Field Of Neuroscience Research Articles

Levelling up the Study of Animal Gameplay.

Play in humans and other animals is widespread and intuitive to recognise. Creative, unstructured play is difficult to quantify, but games direct play towards a specific goal and have defined rules, mechanics and rewards. To date, games have been under-utilised in human and animal behavioural neuroscience. This review evaluates evidence that animals can play human games, including game-theory contests, tangible games, and video games. Animals can be trained to play various human games with cognitive capacities such as role adoption, rule-following and performance monitoring. Animals can make irrational gameplay decisions that jeopardise rewards and have salient emotional responses to winning and losing. Games can advance the field of behavioural neuroscience in several ways. Cognitive tasks can become more engaging and ecologically relevant by adding game elements, known as gamification. Games can be used to induce and measure more naturalistic emotional responses to the process of overcoming (progression/regression) and end state (winning/losing) of cognitive challenges. There is also scope to target specific cognitive skill deficiencies in captive animals using games. However, a recent rapid increase in computerised testing environments raises an important ethical question about the boundary between games and reality for animals.

Population imaging of internal state circuits relevant to psychiatric disease: a review.

Internal states involve brain-wide changes that subserve coordinated behavioral and physiological responses for adaptation to changing environments and body states. Investigations of single neurons or small populations have yielded exciting discoveries for the field of neuroscience, but it has been increasingly clear that the encoding of internal states involves the simultaneous representation of multiple different variables in distributed neural ensembles. Thus, an understanding of the representation and regulation of internal states requires capturing large population activity and benefits from approaches that allow for parsing intermingled, genetically defined cell populations. We will explain imaging technologies that permit recording from large populations of single neurons in rodents and the unique capabilities of these technologies in comparison to electrophysiological methods. We will focus on findings for appetitive and aversive states given their high relevance to a wide range of psychiatric disorders and briefly explain how these approaches have been applied to models of psychiatric disease in rodents. We discuss challenges for studying internal states which must be addressed with future studies as well as the therapeutic implications of findings from rodents for improving treatments for psychiatric diseases.

Insights from a Career at the Border of Developmental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience

Much has changed since I started my PhD research in 1980. Neither the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience nor the term “executive functions” existed then. In some ways this piece is backward-looking, such as discussing how our research introduced the importance of the executive function of inhibitory control for cognitive development and that infants and young children are much smarter than we thought. The way our field has queried infants and young children often prevented us from seeing their competencies. That is still too true in studying children from different backgrounds. In other ways, this piece is forward-looking, such as when discussing evidence that the conceptualization of working memory as an executive function and as the key function of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex has been too narrow. It is not just separation in time that must be bridged (traditionally the province of working memory) but also separations in space, and the latter are just as important for cognitive development and just as dependent on the executive function brain network, including dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. It is also forward-looking in discussing the critical importance of motor, social, and emotional development for cognitive development and executive functions, as well as bidirectional relations among these different facets of development. Study of the different aspects of human development are still far too siloed, as are the different fields of science. Examples are provided of how the fields of neuroscience (including neurochemistry and molecular genetics) and child development inform and complement one another. Implications for educators, parents, and researchers are interwoven throughout.

Can attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder be considered a form of cerebellar dysfunction?

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a heterogenous disorder, commonly described for presenting difficulties in sustained attention, response inhibition, and organizing goal-oriented behaviors. However, along with its traditionally described executive dysfunction, more than half of the children diagnosed with ADHD have been reported to show difficulties with gross and fine motor skills, albeit motor impairments in ADHD continue to be a neglected area of clinical attention. The rapidly growing field of the clinical cognitive neuroscience of the cerebellum has begun to relate cerebro-cerebellar circuits to neurodevelopmental disorders. While the cerebellum’s role in motor function, such as balance, motor coordination, and execution, is well recognized, ongoing research has evidenced its additional and fundamental role in neurocognitive development and executive function, including attention and social cognition, which are all areas of impairment commonly found in ADHD. Interestingly, neuroimaging studies have consistently shown differences in cerebellar volume and functional connectivity between ADHD and typically developing children. Furthermore, methylphenidate is known to act at the cerebellar level, as intrinsic cerebellar dopaminergic systems involved in attention and motor function have been identified. This article reviews some of the main findings linking cerebellar dysfunction to ADHD behavioral symptoms and incorporates the cerebellum as a possible neurological basis and differentiating indicator within the condition. We suggest considering more rigorous assessments in future ADHD studies, including cerebellar-associated skill evaluations to correlate with symptom severity and other detected outcomes, such as executive dysfunction, and study possible associative patterns that may serve as more objective measures for this diagnosis.

