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Byrne ME, Kirschner S, Harrewijn A, Abend R, Lazarov A, Liuzzi L, Kircanski K, Haller SP, Bar-Haim Y, Pine DS. Eye-tracking measurement of attention bias to social threat among youth: A replication and extension study. JOURNAL OF MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS 2024; 8:100075. [PMID: 39007026 PMCID: PMC11238819 DOI: 10.1016/j.xjmad.2024.100075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Attentional bias to social threat cues has been linked to heightened anxiety and irritability in youth. Yet, inconsistent methodology has limited replication and led to mixed findings. The current study aims to 1) replicate and extend two previous pediatric studies demonstrating a relationship between negative affectivity and attentional bias to social threat and 2) examine the test-retest reliability of an eye-tracking paradigm among a subsample of youth. Attention allocation to negative versus non-negative emotional faces was measured using a free-viewing eye-tracking task among youth (N=185 total, 60% female, M age=13.10 years, SD age=2.77) with three face-pair conditions: happy-angry, neutral-disgust, sad-happy. Replicating procedures of two previous studies, linear mixed-effects models compared attention bias between children with anxiety disorders and healthy controls. Bifactor analysis was used to parse shared versus unique facets of general negative affectivity (i.e., anxiety, irritability), which were then examined in relation to attention bias. Test-retest reliability of the bias-index was estimated among a subsample of youth (N=36). No significant differences in attention allocation or bias emerged between anxiety and healthy control groups. While general negative affectivity across the sample was not associated with attention bias, there was a positive relationship for anxiety and irritability on duration of attention allocation toward negative faces. Test-retest reliability for attention bias was moderate (r=0.50, p<.01). While anxiety-related findings from the two previous studies were not replicated, the relationship between attention bias and facets of negative affect suggests a potential target for treatment. Evidence for test-retest reliability encourages future use of the eye-tracking task for researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan E Byrne
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Sara Kirschner
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Anita Harrewijn
- Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rany Abend
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, 8 Ha'Universita St., Herzliya 4610101, Israel
| | - Amit Lazarov
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Lucrezia Liuzzi
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Katharina Kircanski
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Simone P Haller
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Yair Bar-Haim
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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Wenk T, Günther AC, Webelhorst C, Kersting A, Bodenschatz CM, Suslow T. Reduced positive attentional bias in patients with borderline personality disorder compared with non-patients: results from a free-viewing eye-tracking study. Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul 2024; 11:24. [PMID: 39278912 PMCID: PMC11403868 DOI: 10.1186/s40479-024-00267-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 09/03/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attentional processes are important for regulating emotional states and coping with stressful events. Orientation of attention acts as filter for subsequent information processing. So far, only few eye-tracking studies have examined attentional processes during emotion perception in borderline personality disorder (BPD). In these studies, gaze behaviour was analysed during simultaneous or delayed evaluation of single stimuli. The objective of the present eye-tracking study was to investigate early and late attention allocation towards emotional facial expressions in patients with BPD and non-patients (NPs) based on a free-viewing paradigm, which allows to examine processes of self-generated attention deployment. METHODS In a multiple-stimulus free-viewing task with facial expressions, i.e. happy, angry, sad, and neutral faces, presented simultaneously early and late attentional allocation was analysed in 43 patients with BPD and 43 age- and sex-matched NPs. We assessed study participants' trait anxiety, depressive symptoms, level of alexithymia, traumatic childhood experiences, and borderline symptoms. Entry time was used to measure initial gaze orientation, whereas dwell time was calculated as an index of late attention allocation. RESULTS As could be expected, patients with BPD reported more anxiety, depressive symptoms, experiences of childhood maltreatment, and showed higher levels of alexithymia than NPs. Patients differed from NPs in dwell time on happy facial expressions but not in dwell time on angry, sad, and neutral expressions. Contrary to our hypothesis, patients did not differ from NPs concerning entry times on angry facial expressions. CONCLUSIONS According to our results, patients with BPD show a reduced attentional preference for happy facial expression during free viewing compared to NPs. A decreased positive attentional bias at a late processing stage could be part of emotion regulation impairments and add to the vulnerability for negative affects in BPD, which represent core symptoms of the disorder. In contrast to previous eye-tracking research in BPD examining attention during evaluative processing, our dwell time data could be more indicative of self-generated, endogenously controlled attentional processes in emotion perception. The present data do not support an early vigilance for threatening social information in BPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taavi Wenk
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anna-Christina Günther
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Carolin Webelhorst
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anette Kersting
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Charlott Maria Bodenschatz
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Suslow
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
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Aktar E, Venetikidi M, Bockstaele BV, Giessen DVD, Pérez-Edgar K. Pupillary Responses to Dynamic Negative Versus Positive Facial Expressions of Emotion in Children and Parents: Links to Depression and Anxiety. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22522. [PMID: 38967122 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22522] [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: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Witnessing emotional expressions in others triggers physiological arousal in humans. The current study focused on pupil responses to emotional expressions in a community sample as a physiological index of arousal and attention. We explored the associations between parents' and offspring's responses to dynamic facial expressions of emotion, as well as the links between pupil responses and anxiety/depression. Children (N = 90, MAge = 10.13, range = 7.21-12.94, 47 girls) participated in this lab study with one of their parents (47 mothers). Pupil responses were assessed in a computer task with dynamic happy, angry, fearful, and sad expressions, while participants verbally labeled the emotion displayed on the screen as quickly as possible. Parents and children reported anxiety and depression symptoms in questionnaires. Both parents and children showed stronger pupillary responses to negative versus positive expressions, and children's responses were overall stronger than those of parents. We also found links between the pupil responses of parents and children to negative, especially to angry faces. Child pupil responses were related to their own and their parents' anxiety levels and to their parents' (but not their own) depression. We conclude that child pupils are sensitive to individual differences in parents' pupils and emotional dispositions in community samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evin Aktar
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marianna Venetikidi
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bram van Bockstaele
- Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Danielle van der Giessen
- Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Koraly Pérez-Edgar
- Child Study Center, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Michalek JE, Qtaishat L, von Stumm S, El Kharouf A, Dajani R, Hadfield K, Mareschal I. Maternal Trauma and Psychopathology Symptoms Affect Refugee Children's Mental Health But Not Their Emotion Processing. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024; 52:1233-1246. [PMID: 38430294 PMCID: PMC11289056 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-024-01182-0] [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] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Refugee children's development may be affected by their parents' war-related trauma exposure and psychopathology symptoms across a range of cognitive and affective domains, but the processes involved in this transmission are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the impact of refugee mothers' trauma exposure and mental health on their children's mental health and attention biases to emotional expressions. In our sample of 324 Syrian refugee mother-child dyads living in Jordan (children's Mage=6.32, SD = 1.18; 50% female), mothers reported on their symptoms of anxiety and depression, and on their children's internalising, externalising, and attention problems. A subset of mothers reported their trauma exposure (n = 133) and PTSD symptoms (n = 124). We examined emotion processing in the dyads using a standard dot-probe task measuring their attention allocation to facial expressions of anger and sadness. Maternal trauma and PTSD symptoms were linked to child internalising and attention problems, while maternal anxiety and depression symptoms were associated with child internalising, externalising, and attention problems. Mothers and children were hypervigilant towards expressions of anger, but surprisingly, mother and child biases were not correlated with each other. The attentional biases to emotional faces were also not linked to psychopathology risk in the dyads. Our findings highlight the importance of refugee mothers' trauma exposure and psychopathology on their children's wellbeing. The results also suggest a dissociation between the mechanisms underlying mental health and those involved in attention to emotional faces, and that intergenerational transmission of mental health problems might involve mechanisms other than attentional processes relating to emotional expressions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia E Michalek
