Papers by Laura Sebastiani
2020 11th Conference of the European Study Group on Cardiovascular Oscillations (ESGCO), Jul 1, 2020
This study investigates the assessment of motor imagery (MI) ability in humans through the analys... more This study investigates the assessment of motor imagery (MI) ability in humans through the analysis of heartbeat dynamics. Previous studies have demonstrated that MI processes strongly influence the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity and, consequently, this reflects on the dynamics of ANS correlates such as the Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Here, we propose to extract a set of linear and nonlinear features from the HRV signals to characterize good and bad imagers. The feature set was used as input of a pattern recognition system based on the support vector machine in order to automatically recognize good and bad imagers using only cardiovascular information. To this aim, we designed an experiment where twenty volunteers performed visual and kinaesthetic imagery tasks. Results showed an accuracy of classification between good and bad imagers over 74%.
This study investigates brain-heart dynamics during visual emotional elicitation in healthy subje... more This study investigates brain-heart dynamics during visual emotional elicitation in healthy subjects through linear and nonlinear coupling measures of EEG spectrogram and instantaneous heart rate estimates. To this extent, affective pictures including different combinations of arousal and valence levels, gathered from the International Affective Picture System, were administered to twenty-two healthy subjects. Time-varying maps of cortical activation were obtained through EEG spectral analysis, whereas the associated instantaneous heartbeat dynamics was estimated using inhomogeneous point-process linear models. Brain-Heart linear and nonlinear coupling was estimated through the Maximal Information Coefficient (MIC), considering EEG time-varying spectra and point-process estimates defined in the time and frequency domains. As a proof of concept, we here show preliminary results considering EEG oscillations in the θ band (4-8 Hz). This band, indeed, is known in the literature to be involved in emotional processes. MIC highlighted significant arousal-dependent changes, mediated by the prefrontal cortex interplay especially occurring at intermediate arousing levels. Furthermore, lower and higher arousing elicitations were associated to not significant brain-heart coupling changes in response to pleasant/unpleasant elicitations.
Brain Sciences, May 29, 2023
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
2020 11th Conference of the European Study Group on Cardiovascular Oscillations (ESGCO), Jul 1, 2020
Entrainment between music features and heart rhythms have been reported but, to date, evidence in... more Entrainment between music features and heart rhythms have been reported but, to date, evidence in support of music-heart synchronization are still inconsistent. We studied the possible music-heart entrainment in a skilled pianist during a live performance before an audience. We recorded ECG before and during the concert. We derived the beat-to-beat RR time series and analyzed heart rate variability in the time domain and with non linear analysis, to evaluate the autonomic changes associated with 4 different music pieces. Results indicated an autonomic modulation specific for each piece and the decrease and increase of parasympathetic and sympathetic tone across the whole session. Also, for each music piece, analysis of correlation between the music envelope and the RR series revealed a negative correlation which could be the expression of the entrainment of music on heart rhythm.
Frontiers in Psychology, Sep 8, 2022
Synchronization between music dynamics and heart rhythm is modulated by the musician's emotional ... more Synchronization between music dynamics and heart rhythm is modulated by the musician's emotional involvement: A single case study.
International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis
Journal of Sleep Research
Mentation reports were collected after spontaneous awakenings from morning naps in 18 healthy par... more Mentation reports were collected after spontaneous awakenings from morning naps in 18 healthy participants, and associations between sleep stages duration and complexity of recalled mentation were investigated. Participants were continuously recorded with polysomnography and allowed to sleep for a maximum of 2 hr. Mentation reports were classified according to both their complexity (1–6 scale) and their perceived timing of occurrence (Recent or Previous Mentation with respect to the final awakening). The results showed a good level of mentation recall, including different types of mentation with lab-related stimuli. N1 + N2 duration was positively related to the complexity of Previous Mentation recall, while rapid eye movement sleep duration was negatively related. This suggests that the recall of complex mentation, such as dreaming with a plot, occurring far from awakening may depend on the length of N1 + N2. However, the duration of sleep stages did not predict the complexity of Recent Mentation recall. Nevertheless, 80% of participants who recalled Recent Mentation had a rapid eye movement sleep episode. Half of the participants reported incorporating lab-related stimuli in their mentation, which positively correlated with both N1 + N2 and rapid eye movement duration. In conclusion, nap sleep architecture is informative about the complexity of dreams perceived as having occurred early during the sleep episode, but not about those perceived as recent.
