC9494563 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.981366] [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: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The notion of intersubjectivity has achieved a primary status in contemporary psychoanalytic debate, stimulating new theoretical proposals as well as controversies. This paper presents an overview of the main contributions on inter-subjectivity in the field of neurosciences. In humans as well as-probably-in other species, the ability for emotional resonance is guaranteed early in development. Based on this capacity, a primary sense of connectedness is established that can be defined inter-subjective in that it entails sharing affective states and intentions with caregivers. We propose to define such a form of inter-subjectivity as contingent, since the infant's early abilities for resonance do not imply the more generalized capacity to permanently conceive of the relationship outside the realm of current interactions and the infant-caregiver's mutual correspondence of internal states. This form of connection, hence, results in a self-referential, bodily, and affectively codified, context- and time dependent, like-me experience of interactions. The gradual maturation of brain structures and processes as well as interactive experiences allow proper intersubjectivity exchanges, grounded on new intentional and representational capacities, to evolve. In this more mature form of intersubjectivity, the individual is allowed to conceive of her own psychic space both as distinct and as possibly connected with the other's contents and experience, even in the absence of current behavioral indicators of such correspondence. This multi-layered model of intersubjectivity, which is embraced by current neuroscience research, seems to allow for new interpretations of psychoanalytic models of human relatedness based upon classic clinical observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Williams
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Scalabrini A, Mucci C, Northoff G. The nested hierarchy of self and its trauma: In search for a synchronic dynamic and topographical re-organization. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:980353. [PMID: 36118976 PMCID: PMC9478193 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.980353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The sense of self has always been a topic of high interest in both psychoanalysis and most recently in neuroscience. Nowadays, there is an agreement in psychoanalysis that the self emerges from the relationship with the other (e.g., the caregiver) in terms of his/her capacity to attune, regulate, and synchronize with the emergent self of the infant. The outcome of this relational/intersubjective synchronization is the development of the sense of self and its regulatory processes both in dynamic psychology and neuroscience. In this work, we propose that synchrony is a fundamental biobehavioral factor in these dialectical processes between self and others which shapes the brain-body-mind system of the individuals, including their sense of self. Recently in neuroscience, it has been proposed by the research group around Northoff that the self is constituted by a brain-based nested hierarchical three-layer structure, including interoceptive, proprio-exteroceptive, and mental layers of self. This may be disrupted, though, when traumatic experiences occur. Following the three levels of trauma theorized by Mucci, we here suggest how different levels of traumatic experiences might have an enduring effect in yielding a trauma-based topographic and dynamic re-organization of the nested model of self featured by dissociation. In conclusion, we propose that different levels and degrees of traumatic experience are related to corresponding disruptions in the topography and dynamic of the brain-based three-layer hierarchical structure of the self.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Scalabrini
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Clara Mucci
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Georg Northoff
- Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Neural Dynamics, The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
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Northoff G, Vatansever D, Scalabrini A, Stamatakis EA. Ongoing Brain Activity and Its Role in Cognition: Dual versus Baseline Models. Neuroscientist 2022:10738584221081752. [PMID: 35611670 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221081752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
What is the role of the brain's ongoing activity for cognition? The predominant perspectives associate ongoing brain activity with resting state, the default-mode network (DMN), and internally oriented mentation. This triad is often contrasted with task states, non-DMN brain networks, and externally oriented mentation, together comprising a "dual model" of brain and cognition. In opposition to this duality, however, we propose that ongoing brain activity serves as a neuronal baseline; this builds upon Raichle's original search for the default mode of brain function that extended beyond the canonical default-mode brain regions. That entails what we refer to as the "baseline model." Akin to an internal biological clock for the rest of the organism, the ongoing brain activity may serve as an internal point of reference or standard by providing a shared neural code for the brain's rest as well as task states, including their associated cognition. Such shared neural code is manifest in the spatiotemporal organization of the brain's ongoing activity, including its global signal topography and dynamics like intrinsic neural timescales. We conclude that recent empirical evidence supports a baseline model over the dual model; the ongoing activity provides a global shared neural code that allows integrating the brain's rest and task states, its DMN and non-DMN, and internally and externally oriented cognition.
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Chan A, Northoff G, Karasik R, Ouyang J, Williams K. Flights and Perchings of the BrainMind: A Temporospatial Approach to Psychotherapy. Front Psychol 2022; 13:828035. [PMID: 35444594 PMCID: PMC9014955 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.828035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This article introduces a process-oriented approach for improving present moment conceptualization in psychotherapy that is in alignment with neuroscience: the Temporospatial movements of mind (TSMM) model. We elaborate on seven temporal movements that describe the moment-to-moment morphogenesis of emotional feelings and thoughts from inception to maturity. Temporal refers to the passage of time through which feelings and thoughts develop, and electromagnetic activity, that among other responsibilities, bind information across time. Spatial dynamics extend from an undifferentiated to three dimensional experiences of emotional and cognitive processes. Neurophysiologically, spatial refers to structures within the brain and their varying interactions with one another. This article culminates in the development of an atheoretical temporospatial grid that may help clinicians conceptualize where patients are in their cognitive and emotional development to further guide technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldrich Chan
- Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, United States
- Center for Neuropsychology and Consciousness, Miami, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Aldrich Chan,
| | - Georg Northoff
- Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Neural Dynamics, The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ryan Karasik
- Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, United States
- Center for Neuropsychology and Consciousness, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Jason Ouyang
- Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, United States
- Center for Neuropsychology and Consciousness, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Kathryn Williams
- Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, United States
- Center for Neuropsychology and Consciousness, Miami, FL, United States
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