ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5339-5304
Current Organisations
Monarch Research Group
,
Monash University
,
Australian National University
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 13-10-2018
DOI: 10.1101/438622
Abstract: Mindfulness meditation may improve attention and self-regulation. One component of attention and self-regulation that may allow these improvements is performance monitoring. Neural correlates of performance monitoring can be objectively measured with electroencephalogram (EEG) via the error related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe). Previous research assessing the ERN and Pe in meditators has resulted in inconsistent findings some have reported alteration in peak litudes from both very brief meditation practice and long-term meditation practice, while others have failed to provide evidence for differences in the ERN or Pe. However, recently developed EEG analysis techniques allow for more rigorous analyses than have been used in past investigations. The current study measured the ERN and Pe, as well as post-error alpha suppression, during a Go/Nogo task, and emotional and colour Stroop tasks. The measures were compared between 22 experienced meditators (mean of 8 years of practice) and 20 healthy controls. The results suggested no differences in the ERN, Pe, or post-error alpha suppression (all p 0.05), even when varying multiple analysis parameters. The study showed equivalent statistical power to previous research, and 85% power to detect medium effect sizes present in previous research. Bayes Factor analysis indicated the null hypotheses were 3.5 more likely than any of the alternative hypotheses for the ERN or Pe. These results suggest that meditation may not alter neural activity related to error processing, despite prior research suggesting that it does.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2015
DOI: 10.1002/JTS.22030
Abstract: Although the experience of vicarious sensations when observing another in pain have been described post utation, the underlying mechanisms are unknown. We investigated whether vicarious sensations are related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and chronic pain. In Study 1, 236 utees completed questionnaires about phantom limb phenomena and vicarious sensations to both innocuous and painful sensory experiences of others. There was a 10.2% incidence of vicarious sensations, which was significantly more prevalent in utees reporting PTSD-like experiences, particularly increased arousal and reexperiencing the event that led to utation (φ = .16). In Study 2, 63 utees completed the Empathy for Pain Scale and PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version. Cluster analyses revealed 3 groups: 1 group did not experience vicarious pain or PTSD symptoms, and 2 groups were vicarious pain responders, but only 1 had increased PTSD symptoms. Only the latter group showed increased chronic pain severity compared with the nonresponder group (p = .025) with a moderate effect size (r = .35). The findings from both studies implicated an overlap, but also ergence, between PTSD symptoms and vicarious pain reactivity post utation. Maladaptive mechanisms implicated in severe chronic pain and physical reactivity posttrauma may increase the incidence of vicarious reactivity to the pain of others.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 14-04-2019
DOI: 10.1101/608547
Abstract: Long-term meditation practice affects the brain’s ability to sustain attention. However, how this occurs is not well understood. Electroencephalography (EEG) studies have found that during dichotic oddball listening tasks, experienced meditators displayed altered attention-related neural markers including theta phase synchronisation (TPS) and event-related potentials (ERP P200 and P300) to target tones while meditating compared to resting, and compared to non-meditators after intensive meditation interventions. Research is yet to establish whether the changes in the aforementioned neural markers are trait changes which may be observable in meditators irrespective of practice setting. The present study expanded on previous research by comparing EEG measures from a dichotic oddball task in a s le of community-based mindfulness meditators (n=22) to healthy controls with no meditation experience (n=22). To minimise state effects, neither group practiced meditation during / immediately prior to the EEG session. No group differences were observed in behavioural performance or either the global litude or distribution of theta phase synchronisation, P200 or P300. Bayes Factor analysis suggested evidence against group differences for the P200 and P300. The results suggest that increased P200, P300 and TPS do not reflect trait-related changes in a community s le of mindfulness meditators. The present study used a larger s le size than previous research and power analayses suggested the study was suficiently powered to detect differences. These results add nuance to our understanding of which processes are affected by meditation and the amount of meditation required to generate differences in specific neural processes.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-03-2023
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-023-29586-W
Abstract: In the general population, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference are recognized risk factors for several chronic diseases and all-cause mortality. However, whether these associations are the same for older adults is less clear. The association of baseline BMI and waist circumference with all-cause and cause-specific mortality was investigated in 18,209 Australian and US participants (mean age: 75.1 ± 4.5 years) from the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) study, followed up for a median of 6.9 years (IQR: 5.7, 8.0). There were substantially different relationships observed in men and women. In men, the lowest risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was observed with a BMI in the range 25.0–29.9 kg/m 2 [HR 25-29.9 vs 21–24.9 kg/m 2 : 0.85 95% CI, 0.73–1.00] while the highest risk was in those who were underweight [HR BMI kg/m2 vs BMI 21–24.9 kg/m2 : 1.82 95% CI 1.30–2.55], leading to a clear U-shaped relationship. In women, all-cause mortality was highest in those with the lowest BMI leading to a J-shaped relationship (HR BMI kg/m2 vs BMI 21–24.9 kg/m2 : 1.64 95% CI 1.26–2.14). Waist circumference showed a weaker relationship with all-cause mortality in both men and women. There was little evidence of a relationship between either index of body size and subsequent cancer mortality in men or women, while non-cardiovascular non-cancer mortality was higher in underweight participants. For older men, being overweight was found to be associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, while among both men and women, a BMI in the underweight category was associated with a higher risk. Waist circumference alone had little association with all-cause or cause-specific mortality risk. Trial registration ASPREE ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01038583.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 2008
DOI: 10.1093/RHEUMATOLOGY/KEM287
Abstract: Anatomical MRI brain scans may not reflect neurological dysfunction in patients with NPSLE. We used blood-oxygen-level-dependent functional MRI (BOLD-fMRI) to investigate working memory function in NPSLE patients. Twenty-seven females took part: nine NPSLE patients (mean age 40 yrs SLEDAI 10.9) nine RA patients and nine healthy controls. Subjects were tested using the n-back paradigm for working memory, where patients indicate when a stimulus matches one presented n trials previously. Functional scans used 3 mm slices x 30, repetition time 2570 ms, echo time 50 ms. Echo planar images were superimposed onto T1w anatomical images (Siemens 1.5 T). Data analysis used Brain Voyager QX Version 1.7. During the memory task, there was activation in areas serving working memory, executive function and attention in all groups. Nine regions of interest were selected for activation during working memory (N-back task vs fixation, P < or = 0.005). In six out of nine regions, there was greater activation in the NPSLE group. This reached significance in three regions: the posterior inferior parietal lobules of both hemispheres [Brodmann area (BA) 7] separately and combined (P = 0.014, 0.016 and 0.004, respectively), and the supplementary motor area (mid-line frontal lobe) (BA32/6 P = 0.032). NPSLE patients showed greater frontoparietal activation than the other groups during the memory task, suggesting a greater need to recruit extra cortical pathways, possibly to supplement impaired function of standard pathways.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.BIOPSYCHO.2015.09.011
Abstract: One common strategy to cope with the difficulties of daily life is suppression. Habitual users of suppression tend to suppress their feelings rather than expressing them. Although this strategy may reduce outward response to emotion, it is not thought to lessen induced negative affect. Moreover, it remains unclear whether people with high suppression scores can reduce negative affect through cognitive reappraisal. In the present study, twenty-nine healthy participants differing in suppression scores were directed to reappraise aversive stimuli during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Results showed that higher suppression scores correlated with decreased response of dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) during cognitive reappraisal. Further, high suppression scores related to enhanced negative affect to stimuli with greater negative affect correlating with decreased dmPFC response during cognitive reappraisal. This study suggests that people with high suppression scores experience difficulty in reducing negative affect through cognitive reappraisal and implicates neurobiological processes that may underlie this difficulty.
