Biology subjects

MAKRIS, S.

Publications and source records attributed to MAKRIS, S..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Tracing the invisible: Quantifying mirroring and embodied attunement in dyadic and triadic Dance Movement Therapy

BackgroundMirroring is a foundational method used in Dance Movement Therapy (DMT), assumed to foster empathy and therapeutic attunement, yet its embodied dynamics remain insufficiently studied. In this paper, we provide the first quantitative exploration of client-therapist mirroring across dyadic and triadic formats, examining how synchrony unfolded during a structured mirroring exercise in which participants alternated between leading and following roles. MethodologyUsing optical motion capture and time-series modelling, we quantified movement coordination in dyadic (female client-therapist; male client-therapist) and triadic (therapist with both clients) interactions. ResultsIn dyadic tasks, the female client-therapist interaction was marked by tight temporal alignment, significant synchrony, robust predictive accuracy, and clear client-to-therapist influence, consistent with kinaesthetic empathy and affect-sensitive entrainment. By contrast, the male client-therapist dyad exhibited weaker and more delayed temporal coupling, alongside reduced phase synchronisation and fewer directional dependencies, despite comparable levels of interpersonal proximity. In the triadic task, temporal entrainment attenuated: therapist movement had few matching qualities to clients movement, yet recurrent synchrony with both clients persisted, suggesting a strategic shift from fine-grained entrainment to stable postural scaffolding under divided attention. DiscussionThese findings demonstrated that mirroring is not a uniform technique, but a family of embodied coordination modes flexibly recruited according to relational context and client expressivity. They align with theories of embodied simulation and affect attunement, implicating rapid motor resonance in dyadic entrainment and interoceptive-affective scaffolding in triadic stability. Clinically, the results underscore the need for training in flexible embodied strategies, split attention, and equitable allocation of attunement in group work. More broadly, they open a translational agenda linking kinematic synchrony to neural, interoceptive, and autonomic mechanisms, positioning mirroring as both an experiential hallmark and a measurable mechanism of change in embodied psychotherapy.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

Causal Evidence for Left DLPFC Contributions to Working Memory, Attention, and Cognitive Control in Ageing: A cTBS/ERP Study

Ageing is characterised by progressive neurodegeneration and marked declines in working memory (WM), a domain critically dependent on the integrity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Although non-invasive brain stimulation is widely used to target this region, the causal contribution of the DLPFC to WM performance in older adults remains insufficiently understood. Here, we applied continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) to transiently inhibit the left DLPFC in twenty healthy older adults and assessed the behavioural and neurophysiological consequences during verbal and visuospatial N-back tasks. Behaviourally, moderate learning effects emerged exclusively in the verbal task following vertex stimulation, whereas learning after DLPFC stimulation remained inconclusive. Performance in the visuospatial task showed no reliable evidence of learning across conditions, consistent with greater interindividual variability and age-related decline in spatial WM. Neurophysiologically, ERP amplitudes were stable across conditions; however, marked latency perturbations were observed. In the verbal task, P200 and N200 latencies robustly predicted performance, with P200 latency significantly prolonged after DLPFC inhibition, indicating disrupted early attentional gating. N200 and P300 latency modulations further suggested load-dependent compensatory strategies, reflecting adaptive slowing of cognitive control processes. In contrast, visuospatial performance was not reliably predicted by P200 latency, although N200 and P300 latencies remained informative, indicating domain-specific differences in DLPFC involvement. Taken together, these findings provide causal evidence that left DLPFC disruption selectively interferes with the temporal coordination of verbal WM, emphasising the central role of processing speed and compensatory dynamics in cognitive ageing. ERP latency markers emerge as sensitive indices of subtle stimulation-induced perturbations in older adults.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Balancing Efficiency and Compensation: Age-related Theta and Alpha Dynamics in High-load Working Memory

Working memory (WM) declines with age, yet older adults often preserve performance through compensatory mechanisms. Oscillatory dynamics in the theta and alpha bands are central to these adaptations, but their distinct roles across maintenance, manipulation, and recall remain unclear. We examined behavioural and neural differences in WM using electroencephalography (EEG) during verbal (Letter Span) and visuospatial (Corsi Block) tasks under retention and manipulation conditions. Behaviourally, older adults preserved performance in the Letter Span but showed deficits in the Corsi Test, suggesting domain-specific declines, while higher task demands reduced accuracy across both groups. At the neural level, younger adults exhibited stronger mid-frontal and temporal theta activity, supporting more efficient recruitment of WM processes and stronger performance associations. Older adults showed attenuated theta power, indicative of neural saturation, and appeared to compensate through alpha-mediated mechanisms during the delay period (maintenance / manipulation): reduced alpha suppression in the Letter Span facilitated rehearsal and updating, whereas increased upper alpha in the Corsi Test protected stored visuospatial information. These findings suggest theta oscillations underpin core WM functions, whereas alpha oscillations flexibly support compensatory strategies in ageing.

neuroscience↗