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Thieu MK, Ayzenberg V, Lourenco SF, Kragel PA. Visual looming is a primitive for human emotion. iScience 2024; 27:109886. [PMID: 38799577 PMCID: PMC11126809 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The neural computations for looming detection are strikingly similar across species. In mammals, information about approaching threats is conveyed from the retina to the midbrain superior colliculus, where approach variables are computed to enable defensive behavior. Although neuroscientific theories posit that midbrain representations contribute to emotion through connectivity with distributed brain systems, it remains unknown whether a computational system for looming detection can predict both defensive behavior and phenomenal experience in humans. Here, we show that a shallow convolutional neural network based on the Drosophila visual system predicts defensive blinking to looming objects in infants and superior colliculus responses to optical expansion in adults. Further, the neural network's responses to naturalistic video clips predict self-reported emotion largely by way of subjective arousal. These findings illustrate how a simple neural network architecture optimized for a species-general task relevant for survival explains motor and experiential components of human emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vladislav Ayzenberg
- Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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2
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Basile GA, Tatti E, Bertino S, Milardi D, Genovese G, Bruno A, Muscatello MRA, Ciurleo R, Cerasa A, Quartarone A, Cacciola A. Neuroanatomical correlates of peripersonal space: bridging the gap between perception, action, emotion and social cognition. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:1047-1072. [PMID: 38683211 PMCID: PMC11147881 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02781-9] [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: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Peripersonal space (PPS) is a construct referring to the portion of space immediately surrounding our bodies, where most of the interactions between the subject and the environment, including other individuals, take place. Decades of animal and human neuroscience research have revealed that the brain holds a separate representation of this region of space: this distinct spatial representation has evolved to ensure proper relevance to stimuli that are close to the body and prompt an appropriate behavioral response. The neural underpinnings of such construct have been thoroughly investigated by different generations of studies involving anatomical and electrophysiological investigations in animal models, and, recently, neuroimaging experiments in human subjects. Here, we provide a comprehensive anatomical overview of the anatomical circuitry underlying PPS representation in the human brain. Gathering evidence from multiple areas of research, we identified cortical and subcortical regions that are involved in specific aspects of PPS encoding.We show how these regions are part of segregated, yet integrated functional networks within the brain, which are in turn involved in higher-order integration of information. This wide-scale circuitry accounts for the relevance of PPS encoding in multiple brain functions, including not only motor planning and visuospatial attention but also emotional and social cognitive aspects. A complete characterization of these circuits may clarify the derangements of PPS representation observed in different neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianpaolo Antonio Basile
- Brain Mapping Lab, Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
| | - Elisa Tatti
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Biomedical Sciences, CUNY, School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10031, USA
| | - Salvatore Bertino
- Brain Mapping Lab, Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Demetrio Milardi
- Brain Mapping Lab, Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Bruno
- Psychiatry Unit, University Hospital "G. Martino", Messina, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello
- Psychiatry Unit, University Hospital "G. Martino", Messina, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Cerasa
- S. Anna Institute, Crotone, Italy
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, Messina, Italy
- Pharmacotechnology Documentation and Transfer Unit, Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Health Science and Nutrition, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | | | - Alberto Cacciola
- Brain Mapping Lab, Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
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3
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Koob JL, Gorski M, Krick S, Mustin M, Fink GR, Grefkes C, Rehme AK. Behavioral and neuroanatomical correlates of facial emotion processing in post-stroke depression. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 41:103586. [PMID: 38428325 PMCID: PMC10944179 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotion processing deficits are known to accompany depressive symptoms and are often seen in stroke patients. Little is known about the influence of post-stroke depressive (PSD) symptoms and specific brain lesions on altered emotion processing abilities and how these phenomena develop over time. This potential relationship may impact post-stroke rehabilitation of neurological and psychosocial function. To address this scientific gap, we investigated the relationship between PSD symptoms and emotion processing abilities in a longitudinal study design from the first days post-stroke into the early chronic phase. METHODS Twenty-six ischemic stroke patients performed an emotion processing task on videos with emotional faces ('happy,' 'sad,' 'anger,' 'fear,' and 'neutral') at different intensity levels (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%). Recognition accuracies and response times were measured, as well as scores of depressive symptoms (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale). Twenty-eight healthy participants matched in age and sex were included as a control group. Whole-brain support-vector regression lesion-symptom mapping (SVR-LSM) analyses were performed to investigate whether specific lesion locations were associated with the recognition accuracy of specific emotion categories. RESULTS Stroke patients performed worse in overall recognition accuracy compared to controls, specifically in the recognition of happy, sad, and fearful faces. Notably, more depressed stroke patients showed an increased processing towards specific negative emotions, as they responded significantly faster to angry faces and recognized sad faces of low intensities significantly more accurately. These effects obtained for the first days after stroke partly persisted to follow-up assessment several months later. SVR-LSM analyses revealed that inferior and middle frontal regions (IFG/MFG) and insula and putamen were associated with emotion-recognition deficits in stroke. Specifically, recognizing happy facial expressions was influenced by lesions affecting the anterior insula, putamen, IFG, MFG, orbitofrontal cortex, and rolandic operculum. Lesions in the posterior insula, rolandic operculum, and MFG were also related to reduced recognition accuracy of fearful facial expressions, whereas recognition deficits of sad faces were associated with frontal pole, IFG, and MFG damage. CONCLUSION PSD symptoms facilitate processing negative emotional stimuli, specifically angry and sad facial expressions. The recognition accuracy of different emotional categories was linked to brain lesions in emotion-related processing circuits, including insula, basal ganglia, IFG, and MFG. In summary, our study provides support for psychosocial and neural factors underlying emotional processing after stroke, contributing to the pathophysiology of PSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janusz L Koob
- University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne 50937, Germany
| | - Maximilian Gorski
- University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne 50937, Germany
| | - Sebastian Krick
- University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne 50937, Germany
| | - Maike Mustin
- University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne 50937, Germany
| | - Gereon R Fink
- University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne 50937, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Cognitive Neuroscience (INM-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
| | - Christian Grefkes
- University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne 50937, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Cognitive Neuroscience (INM-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany; Goethe University Frankfurt and University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Neurology, Frankfurt am Main 60596, Germany.
| | - Anne K Rehme
- University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne 50937, Germany
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Esposito M, Palermo S, Nahi YC, Tamietto M, Celeghin A. Implicit Selective Attention: The Role of the Mesencephalic-basal Ganglia System. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:1497-1512. [PMID: 37653629 PMCID: PMC11097991 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230831163052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of the brain to recognize and orient attention to relevant stimuli appearing in the visual field is highlighted by a tuning process, which involves modulating the early visual system by both cortical and subcortical brain areas. Selective attention is coordinated not only by the output of stimulus-based saliency maps but is also influenced by top-down cognitive factors, such as internal states, goals, or previous experiences. The basal ganglia system plays a key role in implicitly modulating the underlying mechanisms of selective attention, favouring the formation and maintenance of implicit sensory-motor memories that are capable of automatically modifying the output of priority maps in sensory-motor structures of the midbrain, such as the superior colliculus. The article presents an overview of the recent literature outlining the crucial contribution of several subcortical structures to the processing of different sources of salient stimuli. In detail, we will focus on how the mesencephalic- basal ganglia closed loops contribute to implicitly addressing and modulating selective attention to prioritized stimuli. We conclude by discussing implicit behavioural responses observed in clinical populations in which awareness is compromised at some level. Implicit (emergent) awareness in clinical conditions that can be accompanied by manifest anosognosic symptomatology (i.e., hemiplegia) or involving abnormal conscious processing of visual information (i.e., unilateral spatial neglect and blindsight) represents interesting neurocognitive "test cases" for inferences about mesencephalicbasal ganglia closed-loops involvement in the formation of implicit sensory-motor memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Esposito
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Via Verdi 10, 10124, Turin
| | - Sara Palermo
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Via Verdi 10, 10124, Turin
- Neuroradiology Unit, Department of Diagnostic and Technology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Marco Tamietto
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Via Verdi 10, 10124, Turin
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, and CoRPS - Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic Diseases, Tilburg University, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Alessia Celeghin
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Via Verdi 10, 10124, Turin
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Grave J, Madeira N, Morais S, Rodrigues P, Soares SC. Emotional interference and attentional control in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: The special case of neutral faces. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2023; 81:101892. [PMID: 37429124 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2023.101892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD) are characterized by impaired emotion processing and attention. SSD patients are more sensitive to the presence of emotional distractors. But despite growing interest on the emotion-attention interplay, emotional interference in SSD is far from fully understood. Moreover, research to date has not established the link between emotional interference and attentional control in SSD. This study thus aimed to investigate the effects of facial expression and attentional control in SSD, by manipulating perceptual load. METHODS Twenty-two SSD patients and 22 healthy controls performed a target-letter discrimination task with task-irrelevant angry, happy, and neutral faces. Target-letter was presented among homogenous (low load) or heterogenous (high load) distractor-letters. Accuracy and RT were analysed using (generalized) linear mixed-effect models. RESULTS Accuracy was significantly lower in SSD patients than controls, regardless of perceptual load and facial expression. Concerning RT, SSD patients were significantly slower than controls in the presence of neutral faces, but only at high load. No group differences were observed for angry and happy faces. LIMITATIONS Heterogeneity of SSD, small sample size, lack of clinical control group, medication. CONCLUSIONS One possible explanation is that neutral faces captured exogenous attention to a greater extent in SSD, thus challenging attentional control in perceptually demanding conditions. This may reflect abnormal processing of neutral faces in SSD. If replicated, these findings will help to understand the interplay between exogenous attention, attentional control, and emotion processing in SSD, which may unravel the mechanism underlying socioemotional dysfunction in SSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Grave
