Cognitive conflict and risk-taking behaviors are linked in complex ways. This study examined whether threat sensitivity explains the relationship between conflict monitoring and risk-taking in young adults. A sample of 204 university students (ages 18–25, mean=20.55, SD=2.14) completed a computerized Stroop task (cognitive conflict), the RT-18 questionnaire (risk-taking), and the TF-44 Trait Fear Scale (dispositional threat sensitivity). Pearson correlations indicated that greater Stroop interference score (higher conflict) was associated with lower self-reported risk-taking and higher threat sensitivity. In turn, higher threat sensitivity predicted reduced risk-taking. Mediation analysis confirmed that cognitive conflict influenced risk-taking indirectly through threat sensitivity. The direct effect of conflict on risk-taking was non-significant, whereas the indirect path via threat sensitivity was significant, suggesting an indirect-only (complete) mediation. These results suggest that individuals experiencing higher internal conflict become more vigilant toward potential threats, which in turn deters them from risky actions. Understanding this pathway could guide interventions (i.e., cognitive control or anxiety-management training) to reduce maladaptive risk behaviors in young adults.
This exploratory study examined the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between the imposter phenomenon and academic performance among college students and further investigated age as a moderator. A sample of 150 students (66 males, 84 females; mean age = 24.11) completed assessments using the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Academic Performance Scale. Correlation analysis indicated a significant inverse association of the imposter phenomenon with self-esteem and academic performance. Mediation analysis suggested that self-esteem completely mediated the relationship between the imposter phenomenon and academic performance. Moderated mediation analysis demonstrated that the strength of this indirect effect was non-significant among younger students but intensified with age. These findings highlight self-esteem as a key mechanism linking imposter feelings to academic performance and underscore the need to consider age differences in intervention strategies. Future research with larger and more diverse samples is recommended to further validate these findings.
Background and objectives: Patients with neurodegenerative disorders generally lose their acquired cognitive skills. However, a few of our patients showed creative skills in new areas, and we tried to evaluate a possible neural substrate for this phenomenon.
Methods: Patients who attended the memory clinic of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences between December 2016 and September 2018 were screened as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All mandatory investigations including complete neuropsychology workup were done. The Creativity Styles Questionnaire and Temperament and character inventory-Revised (TCI-R) were used to assess creativity. Magnetic resonance imaging, voxel-based morphometry, and resting-state fMRI were done and the results analyzed.
Results: A group of previously non-creative patients showed creative skills in the face of neurodegenerative disorder. Out of 110 patients, 10 patients could be called creative. As the disease worsened, creativity was lost. These persons showed enhanced volume in the non-dominant angular gyrus, and its faciliatory connectivity to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and inferior parietal lobe was seen. Paradoxically, creativity seems to emerge in some patients with major cognitive disorders and it disappears as the disease progresses. Creative domain varies from person to person, and the longest preserved domain is music. The fMRI findings suggest that the enhanced areas may play a role in sustaining creativity even in patients with degenerative diseases.
Conclusion: Although case reports of creative skills in patients with major cognitive disorders exist, a complete workup of the neural basis has not been conducted so far. Higher volume in the non-dominant regions with relatively preserved language domain could be dysfunctional plasticity causing disinhibition of the innate creative skills when frontal lobe functions decline.
Advanced technologies enable mental health professionals to refine therapeutic approaches, enhancing responsiveness to patients' unique needs. In this chapter, we explored such approaches that integrate cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance mental health services. It begins by defining key concepts of both CBT and ML, focusing on how ML improves the accuracy, accessibility, and personalization of therapeutic interventions. Practical examples illustrate ML uses in therapy, such as chatbots that assist in CBT, virtual reality tools simulating therapeutic settings, and real-time monitoring tools for tracking patient progress. Ethical considerations are also discussed, highlighting the importance of maintaining patient confidentiality and the therapeutic relationship. The chapter concludes by noting how ML and CBT integration could improve mental health access, accuracy in diagnosis, and individualized treatment.
