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Richey JA, Gracanin D, LaConte S, Lisinski J, Kim I, Coffman M, Antezana L, Carlton CN, Garcia KM, White SW. Neural Mechanisms of Facial Emotion Recognition in Autism: Distinct Roles for Anterior Cingulate and dlPFC. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL FOR THE SOCIETY OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, DIVISION 53 2022; 51:323-343. [PMID: 35476602 PMCID: PMC9177800 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2022.2051528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study sought to measure and internally validate neural markers of facial emotion recognition (FER) in adolescents and young adults with ASD to inform targeted intervention. METHOD We utilized fMRI to measure patterns of brain activity among individuals with ASD (N = 21) and matched controls (CON; N = 20) 2 s prior to judgments about the identity of six distinct facial emotions (happy, sad, angry, surprised, fearful, disgust). RESULTS Predictive modeling of fMRI data (support vector classification; SVC) identified mechanistic roles for brain regions that forecasted correct and incorrect identification of facial emotion as well as sources of errors over these decisions. BOLD signal activation in bilateral insula, anterior cingulate (ACC) and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) preceded accurate FER in both controls and ASD. Predictive modeling utilizing SVC confirmed the utility of ACC in forecasting correct decisions in controls but not ASD, and further indicated that a region within the right dlPFC was the source of a type 1 error signal in ASD (i.e. neural marker reflecting an impending correct judgment followed by an incorrect behavioral response) approximately two seconds prior to emotion judgments during fMRI. CONCLUSIONS ACC forecasted correct decisions only among control participants. Right dlPFC was the source of a false-positive signal immediately prior to an error about the nature of a facial emotion in adolescents and young adults with ASD, potentially consistent with prior work indicating that dlPFC may play a role in attention to and regulation of emotional experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A. Richey
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech. 109 Williams Hall, MC0436, Blacksburg, VA 24061
- Address correspondence by , or by surface John A. Richey, MC0436, 109 Williams Hall, Dept. of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061. Phone: 540.231.1463, Fax: 540.231.3562
| | - Denis Gracanin
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech. 2202 Kraft Drive, Room 1135, Blacksburg VA 24060
| | - Stephen LaConte
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion. 2 Riverside Circle Roanoke, VA 24016
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech
| | - Jonathan Lisinski
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion. 2 Riverside Circle Roanoke, VA 24016
| | - Inyoung Kim
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion. 2 Riverside Circle Roanoke, VA 24016
- Department of Statistics, Hutcheson Hall, RM 406-A Virginia Tech. Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Marika Coffman
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech. 109 Williams Hall, MC0436, Blacksburg, VA 24061
- Duke University Center for Autism and Brain Development. 2608 Erwin Rd, Suite 300 b
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27701Durham, NC 27705
| | - Ligia Antezana
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech. 109 Williams Hall, MC0436, Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Corinne N. Carlton
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech. 109 Williams Hall, MC0436, Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Katelyn M. Garcia
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech. 109 Williams Hall, MC0436, Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Susan W. White
- Center for Youth Development and Intervention, McMillan Building 101-F, University of Alabama. Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
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Chiasson C, Moorman J, Romano E, Smith A. Traumatic Autobiographical Memories: Preliminary fMRI Findings Among Men With Histories of Childhood Sexual Abuse. Am J Mens Health 2022; 16:15579883221096566. [PMID: 35536174 PMCID: PMC9096212 DOI: 10.1177/15579883221096566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with autobiographical memory (AM) disturbances. AM is important for future thinking, sense of self, and coping with negative emotions. CSA is under-researched among men, with research examining long-term neural correlates limited even further. This study explored the neural correlates of re-experiencing traumatic/negative memories to examine the influence of CSA on AM into adulthood. Fifteen males who experienced CSA, with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; CSA+PTSD, n = 6; CSA–PTSD, n = 9) and control males without CSA histories nor PTSD (n = 11) completed a script-driven imagery paradigm during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Males with CSA histories, with and without PTSD, processed their negative autobiographical memories with less activation compared to control males. The CSA+PTSD group of males had less activation in the left superior occipital, left superior parietal and left parahippocampal gyri compared to control participants. The CSA–PTSD group had reduced activation in the same regions to a lesser extent. This study provides preliminary empirical evidence to suggest CSA impacts AM for traumatic experiences, and the impact is notable even for men who experienced CSA but do not have PTSD. This study highlights the need for more research with men who have experienced CSA, so that, we can fully understand the neural correlates of emotional memories, and better support the mental health and continued wellness of men who experienced CSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carley Chiasson
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessie Moorman
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elisa Romano
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andra Smith
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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53
