Article
Psychiatry
Xun Zhang, Xueling Suo, Xun Yang, Han Lai, Nanfang Pan, Min He, Qingyuan Li, Weihong Kuang, Song Wang, Qiyong Gong
Summary: The study found that patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD) exhibit structural and functional abnormalities in brain regions associated with fear and anxiety, indicating potential underlying mechanisms of the disorder.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dennis Vollweiter, Jasmeet Kaur Shergill, Alexandra Hilse, Gaga Kochlamazashvili, Stefan Paul Koch, Susanne Mueller, Philipp Boehm- Sturm, Volker Haucke, Tanja Maritzen
Summary: The cortico-striatal-thalamocortical loop is crucial for the expression of motor routines and habits. Mutations in the intersectin proteins have been linked to neuropsychiatric diseases such as ASD and OCD. Deletion of the intersectin proteins leads to severe ASD/OCD-like behavioral alterations and defective cortico-striatal neurotransmission. The findings provide insights into the physiological role of intersectin in countering ASD/OCD and the molecular pathomechanism behind these neuropsychiatric symptoms.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Tingting Xu, Qiumeng Gu, Qing Zhao, Pei Wang, Qiang Liu, Qing Fan, Jue Chen, Zhen Wang
Summary: The study identified alterations in striatal functional connectivity in patients with OCD compared to healthy controls, suggesting a breakdown in cognitive circuits involved in inhibitory control. The relationship between trait impulsivity and frontal-striatal connectivity may have negative implications in OCD.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Qing Zhao, Tingting Xu, Yuan Wang, Dandan Chen, Qiang Liu, Zhi Yang, Zhen Wang
Summary: This study investigated the differences in brain functional connectivity within the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) loop between drug-naive and drug-free OCD patients and healthy controls. The results suggest that exposure to antidepressants may affect the function of certain brain regions. Future longitudinal studies could help reveal the pharmacotherapeutic mechanisms in these loops.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
A. Bertero, L. Verrillo, A. J. Apicella
Summary: This study reveals the existence of a long-range class of pyramidal neurons (CS-L4 neurons) in layer 4 of the mouse auditory cortex that receive direct thalamic inputs and establish connections with local parvalbumin neurons, contributing to a feedforward inhibitory circuit in the posterior striatum.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Li Liu, Min Chu, Binbin Nie, Deming Jiang, Kexin Xie, Yue Cui, Lin Liu, Yu Kong, Zhongyun Chen, Haitian Nan, Pedro Rosa-Neto, Liyong Wu
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the brain metabolic connectivity in bvFTD patients and found reduced metabolic connectivity within the limbic CSTC circuit in these patients, which was associated with the severity of behavior disruption. Moreover, asymptomatic MAPT carriers showed aberrant frontostriatal connectivity but enhanced striatothalamus and thalamofrontal connectivity within the limbic CSTC circuit.
ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Benjamin Klugah-Brown, Chenyang Jiang, Elijah Agoalikum, Xinqi Zhou, Liye Zou, Qian Yu, Benjamin Becker, Bharat Biswal
Summary: This study aimed to identify robust brain structural markers for compulsivity across substance use disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The findings indicate widespread GMV reductions in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in both disorders, suggesting a transdiagnostic brain structural marker. The IFG plays a key role in the cognitive control network and exhibits bidirectional interactions with the striatum.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Zibin Yang, Shu Xiao, Ting Su, Jiayin Gong, Zhangzhang Qi, Guanmao Chen, Pan Chen, Guixian Tang, SiYing Fu, Hong Yan, Li Huang, Ying Wang
Summary: This meta-analysis study found abnormalities in both function and structure in the bilateral mPFC/ACC, insula, and IFG in patients with OCD. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of OCD and the development of more targeted and efficacious treatment and intervention strategies.
