News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Max Kozlov
Summary: Brain cells are essential in initiating and observing fights in mice.
Article
Neurosciences
Harold Mouras, Thierry Lelard
Summary: This study discusses the interrelation between motor and emotional processes and highlights the use of posturography as an experimental technique. It also points out inconsistencies in existing studies and explores the postural correlates of socioemotional information processing through the widely used empathy for pain experimental model.
Editorial Material
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Abigail A. Marsh
Summary: Empathy is a complex concept that is difficult to define, with some arguing for a classical definition informed by observations from philosophers and clinicians, while others suggest defining it as the attempted representation or simulation of another's subjective experiences to increase clarity and empirical utility.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Cecilia Heyes, Caroline Catmur
Summary: Research on mirror neurons has advanced significantly in the past decade, with studies showing their role in low-level processing of observed actions but not in high-level action interpretation. While the specific causal role of mirror neurons in speech perception remains unclear, there is evidence of motor system involvement in speech discrimination. Additionally, studies have confirmed the importance of visual-motor associative learning in the acquisition of mirror neurons.
PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Jean Decety
Summary: Although empathy drives prosocial behaviors, it is not always a reliable source of information in moral decision making. Decision making solely based on empathy is not ideal and can erode ethical values at times. This perspective has social and societal implications and can be used to reduce cognitive biases and guide moral decisions.
CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Antonella Tramacere
Summary: This article investigates the effect of mirror gazing on self-perception and argues that our feelings towards others can influence our responses to our own mirror image, thus creating a vicious cycle.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Psychology, Clinical
Soukayna Bekkali, George J. Youssef, Peter H. Donaldson, Natalia Albein-Urios, Christian Hyde, Peter G. Enticott
Summary: Theoretical perspectives suggest that the mirror neuron system is an important neurobiological factor in empathy, but empirical support is mixed. A review of existing studies found moderate correlations between emotional and cognitive empathy with MNS activity, although results varied across techniques used. Few studies investigated motor empathy, with no significant relationships found.
NEUROPSYCHOLOGY REVIEW
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Taylor D. Guthrie, Youri Y. Benadjaoud, Robert S. Chavez
Summary: This study used an experimental approach and found that the strength of social relationships can modulate brain responses to group members. These results reveal a relationship between interpersonal relationship strength and brain mechanisms of social cognition.
Article
Neurosciences
Amir Djalovski, Guillaume Dumas, Sivan Kinreich, Ruth Feldman
Summary: The study found that human social attachments have a significant impact on neural and behavioral synchrony, especially when executing complex social goals, improving efficiency and conserving energy. Couple relationships demonstrate the highest levels of neural and behavioral synchrony, while strangers exhibit the opposite pattern.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Phoebe Chen, Ulrich Kirk, Suzanne Dikker
Summary: In recent years, mindfulness meditation has gained much interest, but there is limited neurobiological evidence on the prosocial benefits of mindfulness in social settings. This study used intra-brain and inter-brain measures to investigate the relationship between trait mindful awareness and social interaction.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura Fornari, Kalliopi Ioumpa, Alessandra D. Nostro, Nathan J. Evans, Lorenzo De Angelis, Sebastian P. H. Speer, Riccardo Paracampo, Selene Gallo, Michael Spezio, Christian Keysers, Valeria Gazzola
Summary: The authors compared different variants of reinforcement learning models and found that participants have substantial differences in their preferences when facing morally conflicting outcomes. Some choose actions that benefit themselves while others choose actions that prevent harm. The process of learning to predict action outcomes in morally conflicting situations is crucial for social decision-making, but it is not well understood.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Istvan Taisz, Erika Dona, Daniel Munch, Shanice N. Bailey, Billy J. Morris, Kimberly I. Meechan, Katie M. Stevens, Irene Varela-Martinez, Marina Gkantia, Philipp Schlegel, Carlos Ribeiro, Gregory S. X. E. Jefferis, Dana S. Galili
Summary: In Drosophila, a specific olfactory channel processes male pheromones, promoting female courtship and repelling males. The processing streams extract qualitative and positional information, with sensory neurons and projection neurons encoding concentration differences and angular positions of males. The third circuit layer consists of 47 cell types with diverse input-output connectivity, enabling behavioral responses in specific ethological contexts through multisensory integration.
