Conscious and unconscious processing of facial expressions: Evidence from two split‐brain patients

We investigated how the brain's hemispheres process explicit and implicit facial expressions in two ‘split‐brain’ patients (one with a complete and one with a partial anterior resection). Photographs of faces expressing positive, negative or neutral emotions were shown either centrally or bilaterally. The task consisted in judging the friendliness of each person in the photographs. Half of the photograph stimuli were ‘hybrid faces’, that is an amalgamation of filtered images which contained emotional information only in the low range of spatial frequency, blended to a neutral expression of the same individual in the rest of the spatial frequencies. The other half of the images contained unfiltered faces. With the hybrid faces the patients and a matched control group were more influenced in their social judgements by the emotional expression of the face shown in the left visual field (LVF). When the expressions were shown explicitly, that is without filtering, the control group and the partially callosotomized patient based their judgement on the face shown in the LVF, whereas the complete split‐brain patient based his ratings mainly on the face presented in the right visual field. We conclude that the processing of implicit emotions does not require the integrity of callosal fibres and can take place within subcortical routes lateralized in the right hemisphere.     

Can we distinguish an “I” and “ME” during listening?—an event-related EEG study on the processing of first and second person personal and possessive pronouns

Theoretically, stimuli can be related to the self as subject (“I”) or object (“ME”) of experience. This event-related brain potential (ERP) study investigated whether listening to personal and possessive pronouns elicits different modes of self-processing regarding time-course and neural sources. Going beyond previous research, first (1PP) and second person (2PP) pronouns were included to determine the specificity of self-processing. Participants listened passively to German pronouns while the electroencephalogram was recorded. Modulation of ERPs revealed a processing advantage for the 2PP personal pronoun “du” (“you”) already in early time windows. Regarding possessive pronouns, N1 amplitudes indicated increased attention orientation to the 1PP pronoun “mein” (“my”), whereas during later time windows, processing of 1PP and 2PP possessive pronouns did not differ but differed from the third person pronoun “sein” (“his”). ERP source imaging suggests that primary sensory brain regions (auditory cortex), the insula and cortical midline structures are differentially involved into these two processing modes. The results support the idea of distinct self-processing modes (“I” and “ME”) and confirm their dynamic nature. Moreover, they demonstrate that on a neural level neither “I” or “ME” are invariantly tied to the first person, in line with the hypothesis that self-processing is relational and context-dependent.     

A Comparison of Posttraumatic Growth After Acquired Brain Injury or Myocardial Infarction

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is known to occur following acquired brain injury (ABI). It is not yet known to what extent PTG experiences following ABI are unique to the neurological nature of the injury. We investigated PTG in survivors of ABI or myocardial infarction (MI); MI is comparable to ABI but does not have a primary neurological element. Thirty-three ABI survivors (age M = 51.6, SD = 12.4; 52% male; years since injury M = 5.5, SD = 5.3) and 47 MI survivors (age M = 66.4, SD = 9.9; 79% male, years since injury M = 9.9, SD = 8.6) completed a survey including the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Unadjusted analyses showed no significant group differences on PTGI total score (ABI M = 54.0, SD = 19.6; MI M = 54.6, SD = 23.6; d = .03, p = .902) or on any of the five subscales, but analyses adjusted for covariates showed that scores on “Relating to others” were higher in participants with ABI (unstandardized coefficient = 5.43; 95% CI .27, 10.60; p = .039). Open-ended comments revealed aspects of growth in both samples that were not directly captured by the five PTGI factors.     

Psychological Predictors of Neurobehavioral Symptoms in a Polytrauma Veteran Sample

Given the high prevalence of comorbid conditions found in polytrauma settings, effective screening measures are needed. Several screening tools are commonly used in polytrauma clinics within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This study examined the use of three screening measures—the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and PTSD Checklist–Civilian Version (PCL-C)—to predict scores on the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI). Research suggests that the presence of mental health conditions, such as PTSD, shares a significant amount of variance with postconcussive symptoms. The investigators hypothesized that the PCL-C would be the best predictor of scores on the NSI. All subjects were administered the screening measures as part of an evaluation in an outpatient Level III polytrauma clinic. Regression analysis was used to determine which instrument might serve as the best predictor of NSI total scores. Regression analysis revealed that BAI, BDI-II, and PCL-C total scores were good predictors of NSI total scores, with the BAI accounting for the majority of the variance. Mental health conditions can account for higher scores on the NSI, and screening of other mental health conditions should be taken into account when reviewing the NSI for individuals in polytrauma settings.     

