Data-driven analysis of facial thermal responses and multimodal physiological consistency among subjects.

Facial infra-red imaging (IRI) is a contact-free technique complimenting the traditional psychophysiological measures to characterize physiological profile. However, its full potential in affective research is arguably unmet due to the analytical challenges it poses. Here we acquired facial IRI data, facial expressions and traditional physiological recordings (heart rate and skin conductance) from healthy human subjects whilst they viewed a 20-min-long unedited emotional movie.

Detecting changes in facial temperature induced by a sudden auditory stimulus based on deep learning-assisted face tracking.

Thermal Imaging (Infrared-Imaging-IRI) is a promising new technique for psychophysiological research and application. Unlike traditional physiological measures (like skin conductance and heart rate), it is uniquely contact-free, substantially enhancing its ecological validity. Investigating facial regions and subsequent reliable signal extraction from IRI data is challenging due to head motion artefacts.

Distinct Cerebellar Contributions to Cognitive-Perceptual Dynamics During Natural Viewing.

The crucial role of the cerebellum in motor learning and coordination is very well known. Considerable interest has recently shifted toward its contribution to nonmotor tasks, such as working memory, emotion, and language. However, the cognitive role and functional subdivisions of the cerebellum, particularly in dynamic, ecologically realistic contexts, are not yet established.

Inter-subject Functional Correlation Reveal a Hierarchical Organization of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Systems in the Brain.

The brain is constantly monitoring and integrating both cues from the external world and signals generated intrinsically. These extrinsically and intrinsically-driven neural processes are thought to engage anatomically distinct regions, which are thought to constitute the extrinsic and intrinsic systems of the brain. While the specialization of extrinsic and intrinsic system is evident in primary and secondary sensory cortices, a systematic mapping of the whole brain remains elusive.

Test-retest reliability of functional connectivity networks during naturalistic fMRI paradigms.

Functional connectivity analysis has become a powerful tool for probing the human brain function and its breakdown in neuropsychiatry disorders. So far, most studies adopted resting-state paradigm to examine functional connectivity networks in the brain, thanks to its low demand and high tolerance that are essential for clinical studies. However, the test-retest reliability of resting-state connectivity measures is moderate, potentially due to its low behavioral constraint.

The integration of the internal and external milieu in the insula during dynamic emotional experiences.

Whilst external events trigger emotional responses, interoception (the perception of internal physiological states) is fundamental to core emotional experience. By combining high resolution functional neuroimaging with concurrent physiological recordings, we investigated the neural mechanisms of interoceptive integration during free listening to an emotionally salient audio film. We found that cardiac activity, a key interoceptive signal, was robustly synchronised across participants and centrally represented in the posterior insula.