1
|
Kim GW, Park JI, Yang JC. Brain morphological changes and functional neuroanatomy related to cognitive and emotional distractors during working memory maintenance in post-traumatic stress disorder. Brain Res Bull 2024; 211:110946. [PMID: 38614407 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2024.110946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with abnormalities in the processing and regulation of emotion as well as cognitive deficits. This study evaluated the differential brain activation patterns associated with cognitive and emotional distractors during working memory (WM) maintenance for human faces between patients with PTSD and healthy controls (HCs) and assessed the relationship between changes in the activation patterns by the opposing effects of distraction types and gray matter volume (GMV). Twenty-two patients with PTSD and twenty-two HCs underwent T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and event-related functional MRI (fMRI), respectively. Event-related fMRI data were recorded while subjects performed a delayed-response WM task with human face and trauma-related distractors. Compared to the HCs, the patients with PTSD showed significantly reduced GMV of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) (p < 0.05, FWE-corrected). For the human face distractor trial, the patients showed significantly decreased activities in the superior frontal gyrus and IFG compared with HCs (p < 0.05, FWE-corrected). The patients showed lower accuracy scores and slower reaction times for the face recognition task with trauma-related distractors compared with HCs as well as significantly increased brain activity in the STG during the trauma-related distractor trial was observed (p < 0.05, FWE-corrected). Such differential brain activation patterns associated with the effects of distraction in PTSD patients may be linked to neural mechanisms associated with impairments in both cognitive control for confusable distractors and the ability to control emotional distraction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gwang-Won Kim
- Advanced Institute of Aging Science, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Il Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju 54907, Republic of Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju 54907, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Chul Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju 54907, Republic of Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju 54907, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tang Q, Zhang G, Fan YS, Sheng W, Yang C, Liu L, Liu X, Liu H, Guo Y, Gao Q, Lu F, He Z, Cui Q, Chen H. An investigation into the abnormal dynamic connection mechanism of generalized anxiety disorders based on non-homogeneous Markov models. J Affect Disord 2024; 354:500-508. [PMID: 38484883 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.038] [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: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The dynamic and hierarchical nature of the functional brain network. The neural dynamical systems tend to converge to multiple attractors (stable fixed points or dynamical states) in long run. Little is known about how the changes in this brain dynamic "long-term" behavior of the connectivity flow of brain network in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). METHODS This study recruited 92 patients with GAD and 77 healthy controls (HC). We applied a reachable probability approach combining a Non-homogeneous Markov model with transition probability to quantify all possible connectivity flows and the hierarchical structure of brain functional systems at the dynamic level and the stationary probability vector (10-step transition probabilities) to describe the steady state of the system in the long run. A random forest algorithm was conducted to predict the severity of anxiety. RESULTS The dynamic functional patterns in distributed brain networks had larger possibility to converge in bilateral thalamus, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), right superior occipital gyrus (SOG) and smaller possibility to converge in bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG) and right parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) in patients with GAD compared to HC. The abnormal transition probability pattern could predict anxiety severity in patients with GAD. LIMITATIONS Small samples and subjects taking medications may have influenced our results. Future studies are expected to rule out the potential confounding effects. CONCLUSION Our results have revealed abnormal dynamic neural communication and integration in emotion regulation in patients with GAD, which give new insights to understand the dynamics of brain function of patients with GAD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qin Tang
- Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital to Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Gan Zhang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yun-Shuang Fan
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Sheng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Chenguang Yang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Liju Liu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xingli Liu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Haoxiang Liu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuanhong Guo
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Qing Gao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Fengmei Lu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Zongling He
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Qian Cui
- School of Public Affairs and Administration, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Huafu Chen
- Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital to Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
La Malva P, Di Crosta A, Prete G, Ceccato I, Gatti M, D'Intino E, Tommasi L, Mammarella N, Palumbo R, Di Domenico A. The effects of prefrontal tDCS and hf-tRNS on the processing of positive and negative emotions evoked by video clips in first- and third-person. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8064. [PMID: 38580697 PMCID: PMC10997595 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58702-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The causal role of the cerebral hemispheres in positive and negative emotion processing remains uncertain. The Right Hemisphere Hypothesis proposes right hemispheric superiority for all emotions, while the Valence Hypothesis suggests the left/right hemisphere's primary involvement in positive/negative emotions, respectively. To address this, emotional video clips were presented during dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) electrical stimulation, incorporating a comparison of tDCS and high frequency tRNS stimulation techniques and manipulating perspective-taking (first-person vs third-person Point of View, POV). Four stimulation conditions were applied while participants were asked to rate emotional video valence: anodal/cathodal tDCS to the left/right DLPFC, reverse configuration (anodal/cathodal on the right/left DLPFC), bilateral hf-tRNS, and sham (control condition). Results revealed significant interactions between stimulation setup, emotional valence, and POV, implicating the DLPFC in emotions and perspective-taking. The right hemisphere played a crucial role in both positive and negative valence, supporting the Right Hemisphere Hypothesis. However, the complex interactions between the brain hemispheres and valence also supported the Valence Hypothesis. Both stimulation techniques (tDCS and tRNS) significantly modulated results. These findings support both hypotheses regarding hemispheric involvement in emotions, underscore the utility of video stimuli, and emphasize the importance of perspective-taking in this field, which is often overlooked.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale La Malva
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via dei Vestini, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Adolfo Di Crosta
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via dei Vestini, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Giulia Prete
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via dei Vestini, 66100, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Irene Ceccato
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via dei Vestini, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Matteo Gatti
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via dei Vestini, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Eleonora D'Intino
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via dei Vestini, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Luca Tommasi
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via dei Vestini, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Nicola Mammarella
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via dei Vestini, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Rocco Palumbo
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via dei Vestini, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Alberto Di Domenico
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 31, Via dei Vestini, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ojha A, Jones NP, Henry T, Versace A, Gnagy EM, Joseph HM, Molina BSG, Ladouceur CD. Altered Lateral Prefrontal Cortex Functioning During Emotional Interference Resistance Is Associated With Affect Lability in Adults With Persisting Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder From Childhood. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024:S2451-9022(24)00054-5. [PMID: 38378127 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention and/or impulsivity/hyperactivity. ADHD, especially when persisting into adulthood, often includes emotional dysregulation, such as affect lability; however, the neural correlates of emotionality in adults with heterogeneous ADHD symptom persistence remain unclear. METHODS The present study sought to determine shared and distinct functional neuroanatomical profiles of neural circuitry during emotional interference resistance using the emotional face n-back task in adult participants with persisting (n = 47), desisting (n = 93), or no (n = 42) childhood ADHD symptoms while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS Participants without any lifetime ADHD diagnosis performed significantly better (faster and more accurately) than participants with ADHD diagnoses on trials with high cognitive loads (2-back) that included task-irrelevant emotional distractors, tapping into executive functioning and emotion regulatory processes. In participants with persisting ADHD symptoms, more severe emotional symptoms were related to worse task performance. Heightened dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activation was associated with more accurate and faster performance on 2-back emotional faces trials, respectively. Reduced activation was associated with greater affect lability in adults with persisting ADHD, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation mediated the relationship between affect lability and task accuracy. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that alterations in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex function associated with greater interference in cognitive processes from emotion could represent a marker of risk for problems with emotional dysregulation in individuals with persisting ADHD and thus represent a potential therapeutic target for those with greater emotional symptoms of ADHD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amar Ojha
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Neil P Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Teague Henry
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia; School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Amelia Versace
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Elizabeth M Gnagy
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - Heather M Joseph
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Brooke S G Molina
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Cecile D Ladouceur
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Xia Y, Shimomura Y. Relationship between anxiety and monotonous task performance in response to local cooling: an experimental study in healthy young men. ERGONOMICS 2023; 66:366-376. [PMID: 35722776 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2022.2087908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
There are limited studies on monotonous task performance and its relationship with anxiety and stress traits. This study aimed to determine if local cooling exerts physiological effects and positively affects task performance. Ten male participants performed monotonous work for 24 min under control and local cooling conditions. We measured physiological arousal and anxiety using electroencephalography and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, respectively. The participants rated their drowsiness, the thermal sensation of the seat and whole-body thermal sensation. Despite the lack of significant differences in physiological arousal, the state anxiety score, which reflects the current stressful situation, was significantly lower in the local cooling condition. Therefore, cooling might help relieve stress during monotonous tasks, without impairing task performance. In addition, individuals with higher state anxiety scores tended to experience a faster increase in their arousal level. Thus, individual anxiety traits may modulate attentional resources during monotonous task performance.Practitioner summary: The study on topic related to monotonous task performance and its relationship with anxiety and stress traits is novel. Minimising negative emotions is key to monotonous task execution under stress. Individual anxiety might modulate resource allocation for monotonous task execution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yali Xia
- Design Research Institute, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
An Integrative Model for Understanding Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Merging Cognitive Behavioral Theory with Insights from Clinical Neuroscience. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11247379. [PMID: 36555995 PMCID: PMC9784452 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11247379] [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: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Several models have been proposed for the emergence and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Although these models have provided important insights and inspired treatment development, no single model has yet sufficiently accounted for the complexed phenotype of the disorder. In the current paper, we propose a novel model that integrates elements from cognitive behavioral models of OCD with neurocognitive approaches to the disorder. This Reciprocal Interaction Model (RIM) for OCD is based on two assumptions: (a) similar observed symptoms can stem from different etiological processes; and (b) neuropsychological deficits (such as reduced response inhibition and overreliance on the habit formation system) and cognitive behavioral processes (such as temporary reduction in anxiety after engaging in compulsive behaviors) mutually affect each other such that abnormalities in one system influence the second system and vice-versa-creating a vicious cycle of pathological processes. Indeed, the bidirectional inhibitory connection between anxiety/obsessions and executive control is at the heart of the model. We begin by briefly reviewing the current models for OCD. We then move on to describe the RIM, the supporting evidence for the model, the model's predictions, and potential clinical implications.
