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Introduzione: Le pratiche di assessment funzionale sono uno strumento prezioso per profilare atleti e adattare i metodi di allenamento alle esigenze individuali. Un aspetto cruciale ma, ad oggi, ancora in via di sviluppo riguarda la valutazione delle abilità neurocognitive necessarie per ottimizzare la performance sportiva (Aidman, 2017; Memmert, 2009; Park et al., 2015). Secondo l’ipotesi dell’efficienza neurale (Li & Smith, 2021), l’efficienza nell'esecuzione del gesto atletico si accompagnerebbe a un incremento specifico della connettività, della sincronizzazione e/o della specializzazione delle strutture neurali coinvolte nella sua pianificazione, implementazione e gestione. A partire da tale premessa, abbiamo testato un compito ecologico dedicato alla valutazione delle abilità di attenzione spaziale in atleti di sport da combattimento, utilizzando una metodologia di neuroassessment integrato (Crivelli & Balconi, 2022). Metodo: Per lo studio sono stati reclutati 40 atleti agonisti non-professionisti, di cui 20 praticanti sport da combattimento (SC; boxe, kick-boxing) e 20 praticanti altri sport (AS; tra cui pallacanestro, tennis, orienteering). I partecipanti hanno completato un protocollo di neuroassessment in cui sono state testate le funzioni attentive tramite compiti computerizzati integrati con registrazioni elettrofisiologiche, in particolare elettroencefalografia (EEG) e potenziali evento-relati (ERPs). Nello specifico, per le abilità di attenzione spaziale è stato utilizzato un compito cueing ecologico e digitalizzato, in cui i partecipanti dovevano bloccare colpi di mano e di piede provenienti da varie posizioni, preceduti da cue valide o non valide. Risultati: L'analisi dei dati ha rivelato, nel gruppo di atleti SC, tempi di risposta ridotti, accompagnati da una diminuzione dell'ampiezza del componente ERPs P3 parietale, per i trial con cue valida rispetto trial con cue non valida. Inoltre, si è riscontrato, per i trial con cue non valida

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Grocery shopping represents a challenging task for visually impaired (VI), but the neuroscientific literature on the consumption patterns of this group is still scarce. The aim of the study was to analyse the relationship between explicit consumer experience and neuropsychological measures. A group of VI and sighted explored and manipulated three different product categories inside the supermarket, while EEG, behavioral and self-report data were collected. Electroencephalogram (EEG) findings showed a generalized delta band activity in pasta compared to frozen food and it was interpreted as higher emotional activation probably required by selecting the correct stimuli in a multisensory environment. A delta band activation was also found in frontal area in VI compared to control and it was supposed to be an index of greater cognitive control. Finally, higher delta band activity in parieto-occipital and temporal areas were related to greater sense of disorientation. In conclusion, it was found that VI experience grocery shopping more stressfully and with greater cognitive effort (parieto-occipital area) than people without visual disability. In general, VI use the sense of touch (temporal area) more and have more difficulties in orienting themselves internally in the store. The results could encourage the use of tactile touchpoints, braille maps, or an initial guided exploration of the supermarket, to allow the VI to memorize the internal layout of the different product categories and allow them to shop independently. Another suggestion would be to make products within the same product category more distinctive, perhaps by adding additional tactile information.

Objective: Previous neuroscientific research explored howboth moral values and economic scenarios can influence individuals’ brain activity. This study investigated the relationship between peripheral and neural activity during fairness and unfairness perception in moral and economic conditions. Method: Thirty-one participants underwent a modified version of the Ultimatum Game, which proposed various offers (fair, unfair, equal) concerning two different contexts: economic and moral conditions. During the task, the peripheral (heart rate [HR], skin conductance level/response [SCL, SCR]) and central (oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin [O2Hb, HHb]) individuals’ responses were recorded using the autonomic indices recording and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The peripheral activity was correlated with motivational systems (Behavioral Inhibition/Activation System[ BIS/BAS]) and individuals’ personality traits. Results: Findings highlighted a positive correlation between SCL and O2Hb in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) during fair, unfair, and equal offers in the economic condition and a negative correlation between SCL and O2Hb in the dmPFC for fair and equal offers in the moral condition. Also, HR negatively correlated with HHb in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during the presentation of equal and unfair offers in the economic condition. Finally, correlations between SCL and BAS subscales (Drive and Fun Seeking) and SCR and emotional stability trait suggested the link between motivation and emotional regulation during different conditions. Conclusions: In conclusion, the relationship between autonomic, central activity, and motivational and personality traits in moral and economic offers’ condition was discussed in light of different brain networks supporting these processes

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Purpose: In a multicultural diverse society, healthcare professionals (HPs) should adopt a personalized approach with adequate attitudes and behaviors to respond promptly to the needs of patients with different cultural backgrounds who become regular users of the health service. This study aimed to explore the health representations of HPs taking charge of immigrant chronic patients in Italy. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted, recorded, and transcribed on a sample of 54 HPs. Mixed quali-quantitative analysis was applied, including the method of discourse analysis. Results: Results underlined the prevalence of specific recurring topics and words that highlight positive aspects but also weaknesses in chronic care models for immigrant patients, stressing what needs to be done. Keystones are the relational experience between HPs and patients and new specific training opportunities for HPs. Conclusion: To conclude, a new semi-structured interview schedule is proposed, able to obtain in-depth information on the representation of HPs toward immigrant chronic patients.

