{"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}
Matteo Gambaretti, Luca Viganò, Matteo Gallo, Giovanni Pratelli, Tommaso Sciortino, Lorenzo Gay, Marco Conti Nibali, Alberto Luigi Gallotti, Leonardo Tariciotti, Luca Mattioli, Lorenzo Bello, Gabriella Cerri, Marco Rossi
{"title":"From non-human to human primates: a translational approach to enhancing resection, safety, and indications in glioma surgery while preserving sensorimotor abilities.","authors":"Matteo Gambaretti, Luca Viganò, Matteo Gallo, Giovanni Pratelli, Tommaso Sciortino, Lorenzo Gay, Marco Conti Nibali, Alberto Luigi Gallotti, Leonardo Tariciotti, Luca Mattioli, Lorenzo Bello, Gabriella Cerri, Marco Rossi","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1500636","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnint.2025.1500636","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since the pivotal studies of neurophysiologists in the early 20th century, research on brain functions in non-human primates has provided valuable insights into the neural mechanisms subserving neurological function. By using data acquired on non-human primates as a reference, important progress in knowledge of the human brain and its functions has been achieved. The translational impact allowed by this scientific effort must be recognized in the implementation of the current surgical techniques particularly in support of the neurosurgical approach to brain tumors. In the surgical treatment of brain tumors, the ability to maximally extend the resection allows an improvement in overall survival, progression-free survival, and quality of life of patients. The main goal, and, at the same time, the main challenge, of oncological neurological surgery is to avoid permanent neurological deficit while reaching maximal resection, particularly when the tumor infiltrates the neural network subserving motor functions. Brain mapping techniques were developed using neurophysiological probes to identify the areas and tracts subserving sensorimotor function, ensuring their preservation during the resection. During the last 20 years, starting from the classical \"Penfield\" technique, brain mapping has been progressively implemented. Among the major advancements was the introduction of high-frequency direct electrical stimulation. Its refinement, along with the complementary use of low-frequency stimulation, allowed a further refinement of stimulation protocols. In this narrative review, we propose an analysis of the process through which the knowledge acquired through experiments on non-human primates influenced and changed the current approach to neurosurgical procedures. We then describe the main brain mapping techniques used in the resection of tumors located within sensorimotor circuits. We also detail how these techniques allowed the acquisition of new data on the properties of areas and tracts underlying sensorimotor control, in turn fostering the design of new tools to navigate within cortical and subcortical areas, that were before deemed to be \"sacred and untouchable.\"</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1500636"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11847902/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143506200","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":"On growth and form of animal behavior.","authors":"Ilan Golani, Neri Kafkafi","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2024.1476233","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnint.2024.1476233","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this study we propose an architecture (<i>bauplan</i>) for the growth and form of behavior in vertebrates and arthropods. We show in what sense behavior is an extension of anatomy. Then we show that movement-based behavior shares linearity and modularity with the skeletal body plan, and with the Hox genes; that it mirrors the geometry of the physical environment; and that it reveals the animal's understanding of the animate and physical situation, with implications for perception, attention, emotion, and primordial cognition. First we define the primitives of movement in relational terms, as in comparative anatomy, yielding homological primitives. Then we define modules, generative rules and the architectural plan of behavior in terms of these primitives. In this way we expose the homology of behaviors, and establish a rigorous trans-phyletic comparative discipline of the morphogenesis of movement-based behavior. In morphogenesis, behavior builds up and narrows incessantly according to strict geometric rules. The same rules apply in moment-to-moment behavior, in ontogenesis, and partly also in phylogenesis. We demonstrate these rules in development, in neurological recovery, with drugs (dopamine-stimulated striatal modulation), in stressful situations, in locomotor behavior, and partly also in human pathology. The buildup of movement culminates in free, undistracted, exuberant behavior. It is observed in play, in superior animals during agonistic interactions, and in humans in higher states of functioning. Geometrization promotes the study of genetics, anatomy, and behavior within one and the same discipline. The geometrical <i>bauplan</i> portrays both already evolved dimensions, and prospective dimensional constraints on evolutionary behavioral innovations.