Showing 8 results for Neuroscience
Prof. Fariba Khodagholi, Dr. Maryam Alsadat Mousavi, Dr. Yahya Ghaedi, Ms. Shakiba Salarvandian, Ms. Fatemeh Vosoughian, Ms. Mobina Javadi, Ms. Fereshteh Khodagholi, Dr. Solmaz Khalifeh, Dr. Roohollah Karimi, Mr. Masoud Seddighfar, Ms. Shima Barzin, Prof. Leila Dargahi,
Volume 0, Issue 0 (3-2018)
Abstract
Among all educational methods all around the world, Philosophy for Children (P4C) has been introduced as one of the effective methods, with various educational, cognitive, and emotional advantages for children. This method is built on three types of thinking; critical (logic), caring (ethical), and creative (aesthetic). The focus of this study is to review the various outcomes of applying this strategy in different genders, ages, and socioeconomic statuses from a neuroscience standpoint. It seems that gender and socioeconomic status can affect the results of this educational method just in some measured aspects. However, the combination of gender, age, and socioeconomic status appears to influence P4C outcomes.
Dr. Hamed Ekhtiari, Dr. Mohammad-Taghi Joghataei, Dr. Mohammad-Reza Zarrindast,
Volume 2, Issue 3 (4-2011)
Abstract
The fifth Iranian national congress on the biology of addiction was held in 22-24 June 2011 in Tehran University of Medical Sciences with over 100 valuable oral and poster presentations and over 300 participants. One of the main sessions of the congress was devoted to a national strategic planning and Iranian Drug Control Head Quarter (DCHQ) introducing the first national executive road map on research into the biology of addiction. The road map will serve as a part of national strategic plan on addiction studies in Iran. As the main contributors in the preparation of the map, we think neuroscientists have to play a unique role in implementation of this map. We believe that the studies into the biology of addiction can act as a pivotal turning point to promote neuroscience in Iran regarding the governmental focus and public demand on addiction prevention and treatment. In this editorial, we will elucidate a general schema of the map, focusing more on potential opportunities for neuroscientists, and discuss new hopes, needs and challenges that we would be facing in the future to take advantage of addiction related opportunities to study neuroscience in both national and international levels.
Dr Nahid Ashjazadeh, Dr Reza Boostani, Dr Hamed Ekhtiari, Dr Masoumeh Emamghoreish, Dr Majidreza Farrokhi, Dr Ahmad Ghanizadeh, Dr Gholamreza Hatam, Dr Habib Hadianfard, Dr Mehrzad Lotfi, Dr Seyed Mohammad Javad Mortazavi, Dr Maryam Mousavi, Dr Afshin Montakhab, Dr Majid Nili, Dr Ali Razmkon, Dr Sina Salehi, Dr Amir Mohammad Sodagar, Dr Peiman Setoodeh, Dr Mousa Taghipour, Dr Mohammad Torabi-Nami, Dr Abdolkarim Vesal,
Volume 5, Issue 2 (5-2014)
Abstract
Recent advances in brain and cognitive science studies have revolutionized concepts in neural dynamics, regulating mechanisms, coding systems and information processing networks which govern our function and behavior. Hidden aspects of neurological and psychiatric diseases are being understood and hopes for their treatment are emerging. Although the two comprehensive mega-projects on brain mapping are in place in the United States and Europe the proportion of science contributed by the developing countries should not be downsized. With the granted supports from the Cognitive Sciences and Technologies Council (CSTC), Iran can take its role in research on brain and cognition further. The idea of research and development in Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (CST) is being disseminated across the country by CSTC. Towards this goal, the first Shiraz interdisciplinary meeting on CST was held on 9 January 2014 in Namazi hospital, Shiraz. CST research priorities, infrastructure development, education and promotion were among the main topics discussed during this interactive meeting. The steering committee of the first CST meeting in Shiraz decided to frame future research works within the “Brain and Cognition Study Group-Shiraz” ( BCSG-Shiraz). The study group comprises scientific leaders from various allied disciplines including neuroscience, neurosurgery, neurology, psychiatry, psychology, radiology, physiology, bioengineering, biophysics, applied physics and telecommunication. As the headquarter for CST in the southern Iran, BCSG-Shiraz is determined to advocate “brain and cognition” awareness, education and research in close collaboration with CSTC. Together with CSTC, Shiraz Neuroscience Research center (SNRC) will take the initiative to cross boundaries in interdisciplinary works and multi-centric research projects within the study group.
Masoud Shekarabi,
Volume 6, Issue 1 (2-2015)
Abstract
No abstract is provided.
Seyed Alireza Derakhshanrad, Emily Piven,
Volume 9, Issue 3 (5-2018)
Abstract
Introduction: Campus life tends to make social and academic demands on college students. To cope with these demands, students are required to use their neurocognitive skills of problem- solving and planning intentional actions that target towards adaptation to college. This paper presents an illuminating perspective that would inform understanding of a new approach to cognitive neuroscience. The linkage between cognition and adaptation was sought in the context of a cognitive neurodynamic approach proposed by the Intention, Meaning, and Perception (IMP) model of neuro-occupation.
Methods: An ex post facto study was conducted on a convenience sample of 187 college students in Shiraz, Iran. A brief questionnaire was developed to screen participants for diversity of cognitive neurodynamic processing capacity and three standardized questionnaires were used to gather data about college adaptation manifestations. The partial correlation, 1-way, and 2-way ANOVA tests were used to analyze the data.
Results: The partial correlation test showed large, positive correlation (r≥0.7, P<0.001) between elements of the cognitive neurodynamic process, denoting that the interrelated connections among intention, meaning, and perception were governed by feedback loops. One-way ANOVA test revealed that students with diverse cognitive neurodynamic processing capacity had a variety of college adaptation manifestations. Two-way ANOVA showed a statistically significant main effect for neurodynamic processing capacity (F2, 178=8.1, P<0.001).