Research on music-based interventions for aphasia: a scoping review

ABSTRACT Background Over the past decade, the field of music neuroscience has surged in its examination of the efficacy of music rehabilitation. A growing area of interest within this surge has been research on music interventions for post-stroke aphasia. Brain activation during music processing and perception may overlap with activity during speech and language processing. This overlap suggests possible improvement of speech and language through activation of the multimodal music system. However, the role of music has not been investigated from the perspective of existing literature on skilled language treatment to identify gaps in evidence and outcomes. Aims We surveyed the current literature regarding the use of music-based methods for skilled aphasia rehabilitation to answer the question, “What research has been conducted on music-based, speech-language interventions for post-stroke aphasia?” Methods & procedures We conducted a systematic database search of PubMed, EBSCO Discovery Search, CINAHL Complete, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, MEDLINE Complete, MEDLINE, APA PsycArticles, and APA PsycInfo using the following search terms: (music) AND (aphasia) AND (treatment OR rehabilitation OR intervention OR therapy OR management OR approach) AND (music OR choir OR choral OR melodic OR melody OR sing OR singing OR song) AND (aphasia OR language OR dysphagia OR cognitive-communication). Outcome & results Twenty-seven studies met our inclusion criteria after full-text review. The primary use of music in skilled rehabilitative aphasia therapy and focus of music neurorehabilitation research for aphasia is melodic intonation therapy (MIT), and most studies that fell within the search parameters discussed the use, mechanisms, and adaptation of MIT within the aphasia rehabilitation space. Our review highlighted considerable inconsistency in both the administration of MIT and the reporting of characteristics of MIT used in each study. Sample sizes of included studies ranged from one to ten participants, and most studies were published from 2010 to the present. Conclusions The rise in music neurorehabilitation literature occurred without foundational research of music as an aphasia intervention to provide uniformity or example. Lack of standardization, variability of results, and inconsistency of reporting lessened the quality of evidence found in the included studies. There is a need in this field for standardization of practice and reporting, even in the exploration of new clinical applications of music interventions.

Topographic Axes of Wiring Space Converge to Genetic Topography in Shaping Human Cortical Layout.

Genetic information is involved in the gradual emergence of cortical areas since the neural tube begins to form, shaping the heterogeneous functions of neural circuits in the human brain. Informed by invasive tract-tracing measurements, the cortex exhibits marked interareal variation in connectivity profiles, revealing the heterogeneity across cortical areas. However, it remains unclear about the organizing principles possibly shared by genetics and cortical wiring to manifest the spatial heterogeneity across cortex. Instead of considering a complex one-to-one mapping between genetic coding and interareal connectivity, we hypothesized the existence of a more efficient way that the organizing principles are embedded in genetic profiles to underpin the cortical wiring space. Leveraging vertex-wise tractography in diffusion-weighted MRI, we derived the global connectopies in both female and male to reliably index the organizing principles of interareal connectivity variation in a low-dimensional space, which captured three dominant topographic patterns along the dorsoventral, rostrocaudal, and mediolateral axes of the cortex. More importantly, we demonstrated that the global connectopies converge with the gradients of a vertex-by-vertex genetic correlation matrix on the phenotype of cortical morphology and the cortex-wide spatiomolecular gradients. By diving into the genetic profiles, we found that the critical role of genes scaffolding the global connectopies was related to brain morphogenesis and enriched in radial glial cells before birth and excitatory neurons after birth. Taken together, our findings demonstrated the existence of a genetically determined space that encodes the interareal connectivity variation, which may give new insights into the links between cortical connections and arealization.Significance Statement Genetic factors have involved the gradual emergence of cortical areas since the neural tube begins to form, shaping the specialization of neural circuitry in the human brain. However, the mechanisms through which genetics encode the complex interareal connectivity remain a pivotal and unanswered question in the field of neuroscience. Here, we hypothesized that a genetically determined space encoding the interareal connectivity variation exists, which may give new insights into the links between cortical connections and arealization. We combined diffusion tractography with a dimension reduction framework to unravel the underlying global topographic principle revealed by the anatomical connections.

