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        <title>Frontiers in Human Neuroscience | New and Recent Articles</title>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience</link>
        <description>RSS Feed for Frontiers in Human Neuroscience | New and Recent Articles</description>
        <language>en-us</language>
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        <pubDate>2026-05-13T15:13:26.305+00:00</pubDate>
        <ttl>60</ttl>
        <item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1757488</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1757488</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Motor intervention therapy for children with developmental coordination disorder: from behavioral improvement to neuroplasticity mechanisms]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Zhiguang Ji</author><author>Liyan Wang</author><author>Le Lu</author><author>Chenping Zhang</author><author>Hongbiao Wang</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significantly delayed motor coordination, often accompanied by cognitive deficits and psychosocial adaptation issues, severely impacting children’s lifelong development. Motor intervention serves as the primary treatment strategy for DCD, encompassing task-oriented, process-oriented, and technology-assisted paradigms. Existing evidence indicates that structured motor interventions effectively enhance motor skills, executive function, and social engagement in children with DCD. The core mechanism lies in inducing neuroplasticity—encompassing both functional reorganization (e.g., normalization of motor network activation, improved inter-regional connectivity) and structural changes (e.g., increased grey matter volume in key brain regions, optimized white matter microstructure). These changes ultimately facilitate behavioral improvement through optimized internal models and enhanced cognitive-motor coupling. This paper constructs an integrated “motor intervention-neuroplasticity-functional improvement” model, reviews intervention efficacy and mechanisms, identifies current research limitations in sample size, causal inference, and long-term follow-up, and outlines future directions such as precision rehabilitation and technology integration. It provides theoretical support for evidence-based interventions in DCD.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1791453</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1791453</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Differential role of beta band activity in a dual-task working memory paradigm under internally vs. externally directed cognition]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-12T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Ankit Yadav</author><author>Arpan Banerjee</author><author>Dipanjan Roy</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Internally directed cognition (IDC), whether spontaneous or intentional, has been associated with impaired performance in cognitive tasks. Yet, the neurophysiological mechanisms underpinning this disruption remain poorly understood. In the present study, we characterized the neural correlates of IDC and identified how they impact on performance in a color-recall working memory task using electroencephalography (EEG). Participants performed a novel dual-task paradigm involving either self-referential (IDC) or perceptual processing of adjectives, involving externally directed cognition (EDC) followed by a color-recall task. IDC enhanced late frontal positivity in EEG over medial-frontal electrodes as a marker of sustained self-referential processing. Time–frequency analyses further revealed increased event-related desynchronization in alpha and beta bands during stimulus encoding in the IDC condition, as well as increased alpha synchronization during the delay period, consistent with internal attention maintenance. To capture trial-level variability in task performance, we applied conditional quantile regression to individual trial-level observations. Results showed that beta desynchronization in interaction with condition type during encoding influenced performance significantly in trials with low errors, whereas trials with high error in color recall were better explained by increased reaction times. These findings provide converging electrophysiological evidence for distinct neural signatures of internally directed cognition and highlight their behavioral consequences in working memory performance.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1781545</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1781545</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Stress during the first 1,000 days of life in humans, when everything begins]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-12T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Tania Vitalis</author><author>Catherine Verney</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Brain development from fetal life to early childhood occurs in highly sensitive periods, during which stress exposure—adaptive or toxic, prenatal or postnatal—can shape neural circuits involved in emotional regulation, particularly amygdala-centered networks. This review synthesizes current evidence on the biological mechanisms of early-life stress and protective interventions. It is based on a narrative review integrating original research, review articles, and international guidelines selected for relevance. Severe or prolonged early-life stress, including prenatal adversity, maternal anxiety, or environmental challenges, can disrupt body–brain interactions, alter hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity, reduce vagal tone, and impair connectivity in the amygdala, hippocampus, and salience network. Epigenetic modifications in genes link early adversity to altered stress reactivity and emotional regulation. Functional MRI and physiological assessments indicate these changes are detectable before birth and during the first 1,000 days of life. Supportive caregiver interactions—through polyvagal-mediated synchrony, attachment, and social engagement—promote physiological regulation and healthy neural development. Interventions such as skin-to-skin contact reduce cortisol levels, enhance vagal activity, and increase oxytocin release. Traumatic early life stress can profoundly influence neural, hormonal, and epigenetic pathways, but positive caregiving and interventions can foster resilience and optimize neurodevelopment. These findings highlight the critical need to monitor and support stress regulation during the first 1,000 days of life.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1824753</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1824753</link>
