Review
Psychiatry
Jakub Kraus, Eliska Vyborova, Giorgia Silani
Summary: Understanding the neurobiology of social reward processing is crucial for reducing maladaptive social behaviors and enhancing healthy social life. Current research suggests that oxytocin plays a role in the processing of social rewards. However, studies in humans have shown mixed results. This review summarizes 19 studies that investigated the effects of intranasal oxytocin administration on social reward processing. The findings indicate that oxytocin is most effective during the consumption phase of social rewards and may modulate the activity of several brain regions.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
D. Byrne, A. Fisher, L. Baker, E. L. Twomey, K. M. Gorman
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not recommended to be assessed using routine brain MRI, although many physicians still use it routinely. A retrospective review found that 7.2% of children with ASD had abnormal brain MRI, with higher likelihood in those with abnormal neurological examination or genetic/metabolic abnormality. Therefore, brain MRI should not be performed routinely in ASD, and decisions for individual cases should consider potential risks and benefits.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Karolina Rojek-Sito, Ksenia Meyza, Karolina Ziegart-Sadowska, Kinga Nazaruk, Alicja Puscian, Adam Hamed, Michal Kielbinski, Wojciech Solecki, Ewelina Knapska
Summary: Successful social interaction requires both motivation and ability. This study utilizes optogenetic and chemogenetic approaches to uncover specific neural pathways that selectively influence these two components of social interaction.
Review
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Qin Li, Weihua Zhao, Keith M. M. Kendrick
Summary: This review examines the importance of touch, discussing the touch receptors and neural processing involved, as well as the significant role that early tactile stimulation plays in brain and behavioral development. The potential mechanisms by which early touch stimulation influences development are explored, particularly in terms of neural plasticity changes, social behavior, and reward sensitivity. The review also considers the implications of atypical touch responses in neurodevelopmental disorders and discusses potential interventions using massage or pharmacological treatments.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Caitlin C. Clements, Karina Ascunce, Charles A. Nelson
Summary: The study proposes a re-conceptualization of the developmental model of reward processing in infancy, offering a useful framework for future research and assessment.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Sai Sun, Chuhua Cai, Rongjun Yu
Summary: When individuals make value-based decisions, expected rewards play a major role in determining response times. Risk, on the other hand, affects attention deployment and is dependent on the magnitude of potential rewards and the level of risk. The processing of mean rewards activates the striatum, which is connected to the amygdala and superior frontal gyrus, while risk processing activates the anterior insula, which is connected to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and anterior midcingulate cortex. These findings provide insights into how attention, motivation, and brain networks are modulated by reward and risk in non-decision contexts.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Christina Grimm, Joshua Henk Balsters, Valerio Zerbi
Summary: The text discusses the strong influence of social relationships on human behavior and the challenges in understanding the neural mechanisms driving social actions. It calls for a unified blueprint of social brain systems and emphasizes the importance of circuital similarity and diversity for translating research findings from rodents to humans. The text also highlights the use of multimodal neuroimaging to guide research on social behavior regulation.
Review
Psychiatry
Cara M. Keifer, Talena C. Day, Kathryn M. Hauschild, Matthew D. Lerner
Summary: Research findings suggest that differences in reward anticipation vary across development and by important demographic characteristics, and potential confounds related to the tangibility and salience of social and nonsocial experimental stimuli should be considered in studies comparing social and nonsocial reward anticipation. Future research should carefully match social and nonsocial reward stimuli and consider employing a longitudinal design to explore the complex processes contributing to reward anticipation.
CURRENT PSYCHIATRY REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Xue-Jun Kong, Jun Liu, Kevin Liu, Madelyn Koh, Hannah Sherman, Siyu Liu, Ruiyi Tian, Piyawat Sukijthamapan, Jiuju Wang, Michelle Fong, Lei Xu, Cullen Clairmont, Min-Seo Jeong, Alice Li, Maria Lopes, Veronica Hagan, Tess Dutton, Suk-Tak (Phoebe) Chan, Hang Lee, Amy Kendall, Kenneth Kwong, Yiqing Song
Summary: The combination therapy of probiotics PS128 and oxytocin has shown significant therapeutic effects on individuals with ASD, including improvements in social behavior and overall clinical outcomes. Additionally, positive changes in gut microbiome were observed after combination therapy, which may be closely related to the improvement in social cognition in patients.