- Youth Resilience Unit, Centre for Psychiatry and Mental Health, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
| | | | | | - Amal El Kharouf
- Centre for Women Studies, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Rana Dajani
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Kristin Hadfield
- Trinity Centre for Global Health, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Isabelle Mareschal
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Department of Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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5
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Borchers LR, Gifuni AJ, Ho TC, Kirshenbaum JS, Gotlib IH. Threat- and reward-related brain circuitry, perceived stress, and anxiety in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal investigation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2024; 19:nsae040. [PMID: 38874967 PMCID: PMC11219304 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae040] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic led to heightened anxiety in adolescents. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) are implicated in response to stress and may contribute to anxiety. The role of threat- and reward-related circuitry in adolescent anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, is not clear. Ninety-nine adolescents underwent resting-state fMRI ∼1 year before the pandemic. Following shelter-in-place orders, adolescents reported their perceived stress and, 1 month later, their anxiety. Generalized multivariate analyses identified BLA and NAcc seed-based whole-brain functional connectivity maps with perceived stress. In the resulting significant clusters, we examined the association between seed-based connectivityand subsequent anxiety. Perceived stress was associated with bilateral BLA and NAcc connectivity across distributed clusters that included prefrontal, limbic, temporal, and cerebellar regions. Several NAcc connectivity clusters located in ventromedial prefrontal, parahippocampal, and temporal cortices were positively associated with anxiety; NAcc connectivity with the inferior frontal gyrus was negatively associated. BLA connectivity was not associated with anxiety. These results underscore the integrative role of the NAcc in responding to acute stressors and its relation to anxiety in adolescents. Elucidating the involvement of subcortical-cortical circuitry in adolescents' capacity to respond adaptively to environmental challenges can inform treatment for anxiety-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren R Borchers
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Anthony J Gifuni
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
- Psychiatry Department and Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Tiffany C Ho
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Jaclyn S Kirshenbaum
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
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Dunning DL, Parker J, Griffiths K, Bennett M, Archer-Boyd A, Bevan A, Ahmed S, Griffin C, Foulkes L, Leung J, Sakhardande A, Manly T, Kuyken W, Williams JMG, Blakemore SJ, Dalgleish T. Sustaining attention in affective contexts during adolescence: age-related differences and association with elevated symptoms of depression and anxiety. Cogn Emot 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38712807 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2024.2348730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Sustained attention, a key cognitive skill that improves during childhood and adolescence, tends to be worse in some emotional and behavioural disorders. Sustained attention is typically studied in non-affective task contexts; here, we used a novel task to index performance in affective versus neutral contexts across adolescence (N = 465; ages 11-18). We asked whether: (i) performance would be worse in negative versus neutral task contexts; (ii) performance would improve with age; (iii) affective interference would be greater in younger adolescents; (iv) adolescents at risk for depression and higher in anxiety would show overall worse performance; and (v) would show differential performance in negative contexts. Results indicated that participants performed more poorly in negative contexts and showed age-related performance improvements. Those at risk of depression performed more poorly than those at lower risk. However, there was no difference between groups as a result of affective context. For anxiety there was no difference in performance as a function of severity. However, those with higher anxiety showed less variance in their reaction times to negative stimuli than those with lower anxiety. One interpretation is that moderate levels of emotional arousal associated with anxiety make individuals less susceptible to the distracting effects of negative stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- D L Dunning
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
- Health Research Methods Unit, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | - J Parker
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - K Griffiths
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - M Bennett
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - A Archer-Boyd
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - A Bevan
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - S Ahmed
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - C Griffin
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - L Foulkes
- School of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - J Leung
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - A Sakhardande
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - T Manly
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - W Kuyken
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - J M G Williams
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - S-J Blakemore
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - T Dalgleish
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
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Plate RC, Powell T, Bedford R, Smith TJ, Bamezai A, Wedderburn Q, Broussard A, Soesanto N, Swetlitz C, Waller R, Wagner NJ. Social threat processing in adults and children: Faster orienting to, but shorter dwell time on, angry faces during visual search. Dev Sci 2024; 27:e13461. [PMID: 38054265 PMCID: PMC11229010 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13461] [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: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Attention to emotional signals conveyed by others is critical for gleaning information about potential social partners and the larger social context. Children appear to detect social threats (e.g., angry faces) faster than non-threatening social signals (e.g., neutral faces). However, methods that rely on behavioral responses alone are limited in identifying different attentional processes involved in threat detection or responding. To address this question, we used a visual search paradigm to assess behavioral (i.e., reaction time to select a target image) and attentional (i.e., eye-tracking fixations, saccadic shifts, and dwell time) responses in children (ages 7-10 years old, N = 42) and adults (ages 18-23 years old, N = 46). In doing so, we compared behavioral responding and attentional detection and engagement with threatening (i.e., angry and fearful faces) and non-threatening (i.e., happy faces) social signals. Overall, children and adults were faster to detect social threats (i.e., angry faces), but spent a smaller proportion of time dwelling on them and had slower behavioral responses. Findings underscore the importance of combining different measures to parse differences between processing versus responding to social signals across development. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Children and adults are slower to select angry faces when measured by time to mouse-click but faster to detect angry faces when measured by time to first eye fixation. The use of eye-tracking addresses some limitations of prior visual search tasks with children that rely on behavioral responses alone. Results suggest shorter time to first fixation, but subsequently, shorter duration of dwell on social threat in children and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rista C Plate
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Tralucia Powell
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | | | - Tim J Smith
- Creative Computing Institute, University of the Arts London, London, UK
| | - Ankur Bamezai
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, USA
| | - Quentin Wedderburn
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Alexis Broussard
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, USA
| | - Natasha Soesanto
- Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, USA
| | - Caroline Swetlitz
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, USA
| | - Rebecca Waller
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Nicholas J Wagner
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, USA
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Fuchs M, Kersting A, Suslow T, Bodenschatz CM. Recognizing and Looking at Masked Emotional Faces in Alexithymia. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:343. [PMID: 38667139 PMCID: PMC11047507 DOI: 10.3390/bs14040343] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Alexithymia is a clinically relevant personality construct characterized by difficulties identifying and communicating one's emotions and externally oriented thinking. Alexithymia has been found to be related to poor emotion decoding and diminished attention to the eyes. The present eye tracking study investigated whether high levels of alexithymia are related to impairments in recognizing emotions in masked faces and reduced attentional preference for the eyes. An emotion recognition task with happy, fearful, disgusted, and neutral faces with face masks was administered to high-alexithymic and non-alexithymic individuals. Hit rates, latencies of correct responses, and fixation duration on eyes and face mask were analyzed as a function of group and sex. Alexithymia had no effects on accuracy and speed of emotion recognition. However, alexithymic men showed less attentional preference for the eyes relative to the mask than non-alexithymic men, which was due to their increased attention to face masks. No fixation duration differences were observed between alexithymic and non-alexithymic women. Our data indicate that high levels of alexithymia might not have adverse effects on the efficiency of emotion recognition from faces wearing masks. Future research on gaze behavior during facial emotion recognition in high alexithymia should consider sex as a moderating variable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas Suslow
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (M.F.); (A.K.); (C.M.B.)