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 09-2016
Abstract: Neuroimaging and electrophysiological research have revealed a range of neural abnormalities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but a comprehensive understanding remains elusive. We utilized a novel methodology among in iduals with ASD and matched controls, combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with concurrent electroencephalogram (EEG) recording (TMS-EEG) to explore cortical function and connectivity in three sites implicated in the neuropathophysiology of ASD (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, primary motor cortex, and temporoparietal junction). As there is evidence for neurobiological gender differences in ASD, we also examined the influence of biological sex. TMS pulses were applied to each of the three sites (right lateralized) during 20-channel EEG recording. We did not identify any differences in the EEG response to TMS between ASD and control groups. This finding remained when data were stratified by sex. Nevertheless, traits and characteristics associated with ASD were correlated with the neurophysiological response to TMS. While TMS-EEG did not appear to clarify the neuropathophysiology of ASD, the relationships identified between the neurophysiological response to TMS and clinical characteristics warrant further investigation.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 02-10-2019
DOI: 10.1101/790584
Abstract: Evidence suggests that mindfulness meditation (MM) improves selective attention and reduces distractibility by enhancing top-down neural modulation. Altered P300 and alpha neural activity from MM have been identified and may reflect the neural changes that underpin these improvements. Given the proposed role of alpha activity in supressing processing of task-irrelevant information, it is theorised that altered alpha activity may underlie increased availability of neural resources in meditators. The present study investigated attentional function in meditators using a cross-modal study design, examining the P300 during working memory (WM) and alpha activity during concurrent distracting tactile stimuli. Thirty-three meditators and 27 healthy controls participated in the study. Meditators showed a more frontal distribution of P300 neural activity following WM stimuli (p = 0.005, η² = 0.060) and more modulation of alpha activity at parietal-occipital regions between single (tactile stimulation only) and dual task demands (tactile stimulation plus WM task) (p 0.001, η² = 0.065). Additionally, meditators performed more accurately than controls (p = 0.038, η² = 0.067). The altered distribution of neural activity concurrent with improved WM performance suggests greater attentional resources dedicated to task related functions such as WM in meditators. Thus, meditation-related neural changes are likely multi-faceted involving both altered distribution and also litudes of brain activity, enhancing attentional processes depending on task requirements.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.JPSYCHIRES.2019.03.015
Abstract: Low-frequency and high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) are similarly efficacious for treatment-resistant depression. Low-frequency is posited to be better tolerated than high-frequency rTMS, however, this is not supported by empirical evidence to date. This study aimed to quantify and compare the tolerability of low-versus high-frequency rTMS. Twenty healthy participants (mean age 38.6 ± 13.9 years) underwent low- and high-frequency rTMS administered on left frontal, fronto-central and central sites at 100% resting motor threshold. For the low-frequency protocol, 60 s of 1 Hz stimulation was applied at each site and for the high-frequency protocol, 3 × 5 s trains of 10 Hz stimulation with a 30 s inter-train interval were applied at each site. Tolerance for each stimulation type was assessed immediately after stimulation through participant ratings of overall intensity of scalp sensations, pain, muscle twitching, discomfort and any other sensation. Low-frequency rTMS was significantly less intense than high-frequency rTMS in overall intensity, pain, muscle twitching (all p < .01) and discomfort (p < .001). Limitations of this study include the healthy participant s le and administration of a single session of rTMS. While further work is needed in clinical s les using typical rTMS treatment protocols, these data provide the first evidence that low-frequency is better tolerated than high-frequency. These findings may inform clinical practice of rTMS treatment for depression (and other illnesses) by supporting the application of low-frequency protocols.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-11-2015
DOI: 10.1002/EJP.607
Abstract: Through two studies, we introduce and validate the Empathy for Pain Scale (EPS), which characterizes the phenomenology of empathy for pain, including the vicarious experience of pain when seeing others in pain. In study 1, 406 in iduals completed the EPS and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). In the EPS, four painful scenarios (witnessing surgery, patient recovering from surgery, assault and accidental injury) were rated for 12 emotional, empathic and sensory responses. In study 2, 59 participants completed the same questionnaires and then watched and rated videos of sporting injuries. In study 1, we identified three factors of the EPS with principal component analysis, which were validated with confirmatory factor analysis: affective distress vicarious pain and empathic concern. The EPS demonstrated good psychometric properties, re-test reliability (n = 105) and concurrent validity. In study 2, we validated the EPS against empathic reactions to the pain of others as displayed in video clips depicting sporting injuries and showed that the scale has unique utility to characterize empathic reactions to pain above general trait empathy measures. Both studies showed that the affective distress and empathic concern subscales of the EPS correlated with measures of cognitive and affective empathy from the IRI, whereas the vicarious pain subscale was only correlated with the personal distress IRI subscale. The EPS is a psychometrically sound new scale that characterizes empathy for pain and vicarious pain. The EPS offers valuable insight to the phenomenological profile of the affective, empathic and sensory dimensions of empathy for pain.
