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Keck J, Honekamp C, Gebhardt K, Nolte S, Linka M, de Haas B, Munzert J, Krüger K, Krüger B. Exercise-induced inflammation alters the perception and visual exploration of emotional interactions. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 39:100806. [PMID: 38974339 PMCID: PMC11225855 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The study aimed to investigate whether an exercise-induced pro-inflammatory response alters the perception as well as visual exploration of emotional body language in social interactions. Methods In a within-subject design, 19 male, healthy adults aged between 19 and 33 years performed a downhill run for 45 min at 70% of their VO2max on a treadmill to induce maximal myokine blood elevations, leading to a pro-inflammatory status. Two control conditions were selected: a control run with no decline and a rest condition without physical exercise. Blood samples were taken before (T0), directly after (T1), 3 h after (T3), and 24 h after (T24) each exercise for analyzing the inflammatory response. 3 h after exercise, participants observed point-light displays (PLDs) of human interactions portraying four emotions (happiness, affection, sadness, and anger). Participants categorized the emotional content, assessed the emotional intensity of the stimuli, and indicated their confidence in their ratings. Eye movements during the entire paradigm and self-reported current mood were also recorded. Results The downhill exercise condition resulted in significant elevations of measured cytokines (IL6, CRP, MCP-1) and markers for muscle damage (Myoglobin) compared to the control running condition, indicating a pro-inflammatory state after the downhill run. Emotion recognition rates decreased significantly after the downhill run, whereas no such effect was observed after control running. Participants' sensitivity to emotion-specific cues also declined. However, the downhill run had no effect on the perceived emotional intensity or the subjective confidence in the given ratings. Visual scanning behavior was affected after the downhill run, with participants fixating more on sad stimuli, in contrast to the control conditions, where participants exhibited more fixations while observing happy stimuli. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that inflammation, induced through a downhill running model, impairs perception and emotional recognition abilities. Specifically, inflammation leads to decreased recognition rates of emotional content of social interactions, attributable to diminished discrimination capabilities across all emotional categories. Additionally, we observed alterations in visual exploration behavior. This confirms that inflammation significantly affects an individual's responsiveness to social and affective stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Keck
- Neuromotor Behavior Lab, Institute of Sports Science, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Phillips University of Marburg and Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany
| | - Celine Honekamp
- Sensorimotor Control and Learning, Centre for Cognitive Science, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Kristina Gebhardt
- Department of Exercise Physiology and Sports Therapy, Institute of Sports Science, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Svenja Nolte
- Department of Exercise Physiology and Sports Therapy, Institute of Sports Science, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Marcel Linka
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany
| | - Benjamin de Haas
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Phillips University of Marburg and Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany
| | - Jörn Munzert
- Neuromotor Behavior Lab, Institute of Sports Science, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Phillips University of Marburg and Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany
| | - Karsten Krüger
- Department of Exercise Physiology and Sports Therapy, Institute of Sports Science, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Britta Krüger
- Neuromotor Behavior Lab, Institute of Sports Science, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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Moriarity DP, Slavich GM. The future is dynamic: A call for intensive longitudinal data in immunopsychiatry. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 112:118-124. [PMID: 37286174 PMCID: PMC10411233 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The long-term value of immunopsychiatry will be based on its ability to translate basic science into effective clinical interventions. In this article, we discuss a key obstacle to achieving this important translational goal-namely, the preponderance of studies that are cross-sectional, or that have months-to-years long follow-up periods. Immunopsychiatric processes such as stress, inflammation, and depression symptoms are inherently dynamic and fluctuate over hours, days, and weeks. This fact suggests that higher-density data collection with only days between measurements is necessary to capture-with adequate resolution-the actual dynamics of these systems, determine optimal time lags with which to observe associations between variables of interest, and maximize the translational potential of these data. To illustrate these points, we use pilot data from our own intensive longitudinal immunopsychiatric study. We then conclude by making several recommendations for future research. By learning how to better use existing data for dynamically informative studies as well as collecting intensive longitudinal data, we believe immunopsychiatry will be much better positioned to advance our causal understanding of the interplay between the immune system and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P Moriarity
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - George M Slavich
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Feldman MJ, Jolink TA, Alvarez GM, Fendinger NJ, Gaudier-Diaz MM, Lindquist KA, Muscatell KA. The roles of inflammation, affect, and interoception in predicting social perception. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 112:246-253. [PMID: 37263364 PMCID: PMC10528976 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
"Sickness behavior" is an orchestrated suite of symptoms that commonly occur in the context of inflammation, and is characterized by changes in affect, social experience, and behavior. However, recent evidence suggests that inflammation may not always produce the same set of sickness behavior (e.g., fatigue, anhedonia, and social withdrawal). Rather, inflammation may be linked with different behavior across contexts and/or across individuals, though research in this area is under-developed to-date. In the present study (n = 30), we evaluated the influence of affective context and individual differences in difficulty detecting bodily sensations (i.e., interoceptive difficulty) on social perception following an inflammatory challenge. Inflammation was induced using the influenza vaccine and inflammatory reactivity was operationalized as changes in circulating levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) before the vaccine and approximately 24 h later. Twenty-four hours after administration of the influenza vaccine, we manipulated affective context using a well-validated affect misattribution task in which participants made trustworthiness judgments of individuals with neutral facial expressions following the rapid presentation of "prime" images that were positive or negative in affective content. Interoceptive difficulty was measured at baseline using a validated self-report measure. Results revealed significant interactions between inflammatory reactivity to the influenza vaccine and affective context on social perception. Specifically, individuals with greater inflammatory reactivity were more biased by affective context when judging the trustworthiness of neutral faces. In addition, interoceptive difficulty and affective context interacted to predict social perception such that individuals with greater interoceptive difficulty were more biased by affective context in these judgments. In sum, we provide some of the first evidence that inflammation may amplify the saliency of affective cues during social decision making. Our findings also replicate prior work linking interoceptive ability to the use of affect-as-information during social perception, but in the novel context of inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tatum A Jolink