Grossberg’s classification of adaptive resonance mechanisms includes the cognitive-emotional resonances that support conscious feelings and recognition of them. In this regard, a relevant question concerns the processing of signals deriving from the internal body and their contribution to interpersonal synchronization. This study aims to assess hemodynamic inter-subject coherence in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) through functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscan recording during dyadic synchronization tasks proposed with or without a social frame and performed in two distinct interoceptive conditions: focus and no focus on the breathing condition. Individuals’ hemodynamic data (oxygenated and de-oxygenated hemoglobin (O2Hb and HHb, respectively)) were recorded through fNIRS hyperscanning, and coherence analysis was performed. The findings showed a significantly higher O2Hb coherence in the left PFC when the dyads performed the synchronization tasks with a social frame compared with no social frame in the focus condition. Overall, the evidence suggests that the interoceptive focus and the presence of a social frame favor the manifestation of a left PFC interpersonal tuning during synchronization tasks.

Purpose: Little is known about the relationships between apathy, depressive symptoms and interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) in patients on chronic hemodialysis. Aim of the present study is to investigate the association between IDWG and symptoms of depression and apathy in hemodialysis patients. Methods: A total of 139 chronic patients of the HD units between January 2020 and December 2021 were included in the present cross-sectional study. IDWG was calculated as the difference between the pre-HD weight and the weight registered after the previous session; the average of the sessions in a month was registered. Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) was adopted to evaluate apathy. Depression was assessed by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results: Ninety-three patients had IDWG% ≤ 4 and 46 had an IDWG% > 4. Correlation between IDWG% and BDI as well that between IDWG% and AES were not statistically significant. Median BDI and mean AES did not differ significantly between the groups. In addition, 104 patients had a BDI < 16 and 35 had a BDI ≥ 6. Seventy-five patients had an AES score ≤ 35 and 63 had a AES score > 35. The IDWG (kg) and the IDWG% did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusion: IDWG is not associated with symptoms of depression or apathy in hemodialysis patients. Thus, these results may question if the use of behavioral intervention aimed at improving motivation is warranted in the hemodialysis population to reduce the IDWG.

The effect of explicit interoception manipulation on electrophysiological (EEG) patterns concurrent with an interpersonal motor synchronization task with a social purpose was investigated in this study. Thirty healthy individuals executed a task involving behavioral motor synchronization with a social framing in both focus (conceived as the focus on the breath for a specific time interval) and no focus conditions. During the task, a 15 active electrodes electroencephalogram was used to record the following frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, and beta band) from the frontal, temporo-central, and parieto-occipital regions of interest (ROIs). According to the results, for all the frequency bands significant higher mean values were found in the focus compared to no focus condition in the parieto-occipital ROI. On the whole, the current work conveys that when a motor synchronization task is executed and the person concurrently pays attention to his/her body correlates, EEG brain activity is empowered and boosted in posterior areas at the basis of attention to visceral signals, but also interpersonal action coordination. This evidence could have potentially interesting implications because it suggests the importance of modern breath-work during all conditions that require a social motor joint task, such as physiotherapy exercises or synchronized sports.

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Patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) experience difficulties in multiple cognitive and affective abilities. A large body of literature has argued that MDD patients show impaired executive functions (EFs) and deficits in theory of mind (ToM), the ability to infer the mental states of others. However, the relationship between ToM and EFs has been poorly investigated. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of studies that evaluated the association between ToM and EFs in patients with MDD diagnosis. A literature review was conducted to identify all published studies in which ToM and EFs measures were administered to individuals with MDD and in which the relationship between these two domains was investigated. Eleven studies were included, and for each study, we discussed the findings related to ToM, EFs, and the nature of the link between these two aspects. Most of the studies reported that patients with MDD, compared with healthy controls, showed significant impairments in both ToM and EFs abilities. Moreover, this review indicates the presence of a significant association between these two domains in MDD patients, supporting the evidences that executive functioning is important to perform ToM tasks. Although the results that emerged are interesting, the relationship between ToM and EFs in MDD needs further investigation.

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Introduction: This study explores the link between fatigue and apathy in patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD). Methods: One hundred thirty-nine chronic HD patients underwent the assessment of fatigue, apathy, depression, and their functional status, with the fatigue severity scale (FSS), the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES), the beck depression inventory (BDI), the activity of daily living (ADL), and instrumental activity of daily living (IADL). Results: Patients with high FSS had a significantly lower ADL and IADL score, higher BDI, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and AES score, and lower serum levels of creatinine, compared to low FSS patients. FSS was highly correlated with the AES, as well as with the BDI and the AES correlates with the BDI. At multiple regression analyses, only apathy and IADL were independent predictor variables of fatigue in HD population. Conclusion: Future longitudinal studies could determine if apathy is a causative factor for fatigue manifestation and development in HD patients.

The need to use different and heterogeneous approaches and methodologies to investigate the phenomenon of pathological Gambling Disorder (GD) arises from a substantial difference in the literature results emerging in this area. Furthermore, investigating the executive functioning (EFs) of subjects with GD provides important information that can influence the treatment setting of these populations. In the present paper the involvement of EFs in the present disorder was investigated. The cognitive functioning of subjects with GD was deepened, both through the study of the cerebral correlates of executive functioning in GD and through empirical studies that investigate the behavioural deficits of GD. Furthermore, we considered the role of some specific behavioral tasks (such as the Iowa Gambling Task, IGT) for the assessment of EFs. Finally, the relationship between EFs and some other crucial factors, such as reward sensitivity, were focused. Indeed, the behavioural aspects of GD are multiple, and they include not only traditional functions such as inhibitory control and reduced levels of self-control, but also high sensitivity to reward

