1
|
Jaap C, Rose M. Relevance of pre-stimulus oscillatory activity for the perceived valence of emotional facial expressions. Sci Rep 2024; 14:19263. [PMID: 39164318 PMCID: PMC11336227 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69433-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The interpretation of emotional facial expressions is crucial in everyday social interactions, and rapid processing of these expressions is necessary. Although extensive research has shed light on the mechanisms involved in facial expression processing, there is limited research on the potential role of the state of neural activity that directly precedes the occurrence of a face. Here, we investigated the potential modulatory role of pre-stimulus oscillatory activity in emotional facial expression processing. We tested emotional facial processing in two experiments, one utilizing artificial and the other natural facial expressions. The participants had to evaluate the emotional valence of the presented ambiguous facial expressions. In a univariate analysis, differences in the oscillation activity of the later rated valence of the faces were observed in both experiments, and these differences were observed even before the presentation of the facial expressions. Importantly, two different multivariate approaches directly supported the relevance of pre-stimulus oscillatory activity by exclusively using pre-stimulus oscillatory data to predict the perceived valence of the latter rated facial expression across the two experiments within as well as across subjects. The behavioral data shows the often observed negativity bias, i.e. ambiguous faces resulted in the tendency to rate them as negative. This negativity bias was related to neural activity modulations in the pre-stimulus period and also within post-stimulus processing related activity. These findings underscore the significance of pre-stimulus oscillatory activity in facial expression processing, indicating a functional role of ongoing neural states that affects the processing of facial expressions and constitute a basis for the well described negativity bias.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carina Jaap
- Department for Systems Neuroscience, NeuroImage Nord, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michael Rose
- Department for Systems Neuroscience, NeuroImage Nord, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
De Vittoris S, Caselli M, Demuru E, Gillespie L, Norscia I. Beware! Different methods lead to divergent results on yawn contagion modulation in bonobos. Am J Primatol 2024:e23671. [PMID: 39148223 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Contagious yawning (CY)-linked to physiological synchronization and possibly emotional contagion-occurs when one individual's yawn induces yawning in others. CY was investigated over different time windows (minutes from the triggering stimulus) via naturalistic or experimental studies (using real and video yawns, respectively) with contrasting results, especially in bonobos. We verified whether in bonobos result divergences may derive from different methods. We gathered yawning data on 13 bonobos at Twycross Zoo (UK) via a naturalistic (all-occurrences observations) and experimental approach (by showing yawn/control video stimuli). Based on literature, we used 1- and 3-min windows to detect CY. Due to fission-fusion management, individuals could form permanent or non-permanent associations (more/less familiar subjects under naturalistic setting). Video yawn stimuli may come from group mates/stranger models (more/less familiar subjects under the experimental setting). Stimulus type and time window affected CY modulating factors but not CY detection. Familiarity and age effect on CY showed opposite trends in 3-min trials and 1-min observations. CY was highest in oldest, non-permanently (rather than permanently) associated subjects in the naturalistic setting, but in the youngest subjects and with ingroup (rather than outgroup) models in trials. The age effect differences on CY might be due to decontextualized yawns and immature subject curiosity toward videos. The reversed familiarity effect suggests CY's context-dependent function in promoting social synchronization with socially distant group mates, as failing to coordinate as a group may lead to social disruption. Complementary methods are needed to fully understand motor replication phenomena.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara De Vittoris
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Marta Caselli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Elisa Demuru
- Laboratoire Dynamique Du Langage, Université de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5596, Lyon, France
- ENES Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, University of Saint-Etienne, CRNL, CNRS UMR 5292, Inserm UMR_S, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Lisa Gillespie