- William James Center for Research (WJCR-Aveiro), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS@RISE), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Nuno Madeira
- Psychiatry Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal; Institute of Psychological Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; CIBIT-Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; CACC-Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sofia Morais
- Psychiatry Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal; Institute of Psychological Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; CIBIT-Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; CACC-Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Paulo Rodrigues
- Department of Psychology and Education, University of Beira Interior, Estrada do Sineiro, 6200-209 Covilhã, Portugal
| | - Sandra C Soares
- William James Center for Research (WJCR-Aveiro), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
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Rowe EG, Zhang Y, Garrido MI. Evidence for adaptive myelination of subcortical shortcuts for visual motion perception in healthy adults. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:5641-5654. [PMID: 37608684 PMCID: PMC10619379 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Conscious visual motion information follows a cortical pathway from the retina to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and on to the primary visual cortex (V1) before arriving at the middle temporal visual area (MT/V5). Alternative subcortical pathways that bypass V1 are thought to convey unconscious visual information. One flows from the retina to the pulvinar (PUL) and on to medial temporal visual area (MT); while the other directly connects the LGN to MT. Evidence for these pathways comes from non-human primates and modest-sized studies in humans with brain lesions. Thus, the aim of the current study was to reconstruct these pathways in a large sample of neurotypical individuals and to determine the degree to which these pathways are myelinated, suggesting information flow is rapid. We used the publicly available 7T (N = 98; 'discovery') and 3T (N = 381; 'validation') diffusion magnetic resonance imaging datasets from the Human Connectome Project to reconstruct the PUL-MT (including all subcompartments of the PUL) and LGN-MT pathways. We found more fibre tracts with greater density in the left hemisphere. Although the left PUL-MT path was denser, the bilateral LGN-MT tracts were more heavily myelinated, suggesting faster signal transduction. We suggest that this apparent discrepancy may be due to 'adaptive myelination' caused by more frequent use of the LGN-MT pathway that leads to greater myelination and faster overall signal transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise G. Rowe
- Melbourne School of Psychological SciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Yubing Zhang
- Melbourne School of Psychological SciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Marta I. Garrido
- Melbourne School of Psychological SciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Graeme Clark Institute for Biomedical EngineeringThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
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Wang L, Hu X, Ren Y, Lv J, Zhao S, Guo L, Liu T, Han J. Arousal modulates the amygdala-insula reciprocal connectivity during naturalistic emotional movie watching. Neuroimage 2023; 279:120316. [PMID: 37562718 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120316] [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: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotional arousal is a complex state recruiting distributed cortical and subcortical structures, in which the amygdala and insula play an important role. Although previous neuroimaging studies have showed that the amygdala and insula manifest reciprocal connectivity, the effective connectivities and modulatory patterns on the amygdala-insula interactions underpinning arousal are still largely unknown. One of the reasons may be attributed to static and discrete laboratory brain imaging paradigms used in most existing studies. In this study, by integrating naturalistic-paradigm (i.e., movie watching) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with a computational affective model that predicts dynamic arousal for the movie stimuli, we investigated the effective amygdala-insula interactions and the modulatory effect of the input arousal on the effective connections. Specifically, the predicted dynamic arousal of the movie served as regressors in general linear model (GLM) analysis and brain activations were identified accordingly. The regions of interest (i.e., the bilateral amygdala and insula) were localized according to the GLM activation map. The effective connectivity and modulatory effect were then inferred by using dynamic causal modeling (DCM). Our experimental results demonstrated that amygdala was the site of driving arousal input and arousal had a modulatory effect on the reciprocal connections between amygdala and insula. Our study provides novel evidence to the underlying neural mechanisms of arousal in a dynamical naturalistic setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liting Wang
- School of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xintao Hu
- School of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China.
| | - Yudan Ren
- School of Information Science and Technology, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jinglei Lv
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Shijie Zhao
- School of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lei Guo
- School of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Tianming Liu
- School of Computing, University of Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - Junwei Han
- School of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
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Xu Z, Chen H, Wang Y. Invisible social grouping facilitates the recognition of individual faces. Conscious Cogn 2023; 113:103556. [PMID: 37541010 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2023.103556] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests a specialized mechanism supporting perceptual grouping of social entities. However, the stage at which social grouping is processed is unclear. Through four experiments, here we showed that participants' recognition of a visible face was facilitated by the presence of a second facing (thus forming a social grouping) relative to a nonfacing face, even when the second face was invisible. Using a monocular/dichoptic paradigm, we further found that the social grouping facilitation effect occurred when the two faces were presented dichoptically to different eyes rather than monocularly to the same eye, suggesting that social grouping relies on binocular rather than monocular neural channels. The above effects were not found for inverted face dyads, thereby ruling out the contribution of nonsocial factors. Taken together, these findings support the unconscious influence of social grouping on visual perception and suggest an early origin of social grouping processing in the visual pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenjie Xu
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hui Chen
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Yingying Wang
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, Zhejiang, China.
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Celeghin A, Borriero A, Orsenigo D, Diano M, Méndez Guerrero CA, Perotti A, Petri G, Tamietto M. Convolutional neural networks for vision neuroscience: significance, developments, and outstanding issues. Front Comput Neurosci 2023; 17:1153572. [PMID: 37485400 PMCID: PMC10359983 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2023.1153572] [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: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) are a class of machine learning models predominately used in computer vision tasks and can achieve human-like performance through learning from experience. Their striking similarities to the structural and functional principles of the primate visual system allow for comparisons between these artificial networks and their biological counterparts, enabling exploration of how visual functions and neural representations may emerge in the real brain from a limited set of computational principles. After considering the basic features of CNNs, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of endorsing CNNs as in silico models of the primate visual system. Specifically, we highlight several emerging notions about the anatomical and physiological properties of the visual system that still need to be systematically integrated into current CNN models. These tenets include the implementation of parallel processing pathways from the early stages of retinal input and the reconsideration of several assumptions concerning the serial progression of information flow. We suggest design choices and architectural constraints that could facilitate a closer alignment with biology provide causal evidence of the predictive link between the artificial and biological visual systems. Adopting this principled perspective could potentially lead to new research questions and applications of CNNs beyond modeling object recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Davide Orsenigo
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Matteo Diano
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Marco Tamietto
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, and CoRPS–Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic Diseases–Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
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Jamieson GA, Page J, Evans ID, Hamlin A. Conflict and control in cortical responses to inconsistent emotional signals in a face-word Stroop. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:955171. [PMID: 37457498 PMCID: PMC10349396 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.955171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Social communication is fraught with ambiguity. Negotiating the social world requires interpreting the affective signals we receive and often selecting between channels of conflicting affective information. The affective face-word Stroop (AFWS) provides an experimental paradigm which may identify cognitive-affective control mechanisms underpinning essential social-affective skills. Initial functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study of the AFWS identified right amygdala as driving this affective conflict and left rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) as the locus of conflict control. We employed electroencephalogram (EEG) and eLORETA source localization to investigate the timing, location, and sequence of control processes when responding to affective conflict generated during the AFWS. However we designated affective word as the response target and affective face as the distractor to maximize conflict and control effects. Reaction times showed slowed responses in high vs. low control conditions, corresponding to a Rabbitt type control effect rather than the previously observed Grattan effect. Control related activation occurred in right rACC 96-118 ms post-stimulus, corresponding to the resolution of the P1 peak in the Visual Evoked Potential (VEP). Face distractors elicit right hemisphere control, while word distractors elicit left hemisphere control. Low control trials require rapid "booting up" control resources observable through VEPs. Incongruent trial activity in right fusiform face area is suppressed 118-156 ms post stimulus corresponding to onset and development of the N170 VEP component. Results are consistent with a predicted sequence of rapid early amygdala activation by affective conflict, then rACC inhibition of amygdala decreasing facilitation of affective face processing (however, amygdala activity is not observable with EEG).
