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Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation has proven effective in modulating parasympathetic autonomic nervous system activity and various cognitive functions.This study investigated the effects of transauricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on body ownership and interoception in healthy subjects using a within-subjects experimental design (active taVNS/sham).The rubber hand illusion (RHI) and the Heartbeat Counting Task (HCT) were employed.Cardiac activity was recorded throughout the procedure to measure physiological indices of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV).Ownership for the fake hand was observed in both active and sham stimulation, as indicated by drift and scores on illusion-relevant items (Q1-Q3).HR and HRV showed no variations between synchronous/asynchronous RHI or between stimulation conditions. Active taVNS resulted in decreased interoceptive meta-awareness.Individuals with lower interoceptive abilities exhibited heightened susceptibility to RHI during active taVNS, possibly due to perturbation of interoceptive signals and increased reliance on exteroceptive signals in constructing body representation.

It has been highlighted that non-invasive stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (taVNS) have a neuromodulatory effects on several cognitive functions. In-fact, tha vagal system is central for the organism's homeostatic regulation and it has widespread connections with various cortical and subcortical areas. Hence, our focus on studying the impact of this technique on a multifaceted cognitive process essential in human experience, time perception. Healthy subjects underwent explicit (duration discrimination) and implicit (prediction) temporal tasks during two distinct experimental sessions of stimulation with taVNS: a sham condition (offline stimulator) and an active stimulation condition. Participants' cardiac activity (Heart rate variability) was monitored throughout the experiment. Preliminary results show improved performance during the active stimulation condition, particularly for predictive temporal tasks. TaVNS may enhance brain activity in areas crucial for implicit timing (e.g. upper temporal cortex, lower parietal cortex) and supporting the adjustment process of temporal prediction errors.

Transauricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is increasingly spreading both in research and clinical practice; however, literature often presents non-uniform results in various cognitive domains. We propose a procedure based on the use of taVNS to investigate its effect on executive functions, also considering the modulation of the homeostatic balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. 40 (22F) volunteers participated in two separate sessions (stimulation/sham). After baseline measurements (heart rate variability) and a preliminary stimulation phase, they performed Stroop and go/no go tasks. Throughout the procedure, cardiac activity was recorded to obtain HRV parameters in different experimental conditions. Although performance differences were not identified in the tasks, the modulation of HRV parameters during the tasks indicates how taVNS can influence the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems during the execution of cognitive tasks. This effect is likely attributed to the taVNS acting on vagal tone, supporting the parasympathetic component.

Purpose: Consistent with current literature, which highlights the role of narration as a key tool for exploring the processes by which people construct the meaning of their critical experiences the authors propose a theoretical and methodological model to analyse the narratives of illness and identify any innovative aspects. The generative model of mind presented refers to a semiotic, narrative and socio-constructivist perspective according to which narration constitutes one of the possible processes by which the affective and pre-verbal sense of experience is transformed into a meaning that can be symbolized and shared. Design/methodology/approach: The onset of an illness represents a critical event which interrupts a person's life narrative, shattering his/her biographical continuity and undermining any assumptions of him/herself and the world. In particular, the model proposes a method of analysis, currently absent in literature, of the narrative interview Narrative Function Coding System (NFC) in order to grasp the ways by which four main narrative functions, namely psychic functions, are classified: the search for meaning, the expression of emotions, the temporal organization and the orientation to action. Findings: NFC appears to be able to capture the complexity of the narrative process of construction of illness' sense-meaning making process, identifying both representative modalities of good functioning, which express a gradual process of connection with the variability of the experience, and modalities that express moments of disorganization and rigidity, which can persist throughout the time of treatment. The NFC represents not only a method for analysing illness narratives but also a method for tracking and monitoring the process of clinical intervention and change. Originality/value: The sense-meaning making process perspective within the narrative socio-constructivist and semiotic framework of analysis proposed by NFC is currently absent in the literature. NFC can be a device for analysing the narrative process of sense-meaning making both for its use for clinical and preventive purposes. In addition we believe that this method, which focuses on the "form" and "way" of narratively constructing the subjective experience, rather than on the specific thematic content, can be used with all types of illness narratives, in particular the longitudinal one to explore the changes in sense-meaning making process.

