Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 17/07/2026@ssspsychopathy.bsky.social @ssspstudents.bsky.social 020
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 17/07/2026Our proposal also unites seemingly disparate strands of study and prior theory - it's compatible with theories that center emotion and those that center attention as the primary sources of dysfunction. Lastly, we highlight new research directions and treatment routes that stem from our theory. /8 110
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 17/07/2026The paper starts with the anatomy of the brain's allostatic-interoceptive system and eventually dives down to the level of cortical layers. This introduces neuroanatomical units that have so far been ignored in the search for brain mechanisms of psychopathy. 7/ 100
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 17/07/2026We also argue for moving to idiographic approaches - studying individuals brains regulating individual bodies in context. 6/ 100
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 17/07/2026There's no need to infer 'fear' from the skin conductance response. It will be more fruitful to use this measure to better understand how the brain is preparing the body to meet the demands of the current moment. 5/ 100
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 17/07/2026But we argue that reverse inference is unnecessary. Instead, when we measure activity of the brain, heart, lungs, etc., we are simply taking a snapshot of the brain's allostatic process. And this may actually be a more useful and translatable framework for interpreting data. 4/ 100
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 17/07/2026This is a novel hypothesis that I think challenges some assumptions common to the field. Those assumptions are: 1. A person's mental state can be inferred from measures of biology (this is called reverse inference). 2. Group-level results will generalize to individuals. 3/ 100
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 17/07/2026We make this argument base on 20+ years of MRI data, which show altered white matter, functional connectivity, and task-based activity within the brain's 'allostatic-interoceptive system.' 2/ 100
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 17/07/2026New paper: We argue that psychopathy is a disorder of allostasis and interoception - the process by which the brain senses the internal conditions of the body and regulates those conditions in a context-appropriate manner. w/ @clare-shaffer.bsky.social 1/ doi.org/10.1016/j.av...doi.orgRedirecting 131
Reposted by Phil DemingStand Up for Science! @standupforscience.net · 08/07/2026Monday, July 13th is the LAST DAY that you can leave a public comment on Russell Vought's science-destroying OMB Grant Proposal. Join us from 2 - 3PM ET to learn what comes next, hear from experts, and learn how the proposal will affect you. Register at the link in our bio or go here:zurl.co/tH8hn 2116101
Reposted by Phil DemingStephanie Noble @sneuroble.bsky.social · 25/05/2026So glad to finally share work years in the making! What started with fMRI effect size benchmarks ended up showing that conventional study planning detects ~half of expected brain effects, suggesting more distributed processes than the lit shows (+ new methods for mass univ effect/power estimation) 66131
Reposted by Phil DemingJoshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 22/04/2026Today, our #SCIMaP team released an impact analysis of the White House proposed FY 2027 NIH and NSF budgets. Bottom-line: if enacted, cuts to science and medical research would lead to $35B in economic losses and 150,000 lost jobs in communities all across the US. scienceimpacts.org 🧵 1222151
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 22/04/2026I'll be attending the SSSP conference in a few weeks and would love to discuss our work with anyone interested. @ssspsychopathy.bsky.social @ssspstudents.bsky.social 6/ 020
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 22/04/2026Finally, in our view, focusing on allostasis would change how we study psychopathy - challenging common assumptions at the heart of theory and study, opening new research directions, and suggesting new treatment avenues. 5/ 110
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 22/04/2026We also see our theory as a bridge between prior theories, which are often thought to be incompatible. It turns out, we're repeating some of what has been said before about psychopathy... but we're specifying a novel underlying brain system and centering allostasis. 4/ 100
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 22/04/2026But the evidence on brain alterations in psychopathy is highly heterogeneous. We review this heterogeneity and offer two possible explanations that complement our allostatic perspective. 3/ 100
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 22/04/2026We make predictions for how allostatic dysfunction may produce symptoms of psychopathy, like shallow affect, lack of remorse, and aggression. 2/ 100
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 22/04/2026Updated preprint: @clare-shaffer.bsky.social and I synthesize brain evidence to argue that psychopathy is a disorder of allostasis and interoception (regulating and sensing the body, respectively). 1/ doi.org/10.31234/osf...doi.orgOSF 162