Journal of Biological Research - Bollettino della Società Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale
Neutral hypnosis is commonly used as a relaxation technique. Even if many of its physiological co... more Neutral hypnosis is commonly used as a relaxation technique. Even if many of its physiological correlates as well as the main neuropsychological characteristics of hypnotizable individuals have been described, it is still unclear whether the hypnotic state (state theory) or the cognitive capabilities of awake hypnotizable individuals per se (trait theory) are responsible of the relaxation effects induced by hypnosis [1]. Indeed, specific suggestions have been proven to induce cognitive emotional experiences, associated to specific physiological patterns,which can be different in relation to hypnotizability and/or hypnosis. In recent studies [2] it has been demonstrated that awake hypnotizable subjects, at difference with non hypnotizable ones,were able to buffer the autonomic effects of a moderately unpleasant cognitive stimulation. [...]
Hypnotizability is a psychophysiological trait measured by scales and associated with several dif... more Hypnotizability is a psychophysiological trait measured by scales and associated with several differences including interoceptive accuracy and the morpho-functional characteristics of interoception-related brain regions. The aim of the study was to assess whether the amplitude of the heartbeat evoked cortical potential (HEP), a correlate of interoceptive accuracy, differs in participants with low (lows) and high (highs) hypnotizability scores (assessed by the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, form A) before and after the induction of hypnosis. ECG and EEG were monitored in 16 highs and 15 lows during an experimental session including open eyes baseline (B), closed eyes relaxation (R), hypnotic induction (IND), neutral hypnosis (NH), post session baseline (Post). No significant difference was observed between groups and conditions in autonomic variables. The HEP amplitude was lower in highs than in lows at the right parietal site, likely due to hypnotizability-related differenc...
2020 11th Conference of the European Study Group on Cardiovascular Oscillations (ESGCO)
Aim of this study was to measure possible hypnotizability related differences in the amplitude of... more Aim of this study was to measure possible hypnotizability related differences in the amplitude of cortical heartbeat evoked potentials (HEP) measured during nocturnal sleep stages. Polysomnographic EEG recording was performed in subjects with high (highs, n=6), medium (mediums, n=8) and low (lows, n=24) hypnotizability scores. The mean amplitude of the HEPs for each electrode and sleep stage was calculated in the time window from 200 ms to 600 ms after the R peaks. A multivariate ANOVA using hypnotizability as between-subjects factor was performed for each sleep stage. Results showed higher HEPs mean amplitude in mediums and highs with respect to lows in central, parietal and occipital right regions, during N2, N3 and REM sleep stages. We can hypothesize that, during sleep, individuals with medium-to-high hypnotizability maintain a higher responsiveness to interoceptive information - that is greater body awareness - with respect to lows.
International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 2021
ABSTRACT This study investigated multisensory integration in 29 medium-to-high (mid-highs) and 24... more ABSTRACT This study investigated multisensory integration in 29 medium-to-high (mid-highs) and 24 low-to-medium (mid-lows) hypnotizable individuals, classified according to the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form A. Participants completed a simultaneity judgment (SJ) task, where an auditory and a visual stimulus were presented in close proximity to their body in a range of 11 stimulus onset asynchronies. Results show that mid-highs were prone to judge audiovisual stimuli as simultaneous over a wider range of time intervals between sensory stimuli, as expressed by a broader temporal binding window, when the visual stimulus precedes the auditory one. No significant difference was observed for response times. Findings indicate a role of hypnotizability in multisensory integration likely due to the highs’ cerebellar peculiarities and/or sensory modality preference.