Psychosis is one of the major neuropsychiatric non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Prolonged latency and decreased amplitude of the P300 event-related potential (ERP) is a potential neurophysiologic biomarker of deeper neurocognitive deficits in PD. We aimed to characterize electroencephalogram (EEG)/ERP parameters in PD patients with and without psychosis (PDP and PDNP, respectively), and to determine if such measures could act as endophenotypes for PD-associated psychosis (PDP).
We recruited 40 PD patients (all males), 20 PDP patients and 20 PDNP patients, aged between 39 and 65 years. The cognitive composite scores for attention and working memory were calculated. EEG/ERP recording was carried out following this, with eyes-closed resting-state EEG followed by an auditory oddball P300 task.
The composite scores for both attention and working memory were significantly higher in the PDNP group compared to the PDP group. The mean reaction time during the oddball task in the PDP group was significantly higher than in the PDNP group. A trend of increased P300 amplitude was observed in the PDNP group compared to the PDP group; however, it was significant at CP4, P8, C4, TP8, T8, CZ, FC4, FT8, FZ, F4, and F8 electrode sites. Power spectral analysis indicated a significant increase in the EEG power of slow-frequency waves (delta, theta) across all the brain regions in the PDP group compared to the PDNP group.
Our results demonstrate the association between psychosis and the severity of neurocognitive deficits in PD patients assessed using electrophysiologic measures. P300 may be considered a potential neurophysiologic biomarker of psychosis in PD.
The current study explored the neuroanatomical basis of creative personality using the voxel-based morphometric (VBM) approach. The sample comprised two groups – Creative (CR) group (professional creative artists) and matched controls with no demonstrated artistic creativity (NC) with 20 participants in each group, in the age range of 20–40 years, right-handed (screened using Edinburgh Handedness Inventory) and had minimum average intelligence (IQ > 90 on Raven’s Progressive Matrices). Professional creative artists were selected using the creativity achievement questionnaire, creativity was assessed using the Wallach & Kogan test of creativity, and personality was administered using NEO-FFI. The result indicates that creative individuals have significantly higher openness to new experiences and it positively correlates with the right middle frontal gyrus. VBM analysis indicates increased gray matter volume in the inferior frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate gyrus in the CR group, pointing toward the integration of cognitive and imaginative processes that might be implicated in creative personality.
The present study aimed to explore the association between creativity, intelligence, and personality. The study recruited sixty healthy volunteers in the age range of 20–40 years from Bengaluru city (formerly Bangalore), South India, and administered tests for fluid intelligence (Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices), personality (Big Five NEO-FFI), and divergent thinking (Wallach & Kogan Creativity Test). Findings revealed that intelligence and openness to experience were positively correlated with the fluency, flexibility, and originality dimensions of creativity. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis suggested openness and fluid intelligence significantly predicted creativity. This suggests that individuals who are more open to new experiences continue to integrate new and diverse information into their existing knowledge base. When combined with contextual and emotional stimuli, this integration process can lead to more varied and innovative responses to divergent thinking tasks.
In the demanding landscape of academia, students grapple with many challenges that impact their mental and emotional well-being. In easing these difficulties, this chapter explores self-compassion's frequently underappreciated but mighty power. Understanding its vital role in supporting resilience and general well-being, we stress the importance of developing self-compassion to succeed personally and academically. This chapter highlights self-compassion's role in improving students' well-being and helping them effectively manage the challenges that come with the journey of a student's life.
Background:
Promoting cognitive health is key to maintaining cognitive and everyday functions and preventing the risk of cognitive impairment or dementia. Existing scientific evidence shows the benefits of various training modalities on cognition. One way to promote cognitive health is through engagement in cognitive activities (eg, board and video games).
Objective:
This study aims to investigate the benefits of dynamic adaptive casual puzzle games on cognitive function and well-being in healthy adults and older people.
Methods:
A total of 12 adults and older people (female participants: n=6; mean age 58.92, SD 10.28 years; range 46-75 years) were included in this pilot randomized controlled trial. This study used a crossover design with two phases (8 weeks each) and three measurement waves (pretest, midtest, and posttest). The participants were randomly allocated either to the control or experimental group. In the control group, participants read newspapers between the pre- and midtest, then switched to cognitive training with puzzle games. In the experimental group, the interventions were reversed. Baseline measurements (pretest) were collected before the intervention. The interventions were delivered on tablet computers and took place unsupervised at participants’ homes.