        <title><![CDATA[State-dependent modulation of brain co-activation patterns induced by individually targeted VLPFC stimulation during viewing emotional film clips]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-12T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Changyue Hou</author><author>Meihua Yan</author><author>Haonan Pei</author><author>Ting Ye</author><author>Sisi Jiang</author><author>Hechun Li</author><author>Roberto Rodríguez-Labrada</author><author>Dezhong Yao</author><author>Cheng Luo</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Accumulating evidence indicates that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) outcomes are state-dependent, with ongoing emotional states influencing neuromodulatory effects. However, how emotional context during stimulation influences subsequent brain functional state organization remains unclear. A total of 99 healthy participants were recruited in this study and allocated to one of three groups: active rTMS with sad film viewing (sad group), active rTMS with neutral film viewing (neutral group), or sham rTMS with sad film viewing (sham group). We combined rTMS during emotional film viewing with co-activation pattern (CAP) analysis to investigate the potential state-dependent effects of rTMS on brain dynamics. The fraction of time, resilience, and transition probabilities of CAPs were calculated to characterize brain dynamics. Four recurring CAPs were identified in this study. Relative to the sham group, participants following stimulation during the sad condition exhibited increased engagement of CAP 2, characterized by deactivations in the frontoparietal network and co-activations of the visual and somatomotor networks, along with decreased engagement of CAP 4, characterized by deactivations in the default mode network and co-activations of the somatomotor and salience networks. In contrast, the neutral condition exhibited attenuated effects. Furthermore, the change in transition probability from CAP 2 to CAP 3 was significantly greater in the sad condition than in the neutral condition. Together, these findings indicate that the effects of rTMS on brain dynamics may be modulated by the emotional context during stimulation. This work offers novel insights into the state-dependent modulation by rTMS and may help inform the optimization of therapeutic outcomes for rTMS interventions.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1739419</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1739419</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Tai Chi alleviates pain on fusiform-lingual and rolandic operculum-insula circuit in older participants with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled neuroimaging trial]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-11T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Clinical Trial</category>
        <author>Feng Zhang</author><author>Bo Peng</author><author>Xing Tang</author><author>Lili Peng</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundChronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common clinical syndrome and a leading cause of disability. The high disability rate associated with CLBP is more susceptible to reduced labor capacity, poorer quality of life, and increased psychological, social, and medical burdens. Tai Chi is an effective and safe therapy for treating chronic low back pain (CLBP).ObjectiveThis study aims to determine the effect of Tai Chi on brain function in patients with CLBP.MethodsThe study included 72 participants randomly divided into a Tai Chi group and a control group. The Tai Chi group received a Yang-style 24-form Tai Chi program for 8 weeks. The control group had a waiting time of 8 weeks. Participants underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan Province (No. 2022KL-038-02) and registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry under the number ChiCTR2200064977.ResultsThe Visual Analog Score (VAS), duration and frequency of pain, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) significantly improved at 8 weeks (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the Tai Chi group showed amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) values significantly changed in the left fusiform and left rolandic operculum (voxel-level p < 0.001, cluster-level p < 0.05). The intensity of local spontaneous neural activity in the Tai Chi group was higher than in the control group. Tai Chi had a potential effect on the decrease of functional connectivity (FC) between the left fusiform and left lingual, between the left rolandic operculum and the right insula. (voxel-level p < 0.001, cluster-level p < 0.05). The Tai Chi group has a close correlation with brain-related regions.ConclusionThis study indicated that Tai Chi training could effectively relieve pain and improve physical function in elderly people with CLBP. The study suggested that the fusiform-lingual and rolandic operculum-insula circuits are potential treatment regions that might be the mechanism for the effect of Tai Chi.Clinical Trial Registrationhttps://www.chictr.org.cn, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200064977).]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1692628</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1692628</link>
