Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2026.113320
Matt R. Judah , Hannah C. Hamrick , Morgan S. Middlebrooks , Ben Swanson , Arooj Abid , Wesley J.B. Vaught
Automatic attention to threat, known as attentional bias, is theorized to give rise to worry (Hirsch and Mathews, 2012). However, results have been equivocal regarding the link between worry and attentional bias as indicated by the late positive potential (LPP), a neural marker of attention. Additionally, theories suggest that emotion dysregulation and contrast avoidance may explain why attention to threat is related to worry. However, no studies have examined this or even determined whether there is an association between contrast avoidance and the LPP evoked by threat. To address these inconsistencies and gaps in the current research, the present study examined the associations between the early portion (400-700 ms) of the threat-evoked LPP, emotion dysregulation, contrast avoidance, and worry in a sample of 106 undergraduate students, 54.7% of whom endorsed clinically significant worry. Results indicated that the LPP was positively associated with both emotion dysregulation and contrast avoidance. Higher emotion dysregulation and higher contrast avoidance scores were associated with greater self-reported worry. There was an indirect effect of the LPP on worry through both emotion dysregulation and contrast avoidance. These results support a link between early attentional bias to threat and worry and suggest that clinicians should consider multiple mechanisms of pathological worry.
{"title":"Indirect effects of threat processing on worry: The roles of emotion dysregulation and contrast avoidance","authors":"Matt R. Judah , Hannah C. Hamrick , Morgan S. Middlebrooks , Ben Swanson , Arooj Abid , Wesley J.B. Vaught","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2026.113320","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2026.113320","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Automatic attention to threat, known as attentional bias, is theorized to give rise to worry (Hirsch and Mathews, 2012). However, results have been equivocal regarding the link between worry and attentional bias as indicated by the late positive potential (LPP), a neural marker of attention. Additionally, theories suggest that emotion dysregulation and contrast avoidance may explain why attention to threat is related to worry. However, no studies have examined this or even determined whether there is an association between contrast avoidance and the LPP evoked by threat. To address these inconsistencies and gaps in the current research, the present study examined the associations between the early portion (400-700 ms) of the threat-evoked LPP, emotion dysregulation, contrast avoidance, and worry in a sample of 106 undergraduate students, 54.7% of whom endorsed clinically significant worry. Results indicated that the LPP was positively associated with both emotion dysregulation and contrast avoidance. Higher emotion dysregulation and higher contrast avoidance scores were associated with greater self-reported worry. There was an indirect effect of the LPP on worry through both emotion dysregulation and contrast avoidance. These results support a link between early attentional bias to threat and worry and suggest that clinicians should consider multiple mechanisms of pathological worry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54945,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Psychophysiology","volume":"221 ","pages":"Article 113320"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145953965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2026.113321
Harold A Rocha, Amanda Holbrook, Greg Hajcak, Andreas Keil, Philippe Rast, Julian F Thayer, Edelyn Verona, Walter P Vispoel, Peter E Clayson
Psychophysiological research relies on biological measures to understand cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes, but the utility of these measures for studying individual differences depends on their psychometric reliability. Traditional reliability methods, such as classical test theory, often fail to account for the multiple sources of variance inherent in psychophysiological data. Generalizability theory (GT) provides a robust, multifaceted approach to reliability estimation by decomposing variance across multiple facets, such as trials, tasks, and sessions. This article introduces GT to psychophysiological researchers, detailing its advantages over classical approaches and demonstrating its application to a variety of psychophysiological modalities: event-related potentials (ERPs), electroencephalography (EEG), electrodermal activity (EDA), electromyography (EMG), and electrocardiography (ECG). We outline the two-phase process of GT: generalizability (G) studies, which quantify variance components, and decision (D) studies, which optimize reliability within study designs intended for specific purposes. Psychometric formulas are provided for estimating indices of generalizability, dependability, and measurement error for numerous designs, including ones based on difference scores. Additionally, we discuss best practices for variance component estimation, highlighting the advantages of multilevel modeling in handling unbalanced data and non-normal distributions, typical of psychophysiological data. By applying GT, researchers can enhance the replicability and interpretability of psychophysiological measures, ultimately strengthening their ability to link biological signals to psychological constructs. This framework represents a necessary evolution in psychophysiological science, ensuring that biological measurements are grounded in fundamental psychometric principles.