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham A. Jamieson
- School of Psychology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Julia Page
- School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Ian D. Evans
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Adam Hamlin
- School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
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Chen Y, Chen S, Sun Z, Zhang X, Yuan X, Wang L, Jiang Y. Rapid Unconscious Acquisition of Conditioned Fear with Low-Spatial-Frequency but Emotionally Neutral Stimuli. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2023; 6:0181. [PMID: 37383220 PMCID: PMC10298222 DOI: 10.34133/research.0181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
It has long been proposed that emotionally "prepared" (i.e., fear-related) stimuli are privileged in the unconscious acquisition of conditioned fear. However, as fear processing is suggested to highly depend on the coarse, low-spatial-frequency (LSF) components of the fear-related stimuli, it is plausible that LSF may play a unique role in the unconscious fear conditioning even with emotionally neutral stimuli. Here, we provided empirical evidence that, following classical fear conditioning, an invisible, emotionally neutral conditioned stimulus (CS+) with LSF, but not with high spatial frequency (HSF), can rapidly elicit stronger skin conductance responses (SCRs) and larger pupil diameters than its CS- counterpart. In comparison, consciously perceived emotionally neutral CS+ with LSF and HSF elicited comparable SCRs. Taken together, these results support that the unconscious fear conditioning does not necessarily entail emotionally prepared stimuli but prioritizes LSF information processing and highlight the crucial distinctions between the unconscious and the conscious fear learning. These findings not only coincide with the postulation that a rapid, spatial-frequency-dependent subcortical route is engaged in unconscious fear processing but also suggest the existence of multiple routes for conscious fear processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Si Chen
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhongju Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xilei Zhang
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiangyong Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
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Ince S, Steward T, Harrison BJ, Jamieson AJ, Davey CG, Agathos JA, Moffat BA, Glarin RK, Felmingham KL. Subcortical contributions to salience network functioning during negative emotional processing. Neuroimage 2023; 270:119964. [PMID: 36822252 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Core regions of the salience network (SN), including the anterior insula (aINS) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), coordinate rapid adaptive changes in attentional and autonomic processes in response to negative emotional events. In doing so, the SN incorporates bottom-up signals from subcortical brain regions, such as the amygdala and periaqueductal gray (PAG). However, the precise influence of these subcortical regions is not well understood. Using ultra-high field 7-Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging, this study investigated the bottom-up interactions of the amygdala and PAG with the SN during negative emotional salience processing. Thirty-seven healthy participants completed an emotional oddball paradigm designed to elicit a salient negative emotional response via the presentation of random, task-irrelevant negative emotional images. Negative emotional processing was associated with prominent activation in the SN, spanning the amygdala, PAG, aINS, and dACC. Consistent with previous research, analysis using dynamic causal modelling revealed an excitatory influence from the amygdala to the aINS, dACC, and PAG. In contrast, the PAG showed an inhibitory influence on amygdala, aINS and dACC activity. Our findings suggest that the amygdala may amplify the processing of negative emotional stimuli in the SN to enable upstream access to attentional resources. In comparison, the inhibitory influence of the PAG possibly reflects its involvement in modulating sympathetic-parasympathetic autonomic arousal mediated by the SN. This PAG-mediated effect may be driven by amygdala input and facilitate bottom-up processing of negative emotional stimuli. Overall, our results show that the amygdala and PAG modulate divergent functions of the SN during negative emotional processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sevil Ince
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
| | - Trevor Steward
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Ben J Harrison
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Alec J Jamieson
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Christopher G Davey
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - James A Agathos
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Bradford A Moffat
- The Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit, Department of Radiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Rebecca K Glarin
- The Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit, Department of Radiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Kim L Felmingham
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
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13
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Wang W, Zhou T, Chen L, Huang Y. A subcortical magnocellular pathway is responsible for the fast processing of topological properties of objects: A transcranial magnetic stimulation study. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:1617-1628. [PMID: 36426867 PMCID: PMC9921224 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid object recognition has survival significance. The extraction of topological properties (TP) is proposed as the starting point of object perception. Behavioral evidence shows that TP processing takes precedence over other geometric properties and can accelerate object recognition. However, the mechanism of the fast TP processing remains unclear. The magnocellular (M) pathway is well known as a fast route to convey "coarse" information, compared with the slow parvocellular (P) pathway. Here, we hypothesize that the fast processing of TP occurs in a subcortical M pathway. We applied single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the primary visual cortex to temporarily disrupt cortical processing. Besides, stimuli were designed to preferentially engage M or P pathways (M- or P-biased conditions). We found that, when TMS disrupted cortical function at the early stages of stimulus processing, non-TP shape discrimination was strongly impaired in both M- and P-biased conditions, whereas TP discrimination was not affected in the M-biased condition, suggesting that early M processing of TP is independent of the visual cortex, but probably occurs in a subcortical M pathway. Using an unconscious priming paradigm, we further found that early M processing of TP can accelerate object recognition by speeding up the processing of other properties, e.g., orientation. Our findings suggest that the human visual system achieves efficient object recognition by rapidly processing TP in the subcortical M pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Tiangang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Beijing, China.,Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei, China
| | - Lin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Beijing, China.,Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei, China
| | - Yan Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, Shenzhen, China
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14
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Wang Y, Luo L, Chen G, Luan G, Wang X, Wang Q, Fang F. Rapid Processing of Invisible Fearful Faces in the Human Amygdala. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1405-1413. [PMID: 36690451 PMCID: PMC9987569 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1294-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid detection of a threat or its symbol (e.g., fearful face), whether visible or invisible, is critical for human survival. This function is suggested to be enabled by a subcortical pathway to the amygdala independent of the cortex. However, conclusive electrophysiological evidence in humans is scarce. Here, we explored whether the amygdala can rapidly encode invisible fearful faces. We recorded intracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) responses in the human (both sexes) amygdala to faces with fearful, happy, and neutral emotions rendered invisible by backward masking. We found that a short-latency intracranial event-related potential (iERP) in the amygdala, beginning 88 ms poststimulus onset, was preferentially evoked by invisible fearful faces relative to invisible happy or neutral faces. The rapid iERP exhibited selectivity to the low spatial frequency (LSF) component of the fearful faces. Time-frequency iEEG analyses further identified a rapid amygdala response preferentially for LSF fearful faces at the low gamma frequency band, beginning 45 ms poststimulus onset. In contrast, these rapid responses to invisible fearful faces were absent in cortical regions, including early visual areas, the fusiform gyrus, and the parahippocampal gyrus. These findings provide direct evidence for the existence of a subcortical pathway specific for rapid fear detection in the amygdala and demonstrate that the subcortical pathway can function without conscious awareness and under minimal influence from cortical areas.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Automatic detection of biologically relevant stimuli, such as threats or dangers, has remarkable survival value. Here, we provide direct intracranial electrophysiological evidence that the human amygdala preferentially responds to fearful faces at a rapid speed, despite the faces being invisible. This rapid, fear-selective response is restricted to faces containing low spatial frequency information transmitted by magnocellular neurons and does not appear in cortical regions. These results support the existence of a rapid subcortical pathway independent of cortical pathways to the human amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Wang
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lu Luo
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Guanpeng Chen
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Guoming Luan
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 1000932, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Epilepsy, Epilepsy Center, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100093, China
- Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Xiongfei Wang
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 1000932, China
| | - Qian Wang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Fang Fang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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15
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Pulvinar Response Profiles and Connectivity Patterns to Object Domains. J Neurosci 2023; 43:812-826. [PMID: 36596697 PMCID: PMC9899088 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0613-22.2022] [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: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Distributed cortical regions show differential responses to visual objects belonging to different domains varying by animacy (e.g., animals vs tools), yet it remains unclear whether this is an organization principle also applying to the subcortical structures. Combining multiple fMRI activation experiments (two main experiments and six validation datasets; 12 females and 9 males in the main Experiment 1; 10 females and 10 males in the main Experiment 2), resting-state functional connectivity, and task-based dynamic causal modeling analysis in human subjects, we found that visual processing of images of animals and tools elicited different patterns of response in the pulvinar, with robust left lateralization for tools, and distinct, bilateral (with rightward tendency) clusters for animals. Such domain-preferring activity distribution in the pulvinar was associated with the magnitude with which the voxels were intrinsically connected with the corresponding domain-preferring regions in the cortex. The pulvinar-to-right-amygdala path showed a one-way shortcut supporting the perception of animals, and the modulation connection from pulvinar to parietal showed an advantage to the perception of tools. These results incorporate the subcortical regions into the object processing network and highlight that domain organization appears to be an overarching principle across various processing stages in the brain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Viewing objects belonging to different domains elicited different cortical regions, but whether the domain organization applied to the subcortical structures (e.g., pulvinar) was unknown. Multiple fMRI activation experiments revealed that object pictures belonging to different domains elicited differential patterns of response in the pulvinar, with robust left lateralization for tool pictures, and distinct, bilateral (with rightward tendency) clusters for animals. Combining the resting-state functional connectivity and dynamic causal modeling analysis on task-based fMRI data, we found domain-preferring activity distribution in the pulvinar aligned with that in cortical regions. These results highlight the need for coherent visual theories that explain the mechanisms underlying the domain organization across various processing stages.
