Biological Psychology最新文献

{"title":"Learning influences the attentional capture and suppression of abrupt onset and color singletons: Evidence from event- related potential studies","authors":"Chen Hu,&nbsp;Yinglong Li,&nbsp;Shimin Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109146","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109146","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While most prior research has emphasized the role of saliency in attentional capture and suppression, it has largely overlooked learning experience—an equally critical factor. Yet, the relative contributions of saliency and learning experience may jointly shape attentional priority. In this study, we investigate whether the learning experience can enable suppression of attentional capture by abrupt onsets, thereby testing the applicability of Signal Suppression Theory to such stimuli. To this end, event-related potential (ERP) techniques were employed to examine changes in N2pc (indicating attentional capture) and P_D (reflecting suppression) across the learning process. Participants completed four repeated visual search tasks over three days to establish implicit learning. Behaviorally, the interference effect caused by abrupt onsets persisted both before and after learning, although it was significantly reduced with increased learning experience. In contrast, color singletons were suppressed to baseline levels pre-learning and below baseline post-learning. Electrophysiological results revealed that the N2pc amplitude elicited by targets increased after learning, whereas the N2pc to distractors remained unchanged. Furthermore, the late P_D elicited by abrupt onsets decreased following learning, while the P_D associated with color singletons was unaffected by learning. Taken together, these findings suggest that top-down implicit learning does not fully eliminate but attenuates the processing of highly salient distractors, indicating that Signal Suppression Theory is not applicable to abrupt onsets. This study demonstrates that suppression through implicit learning primarily arises from enhanced target-related attentional capture and reduced late-stage suppression of distractors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109146"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145427210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Post-learning stress after a heartbeat perception training facilitates interoceptive accuracy in the heartbeat counting task, but not in the heartbeat discrimination task","authors":"R. Müller ,&nbsp;C. Vögele ,&nbsp;I. Van Diest ,&nbsp;A. Schulz","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109172","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109172","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interoceptive accuracy (IAc), assessed using the heartbeat counting task (HCT), increased after a heartbeat perception training (HBPT) and a post-learning stressor (i.e., the socially-evaluated cold pressor test; SECPT), suggesting facilitation of interoceptive perceptual learning after stress. Here we investigated whether this effect is due to undergoing HBPT or repeatedly performing the HCT, and if this effect is also observable in the heartbeat discrimination task (HDT). Healthy adults (N = 96, 80 women; 18 – 41 years; university students and staff, local community), were randomly assigned to one of four groups, two of which received HBPT, either followed by SECPT or a control condition (HBPT+stress / HBPT-stress, respectively). The other two groups completed an exteroceptive perceptual learning paradigm (visual perception task; VPT), followed by the SECPT or the control condition (VPT+stress / VPT-stress). We assessed IAc using the HCT and the HDT before (T1), 30 min (T2) and 24 h after the SECPT / control intervention (T3). The SECPT induced increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, salivary cortisol, as well as of self-reported stress and pain. IAc in the HCT increased from T1 to T2 and to T3 in the HBPT+stress group only, whereas no effect was observed for IAc based on the HDT. Regression analyses indicated that lower cortisol responsiveness to the SECPT was associated with a larger increase in HCT based IAc over the 24 h interval (T2 to T3), suggesting that stronger cortisol responses inhibits overnight consolidation in interoceptive perceptual learning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109172"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145643091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of virtual reality-based training for soccer players on anticipatory brain functions and cognitive skills","authors":"Andrea Casella ,&nbsp;Camilla Panacci ,&nbsp;Merve Aydin ,&nbsp;Luca Boccacci ,&nbsp;Giulio Lodi ,&nbsp;Benjamin Greenhough ,&nbsp;Michael Parsons ,&nbsp;Francesco Di Russo","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109168","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109168","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study examines the impact of a sport-specific training program based on virtual reality (VR) in young semi-elitè soccer players on cognitive performance and on anticipatory brain functions using the event-related potential (ERP) method. In this randomized control trial, the participants were divided into two groups: a control group, which followed a standard soccer training program, and an experimental group, which followed the same training but underwent an additional VR training session once a week. Results indicated that