{"title":"Beyond classical metrics: Generalizability theory across psychophysiological modalities.","authors":"Harold A Rocha, Amanda Holbrook, Greg Hajcak, Andreas Keil, Philippe Rast, Julian F Thayer, Edelyn Verona, Walter P Vispoel, Peter E Clayson","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2026.113321","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2026.113321","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Psychophysiological research relies on biological measures to understand cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes, but the utility of these measures for studying individual differences depends on their psychometric reliability. Traditional reliability methods, such as classical test theory, often fail to account for the multiple sources of variance inherent in psychophysiological data. Generalizability theory (GT) provides a robust, multifaceted approach to reliability estimation by decomposing variance across multiple facets, such as trials, tasks, and sessions. This article introduces GT to psychophysiological researchers, detailing its advantages over classical approaches and demonstrating its application to a variety of psychophysiological modalities: event-related potentials (ERPs), electroencephalography (EEG), electrodermal activity (EDA), electromyography (EMG), and electrocardiography (ECG). We outline the two-phase process of GT: generalizability (G) studies, which quantify variance components, and decision (D) studies, which optimize reliability within study designs intended for specific purposes. Psychometric formulas are provided for estimating indices of generalizability, dependability, and measurement error for numerous designs, including ones based on difference scores. Additionally, we discuss best practices for variance component estimation, highlighting the advantages of multilevel modeling in handling unbalanced data and non-normal distributions, typical of psychophysiological data. By applying GT, researchers can enhance the replicability and interpretability of psychophysiological measures, ultimately strengthening their ability to link biological signals to psychological constructs. This framework represents a necessary evolution in psychophysiological science, ensuring that biological measurements are grounded in fundamental psychometric principles.</p>","PeriodicalId":54945,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Psychophysiology","volume":" ","pages":"113321"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145953993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2026.113319
Hilary Skov , Sydney Hawkins , Jonas G. Miller , Carolyn A. Greene , Sarah A.O. Gray
The present review synthesizes research examining changes in parasympathetic biomarkers of self-regulation (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA] activity) over the course of intervention or prevention programs in pediatric samples. Based on a preregistered protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42024550670), PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched until July 1, 2025 to identify 13 peer-reviewed, empirical studies reporting indices of RSA activity in samples of infants, children, and adolescents participating in psychotherapy treatment programs. Study quality was evaluated using design-specific tools from the NHLBI and ROBINS-I, and results were synthesized narratively given differences in study design, intervention type, and RSA measurement. Seven studies examined immediate pre-post changes in baseline RSA, and all seven reported increases on average. All four studies that assessed RSA at follow-up showed maintenance of the posttreatment pattern. Seven studies assessed RSA reactivity; six observed pre-post change, though the direction varied. Following treatment for externalizing disorders, youth generally showed increased RSA withdrawal, whereas youth generally showed reduced RSA withdrawal or greater stability following treatment for internalizing disorders. Four studies examined RSA across multiple treatment sessions, and three reported within-treatment shifts. Correspondence between RSA change and psychosocial symptom reduction was found in most studies testing this link, though patterns of association varied across samples. Thus, baseline RSA and RSA reactivity may respond to treatment, although patterns of change vary based on symptom presentation. Limitations of this body of literature include small sample sizes and methodological heterogeneity. Findings are considered in relation to models of self-regulation and build on previous reviews of altered autonomic functioning in pediatric samples with dysregulation.