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16
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Avecillas-Chasin JM, Levinson S, Kuhn T, Omidbeigi M, Langevin JP, Pouratian N, Bari A. Connectivity-based parcellation of the amygdala and identification of its main white matter connections. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1305. [PMID: 36693904 PMCID: PMC9873600 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28100-6] [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: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala plays a role in emotion, learning, and memory and has been implicated in behavioral disorders. Better understanding of the amygdala circuitry is crucial to develop new therapies for these disorders. We used data from 200 healthy-subjects from the human connectome project. Using probabilistic tractography, we created population statistical maps of amygdala connectivity to brain regions involved in limbic, associative, memory, and reward circuits. Based on the amygdala connectivity with these regions, we applied k-means clustering to parcellate the amygdala into three clusters. The resultant clusters were averaged across all subjects and the main white-matter pathways of the amygdala from each averaged cluster were generated. Amygdala parcellation into three clusters showed a medial-to-lateral pattern. The medial cluster corresponded with the centromedial and cortical nuclei, the basal cluster with the basal nuclei and the lateral cluster with the lateral nuclei. The connectivity analysis revealed different white-matter pathways consistent with the anatomy of the amygdala circuit. This in vivo connectivity-based parcellation of the amygdala delineates three clusters of the amygdala in a mediolateral pattern based on its connectivity with brain areas involved in cognition, memory, emotion, and reward. The human amygdala circuit presented in this work provides the first step for personalized amygdala circuit mapping for patients with behavioral disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josue M Avecillas-Chasin
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 988437 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-8437, USA. .,Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Simon Levinson
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Taylor Kuhn
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mahmoud Omidbeigi
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jean-Philippe Langevin
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Neurosurgery Service, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nader Pouratian
- Department of Neurological Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ausaf Bari
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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17
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Méndez CA, Celeghin A, Diano M, Orsenigo D, Ocak B, Tamietto M. A deep neural network model of the primate superior colliculus for emotion recognition. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210512. [PMID: 36126660 PMCID: PMC9489290 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Although sensory processing is pivotal to nearly every theory of emotion, the evaluation of the visual input as ‘emotional’ (e.g. a smile as signalling happiness) has been traditionally assumed to take place in supramodal ‘limbic’ brain regions. Accordingly, subcortical structures of ancient evolutionary origin that receive direct input from the retina, such as the superior colliculus (SC), are traditionally conceptualized as passive relay centres. However, mounting evidence suggests that the SC is endowed with the necessary infrastructure and computational capabilities for the innate recognition and initial categorization of emotionally salient features from retinal information. Here, we built a neurobiologically inspired convolutional deep neural network (DNN) model that approximates physiological, anatomical and connectional properties of the retino-collicular circuit. This enabled us to characterize and isolate the initial computations and discriminations that the DNN model of the SC can perform on facial expressions, based uniquely on the information it directly receives from the virtual retina. Trained to discriminate facial expressions of basic emotions, our model matches human error patterns and above chance, yet suboptimal, classification accuracy analogous to that reported in patients with V1 damage, who rely on retino-collicular pathways for non-conscious vision of emotional attributes. When presented with gratings of different spatial frequencies and orientations never ‘seen’ before, the SC model exhibits spontaneous tuning to low spatial frequencies and reduced orientation discrimination, as can be expected from the prevalence of the magnocellular (M) over parvocellular (P) projections. Likewise, face manipulation that biases processing towards the M or P pathway affects expression recognition in the SC model accordingly, an effect that dovetails with variations of activity in the human SC purposely measured with ultra-high field functional magnetic resonance imaging. Lastly, the DNN generates saliency maps and extracts visual features, demonstrating that certain face parts, like the mouth or the eyes, provide higher discriminative information than other parts as a function of emotional expressions like happiness and sadness. The present findings support the contention that the SC possesses the necessary infrastructure to analyse the visual features that define facial emotional stimuli also without additional processing stages in the visual cortex or in ‘limbic’ areas. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Cracking the laugh code: laughter through the lens of biology, psychology and neuroscience’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Andrés Méndez
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Via Verdi 10, Torino 10124, Italy
| | - Alessia Celeghin
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Via Verdi 10, Torino 10124, Italy
| | - Matteo Diano
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Via Verdi 10, Torino 10124, Italy
| | - Davide Orsenigo
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Via Verdi 10, Torino 10124, Italy
| | - Brian Ocak
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Via Verdi 10, Torino 10124, Italy.,Section of Cognitive Neurophysiology and Imaging, National Institute of Mental Health, 49 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Marco Tamietto
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Via Verdi 10, Torino 10124, Italy.,Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, and CoRPS - Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic diseases, Tilburg University, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands
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18
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Zhang W, Xie Y, Yang T. Reward salience but not spatial attention dominates the value representation in the orbitofrontal cortex. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6306. [PMID: 36273229 PMCID: PMC9588087 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34084-0] [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: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) encodes value and plays a key role in value-based decision-making. However, the attentional modulation of the OFC's value encoding is poorly understood. We trained two monkeys to detect a luminance change at a cued location between a pair of visual stimuli, which were over-trained pictures associated with different amounts of juice reward and, thus, different reward salience. Both the monkeys' behavior and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex neuronal activities indicated that the monkeys actively directed their spatial attention toward the cued stimulus during the task. However, the OFC's neuronal responses were dominated by the stimulus with higher reward salience and encoded its value. The value of the less salient stimulus was only weakly represented regardless of spatial attention. The results demonstrate that reward and spatial attention are distinctly represented in the prefrontal cortex and the OFC maintains a stable representation of reward salience minimally affected by attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyi Zhang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Yang Xie
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Tianming Yang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China
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19
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Menon NM, Carr JA. Anxiety-like behavior and tectal gene expression in a foraging/predator avoidance tradeoff task using adult African clawed frogs Xenopus laevis. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03219-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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20
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Laycock R, Stein JF, Crewther SG. Editorial: Pathways for Rapid Visual Processing: Subcortical Contributions to Emotion, Threat, Biological Relevance, and Motivated Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:960448. [PMID: 35832293 PMCID: PMC9272072 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.960448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Robin Laycock
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - John F Stein
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sheila G Crewther
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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21
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Huang Y, Vangel M, Chen H, Eshel M, Cheng M, Lu T, Kong J. The Impaired Subcortical Pathway From Superior Colliculus to the Amygdala in Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:666439. [PMID: 35784498 PMCID: PMC9247550 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.666439] [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: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ObjectiveIncreasing evidence suggests that a subcortical pathway from the superior colliculus (SC) through the pulvinar to the amygdala plays a crucial role in mediating non-conscious processing in response to emotional visual stimuli. Given the atypical eye gaze and response patterns to visual affective stimuli in autism, we examined the functional and white matter structural difference of the pathway in boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) boys.MethodsA total of 38 boys with ASD and 38 TD boys were included. We reconstructed the SC-pulvinar-amygdala pathway in boys with ASD and TD using tractography and analyzed tract-specific measurements to compare the white matter difference between the two groups. A region of interest-based functional analysis was also applied among the key nodes of the pathway to explore the functional connectivity network.ResultsDiffusion tensor imaging analysis showed decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in pathways for boys with ASD compared to TD. The FA change was significantly associated with the atypical communication pattern in boys with ASD. In addition, compared to TD, we found that the ASD group was associated with increased functional connectivity between the right pulvinar and the left SC.ConclusionOur results indicated that the functional and white matter microstructure of the subcortical route to the amygdala might be altered in individuals with autism. This atypical structural change of the SC-pulvinar-amygdala pathway may be related to the abnormal communication patterns in boys with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiting Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Mark Vangel
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Helen Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Maya Eshel
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Ming Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Tao Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Tao Lu,
| | - Jian Kong
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
- Jian Kong,
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22
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Battal C, Gurtubay-Antolin A, Rezk M, Mattioni S, Bertonati G, Occelli V, Bottini R, Targher S, Maffei C, Jovicich J, Collignon O. Structural and Functional Network-Level Reorganization in the Coding of Auditory Motion Directions and Sound Source Locations in the Absence of Vision. J Neurosci 2022; 42:4652-4668. [PMID: 35501150 PMCID: PMC9186796 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1554-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
hMT+/V5 is a region in the middle occipitotemporal cortex that responds preferentially to visual motion in sighted people. In cases of early visual deprivation, hMT+/V5 enhances its response to moving sounds. Whether hMT+/V5 contains information about motion directions and whether the functional enhancement observed in the blind is motion specific, or also involves sound source location, remains unsolved. Moreover, the impact of this cross-modal reorganization of hMT+/V5 on the regions typically supporting auditory motion processing, like the human planum temporale (hPT), remains equivocal. We used a combined functional and diffusion-weighted MRI approach and individual in-ear recordings to study the impact of early blindness on the brain networks supporting spatial hearing in male and female humans. Whole-brain univariate analysis revealed that the anterior portion of hMT+/V5 responded to moving sounds in sighted and blind people, while the posterior portion was selective to moving sounds only in blind participants. Multivariate decoding analysis revealed that the presence of motion direction and sound position information was higher in hMT+/V5 and lower in hPT in the blind group. While both groups showed axis-of-motion organization in hMT+/V5 and hPT, this organization was reduced in the hPT of blind people. Diffusion-weighted MRI revealed that the strength of hMT+/V5-hPT connectivity did not differ between groups, whereas the microstructure of the connections was altered by blindness. Our results suggest that the axis-of-motion organization of hMT+/V5 does not depend on visual experience, but that congenital blindness alters the response properties of occipitotemporal networks supporting spatial hearing in the sighted.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Spatial hearing helps living organisms navigate their environment. This is certainly even more true in people born blind. How does blindness affect the brain network supporting auditory motion and sound source location? Our results show that the presence of motion direction and sound position information was higher in hMT+/V5 and lower in human planum temporale in blind relative to sighted people; and that this functional reorganization is accompanied by microstructural (but not macrostructural) alterations in their connections. These findings suggest that blindness alters cross-modal responses between connected areas that share the same computational goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceren Battal
- Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Ane Gurtubay-Antolin
- Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- BCBL, Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, 20009, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Mohamed Rezk
- Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Stefania Mattioni
- Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Giorgia Bertonati
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Valeria Occelli
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk L39 4QP, United Kingdom