        <title><![CDATA[The effects of vocal emotions and emotional context on the neural tracking of speech envelopes and listeners’ vigilance states]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-08T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Teagan Esme Esther</author><author>Liron Shlesinger</author><author>Fernando Llanos</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionHigh-arousal emotional speech, such as angry and happy speech, is characterized by changes in signal amplitude that can substantially alter the temporal structure of the speech signal. In this EEG study, we investigated how these acoustic changes, and the structure of the preceding emotional context, influence neural tracking of temporal speech patterns, as well as alpha-band desynchronization associated with vigilance states in listeners.MethodsEEGs were recorded from 30 adult native speakers of American English while they listened to angry, happy, or neutral spoken sentences presented either in a randomized order or blocked by emotion. To ensure sustained attention, participants answered occasional questions about sentence content.ResultsAngry speech elicited stronger alpha desynchronization than neutral and happy speech when stimuli were blocked by emotion but not when stimuli were fully randomized. In contrast, neural tracking of amplitude modulation patterns was more robust for neutral speech compared to happy or angry speech across both stimulus presentation contexts. When neural tracking was controlled for stimulus differences in amplitude variability, angry speech, which conveyed greater amplitude variability, was more faithfully tracked than both happy and neutral speech across stimulus presentation contexts.DiscussionOur findings suggest that tonic modulations of alpha power are more sensitive to prolonged emotional context than to transient changes in speaker emotion. Furthermore, we found that emotional speech robustly modulates listeners’ vigilance, particularly following prolonged exposure to a single emotion, while exerting a limited influence on the neural encoding of amplitude modulation, which is primarily dominated by bottom-up amplitude variability in the acoustic signal.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1790010</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1790010</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Non-invasive neuroregulation techniques applied to patients with consciousness disorders: a narrative review]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-08T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Zhijie Cao</author><author>Hongzhen Du</author><author>Yufeng Zhou</author><author>Shutong Mei</author><author>Zhangyong Xia</author><author>Yang Wang</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundDisorders of consciousness (DoC) following severe brain injury pose significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This narrative review comprehensively examines the current evidence for neuromodulation techniques in promoting consciousness recovery, including their mechanisms, efficacy, and future directions.MethodsWe conducted a narrative review of evidence from randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and pilot studies investigating non-invasive and minimally invasive neuromodulation techniques for DoC. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, and Wanfang databases were searched from inception through December 2025. Techniques reviewed include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), median nerve stimulation (MNS), transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS), acupuncture, and spinal cord stimulation (SCS).ResultsHigh-frequency repetitive TMS (10–20 Hz) targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex showed significant CRS-R improvements with sustained effects. Right MNS (8 h/day, 2 weeks) significantly increased consciousness recovery rates in acute traumatic brain injury (RR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.18–1.56). Anodal tDCS demonstrated modest benefits, particularly in MCS patients. taVNS improved consciousness in MCS but not UWS patients. Short-term SCS (70 Hz) produced sustained improvements, especially in MCS − patients. Preliminary tFUS studies targeting the thalamus showed promising results. Combined interventions exhibited synergistic effects. Treatment responses varied by consciousness level, etiology, and individual factors. Adverse events were minimal across modalities.ConclusionEmerging evidence suggests that neuromodulation may have therapeutic potential for DoC, with comparatively stronger support currently available for high-frequency rTMS, right MNS, and SCS. Future research should prioritize large-scale RCTs, predictive biomarker identification, personalized closed-loop protocols, and optimal combination strategies, with a gradual shift from deterministic to individualized treatment paradigmss.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1824742</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1824742</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Long-term motor stability but increasing non-motor burden in multifocal motor neuropathy: a 6-year real-world follow-up study during the COVID-19 era]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-08T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Ivana Basta</author><author>Marta Jeremic</author><author>Aleksa Palibrk</author><author>Nikola Momcilovic</author><author>Vukan Ivanovic</author><author>Mladen Jankovic</author><author>Nenad Jovanovic</author><author>Ivana Bulatovic</author><author>Stojan Peric</author><author>Ivo Bozovic</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionMultifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) is a chronic immune-mediated disorder associated with long-term disability and reduced quality of life (QoL). Longitudinal real-world data on QoL in MMN are scarce, particularly during the COVID-19 era. This study aimed to evaluate long-term changes in QoL and disease outcomes in MMN patients over a 6-year follow-up and to assess the multidimensional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsTwelve MMN patients were re-evaluated 6 years after baseline assessment. Functional disability was assessed using the INCAT disability score and I-RODS scale. QoL was measured using the SF-36 questionnaire, while depressive symptoms and fatigue were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Pandemic-related impact was assessed using a specifically designed questionnaire.ResultsFunctional disability remained overall stable during follow-up (INCAT total score 3.4 ± 2.2 vs. 3.3 ± 1.9). However, fatigue and depressive symptoms increased significantly, with the prevalence of fatigue rising from 17 to 58% and depression from 8 to 25% (p < 0.05). Mean FSS scores increased from 20.1 ± 13.3 to 35.3 ± 15.0, and BDI scores from 3.3 ± 7.8 to 9.2 ± 15.4. Physical QoL domains declined over time, particularly Physical Functioning (76.7 ± 29.9 to 57.5 ± 31.6) and Bodily Pain (82.8 ± 28.9 to 71.7 ± 28.5), while mental domains remained relatively preserved (MCS 69.1 ± 19.5 vs. 69.4 ± 21.3). During the COVID-19 pandemic, 33% of patients developed SARS-CoV-2 infection, 17% experienced treatment interruption, and one patient died from severe COVID-19.ConclusionLong-term immunotherapy in MMN appears to stabilize motor disability but does not prevent the progressive increase of fatigue and depressive symptoms, which emerge as major contributors to long-term disease burden. The COVID-19 pandemic further affected healthcare access and psychosocial wellbeing. These findings support routine screening for fatigue and mental health symptoms and highlight the need for a multidisciplinary approach to MMN management.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1774230</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1774230</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Brain-computer interfaces and neural synchronization in esports: a systematic review of effects on reaction time, decision-making, and cognitive performance]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-08T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Systematic Review</category>
        <author>Prashant Kumar Choudhary</author><author>Suchishrava Choudhary</author><author>Sohom Saha</author><author>Yajuvendra Singh Rajpoot</author><author>Vasile-Cătălin Ciocan</author><author>Voinea Nicolae-Lucian</author><author>Carmina Mihaela Gorgan</author><author>Constantin Șufaru</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundThe rapid expansion of esports has intensified interest in the cognitive and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying elite performance, particularly reaction time (RT), decision-making (DM), and neural efficiency. Advances in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) offer targeted neural modulation that may enhance these abilities through improved neural synchronization. To systematically review evidence on the effects of BCI-based neural synchronization, including motor imagery (MI) BCIs, visual evoked potential (VEP/c-VEP) systems, neural entrainment, and dual-brain coupling, on RT, DM, and related cognitive outcomes in esports athletes and competitive gamers.MethodsFollowing PRISMA 2020 guidelines, comprehensive searches were conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Studies examining BCI-induced neural modulation and its cognitive or performance effects in esports players or experienced gamers were included. Eighteen studies met the criteria, comprising controlled trials, pre–post interventions, cross-sectional neurophysiology studies, comparative behavioural analyses, and supporting systematic reviews. Due to methodological heterogeneity, results were synthesised narratively. Although the review follows PRISMA 2020 guidelines for systematic study identification and selection, the synthesis adopts a structured integrative narrative approach due to substantial heterogeneity in study designs, BCI modalities, and outcome measures.ResultsAcross studies, BCI-mediated neural synchronization produced consistent improvements in RT, DM accuracy, cortical oscillatory stability, and neural connectivity. MI-BCI and gamified systems enhanced MI accuracy, user engagement, and cognitive load regulation. VEP-based BCIs accelerated perceptual processing by improving signal reliability and reducing latency. Dual-brain coupling improved coordinated decision behaviour. Additional evidence indicates that experienced gamers display superior working memory, attentional control, and visuomotor coordination compared with non-gamers. However, variability in study design, small samples, and moderate risk of bias limit the strength of causal inference.DiscussionBCI-based neural synchronization shows promise as a tool for enhancing neurocognitive performance in esports athletes. Future studies should prioritize standardized training protocols, multimodal neural-measurement methods, and longitudinal designs to determine long-term effectiveness and real-world applicability.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1775909</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1775909</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Implication of genetic-dependent stage in the development of SCN8A-associated epilepsy: a case report]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-08T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Case Report</category>