Reposted by Phil DemingAthena Akrami @athenaakrami.bsky.social · 07/04/2026Academic friends, It's beyond heartbreaking to watch what's unfolding in Iran & the region. A few of us drafted an open letter calling for protection of civilians & of educational, research, medical & cultural institutions. Please read & sign if you agree: sites.google.com/view/protect... #IranWarsites.google.comProtect Academic Life in IranWe, the undersigned academics and researchers from around the world, express our profound concern over recent military strikes on Iran, the retaliatory responses, and the reported impact on civilian l... 28450
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 03/04/2026That said, I agree with Dr. Marsh's point that we need to develop treatments for people with psychopathy, and that doing so will benefit the individuals themselves and not just the people they harm. 5/end 010
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 03/04/2026It's worth refuting the amygdala narrative because I think there's a more interesting story emerging from the data. That is, people with psychopathy show dysfunction in a distributed brain system. IMO, that system is responsible for sensing and regulating the body. 4/ doi.org/10.31234/osf...doi.orgOSF 110
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 03/04/2026Critically, this included studies of fear conditioning and emotion processing, which many neuroscientists think of as the 'bread and butter' of the amygdala (sometimes called the brain's 'fear center' - I disagree with this, but I digress). 3/ 110
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 03/04/2026Notably, the article cites a couple of papers that have found smaller/less active amygdalae in relation to psychopathy. When we reviewed 134 brain studies of psychopathy, we found this relationship was not consistent. Most studies found no relationship. 2/ doi.org/10.1016/j.ne...doi.orgRedirecting 120
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 03/04/2026Using this article to shamelessly promote my own work. Dr. Marsh states that people with psychopathy show "pretty consistent differences in an area of the brain called the amygdala." My own work shows otherwise. 1/ 121
Reposted by Phil DemingSSSP @ssspsychopathy.bsky.social · 25/11/2025The Abstract submission date has been extended to 15 December 2025. We look forward to more of your best work being submitted for our SSSP 2026 conference. @ssspstudents.bsky.social psychopathysociety.org/page/Upcomin...psychopathysociety.org 114
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 15/12/2025I was fortunate to have the opportunity to share my latest research with @urneuroscience.bsky.social. @drnathanasmith.bsky.social and everyone were great hosts - our conversations will certainly shape my research going forward. Read my research here: doi.org/10.31234/osf... doi.org/10.1038/s415...doi.orgOSF 141
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 09/12/2025I'm very excited to share my research with the Rochester neuroscience community! 160
Reposted by Phil DemingAlex Galvez-Pol @alexgalvezpol.bsky.social · 09/12/2025New preprint: "Bodily Rhythms Gate Action–Perception Coupling" Cardiorespiratory cycles gate when it's best to sense & act on the world, shaping when precision peaks Active sensing + Interoception + Active inference 🧠 🔗 bit.ly/3MinQIi w/ @micahgallen.com; Lucas Naranjo; @jameskilner.bsky.social 34920
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 26/11/2025Here are our lab's recent papers on interoception and allostasis. www.cell.com/neuron/fullt... www.nature.com/articles/s41...cell.comIt’s not the thought that counts: Allostasis at the core of brain functionThe authors review evidence that the primary function of the brain, supported by distributed neural systems, is the predictive regulation of physiology (i.e., allostasis). An example from Alzheimer’s ... 000
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 26/11/2025Enjoyed this read on the growing field of #interoception neuroscience. Of course, I was also excited to see the article twice cited our lab's recent work, spearheaded by Jiahe Zhang and @jtheriault.bsky.social. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/s...nytimes.comMapping the Sense of What’s Going On Inside 131
Reposted by Phil DemingMara Mather @maramather.bsky.social · 07/11/2025Neat that my review of Zhang et al.'s "Cortical and subcortical mapping of the human allostatic–interoceptive system using 7 Tesla fMRI" was quoted in this Research Briefing. It was one of my favorite papers I reviewed in 2024! rdcu.be/eOlTT by Jiahe Zhang, @lisafeldmanbarrett.com and othersrdcu.beEvidence from 7 Tesla fMRI of intrinsic network supporting allostasis in the human brainNature Neuroscience - Functional connectivity analyses using ultra-high precision 7 Tesla functional MRI identified a unified system for allostasis and interoception that included more than 96% of... 1196
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 12/11/2025This looks like a super useful for anyone doing fMRI work. Congrats to @halleeshearer.bsky.social, @sneuroble.bsky.social, @alexkfischbach.bsky.social and their team! 130