We focused on job interviews as critical examples of complex social interaction in orga-nizational contexts. We aimed at investigating the effect of face-to-face vs. computer-mediated interaction, of role (candidate, recruiter), and of the interview phase (introductory, attitudinal, techni-cal, conclusive) on intra-brain and inter-brain connectivity measures and autonomic synchronization. Twenty expert recruiters and potential candidates took part in a hyperscanning investigation. Namely, electroencephalography (delta, theta, alpha, beta bands) and autonomic (skin-conductance, heart-rate) data were collected in candidate-recruiter dyads during a simulated job interview and then concurrently analyzed. Analyses highlighted a link between face-to-face condition and greater intra-/inter-brain connectivity indices in delta and theta bands. Furthermore, intra-brain and inter-brain connectivity measures were higher for delta and theta bands in the final interview phases compared to the first ones. Consistently, autonomic synchronization was higher during the final interview phases, specifically in the face-to-face condition. Finally, recruiters showed higher intra-brain connectivity in the delta range over frontal and temporoparietal areas, while candidates showed higher intra-brain connectivity in the theta range over frontal areas. Findings highlight the value of hyperscanning investigations in exploring social attunement in professional contexts and hint at their potential to foster neuroscience-informed practices in human resource management processes.

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The present research explored electrophysiological activity (EEG) related to problematic internet use (PIU) vulnerability in a nonclinical population. Vulnerability to PIU was assessed through internet addiction test (IAT) in a sample of 23 participants. Moreover, they underwent a behavioral Iowa gambling task (IGT) for testing decision-making functioning and N2 event-related potentials (ERPs) component was monitored during an attentional inhibitory Go/NoGo task performance with addiction-related background pictures (videogames, online gambling, and neutral stimuli). IAT measure positively correlated with both IGT index and N2 variation at the Go/NoGo task. High-IAT young participants showed specific responses to internet addiction-related cues (pictures representing online gambling) in terms of ERPs amplitude of N2pc for Go trials in Pz. Findings suggested an early attentional facilitation effect for specific addiction-related stimuli, online gambling-related stimuli, suggesting a selective attention bias for salient stimuli in this population. While higher levels of IAT do not seem to correspond to a deficit in decision-making abilities, the selective attention mechanisms show to be partially biased in response to the salience of external cues.

Objective: Recently the interest in neuroscience has allowed us to investigate the neural correlates underlying different social interactional contexts, such as prosocial behavior. The present study aimed to observe the behavioral synchronization underlying the cognitive performance and brain-to-brain coupling mechanisms during a co-operative task, through an hyperscanning paradigm (coupled participants, donors, and receivers), involving a gift exchange. Method: To this aim, neural activity was recorded through the use of electroencephalography (EEG) and hemodynamic brain activity (functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy—fNIRS). The neural and behavioral (performance accuracy—ACC and reaction times—RTs) measures were subsequently correlated among them to test the direct correspondence and the correlation of these three levels. Results: From the results, an increase in behavioral synchronization has emerged, with an improved performance after the gift exchange. Moreover, an increase of neural (EEG, fNIRS) interbrain connectivity has emerged after gift exchange, with a maximum of brain-to-brain coupling in the frontal area for EEG delta and theta bands and hemodynamic activity. Finally, a direct correlation between behavioral, EEG, and fNIRS data has emerged. Conclusion: Thus, prosocial behavior is able to improve the cognitive-behavioral performance and electrophysiological and hemodynamic interindividual synchronization, showing the direct relationship between this three-order synchronization.

Empathy is a phenomenon that brings together both emotions and an understanding of another person. Recent studies have disentangled the mechanisms of empathy into emotional and cognitive aspects. Event-related potential (ERP) studies suggest that emotional empathy is related to the modulation of the amplitude of early ERPs, and cognitive empathy is linked to later ERPs. In the current study, we examined the influences of facial attractiveness on empathic response and the effect of cognitive strategies with setting the participants’ attention to attractiveness or pain. Participants (N= 19) viewed photos of physically attractive and unattractive men and women receiving painful stimulation. The amplitude of the N2 component measured at the frontal regions was more negative in painful stimulation compared to the non-painful, but only for attractive faces. There were no differences between painful and non-painful stimulation for unattractive faces. The amplitude of the P3 measured at the central-parietal region component was more positive in the painful condition compared to the non-painful one, but only when participants performed a pain judgment task. There were no differences in the attractiveness judgment task. This study showed that the attractiveness of a model and drawing the participants’ attention to pain constitute an essential modulator of pain empathy.

The diffusion of automated decision-making systems could represent a critical crossroads for the future society. Automated technology could feasibly be involved in morally-charged decisions, with major ethical consequences. In the present study, participants (n=34) took part in a task composed of moral dilemmas where the agent (human vs. machine) and the type of behavior (action vs inaction) factors were randomized. Responses in terms of evaluation of morality, the consciousness, responsibility, intentionality, and emotional impact of the agent’s behaviour, reaction times (RTs), and EEG (delta, theta, beta, alpha, gamma powers) data were collected. Data showed that participants apply different moral rules based on the agent. Humans are considered more moral, responsible, intentional, and conscious compared to machines. Interestingly, the evaluation of the emotional impact derived from the moral behavior was perceived as more severe for humans, with decreased RTs. For EEG data, increased gamma power was detected when subjects were evaluating the intentionality and the emotional impact of machines, compared to humans. Higher beta power in the frontal and fronto-central regions was detected for the evaluation of the machine’s derived emotional impact. Moreover, a right temporal activation was found when judging the emotional impact caused by humans. Lastly, a generalized alpha desynchronization occurred in the left occipital area, when subjects evaluated the responsibility derived from inaction behaviors. Present results provided evidence for the existence of different norms when judging moral behavior of machine and human agents, pointing to a possible asymmetry in moral judgment at a cognitive and emotional level.

