This study investigates the effects of a probiotic on preschoolers' brain electrical activity with autism spectrum disorder. Autism is disorder an increasing prevalence characterized by enormous individual, family, and social cost. Although etiology unknown, interaction between genetic environmental factors implicated, converging in altered synaptogenesis and, therefore, connectivity. Besides deepening knowledge resting that characterizes this disorder, allows analyzing positive central...

Abstract The hypnotizability‐related differences in morpho‐functional characteristics of the insula could at least partially account for interoceptive accuracy (IA) observed between high and low hypnotizable individuals (highs, lows). Our aim was to investigate processing highs, lows, medium (mediums), who represent most population, during a 10‐minute open eyes relaxation condition (Part 1) three repetitions consecutive 2‐minute eyes, closed heartbeat counting conditions, followed by...

Thermal cameras capture the infrared radiation emitted from a body in contactless manner and can provide an indirect estimation of autonomic nervous system (ANS) dynamics through regulation skin temperature. This study investigates contribution given by thermal imaging for effective automatic stress detection with perspective recognition system. To this aim, we recorded both ANS correlates (cardiac, electrodermal, respiratory activity) images 25 volunteers under acute induced Stroop test. We...

ABSTRACT Objective The knowledge on breathing control and central chemoreception, key subcortical functions involved in several neuropathologies, is still mainly based animal studies. In humans, functional MRI (fMRI) offers the needed spatio-temporal resolution non-invasiveness, but lack of specific tools preprocessing solutions hinders its use brainstem We hereby propose an original fMRI analysis pipeline aimed at unravelling chemoreception mechanisms, by integrating acquisition, spatial...

Tissue clarification has been recently proposed to allow deep tissue imaging without light scattering. The parameters are somewhat arbitrary and dependent on type, source dimension: every laboratory its own protocol, but a quantitative approach determine the optimum clearing time is still lacking. Since use of transgenic mouse lines that express fluorescent proteins visualize specific cell populations widespread, for genetically labeled neurons from thick murine brain slices using CLARITY2...

Hypnotizability is a psychophysiological trait measured by scales and associated with several differences, including interoceptive accuracy the morpho-functional characteristics of interoception-related brain regions. The aim study was to assess whether amplitude heartbeat evoked cortical potential (HEP), correlate accuracy, differs in participants low (lows) high (highs) hypnotizability scores (assessed Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form A) before after induction hypnosis. ECG EEG...

Abstract Humans can decode emotional states from the body odors of conspecifics and this type communication is particularly relevant in conditions which social interactions are impaired, as depression anxiety. The present study aimed to explore how collected happiness fearful modulate subjective ratings, psychophysiological response neural processing neutral faces individuals with depressive symptoms, anxiety healthy controls ( N = 22 per group). To aim, electrocardiogram (ECG) HD-EEG were...

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Objective:</i> Most of the bodily functions are regulated by multiple interactions between parasympathetic (PNS) and sympathetic (SNS) nervous system. In this study, we propose a novel framework to quantify causal flow information PNS SNS through analysis heart rate variability (HRV) electrodermal activity (EDA) signals. xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Methods:</i> Our method is based...

To date, automated or semi-automated software and algorithms for segmentation of neurons from three-dimensional imaging datasets have had limited success. The gold standard neural is considered to be the manual isolation performed by an expert. facilitate complex objects image stacks, such as in their native arrangement within brain, a new Manual Segmentation Tool (ManSegTool) has been developed. ManSegTool allows user load stack, scroll down images manually draw structures interest...

. This study presents a novel methodological approach for incorporating information related to the peripheral sympathetic response into investigation of neural dynamics. Particularly, we explore how hedonic contextual olfactory stimuli influence processing neutral faces in terms response, event-related potentials and effective connectivity analysis. The objective is investigate emotional valence odors influences cortical underlying face role face-induced arousal this visual-olfactory...

The positive effects of meditation on human wellbeing are indisputable, ranging from emotion regulation improvement to stress reduction and present-moment awareness enhancement. Changes in brain activity regulate support these phenomena. However, the heterogeneity practices their cultural background, as well poor categorization limit generalization results all types meditation. Here, we took advantage a collaboration with very singular precious community Monks Geshes Tibetan University...

Abstract The development of robust tools for segmenting cellular and sub-cellular neuronal structures lags behind the massive production high-resolution 3D images neurons in brain tissue. challenges are principally related to high density low signal-to-noise characteristics thick samples, as well heterogeneity data acquired with different imaging methods. To address this issue, we design a framework which includes sample preparation resolution image analysis. Specifically, set up method...