Taking the Next Step in Neurologic Rehabilitation: Contributions of Intensity and Variability of Stepping Tasks during Locomotor Training.

Research over the past 20years indicates the amount of task-specific walking practice provided to individuals with stroke, brain injury, or incomplete spinal cord injury can strongly influence walking recovery. However, more recent data suggest that attention towards 2 other training parameters, including the intensity and variability of walking practice, may maximize walking recovery and facilitate gains in non-walking outcomes. The combination of these training parameters represents a stark contrast from traditional strategies, and confusion regarding the potential benefits and perceived risks may limit their implementation in clinical practice. The purpose of this perspective is to delineate the evidence regarding the contributions of intensity and variability of locomotor training to improve mobility outcomes in individuals with acute-onset brain and spinal cord injury. The rationale and evidence supporting the utility of these training parameters in controlled laboratory settings is first described by integrating concepts in the field of neuroscience, motor learning, biomechanics, and exercise physiology into a rehabilitation intervention. Subsequently, the evidence supporting the efficacy of this paradigm is addressed, including discussions of some of the misconceptions regarding perceived negative consequences of these strategies in an effort to mitigate common clinical concerns. Finally, the utility of these strategies implemented during inpatient rehabilitation is delineated to facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of the feasibility and potential benefits early following neurologic injury. A greater understanding of how and why to integrate higher intensity, variable stepping practice will support therapists to take the next step to maximize mobility in the patients they serve.

No significant relationship found between spontaneous motor tempo, heartbeat, and individual alpha frequency: an analysis of internal tempos

Many theories of time perception propose the existence of an internal pacemaker, and studies across behavioral, physiological, and neuroscience fields have explored this concept. Specifically, Spontaneous Motor Tempo (SMT), the most comfortable and natural tapping tempo for each individual, is thought to reflect this internal pacemaker’s tempo. Changes in heart rate are also linked to time estimation, while Individual Alpha Frequency (IAF), the peak in the alpha range (8–13 Hz) observed in EEG, is reported to reflect the brain’s temporal processing. Despite the associations of SMT, heart rate, and IAF with intrinsic tempo, their interrelations remain unexplored. In this pre-registered study, we measured SMT, IAF, and heart rate in 32 healthy university students aged 18–21 and examined how these variables relate to each other. During the experiment, participants sat with their eyes closed for 5 min while we recorded their EEG and heart rate. They then tapped the space key with their index finger at their most comfortable tempo, which we used to determine SMT. Participants also completed a questionnaire about their age, chronotype, and musical experience. Our results showed no significant correlations among SMT, heart rate, and IAF. Regression analysis further confirmed that SMT is not influenced by heart rate or IAF. Therefore, no significant relationships among behavioral, physiological, and neuroscience-related tempo were uncovered. Our contribution lies in measuring SMT, heart rate, and IAF within the same experimental context. All procedures, including scripts used for the analyses, were pre-registered before data collection, and we report these null results to mitigate publication bias.

TinySpiking: a lightweight and efficient python framework for unsupervised learning spiking neural networks

Abstract Neural computation frameworks are essential for advancing computational neuroscience and artificial intelligence, offering a robust platform for simulating intricate brain-like processes and fostering the growth of intelligent systems. This study presents TinySpiking, a novel, lightweight, and energy-efficient Python framework designed for the simulation and learning of Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs). Unlike traditional frameworks, TinySpiking does not depend on third-party libraries, thereby reducing computational overhead and energy consumption. The framework's innovation is that it implements unsupervised learning through Spike-Time Dependent Plasticity (STDP), a biologically inspired learning rule that adjusts synaptic weights based on the precise timing of neuronal spikes. This mechanism is crucial for constructing complex neural architectures and effectively processing spatio-temporal data, which is vital for the dynamic and intricate demands of real-world data analysis. Demonstrating the practical utility of TinySpiking, we applied it to image reconstruction tasks using the MNIST and landmark datasets. The results not only validate the network's ability to autonomously identify and enhance key visual features without external supervision but also highlight its efficiency in learning from data, mirroring the adaptability of biological neural systems. In conclusion, TinySpiking's innovative, lightweight design and its proven effectiveness in unsupervised learning tasks make it a standout computational tool for the fields of computational neuroscience and machine learning. Its low time consumption, biological plausibility, and independence from third-party libraries position it as a compelling platform for future research and applications, promising to drive advancements in unsupervised learning and intelligent system development.

