Teacher-student relationships have been found consistently important for student school effectiveness in mathematics in the last three decades. Although this observation is generally made from the teacher's perspective,...Teacher-student relationships have been found consistently important for student school effectiveness in mathematics in the last three decades. Although this observation is generally made from the teacher's perspective, neuroscience can provide new insights by establishing the neurobiological underpinning of social interactions. This paper further develops this line of research by utilizing graph theory to represent interactions between teachers and students at the neural level. Through hyperscanning with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we collected data from the prefrontal cortex and the temporoparietal junction of 24 dyads composed of a teacher and a student. Each dyad used a board game to perform a programming logic class that consisted of three steps: independent activities (control), presentation of concepts, and interactive exercises. Graph theory provides results regarding the strength of teacher-student interaction and the main channels involved in these interactions. We combined graph modularity and bootstrap to measure pair coactivation, thus establishing the strength of teacher-student interaction. Also, graph centrality detects the main brain channels involved during this interaction. In general, the teacher's most relevant nodes rely on the regions related to language and number processing, spatial cognition, and attention. Also, the students' most relevant nodes rely on the regions related to task management.
Understanding the conceptual resources that children bring to mathematics learning is crucial for developing effective instruction and interventions. Despite the considerable number of studies examining the neural underp...Understanding the conceptual resources that children bring to mathematics learning is crucial for developing effective instruction and interventions. Despite the considerable number of studies examining the neural underpinnings of number representations in adults and the growing number of reports in children, very few studies have examined the neural correlates of the link between foundational resources related to numerical information and symbolic number representations in infants. There is currently an active debate about which foundational resources are critical for symbolic mathematics. Is early numerical discrimination best explained by a holistic and generalized sense of magnitude rather than a number sense? Does early number sense provide the conceptual basis for mapping numerical symbols to their meaning? Are foundational number systems marginal while children learn to count and perform symbolic arithmetic, and only later children map non symbolic representations of numerical magnitudes onto symbols? After describing the mainstream theories of numerical cognition and the sources of controversy, we review recent studies of the neural bases of human infants' numerical performance with the aim of clarifying the link between early conceptual resources and symbolic number systems as children's mathematical minds develop.
Patients with TRD often experience persistent impairment of affective, psychosocial, and cognitive function, which impedes their recovery. The continuation of pharmacotherapy for patients with TRD remains the cornerstone...Patients with TRD often experience persistent impairment of affective, psychosocial, and cognitive function, which impedes their recovery. The continuation of pharmacotherapy for patients with TRD remains the cornerstone of functional recovery. Cognitive dysfunction is prevalent in patients with MDD and may make patients' depressive symptoms and psychosocial functioning worse, even in the remitted stage of illness. Deficits can manifest not only in specific cognitive domains but also in global cognitive function, which may reflect underlying persistent pathophysiological changes. Compared with nontreatment-resistant patients with MDD, patients with TRD exhibit greater subjective and objective cognitive impairment, which possibly contributes to a greater adverse impact on daily functioning. Cognitive and psychosocial remission should be a goal in treating MDD. How to appropriately and individualized perform pharmacological intervention, psychotherapy, neuromodulation, cognitive remediation or other rehabilitation treatment programs is a critical step to achieve our goal. Integrating multiple interventions that engage multiple physiological systems with a multidisciplinary team warrants increased attention, and personalized therapeutic programs may facilitate the complete restoration of patients' everyday functioning.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), the oldest brain stimulation procedure in psychiatry, is associated with rapid response and remission in majority of patients with resistant, severe, and sometimes life-threatening depres...Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), the oldest brain stimulation procedure in psychiatry, is associated with rapid response and remission in majority of patients with resistant, severe, and sometimes life-threatening depression. ECT has been included as an essential component in the definition of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) to display the course and diversification of TRD. On the other hand, ECT remains the treatment of choice for the most severe incapacitating forms of TRD and is a cost-effective treatment. In this chapter, we reviewed some essential studies, meta-analysis, and expert guidelines regarding ECT in TRD. ECT should not be considered as a treatment of last resort, and its administration should be considered on the basis of individual patient and illness factors. The clinical role of ECT vs other neurostimulation treatments for TRD, that is, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, were also explored. Much effort has been directed toward the clinical and basic research about mechanisms of action of ECT in depression. A thorough understanding of the neurobiological effects of ECT may increase our understanding of its therapeutic effects, ultimately leading to improved patient care. We also showed that the distinct mechanisms of ECT in biological treatments of major depressive disorder (MDD) and some recent approaches to understand this most common psychiatric disorder. ECT should remain a standard part of modern psychiatric medicine. We recommend a more careful and thoughtful application of this traditional but effective technology.