Collapse
|
7
|
Lim MD, Birney DP. Experiential and Strategic Emotional Intelligence Are Implicated When Inhibiting Affective and Non-Affective Distractors: Findings from Three Emotional Flanker N-Back Tasks. J Intell 2021; 9:jintelligence9010012. [PMID: 33804557 PMCID: PMC8006228 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence9010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to a set of competencies to process, understand, and reason with affective information. Recent studies suggest ability measures of experiential and strategic EI differentially predict performance on non-emotional and emotionally laden tasks. To explore cognitive processes underlying these abilities further, we varied the affective context of a traditional letter-based n-back working-memory task. In study 1, participants completed 0-, 2-, and 3-back tasks with flanking distractors that were either emotional (fearful or happy faces) or non-emotional (shapes or letters stimuli). Strategic EI, but not experiential EI, significantly influenced participants’ accuracy across all n-back levels, irrespective of flanker type. In Study 2, participants completed 1-, 2-, and 3-back levels. Experiential EI was positively associated with response times for emotional flankers at the 1-back level but not other levels or flanker types, suggesting those higher in experiential EI reacted slower on low-load trials with affective context. In Study 3, flankers were asynchronously presented either 300 ms or 1000 ms before probes. Results mirrored Study 1 for accuracy rates and Study 2 for response times. Our findings (a) provide experimental evidence for the distinctness of experiential and strategic EI and (b) suggest that each are related to different aspects of cognitive processes underlying working memory.
Collapse
|
8
|
Shafer AT, Benoit JR, Brown MRG, Greenshaw AJ, Van Vliet KJ, Vohra S, Dolcos F, Singhal A. Differences in attentional control and white matter microstructure in adolescents with attentional, affective, and behavioral disorders. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 14:599-614. [PMID: 31838614 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00211-7] [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] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a critical time of physiological, cognitive, and social development. It is also a time of increased risk-taking and vulnerability for psychopathology. White matter (WM) changes during adolescence have been better elucidated in the last decade, but how WM is impacted by psychopathology during this time remains unclear. Here, we examined the link between WM microstructure and psychopathology during adolescence. Twenty youth diagnosed with affective, attentional, and behavioral disorders (clinical sample), and 20 age-matched controls were recruited to examine group differences in WM microstructure, attentional control, and the link between them. The main results showed that clinical sample had relatively lower attentional control and fractional anisotropy (FA) in WM throughout the brain: two association tracts were identified, and many differences were found in areas rich in callosal and projection fibers. Moreover, increased FA was positively associated with attention performance in the clinical sample in structures supporting ventral WM pathways, whereas a similar link was identified in controls in dorsal WM association fibers. Overall, these results support a model of general impairment in WM microstructure combined with reliance on altered, perhaps less efficient, pathways for attentional control in youth with affective, attentional, and behavioral disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea T Shafer
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - James R Benoit
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Matthew R G Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Andy J Greenshaw
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - K Jessica Van Vliet
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Sunita Vohra
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Florin Dolcos
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA.,Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Anthony Singhal
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. .,Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
The Impact of Focused Attention on Emotional Experience: A Functional MRI Investigation. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 20:1011-1026. [PMID: 32770316 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00816-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Emotional well-being depends on the ability to adaptively cope with various emotional challenges. Most studies have investigated the neural mechanisms of emotion regulation strategies deployed relatively later in the timing of processing that leads to full emotional experiences. However, less is known about strategies that are engaged in earlier stages of emotion processing, such as those involving attentional deployment. We investigated the neural mechanisms associated with self-guided Focused Attention (FA) in mitigating subjective negative emotional experiences. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were recorded while participants viewed a series of composite negative and neutral images with distinguishable foreground (FG) and background (BG) areas. Participants were instructed to focus either on the FG or BG components of the images, and then rated their emotional experiences. Behavioral results showed that FA was successful in decreasing emotional ratings for negative images viewed in BG Focus condition. At the neural level, the BG Focus was associated with increased activity in regions typically implicated in top-down executive control (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and lateral parietal cortex) and decreased activity in regions linked to affective processing (amygdala and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex). Dissociable brain activity linked to FA also was identified in visual cortices, including between the parahippocampal and fusiform gyri, showing increased versus decreased activity, respectively, during the BG Focus. These findings complement the evidence from prior FA studies with recollected emotional memories as internal stimuli and further demonstrate the effectiveness of self-guided FA in mitigating negative emotional experiences associated with processing of external unpleasant stimuli.
