Frontiers in Human Neuroscience最新文献

{"title":"Trust your gut: the neuro-gastroenteric mechanics of prediction and expectation.","authors":"Alessia Caccamo","doi":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1956182","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1956182","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Living organisms constantly make probabilistic predictions about what they expect to see in their external environment, and actively solicit information from the environment to inform their predictions. This process is foundational for many frameworks including Active Inference and Predictive Processing. It relies on organisms having prior expectations, entailed by an internal generative model of the environment. Posterior expectations are updated based on the selected data, driven by prediction error minimization. However, failures to contextualize the precision or confidence placed in predictions, can give rise to perceptual abnormalities that are at the basis of various psychiatric conditions. Different factors can influence this process. Notably, disruptions in the gut microbiome have been implicated in some psychotic disorders. Gut microbial dysregulation has also been associated with alterations in neurotransmitter synthesis, metabolism, and turnover, which may affect processes involved in the encoding of precision of prediction errors. On the basis of this gut-brain connection, this Hypothesis and Theory article hypothesizes that the gut microbiome plays a role as a modulator of predictive processing, influencing how predictions are formed and expectations updated. Specifically, this article explores the importance of \"mental model\" embodiment, and considers the role of hippocampal activity in predictive coding and its modulation by the gut microbiome. Finally, it offers a novel perspective on the use of cortico-hippocampal-gastroenteric frameworks for inferring personalized dietary interventions in nutritional psychiatry.</p>","PeriodicalId":12536,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Human Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1956182"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13654766/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149171333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychopathology and literary creativity: a pathographical mixed-methods analysis of the tang dynasty poet Li Bai.","authors":"Chunfeng Xiao, Yufei Wang, Junjie Chen, Wenqi Geng, Jinya Cao, Jing Wei","doi":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1893177","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1893177","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Tang dynasty poet Li Bai (701-762 CE) is renowned for extraordinary literary creativity. Traditional historical perspectives frequently link his \"Poet Immortal\" reputation to alcohol-associated euphoria. We examined whether temporal fluctuations in his creative output co-occurred with biographical and textual features compatible with mood-spectrum psychopathology, while considering alcohol use and major life events as alternative explanations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective pathographical mixed-methods study analyzed Li Bai's literary corpus and biographical archives. Annual creative output was quantified for 836 securely dated poems across a 48-year career. Years exceeding 2 SDs above the career mean were used as data-derived anchors for episode-centered qualitative review. We additionally calculated the proportion of the corpus produced in peak years and a peak-to-nonpeak productivity ratio. Literary and historical evidence was then mapped to DSM-5 mood-episode symptom domains, with explicit attention to temporal fit and competing situational explanations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Annual productivity showed three extreme-output years: 743 CE (<i>n</i> = 73, z = 3.29), 753 CE (<i>n</i> = 56, z = 2.29), and 759 CE (<i>n</i> = 63, z = 2.70). These 3 years (6.25% of career years) contained 192 poems (23.0% of the securely dated corpus); mean output was 64.0 poems/year in peak years versus 14.3 poems/year in the remaining years (ratio, 4.47). Episode-centered review found the strongest convergence of elevated or expansive affect, grandiose self-appraisal, and reckless behavior around 742-743 and 752-753 CE. The 758-759 CE episode included marked elation after an imperial pardon, although this event provides a strong nonpathological explanation for the affective shift. Depressive and mixed-affect expressions were also present. The temporal convergence is compatible with, but does not establish, a bipolar-spectrum interpretation or a causal effect of mood symptoms on creativity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Li Bai's creative output was highly episodic, and the identified productivity bursts temporally overlapped with certain literary and biographical characteristics consistent with mood elevation. Therefore, the combination of genius and bipolar disorder is more likely to explain Li Bai's literary achievements, rather than the combination of genius and alcohol. Li Bai's case should no longer be used as a positive example of drinking in the name of \"creativity\".</p>","PeriodicalId":12536,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Human Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1893177"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13655040/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149168110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of exercise on cognitive function in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the mediating role of sleep.","authors":"Wenhui Zheng, Mian Wu, Yuhe Chen, Shaolan Li, Liying Huang","doi":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1949679","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1949679","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sleep disturbances affect nearly half of older adults and are linked to cognitive decline, yet the mechanistic pathways linking exercise to cognitive benefits remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that sleep quality mediates the exercise-cognition relationship in older adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane CENTRAL, Embase, and PsycINFO from inception to June 2026 for randomized controlled trials examining structured exercise interventions (≥4 weeks) in adults aged ≥60 years that reported both cognitive and sleep outcomes. Random-effects meta-analyses and meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) were used to test the mediation hypothesis. Subgroup analyses examined baseline cognitive status and intervention duration.