- Life Sciences Department, Twycross Zoo, Twycross Zoo-East Midland Zoological Society, Atherstone, UK
| | - Ivan Norscia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Clinchard C, Harp NR, Lorenz T, Neta M. Proposing a model whereby negative valence bias increases the risk for more severe dysphoric posttraumatic stress disorder and depression symptomology. Emotion 2024; 24:1169-1179. [PMID: 38252112 PMCID: PMC11257822 DOI: 10.1037/emo0001335] [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: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Experiencing trauma increases risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, and individuals who experience psychopathology after a traumatic event often experience symptoms from both disorders. Because a tendency to view events in a more negative light and a propensity toward threat appraisals are risk factors for both PTSD and depression, negative valence bias-a tendency to appraise emotional ambiguity as having a more negative (less positive) meaning-may be a transdiagnostic risk factor. In other words, we expect individuals with a negative valence bias experience greater PTSD and depression symptoms. We measured valence bias and self-reported PTSD and depression symptoms in a sample of college students in 2021 (n = 287; 72.5% reported experiencing trauma). Although valence bias was not associated with PTSD symptoms as a whole, we found in our exploratory model that more negative bias was associated with greater dysphoria-related PTSD symptoms and greater depression symptoms (indirect effect p = .03). Thus, we propose a model whereby a more negative valence bias contributes to increased susceptibility for maladaptive stress responses, which may be associated with greater likelihood of symptoms of dysphoria-related PTSD and depression. These findings suggest that valence bias represents a transdiagnostic affective risk factor, warranting future research examining the impacts of bias-altering interventions (e.g., mindfulness-based treatments) as a means for managing symptoms in individuals with heightened dysphoria-related PTSD and/or depression symptoms. Additionally, in post hoc analyses it emerged that Latinx participants displayed a more negative valence bias, indicating the need for more research in diverse samples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicholas R. Harp
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | - Tierney Lorenz
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
| | - Maital Neta
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Shoenfelt A, Pehlivanoglu D, Lin T, Ziaei M, Feifel D, Ebner NC. Effects of chronic intranasal oxytocin on visual attention to faces vs. natural scenes in older adults. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 164:107018. [PMID: 38461634 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107018] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Aging is associated with changes in face processing, including desensitization to face cues like gaze direction and an attentional preference to faces with positive over negative emotional valence. A parallel line of research has shown that acute administration of oxytocin (OT) increases visual attention to social stimuli such as human faces. The current study examined effects of chronic OT administration among older adults on fixation duration to faces that varied in emotional expression, gaze direction, age, and sex. One hundred and twelve generally healthy older adults (aged 55-95 years) underwent a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, between-subject clinical trial in which they self-administered either OT or placebo (P) intranasally twice a day for 4 weeks. The behavioral task involved rating the trustworthiness of faces (i.e., social stimuli) and natural scenes (i.e., non-social control stimuli) during eye tracking and was conducted before and after the intervention. Fixation duration to both the faces and the natural scenes declined from pre- to post-intervention, however this decline was less pronounced among older adults in the OT compared to the P group for faces but not scenes. Further, face cues (emotional expression, gaze direction, age, sex) did not moderate the treatment effect. This study provides first evidence that chronic intranasal OT maintains salience of social cues over time in older adults, perhaps buffering effects of habituation. These findings enhance understanding of OT effects on social cognition among older adults, and would benefit from follow up with a young adult comparison group to directly speak to specificity of observed effects to older adults and reflection of the aging process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alayna Shoenfelt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 112250, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA.
