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Maffei A, Gambarota F, Liotti M, Dell'Acqua R, Tsuchiya N, Sessa P. Conscious perception of fear in faces: Insights from high-density EEG and perceptual awareness scale with threshold stimuli. Cortex 2024; 174:93-109. [PMID: 38493568 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Contrary to the extensive research on processing subliminal and/or unattended emotional facial expressions, only a minority of studies have investigated the neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs) of emotions conveyed by faces. In the present high-density electroencephalography (EEG) study, we first employed a staircase procedure to identify each participant's perceptual threshold of the emotion expressed by the face and then compared the EEG signals elicited in trials where the participants were aware with the activity elicited in trials where participants were unaware of the emotions expressed by these, otherwise identical, faces. Drawing on existing knowledge of the neural mechanisms of face processing and NCCs, we hypothesized that activity in frontal electrodes would be modulated in relation to participants' awareness of facial emotional content. More specifically, we hypothesized that the NCC of fear seen on someone else's face could be detected as a modulation of a later and more anterior (i.e., at frontal sites) event-related potential (ERP) than the face-sensitive N170. By adopting a data-driven approach and cluster-based statistics to the analysis of EEG signals, the results were clear-cut in showing that visual awareness of fear was associated with the modulation of a frontal ERP component in a 150-300 msec interval. These insights are dissected and contextualized in relation to prevailing theories of visual consciousness and their proposed NCC benchmarks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Maffei
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Filippo Gambarota
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Mario Liotti
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Roberto Dell'Acqua
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Naotsugu Tsuchiya
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health & School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Suita-shi, Osaka, Japan; Laboratory Head, Laboratory of Qualia Structure, ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Paola Sessa
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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Maffei A, Pariaut R, Perego M, Santilli RA. Use of combined cutting balloon and high-pressure balloon technique for the treatment of double-chambered right ventricle or primary infundibular stenosis: a case series. J Vet Cardiol 2024; 53:6-12. [PMID: 38555707 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvc.2024.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Five dogs and two cats with a diagnosis of double-chambered right ventricle or primary infundibular stenosis were referred to undergo a combined cutting balloon and high-pressure balloon technique. At admission five cases were asymptomatic, one had a history of syncope and one had signs of right-sided congestive heart failure. Each patient underwent a complete transthoracic echocardiogram, thoracic radiographs, an angiogram and the combined interventional procedure. Median diameter of the right mid-ventricular stenosis was 4 mm (range 2-8.7 mm) in dogs, and it measured 1.9 and 2 mm in cats. Under general anesthesia initial dilation with an 8-mm × 2-cm cutting balloon was performed from a left external jugular vein approach followed by dilation with a high-pressure balloon (1.5:1 balloon diameter-right outflow tract diameter ratio). In one dog and the two cats the procedure was not completed due to technical issues. In the other four dogs the median intracavitary proximal chamber pressure decreased from 100 mmHg (range 70-150 mmHg) before the procedure to 57 mmHg (range 45-70 mmHg) post-dilation. Long-term follow-up (from six months to two years) showed complete or partial reverse remodeling of the proximal chamber with a median residual pressure gradient below 80 mmHg (range 46-75 mmHg) for all four dogs. This case series shows that this procedure should be considered in dogs with right ventricular outflow tract obstruction. In cats, the procedure might be feasible, if additional guidewire inventory were available.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Maffei
- Clinica Veterinaria Malpensa, AniCura, Viale Marconi 27, 21017 Samarate, Varese, Italy
| | - R Pariaut
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, 930 Campus Road, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - M Perego
- Clinica Veterinaria Malpensa, AniCura, Viale Marconi 27, 21017 Samarate, Varese, Italy
| | - R A Santilli
- Clinica Veterinaria Malpensa, AniCura, Viale Marconi 27, 21017 Samarate, Varese, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, 930 Campus Road, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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Maffei A, Coccaro A, Jaspers-Fayer F, Goertzen J, Sessa P, Liotti M. EEG alpha band functional connectivity reveals distinct cortical dynamics for overt and covert emotional face processing. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9951. [PMID: 37337009 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36860-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Current knowledge regarding how the focus of our attention during face processing influences neural responses largely comes from neuroimaging studies reporting on regional brain activations. The present study was designed to add novel insights to this research by studying how attention can differentially impact the way cortical regions interact during emotional face processing. High-density electroencephalogram was recorded in a sample of fifty-two healthy participants during an emotional face processing task. The task required participants to either attend to the expressions (i.e., overt processing) or attend to a perceptual distractor, which rendered the expressions task-irrelevant (i.e., covert processing). Functional connectivity in the alpha band was estimated in source space and modeled using graph theory to quantify whole-brain integration and segregation. Results revealed that overt processing of facial expressions is linked to reduced cortical segregation and increased cortical integration, this latter specifically for negative expressions of fear and sadness. Furthermore, we observed increased communication efficiency during overt processing of negative expressions between the core and the extended face processing systems. Overall, these findings reveal that attention makes the interaction among the nodes involved in face processing more efficient, also uncovering a connectivity signature of the prioritized processing mechanism of negative expressions, that is an increased cross-communication within the nodes of the face processing network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Maffei
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Ambra Coccaro
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | | | | | - Paola Sessa
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Mario Liotti
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.