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The present study investigated, through eye-tracking, the impact of animation and interactivity in the ad, on visual behaviour. Users were asked to use an app, programmed by the research team, where four types of ad stimuli, obtained by crossing the two features, were exhibited. Results from moderation analysis indicated animation and interactivity as predictors of the number of ad fixations, a sign of higher attentional engagement. Furthermore, a negative effect of interactivity on animation was found, highlighting a tendency to avoid too complex ad stimuli, in accordance with the concept of cognitive workload and the absence of an additive effect.

Currently, there is little understanding of how interoceptive attentiveness (IA) affects brain responses during synchronized cognitive or motor tasks. This pilot study explored the effect of explicit IA manipulation on hemodynamic correlates of simple cognitive tasks implying linguistic or motor synchronization. Eighteen healthy participants completed two linguistic and motor synchronization tasks during explicit IA and control conditions while oxygenated (O2Hb) and deoxygenated (HHb) hemoglobin variations were recorded by functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). The findings suggested that the brain regions associated with sustained attention, such as the right prefrontal cortex (PFC), were more involved when an explicit focus on the breath was induced during the cognitive linguistic task requiring synchronization with a partner, as indicated by increased O2Hb. Interestingly, this effect was not significant for the motor task. In conclusion, for the first time, this pilot research found increased activity in neuroanatomical regions that promote sustained attention, attention reorientation, and synchronization when a joint task is carried out and the person is focusing on their physiological body reactions. Moreover, the results suggested that the benefits of conscious concentration on physiological interoceptive correlates while executing a task demanding synchronization, particularly verbal alignment, may be related to the right PFC.

Past research showed that the ability to focus on one’s internal states (e.g., interoceptive ability) positively correlates with the self-regulation of behavior in situations that are accompanied by somatic and/or physiological changes, such as emotions, physical workload, and decision-making. The analysis of moral oriented decision-making can be the first step for better understanding the legal reasoning carried on by the main players in the field, as lawyers are. For this reason, this study investigated the influence of the decision context and interoceptive manipulation on the moral decision-making process in the legal field gathering the responses of two groups of lawyers. A total of 20 lawyers were randomly divided into an experimental group (EXP), which was explicitly required to focus the attention on its interoceptive correlates, and a control group (CON), which only received the general instruction to perform the task. Both groups underwent a modified version of the Ultimatum Game (UG), where are presented three different moral conditions (professional, company, and social) and three different offers (fair, unfair, and equal). Results highlighted a significant increase of Acceptance Rate (AR) in those offers that should be considered more equal than fair or unfair ones, associated with a general increase of Reaction Times (RTs) in the equal offers. Furthermore, the interoceptive manipulation oriented the Lawyers toward a more self-centered decision. This study shows how individual, situational, contextual, and interoceptive factors may influence the moral decision-making of lawyers. Future research in the so-called Neurolaw field is needed to replicate and expand current findings.

Human–computer interaction (HCI) is particularly interesting because full-immersive technology may be approached differently by users, depending on the complexity of the interaction, users’ personality traits, and their motivational systems inclination. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between psychological factors and attention towards specific tech-interactions in a smart home system (SHS). The relation between personal psychological traits and eye-tracking metrics is investigated through self-report measures [locus of control (LoC), user experience (UX), behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and behavioral activation system (BAS)] and a wearable and wireless near-infrared illumination based eye-tracking system applied to an Italian sample (n = 19). Participants were asked to activate and interact with five different tech-interaction areas with different levels of complexity (entrance, kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom) in a smart home system (SHS), while their eye-gaze behavior was recorded. Data showed significant differences between a simpler interaction (entrance) and a more complex one (living room), in terms of number of fixation. Moreover, slower time to first fixation in a multifaceted interaction (bathroom), compared to simpler ones (kitchen and living room) was found. Additionally, in two interaction conditions (living room and bathroom), negative correlations were found between external LoC and fixation count, and between BAS reward responsiveness scores and fixation duration. Findings led to the identification of a two-way process, where both the complexity of the tech-interaction and subjects’ personality traits are important impacting factors on the user’s visual exploration behavior. This research contributes to understand the user responsiveness adding first insights that may help to create more human-centered technology.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the production of a vast amount of COVID-19-themed brand commercials, in an attempt to exploit the salience of the topic to reach more effectively the consumers. However, the literature has produced conflicting findings of the effectiveness of negative emotional contents in advertisings. The present study aims at exploring the effect of COVID-19-related contents on the hemodynamic brain correlates of the consumer approach or avoidance motivation. Twenty Italian participants were randomly assigned to two different groups that watched COVID-19-related or non-COVID-19-related commercials. The hemodynamic response [oxygenated (O2Hb) and deoxygenated hemoglobin modulations] within the left and right prefrontal cortices (PFC) was monitored with Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) while brand commercials were presented, as the prefrontal lateralization was shown to be indicative of the attitude toward the brand and of the approach-avoidance motivation. First, the findings showed that the COVID-19-related contents were able to prompt emotional processing within the PFC to a higher extent compared to contents non-related to COVID-19. Moreover, the single-channel analysis revealed increased O2Hb activity of the left dorsolateral PFC compared to the left pars triangularis Broca’s area in the group of participants that watched the COVID-19-related commercials, suggesting that the commercials may have driven participants to dedicate more attention toward the processing of the emotional components compared to the semantic meaning conveyed by the ad. To conclude, despite expressing unpleasant emotions, commercials referring to the highly emotional pandemic experience may benefit the advertising efficacy, increasing the capability to reach customers.