| | - Didem Pehlivanoglu
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 112250, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA
| | - Tian Lin
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 112250, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA
| | - Maryam Ziaei
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7030, Norway; K.G. Jebsen Centre for Alzheimer's disease, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7030, Norway
| | - David Feifel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Natalie C Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 112250, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA; Cognitive Aging and Memory Program, Clinical Translational Research Program, University of Florida, 2004 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1149 Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Viher PV, Seitz-Holland J, Schulz MS, Kensinger EA, Karmacharya S, Swisher T, Lyall AE, Makris N, Bouix S, Shenton ME, Kubicki M, Waldinger RJ. More organized white matter is associated with positivity bias in older adults. Brain Imaging Behav 2024; 18:555-565. [PMID: 38270836 PMCID: PMC11222031 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-024-00850-5] [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: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
On average, healthy older adults prefer positive over neutral or negative stimuli. This positivity bias is related to memory and attention processes and is linked to the function and structure of several interconnected brain areas. However, the relationship between the positivity bias and white matter integrity remains elusive. The present study examines how white matter organization relates to the degree of the positivity bias among older adults. We collected imaging and behavioral data from 25 individuals (12 females, 13 males, and a mean age of 77.32). Based on a functional memory task, we calculated a Pos-Neg score, reflecting the memory for positively valenced information over negative information, and a Pos-Neu score, reflecting the memory for positively valenced information over neutral information. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data were processed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics. We performed two non-parametric permutation tests to correlate whole brain white matter integrity and the Pos-Neg and Pos-Neu scores while controlling for age, sex, and years of education. We observed a statistically significant positive association between the Pos-Neu score and white matter integrity in multiple brain connections, mostly frontal. The results did not remain significant when including verbal episodic memory as an additional covariate. Our study indicates that the positivity bias in memory in older adults is associated with more organized white matter in the connections of the frontal brain. While these frontal areas are critical for memory and executive processes and have been related to pathological aging, more extensive studies are needed to fully understand their role in the positivity bias and the potential for therapeutic interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Petra V Viher
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Johanna Seitz-Holland
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Marc S Schulz
- Department of Psychology, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA, USA
| | | | - Sarina Karmacharya
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Talis Swisher
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amanda E Lyall
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Nikos Makris
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Sylvain Bouix
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martha E Shenton
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marek Kubicki
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Robert J Waldinger
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Harp NR, Gross JJ, Uusberg A, Neta M. The role of trait reappraisal in response to emotional ambiguity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Emotion 2024; 24:935-946. [PMID: 37971850 PMCID: PMC11096266 DOI: 10.1037/emo0001316] [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: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Individuals exhibit a systematic valence bias-a specific form of interpretation bias-in response to emotional ambiguity. Accumulating evidence suggests most people initially respond to emotional ambiguity negatively and differ only in subsequent responses. We hypothesized that trait-level cognitive reappraisal-an emotion regulation strategy involving the reinterpretation of affective meaning of stimuli-might explain individual differences in valence bias. To answer this question, we conducted a random-effects meta-analysis of 14 effect sizes from 13 prior studies (n = 2,086), identified via Google Scholar searches. We excluded studies (a) in languages other than English, (b) from non-peer-reviewed sources, or (c) nonempirical sources. We included studies with (a) the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, (b) a putative measure of valence bias prior to any study-specific manipulations, and (c) adult human participants (i.e., 17+). Supporting our prediction, we found individuals with higher trait reappraisal exhibited a less negative bias (r = -.18, z = -4.04, p < .001), whereas there was a smaller, opposite effect for trait expressive suppression (r = .10, z = 2.14, p = .03). The effects did, however, vary across tasks with stronger effects observed among studies using the scrambled sentences task compared to the valence bias task. Although trait reappraisal accounted for only a small amount of variance, reappraisal may be one mechanism contributing to variability in response to ambiguity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - James J. Gross