Abstract Previous studies have identified several brain regions involved in the sympathetic response and its integration with pain, cognition, emotions memory processes. However, little is known about how such dynamically interact during a activation task. In this study, we analyzed EEG activity effective connectivity cold pressor test (CPT). A source localization analysis network of common active sources including right precuneus (r-PCu), left precentral gyri (r-PCG, l-PCG), premotor cortex...

Accurately digitizing the brain at micro-scale is crucial for investigating structure-function relationships and documenting morphological alterations due to neuropathies. Here we present a new Smart Region Growing algorithm (SmRG) segmentation of single neurons in their intricate 3D arrangement within brain. Its procedure based on homogeneity predicate determined by describing pixel intensity statistics confocal acquisitions with mixture model, enabling an accurate reconstruction complex...

Objective.The emotional response to olfactory stimuli implies the activation of a complex cascade events triggered by structures lying in limbic system. However, little is known about how this projected up cerebral cortex and different cortical areas dynamically interact each other.Approach.In study, we acquired EEG from human participants performing passive odor-perception task with odorants conveying positive, neutral negative valence. A novel methodological pipeline integrating global...

The relevance of formal hypnotic induction to the experience trance and its neural correlates is not clear, in that hypnotizability, beliefs expectation hypnosis may play a major role. aim study was assessing EEG brain activity participants with high (highs) or low hypnotizability scores (lows), aware their level informed session will include simple relaxation, neutral hypnosis. A total 16 highs 15 lows (according Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, form A) were enrolled. Their EEGs...

The characterization of brain cortical activity in heart-failure patients affected by Cheyne-Stokes Respiration might provide relevant information about the mechanism underlying this pathology. Central autonomic network is gaining increasing attention for its role regulation breathing and cardiac functions. In scenario, evaluating changes connectivity associated with may be interest study specific brain-activity related to such disease. Nonetheless, inter subject variability, temporal...

Augmented reality (AR) head mounted displays (HMDs) combine user's natural view of the real world with virtual data. Thus, they might be particularly suited to guide manual tasks as in computer-aided-surgery. However, typical focal plane commercial devices is outside peripersonal space (i.e. containing reachable objects), limiting performance manual-task guidance. Specifically, known issues such "vergence-accomodation-conflict" and "focus-rivalry" may lead visual fatigue mental workload...

Hypnotic susceptibility is a major factor influencing the study of neural correlates hypnosis using EEG. In this context, while its effects on response to hypnotic suggestions are undisputed, less attention has been paid “neutral hypnosis” (i.e., condition in absence suggestions). Furthermore, although an influence opened and closed eye onto hypnotizability reported, systematic investigation still missing. Here, we analyzed EEG signals from 34 healthy subjects with low (LS), medium (MS),...

Emotional sweating occurs in response to affective stimuli like fear, anxiety, or stress and is more evident specific parts of the body such as palms, soles, axillae. During emotional sweating, humans release many volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that could play a crucial role possible com-municative signals emotions. In this preliminary study, we investigated seven volatiles belonging chemical class acids released from armpit biomarkers. To aim, processed sweat VOCs physiological...

Human body odors (HBOs) are powerful stimuli that can affect emotional, cognitive and behavioral processes. However, the characterization of physiological response to HBOs is still be fully investigated. Here, we analyzed self-assessed emotion perception EEG event-related potentials (ERP) on 17 healthy young women during a simultaneous visual-olfactory stimulation. Particularly, evaluated effect happiness fear HBO amplitude ERP waveforms elicited by neutral face processing. In addition,...

Optical see-through head-mounted displays (HMD) enable optical superposition of computer-generated virtual data onto the user's natural view real environment. This makes them most suitable candidate to guide manual tasks, as for augmented reality (AR) guided surgery. However, commercial systems have a single focal plane at around 2-3 m inducing "vergence-accommodation conflict" and "focal rivalry" when used tasks. These phenomena can often cause visual fatigue low performance. In this...

Olfaction and emotions share common networks in the brain. However, little is known on how emotional content of odors modulate dynamically cortico-cortical interactions within these networks. In this preliminary study, we investigated effect odor valence effective connectivity through use Dynamic Causal Modeling (DCM). We recorded electroencephalographic (EEG) data from healthy subjects performing a passive task odorants with different valence. Once defined fully-connected priori network...