Collapse
|
10
|
Jones NP, Schlund M, Kerestes R, Ladouceur CD. Emotional Interference in Early Adolescence: Positive Reinforcement Modulates the Behavioral and Neural Effects of Negative Emotional Distracters. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:2642-2657. [PMID: 31812998 PMCID: PMC7175015 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Limited research has examined functioning within fronto-limbic systems subserving the resistance to emotional interference in adolescence despite evidence indicating that alterations in these systems are implicated in the developmental trajectories of affective disorders. This study examined the functioning of fronto-limbic systems subserving emotional interference in early adolescence and whether positive reinforcement could modulate these systems to promote resistance to emotional distraction. Fifty healthy early adolescents (10-13 years old) completed an emotional delayed working memory (WM) paradigm in which no distractors (fixation crosshair) and emotional distracters (neutral and negative images) were presented with and without positive reinforcement for correct responses. WM accuracy decreased with negative distracters relative to neutral distracters and no distracters, and activation increased in amygdala and prefrontal cortical (PFC) regions (ventrolateral, dorsomedial, ventromedial, and subgenual anterior cingulate) with negative distracters compared with those with no distracters. Reinforcement improved performance and reduced activation in the amygdala, dorsomedial PFC, and ventrolateral PFC. Decreases in amygdala activation to negative distracters due to reinforcement mediated observed decreases in reaction times. These findings demonstrate that healthy adolescents recruit similar fronto-limbic systems subserving emotional interference as adults and that positive reinforcement can modulate fronto-limbic systems to promote resistance to emotional distraction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neil P Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Michael Schlund
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| | - Rebecca Kerestes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Cecile D Ladouceur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Dolcos F, Katsumi Y, Bogdan PC, Shen C, Jun S, Buetti S, Lleras A, Bost KF, Weymar M, Dolcos S. The impact of focused attention on subsequent emotional recollection: A functional MRI investigation. Neuropsychologia 2020; 138:107338. [PMID: 31926178 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In his seminal works, Endel Tulving argued that functionally distinct memory systems give rise to subjective experiences of remembering and knowing (i.e., recollection- vs. familiarity-based memory, respectively). Evidence shows that emotion specifically enhances recollection, and this effect is subserved by a synergistic mechanism involving the amygdala (AMY) and hippocampus (HC). In extreme circumstances, however, uncontrolled recollection of highly distressing memories may lead to symptoms of affective disorders. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that can diminish such detrimental effects. Here, we investigated the effects of Focused Attention (FA) on emotional recollection. FA is an emotion regulation strategy that has been proven quite effective in reducing the impact of emotional responses associated with the recollection of distressing autobiographical memories, but its impact during emotional memory encoding is not known. Functional MRI and eye-tracking data were recorded while participants viewed a series of composite negative and neutral images with distinguishable foreground (FG) and background (BG) areas. Participants were instructed to focus either on the FG or BG content of the images and to rate their emotional responses. About 4 days later, participants' memory was assessed using the R/K procedure, to indicate whether they Recollected specific contextual details about the encoded images or the images were just familiar to them - i.e., participants only Knew that they saw the pictures without being able to remember specific contextual details. First, results revealed that FA was successful in decreasing memory for emotional pictures viewed in BG Focus condition, and this effect was driven by recollection-based retrieval. Second, the BG Focus condition was associated with decreased activity in the AMY, HC, and anterior parahippocampal gyrus for subsequently recollected emotional items. Moreover, correlation analyses also showed that reduced activity in these regions predicted greater reduction in emotional recollection following FA. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of FA in mitigating emotional experiences and emotional recollection associated with unpleasant emotional events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florin Dolcos
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
| | - Yuta Katsumi
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Paul C Bogdan
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Chen Shen
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Suhnyoung Jun
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Simona Buetti
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Alejandro Lleras
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Kelly Freeman Bost
- Family Resiliency Center, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Mathias Weymar
- Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Sanda Dolcos
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Neural correlates of emotion-attention interactions: From perception, learning, and memory to social cognition, individual differences, and training interventions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:559-601. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
13
|
Abstract
Cognitive control, which allows for the selection and monitoring of goal-relevant behavior, is dynamically upregulated on the basis of moment-to-moment cognitive demands. One route by which these demands are registered by cognitive control systems is via the detection of response conflict. Yet working memory (WM) demands may similarly signal dynamic adjustments in cognitive control. In a delayed-recognition WM task, Jha and Kiyonaga (Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 36(4), 1036-1042, 2010) demonstrated dynamic adjustments in cognitive control via manipulations of mnemonic load and delay-spanning cognitive interference. In the present study, we aimed to extend prior work by investigating whether affective interference may similarly upregulate cognitive control. In Experiment 1, participants (N = 89) completed a delayed-recognition WM task in which mnemonic load (memory load of one vs. two items) and delay-spanning affective interference (neutral vs. negative distractors) were manipulated in a factorial design. Consistent with Jha and Kiyonaga, the present results revealed that mnemonic load led to dynamic adjustments in cognitive control, as reflected by greater performance on trials preceded by high than by low load. In addition, we observed that affective interference could trigger dynamic adjustments in cognitive control, as evinced by higher performance on trials preceded by negative than by neutral distractors. These findings were subsequently confirmed in Experiment 2, which was a pre-registered replication study (N = 100). Thus, these results suggest that in addition to dynamic adjustments as a function of mnemonic load, affective interference, similar to cognitive interference (Jha & Kiyonaga Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 36(4), 1036-1042, 2010), may trigger dynamic adjustments in cognitive control during a WM task.
Collapse
|
14
|
Sakaki M, Ueno T, Ponzio A, Harley CW, Mather M. Emotional arousal amplifies competitions across goal-relevant representation: A neurocomputational framework. Cognition 2019; 187:108-125. [PMID: 30856476 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2019.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Emotional arousal often facilitates memory for some aspects of an event while impairing memory for other aspects of the same event. Across three experiments, we found that emotional arousal amplifies competition among goal-relevant representations, such that arousal impairs memory for multiple goal-relevant representations while enhancing memory for solo goal-relevant information. We also present a computational model to explain the mechanisms by which emotional arousal can modulate memory in opposite ways via the local/synaptic-level noradrenergic system. The model is based on neurophysiological observations that norepinephrine (NE) released under emotional arousal is locally controlled by glutamate levels, resulting in different NE effects across regions, gating either long-term potentiation or long-term depression by activating different adrenergic receptors depending on NE concentration levels. This model successfully replicated behavioral findings from the three experiments. These findings suggest that the NE's local effects are key in determining the effects of emotion on memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michiko Sakaki
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, UK; Research Institute, Kochi University of Technology, Japan.
| | - Taiji Ueno
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Takachiho University, Japan; School of Arts and Sciences, Tokyo Woman's Christian University, Japan.