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford,
CA, USA
| | - Andero Uusberg
- Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu,
Estonia
| | - Maital Neta
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
Lincoln, NE, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Mather M. The emotion paradox in the aging body and brain. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1536:13-41. [PMID: 38676452 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15138] [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: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
With age, parasympathetic activity decreases, while sympathetic activity increases. Thus, the typical older adult has low heart rate variability (HRV) and high noradrenaline levels. Younger adults with this physiological profile tend to be unhappy and stressed. Yet, with age, emotional experience tends to improve. Why does older adults' emotional well-being not suffer as their HRV decreases? To address this apparent paradox, I present the autonomic compensation model. In this model, failing organs, the initial phases of Alzheimer's pathology, and other age-related diseases trigger noradrenergic hyperactivity. To compensate, older brains increase autonomic regulatory activity in the pregenual prefrontal cortex (PFC). Age-related declines in nerve conduction reduce the ability of the pregenual PFC to reduce hyperactive noradrenergic activity and increase peripheral HRV. But these pregenual PFC autonomic compensation efforts have a significant impact in the brain, where they bias processing in favor of stimuli that tend to increase parasympathetic activity (e.g., stimuli that increase feelings of safety) and against stimuli that tend to increase sympathetic activity (e.g., threatening stimuli). In summary, the autonomic compensation model posits that age-related chronic sympathetic/noradrenergic hyperactivity stimulates regulatory attempts that have the side effect of enhancing emotional well-being.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mara Mather
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Department of Psychology, and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Prete G, Ceccato I, Bartolini E, Di Crosta A, La Malva P, Palumbo R, Laeng B, Tommasi L, Mammarella N, Di Domenico A. Detecting implicit and explicit facial emotions at different ages. Eur J Ageing 2024; 21:8. [PMID: 38499844 PMCID: PMC10948669 DOI: 10.1007/s10433-024-00805-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Emotions are processed in the brain through a cortical route, responsible for detailed-conscious recognition and mainly based on image High Spatial Frequencies (HSF), and a subcortical route, responsible for coarse-unconscious processing and based on Low SF (LSF). However, little is known about possible changes in the functioning of the two routes in ageing. In the present go/no-go online task, 112 younger adults and 111 older adults were asked to press a button when a happy or angry face appeared (go) and to inhibit responses for neutral faces (no-go). Facial stimuli were presented unfiltered (broadband image), filtered at HSF and LSF, and hybrids (LSF of an emotional expression superimposed to the HSF of the same face with a neutral expression). All stimuli were also presented rotated on the vertical axis (upside-down) to investigate the global analysis of faces in ageing. Results showed an overall better performance of younger compared to older participants for all conditions except for hybrid stimuli. The expected face-inversion effect was confirmed in both age groups. We conclude that, besides an overall worsening of the perceptual skill with ageing, no specific impairment in the functioning of both the cortical and the subcortical route emerged.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Prete
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via Dei Vestini, 66013, Chieti, Italy
| | - Irene Ceccato
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via Dei Vestini, 66013, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Emanuela Bartolini
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Adolfo Di Crosta
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Pasquale La Malva
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via Dei Vestini, 66013, Chieti, Italy
| | - Rocco Palumbo
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via Dei Vestini, 66013, Chieti, Italy
| | - Bruno Laeng
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Luca Tommasi
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via Dei Vestini, 66013, Chieti, Italy
| | - Nicola Mammarella
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via Dei Vestini, 66013, Chieti, Italy
| | - Alberto Di Domenico
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via Dei Vestini, 66013, Chieti, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hsieh S, Chang YH, Yao ZF, Yang MH, Yang CT. The effect of age and resilience on the dose-response function between the number of adversity factors and subjective well-being. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1332124. [PMID: 38406308 PMCID: PMC10884289 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1332124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Encountering challenges and stress heightens the vulnerability to mental disorders and diminishes well-being. This study explores the impact of psychological resilience in the context of adverse events, considering age-related variations in its influence on well-being. Methods A total of 442 participants (male vs. female =48% vs. 52%) with a mean age of 41.79 ± 16.99 years were collected and completed the following questionnaires Brief Betrayal Trauma Survey (BBTS), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), Peace of Mind (PoM), The World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), and Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ). They all underwent structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Results Participants were categorized based on adversity levels: 34.39% faced one, 26.24% none, and 19.91, 9.50, and 8.14% encountered two, three, and four adversities, respectively. This categorization helps assess the impact on participants' experiences. As adversity factors increased, PoM decreased. Controlling for age improved PoM model fit (ΔR2 = 0.123, p < 0.001). Adversity factors and age explained 14.6% of PoM variance (df = 2, F = 37.638, p < 0.001). PoM decreased with more adversity and increased with higher age. Conclusion The study found most participants faced at least one adversity. Adversity negatively affected PoM scores, while resilience acted as a protective factor. Resilience plays a crucial role in buffering the impact of adversities on well-being. Among those with high adversity, higher resilience correlated with stronger DMN-right frontal pole connectivity. Brain volume showed no significant differences, but the quality of life and social support varied between subgroups, with no differences in personal demographic and biophysical features.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shulan Hsieh
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Hsuan Chang
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Institute of Gerontology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Zai-Fu Yao
- College of Education, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Research Center for Education and Mind Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Basic Psychology Group, Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Kinesiology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Heng Yang
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Ta Yang
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain, and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pierce JE, Petro NM, Clancy E, Gratton C, Petersen SE, Neta M. Specialized late cingulo-opercular network activation elucidates the mechanisms underlying decisions about ambiguity. Neuroimage 2023; 279:120314. [PMID: 37557971 PMCID: PMC10528723 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120314] [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: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical task control networks, including the cingulo-opercular (CO) network play a key role in decision-making across a variety of functional domains. In particular, the CO network functions in a performance reporting capacity that supports successful task performance, especially in response to errors and ambiguity. In two studies testing the contribution of the CO network to ambiguity processing, we presented a valence bias task in which masked clearly and ambiguously valenced emotional expressions were slowly revealed over several seconds. This slow reveal task design provides a window into the decision-making mechanisms as they unfold over the course of a trial. In the main study, the slow reveal task was administered to 32 young adults in the fMRI environment and BOLD time courses were extracted from regions of interest in three control networks. In a follow-up study, the task was administered to a larger, online sample (n = 81) using a more extended slow reveal design with additional unmasking frames. Positive judgments of surprised faces were uniquely accompanied by slower response times and strong, late activation in the CO network. These results support the initial negativity hypothesis, which posits that the default response to ambiguity is negative and positive judgments are associated with a more effortful controlled process, and additionally suggest that this controlled process is mediated by the CO network. Moreover, ambiguous trials were characterized by a second CO response at the end of the trial, firmly placing CO function late in the decision-making process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan E Pierce
- Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
| | - Nathan M Petro
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Elizabeth Clancy
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Caterina Gratton
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Steven E Petersen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Maital Neta
- Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Saragosa-Harris NM, Guassi Moreira JF, Waizman YH, Sedykin A, Silvers JA, Peris TS. Neural representations of ambiguous affective stimuli and resilience to anxiety in emerging adults. Biol Psychol 2023; 182:108624. [PMID: 37394090 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The tendency to interpret ambiguous stimuli as threatening has been associated with a range of anxiety disorders. Responses to ambiguity may be particularly relevant to mental health during the transition from adolescence to adulthood ("emerging adulthood"), when individuals encounter unfamiliar challenges and navigate novel social situations. However, it remains unclear whether neural representations of ambiguity relate to risk for anxiety. The present study sought to examine whether multivariate representations of ambiguity - and their similarity to representations of threat - relate to appraisals of ambiguity or anxiety in a sample of emerging adults. Participants (N = 41) viewed threatening (angry), nonthreatening (happy), and ambiguous (surprised) facial stimuli while undergoing fMRI. Outside of the scanner, participants were presented with the same stimuli and categorized the ambiguous faces as positive or negative. Using representational similarity analyses (RSA), we investigated whether the degree of pattern similarity in responses to ambiguous, nonthreatening, and threatening faces within the amygdala related to appraisals of ambiguous stimuli and anxiety symptomatology. We found that individuals who evidenced greater similarity (i.e., less differentiation) in neural representations of ambiguous and nonthreatening faces within the left amygdala reported lower concurrent anxiety. Additionally, trial-level pattern similarity predicted subsequent appraisals of ambiguous stimuli. These findings provide insight into how neural representations of ambiguity relate to risk or resilience for the development of anxiety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie M Saragosa-Harris
