{"title":"Statistical learning across cognitive and affective domains: a multidimensional review.","authors":"Yuyang Wang, Li Lu, Meiyun Wu","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1460471","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1460471","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Statistical learning (SL) is a fundamental cognitive ability enabling individuals to detect and exploit regularities in environmental input. It plays a crucial role in language acquisition, perceptual processing, and social learning, supporting development from infancy through adulthood. In this review, we adopt a multidimensional perspective to synthesize empirical and theoretical findings on SL, covering experimental paradigms, developmental trajectories, and neural mechanisms. Furthermore, we extend the discussion to the emerging intersection between SL and affective processes. Although emotional factors have recently been proposed to modulate SL performance, this area remains underexplored. We highlight current insights and theoretical frameworks addressing the SL-emotion interaction, such as predictive coding theory, and propose directions for future research. This review provides a comprehensive yet focused overview of SL across cognitive and affective domains, aiming to clarify the scope and future potential of this growing field.</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1460471"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12098634/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144144544","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":"Sensory-movement underpinnings of lifelong neurodivergence: getting a grip on autism.","authors":"Steven K Kapp","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1489322","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2025.1489322","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While the autism diagnosis emphasizes \"deficits\" in social communication, the article advances that sensory-movement differences underpin autism through a review of the following sources of evidence. This account critically challenges \"autistic regression\", with evidence that sensory-movement features appear by birth as the earliest signs of autism and underlie the behavioral differences used for diagnosis, which may reflect adaptations to inherent differences and misunderstandings from others. Sensory and motor differences are salient to autistic people, but they often go underrecognized by others. They cause cascading effects in infancy on behavior and communication through differences in sensorimotor learning, automatic imitation, eye contact, sensory perception, and interests. The article then explains how sensory processing differences may influence reduced perceptual narrowing, which involves a bottom-up information processing style grounded in the surrounding environment. Furthermore, this bottom-up processing may grow from reduced sensory integration in feedback loops potentially involving the cerebellum of the brain. The article then moves into implications for the widespread consequences of these inherent differences on quality of life. The article closes with implications for autism as a construct (including underestimated empathy and pain), testing the theory, providing sensory-sensitive support and acceptance of autistic people, and applications to diverse autistic people. The theory may apply particularly well to autistic women and girls, autistic people with speech divergence, autistic people with ADHD, and autistic people with co-occurring sensory and motor-related neurodivergences. Throughout the article, the theory also provides clinical, neurological, and experiential evidence for sensory and motor differences as lifelong, challenging the notion of \"losing\" (an) autism (diagnosis) as instead reflecting (risky and not necessarily \"successful\") camouflaging.</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1489322"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12034742/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144057492","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":"Novel cVEMP procedure reveals sexual dimorphism in peak to trough latency.","authors":"Max Gattie, Elena V M Lieven, Karolina Kluk","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1454924","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2025.1454924","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Sex difference in latency for cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) has been reported in Brown Norway rats. Human investigations of sex difference in VEMP latency have shown inconsistent results, although there are indicators of sexual dimorphism in vestibular function and a higher reporting rate for vestibular disorder in women than in men.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sex effects in human VEMP were re-evaluated here using a procedure adapting clinical protocols for higher sensitivity. VEMP was compared between 24 women and 24 men using a novel procedure that (1) controlled neck tension with biofeedback and a padded head bar; (2) used body-conducted stimuli to eliminate sound exposure concerns and collect appreciably more data than is feasible with air-conducted stimuli; which in turn (3) increased statistical power because there were sufficient data for a linear mixed effects regression modelling analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Women had significantly shorter VEMP peak to trough latency than men. The sex difference of 2.4 ms (95% CI [-0.9, -3.9], p = 0.0020) was 21% of the mean 11.4 ms VEMP peak to trough latency measured across women and men. There was no significant sex difference in VEMP peak to trough amplitude. These findings are a reversal of several prior studies in humans, reviewed here with a simulation indicating the studies may have been underpowered.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Findings are consistent with those in Brown Norway Rats, for which a study design featuring a custom rodent holder to control neck tension, extension of test sequences in comparison to those typically used in VEMP protocols for humans, and insertion of electrodes subcutaneously will have increased sensitivity compared to that achievable with clinical VEMP protocols for humans. Findings are interpreted as sex hormones affecting myelination or synaptic response; sexual dimorphism in neck/head size may also have contributed. The vestibular periphery and brainstem are highly conserved across vertebrates with similar findings in rat and human supporting use of VEMP as a reliable, non-invasive indicator of vestibular function. VEMP measures in humans may require higher sensitivity than is achievable using current clinical protocols in order to produce consistent results.</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1454924"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12014665/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143992884","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}
Xiaonan Li, Jie Gao, Xiaomin Liu, Jianfeng Guo, Yifan Liu, Peicai Cui, Dawei Yan, Ting Fei, Ming Chen, Yihan Gao
