Institute of Psychology,Chinese Academy Of Sciences
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Validation of the Griffith Empathy Measure in the Chinese Context
No full textObjectives: The Griffith Empathy Measure (GEM) is a self-report measure of empathy. The current study aimed to explore the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the GEM. It also aimed to compare individuals with and without schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) features on various components of empathy. Methods: 420 college students from Beijing and 526 college students from Guangzhou completed a set of questionnaires that measured empathy and schizotypal personality disorder traits. Cronbach's coefficient alpha was used to evaluate the internal consistency of the GEM. Construct validity was evaluated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA). Construct validity was also examined by looking at the relationship between the GEM and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Finally, the sensitivity of the GEM was evaluated by comparing the total and factor GEM scores between individuals with and without SPD traits
A review on the cognitive function of information structure during language comprehension
No full textDuring communication, information structure can be used to highlight the most relevant piece of information, so that sufficient amount of attention can be allocated to the most important information. This paper aims to review the cognitive function of information structure during language comprehension from a neurocognitve perspective. First, we gave a brief introduction to the concept of information structure that has been studied mostly in linguistic field. Then we introduced recent studies on information structure using electrophysiological and neuroimaging techniques. After that, we discussed the relationship between attention and language processing more generally. Finally, we discussed potential directions for future studies
Methylphenidate and brain activity in a reward/conflict paradigm: Role of the insula in task performance
No full textPsychostimulants, such as methylphenidate, are thought to improve information processing in motivation-reward and attention-activation networks by enhancing the effects of more relevant signals and suppressing those of less relevant ones; however the nature of such reciprocal influences remains poorly understood. To explore this question, we tested the effect of methylphenidate on performance and associated brain activity in the Anticipation, Conflict, Reward (ACR) task. Sixteen healthy adult volunteers, ages 21-45, were scanned twice using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as they performed the ACR task under placebo and methylphenidate conditions. A three-way repeated measures analysis of variance, with cue (reward vs. non-reward), target (congruent vs. incongruent) and medication condition (methylphenidate vs. placebo) as the factors, was used to analyze behaviors on the task. Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signals, reflecting task-related neural activity, were evaluated using linear contrasts. Participants exhibited significantly greater accuracy in the methylphenidate condition than the placebo condition. Compared with placebo, the methylphenidate condition also was associated with lesser task-related activity in components of attention-activation systems irrespective of the reward cue, and less task-related activity in components of the reward-motivation system, particularly the insula, during reward trials irrespective of target difficulty. These results suggest that methylphenidate enhances task performance by improving efficiency of information processing in both reward-motivation and in attention-activation systems. Published by Elsevier B.V
Neural Correlates of Prospective Memory in Individuals With Schizotypal Personality Features