| | - Allison Ponzio
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, USA
| | - Carolyn W Harley
- Psychology Department, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Mara Mather
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Park JI, Kim GW, Jeong GW, Yang JC. Brain Activation Patterns Associated with the Effects of Fearful Distractors during Working Memory Maintenance in Patients with Schizophrenia. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 17:54-63. [PMID: 30690940 PMCID: PMC6361032 DOI: 10.9758/cpn.2019.17.1.54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Objective The neural correlates underlying the effects of emotional distraction during working memory (WM) tasks in patients with schizophrenia have yet to be clearly identified. Thus, the present study employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the effects of emotional distraction involving fear during WM maintenance in patients with schizophrenia. Methods This study included 17 patients with schizophrenia who were diagnosed based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria and 17 matched healthy controls. Event-related fMRI data were acquired while the participants performed a delayed-response WM task that included neutral and fearful distractors. Results Patients with schizophrenia may have tried to maintain WM function during the presentation of task-irrelevant fearful distractors that induced interruption and required attention. Compared to healthy controls, the schizophrenia patients exhibited significantly increased activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, insula, hippocampus, caudate nucleus, and postcentral gyrus in a delayed-response WM task when presented with fearful relative to neutral distractors. In addition to its series of increased brain activations, prefrontal areas exhibited interconnections with more caudal brain regions, including temporal areas and the hippocampus and insula. Conclusion The present study identified specific brain areas associated with the interaction between emotional regulation and cognitive functioning during fearful distractors presented while patients with schizophrenia performed a WM maintenance task. These findings further the current understanding of the neural correlates underlying the effects of emotional distraction on cognitive functioning in patients with schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Il Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.,Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Gwang-Won Kim
- Research Institute for Medical Imaging, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Gwang-Woo Jeong
- Department of Radiology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Chonnam Natioanl University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Jong-Chul Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.,Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ziaei M, Samrani G, Persson J. Age differences in the neural response to emotional distraction during working memory encoding. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2018; 18:869-883. [PMID: 29949112 PMCID: PMC6105189 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-0610-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Age-related declines in attention and working memory (WM) are well documented and may be worsened by the occurrence of distracting information. Emotionally valenced stimuli may have particularly strong distracting effects on cognition. We investigated age-related differences in emotional distraction using task-fMRI. WM performance in older adults was lower for emotional compared with neutral distractors, suggesting a disproportional impairment elicited by emotional task-irrelevant information. Critically, older adults were particularly distracted by task-irrelevant positive information, whereas the opposite pattern was found for younger adults. Age groups differed markedly in the brain response to emotional distractors; younger adults activated posterior cortical regions and the striatum, and older adults activated frontal regions. Also, an age by valence interaction was found for IFG and ACC, suggesting differential modulation of attention to task-relevant emotional information. These results provide new insights into age-related changes in emotional processing and the ability to resolve interference from emotional distraction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Ziaei
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - George Samrani
- Aging Research Center (ARC), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 17165, Solna, Sweden
| | - Jonas Persson
- Aging Research Center (ARC), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 17165, Solna, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Yang LC, Ren P, Ma YY. Anodal Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation Over the Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Influences Emotional Face Perception. Neurosci Bull 2018; 34:842-848. [PMID: 29948842 PMCID: PMC6129235 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-018-0242-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is considered to play a crucial role in many high-level functions, such as cognitive control and emotional regulation. Many studies have reported that the DLPFC can be activated during the processing of emotional information in tasks requiring working memory. However, it is still not clear whether modulating the activity of the DLPFC influences emotional perception in a detection task. In the present study, using transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS), we investigated (1) whether modulating the right DLPFC influences emotional face processing in a detection task, and (2) whether the DLPFC plays equal roles in processing positive and negative emotional faces. The results showed that anodal tDCS over the right DLPFC specifically facilitated the perception of positive faces, but did not influence the processing of negative faces. In addition, anodal tDCS over the right primary visual cortex enhanced performance in the detection task regardless of emotional valence. Our findings suggest, for the first time, that modulating the right DLPFC influences emotional face perception, especially faces showing positive emotion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li-Chuan Yang
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ping Ren
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China.,School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Yuan-Ye Ma
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ramirez-Mahaluf JP, Perramon J, Otal B, Villoslada P, Compte A. Subgenual anterior cingulate cortex controls sadness-induced modulations of cognitive and emotional network hubs. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8566. [PMID: 29867204 PMCID: PMC5986810 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26317-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The regulation of cognitive and emotional processes is critical for proper executive functions and social behavior, but its specific mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we addressed this issue by studying with functional magnetic resonance imaging the changes in network topology that underlie competitive interactions between emotional and cognitive networks in healthy participants. Our behavioral paradigm contrasted periods with high emotional and cognitive demands by including a sadness provocation task followed by a spatial working memory task. The sharp contrast between successive tasks was designed to enhance the separability of emotional and cognitive networks and reveal areas that regulate the flow of information between them (hubs). By applying graph analysis methods on functional connectivity between 20 regions of interest in 22 participants we identified two main brain network modules, one dorsal and one ventral, and their hub areas: the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the left medial frontal pole (mFP). These hub areas did not modulate their mutual functional connectivity following sadness but they did so through an interposed area, the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sACC). Our results identify dlPFC and mFP as areas regulating interactions between emotional and cognitive networks, and suggest that their modulation by sadness experience is mediated by sACC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan P Ramirez-Mahaluf
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Joan Perramon
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Begonya Otal
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Villoslada
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Compte
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Malagoli C, Usai MC. WM in Adolescence: What Is the Relationship With Emotional Regulation and Behavioral Outcomes? Front Psychol 2018; 9:844. [PMID: 29896148 PMCID: PMC5987666 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a fundamental transition phase, marked by physical, social, cognitive and emotional changes. At this stage in development two contrasting phenomena take place: brain changes cause a sensitivity to emotional aspects (Dahl, 2004); while also control processes register as well impressive improvements (e.g., Hooper et al., 2004; Best and Miller, 2010). The study is aimed to investigate the relationship between a core cognitive feature such as working memory (WM) (Diamond, 2013) and complex abilities such as emotion regulation (ER) and behavioral self-reported outcomes using a structural equation model approach. A sample of 227 typically developed adolescents between 14 and19 years of age (148 females; mean age in months 202.8, SD 18.57) participated in this study. The following tasks and self-reports were administered in a 45-min test session at school: Symmetry Span task (Kane et al., 2004). Reading Span task (Daneman and Carpenter, 1980), Mr. Cucumber (Case, 1985); Youth Self-Report (YSR, 11-18 years, Achenbach and Rescorla, 2001); Difficulties ER Scale (DERS, Gratz and Roemer, 2004; Italian version by Giromini et al., 2012). Results showed that difficulties in ER correlated with WM: high levels of ER difficulties are associated with low WM efficiency while no significant contributions of these predictors was observed on externalizing or internalizing symptoms. This study showed a significant relationship between self-reported difficulties in ER and WM, while no significant contribution of the considered predictors was showed on the outcomes, adding knowledge about how behavioral and emotional self-reported outcomes may relate to these processes.
Collapse
|
20
|
Iordan AD, Dolcos S, Dolcos F. Brain Activity and Network Interactions in the Impact of Internal Emotional Distraction. Cereb Cortex 2018; 29:2607-2623. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- A D Iordan
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Current affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - S Dolcos
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - F Dolcos
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Ladouceur CD, Schlund MW, Segreti AM. Positive reinforcement modulates fronto-limbic systems subserving emotional interference in adolescents. Behav Brain Res 2018; 338:109-117. [PMID: 29079512 PMCID: PMC6338073 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Fronto-limbic systems play an important role in supporting resistance to emotional distraction to promote goal-directed behavior. Despite evidence that alterations in the functioning of these systems are implicated in developmental trajectories of psychopathology, most studies have been conducted in adults. This study examined the functioning of fronto-limbic systems subserving emotional interference in adolescents and whether differential reinforcement of correct responding can modulate these neural systems in ways that could promote resistance to emotional distraction. Fourteen healthy adolescents (ages 9-15) completed an emotional delayed working memory task during fMRI with emotional distracters (none, neutral, negative) while positive reinforcement (i.e., monetary reward) was provided for correct responses under some conditions. Adolescents showed slightly reduced behavioral performance and greater activation in amygdala and prefrontal cortical regions (ventrolateral, ventromedial, dorsolateral) on correct trials with negative distracters compared to those with no or neutral distracters. Positive reinforcement yielded an overall improvement in accuracy and reaction times and counteracted the effects of negative distracters as evidenced by significant reductions in activation in key fronto-limbic regions. The present findings extend results on emotional interference from adults to adolescents and suggest that positive reinforcement could be used to potentially promote insulation from emotional distraction. A challenge for the future will be to build upon these findings for constructing reinforcement-based attention training programs that could be used to reduce emotional attention biases in anxious youth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cecile D Ladouceur
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3811 O'Hara St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States.