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-12-2012
DOI: 10.3758/S13415-011-0080-8
Abstract: Observing noxious injury to another's hand is known to induce corticospinal inhibition that can be measured in the observer's corresponding muscle. Here, we investigated whether acquired pain synesthetes, in iduals who experience actual pain when observing injury to another, demonstrate less corticospinal inhibition than do controls during pain observation, as a potential mechanism for the experience of vicarious pain. We recorded motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) induced at two time points through transcranial magnetic stimulation while participants observed videos of a hand at rest, a hypodermic needle penetrating the skin, a Q-tip touching the skin, and a hypodermic needle penetrating an apple. We compared MEPs in three groups: 7 utees who experience pain synesthesia, 11 nonsynesthete utees who experience phantom limb pain, and 10 healthy controls. Results indicated that the pain synesthete group demonstrated significantly enhanced MEP response to the needle penetrating the hand, relative to the needle not having yet penetrated the hand, as compared with controls. This effect was not observed exclusively in the same muscle where noxious stimulation was applied. We speculate that our findings reflect a generalized response to pain observation arising from hyperactivity of motor mirror neurons not involved in direct one-to-one simulation but, rather, in the representation of another's experience.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEUBIOREV.2018.07.005
Abstract: Social support is demonstrated to have mixed effects on both pain and related physiological arousal. In this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to characterise these effects. A total of 2416 studies were identified in a systematic search, among which 21 were eligible for the quantitative review. The mere presence of another person was not sufficient to modulate pain perception. However, the presence of a stranger was identified to decrease pain-related arousal (SMD = -0.31), and the presence of a significant other increased facial expression of pain (SMD = 0.21). We further found verbal support to decrease pain (SMD = -0.69) and arousal (SMD = -0.99), and we demonstrated moderate to large analgesic effects of intimate relationships through touching (SMD = -0.95) and viewing (SMD = -0.60) of a romantic partner. Finally, we presented evidence of publication bias for pain-related arousal but not for behavioural pain outcomes. Together, our findings suggest that the impact of social support on pain is context-dependent with the verbal communication of support and intimate relationships being of particular importance.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 23-09-2015
Abstract: Noninvasive brain stimulation is increasingly being investigated for the enhancement of cognition, yet current approaches appear to be limited in their degree and duration of effects. The majority of studies to date have delivered stimulation in "standard" ways (i.e., anodal transcranial direct current stimulation or high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation). Specialized forms of stimulation, such as theta burst stimulation (TBS), which more closely mimic the brains natural firing patterns may have greater effects on cognitive performance. We report here the findings from the first-ever investigation into the persistent cognitive and electrophysiological effects of intermittent TBS (iTBS) delivered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In 19 healthy controls, active iTBS significantly improved performance on an assessment of working memory when compared with sham stimulation across a period of 40 min post stimulation. The behavioral findings were accompanied by increases in task-related fronto-parietal theta sychronization and parietal gamma band power. These results have implications for the role of more specialized stimulation approaches in neuromodulation.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 28-03-2016
DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2016.1166154
Abstract: The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is thought to play a key role in the cognitive control of emotion and has therefore, unsurprisingly, been implicated in the regulation of physical pain perception. This brain region may also influence the experience of social pain, which has been shown to activate similar neural networks as seen in response to physical pain. Here, we applied sham or active low-frequency (1 Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the left DLPFC, previously shown to exert bilateral effects in pain perception, in healthy participants. Following stimulation, participants played the "Cyberball Task" an online ball-tossing game in which the subject participant is included or excluded. Compared to sham, rTMS did not modulate behavioural response to social exclusion. However, within the active rTMS group only, greater trait personal distress was related to enhanced negative outcomes to social exclusion. These results add further support to the notion that the effect of brain stimulation is not homogenous across in iduals, and indicates the need to consider baseline in idual differences when assessing response to brain stimulation. This seems particularly relevant in social neuroscience investigations, where trait factors may have a meaningful effect.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 20-03-2006
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 03-2018
DOI: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000534
Abstract: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a major health issue, yet its underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Studies have demonstrated the importance of emotion and cognition in chronic pain however, the relevant brain physiology in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies are unclear in CLBP populations. Therefore, this review aimed to identify MRI brain changes and examine their potential relationship with emotional and cognitive processes in CLBP. A systematic search was conducted in 5 databases. Studies that recruited adult, CLBP populations, and used brain MRI protocols were included. In total, 55 studies met the inclusion criteria. Of the structural MRI studies, 10 of 15 studies found decreased gray matter and 7 of 8 studies found white matter changes in CLBP groups compared with controls. Fourteen resting-state functional MRI studies all reported differences between CLBP and control groups in the default mode network. Interestingly, only 3 of 10 functional MRI studies observed significant differences during noxious stimulation between CLBP and control groups, whereas 13 of 16 studies observed significant brain activation differences in CLBP groups during various external tasks. Finally, there were 3 studies that observed a degree of recovery in functional connectivity following intervention. The brain changes in CLBP groups were mainly observed in areas and networks important in emotion and cognition, rather than those typically associated with nociception. This supports the understanding that emotional and cognitive processes may be the core contributor to the CLBP experience however, future studies need to explore these processes further.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEUBIOREV.2011.09.006
Abstract: Recent research suggests the observation or imagination of somatosensory stimulation in another (e.g., touch or pain) can induce a similar somatosensory experience in oneself. Some researchers have presented this experience as a type of synaesthesia, whereas others consider it an extreme experience of an otherwise normal perception. Here, we present an argument that these descriptions are not mutually exclusive. They may describe the extreme version of the normal process of understanding somatosensation in others. It becomes synaesthesia, however, when this process results in a conscious experience comparable to the observed person's state. We describe these experiences as 'mirror-sensory synaesthesia' a type of synaesthesia identified by its distinct social component where the induced synaesthetic experience is a similar sensory experience to that perceived in another person. Through the operationalisation of this intriguing experience as synaesthesia, existing neurobiological models of synaesthesia can be used as a framework to explore how mechanisms may act upon social cognitive processes to produce conscious experiences similar to another person's observed state.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 12-05-2012
DOI: 10.1093/SCAN/NSR016
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 03-06-2014
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-08-2017
DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2016.1220602
Abstract: While previous cross-sectional studies have found that negative beliefs about low back pain are associated with pain intensity, the relationship between back beliefs and persistent low back pain is not well understood. This cohort study aimed to examine the role of back beliefs in persistent low back pain in community-based in iduals. A hundred and ninety-two participants from a previous musculoskeletal health study were invited to take part in a two-year follow-up study. Beliefs about back pain were assessed by the Back Beliefs Questionnaire (BBQ) at baseline and low back pain intensity was measured by the Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire at baseline and follow-up. Of the 150 respondents (78.1%), 16 (10.7%) reported persistent high intensity low back pain, 12 (8.0%) developed high intensity low back pain, in 16 (10.7%) their high intensity low back pain resolved and 106 (70.7%) experienced no high intensity low back pain. While participants were generally positive about low back pain (BBQ mean (SD) = 30.2 (6.4)), those with persistent high intensity pain reported greater negativity (BBQ mean (SD) = 22.6 (4.9)). Negative beliefs about back pain were associated with persistent high intensity low back pain after adjusting for confounders (M (SE) = 23.5 (1.6) vs. >30.1 (1.7), p < .001). This study found negative back beliefs were associated with persistent high intensity low back pain over 2 years in community-based in iduals. While further longitudinal studies are required, these findings suggest that targeting beliefs in programs designed to treat and prevent persistent high intensity low back pain may be important.