{"title":"Modulation of neural activity and gene expression by arecoline.","authors":"Xiaonan Li, Jie Gao, Xiaomin Liu, Jianfeng Guo, Yifan Liu, Peicai Cui, Dawei Yan, Ting Fei, Ming Chen, Yihan Gao","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1545260","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2025.1545260","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Arecoline, a biologically active alkaloid extracted from the areca nut, serves as the primary psychoactive ingredient in betel quid, one of the most widely consumed psychoactive substances worldwide. Despite its extensive use, the central nervous system (CNS) effects of arecoline remain inadequately understood. This study aims to investigate the central actions of arecoline through a comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach that integrates behavioral assays, neuroimaging techniques, calcium signaling analysis, and transcriptomic profiling. Our findings demonstrate dose-dependent addictive properties of arecoline, alongside distinct behavioral alterations that highlight its potential for addiction. Neuroimaging and calcium signaling data revealed region-specific alterations in neural activity, particularly in areas associated with learning, memory, and reward processing. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis identified significant changes in gene expression, particularly in pathways related to synaptic plasticity, calcium signaling, and metal ion transport. These results provide valuable insights into the addictive potential of arecoline and its underlying neurobiological mechanisms, offering crucial information for understanding its broader impact on CNS function. The study's findings hold significant implications for informing public health strategies aimed at addressing arecoline misuse and its potential role in addiction-related disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1545260"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12014716/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144013639","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":"Insight elements of mathematical problem solving in generally gifted and mathematical experts: ERP amplitudes in PO electrodes.","authors":"Ilana Waisman, Roza Leikin, Mark Leikin","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1523334","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2025.1523334","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>School mathematics mainly embraces algorithmic problem solving, pays less attention to strategic reasoning, and rarely contains insightful problem solving. Based on our previous research, we hypothesize that success in solving insight problems correlates strongly with general giftedness, while mathematical expertise is essential for strategy-based problem solving. Furthermore, we employ a phenomenon of greater ERP amplitudes in PO4/8 electrodes associated with insightful problem solving. In this study, 114 high school students (aged 16-18) with varying degrees of general giftedness and mathematical expertise were asked to solve mathematical problem of three distinct type: (1) function problems, whose solutions are memory-based; (2) area problems that necessitate strategic thinking; and (3) insight problems, that necessitate insight for their resolution. The problem solving process was accompanied by ERP recording. We demonstrate that variations in accuracy of solutions and reaction time for correct responses between tasks are influenced by students' general giftedness and mathematical expertise. Our ERP analyses partly supported our hypotheses regarding the relationship between PO electrode activation, insight-based problem solving processes, and participants' levels of giftedness and mathematical expertise.</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1523334"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12006039/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144053472","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}
Anat Baniel, Eilat Almagor, Neil Sharp, Ohad Kolumbus, Martha R Herbert
{"title":"From fixing to connecting-developing mutual empathy guided through movement as a novel path for the discovery of better outcomes in autism.","authors":"Anat Baniel, Eilat Almagor, Neil Sharp, Ohad Kolumbus, Martha R Herbert","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2024.1489345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2024.1489345","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article presents the theoretical foundation of two well established movement-based methods that represent a fundamental departure from most current interventions and are applied globally with children and adults experiencing diverse motoric, cognitive, and social challenges as well as with high functioning individuals: the Feldenkrais method and Anat Baniel Method<sup>®</sup> NeuroMovement<sup>®</sup>. These methods are based on leveraging neuroplasticity through the utilization of movement, not as \"exercise\" or externally imposed motor sequences, but as a means for effective, <i>two-way felt communication</i> with the recipient and their brain. Through <i>connecting with the recipient, starting where they are-motorically, emotionally, and cognitively</i>, we follow their <i>unique responses, moment-by-moment</i>, creating a dance-like dyadic process of self-discovery that mimics the spontaneous, organic way typically developing children play, learn, and grow. Practitioners in these methods, by joining and creating mutual connection with the recipient, help turn the subjective experience of the recipient into a reliable means of attaining spontaneous, mutually generated emergent learning in the recipient. In this process the autonomy of the recipient is respected and enhanced. Our work will be described through direct applications to autism seen as a neuro-motor-sensing disorder where those challenges can be transcended through the dyadic dance embodied in our techniques. Since 87% of children with autism spectrum disorder have significant movement challenges, we propose that movement, as a means for effective two-way communication with the child and their brain, needs to play a central role in autism intervention. In this article we outline how our interventions take place through case studies, vignettes and discussion, separately for each of the two methods. This article will also include recommendations for conducting investigations that characterize some of the basic components of these two methods, utilizing experimental designs and recently developed technologies and biometrics that generate unique individual profiles of both the receiver and the provider of the intervention, and of the interbrain synchrony, correlate them with changes in movement organization, cognitive functioning and coherence, and track changes in the signal-to-noise ratio. These methods should enable refinement and scalability of tracking and assessing the mechanisms and effectiveness of the interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"18 ","pages":"1489345"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12031662/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144057490","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}