| | - Michael W Schlund
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3811 O'Hara St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
| | - Anna-Maria Segreti
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3811 O'Hara St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Ramirez-Mahaluf JP, Roxin A, Mayberg HS, Compte A. A Computational Model of Major Depression: the Role of Glutamate Dysfunction on Cingulo-Frontal Network Dynamics. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:660-679. [PMID: 26514163 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depression disease (MDD) is associated with the dysfunction of multinode brain networks. However, converging evidence implicates the reciprocal interaction between midline limbic regions (typified by the ventral anterior cingulate cortex, vACC) and the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), reflecting interactions between emotions and cognition. Furthermore, growing evidence suggests a role for abnormal glutamate metabolism in the vACC, while serotonergic treatments (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, SSRI) effective for many patients implicate the serotonin system. Currently, no mechanistic framework describes how network dynamics, glutamate, and serotonin interact to explain MDD symptoms and treatments. Here, we built a biophysical computational model of 2 areas (vACC and dlPFC) that can switch between emotional and cognitive processing. MDD networks were simulated by slowing glutamate decay in vACC and demonstrated sustained vACC activation. This hyperactivity was not suppressed by concurrent dlPFC activation and interfered with expected dlPFC responses to cognitive signals, mimicking cognitive dysfunction seen in MDD. Simulation of clinical treatments (SSRI or deep brain stimulation) counteracted this aberrant vACC activity. Theta and beta/gamma oscillations correlated with network function, representing markers of switch-like operation in the network. The model shows how glutamate dysregulation can cause aberrant brain dynamics, respond to treatments, and be reflected in EEG rhythms as biomarkers of MDD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander Roxin
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centre de Recerca Matemàtica, Bellaterra, Spain
| | | | - Albert Compte
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Iordan AD, Dolcos F. Brain Activity and Network Interactions Linked to Valence-Related Differences in the Impact of Emotional Distraction. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:731-749. [PMID: 26543041 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous investigations showed that the impact of negative distraction on cognitive processing is linked to increased activation in a ventral affective system (VAS) and simultaneous deactivation in a dorsal executive system (DES). However, less is known about the influences of positive valence and different arousal levels on these effects. FMRI data were recorded while participants performed a working memory (WM) task, with positive and negative pictures presented as distracters during the delay between the memoranda and probes. First, positive distraction had reduced impact on WM performance, compared with negative distraction. Second, fMRI results identified valence-specific effects in DES regions and overlapping arousal and valence effects in VAS regions, suggesting increased impact of negative distraction and enhanced engagement of coping mechanisms for positive distraction. Third, a valence-related rostro-caudal dissociation was identified in medial frontal regions associated with the default-mode network (DMN). Finally, these DMN regions showed increased functional connectivity with DES regions for negative compared with positive distraction. Overall, these findings suggest that, while both positive and negative distraction engage partly similar arousal-dependent mechanisms, their differential impact on WM performance is linked to dissociations in the engagement of, and coupling between, regions associated with emotion processing and higher lever cognitive control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A D Iordan
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.,Neuroscience Program
| | - F Dolcos
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.,Neuroscience Program.,Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Del Río-Casanova L, González A, Páramo M, Van Dijke A, Brenlla J. Emotion regulation strategies in trauma-related disorders: pathways linking neurobiology and clinical manifestations. Rev Neurosci 2018; 27:385-95. [PMID: 26812780 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2015-0045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Emotion regulation impairments with traumatic origins have mainly been studied from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) models by studying cases of adult onset and single-incident trauma exposure. The effects of adverse traumatic experiences, however, go beyond the PTSD. Different authors have proposed that PTSD, borderline personality, dissociative, conversive and somatoform disorders constitute a full spectrum of trauma-related conditions. Therefore, a comprehensive review of the neurobiological findings covering this posttraumatic spectrum is needed in order to develop an all-encompassing model for trauma-related disorders with emotion regulation at its center. The present review has sought to link neurobiology findings concerning cortico-limbic function to the field of emotion regulation. In so doing, trauma-related disorders have been placed in a continuum between under- and over-regulation of affect strategies. Under-regulation of affect was predominant in borderline personality disorder, PTSD with re-experiencing symptoms and positive psychoform and somatoform dissociative symptoms. Over-regulation of affect was more prevalent in somatoform disorders and pathologies characterized by negative psychoform and somatoform symptoms. Throughout this continuum, different combinations between under- and over-regulation of affect strategies were also found.
Collapse
|
25
|
Mueller SC, Cromheeke S, Siugzdaite R, Nicolas Boehler C. Evidence for the triadic model of adolescent brain development: Cognitive load and task-relevance of emotion differentially affect adolescents and adults. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 26:91-100. [PMID: 28688343 PMCID: PMC6987860 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In adults, cognitive control is supported by several brain regions including the limbic system and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) when processing emotional information. However, in adolescents, some theories hypothesize a neurobiological imbalance proposing heightened sensitivity to affective material in the amygdala and striatum within a cognitive control context. Yet, direct neurobiological evidence is scarce. Twenty-four adolescents (12-16) and 28 adults (25-35) completed an emotional n-back working memory task in response to happy, angry, and neutral faces during fMRI. Importantly, participants either paid attention to the emotion (task-relevant condition) or judged the gender (task-irrelevant condition). Behaviorally, for both groups, when happy faces were task-relevant, performance improved relative to when they were task-irrelevant, while performance decrements were seen for angry faces. In the dlPFC, angry faces elicited more activation in adults during low relative to high cognitive load (2-back vs. 0-back). By contrast, happy faces elicited more activation in the amygdala in adolescents when they were task-relevant. Happy faces also generally increased nucleus accumbens activity (regardless of relevance) in adolescents relative to adults. Together, the findings are consistent with neurobiological models of adolescent brain development and identify neurodevelopmental differences in cognitive control emotion interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sven C Mueller
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Sofie Cromheeke
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Roma Siugzdaite
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - C Nicolas Boehler
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
García-Pacios J, Garcés P, Del Río D, Maestú F. Tracking the effect of emotional distraction in working memory brain networks: Evidence from an MEG study. Psychophysiology 2017. [PMID: 28649710 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The active maintenance of information in visual working memory (WM) is known to rely on the sustained activity over functional networks including frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal cortices. Previous studies have described interference-based disturbances in the functional coupling between prefrontal and posterior cortices, and that such disturbances can be restored for a successful WM performance after the presentation of the interfering stimulus. However, very few studies have applied functional connectivity measures to the analysis of the brain dynamics involved in overriding emotional distraction, and all of them have limited their analysis to the particular connections between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. In this study, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to characterize the mutual information-based functional connectivity dynamics among regions of interest located over the prefrontal, the parietal, the temporal, and the occipital cortex. Our results show that the detection of emotional distraction at early latencies (50-150 ms) induces a reduction of functional connectivity involving parietal and temporal cortices that are part of the frontoposterior WM network, while functional coupling among prefrontal areas and between them and posterior cortices is strengthened during the detection of emotional distractors. Later in the processing of the distractor (250-350 and 360-460 ms), the frontoposterior coupling is reestablished for a successful performance, while the orbitofrontal and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex become strongly connected to posterior cortices as a mechanism to cope with emotional distractors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javier García-Pacios
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Camilo José Cela University, Madrid, Spain.,Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Center for Biomedical Technology, Technical University of Madrid and Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Garcés
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Center for Biomedical Technology, Technical University of Madrid and Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Del Río
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Center for Biomedical Technology, Technical University of Madrid and Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Basic Psychology II, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Maestú
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Center for Biomedical Technology, Technical University of Madrid and Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Basic Psychology II, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Jha AP, Witkin JE, Morrison AB, Rostrup N, Stanley E. Short-Form Mindfulness Training Protects Against Working Memory Degradation over High-Demand Intervals. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-017-0035-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
|
28
|
Siciliano RE, Madden DJ, Tallman CW, Boylan MA, Kirste I, Monge ZA, Packard LE, Potter GG, Wang L. Task difficulty modulates brain activation in the emotional oddball task. Brain Res 2017; 1664:74-86. [PMID: 28377158 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have reported that task-irrelevant, emotionally salient events can disrupt target discrimination, particularly when attentional demands are low, while others demonstrate alterations in the distracting effects of emotion in behavior and neural activation in the context of attention-demanding tasks. We used fMRI, in conjunction with an emotional oddball task, at different levels of target discrimination difficulty, to investigate the effects of emotional distractors on the detection of subsequent targets. In addition, we distinguished different behavioral components of target detection representing decisional, nondecisional, and response criterion processes. Results indicated that increasing target discrimination difficulty led to increased time required for both the decisional and nondecisional components of the detection response, as well as to increased target-related neural activation in frontoparietal regions. The emotional distractors were associated with activation in ventral occipital and frontal regions and dorsal frontal regions, but this activation was attenuated with increased difficulty. Emotional distraction did not alter the behavioral measures of target detection, but did lead to increased target-related frontoparietal activation for targets following emotional images as compared to those following neutral images. This latter effect varied with target discrimination difficulty, with an increased influence of the emotional distractors on subsequent target-related frontoparietal activation in the more difficult discrimination condition. This influence of emotional distraction was in addition associated specifically with the decisional component of target detection. These findings indicate that emotion-cognition interactions, in the emotional oddball task, vary depending on the difficulty of the target discrimination and the associated limitations on processing resources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E Siciliano
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - David J Madden
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States.
