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It is well-established that familiar and unfamiliar faces are processed differently, but surprisingly little is known about how familiarity builds up over time and how novel faces gradually become represented in the brain. Here, we used event-related brain potentials (ERPs) in a pre-registered, longitudinal study to examine the neural processes accompanying face and identity learning during the first eight months of knowing a person. Specifically, we examined how increasing real-life familiarity affects visual recognition (N250 Familiarity Effect) and the integration of person-related knowledge (Sustained Familiarity Effect, SFE). Sixteen first-year undergraduates were tested in three sessions, approximately one, five, and eight months after the start of the academic year, with highly variable “ambient” images of a new friend they had met at university and of an unfamiliar person. We observed clear ERP familiarity effects for the new friend after one month of familiarity. While there was an increase in the N250 effect over the course of the study, no change in the SFE was observed. These results suggest that visual face representations develop faster relative to the integration of identity-specific knowledge.

Fatigue is a frequently occurring and persistent symptom after stroke. Many biological, psychosocial, and behavioural factors are associated with poststroke fatigue, but research into associations with personality traits is relatively sparse. In this study, we explored whether personality traits were related to poststroke fatigue measured with conventional fatigue questionnaires as well as experience sampling methodology (ESM). Twenty-four individuals with stroke completed 10 daily questionnaires about momentary (here-and-now) fatigue for six consecutive days using the mHealth ESM application PsyMate TM. Further, they completed questionnaires assessing personality (NEO-FFI and LOR-T) and fatigue (FSS). Results showed that higher extraversion (ß = -.44, SE =.12, p =.001; 95% CI = -.67-.19) and optimism (ß = -.18, SE =.06, p =.007; 95% CI = -.30-.05) were associated with lower momentary fatigue. No association was found between neuroticism and momentary fatigue, but higher neuroticism (r = 0.531, p =.008, 95% CI =.160-.759; r =.574, p =.003, 95% CI =.245-.767) was associated with higher scores on the retrospective FSS scales. We conclude that personality traits differentially influence poststroke fatigue, but this also depends on the way fatigue is measured (with retrospective or with momentary measures). When functional gains are not in line with expected progress during the rehabilitation treatment of fatigue, it may be appropriate to take into account how person characteristics are related to momentary fatigue.

International audience; Research into the neuroanatomical basis of emotions has resulted in a plethora of studies over the last twenty years. However, studies about positive emotions and pleasant sensations remain rare and their anatomical-functional bases are less understood than that of negative emotions. Pleasant sensations can be evoked by electrical brain stimulations (EBS) during stereotactic electroencephalography (SEEG) performed for pre-surgical exploration in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 10 106 EBS performed in 329 patients implanted with SEEG in our epileptology department. We found that 13 EBS in 9 different patients evoked pleasant sensations (.60% of all responses). By contrast we collected 111 emotional responses of negative valence (i.e., 5.13% of all responses). EBS evoking pleasant sensations were applied at 50 Hz with an average intensity of 1.4 ± .55 mA (range .5e2 mA). Pleasant sensations were reported by nine patients of which three patients presented responses to several EBS. We found a male predominance among the patients reporting pleasant sensations and a prominent role of the right cerebral hemisphere. Results show the preponderant role of the dorsal anterior insula and amygdala in the occurrence of pleasant sensations.

Neurofeedback procedures are attracting increasing attention in the neuroscience community. Based on the principle that participants, through suitable feedback, may learn to affect specific aspects of their brain activity, neurofeedback has been applied to basic research, translational, and clinical science alike. A large segment of the extant empirical research as well as review articles have focused on the extent to which neurofeedback interventions affect mental health outcomes, cognitive capacity, aging, and other complex behaviors. Another segment has aimed to characterize the extent to which neurofeedback affects the targeted neural processes. At this time, there is no current systematic review of the effects of neurofeedback on healthy participants’ performance in experimental tasks. Such a review is relevant in this rapidly evolving field because changes in experimental task performance are traditionally considered a hallmark of changing neurocognitive processes, often established in neurotypical individuals. This systematic review addresses this gap in the literature using the PRISMA method, building on earlier reviews on the same topic. Empirical studies using EEG or fMRI to alter brain processes linked to established, well-defined cognitive and affective laboratory tasks were reviewed. Substantial variability was found regarding the nature of the control for placebo effects, the implementation of the feedback, and the neural targets of feedback. Importantly, only a minority of the studies reported statistically meaningful effects of neurofeedback on performance in cognitive and affective tasks. Examining effect sizes and p-values in a subset of studies found no evidence for reporting bias, while also not finding systematic relations between study characteristics such as sample size or experimental control on the one hand and efficacy on the other. Implications for future work are discussed.

