scholarly journals Apathy is Associated with Reduced Precision of Prior Beliefs about Action Outcomes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank H. Hezemans ◽  
Noham Wolpe ◽  
James B. Rowe
Keyword(s):  
Brain Function ◽  
Active Inference ◽  
Inference Model ◽  
Prior Beliefs ◽  
Physical Effort ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Visuomotor Task ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Diseases ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Sufficient Precision

ABSTRACTApathy is a debilitating syndrome that is associated with reduced goal-directed behaviour. Although apathy is common and detrimental to prognosis in many neuropsychiatric diseases, its underlying mechanisms remain controversial. We propose a new model of apathy, in the context of Bayesian theories of brain function, whereby actions require predictions of their outcomes to be held with sufficient precision for ‘explaining away’ differences in sensory inputs. In this active inference model, apathy would result from reduced precision of prior beliefs about action outcomes. Healthy adults (N=47) performed a visuomotor task that independently manipulated physical effort and reward, and served to estimate the precision of priors. Participants’ perception of their performance was biased towards the target, which was accounted for by precise prior beliefs about action outcomes. Crucially, prior precision was negatively associated with apathy. The results support a Bayesian account of apathy, that could inform future studies of clinical populations.

scholarly journals Linoleic acid–good or bad for the brain?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ameer Y. Taha
Keyword(s):  
Linoleic Acid ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Clinical Evidence ◽  
Corn Oil ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
The Past ◽  
Omega 6 ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Brain

AbstractIncreased intake of omega-6 rich plant oils such as soybean and corn oil over the past few decades has inadvertently tripled the amount of n-6 linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n-6) in the diet. Although LA is nutritionally “essential”, very little is known about how it affects the brain when present in excess. This review provides an overview on the metabolism of LA by the brain and the effects of excess dietary LA intake on brain function. Pre-clinical evidence suggests that excess dietary LA increases the brain’s vulnerability to inflammation and likely acts via its oxidized metabolites. In humans, excess maternal LA intake has been linked to atypical neurodevelopment, but underlying mechanisms are unknown. It is concluded that excess dietary LA may adversely affect the brain. The potential neuroprotective role of reducing dietary LA merits clinical evaluation in future studies.

Female Voice Agents in Fully Autonomous Vehicles Are Not Only More Likeable and Comfortable, But Also More Competent

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 1033-1037
Author(s):  
Jiayuan Dong ◽  
Emily Lawson ◽  
Jack Olsen ◽  
Myounghoon Jeon
Keyword(s):  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Autonomous Driving ◽  
Preference Ranking ◽  
Uncanny Valley ◽  
Tracking Data ◽  
Effective Solution ◽  
User Perception ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Voice

Driving agents can provide an effective solution to improve drivers’ trust in and to manage interactions with autonomous vehicles. Research has focused on voice-agents, while few have explored robot-agents or the comparison between the two. The present study tested two variables - voice gender and agent embodiment, using conversational scripts. Twenty participants experienced autonomous driving using the simulator for four agent conditions and filled out subjective questionnaires for their perception of each agent. Results showed that the participants perceived the voice only female agent as more likeable, more comfortable, and more competent than other conditions. Their final preference ranking also favored this agent over the others. Interestingly, eye-tracking data showed that embodied agents did not add more visual distractions than the voice only agents. The results are discussed with the traditional gender stereotype, uncanny valley, and participants’ gender. This study can contribute to the design of in-vehicle agents in the autonomous vehicles and future studies are planned to further identify the underlying mechanisms of user perception on different agents.

scholarly journals Overexpression of neuregulin 1 in GABAergic interneurons results in reversible cortical disinhibition

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao-Yi Wang ◽  
Bing Zhao ◽  
Meng-Meng Wu ◽  
Xiao-Li Zheng ◽  
Longnian Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Sodium Channel ◽  
Susceptibility Gene ◽  
Gabaergic Interneurons ◽  
Neuregulin 1 ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Diseases ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Gabaergic Function ◽  
Schizophrenia Susceptibility

AbstractCortical disinhibition is a common feature of several neuropsychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia, autism and intellectual disabilities. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. To mimic increased expression of Nrg1, a schizophrenia susceptibility gene in GABAergic interneurons from patients with schizophrenia, we generated gtoNrg1 mice with overexpression of Nrg1 in GABAergic interneurons. gtoNrg1 mice showed cortical disinhibition at the cellular, synaptic, neural network and behavioral levels. We revealed that the intracellular domain of NRG1 interacts with the cytoplasmic loop 1 of Nav1.1, a sodium channel critical for the excitability of GABAergic interneurons, and inhibits Nav currents. Intriguingly, activation of GABAergic interneurons or restoring NRG1 expression in adulthood could rescue the hyperactivity and impaired social novelty in gtoNrg1 mice. These results identify mechanisms underlying cortical disinhibition related to schizophrenia and raise the possibility that restoration of NRG1 signaling and GABAergic function is beneficial in certain neuropsychiatric disorders.