Role of Hypothalamus in Acupuncture's Effects.

The significant correlation between ancient medicinal practices and brain function marks a revolutionary frontier in the field of neuroscience. Acupuncture, a traditional oriental medicine, can affect brain regions, such as the hypothalamus, anterior cingulate, posterior cingulate, and hippocampus, and produces specific therapeutic effects, such as pain relief, suppression of hypertension, and alleviation of drug addiction. Among the brain regions, the hypothalamus, a small yet critical region in the brain, plays a pivotal role in maintaining homeostasis by regulating a wide array of physiological processes, including stress responses, energy balance, and pain modulation. Emerging evidence suggests that acupuncture may exert its therapeutic effects by modulating the activity of the hypothalamus and its associated neural circuits, particularly in relation to pain, stress, and metabolic regulation. Thus, we conducted a comprehensive review of past and current research on the role of the hypothalamus in mediating the therapeutic effects of acupuncture.

Advancing Neuroscience and Therapy: Insights into Genetic and Non-Genetic Neuromodulation Approaches.

Neuromodulation stands as a cutting-edge approach in the fields of neuroscience and therapeutic intervention typically involving the regulation of neural activity through physical and chemical stimuli. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview and evaluation of different neuromodulation techniques, anticipating a clearer understanding of the future developmental trajectories and the challenges faced within the domain of neuromodulation that can be achieved. This review categorizes neuromodulation techniques into genetic neuromodulation methods (including optogenetics, chemogenetics, sonogenetics, and magnetogenetics) and non-genetic neuromodulation methods (including deep brain stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, transcranial ultrasound stimulation, photobiomodulation therapy, infrared neuromodulation, electromagnetic stimulation, sensory stimulation therapy, and multi-physical-factor stimulation techniques). By systematically evaluating the principles, mechanisms, advantages, limitations, and efficacy in modulating neuronal activity and the potential applications in interventions of neurological disorders of these neuromodulation techniques, a comprehensive picture is gradually emerging regarding the advantages and challenges of neuromodulation techniques, their developmental trajectory, and their potential clinical applications. This review highlights significant advancements in applying these techniques to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. Genetic methods, such as sonogenetics and magnetogenetics, have demonstrated high specificity and temporal precision in targeting neuronal populations, while non-genetic methods, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and photobiomodulation therapy, offer noninvasive and versatile clinical intervention options. The transformative potential of these neuromodulation techniques in neuroscience research and clinical practice is underscored, emphasizing the need for integration and innovation in technologies, the optimization of delivery methods, the improvement of mediums, and the evaluation of toxicity to fully harness their therapeutic potential.

Nerves at Play: The Peripheral Nervous System in Extracranial Malignancies.

The exponential growth of the cancer neuroscience field has shown that the host's immune, vascular, and nervous systems communicate with and influence each other in the tumor microenvironment, dictating the cancer malignant phenotype. Unraveling the nervous system's contributions toward this phenotype brings us closer to cancer cures. In this review, we summarize the peripheral nervous system's contributions to cancer. We highlight the effects of nerve recruitment and tumor innervation, the neuro-immune axis, glial cell activity, and neural regulation on cancer development and progression. We also discuss harnessing the neural control of peripheral cancers as a potential therapeutic approach in oncology. Significance: The continued and growing interest in cancer neuroscience by the scientific and medical communities reflects the rapidly accumulating interdisciplinary understanding of the nervous system's modulation of immune, vascular, and cancer cells' functions in malignancies. Understanding these regulatory functions can identify targets for intervention that may already be clinically available for other indications. This potential brings great excitement and hope for patients with cancer worldwide.

