News insights into social cognition in Williams syndrome from a comprehensive assessment and a virtual reality task.

Although the uneven neuropsychological profile of William Syndrome (WS) is well established, less is known about social perception and how profile characteristics may affect the ability to predict other's intentions, a main hallmark of social cognition. This study aimed at examining the neuropsychological profile, including social perception, of adolescents and adults with WS, and at verifying which neuropsychological outcome might account for their social prediction ability. Twenty-six individuals with WS were administered a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, and a virtual reality scenario designed to assess social prediction in a dynamic, everyday life-like context.

Pairing transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation with an intensive bimanual training in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: study protocol of a randomized sham-controlled trial.

Background: Gross motor function impairments and manual dexterity deficits are frequently observed in children and adolescents with Cerebral Palsy (CP), having a major impact on their activity level and autonomy. Improving manual dexterity and activity level of patients with CP is often the focus of rehabilitation. Novel and adjuvant treatment methods that could support the standard training also in chronic conditions are a research priority.

To touch or to be touched? comparing appraisal of vicarious execution and reception of interpersonal touch.

Unmyelinated C-Tactile (CT) fibres are activated by caress-like touch, eliciting a pleasant feeling that decreases for static and faster stroking. Previous studies documented this effect also for vicarious touch, hypothesising simulation mechanisms driving the perception and appreciation of observed interpersonal touch. Notably, less is known about appreciation of vicarious execution of touch, that is as referred to the one giving gentle touch.

Excitatory cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation boosts the leverage of prior knowledge for predicting actions.

The cerebellum causally supports social processing by generating internal models of social events based on statistical learning of behavioral regularities. However, whether the cerebellum is only involved in forming or also in using internal models for the prediction of forthcoming actions is still unclear. We used cerebellar transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (ctDCS) to modulate the performance of healthy adults in using previously learned expectations in an action prediction task.

Neurorestorative effects of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation on social prediction of adolescents and young adults with congenital cerebellar malformations.

Background: Converging evidence points to impairments of the predictive function exerted by the cerebellum as one of the causes of the social cognition deficits observed in patients with cerebellar disorders.

Objective: We tested the neurorestorative effects of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) on the use of contextual expectations to interpret actions occurring in ambiguous sensory sceneries in a sample of adolescents and young adults with congenital, non-progressive cerebellar malformation (CM).

Methods: We administered an action prediction task in which, in an implicit-learning phase, the probability of co-occurrence between actions and contextual elements was manipulated to form either strongly or moderately informative expectations.

Cerebellar Neurostimulation for Boosting Social and Affective Functions: Implications for the Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxia Patients.

Beyond motor deficits, spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) patients also suffer cognitive decline and show socio-affective difficulties, negatively impacting on their social functioning. The possibility to modulate cerebello-cerebral networks involved in social cognition through cerebellar neurostimulation has opened up potential therapeutic applications for ameliorating social and affective difficulties. The present review offers an overview of the research on cerebellar neurostimulation for the modulation of socio-affective functions in both healthy individuals and different clinical populations, published in the time period 2000-2022.

Randomized clinical trial on the effects of a computerized cognitive training for pediatric patients with acquired brain injury or congenital malformation.

Both acquired injuries and congenital malformations often cause lifelong disabilities in children, with a significant impact on cognitive abilities. Remote computerized cognitive training (CCT) may be delivered in ecological settings to favour rehabilitation continuity. This randomized clinical trial (RCT) evaluated the efficacy of an 8-week multi-domain, home-based CCT in a sample of patients aged 11-16 years with non-progressive acquired brain injury (ABI), brain tumor (BT) and congenital brain malformation (CBM).

New Insights into the Neuropsychological Profile and Intellectual Quotient Variability in Joubert Syndrome Compared to Other Congenital Cerebellar Malformations.

The neuropsychological characteristics of the cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS) in congenital, non-progressive malformations of the cerebellum have been scarcely investigated, and even less is known for Joubert syndrome (JS), an inherited, non-progressive cerebellar ataxia characterized by the so-called molar tooth sign. The few studies on this topic reported inconsistent results about intellectual functioning and specific neuropsychological impairments. The aim of this research is to examine the neuropsychological profile of JS compared to other congenital cerebellar malformations (CM), considering individual variability of intellectual quotient (IQ) in the two groups.

Etiology and duration of the disease in the assessment of intellectual functioning of pediatric patients with epilepsy: An observational study.

Childhood epilepsy can be frequently associated with impaired cognitive functioning. Previous research has suggested an increased risk of cognitive impairment that may be related to the etiology, the electro-clinical pattern and the load of anti-seizure medications (ASMs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different clinical features on the global intellectual functioning in a cohort of children and adolescents with epilepsy.

The Influence of Socioeconomic Status (SES) and Processing Speed on the Psychological Adjustment and Wellbeing of Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors.

(1) Background: The relationship between processing speed (PS) and psychological adjustment in the healthy population is well established, as is that between low socio-economic status (SES) and psychological distress. While PS is one of the most impaired functions in pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTSs), previous research has demonstrated that low SES may be a predictor of increased psychosocial risk in PBTSs. Given the psychological adjustment difficulties observed in PBTS, in the current study we aimed to explore the relationship between SES and psychological functioning, considering the contribution of PS as a mediator.

Remote cognitive training for children with congenital brain malformation or genetic syndrome: a scoping review.

Increased attention is arising on the delivery of remote cognitive interventions, which allow performing exercises in everyday settings, favouring rehabilitation continuity. The present study offers an overview of remote cognitive training programs for children with congenital brain malformation or genetic syndrome affecting the central nervous system, included in papers published in the time period 2011-2021. A total of 13 records was found and discussed including efficacy studies, feasibility studies and study protocols.

