远、近空间内注意加工的分离

临床证据发现空间忽视症病人对于近处和远处空间内的注意加工存在差异,表现为空间忽视只发生于近处空间或只发生于远处空间,提示近处空间与远处空间在脑内可能是分别表征的。对健康成人的研究也发现了与之类似的近处空间和远处空间注意的分离现象,即在近处空间表现出左偏的伪忽视现象,在远处空间表现出左偏减弱或者右偏的趋势。本文综述了远、近空间内注意加工分离的实验证据以及采用线段二分任务这一主要的研究范式相关的实验结果,并且着重指出了远、近空间的划分不是绝对的,而是动态可变的研究证据。最后,指出了将来的研究需要深入考察空间参照系统在远、近空间知觉中的作用,以及关注社会交互情境下的远、近空间距离认知的动态变化。     

Performance on auditory and visual temporal information processing is related to psychometric intelligence

The present study investigated the relationship between psychometric intelligence and temporal resolution power (TRP) as simultaneously assessed by auditory and visual psychophysical timing tasks. In addition, three different theoretical models of the functional relationship between TRP and psychometric intelligence as assessed by means of the Adaptive Matrices Test (AMT) were developed. To test the validity of these models, structural equation modeling was applied. Empirical data supported a hierarchical model that assumed auditory and visual modality-specific temporal processing at a first level and amodal temporal processing at a second level. This second-order latent variable was substantially correlated with psychometric intelligence. Therefore, the relationship between psychometric intelligence and psychophysical timing performance can be explained best by a hierarchical model of temporal information processing.     

Exploring an integrative model of infant behavior: what is the relationship among temperament, sensory processing, and neurobehavioral measures?

Traditionally, developmental psychology, occupational/physical therapy, and behavioral pediatrics view similar infant behaviors from temperament, sensory processing, or neurobehavioral theoretical perspectives. This study examined the relations between similar and unique summary scores of three infant assessments (Early Infancy Temperament Questionnaire - EITQ, the Infant Sensory Profile - ISP, and the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale - NNNS) in a healthy sample of 100, one-month-old infants. A Principal Components Analysis of selected subscale scores derived from the three assessments suggested a three-factor model. Temperament and sensory summary scores had the strongest relations on two factors: Sensory-Affective Reactivity and Engagement. A third factor had strong relations between state regulation and motor competence. This new integrative model also validates an existing model and expands explanation of infant behavior across disciplines and methods which have significant implications for assessment, intervention, and management practices.     

童年期心理虐待与忽视对高中生自杀意念的影响：述情障碍的中介作用和寻求意义感的调节作用

为了探讨童年期心理虐待与忽视与自杀意念之间的关系及其作用机制,本研究采用心理虐待与忽视量表、多伦多述情障碍量表、青少年自杀意念量表及生命意义感量表中的寻求意义感分量表对1074名高中生进行调查。结果表明：（1）童年期心理虐待与忽视对自杀意念有正向预测作用,并且能够通过述情障碍的中介作用影响高中生自杀意念;（2）寻求意义感调节了这一中介过程的直接路径和后半段路径,对后半段路径的调节作用存在性别差异。     

Perceiving by proxy: Effect-based action control with unperceivable effects

Anticipations of future sensory events have the potential of priming motor actions that would typically cause these events. Such effect anticipations are generally assumed to rely on previous physical experiences of the contingency of own actions and their ensuing effects. Here we propose that merely imagined action effects may influence behaviour similarly as physically experienced action effects do. Three experiments in the response–effect compatibility paradigm show that the mere knowledge of action–effect contingencies is indeed sufficient to incorporate these effects into action control even if the effects are never experienced as causally linked to own actions. The experiments further highlight constraints for this mechanism which seems to be rather effortful and to depend on explicit intentions.     

From affect to feelings and thoughts: from abuse to care and understanding

The capacity of the infant to bear affect relies on the capacity of the caregiver until it has achieved enough strength to perform this task itself. In the case of neglect the necessary strength to contain, metabolize and think about affect so that it may be converted into differentiated feelings cannot develop because of the absence of a caregiver capable of sustaining the infant in its emotional development. Instead a system of defence against affect arises in which the affect itself is perceived as intrusive and abusive. Because of neglect a confusion between abuse and affect is to be observed, with catastrophic consequences for the growing up child. Furthermore neglected children can be seduced by external abuse in the hope of being protected from affect that threatens to feel abusive from within. Paradoxically these children are drawn toward abusive situations in the hope of finding some ongoing shelter from unmanageable affect. A corollary of this is that actual containment comes to feel abusive to them: if they are made to feel affect, they perceive the other, who put them in touch with affect, as abusive: thus affect, abuse and containment are confused. Clinical material will support this thesis.     