Current Progress and Future Directions in Non-Alzheimer's Disease Tau PET Tracers.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and non-AD tauopathies are dominant public health issues driven by several factors, especially in the aging population. The discovery of first-generation radiotracers, including [18F]FDDNP, [11C]PBB3, [18F]flortaucipir, and the [18F]THK series, for the in vivo detection of tauopathies has marked a significant breakthrough in the fields of neuroscience and radiopharmaceuticals, creating a robust new category of labeled compounds: tau positron emission tomography (PET) tracers. Subsequently, other tau PET tracers with improved binding properties have been developed using various chemical scaffolds to target the three-repeat/four-repeat (3R/4R) tau folds in AD. In 2020, [18F]flortaucipir was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for PET imaging of tau pathology in adult patients with cognitive deficits undergoing evaluation for AD. Despite remarkable progress in the development of AD tau PET tracers, imaging agents for rare non-AD tauopathies (4R tauopathies [predominantly expressing a 4R tau isoform], involved in progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, argyrophilic grain disease, and globular glial tauopathy, and 3R tauopathies [predominantly expressing a 3R tau isoform], such as Pick's disease) remain substantially underdeveloped. In this review, we discuss recent progress in tau PET tracer development, with particular emphasis on clinically validated tracers for AD and their potential use for non-AD tauopathies. Additionally, we highlight the critical need for further development of tau PET tracers specifically designed for non-AD tauopathies, an area that remains significantly underexplored despite its importance in advancing the understanding and diagnosis of these disorders.

Can earlobe stimulation serve as a sham for transcutaneous auricular vagus stimulation? Evidence from an alertness study following sleep deprivation.

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has garnered increasing attention as a safe and effective peripheral neuromodulation technique in various clinical and cognitive neuroscience fields. However, there is ongoing debate about whether the commonly used earlobe control interferes with the objective assessment of taVNS regulatory effects. This study aims to further explore the regulatory effects of taVNS and earlobe stimulation (ES) on alertness levels and physiological indicators following 24 h of sleep deprivation (SD), based on previous findings that both taVNS and ES showed significant positive effects. The goal is to evaluate whether ES can serve as a neutral sham condition. Using a within-subject randomized experimental design involving 56 participants, we assessed alertness, heart rate variability (HRV), and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) levels in the morning of the first day. After 24 h of SD and 30 min of either taVNS or ES intervention, these indicators were re-evaluated, and the changes in both groups were analyzed. The results indicated that both taVNS and ES improved alertness levels following SD. However, taVNS significantly increased sAA levels, indicating activation of the LC-NE system, whereas ES significantly increased HR and reduced HRV, promoting sympathetic nervous activity. Additionally, the regulatory effect of taVNS on the alertness showed a higher correlation with SD impairment. Although taVNS and ES may involve different and separable neuromodulation mechanisms, both can enhance alertness following SD. Future studies should carefully consider the potential regulatory effects of ES when using it as a sham condition in taVNS research.

무아(無我)에 대한 신경과학적 성찰

Human beings are incapable of feeling or knowing the world right with their sensory-physical or memory- perceptive abilities, but we are inevitably dependent on our abilities to sense and judge in the course of life. There is an self called “I” at the basis of all these. In recent years, the field of neuroscience has agreed on the idea of non-self or selflessness, which has long been an argument of Buddhist philosophy. In this position, this study set out to examine the selflessness idea argument of Buddhism and the selflessness argument of neuroscience-based on their connections. The findings show that human beings are open connections linked to their external environments across all dimensions, and it is in line with the law of causality in Buddhism. The brain is an evolutionary product for human survival. Being unable to connect to an outside world directly, the brain processes information coming through the sensory organs and depends on the world of old experiences to predict the future. It is thus necessary that the brain creates fiction. A self is also fiction and a concept created in this process. These findings are in the same vein as the idea of ignorance or saṃskṛta in Buddhist philosophy. On the premise of the limitations inherent in the human existence that cannot escape from its self, it is thus important to make constant efforts for self-improvement with an self as a raft toward selflessness to live in a more developed state. When such efforts are made, self-improvement will reveal itself in the form of merciful relationship improvement. This means that human beings should achieve selflessness practice by consciously creating an environment in which they can form merciful relations and full empathic relations with all things in the world including people. This is a practice that should be done in the education field more than any other social field.