Introduction: Nowadays new tools suitable for exploring executive functioning (EF) of behavioral addicted individuals are needed. Objectives: This study tests a novel digital assessment battery that can be easily and remotely adopted by neuropsychologists working in the field of addiction. Methods: Twenty-three participants were divided into two groups, balanced for age and education: an experimental (EXP) group of 13 patients with gambling behavior, and a control (CNT) group of 10 healthy subjects. A neuropsychological battery including 5 neuropsychological tests (measuring long- and short-term verbal memory, working memory, cognitive flexibility, verbal and non-verbal fluency, attention), and a behavioral task (modified Go/NoGo task with addiction-related stimuli) was digitally administered. Anxiety, depression, and impulsivity levels were collected before the evaluation. Results: Significantly higher scores were found for repetition errors in the short-term verbal memory test, in the EXP subjects compared to controls. Higher reaction times were found in the Go/No-Go task for the EXP compared to CNT, with significant differences for neutral and addiction-related (cocaine, THC) stimuli. Furthermore, EXP showed higher impulsivity scores. Conclusions: Although the study was only exploratory, the significant results could support the validity of this new digital tool. Besides, we could conclude that memory impairment and attentional bias in inhibitory control tasks could cover a significant role in new and old addiction and that impulsivity could represent a critical factor in explaining the relationship between EF impairment and addiction. Lastly, this study contributes not only to the understanding of EF impairment in addictions but also in the delivery of remote suitable digital neuropsychological testing

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Enhancing the embodiment of artificial limbs—the individuals' feeling that a virtual or robotic limb is integrated in their own body scheme—is an impactful strategy for improving prosthetic technology acceptance and human-machine interaction. Most studies so far focused on visuo-tactile strategies to empower the embodiment processes. However, novel approaches could emerge from self-regulation techniques able to change the psychophysiological conditions of an individual. Accordingly, this pilot study investigates the effects of a self-regulated breathing exercise on the processes of body ownership underlying the embodiment of a virtual right hand within a Spatially Augmented Respiratory Biofeedback (SARB) setting. This investigation also aims at evaluating the feasibility of the breathing exercise enabled by a low-cost SARB implementation designed for upcoming remote studies (a need emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic). Twenty-two subjects without impairments, and two transradial prosthesis users for a preparatory test, were asked (in each condition of a within-group design) to maintain a normal (about 14 breaths/min) or slow (about 6 breaths/min) respiratory rate to keep a static virtual right hand “visible” on a screen. Meanwhile, a computer-generated sphere moved from left to right toward the virtual hand during each trial (1 min) of 16. If the participant's breathing rate was within the target (slow or normal) range, a visuo-tactile event was triggered by the sphere passing under the virtual hand (the subjects observed it shaking while they perceived a vibratory feedback generated by a smartphone). Our results—mainly based on questionnaire scores and proprioceptive drift—highlight that the slow breathing condition induced higher embodiment than the normal one. This preliminary study reveals the feasibility and potential of a novel psychophysiological training strategy to enhance the embodiment of artificial limbs. Future studies are needed to further investigate

This book focuses on applying neuroscience to organizational and managerial contexts, observing its possible applications, present and future potentials, and highlighting the possible criticalities of using neuroscientific paradigms and techniques applied to the management field. Specifically, the first part of the volume aims to offer an overview of how the adoption of an approach and a "neuroscientific mentality" allows to analyze and promote a change, with a view to the promotion of some fundamental components in the organizational context, such as leadership, confident behavior, business morality and ethics, and stress management. In particular, each of these components is observed through a neuroscientific perspective to offer elements for the promotion of a climate of well-being in the workplace. These aspects are also taken up in the second part of the volume, which focuses mainly on the application of neuroscience to the organizational context, providing evidence on how the use of specific neuroscientific techniques and paradigms, such as those of neuroassessment and neuroenhancement, allows to evaluate and strengthen the executive functions of individuals, to better manage the stress levels and the emotional load of individuals by improving their work performance. In addition to highlighting the impact and effectiveness of some neuroscientific paradigms, the second part of this book highlights the impact of Industry 4.0 on automation and technological developments, such as distance learning in the workplace, from a neuroscientific point of view. Therefore, this book aims to provide a broad overview of how neuroscience within the organizational context allows to fully explore individuals' behavior by "modifying" it to promote well-being, functional management of stress, and promote a generative climate and encourage trust.

The term "neuroassessment" refers to the application of neurometrics, neuroscientific methods and techniques for the assessment practices conducted in the organizational contexts. So far, despite the significance of dynamic cognitive and social processes, as well as their potential function as precursors to self-regulation and other key professional soft skills, the neuromanagement area lacks an overarching structure for assessing these processes in the professional contexts. Therefore, a neurocognitive triadic model for the evaluation of individual professional potential and neuroenhancement has been here proposed. Within this framework, two application examples of neuroassessment to the evaluation of the potential practices and the professional interpersonal interactions in the company have been discussed. These examples intended to emphasize the advantages of integrating the neuroscientific perspective into the organizational contexts, provide an overview of what has been done so far, and stimulate new ideas on what could be done in the companies contexts in the future.