The branched-chain amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine occupy a special place among the essential amino acids because of their importance not only in the structure of proteins but also in general and cerebral metabolism. Among the first amino acids absorbed after food intake, they play a major role in the regulation of protein synthesis and insulin secretion. They are involved in the modulation of brain uptake of monoamine precursors with which they may compete for occupancy of a common transporter. In the brain, branched-chain amino acids are involved not only in protein synthesis but also in the metabolic cycles of GABA and Glutamate, and in energy metabolism. In particular, they can affect GABAergic neurons and the excitation/inhibition balance. Branched-chain amino acids are known for the 24-hour rhythmicity of their plasma concentrations, which is remarkably conserved in rodent models. This rhythmicity is partly circadian, independent of sleep and food. Moreover, their concentration increases when sleep is disturbed and in obesity and diabetes. The mechanisms regulating these rhythms and their physiological impact remain poorly understood. In this context, the Drosophila model has not yet been widely used, but it is highly relevant and the first results indicate that it can generate new concepts. The elucidation of the metabolism and fluxes of branched-chain amino acids is beginning to shed light on the mysterious connections between clock, sleep, and metabolism, opening the possibility of new therapies., Les acides aminés branchés : leucine, isoleucine et valine occupent une place particulière parmi les acides aminés essentiels de par leur importance non seulement dans la structure des protéines mais aussi dans le métabolisme général et cérébral. Ils sont parmi les premiers acides aminés absorbés après la prise alimentaire et jouent un rôle majeur dans la régulation de la synthèse protéique et de la sécrétion d’insuline. Ils participent à la modulation de l’import cérébral des précurseurs de monoamines avec lesquels ils peuvent entrer en compétition pour l’occupation d’un transporteur commun. Dans le cerveau, les acides aminés branchés interviennent également dans les cycles métaboliques du GABA et du Glutamate, et dans le métabolisme énergétique. Ils peuvent notamment affecter les neurones GABAergiques et la balance excitation/inhibition. Les acides aminés branchés sont connus pour la rythmicité sur 24h de leurs concentrations plasmatiques qui est remarquablement conservée chez les modèles rongeurs. Cette rythmicité est en partie circadienne, indépendante du sommeil et de l’alimentation. Par ailleurs leur concentration augmente lorsque le sommeil est perturbé ainsi que dans l’obésité et le diabète. Les mécanismes régulant ces rythmes et leur impact physiologique restent mal compris. Dans ce contexte, le modèle drosophile a encore été peu utilisé, mais il a toute sa pertinence et les premiers résultats indiquent qu’il peut générer de nouveaux concepts. L’élucidation du métabolisme et des flux des acides aminés branchés commence à éclairer les connections mystérieuses qui existent entre horloge, sommeil, et métabolisme, ouvrant la possibilité de nouvelles thérapies.

Abstract: The current literature has insufficiently examined the potential benefits of implementing early neuropsychological interventions for critically ill patients who have experienced COVID-19. To address this research gap, we conducted a descriptive analysis of clinical and neuropsychological data from N = 29 critically ill patients with COVID-19 admitted to an early neurological rehabilitation facility. Most patients had been diagnosed with critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP), and one-third exhibited additional brain damage. Upon admission, all patients exhibited severe cognitive impairments, demonstrating significant improvement following neuropsychological therapy. Nonetheless, the neurocognitive outcomes at discharge displayed a high cognitive and psychoemotional status variability. This paper presents the neuropsychological treatment concept we employed and discusses challenges encountered while treating critically ill patients with cognitive impairments.

