1,721,030 research outputs found
L’Italia degli anni Settanta nella politica estera britannica
No full textLa ricerca, come dal titolo, verte sull’analisi delle direttrici della politica estera britannica nei riguardi dell’Italia degli anni Settanta e delle molteplici raffigurazioni che se ne diedero all’interno del Foreign and Commonwealth Office e, più in generale, del numero 10 di Downing Street; non dunque, come potrebbe apparire a prima vista, sulle relazioni anglo-italiane di quel decennio. Di qui, pertanto, l’esigenza di scandagliare precipuamente le fonti documentali britanniche.
Nella storiografia si è sovente messa in rilievo la centralità degli anni Settanta; una centralità che non è soltanto di natura cronologica, ma che investe la stessa solidità di modelli e di indirizzi consolidati nei campi internazionale e locale. In Gran Bretagna, si assistette ad una progressiva polarizzazione dello scenario politico nonché al graduale deterioramento della cosiddetta “consensus politics”, affermatasi sin dall’immediato dopoguerra. In Italia, sia sotto il profilo dello scenario internazionale, che per gli effetti della crisi economica e degli accadimenti di politica interna, i Settanta si presentano come anni determinanti di crisi e di svolta nella storia repubblicana.
La vasta mole di documentazione di parte inglese, a partire da quella conservata presso gli archivi centrali di Kew Gardens (The National Archives), è stata corroborata da incursioni in archivi di personalità italiane. L’affresco che ne emerge è piuttosto variegato. Pur nella molteplicità di considerazioni è possibile evidenziare gli assi di fondo che attraversano e sorreggono i giudizi britannici sull’Italia degli anni Settanta. Con riguardo agli anni 1970-1974 (capp. 1-2) – primo ministro era il leader dei conservatori Heath –, si è notato che, almeno nel triennio 1970-1972, la principale direttrice della politica estera britannica nei riguardi dell’Italia fu rappresentata dalla volontà di garantirsene il sostegno nell’ambito dei negoziati per l’ingresso nella Comunità Economica Europea, mentre, almeno sino al 1974, volse verso l’instabilità politico-economica del paese e il partito comunista. Per ciò che concerne invece gli anni 1974-1976 (cap. 3), secondo la periodizzazione proposta – Wilson, laburista, era il capo del governo –, la fondamentale direttrice della politica estera britannica si indirizzò verso il PCI di Berlinguer e, in particolar modo, verso la possibilità d’un suo ingresso al potere; piuttosto, negli anni 1976-1979 (cap. 4) – si trovava a Downing Street Callaghan, succeduto a Wilson alla guida del Labour –, non solo verso l’instabilità politica, inasprita dal terrorismo e dalle turbolenze economiche (e ritenuta peraltro come il principale problema dell’Italia), ma anche, seppur in un’ottica differente, nei confronti della questione comunista.
Non da ultimo, un dato di contesto, ma su un piano più generale, fu indubbiamente quello dello scarso peso rappresentato dall’Italia per la Gran Bretagna. L’alleato italiano fu sì per gli inglesi un partner del quale tener conto, ma non fu di certo paragonabile, anche nei suoi momenti migliori, né alla Francia, né alla Germania occidentale e né tantomeno agli Stati Uniti. È dunque questa la cornice nella quale inscrivere una compiuta analisi delle direttrici della politica estera britannica nei riguardi dell’Italia degli anni Settanta
Functional interplay between central and autonomic nervous systems in human fear conditioning
No full textHistorically, studies on the neural basis of fear conditioning have emphasized the role of the central nervous system. However, there is growing evidence for the role of the autonomic nervous system in human fear conditioning. Here, we provide an overview of the sophisticated anatomical-functional interplay between the prefrontal cortex and heart-related dynamics in human fear conditioning and propose a theoretical model to conceptualize these psychophysiological processes, the neurovisceral integration model of fear (NVIf). A richer understanding of the neurovisceral concomitants of this functional interplay will have both theoretical and clinical implications
The spatial effect of fearful faces in the autonomic response
Full text linkPeripersonal space (PPS) corresponds to the space around the body and it is defined by the location in space where multimodal inputs from bodily and external stimuli are integrated. Its extent varies according to the characteristics of external stimuli, e.g. the salience of an emotional facial expression.
In the present study, we investigated the psycho-physiological correlates of the extension phenomenon. Specifically, we investigated whether an approaching human face showing either an emotionally negative (fearful) or positive (joyful) facial expression would differentially modulate PPS representation, compared to the same face with a neutral expression. To this aim, we continuously recorded the skin conductance response (SCR) of 27 healthy participants while they watched approaching 3D avatar faces showing fearful, joyful or neutral expressions, and then pressed a button to respond to tactile stimuli delivered on their cheeks at three possible delays (visuo-tactile trials).
