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Bätz LR, Ye S, Lan X, Ziaei M. Increased functional integration of emotional control network in late adulthood. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.10.588823. [PMID: 38659752 PMCID: PMC11040603 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.10.588823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Across the adult lifespan, there are changes in how emotions are perceived and regulated. As individuals age, there is an observed improvement in emotion regulation and overall quicker recovery from negative emotions. While previous studies have shown differences in emotion processing in late adulthood, the corresponding differences in large-scale brain networks remain largely underexplored. By utilizing large-scale datasets such as the Human Connectome Project (HCP-Aging, N = 621 ) and Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN, N = 333 ), we were able to investigate how emotion regulation networks' functional topography differs across the entire adult lifespan. Based on previous meta-analytic work that identified four large-scale functional brain networks involved in emotion generation and regulation, we found an increase in the functional integration of the emotional control network among older adults. Additionally, confirming through the nonlinear model, individuals around the age of 70 showed a steadier decline in integration of a network mediating emotion generation and regulation via interoception. Furthermore, the analyses revealed a negative association between age and perceived stress and loneliness that could be attributed to differences in large-scale emotion regulation networks. Our study highlights the importance of identifying topological changes in the functional emotion network architecture across the lifespan, as it allows for a better understanding of emotional aging and psychological well-being in late adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leona Rahel Bätz
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Shuer Ye
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Xiaqing Lan
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Maryam Ziaei
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- K.G. Jebsen Centre for Alzheimer’s disease, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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2
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Niu L, Song X, Li Q, Peng L, Dai H, Zhang J, Chen K, Lee TMC, Zhang R. Age-related positive emotional reactivity decline associated with the anterior insula based resting-state functional connectivity. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26621. [PMID: 38339823 PMCID: PMC10858337 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have suggested that emotional reactivity changes with age, but the neural basis is still unclear. The insula may be critical for the emotional reactivity. The current study examined how ageing affects emotional reactivity using the emotional reactivity task data from a human sample (Cambridge Center for Age and Neuroscience, N = 243, age 18-88 years). The resting-state magnetic resonance measurements from the same sample were used to investigate the potential mechanisms of the insula. In the initial analysis, we conducted partial correlation assessments to examine the associations between emotional reactivity and age, as well as between the gray matter volume (GMV) of the insula and age. Our results revealed that emotional reactivity, especially positive emotional reactivity, decreased with age and that the GMV of the insula was negatively correlated with age. Subsequently, the bilateral insula was divided into six subregions to calculate the whole brain resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC). The mediating effect of the rsFC on age and emotional reactivity was then calculated. The results showed that the rsFC of the left anterior insula (AI) with the right hippocampus, and the rsFCs of the right AI with the striatum and the thalamus were mediated the relationship between positive emotional reactivity and age. Our findings suggest that attenuating emotional reactivity with age may be a strategic adaptation fostering emotional stability and diminishing emotional vulnerability. Meanwhile, the findings implicate a key role for the AI in the changes in positive emotional reactivity with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijing Niu
- Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy Laboratory, Department of Psychology, School of Public HealthSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Xiaoqi Song
- Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy Laboratory, Department of Psychology, School of Public HealthSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive SciencesThe University of Hong KongHong KongSARChina
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Human NeuroscienceThe University of Hong KongHong KongSARChina
| | - Qian Li
- Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy Laboratory, Department of Psychology, School of Public HealthSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Lanxin Peng
- Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy Laboratory, Department of Psychology, School of Public HealthSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Haowei Dai
- Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy Laboratory, Department of Psychology, School of Public HealthSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Jiayuan Zhang
- Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy Laboratory, Department of Psychology, School of Public HealthSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Keyin Chen
- Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy Laboratory, Department of Psychology, School of Public HealthSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Tatia M. C. Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive SciencesThe University of Hong KongHong KongSARChina
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Human NeuroscienceThe University of Hong KongHong KongSARChina
- Center for Brain Science and Brain‐Inspired IntelligenceGuangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macao Greater Bay AreaGuangzhouChina
| | - Ruibin Zhang
- Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy Laboratory, Department of Psychology, School of Public HealthSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
- Department of Psychiatry, Zhujiang HospitalSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouPR China
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3