after eight weeks of training, the experimental group only showed a notable enhancement of anticipatory brain activity in the prefrontal cortex as evidenced by a 40 % increase in the prefrontal negativity (pN) ERP component. The motor preparatory activity in the premotor cortex indexed by the Bereitschaftspotential (BP) component was comparable between groups before the training and larger in the experimental group after it. Furthermore, the experimental group only showed enhanced cognitive performance improving response speed and accuracy in a discrimination response task. These findings indicate that using VR protocol in conventional soccer training may enhance cognitive anticipatory brain processing underlying top-down cognitive functions. This likely boosted cognitive performance. In conclusion, we confirmed the potential of immersive technologies to facilitate the integration of cognitive training in sports.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109168"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145606966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neural mechanisms underlying approach and avoidance tendencies in alcohol use among males: An electrophysiological investigation","authors":"Adarsh K. Verma ,&nbsp;Adith Deva Kumar ,&nbsp;Usha Chivukula ,&nbsp;Neeraj Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109144","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109144","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A growing body of research highlights the prominent role of automatic alcohol approach tendencies in the development and maintenance of harmful drinking behavior. While some alcohol users show an approach towards alcohol-related stimuli, others exhibit avoidance patterns. Yet, the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying these opposing tendencies remain poorly understood. The current study addressed this gap by employing an Alcohol Approach-Avoidance Task (A-AAT) combined with electroencephalography on thirty-nine alcohol-using and twenty non-alcoholic participants to investigate neurocognitive responses underlying alcohol approach and avoidance tendencies. Alcohol group participants were categorized into approach (n = 20) and avoidance (n = 19) subgroups based on their behavioral scores in the A-AAT. Results revealed significant attenuation in P3 and FN400 event-related potentials (ERPs) in the alcohol-approach participants at frontal and parietal sites, respectively, in response to alcohol cues compared to both the alcohol-avoidance and non-alcohol participants. These attenuated responses indicate compromised controlled cue processing and impaired stimulus-response conflict resolution in individuals with stronger approach tendencies. Particularly, right prefrontal activity exhibited prominent differences between the approach and avoidance groups, highlighting its potential role in regulating automatic alcohol-related responses. Interestingly, the avoidance group showed neural profiles similar to non-alcoholic individuals, suggesting intact cognitive control mechanisms. The identified ERP markers provide clinical utility for assessing alcohol approach tendencies and monitoring progress during intervention. Findings underscore the importance of tailored interventions aimed at reducing harmful alcohol consumption by altering alcohol approach tendencies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109144"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145402884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intergenerational transmission of error-related negativity in mothers and their adolescents","authors":"Olivia Wallace ,&nbsp;Greg Hajcak ,&nbsp;Nader Amir","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109141","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109141","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Adolescents of mothers with internalizing symptoms are at higher risk of developing these symptoms than those of unaffected mothers. The error-related negativity (ERN) is a proposed neural endophenotype of anxiety and depression risk, but it is unclear whether a mother’s ERN predicts intergenerational risk. Identifying biomarkers that predict such risk could strengthen biological models of transmission and inform prevention. We used path analysis to examine the intergenerational transmission of the ERN, anxiety, and depression symptoms in 162 adolescents aged 11–14 and their mothers. Participants completed a Flanker task while we recorded their brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG) to measure the ERN, correct related negativity (CRN) and their difference (ΔERN). Greater maternal ΔERN predicted higher offspring anxiety and depression, after controlling for maternal symptoms. These findings suggest that enhanced maternal ΔERN may be one mechanism through which internalizing disorder risk is transmitted to offspring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109141"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How temperament shapes the network of attention: Insights from the attention network test and pupil dilation","authors":"S. Lozito ,&nbsp;A. Scuderi ,&nbsp;G. Pertosa ,&nbsp;V. Piga ,&nbsp;S. Lo Presti ,&nbsp;F. Doricchi ,&nbsp;S. Lasaponara","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109167","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109167","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Attention is presented in Posner's model as supported by alerting, orienting, and executive brain networks, each