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Currently, there is little understanding of how interoceptive attentiveness (IA) affects brain responses during synchronized cognitive or motor tasks. This pilot study explored the effect of explicit IA manipulation on hemodynamic correlates of simple cognitive tasks implying linguistic or motor synchronization. Eighteen healthy participants completed two linguistic and motor synchronization tasks during explicit IA and control conditions while oxygenated (O2Hb) and deoxygenated (HHb) hemoglobin variations were recorded by functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). The findings suggested that the brain regions associated with sustained attention, such as the right prefrontal cortex (PFC), were more involved when an explicit focus on the breath was induced during the cognitive linguistic task requiring synchronization with a partner, as indicated by increased O2Hb. Interestingly, this effect was not significant for the motor task. In conclusion, for the first time, this pilot research found increased activity in neuroanatomical regions that promote sustained attention, attention reorientation, and synchronization when a joint task is carried out and the person is focusing on their physiological body reactions. Moreover, the results suggested that the benefits of conscious concentration on physiological interoceptive correlates while executing a task demanding synchronization, particularly verbal alignment, may be related to the right PFC.

Past research showed that the ability to focus on one’s internal states (e.g., interoceptive ability) positively correlates with the self-regulation of behavior in situations that are accompanied by somatic and/or physiological changes, such as emotions, physical workload, and decision-making. The analysis of moral oriented decision-making can be the first step for better understanding the legal reasoning carried on by the main players in the field, as lawyers are. For this reason, this study investigated the influence of the decision context and interoceptive manipulation on the moral decision-making process in the legal field gathering the responses of two groups of lawyers. A total of 20 lawyers were randomly divided into an experimental group (EXP), which was explicitly required to focus the attention on its interoceptive correlates, and a control group (CON), which only received the general instruction to perform the task. Both groups underwent a modified version of the Ultimatum Game (UG), where are presented three different moral conditions (professional, company, and social) and three different offers (fair, unfair, and equal). Results highlighted a significant increase of Acceptance Rate (AR) in those offers that should be considered more equal than fair or unfair ones, associated with a general increase of Reaction Times (RTs) in the equal offers. Furthermore, the interoceptive manipulation oriented the Lawyers toward a more self-centered decision. This study shows how individual, situational, contextual, and interoceptive factors may influence the moral decision-making of lawyers. Future research in the so-called Neurolaw field is needed to replicate and expand current findings.

Human–computer interaction (HCI) is particularly interesting because full-immersive technology may be approached differently by users, depending on the complexity of the interaction, users’ personality traits, and their motivational systems inclination. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between psychological factors and attention towards specific tech-interactions in a smart home system (SHS). The relation between personal psychological traits and eye-tracking metrics is investigated through self-report measures [locus of control (LoC), user experience (UX), behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and behavioral activation system (BAS)] and a wearable and wireless near-infrared illumination based eye-tracking system applied to an Italian sample (n = 19). Participants were asked to activate and interact with five different tech-interaction areas with different levels of complexity (entrance, kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom) in a smart home system (SHS), while their eye-gaze behavior was recorded. Data showed significant differences between a simpler interaction (entrance) and a more complex one (living room), in terms of number of fixation. Moreover, slower time to first fixation in a multifaceted interaction (bathroom), compared to simpler ones (kitchen and living room) was found. Additionally, in two interaction conditions (living room and bathroom), negative correlations were found between external LoC and fixation count, and between BAS reward responsiveness scores and fixation duration. Findings led to the identification of a two-way process, where both the complexity of the tech-interaction and subjects’ personality traits are important impacting factors on the user’s visual exploration behavior. This research contributes to understand the user responsiveness adding first insights that may help to create more human-centered technology.