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Choo M, Park D, Cho M, Bae S, Kim J, Han DH. Exploring a multimodal approach for utilizing digital biomarkers for childhood mental health screening. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1348319. [PMID: 38666089 PMCID: PMC11043569 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1348319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Depression and anxiety are prevalent mental health concerns among children and adolescents. The application of conventional assessment methods, such as survey questionnaires to children, may lead to self-reporting issues. Digital biomarkers provide extensive data, reducing bias in mental health self-reporting, and significantly influence patient screening. Our primary objectives were to accurately assess children's mental health and to investigate the feasibility of using various digital biomarkers. Methods This study included a total of 54 boys and girls aged between 7 to 11 years. Each participant's mental state was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. Subsequently, the subjects participated in digital biomarker collection tasks. Heart rate variability (HRV) data were collected using a camera sensor. Eye-tracking data were collected through tasks displaying emotion-face stimuli. Voice data were obtained by recording the participants' voices while they engaged in free speech and description tasks. Results Depressive symptoms were positively correlated with low frequency (LF, 0.04-0.15 Hz of HRV) in HRV and negatively associated with eye-tracking variables. Anxiety symptoms had a negative correlation with high frequency (HF, 0.15-0.40 Hz of HRV) in HRV and a positive association with LF/HF. Regarding stress, eye-tracking variables indicated a positive correlation, while pNN50, which represents the proportion of NN50 (the number of pairs of successive R-R intervals differing by more than 50 milliseconds) divided by the total number of NN (R-R) intervals, exhibited a negative association. Variables identified for childhood depression included LF and the total time spent looking at a sad face. Those variables recognized for anxiety were LF/HF, heart rate (HR), and pNN50. For childhood stress, HF, LF, and Jitter showed different correlation patterns between the two grade groups. Discussion We examined the potential of multimodal biomarkers in children, identifying features linked to childhood depression, particularly LF and the Sad.TF:time. Anxiety was most effectively explained by HRV features. To explore reasons for non-replication of previous studies, we categorized participants by elementary school grades into lower grades (1st, 2nd, 3rd) and upper grades (4th, 5th, 6th). Conclusion This study confirmed the potential use of multimodal digital biomarkers for children's mental health screening, serving as foundational research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Doeun Park
- HCI Lab, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Minseo Cho
- HCI Lab, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sujin Bae
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinwoo Kim
- HCI Lab, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Doug Hyun Han
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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10
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Surber C, Hoepfel D, Günther V, Kersting A, Rufer M, Suslow T, Bodenschatz CM. Deployment of attention to facial expressions varies as a function of emotional quality-but not in alexithymic individuals. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1338194. [PMID: 38510803 PMCID: PMC10950908 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1338194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Alexithymia is a risk factor for emotional disorders and is characterized by differences in automatic and controlled emotion processing. The multi-stimulus free-viewing task has been used to detect increased negative and reduced positive attentional biases in depression and anxiety. In the present eye-tracking study, we examined whether lexical emotional priming directs attention toward emotion-congruent facial expressions and whether alexithymia is related to impairments in lexical priming and spontaneous attention deployment during multiple face perception. Materials and methods A free-viewing task with happy, fearful, angry, and neutral faces shown simultaneously was administered to 32 alexithymic and 46 non-alexithymic individuals along with measures of negative affect and intelligence. Face presentation was preceded by masked emotion words. Indices of initial orienting and maintenance of attention were analyzed as a function of prime or target category and study group. Results Time to first fixation was not affected by prime category or study group. Analysis of fixation duration yielded a three-way interaction. Alexithymic individuals exhibited no prime or target category effect, whereas non-alexithymic individuals showed a main effect of target condition, fixating happy faces longer than neutral and angry faces and fearful faces longer than angry faces. Discussion Our results show evidence of attentional biases for positive and fearful social information in non-alexithymic individuals, but not in alexithymic individuals. The lack of spontaneous attentional preference for these social stimuli in alexithymia might contribute to a vulnerability for developing emotional disorders. Our data also suggest that briefly presented emotion words may not facilitate gaze orientation toward emotion-congruent stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Surber
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dennis Hoepfel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Vivien Günther
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anette Kersting
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Rufer
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich (PUK), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clinic Zugersee, Triaplus AG, Zug, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Suslow
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Charlott Maria Bodenschatz
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
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11
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Haller SP, Archer C, Jeong A, Jaffe A, Jones EL, Harrewijn A, Naim R, Linke JO, Stoddard J, Brotman MA. Changes in Internalizing Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Transdiagnostic Sample of Youth: Exploring Mediators and Predictors. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024; 55:206-218. [PMID: 35794298 PMCID: PMC9816351 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01382-z] [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] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is a chronically stressful event, particularly for youth. Here, we examine (i) changes in mood and anxiety symtpoms, (ii) pandemic-related stress as a mediator of change in symptoms, and (ii) threat processing biases as a predictor of increased anxiety during the pandemic. A clinically well-characterized sample of 81 youth ages 8-18 years (M = 13.8 years, SD = 2.65; 40.7% female) including youth with affective and/or behavioral psychiatric diagnoses and youth without psychopathology completed pre- and during pandemic assessments of anxiety and depression and COVID-related stress. Forty-six youth also completed a threat processing fMRI task pre-pandemic. Anxiety and depression significantly increased during the pandemic (all ps < 0.05). Significant symptom change was partially mediated by pandemic stress and worries. Increased prefrontal activity in response to neutral faces pre-pandemic was associated with more intense parent-reported anxiety during the pandemic (all Fs(1.95,81.86) > 14.44, ps < 0.001). The present work extends existing knowledge on the mediating role of psychological stress on symptoms of anxiety and depression in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone P Haller
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA.
| | - Camille Archer
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA
| | - Annie Jeong
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA
| | - Allison Jaffe
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA
| | - Emily L Jones
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA
| | - Anita Harrewijn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Reut Naim
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA
| | - Julia O Linke
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA
| | - Joel Stoddard
- Department of Psychiatry & Neuroscience Program, Children's Hospital Colorado, Pediatric Mental Health Institute, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13123 East 16th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Melissa A Brotman
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 15K, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2670, USA
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12
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Sylvester CM, Luby JL, Pine DS. Novel mechanism-based treatments for pediatric anxiety and depressive disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:262-275. [PMID: 37608220 PMCID: PMC10700626 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01709-x] [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: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Pediatric anxiety and depressive disorders are common, can be highly impairing, and can persist despite the best available treatments. Here, we review research into novel treatments for childhood anxiety and depressive disorders designed to target underlying cognitive, emotional, and neural circuit mechanisms. We highlight three novel treatments lying along a continuum relating to clinical impact of the disorder and the intensity of clinical management required. We review cognitive training, which involves the lowest risk and may be applicable for problems with mild to moderate impact; psychotherapy, which includes a higher level of clinical involvement and may be sufficient for problems with moderate impact; and brain stimulation, which has the highest potential risks and is therefore most appropriate for problems with high impact. For each treatment, we review the specific underlying cognitive, emotional, and brain circuit mechanisms that are being targeted, whether treatments modify those underlying mechanisms, and efficacy in reducing symptoms. We conclude by highlighting future directions, including the importance of work that leverages developmental windows of high brain plasticity to time interventions to the specific epochs in childhood that have the largest and most enduring life-long impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad M Sylvester
- Washington University Department of Psychiatry, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Washington University Department of Radiology, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Joan L Luby
- Washington University Department of Psychiatry, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Daniel S Pine
- National Institute of Mental Health, Emotion and Development Branch, St. Louis, MO, USA
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13
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Shamai-Leshem D, Abend R, Arad G, Azriel O, Chong L, de Jong P, Dykan CDG, Hajcak G, Klawohn J, Meyer A, Neophytou K, Neria Y, Panayiotou G, Schneier F, Soleymani A, Yair N, Pine DS, Bar-Haim Y, Lazarov A. The free-viewing matrix task: A reliable measure of attention allocation in psychopathology. J Anxiety Disord 2023; 100:102789. [PMID: 37949029 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant attention allocation has been implicated in the etiology and maintenance of a range of psychopathologies. However, three decades of research, relying primarily on manual response-time tasks, have been challenged on the grounds of poor reliability of its attention bias indices. Here, in a large, multisite, international study we provide reliability information for a new eye-tracking-based measure of attention allocation and its relation to psychopathology and age. Data from 1567 participants, across a wide range of psychiatric diagnoses and ages, were aggregated from nine sites around the world. Of these, 213 participants also provided retest data. Acceptable overall internal consistency and test-retest reliability were observed among adult participants (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86 and r(213) = 0.89, respectively), as well as across all examined psychopathologies. Youth demonstrated lower internal consistency scores (Cronbach's alpha = 0.65). Finally, the percent dwell time index derived from the task statistically differentiated between healthy participants and participants diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, major depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. These results potentially address a long-standing reliability crisis in this research field. Aberrant attention allocation patterns in a variety of psychiatric disorders may be targeted with the hope of affecting symptoms. The attention allocation index derived from the matrix task offers reliable means to measure such cognitive target engagement in clinical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Shamai-Leshem