| | - Catherine W Tallman
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - Maria A Boylan
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - Imke Kirste
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - Zachary A Monge
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States
| | - Lauren E Packard
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - Guy G Potter
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - Lihong Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, United States
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Song S, Zilverstand A, Song H, d'Oleire Uquillas F, Wang Y, Xie C, Cheng L, Zou Z. The influence of emotional interference on cognitive control: A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies using the emotional Stroop task. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2088. [PMID: 28522823 PMCID: PMC5437037 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02266-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural correlates underlying the influence of emotional interference on cognitive control remain a topic of discussion. Here, we assessed 16 neuroimaging studies that used an emotional Stroop task and that reported a significant interaction effect between emotion (stimulus type) and cognitive conflict. There were a total of 330 participants, equaling 132 foci for an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analysis. Results revealed consistent brain activation patterns related to emotionally-salient stimuli (as compared to emotionally-neutral trials) during cognitive conflict trials [incongruent trials (with task-irrelevant information interfering), versus congruent/baseline trials (less disturbance from task-irrelevant information)], that span the lateral prefrontal cortex (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus), the medial prefrontal cortex, and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. Comparing mild emotional interference trials (without semantic conflict) versus intense emotional interference trials (with semantic conflict), revealed that while concurrent activation in similar brain regions as mentioned above was found for intense emotional interference trials, activation for mild emotional interference trials was only found in the precentral/postcentral gyrus. These data provide evidence for the potential neural mechanisms underlying emotional interference on cognitive control, and further elucidate an important distinction in brain activation patterns for different levels of emotional conflict across emotional Stroop tasks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sensen Song
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Anna Zilverstand
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Hongwen Song
- School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | | | - Yongming Wang
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Xie
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Li Cheng
- Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Zhiling Zou
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Froeliger B, McConnell PA, Bell S, Sweitzer M, Kozink RV, Eichberg C, Hallyburton M, Kaiser N, Gray KM, McClernon FJ. Association Between Baseline Corticothalamic-Mediated Inhibitory Control and Smoking Relapse Vulnerability. JAMA Psychiatry 2017; 74:379-386. [PMID: 28249070 PMCID: PMC5562280 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Tobacco use disorder is associated with dysregulated neurocognitive function in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG)-one node in a corticothalamic inhibitory control (IC) network. OBJECTIVE To examine associations between IC neural circuitry structure and function and lapse/relapse vulnerability in 2 independent studies of adult smokers. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In study 1, treatment-seeking smokers (n = 81) completed an IC task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before making a quit attempt and then were followed up for 10 weeks after their quit date. In study 2, a separate group of smokers (n = 26) performed the same IC task during fMRI, followed by completing a laboratory-based smoking relapse analog task. Study 1 was performed at Duke University Medical Center between 2008 and 2012; study 2 was conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina between 2013 and 2016. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Associations between corticothalamic-mediated IC, gray-matter volume, and smoking lapse/relapse. RESULTS Of the 81 study participants in study 1 (cessation study), 45 were women (56%), with mean (SD) age, 38.4 (10.2) years. In study 1, smoking relapse was associated with less gray-matter volume (F1,74 = 28.32; familywise error P threshold = 0.03), greater IC task-related blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response in the right IFG (F1,78 = 14.87) and thalamus (F1,78 = 14.97) (P < .05), and weaker corticothalamic task-based functional connectivity (tbFC) (F1,77 = 5.87; P = .02). Of the 26 participants in study 2 (laboratory study), 15 were women (58%), with mean (SD) age, 34.9 (10.3). Similar to study 1, in study 2, greater IC-BOLD response in the right IFG (t23 = -2.49; β = -0.47; P = .02), and weaker corticothalamic tbFC (t22 = 5.62; β = 0.79; P < .001) were associated with smoking sooner during the smoking relapse-analog task. In both studies, corticothalamic tbFC mediated the association between IC performance and smoking outcomes. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In these 2 studies, baseline differences in corticothalamic circuitry function were associated with mediated IC and smoking relapse vulnerability. These findings warrant further examination of interventions for augmenting corticothalamic neurotransmission and enhancing IC during the course of tobacco use disorder treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brett Froeliger
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston2Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston3Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston4Center for Biomedical Imaging, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
| | | | - Spencer Bell
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
| | - Maggie Sweitzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Rachel V. Kozink
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Christie Eichberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
| | - Matt Hallyburton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Nicole Kaiser
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kevin M. Gray
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
| | - F. Joseph McClernon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina6Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Han HJ, Jung WH, Yun JY, Park JW, Cho KK, Hur JW, Shin NY, Lee TY, Kwon JS. Disruption of effective connectivity from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to the orbitofrontal cortex by negative emotional distraction in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychol Med 2016; 46:921-932. [PMID: 26619965 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291715002391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been associated with abnormal cognitive and emotional functions and these dysfunctions may be dependent on the disruption of dynamic interactions within neuronal circuits associated with emotion regulation. Although several studies have shown the aberrant cognitive-affective processing in OCD patients, little is known about how to characterize effective connectivity of the disrupted neural interactions. In the present study, we applied effective connectivity analysis using dynamic causal modeling to explore the disturbed neural interactions in OCD patients. METHOD A total of 20 patients and 21 matched healthy controls performed a delayed-response working memory task under emotional or non-emotional distraction while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS During the delay interval under negative emotional distraction, both groups showed similar patterns of activations in the amygdala. However, under negative emotional distraction, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) exhibited significant differences between groups. Bayesian model averaging indicated that the connection from the DLPFC to the OFC was negatively modulated by negative emotional distraction in patients, when compared with healthy controls (p < 0.05, Bonferroni-corrected). CONCLUSIONS Exaggerated recruitment of the DLPFC may induce the reduction of top-down prefrontal control input over the OFC, leading to abnormal cortico-cortical interaction. This disrupted cortico-cortical interaction under negative emotional distraction may be responsible for dysfunctions of cognitive and emotional processing in OCD patients and may be a component of the pathophysiology associated with OCD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H J Han
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences,College of Natural Sciences,Seoul National University,Seoul,South Korea
| | - W H Jung
- Medical Research Center,Seoul National University Hospital,Seoul,South Korea
| | - J-Y Yun
- Medical Research Center,Seoul National University Hospital,Seoul,South Korea
| | - J W Park
- Department of Psychiatry,Seoul National University College of Medicine,Seoul,South Korea
| | - K K Cho
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences,College of Natural Sciences,Seoul National University,Seoul,South Korea
| | - J-W Hur
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences,College of Natural Sciences,Seoul National University,Seoul,South Korea
| | - N Y Shin
- Medical Research Center,Seoul National University Hospital,Seoul,South Korea
| | - T Y Lee
- Medical Research Center,Seoul National University Hospital,Seoul,South Korea
| | - J S Kwon
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences,College of Natural Sciences,Seoul National University,Seoul,South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Rozovskaya RI, Machinskaya RI, Pechenkova EV. The influence of emotional coloring of images on visual working memory in adults and adolescents. HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 42:69-78. [DOI: 10.1134/s0362119716010138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
|
33
|
