Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Kengo Miyazono, Kiichi Inarimori
Summary: This paper explores the role of group identification in empathic emotion and its impact on behavior, proposing the self-other merging hypothesis (SMH) to explain how empathic emotion leads to helping behavior. According to the SMH, empathy-induced helping behavior is a result of the merging between the helper and the helped, which can be interpreted in terms of group identification. This interpretation suggests that empathy-induced helping behavior is both altruistic at the individual level and egoistic at the group level, challenging the traditional egoism/altruism dichotomy.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Fei-Yang Huang, Fabian Grabenhorst
Summary: Reinforcement learning models fail to explain how reward values are constructed from biologically critical intrinsic reward components. This study found that animals' preferences for specific nutrients influenced their ability to adapt to varying reward probabilities and the influence of recent rewards on choices, especially if these rewards contained their preferred nutrients.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Huw Jarvis, Isabelle Stevenson, Amy Q. Huynh, Emily Babbage, James Coxon, Trevor T. -J. Chong
Summary: Recent research suggests that the act of investing effort may influence learning. This study tested whether effort modulates teaching signals in a reinforcement learning paradigm. The results showed that effort resulted in more efficient learning from positive outcomes and less efficient learning from negative outcomes. Interestingly, this effect varied across individuals and was more pronounced in those who were more averse to investing effort in the first place. These findings highlight the importance of motivational factors in a common framework of reward-based learning, integrating the computational principles of reinforcement learning with those of value-based decision-making.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Lucrezia Liuzzi, Katharine K. Chang, Charles Zheng, Hanna Keren, Dipta Saha, Dylan M. Nielson, Argyris Stringaris
Summary: This study investigates whether the computationally modeled dynamics of self-reported mood during monetary gambling can be used to identify trial-by-trial variations in neuronal activity. The results show that beta-gamma power is positively related to reward expectation during mood shifts, with localized sources in the posterior cingulate cortex. Additionally, reward prediction error is found to predict trial-level variations in the response of the paracentral lobule.
Article
Psychology, Biological
Trevor C. J. Jackson, James F. Cavanagh
Summary: This study investigated the effects of sad mood induction on RewP and reward-related learning through two experiments. In Experiment 1, the sad mood induction did not alter participants' affect. In Experiment 2, successful mood manipulations induced positive and sad mood, and the results showed that positive mood moderated the impact of RewP on reward learning.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Leonor Irarrazaval, Juan Pablo Kalawski
Summary: This article presents a phenomenological approach to empathy and emphasizes its importance in the context of psychotherapy. The authors analyze therapist's empathy, client's self-empathy, and client's empathic communication with others using a consensus definition of empathy from phenomenologically oriented philosophy. The article also discusses how emotions can disrupt empathic communication in close personal relationships and how to reestablish it in psychotherapy.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Elena Kozakevich Arbel, Simone G. Shamay-Tsoory, Uri Hertz
Summary: Empathy allows individuals to respond to the emotions of others, and the ability to learn and adjust empathetic responses based on feedback is essential for adaptive empathy. Research shows that learning from social feedback can enhance the accuracy of empathetic responses, with a correlation between adaptive empathy and cognitive empathy. This study provides a lab-based model for studying adaptive empathy and highlights the contribution of learning theory to understanding the dynamic nature of empathy.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zilong Gao, Hanqing Wang, Chen Lu, Tiezhan Lu, Sean Froudist-Walsh, Ming Chen, Xiao-Jing Wang, Ji Hu, Wenzhi Sun
Summary: Our study found that the activity of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area steadily increases during the waiting period, and optical manipulation of these neurons can extend or reduce waiting time. The reinforcement learning model we developed can explain our experimental observations, supporting the hypothesis that delayed gratification involves real-time deliberation.
Article
Engineering, Geological
Meng-Bo Liu, Shao-Ming Liao, Yan-Qing Men, Hui-Tang Xing, Hao Liu, Lian-Yong Sun
Summary: This study conducted field measurements of TBM vibration in varying ground conditions and revealed the relationship between vibration characteristics and operating parameters. The results showed that TBM dynamic response is highly influenced by geological conditions, with different patterns of vibration observed in different ground conditions.