scholarly journals Infectious disease-associated encephalopathies

Critical Care ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria C. Barbosa-Silva ◽  
Maiara N. Lima ◽  
Denise Battaglini ◽  
Chiara Robba ◽  
Paolo Pelosi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Barrier Dysfunction ◽  
Glial Cell Activation ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

AbstractInfectious diseases may affect brain function and cause encephalopathy even when the pathogen does not directly infect the central nervous system, known as infectious disease-associated encephalopathy. The systemic inflammatory process may result in neuroinflammation, with glial cell activation and increased levels of cytokines, reduced neurotrophic factors, blood–brain barrier dysfunction, neurotransmitter metabolism imbalances, and neurotoxicity, and behavioral and cognitive impairments often occur in the late course. Even though infectious disease-associated encephalopathies may cause devastating neurologic and cognitive deficits, the concept of infectious disease-associated encephalopathies is still under-investigated; knowledge of the underlying mechanisms, which may be distinct from those of encephalopathies of non-infectious cause, is still limited. In this review, we focus on the pathophysiology of encephalopathies associated with peripheral (sepsis, malaria, influenza, and COVID-19), emerging therapeutic strategies, and the role of neuroinflammation. Graphic abstract

scholarly journals A Bayesian computational model reveals a failure to adapt interoceptive precision estimates across depression, anxiety, eating, and substance use disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e1008484
Author(s):  
Ryan Smith ◽  
Rayus Kuplicki ◽  
Justin Feinstein ◽  
Katherine L. Forthman ◽  
Jennifer L. Stewart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Computational Model ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
The Body ◽  
Breath Holding ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Prior Beliefs ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Psychiatric Conditions ◽  
Processing Mechanisms

Recent neurocomputational theories have hypothesized that abnormalities in prior beliefs and/or the precision-weighting of afferent interoceptive signals may facilitate the transdiagnostic emergence of psychopathology. Specifically, it has been suggested that, in certain psychiatric disorders, interoceptive processing mechanisms either over-weight prior beliefs or under-weight signals from the viscera (or both), leading to a failure to accurately update beliefs about the body. However, this has not been directly tested empirically. To evaluate the potential roles of prior beliefs and interoceptive precision in this context, we fit a Bayesian computational model to behavior in a transdiagnostic patient sample during an interoceptive awareness (heartbeat tapping) task. Modelling revealed that, during an interoceptive perturbation condition (inspiratory breath-holding during heartbeat tapping), healthy individuals (N = 52) assigned greater precision to ascending cardiac signals than individuals with symptoms of anxiety (N = 15), depression (N = 69), co-morbid depression/anxiety (N = 153), substance use disorders (N = 131), and eating disorders (N = 14)–who failed to increase their precision estimates from resting levels. In contrast, we did not find strong evidence for differences in prior beliefs. These results provide the first empirical computational modeling evidence of a selective dysfunction in adaptive interoceptive processing in psychiatric conditions, and lay the groundwork for future studies examining how reduced interoceptive precision influences visceral regulation and interoceptively-guided decision-making.

scholarly journals Early childhood aggressive behaviour: Negative interactions with paternal antisocial behaviour and maternal postpartum depressive symptoms across two international cohorts

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 77-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mijke P. Lambregtse-van den Berg ◽  
Henning Tiemeier ◽  
Frank C. Verhulst ◽  
Vincent Jaddoe ◽  
Elizabeth Tindall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Postpartum Depression ◽  
Aggressive Behaviour ◽  
Antisocial Behaviour ◽  
Childhood Aggression ◽  
Negative Interaction ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Maternal Postpartum Depression