Grocery shopping represents a challenging task for visually impaired (VI), but the neuroscientific literature on the consumption patterns of this group is still scarce. The aim of the study was to analyse the relationship between explicit consumer experience and neuropsychological measures. A group of VI and sighted explored and manipulated three different product categories inside the supermarket, while EEG, behavioral and self-report data were collected. Electroencephalogram (EEG) findings showed a generalized delta band activity in pasta compared to frozen food and it was interpreted as higher emotional activation probably required by selecting the correct stimuli in a multisensory environment. A delta band activation was also found in frontal area in VI compared to control and it was supposed to be an index of greater cognitive control. Finally, higher delta band activity in parieto-occipital and temporal areas were related to greater sense of disorientation. In conclusion, it was found that VI experience grocery shopping more stressfully and with greater cognitive effort (parieto-occipital area) than people without visual disability. In general, VI use the sense of touch (temporal area) more and have more difficulties in orienting themselves internally in the store. The results could encourage the use of tactile touchpoints, braille maps, or an initial guided exploration of the supermarket, to allow the VI to memorize the internal layout of the different product categories and allow them to shop independently. Another suggestion would be to make products within the same product category more distinctive, perhaps by adding additional tactile information.

Objective: Previous neuroscientific research explored howboth moral values and economic scenarios can influence individuals’ brain activity. This study investigated the relationship between peripheral and neural activity during fairness and unfairness perception in moral and economic conditions. Method: Thirty-one participants underwent a modified version of the Ultimatum Game, which proposed various offers (fair, unfair, equal) concerning two different contexts: economic and moral conditions. During the task, the peripheral (heart rate [HR], skin conductance level/response [SCL, SCR]) and central (oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin [O2Hb, HHb]) individuals’ responses were recorded using the autonomic indices recording and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The peripheral activity was correlated with motivational systems (Behavioral Inhibition/Activation System[ BIS/BAS]) and individuals’ personality traits. Results: Findings highlighted a positive correlation between SCL and O2Hb in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) during fair, unfair, and equal offers in the economic condition and a negative correlation between SCL and O2Hb in the dmPFC for fair and equal offers in the moral condition. Also, HR negatively correlated with HHb in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during the presentation of equal and unfair offers in the economic condition. Finally, correlations between SCL and BAS subscales (Drive and Fun Seeking) and SCR and emotional stability trait suggested the link between motivation and emotional regulation during different conditions. Conclusions: In conclusion, the relationship between autonomic, central activity, and motivational and personality traits in moral and economic offers’ condition was discussed in light of different brain networks supporting these processes

Purpose: In a multicultural diverse society, healthcare professionals (HPs) should adopt a personalized approach with adequate attitudes and behaviors to respond promptly to the needs of patients with different cultural backgrounds who become regular users of the health service. This study aimed to explore the health representations of HPs taking charge of immigrant chronic patients in Italy. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted, recorded, and transcribed on a sample of 54 HPs. Mixed quali-quantitative analysis was applied, including the method of discourse analysis. Results: Results underlined the prevalence of specific recurring topics and words that highlight positive aspects but also weaknesses in chronic care models for immigrant patients, stressing what needs to be done. Keystones are the relational experience between HPs and patients and new specific training opportunities for HPs. Conclusion: To conclude, a new semi-structured interview schedule is proposed, able to obtain in-depth information on the representation of HPs toward immigrant chronic patients.

Grossberg’s classification of adaptive resonance mechanisms includes the cognitive-emotional resonances that support conscious feelings and recognition of them. In this regard, a relevant question concerns the processing of signals deriving from the internal body and their contribution to interpersonal synchronization. This study aims to assess hemodynamic inter-subject coherence in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) through functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscan recording during dyadic synchronization tasks proposed with or without a social frame and performed in two distinct interoceptive conditions: focus and no focus on the breathing condition. Individuals’ hemodynamic data (oxygenated and de-oxygenated hemoglobin (O2Hb and HHb, respectively)) were recorded through fNIRS hyperscanning, and coherence analysis was performed. The findings showed a significantly higher O2Hb coherence in the left PFC when the dyads performed the synchronization tasks with a social frame compared with no social frame in the focus condition. Overall, the evidence suggests that the interoceptive focus and the presence of a social frame favor the manifestation of a left PFC interpersonal tuning during synchronization tasks.

