arXiv subjects

Mrinmoy Chakrabarty

Publications and source records attributed to Mrinmoy Chakrabarty.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Structural Brain Predictors of Visual Attention Gradient Modulated by Trait Anxiety

Dynamic allocation of attention across the visual field, quantified as a visuospatial attention gradient, is essential for maintaining perceptual breadth. Disruptions to this flexibility may contribute to altered spatial attentional bias and may be influenced by trait anxiety. We investigated whether individual differences in structural brain morphology predict spatial attentional deployment as a function of trait anxiety. Sixty participants, recruited based on an a priori sample size calculation, completed a visuospatial attention gradient task incorporating brief partial facial emotion cues. Although discrete emotional cues did not significantly modulate attention gradients, structural neuroimaging analyses revealed that greater grey matter volume in bilateral cerebellar lobule VI and increased cortical thickness in the left precentral gyrus and paracentral lobule were associated with reduced interaction between the magnitude of the spatial attention gradient (averaged across emotions) and trait anxiety. Machine-learning models further predicted individual attention-anxiety profiles from these neuroanatomical features. These findings suggest that greater structural integrity in cerebellar and sensorimotor regions is associated with more flexible spatial attentional deployment in individuals with lower trait anxiety. Together, the results highlight the contribution of cerebellar and sensorimotor regions, beyond their traditional motor functions, to individual differences in visual spatial attention and cognitive-affective interactions, while demonstrating the predictive utility of structural brain markers.

q-bio.NC↗

arXiv2026

Intrinsic Brain Networks Underlying the Experience and Expression of Subclinical Anxiety

Anxiety includes behavioural, physiological, and subjective components that do not always align, and it remains unclear whether these dimensions are supported by distinct intrinsic brain networks. Guided by the two-system framework, we tested whether resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) differentiates these components in subclinical anxiety. Forty-seven young adults spanning a range of subclinical anxiety levels completed a threat anticipation task measuring behavioral responses (reaction time) and physiological arousal (skin conductance), along with the NIH Fear-Affect self-report of anxiety severity. These measures were related to rsFC using region-of-interest analyses. Higher subclinical anxiety was associated with faster responses under temporally uncertain threat, consistent with increased vigilance, while no association was found with physiological arousal. At the neural level, three connectivity patterns emerged and remained significant after sequential family-wise error correction. Behavioural responses modulated by subclinical anxiety were linked to stronger connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insula. Physiological modulation was associated with connectivity between the ACC and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Subjective anxiety was associated with increased connectivity between the hippocampus and insula. Additional connections were observed but did not survive stricter correction. Overall, the findings indicate that behavioural, physiological, and subjective aspects of subclinical anxiety map onto partially dissociable but overlapping intrinsic brain networks, extending prior task-based results to resting-state connectivity and informing future work on early neural markers of anxiety.

q-bio.NC↗

arXiv2026

Resting-State Functional Connectivity Correlates of Emotional Memory Control under Cognitive load in Subclinical Anxiety

Volitional memory control supports adaptive cognition by enabling intentional suppression of goal-irrelevant, interfering memories and recall of goal-relevant memories. Neural mechanisms of suppression and recall have been studied largely in isolation, and their operation under concurrent working memory load in the context of subclinical anxiety remains unclear. We examined control of emotionally valenced memories in 47 healthy participants with varying levels of subclinical anxiety under dual-task conditions involving directed suppression and recall while concurrently performing a secondary task imposing visual working memory load. Cognitive efficiency in controlling dual-task memory-linked interference, measured by the Balanced Integration Score (BIS), showed no differences between suppression and recall, across emotions, or by anxiety. Intrinsic functional brain networks measured by seed-to-voxel resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) revealed dissociable rsFC profiles linked to cognitive control across emotional valences, moderated by anxiety. Efficient suppression of positive memories correlated with reduced connectivity between anterior cingulate cortex and posterior perceptual-midline regions, and diminished hippocampal-frontal pole coupling. Efficient suppression of negative memories correlated with increased posterior parietal to lateral occipital connectivity. Anxiety moderated associations between cognitive control and prefrontal connectivity during suppression of positive memories and recall of positive and neutral memories. Direct comparisons revealed stronger hippocampal-thalamic rsFC during suppression versus recall of positive memories. Together, these findings delineate neural correlates of volitional emotional memory control under cognitive load and suggest that subclinical anxiety shapes these networks selectively

q-bio.NC↗

arXiv2024

Gray matter volume correlates of Comorbid Depression in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) involves diverse neurodevelopmental syndromes with significant deficits in communication, motor behaviours, emotional and social comprehension. Often, individuals with ASD exhibit comorbid conditions, one of the most prevalent being depression characterized by a persistent change in mood and diminished interest in previously enjoyable activities. Due to communicative challenges and lack of appropriate assessments in individuals with ASD, comorbid depression can often go undiagnosed during routine clinical examinations, which may aggravate their problems. The current literature on comorbid depression in adults with ASD is limited. Therefore, understanding the neural basis of the comorbid psychopathology of depression in ASD is crucial for identifying objective brain-based markers for its timely and effective management. Towards this end, using structural MRI and phenotypic data from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange II (ABIDE II) repository, we specifically examined the pattern of relationship regional grey matter volume (rGMV) has with comorbid depression and autism severity within regions of a priori interest in adults with ASD (n = 44). The severity of comorbid depression correlated negatively with the rGMV of the right thalamus. Additionally, a significant interaction was evident between the severity of comorbid depression and core ASD symptoms towards explaining the rGMV in the left cerebellum crus II. The whole-brain regional rGMV differences between ASD and typically developed (TD, n = 39) adults remained inconclusive. The results further the understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of comorbid depression in adults with ASD and are relevant in exploring structural neuroimaging-based biomarkers in the same cohort.

q-bio.NC↗

arXiv2024

An Analysis of Physiological and Psychological Responses in Virtual Reality and Flat Screen Gaming

Recent research has focused on the effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) in games as a more immersive method of interaction. However, there is a lack of robust analysis of the physiological effects between VR and flatscreen (FS) gaming. This paper introduces the first systematic comparison and analysis of emotional and physiological responses to commercially available games in VR and FS environments. To elicit these responses, we first selected four games through a pilot study of 6 participants to cover all four quadrants of the valence-arousal space. Using these games, we recorded the physiological activity, including Blood Volume Pulse and Electrodermal Activity, and self-reported emotions of 33 participants in a user study. Our data analysis revealed that VR gaming elicited more pronounced emotions, higher arousal, increased cognitive load and stress, and lower dominance than FS gaming. The Virtual Reality and Flat Screen (VRFS) dataset, containing over 15 hours of multimodal data comparing FS and VR gaming across different games, is also made publicly available for research purposes. Our analysis provides valuable insights for further investigations into the physiological and emotional effects of VR and FS gaming.

cs.HC↗