Reposted by Phil DemingJulia Moser @drjuliamoser.bsky.social · 12/11/2025🚨 New preprint on the first infant 7T MRI project in North America! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... We showcase that by leveraging 7T for infants, we can improve data quality and thereby facilitate precision functional mapping in early development.biorxiv.org 12910
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 04/11/2025Sensing and regulating the body may be core functions of the brain. For more on this, check out our other recent paper here: www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...cell.comIt’s not the thought that counts: Allostasis at the core of brain functionThe authors review evidence that the primary function of the brain, supported by distributed neural systems, is the predictive regulation of physiology (i.e., allostasis). An example from Alzheimer’s ... 010
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 04/11/2025The system contained several hub regions (with connections to multiple other networks), suggesting this system may serve as the backbone of brain function. 100
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 04/11/2025Check out our new paper, where we used 7T fMRI to map out a brain system central to sensing and regulating the body! Based on prior animal studies - which tracked white matter traveling to/from the body - we mapped this system from cerebral cortical networks down to subcortex and brainstem nuclei. 242
Reposted by Phil DemingAlex Fischbach @alexkfischbach.bsky.social · 03/11/2025To kick things off, I’m organizing a monthly “how-to” workshop series ft. leading scientists who will share practical/technical skills w/ the global SP-SIG community. If you or anyone you know is interested in participating, please reach out! @ohbmtrainees.bsky.social @ohbmofficial.bsky.social 052
Reposted by Phil DemingRebecca Boehme @rebeccaboehme.bsky.social · 27/10/2025Psychedelics alter neurovascular coupling, which means we need to critically re-evaluate fMRI findings of acute psychedelic effects #neuroskyence #PsychSciSky www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comPsychedelic 5-HT2A receptor agonism alters neurovascular coupling and differentially affects neuronal and hemodynamic measures of brain function - Nature NeurosciencePadawer-Curry et al. show that the hallucinogenic 5-HT2A receptor agonist DOI alters neurovascular coupling in mice, with implications for the interpretation of human fMRI studies of psychedelics. 57329
Reposted by Phil DemingStephanie Noble @sneuroble.bsky.social · 27/10/2025That’s right—open neuro AND behavioral (+ESM) data! So looking forward to the cross-field conversations about methods! 🧠✨ 0102
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 24/10/2025@ssspsychopathy.bsky.social @ssspstudents.bsky.social 000
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 24/10/2025Long story short: Viewing the brain as a regulatory organ (aimed at maintaining the body's organ systems) will change how we study and attempt to treat psychopathy. /end 120
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 24/10/2025Highlights: we outline the allostatic-interoceptive system by diving into the neuroanatomy we review MRI evidence related to psychopathy we grapple with heterogeneity across studies and offer possible explanations we discuss how this view might shift research on psychopathy and aggression 3/ 100
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 24/10/2025To make this argument, @clare-shaffer.bsky.social and I pieced together evidence from MRI studies that measured white matter connectivity, functional connectivity, and task-based activity. We found dysfunction of the brain's allostatic-interoceptive system. 2/ 120
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 24/10/2025Psychopathy - a devastating disorder that upends victims' lives - may be best understood as a disorder of allostasis (the brain regulating the body) and interoception (the brain sensing the body). New preprint: doi.org/10.31234/osf... 1/doi.orgOSF 130
Reposted by Phil DemingSSSP @ssspsychopathy.bsky.social · 23/10/2025We are now inviting submissions for the 11th biennial meeting of SSSP that will be held at the Dallas Marriott Downtown in Dallas, TX, USA on May 6-9th, 2026. The deadline for submissions is December 1st, 2025. Please see tinyurl.com/352zbztk for submission guidelines. 133
Reposted by Phil DemingJohn Holbein @johnholbein1.bsky.social · 22/10/2025In response to anti-DEI legislation in the states, universities have started to hire more white male faculty. This increase starts before bills are signed into law. Universities appear to be anticipating anti-DEI legislation and preemptively hiring more white men. 46435
Phil Deming @phildeming.bsky.social · 15/10/2025The brain constantly senses and regulates the body. These sensory and regulatory signals are not merely background signals of interest only to physiologists. Instead, these 'allostatic' signals are central to neural and cognitive function. Great new work from our lab led by @jtheriault.bsky.social. 040
Reposted by Phil DemingAnthony Vaccaro @agvacca.bsky.social · 01/10/2025📢 I'll be recruiting a PhD student in Developmental Psychology for 2026 at UNC Chapel Hill! Student will be co-mentored with Dr. Eva Telzer at the Winston Center. Interests in naturalistic fMRI/fNIRS, developmental affective neuro, and behavioral addictions would be great fits. 031