Biased facial emotion perception in mental health disorders:a possible target for psychological intervention?

Our perception of emotion in the faces of others affects our own behavior and mood. Indeed, individuals with mood disorders such as depression and aggression often show biases in facial-emotion perception. Here, we review recent and ongoing research suggesting that biased emotion perception may be on the causal pathway of the onset and maintenance of mood disorders, and hence a potential target for intervention. Simple cognitive-bias modification tasks that change participants’ perception of facial expressions of emotion have shown some promise as a therapeutic technique. We outline further directions for continued research investigating the robustness and clinical impact of emotion-bias modification in real-world settings. </jats:p

The Neuroscience of Mathematical Cognition and Learning

The synergistic potential of cognitive neuroscience and education for efficient learning has attracted considerable interest from the general public, teachers, parents, academics and policymakers alike. This review is aimed at providing 1) an accessible and general overview of the research progress made in cognitive neuroscience research in understanding mathematical learning and cognition, and 2) understanding whether there is sufficient evidence to suggest that neuroscience can inform mathematics education at this point. We also highlight outstanding questions with implications for education that remain to be explored in cognitive neuroscience. The field of cognitive neuroscience is growing rapidly. The findings that we are describing in this review should be evaluated critically to guide research communities, governments and funding bodies to optimise resources and address questions that will provide practical directions for short- and long-term impact on the education of future generations

Erratum to:The Neurocognitive Architecture of Individual Differences in Math Anxiety in Typical Children (Scientific Reports, (2018), 8, 1, (8500), 10.1038/s41598-018-26912-5)

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper

Injectable liposomal docosahexaenoic acid alleviates atherosclerosis progression and enhances plaque stability

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory vascular disease that is characterized by the accumulation of lipids and immune cells in plaques built up inside artery walls. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), which exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, has long been purported to be of therapeutic benefit to atherosclerosis patients. However, large clinical trials have yielded inconsistent data, likely due to variations in the formulation, dosage, and bioavailability of DHA following oral intake. To fully exploit its potential therapeutic effects, we have developed an injectable liposomal DHA formulation intended for intravenous administration as a plaque-targeted nanomedicine. The liposomal formulation protects DHA against chemical degradation and increases its local concentration within atherosclerotic lesions. Mechanistically, DHA liposomes are readily phagocytosed by activated macrophages, exert potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and inhibit foam cell formation. Upon intravenous administration, DHA liposomes accumulate preferentially in atherosclerotic lesional macrophages and promote polarization of macrophages towards an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, resulting in attenuation of atherosclerosis progression in both ApoE−/− and Ldlr−/− experimental models. Plaque composition analysis demonstrates that liposomal DHA inhibits macrophage infiltration, reduces lipid deposition, and increases collagen content, thus improving the stability of atherosclerotic plaques against rupture. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) further reveals that DHA liposomes can partly restore the complex lipid profile of the plaques to that of early-stage plaques. In conclusion, DHA liposomes offer a promising approach for applying DHA to stabilize atherosclerotic plaques and attenuate atherosclerosis progression, thereby preventing atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular events

Neuroenhancement of High-Level Cognition: Evidence for Homeostatic Constraints of Non-invasive Brain Stimulation

Neuroenhancement aims to improve cognitive performance in typically and atypically functioning populations. However, it is currently debated whether it is also effective in exceptionally high-functioning individuals. Present theories suggest that homeostatic set points for learning and cortical plasticity limit the beneficial effects of neuroenhancement. To examine this possibility, we used transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) to non-invasively stimulate bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (DLPFC) of the world champion in mental calculation, G.M. TRNS did not change G.M.'s calculation performance compared to sham stimulation on an exceptionally complex arithmetic task. However, a sample of mathematicians who were not calculation prodigies (N = 6) showed reduced accuracy on a complex multiplication task in response to tRNS, relative to sham. Our findings suggest that there may be an upper limit for cognitive enhancement and that further attempts to enhance performance using tRNS (at least with the current parameters) may impair optimal functioning. The discussion of potential negative effects of brain stimulation for cognitive enhancement is critical, as it may lead to unintended impairments in different subgroups of the population

Combining brain stimulation and video game to promote long-term transfer of learning and cognitive enhancement

Cognitive training offers the potential for individualised learning, prevention of cognitive decline, and rehabilitation. However, key research challenges include ecological validity (training design), transfer of learning and long-term effects. Given that cognitive training and neuromodulation affect neuroplasticity, their combination could promote greater, synergistic effects. We investigated whether combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with cognitive training could further enhance cognitive performance compared to training alone, and promote transfer within a short period of time. Healthy adults received real or sham tDCS over their dorsolateral prefrontal cortices during two 30-minute mathematics training sessions involving body movements. To examine the role of training, an active control group received tDCS during a non-mathematical task. Those who received real tDCS performed significantly better in the game than the sham group, and showed transfer effects to working memory, a related but non-numerical cognitive domain. This transfer effect was absent in active and sham control groups. Furthermore, training gains were more pronounced amongst those with lower baseline cognitive abilities, suggesting the potential for reducing cognitive inequalities. All effects associated with real tDCS remained 2 months post-training. Our study demonstrates the potential benefit of this approach for long-term enhancement of human learning and cognition

Emotional bias training as a treatment for anxiety and depression: Evidence from experimental medicine studies in healthy and medicated samples

Anxiety and depression are leading causes of disability worldwide, yet individuals are often unable to access appropriate treatment. There is a need to develop effective interventions that can be delivered remotely. Previous research has suggested that emotional processing biases are a potential target for intervention, and these may be altered through brief training programs. We report two experimental medicine studies of emotional bias training in two samples: individuals from the general population (n = 522) and individuals currently taking antidepressants to treat anxiety or depression (n = 212). Participants, recruited online, completed 4 sessions of EBT from their own home. Mental health and cognitive functioning outcomes were assessed at baseline, immediately post-training, and at two-week follow-up. In both studies, our intervention successfully trained participants to perceive ambiguous social information more positively. This persisted at two-week follow-up. There was inconsistent evidence that this change in emotional processing transferred to improvements in symptoms and functional outcomes. In both studies there was weak evidence for an improvement in quality of life following EBT amongst individuals with more depressive symptoms at baseline. No clear evidence of transfer effects was observed for self-reported daily stress, anhedonia or depressive symptoms. However, exploratory analyses suggested that younger participants reported greater treatment gains. These studies demonstrate the effectiveness of delivering a multi-session online training program to promote lasting cognitive changes. Given the inconsistent evidence for transfer effects, EBT requires further development before it can be recommended as a treatment for anxiety and depression

The Neurocognitive Architecture of Individual Differences in Math Anxiety in Typical Children

Manuscript pre-print and meta-data for article now published under DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-26912-