Purpose: Little is known about the relationships between apathy, depressive symptoms and interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) in patients on chronic hemodialysis. Aim of the present study is to investigate the association between IDWG and symptoms of depression and apathy in hemodialysis patients. Methods: A total of 139 chronic patients of the HD units between January 2020 and December 2021 were included in the present cross-sectional study. IDWG was calculated as the difference between the pre-HD weight and the weight registered after the previous session; the average of the sessions in a month was registered. Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) was adopted to evaluate apathy. Depression was assessed by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results: Ninety-three patients had IDWG% ≤ 4 and 46 had an IDWG% > 4. Correlation between IDWG% and BDI as well that between IDWG% and AES were not statistically significant. Median BDI and mean AES did not differ significantly between the groups. In addition, 104 patients had a BDI < 16 and 35 had a BDI ≥ 6. Seventy-five patients had an AES score ≤ 35 and 63 had a AES score > 35. The IDWG (kg) and the IDWG% did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusion: IDWG is not associated with symptoms of depression or apathy in hemodialysis patients. Thus, these results may question if the use of behavioral intervention aimed at improving motivation is warranted in the hemodialysis population to reduce the IDWG.

The effect of explicit interoception manipulation on electrophysiological (EEG) patterns concurrent with an interpersonal motor synchronization task with a social purpose was investigated in this study. Thirty healthy individuals executed a task involving behavioral motor synchronization with a social framing in both focus (conceived as the focus on the breath for a specific time interval) and no focus conditions. During the task, a 15 active electrodes electroencephalogram was used to record the following frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, and beta band) from the frontal, temporo-central, and parieto-occipital regions of interest (ROIs). According to the results, for all the frequency bands significant higher mean values were found in the focus compared to no focus condition in the parieto-occipital ROI. On the whole, the current work conveys that when a motor synchronization task is executed and the person concurrently pays attention to his/her body correlates, EEG brain activity is empowered and boosted in posterior areas at the basis of attention to visceral signals, but also interpersonal action coordination. This evidence could have potentially interesting implications because it suggests the importance of modern breath-work during all conditions that require a social motor joint task, such as physiotherapy exercises or synchronized sports.

Introduction: This study explores the link between fatigue and apathy in patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD). Methods: One hundred thirty-nine chronic HD patients underwent the assessment of fatigue, apathy, depression, and their functional status, with the fatigue severity scale (FSS), the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES), the beck depression inventory (BDI), the activity of daily living (ADL), and instrumental activity of daily living (IADL). Results: Patients with high FSS had a significantly lower ADL and IADL score, higher BDI, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and AES score, and lower serum levels of creatinine, compared to low FSS patients. FSS was highly correlated with the AES, as well as with the BDI and the AES correlates with the BDI. At multiple regression analyses, only apathy and IADL were independent predictor variables of fatigue in HD population. Conclusion: Future longitudinal studies could determine if apathy is a causative factor for fatigue manifestation and development in HD patients.

The need to use different and heterogeneous approaches and methodologies to investigate the phenomenon of pathological Gambling Disorder (GD) arises from a substantial difference in the literature results emerging in this area. Furthermore, investigating the executive functioning (EFs) of subjects with GD provides important information that can influence the treatment setting of these populations. In the present paper the involvement of EFs in the present disorder was investigated. The cognitive functioning of subjects with GD was deepened, both through the study of the cerebral correlates of executive functioning in GD and through empirical studies that investigate the behavioural deficits of GD. Furthermore, we considered the role of some specific behavioral tasks (such as the Iowa Gambling Task, IGT) for the assessment of EFs. Finally, the relationship between EFs and some other crucial factors, such as reward sensitivity, were focused. Indeed, the behavioural aspects of GD are multiple, and they include not only traditional functions such as inhibitory control and reduced levels of self-control, but also high sensitivity to reward

The present research explored electrophysiological activity (EEG) related to problematic internet use (PIU) vulnerability in a nonclinical population. Vulnerability to PIU was assessed through internet addiction test (IAT) in a sample of 23 participants. Moreover, they underwent a behavioral Iowa gambling task (IGT) for testing decision-making functioning and N2 event-related potentials (ERPs) component was monitored during an attentional inhibitory Go/NoGo task performance with addiction-related background pictures (videogames, online gambling, and neutral stimuli). IAT measure positively correlated with both IGT index and N2 variation at the Go/NoGo task. High-IAT young participants showed specific responses to internet addiction-related cues (pictures representing online gambling) in terms of ERPs amplitude of N2pc for Go trials in Pz. Findings suggested an early attentional facilitation effect for specific addiction-related stimuli, online gambling-related stimuli, suggesting a selective attention bias for salient stimuli in this population. While higher levels of IAT do not seem to correspond to a deficit in decision-making abilities, the selective attention mechanisms show to be partially biased in response to the salience of external cues.