        <author>Xuetao He</author><author>Dongming Zhang</author><author>Rong Gan</author><author>Jieling Chen</author><author>Zisheng Lin</author><author>Weijie Liang</author><author>Yuhu Zhang</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The SCN8A gene encodes the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.6, which is essential for neuronal excitability and action potential propagation. SCN8A variants are associated with a broad clinical spectrum, ranging from self-limiting syndromes to developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. Here, we identified a novel de novo heterozygous SCN8A variant (c.791 T > C/p.Val264Ala) in a 19-year-old female patient. This variant was absent in gnomAD and was predicted to be damaging by multiple in silico tools. According to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines, the variant was evaluated as “likely pathogenic.” The patient presented with frequent cluster seizures characterized by early onset, remission in childhood, and recurrence in adolescence. The electroencephalograph revealed multifocal epileptiform discharges. The patient was diagnosed with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. Treatment with sodium channel blockers (oxcarbazepine and lamotrigine) achieved seizure control, a clinical response that suggests a potential gain-of-function effect of the variant. The brain temporal expression of SCN8A gradually increases after birth with a peak during infancy, declines through childhood, and rises significantly in adolescence, explaining the development of the patient’s clinical course. This study contributes to the genotype–phenotype correlation of SCN8A-related diseases and highlights the implication of genetic-dependent expression (stage) in clinical assessment.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1742378</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1742378</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Fronto-parietal oscillatory dynamics of emotion regulation as a function of adult attachment orientations]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-07T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Marcos Domic-Siede</author><author>Javiera Figueroa-Cuevas</author><author>Krishna Leiva-Cortés</author><author>Daniela López</author><author>Mónica Guzmán-González</author><author>Thomas Lau-Lemus</author><author>Sara Hernández</author><author>Romina Ortiz</author><author>Lesly González</author><author>Jaime R. Silva</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionEmotion regulation enables individuals to modulate emotional experiences and behaviors according to situational demands. Within attachment theory, individual differences in attachment anxiety and avoidance are conceived as interpersonal dispositions that influence the quality and efficiency of emotion regulation strategies, potentially shaping the underlying neural dynamics. This study examined cortical oscillatory activity during two regulation strategies—cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression—focusing on theta (4–8 Hz) and beta (15–30 Hz) bands at the source level.MethodsForty adults (21 male, 18 female, 1 gender unspecified participant; M = 27.58 years, SD = 8.71) performed an emotion regulation task involving emotionally evocative images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) while EEG was recorded. Cortical sources were reconstructed using standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA). Linear mixed-effects models (LMMs) assessed the effects of condition, region of interest (ROI), and attachment orientations on oscillatory power.ResultsResults showed that higher attachment anxiety predicted reduced theta power in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) during reappraisal, indicating attenuated recruitment of cognitive control mechanisms. In the beta band, suppression reduced activity in the right parietal lobe/precuneus—a region involved in self-referential and attentional processes—across participants, while during reappraisal, attachment anxiety was linked to lower beta power and attachment avoidance to higher beta power in the left dlPFC.DiscussionTogether, these findings indicate that cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression engage distinct cortical oscillatory systems, and that interpersonal dispositions modulate their neural implementation. Frontal theta appears to index top-down control during reappraisal, whereas beta activity shows a dual pattern: frontal beta variations reflect differences in control stability associated with attachment orientations, and parietal beta decreases during suppression suggest attentional disengagement from self-referential processing.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1854546</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1854546</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Editorial: Transdiagnostic approach in studying mental health conditions: the contribution of fundamental and translational brain research for precise interventions]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-07T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Editorial</category>
        <author>Sandra Carvalho</author><author>Wolnei Caumo</author><author>Ana Rita Ferreira</author><author>Lia Fernandes</author><author>Jorge Leite</author>
        <description></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1791254</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1791254</link>