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Myburgh-Jacobsz CE, Malan L, von Känel R, Steyn HS, Malan NT. Stress-induced cardiac troponin T, S100B and estradiol responses in defensive copers: The SABPA study. Int J Psychophysiol 2022; 177:159-170. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Braley MS, Thornton AE, Loken Thornton W. Anxiety symptoms and theory of mind in older and younger adults: curvilinearity moderated by age group. Aging Ment Health 2022; 27:829-837. [PMID: 35475407 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2022.2060183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Theory of mind (ToM), the ability to reason about mental states, declines in later life. While anxiety symptoms may predict ToM abilities, the nature of associations requires more elucidation. Further, it is unknown whether age group moderates associational patterns. We examined associations between anxiety symptoms (linear and curvilinear) and cognitive ToM (C-ToM) and affective ToM (A-ToM); and moderation by age group (older vs. younger adults). METHODS In a sample of healthy younger (n = 90, Mage = 20.17 years) and older adults (n = 87, Mage = 71.52), we used hierarchical regressions with polynomial and interaction terms to assess the association between anxiety symptoms and ToM in younger and older adults. RESULTS Anxiety symptoms were associated with C-ToM but not A-ToM. Age group interacted linearly with anxiety (β = -1.64, p = .02), and with anxiety's quadratic polynomial (β = .84, p = .04). The inverted-U shaped association in younger adults (highest C-ToM at moderate anxiety) contrasted with older adults' linear decline in C-ToM with increasing anxiety. CONCLUSION We highlight the importance of anxiety symptoms for predicting ToM, and clarify that associations vary by age. Elucidating associations may be critical to developing interventions that improve social wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- McKenzie S Braley
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Allen E Thornton
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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Kong Q, Currie N, Du K, Ruffman T. General cognitive decline does not account for older adults' worse emotion recognition and theory of mind. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6808. [PMID: 35473952 PMCID: PMC9043191 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10716-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Older adults have both worse general cognition and worse social cognition. A frequent suggestion is that worse social cognition is due to worse general cognition. However, previous studies have often provided contradictory evidence. The current study examined this issue with a more extensive battery of tasks for both forms of cognition. We gave 47 young and 40 older adults three tasks to assess general cognition (processing speed, working memory, fluid intelligence) and three tasks to assess their social cognition (emotion and theory-of-mind). Older adults did worse on all tasks and there were correlations between general and social cognition. Although working memory and fluid intelligence were unique predictors of performance on the Emotion Photos task and the Eyes task, Age Group was a unique predictor on all three social cognition tasks. Thus, there were relations between the two forms of cognition but older adults continued to do worse than young adults even after accounting for general cognition. We argue that this pattern of results is due to some overlap in brain areas mediating general and social cognition, but also independence, and with a differential rate of decline in brain areas dedicated to general cognition versus social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyi Kong
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
| | - Nicholas Currie
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kangning Du
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Ted Ruffman
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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D’Aiello B, Battisti A, Lazzaro G, Pani P, De Rossi P, Di Vara S, Pretelli I, Costanzo F, Vicari S, Menghini D. Comparing the Effect of Methylphenidate and Anodal tDCS on Inhibitory Control and Working-Memory in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Study Protocol for a Randomized, within-Subject Trial. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19084575. [PMID: 35457447 PMCID: PMC9030177 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19084575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inappropriate levels of attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interfere with individual functioning. The international guidelines recommend targeting ADHD-related neurochemical brain abnormalities by intervening via drug treatment, such as methylphenidate (MPH), as first choice. Drug treatments are usually associated with a huge amount of cost for families and the healthcare system, suspension for low compliance, poor long-term efficacy, and side effects. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been suggested as a possible noninvasive means to safely manipulate brain activity and, in turn, improve behavior and cognition in developmental ages. Several studies have shown that tDCS has the potential to improve ADHD-related cognitive deficits, but the effect of tDCS compared with MPH has never been evaluated. The aim of the present within-subject, sham-controlled, randomized proof-of-concept study is to demonstrate the positive effect of one-session anodal tDCS analogous to the MPH drug on inhibitory control and working memory in children and adolescents with ADHD. We strongly believe that this study protocol will serve to accelerate research into low-cost, drug-free, feasible interventions for ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara D’Aiello
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (B.D.); (A.B.); (G.L.); (P.D.R.); (S.D.V.); (I.P.); (F.C.); (S.V.)
- Department of Human Science, LUMSA University, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Battisti
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (B.D.); (A.B.); (G.L.); (P.D.R.); (S.D.V.); (I.P.); (F.C.); (S.V.)
- Department of Human Science, LUMSA University, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Lazzaro
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (B.D.); (A.B.); (G.L.); (P.D.R.); (S.D.V.); (I.P.); (F.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Pierpaolo Pani
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Pietro De Rossi
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (B.D.); (A.B.); (G.L.); (P.D.R.); (S.D.V.); (I.P.); (F.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Silvia Di Vara
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (B.D.); (A.B.); (G.L.); (P.D.R.); (S.D.V.); (I.P.); (F.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Italo Pretelli
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (B.D.); (A.B.); (G.L.); (P.D.R.); (S.D.V.); (I.P.); (F.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Floriana Costanzo
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (B.D.); (A.B.); (G.L.); (P.D.R.); (S.D.V.); (I.P.); (F.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Stefano Vicari
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (B.D.); (A.B.); (G.L.); (P.D.R.); (S.D.V.); (I.P.); (F.C.); (S.V.)
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Centro di Riabilitazione, Casa San Giuseppe, Opera Don Guanella, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Deny Menghini
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (B.D.); (A.B.); (G.L.); (P.D.R.); (S.D.V.); (I.P.); (F.C.); (S.V.)