{"title":"A systematic literature review of respiratory sinus arrhythmia response to psychotherapy in pediatric samples","authors":"Hilary Skov , Sydney Hawkins , Jonas G. Miller , Carolyn A. Greene , Sarah A.O. Gray","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2026.113319","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2026.113319","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present review synthesizes research examining changes in parasympathetic biomarkers of self-regulation (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA] activity) over the course of intervention or prevention programs in pediatric samples. Based on a preregistered protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42024550670), PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched until July 1, 2025 to identify 13 peer-reviewed, empirical studies reporting indices of RSA activity in samples of infants, children, and adolescents participating in psychotherapy treatment programs. Study quality was evaluated using design-specific tools from the NHLBI and ROBINS-I, and results were synthesized narratively given differences in study design, intervention type, and RSA measurement. Seven studies examined immediate pre-post changes in baseline RSA, and all seven reported increases on average. All four studies that assessed RSA at follow-up showed maintenance of the posttreatment pattern. Seven studies assessed RSA reactivity; six observed pre-post change, though the direction varied. Following treatment for externalizing disorders, youth generally showed increased RSA withdrawal, whereas youth generally showed reduced RSA withdrawal or greater stability following treatment for internalizing disorders. Four studies examined RSA across multiple treatment sessions, and three reported within-treatment shifts. Correspondence between RSA change and psychosocial symptom reduction was found in most studies testing this link, though patterns of association varied across samples. Thus, baseline RSA and RSA reactivity may respond to treatment, although patterns of change vary based on symptom presentation. Limitations of this body of literature include small sample sizes and methodological heterogeneity. Findings are considered in relation to models of self-regulation and build on previous reviews of altered autonomic functioning in pediatric samples with dysregulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54945,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Psychophysiology","volume":"221 ","pages":"Article 113319"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145946903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-21DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113318
Michael Batashvili , Barr Haim Israel , Daniel A. Levy , Limor Shtoots
Tactile texture memory has been underexplored compared to visual and auditory memory, despite its importance in daily functioning. Prior research indicates that theta oscillations support memory consolidation across modalities, and frontal midline theta transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has been shown to enhance long-term visual and auditory memory. This study examined whether theta-frequency tACS similarly influences tactile texture memory. 59 participants were randomly assigned to theta tACS (3 Hz), beta tACS (16 Hz), or sham stimulation administered immediately after encoding. During encoding, blindfolded participants explored 25 textures twice under auditory and visual masking. Following 20 min of stimulation and a two-hour delay, participants completed a recognition task with 25 studied textures and 25 foils, providing old/new judgments with confidence ratings. Analyses revealed no significant differences in recognition accuracy across conditions. Similarly, theta stimulation did not increase subsequent confidence in recognition judgments. These findings indicate that, unlike visual and auditory domains, post-encoding theta tACS did not enhance tactile texture memory accuracy. The results highlight potential modality-specific mechanisms in tactile memory consolidation.
{"title":"Effects of theta tACS on tactile texture memory consolidation","authors":"Michael Batashvili , Barr Haim Israel , Daniel A. Levy , Limor Shtoots","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113318","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113318","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tactile texture memory has been underexplored compared to visual and auditory memory, despite its importance in daily functioning. Prior research indicates that theta oscillations support memory consolidation across modalities, and frontal midline theta transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has been shown to enhance long-term visual and auditory memory. This study examined whether theta-frequency tACS similarly influences tactile texture memory. 59 participants were randomly assigned to theta tACS (3 Hz), beta tACS (16 Hz), or sham stimulation administered immediately after encoding. During encoding, blindfolded participants explored 25 textures twice under auditory and visual masking. Following 20 min of stimulation and a two-hour delay, participants completed a recognition task with 25 studied textures and 25 foils, providing old/new judgments with confidence ratings. Analyses revealed no significant differences in recognition accuracy across conditions. Similarly, theta stimulation did not increase subsequent confidence in recognition judgments. These findings indicate that, unlike visual and auditory domains, post-encoding theta tACS did not enhance tactile texture memory accuracy. The results highlight potential modality-specific mechanisms in tactile memory consolidation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54945,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Psychophysiology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 113318"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145821948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-18DOI: 10.1016/S0167-8760(25)00808-6
{"title":"International Organization of Psychophysiology","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S0167-8760(25)00808-6","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S0167-8760(25)00808-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54945,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Psychophysiology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 113312"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113309
Annie T. Ginty , Gavin P. Trotman , Anna G. Hogue , Katherine M. Knauft , Jet J.C.S. Veldhuijzen van Zanten , Sarah E. Williams
Psychological stress is associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Previous research has suggested that acute exercise may reduce cardiovascular reactivity to acute psychological stress. However, studies examining the effects of acute exercise on stressor-evoked cardiovascular and psychological responses to stress are somewhat limited. The aim of the present study was to examine whether a 10-min bout of aerobic exercise at 70 % VO2max attenuated stressor-evoked physiological and psychological responses. Forty participants (20 female, 20 male; age: Mean = 19.95; SD = 1.93 years) completed a randomized, counterbalanced crossover protocol involving two stress sessions: (1) stress only and (2) stress after exercise. Cardiovascular (SBP, DBP, HR) and metabolic (VO2) responses were assessed at rest and during a validated acute psychological stress task and psychological responses (cognitive and somatic anxiety intensity and interpretation; stress intensity) were assessed immediately after the stress task. There were significant session × time effects for blood pressure and heart rate. Stressor-evoked blood pressure and heart rate were significantly lower in the stress after exercise session compared to the stress only session. No session effects were observed for VO2. Participants reported experiencing significantly lower somatic anxiety and higher stress intensity in the stress after exercise session compared to the stress only session. Brief aerobic exercise may be beneficial in reducing stressor-evoked cardiovascular and somatic anxiety responses.
