2015

Fronto-insula network activity explains emotional dysfunctions in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: combined evidence from pupillometry and fMRI

2015, Clinical, Social Cognition /

Abstract Emotional instability, difficulties in social adjustment, and disinhibited behavior are the most common symptoms of the psychiatric comorbidities in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). This psychopathology has been associated with dysfunctions of mesial-frontal brain circuits. The present work is a first direct test of this link and adapted a paradigm for probing frontal circuits during […]

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Neural pathways of embarrassment and their modulation by social anxiety

2015, Clinical, Social Emotions /

Abstract While being in the center of attention and exposed to other’s evaluations humans are prone to experience embarrassment. To characterize the neural underpinnings of such aversive moments, we induced genuine experiences of embarrassment during person-group interactions in a functional neuroimaging study. Using a mock-up scenario with three confederates, we examined how the presence of

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Journal impact factor shapes scientists’ reward signal in the prospect of publication

2015, Meta-Science (Implications), Social Reward /

Abstract The incentive structure of a scientist’s life is increasingly mimicking economic principles. While intensely criticized, the journal impact factor (JIF) has taken a role as the new currency for scientists. Successful goal-directed behavior in academia thus requires knowledge about the JIF. Using functional neuroimaging we examined how the JIF, as a powerful incentive in

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Effects of smoking cessation on presynaptic dopamine function of addicted male smokers

2015, Clinical, Hormones/Neuromodulators /

Abstract Background: There is evidence of abnormal cerebral dopamine transmission in nicotine-dependent smokers, but it is unclear whether dopaminergic abnormalities are due to acute nicotine abuse or whether they persist with abstinence. We addressed this question by conducting longitudinal positron emission tomography (PET) examination of smokers before and after 3 months of abstinence. Methods: We obtained baseline

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Mechanisms of hemispheric lateralization: Asymmetric interhemispheric recruitment in the face perception network

2015, Social Cognition /

Abstract Perceiving human faces constitutes a fundamental ability of the human mind, integrating a wealth of information essential for social interactions in everyday life. Neuroimaging studies have unveiled a distributed neural network consisting of multiple brain regions in both hemispheres. Whereas the individual regions in the face perception network and the right-hemispheric dominance for face

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When your friends make you cringe: social closeness modulates vicarious embarrassment-related neural activity

2015, Social Emotions /

Abstract Social closeness is a potent moderator of vicarious affect and specifically vicarious embarrassment. The neural pathways of how social closeness to another person affects our experience of vicarious embarrassment for the other’s public flaws, failures and norm violations are yet unknown. To bridge this gap, we examined the neural response of participants while witnessing

When your friends make you cringe: social closeness modulates vicarious embarrassment-related neural activity Read More »

Test-retest reliability of effective connectivity in the face perception network

2015, Meta-Science (Methods) /

Abstract Computational approaches have great potential for moving neuroscience toward mechanistic models of the functional integration among brain regions. Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) offers a promising framework for inferring the effective connectivity among brain regions and thus unraveling the neural mechanisms of both normal cognitive function and psychiatric disorders. While the benefit of such approaches

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Mentalizing and the role of the posterior superior temporal sulcus in sharing others’ embarrassment

2015, Social Emotions /

Abstract The experience of embarrassment provides a highly salient cue for the human moral apparatus. Interestingly, people also experience embarrassment on behalf of others’ inappropriate conditions. The perceiver’s embarrassment often lacks an equivalent expression of embarrassment in the social counterpart. The present study examines this phenomenon and distinguishes neural circuits involved in embarrassment with and

Mentalizing and the role of the posterior superior temporal sulcus in sharing others’ embarrassment Read More »

Test-retest reliability of dynamic causal modeling for fMRI

2015, Meta-Science (Methods) /

Abstract Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) is a Bayesian framework for inferring effective connectivity among brain regions from neuroimaging data. While the validity of DCM has been investigated in various previous studies, the reliability of DCM parameter estimates across sessions has been examined less systematically. Here, we report results of a software comparison with regard to

Test-retest reliability of dynamic causal modeling for fMRI Read More »

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