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MacCormack JK, Bonar AS, Lindquist KA. Interoceptive beliefs moderate the link between physiological and emotional arousal during an acute stressor. Emotion 2024; 24:269-290. [PMID: 37498725 PMCID: PMC10818018 DOI: 10.1037/emo0001270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Growing work suggests that interoception, that is, representations of one's internal bodily changes, plays a role in shaping emotional experiences. Past studies primarily examine how behavioral accuracy in detecting interoceptive signals (interoceptive ability) relates to emotional states, with less work examining self-reported interoceptive facets such as the characterizations of one's interoceptive abilities (interoceptive sensibility) or evaluative beliefs about the value versus danger of interoceptive signals (interoceptive beliefs). However, existing studies rarely examine physiological reactivity, behavioral, and self-reported dimensions of interoception together in the same sample. As such, it remains unclear whether and how much individual differences in interoceptive facets uniquely and in interaction with physiological reactivity may matter for emotional experience. Herein, 250 healthy young adults completed a heartbeat detection task assessing interoceptive ability and questionnaire measures of interoceptive sensibility and beliefs during an initial laboratory visit. At a follow-up session, 227 participants returned to undergo an acute psychosocial stressor. Measures of physiological arousal such as preejection period (PEP) and heart rate variability were acquired throughout the stressor with self-reported emotions acquired immediately after. Linear regressions revealed that greater sympathetic nervous system reactivity (i.e., PEP), poorer interoceptive ability (i.e., accuracy), and less positive interoceptive beliefs were related to more intense high arousal emotions during the stressor. Importantly, across models, interoceptive beliefs was the only interoceptive facet to moderate the concordance between physiological and emotional arousal. Implications for psychological theories of emotion, stress, and interoception are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adrienne S Bonar
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Kristen A Lindquist
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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4
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Zu Z, Choi S, Zhao Y, Gao Y, Li M, Schilling KG, Ding Z, Gore JC. The missing third dimension-Functional correlations of BOLD signals incorporating white matter. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadi0616. [PMID: 38277462 PMCID: PMC10816695 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi0616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Correlations between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals from pairs of gray matter areas are used to infer their functional connectivity, but they are unable to describe how white matter is engaged in brain networks. Recently, evidence that BOLD signals in white matter are robustly detectable and are modulated by neural activities has accumulated. We introduce a three-way correlation between BOLD signals from pairs of gray matter volumes (nodes) and white matter bundles (edges) to define the communication connectivity through each white matter bundle. Using MRI images from publicly available databases, we show, for example, that the three-way connectivity is influenced by age. By integrating functional MRI signals from white matter as a third component in network analyses, more comprehensive descriptions of brain function may be obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongliang Zu
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Soyoung Choi
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Yu Zhao
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Yurui Gao
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Muwei Li
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Kurt G. Schilling
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Zhaohua Ding
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - John C. Gore
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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5
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Chaudhary S, Zhang S, Zhornitsky S, Chen Y, Chao HH, Li CSR. Age-related reduction in trait anxiety: Behavioral and neural evidence of automaticity in negative facial emotion processing. Neuroimage 2023; 276:120207. [PMID: 37263454 PMCID: PMC10330646 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Trait anxiety diminishes with age, which may result from age-related decline in registering salient emotional stimuli and/or enhancement in emotion regulation. We tested the hypotheses in 88 adults 21 to 85 years of age and studied with fMRI of the Hariri task. Age-related decline in stimulus registration would manifest in delayed reaction time (RT) and diminished saliency circuit activity in response to emotional vs. neutral stimuli. Enhanced control of negative emotions would manifest in diminished limbic/emotional circuit and higher prefrontal cortical (PFC) responses to negative emotion. The results showed that anxiety was negatively correlated with age. Age was associated with faster RT and diminished activation of the medial PFC, in the area of the dorsal and rostral anterior cingulate cortex (dACC/rACC) - a hub of the saliency circuit - during matching of negative but not positive vs. neutral emotional faces. A slope test confirmed the differences in the regressions. Further, age was not associated with activation of the PFC in whole-brain regression or in region-of-interest analysis of the dorsolateral PFC, an area identified from meta-analyses of the emotion regulation literature. Together, the findings fail to support either hypothesis; rather, the findings suggest age-related automaticity in processing negative emotions as a potential mechanism of diminished anxiety. Automaticity results in faster RT and diminished anterior cingulate activity in response to negative but not positive emotional stimuli. In support, analyses of psychophysiological interaction demonstrated higher dACC/rACC connectivity with the default mode network, which has been implicated in automaticity in information processing. As age increased, individuals demonstrated faster RT with higher connectivity during matching of negative vs. neutral images. Automaticity in negative emotion processing needs to be investigated as a mechanism of age-related reduction in anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shefali Chaudhary
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
| | - Simon Zhornitsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
| | - Herta H Chao
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT 06516, United States; Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, United States; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, United States.
