Scientific Reports,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
14(1)
Published: Jan. 18, 2024
Abstract
The
central
autonomic
network
(CAN)
plays
a
crucial
role
in
modulating
the
nervous
system.
Heart
rate
variability
(HRV)
is
valuable
marker
for
assessing
CAN
function
disorders
of
consciousness
(DOC)
patients.
We
used
HRV
analysis
early
prognosis
58
DOC
patients
enrolled
within
ten
days
hospitalization.
They
underwent
five-minute
electrocardiogram
during
baseline
and
acoustic/visual
stimulation.
coma
recovery
scale-revised
(CRS-R)
was
to
define
patient’s
level
categorize
good/bad
outcome
at
three
months.
high-frequency
Power
Spectrum
Density
standard
deviation
normal-to-normal
peaks
baseline,
sample
entropy
stimulation,
time
from
injury
features
were
support
vector
machine
(SVM)
prediction.
SVM
predicted
patients’
with
an
accuracy
96%
training
test
100%
validation
test,
underscoring
its
potential
provide
clinical
information
about
prognosis.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
120(2)
Published: Jan. 3, 2023
Mindful
attention
is
characterized
by
acknowledging
the
present
experience
as
a
transient
mental
event.
Early
stages
of
mindfulness
practice
may
require
greater
neural
effort
for
later
efficiency.
self-regulate
behavior
and
focalize
present,
but
this
understanding
lacks
computational
explanation.
Here
we
used
network
control
theory
model
how
external
inputs—operationalizing
effort—distribute
changes
in
activity
evoked
during
mindful
across
white
matter
network.
We
hypothesized
that
individuals
with
controllability,
thereby
efficiently
distributing
inputs,
effectively
behavior.
further
brain
regions
utilize
input
exhibit
shorter
intrinsic
timescales
activity.
Shorter
characterize
quickly
discontinuing
past
processing
to
present.
tested
these
hypotheses
randomized
controlled
study
primed
participants
either
mindfully
respond
or
naturally
react
alcohol
cues
fMRI
administered
text
reminders
measurements
consumption
4
wk
postscan.
found
controllability
moderated
consumption.
regulation
cues,
compared
one’s
own
natural
reactions,
reduced
craving,
craving
did
not
differ
from
baseline
group.
reactions
group,
involved
more-effortful
dynamics
cognitive
subnetworks.
This
persisted
group
More-effortful
states
had
than
less
effortful
states,
offering
an
explanation
promotes
being
Nature Communications,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
15(1)
Published: July 8, 2024
Abstract
Sensory
inputs
enter
a
constantly
active
brain,
whose
state
is
always
changing
from
one
moment
to
the
next.
Currently,
little
known
about
how
ongoing,
spontaneous
brain
activity
participates
in
online
task
processing.
We
employed
7
Tesla
fMRI
and
threshold-level
visual
perception
probe
effects
of
prestimulus
ongoing
on
perceptual
decision-making
conscious
recognition.
Prestimulus
originating
distributed
regions,
including
cortices
regions
default-mode
cingulo-opercular
networks,
exerted
diverse
set
sensitivity
criterion
recognition,
categorization
performance.
further
elucidate
mechanisms
underlying
these
behavioral
effects,
revealing
modulates
multiple
aspects
stimulus
processing
highly
specific
network-dependent
manners.
These
findings
reveal
heretofore
unknown
network
activity’s
influence
perception,
may
hold
implications
for
understanding
precise
roles
other
functions.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
121(18)
Published: April 22, 2024
Affective
touch—a
slow,
gentle,
and
pleasant
form
of
touch—activates
a
different
neural
network
than
which
is
activated
during
discriminative
touch
in
humans.
perception
enabled
by
specialized
low-threshold
mechanoreceptors
the
skin
with
unmyelinated
fibers
called
C
tactile
(CT)
afferents.
These
CT
afferents
are
conserved
across
mammalian
species,
including
macaque
monkeys.
However,
it
unknown
whether
representation
affective
same
species
touch’s
capacity
to
activate
hubs
brain
that
compute
socioaffective
information
requires
conscious
perception.
Here,
we
used
functional
MRI
assess
preferential
activation
slow
(affective)
vs.
fast
(discriminative)
anesthetized
rhesus
monkeys
(
Macaca
mulatta
).
The
insula,
anterior
cingulate
cortex
(ACC),
amygdala,
secondary
somatosensory
were
all
significantly
more
active
relative
touch,
suggesting
homologous
interoceptive-allostatic
primate
touch.
Further,
found
responses
insula
ACC
(the
primary
cortical
for
interoceptive
processing)
changed
age.