Review
Neurosciences
Irene Valori, Laura Carnevali, Giulia Mantovani, Teresa Farroni
Summary: Our ability to perform voluntary actions and make choices is influenced by our desire to control the outcomes and receive rewards. This article explores the distinct and common behavioral and neural characteristics of agency and reward, with a focus on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The reduced sensitivity to agency and reward in individuals with ASD may be linked to atypical multisensory processes and motor planning, shedding light on their restricted and repetitive behaviors. The limitations of existing literature are highlighted, along with potential directions for future research. Understanding the neurocognitive processes underlying action selection and outcome perception in people with ASD is crucial for supporting their learning, volition, and self-determination.
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
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)
Review
Biology
Asrar G. Alharthi, Salha M. Alzahrani
Summary: This review paper explores the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It discusses the use of MRI and deep learning models for ASD diagnosis, as well as the application of visual transformers and brain transformers in the field. The paper provides an overview of existing models and their effectiveness in ASD detection.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yaser ElNakieb, Mohamed T. Ali, Ahmed Elnakib, Ahmed Shalaby, Ahmed Soliman, Ali Mahmoud, Mohammed Ghazal, Gregory Neal Barnes, Ayman El-Baz
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental anomaly affecting around 2% of US children, with symptoms including communication difficulties and behavioral impairments. The diagnosis of ASD is usually subjective and requires repeated visits to specialists. Advances in neuroimaging and machine learning offer a fast and objective alternative to traditional diagnostic methods, showing promising accuracy results in identifying impacted brain areas contributing to autism diagnosis.
Article
Neuroimaging
Natania A. Crane, Fini Chang, Kerry L. Kinney, Heide Klumpp
Summary: The study found that greater putamen activity and less amygdala activity in response to angry faces were related to greater social anxiety severity in individuals with Social Anxiety Disorder. However, there was no relationship between brain activity in response to fearful faces and social anxiety severity. Clinical features revealed that levels of anhedonia and general anxiety symptoms may contribute to social anxiety severity.
NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Johannah Bashford-Largo, Joseph Aloi, Ru Zhang, Sahil Bajaj, Erin Carollo, Jaimie Elowsky, Amanda Schwartz, Matthew Dobbertin, Robert James R. Blair, Karina S. Blair
Summary: This study found that adolescents with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) exhibit reduced differential responsiveness to reinforcement in reward-related brain regions, which may exacerbate their anxiety symptoms.
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Ru Zhang, Joseph Aloi, Sahil Bajaj, Johannah Bashford-Largo, Jennie Lukoff, Amanda Schwartz, Jamie Elowsky, Matthew Dobbertin, Karina S. Blair, R. James R. Blair
Summary: This study found that there is dysfunction in reward-punishment responsiveness in individuals with conduct disorder, and the severity of this dysfunction is associated with callous-unemotional traits but not irritability.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Heejung Jung, Tor D. Wager, R. McKell Carter
Summary: The functions of higher-order brain regions have been a subject of extensive debate, with the traditional view of modular brain structures conflicting with the emerging paradigm of interactions between neighboring representations. New evidence suggests that novel functions in higher-order brain regions arise from convergence, characterized by combining abstracted representations at the peak of the processing hierarchy and equidistance from other convergent areas. This convergence of processing gradients leads to multifaceted cognitive functions and parallels evolutionary and developmental characteristics of these brain regions.
JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Karina S. Blair, Joseph Aloi, Johannah Bashford-Largo, Ru Zhang, Jaimie Elowsky, Jennie Lukoff, Steven Vogel, Erin Carollo, Amanda Schwartz, Kayla Pope, Sahil Bajaj, Nim Tottenham, Matthew Dobbertin, R. James Blair
Summary: This study using fMRI techniques demonstrates the adverse neurodevelopmental impact of childhood maltreatment (especially neglect) on reinforcement processing, and suggests a neurodevelopmental route by which neglect may increase the risk of conduct problems.
DEVELOPMENTAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nathan A. Kimbrel, Allison E. Ashley-Koch, Xue J. Qin, Jennifer H. Lindquist, Melanie E. Garrett, Michelle F. Dennis, Lauren P. Hair, Jennifer E. Huffman, Daniel A. Jacobson, Ravi K. Madduri, Jodie A. Trafton, Hilary Coon, Anna R. Docherty, Jooeun Kang, Niamh Mullins, Douglas M. Ruderfer, Philip D. Harvey, Benjamin H. McMahon, David W. Oslin, Elizabeth R. Hauser, Michael A. Hauser, Jean C. Beckham
Summary: This study identified pan-ancestry and ancestry-specific loci associated with suicide attempts among veterans, highlighting the complex genetic architecture underlying suicide risk. Pathway analyses suggested several biological pathways with clinical significance that could be targeted for the development of improved therapeutics for suicide prevention.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Psychology, Developmental
Joseph Aloi, Leslie Hulvershorn
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Seon-Kyeong Jang, Luke Evans, Allison Fialkowski, Donna K. Arnett, Allison E. Ashley-Koch, Kathleen C. Barnes, Diane M. Becker, Joshua C. Bis, John Blangero, Eugene R. Bleecker, Meher Preethi Boorgula, Donald W. Bowden, Jennifer A. Brody, Brian E. Cade, Brenda W. Campbell Jenkins, April P. Carson, Sameer Chavan, L. Adrienne Cupples, Brian Custer, Scott M. Damrauer, Sean P. David, Mariza de Andrade, Carla L. Dinardo, Tasha E. Fingerlin, Myriam Fornage, Barry I. Freedman, Melanie E. Garrett, Sina A. Gharib, David C. Glahn, Jeffrey Haessler, Susan R. Heckbert, John E. Hokanson, Lifang Hou, Shih-Jen Hwang, Matthew C. Hyman, Renae Judy, Anne E. Justice, Robert C. Kaplan, Sharon L. R. Kardia, Shannon Kelly, Wonji Kim, Charles Kooperberg, Daniel Levy, Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, Ruth J. F. Loos, Ani W. Manichaikul, Mark T. Gladwin, Lisa Warsinger Martin, Mehdi Nouraie, Olle Melander, Deborah A. Meyers, Courtney G. Montgomery, Kari E. North, Elizabeth C. Oelsner, Nicholette D. Palmer, Marinelle Payton, Anna L. Peljto, Patricia A. Peyser, Michael Preuss, Bruce M. Psaty, Dandi Qiao, Daniel J. Rader, Nicholas Rafaels, Susan Redline, Robert M. Reed, Alexander P. Reiner, Stephen S. Rich, Jerome I. Rotter, David A. Schwartz, Aladdin H. Shadyab, Edwin K. Silverman, Nicholas L. Smith, J. Gustav Smith, Albert V. Smith, Jennifer A. Smith, Weihong Tang, Kent D. Taylor, Marilyn J. Telen, Ramachandran S. Vasan, Victor R. Gordeuk, Zhe Wang, Kerri L. Wiggins, Lisa R. Yanek, Ivana V. Yang, Kendra A. Young, Kristin L. Young, Yingze Zhang, Dajiang J. Liu, Matthew C. Keller, Scott Vrieze
Summary: Rare genetic variants contribute significantly to the heritability of smoking behavior.
NATURE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Jaime J. Castrellon, Shabnam Hakimi, Jacob M. Parelman, Lun Yin, Jonathan R. Law, Jesse A. G. Skene, David A. Ball, Artemis Malekpour, Donald H. Beskind, Neil Vidmar, John M. Pearson, R. McKell Carter, J. H. Pate Skene
Summary: Efforts to explain complex human decisions have focused on competing theories emphasizing utility and narrative mechanisms. This study recorded brain activation patterns during juror decision-making and found that evidence accumulation correlated with both narrative and utility processes, supporting the integration of these two theories in complex decisions.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Jaime J. Castrellon, Shabnam Hakimi, Jacob M. Parelman, Lun Yin, Jonathan R. Law, Jesse A. G. Skene, David A. Ball, Artemis Malekpour, Donald H. Beskind, Neil Vidmar, John M. Pearson, J. H. Pate Skene, R. McKell Carter
Summary: Jury decisions are important social decisions in which bias plays a significant role. Crime-type bias, the perception of a prosecutor's case strength based on the severity of the crime, has been found to be related to social cognition. Functional magnetic resonance imaging of mock jurors revealed that crime-type bias is associated with brain activation patterns similar to those involved in social cognition, suggesting a central role for social cognition in juror decisions.