Conclusion: College adaptation could have been established by the cognitive neurodynamic process proposed by the IMP model. Therefore, it is advisable for faculty, mental health practitioners, and counselors who work with students at universities to understand this process and address students’ maladaptation to campus life.
Tara Rezapour, Mohammad Barzegari, Elham Sharifi, Nastaran Malmir, Hamidreza Ghiasvand, Mohammad Salehi, Alireza Noroozi, Hamed Ekhtiari,
Volume 12, Issue 5 (9-2021)
Abstract
Introduction: A brief neuroscience-informed psychoeducation program (Neuroscience-Informed Psychoeducation for Recovery [NIPER]) was developed to promote awareness (metacognition) in the main cognitive domains affected by drug and alcohol use to increase willingness to invest time and effort in the brain and cognition recovery process. The primary aim of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the NIPER program and its potential effectiveness in increasing metacognition, psychological wellbeing, and willingness for the brain and cognition recovery programs among patients with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs).
Methods: A total of 56 patients with SUDs were recruited from four outpatient treatment centers in Tehran City, Iran. They participated in four 90-min weekly sessions delivered adjunct to their routine treatment. The program’s effectiveness was measured in terms of metacognition and psychological wellbeing at baseline and the end of the program. The rate of adherence and participation and willingness to continue with brain and cognition recovery programs were measured as feasibility outcomes.
Results: A total of 51 participants completed the study. Compared to the baseline assessments, patients reported more problems in dimensions of attention, memory, inhibitory control, decision making, motor/speech, interoception, insight, and a higher level of psychological wellbeing (t=4.66; P<0.001). In terms of feasibility outcomes, the adherence and participation rates were found above 85%. Most participants expressed their high willingness to continue the brain and cognition recovery programs (86.2%) and would introduce NIPER to their peers (98%).
Conclusion: Considering the pilot results in terms of feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of NIPER in the clinical context of addiction treatment, we think that NIPER is a potentially beneficial intervention to be offered to people with SUD. It would increase their awareness and engage them in the brain and cognition recovery process. However, the clinical efficacy of the intervention should be tested in future randomized clinical trials.
Mr Farzad Azarmi, Dr. Ahmad Shalbaf, Ms Seyedeh Naghmeh Miri Ashtiani, Dr. Hamid Behnam, Dr. Mohammad Reza Daliri,
Volume 14, Issue 6 (11-2023)
Abstract
Introduction: Functional neuroimaging has developed a fundamental ground for understanding the physical basis of the brain. Recent studies have extracted invaluable information from the underlying substrate of the brain. However, cognitive deficiency has insufficiently been assessed by researchers in multiple sclerosis (MS). Therefore, extracting the brain network differences among relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients and healthy controls as biomarkers of cognitive task functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data and evaluating such biomarkers using machine learning were the aims of this study.
Methods: In order to activate cognitive functions of the brain, blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) data were collected throughout the application of a cognitive task. Accordingly, a nonlinear-based brain network was established using kernel mutual information based on the automated anatomical labeling atlas (AAL). Subsequently, a statistical test was carried out to determine the variation in brain network measures between the two groups on binary adjacency matrices. We also found the prominent graph features by merging the Wilcoxon rank-sum test with the Fisher score as a hybrid feature selection method.
Results: The results of the classification performance measures showed that the construction of a brain network using a new nonlinear connectivity measure in task-fMRI performs better than the linear connectivity measures in terms of classification. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test also demonstrated a superior result for clinical applications.
Conclusion: We believe that non-linear connectivity measures, like KMI, outperform linear connectivity measures, like correlation coefficient in finding the biomarkers of MS disease according to classification performance metrics.
Peyman Ghobadi-Azbari, Hossein Moslemi, Mitra Yousefpour, Yasaman Hosseini,
Volume 16, Issue 2 (3-2025)
Abstract
Introduction: Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) has substantial societal and individual implications, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of its neural underpinnings for effective intervention. Key to addiction is the amygdala, implicated in emotion processing and reward systems, which interacts with the prefrontal cortex in addictive behaviors.
Methods: We conducted a study involving 54 male individuals with MUD (age range: 22–44 years) to examine amygdala-cortical connectivity during methamphetamine cue reactivity, aiming to uncover effective neural pathways. We combined generalized psychophysiological interaction (gPPI) analysis and dynamic causal modeling (DCM) to elucidate connectivity dynamics and effective neural pathways. We delved deeper into neuro-behavioral connections using the Pearson correlation and group factor analysis (GFA).
Results: Our findings revealed increased functional connectivity within the amygdala-posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and amygdala-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) networks during methamphetamine cue reactivity. DCM revealed a neural network characterized by positive bidirectional connections among the amygdala, dlPFC, and PCC, along with negative intrinsic connections. Interestingly, we observed that the intrinsic self-inhibition of the dlPFC was negatively correlated with post-task positive affect, suggesting its role in emotional regulation. Nonetheless, utilizing GFA, we did not discover any noteworthy cross-unit latent factors between the neural group and variables related to behavior, psychology, or demographics.
Conclusion: These discoveries enrich our comprehension of the neural mechanisms at play in methamphetamine cue reactivity and addiction-related processes. The increased amygdala-cortical connectivity underscores the role of these networks in drug cue processing, potentially contributing to craving and relapse. Effective connectivity analysis highlights the interconnectedness of the amygdala, dlPFC, and PCC, revealing potential pathways for neural signaling during cue reactivity. Our results contribute to the growing body of knowledge about addiction’s neurobiological basis, offering insights that may inform targeted interventions to mitigate the impact of methamphetamine cue reactivity on addiction progression.