| | - Roberto Bottini
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Stefano Targher
- Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Chiara Maffei
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 01129
| | - Jorge Jovicich
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Olivier Collignon
- Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
- School of Health Sciences, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, 1950 Sion, Switzerland
- The Sense Innovation and Research Center, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
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McFadyen J, Tsuchiya N, Mattingley JB, Garrido MI. Surprising Threats Accelerate Conscious Perception. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:797119. [PMID: 35645748 PMCID: PMC9137416 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.797119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The folk psychological notion that "we see what we expect to see" is supported by evidence that we become consciously aware of visual stimuli that match our prior expectations more quickly than stimuli that violate our expectations. Similarly, "we see what we want to see," such that more biologically-relevant stimuli are also prioritised for conscious perception. How, then, is perception shaped by biologically-relevant stimuli that we did not expect? Here, we conducted two experiments using breaking continuous flash suppression (bCFS) to investigate how prior expectations modulated response times to neutral and fearful faces. In both experiments, we found that prior expectations for neutral faces hastened responses, whereas the opposite was true for fearful faces. This interaction between emotional expression and prior expectations was driven predominantly by participants with higher trait anxiety. Electroencephalography (EEG) data collected in Experiment 2 revealed an interaction evident in the earliest stages of sensory encoding, suggesting prediction errors expedite sensory encoding of fearful faces. These findings support a survival hypothesis, where biologically-relevant fearful stimuli are prioritised for conscious access even more so when unexpected, especially for people with high trait anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica McFadyen
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Naotsugu Tsuchiya
- School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan
- Advanced Telecommunications Research Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jason B. Mattingley
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Marta I. Garrido
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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24
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Yu WS, Tse ACK, Guan L, Chiu JLY, Tan SZK, Khairuddin S, Agadagba SK, Lo ACY, Fung ML, Chan YS, Chan LLH, Lim LW. Antidepressant-like effects of transcorneal electrical stimulation in rat models. Brain Stimul 2022; 15:843-856. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2022.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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25
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Lee J, Kim N, Jeong H, Jun JY, Yoo SY, Lee SH, Lee J, Lee YJ, Kim SJ. Gray Matter Volume of Thalamic Nuclei in Traumatized North Korean Refugees. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:756202. [PMID: 35573348 PMCID: PMC9095986 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.756202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study investigated differences in the regional gray matter (GM) volume of specific thalamic nuclei between North Korean (NK) refugees and South Korean (SK) residents. It also investigated associations between thalamic GM volume changes and psychological symptoms. Psychological evaluations and magnetic resonance imaging were conducted on 50 traumatized NK refugees and 55 non-traumatized SK residents. The regional GM volume ratios in the bilateral thalami were calculated for all participants using voxel-based morphometry. NK refugees showed greater GM volume ratios in the right medial-posterior nuclei and left medial nuclei compared with SK residents. NK refugees also exhibited more depressive symptoms than SK residents. However, increased GM volume ratios in both right medial-posterior nuclei and left medial nuclei were correlated with fewer depressive symptoms in NK refugees, but not in SK residents. The findings indicate that traumatized NK refugees had increased GM volumes in the right medial-posterior nuclei and left medial nuclei, which were associated with fewer depressive symptoms. The enlarged specific thalamic nuclei presented among refugees in the current study might be associated with a neurobiological compensatory mechanism that prevents the development or progression of depression in refugees after repetitive traumatic experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiye Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Nambeom Kim
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Hyunwoo Jeong
- Geumsan-gun Public Health Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jin Yong Jun
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - So Young Yoo
- Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - So Hee Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jooyoung Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yu Jin Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Sleep and Chronobiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Seog Ju Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
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26
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Kalhan S, McFadyen J, Tsuchiya N, Garrido MI. Neural and computational processes of accelerated perceptual awareness and decisions: A 7T fMRI study. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:3873-3886. [PMID: 35470490 PMCID: PMC9294306 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25889] [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: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapidly detecting salient information in our environments is critical for survival. Visual processing in subcortical areas like the pulvinar and amygdala has been shown to facilitate unconscious processing of salient stimuli. It is unknown, however, if and how these areas might interact with cortical regions to facilitate faster conscious perception of salient stimuli. Here we investigated these neural processes using 7T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in concert with computational modelling while participants (n = 33) engaged in a breaking continuous flash suppression paradigm (bCFS) in which fearful and neutral faces are initially suppressed from conscious perception but then eventually ‘breakthrough’ into awareness. Participants reported faster breakthrough times for fearful faces compared with neutral faces. Drift‐diffusion modelling suggested that perceptual evidence was accumulated at a faster rate for fearful faces compared with neutral faces. For both neutral and fearful faces, faster response times were associated with greater activity in the amygdala (specifically within its subregions, including superficial, basolateral and amygdalo‐striatal transition area) and the insula. Faster rates of evidence accumulation coincided with greater activity in frontoparietal regions and occipital lobe, as well as the amygdala. A lower decision‐boundary correlated with activity in the insula and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), but not with the amygdala. Overall, our findings suggest that hastened perceptual awareness of salient stimuli recruits the amygdala and, more specifically, is driven by accelerated evidence accumulation in fronto‐parietal and visual areas. In sum, we have mapped distinct neural computations that accelerate perceptual awareness of visually suppressed faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivam Kalhan
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jessica McFadyen
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
| | - Naotsugu Tsuchiya
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Biomedical and Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Advanced Telecommunications Research Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Marta I Garrido
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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27
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Kurzawski JW, Lunghi C, Biagi L, Tosetti M, Morrone MC, Binda P. Short-term plasticity in the human visual thalamus. eLife 2022; 11:74565. [PMID: 35384840 PMCID: PMC9020816 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While there is evidence that the visual cortex retains a potential for plasticity in adulthood, less is known about the subcortical stages of visual processing. Here we asked whether short-term ocular dominance plasticity affects the human visual thalamus. We addressed this question in normally sighted adult humans, using ultra-high field (7T) magnetic resonance imaging combined with the paradigm of short-term monocular deprivation. With this approach, we previously demonstrated transient shifts of perceptual eye dominance and ocular dominance in visual cortex (Binda et al., 2018). Here we report evidence for short-term plasticity in the ventral division of the pulvinar (vPulv), where the deprived eye representation was enhanced over the non-deprived eye. This ventral-pulvinar plasticity was similar as previously seen in visual cortex and it was correlated with the ocular dominance shift measured behaviorally. In contrast, there was no effect of monocular deprivation in two adjacent thalamic regions: dorsal pulvinar (dPulv), and Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN). We conclude that the visual thalamus retains potential for short-term plasticity in adulthood; the plasticity effect differs across thalamic subregions, possibly reflecting differences in their cortico-fugal connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Claudia Lunghi
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | - Maria Concetta Morrone
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paola Binda
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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28
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Dinh HT, Meng Y, Matsumoto J, Setogawa T, Nishimaru H, Nishijo H. Fast Detection of Snakes and Emotional Faces in the Macaque Amygdala. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:839123. [PMID: 35386724 PMCID: PMC8979552 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.839123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Primate vision is reported to detect snakes and emotional faces faster than many other tested stimuli. Because the amygdala has been implicated in avoidance and emotional behaviors to biologically relevant stimuli and has neural connections with subcortical nuclei involved with vision, amygdalar neurons would be sensitive to snakes and emotional faces. In this study, neuronal activity in the amygdala was recorded from Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) during discrimination of eight categories of visual stimuli including snakes, monkey faces, human faces, carnivores, raptors, non-predators, monkey hands, and simple figures. Of 527 amygdalar neurons, 95 responded to one or more stimuli. Response characteristics of the amygdalar neurons indicated that they were more sensitive to the snakes and emotional faces than other stimuli. Response magnitudes and latencies of amygdalar neurons to snakes and monkey faces were stronger and faster than those to the other categories of stimuli, respectively. Furthermore, response magnitudes to the low pass-filtered snake images were larger than those to scrambled snake images. Finally, analyses of population activity of amygdalar neurons suggest that snakes and emotional faces were represented separately from the other stimuli during the 50–100 ms period from stimulus onset, and neutral faces during the 100–150 ms period. These response characteristics indicate that the amygdala processes fast and coarse visual information from emotional faces and snakes (but not other predators of primates) among the eight categories of the visual stimuli, and suggest that, like anthropoid primate visual systems, the amygdala has been shaped over evolutionary time to detect appearance of potentially threatening stimuli including both emotional faces and snakes, the first of the modern predators of primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha Trong Dinh
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Yang Meng
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Jumpei Matsumoto
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Setogawa
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nishimaru
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- *Correspondence: Hiroshi Nishimaru,
| | - Hisao Nishijo
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Hisao Nishijo,
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29
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Agadagba SK, Eldaly ABM, Chan LLH. Transcorneal Electrical Stimulation Induces Long-Lasting Enhancement of Brain Functional and Directional Connectivity in Retinal Degeneration Mice. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:785199. [PMID: 35197826 PMCID: PMC8860236 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.785199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate neuromodulation of functional and directional connectivity features in both visual and non-visual brain cortices after short-term and long-term retinal electrical stimulation in retinal degeneration mice. We performed spontaneous electrocorticography (ECoG) in retinal degeneration (rd) mice following prolonged transcorneal electrical stimulation (pTES) at varying currents (400, 500 and 600 μA) and different time points (transient or day 1 post-stimulation, 1-week post-stimulation and 2-weeks post-stimulation). We also set up a sham control group of rd mice which did not receive any electrical stimulation. Subsequently we analyzed alterations in cross-frequency coupling (CFC), coherence and directional connectivity of the primary visual cortex and the prefrontal cortex. It was observed that the sham control group did not display any significant changes in brain connectivity across all stages of electrical stimulation. For the stimulated groups, we observed that transient electrical stimulation of the retina did not significantly alter brain coherence and connectivity. However, for 1-week post-stimulation, we identified enhanced increase in theta-gamma CFC. Meanwhile, enhanced coherence and directional connectivity appeared predominantly in theta, alpha and beta oscillations. These alterations occurred in both visual and non-visual brain regions and were dependent on the current amplitude of stimulation. Interestingly, 2-weeks post-stimulation demonstrated long-lasting enhancement in network coherence and connectivity patterns at the level of cross-oscillatory interaction, functional connectivity and directional inter-regional communication between the primary visual cortex and prefrontal cortex. Application of electrical stimulation to the retina evidently neuromodulates brain coherence and connectivity of visual and non-visual cortices in retinal degeneration mice and the observed alterations are largely maintained. pTES holds strong possibility of modulating higher cortical functions including pathways of cognition, awareness, emotion and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen K. Agadagba
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Abdelrahman B. M. Eldaly
