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ID 46 – Human and animal-directed empathy during social interactions: A multi-method approach with hemodynamic (fNIRS), electrocortical (EEG) and autonomic measures
Abstracts / Clinical Neurophysiology 127 (2016) e18–e132
Parallel Session 34 Controversy: Which is the most accurate evoked potential technique for the assessment of nociceptive pathways? Abstracts are not available.
POSTERS PS-01-01 Neurophysiology of brain and mind ID27 – Resting lateralized activity (fNIRS) predicts the cortical response to emotions—M. Balconi a,b, M.E. Vanutelli a,b, E. Grippa a (a Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy, b Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy)
Objective: The present study explored the effect of lateralized left– right resting brain activity on prefrontal cortical responsiveness to emotional cues and on the explicit appraisal of emotions based on their valence. Indeed subjective response to different emotional stimulus should be predicted by brain resting activity and should be lateralized and valence-related (positive vs. negative valence). Methods: Hemodynamic measure was considered (functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, fNIRS). Indeed hemodynamic resting activity and brain response to emotional cues were registered when subjects viewed emotional positive vs. negative stimuli (IAPS). LIR (lateralized Index Response) during resting state, LI (Lateralized Index) during emotional processing and SAM rating were considered. Results: Regression analysis showed the significant predictive effect of resting activity (more left or right lateralized) on both brain response and appraisal (SAM) of emotional cues based on stimulus valence. Moreover, significant effects were found as a function of valence (more right response to negative stimuli; more left response to positive stimuli) during emotion processing. Conclusions: Therefore resting state may be considered a predictive marker of the successive cortical responsiveness to emotions. Key message: The significance of resting condition for the emotional behavior was underlined. doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2015.11.166
ID 32 – Mild network activation by orexin–A avoids hyper excitability in input deprived cortical networks—J. le Feber a,b, I.I. Stoyanova a (a Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, Netherlands, b Biomedical Signals and Systems, University of Twente, Netherlands) Objective: Input deprived (sub)networks of cortical neurons may become hyper excitable, possibly causing certain types of epilepsy. Electrical stimulation and application of the mildly excitatory neurotransmitter ghrelin have been shown to reduce this hyper excitability, suggesting that it is a generic feature of mild excitation. Therefore, we hypothesize that another mildly excitatory agent, orexin-A (OXA), should also reduce excitability. Methods: We used cultures of cortical neurons on multi electrode arrays to measure network activity. If left in isolation, activity patterns typically contain bursts that reflect network hyper excitability. The relative contribution of bursts to the total amount of spikes was
e51
used as a measure for excitability and assessed by the burstiness index (BI = 1 ? burst dominated; BI = 0 ? no bursts). Results: Acute application of 1 lM OXA significantly increased the level of activity from 1500 ± 650(SEM) to 3200 ± 1300 spikes/min. Burstiness index dropped from 0.75 ± 0.09 to 0.58 ± 0.09 indicating more dispersed firing. Conclusions: Like electrical stimulation or ghrelin, OXA mildly activates cultured networks of cortical neurons and reduces burstiness. Key message: Besides cellular hyper excitability, networks may also become hyper excitable in case of insufficient ongoing activation. This may be treated by mild activation, rather than the commonly used anti-epileptic drugs that aim to reduce activity. doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2015.11.167
ID 46 – Human and animal-directed empathy during social interactions: A multi-method approach with hemodynamic (fNIRS), electrocortical (EEG) and autonomic measures— M.E. Vanutelli, M. Balconi (Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, Milan, Italy, Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Catholic University of Milan, Milan, Italy) Objective: Our relationships are characterized by interactions with other humans, but also with animal companions. Such interactions are mediated by empathic competencies which, however, conventionally refers to emotional concerns for another person. Research revealed that human–animal relationships provide opportunities to increase empathy, but the presence of animal-directed empathy and its neural correlates have still to be explored. The present study aimed to investigate common and specific neural correlates while viewing intra and interspecies interactions, with particular attention to their valence, and to personality components. Methods: Participants were submitted to positive, negative and neutral pictures while hemodynamic (NIRS), electrocortical (EEG) and autonomic measures (heart rate, HR; electrodermal activity, EDA) were simultaneously recorded. Results: Data showed the presence of common patterns of activation for both interactions (human- and animal-directed), suggesting they are not mutually exclusive, but differentially predominant. Anyway the presence of some differences also emerged, suggesting the way we process different interactions may also be specific. Conclusions: Results suggest that empathy is not a response we save for our conspecific, but can also be extended to animals. Key message: The presence of homologous but also partially differentiated channels for the development of empathic competencies through types of interactions was underlined. doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2015.11.168
ID 82 – Oscillatory activity in nonspecific nuclei of human thalamus during motor and cognitive tasks—U. Semenova, A. Lukashev, A. Sedov (Laboratory of Human Cell Neurophysiology, Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation) Objective: The aim was to reveal the role of oscillatory unit activity in nonspecific nuclei of thalamus in the cognitive and movement human activity. Methods: The extracellular activity of neurons in nonspecific human brain thalamic nuclei (Rt, CM-Pf, MD) obtained by means
Parallel Session 34 Controversy: Which is the most accurate evoked potential technique for the assessment of nociceptive pathways? Abstracts are not available.