Publisher: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Date: 15-12-2021
DOI: 10.7554/ELIFE.75818
Abstract: How a letter addressing the lack of women invited to speak at a conference in brain stimulation encouraged researchers to take action.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEUROIMAGE.2019.116053
Abstract: Increasing evidence points to an analgesic influence of social support context, in which the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) may play a key role. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has the capacity to causally modulate brain activity. This study was designed to investigate the potential role of dmPFC in orchestrating the behavioral and neural effects of social context during pain. Twenty-three healthy participants underwent a three-session cross-over, single-blinded, sham-controlled protocol in which they received Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS) (facilitatory intermittent TBS, suppressive continuous TBS, or Sham) delivered to the dmPFC. In each session, participants underwent cold pain while viewing an image of a romantic partner or a stranger. Effects of TBS to the dmPFC were assessed using a measure of pain perception, neural activity and network connectivity using electroencephalography (EEG) and TMS-EEG. In the stranger condition, pain experience increased following iTBS. This was associated with increased connectivity between central regions and fronto-parietal regions. In contrast, in the romantic partner condition, iTBS increased connectivity only between frontal and occipital regions and did not modulate pain experience. In line with recent studies, neither cTBS nor Sham stimulation elicited neural or behavioral changes. Together these findings suggest that the dmPFC has the capacity to causally modulate pain-related information integration and network configuration in a context-dependent manner.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEUROPSYCHOLOGIA.2016.01.033
Abstract: Recent neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that activation of the putative human mirror neuron system (MNS) can be elicited via visuomotor training. This is generally interpreted as supporting an associative learning account of the mirror neuron system (MNS) that argues against the ontogeny of the MNS to be an evolutionary adaptation for social cognition. The current study assessed whether a central component of social cognition, emotion processing, would influence the MNS activity to trained visuomotor associations, which could support a broader role of the MNS in social cognition. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we assessed repetition suppression to the presentation of stimulus pairs involving a simple hand action and a geometric shape that was either congruent or incongruent with earlier association training. Each pair was preceded by an image of positive, negative, or neutral emotionality. In support of an associative learning account of the MNS, repetition suppression was greater for trained pairs compared with untrained pairs in several regions, primarily supplementary motor area (SMA) and right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG). This response, however, was not modulated by the valence of the emotional images. These findings argue against a fundamental role of emotion processing in the mirror neuron response, and are inconsistent with theoretical accounts linking mirror neurons to social cognition.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEUBIOREV.2009.10.007
Abstract: This paper reviews the current literature on "empathy for pain", the ability to understand pain observed in another person, in the context of a newly documented form of pain empathy "synaesthesia for pain". In synaesthesia for pain a person not only empathises with another's pain but experiences the observed or imagined pain as if it was their own. Neural mechanisms potentially involved in synaesthesia for pain include "mirror systems": neural systems active both when observing an action, or experiencing an emotion or sensation and when executing the same action, or personally experiencing the same emotion or sensation. For ex le, we may know that someone is in pain in part because observation activates similar neural networks as if we were experiencing that pain ourselves. We propose that synaesthesia for pain may be the result of painful and/or traumatic experiences causing disinhibition in the mirror system underlying empathy for pain. We will discuss this theory in the context of a documented group of utees who experience synaesthesia for pain in phantom limbs.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEUROIMAGE.2014.07.037
Abstract: The combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) is emerging as a powerful tool for causally investigating cortical mechanisms and networks. However, various artefacts contaminate TMS-EEG recordings, particularly over regions such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The aim of this study was to substantiate removal of artefacts from TMS-EEG recordings following stimulation of the DLPFC and motor cortex using independent component analysis (ICA). 36 healthy volunteers (30.8 ± 9 years, 9 female) received 75 single TMS pulses to the left DLPFC or left motor cortex while EEG was recorded from 57 electrodes. A subset of 9 volunteers also received 50 sham pulses. The large TMS artefact and early muscle activity (-2 to ~15 ms) were removed using interpolation and the remaining EEG signal was processed in two separate ICA runs using the FastICA algorithm. Five sub-types of TMS-related artefacts were manually identified: remaining muscle artefacts, decay artefacts, blink artefacts, auditory-evoked potentials and other noise-related artefacts. The cause of proposed blink and auditory-evoked potentials was assessed by concatenating known artefacts (i.e. voluntary blinks or auditory-evoked potentials resulting from sham TMS) to the TMS trials before ICA and evaluating grouping of resultant independent components (ICs). Finally, we assessed the effect of removing specific artefact types on TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) and TMS-evoked oscillations. Over DLPFC, ICs from proposed muscle and decay artefacts correlated with TMS-evoked muscle activity size, whereas proposed TMS-evoked blink ICs combined with voluntary blinks and auditory ICs with auditory-evoked potentials from sham TMS. In idual artefact sub-types characteristically distorted each measure of DLPFC function across the scalp. When free of artefact, TEPs and TMS-evoked oscillations could be measured following DLPFC stimulation. Importantly, characteristic TEPs following motor cortex stimulation (N15, P30, N45, P60, N100) could be recovered from artefactual data, corroborating the reliability of ICA-based artefact correction. Various different artefacts contaminate TMS-EEG recordings over the DLPFC and motor cortex. However, these artefacts can be removed with apparent minimal impact on neural activity using ICA, allowing the study of TMS-evoked cortical network properties.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-11-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.BBR.2013.04.027
Abstract: Research indicates that mirror neurons are important for social cognition, including emotion processing. Emerging evidence, however, also reveals that emotional stimuli might be capable of modulating human mirror neuron system (MNS) activity. The current study used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to assess putative mirror neuron function following emotionally evocative images in twenty healthy adults. Participants observed videos of either a transitive hand action or a static hand while undergoing TMS of the primary motor cortex. In order to examine the effect of emotion on the MNS, each video was preceded by an image of either a positive, negative or neutral valence. MNS activity was found to be augmented by both the positive and negative (relative to neutral) stimuli, thus providing empirical support for a bi-directional link between emotion and the MNS, whereby both positively and negatively valenced stimuli are capable of facilitating mirror neuron activity. The potential adaptive significance of this finding is discussed.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 26-10-2021
DOI: 10.1097/J.PAIN.0000000000002524
