Article
Biology
Lingxiao Cao, Hailong Li, Jing Liu, Jiaxin Jiang, Bin Li, Xue Li, Suming Zhang, Yingxue Gao, Kaili Liang, Xinyue Hu, Weijie Bao, Hui Qiu, Lu Lu, Lianqing Zhang, Xinyu Hu, Qiyong Gong, Xiaoqi Huang
Summary: This study used connectivity-based parcellation methodology to analyze the amygdala in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and healthy controls, and found differences in functional connectivity, providing direct evidence for the specific role of amygdala subregions in the neurocircuitry models of OCD.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adriana K. Cushnie, Wei Tang, Sarah R. Heilbronner
Summary: Human neuroimaging has revealed large-scale functional networks in the cerebral cortex consisting of functionally correlated brain regions. The salience network (SN) plays a crucial role in addiction and is disrupted in individuals with addiction. Although there is growing evidence on the SN and addiction, there are still unknowns and limitations in human neuroimaging studies. Translating human functional networks to nonhuman animals provides opportunities to investigate circuit-level mechanisms and the perturbation of the SN sheds light on functional cortical networks and addiction.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Yafei Tan, Ranran Yan, Yuan Gao, Meng Zhang, Georg Northoff
Summary: The study found significant overlap between interoception and decision making as well as emotion regulation, particularly in the right dorsal anterior insula. Both decision making and emotion regulation also showed conjunction-based activities in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). The identified insula showed a widespread coactivation pattern with other regions in the salience network.
Review
Cell Biology
Sue Kulason, J. Tilak Ratnanather, Michael I. Miller, Vidyulata Kamath, Jun Hua, Kun Yang, Minghong Ma, Koko Ishizuka, Akira Sawa
Summary: Olfactory dysfunction serves as an early indicator of neurological and psychiatric disorders, and the peripheral olfactory system may play a causal role in brain alterations. Rodent models provide valuable insights into how peripheral pathology spreads to central brain regions, and neuroimaging modalities bridge the gap between rodents and humans. Olfactory brain imaging studies contribute to the understanding of olfaction in both healthy individuals and patients with disorders.
SEMINARS IN CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Brandon C. Yarns, Justina T. Cassidy, Amy M. Jimenez
Summary: Experts have recently introduced research-driven subtypes of chronic pain based on proposed underlying mechanisms, with nociplastic pain potentially involving factors such as brain plasticity and emotion regulation. Data suggest a correlation between anger, anger regulation, and the presence/severity of nociplastic pain.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Monique A. Pimontel, Nili Solomonov, Lauren Oberlin, Theodora Kanellopoulos, Jennifer N. Bress, Matthew J. Hoptman, George S. Alexopoulos, Faith M. Gunning
Summary: The study found that thicker insula at baseline predicted a reduction in apathy symptoms following 12 weeks of treatment with escitalopram. Older depressed adults with apathy may benefit from alternative treatment approaches targeting abnormalities of the salience network.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bjoern Horing, Christian Buechel
Summary: Prediction errors (PEs) are generated when there are differences between an expected and an actual event or sensory input. The insula is a key brain region involved in pain processing, and it encodes the magnitude of unexpected outcomes (unsigned PEs). This study demonstrates that activation in the anterior insula is correlated with unsigned intensity PEs, indicating an unspecific aversive surprise signal. Conversely, the dorsal posterior insula is involved in processing signed intensity PEs specific to pain. Understanding these mechanisms is important for understanding pain processing in the brain.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Todeva-Radneva, Sevdalina Kandilarova, Rositsa Paunova, Drozdstoy Stoyanov, Tina Zdravkova, Ronald Sladky
Summary: This study aimed to explore possible differences in whole-brain functional connectivity in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), and healthy controls (HC). The results showed increased connectivity in certain brain regions in the BD group compared to the HC group, while the MDD group showed enhanced connectivity in different regions. These findings suggest that these connectivity patterns may serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers for MDD and BD.
Article
Neurosciences
Lina Koppel, Giovanni Novembre, Robin Kampe, Mattias Savallampi, India Morrison
Summary: There are distinct neural processes underlying the prediction of painful events and action to avoid them. This study found that cortical pain processing depends on the consequences of the stimulus for sensorimotor control of behavior, rather than solely on the sensory stimulus.
Article
Neurosciences
Kiera M. James, Stefanie L. Sequeira, Ronald E. Dahl, Erika E. Forbes, Neal D. Ryan, Jill Hooley, Cecile D. Ladouceur, Jennifer S. Silk
Summary: The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between real-world socio-emotional measures and neural activation in response to parental criticism among adolescents. The findings suggest that heightened neural reactivity to parental criticism may lead to reduced happiness in positive daily interpersonal situations. These findings have important clinical implications for understanding internalizing psychopathology in youth.
SOCIAL COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Stella Berboth, Christian Windischberger, Nils Kohn, Carmen Morawetz
Summary: Emotion regulation is crucial in affective disorders, and brain reliability as an indicator for individual characteristics poses a challenge. Core emotion regulation regions, such as the ventrolateral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as well as the middle temporal gyrus, showed high reliability in the study.