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Jenna H. Chin, Kerstin S. Haring, Pilyoung Kim
Summary: This article provides an overview of how modern neuroscience evaluations are related to robot empathy. It explores the brain's role in empathy and caregiving, as well as its connection to higher functions, particularly in women. The understanding of these brain correlates can contribute to the development of social robots with enhanced empathy and caregiving abilities. The availability of these robots will benefit various aspects of society, including parenthood and parenting, areas where women play crucial roles. The article concludes by highlighting the barriers faced by women in the field and the importance of diverse representation in robotics and robot empathy research.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROROBOTICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wataru Noguchi, Hiroyuki Iizuka, Masahito Yamamoto, Shigeru Taguchi
Summary: Research has shown that the internal representations of self and other can be developed in artificial agents through simple predictive learning using deep neural networks. This finding is significant for understanding the development of social cognition.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Joanna K. Malinowska
Summary: Empathy plays a crucial role in forming and maintaining social relationships, and is a widely studied phenomenon in the field of human-robot interaction. However, the debate continues on whether empathy can be applied to robots and if social terms can be used to explain their behaviors. Research suggests that empathy is closely related to emotional coordination, and clear criteria are needed to determine its presence in relationships between humans and robots.
MINDS AND MACHINES
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Giuseppe Ugazio, Marcus Grueschow, Rafael Polania, Claus Lamm, Philippe Tobler, Christian Ruff
Summary: Moral preferences play a significant role in various aspects of our lives, but the origin of individual moral preferences remains a unanswered question. This study finds that there are differences in how people perceive the value of human life and money, suggesting that moral and financial values are represented by distinct neural processes.
SOCIAL COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Claudia Massaccesi, Matthaeus Willeit, Boris B. Quednow, Urs M. Nater, Claus Lamm, Daniel Mueller, Giorgia Silani
Summary: Animal research suggests a central role of the mu-opioid receptor system in regulating affiliative behaviors and mediating the stress-buffering function of social contact. This study provides new evidence on the effect of exogenous opioids administration on reactions to psychosocial stress and points to a state-dependent regulation of social motivation.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Federica Riva, Melanie Lenger, Martin Kronbichler, Claus Lamm, Giorgia Silani
Summary: Emotional egocentric bias is more prominent in children, adolescents, and older adults compared to young adults. The connectivity between the right supramarginal gyrus and somatosensory cortices acts as a partial mediator between age and emotional egocentric bias.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2022)
Article
Biology
Anja C. Feneberg, Paul A. G. Forbes, Giulio Piperno, Ekaterina Pronizius, Ana Stijovic, Nadine Skoluda, Claus Lamm, Urs M. Nater, Giorgia Silani
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have had a detrimental effect on people's mental health. A study found that individuals' stress and mood fluctuated throughout the day during lockdown, and this was influenced by factors such as age, gender, financial security, depressive symptoms, and loneliness. Additionally, cortisol concentrations decreased following the lockdown, but this was not related to individual characteristics.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Paul A. G. Forbes, Ekaterina Pronizius, Anja C. Feneberg, Urs M. Nater, Giulio Piperno, Giorgia Silani, Ana Stijovic, Claus Lamm
Summary: This study investigates the real-time effects of social interactions on momentary changes in stress and mood during COVID-19 lockdowns. The findings suggest that social interactions, especially face-to-face interactions, can improve momentary affect by reducing stress and boosting mood. Additionally, individual differences in responsiveness to social rewards modulate the impact of social interactions on momentary mood.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Isabella C. Wagner, Luise P. Graichen, Boryana Todorova, Andre Luettig, David B. Omer, Matthias Stangl, Claus Lamm
Summary: Grid cells in the human entorhinal cortex can track the movement of others, contributing to social-spatial navigation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Hana H. Kutlikova, Lei Zhang, Christoph Eisenegger, Jack van Honk, Claus Lamm
Summary: When being watched, humans behave more prosocially, and the hormone testosterone can diminish feigned prosociality and decrease submission to audience expectations. Testosterone does not impair reinforcement learning, but alters the translation of choice value information into action selection when being observed. This study provides novel evidence of testosterone's effects on implicit reward processing, counteracting conformity and deceptive reputation strategies.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Clemens Mielacher, Dirk Scheele, Maximilian Kiebs, Laura Schmitt, Torge Dellert, Alexandra Philipsen, Claus Lamm, Rene Hurlemann
Summary: This study found that there are altered neural responses to social touch in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Despite clinical improvements after antidepressant treatment, MDD patients still showed aversion to interpersonal touch and reduced brain responses in areas such as the nucleus accumbens compared to healthy controls. These findings reveal the abnormal processing of social touch in MDD, which may contribute to social withdrawal and isolation.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Federica Riva, Ekaterina Pronizius, Melanie Lenger, Martin Kronbichler, Giorgia Silani, Claus Lamm
Summary: Humans have a tendency to imitate others and control this behavior. Interference control develops rapidly in childhood, plateaus in adulthood, and declines with age. However, the neural processes underlying these differences across the lifespan are unclear.