</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"18 ","pages":"1476233"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11832518/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143450796","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":"Unlocking autism's complexity: the <i>Mov</i>e Initiative's path to comprehensive motor function analysis.","authors":"Ashley Priscilla Good, Elizabeth Horn","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2024.1496165","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnint.2024.1496165","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The long-standing practice of using manualized inventories and observational assessments to diagnose and track motor function in autism overlooks critical data invisible to the naked eye. This subjective approach can introduce biases and hinder the translation of research into clinical applications that rely on objective markers of brain-body connections. Meanwhile, we are experiencing a digital healthcare revolution, marked by innovations in the collection and analysis of electronic health records, personal genomes, and diverse physiological measurements. Advanced technologies, including current wearable devices, integrate both active and passive (sensor-based) data collection, providing a more comprehensive view of human health. Despite advances in sensors, wearables, algorithms, machine learning, and agentic AI, autism research remains siloed, with many tools inaccessible to affected families and care teams. There is a pressing need to merge these technological advances and expedite their translation into accessible, scalable tools and solutions to diversify scientific understanding. In response, this Perspective introduces the <i>Move</i> Initiative, a coalition spearheaded by the nonprofit 2 m Foundation, composed of self-advocates, families, clinicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors who aim to advance and refine the measurement of movement in autism. <i>Move</i> will make motor screenings more dynamic and longitudinal while supporting continuous assessment of targeted interventions. By fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, <i>Move</i> seeks to accelerate the integration of the expanding knowledge base into widespread practice. Deep, longitudinal, multi-modal profiling of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder offers an opportunity to address gaps in current data and methods, enabling new avenues of inquiry and a more comprehensive understanding of this complex, heterogeneous condition.</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"18 ","pages":"1496165"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11790654/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143191455","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":"From behavioral synchrony to language and beyond.","authors":"Katherine Eulau, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2024.1488977","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnint.2024.1488977","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Decades of research on joint attention, coordinated joint engagement, and social contingency identify caregiver-child interaction in infancy as a foundation for language. These patterns of early behavioral synchrony contribute to the structure and connectivity of the brain in the temporoparietal regions typically associated with language skills. Thus, children attune to their communication partner and subsequently build cognitive skills directly relating to comprehension and production of language, literacy skills, and beyond. This has yielded marked interest in measuring this contingent, synchronous social behavior neurally. Neurological measures of early social interactions between caregiver and child have become a hotbed for research. In this paper, we review that research and suggest that these early neural couplings between adults and children lay the foundation for a broader cognitive system that includes attention, problem solving, and executive function skills. This review describes the role of behavioral synchrony in language development, asks what the relationship is between neural synchrony and language growth, and how neural synchrony may play a role in the development of a broader cognitive system founded in a socially-gated brain. We address the known neural correlates of these processes with an emphasis on work that examines the tight temporal contingency between communicative partners during these rich social interactions, with a focus on EEG and fNIRS and brief survey of MRI and MEG.</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"18 ","pages":"1488977"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11668775/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142900858","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}
Tommi Raij, Fa-Hsuan Lin, Benjamin Letham, Kaisu Lankinen, Tapsya Nayak, Thomas Witzel, Matti Hämäläinen, Jyrki Ahveninen
{"title":"Onset timing of letter processing in auditory and visual sensory cortices.","authors":"Tommi Raij, Fa-Hsuan Lin, Benjamin Letham, Kaisu Lankinen, Tapsya Nayak, Thomas Witzel, Matti Hämäläinen, Jyrki Ahveninen","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2024.1427149","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnint.2024.1427149","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Here, we report onset latencies for multisensory processing of letters in the primary auditory and visual sensory cortices. Healthy adults were presented with 300-ms visual and/or auditory letters (uppercase Roman alphabet and the corresponding auditory letter names in English). Magnetoencephalography (MEG) evoked response generators were extracted from the auditory and visual sensory cortices for both within-modality and cross-sensory activations; these locations were mainly consistent with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) results in the same subjects. In the primary auditory cortices (Heschl's gyri) activity to auditory stimuli commenced at 25 ms and to visual stimuli at 65 ms (median