Abstract: Brain structure, psychosocial, and physical factors underpin back pain conditions however, less is known about how these factors differ based on pain duration and location. We examined, cross-sectionally, 11,106 in iduals from the UK Biobank who (1) were pain-free (n = 5616), (2) had acute back pain (n = 1746), (3) had chronic localised back pain (CBP n = 1872), or (4) had chronic back pain and additional chronic pain sites (CWP n = 1872). We found differences in structural brain measures in the chronic pain groups alone. Both CBP and CWP groups had lower primary somatosensory cortex {CBP mean difference (MD) (95% confidence interval [CI]): −250 (−393, −107) mm 3 , P 0.001 CWP: −170 (−313, −27)mm 3 , P = 0.011} and higher caudate gray matter volumes (CBP: 127 [38,216]mm 3 , P = 0.001 CWP: 122 [33,210]mm 3 , P = 0.002) compared with pain-free controls. The CBP group also had a lower primary motor cortex volume (−215 [−382, −50]mm 3 , P = 0.005), whereas the CWP group had a lower amygdala gray matter volume (−27 [−52, −3]mm 3 , P = 0.021) compared with pain-free controls. Differences in gray matter volumes in some regions may be moderated by sex and body mass index. Psychosocial factors and body mass index differed between all groups and affected those with widespread pain the most (all, P 0.001), whereas grip strength was only compromised in in iduals with widespread pain (−1.0 [−1.4, −0.5] kg, P 0.001) compared with pain-free controls. Longitudinal research is necessary to confirm these interactions to determine the process of pain development in relation to assessed variables and covariates. However, our results suggest that categorised pain duration and the number of pain sites warrant consideration when assessing markers of brain structure, psychosocial, and physical health.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 11-2018
DOI: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000624
Abstract: This review aimed to explore the processes that underlie the main and the buffering effect of social support on decreased pain experience. The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Online databases of PubMed and PsycINFO were searched for peer-reviewed articles using keywords (“social support,” OR “interpersonal,” OR “social presence,” OR “spouse,” OR “couple,” OR “marriage”) AND “pain”). Articles were included if they examined the cognitive or behavioral processes linking social support to any aspects of reduced pain experience. The database search identified 38 studies, of which 33 were cognitive-behavioral studies and 5 were neurobiological. Cognitive-behavioral studies generated a total of 57 findings of the analgesic influence of social support. This effect was further categorized as social support decreasing the adverse influence of pain-related stress (28/44 findings), reappraising pain-related stress (7/9 findings), and facilitating coping attempts (2/4 findings). Of the 5 neurobiological studies, the influence of social support on pain reduction was associated with reduced neural and physiological stress systems in response to painful stimuli. This review presents evidence that the stress-buffering effect is more often able to account for the relationship between social support and pain experience. Moreover, findings suggest the critical significance of stress appraisal and attenuated stress systems in linking social support to aspects of reduced pain experience. Findings implicate the role of integrating perceived support and intimacy in support-oriented interventional trials for chronic pain.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-11-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S10597-022-01051-4
Abstract: Suicide is a global concern with rates in Australia continuing to increase. Effective post-suicidal care is critical for reducing persistent suicidal behaviour. One model of care is that adopted by Alfred Health, delivering a multidisciplinary, hybrid clinical and non-clinical (psycho-social support), assertive outreach approach. This study measured improvements in resilience and wellbeing, changes to distress and suicidal ideation at least 6-months post-discharge from care. Thirty-one consumers participated including a one-on-one interview to gather qualitative feedback. There was a significant change on all outcome measures with large effect sizes. Participants had significantly reduced suicidal ideation and distress and increased coping self-efficacy, hope and well-being. The qualitative findings indicated that a key component to recovery was the staff. Limitations included a low s le size, and broad time range of follow-up data collection. Providing assertive, multidisciplinary, collaborative and outreach-focused post-suicidal care can increase and sustain protective psychological factors and reduced suicidal ideation in most in iduals.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-02-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEULET.2011.12.018
Abstract: Mirror neurons are thought to facilitate emotion processing, but it is unclear whether the valence of an emotional presentation (positive or negative) can influence subsequent mirror neuron activity. Participants completed a transcranial magnetic stimulation experiment that involved stimulation of the primary motor cortex, and electromyography recording from contralateral hand muscles. This was performed while participants viewed videos of either a static hand or a transitive hand action preceded by either a positive or negative stimulus. Corticospinal excitability facilitation during action observation was significantly greater following the presentation of negative (relative to positive) stimuli this was evident for the first dorsal interosseous muscle (which was central to the observed grasp), but not for the abductor digiti minimi muscle. This study provides evidence that emotional valence can modulate mirror neuron activity, which may reflect an adaptive mechanism.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEUROPSYCHOLOGIA.2010.07.029
Abstract: Synaesthesia for pain is a phenomenon where a person experiences pain when observing or imagining another in pain. Anecdotal reports of this type of experience have most commonly occurred in in iduals who have lost a limb. Distinct from phantom pain, synaesthesia for pain is triggered specifically in response to pain in another. Here, we provide the first preliminary investigation into synaesthesia for pain in utees to determine the incidence and characteristics of this intriguing phenomenon. Self-referring utees (n=74) answered questions on synaesthesia for pain within a broader survey of phantom pain. Of the participants, 16.2% reported that observing or imagining pain in another person triggers their phantom pain. Further understanding of synaesthesia for pain may provide a greater insight to abnormal empathic function in clinical populations as well as therapeutic intervention for at risk groups.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 08-01-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.01.06.425653
Abstract: There is evidence to suggest a disruption of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but findings are mixed. Concurrent electroencephalography and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS-EEG) provides a novel method by which to probe GABA-mediated cortical inhibition. With a particular focus on GABAB-ergic mechanisms, we investigated the N100 peak of the TMS evoked potential (TEP), as well as long interval cortical inhibition (LICI EEG ) in adults with ASD (n = 23 12 female) without intellectual disability, and a neurotypical comparison group (n =22 12 female) matched for age, sex, and IQ. Seventy-five single-(spTMS) and 75 paired-(ppTMS 100 ms inter-stimulus-interval) pulses were applied to the right primary motor cortex (M1), right temporoparietal junction (TPJ), and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) while EEG was recorded from 20 scalp electrodes. Additionally, electromyography (EMG) was used to investigate corticospinal inhibition following ppTMS to M1 (LICI EMG ). There were no group differences in the N100 litude or latency following spTMS. LICI outcomes following ppTMS, as measured by either EEG or EMG, also did not differ between groups. These findings were further supported by Bayesian analyses, which provided weak-moderate support for the null hypothesis. Data presented here reflect adults without intellectual disability, and the generalisability of these results is therefore limited. The findings of this study argue against GABAB-ergic impairment in adults with ASD without intellectual disability, at least at the cortical regions examined. Further research investigating these mechanisms in ASD at various ages, with varying degrees of symptomatology, and at different brain sites is an important factor in understating the role of GABA in the neuropathophysiology of ASD.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 05-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEUROPSYCHOLOGIA.2012.03.016
Abstract: Interpersonal motor resonance (IMR) is presumed to result from activity within the human mirror neuron system, which itself is thought to comprise the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Twenty healthy adults underwent anodal, cathodal, and sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to either IPL or IFG immediately before the assessment of IMR (using transcranial magnetic stimulation). IMR (i.e., motor-evoked potential litude during transitive action observation relative to static observation) was significantly reduced following both anodal and cathodal stimulation of IFG (relative to sham), but there was no effect of stimulation for IPL. These data support the role of IFG, a presumed mirror neuron region, in IMR.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-2020
DOI: 10.1111/AJPY.12287
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEULET.2012.09.036