Moon CM, Jeong GW. Functional neuroanatomy on the working memory under emotional distraction in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2015; 69:609-19. [PMID: 25781332 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2014] [Revised: 03/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) suffer the symptoms of psychological distress, including excessive and uncontrollable anxiety. Until now, the functional neuroanatomy for working memory (WM) in conjunction with the major anxiety symptoms in GAD patients has not yet been clearly identified. This study investigated the neural activation patterns associated with the effect of neutral and anxiety-inducing distractors during the delayed-response WM task in GAD patients. METHODS Eighteen patients with GAD and 18 age-matched healthy controls participated in this study. The functional magnetic resonance images were obtained while the subjects performed a delayed-response WM task with neutral and anxiety-inducing distractors. RESULTS During the neutral distractor, GAD patients compared to controls showed significantly lower activities in the fusiform gyrus, superior parietal gyrus, precuneus, superior occipital gyrus, lingual gyrus, cuneus, calcarine gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus and cerebellar cortex. During the anxiety-inducing distractor, GAD patients showed significantly higher activity in the hippocampus, whereas they showed lower activities in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, fusiform gyrus, superior parietal gyrus, precuneus, superior occipital gyrus and cerebellar cortex. The blood-oxygen-level dependent signal changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in GAD patients during the anxiety-inducing distractor were negatively correlated with Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised scores. CONCLUSIONS This study identified the specific brain areas associated with the interaction between emotional regulation and cognitive function associated with neutral and anxiety-inducing distractors during WM maintenance in GAD patients. These findings will be helpful for understanding the neural mechanism on the WM-related cognitive deficits and emotional dysfunction with typical anxiety symptoms in GAD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Man Moon
- Research Institute for Medical Imaging, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Gwang-Woo Jeong
- Research Institute for Medical Imaging, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.,Department of Radiology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Yang P, Wang M, Jin Z, Li L. Visual short-term memory load modulates the early attention and perception of task-irrelevant emotional faces. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:490. [PMID: 26388763 PMCID: PMC4558536 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to focus on task-relevant information, while suppressing distraction, is critical for human cognition and behavior. Using a delayed-match-to-sample (DMS) task, we investigated the effects of emotional face distractors (positive, negative, and neutral faces) on early and late phases of visual short-term memory (VSTM) maintenance intervals, using low and high VSTM loads. Behavioral results showed decreased accuracy and delayed reaction times (RTs) for high vs. low VSTM load. Event-related potentials (ERPs) showed enhanced frontal N1 and occipital P1 amplitudes for negative faces vs. neutral or positive faces, implying rapid attentional alerting effects and early perceptual processing of negative distractors. However, high VSTM load appeared to inhibit face processing in general, showing decreased N1 amplitudes and delayed P1 latencies. An inverse correlation between the N1 activation difference (high-load minus low-load) and RT costs (high-load minus low-load) was found at left frontal areas when viewing negative distractors, suggesting that the greater the inhibition the lower the RT cost for negative faces. Emotional interference effect was not found in the late VSTM-related parietal P300, frontal positive slow wave (PSW) and occipital negative slow wave (NSW) components. In general, our findings suggest that the VSTM load modulates the early attention and perception of emotional distractors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ping Yang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China
| | - Min Wang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China
| | - Zhenlan Jin
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China
| | - Ling Li
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Van Hoeck N, Watson PD, Barbey AK. Cognitive neuroscience of human counterfactual reasoning. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:420. [PMID: 26257633 PMCID: PMC4511878 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Counterfactual reasoning is a hallmark of human thought, enabling the capacity to shift from perceiving the immediate environment to an alternative, imagined perspective. Mental representations of counterfactual possibilities (e.g., imagined past events or future outcomes not yet at hand) provide the basis for learning from past experience, enable planning and prediction, support creativity and insight, and give rise to emotions and social attributions (e.g., regret and blame). Yet remarkably little is known about the psychological and neural foundations of counterfactual reasoning. In this review, we survey recent findings from psychology and neuroscience indicating that counterfactual thought depends on an integrative network of systems for affective processing, mental simulation, and cognitive control. We review evidence to elucidate how these mechanisms are systematically altered through psychiatric illness and neurological disease. We propose that counterfactual thinking depends on the coordination of multiple information processing systems that together enable adaptive behavior and goal-directed decision making and make recommendations for the study of counterfactual inference in health, aging, and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Van Hoeck
- Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit BrusselBrussels, Belgium
| | - Patrick D. Watson
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of IllinoisUrbana, IL, USA
| | - Aron K. Barbey
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of IllinoisUrbana, IL, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of IllinoisChampaign, IL, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of IllinoisChampaign, IL, USA
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of IllinoisChampaign, IL, USA
- Neuroscience Program, University of IllinoisChampaign, IL, USA
- Carle R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of IllinoisChampaign, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Norepinephrine ignites local hotspots of neuronal excitation: How arousal amplifies selectivity in perception and memory. Behav Brain Sci 2015; 39:e200. [PMID: 26126507 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x15000667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 311] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Emotional arousal enhances perception and memory of high-priority information but impairs processing of other information. Here, we propose that, under arousal, local glutamate levels signal the current strength of a representation and interact with norepinephrine (NE) to enhance high priority representations and out-compete or suppress lower priority representations. In our "glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects" (GANE) model, high glutamate at the site of prioritized representations increases local NE release from the locus coeruleus (LC) to generate "NE hotspots." At these NE hotspots, local glutamate and NE release are mutually enhancing and amplify activation of prioritized representations. In contrast, arousal-induced LC activity inhibits less active representations via two mechanisms: 1) Where there are hotspots, lateral inhibition is amplified; 2) Where no hotspots emerge, NE levels are only high enough to activate low-threshold inhibitory adrenoreceptors. Thus, LC activation promotes a few hotspots of excitation in the context of widespread suppression, enhancing high priority representations while suppressing the rest. Hotspots also help synchronize oscillations across neural ensembles transmitting high-priority information. Furthermore, brain structures that detect stimulus priority interact with phasic NE release to preferentially route such information through large-scale functional brain networks. A surge of NE before, during, or after encoding enhances synaptic plasticity at NE hotspots, triggering local protein synthesis processes that enhance selective memory consolidation. Together, these noradrenergic mechanisms promote selective attention and memory under arousal. GANE not only reconciles apparently contradictory findings in the emotion-cognition literature but also extends previous influential theories of LC neuromodulation by proposing specific mechanisms for how LC-NE activity increases neural gain.
Collapse
|
37
|
Early detection and late cognitive control of emotional distraction by the prefrontal cortex. Sci Rep 2015; 5:10046. [PMID: 26067780 PMCID: PMC4464367 DOI: 10.1038/srep10046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Unpleasant emotional distraction can impair the retention of non-emotional information in working memory (WM). Research links the prefrontal cortex with the successful control of such biologically relevant distractors, although the temporal changes in this brain mechanism remain unexplored. We use magnetoencephalography to investigate the temporal dynamics of the cognitive control of both unpleasant and pleasant distraction, in the millisecond (ms) scale. Behavioral results demonstrate that pleasant events do not affect WM maintenance more than neutral ones. Neuroimaging results show that prefrontal cortices are recruited for the rapid detection of emotional distraction, at early latencies of the processing (70-130 ms). Later in the processing (360-450 ms), the dorsolateral, the medial and the orbital sections of the prefrontal cortex mediate the effective control of emotional distraction. In accordance with the behavioral performance, pleasant distractors do not require higher prefrontal activity than neutral ones. These findings extend our knowledge about the brain mechanisms of coping with emotional distraction in WM. In particular, they show for the first time that overriding the attentional capture triggered by emotional distractors, while maintaining task-relevant elements in mind, is based on the early detection of such linked-to-survival information and on its later cognitive control by the prefrontal cortex.
