Cognitive Neuroscience Commons^™

Category Learning Reorganizes Internal Representations Of Visual Artworks, Aishwarya Gurung

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

How are categories of art internally represented, and how can we capture those representations systematically? Investigating category learning in the context of complex, multidimensional stimuli like visual artworks presents unique challenges due to their inherent variability and perceptual complexity. Artworks engage multiple cognitive processes and are shaped by both sensory-driven mechanisms and top-down influences like prior knowledge, making them uniquely suited for studying how structured categorical knowledge interacts with perceptual and aesthetic judgments. The present study addresses these questions by utilizing machine-learning tools to construct and implement a two-dimensional similarity space of 400 existing artworks painted by two artists from …

Constructing A Parameterized Stimuli Space Suitable To Induce Controlled Changes In Human And Machine Perceptual Systems, Andrew Frankel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Traditional computer vision applications focus on objective tasks, such as object detection, classification, or segmentation. Much of human experience is inherently subjective, such as our personal response to artwork. Individualized experiences are challenging to replicate in a controlled laboratory environment, as those experiences depend on the unique history and internal models of the observer. This work presents a technique to construct a 2-dimensional parameterized stimuli space suitable to induce controlled changes in the perceptual systems of both human and machine observers. Our contributions are threefold:

1. Using a balanced dataset of 8,800 fine art images spanning 11 art movements and 88 …

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The Psychophysiology Of Primary And Secondary Variants Of Psychopathic Traits In Youth, Ines Guariguata

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Psychopathy is a cluster of personality traits marked by a pervasive callousness, lack of shame or remorse, deceitfulness, a persona of confidence and charm, shallow emotional connection, general lack of insight into their actions, and an absence of anxiety (Glenn & Raine, 2014; Hare, 2003). Research suggests that there are distinct etiological pathways to the development of psychopathic traits and that their responses to treatment are different (Craig et al., 2021; Yildrim & Derksen, 2015; Fleming et al., 2023). Primary variants show a low-fear, low-anxiety profile during stress, and have a genetic basis (Craig et al., 2021; Yildrim & Derksen, …

Vertex-Based Analysis Of Cerebral Blood Flow And Fractional Amplitude Of Low-Frequency Fluctuations (Cbf-Falff) Coupling In Moderate-To-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury During The First Year Post-Injury, Vaidehi Hemkumar Patel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is known to involve damage in the neurovascular unit. TBI may disrupt the brain’s neurovascular coupling–the relationship between cerebral blood flow and neural activity–that can lead to cognitive and functional impairments. This study attempted to non-invasively investigate neurovascular coupling in patients with moderate to severe TBI (msTBI) during the first year post-injury using a combined metric of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), a proxy for spontaneous neural activity. Using arterial spin labeling (ASL) and functional MRI sequences, CBF and fALFF were measured in 29 msTBI patients 3-, 6- and 12-months …

An Erp Study Of Attentional Blink And Inhibition Of Return, Caesar Ekya

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Attention can be allocated over time and space and it has long been speculated whether these are a part of the same or different attentional mechanisms. Attentional Blink (AB) and Inhibition of Return (IOR) are cognitive phenomena that are used in experimental settings to study temporal attention (AB) and spatial attention (IOR) respectively. Though known for being representative of different types of attention, they nevertheless display similar characteristics, making them intriguing choices to study the interplay between temporal and spatial attention. For this study we chose a dual-stream rsvp paradigm that would elicit both AB and IOR within the same …

Evidence For Interactive Effects Of Inhibitory And Prospective Intolerance Of Uncertainty And Stimulus-Level Uncertainty On Threat Safety Discrimination Learning, Kyoko Yazaki

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Fear is a fundamental component of human learning, critical for survival, and extensively studied through Pavlovian conditioning paradigms (LeDoux & Pine, 2016). This thesis examines the interplay between stimulus-level uncertainty and individual differences in intolerance of uncertainty (IU) on threat-safety discrimination learning. Using a within-subject design, participants were conditioned to certain (100% reinforcement), uncertain (50% reinforcement), and safety (0% reinforcement) cues through the pairing of colored visual stimuli with aversive electrical shocks. Discrimination learning was assessed using both implicit (SCR) and explicit (self-reported US expectancy estimates and unpleasantness ratings) measures.