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Electrical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Minia University, Minia, Egypt
| | - Leanne Lai Hang Chan
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- *Correspondence: Leanne Lai Hang Chan,
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30
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Stuart N, Whitehouse A, Palermo R, Bothe E, Badcock N. Eye Gaze in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of Neural Evidence for the Eye Avoidance Hypothesis. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 53:1884-1905. [PMID: 35119604 PMCID: PMC10123036 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05443-z] [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] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Reduced eye contact early in life may play a role in the developmental pathways that culminate in a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. However, there are contradictory theories regarding the neural mechanisms involved. According to the amygdala theory of autism, reduced eye contact results from a hypoactive amygdala that fails to flag eyes as salient. However, the eye avoidance hypothesis proposes the opposite-that amygdala hyperactivity causes eye avoidance. This review evaluated studies that measured the relationship between eye gaze and activity in the 'social brain' when viewing facial stimuli. Of the reviewed studies, eight of eleven supported the eye avoidance hypothesis. These results suggest eye avoidance may be used to reduce amygdala-related hyperarousal among people on the autism spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Stuart
- University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Andrew Whitehouse
- Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children's Hospital, 15 Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Romina Palermo
- University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Ellen Bothe
- University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Nicholas Badcock
- University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
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31
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Kletenik I, Ferguson MA, Bateman JR, Cohen AL, Lin C, Tetreault A, Pelak VS, Anderson CA, Prasad S, Darby RR, Fox MD. Network Localization of Unconscious Visual Perception in Blindsight. Ann Neurol 2022; 91:217-224. [PMID: 34961965 PMCID: PMC10013845 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Blindsight is a disorder where brain injury causes loss of conscious but not unconscious visual perception. Prior studies have produced conflicting results regarding the neuroanatomical pathways involved in this unconscious perception. METHODS We performed a systematic literature search to identify lesion locations causing visual field loss in patients with blindsight (n = 34) and patients without blindsight (n = 35). Resting state functional connectivity between each lesion location and all other brain voxels was computed using a large connectome database (n = 1,000). Connections significantly associated with blindsight (vs no blindsight) were identified. RESULTS Functional connectivity between lesion locations and the ipsilesional medial pulvinar was significantly associated with blindsight (family wise error p = 0.029). No significant connectivity differences were found to other brain regions previously implicated in blindsight. This finding was independent of methods (eg, flipping lesions to the left or right) and stimulus type (moving vs static). INTERPRETATION Connectivity to the ipsilesional medial pulvinar best differentiates lesion locations associated with blindsight versus those without blindsight. Our results align with recent data from animal models and provide insight into the neuroanatomical substrate of unconscious visual abilities in patients. ANN NEUROL 2022;91:217-224.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaiah Kletenik
- Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Michael A Ferguson
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - James R Bateman
- Department of Neurology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
| | - Alexander L Cohen
- Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Department of Neurology, and Computational Radiology Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Christopher Lin
- Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Aaron Tetreault
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Victoria S Pelak
- Behavioral Neurology Section, Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - Clark Alan Anderson
- Behavioral Neurology Section, Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - Sashank Prasad
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Division of Neuro-Ophthalmology, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Richard Ryan Darby
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Michael D Fox
- Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
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32
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Cauzzo S, Singh K, Stauder M, García-Gomar MG, Vanello N, Passino C, Staab J, Indovina I, Bianciardi M. Functional connectome of brainstem nuclei involved in autonomic, limbic, pain and sensory processing in living humans from 7 Tesla resting state fMRI. Neuroimage 2022; 250:118925. [PMID: 35074504 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.118925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite remarkable advances in mapping the functional connectivity of the cortex, the functional connectivity of subcortical regions is understudied in living humans. This is the case for brainstem nuclei that control vital processes, such as autonomic, limbic, nociceptive and sensory functions. This is because of the lack of precise brainstem nuclei localization, of adequate sensitivity and resolution in the deepest brain regions, as well as of optimized processing for the brainstem. To close the gap between the cortex and the brainstem, on 20 healthy subjects, we computed a correlation-based functional connectome of 15 brainstem nuclei involved in autonomic, limbic, nociceptive, and sensory function (superior and inferior colliculi, ventral tegmental area-parabrachial pigmented nucleus complex, microcellular tegmental nucleus-prabigeminal nucleus complex, lateral and medial parabrachial nuclei, vestibular and superior olivary complex, superior and inferior medullary reticular formation, viscerosensory motor nucleus, raphe magnus, pallidus, and obscurus, and parvicellular reticular nucleus - alpha part) with the rest of the brain. Specifically, we exploited 1.1mm isotropic resolution 7 Tesla resting-state fMRI, ad-hoc coregistration and physiological noise correction strategies, and a recently developed probabilistic template of brainstem nuclei. Further, we used 2.5mm isotropic resolution resting-state fMRI data acquired on a 3 Tesla scanner to assess the translatability of our results to conventional datasets. We report highly consistent correlation coefficients across subjects, confirming available literature on autonomic, limbic, nociceptive and sensory pathways, as well as high interconnectivity within the central autonomic network and the vestibular network. Interestingly, our results showed evidence of vestibulo-autonomic interactions in line with previous work. Comparison of 7 Tesla and 3 Tesla findings showed high translatability of results to conventional settings for brainstem-cortical connectivity and good yet weaker translatability for brainstem-brainstem connectivity. The brainstem functional connectome might bring new insight in the understanding of autonomic, limbic, nociceptive and sensory function in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Cauzzo
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Life Sciences Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Kavita Singh
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Matthew Stauder
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - María Guadalupe García-Gomar
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nicola Vanello
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudio Passino
- Life Sciences Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy; Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, Pisa, Italy
| | - Jeffrey Staab
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States; Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Iole Indovina
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Italy; Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Bianciardi
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA.
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33
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Domínguez-Borràs J, Vuilleumier P. Amygdala function in emotion, cognition, and behavior. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 187:359-380. [PMID: 35964983 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-823493-8.00015-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is a core structure in the anterior medial temporal lobe, with an important role in several brain functions involving memory, emotion, perception, social cognition, and even awareness. As a key brain structure for saliency detection, it triggers and controls widespread modulatory signals onto multiple areas of the brain, with a great impact on numerous aspects of adaptive behavior. Here we discuss the neural mechanisms underlying these functions, as established by animal and human research, including insights provided in both healthy and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Domínguez-Borràs
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology & Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Cao L, Sun Z. Diagnostic Values of Serum Levels of Homocysteine, Heat Shock Protein 70 and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein for Predicting Vascular Cognitive Impairment. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2022; 18:525-533. [PMID: 35330824 PMCID: PMC8938274 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s354022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vascular cognitive impairment is one of the main clinical manifestations of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Reliable molecular markers are needed urgently to predict cognitive impairments in CSVD patients. This study aimed to investigate the possible diagnostic values of serum levels of Hcy, Hsp70 and hs-CRP for predicting vascular cognitive impairment in patients with CSVD. METHODS According to the presence of CSVD and cognitive impairment (CI), healthy patients and CSVD patients were divided into three groups. Serum Hcy, HSP70 and hs-CRP were abnormal in the CI group. Clinical characteristics and MOCA cognitive function score statistics were performed for the three groups: the control group, CSVD without cognitive impairment group and CSVD with cognitive impairment group. Finally, Hcy, HSP70 and hs-CRP were correlated with MOCA to analyze the correlation between serum Hcy, HSP70 and hs-CRP and cognitive dysfunction caused by CSVD. RESULTS The levels of serum Hcy, Hsp70, and hsCRP had significantly higher expression in the CSVD groups than those in the control group (p<0.05). Moreover, basic clinical characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors and other clinical details had no significantly differences among the three groups. Serum Hcy, Hsp70 and hs-CRP levels were negatively correlated with MoCA total scores. CONCLUSION Serum levels of Hcy, HSP70 and hs-CRP were negatively correlated with cognitive impairment caused by CSVD, which could be used as a predictor to predict the risk of cognitive impairment caused by CSVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Cao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, 230022, People's Republic of China.,Department of Neurology, Anhui No.2 Provincial People's Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, 230041, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongwu Sun
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, 230022, People's Republic of China
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35
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Shen L, Liu D, Huang Y. Hypothesis of subcortical visual pathway impairment in schizophrenia. Med Hypotheses 2021; 156:110686. [PMID: 34583308 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2021.110686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disease involving both neurological and psychiatric abnormalities. Previous studies mainly focus on damage to high-order cognitive dysfunction, which is related to high-level cortical regions such as the prefrontal and temporal lobes. Recent research reveals that impairment of low-level sensory processing occurs in the early stage of schizophrenia, which may be due to impairment of the subcortical magnocellular visual pathway. Moreover, the structure and function of some important nuclei in a subcortical visual pathway are reported to be abnormal in patients with schizophrenia. Inspired by the above evidence, we propose a hypothesis that impairment of the Superior Colliculus-Pulvinar-Amygdala subcortical visual pathway may be involved in the pathological mechanisms of early stages of schizophrenia. And we propose a possible method to detect dysfunction of this subcortical pathway through examining topological processing, which may help early diagnosis of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Shen
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Dongqiang Liu
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China.
| | - Yan Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Yu WS, Kwon SH, Agadagba SK, Chan LLH, Wong KH, Lim LW. Neuroprotective Effects and Therapeutic Potential of Transcorneal Electrical Stimulation for Depression. Cells 2021; 10:cells10092492. [PMID: 34572141 PMCID: PMC8466154 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcorneal electrical stimulation (TES) has emerged as a non-invasive neuromodulation approach that exerts neuroprotection via diverse mechanisms, including neurotrophic, neuroplastic, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-glutamatergic, and vasodilation mechanisms. Although current studies of TES have mainly focused on its applications in ophthalmology, several lines of evidence point towards its putative use in treating depression. Apart from stimulating visual-related structures and promoting visual restoration, TES has also been shown to activate brain regions that are involved in mood alterations and can induce antidepressant-like behaviour in animals. The beneficial effects of TES in depression were further supported by its shared mechanisms with FDA-approved antidepressant treatments, including its neuroprotective properties against apoptosis and inflammation, and its ability to enhance the neurotrophic expression. This article critically reviews the current findings on the neuroprotective effects of TES and provides evidence to support our hypothesis that TES possesses antidepressant effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wing-Shan Yu
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (W.-S.Y.); (S.-H.K.); (K.-H.W.)
| | - So-Hyun Kwon
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (W.-S.Y.); (S.-H.K.); (K.-H.W.)
| | - Stephen Kugbere Agadagba
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (S.K.A.); (L.-L.-H.C.)
| | - Leanne-Lai-Hang Chan
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (S.K.A.); (L.-L.-H.C.)
| | - Kah-Hui Wong
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (W.-S.Y.); (S.-H.K.); (K.-H.W.)
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Lee-Wei Lim
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (W.-S.Y.); (S.-H.K.); (K.-H.W.)