No full textObjective: Prospective memory (PM) refers to the ability to remember to perform actions in the future. Schizophrenia spectrum disorders show impairments in PM but neural correlates of these impairments remain unclear. The present study aimed to examine brain activation during PM to identify impairments in individuals with schizotypal personality features. Method: Nineteen participants with schizotypal features and 22 healthy controls participated in a functional MRI experiment while performing a PM task. Results: Results showed that the prefrontal cortex (including Brodmann Area [ BA] 10), middle temporal gyrus, and precuneus were activated when performing the PM task compared with baseline. The schizotypal and control groups did not differ in behavioral PM performance. However, participants with schizotypal features showed decreased activations in the inferior and medial frontal lobes (BA 45, and 8). Conclusions: These results confirmed that the PM network involves prefrontal cortex, including BA 10. The lower activation in prefrontal cortex of individuals with schizotypal features when performing a PM task indicates brain activation abnormality. Notably, this abnormality may occur in the absence of any behavioral manifestation. Our findings support the hypothesis of frontal lobe involvement in PM deficits observed in individuals with schizotypal features
The Neural Correlates of Anomalous Habituation to Negative Emotional Pictures in Borderline and Avoidant Personality Disorder Patients
No full textObjective: Extreme emotional reactivity is a defining feature of borderline personality disorder, yet the neural-behavioral mechanisms underlying this affective instability are poorly understood. One possible contributor is diminished ability to engage the mechanism of emotional habituation. The authors tested this hypothesis by examining behavioral and neural correlates of habituation in borderline patients, healthy comparison subjects, and a psychopathological comparison group of patients with avoidant personality disorder
Chinese Tone and Vowel Processing Exhibits Distinctive Temporal Characteristics: An Electrophysiological Perspective from Classical Chinese Poem Processing
No full textClassical Chinese poems have strict regulations on the acoustic pattern of each syllable and are semantically meaningless. Using such poems, this study characterized the temporal order of tone and vowel processing using event-related potentials (ERPs). The target syllable of the poem was either correct or deviated from the correct syllable at tone, vowel or both levels. Vowel violation elicited a negative effect between 300 and 500 ms regardless of the tone correctness, while tone violation elicited a positive effect between 600 and 1000 ms. The results suggest that the vowel information was available earlier than the tone information. Moreover, there was an interaction between the effect of vowel and tone violations between 600 and 1000 ms, showing that the vowel violation produced a positive effect only when the tone was correct. This indicates that vowel and tone processing interacts in the later processing stage, which involves both error detection and reanalysis of the spoken input. Implications of the present results for models of speech perception are discussed
Motivational deficits in effort-based decision making in individuals with subsyndromal depression, first-episode and remitted depression patients
No full textAnhedonia is a hallmark symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD). Preliminary findings suggest that anhedonia is characterized by reduced reward anticipation and motivation of obtaining reward. However, relatively little is known about reward-based decision-making in depression. We tested the hypothesis that anhedonia in MDD may reflect specific impairments in motivation on reward-based decision-making and the deficits might be associated with depressive symptoms severity. In study 1, individuals with and without depressive symptoms performed the modified version of the Effort Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT), a behavioral measure of cost/benefit decision-making. In study 2, MDD patients, remitted MDD patients and healthy controls were recruited for the same procedures. We