The present study (n = 102) replicated previous findings showing …

Neural Correlates Of Infant Attention During Initial Exposure To Own- And Other-Race Faces, Ashley N. Barrows, Lauren Slivka, Kenna Clayton, Kelly Roth, Greg Reynolds

Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee

Past research has shown that infants raised in a racially homogenous environment demonstrate an advantage for processing own-race faces at the individual level in comparison to other-race faces (Lewkowicz, 2014; Mauer & Werker, 2014; Quinn, Lee, & Pascalis, 2018). This advantage for processing own-race faces develops across infancy and has been referred to as the own-race bias (e.g., Anzures, Quinn, Pascalis, Slater, Tanaka, & Lee, 2013). The processes that lead to development of the own-race bias are complex and not fully understood. Recent work suggests that by 10 months of age, differences in own- and other-race face processing may be …

A Health Intervention Improves Cognition In Older Adults At Risk For Alzheimer’S Disease, Michelle Gray, Ray G. Urbina, Megan Jones, Anthony Campitelli, Joshua L. Gills, Sally Paulson, Jordan M. Glenn

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

Abstract Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the 7th leading cause of death and 6th most burdensome disease among US older adults. With pharmacological treatments for AD being predominantly ill-effective, alternative, non-pharmacological prevention and treatment strategies warrant exploration. Personal health coaching provides individualized strategies designed to improve physical, social, and emotional health leading to positive behavior changes that may improve cognitive ability. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the effects of a health intervention on cognitive outcomes. Method: Adults (n = 184), 60+ years, completed a 24-month health intervention. All participants had their APOE4 status determined at baseline. …

Distracted But Still Listening: How Cognitive And Perceptual Load Affect Multisensory Integration, Eddie Lee

Honors Theses

There is an ongoing debate about whether multisensory integration (MSI) occurs automatically and before attention is allocated or if multisensory integration occurs after attention is allocated and is subject to top-down attentional control. A recent study investigated this by manipulating the availability of attentional resources in a dual-task paradigm, finding that when the demands of the secondary task increased, susceptibility to the Sound-Induced-Flash-Illusion, a non-speech audiovisual illusion, also increased (Michail & Keil, 2018). This was taken as evidence for the role of post-attentive, top-down control during MSI. In the present study, we extend this logic to explore the role of …

Racial Health Disparities Among Pregnant Women Of Color In New York City: Biological And Systemic Impacts, Kaylin Peña

Pitzer Senior Theses

Racial Health Disparities Among Pregnant Women of Color in New York City: Biological and Systemic Impacts

Abstract

This thesis aims to explore how racial health disparities, underrepresentation in gynecology, and socioeconomic barriers contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes among women of color in New York City. Through an interdisciplinary approach that combines resources from medical anthropology and human biology, this research will examine the biological implications of chronic stress, specifically HPA axis dysregulation, and its role in maternal health outcomes. With the idea of intersectionality, as conceptualized by Kimberlé Crenshaw, the study analyzes the various effects of systemic inequities and social …

Exploring Neurodiversity & The Role Of Flexible Workplaces For Organizational Neuroinclusion, Miranda Chen

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis conducted a thorough literature review on the experiences and outcomes of neurodiverse individuals in the workplace and found consistently lower outcomes in well-being, work performance, intention to leave, and job satisfaction compared to neurotypical workers. It examined how the emergence of remote work presents new opportunities for mitigating some workplace challenges around stress and sensory overload, while recognizing that remote work alone falls short as being a definitive solution for the unique challenges faced by neurodiverse people. Instead, it argued for Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA’s) as a comprehensive and systemic strategy to address individual needs and organizational inclusion, …

The Meditative Mind In Sync: The Effects Of Meditative Interpersonal Synchrony On Self-Other Merging, Self-Representation, And Social Connection., Nathan Verba

CMC Senior Theses

This study investigates the effects of meditative interpersonal synchrony, operationalized through OM group chanting meditation (OM-GCM), on self-other merging, self-referential thinking, and the quality of social interactions between strangers. Interpersonal synchrony and meditation have been widely studied as distinct phenomena; however, this thesis is the first to examine the potential amplifying effects of their combination. This thesis hypothesized that OM-GCM would lead to higher conversation quality, increased self-other merging, and reduced self-referential thinking compared to a non-meditative synchronous control: humming. To test this, twenty-eight college students, paired into dyads of strangers, engaged in either the OM-GCM or humming condition, followed …

Understanding How Hearing Works, Cecilia Zoutewelle

A. The Science of Sound

A 7-page introductory overview of the anatomical and neurological processes of hearing, with illustrations and bullet-point summaries. 

The Cognition Of Emotion: How Cognitive Control And Working Memory Underly Emotion Regulation Strategy Differences, Nathan Chabin

Pitzer Senior Theses

Working memory is crucial for comprehensively grasping the dynamics of emotion regulation (ER) and cognitive control, as it serves as a foundational cognitive resource that influences how individuals manage their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This research aimed to examine the role working memory capacity (WMC) has on Frontal Midline Theta (FMT), an EEG marker for cognitive control, during two common ER strategies: emotional suppression and cognitive reappraisal. Participants performed both an Operation Span working memory task and an ER task, where they viewed a series of negative and neutral images across three conditions. First, participants were instructed to passively view, …

Investigating The Human Face Processing Network: Insights From Acquired Prosopagnosia And Hyperfamiliarity For Faces, Marie-Luise Kieseler

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Human faces provide essential social cues that we interpret rapidly, allowing us to recognize identities, interpret emotions, and gauge familiarity. This thesis explores face processing disruptions in four case studies, each offering new insights into the brain’s face recognition mechanisms.

