Agency in interaction. Neuropsychology of social affordances

Le interazioni sociali richiedono che un agente sia in grado di selezionare ed elaborare informazioni ambientali rilevanti, che sia situato in un contesto complesso, e che interagisca con altri agenti, rispettando le opportunità e i vincoli di contesto. Riconoscere noi stessi e gli altri come agenti intenzionali è un passaggio cruciale per il processo generale di comprensione sociale e, in particolare, per la nostra capacità di percepire le intenzioni e gli scopi altrui. Tali competenze sociali sostengono il nostro sviluppo fisico, cognitivo e affettivo promuovendo interazioni adattive. Di conseguenza, una disfunzione di tali competenze può compromettere gravemente l’autonomia e la qualità di vita. Si ritiene che un sistema distribuito medi la percezione di agentività e degli stati mentali altrui, ma la struttura interna dei processi che costituiscono la nostra capacità di comprendere i nostri simili e di interagire adeguatamente è tuttora per buona parte sconosciuta. Il progetto ha come obiettivo indagare le fasi iniziali di tali processi e, in particolare, l’elaborazione precoce di cues sociali (social affordances) per la detezione di agentività e opportunità d’interazione in contesti sociali. È strutturato in tre studi principali: il primo mira a esplorare i correlati elettrofisiologici (ERPs e dati di source localization) dell’elaborazione di informazioni visive per la detezione di agentività in interazione; il secondo mira a indagare possibili marcatori (ERPs) del profilo delle competenze di comprensione sociale associate alla sindrome di Williams; il terzo ha testato, tramite TMS, il ruolo causale di rTPJ nel mediare l’elaborazione pre-riflessiva di agentività e intenzionalità nel comportamento osservato.Social interactions require an agent to be able to select and process relevant environmental information, to be situated in a complex context and to interact with other agents, according to the opportunities and boundaries of that context. Sensing ourselves and detecting others as intentional agents is a crucial step for the overall social understanding process and, in particular, for our ability to perceive others’ intentions and goals. Those social skills foster our physical, cognitive and affective development by promoting adaptive interactions. Consequently, a dysfunction of such skills can seriously affect the autonomy and quality of life. A distributed system is thought to subserve the perception of agency and others’ mental states, but the internal structure of processes that constitute our ability to understand our similars and interact adequately is still largely unknown. This project aimed at investigating early stages of those processes and, in particular, the initial elaboration of social cues (social affordances) for the detection of agentivity and opportunities for interaction in social situations. It is structured in three main empirical studies: the first one aimed at looking electrophysiological correlates (ERPs and source localization data) of visual information processing for the detection of agency in interactions; the second one aimed at looking for possible markers (ERPs) of the uneven profile of basic WS social understanding; the third one tested the causal role of rTPJ in mediating pre-reflective processing of agency and intentionality from observed behaviour by means of TMS

Rewinding the waves: tracking underwater signals to their source

Analysis of data, recorded on March 8th 2014 at the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation’s hydroacoustic stations off Cape Leeuwin Western Australia, and at Diego Garcia, reveal unique pressure signatures that could be associated with objects impacting at the sea surface, such as falling meteorites, or the missing Malaysian Aeroplane MH370. To examine the recorded signatures, we carried out experiments with spheres impacting at the surface of a water tank, where we observed almost identical pressure signature structures. While the pressure structure is unique to impacting objects, the evolution of the radiated acoustic waves carries information on the source. Employing acoustic–gravity wave theory we present an analytical inverse method to retrieve the impact time and location. The solution was validated using field observations of recent earthquakes, where we were able to calculate the eruption time and location to a satisfactory degree of accuracy. Moreover, numerical validations confirm an error below 0.02% for events at relatively large distances of over 1000 km. The method can be developed to calculate other essential properties such as impact duration and geometry. Besides impacting objects and earthquakes, the method could help in identifying the location of underwater explosions and landslides

Active role of participants in neuroempowerment training and supportive neurotechnologies: a theoretical-methodological perspective