Insula
younger
animals
differentiated
between
while
activity
was
comparable
conditions
aged
(equivalent
>70
y
humans).
results,
together
prior
studies
establishing
peripheral
nervous
system
mechanisms
transduction,
suggest
evolutionarily
monkeys,
impacted
old
age,
do
not
necessitate
experience
Journal of Environmental Psychology,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
94, P. 102245 - 102245
Published: Jan. 14, 2024
The
theory
of
mental
gravity
posits
that
phenomenological,
cognitive,
and
affective
states
an
embodied
self
are
structured
according
to
the
experience
physical
(i.e.,
internal
model).
draws
a
behavioral
analogy
between
external
(physical),
(mental),
relational
(socio-emotional)
environments
argue
serves
as
template
express
socio-emotional
aspects
self-world
relationship.
is
based
on
principle
cognitive
gravitropism,
whereby
being
"up"
"aligned"
gravitational
field
confers
survival,
adaptive,
emotional,
social
value.
explains
how
manifests
in
cognition
behavior,
emotion
personality,
large-scale
brain
networks,
phenomenology
selfhood.
On
surface
level,
for
derives
from
simulation
gravity's
physiological
effects.
At
deeper
describes
underlying
neural,
phenomenological
processes
driving
gravity.
Neuroanatomy
focuses
vestibular,
salience,
default
mode,
central
executive
networks.
basis
mode
activity,
viewed
brain's
autobiographical
"centre
gravity".
interacts
with
environment
this
reference
frame,
communicating
feelings
associated
relationship
by
simulating
effects
through
affect,
language.
A
continuum
hypothesised
range
positive
"down"
like
ecstasy
mindfulness
negative
anxiety
depression,
respectively
(Kent,
2023).
Brain Communications,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
6(2)
Published: Jan. 1, 2024
Abstract
The
default
mode
network
is
a
central
cortical
brain
suggested
to
play
major
role
in
several
disorders
and
be
particularly
vulnerable
the
neuropathological
hallmarks
of
Alzheimer’s
disease.
Subcortical
involvement
its
alteration
disease
remains
largely
unknown.
We
performed
systematic
review,
meta-analysis
empirical
validation
subcortical
healthy
adults,
combined
with
analysis
areas
Our
results
show
that,
besides
well-known
regions,
consistently
includes
namely
thalamus,
lobule
vermis
IX
right
Crus
I/II
cerebellum
amygdala.
Network
also
suggests
caudate
nucleus.
In
disease,
we
observed
left-lateralized
cluster
decrease
functional
connectivity
which
covered
medial
temporal
lobe
amygdala
showed
overlap
portion
covering
parts
left
anterior
hippocampus
found
an
increase
insula.
These
confirm
consistency
contributions
adults
highlight
relevance
Nature Communications,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
15(1)
Published: Oct. 24, 2024
Consciousness
requires
a
dynamic
balance
of
integration
and
segregation
in
brain
networks.
We
report
an
fMRI-based
metric,
the
integration-segregation
difference
(ISD),
which
captures
two
key
network
properties:
efficiency
(integration)
clustering
(segregation).
With
this
we
quantify
state
transitions
from
conscious
wakefulness
to
unresponsiveness
induced
by
anesthetic
propofol.
The
observed
changes
ISD
suggest
profound
shift
towards
networks
during
anesthesia.
A
common
unimodal-transmodal
sequence
disintegration
reintegration
occurs
during,
respectively,
loss
return
responsiveness.
Machine
learning
models
using
data
accurately
identify
awake
vs.
unresponsive
states
their
transitions.
Metastability
(dynamic
recurrence
non-equilibrium
transient
states)
is
more
effectively
explained
integration,
while
complexity
(diversity
neural
activity)
closely
linked
with
segregation.
parallel
analysis
sleep
produces
similar
findings.
Our
results
demonstrate
that
reliably
indexes
consciousness.
Brain Research Bulletin,
Journal Year:
2022,
Volume and Issue:
185, P. 129 - 139
Published: May 11, 2022
The
precise
interplay
between
large-scale
functional
neural
systems
throughout
the
brain
is
essential
for
performance
of
cognitive
processes.
In
this
review
we
focus
on
default
mode
network
(DMN),
one
such
that
active
during
periods
quiet
wakefulness
and
believed
to
be
involved
in
introspection
planning.
Abnormalities
DMN
connectivity
activation
appear
across
many
neuropsychiatric
disorders,
including
schizophrenia.
Recent
evidence
suggests
subcortical
regions
basal
forebrain
are
functionally
structurally
important
regulation
activity.
Within
forebrain,
subregions
like
ventral
pallidum
may
influence
activity
nucleus
basalis
Meynert
can
inhibit
switching
networks.
Interactions
other
networks
medial
frontoparietal
(default),
lateral
(control),
midcingulo-insular
(salience),
dorsal
(attention)
also
discussed
context
disorders.
Several
subtypes
neurons
have
been
identified
parvalbumin-containing
or
somatostatin-containing
which
regulate
cortical
gamma
band
oscillations
DMN-like
behaviors,
cholinergic
might
gate
access
sensory
information
reinforcement
learning.
review,
explore
evidence,
discuss
clinical
implications
compare
neuroanatomy
human
vs
rodent
DMN.
Finally,
address
technological
advancements
could
help
provide
a
more
complete
understanding
modulation
function
describe
newly
BF
therapeutic
targets
potentially
restore
DMN-associated
deficits
patients
with
variety