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Quettier T, Maffei A, Gambarota F, Ferrari PF, Sessa P. Testing EEG functional connectivity between sensorimotor and face processing visual regions in individuals with congenital facial palsy. Front Syst Neurosci 2023; 17:1123221. [PMID: 37215358 PMCID: PMC10196055 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2023.1123221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Moebius syndrome (MBS) is characterized by the congenital absence or underdevelopment of cranial nerves VII and VI, leading to facial palsy and impaired lateral eye movements. As a result, MBS individuals cannot produce facial expressions and did not develop motor programs for facial expressions. In the latest model of sensorimotor simulation, an iterative communication between somatosensory, motor/premotor cortices, and visual regions has been proposed, which should allow more efficient discriminations among subtle facial expressions. Accordingly, individuals with congenital facial motor disability, specifically with MBS, should exhibit atypical communication within this network. Here, we aimed to test this facet of the sensorimotor simulation models. We estimated the functional connectivity between the visual cortices for face processing and the sensorimotor cortices in healthy and MBS individuals. To this aim, we studied the strength of beta band functional connectivity between these two systems using high-density EEG, combined with a change detection task with facial expressions (and a control condition involving non-face stimuli). The results supported our hypothesis such that when discriminating subtle facial expressions, participants affected by congenital facial palsy (compared to healthy controls) showed reduced connectivity strength between sensorimotor regions and visual regions for face processing. This effect was absent for the condition with non-face stimuli. These findings support sensorimotor simulation models and the communication between sensorimotor and visual areas during subtle facial expression processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Quettier
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Antonio Maffei
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Filippo Gambarota
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Pier Francesco Ferrari
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron, France
| | - Paola Sessa
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Coccaro A, Di Bono MG, Maffei A, Orefice C, Lievore R, Mammarella I, Liotti M. Resting State Dynamic Reconfiguration of Spatial Attention Cortical Networks and Visuospatial Functioning in Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD): A HD-EEG Investigation. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13050731. [PMID: 37239203 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13050731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonverbal learning disability (NVLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in visuospatial processing but spared verbal competencies. Neurocognitive markers may provide confirmatory evidence for characterizing NVLD as a separate neurodevelopmental disorder. Visuospatial performance and high-density electroencephalography (EEG) were measured in 16 NLVD and in 16 typically developing (TD) children. Cortical source modeling was applied to assess resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) in spatial attention networks (dorsal (DAN) and ventral attention networks (VAN)) implicated in visuospatial abilities. A machine-learning approach was applied to investigate whether group membership could be predicted from rs-FC maps and if these connectivity patterns were predictive of visuospatial performance. Graph theoretical measures were applied to nodes inside each network. EEG rs-FC maps in the gamma and beta band differentiated children with and without NVLD, with increased but more diffuse and less efficient functional connections bilaterally in the NVLD group. While rs-FC of the left DAN in the gamma range predicted visuospatial scores for TD children, in the NVLD group rs-FC of the right DAN in the delta range predicted impaired visuospatial performance, confirming that NVLD is a disorder with a predominant dysfunction in right hemisphere connectivity patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambra Coccaro
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Via Orus 2/B, 35129 Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Di Bono
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Antonio Maffei
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Via Orus 2/B, 35129 Padova, Italy
| | - Camilla Orefice
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Rachele Lievore
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Irene Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Mario Liotti
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Via Orus 2/B, 35129 Padova, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A1S6, Canada
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David OA, Stroian PI, Predatu R, Maffei A. State anxiety and frontal alpha asymmetry effects of the REThink online video game for children and adolescents: A six-month follow-up. Personality and Individual Differences 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Zhang W, Provensi G, Maffei A. Editorial: New challenges and perspectives in emotion regulation and processing. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1006627. [PMID: 36160678 PMCID: PMC9504271 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1006627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wenhai Zhang
- College of Educational Science, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Wenhai Zhang
| | - Gustavo Provensi
- Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Antonio Maffei
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization (DPSS) and Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Jaspers-Fayer F, Maffei A, Goertzen J, Kleffner K, Coccaro A, Sessa P, Liotti M. Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Covert vs. Overt Emotional Face Processing in Dysphoria. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:920989. [PMID: 35874655 PMCID: PMC9296982 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.920989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
People at risk of developing clinical depression exhibit attentional biases for emotional faces. To clarify whether such effects occur at an early, automatic, or at a late, deliberate processing stage of emotional processing, the present study used high-density electroencephalography during both covert and overt processing of sad, fearful, happy, and neutral expressions in healthy participants with high dysphoria (n = 16) and with low dysphoria (n = 19). A state-of-the-art non-parametric permutation-based statistical approach was then used to explore the effects of emotion, attentional task demands, and group. Behaviorally, participants responded faster and more accurately when overtly categorizing happy faces and they were slower and less accurate when categorizing sad and fearful faces, independent of the dysphoria group. Electrophysiologically, in an early time-window (N170: 140-180 ms), there was a significant main effect for the dysphoria group, with greater negative voltage for the high vs. low dysphoria group over the left-sided temporo-occipital scalp. Furthermore, there was a significant group by emotional interaction, with the high dysphoria group displaying greater negative amplitude N170 for happy than fearful faces. Attentional task demands did not influence such early effects. In contrast, in an intermediate time-window (EPN: 200-400 ms) and in a late time-window (LPP: 500-750 ms) there were no significant main effects nor interactions involving the dysphoria Group. The LPP results paralleled the behavioral results, with greater LPP voltages for sad and fearful relative to happy faces only in the overt task, but similarly so in the two dysphoria groups. This study provides novel evidence that alterations in face processing in dysphoric individuals can be seen at the early stages of face perception, as indexed by the N170, although not in the form of a typical pattern of mood-congruent attentional bias. In contrast, intermediate (EPN) and late (LPP) stages of emotional face processing appear unaffected by dysphoria. Importantly, the early dysphoria effect appears to be independent of the top-down allocation of attention, further supporting the idea that dysphoria may influence a stage of automatic emotional appraisal. It is proposed that it may be a consequence of a shift from holistic to feature-based processing of facial expressions, or may be due to the influence of negative schemas acting as a negative context for emotional facial processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fern Jaspers-Fayer
- Laboratory for Affective and Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Antonio Maffei
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Jennifer Goertzen