Empathy is a phenomenon that brings together both emotions and an understanding of another person. Recent studies have disentangled the mechanisms of empathy into emotional and cognitive aspects. Event-related potential (ERP) studies suggest that emotional empathy is related to the modulation of the amplitude of early ERPs, and cognitive empathy is linked to later ERPs. In the current study, we examined the influences of facial attractiveness on empathic response and the effect of cognitive strategies with setting the participants’ attention to attractiveness or pain. Participants (N= 19) viewed photos of physically attractive and unattractive men and women receiving painful stimulation. The amplitude of the N2 component measured at the frontal regions was more negative in painful stimulation compared to the non-painful, but only for attractive faces. There were no differences between painful and non-painful stimulation for unattractive faces. The amplitude of the P3 measured at the central-parietal region component was more positive in the painful condition compared to the non-painful one, but only when participants performed a pain judgment task. There were no differences in the attractiveness judgment task. This study showed that the attractiveness of a model and drawing the participants’ attention to pain constitute an essential modulator of pain empathy.

The diffusion of automated decision-making systems could represent a critical crossroads for the future society. Automated technology could feasibly be involved in morally-charged decisions, with major ethical consequences. In the present study, participants (n=34) took part in a task composed of moral dilemmas where the agent (human vs. machine) and the type of behavior (action vs inaction) factors were randomized. Responses in terms of evaluation of morality, the consciousness, responsibility, intentionality, and emotional impact of the agent’s behaviour, reaction times (RTs), and EEG (delta, theta, beta, alpha, gamma powers) data were collected. Data showed that participants apply different moral rules based on the agent. Humans are considered more moral, responsible, intentional, and conscious compared to machines. Interestingly, the evaluation of the emotional impact derived from the moral behavior was perceived as more severe for humans, with decreased RTs. For EEG data, increased gamma power was detected when subjects were evaluating the intentionality and the emotional impact of machines, compared to humans. Higher beta power in the frontal and fronto-central regions was detected for the evaluation of the machine’s derived emotional impact. Moreover, a right temporal activation was found when judging the emotional impact caused by humans. Lastly, a generalized alpha desynchronization occurred in the left occipital area, when subjects evaluated the responsibility derived from inaction behaviors. Present results provided evidence for the existence of different norms when judging moral behavior of machine and human agents, pointing to a possible asymmetry in moral judgment at a cognitive and emotional level.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the production of a vast amount of COVID-19-themed brand commercials, in an attempt to exploit the salience of the topic to reach more effectively the consumers. However, the literature has produced conflicting findings of the effectiveness of negative emotional contents in advertisings. The present study aims at exploring the effect of COVID-19-related contents on the hemodynamic brain correlates of the consumer approach or avoidance motivation. Twenty Italian participants were randomly assigned to two different groups that watched COVID-19-related or non-COVID-19-related commercials. The hemodynamic response [oxygenated (O2Hb) and deoxygenated hemoglobin modulations] within the left and right prefrontal cortices (PFC) was monitored with Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) while brand commercials were presented, as the prefrontal lateralization was shown to be indicative of the attitude toward the brand and of the approach-avoidance motivation. First, the findings showed that the COVID-19-related contents were able to prompt emotional processing within the PFC to a higher extent compared to contents non-related to COVID-19. Moreover, the single-channel analysis revealed increased O2Hb activity of the left dorsolateral PFC compared to the left pars triangularis Broca’s area in the group of participants that watched the COVID-19-related commercials, suggesting that the commercials may have driven participants to dedicate more attention toward the processing of the emotional components compared to the semantic meaning conveyed by the ad. To conclude, despite expressing unpleasant emotions, commercials referring to the highly emotional pandemic experience may benefit the advertising efficacy, increasing the capability to reach customers.

