Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Dynamics of phonetic-level language control in language switching with a letter-naming paradigm
No full textAims: How bilinguals control multiple languages is the object of intense recent scientific debate. Empirical research on language control at various linguistic levels has remained scarce, with language control at the phonetic level particularly underexplored. The present study aimed to examine the dynamics of phonetic-level language control during speech production.Design: Chinese-English-German speakers named the letter of the alphabet in English (L2) or German (L3), either in single-language blocks or in alternate-language mixed blocks. Letters vary regarding how phonetically similar pronunciation is across the two languages, hence allowing to explore cross-language phonetic influences.Data and analysis: Three-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with trial type (non-switch vs. single-language for mixing costs; non-switch vs. switch for switch costs), response language (English/L2 vs. German/L3), and phonetic similarity (similar vs. neutral vs. different) as variables were conducted on 52 subjects' response times and accuracy for mixing costs and switch costs, respectively.Findings: Results showed substantial mixing and switch costs, as well as a "reversed language dominance" effect, suggesting inhibitory control in response to cross-language phonetic interference. Cross-language facilitation was observed for phonetically similar letters, and mixing/switch costs were modulated by phonetic similarity in a complex pattern.Originality: The findings show a complex interplay of suppression (e.g., as indexed by switch costs) and facilitation (i.e., the effect of phonetic similarity between letter translation equivalents).Significance: The evidence for cross-language phonetic interference as well as facilitation effects at local and global levels of control implies a dynamic interaction between the two phonetic systems.</p
Genetic and neuronal basis for facial emotion perception in humans and macaques
No full textThe ability to rapidly recognize basic facial emotions (e.g. fear) is crucial for social interactions and adaptive functioning. To date, the origin of facial-emotion-recognition ability remains equivocal. Using a classical twin design in humans, we found a clear dissection of low and high spatial frequencies (LSF and HSF) in facial emotion perception: whereas genetic factors contributed to individual variation in LSF processing, HSF processing is largely shaped by environmental effects. Furthermore, the ability to recognize facial emotions of LSF content genetically correlated with the function of the amygdala. Crucially, single-unit recording of the amygdala in macaques further revealed the dissociation between LSF and HSF processing in facial emotion perception, indicating the existence of an evolutionarily conserved mechanism. This cross-species study enhances insights into the neurobiological dual-route model (subcortical vs. cortical) of emotion perception and illuminates the origin and the functional development of the emotional brain in primates
Edge-centric connectome-genetic markers of bridging factor to comorbidity between depression and anxiety
No full textDepression-anxiety comorbidity is commonly attributed to the occurrence of specific symptoms bridging the two disorders. However, the significant heterogeneity of most bridging symptoms presents challenges for psychopathological interpretation and clinical applicability. Here, we conceptually established a common bridging factor (cb factor) to characterize a general structure of these bridging symptoms, analogous to the general psychopathological p factor. We identified a cb factor from 12 bridging symptoms in depression-anxiety comorbidity network. Moreover, this cb factor could be predicted using edge-centric connectomes with robust generalizability, and was characterized by connectome patterns in attention and frontoparietal networks. In an independent twin cohort, we found that these patterns were moderately heritable, and identified their genetic connectome-transcriptional markers that were associated with the neurobiological enrichment of vasculature and cerebellar development, particularly during late-childhood-to-young-adulthood periods. Our findings revealed a general factor of bridging symptoms and its neurobiological architectures, which enriched neurogenetic understanding of depression-anxiety comorbidity
The interference effect of low-relevant animated elements on digital picture- book comprehension in preschoolers: An eye-movement study
No full textDigital picture-book (DPB) with animated elements can enhance children's engagement, but irrelevant animations may interfere with their comprehension. To determine the effect of the relevance of animated elements on preschoolers' comprehension, an experimental study was conducted. Thirtythree preschoolers between the aged 4-5 years engaged with DPB in three conditions: high- and lowrelevant animations and a static control while listening to the story; their eye movements were recorded simultaneously. The study found that preschoolers had lower comprehension when exposed to low-relevant animation, but had comparable scores to the static condition with high-relevant animation. The results of eye-movement analysis showed that children who focused less on highrelevant or more on low-relevant elements had poorer comprehension. Those exposed to low-relevant animations looked less at high-relevant elements and more at low-relevant elements than those in the static and high-relevant conditions. These results suggested that low-relevant animations in DPB interfered with children's comprehension by directing their visual attention away from crucial, highrelevant elements and more to less relevant elements. Therefore, designers creating DPBs, as well as parents and caregivers selecting DPBs for children, should consider the importance of the relevance of animated elements. And the corresponding mechanism of animation effect in DPB comprehension was discussed
Beyond Cumulative Scores: Distinct Patterns of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Their Differential Impact on Emotion, Borderline Personality Traits, and Executive Function