SOCIAL COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Catherine-Noemie Alexandrina Guran, Ronald Sladky, Sabrina Karl, Magdalena Boch, Elmar Laistler, Christian Windischberger, Ludwig Huber, Claus Lamm
Summary: Comparative neuroimaging is valuable for studying the evolutionary origins of brain organization. We developed a specialized coil for high-resolution imaging in dogs, which outperforms the human coil in signal-to-noise ratio and improves imaging quality. Our findings demonstrate the importance of hardware improvements for dog-human comparative neuroimaging.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Ana Stijovic, Paul A. G. Forbes, Livia Tomova, Nadine Skoluda, Anja C. Feneberg, Giulio Piperno, Ekaterina Pronizius, Urs M. Nater, Claus Lamm, Giorgia Silani
Summary: Recent evidence suggests that social contact is a basic need governed by a social homeostatic system. The effects of 8 hr of social isolation on psychological and physiological variables were investigated and compared with 8 hr of food deprivation in a lab experiment. Social isolation led to lowered self-reported energetic arousal and heightened fatigue, comparable with food deprivation. A preregistered field study during a COVID-19 lockdown replicated the drop in energetic arousal after social isolation, suggesting that lowered energy could be part of a homeostatic response to the lack of social contact for individuals living alone or with high sociability.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Correction
Neurosciences
Hana H. Kutlikova, Lei Zhang, Christoph Eisenegger, Jack van Honk, Claus Lamm
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nace Mikus, Christoph Eisenegger, Christoph Mathys, Luke Clark, Ulrich Mueller, Trevor W. Robbins, Claus Lamm, Michael Naef
Summary: The study investigates the impact of the D2/D3 dopamine receptor antagonist sulpiride on learning about other people's prosocial attitudes. The results show that sulpiride increases the volatility of beliefs, leading to higher precision weights on prediction errors. This effect is more significant in participants with genetically conferred higher dopamine availability and remains even after controlling for working memory performance. The findings demonstrate the importance of D2 receptors in regulating belief updating in a social context.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Magdalena Boch, Isabella C. Wagner, Sabrina Karl, Ludwig Huber, Claus Lamm
Summary: Comparative fMRI in dogs and humans reveals functionally analogous body- and animacy responsive areas in the occipito-temporal lobe of both species and divergent neural representations of faces and conspecific bodies in dog olfactory regions.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kimberly C. Doell, Marc G. Berman, Gregory N. Bratman, Brian Knutson, Simone Kuhn, Claus Lamm, Sabine Pahl, Nik Sawe, Jay J. Van Bavel, Mathew P. White, Tobias Brosch
Summary: This paper argues that neuroscience can contribute significantly to the fight against climate change by studying its impact on the human brain, adaptation strategies, decision-making processes, and communication strategies. It provides a framework and roadmap for organizing and prioritizing neuroscience research in this domain. The paper also calls on neuroscientists to join broader scientific efforts in tackling the existential environmental threats Earth is currently facing.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