Introduction: Nowadays new tools suitable for exploring executive functioning (EF) of behavioral addicted individuals are needed. Objectives: This study tests a novel digital assessment battery that can be easily and remotely adopted by neuropsychologists working in the field of addiction. Methods: Twenty-three participants were divided into two groups, balanced for age and education: an experimental (EXP) group of 13 patients with gambling behavior, and a control (CNT) group of 10 healthy subjects. A neuropsychological battery including 5 neuropsychological tests (measuring long- and short-term verbal memory, working memory, cognitive flexibility, verbal and non-verbal fluency, attention), and a behavioral task (modified Go/NoGo task with addiction-related stimuli) was digitally administered. Anxiety, depression, and impulsivity levels were collected before the evaluation. Results: Significantly higher scores were found for repetition errors in the short-term verbal memory test, in the EXP subjects compared to controls. Higher reaction times were found in the Go/No-Go task for the EXP compared to CNT, with significant differences for neutral and addiction-related (cocaine, THC) stimuli. Furthermore, EXP showed higher impulsivity scores. Conclusions: Although the study was only exploratory, the significant results could support the validity of this new digital tool. Besides, we could conclude that memory impairment and attentional bias in inhibitory control tasks could cover a significant role in new and old addiction and that impulsivity could represent a critical factor in explaining the relationship between EF impairment and addiction. Lastly, this study contributes not only to the understanding of EF impairment in addictions but also in the delivery of remote suitable digital neuropsychological testing

Enhancing the embodiment of artificial limbs—the individuals' feeling that a virtual or robotic limb is integrated in their own body scheme—is an impactful strategy for improving prosthetic technology acceptance and human-machine interaction. Most studies so far focused on visuo-tactile strategies to empower the embodiment processes. However, novel approaches could emerge from self-regulation techniques able to change the psychophysiological conditions of an individual. Accordingly, this pilot study investigates the effects of a self-regulated breathing exercise on the processes of body ownership underlying the embodiment of a virtual right hand within a Spatially Augmented Respiratory Biofeedback (SARB) setting. This investigation also aims at evaluating the feasibility of the breathing exercise enabled by a low-cost SARB implementation designed for upcoming remote studies (a need emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic). Twenty-two subjects without impairments, and two transradial prosthesis users for a preparatory test, were asked (in each condition of a within-group design) to maintain a normal (about 14 breaths/min) or slow (about 6 breaths/min) respiratory rate to keep a static virtual right hand “visible” on a screen. Meanwhile, a computer-generated sphere moved from left to right toward the virtual hand during each trial (1 min) of 16. If the participant's breathing rate was within the target (slow or normal) range, a visuo-tactile event was triggered by the sphere passing under the virtual hand (the subjects observed it shaking while they perceived a vibratory feedback generated by a smartphone). Our results—mainly based on questionnaire scores and proprioceptive drift—highlight that the slow breathing condition induced higher embodiment than the normal one. This preliminary study reveals the feasibility and potential of a novel psychophysiological training strategy to enhance the embodiment of artificial limbs. Future studies are needed to further investigate

This contribution outlined recent strategies and technology-based training for stress management interventions (SMIs) at the workplace, dedicated to professionals at each level. Specific attention has been given to mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), wearable brain-and-body sensing technologies, biofeedback (BF) and neurofeedback (NF) training, and virtual reality. Despite the promising evidence at the neural, psychophysiological, cognitive, and behavioral level of a neuroscientific approach combining MBI and BF/NF training, there are still limited opportunities in the application of SMIs at the workplace. Introducing valuable and intensive stress management training for professionals at the workplace, with the support of wearable technologies, may help to contain health-related complications due to stress. It may also improve the physical and psychological well-being of the workforce, with a large impact in standard welfare intervention and productivity.

The interest of the neuroscientific approach, recently, is aimed to implement methodologies and tools to investigate the mental processes underlying different individuals' abilities, such as self-regulation, social skills, and higher cognition at the workplace. Indeed, neuroscience allows investigating the human mind and its own higher cognitive and social functions, called Executive Functions (EFs), by integrating several analyses, including overt behavior and covert neurophysiological correlates. Therefore, neuromanagement allows to evaluate and enhance individuals' EFs controlling different top-down mental processes, as inhibition, working memory, attention, learning, pianification and cognitive flexibility. Particularly, neuroscience applied to the management field could offer valid evidence useful to the implementation of specific protocols for the development of new evaluation potential and performances and the enhancement of individuals' cognitive, emotional and relationship skills.