Results:
The outcome measures included global cognitive function, higher cognitive function, and emotional well-being at 3 time points (pretest, midtest, and posttest) using standardized neuropsychological tests. The participants showed improvements in their visual attention and visuospatial measures after the puzzle game intervention.
Conclusions:
The study showed that digital games are a feasible way to train cognition in healthy adults and older people. The algorithm-based dynamic adaption allows accommodations for persons with different cognitive levels of skill. The results of the study will guide future prevention efforts and trials in high-risk populations.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03139799; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03139799
The Internet makes accessibility to pornography just a click away. However, although most individuals watch porn for fun, a small percentage of porn users develop symptoms similar to addiction. This, in turn, generates interpersonal, occupational, or personal problems for the individual. The present study aims to study the efficacy of mindfulness meditation as a therapeutic tool in reducing problematic pornography use (PPU). Eight male problematic porn users practiced 20 mins mindfulness meditation daily for two weeks. The result showed that the mean score of the PPU scale during and post-intervention decreased significantly compared to the pretreatment levels. In conclusion, it can be said that the practice of mindfulness meditation helps in reducing the PPU.
The present study aimed to explore the role of the family environment and its relationship to the development of general trust and emotion regulation in young adults. A sample of 213 young adults (males: 107; females: 106) was administered tests for family dynamics, and emotional regulation. The results indicated a significant positive correlation between family environment subscales such as cohesion, expressiveness, and conflict. The cognitive reappraisal showed a significantly positive correlation with cohesion, expressiveness, and general trust while negatively correlated with conflict. The cognitive suppression was found negatively correlated with cohesion, expressiveness, conflict, and general trust, although it was not significant for cohesion. The findings of the study suggest that general trust is one of the prime factors in building a strong relationship among family members. It also allows an individual to express their emotions in an absolute manner, which facilitates effective emotional regulation strategies in them.
A hallmark of human evolution resides in the ability to adapt our actions to those of others. This aptitude optimizes collective behavior, allowing to achieve goals unattainable by acting alone. We have previously shown that macaque monkeys are able to coordinate their actions when engaged in dyadic contexts, therefore they offer a good model to study the roots of joint action. Here, we analyze the behavior of five macaques required to perform visuomotor isometric tasks, either individually or together with a partner. By pre-cueing or not the future action condition (SOLO or TOGETHER) we investigated the existence of a ‘We-representation’ in monkeys. We found that pre-instructing the action context improves the dyadic performance, thanks to the emergence of an optimal kinematic setting, that facilitates inter-individual motor coordination. Our results offer empirical evidence of a ‘We-representation’ in macaques, that when evoked provides an overall beneficial effect on joint performance.
Visual hallucinations (VH) are a common symptom of Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD), affecting up to 65% of cases. Integrative models of their etiology posit that a decline in executive control of the visuo-perceptual system is a primary mechanism of VH generation. The role of bottom-up processing in the manifestation of VH in this condition is still not clear although visual evoked potential (VEP) differences have been associated with VH at an earlier stage of PD. Here we compared the amplitude and latency pattern reversal VEPs in healthy controls (n = 21) and PDD patients (n = 34) with a range of VH severities. PDD patients showed increased N2 latency relative to controls, but no significant differences in VEP measures were found for patients reporting complex VH (CVH) (n = 17) compared to those without VH. Our VEP findings support previous reports of declining visual system physiology in PDD and some evidence of visual system differences between patients with and without VH. However, we did not replicate previous findings of a major relationship between the integrity of the visual pathway and VH.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death, and its survivors with a disability are considered to be an important global health priority. In view of a diverse range of disability and its impact on TBI survivors, the need for effective rehabilitation modalities is on a high rise. Therefore, the present study was aimed to investigate the efficacy of EEG neurofeedback training (EEG-NFT) in moderate–severe TBI patients on their clinical and electrophysiological outcomes. The study was an experimental longitudinal design with a pre-post comparison. A total of 14 TBI patients in a postinjury period between 3 months to 2 years were recruited. All participants received twenty sessions of EEG-NFT. Baseline and post-NFT comparisons were made on postconcussion symptoms (PCS) and electrophysiological variables. The result indicates a significant reduction in the severity of PCS following EEG-NFT. A consistent pattern of reduced slow waves and fast waves amplitude ratios was also noted at post-NFT, although it was not significant across all the brain regions. The present study suggests EEG-NFT as a contributing factor in improving PCS and normalization of qEEG in TBI patients, which holds an implication for clinical decision-making of EEG-NFT as a viable alternative to be offered to TBI patients.