This contribution outlined recent strategies and technology-based training for stress management interventions (SMIs) at the workplace, dedicated to professionals at each level. Specific attention has been given to mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), wearable brain-and-body sensing technologies, biofeedback (BF) and neurofeedback (NF) training, and virtual reality. Despite the promising evidence at the neural, psychophysiological, cognitive, and behavioral level of a neuroscientific approach combining MBI and BF/NF training, there are still limited opportunities in the application of SMIs at the workplace. Introducing valuable and intensive stress management training for professionals at the workplace, with the support of wearable technologies, may help to contain health-related complications due to stress. It may also improve the physical and psychological well-being of the workforce, with a large impact in standard welfare intervention and productivity.

Recently, advances in technology and learning methods have allowed the development of new training practices within the workplace. This was made possible, in particular, by digital-learning, which allowed trainers and users to share knowledge in any place and time. Furthermore, digitallearning has made it possible to give rise to more economical, practical, and realistic training addressing many people at the same time. The possibilities offered by digital-learning have also been explored by neuroscience, interested in applying neuroscientific models of learning and cognition to implement increasingly effective and useful e-learning programs. In addition, the contribution of neuroscience in improving digital-learning also includes the possible use of neuroscientific techniques for the assessment and monitoring of learning outcome and quality. This, therefore, leads to an increasingly deepening of the investigation of neuroscientific methods and techniques that could be useful for improving the digital-learning field.

Recent advances in neuroscience have allowed a better understanding of the phenomenon of leadership and its development. In particular, social and affective neuroscience have developed new neuroscientific methods and techniques that allow a more in-depth understanding of the implicit and explicit cognitive and emotional mechanisms characterizing different leadership styles, opening the field to new models such as that of "inspirational" and "generative" leadership. Therefore, the tools of neuroscience make it possible to analyze various phenomena underlying the style of leadership within the company context, such as the emotional expression, the types of communication, and interpersonal relational skills. In particular, a recent neuroscience paradigm, the "hyperscanning", has allowed analyzing the mechanisms of the body and brain synthonization between leader and employee during real interactional situations to better direct and develop excellent and functional styles of leadership.

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Moral decision-making is a complex process composed of different decisional systems supported by controlled, automatic, cognitive, and emotional processes. Specifically, moral decision-making regards the evaluation of the possible consequences, implications, and acceptability of our own decisions on others' behavior. Neuroscience, thanks to the use of new and innovative methods, has allowed investigating the implicit and explicit correlates underlying moral decision-making in different contexts, such as the organizational one. Especially within the organizational context, neuroscience has proved useful for investigating the cerebral and peripheral mechanisms underlying the moral decision process through the use of classical paradigms consisting of monetary choices and social decision tasks. Therefore, the use of neuroscience in the investigation of company moral behavior has allowed highlighting the brain areas most involved in moral judgment and the analysis of decisions' costs and benefits and the bodily responses associated with decisions more engaging for individuals.

The interest of the neuroscientific approach, recently, is aimed to implement methodologies and tools to investigate the mental processes underlying different individuals' abilities, such as self-regulation, social skills, and higher cognition at the workplace. Indeed, neuroscience allows investigating the human mind and its own higher cognitive and social functions, called Executive Functions (EFs), by integrating several analyses, including overt behavior and covert neurophysiological correlates. Therefore, neuromanagement allows to evaluate and enhance individuals' EFs controlling different top-down mental processes, as inhibition, working memory, attention, learning, pianification and cognitive flexibility. Particularly, neuroscience applied to the management field could offer valid evidence useful to the implementation of specific protocols for the development of new evaluation potential and performances and the enhancement of individuals' cognitive, emotional and relationship skills.

The fourth industrial revolution focuses on automation and on designing intelligent and responsive systems. Industry 4.0 represents a long-term development strategy, where efficiency is increased via the integrated analysis of large streams of data and the optimization of human-technology interactions.

Trust represents a central part of all human relationships, including romantic partnerships, family life, business, politics, and other contexts of individuals' life. Indeed, trusting behavior can be represented as an essential individual need to bond, relate, and develop supportive social relationships. Moreover, trust affects the organization's ability to accomplish its objectives and meet strategic goals because it acts as a social connector for interpersonal relationships. In particular, the neuroscientific approach demonstrated that organizations sustaining high levels of trust have substantially greater engagement by colleagues. This indicates that organizational trust represents a valuable asset that can be measured and managed to sustain a competitive advantage over rivals, demonstrating the possibility to support some processes that increase the trust behavior within the organizational context.

Neurocognitive enhancement is one of the possible options proposed by neuroscience discipline to optimize and maximize workers' neurocognitive efficiency and behavioral performance at the workplace. It involves the adoption of neuroscience techniques able to influence the activity of neural structures and networks sub-serving cognitive skills and supporting cognitive performance. In this contribution the combined integration of non-invasive neurofeedback wearable device with mindfulness-based practice proves to be the current fittest and more appropriate mental training for all professionals in the company context. Three applied protocols will be described to highlight how neuroenhancement could promote well-being at work by increasing neurocognitive efficiency of workers (at every level, from junior to senior positions), and consequently it could augment workers' quality of life by improving their performance. Last but not least, neuroenhancement could also act as a preventive intervention for age management at the workplace, given its efficacy in preventing cognitive decline and strengthening attention regulation.

Hoteliers and companies are asked to optimize their budgets and, at the same time, gifting unforgettable experiences to customers who are freely able to express their feedbacks, readable by thousands of potential guests. In addition, the rise of corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability, environmental and social issues leads to the necessity to investigate more systematically new business models that respond to these emerging concerns. In order to investigate the impact of sustainability in tourism marketing, a multimethod neuroscientific approach was used to record individuals’ neural activity (electroencephalography, EEG) and autonomic system responses during the exploration of four different environments of a green hotel adopting a sustainability approach. EEG findings showed an increase of beta and theta frequency band activity during individuals’ environments exploration, underlying the presence of cognitive and emotional elaboration processes. Moreover, from autonomic activity, an increase of pulse volume amplitude (PVA) and heart rate (HR) response emerged during the exploration of hotel environments, highlighting emotional engagement and positive emotional response. This research, therefore, contributes to show how responsiveness to sustainability concept within consumer services can improve individuals’ experience enjoyment and customers' well-being condition.