No full textAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with long-lasting and multifaceted consequences for mental health. Despite established dose-response effects of ACEs on mental health, the specificity of ACE pattern effects remains understudied, especially on executive function. This study aims to explore how specific patterns of ACEs, beyond just cumulative scores, differentially impact emotional symptoms, personality and cognitive function. This study recruited 2515 college students from several universities in northern China. Demographic characteristics, depression, anxiety, borderline personality traits, and executive function (Wisconsin Card Sort Test) were assessed. Latent class analysis was used to identify patterns of ACEs. Data were analysed using chi 2-test, ANCOVA, and multivariate linear regression methods. Pattern-oriented and cumulative-oriented approaches were compared to predict the effects of ACEs. Three distinct patterns of ACEs were identified: low adversity (LA), multiple adversity (MA), and family environment adversity (FA). FA with the highest number of ACEs was uniquely linked to executive function impairments, while both MA and cumulative ACEs significantly predicted higher anxiety, depression, and borderline personality traits. The pattern-oriented method was more sensitive to capturing the diverse outcomes of executive function impairment than cumulative scores. Our findings highlight the importance of moving beyond cumulative scores and considering specific ACEs patterns to understand their differential impact on mental health. Identifying FA as a distinct pattern with specific consequences for executive function offers valuable insights into developing targeted prevention strategies tailored to specific risk profiles.</p
Body size estimation is influenced by actual-ideal body size discrepancy: a series of studies among Chinese adolescent girls
No full textMany adolescent girls desire to have a thinner body, including those of normal weight. However, it is not fully known if this reflects solely a preference for a particular body type/size, or also is influenced by holding a distorted perception of one's body size. The current series of studies aimed to examine the (in)accuracy of body size perception among adolescent girls, as well as the extent to which distorted perceptions of body size extended to perceptions of other girls' bodies. In Study 1, 48 pairs of girls who desired to be thinner were asked to estimate the circumferences of three parts (arm, waist and thigh) of their own body and that of a study partner. Participants generally overestimated the circumferences of both their own and their partner's bodies, with this overestimation stable over a four-month follow-up. In contrast, in Study 2, no body size overestimation was observed for self or partners among 44 pairs of girls who were satisfied with their body size. Study 3 further revealed significant correlations between body size overestimation and disordered eating symptomology among 43 pairs of girls who desired to be thinner. As a whole, findings demonstrated that body size overestimation was limited to adolescent girls who were dissatisfied with their body size, and that body size overestimation was associated with disordered eating symptomology. Thus, perceptual distortions in body size may play a role in both body size dissatisfaction and disordered eating among adolescents
The Neural Network Representation of Pain in Humans
No full textPain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience involving multi-level neural processing, with a highly complex neural activity pattern. Recent advancements in non-invasive brain functional imaging techniques have enhanced our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying pain processing in humans at the whole-brain level. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), in particular, plays an important role due to its high spatial resolution and has driven significant advancements in this field. This review focused on fMRI studies of pain in humans. We first summarized research that explored brain responses to pain and showing that pain processing involves neural activities across multiple brain regions, constituting the pain matrix, which includes the somatosensory cortex, thalamus, insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and other areas. However, modulating the activity of a single brain region has limited effects on pain experiences, suggesting that pain processing entails communications among multiple brain regions. Thus, we reviewed research investigating interactions between brain regions, finding that multiple neural pathways spanning the whole brain are involved in pain processing. Beyond interactions between pairs of regions, understanding how these interactions construct a pain-related network is crucial for fully comprehending the neural representation of pain. Two main approaches are used to describe neural networks across the whole brain. The first one is theory-driven, such as graph theory. Using this method, researchers explored how network properties evolve during pain processing and identified a tightly connected network that emerges during pain, encompassing the somatosensory, salience, and frontoparietal networks, forming a pain-related super-system. As pain is modulated or diminishes, this system becomes less connected. The second approach relies on data-driven methods, such as methods based on independent component analysis or principal component analysis, and machine learning. These methods are not constrained by pre-defined brain networks. Advancements in machine learning have provided valuable insights, enabling researchers to develop pain biomarkers with promising clinical potential. Theory-driven and data-driven approaches provide complementary insights into our understanding of the neural mechanisms of pain. In recent years, two rapidly advancing and promising techniques have further enhanced the precision and comprehensiveness of pain neural network. One is ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging, and the other is simultaneous brain-spinal imaging. Ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging has overcome previous spatial resolution limitations in fMRI. In subcortical regions, it helps distinguish neural activities of different nuclei. In cortical regions, high resolution enables the differentiation of neural activities across cortical layers, thereby providing a more in-depth and detailed understanding of the neural mechanisms of pain. Simultaneous brain- spinal imaging technology enables the exploration of brain-spinal networks involved in pain processing, making it possible to construct a comprehensive neural network representation of pain throughout the entire central nervous system. Based on current findings, we suggested that in the clinical treatment of pain using neuromodulation techniques, the selection of stimulation targets could be guided by the pain neural network.