Neurocognitive enhancement is one of the possible options proposed by neuroscience discipline to optimize and maximize workers' neurocognitive efficiency and behavioral performance at the workplace. It involves the adoption of neuroscience techniques able to influence the activity of neural structures and networks sub-serving cognitive skills and supporting cognitive performance. In this contribution the combined integration of non-invasive neurofeedback wearable device with mindfulness-based practice proves to be the current fittest and more appropriate mental training for all professionals in the company context. Three applied protocols will be described to highlight how neuroenhancement could promote well-being at work by increasing neurocognitive efficiency of workers (at every level, from junior to senior positions), and consequently it could augment workers' quality of life by improving their performance. Last but not least, neuroenhancement could also act as a preventive intervention for age management at the workplace, given its efficacy in preventing cognitive decline and strengthening attention regulation.

Introduction: Empathizing with others’ pain appears to recruit the whole pain matrix, including a collection of frontal regions involved in the affective, motivational, cognitive, and attentional dimension of pain. Objectives: This research explored how the modulation of interoceptive attentiveness (IA) can influence the frontal (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex -DLPFC- and somatosensory cortices) activity related to the emotional regulation and sensory response of observing pain in others. Methods: 22 healthy participants were required to observe face versus hand, painful/non-painful stimuli in an individual versus social condition while brain hemodynamic response (oxygenated [O2Hb] and deoxygenated hemoglobin [HHb] components) was measured by functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). The sample was divided into experimental (EXP) and control (CNT) groups and the EXP group was explicitly required to focus on its interoceptive correlates while observing the stimuli. Results: In the individual condition, higher brain responsiveness was detected for painful confronted to non-painful stimuli, and a left/right hemispheric lateralization was found for the individual and social condition, respectively. Besides, both groups showed higher DLPFC activation for face stimuli displayed in the individual condition compared to hand stimuli in the social condition. However, face stimuli activation prevailed for the EXP group, suggesting the direct interoceptive phenomenon has certain features, namely it manifests itself in the individual condition and for pain stimuli. Conclusions: We can conclude that IA modulation promoted the recruitment of internal adaptive regulatory strategies engaging both DLPFC and somatosensory regions towards emotionally relevant stimuli (painful faces displayed in the individual condition). Therefore IA could be trained for promoting emotion regulation and empathic response.

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a relatively new neuroimaging technique adequate and useful for exploring neural activity in social contexts involving human interactions. Compared to functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), fNIRS is easy-to-use safe, noninvasive, silent, relatively low cost and portable, and applicable to subjects of all ages, thus resulting in a good option for ecological studies involving humans in their real-life context. Moreover, by using hyperscanning technique, fNIRS allows recording the hemodynamic cerebral activity of two interacting subjects in an ecological context or during a shared performance. Thus, moving from a simple analysis about each subject’s neural response during joint actions towards more complex computations makes possible to investigate brain synchrony, that is the if and how one’s brain activity is related to that of another interacting partner simultaneously recorded. Here, we discuss how connectivity analyses, with respect to both time and frequency domain procedures, permitted to deepen some aspects of inter-brain synchrony in relation to emotional closeness, and to highlight how concurrent, cooperative actions can lead to interpersonal synchrony and bond construction.

Recently, it has been demonstrated that chronic inflammation could have a role on fatigue onset in chronic hemodialysis (HD). Research on neuro-immune interactions highlighted that an alteration of basal ganglia functioning, secondary to chronic inflammation, may translate in a reduced motivation and altered reward processes in chronic diseases. This study investigated a possible correlation between fatigue severity and reward mechanisms, that regulate motivational dispositions, in HD patients. Evaluation scales were administered to ninety-four patients on HD (54 Male, 40 Female; Mdage = 67±26.5; Dialytic Mdage in years = 4±6.3. Fatigue was assessed by using Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS) and Behavioural Activation System (BAS) Scale was administered to investigate approach/avoidance behaviours. Anxiety and depression were measured by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). Results show that the distribution of HD patients for FSS score did not show a normal pattern. FSS score was significantly higher in patients with high BIS Z-score than in patients with low and medium BIS Z-score. BDI score and STAI-Y scores were similar among BIS Z-score groups of patients. Findings suggest that in patients on chronic hemodialysis there is a correlation between fatigue severity symptoms and motivational disposition mechanisms that predispose to action inhibition.