The results revealed that the SCR to fearful faces, but not joyful or neutral faces, was modulated by the apparent distance from the participant’s body. SCR increased from very far space to far and then to near space. We propose that the proximity of the fearful face provided a cue to the presence of a threat in the environment and elicited a robust and urgent organization of defensive responses. In contrast, there would be no need to organize defensive responses to joyful or neutral faces and, as a consequence, no SCR differences were found across spatial positions. These results confirm the defensive function of PPS
Navigating Neurodegeneration: Integrating Biomarkers, Neuroinflammation, and Imaging in Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Motor Neuron Disorders
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Translational cross-species evidence of heart-related dynamics in threat learning
Full text linkFear engenders a vast array of autonomic responses in organisms, which are elicited by the presence of threat. Among these responses, heart rate is influenced by the presence of dangerous events as well but can be modulated based on environmental and internal circumstances. This process, while present across different species, may be subtended by partially different neural mechanisms. Here, we outline a perspective regarding the similarities between human and rodent evidence, which suggests the role of the prefrontal cortex and the insula as central hubs in the modulation of threat responses. However, current disparities between human and animal research preclude drawing definitive parallels, motivating further research with sophisticated neuroimaging and in vivo calcium imaging. Finally, clarifying the cross-species convergence of autonomic regulation may help refine translational models of anxiety and its treatment. Thus, we provide a conceptual framework to bridge cross-species differences and summarize the key brain areas underlying threat-induced autonomic changes, with emphasis on their translational relevance for psychopathology
Context-dependent extinction of threat memories: influences of healthy aging
Full text linkAlthough a substantial progress has been made in recent years on understanding the processes mediating extinction of learned threat, little is known about the context-dependent extinction of threat memories in elderly individuals. We used a 2-day differential threat conditioning and extinction procedure to determine whether young and older adults differed in the contextual recall of conditioned responses after extinction. On Day 1, conditioned stimuli were paired with an aversive electric shock in a ‘danger’ context and then extinguished in a different ‘safe’ context. On Day 2, the extinguished stimulus was presented to assess extinction recall (safe context), and threat renewal (danger context). Physiological and verbal report measures of threat conditioning were collected throughout the experiment. Skin conductance response (SCR data revealed no significant differences between age groups during acquisition and extinction of threat conditioning on Day 1. On Day 2, however, older adults showed impaired recall of extinction memory, with increased SCR to the extinguished stimulus in the ‘safe’ context, and reduced ability to process context properly. In addition, there were no age group differences in fear ratings and contingency awareness, thus revealing that aging selectively impairs extinction memories as indexed by autonomic responses. These results reveal that aging affects the capacity to use context to modulate learned responses to threat, possibly due to changes in brain structures that enable context-dependent behaviour and are preferentially vulnerable during aging
The paradox of the self-studying brain
Full text linkThe paradox of a brain trying to study itself presents a conundrum, raising questions about self-reference, consciousness, psychiatric disorders, and the boundaries of scientific inquiry. By which means can this complex organ shift the focus of study towards itself? We aim at unpacking the intricacies of this paradox. Historically, this question has been raised by philosophers under different frameworks. Thanks to the development of novel techniques to study the brain on a functional and structural level - as well as neurostimulation protocols that can modulate its activity in selected areas - we now possess advanced methods to progress this intricate inquiry. Nonetheless, the broader implications of the brain's pursuit of understanding itself remain unclear to this day. Ultimately, the need to employ both perception and introspection has led to different formulations of consciousness. This creates a challenge, as evidence supporting one formulation does not necessarily support the other. By deconstructing the paradoxical nature of self understanding - from a philosophical and neuroscientific point of view - we may gain insights into the human brain, which could lead to improved understanding of self-awareness and consciousness
Modulation of cue-guided choices by transcranial direct current stimulation
Full text linkEnvironmental cues may anticipate the availability of rewards, thus acting as a guide towards a specific choice (i.e., cue-guided choices). Despite the lateral prefrontal cortex having a critical role in using past learning and flexibly selecting relevant information to guide behavior, the literature on the neural basis of human cue-guided choice mainly focused on the subcortical brain structures implicated, while the specific role of cortical areas remained unclear. The present study aimed to provide causal evidence for the involvement of the lateral prefrontal cortex in two forms of human cue-guided choice, namely outcome-specific and general. To do this, 2mA cathodal, anodal or sham transcranial direct current stimulation was applied over the lateral prefrontal cortex (with the posterior parietal cortex serving as control region) in three separate groups performing a Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer task. Results showed, for the first time, a dissociation in the cortical structures involved in human cue-guided choice. Cathodal stimulation of the lateral prefrontal cortex reduced the outcome-specific transfer. In striking contrast, there was no influence on the general transfer. These results argue in favor of the presence of at least two possible neural pathways underlying cue-guided choices
Frozen in (e)motion: How reactive motor inhibition is influenced by the emotional content of stimuli in healthy and psychiatric populations
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