- Correspondence:
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Giacomucci G, Galdo G, Polito C, Berti V, Padiglioni S, Mazzeo S, Chiaro E, De Cristofaro MT, Bagnoli S, Nacmias B, Sorbi S, Bessi V. Unravelling neural correlates of empathy deficits in Subjective Cognitive Decline, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease. Behav Brain Res 2022; 428:113893. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Piretti L, Pappaianni E, Gobbo S, Rumiati RI, Job R, Grecucci A. Dissociating the role of dACC and dlPFC for emotion appraisal and mood regulation using cathodal tDCS. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:304-315. [PMID: 34676495 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00952-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Several neuroimaging studies have shown that a distributed network of brain regions is involved in our ability to appraise the emotions we experience in daily life. In particular, scholars suggested that the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) may play a role in the appraisal of emotional stimuli together with subcortical regions, especially when stimuli are negatively valenced, and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) may play a role in regulating emotions. However, proofs of the causal role of these regions are lacking. In the present study, we aim at testing this model by stimulating both the dACC and the left dlPFC via cathodal tDCS. Twenty-four participants were asked to attend and rate the arousal and valence of negative and neutral emotional stimuli (pictures and words) in three different experimental sessions: cathodal stimulation of dACC, left dlPFC, or sham. In addition to the experimental task, the baseline affective state was measured before and after the stimulation to further assess the effect of stimulation over the baseline affective state after the experimental session. Results showed that cathodal stimulation of dACC, but not the left dlPFC, was associated with reduced arousal ratings of emotional stimuli, both compared with the sham condition. Moreover, cathodal stimulation of left dlPFC decreased participant's positive affective state after the session. These findings suggest for the first time, a dissociation between the dACC and dlPFC, with the former more involved in emotion appraisal, and the latter more involved in mood modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Piretti
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences - DipSCo, University of Trento, Corso Bettini 33, Rovereto, Italy.
- Marica De Vincenzi onlus Foundation, Rovereto, Italy.
| | - E Pappaianni
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences - DipSCo, University of Trento, Corso Bettini 33, Rovereto, Italy
| | - S Gobbo
- University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - R I Rumiati
- Neuroscience and Society Lab, Neuroscience Area, SISSA, Trieste, Italy
| | - R Job
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences - DipSCo, University of Trento, Corso Bettini 33, Rovereto, Italy
- Marica De Vincenzi onlus Foundation, Rovereto, Italy
- Center for Medical Sciences - CISMed, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - A Grecucci
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences - DipSCo, University of Trento, Corso Bettini 33, Rovereto, Italy
- Center for Medical Sciences - CISMed, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
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Nejati V, Majidinezhad M, Nitsche M. The role of the dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortex in emotion regulation in females with major depressive disorder (MDD): A tDCS study. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 148:149-158. [PMID: 35124394 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) have deficits in emotion regulation, which plays a putative role in psychopathology. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) are assumed to be involved in respective processes. In the present study, we aimed to explore the effect of stimulation over the dlPFC and vmPFC on emotion regulation in female with MDD. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty women with MDD performed the Emotional Stroop, Emotional Go/No-Go, and Emotional 1-Back tasks during transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in three separate sessions with the following electrode montages: anodal dlPFC (F3)/cathodal vmPFC (Fp2), anodal vmPFC (Fp2)/cathodal dlPFC (F3), and sham stimulation. RESULTS Independent of the valence of the respective stimuli, accuracy and speed of interference control, accuracy of pre-potent inhibition, and accuracy, but not speed, of working memory performance improved during anodal left dlPFC/cathodal right vmPFC stimulation. Independent of stimulation conditions, interference control was reduced for sad faces, as compared to happy and neutral faces, and working memory performance was faster for happy than for neutral and sad faces. For the impact of stimulation on specific emotional qualities, anodal left dlPFC/cathodal right vmPFC, compared to sham stimulation, led to improved interference control of sad and neutral faces in the emotional Stroop task, as shown by faster reaction times. Furthermore, in that task accuracy with respect to neutral and happy face conditions was higher during both real stimulation conditions, as compared to sham stimulation. CONCLUSION The dlPFC is involved in emotion regulation in MDD. Emotional valence is moreover relevant for the effect of stimulation over this area on interference control in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Nejati
- Department of Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University Tehran, Tehran, Po box: 1983969411, Iran.
