Major Depression and the Perception of Affective Instrumental and Expressive Gestures: An fMRI Investigation.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with biased perception of human movement. Gesture is important for communication and in this study we investigated neural correlates of gesture perception in MDD. We hypothesised different neural activity between individuals with MDD and typical individuals when viewing instrumental and expressive gestures that were negatively or positively valenced.

Correlations between arm motor behavior and brain function following bilateral arm training after stroke: a systematic review.

Background: Bilateral training (BT) of the upper limb (UL) might enhance recovery of arm function after stroke. To better understand the therapeutic potential of BT, this study aimed to determine the correlation between arm motor behavior and brain structure/function as a result of bilateral arm training poststroke.

Methods: A systematic review of quantitative studies of BT evaluating both UL motor behavior and neuroplasticity was conducted.

Transformational leadership behaviors in allied health professions.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore self-reported transformational leadership behavior profiles within the six largest allied health profession groups in the National Health Service in Scotland and to determine whether factors such as seniority of grade, locus of employment, and/or leadership training have a positive influence on transformational leadership behaviors.

Methods: A postal survey comprising the shorter version of the Multifactorial Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and contextual demographic information was completed by 753 allied health professionals from four Health Board areas across Scotland who were randomly selected through a modified cluster sampling technique. The MLQ contains 36 items that measure nine identified leadership factors; however, only the responses to the five transformational leadership factors are reported here.

Dissociable neural pathways for the perception and recognition of expressive and instrumental gestures.

Previous functional imaging studies have sought to characterize the neural correlates of gesture representation. However, little is yet known about the representation of different categories of gesture. Here we contrasted the perception of hand gestures that express inner feeling states, e.

Functional imaging of 'theory of mind'.

Our ability to explain and predict other people's behaviour by attributing to them independent mental states, such as beliefs and desires, is known as having a 'theory of mind'. Interest in this very human ability has engendered a growing body of evidence concerning its evolution and development and the biological basis of the mechanisms underpinning it. Functional imaging has played a key role in seeking to isolate brain regions specific to this ability.

Imaging the intentional stance in a competitive game.

The "intentional stance" is the disposition to treat an entity as a rational agent, possessing particular beliefs, desires, and intentions, in order to interpret and predict it's behavior. The intentional stance is a component of a broader social cognitive function, mentalizing. Here we report a study that investigates the neural substrates of "on-line" mentalizing, using PET, by asking volunteers to second-guess an opponent.