scholarly journals Further to the Left: Stress-Induced Increase of Spatial Pseudoneglect During the COVID-19 Lockdown

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Somma ◽  
Paolo Bartolomeo ◽  
Federica Vallone ◽  
Antonietta Argiuolo ◽  
Antonio Cerrato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Spatial Cognition ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Leftward Bias ◽  
Student Stress ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
The Right

BackgroundThe measures taken to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, such as the lockdown in Italy, do impact psychological health; yet, less is known about their effect on cognitive functioning. The transactional theory of stress predicts reciprocal influences between perceived stress and cognitive performance. However, the effects of a period of stress due to social isolation on spatial cognition and exploration have been little examined. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible effects and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on spatial cognition tasks, particularly those concerning spatial exploration, and the physiological leftward bias known as pseudoneglect. A right-hemisphere asymmetry for spatial attention processes crucially contributes to pseudoneglect. Other evidence indicates a predominantly right-hemisphere activity in stressful situations. We also analyzed the effects of lockdown on coping strategies, which typically show an opposite pattern of hemispheric asymmetry, favoring the left hemisphere. If so, then pseudoneglect should increase during the lockdown and be negatively correlated with the efficacy of coping strategies.MethodsOne week before the start of the lockdown due to COVID-19 in Italy (T1), we had collected data from a battery of behavioral tests including tasks of peri-personal spatial cognition. During the quarantine period, from late April to early May 2020 (T2), we repeated the testing sessions with a subgroup of the same participants (47 right-handed students, mean age = 20, SD = 1.33). At both testing sessions, participants performed digitized neuropsychological tests, including a Cancellation task, Radial Arm Maze task, and Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices. Participants also completed a newly developed COVID-19 Student Stress Scale, based on transactional models of stress, and the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced—New Italian Version (COPE-NIV) to assess coping orientation.ResultsThe tendency to start cancelation from a left-sided item, to explore first a left-sided arm of the maze, and to choose erroneous response items on the left side of the page on Raven’s matrices increased from T1 to T2. The degree of pseudoneglect increment positively correlated with perceived stress and negatively correlated with Positive Attitude and Problem-Solving COPE-NIV subscales.ConclusionLockdown-related stress may have contributed to increase leftward bias during quarantine through a greater activation of the right hemisphere. On the other hand, pseudoneglect was decreased for better coping participants, perhaps as a consequence of a more balanced hemispheric activity in these individuals.

scholarly journals Further to the left. Stress-induced increase of spatial pseudoneglect during the COVID-19 lockdown

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Somma ◽  
Paolo Bartolomeo ◽  
Federica Vallone ◽  
Antonietta Argiuolo ◽  
Antonio Cerrato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Cognition ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Leftward Bias ◽  
Student Stress ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
The Right ◽  
Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices

Background The measures taken to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the lockdown in Italy, do impact psychological health; yet, less is known about their effect on cognitive functioning. The transactional theory of stress predicts reciprocal influences between perceived stress and cognitive performance. However, the effects of a period of stress due to social isolation on spatial cognition and exploration have been little examined. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible effects and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on spatial cognition tasks, particularly those concerning spatial exploration, and the physiological leftward bias known as pseudoneglect. A right-hemisphere asymmetry for spatial attention processes crucially contributes to pseudoneglect. Other evidence indicates a predominantly right-hemisphere activity in stressful situations. We also analyzed the effects of lockdown on coping strategies, which typically show an opposite pattern of hemispheric asymmetry, favoring the left hemisphere. If so, then pseudoneglect should increase during the lockdown and be negatively correlated with the efficacy of coping strategies.Methods One week before the start of the lockdown due to Covid-19 in Italy (T1), we had collected data from a battery of behavioral tests including tasks of peri-personal spatial cognition. During the quarantine period, from late April to early May 2020 (T2), we repeated the testing sessions with a subgroup of the same participants (47 right-handed students, mean age = 20, SD = 1.33). At both testing sessions, participants performed digitized neuropsychological tests, including a cancellation task, radial arm maze task and Raven’s advanced progressive matrices. Participants also completed a newly developed COVID-19 Student Stress Scale, based on transactional models of stress, and the COPE-NIV to assess coping orientation. Results The tendency to start cancellation from a left-sided item, to explore first a left-sided arm of the maze, and to choose erroneous response items on the left side of the page on Raven’s matrices, increased from T1 to T2. The degree of pseudoneglect increment positively correlated with perceived stress, and negatively correlated with Positive Attitude and Problem-Solving COPE-NIV subscales. Conclusions Lockdown-related stress may have contributed to increase leftward bias during quarantine through a greater activation of the right hemisphere. On the other hand, pseudoneglect was decreased for better coping participants, perhaps as a consequence of a more balanced hemispheric activity in these individuals.