- Laboratory for Affective and Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Killian Kleffner
- Laboratory for Affective and Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Ambra Coccaro
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Paola Sessa
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Mario Liotti
- Laboratory for Affective and Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Brinkman BAW, Yan H, Maffei A, Park IM, Fontanini A, Wang J, La Camera G. Metastable dynamics of neural circuits and networks. Appl Phys Rev 2022; 9:011313. [PMID: 35284030 PMCID: PMC8900181 DOI: 10.1063/5.0062603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Cortical neurons emit seemingly erratic trains of action potentials or "spikes," and neural network dynamics emerge from the coordinated spiking activity within neural circuits. These rich dynamics manifest themselves in a variety of patterns, which emerge spontaneously or in response to incoming activity produced by sensory inputs. In this Review, we focus on neural dynamics that is best understood as a sequence of repeated activations of a number of discrete hidden states. These transiently occupied states are termed "metastable" and have been linked to important sensory and cognitive functions. In the rodent gustatory cortex, for instance, metastable dynamics have been associated with stimulus coding, with states of expectation, and with decision making. In frontal, parietal, and motor areas of macaques, metastable activity has been related to behavioral performance, choice behavior, task difficulty, and attention. In this article, we review the experimental evidence for neural metastable dynamics together with theoretical approaches to the study of metastable activity in neural circuits. These approaches include (i) a theoretical framework based on non-equilibrium statistical physics for network dynamics; (ii) statistical approaches to extract information about metastable states from a variety of neural signals; and (iii) recent neural network approaches, informed by experimental results, to model the emergence of metastable dynamics. By discussing these topics, we aim to provide a cohesive view of how transitions between different states of activity may provide the neural underpinnings for essential functions such as perception, memory, expectation, or decision making, and more generally, how the study of metastable neural activity may advance our understanding of neural circuit function in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - H. Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, People's Republic of China
| | | | | | | | - J. Wang
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
| | - G. La Camera
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
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Lupi F, Mabkhot MM, Finžgar M, Minetola P, Stadnicka D, Maffei A, Litwin P, Boffa E, Ferreira P, Podržaj P, Chelli R, Lohse N, Lanzetta M. Toward a sustainable educational engineer archetype through Industry 4.0. COMPUT IND 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.compind.2021.103543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Maffei A, Goertzen J, Jaspers-Fayer F, Kleffner K, Sessa P, Liotti M. Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Covert Versus Overt Processing of Happy, Fearful and Sad Facial Expressions. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11070942. [PMID: 34356176 PMCID: PMC8329921 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral and electrophysiological correlates of the influence of task demands on the processing of happy, sad, and fearful expressions were investigated in a within-subjects study that compared a perceptual distraction condition with task-irrelevant faces (e.g., covert emotion task) to an emotion task-relevant categorization condition (e.g., overt emotion task). A state-of-the-art non-parametric mass univariate analysis method was used to address the limitations of previous studies. Behaviorally, participants responded faster to overtly categorized happy faces and were slower and less accurate to categorize sad and fearful faces; there were no behavioral differences in the covert task. Event-related potential (ERP) responses to the emotional expressions included the N170 (140-180 ms), which was enhanced by emotion irrespective of task, with happy and sad expressions eliciting greater amplitudes than neutral expressions. EPN (200-400 ms) amplitude was modulated by task, with greater voltages in the overt condition, and by emotion, however, there was no interaction of emotion and task. ERP activity was modulated by emotion as a function of task only at a late processing stage, which included the LPP (500-800 ms), with fearful and sad faces showing greater amplitude enhancements than happy faces. This study reveals that affective content does not necessarily require attention in the early stages of face processing, supporting recent evidence that the core and extended parts of the face processing system act in parallel, rather than serially. The role of voluntary attention starts at an intermediate stage, and fully modulates the response to emotional content in the final stage of processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Maffei
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy; (A.M.); (P.S.)
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Via Orus 2/B, 35129 Padova, Italy
| | - Jennifer Goertzen
- Laboratory of Affective and Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A1S6, Canada; (J.G.); (F.J.-F.); (K.K.)
| | - Fern Jaspers-Fayer
- Laboratory of Affective and Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A1S6, Canada; (J.G.); (F.J.-F.); (K.K.)
| | - Killian Kleffner
- Laboratory of Affective and Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A1S6, Canada; (J.G.); (F.J.-F.); (K.K.)
| | - Paola Sessa
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy; (A.M.); (P.S.)
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Via Orus 2/B, 35129 Padova, Italy
| | - Mario Liotti
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy; (A.M.); (P.S.)
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Via Orus 2/B, 35129 Padova, Italy
- Laboratory of Affective and Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A1S6, Canada; (J.G.); (F.J.-F.); (K.K.)
- Correspondence:
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12
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Maffei A, Sessa P. Time-resolved connectivity reveals the “how” and “when” of brain networks reconfiguration during face processing. Neuroimage: Reports 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ynirp.2021.100022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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13
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Maffei A, Sessa P. Event-related network changes unfold the dynamics of cortical integration during face processing. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13786. [PMID: 33550632 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Face perception arises from a collective activation of brain regions in the occipital, parietal and temporal cortices. Despite the wide acknowledgment that these regions act in an intertwined network, the network behavior itself is poorly understood. Here we present a study in which time-varying connectivity estimated from EEG activity elicited by facial expressions presentation was characterized using graph-theoretical measures of node centrality and global network topology. Results revealed that face perception results from a dynamic reshaping of the network architecture, characterized by the emergence of hubs located in the occipital and temporal regions of the scalp. The importance of these nodes can be observed from the early stages of visual processing and reaches a climax in the same time-window in which the face-sensitive N170 is observed. Furthermore, using Granger causality, we found that the time-evolving centrality of these nodes is associated with ERP amplitude, providing a direct link between the network state and local neural response. Additionally, investigating global network topology by means of small-worldness and modularity, we found that face processing requires a functional network with a strong small-world organization that maximizes integration, at the cost of segregated subdivisions. Interestingly, we found that this architecture is not static, but instead, it is implemented by the network from stimulus onset to ~200 ms. Altogether, this study reveals the event-related changes underlying face processing at the network level, suggesting that a distributed processing mechanism operates through dynamically weighting the contribution of the cortical regions involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Maffei
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Paola Sessa
