scholarly journals Decoding the neural representation of self and person knowledge with multivariate pattern analysis and data-driven approaches

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e1482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan D. Wagner ◽  
Robert S. Chavez ◽  
Timothy W. Broom
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan D. Wagner ◽  
Robert Chavez ◽  
Timothy W. Broom

Multivariate pattern analysis and data driven approaches to understanding how the human brain encodes sensory information and higher level conceptual knowledge have become increasingly dominant in visual and cognitive neuroscience, however it is only in recent years that these methods have been applied to the domain of social information processing. This review examines recent research in the field of social cognitive neuroscience focusing on how multivariate pattern analysis (e.g., pattern classification, representational similarity analysis) and data-driven methods (e.g, reverse correlation, intersubject correlation) have been used to decode and characterize high-level information about the self, other persons and social groups. We begin with a review of what is known about how self-referential processing and person perception are represented in the medial prefrontal cortex based on conventional activation-based neuroimaging approaches. This is followed by a non-technical overview of current multivariate pattern-based and data-driven neuroimaging methods designed to characterize and/or decode neural representations. The remainder of the review focuses on examining how these methods have been applied to the topic of self, person perception and the perception of social groups. Throughout, we highlight recent trends (e.g., analysis of social networks, decoding race and social groups, the use of naturalistic stimuli) and discuss several theoretical challenges that arise from the application of these new methods to the question of how the brain represents knowledge about the self and others.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Brendan Ritchie ◽  
David Michael Kaplan ◽  
Colin Klein

AbstractSince its introduction, multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA), or “neural decoding”, has transformed the field of cognitive neuroscience. Underlying its influence is a crucial inference, which we call the Decoder’s Dictum: if information can be decoded from patterns of neural activity, then this provides strong evidence about what information those patterns represent. Although the Dictum is a widely held and well-motivated principle in decoding research, it has received scant philosophical attention. We critically evaluate the Dictum, arguing that it is false: decodability is a poor guide for revealing the content of neural representations. However, we also suggest how the Dictum can be improved on, in order to better justify inferences about neural representation using MVPA.


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 186
Author(s):  
Valeria Calcaterra ◽  
Giacomo Biganzoli ◽  
Gloria Pelizzo ◽  
Hellas Cena ◽  
Alessandra Rizzuto ◽  
...  

Background: The prevalence of pediatric metabolic syndrome is usually closely linked to overweight and obesity; however, this condition has also been described in children with disabilities. We performed a multivariate pattern analysis of metabolic profiles in neurologically impaired children and adolescents in order to reveal patterns and crucial biomarkers among highly interrelated variables. Patients and methods: We retrospectively reviewed 44 cases of patients (25M/19F, mean age 12.9 ± 8.0) with severe disabilities. Clinical and anthropometric parameters, body composition, blood pressure, and metabolic and endocrinological assessment (fasting blood glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase) were recorded in all patients. As a control group, we evaluated 120 healthy children and adolescents (61M/59F, mean age 12.9 ± 2.7). Results: In the univariate analysis, the children-with-disabilities group showed a more dispersed distribution, thus with higher variability of the features related to glucose metabolism and insulin resistance (IR) compared to the healthy controls. The principal component (PC1), which emerged from the PC analysis conducted on the merged dataset and characterized by these variables, was crucial in describing the differences between the children-with-disabilities group and controls. Conclusion: Children and adolescents with disabilities displayed a different metabolic profile compared to controls. Metabolic syndrome (MetS), particularly glucose metabolism and IR, is a crucial point to consider in the treatment and care of this fragile pediatric population. Early detection of the interrelated variables and intervention on these modifiable risk factors for metabolic disturbances play a central role in pediatric health and life expectancy in patients with a severe disability.


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