Archives Italiennes de Biologie, 2019
PURPOSE A positive association between resting state vagal tone and performance of a few cognitiv... more PURPOSE A positive association between resting state vagal tone and performance of a few cognitive functions has been proposed. Aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between vagal tone and motor imagery (MI), as MI is based on high-level cognitive processes such as attention, working memory and inhibitory control. METHODS The experiment consisted of the execution of a motor sequence and of the MI of the same action in the kinesthetic and internal visual modality. Participants with high (High, N=15) and low (Low, N=16) vagal tone at rest, were characterized for imagery and executive functions abilities through the Motor imagery questionnaire and standard cognitive tests (Trail Making test A and B, Digit span and Corsi test). We studied as indices of vagal tone a few variables estimated from heart rate variability: the sroot mean square of successive heart-beat-intervals differences (RMSSD), the high frequency band (HF), the standard deviation 1 of Poincaré plot (SD1). As indices of MI ability we measured the isochrony between real and imagined movements and the reported vividness of imagery. RESULTS A significantly greater isochrony was observed in Highs than in Lows only for the kinesthetic modality of imagery. Isochrony was not predicted by trait imagery abilities and did not correlate with vividness reports. Also, a reduction of the vagal control, which is the typical autonomic correlate of MI, was observed during both imagery tasks only in Highs. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate a cross-talk between the cardiovascular control and the proprioceptive representation of movement and reinforce the theory of bi-directional communication between heart and brain.
Archives Italiennes de Biologie, 2020
Emotions are influenced by several individual factors. Hypnotizability - a psychophysiological tr... more Emotions are influenced by several individual factors. Hypnotizability - a psychophysiological trait associated with morpho-functional cerebral and cerebellar variations able to sustain differences in interoception and emotion - could be one of them. The aims of the study were to find out possible differences in Interoceptive Awareness (IA) and in the emotional traits sustained by the Behavioral Inhibition/Activation System (BIS/BAS) in participants with high (highs), medium (mediums) and low (lows) hypnotizability and to investigate the association of interoceptive awareness and BIS/BAS related emotional traits as a function of hypnotizability. Thus, IA and BIS/BAS were studied in 284 subjects of both genders by the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) and by BIS/BAS scales, respectively. Significantly lower BIS scores (lower inhibitory control/conflict monitoring) in highs and lows with respect to mediums and significantly higher IA (proneness to notice and interpret interoceptive information) in highs with respect to mediums and lows were found. In addition, different correlations between MAIA and BIS/BAS scales were observed in the three groups, indicating different hypnotizability-related associations.The hypnotizability-related relation between interoceptive awareness and emotional traits could be accounted for by different models and their knowledge may be relevant to the science of emotion and to clinical applications.
Physiology & Behavior, 2021
The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of pleasant and unpleasant interoceptive imag... more The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of pleasant and unpleasant interoceptive imagery on postural control in participants with different hypnotizability, interoceptive sensibility and ability of imagery. Forty-one healthy individuals classified as high (highs), medium (mediums) and low hypnotizables (lows) according to the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, form A (SHSS, A) were characterized for Interoceptive Sensitivity (IS) through the Multisensory Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) and for organic mental imagery (ORG) through Betts' questionnaire. The experimental session included baseline closed eyes conditions preceding tasks of pleasant (P) and unpleasant imagery (U) and a neutral cognitive task (NT) while standing on a stabilometric platform. Subjective reports of vividness and pleasantness/unpleasantness of mental images were collected. Postural variables, ECG and pneumogram were acquired. Highs exhibited greater vividness of imagery than mediums/lows and larger Area of the Centre of Pressure (CoP), while mediums and lows decreased it during all tasks with respect to baseline conditions. Significant differences moderated by IS and ORG were found between highs and lows in the CoP Area. In all groups significant task related differences in the CoP Area were moderated only by IS. Cardiovascular variables were similar in the three groups, but differed among tasks and were influenced by IS and ORG. Our findings extend earlier observations on the role of hypnotisability in the postural correlates of sensorimotor imagery to interoceptive imagery, support the hypothesis that interoceptive sensibility moderates postural control and cardiorespiratory variables during interoceptive imagery, and confirm earlier reports of the absence of hypnotisability-related modulation of cardiorespiratory variables during emotional tasks.