- Correspondence:
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37
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van den Berg NS, de Haan EHF, Huitema RB, Spikman JM. The neural underpinnings of facial emotion recognition in ischemic stroke patients. J Neuropsychol 2021; 15:516-532. [PMID: 33554463 PMCID: PMC8518120 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Deficits in facial emotion recognition occur frequently after stroke, with adverse social and behavioural consequences. The aim of this study was to investigate the neural underpinnings of the recognition of emotional expressions, in particular of the distinct basic emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise). A group of 110 ischaemic stroke patients with lesions in (sub)cortical areas of the cerebrum was included. Emotion recognition was assessed with the Ekman 60 Faces Test of the FEEST. Patient data were compared to data of 162 matched healthy controls (HC's). For the patients, whole brain voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM) on 3-Tesla MRI images was performed. Results showed that patients performed significantly worse than HC's on both overall recognition of emotions, and specifically of disgust, fear, sadness and surprise. VLSM showed significant lesion-symptom associations for FEEST total in the right fronto-temporal region. Additionally, VLSM for the distinct emotions showed, apart from overlapping brain regions (insula, putamen and Rolandic operculum), also regions related to specific emotions. These were: middle and superior temporal gyrus (anger); caudate nucleus (disgust); superior corona radiate white matter tract, superior longitudinal fasciculus and middle frontal gyrus (happiness) and inferior frontal gyrus (sadness). Our findings help in understanding how lesions in specific brain regions can selectively affect the recognition of the basic emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils S. van den Berg
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of AmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Medical Center GroningenUniversity of GroningenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Rients B. Huitema
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Medical Center GroningenUniversity of GroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Jacoba M. Spikman
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Medical Center GroningenUniversity of GroningenThe Netherlands
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38
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Underwood R, Tolmeijer E, Wibroe J, Peters E, Mason L. Networks underpinning emotion: A systematic review and synthesis of functional and effective connectivity. Neuroimage 2021; 243:118486. [PMID: 34438255 PMCID: PMC8905299 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We reviewed 33 studies of functional connectivity of emotion in healthy participants. Our results challenge a hierarchical model of emotion processing. Causal connectivity analyze identify dynamic modulatory relationships between regions. We derive a quality tool to make recommendations addressing variability in study design.
Existing models of emotion processing are based almost exclusively on brain activation data, yet make assumptions about network connectivity. There is a need to integrate connectivity findings into these models. We systematically reviewed all studies of functional and effective connectivity employing tasks to investigate negative emotion processing and regulation in healthy participants. Thirty-three studies met inclusion criteria. A quality assessment tool was derived from prominent neuroimaging papers. The evidence supports existing models, with primarily limbic regions for salience and identification, and frontal areas important for emotion regulation. There was mixed support for the assumption that regulatory influences on limbic and sensory areas come predominantly from prefrontal areas. Rather, studies quantifying effective connectivity reveal context-dependent dynamic modulatory relationships between occipital, subcortical, and frontal regions, arguing against purely top-down regulatory theoretical models. Our quality assessment tool found considerable variability in study design and tasks employed. The findings support and extend those of previous syntheses focused on activation studies, and provide evidence for a more nuanced view of connectivity in networks of human emotion processing and regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Underwood
- Psychology & Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, United Kingdom.
| | - Eva Tolmeijer
- Psychology & Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, United Kingdom
| | - Johannes Wibroe
- Psychology & Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, United Kingdom
| | - Emmanuelle Peters
- Psychology & Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, United Kingdom
| | - Liam Mason
- Max Planck Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London United Kingdom; Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, London, United Kingdom
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39
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Herz N, Bar-Haim Y, Tavor I, Tik N, Sharon H, Holmes EA, Censor N. Neuromodulation of Visual Cortex Reduces the Intensity of Intrusive Memories. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:408-417. [PMID: 34265849 PMCID: PMC8754386 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab217] [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: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aversive events can be reexperienced as involuntary and spontaneous mental images of the event. Given that the vividness of retrieved mental images is coupled with elevated visual activation, we tested whether neuromodulation of the visual cortex would reduce the frequency and negative emotional intensity of intrusive memories. Intrusive memories of a viewed trauma film and their accompanied emotional intensity were recorded throughout 5 days. Functional connectivity, measured with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging prior to film viewing, was used as predictive marker for intrusions-related negative emotional intensity. Results indicated that an interaction between the visual network and emotion processing areas predicted intrusions’ emotional intensity. To test the causal influence of early visual cortex activity on intrusions’ emotional intensity, participants’ memory of the film was reactivated by brief reminders 1 day following film viewing, followed by inhibitory 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over early visual cortex. Results showed that visual cortex inhibitory stimulation reduced the emotional intensity of later intrusions, while leaving intrusion frequency and explicit visual memory intact. Current findings suggest that early visual areas constitute a central node influencing the emotional intensity of intrusive memories for negative events. Potential neuroscience-driven intervention targets designed to downregulate the emotional intensity of intrusive memories are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Herz
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Yair Bar-Haim
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ido Tavor
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Niv Tik
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Haggai Sharon
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.,Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv 6423906, Israel
| | - Emily A Holmes
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75142, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17177, Sweden
| | - Nitzan Censor
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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40
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Structural and resting state functional connectivity beyond the cortex. Neuroimage 2021; 240:118379. [PMID: 34252527 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mapping the structural and functional connectivity of the central nervous system has become a key area within neuroimaging research. While detailed network structures across the entire brain have been probed using animal models, non-invasive neuroimaging in humans has thus far been dominated by cortical investigations. Beyond the cortex, subcortical nuclei have traditionally been less accessible due to their smaller size and greater distance from radio frequency coils. However, major neuroimaging developments now provide improved signal and the resolution required to study these structures. Here, we present an overview of the connectivity between the amygdala, brainstem, cerebellum, spinal cord and the rest of the brain. While limitations to their imaging and analyses remain, we also provide some recommendations and considerations for mapping brain connectivity beyond the cortex.
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41
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Kragel PA, Čeko M, Theriault J, Chen D, Satpute AB, Wald LW, Lindquist MA, Feldman Barrett L, Wager TD. A human colliculus-pulvinar-amygdala pathway encodes negative emotion. Neuron 2021; 109:2404-2412.e5. [PMID: 34166604 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Animals must rapidly respond to threats to survive. In rodents, threat-related signals are processed through a subcortical pathway from the superior colliculus to the amygdala, a putative "low road" to affective behavior. This pathway has not been well characterized in humans. We developed a novel pathway identification framework that uses pattern recognition to identify connected neural populations and optimize measurement of inter-region connectivity. We first verified that the model identifies known thalamocortical pathways with high sensitivity and specificity in 7 T (n = 56) and 3 T (n = 48) fMRI experiments. Then we identified a human functional superior colliculus-pulvinar-amygdala pathway. Activity in this pathway encodes the intensity of normative emotional responses to negative images and sounds but not pleasant images or painful stimuli. These results provide a functional description of a human "low road" pathway selective for negative exteroceptive events and demonstrate a promising method for characterizing human functional brain pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip A Kragel
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Marta Čeko
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Jordan Theriault
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Danlei Chen
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ajay B Satpute
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Lawrence W Wald
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA 02129, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Martin A Lindquist
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Lisa Feldman Barrett
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA 02129, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Tor D Wager
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
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42
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Right Hemisphere Dominance for Unconscious Emotionally Salient Stimuli. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11070823. [PMID: 34206214 PMCID: PMC8301990 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The present review will focus on evidence demonstrating the prioritization in visual processing of fear-related signals in the absence of awareness. Evidence in hemianopic patients without any form of blindsight or affective blindsight in classical terms will be presented, demonstrating that fearful faces, via a subcortical colliculo-pulvinar-amygdala pathway, have a privileged unconscious visual processing and facilitate responses towards visual stimuli in the intact visual field. Interestingly, this fear-specific implicit visual processing in hemianopics has only been observed after lesions to the visual cortices in the left hemisphere, while no effect was found in patients with damage to the right hemisphere. This suggests that the subcortical route for emotional processing in the right hemisphere might provide a pivotal contribution to the implicit processing of fear, in line with evidence showing enhanced right amygdala activity and increased connectivity in the right colliculo-pulvinar-amygdala pathway for unconscious fear-conditioned stimuli and subliminal fearful faces. These findings will be discussed within a theoretical framework that considers the amygdala as an integral component of a constant and continuous vigilance system, which is preferentially invoked with stimuli signaling ambiguous environmental situations of biological relevance, such as fearful faces.
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43
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Isa T, Marquez-Legorreta E, Grillner S, Scott EK. The tectum/superior colliculus as the vertebrate solution for spatial sensory integration and action. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R741-R762. [PMID: 34102128 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The superior colliculus, or tectum in the case of non-mammalian vertebrates, is a part of the brain that registers events in the surrounding space, often through vision and hearing, but also through electrosensation, infrared detection, and other sensory modalities in diverse vertebrate lineages. This information is used to form maps of the surrounding space and the positions of different salient stimuli in relation to the individual. The sensory maps are arranged in layers with visual input in the uppermost layer, other senses in deeper positions, and a spatially aligned motor map in the deepest layer. Here, we will review the organization and intrinsic function of the tectum/superior colliculus and the information that is processed within tectal circuits. We will also discuss tectal/superior colliculus outputs that are conveyed directly to downstream motor circuits or via the thalamus to cortical areas to control various aspects of behavior. The tectum/superior colliculus is evolutionarily conserved among all vertebrates, but tailored to the sensory specialties of each lineage, and its roles have shifted with the emergence of the cerebral cortex in mammals. We will illustrate both the conserved and divergent properties of the tectum/superior colliculus through vertebrate evolution by comparing tectal processing in lampreys belonging to the oldest group of extant vertebrates, larval zebrafish, rodents, and other vertebrates including primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Isa
- Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan; Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | | | - Sten Grillner
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-17177, Sweden
| | - Ethan K Scott
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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44
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Halper P, Williford K, Rudrauf D, Fuchs PN. Against Neo-Cartesianism: Neurofunctional Resilience and Animal Pain. PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2021.1914829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth Williford
- Department of Philosophy & Humanities, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - David Rudrauf
- FAPSE, Section of Psychology, Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, Computer Science, University Center, Campus Biotech, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Perry N. Fuchs
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
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45
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Differential Modulation of Effective Connectivity in the Brain's Extended Face Processing System by Fearful and Sad Facial Expressions. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0380-20.2021. [PMID: 33658311 PMCID: PMC8174049 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0380-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The processing of emotional facial expressions is underpinned by the integration of information from a distributed network of brain regions. Despite investigations into how different emotional expressions alter the functional relationships within this network, there remains limited research examining which regions drive these interactions. This study investigated effective connectivity during the processing of sad and fearful facial expressions to better understand how these stimuli differentially modulate emotional face processing circuitry. Ninety-eight healthy human adolescents and young adults, aged between 15 and 25 years, underwent an implicit emotional face processing fMRI task. Using dynamic causal modeling (DCM), we examined five brain regions implicated in face processing. These were restricted to the right hemisphere and included the occipital and fusiform face areas, amygdala, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Processing sad and fearful facial expressions were associated with greater positive connectivity from the amygdala to dlPFC. Only the processing of fearful facial expressions was associated with greater negative connectivity from the vmPFC to amygdala. Compared with processing sad faces, processing fearful faces was associated with significantly greater connectivity from the amygdala to dlPFC. No difference was found between the processing of these expressions and the connectivity from the vmPFC to amygdala. Overall, our findings indicate that connectivity from the amygdala and dlPFC appears to be responding to dimensional features which differ between these expressions, likely those relating to arousal. Further research is necessary to examine whether this relationship is also observable for positively valenced emotions.