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6
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Hegendörfer E, Degryse JM. Breathlessness in older adults: What we know and what we still need to know. J Am Geriatr Soc 2023. [PMID: 36929105 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.18326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Breathlessness is common among older adults, but it is often hidden as "normal aging "or considered narrowly as a symptom of cardio-respiratory diseases. Studies on breathlessness in older adults are mostly focused on specific diseases, whereas older adults are characterized by multimorbidity and multi-system age-related impairments. This article aims to provide an overview of what is known so far on breathlessness in the general population of older adults and identify areas for further research. Research shows that breathlessness in older adults is a multifactorial geriatric condition, crossing the borders of system-based impairments and diseases, and a valuable independent prognostic indicator for adverse outcomes. Further research needs to investigate (1) the multi-factorial mechanisms of breathlessness in community-dwelling older adults including the role of respiratory sarcopenia; (2) the influence of affective and cognitive changes of older age on the perception and report of breathlessness; (3) the best way to assess and use breathlessness for risk prediction of adverse outcomes in general geriatric assessments; and (4) the most appropriate multi-modal rehabilitation interventions and their outcomes. Clinicians need to shift their approach to dyspnea from a disease symptom to a multifactorial geriatric condition that should be proactively searched for, as it identifies higher risk for adverse outcomes, and can be addressed with evidence-based interventions that can improve the quality of life and may reduce the risk of adverse outcomes in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eralda Hegendörfer
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jean-Marie Degryse
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium.,Institute of Health and Society, Université Catholique de Louvain (UC Louvain), Leuven, Belgium
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7
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Mikkelsen MB, O'Toole MS. The Constructionist Approach to Emotional Aging: Theoretical Insights and Predictions. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2022; 77:1571-1579. [PMID: 35254442 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In this article, we introduce a constructionist approach to understanding emotional aging in adulthood. The purpose of the paper is to show how constructionism offers a promising avenue for gaining new insights into age-related changes in emotional experiences. We begin by introducing the constructionist theoretical framework and illustrating how constructionism may shape conceptualizations of emotional aging in adulthood. We compare the constructionist conceptualization of emotional aging with existing conceptualizations of emotional aging derived from prominent theories of emotional aging, focusing on how such conceptualizations highlight different aspects of emotional aging (e.g., different mechanisms) and overlook or downplay other aspects. We conclude by explicating what constructionism may offer research on emotional aging, including considerations of research agendas, study designs, and method of measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mia Skytte O'Toole
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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8
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Alvarez GM, Rudolph MD, Cohen JR, Muscatell KA. Lower Socioeconomic Position Is Associated with Greater Activity in and Integration within an Allostatic-Interoceptive Brain Network in Response to Affective Stimuli. J Cogn Neurosci 2022; 34:1906-1927. [PMID: 35139207 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Socioeconomic inequities shape physical health and emotional well-being. As such, recent work has examined the neural mechanisms through which socioeconomic position (SEP) may influence health. However, there remain critical gaps in knowledge regarding the relationships between SEP and brain function. These gaps include a lack of research on: (1) the association between SEP and brain functioning in later life, (2) relationships between SEP and functioning of the whole brain beyond specific regions of interest, and (3) how neural responses to positive affective stimuli differ by SEP. The current study addressed these gaps by examining the association between SEP (i.e., education, income) and neural responses to affective stimuli among 122 mid- to late-life adults. During MRI scanning, participants viewed 30 positive, 30 negative, and 30 neutral images; activation and network connectivity analyses explored associations between SEP and neural responses to these affective stimuli. Analyses revealed that those with lower SEP showed greater neural activity to both positive and negative images in regions within the allostatic-interoceptive network, a system of regions implicated in representing and regulating physiological states of the body and the external environment. There were no positive associations between SEP and neural responses to negative or positive images. In addition, graph-theory network analyses showed that individuals with lower SEP demonstrated greater global efficiency within the allostatic-interoceptive network and executive control network, across all task conditions. The findings suggest that lower SEP is associated with enhanced neural sensitivity to affective cues that may be metabolically costly to maintain over time and suggest a mechanism by which SEP might get "under the skull" to influence mental and physical well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jessica R Cohen
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.,Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, Carrboro, NC
| | - Keely A Muscatell
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.,Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, Carrboro, NC
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9
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Spreng RN, Turner GR. From exploration to exploitation: a shifting mental mode in late life development. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 25:1058-1071. [PMID: 34593321 PMCID: PMC8844884 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Changes in cognition, affect, and brain function combine to promote a shift in the nature of mentation in older adulthood, favoring exploitation of prior knowledge over exploratory search as the starting point for thought and action. Age-related exploitation biases result from the accumulation of prior knowledge, reduced cognitive control, and a shift toward affective goals. These are accompanied by changes in cortical networks, as well as attention and reward circuits. By incorporating these factors into a unified account, the exploration-to-exploitation shift offers an integrative model of cognitive, affective, and brain aging. Here, we review evidence for this model, identify determinants and consequences, and survey the challenges and opportunities posed by an exploitation-biased mental mode in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Nathan Spreng
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada.