Postural leaning direction challenges the manifestation of tendon vibration responses at the ankle joint

In this study, we examined the interaction between central and peripheral proprioceptive afferent pathways by applying ankle tendon vibration during postural leaning in different directions. Twenty young participants stood for 60s over the midline of two adjacent force platforms in (a) neutral stance distributing Body Weight (BW) equally between the platforms, (b) forward leaning transferring 80% of BW to the front platform and (c) backward leaning transferring 80% of BW to the rear platform. Participants controlled the degree of leaning by receiving on-line visual feedback of BW distribution matched to a target line. Vibration (80 Hz, 1.5–1.8 mm) was applied over the Achilles or tibialis anterior tendon during the middle 20s of standing. This induced a postural shift towards the vibration side and an increase in the variability of the BW distribution that was greater in backward compared to forward leaning. EMG responses to tendon vibration were independent of the leaning direction. Antagonistic activity also increased in response to vibration, the amplitude of this increase however was direction dependent. These results favor the hypothesis about the central co-modulation of the vibration evoked proprioceptive inflow based on postural and visual feedback rather than muscle tension constraints.     

From early markers to neuro-developmental mechanisms of autism

A fast growing field, the study of infants at risk because of having an older sibling with autism (i.e. infant sibs) aims to identify the earliest signs of this disorder, which would allow for earlier diagnosis and intervention. More importantly, we argue, these studies offer the opportunity to validate existing neuro-developmental models of autism against experimental evidence. Although autism is mainly seen as a disorder of social interaction and communication, emerging early markers do not exclusively reflect impairments of the “social brain”. Evidence for atypical development of sensory and attentional systems highlight the need to move away from localized deficits to models suggesting brain-wide involvement in autism pathology. We discuss the implications infant sibs findings have for future work into the biology of autism and the development of interventions.     

Aggression in Children With Reactive Attachment Disorder: A Sign of Deficits in Emotional Regulatory Processes?

Children diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder (RAD) have been reported to exhibit a multitude of symptoms and behaviors that are not captured by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria. One behavior in particular that has been the source of much argument and controversy is aggression. Although limited research on this topic does support an association between aggression and RAD behaviors, the exact nature of this link remains unclear. This study aims to fill this gap by reporting data from a study that examined the behavioral processes that occur in adopted children with RAD. Guided by the principles of grounded theory, this study employed a multi-stage semi-structured interview design. The sample consisted of 5 adoptive families, and included both adult and child participants, including the adopted children with RAD. The findings revealed 5 prominent themes: The adopted children are reported to engage in extreme and prolonged tantrums, known as rages; children were often inconsolable during these rages; these rages are perceived as uncontrollable by children with RAD; these rages are directed toward a discriminate caregiver; and the impetus for these rages appears to be associated with difficulties in adapting to environmental demands. An in-depth discussion that draws a theoretical connection between these rages and possible deficits in brain-based processes responsible for emotional regulation is presented.     

A Duet for one

This paper considers communication in terms of inference about the behaviour of others (and our own behaviour). It is based on the premise that our sensations are largely generated by other agents like ourselves. This means, we are trying to infer how our sensations are caused by others, while they are trying to infer our behaviour: for example, in the dialogue between two speakers. We suggest that the infinite regress induced by modelling another agent – who is modelling you – can be finessed if you both possess the same model. In other words, the sensations caused by others and oneself are generated by the same process. This leads to a view of communication based upon a narrative that is shared by agents who are exchanging sensory signals. Crucially, this narrative transcends agency – and simply involves intermittently attending to and attenuating sensory input. Attending to sensations enables the shared narrative to predict the sensations generated by another (i.e. to listen), while attenuating sensory input enables one to articulate the narrative (i.e. to speak). This produces a reciprocal exchange of sensory signals that, formally, induces a generalised synchrony between internal (neuronal) brain states generating predictions in both agents. We develop the arguments behind this perspective, using an active (Bayesian) inference framework and offer some simulations (of birdsong) as proof of principle.