7 research outputs found
Multimodal mechanisms of human socially reinforced learning across neurodegenerative diseases
Social feedback can selectively enhance learning in diverse domains. Relevant neurocognitive mechanisms have been studied mainly in healthy persons, yielding correlational findings. Neurodegenerative lesion models, coupled with multimodal brain measures, can complement standard approaches by revealing direct multidimensional correlates of the phenomenon. To this end, we assessed socially reinforced and non-socially reinforced learning in 40 healthy participants as well as persons with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (n = 21), Parkinson's disease (n = 31) and Alzheimer's disease (n = 20). These conditions are typified by predominant deficits in social cognition, feedback-based learning and associative learning, respectively, although all three domains may be partly compromised in the other conditions. We combined a validated behavioural task with ongoing EEG signatures of implicit learning (medial frontal negativity) and offline MRI measures (voxel-based morphometry). In healthy participants, learning was facilitated by social feedback relative to non-social feedback. In comparison with controls, this effect was specifically impaired in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and Parkinson's disease, while unspecific learning deficits (across social and non-social conditions) were observed in Alzheimer's disease. EEG results showed increased medial frontal negativity in healthy controls during social feedback and learning. Such a modulation was selectively disrupted in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. Neuroanatomical results revealed extended temporo-parietal and fronto-limbic correlates of socially reinforced learning, with specific temporo-parietal associations in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and predominantly fronto-limbic regions in Alzheimer's disease. In contrast, non-socially reinforced learning was consistently linked to medial temporal/hippocampal regions. No associations with cortical volume were found in Parkinson's disease. Results are consistent with core social deficits in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, subtle disruptions in ongoing feedback-mechanisms and social processes in Parkinson's disease and generalized learning alterations in Alzheimer's disease. This multimodal approach highlights the impact of different neurodegenerative profiles on learning and social feedback. Our findings inform a promising theoretical and clinical agenda in the fields of social learning, socially reinforced learning and neurodegeneration.Fil: Legaz, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Abrevaya, Sofia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Dottori, Martín. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Campo, Cecilia González. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Birba, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Martorell Caro, Miguel Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Aguirre, María Julieta. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Slachevsky, Andrea. Universidad de Chile.; ChileFil: Aranguiz, Rafael. Instituto Nacional de Geriatría; ChileFil: Serrano, Cecilia Mariela. Unidad Asistencial "Dr. César Milstein"; ArgentinaFil: Gillan, Claire M.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Leroi, Iracema. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: García, Adolfo Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. University of California; Estados Unidos. Trinity College; Estados Unidos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Argentina. Universidad de Santiago de Chile; ChileFil: Fittipaldi, Sol. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Ibañez, Agustin Mariano. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. University of California; Estados Unidos. Trinity College; Estados Unidos. Universidad Adolfo Ibañez; Chile. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin
Understanding Community-Level Flooding Awareness in Remote Coastal Towns in Northern Chile through Community Mapping
In 2015 and 2017 unusual ocean and atmospheric conditions produced many years’ worth of rainfall in short periods over Northern Chile’s Atacama Desert, resulting in catastrophic flooding in the town of Chañaral. However, the town is not only at risk of fluvial flooding, it is also at risk of tsunamis. Through a community mapping exercise, the authors attempted to establish the level of community awareness about tsunamis, and contrasted it with that of other types of water-related hazards facing the town (namely that of flooding due to high intensity rain). This was then compared with the results of field surveys and tsunami hazard simulations, indicating than overall the community appears to have better awareness than authorities about the threat posed by these types of events. The authors thus concluded that in cases when the community has a high level of hazard awareness (which in the case of Chile was the result of traditional knowledge being transmitted from previous generations) it would be advantageous to include them in discussions on how to improve disaster resilience
Comparative Analysis of Tsunami Recovery Strategies in Small Communities in Japan and Chile
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction emphasizes the need to rebuild better after a disaster to ensure that the at-risk communities can withstand a similar or stronger shock in the future. In the present work, the authors analyzed the reconstruction paths through a comparative analysis of the perspective of a community in Japan and another in Chile, and their respective local governments. While both countries are at risk to tsunamis, they follow different reconstruction philosophies. Data was gathered through key informant interviews of community members and local government officials, by adapting and modifying the Building Resilience to Adapt to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED) 3As framework to a tsunami scenario. The 3As represent anticipatory, adaptive, and absorptive capacities as well as transformative capacities and respondents were asked to rate this according to their perspectives. It was found that while both communities perceive that much is to be done in recovery, Kirikiri has a more holistic and similar perspective of the recovery with their government officials as compared to Dichato. This shows that community reconstruction and recovery from a disaster requires a holistic participation and understanding