201 research outputs found
Component Neural Systems for the Creation of Emotional Memories during Free Viewing of a Complex, Real-World Event
To investigate the neural systems that contribute to the formation of complex, self-relevant emotional memories, dedicated fans of rival college basketball teams watched a competitive game while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). During a subsequent recognition memory task, participants were shown video clips depicting plays of the game, stemming either from previously-viewed game segments (targets) or from non-viewed portions of the same game (foils). After an old–new judgment, participants provided emotional valence and intensity ratings of the clips. A data driven approach was first used to decompose the fMRI signal acquired during free viewing of the game into spatially independent components. Correlations were then calculated between the identified components and post-scanning emotion ratings for successfully encoded targets. Two components were correlated with intensity ratings, including temporal lobe regions implicated in memory and emotional functions, such as the hippocampus and amygdala, as well as a midline fronto-cingulo-parietal network implicated in social cognition and self-relevant processing. These data were supported by a general linear model analysis, which revealed additional valence effects in fronto-striatal-insular regions when plays were divided into positive and negative events according to the fan's perspective. Overall, these findings contribute to our understanding of how emotional factors impact distributed neural systems to successfully encode dynamic, personally-relevant event sequences
A 2-dimensional Geometry for Biological Time
This paper proposes an abstract mathematical frame for describing some
features of biological time. The key point is that usual physical (linear)
representation of time is insufficient, in our view, for the understanding key
phenomena of life, such as rhythms, both physical (circadian, seasonal ...) and
properly biological (heart beating, respiration, metabolic ...). In particular,
the role of biological rhythms do not seem to have any counterpart in
mathematical formalization of physical clocks, which are based on frequencies
along the usual (possibly thermodynamical, thus oriented) time. We then suggest
a functional representation of biological time by a 2-dimensional manifold as a
mathematical frame for accommodating autonomous biological rhythms. The
"visual" representation of rhythms so obtained, in particular heart beatings,
will provide, by a few examples, hints towards possible applications of our
approach to the understanding of interspecific differences or intraspecific
pathologies. The 3-dimensional embedding space, needed for purely mathematical
reasons, allows to introduce a suitable extra-dimension for "representation
time", with a cognitive significance.Comment: Presented in an invited Lecture, conference "Biologie e selezioni
naturali", Florence, December 4-8, 200
Protention and retention in biological systems
This paper proposes an abstract mathematical frame for describing some
features of cognitive and biological time. We focus here on the so called
"extended present" as a result of protentional and retentional activities
(memory and anticipation). Memory, as retention, is treated in some physical
theories (relaxation phenomena, which will inspire our approach), while
protention (or anticipation) seems outside the scope of physics. We then
suggest a simple functional representation of biological protention. This
allows us to introduce the abstract notion of "biological inertia".Comment: This paper was made possible only as part of an extended
collaboration with Francis Bailly (see references), a dear friend and
"ma\^itre \'a penser", who contributed to the key ideas. Francis passed away
in february 2008: we continue here our inspiring discussions and joint wor
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