{"title":"The effects of acute aerobic exercise on stressor-evoked physiological and psychological responses","authors":"Annie T. Ginty , Gavin P. Trotman , Anna G. Hogue , Katherine M. Knauft , Jet J.C.S. Veldhuijzen van Zanten , Sarah E. Williams","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113309","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113309","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Psychological stress is associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Previous research has suggested that acute exercise may reduce cardiovascular reactivity to acute psychological stress. However, studies examining the effects of acute exercise on stressor-evoked cardiovascular and psychological responses to stress are somewhat limited. The aim of the present study was to examine whether a 10-min bout of aerobic exercise at 70 % VO<sub>2max</sub> attenuated stressor-evoked physiological and psychological responses. Forty participants (20 female, 20 male; age: Mean = 19.95; SD = 1.93 years) completed a randomized, counterbalanced crossover protocol involving two stress sessions: (1) stress only and (2) stress after exercise. Cardiovascular (SBP, DBP, HR) and metabolic (VO<sub>2</sub>) responses were assessed at rest and during a validated acute psychological stress task and psychological responses (cognitive and somatic anxiety intensity and interpretation; stress intensity) were assessed immediately after the stress task. There were significant session × time effects for blood pressure and heart rate. Stressor-evoked blood pressure and heart rate were significantly lower in the stress after exercise session compared to the stress only session. No session effects were observed for VO<sub>2</sub>. Participants reported experiencing significantly lower somatic anxiety and higher stress intensity in the stress after exercise session compared to the stress only session. Brief aerobic exercise may be beneficial in reducing stressor-evoked cardiovascular and somatic anxiety responses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54945,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Psychophysiology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 113309"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145764072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-11DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113308
Ailyn Garcia-Hernandez , Pablo de la Coba , Ana M. Contreras-Merino , Carmen M. Galvez-Sánchez , Casandra I. Montoro , Gustavo A. Reyes del Paso
This study aimed to investigate the validity of the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) via analysis of its predictive (associations with physiological variables and algometry measures) and discriminative (differentiating between patients with different chronic pain conditions) validity. In 43 women with FM and 36 healthy women, hair cortisol concentrations (HCC), cardiovascular variables when sitting, standing and lying down, pressure algometry and clinical variables were measured. For discriminative validity, another additional 39 women with FM and 33 women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) also participated. In patients with FM, CSI scores correlated positively with HCC, total peripheral resistance and blood pressure (vascular factors), and inversely with inter-beat interval, stroke volume and cardiac output (cardiac factors), heart rate variability and baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (vagal cardiac variables), and pain threshold. Furthermore, CSI scores to predict the use of anxiolytics and opioid medication. Binary logistic regression analyses showed that CSI scores significantly discriminated among the three study groups, with progressively higher scores in FM, RA and healthy participants. This study provides support for the predictive and discriminative validity of CSI in patients with FM. Predictive validity in terms of physiological factors, such as cortisol and cardiovascular variables, could add utility to the CSI as a screener and treatment outcome measure. Furthermore, the CSI has good sensitivity and specificity in the discrimination of patients suffering from different conditions of chronic pain.