Processing Speed and Time since Diagnosis Predict Adaptive Functioning Measured with WeeFIM in Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors.

(1) Background: Brain tumor (BT) survivors show difficulties in the acquisition of developmental milestones, related to academic achievement, vocational employment, social relationships, and autonomy. The skills underlying adaptive functioning (AF) are usually damaged in BT survivors due to the presence of the brain tumor, treatment-related factors, and other neurological sequelae. In this study, we aimed to explore the contribution of different cognitive factors in children with BT to AF, considering diagnosis-related variables.

Differential Influence of the Dorsal Premotor and Primary Somatosensory Cortex on Corticospinal Excitability during Kinesthetic and Visual Motor Imagery: A Low-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study.

Consistent evidence suggests that motor imagery involves the activation of several sensorimotor areas also involved during action execution, including the dorsal premotor cortex (dPMC) and the primary somatosensory cortex (S1). However, it is still unclear whether their involvement is specific for either kinesthetic or visual imagery or whether they contribute to motor activation for both modalities. Although sensorial experience during motor imagery is often multimodal, identifying the modality exerting greater facilitation of the motor system may allow optimizing the functional outcomes of rehabilitation interventions.

Virtual-Reality Performance-Based Assessment of Cognitive Functions in Adult Patients With Acquired Brain Injury: A Scoping Review.

Individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) commonly present with impairments in cognitive abilities. As these competencies seem to be predictive of patients' abilities to reintegrate into the everyday settings, it is crucial to assess them properly. However, previous research has indicated that patients may perform relatively well on standard tests of cognitive functioning, but may nonetheless encounter significant difficulties in organizing and executing everyday tasks.

How social is the cerebellum? Exploring the effects of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation on the prediction of social and physical events.

Congenital or acquired cerebellum alterations are associated with a complex pattern of motor, cognitive and social disorders. These disturbances may reflect the involvement of the cerebellum in generating and updating the internal models that sub-serve-the prediction of sensory events. Here, we tested whether the cerebellar involvement in using contextual expectations to interpret ambiguous sensory sceneries is specific for social actions or also extends to physical events.

Effectiveness of Computerized Cognitive Training Programs (CCTP) with Game-like Features in Children with or without Neuropsychological Disorders: a Meta-Analytic Investigation.

Computerized cognitive training programs (CCTP) are based on the assumption that cognitive abilities may be boosted by repetitively performing challenging tasks. The integration of game-like features in these programs, associated with the goal of amusing or rewarding participants, may contribute to generate cognitive benefits. Indeed, reinforcement contingencies have been reported to produce positive effects on performance and motivation, especially in children.

Influence of Attention Control on Implicit and Explicit Emotion Processing of Face and Body: Evidence From Flanker and Same-or-Different Paradigms.

Many existing findings indicate that processing of emotional information is pre-attentive, largely immune from attentional control. Nevertheless, inconsistent evidence on the interference of emotional cues on cognitive processing suggests that this influence may be a highly conditional phenomenon. The aim of the present study was twofold: (1) to examine the modulation of attention control on emotion processing using facial expressions (2) explore the very same effect for emotional body expressions.

Remote Technology-Based Training Programs for Children with Acquired Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analytic Exploration.

Introduction: Multidisciplinary rehabilitation interventions are considered to be a need for children with acquired brain injury (ABI), in order to remediate the important sequelae and promote adjustment. Technology-based treatments represent a promising field inside the rehabilitation area, as they allow delivering interventions in ecological settings and creating amusing exercises that may favor engagement. In this work, we present an overview of remote technology-based training programs (TP) addressing cognitive and behavioral issues delivered to children with ABI and complement it with the results of a meta-analytic exploration.

The role of the cerebellum in explicit and incidental processing of facial emotional expressions: A study with transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Growing evidence suggests that the cerebellum plays a critical role in non-motor functions, contributing to cognitive and affective processing. In particular, the cerebellum might represent an important node of the "limbic" network, underlying not only emotion regulation but also emotion perception and recognition. Here, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to shed further light on the role of the cerebellum in emotional perception by specifically testing cerebellar contribution to explicit and incidental emotional processing.

Combination of a short cognitive training and tDCS to enhance visuospatial skills: A comparison between online and offline neuromodulation.

Visuospatial skills can be enhanced thanks to specific intervention programs, but the additional benefits of neuromodulation on these skills have not been fully investigated yet, although transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has demonstrated to boost the effects of cognitive trainings. When combining cognitive intervention with neuromodulation, the time-window of tDCS application in relation to task execution has to be taken into account since it has been shown to affect stimulation outcomes. The aim of the present experiment was to investigate the influence of tDCS in enhancing the effects of a training for visuospatial skills.

Targeting the Human Cerebellum with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Modulate Behavior: a Meta-Analysis.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is increasingly used to study motor- and non-motor-related functions of the cerebellum. The aim of the present study was to quantitatively review available studies to estimate the efficacy of cerebellar tDCS in altering motor- and cognitive-related behavioral performance in healthy volunteers. The present meta-analysis included 32 sham-controlled studies.

The role of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in inhibition mechanism: A study on cognitive reflection test and similar tasks through neuromodulation.

The main characteristic of the cognitive reflection test (CRT) is that it requires people to overcome a cognitive conflict. Solving this conflict requires (1) inhibitory control of prepotent but incorrect responses and (2) mental set-shifting in order to reframe the problem and reach a meaningful solution. Based on the well-known involvement of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in inhibitory control we hypothesised that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the DLPFC would modulate its contribution to problem-solving performance.