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy.,Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Schiano Lomoriello A, Maffei A, Brigadoi S, Sessa P. Altering sensorimotor simulation impacts early stages of facial expression processing depending on individual differences in alexithymic traits. Brain Cogn 2021; 148:105678. [PMID: 33454594 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Simulation models of facial expressions suggest that posterior visual areas and brain areas underpinning sensorimotor simulations might interact to improve facial expression processing. According to these models, facial mimicry, a manifestation of sensorimotor simulation, may contribute to the visual processing of facial expressions by influencing early stages. The aim of this study was to assess whether and how sensorimotor simulation influences early stages of face processing, also investigating its relationship with alexithymic traits given that previous studies have suggested that individuals with high levels of alexithymic traits (vs. individuals with low levels of alexithymic traits) tend to use sensorimotor simulation to a lesser extent. We monitored P1 and N170 ERP components of the event-related potentials (ERP) in participants performing a fine discrimination task of facial expressions and animals, as a control condition. In half of the experiment, participants could freely use their facial mimicry whereas in the other half they had their facial mimicry blocked by a gel. Our results revealed that only individuals with lower compared to high alexithymic traits showed a larger modulation of the P1 amplitude as a function of the mimicry manipulation selectively for facial expressions (but not for animals), while we did not observe any modulation of the N170. Given the null results at the behavioural level, we interpreted the P1 modulation as compensative visual processing in individuals with low levels of alexithymia under conditions of interference on the sensorimotor processing, providing a preliminary evidence in favor of sensorimotor simulation models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Schiano Lomoriello
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Section for Cognitive Systems, DTU Compute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Antonio Maffei
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Sabrina Brigadoi
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Paola Sessa
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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15
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Predatu R, David OA, Ovidiu David D, Maffei A. Emotion regulation abilities as a predictor of anxiety, positive emotions, heart rate, and alpha asymmetry during an impromptu speech task. Anxiety Stress Coping 2020; 34:719-733. [PMID: 33380225 DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2020.1867717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Recent approaches suggest that emotion regulation (ER) abilities represent potential predictors of emotional response among youths navigating stressful situations. To test this, we investigated whether ER abilities predicted the subjective and physiological emotional response experienced by youths during a stressful situation. DESIGN A cross-sectional design was employed. METHOD One hundred and thirty-four youths completed measures of ER abilities (emotional awareness, anxiety sensitivity, emotional control) and were asked to deliver a speech while their anxiety, positive emotions, heart rate, and alpha asymmetry were collected at four time points: baseline, anticipation, speech, and post-recovery. RESULTS Pearson r correlations showed that poor emotional control and awareness, as well as high anxiety sensitivity were related to greater anxiety and lower positive emotions experienced during the speech. Hierarchical multiple regressions also revealed that emotional control and emotional awareness predicted greater speech anxiety and lower positive emotions. Moreover, anxiety sensitivity was related to and predicted an increased heart rate experienced during speech. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that difficulties in emotional awareness, anxiety sensitivity, and emotional control predict the emotional response experienced by youths during a stressful situation. Interventions delivered by clinicians/teachers that target ER difficulties may be effective in improving emotional functioning when navigating stressful situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Răzvan Predatu
- Doctoral School "Evidence-based Assessment and Psychological Interventions", Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Oana Alexandra David
- International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Daniel Ovidiu David
- International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Antonio Maffei
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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16
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Yalcinkaya E, Maffei A, Onori M. Blockchain Reference System Architecture Description for the ISA95 Compliant Traditional and Smart Manufacturing Systems. Sensors (Basel) 2020; 20:s20226456. [PMID: 33198154 PMCID: PMC7696017 DOI: 10.3390/s20226456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The next-generation technologies enabled by the industry 4.0 revolution put immense pressure on traditional ISA95 compliant manufacturing systems to evolve into smart manufacturing systems. Unfortunately, the transformation of old to new manufacturing technologies is a slow process. Therefore, the manufacturing industry is currently in a situation that the legacy and modern manufacturing systems share the same factory environment. This heterogeneous ecosystem leads to challenges in systems scalability, interoperability, information security, and data quality domains. Our former research effort concluded that blockchain technology has promising features to address these challenges. Moreover, our systematic assessment revealed that most of the ISA95 enterprise functions are suitable for applying blockchain technology. However, no blockchain reference architecture explicitly focuses on the ISA95 compliant traditional and smart manufacturing systems available in the literature. This research aims to fill the gap by first methodically specifying the design requirements and then meticulously elaborating on how the reference architecture components fulfill the design requirements.
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17
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Maffei A. Spectrally resolved EEG intersubject correlation reveals distinct cortical oscillatory patterns during free‐viewing of affective scenes. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13652. [DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Maffei
- Department of General Psychology University of Padua Padua Italy
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18
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Maffei A, Polver S, Spironelli C, Angrilli A. EEG gamma activity to emotional movies in individuals with high traits of primary "successful" psychopathy. Brain Cogn 2020; 143:105599. [PMID: 32652444 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate emotional alterations in a community sample with primary psychopathic traits. Sixty males selected from a larger sample and divided in two groups, High (HP) and Low (LP) primary Psychopathy, watched 15 validated emotional movies divided in five categories (Erotic, Neutral, Fear, and the new Scenery and Compassion). Subjective responses and cortical activity in the EEG Gamma band (30-49 Hz) were recorded. Concerning self-reports, HP participants felt less anxious and anguished in response to Fear clips and less sad, touched and anguished by Compassion excerpts. Negative clips induced larger EEG Gamma activity in both groups compared to neutral and erotic movies, but Gamma activity to Fear movies was reduced in HP. This group showed also a small cortical response to positive Scenery movies, at the level of the Neutral ones. Source analysis showed in HP participants a reduced cortical activation to Fear in a large brain network, comprising the right prefrontal and temporal cortices and bilateral inferior parietal cortex. Results showed that primary psychopathy, in addition to the impaired response to Fear, was associated with a reduced response also to other specific categories of emotional stimuli, suggesting an altered affect on a broader scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Maffei
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Polver
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Chiara Spironelli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy; PNC - Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Via Orus 2, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Angrilli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy; IN CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Padova Section, Viale Colombo 3, 35131 Padova, Italy; PNC - Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Via Orus 2, 35131 Padova, Italy.