Article
Neurosciences
Fabienne Picard
Summary: Ecstatic epilepsy is a rare form of focal epilepsy characterized by seizures that begin with an ecstatic/mystical experience. This experience includes increased self-awareness, mental clarity, unity with everything, and a sense of bliss and well-being. This article explores the phenomenology and neurocognitive underpinnings of ecstatic seizures, focusing on the role of the anterior insula in interoceptive processing and prediction coding. The article proposes that disruptions in activity in the anterior insula could lead to the absence of uncertainty and a sense of bliss, or disrupt surprise processing, resulting in a sense of complete control and oneness with the environment.
JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Hannah Lemke, Lina Romankiewicz, Katharina Foerster, Susanne Meinert, Lena Waltemate, Stella M. Fingas, Dominik Grotegerd, Ronny Redlich, Katharina Dohm, Elisabeth J. Leehr, Katharina Thiel, Verena Enneking, Katharina Brosch, Tina Meller, Kai Ringwald, Simon Schmitt, Frederike Stein, Olaf Steinstraeter, Jochen Bauer, Walter Heindel, Andreas Jansen, Axel Krug, Igor Nenadic, Tilo Kircher, Udo Dannlowski
Summary: This study investigates the association between disease course in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and brain structural alterations. The results suggest that a more severe and chronic disease course in MDD is associated with reduced volume in brain regions relevant for executive and cognitive functions and emotion regulation.
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Matthew M. P. Westgarth, Christy A. Hogan, David L. Neumann, David H. K. Shum
Summary: Functional neuroimaging, particularly NIRS, shows potential for earlier diagnosis and personalized treatment of psychological disorders related to emotional impairment. Despite inconsistencies in activation detection during emotional processing, recommendations for future research focus on improving consistency through careful consideration of task variation, sample selection, and data analysis.
SOCIAL COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Kirk Warren Brown, Daniel Berry, Kristina Eichel, Polina Beloborodova, Hadley Rahrig, Willoughby B. Britton
Summary: This study compared the effects of different mindfulness training methods on emotional reactivity and regulation. The results showed that focused attention (FA) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) training improved emotional reactivity and regulation, while open monitoring (OM) training had limited benefits.
Editorial Material
Psychology, Clinical
Matthew J. Hirshberg, Simon B. Goldberg, Melissa Rosenkranz, Richard J. Davidson
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Karen Kurotsuchi Inkelas, Blake A. Colaianne, Matthew J. Hirshberg, Mark T. Greenberg, Richard J. Davidson, John D. Dunne, David Germano, Robert W. Roeser
Summary: This study investigates whether variability in the implementation of an undergraduate course on human flourishing is differentially associated with student outcomes. The findings suggest that despite differences in teaching methods and student engagement, the outcomes of the students are similar. Institutions interested in offering this course can make limited adaptations without concerns of altering its impact on students.
JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Anesthesiology
Lindsey R. Yessick, Justine Tanguay, Wiebke Gandhi, Richard Harrison, Ruxandra Dinu, Bhismadev Chakrabarti, Emma Borg, Tim V. Salomons
Summary: Due to the subjectivity of pain, it is difficult to accurately judge others' pain. This study found that participants were more influenced by pain indicators they perceived as objective. Additionally, facial expressions had the least impact on observers' judgements of pain.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PAIN
(2023)
Review
Anesthesiology
Greig R. R. Adams, Wiebke Gandhi, Richard Harrison, Carien M. M. van Reekum, Desmond Wood-Anderson, Ian Gilron, Tim V. V. Salomons
Summary: Central sensitization (CS) refers to increased pain responsiveness due to sensitization of neurons in the central nervous system. This review aimed to investigate whether self-report questionnaires linked with CS are associated with enhanced nociceptive responses or measure sensitivity in a broader sense (i.e., emotional responses).
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Florence Requier, Anne Sophia Hendy, Marco Schlosser, Harriet Demnitz-King, Tim Whitfield, Gael Chetelat, Olga Klimecki, Antoine Lutz, Natalie L. Marchant, Fabienne Collette
Summary: This study aimed to assess the association between dispositional mindfulness (or more generally trait meditation capacities) and cognition in older adults. The results showed a positive relationship between the "deconstructive capacity" associated with self-inquiry and downregulation of maladaptive affective schemes, and global cognition in healthy aging. However, it remains unclear to what extent explicit training in meditation positively influences these capacities and whether these changes contribute to better cognition in aging.