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
| | - João F Guassi Moreira
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Yael H Waizman
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Anna Sedykin
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Jennifer A Silvers
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Tara S Peris
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Chaudhary S, Zhang S, Zhornitsky S, Chen Y, Chao HH, Li CSR. Age-related reduction in trait anxiety: Behavioral and neural evidence of automaticity in negative facial emotion processing. Neuroimage 2023; 276:120207. [PMID: 37263454 PMCID: PMC10330646 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Trait anxiety diminishes with age, which may result from age-related decline in registering salient emotional stimuli and/or enhancement in emotion regulation. We tested the hypotheses in 88 adults 21 to 85 years of age and studied with fMRI of the Hariri task. Age-related decline in stimulus registration would manifest in delayed reaction time (RT) and diminished saliency circuit activity in response to emotional vs. neutral stimuli. Enhanced control of negative emotions would manifest in diminished limbic/emotional circuit and higher prefrontal cortical (PFC) responses to negative emotion. The results showed that anxiety was negatively correlated with age. Age was associated with faster RT and diminished activation of the medial PFC, in the area of the dorsal and rostral anterior cingulate cortex (dACC/rACC) - a hub of the saliency circuit - during matching of negative but not positive vs. neutral emotional faces. A slope test confirmed the differences in the regressions. Further, age was not associated with activation of the PFC in whole-brain regression or in region-of-interest analysis of the dorsolateral PFC, an area identified from meta-analyses of the emotion regulation literature. Together, the findings fail to support either hypothesis; rather, the findings suggest age-related automaticity in processing negative emotions as a potential mechanism of diminished anxiety. Automaticity results in faster RT and diminished anterior cingulate activity in response to negative but not positive emotional stimuli. In support, analyses of psychophysiological interaction demonstrated higher dACC/rACC connectivity with the default mode network, which has been implicated in automaticity in information processing. As age increased, individuals demonstrated faster RT with higher connectivity during matching of negative vs. neutral images. Automaticity in negative emotion processing needs to be investigated as a mechanism of age-related reduction in anxiety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shefali Chaudhary
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
| | - Simon Zhornitsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
| | - Herta H Chao
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT 06516, United States; Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, United States; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Thams F, Brassen S. The need to change: Is there a critical role of midlife adaptation in mental health later in life? eLife 2023; 12:82390. [PMID: 37141113 PMCID: PMC10159621 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Although late-life depression (LLD) is a serious health problem and more common than dementia in people over 60, it is underdiagnosed and undertreated. The cognitive-emotional etiology of LLD is particularly poorly understood. This is in contrast to the now extensive literature from psychology and cognitive neuroscience on the characteristics of emotionally healthy aging. This research consistently shows a change in emotional processing in older adults that is modulated by prefrontal regulation. Lifespan theories explain this change in terms of neurocognitive adaptation to limited opportunities and resources that typically occur in the second half of life. Epidemiological data on an increase in well-being after a low point around age 50 suggest that the majority of people seem quite capable of making this adaptation, even though empirical evidence for a causal modulation of this so called 'paradox of aging' and for the role of the midlife dip is still lacking. Intriguingly, LLD is associated with deficits in emotional, cognitive, and prefrontal functions similar to those shown to be crucial for healthy adaptation. Suspected causes of these deficits, such as white matter lesions or affective instability, become apparent as early as midlife when internal and external changes as well as daily challenges set in. Based on these findings, we propose that some individuals who develop depression at older ages may not have been able to successfully implement self-regulatory adaptation at midlife. Here, we review the current evidence and theories on successful aging, the neurobiology of LLD, and well-being across the lifespan. Drawing on recent advances in lifespan theories, emotion regulation research, and cognitive neuroscience, we propose a model of successful versus unsuccessful adaptation that emphasizes the increasing need for implicit habitual control and resource-based regulatory choice during midlife.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Thams