Introduction: Empathizing with others’ pain appears to recruit the whole pain matrix, including a collection of frontal regions involved in the affective, motivational, cognitive, and attentional dimension of pain. Objectives: This research explored how the modulation of interoceptive attentiveness (IA) can influence the frontal (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex -DLPFC- and somatosensory cortices) activity related to the emotional regulation and sensory response of observing pain in others. Methods: 22 healthy participants were required to observe face versus hand, painful/non-painful stimuli in an individual versus social condition while brain hemodynamic response (oxygenated [O2Hb] and deoxygenated hemoglobin [HHb] components) was measured by functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). The sample was divided into experimental (EXP) and control (CNT) groups and the EXP group was explicitly required to focus on its interoceptive correlates while observing the stimuli. Results: In the individual condition, higher brain responsiveness was detected for painful confronted to non-painful stimuli, and a left/right hemispheric lateralization was found for the individual and social condition, respectively. Besides, both groups showed higher DLPFC activation for face stimuli displayed in the individual condition compared to hand stimuli in the social condition. However, face stimuli activation prevailed for the EXP group, suggesting the direct interoceptive phenomenon has certain features, namely it manifests itself in the individual condition and for pain stimuli. Conclusions: We can conclude that IA modulation promoted the recruitment of internal adaptive regulatory strategies engaging both DLPFC and somatosensory regions towards emotionally relevant stimuli (painful faces displayed in the individual condition). Therefore IA could be trained for promoting emotion regulation and empathic response.

Introduction: Mounting evidence shows that mental training activities aimed at increasing self-awareness and self-regulation can better psychophysical wellbeing, as well as on neurocognitive efficiency. Nevertheless, the commitment required by traditional approaches to such activities often discourages their implementation as prevention tools with elderly users. Integrating traditional interventions and new technologies might help to achieve this goal. Objectives: The study aims at evaluating the effects on cognitive control and self-regulation of a mindfulness protocol supported by a wearable neurofeedback device, comparing young-adults and elderly people. Methods: Participants completed a three-week experimental (EXP) or control (CONT) training protocol, with daily sessions of practice. The EXP protocol was based on breathing awareness practices executed with the support of the wearable neurofeedback device. In the CONT protocol, participants completed breathing practices while listening to ambient sounds with no feedback. Stress, anxiety and mood levels, cognitive skills, and physiological markers (EEG and autonomic indices) of neurocognitive efficiency and stress were assessed pre-/post-training. Results: Both young and elderly participants completing the experimental protocol showed a post-training improvement in executive control, a reduction in perceived stress levels, and an improvement of psychophysiological markers of stress regulation. In addition, young participants presented an improvement of EEG markers of attention regulation, while elderly participants showed an improvement of EEG markers of affective regulation and a reduction of subclinical depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Findings highlights the potential of integrating traditional interventions and new technologies in order to promote subjective well-being and neurocognitive enhancement, especially with elderly users.

Introduction: Recently, clinical models based on neuroscientific evidence have highlighted the detrimental role of executive functions impairments in negatively contributing to the functional decline of patients with Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Yet, despite these potential implications, the screening tools that are typically used to assess such impairments are not specific for patients presenting addiction and are not able to properly sketch their dysfunctional executive control profile. Objectives: This study aimed at testing the clinical potential of a novel screening battery for neurocognitive disorders in addiction. Methods: The screening battery was tested on 151 patients with SUD and 55 control subjects. The battery consisted of five neuropsychological tests tapping on verbal and working memory, focused attention, and cognitive flexibility and two computerized neurocognitive tasks (Stroop and Go/No-go tasks adapted for the evaluation of interference inhibition, executive control, and attention bias towards drugs of abuse). Results: Statistical analyzes showed worse cognitive performance in patients with SUD compared to controls, both at neuropsychological tests of cognitive flexibility, focused attention and verbal memory and at neurocognitive tasks, suggesting the presence of deficit of regulatory mechanisms involved in inhibition and orientation of attention/cognitive resources. These results were also confirmed by second-level analyses where the role of age and education as potential moderators was checked, suggesting the robustness of the tested measures. Conclusions: The results further stress the link between specific executive impairments and SUD and suggest the potential of the battery as a quick yet valid neurocognitive screening tool.

Introduction: Nowadays new tools suitable for exploring executive functioning (EF) of behavioral addicted individuals are needed. Objectives: This study tests a novel digital assessment battery that can be easily and remotely adopted by neuropsychologists working in the field of addiction. Methods: Twenty-three participants were divided into two groups, balanced for age and education: an experimental (EXP) group of 13 patients with gambling behavior, and a control (CNT) group of 10 healthy subjects. A neuropsychological battery including 5 neuropsychological tests (measuring long- and short-term verbal memory, working memory, cognitive flexibility, verbal and non-verbal fluency, attention), and a behavioral task (modified Go/NoGo task with addiction-related stimuli) was digitally administered. Anxiety, depression, and impulsivity levels were collected before the evaluation. Results: Significantly higher scores were found for repetition errors in the short-term verbal memory test, in the EXP subjects compared to controls. Higher reaction times were found in the Go/No-Go task for the EXP compared to CNT, with significant differences for neutral and addiction-related (cocaine, THC) stimuli. Furthermore, EXP showed higher impulsivity scores. Conclusions: Although the study was only exploratory, the significant results could support the validity of this new digital tool. Besides, we could conclude that memory impairment and attentional bias in inhibitory control tasks could cover a significant role in new and old addiction and that impulsivity could represent a critical factor in explaining the relationship between EF impairment and addiction. Lastly, this study contributes not only to the understanding of EF impairment in addictions but also in the delivery of remote suitable digital neuropsychological testing