{"title":"Central sensitization symptoms are related to cortisol and cardiovascular activity in fibromyalgia: Further validation of the Central Sensitization Inventory","authors":"Ailyn Garcia-Hernandez , Pablo de la Coba , Ana M. Contreras-Merino , Carmen M. Galvez-Sánchez , Casandra I. Montoro , Gustavo A. Reyes del Paso","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113308","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113308","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to investigate the validity of the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) via analysis of its predictive (associations with physiological variables and algometry measures) and discriminative (differentiating between patients with different chronic pain conditions) validity. In 43 women with FM and 36 healthy women, hair cortisol concentrations (HCC), cardiovascular variables when sitting, standing and lying down, pressure algometry and clinical variables were measured. For discriminative validity, another additional 39 women with FM and 33 women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) also participated. In patients with FM, CSI scores correlated positively with HCC, total peripheral resistance and blood pressure (vascular factors), and inversely with inter-beat interval, stroke volume and cardiac output (cardiac factors), heart rate variability and baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (vagal cardiac variables), and pain threshold. Furthermore, CSI scores to predict the use of anxiolytics and opioid medication. Binary logistic regression analyses showed that CSI scores significantly discriminated among the three study groups, with progressively higher scores in FM, RA and healthy participants. This study provides support for the predictive and discriminative validity of CSI in patients with FM. Predictive validity in terms of physiological factors, such as cortisol and cardiovascular variables, could add utility to the CSI as a screener and treatment outcome measure. Furthermore, the CSI has good sensitivity and specificity in the discrimination of patients suffering from different conditions of chronic pain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54945,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Psychophysiology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 113308"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145752447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-05DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113305
Valentina Giuffrida , Isabel Beatrice Marc , Stefano Ferraina , Emiliano Brunamonti , Pierpaolo Pani
Cognitive control, specifically inhibition, is essential for behavior adaptation to environmental changes. While reward expectation influences cognitive strategies, it is still underexplored how reward may influence inhibitory control and how and whether this may be reflected in autonomic physiological responses. In this study, we explore whether trial-by-trial reward cues modulate both behavioral performance and pupil size, an autonomic correlate of cognitive effort. Twenty-five participants performed a rewarded Stop-Signal Task under three reward conditions: Go Plus (greater reward for correctly performed movements Go trials), Stop Plus (greater reward for correctly inhibited movements Stop trials), and Neutral (equal reward for both trial types). Although inhibitory ability remained unchanged across reward conditions, Go trials' accuracy was higher in Go Plus and Neutral conditions. Reaction times were longer in Go trials in the Stop Plus condition, where inhibition was most rewarded. When task strategies required balancing focus to achieve high rewards in both trial types, pupil size increased, suggesting increased cognitive effort. These findings support the hypothesis that reward expectancy shapes cognitive control and its autonomic correlates.
{"title":"Behavioral strategies and pupillary response in a rewarded stop-signal task","authors":"Valentina Giuffrida , Isabel Beatrice Marc , Stefano Ferraina , Emiliano Brunamonti , Pierpaolo Pani","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113305","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113305","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cognitive control, specifically inhibition, is essential for behavior adaptation to environmental changes. While reward expectation influences cognitive strategies, it is still underexplored how reward may influence inhibitory control and how and whether this may be reflected in autonomic physiological responses. In this study, we explore whether trial-by-trial reward cues modulate both behavioral performance and pupil size, an autonomic correlate of cognitive effort. Twenty-five participants performed a rewarded Stop-Signal Task under three reward conditions: Go Plus (greater reward for correctly performed movements Go trials), Stop Plus (greater reward for correctly inhibited movements Stop trials), and Neutral (equal reward for both trial types). Although inhibitory ability remained unchanged across reward conditions, Go trials' accuracy was higher in Go Plus and Neutral conditions. Reaction times were longer in Go trials in the Stop Plus condition, where inhibition was most rewarded. When task strategies required balancing focus to achieve high rewards in both trial types, pupil size increased, suggesting increased cognitive effort. These findings support the hypothesis that reward expectancy shapes cognitive control and its autonomic correlates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54945,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Psychophysiology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 113305"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145696346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rhythmic visual flicker entrains cortical oscillations and can modulate selective attention, yet its practical use is often hampered by discomfort. We compared alpha-band (10 Hz) with a high-frequency control (30 Hz) flickers under three contrast conditions: full-contrast, near-threshold low-contrast, and a textured low-contrast “ricker”. Twenty adults performed a modified Eriksen flanker task while recording occipital steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs). Across all intensities, 10 Hz flickers yielded SSVEPs approximately three times larger than 30 Hz, confirming its efficacy in alpha entrainment. At the behavioral level, alpha stimulation selectively reduced flanker interference – without evidence of a uniform suppression of flanker processing – compared to 30 Hz stimulation. Importantly, stimulus design had a marked impact on user comfort: the ricker flicker elicited reliable alpha-band entrainment while being rated as the most comfortable. These results demonstrate that visual entrainment in the alpha-band can enhance attentional control and that textured low-contrast flicker provides a promising pathway for comfortable and effective neuromodulation.
