Tag: Brain

Reading fiction and reading minds: the role of simulation in the default network

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Author: Tamir, Diana I.; Bricker, Andrew B.; Dodell-Feder, David; Mitchell, Jason P. Description: Research in psychology has suggested that reading fiction can improve individuals’ social-cognitive abilities. Findings from neuroscience show that reading and social cognition both recruit the default network, a network which is known to support our capacity to simulate hypothetical scenes, spaces and mental states. The current research tests the hypothesis that fiction reading enhances social cognition because it serves to exercise the default subnetwork involved in theory of mind. While undergoing functional neuroimaging, participants read literary passages…

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The impact of digital technology, social media, and artificial intelligence on cognitive functions: a review

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Author: Shanmugasundaram, Mathura; Tamilarasu, Arunkumar Description: In our modern society, digital devices, social media platforms, and artificial intelligence (AI) tools have become integral components of our daily lives, profoundly intertwined with our daily activities. These technologies have undoubtedly brought convenience, connectivity, and speed, making our lives easier and more efficient. However, their influence on our brain function and cognitive abilities cannot be ignored. This review aims to explore both the positive and negative impacts of these technologies on crucial cognitive functions, including attention, memory, addiction, novelty-seeking and perception, decision-making, and…

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Spinocerebellar ataxia 27B (SCA27B), a frequent late-onset cerebellar ataxia

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Author: Clement, G.; Puisieux, S.; Pellerin, D.; Brais, B.; Bonnet, C.; Renaud, M. Description: Genetic cerebellar ataxias are still a diagnostic challenge, and yet not all of them have been identified. Very recently, in early 2023, a new cause of late-onset cerebellar ataxia (LOCA) was identified, spinocerebellar ataxia 27B (SCA27B). This is an autosomal dominant ataxia due to a GAA expansion in intron 1 of the FGF14 gene. Thanks to the many studies carried out since its discovery, it is now possible to define the clinical phenotype, its particularities, and…

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Quality of Life Changes Following the Onset of Cerebellar Ataxia: Symptoms and Concerns Self-reported by Ataxia Patients and Informants

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Author: Joyce, Michelle R.; Nadkarni, Prianca A.; Kronemer, Sharif I.; Margron, Michael J.; Slapik, Mitchell B.; Morgan, Owen P.; Rosenthal, Liana S.; Onyike, Chiadi U.; Marvel, Cherie L. Description: Semi-structured interviews of patient accounts and caregiver, or informant, perspectives are a beneficial resource for patients suffering from diseases with complex symptomatology, such as cerebellar ataxia. The aim of this study was to identify, quantify, and compare the ways in which cerebellar ataxia patients’ and informants’ quality of life had changed as a result of living with ataxia. Using a semi-structured…

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Ways to play with cats (in this study)

Effects of the characteristic temperament of cats on the emotions and hemodynamic responses of humans

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Author: Nagasawa, Takumi; Ohta, Mitsuaki; Uchiyama, Hidehiko Description: Cats positive effects on their owners’ physiological and psychological health, including improved mood and activation of the human prefrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus in the brain. However, the association between the health benefits provided by cat ownership and the characteristic behaviors and reactions of cats is unclear. We recruited 29 participants to measure human prefrontal cortex activity, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, during interactions with a cat. After the experiments, participants subjectively responded to a questionnaire regarding success rates for interactions with…

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Conscious and unconscious emotional learning in the human amygdala

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Author: Morris, J. S.; Ohman, A.; Dolan, R. J. Description: If subjects are shown an angry face as a target visual stimulus for less than forty milliseconds and are then immediately shown an expressionless mask, these subjects report seeing the mask but not the target. However, an aversively conditioned masked target can elicit an emotional response from subjects without being consciously perceived. Here we study the mechanism of this unconsciously mediated emotional learning. We measured neural activity in volunteer subjects who were presented with two angry faces, one of which,…

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Inhibition of inhibition in visual cortex: the logic of connections between molecularly distinct interneurons

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Author: Pfeffer, C.K.; Xue, M.; He, M.; Huang, Z.J.; Scanziani, M. Description: Cortical inhibitory neurons contact each other to form a network of inhibitory synaptic connections. Our knowledge of the connectivity pattern underlying this inhibitory network is, however, still incomplete. Here we describe a simple and complementary interaction scheme between three large, molecularly distinct interneuron populations in mouse visual cortex: parvalbumin-expressing interneurons strongly inhibit one another but provide little inhibition to other populations. In contrast, somatostatin-expressing interneurons avoid inhibiting one another yet strongly inhibit all other populations. Finally, vasoactive intestinal…

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Equalizing excitation-inhibition ratios across visual cortical neurons

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Author: Xue, M.; Atallah, B.V.; Scanziani, M. Description: The relationship between synaptic excitation and inhibition (E/I ratio), two opposing forces in the mammalian cerebral cortex, affects many cortical functions such as feature selectivity and gain. Individual pyramidal cells show stable E/I ratios in time despite fluctuating cortical activity levels. This is because when excitation increases, inhibition increases proportionally through the increased recruitment of inhibitory neurons, a phenomenon referred to as excitation-inhibition balance. However, little is known about the distribution of E/I ratios across pyramidal cells. Through their highly divergent axons,…

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Translational developmental studies of stress on brain and behavior: implications for adolescent mental health and illness?

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Author: Malter Cohen, M.; Tottenham, N.; Casey, B.J. Description: Adolescence is the transition from childhood to adulthood, with onset marked by puberty and the offset by relative independence from parents. Across species, it is a time of incredible change that carries increased risks and rewards. The ability of the individual to respond adequately to the mental, physical and emotional stresses of life during this time is a function of both their early environment and their present state. In this article, we focus on the effects that acute threat and chronic…

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