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19
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Spironelli C, Maffei A, Romeo Z, Piazzon G, Padovan G, Magnolfi G, Pasini I, Gomez Homen F, Concari G, Angrilli A. Evidence of language-related left hypofrontality in Major Depression: An EEG Beta band study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8166. [PMID: 32424130 PMCID: PMC7235005 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65168-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depression (MDD) has been associated with an altered EEG frontal asymmetry measured in resting state; nevertheless, this association has showed a weak consistency across studies. In the present study, which starts from an evolutionistic view of psychiatric disorders, we investigated frontal asymmetry in MDD, using language as a probe to test the integrity of large inter- and intra-hemispheric networks and processes. Thirty MDD patients (22 women) and 32 matched controls (HC) were recruited for an EEG recording in resting state and during two linguistic tasks, phonological and semantic. Normalized alpha and beta EEG spectral bands were measured across all three conditions in the two groups. EEG alpha amplitude showed no hemispheric asymmetry, regardless of group, both at rest and during linguistic tasks. During resting state, analysis of EEG beta revealed a lack of hemispheric asymmetry in both groups, but during linguistic tasks, HC exhibited the typical greater left frontal beta activation, whereas MDD patients showed a lack of frontal asymmetry and a significantly lower activation of left frontal sites. In depressed patients, positive affect was negatively correlated with depression levels and positively correlated with left frontal EEG beta amplitude. Language represents the human process that requires the largest level of integration between and within the hemispheres; thus, language asymmetry was a valid probe to test the left frontal alteration encompassing highly impairing psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and MDD. Indeed, these severe diseases are marked by delusions, ruminations, thought disorders, and hallucinations, all of which have a clear linguistic or metalinguistic basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Spironelli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. .,Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
| | - Antonio Maffei
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Giulia Piazzon
- Psychiatric Clinic, Neuroscience Department, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giordano Padovan
- Psychiatric Clinic, Neuroscience Department, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Gianna Magnolfi
- Psychiatric Clinic, Neuroscience Department, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Ilenia Pasini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | | | - Alessandro Angrilli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.,Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.,CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Padova, Italy
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20
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Wang L, Kloc M, Maher E, Erisir A, Maffei A. Presynaptic GABAA Receptors Modulate Thalamocortical Inputs in Layer 4 of Rat V1. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:921-936. [PMID: 29373653 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Fast inhibitory GABAergic transmission plays a fundamental role in neural circuits. Current theories of cortical function assume that fast GABAergic inhibition acts via GABAA receptors on postsynaptic neurons, while presynaptic effects of GABA depend on GABAB receptor activation. Manipulations of GABAA receptor activity in vivo produced different effects on cortical function, which were generally ascribed to the mode of action of a drug, more than its site of action. Here we show that in rodent primary visual cortex, α4-containing GABAA receptors can be located on subsets of glutamatergic and GABAergic presynaptic terminals and decrease synaptic transmission. Our data provide a novel mechanistic insight into the effects of changes in cortical inhibition; the ability to modulate inputs onto cortical circuits locally, via presynaptic regulation of release by GABAA receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY-Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - M Kloc
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY-Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - E Maher
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - A Erisir
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - A Maffei
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY-Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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21
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Predatu R, David DO, Maffei A. The effects of irrational, rational, and acceptance beliefs about emotions on the emotional response and perceived control of emotions. Personality and Individual Differences 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.109712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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22
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Maffei A, Angrilli A. E-MOVIE - Experimental MOVies for Induction of Emotions in neuroscience: An innovative film database with normative data and sex differences. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223124. [PMID: 31581254 PMCID: PMC6776321 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The need for a validated set of emotional clips to elicit emotions in more ecological experiments is increasing. Here we present the validation of a new database of emotional films, named E-MOVIE, which includes, in this first validation phase, 39 excerpts arranged in six categories, three negative (Fear, Sadness and Compassion), two positive (Erotic and Scenery) and a Neutral category. Notably, Compassion and Scenery are new in the field as they were not included in other databases. The clips in E-MOVIE are characterized by homogenous durations of approximately two minutes, which make them suitable for psychophysiological research. In order to study the affective profile prompted by each category 174 participants (112 women) rated the movies on multiple dimensions, namely valence and arousal, intensity and discreteness of the induction of one of the six basic emotions and, finally, intensity of the experience of the emotional states defined by a series of emotional adjectives. Erotic clips were effective in the elicitation of a positive emotional state, characterized by high levels of arousal and excitement. On the other hand, Fear clips (selected without blood to avoid disgust reaction) prompted an affect characterized by high arousal, low valence and high levels of reported fear and anxiety. Women reported greater unpleasantness, distress, anxiety and jittery than men to the three negative categories. Compassion clips, characterized by the depiction of crying characters, were able to induce an affective state dominated by sadness and feeling touched, consistent with an empathic reaction to emotional sufferance. Sadness clips, instead, elicited an affective state characterized by sadness together with distress and angst. We also demonstrated that clips depicting natural environments (i.e. Scenery) prompted in the viewer a surprised, inspired affective state, characterized by high valence and arousal (especially in males), a result which suggests that their past categorization as neutral stimuli was inaccurate and problematic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Maffei
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Angrilli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, Padova, Italy
- PNC–Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- * E-mail:
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23
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Maffei A, Spironelli C, Angrilli A. Affective and cortical EEG gamma responses to emotional movies in women with high vs low traits of empathy. Neuropsychologia 2019; 133:107175. [PMID: 31449821 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The present study sought to investigate how differences in trait empathy can influence emotional reactivity to a specific set of affective categories. Forty-one female students, divided in High (HE, n = 20) and Low (LE, n = 21) trait empathy, watched eight validated movie clips divided in four emotional categories (Erotic, Fear, Compassion and Neutral) while subjective evaluation of emotion and EEG gamma activity were recorded. Analysis of self-reports revealed that HE compared to LE exhibited an increased arousal level to all emotional clips. Concerning EEG data, the HE group showed a greater cortical gamma to all the emotional categories compared to the Neutral, while the LE group had greater response only to the negative clips. Participants in the HE group also showed a strong positive correlation between subjective arousal and cortical activity in response to Fear and Compassion clips. The greatest correlation was found to Compassion clips and was located in the right inferior parietal lobe (r(18) = 0.63), an important hub for both sensory-emotion integration and empathic sharing of others' emotions. Results suggest that high empathy was associated with enhanced gamma activity and greater self-reported arousal to all emotional stimuli. Furthermore, in this group, scenes with crying characters prompted a distinctive and localized cortical processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Maffei
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Chiara Spironelli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy; PNC - Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Angrilli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy; IN CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Padova Section, Italy; PNC - Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Italy.
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24
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Spironelli C, Romeo Z, Maffei A, Angrilli A. Comparison of automatic visual attention in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression: Evidence from P1 event-related component. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2019; 73:331-339. [PMID: 30882991 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
AIM The ability to discern commonalities and differences in the neurobiology of functional psychoses represents a key element to unmasking shared vulnerability across different psychiatric conditions. The present study sought to compare the automatic visual attention mechanisms in three psychiatric disorders considered to distribute along the continuum of psychosis severity: schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). To this end, the visual P1 event-related potential component, a cortical correlate of automatic visual attention, was measured during an ecological task based on visual word pair presentation. METHODS Four samples of participants, 18 SCZ, 20 BD, 28 MDD, and 30 healthy controls, were recruited and submitted to the same procedure and stimuli. The P1 evoked by visual word presentation was recorded through a 38-electrode electroencephalography cap. Words were presented on a computer screen serially as pairs, and participants had to decide whether they rhymed or not. RESULTS P1 was larger at posterior sites in SCZ compared with BD, healthy control, and MDD participants. BD patients showed the lowest P1 compared with all other groups. Positive Pearson's correlations were found in SCZ patients between P1 amplitude on left posterior sites and both hallucination severity and worse task performance. CONCLUSION The three investigated psychiatric samples showed different automatic visual attention patterns: SCZ patients exhibited the greatest cognitive impairment correlated with the amplitude of P1, MDD patients revealed a normal component, and BD showed a compensated euthymic response different from results of past literature in untreated patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Spironelli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Maffei
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Alessandro Angrilli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, Padua, Italy.,IN-CNR Institute of Neuroscience CNR, Padua, Italy
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Maffei A, Angrilli A. Spontaneous blink rate as an index of attention and emotion during film clips viewing. Physiol Behav 2019; 204:256-263. [PMID: 30822434 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.02.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Spontaneous blinking is a non-invasive indicator known to reflect dopaminergic influence over frontal cortex and attention allocation in perceptual tasks. 38 participants watched eighteen short film clips (2 min), designed to elicit specific affective states, and arranged in six different emotional categories, while their eye movements were recorded from the vertical electroculogram. The largest blink rate inhibition, reflecting greater attention allocation to the movie, was observed during the presentation of Erotic clips, excerpts on wilderness depicting beautiful landscapes (Scenery), as well as clips showing crying characters (Compassion). Instead, the minimum blink rate inhibition was found for Fear clips, which induced a defensive response with stimulus rejection. Blink rate across time evidenced how Compassion clips elicited early inhibition while Sadness clips induced a slower, later inhibition. Correlation analyses also revealed a negative correlation (r < -0.40) between total blink rate recorded during Erotic and Compassion clips and self-reported interest. Overall, the main variable explaining blink rate was emotional Valence. Results suggest that blink modulation is related with the motivational relevance and biological significance of the stimuli, tracking their differential recruitment of attentional resources. Furthermore, they provide a solid background for studying the emotion-attention patterns and their deficits also in clinical samples (e.g., neurological and psychiatric patients) using spontaneous blinking as a not-interfering psychophysiological measure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Maffei
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Angrilli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy; IN CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Padova Section, Italy; PNC - Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Italy.