values). In the primary visual cortex (Calcarine fissure) the activations started at 48 ms to visual and at 62 ms to auditory stimuli. This timing pattern suggests that the origins of the cross-sensory activations may be in the primary sensory cortices of the opposite modality, with conduction delays (from one sensory cortex to another) of 17-37 ms. Audiovisual interactions for letters started at 125 ms in the auditory and at 133 ms in the visual cortex (60-71 ms after inputs from both modalities converged). Multivariate pattern analysis suggested similar latency differences between the sensory cortices. Combined with our earlier findings for simpler stimuli (noise bursts and checkerboards), these results suggest that primary sensory cortices participate in early cross-modal and interaction processes similarly for different stimulus materials, but previously learned audiovisual associations and stimulus complexity may delay the start of the audiovisual interaction stage.</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"18 ","pages":"1427149"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11602476/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142752525","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":"Anne M. Donnellan (1943-2024): a tribute to an autism legend, mentor, and friend.","authors":"Steven K Kapp","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2024.1469778","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnint.2024.1469778","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"18 ","pages":"1469778"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11534709/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142585210","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}
Giorgia Silani, Salvatore M Aglioti, Daniela Perani
{"title":"Editorial: Emotions in neuroscience: fundamentals and new discoveries.","authors":"Giorgia Silani, Salvatore M Aglioti, Daniela Perani","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2024.1495554","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2024.1495554","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"18 ","pages":"1495554"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11473403/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142481804","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}
Eliane Timm, Yobina Melanie Ko, Theodor Hundhammer, Ilana Berlowitz, Ursula Wolf
{"title":"Online eurythmy therapy for cancer-related fatigue: a prospective repeated-measures observational study exploring fatigue, stress, and mindfulness.","authors":"Eliane Timm, Yobina Melanie Ko, Theodor Hundhammer, Ilana Berlowitz, Ursula Wolf","doi":"10.3389/fnint.2024.1472562","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnint.2024.1472562","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Cancer is a debilitating disease with an often chronic course. One of the most taxing and prevalent sequelae in this context is cancer-related fatigue (CRF) resulting from the disease and/or associated treatments. Over the last years mindfulness-based interventions such as eurythmy therapy (ERYT), a mindful-movement therapy from anthroposophic medicine, have emerged as promising adjunct therapies in oncology. This prospective study investigated an online implementation of ERYT for CRF using a single arm repeated-measures design based on two consecutive studies.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Study 1 consisted of an initial assessment before, during, after, and at follow up of a 6-week online ERYT-based program in a mixed sample of <i>N</i> = 165 adults with or without cancer diagnosis. Study 2 involved a similar design with an adapted 8-week online ERYT-based program in a sample of <i>N</i> = 125 adults who had been diagnosed with cancer. Outcomes were assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue, Perceived Stress Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, and Insomnia Severity Index (for Study 1 all, for Study 2 only the former three). We additionally performed an exploratory analysis regarding practice frequency and duration. Data were analyzed using Linear Mixed-Effect Models per outcome; ANOVA was used for practice times.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>For Study 1, mixed-effects model estimates showed no significant effect on fatigue, but pointed to significantly improved emotional and physical well-being, reduced stress, as well as increased mindfulness (mixed subjects). Functional and social well-being or sleep quality did not change significantly. Study 2 model estimates on the other hand showed significantly improved CRF in conjunction with the ERYT-based online intervention, as well as improved stress and mindfulness scores (cancer-diagnosed subjects).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Taken together, while our results should be interpreted with caution given the single-arm design and relatively high dropout, they suggest online ERYT may be associated with a reduction in fatigue for individuals diagnosed with cancer, an increase in mindfulness, and benefits for stress and certain well-being indicators. The online group format is advantageous in view of affordability and accessibility, the latter being particularly relevant for individuals who due to high symptom severity cannot leave their homes. Randomized-controlled studies will be needed to confirm these findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":56016,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience","volume":"18 ","pages":"1472562"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11447702/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142373624","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}