| | - Maryam Majidinezhad
- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health(Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Michael Nitsche
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Dortmund, Germany; University Medical Hospital Bergmannsheil, Department of Neurology, Bochum, Germany
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Neuromodulation of facial emotion recognition in health and disease: A systematic review. Neurophysiol Clin 2022; 52:183-201. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neucli.2022.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Balconi M, Sansone M, Angioletti L. Consumers in the Face of COVID-19-Related Advertising: Threat or Boost Effect? Front Psychol 2022; 13:834426. [PMID: 35345640 PMCID: PMC8957070 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.834426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the production of a vast amount of COVID-19-themed brand commercials, in an attempt to exploit the salience of the topic to reach more effectively the consumers. However, the literature has produced conflicting findings of the effectiveness of negative emotional contents in advertisings. The present study aims at exploring the effect of COVID-19-related contents on the hemodynamic brain correlates of the consumer approach or avoidance motivation. Twenty Italian participants were randomly assigned to two different groups that watched COVID-19-related or non-COVID-19-related commercials. The hemodynamic response [oxygenated (O2Hb) and deoxygenated hemoglobin modulations] within the left and right prefrontal cortices (PFC) was monitored with Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) while brand commercials were presented, as the prefrontal lateralization was shown to be indicative of the attitude toward the brand and of the approach-avoidance motivation. First, the findings showed that the COVID-19-related contents were able to prompt emotional processing within the PFC to a higher extent compared to contents non-related to COVID-19. Moreover, the single-channel analysis revealed increased O2Hb activity of the left dorsolateral PFC compared to the left pars triangularis Broca’s area in the group of participants that watched the COVID-19-related commercials, suggesting that the commercials may have driven participants to dedicate more attention toward the processing of the emotional components compared to the semantic meaning conveyed by the ad. To conclude, despite expressing unpleasant emotions, commercials referring to the highly emotional pandemic experience may benefit the advertising efficacy, increasing the capability to reach customers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Balconi
- International Research Center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Martina Sansone
- International Research Center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Angioletti
- International Research Center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
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Liang Z. What Does Sleeping Brain Tell About Stress? A Pilot Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study Into Stress-Related Cortical Hemodynamic Features During Sleep. FRONTIERS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fcomp.2021.774949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
People with mental stress often experience disturbed sleep, suggesting stress-related abnormalities in brain activity during sleep. However, no study has looked at the physiological oscillations in brain hemodynamics during sleep in relation to stress. In this pilot study, we aimed to explore the relationships between bedtime stress and the hemodynamics in the prefrontal cortex during the first sleep cycle. We tracked the stress biomarkers, salivary cortisol, and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) on a daily basis and utilized the days of lower levels of measured stress as natural controls to the days of higher levels of measured stress. Cortical hemodynamics was measured using a cutting-edge wearable functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) system. Time-domain, frequency-domain features as well as nonlinear features were derived from the cleaned hemodynamic signals. We proposed an original ensemble algorithm to generate an average importance score for each feature based on the assessment of six statistical and machine learning techniques. With all channels counted in, the top five most referred feature types are Hurst exponent, mean, the ratio of the major/minor axis standard deviation of the Poincaré plot of the signal, statistical complexity, and crest factor. The left rostral prefrontal cortex (RLPFC) was the most relevant sub-region. Significantly strong correlations were found between the hemodynamic features derived at this sub-region and all three stress indicators. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is also a relevant cortical area. The areas of mid-DLPFC and caudal-DLPFC both demonstrated significant and moderate association to all three stress indicators. No relevance was found in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. The preliminary results shed light on the possible role of the RLPCF, especially the left RLPCF, in processing stress during sleep. In addition, our findings echoed the previous stress studies conducted during wake time and provides supplementary evidence on the relevance of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in stress responses during sleep. This pilot study serves as a proof-of-concept for a new research paradigm to stress research and identified exciting opportunities for future studies.
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Nejati V, Khalaji S, Goodarzi H, Nitsche M. The role of ventromedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in attention and interpretation biases in individuals with general anxiety disorder (GAD): A tDCS study. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 144:269-277. [PMID: 34710663 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.10.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND and purpose of the study: Individuals with general anxiety disorder (GAD) have deficits in emotional and cognitive processing, including cognitive bias, which plays a causal role in anxiety. Hyperactivity of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) is assumed to be involved in cognitive bias. We aimed to explore the causal contribution of the dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortices (dlPFC, vmPFC) on cognitive bias via non-invasive brain stimulation, and expected a bias-reducing effect of cortical activity enhancement over these areas in GAD, with a larger contribution of the vmPFC to perceptual, and of the dlPFC to interpretation bias. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was conducted in a randomized, single-blinded, and complete crossover design. Thirty-four adults with GAD, received transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in 5 separate sessions (1.5 mA, 20 min) with the following electrode montages: anodal dlPFC/cathodal vmPFC, anodal vmPFC/cathodal dlPFC, anodal dlPFC/cathodal right shoulder, anodal vmPFC/cathodal left shoulder, and sham stimulation. During stimulation, in each session, participants performed the Dot-Probe and Reading Mind from Eyes tests to measure attention and interpretation biases. RESULTS A significant effect of stimulation condition on attention and interpretation biases was observed. Anodal vmPFC and dlPFC stimulation coupled with an extracranial cathodal electrode reduced attention bias to threat-related stimuli in the dot-probe test. Furthermore, anodal dlPFC/cathodal vmPFC stimulation reduced negative interpretation bias in reading from eyes test. CONCLUSION As suggested by the results of this study, both dlPFC and vmPFC are involved in cognitive bias in GAD, but with partially different roles. Anodal stimulation over the right vmPFC and the left dlPFC reduced attention bias, supporting the relevance of these areas for attention bias. For interpretation bias, the significant effect of anodal dlPFC/cathodal vmPFC stimulation, but only trendwise effect of anodal tDCS over the dlPFC combined with an extracephalic return electrode is in accordance with a predominant effect of the dlPFC on interpretation bias, but does not rule out an additional minor involvement of the vmPFC. Based on these results, a new model is suggested for the neural underpinnings of anxiety symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Nejati
- Department of Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University Tehran, Tehran, Po box: 1983969411, Iran.
| | - Soheila Khalaji
- Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Hesam Goodarzi
- Department of Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Michael Nitsche
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Dortmund, Germany; University Medical Hospital Bergmannsheil, Department of Neurology, Bochum, Germany.