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26
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Polver S, Maffei A, Spironelli C, Angrilli A. Primary psychopathic traits are associated with reduced subjective and cortical reactivity to unpleasant emotional movies. Int J Psychophysiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.07.379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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27
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Maffei A, Angrilli A, Spironelli C. Cortical reactivity to emotional movies is shaped by viewer's empathy: Evidence from Gamma EEG activity. Int J Psychophysiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.07.308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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28
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Fusina F, Maffei A, Angrilli A. Cardiac responses to emotional film clips in males with high vs low trait primary psychopathy. Int J Psychophysiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.07.223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Abstract
SummaryThe case of a patient with Hageman trait who underwent cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis is reported. The surgical procedure was uneventful; no abnormal bleeding was noted during and after the operation. The transfusion of 4 cm3/kg b.w. of contacted 3-day old normal plasma corrected completely the coagulation abnormality. The glass and the silicone clotting times were slightly shortened even 64 h after the transfusion. The survival time for the infused factor XII activity resulted to be 41 h. 6 days after the plasma infusion the factor XII level was 1 % of normal. The significance of these findings is discussed.
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Maffei A, Angrilli A. Spontaneous eye blink rate: An index of dopaminergic component of sustained attention and fatigue. Int J Psychophysiol 2018; 123:58-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2017.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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Fichera M, Maffei A, Comi G, Leocani L. 33. Effects of global proprioceptive resonance on resting state EEG in healthy subjects. Clin Neurophysiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2016.10.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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32
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Maffei A, Angrilli A. Sex differences in emotional responses to film clips of six emotional categories. Int J Psychophysiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2016.07.464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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33
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Maffei A, Vencato V, Angrilli A. Sex Differences in Emotional Evaluation of Film Clips: Interaction with Five High Arousal Emotional Categories. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145562. [PMID: 26717488 PMCID: PMC4696842 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate gender differences in the emotional evaluation of 18 film clips divided into six categories: Erotic, Scenery, Neutral, Sadness, Compassion, and Fear. 41 female and 40 male students rated all clips for valence-pleasantness, arousal, level of elicited distress, anxiety, jittery feelings, excitation, and embarrassment. Analysis of positive films revealed higher levels of arousal, pleasantness, and excitation to the Scenery clips in both genders, but lower pleasantness and greater embarrassment in women compared to men to Erotic clips. Concerning unpleasant stimuli, unlike men, women reported more unpleasantness to the Compassion, Sadness, and Fear compared to the Neutral clips and rated them also as more arousing than did men. They further differentiated the films by perceiving greater arousal to Fear than to Compassion clips. Women rated the Sadness and Fear clips with greater Distress and Jittery feelings than men did. Correlation analysis between arousal and the other emotional scales revealed that, although men looked less aroused than women to all unpleasant clips, they also showed a larger variance in their emotional responses as indicated by the high number of correlations and their relatively greater extent, an outcome pointing to a masked larger sensitivity of part of male sample to emotional clips. We propose a new perspective in which gender difference in emotional responses can be better evidenced by means of film clips selected and clustered in more homogeneous categories, controlled for arousal levels, as well as evaluated through a number of emotion focused adjectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Maffei
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Valentina Vencato
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Angrilli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- IN CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Padova Section, Padova, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Farronato G, Garagiola U, Maffei A, Cressoni P, Soldo R, Sesso G, Terzi L. Effetti della risonanza propriocettiva globale a vibrazione multifocale sul sistema neuromuscolare stomatognatico e posturale. Dental Cadmos 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/s0011-8524(15)30022-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Garagiola U, Maffei A, Farronato G. Global proprioceptive resonance: Effects on neuromuscular and postural systems. J Neurol Sci 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2013.07.1651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Vogels TP, Froemke RC, Doyon N, Gilson M, Haas JS, Liu R, Maffei A, Miller P, Wierenga CJ, Woodin MA, Zenke F, Sprekeler H. Inhibitory synaptic plasticity: spike timing-dependence and putative network function. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:119. [PMID: 23882186 PMCID: PMC3714539 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 06/23/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
While the plasticity of excitatory synaptic connections in the brain has been widely studied, the plasticity of inhibitory connections is much less understood. Here, we present recent experimental and theoretical findings concerning the rules of spike timing-dependent inhibitory plasticity and their putative network function. This is a summary of a workshop at the COSYNE conference 2012.