Age-Related Changes in the Allocation of Vertical Attention

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1121-1124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Mańkowska ◽  
Kenneth M. Heilman ◽  
John B. Williamson ◽  
Michał Harciarek
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Ventral Stream ◽  
Midsagittal Plane ◽  
Visual Stream ◽  
Leftward Bias ◽  
Healthy Elderly ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Right ◽  
Dorsal Visual Stream

AbstractObjectives: Healthy individuals often have a leftward and upward attentional spatial bias; however, there is a reduction of this leftward bias with aging. The right hemisphere mediates leftward spatial attention and age-related reduction of right hemispheric activity may account for this reduced leftward bias. The right hemisphere also appears to be responsible for upward bias, and this upward bias might reduce with aging. Alternatively, whereas the dorsal visual stream allocates attention downward, the ventral stream allocates attention upward. Since with aging there is a greater atrophy of the dorsal than ventral stream, older participants may reveal a greater upward bias. The main purpose of this study was to learn if aging influences the vertical allocation of spatial attention. Methods: Twenty-six young (17 males; mean age 44.62±2.57 years) and 25 healthy elderly (13 males; mean age 72.04±.98 years), right-handed adults performed line bisections using 24 vertical lines (24 cm long and 2 mm thick) aligned with their midsagittal plane. Results: Older adults had a significantly greater upward bias than did younger adults. Conclusions: Normal upward attentional bias increases with aging, possibly due to an age-related reduction of the dorsal attentional stream that is responsible for the allocation of downward attention. (JINS, 2018, 24, 1121–1124)

scholarly journals Covid-19 related stress and coping strategies among adults with chronic disease in Southwest Ethiopia.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abel Girma ◽  
Ermias Ayalew
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Coping Strategy ◽  
Stress And Coping ◽  
Southwest Ethiopia ◽  
Stress Score ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Strategy Types ◽  
And Coping

Abstract Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus which are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals which can affect people physically and psychologically. The older people and those with underlying medical problems are more likely to develop serious illness and death. Objective the aim of this study was to determine Covid-19 related stress and coping strategies among adults with chronic disease in Bench-Sheko,West Omo and Keffa Zones, southwest Ethiopia Methods Institutional based cross-sectional study was applied among 613 adults with chronic disease. A simple sampling technique was applied. Correlational analysis was used to determine the relationship between the COVID-19 related stress score and coping strategy types. To measure the strength of association between dependent variables and independent variables and Pearson coefficients (r) with 95% Confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Finally, the variable, which shows statistical significance (p-value < 0.05 cut point) were used to quantify the associations among variables. Results: Around 613 participants of 96% response rate were participated. About 68.4% were moderately stressed; low stress was 17.8% and severe stress was 13.9 %. Covid-19 related perceived stress score were positively associated with coping strategies types of like sell-distraction, active coping, denial, emotional support, behavioral disengagement, venting, and use of instrument, positive reframing, self-blaming, planning, humoring and religion. The most preferable types of coping strategies were religious, instrumental and active coping strategies and while the least used were substance used. Conclusion: Significant numbers of participants were suffered from severe perceived stress due to covid-19 outbreak in this study area. Both adaptive and maladaptive Coping strategy types were significantly associated with stress. Substance use and self-blaming were the types coping strategies which were not associated with perceived stress.

A Double Dissociation in the Affective Modulation of Startle in Humans: Effects of Unilateral Temporal Lobectomy

2001 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 721-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Sumie Funayama ◽  
Christian Grillon ◽  
Michael Davis ◽  
Elizabeth A. Phelps
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Medial Temporal Lobe ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Temporal Lobectomy ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Double Dissociation ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
The Right

In the present study we report a double dissociation between right and left medial temporal lobe damage in the modulation of fear responses to different types of stimuli. We found that right unilateral temporal lobectomy (RTL) patients, in contrast to control subjects and left temporal lobectomy (LTL) patients, failed to show potentiated startle while viewing negative pictures. However, the opposite pattern of impairment was observed during a stimulus that patients had been told signaled the possibility of shock. Control subjects and RTL patients showed potentiated startle while LTL patients failed to show potentiated startle. We hypothesize that the right medial temporal lobe modulates fear responses while viewing emotional pictures, which involves exposure to (emotional) visual information and is consistent with the emotional processing traditionally ascribed to the right hemisphere. In contrast, the left medial temporal lobe modulates fear responses when those responses are the result of a linguistic/cognitive representation acquired through language, which, like other verbally mediated material, generally involves the left hemisphere. Additional evidence from case studies suggests that, within the medial temporal lobe, the amygdala is responsible for this modulation.