Depression is one of the main public health problems in the world, having a high prevalence and being considered the main cause of disability. An important portion of patients does not respond to treatment with the initi...Depression is one of the main public health problems in the world, having a high prevalence and being considered the main cause of disability. An important portion of patients does not respond to treatment with the initial trial of conventional antidepressants in the current depressive episode of moderate to severe intensity, which characterizes treatment-resistant depression. In this context, non-invasive neuromodulation procedures use an electric current or magnetic field to modulate the central nervous system, and they represent a new option for patients with treatment-resistant depression.
Treatment refractory depression (TRD) in the elderly is a common psychiatric disorder with high comorbidity and mortality. Older adults with TRD often have complicated comorbidities and several predisposing risk factors,...Treatment refractory depression (TRD) in the elderly is a common psychiatric disorder with high comorbidity and mortality. Older adults with TRD often have complicated comorbidities and several predisposing risk factors, which may lead to neuropsychiatric dysfunction and poor response to treatment. Several hypotheses suggest the underlying mechanisms, including vascular, immunological, senescence, or abnormal protein deposition. Treatment strategies for TRD include optimization of current medication dose, augmentation, switching to an alternative agent or class, and combination of different antidepressant classes, as well as nonpharmacological adjuvant interventions such as biophysical stimulation and psychotherapy. In summary, treatment recommendations for TRD in the elderly favor a multimodal approach, combining pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments.
Migraine and major depressive disorders (MDD) or treatment resistant depression (TRD) represent a significant global burden and are often comorbid, further complicating diagnosis and treatment. Epidemiological studies ha...Migraine and major depressive disorders (MDD) or treatment resistant depression (TRD) represent a significant global burden and are often comorbid, further complicating diagnosis and treatment. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a bidirectional relationship between migraine and MDD/TRD, with patients suffering from one disorder exhibiting a heightened risk of developing the other. This association is believed to result from shared genetic factors, neurotransmitter dysregulation, inflammation, hormonal alteration, and other conditions comorbid with both disorders. Emerging evidence suggests that therapeutics targeting common pathways in both disorders may be beneficial for comorbid patients. Novel therapeutics for migraine or MDD/TRD, such as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-targeting therapy, onabotulinumtoxinA, ketamine/esketamine, vagus nerve stimulation or transcranial magnetic stimulation, may be helpful in selected patients with comorbid migraine-MDD/TRD. Nevertheless, continued efforts are needed to improve early detection and intervention, to better understand the complex interplay between genetic, environmental, and psychosocial factors contributing to this comorbidity, to identify novel therapeutic targets, and ultimately, to alleviate the disease burden caused by this comorbidity.
Tinnitus, a frequent disorder, is the conscious perception of a sound in the absence of a corresponding external acoustic sound source in the sense of a phantom sound. Although the majority of people who perceive a tinni...Tinnitus, a frequent disorder, is the conscious perception of a sound in the absence of a corresponding external acoustic sound source in the sense of a phantom sound. Although the majority of people who perceive a tinnitus sound can cope with it and are only minimaly impaired in their quality of lfe, 2-3% of the population perceive tinnitus as a major problem. Recently it has been proposed that the two groups should be differentiated by distict terms: "Tinnitus" describes the auditory or sensory component, whereas "Tinnitus Disorder" reflects the auditory component and the associated suffering. There is overwhelming evidence that a high tinnitus burden is associated with the increased occurrence of comorbidities, including depression. Since no causal therapeutic options are available for patients with tinnitus at the present time, the identification and adequate treatment of relevant comorbidities is of great importance for the reduction of tinnitus distress. This chapter deals with the relationship between tinnitus and depression. The neuronal mechanisms underlying tinnitus will first be discussed. There will also be an overview about depression and treatment resistant depression (TRD). A comprehensive review about the state-of-the-art evidences of the relationship between tinnitus and TRD will then be provided.
Depression and sleep disturbance are related closely with bidirectional relationship. The heterogenic diagnostic criteria of major depressive disorder composed by the myriad combination of symptoms including sleep distur...Depression and sleep disturbance are related closely with bidirectional relationship. The heterogenic diagnostic criteria of major depressive disorder composed by the myriad combination of symptoms including sleep disturbance. Insomnia is an identifiable risk factor for depression and the treatment of insomnia might be able to prevent subsequent major depressive episodes which draws psychiatrists' attention to the interface of psychiatry and sleep medicine field. It is important to identify occult sleep disturbance in patients with treatment-resistant depression to improve treatment outcome. New tools to objectively measure sleep at home environment represent a great march in clinical care and research modalities but need further validation before they can be applying widespread at sleep and depression intersection. Careful evaluation and measurement of the phenotype and nature of sleep disturbance will continue to advance understanding of the biological bases of psychiatric disorders and the connections with sleep.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) in children and adolescents is a significant health problem, causing profound impairments in social, academic, and family functioning and substantial morbidity and mortality. Up to 15% of...Major depressive disorder (MDD) in children and adolescents is a significant health problem, causing profound impairments in social, academic, and family functioning and substantial morbidity and mortality. Up to 15% of children and adolescents suffer from MDD, and a proportion, around 30 to 40% of them, failed to respond to initial selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment. The only evidence-based recommendation is medication switching to another SSRI and augmentation with cognitive behavioral therapy. Newly developing treatment, including ketamine, transcranial magnetic stimulation, psychotherapy other than cognitive behavioral therapy, and combined pharmacotherapy with other interventions, requires further longitudinal controlled trials regarding efficacy and safety in this vulnerable population.