POSTERS PS-01-01 Neurophysiology of brain and mind ID27 – Resting lateralized activity (fNIRS) predicts the cortical response to emotions—M. Balconi a,b, M.E. Vanutelli a,b, E. Grippa a (a Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy, b Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy)
Objective: The present study explored the effect of lateralized left– right resting brain activity on prefrontal cortical responsiveness to emotional cues and on the explicit appraisal of emotions based on their valence. Indeed subjective response to different emotional stimulus should be predicted by brain resting activity and should be lateralized and valence-related (positive vs. negative valence). Methods: Hemodynamic measure was considered (functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, fNIRS). Indeed hemodynamic resting activity and brain response to emotional cues were registered when subjects viewed emotional positive vs. negative stimuli (IAPS). LIR (lateralized Index Response) during resting state, LI (Lateralized Index) during emotional processing and SAM rating were considered. Results: Regression analysis showed the significant predictive effect of resting activity (more left or right lateralized) on both brain response and appraisal (SAM) of emotional cues based on stimulus valence. Moreover, significant effects were found as a function of valence (more right response to negative stimuli; more left response to positive stimuli) during emotion processing. Conclusions: Therefore resting state may be considered a predictive marker of the successive cortical responsiveness to emotions. Key message: The significance of resting condition for the emotional behavior was underlined. doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2015.11.166
ID 32 – Mild network activation by orexin–A avoids hyper excitability in input deprived cortical networks—J. le Feber a,b, I.I. Stoyanova a (a Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, Netherlands, b Biomedical Signals and Systems, University of Twente, Netherlands) Objective: Input deprived (sub)networks of cortical neurons may become hyper excitable, possibly causing certain types of epilepsy. Electrical stimulation and application of the mildly excitatory neurotransmitter ghrelin have been shown to reduce this hyper excitability, suggesting that it is a generic feature of mild excitation. Therefore, we hypothesize that another mildly excitatory agent, orexin-A (OXA), should also reduce excitability. Methods: We used cultures of cortical neurons on multi electrode arrays to measure network activity. If left in isolation, activity patterns typically contain bursts that reflect network hyper excitability. The relative contribution of bursts to the total amount of spikes was
e51
used as a measure for excitability and assessed by the burstiness index (BI = 1 ? burst dominated; BI = 0 ? no bursts). Results: Acute application of 1 lM OXA significantly increased the level of activity from 1500 ± 650(SEM) to 3200 ± 1300 spikes/min. Burstiness index dropped from 0.75 ± 0.09 to 0.58 ± 0.09 indicating more dispersed firing. Conclusions: Like electrical stimulation or ghrelin, OXA mildly activates cultured networks of cortical neurons and reduces burstiness. Key message: Besides cellular hyper excitability, networks may also become hyper excitable in case of insufficient ongoing activation. This may be treated by mild activation, rather than the commonly used anti-epileptic drugs that aim to reduce activity. doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2015.11.167
ID 46 – Human and animal-directed empathy during social interactions: A multi-method approach with hemodynamic (fNIRS), electrocortical (EEG) and autonomic measures— M.E. Vanutelli, M. Balconi (Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, Milan, Italy, Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Catholic University of Milan, Milan, Italy) Objective: Our relationships are characterized by interactions with other humans, but also with animal companions. Such interactions are mediated by empathic competencies which, however, conventionally refers to emotional concerns for another person. Research revealed that human–animal relationships provide opportunities to increase empathy, but the presence of animal-directed empathy and its neural correlates have still to be explored. The present study aimed to investigate common and specific neural correlates while viewing intra and interspecies interactions, with particular attention to their valence, and to personality components. Methods: Participants were submitted to positive, negative and neutral pictures while hemodynamic (NIRS), electrocortical (EEG) and autonomic measures (heart rate, HR; electrodermal activity, EDA) were simultaneously recorded. Results: Data showed the presence of common patterns of activation for both interactions (human- and animal-directed), suggesting they are not mutually exclusive, but differentially predominant. Anyway the presence of some differences also emerged, suggesting the way we process different interactions may also be specific. Conclusions: Results suggest that empathy is not a response we save for our conspecific, but can also be extended to animals. Key message: The presence of homologous but also partially differentiated channels for the development of empathic competencies through types of interactions was underlined. doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2015.11.168
ID 82 – Oscillatory activity in nonspecific nuclei of human thalamus during motor and cognitive tasks—U. Semenova, A. Lukashev, A. Sedov (Laboratory of Human Cell Neurophysiology, Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation) Objective: The aim was to reveal the role of oscillatory unit activity in nonspecific nuclei of thalamus in the cognitive and movement human activity. Methods: The extracellular activity of neurons in nonspecific human brain thalamic nuclei (Rt, CM-Pf, MD) obtained by means