{"title":"Neuromodulation with transparent textured flicker preserves Alpha-band entrainment and improves visual comfort: A flanker paradigm","authors":"Clément Blanc, Frédéric Dehais, Sébastien Scannella","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113307","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113307","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rhythmic visual flicker entrains cortical oscillations and can modulate selective attention, yet its practical use is often hampered by discomfort. We compared alpha-band (10 Hz) with a high-frequency control (30 Hz) flickers under three contrast conditions: full-contrast, near-threshold low-contrast, and a textured low-contrast “ricker”. Twenty adults performed a modified Eriksen flanker task while recording occipital steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs). Across all intensities, 10 Hz flickers yielded SSVEPs approximately three times larger than 30 Hz, confirming its efficacy in alpha entrainment. At the behavioral level, alpha stimulation selectively reduced flanker interference – without evidence of a uniform suppression of flanker processing – compared to 30 Hz stimulation. Importantly, stimulus design had a marked impact on user comfort: the ricker flicker elicited reliable alpha-band entrainment while being rated as the most comfortable. These results demonstrate that visual entrainment in the alpha-band can enhance attentional control and that textured low-contrast flicker provides a promising pathway for comfortable and effective neuromodulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54945,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Psychophysiology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 113307"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145702817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-05DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113306
Giuseppe A. Chiarenza , Valeria Peluso , Min Li , Ying Wang , Tania Perez-Ramirez , Leslie S. Prichep , Pedro Valdes-Sosa , Rolando J. Biscay , Jorge Bosch-Bayard
Developmental dyslexia is a heterogeneous disorder classically divided into distinct subtypes. Elena Boder's, 1973 model conceptualised reading and spelling as functions of distributed, interactive neural networks that require a dynamic interplay between visual-gestalt and analytic-auditory processes. Disruption of this interplay produces three main dyslexic subtypes—dysphonetic (DD), dyseidetic (DYD), and mixed (MD). These subtypes have also been described in Italian speakers, and recent research suggests they correspond to specific neurophysiological patterns.
In this study, we analysed quantitative EEG (qEEG) from a cohort of 227 children. The dyslexic group comprised DD (n = 169; 110M/59F, age 7–15), DYD (n = 18; 17M/1F, age 7–15), and MD (n = 40; 25M/15F, age 7–18), compared to 100 age-matched typically developing controls (58M/42F, age 6–16). Methodologically, we moved beyond conventional power analysis by employing a stable and sparse regression classifier (SSRC) based on harmonised cross-spectral complex z-scores. This approach is neurophysiologically grounded in the view that reading emerges from the dynamic interplay within distributed cerebral networks. We therefore hypothesised that dyslexia subtypes would be best discriminated by distinct patterns of functional connectivity, which are directly captured by cross-spectral metrics. Consistent with this, while conventional log-spectral measures showed poor subtype discrimination, our cross-spectral analysis revealed distinct connectivity patterns that differentiated the DD, DYD, and MD groups. Classification accuracy was high (areas under the ROC: DD vs DYD = 0.85; DD vs MD = 0.94; DYD vs MD = 0.78), and dyslexic subtypes were clearly separated from controls using fewer variables.
These findings provide the first neurophysiological validation of Boder's subtypes, demonstrating that DD and DYD reflect distinct network dysfunctions. The partial overlap between dysphonetic and mixed groups aligns with clinical evidence that MD represents a more severe dysphonetic form. Overall, our results highlight the potential of qEEG connectivity biomarkers to refine dyslexia diagnosis and support personalised interventions.