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Kandilarova S, Stoyanov DS, Paunova R, Todeva-Radneva A, Aryutova K, Maes M. Effective Connectivity between Major Nodes of the Limbic System, Salience and Frontoparietal Networks Differentiates Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders from Healthy Controls. J Pers Med 2021; 11:1110. [PMID: 34834462 PMCID: PMC8623155 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11111110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was conducted to examine whether there are quantitative or qualitative differences in the connectome between psychiatric patients and healthy controls and to delineate the connectome features of major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD), as well as the severity of these disorders. Toward this end, we performed an effective connectivity analysis of resting state functional MRI data in these three patient groups and healthy controls. We used spectral Dynamic Causal Modeling (spDCM), and the derived connectome features were further subjected to machine learning. The results outlined a model of five connections, which discriminated patients from controls, comprising major nodes of the limbic system (amygdala (AMY), hippocampus (HPC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)), the salience network (anterior insula (AI), and the frontoparietal and dorsal attention network (middle frontal gyrus (MFG), corresponding to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and frontal eye field (FEF)). Notably, the alterations in the self-inhibitory connection of the anterior insula emerged as a feature of both mood disorders and SCZ. Moreover, four out of the five connectome features that discriminate mental illness from controls are features of mood disorders (both MDD and BD), namely the MFG→FEF, HPC→FEF, AI→AMY, and MFG→AMY connections, whereas one connection is a feature of SCZ, namely the AMY→SPL connectivity. A large part of the variance in the severity of depression (31.6%) and SCZ (40.6%) was explained by connectivity features. In conclusion, dysfunctions in the self-regulation of the salience network may underpin major mental disorders, while other key connectome features shape differences between mood disorders and SCZ, and can be used as potential imaging biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sevdalina Kandilarova
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology and Research Institute, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (D.S.S.); (R.P.); (A.T.-R.); (K.A.); (M.M.)
| | - Drozdstoy St. Stoyanov
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology and Research Institute, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (D.S.S.); (R.P.); (A.T.-R.); (K.A.); (M.M.)
| | - Rositsa Paunova
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology and Research Institute, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (D.S.S.); (R.P.); (A.T.-R.); (K.A.); (M.M.)
| | - Anna Todeva-Radneva
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology and Research Institute, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (D.S.S.); (R.P.); (A.T.-R.); (K.A.); (M.M.)
| | - Katrin Aryutova
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology and Research Institute, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (D.S.S.); (R.P.); (A.T.-R.); (K.A.); (M.M.)
| | - Michael Maes
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology and Research Institute, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (D.S.S.); (R.P.); (A.T.-R.); (K.A.); (M.M.)
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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65
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Chen Y, Lu X, Yu P, Zeng L, Ye H, Shi Q, Guo W. Modulating the Activity of the VMPFC With tDCS Alters the Social Framing Effect. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:677006. [PMID: 34512282 PMCID: PMC8426551 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.677006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous experimental studies have replicated the social framing effect-the observation that people’s decisions related to economic benefits and feelings depend on the method of presentation. Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) plays a part in the influence of framing and how individuals think about the feelings of others. Based on this, we used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to modulate neuronal activity in the VMPFC to determine the likelihood of a direct association between VMPFC activity and the social framing effect. Subsequently, in three stimulation treatments, we assessed the presence of the social framing effect, as demonstrated by a disparity between harm degree and help degree. The findings revealed a social framing effect in the participants in the control group and the sham treatment but no social framing effect in the participants in the anodal or cathodal treatments. Furthermore, sex differences were observed in the sham treatment’s social framing effect, whereas no sex differences were observed in the anodal or cathodal treatments. The participants tended to harm the victim after receiving anodal or cathodal tDCS over the VMPFC and did not change their helping behaviour in any stimulations. Consequently, a clear causal link between the behaviour of the VMPFC and the social framing effect was found in the present research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyou Chen
- Center for Economic Behavior and Decision-Making, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China.,School of Economics, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xinbo Lu
- School of Economics, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Ping Yu
- Center for Economic Behavior and Decision-Making, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China.,School of Economics, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lulu Zeng
- Center for Economic Behavior and Decision-Making, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China.,School of Economics, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hang Ye
- Center for Economic Behavior and Decision-Making, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China.,School of Economics, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qing Shi
- School of Information Management and Artificial Intelligence, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenmin Guo
- Center for Economic Behavior and Decision-Making, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China.,School of Economics, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
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66
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Allaert J, Erdogan M, Sanchez-Lopez A, Baeken C, De Raedt R, Vanderhasselt MA. Prefrontal tDCS Attenuates Self-Referential Attentional Deployment: A Mechanism Underlying Adaptive Emotional Reactivity to Social-Evaluative Threat. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:700557. [PMID: 34483865 PMCID: PMC8416079 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.700557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social-evaluative threat (SET) - a situation in which one could be negatively evaluated by others - elicits profound (psycho)physiological reactivity which, if chronically present and not adaptively regulated, has deleterious effects on mental and physical health. Decreased self-awareness and increased other-awareness are understood to be an adaptive response to SET. Attentional deployment - the process of selectively attending to certain aspects of emotional stimuli to modulate emotional reactivity - is supported by fronto-parietal and fronto-limbic networks, with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex being a central hub. The primary aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of active (versus sham) prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on self and other-attentional deployment during the exposure to a SET context. Seventy-four female participants received active or sham tDCS and were subsequently exposed to a rigged social feedback paradigm. In this paradigm a series of social evaluations were presented together with a photograph of the supposed evaluator and a self- photograph of the participant, while gaze behavior (time to first fixation, total fixation time) and skin conductance responses (SCRs; a marker of emotional reactivity) were measured. For half of the evaluations, participants could anticipate the valence (negative or positive) of the evaluation a priori. Analyses showed that participants receiving active tDCS were (a) slower to fixate on their self-photograph, (b) spent less time fixating on their self-photograph, and (c) spent more time fixating on the evaluator photograph. During unanticipated evaluations, active tDCS was associated with less time spent fixating on the evaluation. Furthermore, among those receiving active tDCS, SCRs were attenuated as a function of slower times to fixate on the self-photograph. Taken together, these results suggest that in a context of SET, prefrontal tDCS decreases self-attention while increasing other-attention, and that attenuated self-referential attention specifically may be a neurocognitive mechanism through which tDCS reduces emotional reactivity. Moreover, the results suggest that tDCS reduces vigilance toward stimuli that possibly convey threatening information, corroborating past research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Allaert
- Ghent Experimental Psychiatry Lab, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent), Ghent, Belgium
- Psychopathology and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Maide Erdogan
- Research in Developmental Disorders Lab, Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Alvaro Sanchez-Lopez
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Chris Baeken
- Ghent Experimental Psychiatry Lab, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent), Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Psychiatry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Psychopathology and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Ghent Experimental Psychiatry Lab, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, University Hospital Ghent (UZ Ghent), Ghent, Belgium
- Psychopathology and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Xiao S, Li Y, Liu M, Li Y. Electrophysiological Studies of Cognitive Reappraisal Success and Failure in aMCI. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11070855. [PMID: 34198957 PMCID: PMC8301780 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although successful reappraisal relies on cognitive resources, how cognitive impairment affects brain processes related to cognitive reappraisal is not yet clear. METHODS Forty-four amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) subjects and 72 healthy elderly controls (HECs) were divided into the MCI-Failure (n = 23), MCI-Success (n = 21), HEC-Failure (n = 26), and HEC-Success (n = 46) groups according to changes in self-reported affect using reappraisal. All participants viewed 30 negative and 30 neutral images preceded by straightforward descriptions of these images and 30 negative images preceded by more neutral descriptions. RESULTS Reappraisal failure was found to be more common in people with MCI. Reappraisal failure is associated with altered neurophysiological indices of negative-reappraisal stimuli processing that are reflected in smaller theta responsivity to negative-reappraisal stimuli between 350-550 ms. The MCI-Success group showed enhanced LPP for negative-reappraisal stimuli from 1200 to 3500 ms, reflecting compensatory effort to complete the reappraisal task, while subjects in other groups showed reduced LPP for negative-reappraisal stimuli from 550 to 1200 ms. CONCLUSIONS These findings deepen our understanding of how cognitive decline impacts reappraisal and informs early diagnosis and interventions for MCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Xiao
- School of Communication and Information Engineering, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Communication and Data Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China;
| | - Yingjie Li
- School of Communication and Information Engineering, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Communication and Data Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China;
- Correspondence: (Y.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Meng Liu
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China;
| | - Yunxia Li
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China;
- Correspondence: (Y.L.); (Y.L.)
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68
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Jafari E, Alizadehgoradel J, Pourmohseni Koluri F, Nikoozadehkordmirza E, Refahi M, Taherifard M, Nejati V, Hallajian AH, Ghanavati E, Vicario CM, Nitsche MA, Salehinejad MA. Intensified electrical stimulation targeting lateral and medial prefrontal cortices for the treatment of social anxiety disorder: A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, dose-comparison study. Brain Stimul 2021; 14:974-986. [PMID: 34167918 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2021.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is the most common anxiety disorder while remains largely untreated. Disturbed amygdala-frontal network functions are central to the pathophysiology of SAD, marked by hypoactivity of the lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), and hypersensitivity of the medial PFC and the amygdala. The objective of this study was to determine whether modulation of the dorsolateral and medial PFC activity with a novel intensified stimulation protocol reduces SAD core symptoms, improves treatment-related variables, and reduces attention bias to threatening stimuli. METHODS In this randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind trial, we assessed the efficacy of an intensified stimulation protocol (20 min, twice-daily sessions with 20 min intervals, 5 consecutive days) in two intensities (1 vs 2 mA) compared to sham stimulations. 45 patients with SAD were randomized in three tDCS arms (1-mA, 2-mA, sham). SAD symptoms, treatment-related variables (worries, depressive state, emotion regulation, quality of life), and attention bias to threatening stimuli (dot-probe paradigm) were assessed before and right after the intervention. SAD symptoms were also assessed at 2-month follow-up. RESULTS Both 1-mA and 2-mA protocols significantly reduced fear/avoidance symptoms, worries and improved, emotion regulation and quality of life after the intervention compared to the sham group. Improving effect of the 2-mA protocol on avoidance symptoms, worries and depressive state was significantly larger than the 1-mA group. Only the 2-mA protocol reduced attention bias to threat-related stimuli, the avoidance symptom at follow-up, and depressive states, as compared to the sham group. CONCLUSIONS Modulation of lateral-medial PFC activity with intensified stimulation can improve cognitive control, motivation and emotion networks in SAD and might thereby result in therapeutic effects. These effects can be larger with 2-mA vs 1-mA intensities, though a linear relationship between intensity and efficacy should not be concluded. Our results need replication in larger trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eisa Jafari
- Department of Psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jaber Alizadehgoradel
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran.
| | | | | | - Meysam Refahi
- Department of Psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mina Taherifard
- Department of Psychology, Mohaghegh-Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Vahid Nejati
- Department of Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Elham Ghanavati
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Carmelo M Vicario
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Michael A Nitsche
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Medical Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bochum, Germany
| | - Mohammad Ali Salehinejad
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany.