Chapter one presents Annie, a 28-year-old woman who acquired prosopagnosia (face blindness) following COVID-19. After recovering from the severe symptoms of the infection, Annie experienced significant difficulty in recognizing familiar faces and navigating familiar environments. Testing confirmed her impairment in face recognition but showed her preserved cognitive and basic visual processing abilities. Annie was still able to recognize objects and …

Investigation Of Rna-Binding Protein Expression Changes In The Hippocampus Following Doxorubicin And Cyclophosphamide Treatment, Lijie Chen

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI) following doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide treatment in a rat model, revealing three significant alterations in hippocampal tissue: selective downregulation of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNPA1) (21% decrease, p=0.0298), compromised astrocytic network integrity evidenced by reduced GFAP-positive area in cornu ammonis 3 (CA3) (24%, pB=0.026) and dentate gyrus (DG) (19%, pB=0.027) regions, and elevated cellular senescence marker p19Arf specifically in DG (69%, pB=0.033) and CA3 (27%, pB=0.024). The inverse relationship between hnRNPA1 reduction and p19Arf elevation suggests a potential mechanistic link between RNA dysregulation and senescence induction, with pronounced vulnerability in …

Emotion Processing In Adolescents With Epilepsy And Healthy Controls Using Multi-Modal Neuroimaging, Frances Kathryn E. King

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Epilepsy is increasingly recognized as a disorder not only of seizures but also of widespread network dysfunction, impacting cognitive and emotional processing. One critical cognitive process affected in epilepsy is emotional conflict processing, which relies on the interplay of multiple brain networks. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of emotional conflict processing in epilepsy, particularly in adolescents, have remained poorly understood. This dissertation investigated the neural mechanisms underlying emotional conflict processing in typically developing adolescents and adolescents with epilepsy using magnetoencephalography (MEG). The first study elucidated the spatiotemporal profile of emotional conflict processing in 24 typically developing adolescents using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Cluster-based …

Précis Of The Edge Of Sentience: Risk And Precaution In Humans, Other Animals, And Ai, Jonathan Birch

Animal Sentience

We often face grave practical decisions that seem to hinge on whether a system is sentient. This family of cases includes invertebrate animals, people who are unresponsive after brain injury, fetuses, neural organoids, and now AI technologies. We must decide what to do despite ongoing disagreement about the nature of sentience. In our state of uncertainty, we should pragmatically transform the question from “Is it sentient?” to “Is it a sentience candidate, an investigation priority, or neither?”. When a system is a sentience candidate, it is negligent to fail to consider precautions. We should instead evaluate precautions for their proportionality …

Cardiac Timing Effects On Response Speed Are Modulated By Blood Pressure But Not Heart Rate Variability In Healthy Young Adults, Xiao Yang, Catalina Roldan, Michael Gazzanigo, Yasmine Nabulsi, Fang Fang

Research and Infrastructure Service Enterprise (RISE) Faculty Publications

Cardiac timing effects reflect the dynamic interplay between interoceptive and exteroceptive processes. Human information processing tends to be facilitated during cardiac diastole and inhibited during systole, reflecting autonomic regulation and the neuromodulation by baroreceptor afferents. Thus, blood pressure (BP) and vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) are potential modulators of those effects. Additionally, cognitive control appears to play a critical role in the processes. However, whether cardiac timing effects are influenced by those factors remains unclear. The present study aimed to clarify these relationships. Fifty-one healthy young adults completed three experimental sessions to assess BP, short-term HRV, and cardiac timing effects. …

Eeg Spectral Analysis Of Nighttime Sleep And Daytime Mslts And Neurocognitive Evaluations In Subjects With Co-Morbid Insomnia And Osa, Yuan Shi, Yuru Nie, Fengyi Hao, Xujun Feng, Ye Zhang, Larry D. Sanford, Rong Ren, Xiangdong Tang

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Chronic insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea commonly co-occur. Few studies have explored the neurophysiological and neurocognitive characteristics of COMISA, which could help guide improving treatment diagnostic tools and determining novel therapeutic targets. This study aims to explore the neurophysiological and neurocognitive characteristics of COMISA using electroencephalographic (EEG) spectral analysis and subjective and objective neurocognitive measurements.

Methods

Participants were from our community recruited OSA-insomnia-COMISA cohort with 206 included for our current analysis including 74 chronic insomniacs (CIs), 55 OSA patients and 77 COMISA patients. Standard polysomnography (PSG) and multiple sleep latency tests (MSLTs) were recorded and used to obtain relative …