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Rany Abend
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, USA
| | - Gal Arad
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Omer Azriel
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lyndsey Chong
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Peter de Jong
- Department of Clinical Psychology & Experimental Psychopathology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Greg Hajcak
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Julia Klawohn
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA; Department of Medicine, MSB Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandria Meyer
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | | | - Yuval Neria
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Franklin Schneier
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ali Soleymani
- Department of Clinical Psychology & Experimental Psychopathology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Centre of Education and Learning, Technical University of Delft, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Noga Yair
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, USA
| | - Yair Bar-Haim
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amit Lazarov
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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14
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van den Brand AJP, Hendriks-Hartensveld AEM, Havermans RC, Nederkoorn C. Child characteristic correlates of food rejection in preschool children: A narrative review. Appetite 2023; 190:107044. [PMID: 37717623 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.107044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Dietary habits formed in early childhood are key for establishing a healthy diet later in life. Picky eating and food neophobia - the two main forms of food rejection in young children - form an important barricade to establishing such healthy habits. Understanding these types of food rejection is thus essential for promoting healthy eating behaviour in both children and adults. To this end, the present narrative review aims to provide an overview of food rejection research in preschool-aged children, focusing on recent advances in the cognitive literature. Specifically, we evaluate the link between children's cognitive development, chemosensory perception and affective evaluation of food, food knowledge, decision-making strategies, anxiety and disgust sensitivity, and food rejection behaviour. Longitudinal and experimental studies are necessary to establish how the relationships between food rejection and cognitive processes develop over time and to determine their causal directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouk J P van den Brand
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
| | - Anouk E M Hendriks-Hartensveld
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Remco C Havermans
- Laboratory of Behavioural Gastronomy, Centre for Healthy Eating and Food Innovation, Maastricht University Campus, Venlo, the Netherlands; Youth, Food, and Health, Maastricht University Campus, Venlo, the Netherlands
| | - Chantal Nederkoorn
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
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15
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Rapee RM, Creswell C, Kendall PC, Pine DS, Waters AM. Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents: A summary and overview of the literature. Behav Res Ther 2023; 168:104376. [PMID: 37499294 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Considerable work has advanced understanding of the nature, causes, management, and prevention of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents over the past 30 years. Prior to this time the primary focus was on school refusal and specific phobias. It is now recognised that children and adolescents experience the full gamut of anxiety disorders in very similar ways to adults and that anxiety disorders in the paediatric years can predict a lifelong mental-health struggle. Given the vast array of specific studies in this field, the current review summarises current knowledge about these high prevalence disorders, points to overarching limitations, and suggests potentially important future directions. Following a brief historical overview, the review summarises knowledge about demographic and epidemiological characteristics, distal and proximal risk factors, current treatment directions, and prevention. There is still a great deal to learn about the causes and treatments of child and adolescent anxiety disorders. By amalgamating our current knowledge, this review provides a window to the research directions that are likely to lead to future advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald M Rapee
- Centre for Emotional Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Cathy Creswell
- Departments of Psychiatry and Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip C Kendall
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic, USA
| | - Daniel S Pine
- National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program (NIMH-IRP), USA
| | - Allison M Waters
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
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16
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Swales DA, Markant J, Hennessey EMP, Glueck DH, Hankin BL, Davis EP. Infant negative affectivity and patterns of affect-biased attention. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22380. [PMID: 36946685 PMCID: PMC10518220 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22380] [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: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Biased attention toward affective cues often cooccurs with the emergence and maintenance of internalizing disorders. However, few studies have assessed whether affect-biased attention in infancy relates to early indicators of psychopathological risk, such as negative affectivity. The current study evaluates whether negative affectivity relates to affect-biased attention in 6-month-old infants. Affect-biased attention was assessed via a free-viewing eye-tracking task in which infants were presented with a series of face pairs (comprised of a happy, angry, or sad face and a neutral face). Attention was quantified with metrics of both attention orienting and attention holding. Overall, infants showed no differences in attention orienting (i.e., speed of looking) or attention holding (i.e., duration of looking) toward emotional faces in comparison to the neutral face pairs. Negative affectivity, assessed via parent report, did not relate to attention orienting but was associated with biased attention toward positive, happy faces and away from threat-cueing, angry faces in comparison to the neutral faces they were paired with. These findings suggest that negative affectivity is associated with differences in attention holding, but not initial orienting toward emotional faces; biases which have important implications for the trajectory of socioemotional development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle A. Swales
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Julie Markant
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | | | - Deborah H. Glueck
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Benjamin L. Hankin
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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17
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Garza R, Pazhoohi F, Al-Shawaf L, Byrd-Craven J. An Eye Tracking Study Examining the Role of Mating Strategies, Perceived Vulnerability to Disease, and Disgust in Attention to Pathogenic Cues. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 9:72-87. [PMID: 37038386 PMCID: PMC9974393 DOI: 10.1007/s40750-023-00211-4] [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: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Disgust is an emotion that regulates disease avoidance and reduces the likelihood of pathogenic infections. Existing research suggests a bidirectional relationship between disgust and mating, where disgust inhibits sexual behavior and sexual behavior inhibits disgust. In the current study, we investigated the role of individual differences and mating motivations on visual attention to pathogenic cues. Participants (N = 103) were randomly assigned to a mating prime or control condition, and they were asked to view images of pathogenic cues (i.e., rotten food, exposed cuts, bodily fluids) paired with their non-pathogenic counterparts. The findings showed no effect of mating prime on visual attention to pathogenic stimuli; however, dispositional mating strategies (SOI-R) were associated with attention to pathogenic stimuli. Individuals with unrestricted sociosexual orientations viewed pathogenic stimuli longer. The findings demonstrate that dispositional mating orientation is associated with greater attention to disgusting images, a link between pathogens and mating orientation that warrants further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray Garza
- Department of Psychology and Communication, Texas A&M International University, 5201 University Blvd, 78041 Laredo, TX USA
| | - Farid Pazhoohi
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, V6T 1Z4 Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Laith Al-Shawaf
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado- Colorado Springs, 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy, Colorado Springs, 80918 Colorado Springs, CO USA
| | - Jennifer Byrd-Craven
- The Oklahoma Center for Evolutionary Analysis (OCEAN), Oklahoma State University, 116 Psychology Building, 74078 Stillwater, OK USA
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18
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Rayson H, Ryan ZJ, Dodd HF. Behavioural inhibition and early neural processing of happy and angry faces interact to predict anxiety: a longitudinal ERP study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101207. [PMID: 36764038 PMCID: PMC9929676 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Limited prospective research has examined whether attention biases to emotion moderate associations between Behavioural Inhibition (BI) and anxiety in preschool-aged children. Furthermore, there has been an over-reliance on behavioral measures in previous studies. Accordingly, we assessed anxiety in a sample of preschool-aged children (3-4 years) at baseline, and again approximately 6 and 11 months later, after they started school. At baseline, children completed an assessment of BI and an EEG task where they were presented with angry, happy, and neutral faces. EEG analyses focused on ERPs (P1, P2, N2) associated with specific stages of attention allocation. Interactions between BI and emotion bias (ERP amplitude for emotional versus neutral faces) were found for N2 and P1. For N2, BI was significantly associated with higher overall anxiety when an angry bias was present. Interestingly for P1, BI was associated with higher overall anxiety when a happy bias was absent. Finally, interactions were found between linear time and happy and angry bias for P1, with a greater linear decrease in anxiety over time when biases were high. These results suggest that attention to emotional stimuli moderates the BI-anxiety relationship across early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Rayson
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon, France.