found evidence for decreased willingness to make effort for rewards among individuals with subsyndromal depression; the effect was amplified in MDD patients, but dissipated in patients with remitted depression. We also found that reduced anticipatory and consummatory pleasure predicted decreased willingness to expend efforts to obtain rewards in MDD patients. For individuals with subsyndromal depression, the impairments were correlated with anticipatory anhedonia but not consummatory anhedonia. These data offer novel evidence that motivational deficits in MDD are correlated with depression severity and predicted by self-reported anhedonia. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved
信息推送-欧盟人脑计划迷雾
No full text自然/社论
欧盟人脑计划迷雾
欧盟人脑计划遭遇领军科学家质疑，项目管理结构混乱，迫切需要清晰未来。
欧盟人脑计划（Human Brain Project ，HBP）启动不到一年就面临危机。部分神经科学家发现他们有关大脑执行认知功能方式的课题在下一阶段目标设置中被搁置，因此暴怒不已。
有关这一宏大计划存在策略和方向上的争论由来已久。然而考虑到该项目是欧盟未来新兴技术旗舰项目之一，当前面临的尖锐形势则有些不妙。已经有部分领头科学家离开HBP。如果有更多人效仿，HBP无疑会错失解开大脑之谜的黄金时机。
有关HBP的聚焦领域以及应该由谁做出决定的争论已经持续很久。但是五月份当HBP管理层明确表示将把认知研究排除在未来核心计划之外时，危机爆发了。
HBP第一阶段开始于去年10月份，资助力度为5400万欧元，资助周期为3年。第二阶段计划在2到3年内每年投入1亿欧元。在6月10日提请委员会批准的第二阶段详细计划中，HBP管理者把人脑认知架构（human cognitive architecture）排除在外。
认知科学家感到自己被抛弃了。他们警告位于洛桑联邦理工学院（Swiss Federal Institute of Technology，EPFL）、涉及大约80家合作研究所的HBP的管理层，此举无疑会使欧盟错失将科学家联合起来解开大脑谜团的机会，意义堪比登月壮举。
HBP的运转方式十分复杂。资金并非来源于欧盟委员会下辖的研究力量，而是来自信息与通讯技术（information and communication technologies，ICT）部门。这样看来，HBP对研究目标的选择是基于目标的科学价值和计算机解决重要问题的可能性。
“完美计划”
HBP的目的是构建一种针对神经科学的全新的ICT基础结构，以解决脑疾患困扰。然而从其启动初期，在EPFL的Henry Markram的领导下，HBP一直是在神经科学领域推进而非技术层面。甚至在去年10月项目启动之时，新闻中都是这样写的“世界上最宏大的神经科学工程起步了”。
Markram作为一名神经科学家，是HBP中一名致力于推动利用计算机模拟整个人脑工作模式的科学家。对许多圈外人来说，他的目标已经约等于HBP的目标。而这一想法在科学界是有争议的。很多神经科学家认为，像HBP这样纯粹利用自下而上的数据（如分子、细胞和解剖等）模拟大脑，希望详尽而准确地复制神经信号是不可能的。
法国INSERM-CEA Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit主任、HBP认知神经科学工作负责人Stanislas Dehaene表示，如此模拟毫无用处，不可能阐明脑功能和疾病的机制，如同对飞鸟每一根羽毛的模拟丝毫不能解释如何飞翔。同其他愤怒的同行一样，Dehaene坚信自上而下的逆向工作是必须的，可从人和动物行为以及高精度记录脑电活动来揭示信息编码和使用方式等入手。
HBP第二阶段的资助计划更加复杂，因为欧盟想要推进欧洲研究事业。从2016年开始，HBP应该每年从欧盟委员会收到5000万欧元，同时要求有意愿参与该项目的成员国匹配相应资金。这些资金将用来支持申报合作伙伴项目（partnering projects）的获胜者。
根据HBP第二阶段的项目评议规定，认知神经科学家只能通过竞争方式参与到项目中来。然而，期待这些顶级科学家以合作者身份参与且不能在项目的总体发展方向上发表观点可能是不大现实的。事实看来确实如此，在7月7日150多位科学家给欧盟的抗议信中，他们表示如果此担忧不能得到解决，他们将抵制合作者项目，矛盾会进一步激化。
HBP咨询委员会已经认识到管理结构需要做出调整。上周与EPFL院长一起，他们提出一些建议以更广泛地代表项目参与者的诉求。这会起作用，但可能远远不够。
简单来说，HBP需要一个各方面均认可、能获得欧洲各领域领军神经科学家们支持的管理体系。加之模拟脑这一目标依然存有争议，这一点就显得尤为重要。过早地固定于单一运行方式可能不甚合适。
当前的危机会得到解决的。可以确定的是，HBP咨询委员会将争取采用明智的解决方案。第二阶段项目计划马上将由一个欧盟评议团审议，这是一个可在更大程度上改变的机会。人脑旗舰项目必须起航，而HBP已经处于成败关头。
原文题目：Brain fog
原文链接：http://www.nature.com/news/brain-fog-1.15514
检索日期：2014-7-8<br /
信息推送-NSF启动2015财年对BRAIN计划的资助
No full text BRAIN计划最新资助进展汇编
NSF启动2015财年对BRAIN计划的资助
2014年9月30日，继白宫和NIH先后宣布继续资助BRAIN计划外，NSF也宣布开启2015财年对BRAIN的支持。而NSF在2014财年已经资助BRAIN相关项目大约2000万美元。
此次资助主要聚焦2个研究领域：神经工程学（neuroengineering）和脑启发概念与设计（brain-inspired concepts and designs）、个体性（individuality）与变化（variation），前者为NSF部署BRAIN关键领域之一。在这两个领域中，一般性的理论与方法、技术创新、教育方法、基础研究设施及相关人力资源开发均列入重要研究兴趣点。此番资助计划对15到25个项目提供总额1200万美元。
NSF同时宣布有意愿扩展工业/大学合作研究中心计划（Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers，I/UCRC）以鼓励新的工业-大学合作体纳入BRAIN计划。在这些合作中心中，NSF将发挥催化剂功能整合特定领域中着眼点不同的多方利益体以激活研究与经济潜力。
此外，NSF计划来年在神经科学共同体方面有所行动，如BRAIN下属的"ideas lab"，定位于为重大挑战寻求创新解决方案的综合性研究机构。
BRAIN计划重点部署主题：
大脑动态活动与结构的大尺度整合（Multi-scale Integration of the Dynamic Activity and Structure of the Brain）
神经技术与研究基础设备（Neurotechnology and Research Infrastructure）
脑功能定量理论与模型（Quantitative Theory and Modeling of Brain Function）
脑启发概念与设计（Brain-Inspired Concepts and Designs）
BRAIN相关人力资源开发（BRAIN Workforce Development）
原文标题：National Science Foundation is dedicated to support for The BRAIN Initiative
原文链接：
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=132882&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click
原文标题：Integrative Strategies for Understanding Neural and Cognitive Systems (NSF-NCS)
原文链接：http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505132
原文标题：BRAIN: Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies
原文链接：http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/brain/initiative/
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