Distance-Based Integration of ERP Correlation Analysis

Interpretation of cognitive performance is a paramount pursuit in learning achievements. Cognitive abilities, encompassing attention, memory, decision-making, and language comprehension, are recognized on individual's capacity to navigate in diverse cognitive tasks. In the academic domain, optimal cognitive functioning is essential for effective learning, information retention, and problem-solving. Proficiency in cognitive skills is directly linked to academic success and intellectual development, providing the necessary cognitive tools for processing, and synthesizing complex information. Therefore, this study explores the correlation between event-related potential (ERP) sub-components (P300, N170, N400) to assess the intricacies of cognitive performance. A regularized approach utilizing Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient and Euclidean Distance is employed. Positive correlations reveal consistent relationships among P300, N170, and N400 ranks across EEG channels, indicating similar response patterns. Negative correla-tions denote inverse relationships. Moreover, the theoretical framework focuses on the digital filtering, ensemble averaging, and baseline correction from data con-trast discrimination tasks. Findings indicate positive correlations, suggesting higher ERP amplitudes correspond to superior cognitive performance. This tailored and integrated methodology, indicating the correlation between ERP sub-components, contributes to the broader field of neuroscience and informatics, potentially informing cognitive enhancement strategies in education and biomedical analysis.

A Task-Related EEG Microstate Clustering Algorithm Based on Spatial Patterns, Riemannian Distance, and a Deep Autoencoder.

The segmentation of electroencephalography (EEG) signals into a limited number of microstates is of significant importance in the field of cognitive neuroscience. Currently, the microstate analysis algorithm based on global field power has demonstrated its efficacy in clustering resting-state EEG. The task-related EEG was extensively analyzed in the field of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs); however, its primary objective is classification rather than segmentation. We propose an innovative algorithm for analyzing task-related EEG microstates based on spatial patterns, Riemannian distance, and a modified deep autoencoder. The objective of this algorithm is to achieve unsupervised segmentation and clustering of task-related EEG signals. The proposed algorithm was validated through experiments conducted on simulated EEG data and two publicly available cognitive task datasets. The evaluation results and statistical tests demonstrate its robustness and efficiency in clustering task-related EEG microstates. The proposed unsupervised algorithm can autonomously discretize EEG signals into a finite number of microstates, thereby facilitating investigations into the temporal structures underlying cognitive processes.

A tribute to Laszlo Zaborszky: pioneering discoveries in the basal forebrain and inspiring generations of neuroscientists.

This editorial celebrates the 80th birthday of Distinguished Professor Laszlo Zaborszky, co-founder of Brain Structure and Function, and reflects on his monumental contributions to neuroscience, particularly his pioneering work on the cholinergic basal forebrain. Professor Zaborszky's research has reshaped our understanding of this brain region's organization and function, uncovering its critical role in cognitive processes such as learning, memory, and attention. His findings have challenged longstanding assumptions, demonstrating that the cholinergic projections to the cortex are highly organized, with implications for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. Beyond his scientific achievements, Professor Zaborszky has made lasting contributions through his mentorship, shaping the careers of many neuroscientists, including the author. This editorial pays tribute to his remarkable legacy, both as a researcher and mentor and highlights his enduring impact on the field of neuroscience.

A Scientometric Review on Visualization Analysis of Global Research Trends in Metacognition and Self-Concept

In recent years, significant advancements in cognitive performance through metacognition have been observed, with self-esteem positively impacting individuals' lives and subjective well-being. This has led researchers to conduct comprehensive studies across metacognition, psychology, neuroscience, and related fields. As comprehension metacognition advances, there is a growing consensus that academics require interdisciplinary approaches. This work uses the Biblioshiny package in R to do a scientometric review of the global research landscape concerning metacognition and self, forecasts its future trajectory, and offers references for pertinent domestic research from global source journals. The findings demonstrate that spearheaded by the USA, the United Kingdom, Italy, and other nations, international metacognition research has established a comprehensive framework, encompassing a “descriptive analysis of cognitive development” and a “practical investigation of metacognitive belief intervention.” In the future, while emphasising these two research categories, the empathetic capabilities of individuals may be considered to enhance metacognitive beliefs and the overall wealth of life.

Objective agency measurement of different hand appearances in virtual reality with intentional binding

The feeling of being in control of the actions of a self-avatar (sense of agency) is a crucial factor of VR embodiment, but the exact role of avatar appearance in this context is not clear yet. Current research on sense of agency in the field of VR is often limited to subjective measures, like self-reports or questionnaires. In the field of neuroscience, however, objective measures to evaluate the agency are used, for instance, the Intentional Binding (IB) paradigm based on time estimation with the Libet clock. In this work we compare the sense of agency towards two fully articulated virtual hands with different levels of visual realism using the IB paradigm. While both hand representations elicted a sense of agency, we did not find a significant effect of appearance.