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There is a general consensus that schizophrenia (SZ) is characterized by major changes in the sense of self. Phenomenological studies suggest that these changes in the sense of self stem from a basic disturbance, hence the term 'basic self-disturbance'. While imaging studies demonstrate changes in various regions during self-focused tasks, the exact neural correlates of such basic self-disturbances remain unclear. If the self-disturbance is indeed basic and thereby underlies all other symptoms, one would expect it to be related to more global rather than local changes in the brain. Testing this hypothesis, we conducted a systematic review of fMRI studies on self in SZ. Our main findings are 1. Abnormal activity related to the self can be observed in a variety of different regions ranging from higher-order transmodal to lower-order unimodal regions, 2. These findings hold true across different tasks including self-reflection, self-referentiality, and self-agency, and 3. The global neural abnormalities related to the self in SZ correspond to all layers of the self, predominantly the mental and exteroceptive self. Such global neural disturbance of self converges well with the basic self-disturbance as described in phenomenology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• VR environments help improve rehabilitation of impaired complex cognitive functions. • Combining neuroimaging and VR boosts ecological validity, generates practical gains. • These are the first neurofunctional predictive biomarkers of VR cognitive training. As Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in neurological disorders such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, or attention deficit disorder, the question of how it impacts the brain's neuronal activity and function becomes essential. VR can be combined with neuroimaging to offer invaluable insight into how the targeted brain areas respond to stimulation during neurorehabilitation training. That, in turn, could eventually serve as a predictive marker for therapeutic success. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) identified neuronal activity related to blood flow to reveal with a high spatial resolution how activation patterns change, and restructuring occurs after VR training. Portable and quiet, electroencephalography (EEG) conveniently allows the clinician to track spontaneous electrical brain activity in high temporal resolution. Then, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) combines the spatial precision level of fMRIs with the portability and high temporal resolution of EEG to constitute an ideal measuring tool in virtual environments (VEs). This narrative review explores the role of VR and concurrent neuroimaging in cognitive rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The ascending and descending phases of BOLD signal modulates face recognition. • Inter-regional phase lag distinguishes the face processing and frontoparietal systems. • Inter-regional phase lag in the infra-slow frequency range is essential for cognitive performance. Low frequency phase synchronization is an essential mechanism of information communication among brain regions. In the infra-slow frequency range (<0.1 Hz), inter-regional phase lag is of importance for brain function (e.g., anti-phase between the default mode network and task positive network). However, the role of phase lag in cognitive processing remains unclear. Based on the frequency tagging experimental paradigm and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique, we investigated inter-regional phase lag and phase coherence using a face recognition task (n = 30, 15 males/15 females). Phase coherence within the face processing system was significantly increased during task state, highlighting the importance of regular inter-regional phase relationship for face recognition. Moreover, results showed decreased phase lag within the core and extended face areas (face processing system) and increased phase lag between the face processing system and frontoparietal network, indicating a reorganization of inter-regional relationships of the two systems. Inter-regional phase lag was modulated by the task at ascending and descending phases of the fMRI signal, suggesting a phase-dependent inter-regional relationship. Furthermore, phase lags between visual cortex and amygdala and between visual cortex and motor area were positively related to reaction time, indicating better task performance depends on both rapid emotional detection pathway and visual-motor pathway. Overall, inter-regional phase synchronization in the infra-slow frequency range is of important for effective information communication and cognitive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]