Despite the effectiveness of cancer screening (CS) in providing timely diagnoses and early treatments, the participation of citizens remains very low in particular in Southern Italy. This study aims to investigate the meanings that intervene in the relationship between the individual and their active participation in CSs within public healthcare. A total of 101 ad hoc semi‐structured interviews were collected with CS users in public service of Campania Region, Italy. The interviews were analyzed through a qualitative–quantitative methodology by T‐Lab software. A cluster analysis and multiple matching analysis were conducted. Findings show five clusters: prevention as a sensory and emotional burden; prevention as a strategy to manage the hereditary risk of death; individual's internal demand for health; the times and places of prevention; and the concreteness of doing prevention; and two factors: from the risk of disease diagnosis to preventive measures and from external healthcare settings to internal self‐care settings. Findings shed light on how to construct better well‐being promotion strategies and foster a subjective health and prevention demand accounting for the continuous experiences of those participating in CSs to encourage greater citizen engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential traumatic events, such as breast cancer, can influence autobiographical memory (AM), interrupting the continuity of narrative identity. AM is based on a hierarchical search across different levels of specificity that are indexed from top to bottom when a memory is retrieved. In the breast cancer field, non-specific AMs are an observed clinical phenomenon. In particular, breast cancer survivors report issues related to self-defining memories (SDMs), specific and significant AMs that evoke strong emotions and sensory details at the time of memory. SDMs are linked to life goals and facilitate adaptation to critical experiences, preserving the continuity of identity. This study explored the narrative identity integration process of breast cancer survivors, analyzing themes, specificity, and integrative meaning in SDMs. Ten women participated in an online group support program centered on the integration of AMs linked to the cancer journey. Participants were asked to assess their body image perceptions, filling out an online survey three times, in which they had to report three SDMs each time. A reflexive thematic analysis of the SDMs identified three main themes: the onset of breast cancer; the labeling of negative emotions, and changes in the body. The results indicated inhibited retrieval of specific episodes, fostering a progressive failure in memory characterization and the concurrent meaningmaking process. Participants struggled with connecting the memories to insights regarding their self and life, as well as relating the memories to external conditions and other individuals. Further studies might examine the impact of these difficulties on the psychological adjustment of BC long-term survivors. They could also explore cognitive reconstruction by reframing the memories and re-evaluating their traumatic meanings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotional forecasting, meaning how a person anticipates feeling as a consequence of their choices, drives healthcare decision-making. Research, however, suggests that people often do not fully anticipate or otherwise grasp the future emotional impacts of their decisions. Emotional reappraisal strategies, such as putting emotions into words and sharing emotions with others, may mitigate potential undesirable effects of emotions on decision-making. The use of such strategies is important for consequential decisions, such as obtaining timely mammography screening for breast cancer, whereby earlier diagnosis may impact the success of treatment. In this study, we explored the use of emotional reappraisal strategies for decision-making regarding breast cancer screening attendance among women aged 50–69 years. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews following mammography with a reflexive thematic methodological approach employed for analysis. Results shed light on how participants' emotional response narratives were reconstructed before the mammography, felt during the mammography, and forecasted while awaiting the results. Future research should consider how individuals experience and manage their emotions as they access breast screening services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer narration is an elective tool to construct sensemaking processes aimed at supporting adaptation to the experience. The literature lacks a longitudinal narrative sensemaking exploration of breast cancer experience (BC) at an age below 50 years old. We administered an ad hoc narrative interview during pre-hospitalization-T1/postoperative counseling-T2/adjuvant therapy-T3/follow-up-T4. This study is a qualitative analysis of how narrative functions, as semiotic connection processes at the base of adaptation to the experience, are articulated during the four phases. Results highlight that the function of the organization of temporality changes from a relieved mode-T1 to reconstructive/chronological/blocked-T4; the search for meaning changes from an internalized mode-T1 to an internalized/externalized/generalized/nonsense-T4; emotional regulation changes from pervasive mode-T1 to connected/pervasive/disconnected -T4; and orientation to action changes from uncertain mode-T1 to combative-T2-T3-T4. From a clinical health psychology perspective, the different natural sensemaking trajectories emerged suggest constructing a personalized narrative intervention to follow the natural path of adaptation during BC experience, not only at the end, to accompany phases of integration and fluidity and to support phases of psychic stiffening and disconnection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The onset of breast cancer is considered a potential traumatic event associated with physical and psychological effects, in particular when it occurs at the age below 50. The literature lacks a longitudinal narrative exploration of breast cancer experience of young women. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE Using the narrative device as a diachronic tool aimed at promoting semiotic connection processes during the different phases of the therapeutic path, the authors constructed an ad hoc narrative interview to explore the meaning-making processes of 10 breast cancer patients below 50 years old during three turning-point phases: prehospitalization (T1); postoperative counseling (T2); and adjuvant therapy (T3). The research took place at National Cancer Institute Pascale of Naples. Through an ad hoc qualitative methodology, this study identifies the prevailing modes with which the five narrative meaning-making functions are articulated in the repeated narrative during the three phases. RESULTS The findings capture the patterns of change of narrative meaning-making markers during the illness experience, highlighting both integrated modes of connections between aspects of experience over time and moments of block in specific critical phases for women under 50. CONCLUSIONS From a clinical health psychology point of view the results suggest the promotion of integration between the synchrony of the medical path and the diachrony of the subjective experience of women to support resources for adapting to experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]