        <title><![CDATA[New gait performance indices and cognitive functions: a longitudinal pre–post follow-up after rehabilitation in people with Parkinson’s disease]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-07T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Elena Sofia Cocco</author><author>Raimondo Stefano Maria Torcisi</author><author>Carrie-Louise Thouant</author><author>Mohamed El Arayshi</author><author>Luca Pietrosanti</author><author>Carlotta Maria Manzia</author><author>Annalisa Gison</author><author>Paola Romano</author><author>Leonardo Buscarini</author><author>Francesco Infarinato</author><author>Marco Franceschini</author><author>Cristiano Maria Verrelli</author><author>Sanaz Pournajaf</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionGait impairment and motor–cognitive interaction are key features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and critically affect functional autonomy and fall risk. Wearable inertial sensors allow for objective assessment of gait performance, while the Ф-bonacci gait number has been shown to provide a composite gait performance measure integrating self-similarity, symmetry, and double-support consistency. Building on previous cross-sectional findings, this observational pilot study represents a longitudinal follow-up that extends the application of the Ф-bonacci index framework towards the monitoring of walking performance progression over time. Indeed, this pilot study investigated changes in gait performance and motor–cognitive interaction in people with PD, using conventional clinical scales and the Ф-bonacci gait number.MethodsNineteen individuals with PD - carrying out conventional outpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation - underwent clinical and instrumented gait assessments at baseline (T0) and one-month later (T1). Gait data were collected during the 6-Minute Walk Test using wearable inertial sensors. The changes in spatiotemporal parameters, the Ф-bonacci gait number and its components, and the dual-task performance (Timed Up and Go Dual Task, TUG-DT) were analyzed, together with associations between gait harmonicity, clinical motor improvement, and dual-task performance.Results and discussionParticipants at T1 showed significant improvements in functional mobility and spatiotemporal gait parameters, along with a reduction in the Ф-bonacci gait number, mainly driven by enhanced gait self-similarity and double-support consistency. Such improvements in gait harmonicity were significantly associated with both clinical motor improvement and enhanced dual-task performance, while global cognitive scores remained stable. These findings support the claim that Ф-bonacci gait number is a longitudinal marker sensitive to harmonic gait performance in PD and suggest a condition-dependent motor-cognitive coupling in the presence of dual-task demands.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1742058</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1742058</link>
        <title><![CDATA[No effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on response inhibition]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-07T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Shunpei Yamamoto</author><author>Shota Miyaguchi</author><author>Kyosuke Shiga</author><author>Hirotake Yokota</author><author>Yasuto Inukai</author><author>Naofumi Otsuru</author><author>Hideaki Onishi</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionResponse inhibition, which stops an ongoing action, is important for daily life activities. Reportedly, noradrenaline (NA), a neurotransmitter, is involved in response inhibition. In recent years, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has gained attention for its ability to induce NA release in various areas of the brain. Thus, taVNS can potentially improve response inhibition; however, this remains unverified.MethodsThe present study investigated the effects of taVNS on response inhibition by measuring salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), an indirect indicator of NA. This study implemented a repeated-measures pre–post approach across conditions, with 24 healthy men (age, 21.3 ± 1.6 years) performing a stop signal task and undergoing sAA measurement before and after the taVNS intervention. taVNS was performed for 30 min at an intensity midway between the sensory and pain thresholds. Participants underwent two stimulation conditions, namely taVNS targeting the left concha and sham stimulation targeting the left earlobe, in a randomized order. Response inhibition was evaluated by comparing the stop signal reaction time (SSRT) before and after taVNS intervention.ResultsUnder taVNS, sAA levels significantly increased after the stimulation. However, no significant difference in SSRT was observed between before and after the intervention under either condition.DiscussionThese results suggest that taVNS increases sAA levels after stimulation; however, it does not influence response inhibition, suggesting that the modulation of NA by taVNS is insufficient to improve response inhibition.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1757752</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1757752</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Towards an understanding of somatosensory perturbation on covert speech production: a functional near infrared spectroscopy study]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-07T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Jacqueline Cummine</author><author>Dev H. Patel</author><author>Mitchell Holmes</author><author>Amberley Ostevik</author><author>Daniel Aalto</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionRecent initiatives have sought to understand the impact of somatosensory feedback during varying speech production tasks. The supramarginal gyrus (SMG) is a multi-function region that represents the somatosensory system and plays an essential role in the DIVA model via the generation and monitoring of novel motor commands. Here, we investigate the extent to which SMG activity is modulated via somatosensory perturbations (i.e., oral anesthesia via lidocaine and oral stimulation via lollipop) during covert production tasks.MethodsThirty adult participants completed two covert production tasks: a spelling judgment task that emphasized stored speech patterns (stored articulation; e.g., bunt) and a sound judgment task that emphasized constructing a new speech pattern (assembled articulation; e.g., bont). The tasks were performed under three perturbation conditions: lidocaine, lollipop and no perturbation. Brain activity was measured as oxygenated hemoglobin levels using functional near-infrared spectroscopy from the left hemisphere SMG, inferior frontal