This perspective paper examines the relevance and implications of fostering an active role for participants in neuroempowerment and applied healthcare research, particularly within remote, home-based intervention protocols. Anchored in key psychological constructs—self-efficacy, self-determination, and agency—we argue that the intentional engagement of individuals in their own self-care and enhancement processes is critical to both intervention success and the ecological validity of research outcomes. These constructs provide a framework through which participants are not only involved but become co-agents in shaping their health trajectories. Advances in mobile health technologies and wearable neurotechnologies, such as neurofeedback and biofeedback systems, may further enable participants to access real-time insights into their physiological and neurocognitive states. These tools translate internal processes into actionable feedback, supporting self-regulation, sustained motivation, and embodied learning. Such interactive feedback mechanisms may help bridging unconscious or pre-reflective bodily signals with conscious awareness, thus promoting neurocognitive autonomy. We propose that empowerment-based interventions—especially those incorporating wearable systems—should be intentionally designed to reinforce autonomy, competence, and relatedness, fostering engagement and long-term behavioral change. This participatory model moves beyond traditional therapist-centered approaches, emphasizing personalized, scalable, and self-directed care. Additionally, we highlight the need for research methodologies that recognize participants as co-constructors of their own empowerment paths, encouraging future studies to adopt inclusive, action-oriented frameworks. By integrating psychological theory, neuroscientific models, and digital health innovations, this perspective outlines a multidimensional approach to neuroempowerment, aimed at promoting self-awareness, agency, and meaningful transformation in both clinical and non-clinical populations

Feasibility of detecting orthopaedic screw overtightening using acoustic emission

A preliminary study of acoustic emission during orthopaedic screw fixation was performed using polyurethane foam as the bone-simulating material. Three sets of screws, a dynamic hip screw, a small fragment screw and a large fragment screw, were investigated, monitoring acoustic-emission activity during the screw tightening. In some specimens, screws were deliberately overtightened in order to investigate the feasibility of detecting the stripping torque in advance. One set of data was supported by load cell measurements to directly measure the axial load through the screw. Data showed that acoustic emission can give good indications of impending screw stripping; such indications are not available to the surgeon at the current state of the art using traditional torque measuring devices, and current practice relies on the surgeon’s experience alone. The results suggest that acoustic emission may have the potential to prevent screw overtightening and bone tissue damage, eliminating one of the commonest sources of human error in such scenarios

Neurofeedback as neuroempowerment technique for affective regulation and interoceptive awareness in adolescence: preliminary considerations applied to a psychogenic pseudosyncope case

Revisions of classical models of acute stress response spectrum and defence cascade process might represent a valuable background for the interpretation of the link between affective reactions, traumatic experiences, and Psychogenic pseudosyncope (PPS) events in childhood and across the lifespan. Indeed, associations between subjective emotional life, early exposure to distressing and/or traumatic events, and PPS have fuelled a debate on potential causes of occurrence and recurrence of such a peculiar clinical manifestation. At the same time, such background suggests that empowering stress management and affective regulation skills could be the target for neurorehabilitation interventions aiming at reducing the severity of symptomatology and/or improving awareness and management of pseudosyncopal spells. Specifically, neuro/biofeedback-based empowerment of self-regulation skills, associated to an increased interoceptive increased awareness, could be a promising complement to classical psychological therapies. Starting from the presentation of a paediatric PPS clinical case, the present work discusses the relevance of assessing affective appraisal and autonomic reactivity in individuals suffering from PPS episodes and introduces a novel potential neuroempowerment protocol aimed at improving self-regulation and stress management skills in adolescence based on a combined neurofeedback and embodied-awareness intervention. By capitalizing available evidence of the effects of neuromodulation and embodied practices on self-awareness/regulation across the life-span, the proposed protocol is based on neurofeedback-supported affective management training, as well as both contemplative and informal awareness exercises devised to be appealing and challenging even for younger patients

Verbal memory dysfunction in substance use and gambling addictive disorders: a comparative analysis of performance accuracy and error typologies

Addiction is increasingly recognized as a disorder involving not only reward dysregulation but also alterations in core cognitive processes, including learning and memory. Although various studies have documented memory impairments in substance use and behavioral addictions, evidence remains inconsistent—particularly regarding verbal memory deficits and the diagnostic relevance of specific recall error types. This study investigated immediate and delayed verbal memory performance and error patterns in 515 individuals, including patients with stimulant use disorder, alcohol use disorder, cannabis use disorder, or gambling disorder, and a healthy control group. Participants completed a digitized neurocognitive screening battery, which provided not only global performance indices but also specific error metrics. ANCOVA models controlling for age and sex revealed significantly lower correct recall scores in stimulant, alcohol, and gambling disorder groups compared to controls, across immediate and delayed trials. Alcohol use disorder was associated with elevated intrusion errors—suggesting inhibitory and interference suppression deficits—while stimulant use was linked to increased repetition errors—suggesting impaired monitoring and impulsive retrieval. Gambling disorder mirrored the overall performance decline of substance-related disorders but did not exhibit elevated error rates, pointing to a partially distinct cognitive profile. These findings highlight the value of combining global performance measures with qualitative error analysis in the assessment of memory function in addiction. By differentiating between types of recall errors, clinicians may better identify disorder-specific cognitive signatures, supporting more refined diagnostics and intervention strategies. The results further support the applicability of advanced neurocognitive tools for neuropsychological assessment in psychiatry