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Keely A Muscatell
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Reed RG, Presnell SR, Al-Attar A, Lutz CT, Segerstrom SC. Life stressors and immune aging: Protective effects of cognitive reappraisal. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 110:212-221. [PMID: 36893924 PMCID: PMC10106412 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Stressful life events may accelerate aspects of immune aging, but habitual use of an adaptive emotion regulation strategy, cognitive reappraisal, may attenuate these effects. This study examined whether cognitive reappraisal moderates the associations between life stressor frequency and stressor desirability on aspects of immune aging, including late-differentiated CD8+ T and natural killer (NK) cells and inflammatory markers (IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP), both between and within people in a longitudinal sample of 149 older adults (mean age = 77.8, range: 64-92 years). Participants reported stressful life events, use of cognitive reappraisal, and provided blood semiannually for up to 5 years to assess aspects of immune aging. Multilevel models, adjusted for demographic and health covariates, tested the between-person (stable, trait-like differences) and within-person associations (dynamic fluctuations) among life stressors and reappraisal on immune aging. Experiencing more frequent life stressors than usual was associated with higher levels of late-differentiated NK cells within person, but this effect was accounted for by experiencing health-related stressors. Unexpectedly, experiencing more frequent and less desirable stressors were associated with lower average levels of TNF-α. As expected, reappraisal moderated the associations between life stressors and late-differentiated NK cells between people and IL-6 within people. Specifically, older adults who experienced less desirable stressors but also used more reappraisal had significantly lower proportions of late-differentiated NK cells on average and lower levels of IL-6 within-person. These results suggest cognitive reappraisal may play a protective role in attenuating the effects of stressful life events on aspects of innate immune aging in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca G Reed
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
| | - Steven R Presnell
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, United States
| | - Ahmad Al-Attar
- Department of Hematopathology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, United States
| | - Charles T Lutz
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, United States; Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
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Romero-Rebollar C, García-Gómez L, Báez-Yáñez MG, Gutiérrez-Aguilar R, Pacheco-López G. Adiposity affects emotional information processing. Front Psychol 2022; 13:879065. [PMID: 36225672 PMCID: PMC9549075 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.879065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a worldwide epidemic associated with severe health and psychological wellbeing impairments expressed by an increased prevalence of affective disorders. Emotional dysfunction is important due to its effect on social performance. The aim of the present narrative review is to provide a general overview of human research exploring emotional information processing in overweight and obese people. Evidence suggests that obesity is associated with an attenuation of emotional experience, contradictory findings about emotion recognition, and scarce research about automatic emotional information processing. Finally, we made some concluding considerations for future research on emotional information processing in overweight and obese people.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leonor García-Gómez
- School of Psychology, Intercontinental University (UIC), Mexico City, Mexico
- Department of Research on Smoking and COPD, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER) Ismael Cosío Villegas, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mario G. Báez-Yáñez
- Radiology Department, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ruth Gutiérrez-Aguilar
- Division of Research, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
- Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases: Obesity and Diabetes, Hospital Infantil de México “Federico Gómez”, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gustavo Pacheco-López
- Health Sciences Department, Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM), Lerma, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Gustavo Pacheco-López,
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Lasselin J. Back to the future of psychoneuroimmunology: Studying inflammation-induced sickness behavior. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 18:100379. [PMID: 34761246 PMCID: PMC8566772 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
What do we know about sickness behavior? In this article, I guide you through some of the complexity of sickness behavior occurring after an immune challenge. I highlight the many features of behavioral and affective changes induced during experimental endotoxemia in humans, and describe how little we know about many of these features. I argue that we need to dismantle the components of inflammation-induced sickness behavior, and study each component in detail. I also point out the large inter-individual differences in inflammation-induced behavioral and affective changes, and the fact that psychosocial factors likely interact with inflammation to shape inflammation-induced sickness behavior. PNI clearly lacks investigations of the vulnerability and resilient factors underlying the inter-individual variability in sickness behavior. Throughout the article, I base my argument on my published articles, and provide concrete examples from my experience and the data that I have collected over the past 10 years. Given the relevance of inflammation-induced sickness behavior for inflammation-associated depression and for how people react to infections, I encourage current and future psychoneuroimmunologists to return towards basic science of sickness behavior. Inflammation-related sickness behavior is relevant for inflammation-associated depression The many features of sickness behavior should be investigated in detail There are large inter-individual variability in sickness behavior Vulnerability and resilient factors predicting sickness responses are little known I call for a return towards basic science of sickness behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Lasselin
- Stress Research Institute, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.,Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, ME Neuroradiologi, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
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