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69
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Salehinejad MA, Paknia N, Hosseinpour AH, Yavari F, Vicario CM, Nitsche MA, Nejati V. Contribution of the right temporoparietal junction and ventromedial prefrontal cortex to theory of mind in autism: A randomized, sham-controlled tDCS study. Autism Res 2021; 14:1572-1584. [PMID: 34018333 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM) is the ability to attribute subjective mental states to oneself and others and is significantly impaired in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A frontal-posterior network of regions including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and temporoparietal junction (TPJ) is involved in ToM. Previous studies show an underactivation of these regions in ASD. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation method for causally investigating brain-behavior relationships via induction of cortical excitability alterations. tDCS, mostly over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, has been increasingly applied for improving behavioral problems in ASD leaving other potentially interesting regions untouched. Here we investigated contribution of the vmPFC and right TPJ in ToM abilities of ASD children via tDCS in a pilot study. Sixteen children with ASD (mean age = 10.7 ± 1.9) underwent three tDCS sessions (1 mA, 20 min) in a randomized, sham-controlled design. Stimulation protocols included: (a) anodal vmPFC tDCS, (b) anodal r-TPJ tDCS, and (c) sham tDCS. ToM abilities were explored during tDCS using the theory of mind test (TOMT). Our results show that activation of the vmPFC with anodal tDCS significantly improved ToM in children with ASD compared with both, r-TPJ tDCS, and sham stimulation. Specifically, precursors of ToM (e.g., emotion recognition, perception, and imitation) and elementary ToM skills (e.g., first-order mental state reasoning) were significantly improved by anodal vmPFC tDCS. Based on these results, the vmPFC could be a potential target region for the reduction of ASD symptoms via noninvasive brain stimulation, which should be examined in larger detail in future studies. LAY SUMMARY: Theory of mind (ToM) is the ability to infer mental states of oneself and others, which is impaired in autism. Brain imaging studies have shown involvement of two brain regions in ToM (ventromedial prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction) which are underactivated in autism. We increased activation of these regions via noninvasive brain stimulation in this experiment to see how it would affect ToM abilities in autism. We found that increased activation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex improved ToM abilities in children with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Ali Salehinejad
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Nasim Paknia
- Department of Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Hossein Hosseinpour
- Department of Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Yavari
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Carmelo M Vicario
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e degli studi culturali, Universita' di Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Michael A Nitsche
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Dortmund, Germany.,University Medical Hospital Bergmannsheil, Department of Neurology, Bochum, Germany
| | - Vahid Nejati
- Department of Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
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Yankouskaya A, Sui J. Self-Positivity or Self-Negativity as a Function of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11020264. [PMID: 33669682 PMCID: PMC7922957 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11020264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Self and emotions are key motivational factors of a person strivings for health and well-being. Understanding neural mechanisms supporting the relationship between these factors bear far-reaching implications for mental health disorders. Recent work indicates a substantial overlap between self-relevant and emotion information processing and has proposed the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) as one shared neural signature. However, the precise cognitive and neural mechanisms represented by the MPFC in investigations of self- and emotion-related processing are largely unknown. Here we examined whether the neural underpinnings of self-related processing in the MPFC link to positive or negative emotions. We collected fMRI data to test the distinct and shared neural circuits of self- and emotion-related processing while participants performed personal (self, friend, or stranger) and emotion (happy, sad, or neutral) associative matching tasks. By exploiting tight control over the factors that determine the effects of self-relevance and emotions (positive: Happy vs. neutral; negative: Sad vs. neutral), our univariate analysis revealed that the ventral part of the MPFC (vmPFC), which has established involvement in self-prioritisation effects, was not recruited in the negative emotion prioritisation effect. In contrast, there were no differences in brain activity between the effects of positive emotion- and self-prioritisation. These results were replicated by both region of interest (ROI)-based analysis in the vmPFC and the seed- to voxel functional connectivity analysis between the MPFC and the rest of the brain. The results suggest that the prioritisation effects for self and positive emotions are tightly linked together, and the MPFC plays a large role in discriminating between positive and negative emotions in relation to self-relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla Yankouskaya
- Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Jie Sui
- The School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK;
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71
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Chen B, Yadav M, Mulkalwar M, Saikrishna L, Verma H, Ye W, Bhaskar LVKS. Meta-Analysis on the Association of Neuropeptide Y rs16139 Variant With the Risk of Alcoholism. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:737440. [PMID: 34777047 PMCID: PMC8583313 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.737440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The neuropeptide-Y (NPY) is involved in the development of alcoholism through NPY receptors. A T>C mutation causes substitution of leucine to proline at codon 7 (L7P; rs16139) in the signal peptide of neuropeptide Y is known to cause a 42% increase in plasma NPY levels. Studies that analyzed the association between NPY rs16139 and alcoholism risk did not demonstrate conclusive evidence for this relationship. The present study aims to evaluate the association between NPY gene rs16139 variant and alcohol dependence. Method: An electronic search of databases including PubMed and Google Scholar was performed to retrieve studies investigating the association between NPY rs16139 and alcoholism. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated in allelic and dominant genetic models. Sensitivity analyses and publication bias were assessed in our meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was conducted using the MetaGenyo web tool. Result: Significant heterogeneity was observed across studies (p < 0.001). Our results have shown that there is no significant association between NPY rs16139 variant and the risk of alcoholism in allelic (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.70-1.38, p = 0.921) and dominant models (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.69-1.40, p = 0.919). Begg's funnel plot and Egger's test have not shown publication bias (p = 0.332). Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis that evaluates the relationship between the NPY rs16139 polymorphism and the risk of alcoholism. Our large-scale meta-analysis suggests that NPY rs16139 polymorphism is not associated with alcoholism. However, further studies are needed to increase our understanding of the relationship between NPY variants in alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biqing Chen