gyrus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and inferior temporal gyrus, representing somatosensory, speech motor planning, task control, and visual input regions, respectively.ResultsThe lollipop perturbation resulted in significantly higher activity, compared to the lidocaine, in the left SMG (p = 0.001), inferior frontal gyrus (p = 0.01) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (p = 0.01). In addition, the lollipop perturbation showed higher functional connectivity between left SMG-inferior frontal gyrus when compared to the lidocaine condition but only for the stored production task.ConclusionThese findings provide evidence that the SMG is sensitive to alterations in oral sensory context even in the absence of overt articulation, supporting its proposed role within the DIVA model as a somatosensory state monitoring region that interacts with speech motor planning systems.Clinical trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05854082?term=lidocaine%20speech&rank=1, Identifier, NCT05854082.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1754368</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1754368</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Validation of novel naturalistic limb movement stimuli for studying biological motion perception in adults]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-07T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Maria Koriakina</author><author>Ioannis Ntoumanis</author><author>Evgeny Blagovechtchenski</author><author>Ekaterina Pomelova</author><author>Tatiana Ledneva</author><author>Olga Agranovich</author><author>Isak B. Blank</author><author>Andriy Myachykov</author><author>Anna Shestakova</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionUnderstanding how we perceive and interpret the movements of other living beings is fundamental to social interaction, survival, and navigating our dynamic environment. Traditional studies of biological motion perception have predominantly employed simplified stimuli, such as point-light displays, which sacrifice ecological validity for experimental control.MethodsTo overcome this limitation, we created a novel stimulus set featuring naturalistic videos of isolated hand and leg movements. These stimuli incorporated variations in viewing perspective (first-person vs. third-person) and the presence or absence of object interactions, thereby increasing their real-world relevance. We recorded electroencephalography (EEG) from 28 adult participants as they viewed these goal-directed movements alongside nature scenes that served as control stimuli. Neural engagement was assessed through two complementary measures: inter-subject correlation (ISC), which captures shared neural responses across viewers, and intra-subject correlation (IaSC), which reflects temporal consistency of responses within individual viewers. We hypothesized that (1) biological limb movements would elicit stronger neural synchrony than non-biological motion, (2) movement type (arm vs. leg), object interaction, and visual perspective would differentially modulate ISC based on distinct affordance-related processing systems, and (3) these effects would replicate upon second exposure.ResultsOur findings revealed that lower-limb movements elicited significantly greater ISC compared to both upper-limb movements and nature scenes. This effect proved robust, replicating consistently when participants viewed the same experimental conditions a second time. Furthermore, specific stimulus features modulated neural synchronization in domain-specific ways: first-person perspective enhanced ISC specifically for leg videos, whereas object interaction increased ISC specifically for arm videos. Notably, IaSC showed no differences across conditions, revealing a dissociation between cross-individual neural alignment and within-individual temporal consistency.DiscussionThese findings provide new insights into how particular features of naturalistic movement systematically modulate shared neural engagement, advancing our understanding of biological motion perception in ecologically valid contexts. The dissociation between ISC and IaSC suggests that cross-individual neural synchronization and within-individual temporal consistency reflect distinct neural processes.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1622082</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1622082</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Spatial and temporal connectivity of brain resting-state fMRI during music-induced analgesia in fibromyalgia patients]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-05T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Jiancheng Hou</author><author>Ying Liu</author><author>Thomas Hosseini</author><author>Maoping Zheng</author><author>Xiaolin Liu</author><author>Changan Sun</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionMusic-induced analgesia (MIA) has significant clinical value for patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and serves as a key model for understanding the complex neural mechanisms underlying the effects of music on physical and mental states. However, previous research offers limited interpretation of the broader neural network characteristics underlying pain regulation through music, particularly regarding spatial synchronization and temporal connectivity.MethodsThe present study examined the neural correlates of MIA in FM patients using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) with fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo) and degree centrality (DC) measures. Twenty female FM patients underwent RS-fMRI scans before and after listening to self-selected, familiar, highly pleasant, and slow-tempo music. Behavioral assessments of pain intensity (PI) and pain unpleasantness (PU) were collected immediately before and after music listening. Paired t-tests and correlation analyses were performed.ResultsFollowing music listening, FM patients exhibited