EUROPEAN ARCHIVES OF PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Jiaxiang Chen, Chong Tian, Qun Zhang, Hui Xiang, Rongpin Wang, Xiaofei Hu, Xianchun Zeng
Summary: This study used the Atlas-based method to detect volume changes in subregions of the basal ganglia in OCD patients, and compared the effects of different software on volumetric analysis. The results showed a significantly increased volume of bilateral lenticular nucleus in OCD patients compared to healthy controls. In addition, the Atlas-based method using Freesurfer software revealed a significantly increased volume of left globus pallidus, with the largest effect size of volumetric variation.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Heng Zhang, Ai-di Shan, Cai-ting Gan, Li Zhang, Li-na Wang, Hui-min Sun, Yong-sheng Yuan, Ke-zhong Zhang
Summary: The study found significantly decreased functional connections in the nucleus accumbens and putamen in apathetic PD patients compared to both non-apathetic PD patients and healthy controls. These findings suggest that asymmetric functional connectivity in the mesocorticolimbic and nigrostriatal systems may contribute to the pathophysiological mechanisms of apathy in PD.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Yanpei Wang, Jie Luo, Leilei Ma, Rui Chen, Jiali Wang, Congying Chu, Weiwei Men, Shuping Tan, Jia-Hong Gao, Shaozheng Qin, Yong He, Qi Dong, Sha Tao
Summary: Learning to read leads to reorganization in the developing brain, specifically involving the thalamus and striatum. This study found evidence for two independent cortico-subcortical reading pathways, with the thalamo-occipital circuit being related to visual processing and the fronto-striatal circuit being related to cognitive functions such as attention and memory. The findings highlight the dynamic relationships between these circuits and reading development.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hyungyou Park, Minah Kim, Yoo Bin Kwak, Kang Ik K. Cho, Junhee Lee, Sun-Young Moon, Silvia Kyungjin Lho, Jun Soo Kwon
Summary: The striatum and its cortical circuits are crucial in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study aimed to investigate the abnormalities in cortico-striatal white matter connectivity and the associated subregional microstructure of the striatum in OCD patients. The results revealed contrasting patterns of striatal WM connections with the orbitofrontal and caudal-motor/parietal cortices, supporting the cortico-striatal circuitry imbalance model of OCD.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Nils Heinzinger, Anne Maass, David Berron, Renat Yakupov, Oliver Peters, Jochen Fiebach, Kersten Villringer, Lukas Preis, Josef Priller, Eike Jacob Spruth, Slawek Altenstein, Anja Schneider, Klaus Fliessbach, Jens Wiltfang, Claudia Bartels, Frank Jessen, Franziska Maier, Wenzel Glanz, Katharina Buerger, Daniel Janowitz, Robert Perneczky, Boris-Stephan Rauchmann, Stefan Teipel, Ingo Killimann, Doreen Goeerss, Christoph Laske, Matthias H. Munk, Annika Spottke, Nina Roy, Michael T. Heneka, Frederic Brosseron, Laura Dobisch, Michael Ewers, Peter Dechent, John Dylan Haynes, Klaus Scheffler, Steffen Wolfsgruber, Luca Kleineidam, Matthias Schmid, Moritz Berger, Emrah Duezel, Gabriel Ziegler
Summary: This study used voxel-based morphometry to validate the classification system of Alzheimer's disease biomarkers. The results showed that early amyloid conversion is associated with brain volume loss, supporting the monotonic progression model of the amyloid-tau-neurodegeneration (ATN) system.
ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Claudia Piervincenzi, Martina Fanella, Nikolaos Petsas, Marianna Frascarelli, Alessandra Morano, Tommaso Accinni, Fabio Di Fabio, Carlo Di Bonaventura, Alfredo Berardelli, Patrizia Pantano
Summary: This study found specific grey matter volume (GMV) reductions in the cerebellum (lobes VIII and Crus II) and the left superior occipital gyrus in patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) and parkinsonism. Although bothPark+ and Park- patients showed GMV decrements in these regions, the reductions were greater in Park+ patients. However, GMV loss did not correlate with clinical scores.
Article
Psychiatry
Mario A. Yacou, Asadur Chowdury, Philip Easter, Gregory L. Hanna, David R. Rosenberg, Vaibhav A. Diwadkar
Summary: The study utilized dynamic causal modeling to evaluate the impact of attention demand on effective connectivity between OCD patients and healthy controls. Results revealed weakened connectivity in the early constituents of the visual pathway and significantly reduced contextual modulation of the ascending relay from the thalamus to the prefrontal cortex in OCD patients during sustained attention.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Neuroimaging
Shota Uono, Wataru Sato, Takanori Kochiyama, Sayaka Yoshimura, Reiko Sawada, Yasutaka Kubota, Morimitsu Sakihama, Motomi Toichi
Summary: The present study using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) investigated the differences in structural neural correlates of emotion recognition between individuals with and without ASD. The findings suggest that individuals with and without ASD use different processing mechanisms for recognizing others' facial expressions.
BRAIN IMAGING AND BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Akie Saito, Wataru Sato, Sakiko Yoshikawa
Summary: Previous studies using visual search paradigms have provided inconsistent results regarding rapid detection of emotional faces among older adults. This study aimed to examine older adults' ability to detect faces with emotional meaning by excluding the influence of visual factors. Results showed that older adults who were successful at learning could detect neutral faces associated with reward or punishment more rapidly, suggesting that they retain the ability to detect faces that evoke emotions.
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES B-PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Wataru Sato, Shushi Namba, Dongsheng Yang, Shin'ya Nishida, Carlos Ishi, Takashi Minato
Summary: This study developed an android head called Nikola and conducted three studies to validate its facial expressions. The results showed that Nikola can appropriately produce facial actions and its prototypical facial expressions for basic emotions can be accurately recognized by naive participants. The speed of Nikola's dynamic facial expressions also affects emotion expression, similar to previous studies of human expressions. These findings validate the effectiveness of Nikola's emotional facial expressions and suggest its potential for future psychological studies and real-life applications.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Akie Saito, Wataru Sato, Sakiko Yoshikawa
Summary: This study demonstrated that faces with emotional value acquired through associative learning can be rapidly detected, indicating that emotional/motivational significance promotes the rapid detection of emotional faces. The results suggested that neutral faces associated with high reward or punishment were more quickly detected compared to those with no monetary outcomes, and reaction times were negatively related to arousal ratings.
