The Neuroscience of Two

Speaker: Joy Hirsch, PhD
Discussant: Andrew Gerber, MD, PhD

Online via Zoom (link will be sent via email the day before the event)

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In the November Scientific Meeting of the Western New England Psychoanalytic Society, presenter Joy Hirsch, PhD, and discussant Andrew J, Gerber, MD, PhD, will explore the use of a novel neuroimaging technique—functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) or hyperscanning—which supports imaging of face-to-face live communication between two persons.

WNEPS members, WNEIP candidates and all students/trainees attend free
Non-members: $25 professional registration fee (includes CME/CE certificate with completed evaluation)

In our meeting, the Neuroscience of Two, we will explore the use of a novel neuroimaging technique—functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) or hyperscanning—which supports imaging of face-to-face live communication between two persons. Data generated from free-flowing interpersonal interaction, captured with fNIRS, are representative of clinical situations. Dr. Hirsch, a leader in the use of this imaging technique to understand prosocial dialog, will offer insight into neural correlates of stereotyping and prejudice that can emerge spontaneously in dyads, particularly where there is socioeconomic disparity. What brain regions are mobilized, for example, to mediate the demands for empathy and social cognition in such settings?  In addition, Dr. Hirsch will share important work on the neural underpinnings of clinician-client discourse. In particular, the demands on the neural activity of participants required to silently reason about the problematic cognitions of another person.  Another dimension of Dr. Hirsch’s work speaks directly to the long research tradition in psychoanalysis, which focuses on the importance of the human face and eye-to-eye contact as fundamental to development.  In this work, Dr. Hirsch uses hyperscanning to probe the eye-to-eye contact in neuro-typic individuals and in participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  Her ASD research advances our understanding of the social difficulties inherent to ASD as well as the active neural correlates for eye contact in neurotypic and non-neurotypic individuals. During the Q & A, the aims of discussion will be to offer insights from clinical psychoanalysis, which may contribute to design and development of further investigations.