Large-scale brain networks exhibit changes in functional connectivity during the aging process. Recent literature data suggests that Yoga and other contemplative practices may revert, at least in part, some of the aging effects in brain functional connectivity, including the Default Mode Network (DMN). The aim of this cross-sectional investigation was to compare resting-state functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex—precuneus (PCC-Precuneus) in long-term elderly Yoga practitioners and healthy paired Yoga-naïve controls. Two paired groups: yoga (Y-20 women, Hatha Yoga practitioners; practicing a minimum of twice a week with a frequency of at least 8 years) and a control group (C-20 women, Yoga-naïve, matched by age, years of formal education, and physical activity) were evaluated for: Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), and open-eyes resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)—seed to voxel connectivity analysis (CONN toolbox 17.f) with pre-processing—realignment and unwarping, slice-timing correction, segmentation, normalization, outlier detection, and spatial filtering. The analysis included a priori regions of interest (ROI) of DMN main nodes—MPFC and PCC-Precuneus. There was no difference between groups in terms of: age, years of formal education, MMSE, BDI and IADL. The Yoga group had a higher correlation between MPFC and the right angular gyrus (AGr), compared to the controls. Elderly women with at least 8 years of yoga practice presented greater intra-network anteroposterior brain functional connectivity of the DMN. This finding may contribute to the understanding of the influences of practicing Yoga for a healthier cognitive aging process.
The development of motor response inhibition is critical during preschool years and has been associated with an improvement in gross motor coordination in this population. However, the assessment of inhibitory abilities in young children is challenging in terms of task selection and subject engagement, especially when investigating foot responses. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe a child-friendly Go/No-go paradigm to assess inhibitory control of foot based on a dance mat protocol. In this method, Go and No-go stimuli are modeled in the context of a fishing game, and behavioral responses are assessed by recording the latency to touch the mat and the accuracy of the touches. In this protocol article, we (1) describe the stages of the experimental set-up, (2) provide an illustrative data collection example in a sample of children aged 3–4 years, and (3) describe how to process the data generated. The utilization of the dance mat provides a feasible tool for researchers interested in studying the development of motor inhibitory control of foot in preschoolers. Potential applications of this protocol may include studies on developmental differences between hand and foot specialization, sports-related performance and neuroimaging.
Human and animal studies on cross-modal plasticity under congenital deafness suggest that early auditory cortex plays a significant role in the processing of visual information when congenitally deprived from its typical (auditory) input. However, the pathway by which early auditory cortex is fed with visual information is still understudied. Here we focused on addressing how visual information reaches the auditory cortex under congenital deafness. We put forth a mechanistic model that proposes that different corticocortical and subcortical connections play a central role in rerouting visual information to the early auditory cortex of congenitally deaf individuals. Specifically, we show, using Representational Connectivity Analysis (RCA) and Dynamic Causal Modeling (DCM), that connections from the right superior colliculus to the right inferior colliculus, as well as connections from right early visual cortical regions to the right early auditory cortex play a role in rerouting visual information to early auditory cortex in congenitally deaf individuals. These findings shed light on how visual information reaches the early auditory cortex of deaf individuals - specifically, they suggest that neuroplasticity reshapes subcortical connections in order to re-route visual information to the auditory stream.
Visual motion stimuli can sometimes distort our perception of time. This effect is dependent on the apparent speed of the moving stimulus, where faster stimuli are usually perceived lasting longer than slower stimuli. Although it has been shown that neural and cognitive processing of biological motion stimuli differ from non-biological motion stimuli, no study has yet investigated whether perceived durations of biological stimuli differ from non-biological stimuli across different speeds. Here, a prospective temporal reproduction task was used to assess that question. Biological motion stimuli consisted in a human silhouette running in place. Nonbiological motion stimuli consisted in a rectangle moving in a pendular way. Amount and plausibility of movement for each stimulus and frame-rate (speed) were evaluated by an independent group of participants. Although amount of movement was positively correlated to frame rate, movie clips involving biological motion stimuli were judged to last longer than nonbiological motion stimuli only at frame rates in which movement was rated as plausible. These results suggest that plausible representations of biomechanical movement induce additional temporal distortions to those modulated by increases in stimulus speed. Moreover, most studies that have reported neural and cognitive differences in the processing of biological and nonbiological motion stimuli acquired neurophysiological data using fMRI. The present study aimed additionally to report differences in the processing of biological and non-biological motion stimuli across different speeds using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a less costly and portable form of neurophysiological data acquisition.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.