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Affiliation(s)
- T P Vogels
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford Oxford, UK ; School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Lausanne, Switzerland
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Paoletti R, Maffei A, Madaro L, Notte A, Stanganello E, Cifelli G, Carullo P, Molinaro M, Lembo G, Bouché M. Protein kinase Cθ is required for cardiomyocyte survival and cardiac remodeling. Cell Death Dis 2010; 1:e45. [PMID: 21364651 PMCID: PMC3032313 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2010.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Protein kinase Cs (PKCs) constitute a family of serine/threonine kinases, which has distinguished and specific roles in regulating cardiac responses, including those associated with heart failure. We found that the PKCθ isoform is expressed at considerable levels in the cardiac muscle in mouse, and that it is rapidly activated after pressure overload. To investigate the role of PKCθ in cardiac remodeling, we used PKCθ−/− mice. In vivo analyses of PKCθ−/− hearts showed that the lack of PKCθ expression leads to left ventricular dilation and reduced function. Histological analyses showed a reduction in the number of cardiomyocytes, combined with hypertrophy of the remaining cardiomyocytes, cardiac fibrosis, myofibroblast hyper-proliferation and matrix deposition. We also observed p38 and JunK activation, known to promote cell death in response to stress, combined with upregulation of the fetal pattern of gene expression, considered to be a feature of the hemodynamically or metabolically stressed heart. In keeping with these observations, cultured PKCθ−/− cardiomyocytes were less viable than wild-type cardiomyocytes, and, unlike wild-type cardiomyocytes, underwent programmed cell death upon stimulation with α1-adrenergic agonists and hypoxia. Taken together, these results show that PKCθ maintains the correct structure and function of the heart by preventing cardiomyocyte cell death in response to work demand and to neuro-hormonal signals, to which heart cells are continuously exposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Paoletti
- Department of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Abstract
The common pathology underlying both type 1 and type 2 diabetes (T1DM and T2DM) is insufficient beta-cell mass (BCM) to meet metabolic demands. An important impediment to the more rapid evaluation of interventions for both T1DM and T2DM lack of biomarkers of pancreatic BCM. A reliable means of monitoring the mass and/or function of beta-cells would enable evaluation of the progression of diabetes as well as the monitoring of pharmacologic and other interventions. Recently, we identified a biomarker of BCM that is quantifiable by positron emission tomography (PET). PET is an imaging technique which allows for non-invasive measurements of radioligand uptake and clearance, is sensitive in the pico- to nanomolar range and of which the results can be deconvoluted into measurements of receptor concentration. For BCM estimates, we have identified VMAT2 (vesicular monoamine transporter type 2) as a biomarker and [(11)C] DTBZ (dihydrotetrabenazine) as the transporter's ligand. VMAT2 is highly expressed in beta-cells of the human pancreas relative to other cells of the endocrine and exocrine pancreas. Thus measurements of [(11)C] DTBZ in the pancreas provide an indirect measurement of BCM. Here we summarize our ongoing efforts to validate the clinical utility of this non-invasive approach to real-time BCM measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Freeby
- Department of Medicine of Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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Sampietro T, Puntoni M, Sbrana F, Bigazzi F, Calvaruso S, Toneatti S, Lusso S, Maffei A, Pennato B, Bionda A. APO-AI LIPOPROTEINS ARE INCREASED BY EZETIMIBE IN PATIENTS WITH REFRACTARY FAMILIAR HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA. ATHEROSCLEROSIS SUPP 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/s1567-5688(08)70760-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Ichise M, Goland R, Freeby M, Farwell M, Plett S, Maffei A, Parsey R, Mann J, Van Heertum R, Leibel R, Harris P. [11C]DTBZ PET quantification of β cell mass in long standing type I diabetes. Neuroimage 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.04.154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
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Vecchione C, Gentile MT, Aretini A, Marino G, Poulet R, Maffei A, Passarelli F, Landolfi A, Vasta A, Lembo G. A novel mechanism of action for statins against diabetes-induced oxidative stress. Diabetologia 2007; 50:874-80. [PMID: 17279352 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-007-0597-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2006] [Accepted: 11/28/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS Atorvastatin exerts beneficial vascular effects in diabetes, but the underlying mechanisms are yet to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to determine whether Rac-1 is involved in the effect of atorvastatin on oxidative stress and vascular dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) we evaluated the effect of high glucose levels on peroxide production by dihydrodichlorofluorescein and on Rac-1 activity using immunocytochemistry to detect Rac-1 translocation to the membrane. We evaluated vascular function, peroxide production by dihydroethidium and NADPH oxidase activity in vessels from atorvastatin-treated mice. Rac-1 activity was also assessed, both by immunoprecipitation of the Rac-p21-activated kinase complex and by analysis of Rac-1 translocation to the membrane. These experiments were also conducted in vessels infected with an adenoviral vector carrying a constitutively active mutant of Rac-1. RESULTS In HAECs exposed to high glucose levels, atorvastatin prevented oxidative stress, and this protection was associated with impaired Rac-1 activation. This effect was also observed in a murine model of diabetes mellitus. More importantly, the addition of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) blocked the effects of atorvastatin in both glucose-exposed HAECs and diabetic vessels. Atorvastatin failed to afford protection against vascular abnormalities in the presence of a constitutively active mutant of Rac-1. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION The results of this study demonstrate that the vascular antioxidant effect of atorvastatin in diabetes is mediated through inhibition of Rac-1 via a reduction in GGPP. Thus, selective Rac-1 inhibition should be considered in the design of novel pharmacological strategies to reduce the impact of diabetes mellitus on vascular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Vecchione
- Department of Angio-cardio-neurology, IRCCS Neuromed, Località Camerelle, 86077, Pozzilli (IS), Italy
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Blasi L, Pisignano D, Di Benedetto F, Maruccio G, Ciccarella G, Maffei A, Vasapollo G, Cingolani R, Rinaldi R. Study of the surface morphology of a cholesteryl tethering system for lipidic bilayers. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes 2005; 1714:93-102. [PMID: 16061198 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2005.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2005] [Revised: 06/01/2005] [Accepted: 06/17/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The immobilization of functional molecules embedded in lipidic membranes onto inorganic substrates is of great interest for numerous applications in the fields of biosensors and biomaterials. We report on the preparation and the morphological characterization of a tethering system for lipidic bilayers, which is based on cholesteryl derivatives deposited on hydrophilic surfaces by self-assembling and microcontact printing techniques. The investigation of the structural properties of the realized films by atomic, lateral, and surface potential microscopy allowed us to assess the high quality of the realized cholesteryl layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Blasi
- NNL, National Nanotechnology Laboratory of Istituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia (INFM), c/o Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Innovazione, Università di Lecce, via Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