predominantly modulated by norepinephrine, acetylcholine, and dopamine, respectively. The Functional Ensemble of Temperament (FET) model posits that the same neurotransmitters also underlie three core temperamental domains: maintenance of behaviour, behavioural orientation, and speed of integration. Here, we aimed to investigate the overlap between attentional networks and temperament dimensions. Moreover, we checked whether inter-individual differences in temperament are associated with behavioural and neurophysiological modulations of attentional function. Eighty-nine healthy adults (M=35, F=54) completed the Attention Network Test (ANT) while pupillary responses were recorded. Structure of Temperament Questionnaire (STQ-77) was also administered. Temperamental effects on behavioural performance were assessed through linear mixed-effects models and hierarchical linear regressions, while overall and trait-dependent pupillary activity was analysed using cluster-based permutation tests. Individuals with lower ergonicity and cognitive integration abilities exhibited a more pronounced incongruency effect on manual reaction times. Lower scores in temperamental traits belonging to the orientation dimension resulted in reduced accuracy in incongruent trials. Within the cue-target interval, individuals with a high level of neuroticism exhibited sustained pupil dilation. During the same interval, anticipatory dilation was found in individuals with lower probabilistic reasoning, reduced ability to engage in prolonged socio-verbal activities, and high inhibitory control. These findings support a temperament-based modulation of both behavioural and physiological correlates of attention, accounting for inter-individual differences. By integrating cognitive and autonomic measures, our study provides novel insight into how stable individual traits shape dynamic attentional control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109167"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145598443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on subthreshold affective symptoms and perceived stress: Findings from a single-blinded randomized trial in community-dwelling adults","authors":"Marta Jackowska ,&nbsp;Julian Koenig ,&nbsp;Veronika Cibulcova ,&nbsp;Vera K. Jandackova","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109169","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109169","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) lowers depression and anxiety in clinical populations, but its preventive utility in alleviating subthreshold depression and anxiety symptoms or perceived stress in the general population is uncertain. In this single-blinded randomized controlled trial 70 participants (28 men; M_age 49,33 years, 18–75 age range) were allocated to four groups: early active or sham tVNS and late active or sham tVNS to explore outcome changes between the preintervention and postintervention in active and sham groups, changes after active and sham stimulation ended in the early groups, or outcomes during waiting time in the late groups. Early intervention and sham groups received daily 4 h tVNS between Day 0 and 13, while late intervention and sham groups received tVNS between day 14 and 28. Active tVNS was delivered via transcutaneous electrical stimulation on the left tragus and sham tVNS was applied on the left earlobe. Affective symptoms and stress were measured with questionnaires. Effects of active tVNS stimulation were superior to sham stimulation in early phase groups, but not in late phase groups, for anxiety symptoms and perceived stress, with no superior effects of tVNS against sham detected for depressive symptoms. Our study tentatively indicates that tVNS application could be scaled-up to a population level to potentially mitigate stress vulnerability and higher anxiety, which are often prevalent in older adults and increased in the ageing process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109169"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145607013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Keeping an eye on attentive listening: Task-evoked pupil size unveils fluctuations in auditory sustained attention","authors":"Yarden Dankner ,&nbsp;Lilach Shalev ,&nbsp;Shlomit Yuval-Greenberg","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109165","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109165","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sustained attention is essential for effective cognitive performance in daily life, yet it remains challenging to monitor continuously in real time. This study examined whether pupil-based physiological markers - specifically task-evoked pupil dilation (TEPD) and baseline pupil size (BPS) - reflect fluctuations in sustained attention and alertness during a prolonged auditory continuous performance task (A-CPT). In two experiments (total N = 54), participants listened to a stream of spoken syllables and responded to a predefined target while their pupil size was continuously recorded. Intra-individual variability in reaction time served as an index of sustained attention, with higher variability reflecting poorer sustained attention. Across both experiments, a consistent positive linear relationship was found between TEPD and intra-individual varability: smaller TEPD values were associated with greater response consistency, indicating higher sustained attention. Additionally, TEPD was positively correlated with self-reported ADHD symptoms across participants, and contributed to their prediction