Importance: At the beginning of a public health crisis, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is important to collect information about people's knowledge, worries, and behaviors to examine their influence on quality of life and to understand individual characteristics associated with these reactions. Such information could help to guide health authorities in providing informed interventions and clear communications. Objectives: To document the initial knowledge about COVID-19 and recommended health behaviors; to assess worries (ie, one's perception of the influence of the worries of others on oneself), social appraisal, and preventive behaviors, comparing respondents from areas under different movement restrictions during the first week after the outbreak; and to understand how worries, perceived risk, and preventive behaviors were associated with quality of life and individual characteristics among Italian adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: This convenience sample, nonprobablistic survey study recruited adult participants with a snowballing sampling method in any Italian region during the first week of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy from February 26, 2020, to March 4, 2020. Data were analyzed from March 5 to 12, 2020. Exposures: Information was collected from citizens living in the quarantine zone (ie, red zone), area with restricted movements (ie, yellow zone), and COVID-19-free regions (ie, green zone). Main Outcomes and Measures: Levels of knowledge on the virus, contagion-related worries, social appraisal, and preventive behaviors were assessed with ratings of quality of life (measured using the Short Form Health Survey). Additionally, some individual characteristics that may be associated with worries and behaviors were assessed, including demographic characteristics, personality traits (measured using Big Five Inventory-10), perceived health control (measured using the internal control measure in the Health Locus of Control sca

Recently, it has been demonstrated that chronic inflammation could have a role on fatigue onset in chronic hemodialysis (HD). Research on neuro-immune interactions highlighted that an alteration of basal ganglia functioning, secondary to chronic inflammation, may translate in a reduced motivation and altered reward processes in chronic diseases. This study investigated a possible correlation between fatigue severity and reward mechanisms, that regulate motivational dispositions, in HD patients. Evaluation scales were administered to ninety-four patients on HD (54 Male, 40 Female; Mdage = 67±26.5; Dialytic Mdage in years = 4±6.3. Fatigue was assessed by using Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS) and Behavioural Activation System (BAS) Scale was administered to investigate approach/avoidance behaviours. Anxiety and depression were measured by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). Results show that the distribution of HD patients for FSS score did not show a normal pattern. FSS score was significantly higher in patients with high BIS Z-score than in patients with low and medium BIS Z-score. BDI score and STAI-Y scores were similar among BIS Z-score groups of patients. Findings suggest that in patients on chronic hemodialysis there is a correlation between fatigue severity symptoms and motivational disposition mechanisms that predispose to action inhibition.

Little is presently known about customers' expectations and the unspoken relevant factors which lead them to prefer or not sustainable luxury products. This study aimed to deepen the understanding of luxury consumers' implicit intentions towards sustainability by using, for the first time, a neuroscientific approach applied to the luxury fashion domain. A greater cortical activity related to cognitive and emotional aspects was hypothesized for luxury sustainability-oriented consumers than for non-sustainability-oriented subjects when presented with sustainability-related cues. Sixteen luxury consumers were divided into two groups according to their sensitivity towards sustainability issues. They were asked to observe a set of 10 stimuli depicting sustainability issues and then to interact with a salesperson while their cortical activity was recorded by an electroencephalogram (EEG). Frequency band analysis revealed higher levels of beta, delta, and theta band EEG activity in temporoparietal than frontocentral areas when observing pictures related to sustainability and a specific right temporoparietal theta band activation for the Nonsustainable Group. An increased level of knowledge of sustainability themes was confirmed by the correct detection of stimuli valence and a significant presence of delta power when the salesperson explained the brand's sustainable policy. The specific brain responses related to sensitivity towards sustainability and the different effect of knowledge on sustainability topics based on group differences are discussed here in light of emotional behavior.

Recent research in social neuroscience has shown how prosocial behavior can increase perceived self-efficacy, perception of cognitive abilitites and social interactions. The present research explored the effect of prosocial behavior, that is giving a gift during an interpersonal exchange, measuring the hyperscanning among two brains. The experiment aimed to analyze the behavioral performance and the brain-to-brain prefrontal neural activity of 16 dyads during a joint action consisting in a cooperative game, which took place in a laboratory setting controlled by an experimenter, to play before and after a gift exchange. Two different types of gift exchange were compared: experiential and material. Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) was applied to record brain activity. Inter-brain connectivity was calculated before and after the gift exchange. In behavioral data, a behavioral performance increase was observed after gift exchange, with accuracy improvement and response times decrease. Regarding intra-brain analyses, an increase in oxygenated hemoglobin was detected, especially in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in both donor and receiver; and in the dorsal part of the premotor cortex (DPMC) in the donor. Moreover, as regards the gift type, greater activation in the DPLFC emerged in both the donor and the receiver after receiving an experiential gift. Finally, the results of the inter-brain connectivity analysis showed that after gift exchange, the donor and receiver brain activity was more synchronized in the DPMC and Frontal Eye Fields (FEF) areas. The present study provides a contribution to the identification of inter-brain functional connectivity when prosocial behaviors are played out.