ROCK MECHANICS AND ROCK ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Monique L. Smith, Naoyuki Asada, Robert C. Malenka
Summary: The study showed that mice can transfer experiences of pain and analgesia during social interactions, with the anterior cingulate cortex and its projections to the nucleus accumbens playing a crucial role. However, the social transfer of fear depends on the connections between the anterior cingulate cortex and the basolateral amygdala, not the ACC -> NAc circuit.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Huijuan Li, Gaowei Wang, Entao Zhang, Hongqing Shi, Weijia Huang
Summary: The study found that in Chinese culture, people tend to avoid empathizing with their mothers and strangers, mainly because of the higher cognitive costs involved. However, participants were more likely to choose empathy when the target was their mother, due to the higher social reward. When positive emotions were primed, individuals were more likely to empathize with their mothers.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Dandan Li, Long Zhang, Tongjian Bai, Bensheng Qiu, Chunyan Zhu, Kai Wang
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the modulatory effect of common variations in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) on reward circuitry function and its relationship with empathy. Using functional connectivity and spontaneous local activity analyses in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), the results showed that individuals with the rs2268493 TT genotype had lower functional connectivity between the NAcc and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) as well as the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). These findings suggest that common OXTR variations have a modulatory effect on the connection between the NAcc and the central hubs of empathic networks, providing insights into the neural basis of the modulatory effect of OXTR on empathic behavior.
PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH AND BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Erico Tjoa, Cuntai Guan
Summary: This paper proposes a solution to the transparency and fairness issues in deep reinforcement learning by designing neural networks with detailed interpretability, where each neuron or layer has a meaningful and human-understandable concept. The introduced framework named Self Reward Design (SRD) can solve the problem through pure design and can be optimized like a standard deep neural network.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Ya Zheng, Shuting Mei
Summary: The question of how the brain represents reward prediction errors is important for reinforcement learning and goal-directed behavior. Previous studies have found prediction error representations in electrophysiological signatures, but it is unclear if these are sensitive to valence or salience. This study directly measured participants' trial-to-trial prediction errors and provided evidence for reward and salience prediction error signals. The findings show that these electrophysiological signatures are flexible and sensitive to an optimistic bias and different forms of salience, shedding new light on prediction error in the human brain.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Atheer Massarwe, Noga Cohen
Summary: This conceptual review paper suggests that providing emotion regulation support is particularly beneficial for individuals with depression, as it targets cognitive and affective processes that are impaired in depression. Behavioral studies and neuroimaging data have shown that emotion regulation support recruits brain regions associated with cognitive empathy, intrinsic emotion regulation, and reward, which are all impaired in depression. This paper sheds light on the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of emotion regulation support for individuals with depression and offers new avenues for treatment.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Roger D. Newman-Norlund, Makayla Gibson, Patrick A. McConnell, Brett Froeliger
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2020)
Article
Neurosciences
Sigfus Kristinsson, Wanfang Zhang, Chris Rorden, Roger Newman-Norlund, Alexandra Basilakos, Leonardo Bonilha, Grigori Yourganov, Feifei Xiao, Argye Hillis, Julius Fridriksson
Summary: Recent studies have combined multiple neuroimaging modalities to predict aphasia severity and specific language measures using machine learning approaches. The multimodal prediction model showed the most accurate prediction, indicating that integrating different neuroimaging modalities can more accurately depict the impact of brain damage and intact brain tissue functionality on language function in aphasia.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2021)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
A. T. Merchant, F. Yi, N. P. Vidanapathirana, M. Lohman, J. Zhang, R. D. Newman-Norlund, J. Fridriksson
Summary: This study found that IgG antibodies against periodontal microorganisms were associated with lower cognition among individuals aged 60 years and older who were previously undiagnosed with cognitive impairment.
JDR CLINICAL & TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Sigfus Kristinsson, Dirk B. den Ouden, Chris Rorden, Roger Newman-Norlund, Jean Neils-Strunjas, Julius Fridriksson
Summary: This narrative review discusses the current state of literature on commonly studied predictors of therapy response in aphasia. It focuses on biographical, neuropsychological, and neurobiological predictors, highlights the limitations of the literature, summarizes consistent findings, and considers ways to better support the development of personalized aphasia therapy.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Jessica Klusek, Roger Newman-Norlund, Amanda J. Fairchild, Sarah Newman-Norlund, Sara Sayers, Jill C. Stewart, Elizabeth Berry -Kravis, Julius Fridriksson
Summary: The FMR1 gene is crucial for age-related health, and the low normal genotype of FMR1 is associated with reduced psychological well-being and motor function. Further research on a larger scale is necessary.
ARCHIVES OF GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Lisa Johnson, Samaneh Nemati, Leonardo Bonilha, Chris Rorden, Natalie Busby, Alexandra Basilakos, Roger Newman-Norlund, Argye E. Hillis, Gregory Hickok, Julius Fridriksson
Summary: This study found that demographic and health factors can predict the severity of aphasia beyond lesion-related factors. The results emphasize the importance of non-linguistic cognitive ability and brain health in aphasia recovery.