发展性阅读障碍是一种异质性障碍，通常分为不同的亚型。Elena Boder（1973）的模型将阅读和拼写概念化为分布式、交互式神经网络的功能，这些功能需要视觉完形和分析听觉过程之间的动态相互作用。这种相互作用的破坏产生了三种主要的阅读障碍亚型-发音障碍（DD）， dysseidetic （DYD）和混合型（MD）。这些亚型在说意大利语的人身上也有描述，最近的研究表明，它们对应于特定的神经生理模式。在这项研究中，我们分析了227名儿童的定量脑电图（qEEG）。阅读困难组包括DD （n = 169;110M/59F，年龄7-15岁），DYD （n = 18;17M/1F，年龄7-15岁）和MD （n = 40;25M/15F，年龄7-18岁），与100名年龄匹配的典型发育对照组（58M/42F，年龄6-16岁）相比。在方法上，我们通过采用基于协调交叉光谱复杂z分数的稳定稀疏回归分类器（SSRC）超越了传统的功率分析。这种方法是基于神经生理学的观点，即阅读来自于分布式大脑网络中的动态相互作用。因此，我们假设阅读障碍亚型最好通过不同的功能连接模式来区分，这可以通过交叉谱指标直接捕获。与此一致的是，虽然传统的对数光谱测量显示出较差的亚型区分，但我们的交叉光谱分析揭示了区分DD， DYD和MD组的明显连通性模式。分类准确率高（ROC下面积：DD vs DYD = 0.85;DD vs MD = 0.94;DYD vs MD = 0.78），并且使用较少的变量将阅读困难亚型与对照清楚地分开。这些发现为Boder亚型提供了第一个神经生理学验证，表明DD和DYD反映了不同的网络功能障碍。发音困难和混合组之间的部分重叠与临床证据一致，MD代表更严重的发音困难形式。总的来说，我们的研究结果强调了qEEG连接生物标志物在完善阅读障碍诊断和支持个性化干预方面的潜力。
{"title":"Neurophysiological differentiation of Boder's dyslexia subtypes using harmonised quantitative EEG cross-spectra","authors":"Giuseppe A. Chiarenza , Valeria Peluso , Min Li , Ying Wang , Tania Perez-Ramirez , Leslie S. Prichep , Pedro Valdes-Sosa , Rolando J. Biscay , Jorge Bosch-Bayard","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113306","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.113306","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Developmental dyslexia is a heterogeneous disorder classically divided into distinct subtypes. Elena <span><span>Boder's, 1973</span></span> model conceptualised reading and spelling as functions of distributed, interactive neural networks that require a dynamic interplay between visual-gestalt and analytic-auditory processes. Disruption of this interplay produces three main dyslexic subtypes—dysphonetic (DD), dyseidetic (DYD), and mixed (MD). These subtypes have also been described in Italian speakers, and recent research suggests they correspond to specific neurophysiological patterns.</div><div>In this study, we analysed quantitative EEG (qEEG) from a cohort of 227 children. The dyslexic group comprised DD (n = 169; 110M/59F, age 7–15), DYD (n = 18; 17M/1F, age 7–15), and MD (n = 40; 25M/15F, age 7–18), compared to 100 age-matched typically developing controls (58M/42F, age 6–16). Methodologically, we moved beyond conventional power analysis by employing a stable and sparse regression classifier (SSRC) based on harmonised cross-spectral complex z-scores. This approach is neurophysiologically grounded in the view that reading emerges from the dynamic interplay within distributed cerebral networks. We therefore hypothesised that dyslexia subtypes would be best discriminated by distinct patterns of functional connectivity, which are directly captured by cross-spectral metrics. Consistent with this, while conventional log-spectral measures showed poor subtype discrimination, our cross-spectral analysis revealed distinct connectivity patterns that differentiated the DD, DYD, and MD groups. Classification accuracy was high (areas under the ROC: DD vs DYD = 0.85; DD vs MD = 0.94; DYD vs MD = 0.78), and dyslexic subtypes were clearly separated from controls using fewer variables.</div><div>These findings provide the first neurophysiological validation of Boder's subtypes, demonstrating that DD and DYD reflect distinct network dysfunctions. The partial overlap between dysphonetic and mixed groups aligns with clinical evidence that MD represents a more severe dysphonetic form. Overall, our results highlight the potential of qEEG connectivity biomarkers to refine dyslexia diagnosis and support personalised interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54945,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Psychophysiology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 113306"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145702910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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