Audrey Chen, Kimberley A Phillips, Jennifer E Schaefer, Patrick M Sonner
{"title":"Editorial: Utilization of neuroscience core concepts to guide programs, curricula, courses, and assessment in diverse institutional contexts.","authors":"Audrey Chen, Kimberley A Phillips, Jennifer E Schaefer, Patrick M Sonner","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1595264","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2025.1595264","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1595264"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11996900/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144060905","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":"Distractor anticipation during working memory is associated with theta and beta oscillations across spatial scales.","authors":"Dennis Y Jung, Bikash C Sahoo, Adam C Snyder","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1553521","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1553521","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Anticipating distractors during working memory maintenance is critical to reduce their disruptive effects. In this study, we aimed to identify the oscillatory correlates of this process across different spatial scales of neural activity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We simultaneously recorded local field potentials (LFP) from the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and electroencephalograms (EEG) from the scalp of monkeys performing a modified memory-guided saccade (MGS) task. The monkeys were required to remember the location of a target visual stimulus while anticipating distracting visual stimulus, flashed at 50% probability during the delay period.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found significant theta-band activity across spatial scales during anticipation of a distractor, closely linked with underlying working memory dynamics, through decoding and cross-temporal generalization analyses. EEG particularly reflected reactivation of memory around the anticipated time of a distractor, even in the absence of stimuli. During this anticipated time, beta-band activity exhibited transiently enhanced intrahemispheric communication between the LPFC and occipitoparietal brain areas. These oscillatory phenomena were observed only when the monkeys successfully performed the task, implicating their possible functional role in mitigating anticipated distractors.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Our results demonstrate that distractor anticipation recruits multiple oscillatory processes across the brain during working memory maintenance, with a key activity observed predominantly in the theta and beta bands.</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1553521"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11973340/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143804854","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":"Investigating the psychophysiological effects of NaiKan Therapy: salivary oxytocin and cortisol release.","authors":"Ming Qian, Minghui Wang, Siyi Song, Hansong Xia, Rui Huang, Qin Yuan, Zhi Zhu, Haiyan Wei, Ming Chen, Qing Ma, Hui Zhang","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1476654","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1476654","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>NaiKan Therapy, a method of self-reflection and introspection, has garnered considerable interest for its psychological benefits. However, its physiological impacts, particularly on hormonal regulation, remain underexplored. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of NaiKan Therapy on salivary oxytocin and cortisol release, shedding light on the psychophysiological mechanisms underlying this introspective practice. Sixty participants underwent Naikan Therapy sessions over five consecutive days, during which salivary samples were collected at multiple time points. Salivary oxytocin and cortisol levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Our results revealed significant increases in salivary oxytocin levels following NaiKan Therapy, suggesting a potential role of this practice in enhancing social bonding and emotional regulation. Conversely, salivary cortisol levels exhibited a decrease post-therapy, indicating a reduction in stress reactivity. These findings provide novel insights into the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying NaiKan Therapy and highlight its potential as a holistic approach to improving mental wellbeing. Further research exploring the long-term effects of NaiKan Therapy and its implications for clinical practice is warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1476654"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11893859/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143607289","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":"Phase slips extracted from derivatives of EEG data provide a deeper insight into the formation of cortical phase transitions.","authors":"Ceon Ramon, Paolo Gargiulo","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1471120","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1471120","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The phase slips are generally extracted from the EEG using Hilbert transforms but could also be extracted from the derivatives of EEG, providing additional information about the formation of cortical phase transitions. We examined this from the 30 s long, 256-channel resting state, eyes open EEG data of a 30-year-old male subject. The phase slip rates, PSR1 from EEG, PSR2 from the first-order derivative of EEG, and PSR3 from the second-order derivative of EEG, respectively, were extracted. The study was performed in the alpha (7-12 Hz) band only. The spatiotemporal plots of the EEG and phase slip rates over a 3.0 s period with a 0.5 s resolution were made with a montage layout of the 256 electrode positions. The spatiotemporal patterns of EEG and its derivatives exhibited shifting activity from posterior visual areas to the central and frontal regions over the 3.0 s period. The PSR1, PSR2, and PSR3 activity areas were different from the EEG and were distributed in larger areas as compared with the EEG and its derivatives. Also, the PSR2 and PSR3 activity areas and magnitudes were significantly different as compared with the PSR1 alone. This was also confirmed (<i>p</i> < 0.01) by the one-way ANOVA analysis of the means of PSR1, PSR2, and PSR3. These results show that PSR2 and PSR3 carry additional information that could potentially be biomarkers for studying the rate of formation of phase slips and the related cortical activity from the derivatives of EEG data.</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1471120"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11893552/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143607290","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}