During social interactions in daily life, people possess imperfect knowledge of their interdependence (i.e., how behaviors affect each person's outcomes), and what people infer about their interdependence can shape their behaviors. We review theory and research that suggests people can infer their interdependence with others along several dimensions, including mutual dependence, power, and corresponding-versus-conflicting interests. We discuss how perceptions of interdependence affect how people cooperate and punish others’ defection in everyday life. We propose that people understand their interdependence with others through knowledge of the action space, cues during social interactions (e.g., partner behaviors), and priors based on experience. Finally, we describe how learning interdependence could occur through domain-specific and domain-general mechanisms.

Abstract: This study introduces a 3-week group program designed for patients with neurocognitive post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS). The program represents a combination of evidence-based components of neurorehabilitation and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Following a detailed assessment, we develop a personalized bio-psycho-social model that integrates perceived complaints and identifies modifiable and influencing factors. We employed physiotherapeutic, cognitive, and communicative training methods to improve patients’ awareness of energy limits and implement compensatory strategies, including pacing and mindfulness techniques. N = 33 patients completed the program between June 2021 and November 2022. A pre-post comparison of questionnaire-based self-assessments revealed significant positive effects on mood, self-efficacy, and participation but not on fatigue symptoms. The study provides recommendations for the neuropsychological treatment of patients with PCS.

Introduction: Currently, major depressive disorder (MDD) treatment plans are based on trial-and-error, and remission rates remain low. A strategy to replace trial-and-error and increase remission rates could be treatment stratification. We explored the heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP) as a biomarker for treatment stratification to either antidepressant medication or rTMS treatment. Methods: Two datasets were analyzed: (1) the International Study to Predict Optimized Treatment in Depression (iSPOT-D; n = 1,008 MDD patients, randomized to escitalopram, sertraline, or venlafaxine, and n = 336 healthy controls) and (2) a multi-site, open-label rTMS study (n = 196). The primary outcome measure was remission. Cardiac field artifacts were removed from the baseline EEG using independent component analysis (ICA). The HEP-peak was detected in a bandwidth of 20 ms around 8 ms and 270 ms (N8, N270) after the R-peak of the electrocardiogram signal. Differences between remitters and non-remitters were statistically assessed by repeated-measures ANOVAs for electrodes Fp1, Cz, and Oz. Results: In the venlafaxine subgroup, remitters showed a lower HEP around the N8 peak than non-remitters on electrode site Cz (p = 0.004; d = 0.497). The rTMS group showed a non-significant difference in the opposite direction (d = −0.051). Retrospective stratification to one of the treatments based on the HEP resulted in enhanced treatment outcome prediction for venlafaxine (+22.98%) and rTMS (+10.66%). Conclusion: These data suggest that the HEP could be used as a stratification biomarker between venlafaxine and rTMS; however, future out-of-sample replication is warranted.

Temporal characteristics of neural signals are often overlooked in traditional fMRI developmental studies but are critical to studying brain functions in ecologically valid settings. In the present study, we explore the temporal properties of children’s neural responses during naturalistic mathematics and grammar tasks. To do so, we introduce a novel measure in developmental fMRI: neural entropy, which indicates temporal complexity of BOLD signals. We show that temporal patterns of neural activity have lower complexity and greater variability in children than in adults in the association cortex but not in the sensory-motor cortex. We also show that neural entropy is associated with both child-adult similarity in functional connectivity and neural synchrony, and that neural entropy increases with the size of functionally connected networks in the association cortex. In addition, neural entropy increases with functional maturity (i.e., child-adult neural synchrony) in content-specific regions. These exploratory findings suggest the hypothesis that neural entropy indexes the increasing breadth and diversity of neural processes available to children for analyzing mathematical information over development.