The association between the propensity to experience meaningful coincidence and brain anatomy in healthy females: The moderating role of coping skills

When two events co-occur within a specific time interval, some people experience ‘meaningful coincidence’. This may be a consequence of the mind searching for causal structure in reality. In cases of negative events, it may be a coping strategy for managing stress. The present voxel-based morphometry (VBM) study investigated neural correlates of the propensity to experience meaningful coincidence (PEMC). VBM data from 115 females (mean age: 26 years) were correlated with self-reported PEMC and the use of certain coping strategies (e.g. seeking support, positive focusing). PEMC was negatively correlated with grey matter volume (GMV) in the medial prefrontal cortex, the inferior frontal gyrus, and the superior/inferior parietal cortex. Moderation analyses indicated that the negative association between GMV in the mentioned brain regions and PEMC was only present in participants with average or below-average coping skills. The identified fronto-parietal regions are part of an integrated neural network implicated in the detection of causality and cognitive control.     

反刍思维与注意脱离损坏的关系及其神经机制

反刍思维是一种重复性的消极思维, 会让个体将注意集中在消极痛苦的事情上。研究表明, 反刍思维和注意脱离损坏虽然是相互独立的概念, 但是二者却存在着密切的联系, 具体表现在注意脱离损坏会预测个体的反刍思维以及反刍思维有关的注意脱损坏可能是受到意识控制的。同时, 反刍思维的类型和自我相关性在反刍思维和注意脱离损坏关系中的作用依然需要进一步探究。另外, 注意脱离有关的训练明显地改善了个体的反刍思维。并且, 杏仁核的过度激活, 前扣带回(anterior cingulate cortex, ACC)对自我相关消极信息的调节异常, 右背外侧前额叶(dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, DLPFC)的活动异常以及与注意有关的脑神经网络的结构和功能的异常可能是反刍思维和注意脱离损坏相互影响的原因。     

大脑电刺激在听觉语言加工研究中的应用

大脑电刺激是历史悠久但近年来才广泛应用在人类被试上的实验技术。通过对颅内刺激位点进行电刺激, 并分析引发的暂时性行为功能变化和记录位点的电位活动, 大脑电刺激技术可以揭示认知加工过程中脑区内的功能作用与脑区间的有效连接。通过对听觉语言加工过程相关的丘脑、听觉皮层、高级语言皮层进行电刺激, 现有研究发现了各个脑区的不同功能特点以及不同脑区间的信息传递机制, 为进一步探索听觉语言加工的神经机制提供了新的视角。     

Longitudinal study of quality of life in acquired brain injury: A self- and proxy-report evaluation

Background/ObjectiveAfter an acquired brain injury (ABI), the person remains with several impairments and disabilities that cause a decrease in his/her quality of life (QoL), which could change over time. The objective of the study was to analyse the evolution patterns of QoL in a sample of persons with ABI for one-year as well as the differences in proxy- and self-report versions of a QoL instrument. Method: The sample comprised 402 persons with ABI with ages ranging between 18 and 91 years, whom 36.20% had had the accident recently (i.e., three years or less). Patients, professionals and relatives responded at three evaluation points to the CAVIDACE scale, an ABI-specific QoL tool. Results: ANOVAs showed an improvement in QoL in the two follow-ups; the improvement was especially significant in the period between baseline and six months. The respondent factor did not interact with the evaluation time, but significant differences were found between respondents, with scores of patients higher than that for proxies. Finally, the QoL’s evolution interacts with the time elapsed since injury, showing significant improvements in the most recent group (i.e., three years or less). Conclusions: QoL must be considered from the earliest moments after ABI to obtain more significant improvements.     

Brief cognitive behavioral intervention for children and adolescents with persistent post-concussive symptoms: A pilot study

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a brief cognitive behavioral intervention program for children and adolescents experiencing persistent post-concussion symptoms. A total of 31 patients aged 10 to 18 years participated in the intervention. The median time since injury at treatment onset was 95 days though the range was large (23–720 days). Treatment was on average four sessions in duration. Sessions included concussion education, activity scheduling, sleep hygiene relaxation training, and cognitive restructuring. Outcomes were measured using symptom reports on the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool – Third Edition (SCAT-3) and parent-reported quality of life on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Mixed-effects models revealed that symptom reports did not decrease prior to the initiation of this treatment, though significant symptom improvement occurred following treatment. Quality of life scores significantly improved across domains, with the largest gains made in the emotional and school domains. Participant characteristics including age, sex, maternal education, and previous mental health problems were not found to be significantly related to treatment outcomes. Contrary to predictions, length of time since injury was not related to symptom changes. The primary limitation of this study is that it lacks randomization and an experimental control group. The results suggest that brief cognitive behavioral intervention may be a promising treatment for children and adolescents experiencing persistent post-concussive symptoms and warrants further investigation.