SOCIAL COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nicholas A. Hubbard, Kevin B. Miller, Joseph Aloi, Sahil Bajaj, Ken T. Wakabayashi, R. James R. Blair
Summary: Adolescence is a vulnerable time for substance use disorders, and this study investigates the effects of cannabis and alcohol use on adolescent instrumental learning and related neural circuits. The findings suggest that adolescent cannabis use is associated with slowed instrumental learning and delays in peak functional connectivity strength in the relevant neural circuits, while adolescent alcohol use may be more closely linked to broader impairments in instrumental learning and a general depression of the neural circuits supporting it.
Article
Hematology
Melanie E. Garrett, Karen L. Soldano, Kyle N. Erwin, Yingze Zhang, Victor R. Gordeuk, Mark T. Gladwin, Marilyn J. Telen, Allison E. Ashley-Koch
Summary: This study identified novel genetic risk factors for sickle cell disease nephropathy (SCDN) through genome-wide association studies. These factors are associated with proteinuria and decreased eGFR, and provide new targets for functional follow-up and risk identification before the onset of kidney dysfunction in SCD patients.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Drew E. Winters, Daniel R. Leopold, R. McKell Carter, Joseph T. Sakai
Summary: Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits are associated with impaired perspective taking and cognitive control in adolescents, with aberrant brain activation and connectivity. This study using GIMME examines the brain properties underlying the influence of cognitive control on perspective taking among adolescents on a CU trait continuum. Results show that cognitive control has a negative indirect association with CU traits via perspective taking, and brain connectivity is indirectly associated with lower CU traits through the social and conflict networks. Additionally, a less negative connection density between the social and conflict networks is directly associated with higher CU traits.
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH-NEUROIMAGING
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Kathleen I. Crum, Joseph Aloi, Karina S. Blair, Johannah Bashford-Largo, Sahil Bajaj, Ru Zhang, Soonjo Hwang, Amanda Schwartz, Jaimie Elowsky, Francesca M. Filbey, Matthew Dobbertin, R. James Blair
Summary: Adolescent substance use, externalizing and attention problems, and early life stress commonly co-occur and show overlapping neural dysfunction. However, it is unclear to what extent these psychopathologies show common v. different neural dysfunctions as a function of symptom profiles, as no studies have directly compared neural dysfunctions associated with each of these psychopathologies to each other.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Melissa J. M. Walsh, Kathryn Gibson, Megan Hynd, Tory A. Eisenlohr-Moul, Erin C. Walsh, Lauren Schiff, Fred Jarskog, David Lalush, Gabriel S. Dichter, Crystal E. Schiller
Summary: This clinical trial aims to investigate the neural and molecular mechanisms by which estradiol treatment improves symptoms of anhedonia and psychosis during the perimenopausal transition. The study will recruit 100 unmedicated women in the late-stage perimenopausal transition and assess clinical symptoms and neurobiological markers before and after estradiol treatment. This research will provide valuable insights into predicting, treating, and developing biomarkers for perimenopausal psychiatric symptoms.
Article
Neurosciences
Drew E. E. Winters, Daniel R. R. Leopold, Joseph T. T. Sakai, R. McKell Carter
Summary: This study examines the vulnerability and resiliency of connectome integration in callous-unemotional traits in adolescents. By computationally lesioning individual-level connectomes and analyzing changes in network properties, the study provides mechanistic insights and aids in predicting the risk of higher callous-unemotional traits in youth.
BRAIN CONNECTIVITY
(2023)