AbstractBackground:Early childhood aggressive behaviour is a predictor of future violence. Therefore, identifying risk factors for children’s aggressive behaviour is important in understanding underlying mechanisms. Maternal postpartum depression is a known risk factor. However, little research has focused on the influence of paternal behaviour on early childhood aggression and its interaction with maternal postpartum depression.Methods:This study was performed in two cohorts: the Fathers Project, in the United Kingdom (n = 143) and the Generation R Study, in The Netherlands (n = 549). In both cohorts, we related paternal antisocial personality (ASP) traits and maternal postpartum depressive (PPD) symptoms to childhood aggressive behaviour at age two (Fathers Project) and age three (Generation R Study). We additionally tested whether the presence of paternal ASP traits increased the association between maternal PPD–symptoms and early childhood aggression.Results:The association between paternal ASP traits and early childhood aggressive behaviour, corrected for maternal PPD-symptoms, was similar in magnitude between the cohorts (Fathers Project: standardized β = 0.12, p = 0.146; Generation R: β = 0.14, p = 0.001), although the association was not statistically significant in the Fathers Project. Strikingly, and in contrast to our expectations, there was evidence of a negative interaction between paternal ASP traits and maternal PPD-symptoms on childhood aggressive behaviour (Fathers Project: β = −0.20, p = 0.020; Generation R: β = −0.09, p = 0.043) in both studies. This meant that with higher levels of paternal ASP traits the association between maternal PPD-symptoms and childhood aggressive behaviour was less and vice versa.Conclusions:Our findings stress the importance of including both maternal and paternal psychopathology in future studies and interventions focusing on early childhood aggressive behaviour.

scholarly journals Locus Coeruleus tracking of prediction errors optimises cognitive flexibility: An Active Inference model

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. e1006267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna C. Sales ◽  
Karl J. Friston ◽  
Matthew W. Jones ◽  
Anthony E. Pickering ◽  
Rosalyn J. Moran
Keyword(s):  
Locus Coeruleus ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Prediction Errors ◽  
Active Inference ◽  
Inference Model

scholarly journals Regimes of Expectations: An Active Inference Model of Social Conformity and Human Decision Making

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel Constant ◽  
Maxwell J. D. Ramstead ◽  
Samuel P. L. Veissière ◽  
Karl Friston
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Active Inference ◽  
Social Conformity ◽  
Inference Model ◽  
Human Decision

The Broad Scope of Clinical Neuropsychology in Old Age

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 511-512
Author(s):  
Friedel M. Reischies
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Geriatric Psychiatry ◽  
Diagnosis And Treatment ◽  
Clinical Neuropsychology ◽  
Entire Field ◽  
Broad Scope ◽  
Medical Evaluation ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Diseases ◽  
The Many

Neuropsychological aspects of neuropsychiatric diseases that are common in old age or that present problems for diagnosis and treatment especially in the old patient represent the objective of this book. There are several good reasons for addressing this topic. Disorders of brain function become more frequent in old age and neuropsychology thus gains importance in geriatric medical evaluation and in distinguishing the many dimensions of neuropsychological deviations from “normal senescence.” Research in this area has recently intensified and valuable insights have accumulated; however, few books on this topic are currently available. The Handbook of Neuropsychology and Aging focuses on neuropsychological aspects; specifically, on geriatric psychiatry and neurology. Here, the editor has attempted to bring together outstanding researchers to cover the entire field of geriatric neuropsychiatry.

The Effect of Antenatal Neuroprotective Magnesium Sulfate Treatment on Cerebral Oxygenation in Preterm Infants

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buse Ozer Bekmez ◽  
Yüksel Oğuz ◽  
Hayriye Gözde Kanmaz Kutman ◽  
Dilek Uygur ◽  
Fuat Emre Canpolat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnesium Sulfate ◽  
Preterm Infants ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Cerebral Oxygenation ◽  
Postnatal Life ◽  
Regional Cerebral Oxygen Saturation ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
The Third ◽  
Early Postnatal Life ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Abstract Objective Antenatal magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) treatment is associated with reduced risk of cerebral palsy in preterm infants. We aimed to investigate whether this treatment leads to any alterations on cerebral hemodynamics which could be detected by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) readings in early postnatal life. Study design Infants with gestational ages (GAs) ≤ 32 weeks were divided into two groups regarding their exposure to antenatal neuroprotective MgSO4 treatment or not. NIRS monitoring was performed to all infants, and readings were recorded for 2 hours each day during the first 3 days of life. The primary aim was to compare regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rcSO2) and cerebral fractional tissue oxygen extraction (cFTOE) between the groups. Results Sixty-six infants were exposed to antenatal MgSO4, while 64 of them did not. GA and birth weight were significantly lower in the treatment group (p < 0.01). No difference was observed in rcSO2 and cFTOE levels in the first, second, and the third days of life (p > 0.05). An insignificant reduction in severe intraventricular hemorrhage rates was observed (8 vs. 15%, p = 0.24). Conclusion We could not demonstrate any effect on cerebral oxygenation of preterm infants in early postnatal life that could be attributed to antenatal neuroprotective MgSO4 treatment. Future studies are warranted to clarify the exact underlying mechanisms of neuroprotection.

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