a significant reduction in PI and a marginal reduction in PU. Significant RS-fMRI changes were observed: increased fALFF in the frontal, occipital, and cerebellar regions; increased ReHo in the precentral gyrus, cerebellum_crus2, and postcentral gyrus; decreased ReHo in the temporal, occipital, frontal, limbic, and cingulate regions; and increased DC in frontal areas and the supplementary motor area. Additionally, significant correlations were found between clinical measures and fALFF or ReHo measures, including positive correlations between PI and fALFF in the left middle occipital gyrus, and negative correlations between PU and fALFF/ReHo in the right cerebellum_crus2 and left middle occipital gyrus.ConclusionThese findings suggested the effectiveness of music’s pain regulation function in FM patients, potentially through both cognitive and emotional pathways. The spatial and temporal fMRI evidence highlights key roles of the frontal, occipital, sensorimotor, limbic, and cerebellar regions in MIA, providing a more comprehensive framework for understanding its underlying neural mechanisms.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1809976</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1809976</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Human-aligned evaluation of a pixel-wise DNN color constancy model]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-05T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Hamed Heidari-Gorji</author><author>Raquel Gil Rodriguez</author><author>Karl R. Gegenfurtner</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionWe previously investigated color constancy in photorealistic virtual reality (VR) and developed a Deep Neural Network (DNN) that predicts reflectance from rendered images.MethodsWe combine both approaches to compare and study a model and human performance with respect to established color constancy mechanisms: local surround, maximum flux and spatial mean. Rather than evaluating the model against physical ground truth, model performance was assessed using the same achromatic object selection task employed in the human experiments. The model, a ResNet based U-Net from our previous work, was pre-trained on rendered images to predict surface reflectance. We then applied transfer learning, fine-tuning only the network's decoder on images from the baseline VR condition. To parallel the human experiment, the model's output was used to perform the same achromatic object selection task across all conditions.ResultsA strong correspondence between the model and human behavior was observed. Both achieved high constancy under baseline conditions and showed similar, condition-dependent performance declines when the local surround or spatial mean color cues were removed.DiscussionThese results show that a pixel-wise DNN trained on naturalistic image statistics can reproduce the structure of human color constancy behavior across controlled cue manipulations, supporting the view that human constancy can arises from the integration of multiple scene-based cues without explicit illuminant estimation.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1861549</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1861549</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Correction: Toward precision EEG: assessing the reliability of individual-level ERPs across EEG systems]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-05T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Correction</category>
        <author>Frontiers Production Office </author>
        <description></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1742370</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1742370</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Sham tDCS controls: blinding, reliability, and a specification-grade checklist]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-05-05T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Milos Ljubisavljevic</author><author>Jonida Basha</author><author>Fransina C. King</author><author>Fatima Y. Ismail</author><author>Shahid Bashir</author><author>Yauhen Statsenko</author><author>Miklos Szolics</author><author>Gordon C. Baylis</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is essential for causal inference but is commonly implemented as ramp-only protocols that may not ensure physiological inertness and may fail to maintain mid-session blinding. We synthesize evidence on sham blinding integrity and test–retest reliability from January 1, 2010, to August 31, 2024, with a targeted post-search update (September 2024–September 2025) for key methodological advances directly informing sham design, blinding assessment, or physiological inertness. Evidence across conventional fade-in/short-stimulation/fade-out (FSF) approaches and emerging HD and device-locked alternatives suggests that end-of-study “guess” measures frequently overestimate blinding, whereas time-resolved probes detect perceptual divergence during stimulation. Test–retest reliability under sham conditions is generally adequate across common behavioral tasks, although practice effects and procedural heterogeneity can reduce stability and inflate variance. Based on recurrent methodological failure factors identified in the mapped literature, we propose five specification-grade recommendations: (i) use time-resolved (not end-of-study) blinding assessment with pre-specified success criteria; (ii) constrain intracranial E-fields below a conservative engineering ceiling using accessible modeling tools; (iii) standardize ramp profiles and electrode preparation and impedance protocols; (iv) implement device-locked randomization with audit trails; and (v) preregister blinding thresholds and analysis plans. These practices operationalize sham quality as measurable outcomes that can reduce trial variability and strengthen cross-study synthesis in mechanistic and clinical research.]]></description>
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