There are not enough psychotherapists to offer individual trauma intervention to the tens of millions of people traumatized around the world. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a proven trauma treatment but requires substantial time and financial resources for training. One solution may be low-intensity intervention with the flash technique (FT) offered one-on-one online and based on highly scripted instructions in which participants can work on their distressing memories independently. The FT is a protocol that was originally developed for the preparation phase of EMDR and only requires a few hours of training. In this study, we aim to explore whether a scripted FT protocol used by inexperienced student clinicians might be effective. Nine master-level social work students, trained in FT and under licensed supervision, offered individual FT treatment online using a scripted protocol. Participants were admitted to the study with an Impact of Event Scale—Revised (IES-R) score of >24. Pre- and posttreatment surveys were collected from 30 participants who each received 6 sessions of individual therapy. No follow-up study data was collected. The IES-R data dropped from a pretreatment mean of 45.97 (SD= 14.5, 95% CI = [40.78, 51.16]) to posttreatment mean of 25.33 (SD= 14.92, 95% CI = [19.99, 30.67]), with ap-value of d= 1.4, showed a large effect size. Interpretation of the study results is limited due to a lack of a control group and a relatively small sample size (n= 30). Furthermore, since we did not follow participants posttreatment, the impact of the intervention over time is unknown for this study. Even so, the data suggested that the scripted FT protocol might be usable even by inexperienced student clinicians, paving the way for its use as a low-intensity trauma intervention.

Abstract: Cognitive impairment is a prominent symptom of the post-COVID syndrome (PCS). However, the correspondence between subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) and objective results is inconsistent. Here, we investigated this discrepancy. This longitudinal study included N = 42 individuals who reported SCC as PCS after mild infection at inclusion. Data collection comprised questionnaires and neuropsychological assessment at baseline and follow-up (FU). At FU – on average 15 months after acute COVID-19 – 88 % of patients reported persisting SCC. There was an approx. 40 % discrepancy between subjective report and test results at both visits. Patients with SCC and objective impairment indicated elevated fatigue and reduced quality of life compared to patients without SCC at FU. A growing number of patients is anticipated to request neuropsychological assessments even after mild infections.

La thérapie de désensibilisation et de retraitement par les mouvements oculaires (EMDR) est considérée comme un traitement fondé sur des données probantes pour le traitement du trouble stress post-traumatique (TSPT) chez l’adulte, mais il y a des différences dans la façon dont les diverses directives internationales de traitement jugent la solidité de cette base de preuves. En outre, dans des domaines autres que le TSPT de l’adulte, les principales lignes directrices diffèrent encore davantage quant à la solidité de ces preuves et quant au moment où on utilisera l’EMDR. En 2019 a été lancée la Commission de chercheurs sur l’avenir de la thérapie EMDR (Council of Scholars : The Future of EMDR Therapy Project). Plusieurs groupes de travail ont été créés dans cette commission, l’un d’entre eux étant centré sur la recherche. Le présent article a été produit par ce groupe de travail. Le groupe a tout d’abord conclu qu’il y avait cinq domaines pour lesquels il existait une certaine base factuelle indiquant que l’EMDR était efficace, mais que davantage de données étaient nécessaires pour augmenter la probabilité qu’elle soit prise en compte dans les futures directives internationales de traitement. Ces domaines couvraient le TSPT chez les enfants et les adolescents, les interventions EMDR précoces, les TSPT liés aux conflits armés, la dépression unipolaire et la douleur chronique. Les recherches portant sur le rapport coût-efficacité de la thérapie EMDR ont été en outre identifiées comme l’une des priorités à aborder. Nous avons employé un système de hiérarchisation pour classer et évaluer les preuves dans les différents domaines abordés. Après avoir évalué les 120 études de résultats relatives à ces domaines, nous concluons ici que pour deux d’entre eux (le TSPT chez l’enfant et l’adolescent, et les recherches portant sur les interventions EMDR précoces), la force des preuves est évaluée au niveau le plus élevé, tandis que les autres domaines obtiennent le deuxième niveau le plus élevé. Nous formulons également quelques recommandations générales pour améliorer la qualité des futures recherches sur l’efficacité de la thérapie EMDR.