The word "silence" typically refers to the auditory modality, signifying an absence of sound or noise, being quiet. One may then ask: could we attribute the notion of silence to the domain of dance, e.g., when a movement...The word "silence" typically refers to the auditory modality, signifying an absence of sound or noise, being quiet. One may then ask: could we attribute the notion of silence to the domain of dance, e.g., when a movement is absent and the dancer stops moving? Is it at all useful to think in terms of silence when referring to dance? In this chapter, my exploration of these questions is based on recent studies in brain research, which demonstrate the remarkable facility of specific regions in the human brain to perceive visually referred biological and, in particular, human motion, leading to prediction of future movements of the human body. I will argue that merely ceasing motion is an insufficient condition for creating a perception of silence in the mind of a spectator of dance. Rather, the experience of silence in dance is a special situation where the static position of the dancer does not imply motion, and is unlikely to evoke interpretation of the intentions or the emotional expression of the dancer. For this to happen, the position of the dancer, while being still, should be held effortlessly, aimlessly, and with a minimal expression of emotion and intention. Furthermore, I suggest that dynamics, repetitive movement (such as that of Sufi whirling dervishes), can also be perceived as silence in dance because of the high level of predictability and evenness of the movement. These moments of silence in dance, which are so rare in our daily lives, invite us to experience the human body from a new, "out of the box" perspective that is the essence of all the arts.
Absence of consciousness can occur due to a concussion, anesthetization, intoxication, epileptic seizure, or other fainting/syncope episode caused by lack of blood flow to the brain. However, some meditation practitioner...Absence of consciousness can occur due to a concussion, anesthetization, intoxication, epileptic seizure, or other fainting/syncope episode caused by lack of blood flow to the brain. However, some meditation practitioners also report that it is possible to undergo a total absence of consciousness during meditation, lasting up to 7 days, and that these "cessations" can be consistently induced. One form of extended cessation (i.e., nirodha samāpatti) is thought to be different from sleep because practitioners are said to be completely impervious to external stimulation. That is, they cannot be 'woken up' from the cessation state as one might be from a dream. Cessations are also associated with the absence of any time experience or tiredness, and are said to involve a stiff rather than a relaxed body. Emergence from meditation-induced cessations is said to have profound effects on subsequent cognition and experience (e.g., resulting in a sudden sense of clarity, openness, and possibly insights). In this paper, we briefly outline the historical context for cessation events, present preliminary data from two labs, set a research agenda for their study, and provide an initial framework for understanding what meditation induced cessation may reveal about the mind and brain. We conclude by integrating these so-called nirodha and nirodha samāpatti experiences-as they are known in classical Buddhism-into current cognitive-neurocomputational and active inference frameworks of meditation.
Human sleep is a dynamic and complex process comprising sleep stages with REM and NREM sleep characteristics that come in cycles. During sleep, there is a loss of responsiveness or a perceptual loss of conscious awarenes...Human sleep is a dynamic and complex process comprising sleep stages with REM and NREM sleep characteristics that come in cycles. During sleep, there is a loss of responsiveness or a perceptual loss of conscious awareness with increasing thresholds for wakefulness as sleep progresses. There are brief bursts of wakefulness or Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO) throughout a nocturnal sleep. Conscious experience during nocturnal sleep is known to occur during lucid dreaming when one is aware during dreams when the dream is occurring. Most cultures have known lucid dreaming since antiquity. However, conscious experience during dreamless sleep is relatively lesser known. Nevertheless, selected Indo-Tibetan meditation literature has documented it since antiquity. Minimal Phenomenal Experience (MPE) research describes lucid dreamless sleep as its target phenomenology. "Conscious entry into sleep" posits tonic alertness is maintained post sleep onset through the sleep stages for sustained durations of time until an eventual loss of conscious awareness. Entering sleep consciously and being aware during dreamless sleep, including Slow Wave Activity, is plausibly to be in the state of "Yoga Nidra" or Yogic sleep. An attentive sleepful state provides access to subtler states of consciousness and significantly deepens the levels of silence. It is phenomenologically distinct from hypnagogic hallucinations and lucid dreaming. Unfortunately, sleep studies validating this phenomenology are yet to be done. Therefore, an experimental methodology akin to those used in lucid dreaming experiments is described.