scholarly journals Sulcal Morphology in Cingulate Cortex is Associated with Voluntary Oro-Facial Motor Control and Gestural Communication in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D Hopkins ◽  
Emmanuel Procyk ◽  
Michael Petrides ◽  
Steven J Schapiro ◽  
Mary Catherine Mareno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Control ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Anterior Portion ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Control Male ◽  
Mri Scans ◽  
The Right

Abstract Individual differences in sulcal variation within the anterior and mid-cingulate cortex of the human brain, particularly the presence or absence of a paracingulate sulcus (PCGS), are associated with various motor and cognitive processes. Recently, it has been reported that chimpanzees possess a PCGS, previously thought to be a unique feature of the human brain. Here, we examined whether individual variation in the presence or absence of a PCGS as well as the variability in the intralimbic sulcus (ILS) are associated with oro-facial motor control, handedness for manual gestures, and sex in a sample of MRI scans obtained in 225 chimpanzees. Additionally, we quantified the depth of the cingulate sulcus (CGS) along the anterior–posterior axis and tested for association with oro-facial motor control, handedness, and sex. Chimpanzees with better oro-facial motor control were more likely to have a PCGS, particularly in the left hemisphere compared to those with poorer control. Male chimpanzees with better oro-facial motor control showed increased leftward asymmetries in the depth of the anterior CGS, whereas female chimpanzees showed the opposite pattern. Significantly, more chimpanzees had an ILS in the left compared to the right hemisphere, but variability in this fold was not associated with sex, handedness, or oro-facial motor control. Finally, significant population-level leftward asymmetries were found in the anterior portion of the CGS, whereas significant rightward biases were evident in the posterior regions. The collective results suggest that the emergence of a PCGS and enhanced gyrification within the anterior and mid-cingulate gyrus may have directly or indirectly evolved in response to selection for increasing oro-facial motor control in primates.

scholarly journals Diagnostic of psychoemotional and cognitive impairments in acute ischemic stroke

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasya . M. Tynterova
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Left Hemisphere ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Cognitive Impairments ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Cerebral Hemispheres ◽  
Adaptive Coping ◽  
The Right

Aims: to assess the severity of cognitive, psychoemotional, behavioral disorders, the level of self-control and prevalence of certain coping strategies in patients with lesions of the right and left cerebral hemispheres after acute ischemic stroke. Materials and methods: The study included 60 patients with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke. Depending on the location of the stroke, patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 - 30 patients with lesions of the right hemisphere, Group 2 - 30 patients with lesions of the left hemisphere. The study was conducted on the 7th day of treatment and included: assessment of the cognitive status according to the Montreal scale (with additional scales for assessing the functions of the right hemisphere); assessment of the level of distress, depression, anxiety and somatization using the Four DimensionalSymptomQuestionnaire; assessment of mental and physical asthenia according to the MFI-20 scale, level of self-control using the Rotter'sLocus of Control Scale and coping strategies modality using E. Heim coping questionnaire. Results: The study established the prevalence of depression, a tendency towards non-adaptive coping strategies, ideational praxis related disorders understanding of metaphors and low level of self-control in relation to health in patients with lesions of the right hemisphere. Patients with ischemic stroke localized in the left hemisphere are characterized by a high level of mental asthenia, a choice of adaptive and relatively adaptive coping strategies, and a low level of self-control in respect to interpersonal relationships. Conclusions: The results of the study show that in the acute period of stroke there are qualitative and quantitative differences in neuropsychiatric symptoms of patients with lesions of the right and left cerebral hemispheres. The predominance of depression, cognitive impairments, and non-adaptive coping strategies in patients with lesions of the right hemisphere even with minimal or moderate motor deficits justifies early examination of the patient's behavioral, neuropsychiatric, and cognitive syndromes. The results of the study indicate the need to develop individual psychological rehabilitation programs for patients with lesions of the right and left cerebral hemispheres during the acute period of stroke.

scholarly journals Psychological Health Conditions and COVID-19-Related Stressors Among University Students: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Survey

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Clelia Zurlo ◽  
Maria Francesca Cattaneo Della Volta ◽  
Federica Vallone
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Mental Disease ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Student Stress ◽  
Related Stress