| | - Zoe J Ryan
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, UK
| | - Helen F Dodd
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, UK; Children and Young People's Mental Health Research Collaboration (ChYMe), Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, UK
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19
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Flechsenhar A, Levine S, Bertsch K. Threat induction biases processing of emotional expressions. Front Psychol 2022; 13:967800. [PMID: 36507050 PMCID: PMC9730731 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.967800] [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: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Threats can derive from our physical or social surroundings and bias the way we perceive and interpret a given situation. They can be signaled by peers through facial expressions, as expressed anger or fear can represent the source of perceived threat. The current study seeks to investigate enhanced attentional state and defensive reflexes associated with contextual threat induced through aversive sounds presented in an emotion recognition paradigm. In a sample of 120 healthy participants, response and gaze behavior revealed differences in perceiving emotional facial expressions between threat and safety conditions: Responses were slower under threat and less accurate. Happy and neutral facial expressions were classified correctly more often in a safety context and misclassified more often as fearful under threat. This unidirectional misclassification suggests that threat applies a negative filter to the perception of neutral and positive information. Eye movements were initiated later under threat, but fixation changes were more frequent and dwell times shorter compared to a safety context. These findings demonstrate that such experimental paradigms are capable of providing insight into how context alters emotion processing at cognitive, physiological, and behavioral levels. Such alterations may derive from evolutionary adaptations necessary for biasing cognitive processing to survive disadvantageous situations. This perspective sets up new testable hypotheses regarding how such levels of explanation may be dysfunctional in patient populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleya Flechsenhar
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany,NeuroImaging Core Unit Munich (NICUM), University Hospital LMU, Munich, Germany,*Correspondence: Aleya Flechsenhar,
| | - Seth Levine
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany,NeuroImaging Core Unit Munich (NICUM), University Hospital LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany,NeuroImaging Core Unit Munich (NICUM), University Hospital LMU, Munich, Germany,Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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20
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Valadez EA, Pine DS, Fox NA, Bar-Haim Y. Attentional biases in human anxiety. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104917. [PMID: 36252826 PMCID: PMC9756271 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104917] [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: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Across clinical and subclinical samples, anxiety has been associated with increased attentional capture by cues signaling danger. Various cognitive models attribute the onset and maintenance of anxiety symptoms to maladaptive selective information processing. In this brief review, we 1) describe the evidence for the relations between anxiety and attention bias toward threat, 2) discuss the neurobiology of anxiety-related differences in threat bias, 3) summarize work investigating the developmental origins of attention bias toward threat, and 4) examine efforts to translate threat bias research into clinical intervention. Future directions in each area are discussed, including the use of novel analytic approaches improving characterization of threat-processing-related brain networks, clarifying the role of cognitive control in the development of attention bias toward threat, and the need for larger, well-controlled randomized clinical trials examining moderators and mediators of treatment response. Ultimately, this work has important implications for understanding the etiology of and for intervening on anxiety difficulties among children and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio A Valadez
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nathan A Fox
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Yair Bar-Haim
- School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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21
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Clinical Utility of Eye Tracking in Assessing Distractibility in Children with Neurological Disorders or ADHD: A Cross-Sectional Study. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12101369. [PMID: 36291303 PMCID: PMC9599566 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12101369] [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] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aims to investigate distractibility quantified by recording and analyzing eye movements during task-irrelevant distraction in children with and without ADHD and in children with and without neurological disorders. Gaze behavior data and press latencies of 141 participants aged 6−17 that were collected during a computerized distraction paradigm with task-irrelevant stimuli (IDistrack) were analyzed. Children using attention-regulating medication were excluded from participation. Data were analyzed for subgroups that were formed based on the presence of neurological disorders and the presence of ADHD separately. Participants with ADHD and participants with neurological disorders spent less time fixating on the target stimuli compared to their peers without ADHD (p = 0.025) or their peers without neurological disorders (p < 0.001). Participants with and without ADHD had equal press latencies (p = 0.79). Participants with neurological disorders had a greater press latency compared to their typically developing peers (p < 0.001). Target fixation duration shows a significant association with parent-reported attention problems (r = −0.39, p < 0.001). We conclude that eye tracking during a distraction task reveals potentially valid clinical information that may contribute to the assessment of dysfunctional attentional processes. Further research on the validity and reliability of this paradigm is recommended.
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22
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Bretthauer J, Canu D, Thiemann U, Fleischhaker C, Brauner H, Müller K, Smyrnis N, Biscaldi M, Bender S, Klein C. Attention for Emotion-How Young Adults With Neurodevelopmental Disorders Look at Facial Expressions of Affect. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:842896. [PMID: 35782441 PMCID: PMC9240263 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.842896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Schizophrenia (SCZ) differ in many clinically relevant features such as symptomatology and course, they may also share genetic underpinnings, affective problems, deviancies in social interactions, and are all characterized by some kind of cognitive impairment. This situation calls for a joint investigation of the specifics of cognitive (dys-)functions of the three disorders. Such endeavor should focus, among other domains, on the inter-section of processing cognitive, affective and social information that is crucial in effective real-life interactions and can be accomplished when attentional preferences for human facial expressions of emotions is studied. To that end, attention to facial expressions of basic emotions was examined in young adults with ASD, ADHD, or SCZ in the present study. The three clinical groups were compared with an age-matched group of typically-developing participants (TD) during the free contemplation of five different facial emotions presented simultaneously, by varying identities, through the registration of eye movements. We showed, that dwell times and fixation counts differed for the different emotions in TD and in a highly similar way in ADHD. Patients with ASD differed from TD by showing a stronger differentiation between emotions and partially different attentional preferences. In contrast, the SCZ group showed an overall more restricted scanning behavior and a lack of differentiation between emotions. The ADHD group, showed an emotion-specific gazing pattern that was highly similar to that of controls. Thus, by analyzing eye movements, we were able to differentiate three different viewing patterns that allowed us to distinguish between the three clinical groups. This outcome suggests that attention for emotion may not tap into common pathophysiological processes and argues for a multi-dimensional approach to the grouping of disorders with neurodevelopmental etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Bretthauer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Daniela Canu
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Ulf Thiemann
- Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics und Psychotherapy in Children and Adolescents, LVR Hospital, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christian Fleischhaker
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Heike Brauner
- Kinder- und Jugendwohnheim Leppermühle, Buseck, Germany
| | | | - Nikolaos Smyrnis
- Second Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, University General Hospital “Attikon”, Athens, Greece
| | - Monica Biscaldi
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Stephan Bender
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christoph Klein
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Second Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, University General Hospital “Attikon”, Athens, Greece
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Nelson AL, Quigley L, Carriere J, Kalles E, Smilek D, Purdon C. Avoidance of mild threat observed in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) using eye tracking. J Anxiety Disord 2022; 88:102577. [PMID: 35525072 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2022.102577] [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] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Attentional biases towards threat are assumed to be a causal factor in the development of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). However, findings have been inconsistent, and studies often examine single time-point bias during threat exposure, instead of across time. Attention to threat may shift throughout exposure (e.g., from initial engagement to avoidance), and research suggests that threat intensity and state anxiety influence attentional biases. No studies to our knowledge have examined biases across time and with varying threat intensity and state anxiety. Participants with GAD (n=38) and non-anxious controls (n=25) viewed emotional (high threat, mild threat, and positive) and neutral image pairs under calm and anxious mood states while their eye movements were tracked. Participants showed an initial orientation to emotional images, and, under the anxious mood induction, demonstrated a bias towards threatening images at first fixation and over time. Results suggest it may be normative to attend to threat cues over other stimuli while in an anxious state. Individuals with GAD uniquely showed a bias away from mild (but not high) threat images over time relative to controls. Implications for theories of attentional biases to threat and clinical implications for GAD and anxiety disorders broadly are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Leanne Quigley
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, 1165 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Jonathan Carriere
- Department of Psychology, Bishop's University, 2600 Rue College, Sherbrooke, QC J1M 1Z7, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Kalles
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Daniel Smilek
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Christine Purdon
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
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24
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Oar EL, Johnco CJ, Waters AM, Fardouly J, Forbes MK, Magson NR, Richardson CE, Rapee RM. Eye-tracking to assess anxiety-related attentional biases among a large sample of preadolescent children. Behav Res Ther 2022; 153:104079. [PMID: 35395478 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2022.104079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
A considerable body of research in adults has demonstrated that anxiety disorders are characterised by attentional biases to threat. Findings in children have been inconsistent. The present study examined anxiety-related attention biases using eye tracking methodology in 463 preadolescents between 10 and 12 years of age, of whom 92 met criteria for a DSM-5 anxiety disorder and 371 did not. Preadolescent's gaze was recorded while they viewed adolescent face pairs depicting angry-neutral and happy-neutral expressions with each face pair presented for 5000 ms. No group differences were observed across any eye tracking indices including probability of first fixation direction, latency to first fixation, first fixation duration and dwell time. The sample overall showed faster initial attention towards threat cues, followed by a later broadening of attention away from threat. There is a need to identify the types of threats and the developmental period during which visual attention patterns of anxious and non-anxious youth diverge to inform more developmentally sensitive treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella L Oar
- Centre for Emotional Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
| | - Carly J Johnco
- Centre for Emotional Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Allison M Waters
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Mount Gravatt Campus, Mount Gravatt, QLD, 4122, Australia
| | - Jasmine Fardouly
- Centre for Emotional Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia; School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Miriam K Forbes
- Centre for Emotional Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Natasha R Magson
- Centre for Emotional Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Cele E Richardson
- Centre for Emotional Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia; School of Psychological Science, Centre for Sleep Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Ronald M Rapee
- Centre for Emotional Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
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25
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Hu S, Mo D, Guo P, Zheng H, Jiang X, Zhong H. Correlation between suicidal ideation and emotional memory in adolescents with depressive disorder. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5470. [PMID: 35361837 PMCID: PMC8971389 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09459-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
This study explored the differences in emotional memory between adolescents with and without suicidal ideation. Fifty adolescents with depression and suicidal ideation, 36 with depression but no suicidal ideation, and 41 healthy controls rated the emotional valence of positive, neutral, and negative pictures. Then, the recognition of the images was evaluated 72 h later. Adolescents with suicidal ideation reported more negative emotional valence scores for positive and neutral pictures and were significantly less likely to recognize negative pictures than were those without suicidal ideation. The performance of adolescents with suicidal ideation on the negative picture recognition test was closely related to anxiety, depression severity, and intensity of suicidal ideation. The negative bias toward neutral stimuli and cognitive impairment may be important risk factors for adolescents with suicidal ideation. Improving emotional memory via targeted management approaches may help young people with suicidal ideation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuwen Hu
- Department of Child and Adolescents, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.,Department of Child and Adolescents, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, 316 Huangshan Road, Shushan District, Hefei, 230000, Anhui, China
| | - Daming Mo
- Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Pengfei Guo
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hongyu Zheng
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaolu Jiang
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hui Zhong
- Department of Child and Adolescents, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China. .,Department of Child and Adolescents, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, 316 Huangshan Road, Shushan District, Hefei, 230000, Anhui, China.