| | - Gary R Turner
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
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10
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Merritt CC, MacCormack JK, Stein AG, Lindquist KA, Muscatell KA. The neural underpinnings of intergroup social cognition: an fMRI meta-analysis. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:903-914. [PMID: 33760100 PMCID: PMC8421705 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Roughly 20 years of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have investigated the neural correlates underlying engagement in social cognition (e.g. empathy and emotion perception) about targets spanning various social categories (e.g. race and gender). Yet, findings from individual studies remain mixed. In the present quantitative functional neuroimaging meta-analysis, we summarized across 50 fMRI studies of social cognition to identify consistent differences in neural activation as a function of whether the target of social cognition was an in-group or out-group member. We investigated if such differences varied according to a specific social category (i.e. race) and specific social cognitive processes (i.e. empathy and emotion perception). We found that social cognition about in-group members was more reliably related to activity in brain regions associated with mentalizing (e.g. dorsomedial prefrontal cortex), whereas social cognition about out-group members was more reliably related to activity in regions associated with exogenous attention and salience (e.g. anterior insula). These findings replicated for studies specifically focused on the social category of race, and we further found intergroup differences in neural activation during empathy and emotion perception tasks. These results help shed light on the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition across group lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrington C Merritt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jennifer K MacCormack
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Andrea G Stein
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Kristen A Lindquist
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Keely A Muscatell
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27515, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27515, USA
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11
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Milojevich HM, Lindquist KA, Sheridan MA. Adversity and Emotional Functioning. AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2021; 2:324-344. [PMID: 36059901 PMCID: PMC9382958 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-021-00054-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to early adversity has been linked to variations in emotional functioning. To date, however, the precise nature of these variations has been difficult to pinpoint given widespread differences in the ways in which aspects of emotional functioning are defined and measured. Here, more consistent with models of emotional functioning in typically developing populations (e.g., Halberstadt et al., 2001), we propose defining emotional functioning as consisting of distinct domains of emotion expression, perception, knowledge, reactivity, and regulation. We argue that this framework is useful for guiding hypothesis generation about the specific impact of early adversity on children's emotional functioning. We operationalize the construct of emotional functioning, highlight what is currently known about the association between adversity exposure and each domain of emotional functioning, propose potential mechanisms for these associations, and set the stage for future research examining the development of emotional functioning in the context of early adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M. Milojevich
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 1000 NE 13th Street, Nicholson Tower Suite 4976, OK 73104 Oklahoma City, USA
| | - Kristen A. Lindquist
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Margaret A. Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA
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12
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Hartling C, Metz S, Pehrs C, Scheidegger M, Gruzman R, Keicher C, Wunder A, Weigand A, Grimm S. Comparison of Four fMRI Paradigms Probing Emotion Processing. Brain Sci 2021; 11:525. [PMID: 33919024 PMCID: PMC8142995 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11050525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous fMRI research has applied a variety of tasks to examine brain activity underlying emotion processing. While task characteristics are known to have a substantial influence on the elicited activations, direct comparisons of tasks that could guide study planning are scarce. We aimed to provide a comparison of four common emotion processing tasks based on the same analysis pipeline to suggest tasks best suited for the study of certain target brain regions. We studied an n-back task using emotional words (EMOBACK) as well as passive viewing tasks of emotional faces (FACES) and emotional scenes (OASIS and IAPS). We compared the activation patterns elicited by these tasks in four regions of interest (the amygdala, anterior insula, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC)) in three samples of healthy adults (N = 45). The EMOBACK task elicited activation in the right dlPFC and bilateral anterior insula and deactivation in the pgACC while the FACES task recruited the bilateral amygdala. The IAPS and OASIS tasks showed similar activation patterns recruiting the bilateral amygdala and anterior insula. We conclude that these tasks can be used to study different regions involved in emotion processing and that the information provided is valuable for future research and the development of fMRI biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinna Hartling
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, CBF, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 12203 Berlin, Germany; (S.M.); (R.G.); (S.G.)
| | - Sophie Metz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, CBF, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 12203 Berlin, Germany; (S.M.); (R.G.); (S.G.)
| | - Corinna Pehrs
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt-University Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Milan Scheidegger
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland;
| | - Rebecca Gruzman
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, CBF, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 12203 Berlin, Germany; (S.M.); (R.G.); (S.G.)
| | | | - Andreas Wunder
- Translational Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH and Co. KG, 52216 Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany;
| | - Anne Weigand
- Department of Psychology, Medical School Berlin, 14197 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Simone Grimm
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, CBF, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 12203 Berlin, Germany; (S.M.); (R.G.); (S.G.)
- Department of Psychology, Medical School Berlin, 14197 Berlin, Germany;
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