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eight studies (841 participants) were included. Exercise significantly improved cognitive function (SMD = 1.32, 95% CI: 0.70-1.94) and sleep quality (SMD = -1.13, 95% CI: -1.73 to -0.53). MASEM confirmed sleep quality as a significant partial mediator, with an indirect effect of β = 0.300 (95% CI: 0.125-0.404), accounting for 50.8% of the total cognitive benefit. The mediation proportion was larger in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (67.6%) than in cognitively healthy older adults (31.9%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Sleep quality significantly mediates the exercise-cognition relationship in older adults, accounting for approximately half of the cognitive benefit. These findings identify sleep as a candidate mechanistic target for optimizing exercise interventions, though larger mediation-designed trials are needed to confirm these exploratory estimates.</p>","PeriodicalId":12536,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Human Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1949679"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13654707/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149164197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial: Multisensory integration: unveiling the complexities of perception.","authors":"Alessandro Bortolotti, Baingio Pinna, Nicola Di Stefano, Caterina Padulo","doi":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1959500","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1959500","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12536,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Human Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1959500"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13649690/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149165571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Post-stroke spasticity: advances in network mechanisms and therapeutics.","authors":"Wei Yao, Yuanbin Yang, Zhiyi Wang, Longyue Yi, Deya Daneva, Zhuangwei Fang, Keyun Gan, Zhiqi Lin","doi":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1868901","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1868901","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Spasticity is one of the common complications of stroke, causing serious adverse effects for patients. However, comprehensive descriptions of the PSS network mechanism are currently lacking. This paper expounds on the mechanisms underlying post-stroke spasticity from multiple perspectives, including central nervous system networks, neurotransmitter networks, pain networks, and myofascial networks, as well as the brain-gut axis and brain-muscle axis networks. It summarizes emerging treatment approaches in recent years, providing a reference for clinical treatment and rehabilitation.</p>","PeriodicalId":12536,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Human Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1868901"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13650562/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149165579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions in restoring lower limb motor function after stroke.","authors":"Tokzhan Kispayeva, Inna Bolshakova, Akmaral Izbasarova, Zilola Mavlyanova, Tomiris Zhunussova","doi":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1864828","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1864828","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions in improving lower limb motor function in patients after stroke based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, and the Cochrane Library, supplemented by manual screening of reference lists. Randomized controlled trials involving adult patients after stroke comparing non-pharmacological interventions with conventional rehabilitation were included. The primary outcome was lower limb motor function assessed by the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the Lower Extremity (FMA-LE). The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool. A random-effects model was applied to calculate pooled mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fifteen randomized controlled trials were included in the systematic review, of which 14 studies involving 623 participants were included in the quantitative synthesis. Non-pharmacological interventions demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in lower limb motor function compared with conventional rehabilitation (MD = 3.06, 95% CI 1.97-4.16; <i>Z</i> = 5.48, <i>p</i> < 0.00001), with substantial heterogeneity (<i>I</i> ² = 60%). In the subgroup analysis, robotic/mechanized rehabilitation interventions showed a significant positive effect (MD = 3.00, 95% CI 1.66-4.33; <i>I</i> ² = 57%), as did other non-pharmacological interventions (MD = 3.15, 95% CI 0.94-5.35; <i>I</i> ² = 68%). There was no statistically significant difference between the subgroups (<i>p</i> = 0.91; <i>I</i> ² = 0%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Non-pharmacological rehabilitation interventions were associated with a statistically significant improvement in lower limb motor function after stroke compared with conventional rehabilitation. Substantial heterogeneity was observed across the included studies, highlighting the need for further high-quality randomized controlled trials with standardized intervention protocols and longer follow-up.</p><p><strong>Systematic review registration: </strong>https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251154919.</p>","PeriodicalId":12536,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Human Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1864828"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13649723/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149166186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial: Advances in neuroimaging, genetic, and stimulation methods for cognitive and behavioral function investigation.","authors":"Haoran Yang, Xiaoluan Xia, Zhen Yuan","doi":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.2000021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2026.2000021","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12536,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Human Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2000021"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13649962/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149165149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond mortality: years of life lost as an underestimated outcome in traumatic brain injury.","authors":"Walter Gomes da Silva Filho, Rodrigo Miranda Groberio, Miller Lucas de Faria, Vitória Caroline Reinoso de Almeida, Layza Julhia do Nascimento Moura, Bárbara Vargens Broedel, Kamila Aguiar Kröhling, Jéssica Aparecida Ludwig, Jader Vinicius da Silva Rocha, Rayane de Souza Moura, Rodrigo Freire de Almeida, Fernando Zanela da Silva