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Aureli P, Di Cunto M, Maffei A, De Chiara G, Franciosa G, Accorinti L, Gambardella AM, Greco D. An outbreak in Italy of botulism associated with a dessert made with mascarpone cream cheese. Eur J Epidemiol 2001; 16:913-8. [PMID: 11338122 DOI: 10.1023/a:1011002401014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
In the late 1996, an outbreak of botulism affected eight young people (age of patients ranged from 6 to 23 years) in Italy. The onset of the illness was the same for all of these patients: gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea and vomiting) followed by neurologic symptoms. The most common neurologic symptoms were dysphagia, respiratory failure (100%), diplopia (87%), dysarthria, ptosis (75%) and mydriasis (50%). All patients required mechanical ventilation. Botulinum toxin was detected from two of respectively five sera and six stool samples analysed, while spores of Clostridium botulinum type A were recovered from all patient' faeces. The epidemiological investigation led to suspect a commercial cream cheese ('mascarpone') as a source of botulinum toxin: indeed, it had been eaten by all the patients before onset of the symptoms, either alone or as the (uncooked) ingredient of a dessert, 'tiramisù'. Botulinum toxin type A was found in the 'tiramisù' leftover consumed by two patients and in some mascarpone cheese samples collected from the same retail stores where the other patients had previously bought their cheeses. A break in the cold-chain at the retail has likely caused germination of C. botulinum spores contaminating the products, with subsequent production of the toxin. One of the patients died, while the others recovered very slowly. Prompt international alerting and recall of the mascarpone cheese prevented the spread of the outbreak due to the wide range of distribution, demonstrating the importance of a rapid surveillance system. None of the people complaining of symptoms after the public alert resulted positive for botulinum spores and toxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Aureli
- Reparto di Microbiologia degli Alimenti, Centro Nazionale di Riferimento per il Botulismo, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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Moschella F, Maffei A, Catanzaro RP, Papadopoulos KP, Skerrett D, Hesdorffer CS, Harris PE. Transcript profiling of human dendritic cells maturation-induced under defined culture conditions: comparison of the effects of tumour necrosis factor alpha, soluble CD40 ligand trimer and interferon gamma. Br J Haematol 2001; 114:444-57. [PMID: 11529869 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2141.2001.02953.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Using cDNA arrays, we characterized patterns of gene expression in populations of human dendritic cells (DCs) produced for clinical use. Culture and maturation induction of myeloid adherent cells under serum-free conditions yielded DCs with phenotypes similar to those described in serum-based systems. Analysis of gene expression in DCs treated with tumour necrosis factor alpha, soluble CD40L trimer or interferon gamma, however, showed specific patterns for each factor examined. Our studies document the expression of several transcripts that have not hitherto been described in DCs and/or differentially regulated according to the differentiation state of the DCs, and suggest important functional differences among the DC populations examined. In addition, DC maturation directs changes in the levels of mRNA specific for transcriptional regulators that effect the production of cytokines (e.g. BCL-6, c-rel). Other changes observed, including alteration in the gene expression profile of adhesion molecules and chemokine receptors such as CD44H, CD 49B, Rantes R, CXCR5 and CD37, suggest differences in trafficking potential between the populations studied. This broad-based description of DC populations, produced under serum-free conditions, has enabled us to better define intermediate stages of DC maturation as well as the differentiation-inducing effects of cytokines on these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Moschella
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology and the DiBella Immunotherapy Research Laboratory, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, USA
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D'Angelo E, Nieus T, Maffei A, Armano S, Rossi P, Taglietti V, Fontana A, Naldi G. Theta-frequency bursting and resonance in cerebellar granule cells: experimental evidence and modeling of a slow k+-dependent mechanism. J Neurosci 2001; 21:759-70. [PMID: 11157062 PMCID: PMC6762330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons process information in a highly nonlinear manner, generating oscillations, bursting, and resonance, enhancing responsiveness at preferential frequencies. It has been proposed that slow repolarizing currents could be responsible for both oscillation/burst termination and for high-pass filtering that causes resonance (Hutcheon and Yarom, 2000). However, different mechanisms, including electrotonic effects (Mainen and Sejinowski, 1996), the expression of resurgent currents (Raman and Bean, 1997), and network feedback, may also be important. In this study we report theta-frequency (3-12 Hz) bursting and resonance in rat cerebellar granule cells and show that these neurons express a previously unidentified slow repolarizing K(+) current (I(K-slow)). Our experimental and modeling results indicate that I(K-slow) was necessary for both bursting and resonance. A persistent (and potentially a resurgent) Na(+) current exerted complex amplifying actions on bursting and resonance, whereas electrotonic effects were excluded by the compact structure of the granule cell. Theta-frequency bursting and resonance in granule cells may play an important role in determining synchronization, rhythmicity, and learning in the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- E D'Angelo
- Department of Molecular/Cellular Physiology and Instituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia, University of Pavia, I-27100 Pavia, Italy.
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Giunta R, Marfella MA, Maffei A, Lucivero G. Herpes zoster infection and Ogilvie's syndrome in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with hypogammaglobulinemia. Ann Ital Med Int 2001; 16:50-3. [PMID: 11688352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
The case of a 43-year-old male with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (stage IV B), and hypo-IgG and IgM, who developed acute colonic pseudo-obstruction or Ogilvie's syndrome during chemotherapy, is presented. The simultaneous occurrence of a unilateral segmental vesicular rash indicative of herpes zoster infection suggests an etiopathogenetic relationship between the colonic pseudo-obstruction and herpetic involvement of the motor celiac sympathetic ganglia. The rapid resolution of the abdominal dilation and the functional recovery from the colonic pseudo-obstruction after anti-viral therapy is also consistent with the diagnostic hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Giunta
- VI Division di Medicina Interna ed Immunoallergologia, Dipartimento di Gerontologia, Geriatria e Malattie del Metabolismo, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli
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Maffei A, Ayello J, Skerrett D, Papadopoulos K, Harris P, Hesdorffer C. A novel closed system utilizing styrene copolymer bead adherence for the production of human dendritic cells. Transfusion 2000; 40:1419-20. [PMID: 11099675 DOI: 10.1046/j.1537-2995.2000.40111419.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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O'Leary JJ, Silva I, Uhlmann V, Prasad M, Luttich K, Maffei A, Picton S. Hypothesis. HHV-8 in multiple myeloma: is this the first paracrine model of human tumorigenesis and do Koch's postulates apply? Mol Pathol 1998; 51:201-3. [PMID: 9893745 PMCID: PMC395636 DOI: 10.1136/mp.51.4.201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J J O'Leary
- Department of Pathology, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA
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Maffei A, Troya G, Germano MP, Bovio G. [Description of an unusual case of congenital intraparenchymal aneurysm of the right hepatic artery communicating with the portal system]. Radiol Med 1998; 96:116-8. [PMID: 9819634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A Maffei
- Servizio di Diagnostica per Immagini, Presidio Maternità, ASL OO.RR., Foggia
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