Covert behavior is defined as behavior that is not directly visible and is thus comparable to a type of behavioral silence that requires modern psychophysiological techniques to reveal. Goal-directed behavior is teleolog...Covert behavior is defined as behavior that is not directly visible and is thus comparable to a type of behavioral silence that requires modern psychophysiological techniques to reveal. Goal-directed behavior is teleologically purposive. Fundamentally, there are two approaches to accounting for purposeful behavior. One is the cybernetic approach, which views behavior as homeostatic and largely reflexive. The other one views behavior as a cognitive process that involves an interaction between neural events representing the previous experience, the present state of the individual, and the occurrence of particular features in the environment. This review, based on published data, presents a non-invasive psychophysiological method for investigating the electrical brain activity associated with those "silent" behaviors such as intention, evaluation of results, and memorization. Movement-related potentials (MRPs) are ideal for studying these processes. The MRPs are recorded during the execution of the skilled performance task (SPT). This task requires the execution of fast ballistic movements with the thumbs of both hands, learning a precise and short time interval between the two thumb presses, and scoring the highest number of target performances. The subject receives real-time feedback about the results of his performance. The MRPs associated with this task and present during covert behavior are the Bereitschaftspotential (BP) present before the onset of movement and the Skilled Performance Positivity (SPP) after movement, which coincides with the subject's awareness of the success or failure of his performance. These potentials show a maturational trend, reaching the adult form around the age of 10 when formal and abstract thinking progress. SPT and MRPs are particularly suitable to study neurodevelopmental disorders. Children with developmental dyslexia show abnormal MRPs, both in latency and amplitude, in different brain areas.
This systematic review explores the influence of silence on the autonomic nervous system. The Polyvagal Theory has been used as a reference model to describe the autonomic nervous system by explaining its role in emotion...This systematic review explores the influence of silence on the autonomic nervous system. The Polyvagal Theory has been used as a reference model to describe the autonomic nervous system by explaining its role in emotional regulation, social engagement, and adaptive physiological responses. PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were systematically searched up until July 2023 for relevant studies. The literature search yielded 511 results, and 37 studies were eventually included in this review. Silence affects the autonomic nervous system differently based on whether it is inner or outer silence. Inner silence enhances activity of the ventral vagus, favoring social engagement, and reducing sympathetic nervous system activity and physiological stress. Outer silence, conversely, can induce a heightened state of alertness, potentially triggering vagal brake removal and sympathetic nervous system activation, though with training, it can foster inner silence, preventing such activation. The autonomic nervous system response to silence can also be influenced by other factors such as context, familiarity with silence, presence and quality of outer noise, and empathy.
The well-known, quantum physics "double-slit" experiment was the first demonstration of wave-particle duality of light-photons naturally behave like waves, but once they are registered by a conscious observer they switch...The well-known, quantum physics "double-slit" experiment was the first demonstration of wave-particle duality of light-photons naturally behave like waves, but once they are registered by a conscious observer they switch to behaving like particles. In recent years, a new avenue of research has reported a psychophysical interaction occurring when focused attention was employed in the double-slit experiment. In this context, the act of focusing attention to photons passing through the double-slit appears to collapse their wave function thus causing a shift toward particle-like behavior reflected in a decreased intensity of wave interference. Contrary to the common belief that physical events have a unidirectional, first-order causal effect on cognition, these studies suggest that mental activities are capable of influencing physical systems. The present paper provides an extended review of findings on this psychophysical phenomenon, as well as recommendations for future research.
The use of games for cognitive screening is not new and involves employing simple tasks as well as virtual reality. In this work, we introduce the use of the combinatorial game Clobber, created by the mathematicians Albe...The use of games for cognitive screening is not new and involves employing simple tasks as well as virtual reality. In this work, we introduce the use of the combinatorial game Clobber, created by the mathematicians Albert, Grossman, Nowakowski and Wolfe in 2001 in a classroom-based experiment and analyzed how it can assess cognitive functions. Specifically, this study tries to address how the use of the Clobber game can target executive functions (EFs) and why it may be a valuable game to assess EFs. Executive functions have an extremely complex nature and combine abilities which involve planning, decision-making, productive action, and self-regulation, among others. We performed a cross-sectional study with a sample of 111 participants aged 9-30 from three educational levels in which Clobber was applied in four different configurations varying in complexity. The findings identify two variables that can guide future experiments with Clobber: the game configuration and the time spent solving the game.