Article
Clinical Neurology
P. A. Rowley, M. J. Paukner, L. B. Eisenmenger, A. S. Field, R. J. Davidson, S. C. Johnson, S. Asthana, N. A. Chin, V. Prabhakaran, B. B. Bendlin, B. R. Postle, H. H. Goldsmith, C. M. Carlsson, M. A. Brooks, N. H. Kalin, L. E. Williams, H. A. Rowley
Summary: This study investigated 16,400 brain MRIs and found that incidental findings are common, ranging from trivial to life-threatening. Formal neuroradiologist interpretation yielded more reliable results compared to spontaneous detection by nonradiology scanning staff.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NEURORADIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wendy C. Crone, Pelin Kesebir, Beverly Hays, Shilagh A. Mirgain, Richard J. Davidson, Susan C. Hagness
Summary: The mental health crisis in graduate education highlights the importance of engineering graduate programs providing effective methods to promote well-being. Mindfulness-based training has been found to improve emotional well-being and research capacity. A study conducted on engineering graduate students showed significant improvements in emotional health, neuroticism, positive affect, negative affect, and mindfulness after participating in a mindfulness training program.
Article
Psychology, Social
Qinggang Yu, Stacey M. Schaefer, Richard J. Davidson, Shinobu Kitayama
Summary: The study examined the moderating role of behavioral adjustment on the relationship between neuroticism and brain structure. Findings indicated that behavioral adjustment significantly moderated the effect of neuroticism on total brain volume (TBV), with a negative association between neuroticism and TBV only observed when behavioral adjustment was low.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY
(2023)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Matthew J. Hirshberg, Blake Colaianne, Karen Kurotsuchi Inkelas, Godwill Oke, Natalia Van Doren, Richard J. Davidson, Robert W. Roeser
Summary: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on college student mental health. The study found that anxiety, depression, and well-being of college students did not significantly worsen during the pandemic compared to before. Additionally, more frequent in-person social interactions were associated with lower anxiety and depressive symptoms, higher well-being, but also less compliance with handwashing and face mask-wearing.
JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH
(2023)
Editorial Material
Psychology, Biological
Laura D. Kubzansky, Elissa S. Epel, Richard J. Davidson
Summary: Hopelessness and despair have negative impacts on health and longevity, thus strategies to improve population health are urgently needed. Prosociality plays a significant role in promoting better mental and physical health for individuals and communities, making it a priority for public health.
NATURE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Simon B. B. Goldberg, Zishan Jiwani, Daniel M. M. Bolt, Kevin M. M. Riordan, Richard J. J. Davidson, Matthew J. J. Hirshberg
Summary: Bidirectional associations between alliance and distress were found in a 4-week smartphone-based meditation intervention, similar to results from in-person psychotherapy. Alliance may play an important role in promoting engagement and effectiveness within unguided mobile-health interventions. Measuring alliance in unguided mHealth tools may improve their acceptability and effectiveness.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Christian A. Webb, Matthew J. Hirshberg, Oscar Gonzalez, Richard J. Davidson, Simon B. Goldberg
Summary: There is limited understanding of the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of psychosocial interventions. This study demonstrates the importance of considering individual differences and subgroup-specific mediators in understanding the mechanisms of change. By identifying baseline characteristics that predict differential response, we can gain insights into why certain interventions work for specific subgroups and inform personalized interventions.
JOURNAL OF CONSULTING AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Psychology
Laura D. Kubzansky, Eric S. Kim, Julia K. Boehm, Richard J. Davidson, Jeffrey C. Huffman, Eric B. Loucks, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Rosalind W. Picard, Stephen M. Schueller, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, Tyler J. VanderWeele, Katey Warran, David S. Yeager, Charlotte S. Yeh, Judith T. Moskowitz
Summary: Psychological well-being is associated with better physical health and can be improved through interventions. To improve population health, interventions need to be adapted and durable, and a shift to a public-health model is required. Interventions should be accessible and effective for diverse populations.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Heather C. Abercrombie, Alexandra L. Barnes, Elizabeth C. Nord, Anna J. Finley, Estelle T. Higgins, Daniel W. Grupe, Melissa A. Rosenkranz, Richard J. Davidson, Stacey M. Schaefer
Summary: A greater cortisol response to acute stress is associated with smaller increases in negative affect, suggesting mood-protective effects of cortisol elevations.
STRESS-THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON THE BIOLOGY OF STRESS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Sebastian Baez-Lugo, Yacila Deza-Araujo, Christel Maradan, Fabienne Collette, Antoine Lutz, Natalie L. Marchant, Gael Chetelat, Patrik Vuilleumier, Olga Klimecki
Summary: Basic emotional functions appear intact in older adults, but their response to and recovery from negative social events are not well understood. The researchers used a 'task-rest' paradigm and functional MRI to investigate the neural dynamics of empathy-related functions in older adults. They found that emotional elicitation during the task enhanced resting-state connectivity between the default mode network and amygdala in older adults, and this connectivity was associated with higher anxiety, rumination, and negative thoughts.
Article
Neurosciences
Jose Sanchez-Bornot, Roberto C. Sotero, J. A. Scott Kelso, Ozguer Simsek, Damien Coyle
Summary: This study proposes a multi-penalized state-space model for analyzing unobserved dynamics, using a data-driven regularization method. Novel algorithms are developed to solve the model, and a cross-validation method is introduced to evaluate regularization parameters. The effectiveness of this method is validated through simulations and real data analysis, enabling a more accurate exploration of cognitive brain functions.