Reduced amplitude and increased latency of P300 auditory event-related potential (ERP) in patients with schizophrenia (SZ) indicate impairment in attention. Overall arousal level can determine the amount of processing capacity required for attention allocation. Music evokes strong emotions and regulates arousability. Music has been used to modulate P300, especially in normals. This exploratory study examined the effect of music listening on the amplitude and latency of P300 in SZ patients.
EEG/ERP was recorded (32-channels) while SZ patients (n = 20; 18–45 years) performed an auditory oddball P300 task after the eyes-closed rest condition (Condition-A) and ten-minute music listening condition (Condition-B) as per the complete counterbalancing design (AB-BA). Patients listened to the researcher chosen, instrumental presentation of raag-Bhoopali in the North-Indian-Classical-Music, for ten-minutes. All patients rated the music excerpt as a relaxing and positively valenced.
A significant increase in accuracy score and reaction time during the oddball task after music listening was noted. There was an increase in amplitude at TP7. A trend of increased amplitude was noted across all electrodes in the music condition compared to the rest condition. Mean amplitude in an apriori defined time window of interest (250 to 750 ms) showed significant changes in the frontal and central electrode sites. Power spectral analysis indicated a slight increase in frontal and central alpha and theta activity during music listening. However, this was not statistically significant.
Findings add further impetus to examine the effect of music in chronic psychiatric conditions. Need for systematic studies on a larger cohort is underscored.
Bipolar disorder is a chronic psychiatric condition characterized by episodes of elevated/irritable and depressed moods resulting in the loss of more disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) than other major conditions. The neurocognitive impairments in these patients interfere with sustained goal-directed performance and achievement even during the euthymic phase of the illness.
The study aimed to explore the neurocognitive profile of patients in their euthymic phase. We matched 30 patients diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder (BD) in the age range of 20–40 years with 30 healthy controls (with no axis I or II diagnosis, assessed on MINI) matched on age, gender, and education. The neurocognitive profile was assessed using NIMHANS Neuropsychology Battery.
Euthymic phase patients with bipolar disorder had statistically significant low scores on the speed of processing information as compared to healthy controls. Although impaired in BD group, no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups on executive functions and memory.
The findings of the study suggest that cognitive retraining aimed at ameliorating these deficits can be a used as an essential intervention in rehabilitation programs to successfully reintegrate patients with the bipolar affective disorder into the society. The research also indicates that despite the symptomatic recovery between the episodes, impairments in the speed of processing information continue to disrupt performance in patients with Bipolar Disorder.
Background. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent childhood disorder with symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. EEG neurofeedback training (NFT) is a new intervention modality based on operant conditioning of brain activity, which helps reduce symptoms of ADHD in children. Methods and Procedures. To examine the efficacy of NFT in children with ADHD, an experimental longitudinal design with pre-post comparison was adopted. A total of 30 children in the age range of 6 to 12 years diagnosed as ADHD with or without comorbid conditions were assigned to treatment group (TG; n = 15) and treatment as usual group (TAU; n = 15). TG received EEG-NFT along with routine clinical management and TAU received routine clinical management alone. Forty sessions of theta/beta NFT at the C3 scalp location, 3 to 4 sessions in a week for a period of 3.5 to 5 months were given to children in TG. Children were screened using sociodemographic data and Binet-Kamat test of intelligence. Pre-and postassessment tools were neuropsychological tests and behavioral scales. Follow-up was carried out on 8 children in TG using parent-rated behavioral measures. Results. Improvement was reported in TG on cognitive functions (sustained attention, verbal working memory, and response inhibition), parent- and teacher-rated behavior problems and on academic performance rated by teachers. Follow-up of children who received NFT showed sustained improvement in ADHD symptoms when assessed 6 months after receiving NFT. Conclusion. The present study suggests that NFT is an effective method to enhance cognitive deficits and helps reduce ADHD symptoms and behavior problems. Consequently, academic performance was found to be improved in children with ADHD. Improvement in ADHD symptoms induced by NFT were maintained at 6-month follow-up in children with ADHD.