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26
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Hoepfel D, Günther V, Bujanow A, Kersting A, Bodenschatz CM, Suslow T. Experiences of maltreatment in childhood and attention to facial emotions in healthy young women. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4317. [PMID: 35279687 PMCID: PMC8918349 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08290-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Using reaction-time measures, research on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and biased attention to emotional stimuli in adults has obtained inconsistent results. To help clarify this issue, we conducted an eye-tracking study on the link between childhood maltreatment and allocation of attention to facial emotions analyzing gaze behavior in addition to manual reactions. In contrast to prior investigations, we excluded individuals with tendencies to minimize maltreatment experiences from analyses. Gaze behavior and manual response time of 58 healthy women were examined in a dot-probe task in which pairs of emotional (happy, sad, or disgusted) and neutral faces were presented. In our analyses, participants’ affectivity, level of alexithymia, and intelligence were controlled. Entry time and dwell time on facial expressions were used as indicators of attention allocation. Childhood maltreatment showed no effect on response latencies but was associated with shorter entry times on emotional faces and shorter dwell time on disgusted faces. Experiences of childhood maltreatment seem to be linked to an increased early vigilance to emotional social signals and to an attentional avoidance of hostile facial expressions at a later stage of perception. The present results suggest a vigilance-avoidance pattern of attention allocation associated with childhood maltreatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Hoepfel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Vivien Günther
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anna Bujanow
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anette Kersting
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Charlott Maria Bodenschatz
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Suslow
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
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Does irritability predict attention biases toward threat among clinically anxious youth? Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022:10.1007/s00787-022-01954-3. [PMID: 35138476 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-022-01954-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant threat processing is a known cognitive characteristic of anxiety disorders and irritability. Youth with more severe symptomatology show greater allocation of attention towards threat relative to neutral stimuli. Although irritability contributes to poorer outcomes among anxious youths, irritability has not been considered as a contributing factor to threat processing in anxiety disorders. Thus, the current study examined the role of irritability in predicting attention biases for threat among clinically anxious youth. Our study included 84 clinically anxious youth (M = 9.31 years old, SD = 2.44) who completed a dot-probe task to determine attention biases. Anxiety disorders were assessed using semi-structured diagnostic interviews. Well validated measures were used to assess the severity of anxiety and irritability symptoms via child- and parent-report, respectively. Findings indicated that more severe irritability predicted greater attention biases toward threat among clinically anxious youth, covarying for age, anxiety severity, and the number of comorbid diagnoses. At a trend-level, anxiety severity also predicted attention bias for threat. Among clinically anxious youth, irritability severity was the strongest predictor of attention bias toward threat. Findings point to the salience of irritability, and to some extent anxiety severity, in relation to threat processing among youth with clinical anxiety disorders.
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28
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Vogel F, Gensthaler A, Schwenck C. Frozen with Fear? Attentional Mechanisms in Children with Selective Mutism. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10608-021-10289-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Children with selective mutism (SM) are consistently unable to speak in certain social situations. Due to an overlap between SM and social anxiety disorder (SAD) in children, similar mechanisms could apply to both disorders. Especially biased attentional processing of threat and fear-induced reduced visual exploration (referred to as attentive freezing) appear promising in SM.
Methods
A total of N = 84 children (8–12 years, SM: n = 28, SAD: n = 28, typical development (TD): n = 28) participated in an eye-tracking paradigm with videos of a social counterpart expressing a question, a social evaluation or a neutral statement. We investigated gaze behavior towards the social counterpart’s eye-region and the extent of visual exploration (length of scanpath), across conditions.
Results
There were no group differences regarding gaze behavior on the eye region. Neither gaze behavior with respect to the eye region nor visual exploration were dependent on the video condition. Compared to children with TD, children with SM generally showed less visual exploration, however children with SAD did not.
Conclusion
Reduced visual exploration might be due to the mechanism of attentive freezing, which could be part of an extensive fear response in SM that might also affect speech-production. Interventions that counteract the state of freezing could be promising for the therapy of SM.
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Günther V, Kropidlowski A, Schmidt FM, Koelkebeck K, Kersting A, Suslow T. Attentional processes during emotional face perception in social anxiety disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of eye-tracking findings. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 111:110353. [PMID: 34000291 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Background In recent years, a growing body of eye-tracking research has investigated gaze behavior in individuals with social anxiety during the visual perception of emotional stimuli. The aim of this article was to review and synthesize studies examining attention orientation in patients with clinical social anxiety by means of eye-tracking methodology. Methods Through a systematic search, 30 articles were identified, including 11 studies in which single emotional faces were used as stimuli and seven eligible studies in which threatening faces were paired with neutral stimuli. Meta-analyses were conducted to compare prolonged eye-contact behavior and early attentional biases to threats in individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and healthy controls. Results Moderate group differences were revealed for single face viewing studies, with SAD patients showing significantly reduced eye contact with negative (Hedges' g = -0.67) and positive emotional faces (g = -0.49) compared to that of healthy participants. Type of task and duration of stimulus presentation were (marginally) significant moderators of between-study variance in effect size. Small but significant group differences were found for early attentional biases toward angry faces versus neutral stimuli (g = 0.21) but not toward happy faces versus neutral stimuli (g = 0.05). Preliminary evidence for a hyperscanning strategy in SAD patients relative to healthy controls emerged (g = 0.42). Limitations The number of included studies with face pairings was low, and two studies were excluded due to unavailable data. Conclusions Our results suggest that eye contact avoidance with emotional faces is a prominent feature in SAD patients. Patients might benefit from guidance to learn to make adequate eye contact during therapeutic interventions, such as exposure therapy. SAD patients demonstrated slightly heightened attention allocation toward angry faces relative to that of healthy participants during early processing stages. Threat biases can be potential targets for attention modification training as an adjuvant to other treatments. Future research on early attentional processes may benefit from improved arrangements of paired stimuli to increase the psychometric properties of initial attention indices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivien Günther
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Adam Kropidlowski
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Frank Martin Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Katja Koelkebeck
- LVR-Hospital Essen, Institute and Hospital of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Essen, Germany
| | - Anette Kersting
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Suslow
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany.
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30
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Doom JR, Rozenman M, Fox KR, Phu T, Subar AR, Seok D, Rivera KM. The Transdiagnostic Origins of Anxiety and Depression During the Pediatric Period: Linking NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Constructs to Ecological Systems. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 33:1599-1619. [PMID: 35281333 PMCID: PMC8916713 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421000559] [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: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In the last decade, an abundance of research has utilized the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework to examine mechanisms underlying anxiety and depression in youth. However, relatively little work has examined how these mechanistic intrapersonal processes intersect with context during childhood and adolescence. The current paper covers reviews and meta-analyses that have linked RDoC-relevant constructs to ecological systems in internalizing problems in youth. Specifically, cognitive, biological, and affective factors within the RDoC framework were examined. Based on these reviews and some of the original empirical research they cover, we highlight the integral role of ecological factors to the RDoC framework in predicting onset and maintenance of internalizing problems in youth. Specific recommendations are provided for researchers using the RDoC framework to inform future research integrating ecological systems and development. We advocate for future research and research funding to focus on better integration of the environment and development into the RDoC framework.
