Lectures and presentations
Thematic session 4: Body and brain in synchrony
JYU experts related to activity:
Is presenter: Yes | ||||
Is presenter: Yes | ||||
Is presenter: Yes |
All experts: Lensu, Sanna; Nokia, Miriam; Parviainen, Tiina
Activity details
Nature of event: Scientific conference
Name of event: Brains and Bodies in Social Interaction, Learning and Wellbeing
Presentation type: Other public presentation
Start date: 12/06/2024
End date: 12/06/2024
Year: 2024
Description
Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä
Learning and memory are the key determinants for the survival of an individual. Brain functions are supported by the bodily systems, and one of the pathways linking them is the tenth cranial nerve, vagus nerve. Vagus nerve is
the longest nerve in the body and acts as a transmitter of bidirectional information between the body and brain, driving especially the parasympathetic tone. In this talk critical components of anatomical and functional properties of vagus nerve will be outlined. Vagus nerve has been also a target for manipulations to treat disorders like depression and treatment resistant epilepsy, and the stimulation is used to relieve stress and inflammation in various circumstances. Experimentally, it is shown to enhance e.g. selective attention and extinction of learned fear. In my talk I will shortly describe the pathways by which these stimulatory effects may be introduced and mediated. I will also present some knowledge of how gut and gut microbes are involved in this. Lastly, the vagal pathway between the brain and body in support of learning and memory will be discussed
Miriam Nokia: "Optimizing learning with the help of bodily signals"
Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä
Breathing and heartbeat connect to brain activity and behavior. Our studies in animals and in humans indicate that rhythmic changes in bodily state can affect the acquisition and performance of learned behavior. Namely, during classical conditioning, presenting the conditioned stimulus at diastole during expiration consistently leads to more conditioned responses than presenting the conditioned stimulus at systole during inspiration. In this talk, I will present
findings from our recent studies in young and elderly healthy human participants and discuss what could explain our results.
Tiina Parviainen: "Attending visceral information: neural correlates, individual differences and significance for interaction"
Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä
We are used to thinking of the brain and cerebral cortex as the ultimate control center for body movements and functions. However, information also flows in the opposite direction, with bodily functions influencing the brain functional state and structural properties. During my presentation, I will provide examples of the ways bodily systems influence brain and mind. Besides the sensory system, the brain receives afferent input from the visceral organs. Using MEG we clarified whether and how bodily biosignals, namely respiration and cardiac parameters, affect brain activity. We also studied how sensitivity to these visceral signals, known as interoception, relates to individual temperament traits. In addition to exploring 'whether' and 'how', I'll discuss potential explanations for 'why' bodily signals influence brain and mind states.
Follow-up groups: Psychology (Department of Psychology PSY) PSY; Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research (Department of Psychology PSY) CIBR; Behaviour change, health, and well-being across the lifespan (University of Jyväskylä JYU) BC-Well; School of Wellbeing (University of Jyväskylä JYU) JYU.Well; Exercise Physiology (Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences LTK, SPORT) LFY; Sports and Exercise Medicine (Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences LTK, SPORT) LLT
Profiling areas: Behaviour change, health, and well-being across the lifespan (University of Jyväskylä JYU) BC-Well; School of Wellbeing (University of Jyväskylä JYU) JYU.Well
JYU unit(s)
Related project
- Optimizing learning - synchrony of the brain and body as a tool?; Nokia, Miriam - Department of Psychology, Research Council of Finland (321522), 01/09/2019-31/08/2023, 6A. Collecting materials for archives (public)
- Brain-wide memory consolidation in sleep studied with simultaneous electrophysiology and ultra-quiet zero-echo time fMRI (mecofMRI); Nokia, Miriam - Department of Psychology, Research Council of Finland (355392), 01/09/2023-31/08/2027, 3A. Live (public)