Targeting hubs within the pain network could significantly impact the network and may efficiently influence pain experiences. Finally, we discussed the limitations of current research on the neural representation of pain and proposed future directions, including exploring pain-specific representation, systematically comparing experimental and clinical pain, and examining individualized neural representations
Effects of a social network enhancement intervention for older adults: a feasibility study
No full textBackgroundSocial networks play a critical role in the mental health of older adults. This pilot study investigates the feasibility of a newly developed intervention to enhance older adults' social networks. This intervention was designed on the Theory of Mind's foundation and aimed to enhance older adults' social interaction motivation through theoretical explanations. Furthermore, the courses fostered more social opportunities for the participants through group-based sessions.MethodsThe feasibility of this intervention was tested using a double-blind, two-arm, non-randomized grouping approach. Older individuals residing in two separate residential buildings (n = 31, mean age = 66.81, 48% women) were divided into an intervention group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 16). They attended daily group sessions at a designated location and completed homework assignments. The primary outcomes of this pilot study were the feasibility of the intervention, and secondary outcomes included Theory of Mind levels and social network indicators. Additional outcomes encompassed levels of global mental health and depression.ResultsAll participants completed the pilot intervention and completed assessments. The primary outcomes indicated that the intervention had excellent feasibility, including compliance (attendance and homework completion rates met the standards) and satisfaction (average ratings for all items ranged from 4.47 to 5.00 on a 5-point scale). Interview results revealed that participants in the intervention group found the intervention beneficial for their daily lives and expressed a desire to participate in a formal intervention. Regarding secondary and additional outcomes, compared to the control group, the intervention group exhibited a significant improvement in emotional recognition performance of Theory of Mind. There was a significant increase in the whole network density in the intervention group. There were no significant differences in other social network indicators, global mental health, and depression levels in the intervention group compared to the control group.ConclusionsThe social network enhancement intervention for older adults is feasible. This pilot study has identified several improvements in the courses and tests. It is necessary to carry out a formal course to examine the effectiveness of the intervention on social networks in older adults.Trial registrationRegistration number: ChiCTR2100053779; Reg Date: 29/11/2021
Concurrent oculomotor hyperactivity and deficient anti-saccade performance in obsessive-compulsive disorder
No full textExisting studies mainly focused on the inhibition of the task-interfering response to understand the inhibitory deficits of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, recent studies suggested that inhibitory function is broadly involved in response preparation and implementation. It is yet unknown if the inhibition dysfunction in OCD extends beyond the task-interfering response to the general inhibitory function. Here we address this issue based on the multidimensional eye-movement measurements, which can better capture the inhibitory deficits than manual responses. Thirty-one OCD patients and 32 healthy controls (HCs) completed the anti-saccade task where multidimensional eye-movement features were developed. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) suggested two components of inhibitory function that negatively correlated with each other: one component of oculomotor hyperactivity in generating oculomotor output which is characterized with early premature saccades, early cross rates and saccade number; the other component of task-specific oculomotor efficiency which is characterized with task accuracy, saccade latency, correction rate, and amplitude gain. Importantly, OCD showed both stronger oculomotor hyperactivity and deficient oculomotor efficiency than HCs, and the machine-learning-based classifications showed that the features of oculomotor hyperactivity had higher prediction accuracy than the features of oculomotor efficiency in distinguishing OCD from HCs. Our results suggested that OCD has concurrent deficits in oculomotor hyperactivity and oculomotor efficiency, which may originate from a common inhibitory dysfunction
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