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31
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Expressions of positive and negative shyness in preschool-age children: Temperamental correlates and visual attention to emotions. J Exp Child Psychol 2021; 215:105315. [PMID: 34801737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Recent empirical evidence shows heterogeneity in the expression of shyness in children. Some children tend to express their shyness displaying positive affect along with gaze aversions (positive shyness), whereas others display more negative emotional reactions accompanied by gaze aversions (negative shyness). Temperamental differences in approach-avoidance tendencies are likely to explain these differences in shyness expression in children and influence their visual attention to social stimuli, yet little empirical attention has been devoted to these associations. Our study examined the temperamental profile (approach, fear, and inhibitory control) associated with positive and negative shyness and the relation between expression of shyness and attention to social stimuli in 47 children aged 3-6 years. Children's positive and negative expressions of shyness were assessed using a performance task. Visual attention to facial emotional expressions was measured with the dot - probe task, and temperament was measured with maternal reports. Positive shyness was found to be positively associated with temperamental dimensions of approach, inhibitory control, and fear. Positive shyness was significantly associated with attentional orientation to positive facial expressions and with less attentional avoidance of threatening facial expressions. Negative shyness was positively associated only with temperamental fear, and no associations were found with attention to social stimuli. Our study provides empirical support for the association between temperament and the multidimensional character of the expression of positive shyness and adds relevant evidence regarding the connection between the expression of shyness and attention to social stimuli.
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32
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Harrewijn A, Abend R, Naim R, Haller SP, Stavish CM, Bajaj MA, Matsumoto C, Dombek K, Cardinale EM, Kircanski K, Brotman MA. Attention bias to negative versus non-negative faces is related to negative affectivity in a transdiagnostic youth sample. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 138:514-518. [PMID: 33975068 PMCID: PMC8192477 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.04.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
This study identified a shared pathophysiological mechanism of pediatric anxiety and irritability. Clinically, anxiety and irritability are common, co-occurring problems, both characterized by high-arousal negative affective states. Behaviorally, anxiety and irritability are associated with aberrant threat processing. To build on these findings, we examined eye-tracking measures of attention bias in relation to the unique and shared features of anxiety and irritability in a transdiagnostic sample of youth (n = 97, 58% female, Mage = 13.03, SDage = 2.82). We measured attention bias to negative versus non-negative emotional faces during a passive viewing task. We employed bifactor analysis to parse the unique and shared variance of anxiety and irritability symptoms from self- and parent-report questionnaires. Negative affectivity is the derived latent factor reflecting shared variance of anxiety and irritability. We found that higher negative affectivity was associated with looking longer at negative versus non-negative faces, reflecting a shared mechanism of anxiety and irritability. This finding suggests that modification of elevated attention to negative emotional faces may represent a common potential treatment target of anxiety and irritability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Harrewijn
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Rany Abend
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Reut Naim
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Simone P. Haller
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Caitlin M. Stavish
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
| | - Mira A. Bajaj
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Chika Matsumoto
- University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kelly Dombek
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Elise M. Cardinale
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Katharina Kircanski
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Melissa A. Brotman
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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33
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Wise S, Huang-Pollock C, Pérez-Edgar K. Implementation of the diffusion model on dot-probe task performance in children with behavioral inhibition. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 86:831-843. [PMID: 34047824 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01532-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Attentional bias to threat, the process of preferentially attending to potentially threatening environmental stimuli over neutral stimuli, is positively associated with behavioral inhibition (BI) and trait anxiety. However, the most used measure of attentional bias to threat, the dot-probe task, has been criticized for demonstrating poor reliability. The present study aimed to assess whether utilizing a sequential sampling model to describe performance could detect adequate test-retest reliability for the dot-probe task, demonstrate stronger cueing effects, and improve the association with neural signals of early attention. One hundred and twenty children aged 9-12 years completed the dot-probe task twice. During the second administration, event-related potentials (ERPs) were obtained as time-sensitive neural markers of attention. BI was not associated with traditional or diffusion model measures of performance. Traditional and diffusion model measures of performance were also not associated with N1, P2, or N2 ERP amplitude. There were main effects of Visit, in which RTs were faster and standard deviation of RT smaller during the second administration due to an increase in drift rate and a decrease in non-decision time. The traditional RT bias score (r = 0.06) and bias scores formed via diffusion model parameters (all r's < 0.40) all demonstrated poor reliability. Results confirm recommendations to move away from using the dot-probe task as the primary or sole index of attentional bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane Wise
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, USA.
| | | | - Koraly Pérez-Edgar
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, USA
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34
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van Son D, Marin CE, Boutris P, Rey Y, Lebowitz ER, Pettit JW, Silverman WK. Attending to the Attentional Control Scale for Children: Confirming its factor structure and measurement invariance. J Anxiety Disord 2021; 80:102399. [PMID: 33892347 PMCID: PMC8141040 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The Attentional Control Scale for Children (ACS-C) is a widely used self-report questionnaire that measures attentional control in youth. Previous research examined factor-structure and validation of the ACS-C and yielded a 2-factor structure with Attentional Focusing and Attentional Shifting subscales. This study used a confirmatory factor analysis in a large, ethnically diverse sample of clinic-referred anxious youth (N = 442, ages 7-16 years) to compare model fit of three models, the original two-factor model of the ACS-C, a two-factor model of a modified ACS-C (two items re-assigned from Attentional Focusing to Attentional Shifting, three items removed from Attentional Focusing, and two items removed from Attentional Shifting), and a single-factor model. Results reveal best model fit for the two-factor modified ACS-C. This model had strong factorial invariance across sex, partial invariance across ethnicity, and was variant across age. Also, total and subscale scores for the two-factor modified ACS-C correlated with anxiety and depression symptom scale scores, supporting its concurrent validity. Findings confirm the two-factor structure of the modified ACS-C. Future research implications relating to attentional control in children are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana van Son
- Yale University Child Study Center, New Haven, USA
| | | | | | - Yasmin Rey
- Florida International University, Miami, USA
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35
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Emerging Domain-Based Treatments for Pediatric Anxiety Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:716-725. [PMID: 33451677 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Domain-specific cognitive training treatments for pediatric anxiety disorders rely on accurate and reliable identification of specific underlying deficits and biases in neurocognitive functions. Once identified, such biases can serve as specific targets for therapeutic intervention. Clinical translations typically reflect mechanized training protocols designed to rectify the identified biases. Here, we review and synthesize research on key neurocognitive processes that emerge as potential targets for specialized cognitive training interventions in pediatric anxiety disorders in the domains of attention, interpretation, error monitoring, working memory, and fear learning. For each domain, we describe the current status of target establishment (i.e., an association between pediatric anxiety and a specific neurocognitive process), and then review extant translational efforts regarding these targets and the evidence supporting their clinical utility in youths. We then localize each of the domains within the path leading to efficacious, evidence-supported treatments for pediatric anxiety, providing a roadmap for future research. The review indicates that specific cognitive targets in pediatric anxiety have been established in all the reviewed domains except for fear learning, where a clear target is yet to be elucidated. In contrast, evidence for clinical efficacy emerged only in the threat-related attention domain, with some preliminary findings in the domains of interpretation and working memory. The path to clinical translation in the domain of error monitoring is yet unclear. Implications and potential avenues for future research and translation are discussed.