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has broadly impacted university students’ customary life, resulting in remarkable levels of stress and psychological suffering. Although the acute phase of the crisis has been overcome, it does not imply that perceived stress related to the risk of contagion and to the changes in the relational life experienced over more than 1 year of the pandemic will promptly and abruptly decrease. This study aims at comparing university students’ psychological health conditions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also at providing information on how psychological health conditions evolved over the 1 year of the pandemic. We analyzed data from a repeated cross-sectional survey on different samples of university students before the pandemic in 2017 (n = 545) and during the pandemic (n = 671). During the pandemic, data were collected at three stages (Stage 1, April 2020 n = 197; Stage 2, November 2020 n = 274; and Stage 3, April 2021 n = 200). The COVID-19 Student Stress Questionnaire (CSSQ) and the Symptom-Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) were used to assess, respectively, COVID-19-related stressors (Relationships and Academic Life, Isolation, and Fear of Contagion) and the presence of psychological symptoms. Psychological health conditions were compared at baseline and during the pandemic, whereas both psychological health conditions and perceived levels of COVID-19-related stressors were compared over the three pandemic stages. In addition, Logistic Regression was used to explore the associations between COVID-19-related stressors and psychological symptoms. Findings revealed a significant increase in symptoms of Depression (DEP), Phobic-Anxiety (PHOB), Obsessive-Compulsive (O-C), and Psychoticism (PSY) from pre to during the pandemic. Perceived levels of COVID-19-related stress and specific psychological symptoms significantly increased as the pandemic was progressing. COVID-19-related stressors emerged as significantly associated with several psychopathological symptoms. Findings are discussed with the aim of providing tailored interventions to prevent mental disease and promote psychological adjustment in this specific stage of transition within this exceptional global emergency.

scholarly journals Influence of Static Magnetic Field Stimulation on the Accuracy of Tachystoscopically Presented Line Bisection

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1006
Author(s):  
Hikari Kirimoto ◽  
Tatsunori Watanabe ◽  
Nami Kubo ◽  
Shota Date ◽  
Toru Sunagawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Cognition ◽  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Spatial Task ◽  
Leftward Bias ◽  
Sham Stimulation ◽  
Healthy Humans ◽  
Posterior Parietal ◽  
The Right

Transcranial static magnetic stimulation (tSMS) has been known to reduce human cortical excitability. Here, we investigated whether tSMS would modulate visuo-spatial cognition in healthy humans. Subjects performed a visuo-spatial task requiring judgements about the symmetry of pre-bisected lines. Visual stimuli consisted of symmetrically or asymmetrically transected lines, tachystoscopically presented for 150 ms on a computer monitor. Task performance was examined before, immediately after, and 10 min after tSMS/sham stimulation of 20 min over the posterior parietal cortex (PPC: P4 from the international 10–20 system) or superior temporal gyrus (STG: C6). Nine out of 16 subjects misjudged pre-bisected lines by consistently underestimating the length of the right-side segment (judging lines to be exactly pre-bisected when the transector was located to the left of the midpoint, or judging the left-side segment to be longer when the transector was located at the midpoint). In these subjects showing a leftward bias, tSMS over the right STG reduced the magnitude of the leftward bias. This did not occur with tSMS over the right PPC or sham stimulation. In the remaining right-biased subjects, no intervention effect was observed with any stimulation. Our findings indicate that application of tSMS over the right STG modulates visuo-spatial cognition in healthy adults.

scholarly journals Coronavirus Disease Stress Among Italian Healthcare Workers: The Role of Coping Humor

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Canestrari ◽  
Ramona Bongelli ◽  
Alessandra Fermani ◽  
Ilaria Riccioni ◽  
Alessia Bertolazzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Brief Cope ◽  
Approach Coping ◽  
Potential Factor ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
And Coping

The study aimed to understand how coping strategies in general and humor-based coping strategies in particular modulate the perception of pandemic-related stress in a sample of Italian healthcare workers during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Italy. A total of 625 healthcare workers anonymously and voluntarily completed a 10-min questionnaire, which included psychometrically valid measurements preceded by a set of questions aimed at determining workers’ exposure to COVID-19. The Perceived Stress Scale was used to measure healthcare workers’ stress levels, and the Brief COPE Scale and Coping Humor Scale were used to assess participants’ avoidant or approach coping style and verify the degree to which they relied on humor to cope with stress. The results show that (1) levels of perceived stress were higher in healthcare workers who were more exposed to COVID-19 (i.e., who came into contact with COVID-19 patients or worked in wards dedicated to COVID-19) in comparison to less-exposed workers; (2) participants who reported a higher use of avoidant coping strategies perceived the situation as more stressful than those who used them less; and (3) healthcare workers who reported higher use of humor-based coping strategies perceived the situation as less stressful in comparison with those who reported less use of coping humor. Such findings expanded other research studies by including coping humor as a potential factor to mitigate the perceived stress related to COVID-19. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for future research and limitations of the study.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document