Little is presently known about customers' expectations and the unspoken relevant factors which lead them to prefer or not sustainable luxury products. This study aimed to deepen the understanding of luxury consumers' implicit intentions towards sustainability by using, for the first time, a neuroscientific approach applied to the luxury fashion domain. A greater cortical activity related to cognitive and emotional aspects was hypothesized for luxury sustainability-oriented consumers than for non-sustainability-oriented subjects when presented with sustainability-related cues. Sixteen luxury consumers were divided into two groups according to their sensitivity towards sustainability issues. They were asked to observe a set of 10 stimuli depicting sustainability issues and then to interact with a salesperson while their cortical activity was recorded by an electroencephalogram (EEG). Frequency band analysis revealed higher levels of beta, delta, and theta band EEG activity in temporoparietal than frontocentral areas when observing pictures related to sustainability and a specific right temporoparietal theta band activation for the Nonsustainable Group. An increased level of knowledge of sustainability themes was confirmed by the correct detection of stimuli valence and a significant presence of delta power when the salesperson explained the brand's sustainable policy. The specific brain responses related to sensitivity towards sustainability and the different effect of knowledge on sustainability topics based on group differences are discussed here in light of emotional behavior.

Previous work showed that, when we interact with other people, an alignment of psychophysiological measures occur as a clue about the intensity of the social interaction. Available evidence highlighted increase autonomic synchrony, known as physiological linkage, during intense dyadic situations, like conflictual conversations within romantic couples, friends, or therapeutic settings. Starting from the idea that higher physiological linkage could support better performance and be correlated with approach attitudes (Behavioral Activation System, BAS), in the present study a conflictual situation was proposed by making subjects compete during an attentional task and stressing the importance to win as a measure of future professional success. Autonomic activity (electrodermal: skin conductance level and response: SCL, SCR; and cardiovascular indices: heart rate: HR) was recorded during the task, where subjects received trial-related feedbacks on their performance, and an average score halfway which (fictitiously) assessed their position in terms of accuracy and reaction times with respect to the opponent. In parallel, behavioral inhibition and activation have been assessed by means of the Behavioral Inhibition/Activation System Questionnaire (BIS/BAS). 32 subjects coupled in 16 dyads were recruited. Intra-subject analyses revealed that, after the general evaluation assessing a winning condition, the behavioral performance improved and the electrodermal response increased. Also, correlational analyses showed a relation between BAS, and specifically BAS reward, with SCR. Inter-subject analyses showed higher synchrony in SCR and HR after the feedback. Such results confirm the increased synchronic effect after a highly conflictual condition, and the presence of a relation between subjective performance, approach-related motivations, and physiological linkage.

Previous research highlighted that during social interactions people shape each other's emotional states by resonance mechanisms and synchronized autonomic patterns. Starting from the idea that joint actions create shared emotional experiences, in the present study a social bond was experimentally induced by making subjects cooperate with each other. Participants' autonomic system activity (electrodermal: Skin conductance level and response: SCL, SCR; cardiovascular indices: Heart rate: HR) was continuously monitored during an attentional couple game. The cooperative motivation was induced by presenting feedback which reinforced the positive outcomes of the intersubjective exchange. 24 participants coupled in 12 dyads were recruited. Intrasubject analyses revealed higher HR in the first part of the task, connoted by increased cognitive demand and arousing social dynamic, while intersubject analysis showed increased synchrony in electrodermal activity after the feedback. Such results encourage the use of hyperscanning techniques to assess emotional coupling in ecological and real-time paradigms.

Previous research investigated the presence of differential autonomic responses towards the emotions expressed by individuals from ingroup or outgroup contexts. Results found increased affective reactions and typical identification bias that can be explained, according to "the similarity factor", as the tendency to tune stronger with those perceived as more similar. Then, few previous studies explored the presence of such mechanisms in intra and interspecies contexts. However, further investigation is needed to better explore these issues in developmental samples and to different emotionally valenced stimuli. Thus, we asked 30 children to watch emotional pictures involving child-child (CC) and child-animal (CA) interactions with negative, positive, or neutral valence. Autonomic responses were recorded and compared across species and gender. Results showed a higher sensitivity to intraspecies emotional valence (increased heart rate for negative compared to neutral stimuli) which was visible only in the female group, thus confirming the presence of a gender effect.