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36
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Gober CD, Lazarov A, Bar-Haim Y. From cognitive targets to symptom reduction: overview of attention and interpretation bias modification research. EVIDENCE-BASED MENTAL HEALTH 2021; 24:42-46. [PMID: 33246935 PMCID: PMC10231632 DOI: 10.1136/ebmental-2020-300216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive bias modification (CBM) is a class of mechanised psychological interventions designed to target specific aberrant cognitive processes considered key in the aetiology and/or maintenance of specific psychiatric disorders. In this review, we outline a multistage translational process that allows tracking progress in CBM research. This process involves four steps: (1) the identification of reliable cognitive targets and establishing their association with specific disorders; (2) clinical translations designed to rectify the identified cognitive targets; (3) verification of effective target engagement and (4) testing of clinical utility in randomised controlled trials. Through the prism of this multistage process, we review progress in clinical CBM research in two cognitive domains: attention and interpretation; in six psychiatric conditions: anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, addictive disorders, eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The review highlights achievement as well as shortcomings of the CBM approach en route to becoming a recognised evidence-supported therapy for these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amit Lazarov
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yair Bar-Haim
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Chong LJ, Meyer A. Psychometric properties of threat-related attentional bias in young children using eye-tracking. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:1120-1131. [PMID: 33146915 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety is one of the most common forms of child psychopathology associated with persistent impairment across the lifespan. Therefore, investigating mechanisms that underlie anxiety in early childhood may improve prevention and intervention efforts. Researchers have linked selective attention toward threat (i.e., attentional bias to threat) with the development of anxiety. However, previous work on attentional bias has used less reliable, reaction time (RT)-based measures of attention. Additionally, few studies have used eye-tracking to measure attentional bias in young children. In the present study, we investigated the psychometric properties of an eye-tracking measure of attentional bias in a sample of young children between 6- and 9-years-old and explored if trait and clinical anxiety were related to attentional biases to threat. Results showed good psychometric properties for threat and neutral attentional biases, comparable to those found in adult eye-tracking studies. Temperamental and clinical anxiety did not significantly relate to threat/neutral dwell time and attentional biases. The significance of these null findings was discussed in relation to existing developmental theories of attentional biases. Future studies should explore if temperamental or clinical anxiety prospectively predict threat attentional bias and the onset of anxiety in older children using a longitudinal design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyndsey J Chong
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Alexandria Meyer
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
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Abend R, Bajaj MA, Matsumoto C, Yetter M, Harrewijn A, Cardinale EM, Kircanski K, Lebowitz ER, Silverman WK, Bar-Haim Y, Lazarov A, Leibenluft E, Brotman M, Pine DS. Converging Multi-modal Evidence for Implicit Threat-Related Bias in Pediatric Anxiety Disorders. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2020; 49:227-240. [PMID: 33095373 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-020-00712-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
This report examines the relationship between pediatric anxiety disorders and implicit bias evoked by threats. To do so, the report uses two tasks that assess implicit bias to negative-valence faces, the first by eye-gaze and the second by measuring body-movement parameters. The report contrasts task performance in 51 treatment-seeking, medication-free pediatric patients with anxiety disorders and 36 healthy peers. Among these youth, 53 completed an eye-gaze task, 74 completed a body-movement task, and 40 completed both tasks. On the eye-gaze task, patients displayed longer gaze duration on negative relative to non-negative valence faces than healthy peers, F(1, 174) = 8.27, p = .005. In contrast, on the body-movement task, patients displayed a greater tendency to behaviorally avoid negative-valence faces than healthy peers, F(1, 72) = 4.68, p = .033. Finally, implicit bias measures on the two tasks were correlated, r(38) = .31, p = .049. In sum, we found an association between pediatric anxiety disorders and implicit threat bias on two tasks, one measuring eye-gaze and the other measuring whole-body movements. Converging evidence for implicit threat bias encourages future research using multiple tasks in anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rany Abend
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 15K, MSC-2670, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Mira A Bajaj
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 15K, MSC-2670, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Chika Matsumoto
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 15K, MSC-2670, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Marissa Yetter
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 15K, MSC-2670, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Anita Harrewijn
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 15K, MSC-2670, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Elise M Cardinale
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 15K, MSC-2670, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Katharina Kircanski
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 15K, MSC-2670, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | | | | | - Yair Bar-Haim
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amit Lazarov
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ellen Leibenluft
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 15K, MSC-2670, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Melissa Brotman
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 15K, MSC-2670, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 15K, MSC-2670, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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A systematic review with subset meta-analysis of studies exploring memory recall biases for pain-related information in adults with chronic pain. Pain Rep 2020; 5:e816. [PMID: 32440609 PMCID: PMC7209823 DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000000816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Pain-related memory biases have been frequently explored in individuals with chronic pain, and along with attentional and interpretation biases are hypothesised to contribute to the onset and/or maintenance of chronic pain. The aim of this review is to provide a systematic review and synthesis of studies exploring memory recall biases for pain-related information in individuals with chronic pain relative to healthy controls and the recall of neutral information. Studies were identified through a search of Medline, PsychINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Open Grey databases. Search terms were memory, recall, recognition, and bias*, intersected with pain. Eighteen studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included. Subset meta-analyses are also reported from 12 studies with relevant between-groups data (comparing recall in chronic pain vs healthy control groups) and 12 studies with relevant within-groups data (eg, comparing recall of pain-related/emotional vs neutral words). Between-groups analysis revealed significantly weaker recall bias for affective-pain words in individuals with chronic pain relative to healthy controls, but only when nondepressed chronic pain individuals were included. No significant differences were found between groups in the recall of sensory-pain, illness-related, or depression-related words. Within-groups analysis revealed individuals with chronic pain show a significant recall bias favouring sensory-pain words relative to neutral and affective-pain words, and a bias for illness-related words relative to depression-related words. A recall bias favouring neutral words was found in healthy individuals. Evidence for the presence of pain-related memory biases in patients with chronic pain is inconclusive. Further methodologically rigorous research is required.
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Mühlenbeck C, Pritsch C, Wartenburger I, Telkemeyer S, Liebal K. Attentional Bias to Facial Expressions of Different Emotions - A Cross-Cultural Comparison of ≠Akhoe Hai||om and German Children and Adolescents. Front Psychol 2020; 11:795. [PMID: 32411056 PMCID: PMC7199105 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The attentional bias to negative information enables humans to quickly identify and to respond appropriately to potentially threatening situations. Because of its adaptive function, the enhanced sensitivity to negative information is expected to represent a universal trait, shared by all humans regardless of their cultural background. However, existing research focuses almost exclusively on humans from Western industrialized societies, who are not representative for the human species. Therefore, we compare humans from two distinct cultural contexts: adolescents and children from Germany, a Western industrialized society, and from the ≠Akhoe Hai||om, semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers in Namibia. We predicted that both groups show an attentional bias toward negative facial expressions as compared to neutral or positive faces. We used eye-tracking to measure their fixation duration on facial expressions depicting different emotions, including negative (fear, anger), positive (happy), and neutral faces. Both Germans and the ≠Akhoe Hai||om gazed longer at fearful faces, but shorter on angry faces, challenging the notion of a general bias toward negative emotions. For happy faces, fixation durations varied between the two groups, suggesting more flexibility in the response to positive emotions. Our findings emphasize the need for placing research on emotion perception into an evolutionary, cross-cultural comparative framework that considers the adaptive significance of specific emotions, rather than differentiating between positive and negative information, and enables systematic comparisons across participants from diverse cultural backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cordelia Mühlenbeck
- Department of Psychology, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany.,Comparative Developmental Psychology, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carla Pritsch
- Graduate School "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabell Wartenburger
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Silke Telkemeyer
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Katja Liebal
- Comparative Developmental Psychology, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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The Effectiveness of Ego-state Therapy in Reducing Trypanophobia. ADDICTIVE DISORDERS & THEIR TREATMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1097/adt.0000000000000210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Pettit JW, Silverman WK. Editorial: Attention to Threat in Child Anxiety: Gazing Into the Future While Keeping Sight of the Past. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2020; 59:33-35. [PMID: 31585158 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Since the 1960s, cognitive theories of anxiety have prioritized attention to threat in the etiology and maintenance of anxiety and its disorders.1 The development of computer-administered tasks in the 1980s, displaying threatening stimuli on the screen and relying on participants' clicking of keys or mouse buttons to measure reaction time, permitted experimental testing of the hypothesis that individuals with anxiety disorders show biased attention to threat.2 Considerable data have since accumulated supporting this hypothesis, including in children and adolescents.1,3 However, reaction times measured by mouse button clicks are indirect and imprecise measurements of attention.4 With the availability of eye-tracking in the last decade, researchers have been able to directly and precisely measure attention. Lisk et al.,5 in this issue of the Journal, provide a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that used eye-tracking to measure attention to threat in children and adolescents.
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Validating a mobile eye tracking measure of integrated attention bias and interpretation bias in youth. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2019; 44:668-677. [PMID: 33518843 DOI: 10.1007/s10608-019-10071-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Introduction This study sought to validate a real-world speech task designed to assess attention and interpretation bias in an integrated and ecologically valid manner. Methods Thirty adolescent girls gave a speech in front of an emotionally ambiguous judge and a positive judge while wearing mobile eye tracking glasses to assess how long they looked at each judge (i.e., attention bias). They also reported their interpretations of the ambiguous judge and distress associated with the task (i.e., interpretation bias). Results These task-based measures correlated with self-report of interpretation bias and mother-report of attentional control, demonstrating convergent validity. They did not correlate with frustration or high intensity pleasure, indicating discriminant validity. Task-based measures of interpretation bias also showed predictive and incremental validity in relation to child distress during the speech. Discussion This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the initial validity of a novel task designed to assess attention and interpretation bias as they manifest in real-world social interactions.
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