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Human Sensory Cortex Contributes to the Long-Term Storage of Aversive Conditioning. J Neurosci 2021; 41:3222-3233. [PMID: 33622774 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2325-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing animal data evince a critical role of the sensory cortex in the long-term storage of aversive conditioning, following acquisition and consolidation in the amygdala. Whether and how this function is conserved in the human sensory cortex is nonetheless unclear. We interrogated this question in a human aversive conditioning study using multidimensional assessments of conditioning and long-term (15 d) retention. Conditioned stimuli (CSs; Gabor patches) were calibrated to differentially activate the parvocellular (P) and magnocellular (M) visual pathways, further elucidating cortical versus subcortical mechanisms. Full-blown conditioning and long-term retention emerged for M-biased CS (vs limited effects for P-biased CS), especially among anxious individuals, in all four dimensions assessed: threat appraisal (threat ratings), physiological arousal (skin conductance response), perceptual learning [discrimination sensitivity (d') and response speed], and cortical plasticity [visual evoked potentials (VEPs) and cortical current density]. Interestingly, while behavioral, physiological, and VEP effects were comparable at immediate and delayed assessments, the cortical substrates evolved markedly over time, transferring from high-order cortices [inferotemporal/fusiform cortex and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)] immediately to the primary and secondary visual cortex after the delay. In sum, the contrast between P- and M-biased conditioning confirms privileged conditioning acquisition via the subcortical pathway while the immediate cortical plasticity lends credence to the triadic amygdala-OFC-fusiform network thought to underlie threat processing. Importantly, long-term retention of conditioning in the basic sensory cortices supports the conserved role of the human sensory cortex in the long-term storage of aversive conditioning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A growing network of neural substrates has been identified in threat learning and memory. The sensory cortex plays a key role in long-term threat memory in animals, but such a function in humans remains unclear. To explore this problem, we conducted multidimensional assessments of immediate and delayed (15 d) effects of human aversive conditioning. Behavioral, physiological, and scalp electrophysiological data demonstrated conditioning effects and long-term retention. High-density EEG intracranial source analysis further revealed the cortical underpinnings, implicating high-order cortices immediately and primary and secondary visual cortices after the long delay. Therefore, while high-order cortices support aversive conditioning acquisition (i.e., threat learning), the human sensory cortex (akin to the animal homolog) underpins long-term storage of conditioning (i.e., long-term threat memory).
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47
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Direct Structural Connections between Auditory and Visual Motion-Selective Regions in Humans. J Neurosci 2021; 41:2393-2405. [PMID: 33514674 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1552-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, the occipital middle-temporal region (hMT+/V5) specializes in the processing of visual motion, while the planum temporale (hPT) specializes in auditory motion processing. It has been hypothesized that these regions might communicate directly to achieve fast and optimal exchange of multisensory motion information. Here we investigated, for the first time in humans (male and female), the presence of direct white matter connections between visual and auditory motion-selective regions using a combined fMRI and diffusion MRI approach. We found evidence supporting the potential existence of direct white matter connections between individually and functionally defined hMT+/V5 and hPT. We show that projections between hMT+/V5 and hPT do not overlap with large white matter bundles, such as the inferior longitudinal fasciculus and the inferior frontal occipital fasciculus. Moreover, we did not find evidence suggesting the presence of projections between the fusiform face area and hPT, supporting the functional specificity of hMT+/V5-hPT connections. Finally, the potential presence of hMT+/V5-hPT connections was corroborated in a large sample of participants (n = 114) from the human connectome project. Together, this study provides a first indication for potential direct occipitotemporal projections between hMT+/V5 and hPT, which may support the exchange of motion information between functionally specialized auditory and visual regions.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Perceiving and integrating moving signal across the senses is arguably one of the most important perceptual skills for the survival of living organisms. In order to create a unified representation of movement, the brain must therefore integrate motion information from separate senses. Our study provides support for the potential existence of direct connections between motion-selective regions in the occipital/visual (hMT+/V5) and temporal/auditory (hPT) cortices in humans. This connection could represent the structural scaffolding for the rapid and optimal exchange and integration of multisensory motion information. These findings suggest the existence of computationally specific pathways that allow information flow between areas that share a similar computational goal.
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Tao L, Wang G, Zhu M, Cai Q. Bilingualism and domain-general cognitive functions from a neural perspective: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:264-295. [PMID: 33631315 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
A large body of research has indicated that bilingualism - through continual practice in language control - may impact cognitive functions, as well as relevant aspects of brain function and structure. The present review aimed to bring together findings on the relationship between bilingualism and domain-general cognitive functions from a neural perspective. The final sample included 210 studies, covering findings regarding neural responses to bilingual language control and/or domain-general cognitive tasks, as well as findings regarding effects of bilingualism on non-task-related brain function and brain structure. The evidence indicates that a) bilingual language control likely entails neural mechanisms responsible for domain-general cognitive functions; b) bilingual experiences impact neural responses to domain-general cognitive functions; and c) bilingual experiences impact non-task-related brain function (both resting-state and metabolic function) as well as aspects of brain structure (both macrostructure and microstructure), each of which may in turn impact mental processes, including domain-general cognitive functions. Such functional and structural neuroplasticity associated with bilingualism may contribute to both cognitive and neural reserves, producing benefits across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Tao
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China
| | - Gongting Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China
| | - Miaomiao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China
| | - Qing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China; Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, East China Normal University, China; NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University Shanghai, China.
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Fan Z, Guo Y, Hou X, Lv R, Nie S, Xu S, Chen J, Hong Y, Zhao S, Liu X. Selective Impairment of Processing Task-Irrelevant Emotional Faces in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Patients. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2021; 17:3693-3703. [PMID: 34938077 PMCID: PMC8687691 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s340680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few reports have implied electrophysiological alterations and neurocognitive abnormalities in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), while no investigation is available regarding emotional processing. In the present study, pre-attentive processing of facial expressions was compared between CSVD sufferers and healthy controls using expression-related visual mismatch negativity (EMMN) as the indicator. METHODS A total of 22 CSVD patients (12 males) and 21 age-matched healthy controls (12 males) were recruited for neuropsychological and emotional assessments, as well as electroencephalogram recording and analysis. We employed an expression-related oddball paradigm to investigate automatic emotional processing, and a series of schematic emotional faces (neutral, happy, sad) unrelated to subject's task were present in the test to avoid low-level processing of facial features. RESULTS Although the distinctions of neuropsychological (MoCA and MMSE), emotional (GAD-7 and PHQ-9) and behavioral parameters (reaction time to target stimuli and response accuracy) did not reach significant levels, mean amplitudes of sad EMMN in time intervals of 150-250 ms and 250-350 ms were remarkably reduced in CSVD patients compared with healthy controls, but not for happy EMMN. Furthermore, in the control group, sad EMMN was demonstrated to be larger (more negative) than happy EMMN, while this interesting phenomenon disappeared in the CSVD group. CONCLUSION Our findings confirmed selective impairment of processing expressions which were task-irrelevant in CSVD patients, without the existence of negative bias (sad superiority) effect. The efficacy of EMMN as an electrophysiological evaluation marker of CSVD should be taken into account in future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyu Fan
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunliang Guo
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xunyao Hou
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Renjun Lv
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanjing Nie
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Song Xu
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Chen
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Hong
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuo Zhao
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueping Liu
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
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Tao D, He Z, Lin Y, Liu C, Tao Q. Where does fear originate in the brain? A coordinate-based meta-analysis of explicit and implicit fear processing. Neuroimage 2020; 227:117686. [PMID: 33359340 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Processing of fear is of crucial importance for human survival and it can generally occur at explicit and implicit conditions. It is worth noting that explicit and implicit fear processing produces different behavioral and neurophysiological outcomes. The present study capitalizes on the Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) method of meta-analysis to identify: (a) the "core" network of fear processing in healthy individuals; (b) common and specific neural activations associated with explicit and implicit processing of fear. Following PRISMA guidelines, a total of 92 fMRI and PET studies were included in the meta-analysis. The overall analysis show that the core fear network comprises the amygdala, pulvinar, and fronto-occipital regions. Both implicit and explicit fear processing activated amygdala, declive, fusiform gyrus, and middle frontal gyrus, suggesting that these two types of fear processing share a common neural substrate. Explicit fear processing elicited more activations at the pulvinar and parahippocampal gyrus, suggesting visual attention/orientation and contextual association play important roles during explicit fear processing. In contrast, implicit fear processing elicited more activations at the cerebellum-amygdala-cortical pathway, indicating an 'alarm' system underlying implicit fear processing. These findings have shed light on the neural mechanism underlying fear processing at different levels of awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Tao
- International School, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zonglin He
- International School, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yuchen Lin
- International School, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Chang Liu
- International School, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Qian Tao
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Division of Medical Psychology and Behavior Science, School of Basic Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou 510515, China.
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