Abstract: 'Mirror pain' describes when the observation of another's pain experience induces a personal experience of pain. It has been suggested that mirror pain could result from changes in neural excitability or inhibition. In this study we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to investigate motor cortical excitability in lower-limb utees who experience mirror pain. Using paired-pulse TMS to assess motor cortical inhibition (CI) and cortical facilitation (CF), recordings were taken from the right first dorsal interosseus in lower-limb utees who experience mirror pain (MP+), lower-limb utees who do not experience mirror pain (MP-), and non- utee controls. No differences in CI or CF were observed between the MP+ and both control groups. Thus, when not paired with a pain-related stimulus, changes in motor cortical excitability do not appear to contribute to the experience of mirror pain in lower-limb utees.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.BRS.2013.10.004
Abstract: Biomedical treatment options for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are extremely limited. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a safe and efficacious technique when targeting specific areas of cortical dysfunction in major depressive disorder, and a similar approach could yield therapeutic benefits in ASD, if applied to relevant cortical regions. The aim of this study was to examine whether deep rTMS to bilateral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex improves social relating in ASD. 28 adults diagnosed with either autistic disorder (high-functioning) or Asperger's disorder completed a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled design with 2 weeks of daily weekday treatment. This involved deep rTMS to bilateral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (5 Hz, 10-s train duration, 20-s inter-train interval) for 15 min (1500 pulses per session) using a HAUT-Coil. The sham rTMS coil was encased in the same helmet of the active deep rTMS coil, but no effective field was delivered into the brain. Assessments were conducted before, after, and one month following treatment. Participants in the active condition showed a near significant reduction in self-reported social relating symptoms from pre-treatment to one month follow-up, and a significant reduction in social relating symptoms (relative to sham participants) for both post-treatment assessments. Those in the active condition also showed a reduction in self-oriented anxiety during difficult and emotional social situations from pre-treatment to one month follow-up. There were no changes for those in the sham condition. Deep rTMS to bilateral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex yielded a reduction in social relating impairment and socially-related anxiety. Further research in this area should employ extended rTMS protocols that approximate those used in depression in an attempt to replicate and lify the clinical response.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Date: 12-04-2021
Abstract: Chronic pain patients often report higher levels of negative emotions, suggesting reduced ability to regulate emotions effectively, however, little is known of the underlying neural cognitive mechanisms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore brain activity and connectivity during cognitive reappraisal in chronic low back pain (CLBP). This study recruited 24 female participants 12 with CLBP and 12 healthy controls. Participants completed an emotion regulation task that involved cognitive reappraisal of negative images during functional magnetic resonance imaging. The negative affect following each image and perceived success of the task were reported. Region of interest and seed-to-voxel analyses were conducted using key regions involved in cognitive reappraisal (i.e., amygdalae and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex) as seed regions. During the task, there were no group differences in the behavioural measures and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) brain activation in the seed regions. Functional connectivity analysis showed reduced coupling between the amygdalae and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex and inferior parietal cortex in the CLBP group compared to controls. Connectivity between the amygdala and inferior parietal cortex positively correlated with the percent of reduced negative affect during reappraisal in the CLBP group. These preliminary findings demonstrate that in iduals with CLBP exhibit similar emotion regulation abilities to healthy controls at the behavioural and BOLD level. However, altered functional connectivity observed in the CLBP group may reduce effective cognitive reappraisal. These results provide evidence for the potential clinical impact of network changes in CLBP.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.JPAIN.2018.06.003
Abstract: Athletes seem to have higher pain tolerance than the normally active population. It is unknown whether psychological factors contribute to their supranormal pain tolerance. The aim of this pilot study was to examine pain-related psychological processes in ultramarathon runners ('ultrarunners') and to explore whether psychological factors mediate the elevated pain tolerance displayed by ultrarunners. Forty participants took part in the study: 20 ultrarunners and 20 age- and gender-matched controls. Participants underwent the cold pressor test using water cooled to 0.1 to 0.5°C and completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale-20, Pain Vigilance and Awareness Questionnaire, and Pain Resilience Scale. Immersion time on the cold pressor test was significantly longer for the ultrarunners (P = .007) and they also had lower scores on all Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale-20 subscales (P ≤ .030). The 2 groups did not differ significantly on the other questionnaires. Mediation analysis revealed that reduced pain-related escape and avoidance behaviors accounted for 40% of the difference in immersion time between the groups (P = .020). Our results suggest that ultrarunners have lower levels of pain-related anxiety than the general population and that their supranormal pain tolerance is partially mediated by reduced pain-related escape and avoidance behaviors. PERSPECTIVE: This study investigated whether psychological factors contribute to the supranormal pain tolerance displayed by ultrarunners. It found that ultrarunners have lower levels of pain-related anxiety than nonrunning controls and that reduced pain-related escape and avoidance behaviors partially mediate their elevated pain tolerance.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-09-2020
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Date: 10-08-2021
Abstract: Changes in brain connectivity have been observed within the default mode network (DMN) in chronic low back pain (CLBP), however the extent of these disruptions and how they may be related to CLBP requires further examination. While studies using seed-based analysis have found disrupted functional connectivity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a major hub of the DMN, limited studies have investigated other equally important hubs, such as the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in CLBP. This preliminary study comprised 12 in iduals with CLBP and 12 healthy controls who completed a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. The mPFC and PCC were used as seeds to assess functional connectivity. Both groups displayed similar patterns of DMN connectivity, however group comparisons showed that CLBP group had reduced connectivity between the PCC and angular gyrus compared to healthy controls. An exploratory analysis examined whether the alterations observed in mPFC and PCC connectivity were related to pain catastrophizing in CLBP, but no significant associations were observed. These results may suggest alterations in the PCC are apparent in CLBP, however, the impact and functional role of these disruptions require further investigation.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-04-2018
DOI: 10.1002/EJP.1213
Abstract: Fibromyalgia is a complex chronic disorder with few effective treatments currently available. One promising treatment option is repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that has shown promise in disorders effecting the central nervous system. We assessed the efficacy of a course of high-frequency (10 Hz) left-hemisphere dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) rTMS in 26 patients (14 active 12 sham) with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Participants underwent a double-blind stimulation protocol of daily (Monday-Friday) rTMS sessions over four consecutive weeks (total of 20 sessions 75 × 4-s 10 Hz trains at 120% resting motor threshold). Assessments were conducted at baseline, 4 weeks and at 1-month follow-up. Using mixed-model analysis we did not identify a group difference for our primary outcome measures. However, we found that patients in the active group compared to sham treatment group had significantly greater improvement in the Physical Fatigue (p = 0.045) and General Fatigue (p = 0.023) scales of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 at the 1 month follow-up. In a responder analysis, we also found the active group was significantly more likely (2.84 times) to achieve a minimum 30% improvement in pain intensity ratings. (p = 0.024). High-frequency rTMS applied daily for 4 weeks to the left DLPFC induces significant relief from fatigue and a greater chance of clinically meaningful improvement in pain intensity in patients with fibromyalgia. These results suggest DLPFC rTMS may be a relevant therapy for fibromyalgia. This study provides evidence that 4-weeks of daily rTMS to the left DLPFC is able to improve fatigue in fibromyalgia. This novel finding provides impetus for the further investigation of the utility of TMS approaches for the relief of fatigue, an otherwise difficult-to-treat symptom, in fibromyalgia and related disorders.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.MATURITAS.2018.04.007
