A Machine Learning Approach Towards the Differentiation Between Interoceptive and Exteroceptive Attention

Interoception, the sense of the body’s internal state, plays a critical role in emotion regulation and well-being. Attention to interoceptive signals is qualitatively different from attention to the external senses and might therefore recruit a distinct neural system. To better understand the neural underpinnings of interoception, we used a machine learning approach to differentiate neural patterns of interoceptive attention from exteroception using a set of fMRI tasks in which participants focused on their breath or a visual stimulus. Machine learning models achieved high accuracies in distinguishing interoceptive and exteroceptive attention using both in-sample and more stringent out-of-sample tests. We then explored the potential of these classifiers in “reading out” mental states in a sustained interoceptive attention task. Our findings suggested that interoceptive attention and exteroceptive attention recruit distinct neural networks and demonstrated the promising use of machine learning models on interoceptive fMRI tasks to characterize neural networks of interoception and how interoceptive awareness relates to subjective well-being.M.A

Influence of Mask Wearing during COVID-19 Surge and Non-Surge Time Periods in Two K-12 Public School Districts in Georgia, USA

Background: Into the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic and the second year of in-person learning for many K-12 schools in the United States, the benefits of mitigation strategies in this setting are still unclear. We compare COVID-19 cases in school-aged children and adolescents between a school district with a mandatory mask-wearing policy to one with an optional mask-wearing policy, during and after the peak period of the Delta variant wave of infection. Methods: COVID-19 cases during the Delta variant wave (August 2021) and post the wave (October 2021) were obtained from public health records. Cases of K-12 students, stratified by grade level (elementary, middle, and high school) and school districts across two counties, were included in the statistical and spatial analyses. COVID-19 case rates were determined and spatially mapped. Regression was performed adjusting for specific covariates. Results: Mask-wearing was associated with lower COVID-19 cases during the peak Delta variant period; overall, regardless of the Delta variant period, higher COVID-19 rates were seen in older aged students. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for more layered prevention strategies and policies that take into consideration local community transmission levels, age of students, and vaccination coverage to ensure that students remain safe at school while optimizing their learning environment