COGNITION & EMOTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Taishi Sawabe, Suguru Honda, Wataru Sato, Tomoki Ishikura, Masayuki Kanbara, Sakiko Yoshikawa, Yuichiro Fujimoto, Hirokazu Kato
Summary: This study demonstrates that combining robot touch with elements of speech can enhance positive emotional responses, including higher subjective valence and arousal ratings, as well as stronger facial electromyography and skin conductance activities.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Shushi Namba, Wataru Sato, Koyo Nakamura, Katsumi Watanabe
Summary: This study used computational modeling to analyze the process of authentic information transmission in emotional sharing. The results showed that perceiving authentic information from happy facial expressions had a higher probability, and happy expressions could activate emotional elicitation and emotion sharing in perceivers, while anger expressions only activated emotional elicitation.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sayaka Yoshimura, Mami Shibata, Yusuke Kyuragi, Kei Kobayashi, Morio Aki, Toshiya Murai, Hironobu Fujiwara
Summary: This study found that the Japanese version of GPIUS2 has good psychometric properties, and the theoretical model of the original GPIUS2 is applicable to Japanese adults.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Tomoki Ishikura, Yuki Kitamura, Wataru Sato, Jun Takamatsu, Akishige Yuguchi, Sung-Gwi Cho, Ming Ding, Sakiko Yoshikawa, Tsukasa Ogasawara
Summary: Pleasant touching is an important aspect of social interactions and previous research has attempted to develop robots that can provide this kind of touch. This study compared the effect of different stroke speeds on human participants' emotional responses to human and robot agents. The results showed that a speed of 8.5 cm/s was more pleasant and arousing for both human and robot strokes compared to a speed of 2.6 cm/s.
Article
Neurosciences
Wataru Sato, Takanori Kochiyama, Sakiko Yoshikawa
Summary: Observing and understanding emotional facial expressions plays a major role in face-to-face communication, possibly through motor synchronization. Previous fMRI studies have shown activation in neocortical motor regions during the observation/execution of emotional facial expressions, but it remains unclear if other brain regions are involved and if they form a functional network. In this study, fMRI was used to investigate these issues, and the results revealed activation in multiple regions, including the amygdala, basal ganglia, cerebellum, and brainstem, suggesting the involvement of a widespread observation/execution matching network.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Wataru Sato, Takanori Kochiyama
Summary: There is evidence that EMG signals from the corrugator supercilii and zygomatic major muscles can provide valuable information for emotional assessments. The study aims to investigate if crosstalk occurs in facial EMG data and how to reduce it. Participants were instructed to perform various facial actions while measuring EMG signals from different facial muscles. Independent component analysis (ICA) was used to remove crosstalk components. The results suggest that mouth actions could induce crosstalk in zygomatic major EMG signals, and ICA can reduce this effect.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Wataru Sato, Atsushi Nakazawa, Sakiko Yoshikawa, Takanori Kochiyama, Miwako Honda, Yves Gineste
Summary: The study found that individuals with expertise in Humanitude-care exhibit higher levels of empathy in both behavior and neural characteristics. Using a combination of behavioral measurements, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and structural MRI, the study compared a Humanitude-care expert with a control group. The results showed that the expert had higher arousal levels and stronger facial muscle activity in response to dynamic facial expressions, as well as distinct brain activity and gray matter volume.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Shuo Zhao, Shota Uono, Rong Qing Hu, Sayaka Yoshimura, Motomi Toichi
Summary: Self-referential and emotional cues enhance memory for target objects, regardless of emotional valence, suggesting that they play an important role in subsequent cognitive processing through attention orienting.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Akie Saito, Wataru Sato, Sakiko Yoshikawa
Summary: The coherence between subjective experience and bodily responses in emotion has a positive impact on well-being, especially for older adults. Previous studies have shown emotional mind-body coherence in young adults' continuous subjective, behavioral, and physiological responses to emotional films, but research on emotional coherence in older adults is limited. This study examined emotional coherence in older adults through valence ratings and behavioral responses, as well as arousal ratings and physiological measures, in response to emotion-eliciting film clips. The results showed quantitative and qualitative differences in emotional mind-body coherence between older and young adults.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Chun-Ting Hsu, Wataru Sato
Summary: Despite the lack of evidence of its validity, researchers have begun using automated FACS software to evaluate spontaneous facial mimicry. The automated FACS has lower detection accuracy compared to facial EMG, but AU12 mimicry responses are significantly correlated with facial EMG responses.