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Brassen
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Neta M, Harp NR, Tong TT, Clinchard CJ, Brown CC, Gross JJ, Uusberg A. Think again: the role of reappraisal in reducing negative valence bias. Cogn Emot 2023; 37:238-253. [PMID: 36571618 PMCID: PMC10476529 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2022.2160698] [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: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Stimuli such as surprised faces are ambiguous in that they are associated with both positive and negative outcomes. Interestingly, people differ reliably in whether they evaluate these and other ambiguous stimuli as positive or negative, and we have argued that a positive evaluation relies in part on a biasing of the appraisal processes via reappraisal. To further test this idea, we conducted two studies to evaluate whether increasing the cognitive accessibility of reappraisal through a brief emotion regulation task would lead to an increase in positive evaluations of ambiguity. Supporting this prediction, we demonstrated that cuing reappraisal, but not in three other forms of emotion regulation (Study 1a-d; n = 120), increased positive evaluations of ambiguous faces. In a sign of robustness, we also found that the effect of reappraisal generalised from ambiguous faces to ambiguous scenes (Study 2; n = 34). Collectively, these findings suggest that reappraisal may play a key role in determining responses to ambiguous stimuli. We discuss these findings in the context of affective flexibility, and suggest that valence bias (i.e. the tendency to evaluate ambiguity more positively or negatively) represents a novel approach to measuring implicit emotion regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maital Neta
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Nicholas R. Harp
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Tien T. Tong
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | | | - Catherine C. Brown
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - James J. Gross
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Andero Uusberg
- Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Doucet GE, Kruse JA, Hamlin N, Oleson JJ, White SF. Changing role of the amygdala in affective and cognitive traits between early and late adulthood. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1033543. [PMID: 36824676 PMCID: PMC9941165 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1033543] [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: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Healthy aging is typically associated with cognitive decline and lower negative affect. Previous studies have reported a significant and opposite role of the amygdala in relation to cognitive and affective processing in early adulthood. However, it remains unclear how aging impacts such relationships. Methods Seventy-seven healthy participants including 40 young (mean age = 26.1 years) and 37 older (mean age = 61.8 years) adults completed a functional MRI Affective Stroop (AS) paradigm, a cognitive battery, and the state-trait anxiety inventory. The AS fMRI paradigm included "task trials," where participants saw a positively, negatively or neutrally valenced distractor image, followed by a numerical display, followed by another distractor image. We extracted signal in both amygdalas during the AS Task and compared it across all conditions and age group. We further conducted moderation analyses to investigate the impact of aging on the relationship between amygdala activation and anxiety or cognitive variables, respectively. Results At the behavioral level, older participants showed lower trait anxiety than the younger adults (p = 0.002). While overall slower during the AS task, older adults achieved comparable accuracy during the AS task, relative to the younger adults. At the brain level, we revealed a significant interaction between age group and trial types in amygdala activation (F = 4.9, p = 0.03), with the older group showing stronger activation during the most complex trials compared to the passive view trials. We further found that age significantly modulated the relationship between anxiety and the left amygdala activation during negative stimuli, where the younger adults showed a positive association while the older adults showed a negative association. Age also significantly modulated the relationship between verbal fluency and left amygdala activation during incongruent versus view trials, with the younger adults showing a negative association and the older adults showing a positive association. Discussion The current study suggests that the role of the amygdala on both emotional processing and cognitive traits changes between early and late adulthood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gaelle E. Doucet
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Jordanna A. Kruse
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Noah Hamlin
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Jacob J. Oleson
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Stuart F. White
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Henry JD, Grainger SA, von Hippel W. Determinants of Social Cognitive Aging: Predicting Resilience and Risk. Annu Rev Psychol 2023; 74:167-192. [PMID: 35973407 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-033020-121832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