- Department of Sports Operation and Management, Jinhua Polytechnic, Jinhua, China
| | - Manish Yadav
- Department of Zoology, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, India
| | - Madhubala Mulkalwar
- Department of Pathology, Shri Shankaracharya Institute of Medical Sciences (SSIMS), Bhilai, India
| | | | - Henu Verma
- Department of Immunopathology, Institute of Lungs Biology and Disease, Comprehensive Pneumology Center, Helmholtz Zentrum, Munich, Germany
| | - Weibing Ye
- Exercise and Metabolism Research Center, College of Physical Education and Health Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - L V K S Bhaskar
- Department of Zoology, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, India
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Baumann S, Mareš T, Albrecht J, Anders M, Vochosková K, Hill M, Bulant J, Yamamotová A, Štastný O, Novák T, Holanová P, Lambertová A, Papežová H. Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:717255. [PMID: 34690831 PMCID: PMC8526853 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.717255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a life-threatening illness with poor treatment outcomes. Although transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising non-invasive brain stimulation method, its effect in patients with AN remains unclear. Objective: This study investigated changes in maladaptive eating behavior, body mass index (BMI), and depression after 10 sessions of anodal tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Methods: In this double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 43 inpatients with AN were divided to receive either active (n = 22) or sham (n = 21) tDCS over the left DLPFC (anode F3/cathode Fp2, 2 mA for 30 min). All patients filled the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZUNG), and their BMI was measured. These values were obtained repeatedly in four stages: (1) before tDCS treatment, (2) after tDCS treatment, (3) in the follow-up after 2 weeks, and (4) in the follow-up after 4 weeks. Results: Primary outcomes (EDE-Q) based on the ANOVA results do not show any between-group differences either after the active part of the study or in the follow-up. Secondary analysis reveals a reduction in some items of EDE-Q. Compared with sham tDCS, active tDCS significantly improved self-evaluation based on body shape (p < 0.05) and significantly decreased the need of excessive control over calorie intake (p < 0.05) in the 4-week follow-up. However, the results do not survive multiple comparison correction. In both sham and active groups, the BMI values improved, albeit not significantly. Conclusion: We did not observe a significant effect of tDCS over the left DLPFC on complex psychopathology and weight recovery in patients with AN. tDCS reduced the need to follow specific dietary rules and improved body image evaluation in patients with AN. Tests with a larger sample and different positions of electrodes are needed. Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03273205.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvie Baumann
- Department of Psychotherapy, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia.,First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Tadeáš Mareš
- First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jakub Albrecht
- First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Martin Anders
- First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Kristýna Vochosková
- Department of Psychotherapy, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia.,Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Martin Hill
- Department of Steroid Hormones and Proteohormones, Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, Czechia
| | - Josef Bulant
- Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czechia.,Department of Steroid Hormones and Proteohormones, Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, Czechia.,Department of Pediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Anna Yamamotová
- Department of Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Ota Štastný
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Tomáš Novák
- Department of Psychotherapy, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia.,Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Petra Holanová
- First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Alena Lambertová
- First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Hana Papežová
- First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czechia
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73
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Salehinejad MA, Ghanavati E, Rashid MHA, Nitsche MA. Hot and cold executive functions in the brain: A prefrontal-cingular network. Brain Neurosci Adv 2021; 5:23982128211007769. [PMID: 33997292 PMCID: PMC8076773 DOI: 10.1177/23982128211007769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive functions, or cognitive control, are higher-order cognitive functions needed for adaptive goal-directed behaviours and are significantly impaired in majority of neuropsychiatric disorders. Different models and approaches are proposed for describing how executive functions are functionally organised in the brain. One popular and recently proposed organising principle of executive functions is the distinction between hot (i.e. reward or affective-related) versus cold (i.e. purely cognitive) domains of executive functions. The prefrontal cortex is traditionally linked to executive functions, but on the other hand, anterior and posterior cingulate cortices are hugely involved in executive functions as well. In this review, we first define executive functions, their domains, and the appropriate methods for studying them. Second, we discuss how hot and cold executive functions are linked to different areas of the prefrontal cortex. Next, we discuss the association of hot versus cold executive functions with the cingulate cortex, focusing on the anterior and posterior compartments. Finally, we propose a functional model for hot and cold executive function organisation in the brain with a specific focus on the fronto-cingular network. We also discuss clinical implications of hot versus cold cognition in major neuropsychiatric disorders (depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, substance use disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism) and attempt to characterise their profile according to the functional dominance or manifest of hot-cold cognition. Our model proposes that the lateral prefrontal cortex along with the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex are more relevant for cold executive functions, while the medial-orbital prefrontal cortex along with the ventral anterior cingulate cortex, and the posterior cingulate cortex are more closely involved in hot executive functions. This functional distinction, however, is not absolute and depends on several factors including task features, context, and the extent to which the measured function relies on cognition and emotion or both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Ali Salehinejad
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Elham Ghanavati
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
- Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Md Harun Ar Rashid
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Michael A. Nitsche
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bochum, Germany
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