above and beyond the behavioral task performance. This suggests that TEPD reflects inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms across neurotypical individuals. In contrast, BPS showed a less consistent relationship with sustained attention: while it was positively associated with intra-individual varability in one experiment, this effect did not replicate in the second. These findings suggest that pupil size can serve as a continuous, implicit marker of sustained attention and a predictor of ADHD symptoms. By capturing moment-to-moment fluctuations in attentional state, pupil size offers a promising, non-invasive index of attention in real-world listening environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109165"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145533859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adaptive hematological profiles and brain structure buffer depression in high-altitude healthy adults","authors":"Yuan Li ,&nbsp;Niannian Wang ,&nbsp;Fang Hu ,&nbsp;Hailin Ma ,&nbsp;Hao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109155","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109155","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The chronic hypoxic environment at high altitude promotes compensatory changes in the hematological system and may influence depression. However, it remains unclear how hematological compensation affects depression through brain structural mechanisms. In this study, we performed structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on 129 healthy adult participants who had resided at high altitude for an extended period, and collected their routine blood test data along with depression subscale scores from the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). Cluster analysis based on red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB), and hematocrit (HCT) divided participants into three groups, reflecting varying levels of hematological compensation. Analysis of variance revealed significant group differences in right insula volume (<em>F</em>(2, 126) = 18.42, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001, partial <em>η²</em> = 0.24) and depression scores (<em>F</em>(2, 126) = 3.37, <em>p</em> = 0.038, <em>p</em>artial <em>η²</em> = 0.05)<em>.</em> Individuals with higher hematological compensation exhibited significantly larger right insula volumes and lower depression scores. Further mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of hematological compensation on depression via right insula volume. The relative indirect effects were statistically significant (X1: Effect = −0.10, 95 % CI [−0.323, −0.007]; X2: Effect = −0.31, 95 % CI [−0.668, −0.048]). These results suggest that hematological compensation may reduce depression by increasing the volume of right insula. The findings indicate that the right insula may serve as a neural pathway linking physiological adaptation and emotional states, contributing to mental health regulation under chronic hypoxic conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109155"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145420383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From early vigilance to sustained bias: Temporal dynamics of social evaluative feedback processing modulated by fear of positive evaluation","authors":"Yidan Song ,&nbsp;Yanlin Wu ,&nbsp;Ying Liu ,&nbsp;Jing Tang ,&nbsp;Shaokai Zhang ,&nbsp;Xifu Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109153","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109153","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fear of positive evaluation (FPE), a core cognitive feature of social anxiety disorder (SAD), is posited to drive maladaptive responses to social feedback, yet its neurocognitive underpinnings remain poorly understood. This study employed event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate how FPE modulates neural dynamics during social feedback processing. High- and low-FPE individuals (N = 48) completed a social evaluation perception task, where they received positive or negative feedback from different sources (i.e., human/computer). Individuals exhibited sensitivity to feedback source and valence, which was reflected in several event-related potential components associated with early attention (N1), perceptual integration (P2), reward evaluation (Reward Positivity, RewP), and elaborate processing (Late Positive Potential, LPP). Critically, high-FPE (hFPE) individuals demonstrated heightened early attentional vigilance (enhanced N1 amplitudes) to negative feedback from both human and computer sources, with N1 amplitudes positively correlating with FPES scores. Notably, human-positive feedback also elicited larger N1 amplitudes in the hFPE group, further positively linked to FPES scores. Additionally, hFPE individuals showed sustained processing with negative evaluations, evidenced by enhanced LPP amplitudes for negative feedback compared to low-FPE (lFPE) individuals. Although limited by the non-clinical sample, these findings highlight the distinct neural signatures of FPE and its role in abnormal social feedback processing, particularly suggesting the N1 component may be a potential physiological marker for identifying social anxiety patients with predominant fear of positive evaluation, thereby facilitating targeted therapeutic interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109153"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145423556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}