This review focuses on conceptual and empirical research on determinants of social cognitive aging. We present an integrated model [the social cognitive resource (SCoRe) framework] to organize the literature and describe how social cognitive resilience is determined jointly by capacity and motivational resources. We discuss how neurobiological aging, driven by genetic and environmental influences, is associated with broader sensory, neural, and physiological changes that are direct determinants of capacity as well as indirect determinants of motivation via their influence on expectation of loss versus reward and cognitive effort valuation. Research is reviewed that shows how contextual factors, such as relationship status, familiarity, and practice, are fundamental to understanding the availability of both types of resource. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of social cognitive change in late adulthood for everyday social functioning and with recommendations for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie D Henry
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia; , ,
| | - Sarah A Grainger
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia; , ,
| | - William von Hippel
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia; , ,
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Neta M, Kim MJ. Surprise as an Emotion: A Response to Ortony. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2022:17456916221132789. [PMID: 36356055 PMCID: PMC10169535 DOI: 10.1177/17456916221132789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
We write in response to an article published in this journal by Andrew Ortony titled “Are All ‘Basic Emotions’ Emotions? A Problem for the (Basic) Emotions Construct.” The author claimed that “for all its elevated status as a basic emotion, surprise fails to satisfy the minimal requirements that [he] proposed for something to be an emotion, and if it is not an emotion, it cannot possibly be a basic emotion.” Although we acknowledge the concerns brought forth by Ortony, we respectfully disagree with his conclusion about surprise. To make a case against the assertion that surprise is valence-free, we summarize an extensive body of work showing that surprise is indeed valenced—in a specific manner (i.e., ambiguously valenced)—and that it meets all of Ortony’s criteria for an emotion. In other words, rather than being described as neither positive nor negative, this emotion is either positive or negative. We consider the data with respect to surprise as a basic emotion, and we dispute the definitions of basic emotions as “widely divergent.” Future work is needed to continue defining an emotion, and a basic emotion, but we believe this is a worthy effort toward shaping a still evolving field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maital Neta
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
| | - M. Justin Kim
- Department of Psychology, Sungkyunkwan University
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Norscia I, Caselli M, De Meo G, Cordoni G, Guéry JP, Demuru E. Yawn contagion in bonobos: Another group, another story. Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23366. [PMID: 35098561 PMCID: PMC9285681 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23366] [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: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In primates, yawn contagion (the yawning response elicited by others' yawn) is variably influenced by individual (e.g., sex, age) and social factors (e.g., familiarity) and possibly linked to interindividual synchronization, coordination, and emotional contagion. Two out of three studies on yawn contagion in bonobos (Pan paniscus), found the presence of the phenomenon with mixed results concerning the effect of familiarity and no replication on its modulating factors. To address this puzzling issue, we recorded all occurrences data on yawn contagion in a captive bonobo group (March-June 2021; 18 individuals; La Vallée des Singes, France). Contrary to chimpanzees and humans, the number of triggering yawns increased contagion, possibly owing to a higher stimulus threshold. This aspect may explain the interindividual variability observed in yawn contagion rates. In subjects under weaning, we did not detect yawn contagion and, as it occurs in certain human cohorts, yawn contagion declined with age, possibly due to reduced sensitivity to others. Females responded more than males and elicited more responses from females when showing sexual swelling. As reproductive females are central in bonobo society, our results support the hypothesis that-as in other Hominini-the most influential sex can influence yawn contagion. The relationship quality (measured via grooming/play) did not affect yawn contagion, possibly due to bonobos' xenophilic nature. Overall, this study confirms the presence of yawn contagion in bonobos and introduces new elements on its modulating factors, pointing toward the necessity of cross-group studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Norscia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Marta Caselli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Gabriele De Meo
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Giada Cordoni
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | | | - Elisa Demuru
- Dynamique Du Langage, CNRS-UMR 5596, University Lyon 2, Lyon, France.,Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, ENES/CRNL, CNRS-UMR 5292, Inserm UMR S1028, University of Lyon/Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
The age-related positivity effect in cognition: A review of key findings across different cognitive domains. PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.plm.2022.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|