Abstract: While low back pain significantly impacts on an in idual's well-being, our understanding of the role of well-being in the natural history of low back pain is limited. This cohort study aimed to investigate the association between psychological and general well-being and the development and progression of low back pain and disability in community-based women over a 2-year period. 506 women recruited from a research database were invited to participate. Overall psychological and general well-being and its subdomains were assessed at baseline using the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWB). The intensity of and degree of disability arising from low back pain were examined using the Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire at baseline and at 2-year follow-up. Participants were categorized as having no, developing, resolving, or persistent high-intensity pain and disability. 444 participants (87.8%) completed the study. Women with persistent high-intensity pain had lower PGWB scores at baseline than those with no high-intensity pain at follow-up, after adjusting for confounders (M(SE) = 69.9(2.55) vs 80.1(2.63), p < 0.005). Furthermore, women with persistent high disability scores had lower well-being scores than those without persistent high disability scores (M(SE) = 69.1(3.49) vs. 81.2(0.802), p = 0.001). Moreover, lower scores in the well-being subdomains of general health and vitality were associated with persistent high pain intensity and disability (all p < 0.007). In summary, lower levels of general health and vitality were associated with persistent high-intensity low back pain and disability, suggesting that improving these aspects of well-being has the potential to reduce high levels of chronic low back pain and disability in community-based women.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEUROPSYCHOLOGIA.2014.02.018
Abstract: The adaptation account of mirror neurons in humans proposes that mirror systems have been selected for in evolution to facilitate social cognition. By contrast, a recent "association" account of mirror neurons in humans argues that mirror systems are not the result of a specific adaptation, but of sensorimotor learning arising from concurrent visual and motor activity. Here, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electromyography (EMG) to evaluate whether visuomotor associations affect interpersonal motor resonance, a putative measure of mirror system activity. 18 participants underwent two TMS sessions exploring whether visuomotor associations established throughout one׳s lifespan, namely common movements and movements generated from one׳s own perspective, are associated with increased putative mirror system activity. Our results showed no overall difference in interpersonal motor resonance to common versus uncommon actions, or actions presented from an egocentric (self) versus an allocentric (other) perspective. We did, however, observe increased interpersonal motor resonance within the abductor digiti minimi (ADM) muscle in response to allocentric compared to egocentric movements. As the association model predicts stronger mirror system response to actions with stronger visuomotor associations, such as common movements and those presented from an egocentric perspective, our findings provide little evidence to support the association model.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-12-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-07-2019
DOI: 10.1002/CPT.1544
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1068/P6582
Abstract: Pain synaesthetes experience pain in a presensitised region when observing or imagining another person in pain. We conducted an upper-limb embodiment study using a modified rubber-hand illusion in which lower-limb utees originally participated as control subjects for the upper-limb utees. While we found all subjects experienced topographic illusory sensations, we also serendipitously found that lower-limb utee pain synaesthetes experienced pain or a motor response in their phantom leg when the embodied hand was threatened (eg with a retractable knife, mousetrap, or syringe) or submitted to high-frequency stimulation (eg vibration). Embodiment illusions were brought about by touching, manipulating, or threatening a rubber or real hand which was observed through a mirror so that it was superimposed upon the target hand (phantom hand for upper-limb utees, or real hand in others). Participants included eight pain synaesthetes (six lower-limb utees, one upper-limb utee, and one non utee), and thirty-one controls (eight lower-limb utees, twelve upper-limb utees, and eleven non- utees). We documented participant's subjective reports, together with quantitative measures including the Questionnaire Measure of Emotional Empathy. We found no association between pain synaesthesia and empathy scores. On the basis of related literature we suggest that pain synaesthetes likely experienced phantom-leg pain because (a) the motor system was already engaged during visual capture (b) threatening stimuli, to which they are hyper-vigilant, triggered avoidance or ‘escape’ motor schemata and (c) there could be no feedback confirming that initiated motor schemata for the phantom limb were successfully performed. Ultimately, we have further defined this new condition, synaesthesia for pain, as not only having a sensory pain component, but also a key motor component, manifesting itself in avoidance, contraction, and withdrawal ‘actions’.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEURON.2019.01.004
Abstract: Neuroethics is central to the Australian Brain Initiative's aim to sustain a thriving and responsible neurotechnology industry. Diverse and inclusive community and stakeholder engagement and a trans-disciplinary approach to neuroethics will be key to the success of the Australian Brain Initiative.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-12-2023
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-2023
DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S386440
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-11-2019
DOI: 10.1111/PAPR.12846
Abstract: Nonspecific chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common clinical condition that has impacts at both the in idual and societal level. Pain intensity is a primary outcome used in clinical practice to quantify the severity of CLBP and the efficacy of its treatment however, pain is a subjective experience that is impacted by a multitude of factors. Moreover, differences in effect sizes for pain intensity are not observed between common conservative treatments, such as spinal manipulative therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, acupuncture, and exercise training. As pain science evolves, the biopsychosocial model is gaining interest in its application for CLBP management. The aim of this article is to discuss our current scientific understanding of pain and present why additional factors should be considered in conservative CLBP management. In addition to pain intensity, we recommend that clinicians should consider assessing the multidimensional nature of CLBP by including physical (disability, muscular strength and endurance, performance in activities of daily living, and body composition), psychological (kinesiophobia, fear-avoidance, pain catastrophizing, pain self-efficacy, depression, anxiety, and sleep quality), social (social functioning and work absenteeism), and health-related quality-of-life measures, depending on what is deemed relevant for each in idual. This review also provides practical recommendations to clinicians for the assessment of outcomes beyond pain intensity, including information on how large a change must be for it to be considered "real" in an in idual patient. This information can guide treatment selection when working with an in idual with CLBP.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.BIOPSYCHO.2015.01.011
Abstract: Impaired error awareness is related to poorer outcome following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Error awareness deficits are also found in major depressive disorder (MDD), but have not been examined in the MDD that follows a TBI (TBI-MDD). This study assessed neural activity related to error awareness in TBI-MDD. Four groups completed a response inhibition task while EEG was recorded- healthy controls (N = 15), MDD-only (N = 15), TBI-only (N = 16), and TBI-MDD (N = 12). Error related EEG activity was compared using powerful randomisation statistics that included all electrodes and time points. Participants with TBI-MDD displayed less frontally distributed neural activity, suggesting reduced contribution from frontal generating sources. Neural activity during this time window is thought to reflect conscious awareness of errors. The TBI-only and MDD-only groups did not differ from controls, and early error processing was unaffected, suggesting early error detection is intact.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.JPAIN.2017.12.007