Frontiers in Psychology, 2019
Brain and Cognition, 2019
Motor imagery is influenced by individual and contextual factors. We investigated whether the psy... more Motor imagery is influenced by individual and contextual factors. We investigated whether the psychophysiological trait of hypnotisability modulates its subjective experience and cortical correlates similarly to what was previously shown for head postures mental images. EEG was acquired in 18 high (highs) and 15 low (lows) hypnotizable subjects (Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, A). The experimental conditions were: baseline, a complex arm/hand movement, visual (1st person) and kinesthetic imagery of the movement. After each imagery condition, participants scored the vividness and easeness of their performance and their ability to mantain the requested modality of imagery. Subjective reports, chronometric visual/kinesthetic indices, absolute beta and fronto-central midline alpha powers were analyzed. Findings confirmed earlier reports of better kinestetic imagery ability in highs than in lows and better visual than kinesthetic imagery in lows, as well as smaller restructuring of the cortical activity in highs than in lows, during all tasks. Also, they show that hypnotisability accounts for most of the correlations between brain regions for both alpha and beta changes. Thus, imagined and actual movements were less demanding processes in highs at subjective and cortical levels. Finally, hypnotic assessment assists to plan personalized mental training for neuro-rehabilitation and sports and predict their efficacy.
International Journal of Psychophysiology, 2018
Introduction: Serotonin transporter is one of the most widely investigated genetic markers of ind... more Introduction: Serotonin transporter is one of the most widely investigated genetic markers of individual variation in serotoninergic function. The promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) contains long (L) and short (S) variants. The effect of 5-HTTLPR to the risk of depression and other mental health problems is highly variable in different ethnic groups. According to the most of reports, the S allele has been found to increase the risk of mental health problems in the Caucasoids, but also the same allele has an opposite effect or no effect on the different Mongoloid groups. Methods: This study comparatively investigated the effect of 5-HTTLPR polymorphism on EEG current source density, connectivity, and topological properties of resting state networks in the groups of Caucasoid Russians (210 persons) and Siberian Mongoloids-Tuvinians, Yakuts and Evenks (173 persons). Results: As compared to L-carriers, S homozygotes from the Caucasoid group showed lower current source density and connectivity in most frequency bands in areas overlapping with the default mode and emotion regulation regions. However, the opposite effect of the S allele was revealed in the Mongoloid group, i.e. the Mongoloid S homozygotes showed higher current source density and connectivity in the same brain areas and frequency bands in comparison with the Mongoloid L-carriers. In addition, the trait anxiety level, the neuroticism scores and the emotional intelligence scores were measured in all participants by means of different selfreport inventories. SS homozygotes showed higher scores of anxiety and neuroticism and lower scores of the emotional intelligence in comparison with the L-allele carriers among all ethnic groups. However, the associations between resting-state EEG and these psychological measures were different among ethnic groups. Conclusion: The effect of 5-HTTLPR polymorphism on EEG and on association of resting-state EEG networks with psychometric measures looks unstable and depends on many additional climatic and cultural parameters. The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) under Grant #17-18-01019.
2008 Computers in Cardiology, 2008
Hypnotizability-dependent changes in heart rate and blood pressure in the time domain were studie... more Hypnotizability-dependent changes in heart rate and blood pressure in the time domain were studied during low attentional tasks in subjects with high or low hypnotic susceptibility watching a relaxing and an alerting movie. All participants reported relaxation during the former, while only part of them was stressed by the latter. During relaxation hypnotizability did not modulate mean heart rate and blood pressure, but affected the variability of the latter, which indirectly indicates differences in the autonomic pattern associated with the low attentional relaxing movie with respect to simple relaxation and highlighted the hypnotizabilityrelated role of the emotional content associated with a relaxation response. In line with previous studies the results suggested a role for hypnotizability in the control of the vascular resistance.
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Papers by Laura Sebastiani