Article
Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism
Brian D. Seiler, Eva V. Monsma, Roger Newman-Norlund, Ryan Sacko
Summary: This study examined the neural data and self-report of 14 right-handed college males to investigate the neural activity during different types of imagery. The findings revealed specific neural patterns associated with kinesthetic, internal visual, and external visual imagery, which were consistent with previous research on females. Future research should compare the neural activity between good and poor imagers and explore the statistical link between neural activity and self-report scores.
JOURNAL OF SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Roger D. Newman-Norlund, Sarah E. Newman-Norlund, Sara Sayers, Alexander C. McLain, Nicholas Riccardi, Julius Fridriksson
Summary: Social isolation has significant negative effects on the health and quality of life of older adults, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated these effects. Higher levels of physical activity and better physical/mental health may moderate these effects.
Meeting Abstract
Clinical Neurology
Souvik Sen, Roger Newman-Norlund, Nicholas Riccardi, Sarah Newman-Norlund, Sara Sayers, Sarah Wilson, Natalie Busby, Samaneh Nemati, Christopher Rorden, Julius Fridriksson
Article
Neurosciences
Rebecca Roth, Natalie Busby, Janina Wilmskoetter, Deena Schwen Blackett, Ezequiel Gleichgerrcht, Lisa Johnson, Chris Rorden, Roger Newman-Norlund, Argye E. Hillis, Dirk B. den Ouden, Julius Fridriksson, Leonardo Bonilha
Summary: In post-stroke aphasia, language improvements following speech therapy are variable and can only be partially explained by the lesion. Brain tissue integrity beyond the lesion (brain health) may influence language recovery and can be impacted by cardiovascular risk factors, notably diabetes. We examined the impact of diabetes on structural network integrity and language recovery.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Souvik Sen, Roger Newman-Norlund, Nicholas Riccardi, Christopher Rorden, Sarah Newman-Norlund, Sara Sayers, Julius Fridriksson, Makenzie Logue
Summary: This study investigated global and regional cerebral blood flow in asymptomatic COVID-19 patients and found that whole-brain and white matter blood flow were significantly lower in COVID-19 cases compared to controls. Predictive models showed that cerebral blood flow patterns can serve as imaging markers for mild COVID-19 infection.
JOURNAL OF NEUROIMAGING
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Natalie Busby, Argye E. Hillis, Lisa Bunker, Chis Rorden, Roger Newman-Norlund, Leo Bonilha, Erin Meier, Emily Goldberg, Gregory Hickok, Grigori Yourganov, Julius Fridriksson
Summary: In stroke aphasia, the relationship between lesion volume and aphasia severity is present throughout the recovery trajectory. Lesions in acute and chronic patients yield similar results in region-based lesion-symptom mapping analyses. Models based on one timepoint can accurately predict aphasia severity at the other timepoint. There may be subtle differences in critical brain regions and the nature of lesion volume and aphasia severity over time.
BRAIN COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Natalie Busby, Sarah Newman-Norlund, Sara Sayers, Roger Newman-Norlund, Sarah Wilson, Samaneh Nemati, Chris Rorden, Janina Wilmskoetter, Nicholas Riccardi, Rebecca Roth, Julius Fridriksson, Leonardo Bonilha
Summary: This study found that white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are independently associated with premature brain aging. This finding underscores the impact of white matter disease on global brain integrity and progressive age-like brain atrophy.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Sigfus Kristinsson, Natalie Busby, Christopher Rorden, Roger Newman-Norlund, Dirk B. den Ouden, Sigridur Magnusdottir, Haukur Hjaltason, Helga Thors, Argye E. Hillis, Olafur Kjartansson, Leonardo Bonilha, Julius Fridriksson
Summary: This study examined the association between estimated brain age and language recovery after acute left hemisphere stroke. The findings revealed a strong association between brain age and language function at stroke onset as well as long-term recovery. These results suggest that estimated brain age may be a strong biomarker for language function and recovery after stroke.
BRAIN COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Lisa Johnson, Grigori Yourganov, Alexandra Basilakos, Roger David Newman-Norlund, Helga Thors, Lynsey Keator, Chris Rorden, Leonardo Bonilha, Julius Fridriksson
Summary: Speech entrainment helps normalize functional connectivity in individuals with non-fluent aphasia, making it more similar to that of neurotypical controls and improving speech fluency. Connectivity during spontaneous speech is more predictive of language measures compared to entrained speech.
NEUROREHABILITATION AND NEURAL REPAIR
(2022)