Arêas","doi":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1898591","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1898591","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12536,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Human Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1898591"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13646138/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149135935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Functional recovery of patients with moderate and severe traumatic brain injury after extended and standard early rehabilitation.","authors":"N Keleman, N Pilipović, Z Sučević, R Krasnik, D Dragičević-Cvjetković, S Palija, D Bojinović-Rodić","doi":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1932368","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1932368","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of morbidity, disability and mortality in all age groups. Treatment and early rehabilitation are crucial to the overall level of recovery. The objective is to compare the effects of standard and extended early rehabilitation on the functional recovery of patients with moderate and severe traumatic brain injury.</p><p><strong>Material: </strong>A prospective experimental study comprised 114 patients with moderate and severe TBI, randomly divided into two groups. The patients of the experimental group had kinesitherapy 7 days a week, twice a day for 45 min, and the patients of the control group had kinesitherapy 7 days a week, twice a day for 30 min. The follow-up parameters were: age sex, clinical characteristics, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Barthel Index (BI) on admission and discharge and Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) at discharge.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>114 patients were randomly divided into two groups of 57 patients each. Males dominate (75.4%), the average age of the sample was Me = 59.0. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in gender, age and clinical characteristics, GCS on admission; 59(51.8%) patient had severe, 55 (48.2%) moderate TBI, at discharge: 12 (10.5%) had severe, 11(9.6%) moderate and 91(79.8%) mild TBI. FIM of the experimental group was 18 vs. 70 and of the control group was 18 vs. 50, BI of the experimental group was 0 vs. 61 and of the control group was 0 vs. 32. GOS at discharge: complete recovery in the experimental group 9, in the control group 7, mild deficit 22 vs. 15, severe deficit 22 vs. 28, vegetative state 4 vs. 7. Normalized improvement (ratio of achieved progress to maximum possible progress) was higher in the prolonged early rehabilitation group: for FIM (48% vs. 30%), BI (61% vs. 32%) and slightly less for GCS (100% vs. 92%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Although no statistically significant difference on functional recovery between the groups was found, however, a difference in percentage progress was found in favor of extended early rehabilitation, but for a final conclusion it is necessary to make a follow-up after inpatient rehabilitation.</p>","PeriodicalId":12536,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Human Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1932368"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13646122/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149136013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Infrared photons generated by voltage-gated sodium channel dynamics: a hypothesis for cooperative electrodynamic interactions at the axon initial segment.","authors":"Daya Shankar Gupta","doi":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1772352","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnhum.2026.1772352","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels are essential for neuronal excitability and action-potential generation, yet the electrodynamic consequences of voltage-sensor motion remain largely unexplored. Here, we propose a biophysically grounded hypothesis in which transient electromechanical dynamics of NaV-channel voltage sensors give rise to weak cooperative electrodynamic interactions at the axon initial segment (AIS). Specifically, we consider the behavior of conserved arginine gating charges within the S4 voltage-sensor segment as they traverse the hydrophobic constriction site (HCS) and charge-transfer center (CTC) during membrane depolarization. Under subthreshold conditions, local electrostatic and <i>π</i>-cation interactions may transiently stabilize intermediate states of S4 motion, permitting brief reversible excursions (\"micro-reversals\") of gating charges within the confined high-field environment of the HCS. Based on known structural properties of the voltage-sensing domain and experimentally characterized vibrational modes of the arginine guanidinium group, we propose that these micro-reversal dynamics may generate transient oscillating dipoles capable of weak electromagnetic emission in the mid-infrared range. Because NaV channels are densely organized within the AIS and occupy a subwavelength volume relative to the predicted emission wavelength, subsets of emitters may experience similar local electric fields, orientations, and transition frequencies. Under these conditions, transient phase alignment and weak field-mediated coupling among neighboring emitters could, in principle, produce extremely weak time-locked mid-infrared emission and, under conditions supporting transient cooperative emission, potentially exhibit nonclassical photon statistics. These proposed signatures are hypothetical predictions of the present framework and require experimental verification. The proposed mechanism does not require long-lived quantum coherence, sustained entanglement, or quantum computation. Rather, it provides a testable framework that links established NaV-channel biophysics with experimentally accessible electromagnetic observables. We present order-of-magnitude estimates of charge acceleration, radiated energy, and potential cooperative enhancement and outline experimentally testable predictions, including time-locked mid-infrared emission, nonclassical photon statistics, dependence on AIS organization, and sensitivity to pharmacological or genetic perturbation of NaV-channel function. Collectively, these predictions provide a basis for evaluating whether transient cooperative electrodynamic interactions occur during neuronal activity and, if so, whether they have any functional relevance for neural information processing, including feature integration, perceptual awareness, or voluntary motor control.</p>","PeriodicalId":12536,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Human Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1772352"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13646134/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149136023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}