Abstract: The analgesic effect of social support is proposed as a function of social support modulating perceived threat of painful stimuli. In the current study, we directly examined the social buffering effect in the context of the threat of pain. Eighteen healthy participants were subjected to the threat of pain while they held the hand of a close other, a stranger, or not at all. Neural and autonomic responses were recorded using electroencephalogram and heart rate, respectively. Close other hand-holding reduced pain perception. This was accompanied by decreased heart rate and frontal theta oscillation (4-8 Hz) during the threat phase preceding painful stimulation. Interestingly, decreased heart rate and frontal theta in the close other hand-holding condition were uniquely associated with greater pain reduction during subsequent nociceptive stimulation. Neural changes were source-localized to the insular cortex and the rostral-ventral portions of anterior cingulate cortex, regions involved in the processing of threat and pain. Together, our data build upon work to date linking social support to pain by showing autonomic and neurophysiological changes associated with pain reduction. Social support may reduce pain through buffering the autonomic and neurophysiological response to the threatening quality of noxious stimuli. Results implicate that in clinical settings the caregiver could help people with chronic pain reappraise pain and related conditions as less stressful.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 16-06-2015
DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2015.1053853
Abstract: Ward and Bannisy's proposed conceptual framework-Threshold Theory and Self-Other Theory-for mirror touch synesthesia are welcomed as an explanation of mechanisms giving rise to innocuous vicarious phenomena. Herein we propose that these vicarious, or synesthetic, experiences should be considered along a spectrum of experiences, from innocuous through to noxious or threatening sensations. In particular, we would like to see these theories considered within a broader framework to explain the multitude of vicarious experiences that seem to share fundamental neurophysiological and trait characteristics.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2020
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 19-04-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-09-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-022-19542-5
Abstract: Chronic back pain (CBP) is heterogenous and identifying sub-groups could improve clinical decision making. Machine learning can build upon prior sub-grouping approaches by using a data-driven approach to overcome clinician subjectivity, however, only binary classification of pain versus no-pain has been attempted to date. In our cross-sectional study, age- and sex-matched participants with CBP (n = 4156) and pain-free controls (n = 14,927) from the UkBioBank were included. We included variables of body mass index, depression, loneliness/social isolation, grip strength, brain grey matter volumes and functional connectivity. We used fuzzy c-means clustering to derive CBP sub-groups and Support Vector Machine (SVM), Naïve Bayes, k-Nearest Neighbour (kNN) and Random Forest classifiers to determine classification accuracy. We showed that two variables (loneliness/social isolation and depression) and five clusters were optimal for creating sub-groups of CBP in iduals. Classification accuracy was greater than 95% for when CBP sub-groups were assessed only, while misclassification in CBP sub-groups increased to 35–53% across classifiers when pain-free controls were added. We showed that in iduals with CBP could sub-grouped and accurately classified. Future research should optimise variables by including specific spinal, psychosocial and nervous system measures associated with CBP to create more robust sub-groups that are discernible from pain-free controls.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2022
DOI: 10.1002/EJP.2013
Abstract: Few studies have explored the impact of low back or lower limb pain severity on recurrent (≥2) falls in older adults. Investigate the association between the severity of low back or lower limb pain, and ≥2 falls or falls‐related injuries. Community‐dwelling Australian males and females in the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP), aged ≥ 70 years. Self‐reported, cross‐sectional questionnaire data regarding number of falls and falls‐related injuries in the last 12 months and sites and severity of pain experienced on most days. Adjusted relative risks (RR) were estimated from multivariable Poisson regression models, for males and females separately. Of 14,892 ALSOP participants, 13% ( n = 1983) reported ≥2 falls (‘recurrent fallers’) in the last 12 months. Males and females who reported severe low back, or severe lower limb pain on most days were more likely to report ≥2 falls in the last 12 months compared to those with mild pain (lower back: males RR = 1.70 and females RR = 1.5, p = 0.001 lower limb: males RR = 2.0, p 0.001 and females RR = 1.4, p = 0.003). Female recurrent fallers who reported severe low back (RR = 1.3, p = 0.029) or lower limb (RR = 1.2, p = 0.024) pain on most days were more likely to report a falls‐related injury in the last 12 months compared to females with mild pain. Severe low back or lower limb pain was associated with an increased likelihood of recurrent falls (males/females) or falls‐related injuries (females only). Assessment of severe low back and lower limb pain should be considered as a priority when undertaking falls‐risk evaluation. Severe low back pain, or severe lower limb pain is associated with an increased likelihood of recurrent falls in older males and females, and an increased likelihood of falls‐related injuries in older female recurrent fallers. Assessment and management of severe low back and lower limb pain should be prioritized when undertaking falls‐risk assessment. Future longitudinal research is required to further interrogate this relationship and its underlying mechanisms.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-2017
DOI: 10.1002/EJP.1045
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-11-2022
DOI: 10.1002/EJP.1883
Abstract: Nervous system, psychosocial and spinal tissue biomarkers are associated with non‐specific low back pain (nsLBP), though relative contributions are unclear. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and SPORTDiscus were searched up to 25 March 2020. Related reviews and reference lists were also screened. Observational studies examining structural and functional nervous system biomarkers (e.g. quantitative sensory tests, structural and functional brain measures), psychosocial factors (e.g. mental health, catastrophizing) and structural spinal imaging biomarkers (e.g. intervertebral disc degeneration, paraspinal muscle size) between nsLBP and pain‐free controls were included. For multivariate meta‐analysis, two of three domains were required in each study. Random‐effects pairwise and multivariate meta‐analyses were performed. GRADE approach assessed evidence certainty. Newcastle‐Ottawa scale assessed risk of bias. Main outcomes were the effect size difference of domains between nsLBP and pain‐free controls. Of 4519 unique records identified, 33 studies (LBP = 1552, referents = 1322) were meta‐analysed. Psychosocial state (Hedges’ g [95%CI]: 0.90 [0.69–1.10], p 0.001) in nsLBP showed larger effect sizes than nervous system (0.31 [0.13–0.49], p 0.001 difference: 0.61 [0.36–0.86], p 0.001) and spine imaging biomarkers (0.55 [0.37–0.73], p 0.001 difference: 0.36 [0.04–0.67], p = 0.027). The relationship between domains changes depending on if pain duration is acute or chronic. Psychosocial effect sizes in nsLBP are greater than those for spinal imaging and nervous system biomarkers. Limitations include cross‐sectional design of studies included and inference of causality. Future research should investigate the clinical relevance of these effect size differences in relation to pain intensity and disability. PROSPERO‐CRD42020159188. Spinal structural lesions (e.g. intervertebral disc degeneration), psychosocial (e.g. depression) and nervous system factors (detected by e.g. quantitative sensory tests, structural and functional measures) contribute to non‐specific low back pain. However, psychosocial factors may be more compromised than nervous system and spinal imaging biomarkers. This relationship depends on if the pain is acute or chronic. These findings underscore that the ‘non‐specific’ label in back pain should be reconsidered, and more specific multidimensional categories evaluated to guide patient management.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2020
No related grants have been discovered for Bernadette Fitzgibbon.