Topic Review
Emotion Recognition in Virtual Reality
Emotions play a critical role in our daily lives, so the understanding and recognition of emotional responses is crucial for human research. Affective computing research has mostly used non-immersive two-dimensional (2D) images or videos to elicit emotional states. However, immersive virtual reality, which allows researchers to simulate environments in controlled laboratory conditions with high levels of sense of presence and interactivity, is becoming more popular in emotion research. Moreover, its synergy with implicit measurements and machine-learning techniques has the potential to impact transversely in many research areas, opening new opportunities for the scientific community. This paper presents a systematic review of the emotion recognition research undertaken with physiological and behavioural measures using head-mounted displays as elicitation devices. The results highlight the evolution of the field, give a clear perspective using aggregated analysis, reveal the current open issues and provide guidelines for future research.
  • 1.7K
  • 29 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Drug Cue Reactivity
Drug cue reactivity is a type of learned response which is observed in individuals with drug addiction and involves significant physiological and subjective reactions to presentations of drug-related stimuli.
  • 1.5K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Dementia
Dementia is a syndrome that is characterised by the decline of different cognitive abilities. A high rate of deaths and high cost for detection, treatments, and patients care count amongst its consequences. Although there is no cure for dementia, a timely diagnosis helps in obtaining necessary support, appropriate medication, and maintenance, as far as possible, of engagement in intellectual, social, and physical activities. The early detection of Alzheimer Disease (AD) is considered to be of high importance for improving the quality of life of patients and their families. In particular, Virtual Reality (VR) is an expanding tool that can be used in order to assess cognitive abilities while navigating through a Virtual Environment (VE).
  • 731
  • 05 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Episodic Memory Performance
The aim of this entry was to investigate whether oxygen is a rate limiting factor for any of the main cognitive domains in healthy young individuals. Subjects were randomly assigned to either increased oxygen supply using hyperbaric oxygen (two atmospheres of 100% oxygen) or to a “sham” treatment (simulation of increased pressure in the chamber breathing normal air). While in the chamber, participants went through a battery of tests evaluating the major cognitive domains including information processing speed, episodic memory, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and attention. The results demonstrated that from all evaluated cognitive domains, a statistically significant improvement was found in the episodic memory of the hyper-oxygenized group. The hyper-oxygenized group demonstrated a better learning curve and a higher resilience to interference. The results of this study indicate that memory function is a continuum that does not reach its maximal ceiling effect at the normal sea level environment even in healthy young individuals. Understanding the biological limitation of our cognitive functions is important for future development of interventional tools that can be used in the daily clinical practice.
  • 571
  • 30 Sep 2021
Topic Review
The Nature of Unconscious Attention to Subliminal Cues
Subliminal cues can affect attentional selection. A majority of studies have argued that attentional capture by subliminal cues is entirely automatic and stimulus-driven.
  • 417
  • 16 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Novel Coumarin-Based Inverse Agonists of GPR55
The G-protein coupled receptor 55 (GPR55) was first described in 1999 and is broadly expressed in different areas of the CNS, such as the frontal cortex or the hippocampus. The discovery of the bioactive lipid lysophosphtatidylinositol (LPI) as endogenous GPR55 agonist led to the receptor’s deorphanization . However, besides LPI, several commercially available as well as endogenous ligands show agonistic or antagonistic activity at the GPR55. Endocannabinoids, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) for instance, show strong affinities and activation of GPR55, heating up the discussion about GPR55 as potential third cannabinoid-receptor (CB). Commercially available GPR55 agonists, such as O-1602, and GPR55-antagonists like ML-193 are commonly used in GPR55 research, to evaluate GPR55-specific molecular pathways and effects. Besides these widely used GPR55 ligands, coumarin-derivates show antagonistic coupled to inverse agonistic activities on GPR55-dependent neuroinflammatory processes as reported recently.
  • 396
  • 28 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Antidepressant-like Effect of Flavonoids
Depressive disorders are among the most disabling diseases experienced around the world. The search for new pharmacological alternatives to treat depression is a global priority. In preclinical research, molecules obtained from plants, such as flavonoids, have shown promising antidepressant-like properties through several mechanisms of action that have not been fully elucidated, including crossing of the blood brain barrier (BBB). 
  • 363
  • 23 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Gene–Environment Correlation for Schizophrenia and Major Depression
Both genetic and environmental risk factors are involved in the aetiology of schizophrenia (SCZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD). Importantly, environmental and genetic risk factors are often related as evidenced in gene–environment correlation (rGE), which describes the observation that genetic and environmental factors are associated with each other.
  • 319
  • 01 Jul 2022
Topic Review
The Link between 4-Hydroxynonenal and Schizophrenia
The significant complexity of the brain can lead to the development of serious neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. A number of mechanisms are involved in the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia, pointing to its complexity and opening a new perspective on studying this disorder. HNE (4-hydroxynonenal) is an essential molecule that significantly impacts cell function and survival. For this reason, it is assumed that HNE might play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and other disorders.
  • 278
  • 08 May 2023