It has been found that reduction of posttraumatic stress symptoms is positively associated with the reduction of postconcussive symptoms. Cortisol is commonly used as a biomarker of stress. Understanding the role of posttraumatic stress and cortisol in symptom reduction has implication for neuropsychological rehabilitation particularly in the context of spontaneous recovery. Objective. The aim of the research was to study the effectiveness of EEG neurofeedback training on clinical symptoms, perceived stress, and cortisol in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients in the context of spontaneous recovery. Methods. The design was an experimental longitudinal design with the pre-post comparison. The sample comprised 60 patients with the diagnosis of TBI—30 patients in the neurofeedback training (NFT) group and 30 patients in the treatment as usual group (TAU) group. Half of the patients were recruited within 6 months of injury to study the role of spontaneous recovery and the other half were recruited in the 12 to 18 months postinjury phase. Alpha-theta training was given to the NFT group over 20 sessions. Pre and post comparisons were made on clinical symptom rating, perceived stress, and serum cortisol levels. Results. The results indicate significant differences in symptom reporting and perceived stress between the NFT and TAU groups. Significant differences were also seen in cortisol levels with implications for the acute recovery phase. Conclusion. Alpha-theta NFT has a beneficial effect on symptom reduction as well as perceived stress. It also has a beneficial effect on levels of serum cortisol, corroborating these findings
Academic performance has been found to be a significant source of stress among children and adolescents. Understanding the behavioural and electrophysiological correlates of academic stress implies the need for stress management programs in schools. The present study was conducted to compare the behavioural and electrophysiological outcome of the stress levels between high and low rankers in high school students. A case-controlled study design was adopted, comprised of ten high rankers and ten low rankers, high school female students. The ranking was obtained from the school records of the previous examination. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was administered to assess the subjectively experienced stress, followed by 19-channel resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) recording for ten minutes (five minutes each for eyes closed and eyes open) with a one-minute interval between conditions. The results from the PSS score indicate that low rankers experienced a significantly higher amount of stress compared to the high rankers (p-value = 0.011). The power spectrum analysis of the EEG data showed significantly lower alpha power in occipital (p-value = 0.02) and higher beta power at parietal (p-value = 0.038), central (p-value = 0.015) and the occipital (p-value = 0.021) regions among low rankers. Higher alpha activity has a positive correlation with relaxation and higher beta correlates with higher stress, indicates that low ranking students are more prone to be stressed that the high rankers. Conclusion: The higher stress found among low rankers provides indirect confirmatory evidence towards the negative association between academic performance and stress
Humans are intensively social primates, therefore many of their actions are dedicated to communication and interaction with other individuals. Despite the progress in understanding the cognitive and neural processes that allow humans to perform cooperative actions, in non-human primates only few studies have investigated the ability to interact with a partner in order to reach a common goal. These studies have shown that in naturalistic conditions animals engage in various types of social behavior that involve forms of mutual coordination and cooperation. However, little is known on the capacity of non-human primates to actively cooperate in a controlled experimental setting, which allows full characterization of the motor parameters underlying individual action and their change during motor cooperation. To this aim, we analyzed the behavior of three pairs of macaque monkeys trained to perform solo and joint-actions by exerting a force on an isometric joystick, as to move an individual or a common cursor toward visual targets on a screen. We found that during cooperation monkeys reciprocally adapt their behavior by changing the parameters that define the spatial and temporal aspects of their action, as to fine tune their joint effort, and maximize their common performance. Furthermore the results suggest that when acting together the movement parameters that specify each actor's behavior are not only modulated during execution, but also during planning. These findings provide the first quantitative description of action coordination in non-human primates during the performance of a joint action task.