Collapse
|
38
|
García-Pacios J, Del Río D, Villalobos D, Ruiz-Vargas JM, Maestú F. Emotional interference-based forgetting in short-term memory. Cognitive inhibition of pleasant but not unpleasant biologically relevant distractors. Front Psychol 2015; 6:582. [PMID: 25999894 PMCID: PMC4421942 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotional stimuli automatically recruit attentional resources. Although this usually brings more adaptive responses, it may suppose a disadvantage when emotional information is task-irrelevant and should be ignored. Previous studies have shown how emotional stimuli with a negative content exert a greater interference than neutral stimuli during a concurrent working memory (WM) task. However, the impact of positively valenced stimuli as interference has not been addressed to date. In three experiments and one re-analysis we explore the impact of pleasant and unpleasant emotional distractors during WM maintenance. The results suggest that our cognitive control can cope with the interference posed by pleasant distractors as well as with the interference posed by neutral stimuli. However, unpleasant distractors are harder to control in the context of WM maintenance. As unpleasant stimuli usually convey relevant information that we should not to ignore, our executive control seems to be less able to reallocate cognitive resources after unpleasant distraction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javier García-Pacios
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Camilo José Cela University Madrid, Spain ; Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Center for Biomedical Technology (Technical University of Madrid and Complutense University of Madrid) Madrid, Spain
| | - David Del Río
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Center for Biomedical Technology (Technical University of Madrid and Complutense University of Madrid) Madrid, Spain ; Department of Basic Psychology II, Complutense University of Madrid Madrid, Spain
| | - Dolores Villalobos
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Camilo José Cela University Madrid, Spain
| | - José M Ruiz-Vargas
- Department of Basic Psychology, Autónoma University of Madrid Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Maestú
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Center for Biomedical Technology (Technical University of Madrid and Complutense University of Madrid) Madrid, Spain ; Department of Basic Psychology II, Complutense University of Madrid Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Zanto TP, Clapp WC, Rubens MT, Karlsson J, Gazzaley A. Expectations of Task Demands Dissociate Working Memory and Long-Term Memory Systems. Cereb Cortex 2015; 26:1176-86. [PMID: 25577575 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many aspects of the complex relationship between working memory (WM) and long-term memory (LTM) remain unclear. Here, we manipulated task demands on a brief delayed-recognition paradigm to reveal behavioral and neural dissociations between these systems. Variations from a Baseline task included 3 challenges: increased delay duration, distraction during maintenance, and more closely matched memory probes, which were presented in behavioral experiments and during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Each of the challenges resulted in a significant decline in WM accuracy, and interestingly, a concurrent improvement in incidental LTM. Neural data revealed that, in task blocks, when participants anticipated, and then experienced, increased demands, they engaged medial temporal lobe (MTL) regions more during both the encoding and delay periods. Overall, these results indicate that distinct memory systems are recruited based on anticipated demands of a memory task, and MTL involvement underlies the observed dissociation between WM and LTM performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T P Zanto
- Department of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry, Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - W C Clapp
- Department of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry, Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - M T Rubens
- Department of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry, Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Karlsson
- Department of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry, Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - A Gazzaley
- Department of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry, Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Balconi M, Cobelli C. rTMS on left prefrontal cortex contributes to memories for positive emotional cues: a comparison between pictures and words. Neuroscience 2014; 287:93-103. [PMID: 25541250 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The present research explored the cortical correlates of emotional memories in response to words and pictures. Subjects' performance (Accuracy Index, AI; response times, RTs; RTs/AI) was considered when a repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) was applied on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC). Specifically, the role of LDLPFC was tested by performing a memory task, in which old (previously encoded targets) and new (previously not encoded distractors) emotional pictures/words had to be recognized. Valence (positive vs. negative) and arousing power (high vs. low) of stimuli were also modulated. Moreover, subjective evaluation of emotional stimuli in terms of valence/arousal was explored. We found significant performance improving (higher AI, reduced RTs, improved general performance) in response to rTMS. This "better recognition effect" was only related to specific emotional features, that is positive high arousal pictures or words. Moreover no significant differences were found between stimulus categories. A direct relationship was also observed between subjective evaluation of emotional cues and memory performance when rTMS was applied to LDLPFC. Supported by valence and approach model of emotions, we supposed that a left lateralized prefrontal system may induce a better recognition of positive high arousal words, and that evaluation of emotional cue is related to prefrontal activation, affecting the recognition memories of emotions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Balconi
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Italy; Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy.
| | - C Cobelli
- Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Fallon SJ, Cools R. Reward Acts on the pFC to Enhance Distractor Resistance of Working Memory Representations. J Cogn Neurosci 2014; 26:2812-26. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Working memory and reward processing are often thought to be separate, unrelated processes. However, most daily activities involve integrating these two types of information, and the two processes rarely, if ever, occur in isolation. Here, we show that working memory and reward interact in a task-dependent manner and that this task-dependent interaction involves modulation of the pFC by the ventral striatum. Specifically, BOLD signal during gains relative to losses in the ventral striatum and pFC was associated not only with enhanced distractor resistance but also with impairment in the ability to update working memory representations. Furthermore, the effect of reward on working memory was accompanied by differential coupling between the ventral striatum and ignore-related regions in the pFC. Together, these data demonstrate that reward-related signals modulate the balance between cognitive stability and cognitive flexibility by altering functional coupling between the ventral striatum and the pFC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Roshan Cools
- 1Radboud University Nijmegen
- 2Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Balconi M, Cobelli C. Motivational mechanisms (BAS) and prefrontal cortical activation contribute to recognition memory for emotional words. rTMS effect on performance and EEG (alpha band) measures. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2014; 137:77-85. [PMID: 25190327 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2014.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Revised: 08/02/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The present research addressed the question of where memories for emotional words could be represented in the brain. A second main question was related to the effect of personality traits, in terms of the Behavior Activation System (BAS), in emotional word recognition. We tested the role of the left DLPFC (LDLPFC) by performing a memory task in which old (previously encoded targets) and new (previously not encoded distractors) positive or negative emotional words had to be recognized. High-BAS and low-BAS subjects were compared when a repetitive TMS (rTMS) was applied on the LDLPFC. We found significant differences between high-BAS vs. low-BAS subjects, with better performance for high-BAS in response to positive words. In parallel, an increased left cortical activity (alpha desynchronization) was observed for high-BAS in the case of positive words. Thus, we can conclude that the left approach-related hemisphere, underlying BAS, may support faster recognition of positive words.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michela Balconi
- Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy; Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy.
| | - Chiara Cobelli
- Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Dolcos F, Denkova E. Current Emotion Research in Cognitive Neuroscience: Linking Enhancing and Impairing Effects of Emotion on Cognition. EMOTION REVIEW 2014. [DOI: 10.1177/1754073914536449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Emotions can have both enhancing and impairing effects on various cognitive processes, from lower (e.g., perceptual) to higher level (e.g., mnemonic and executive) processes. The present article discusses emerging brain imaging evidence linking these opposing effects of emotion, which points to overlapping and dissociable neural systems involving both bottom-up and top-down mechanisms. The link between the enhancing and impairing effects is also discussed in a clinical context, with a focus on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), where these opposing effects tend to co-occur, are exacerbated, and are detrimental. Overall, the present review highlights the need to consider together enhancing and impairing effects of emotion on cognition in studies investigating emotion–cognition interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florin Dolcos
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois, USA
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, University of Illinois, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Shafer AT, Dolcos F. Dissociating retrieval success from incidental encoding activity during emotional memory retrieval, in the medial temporal lobe. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:177. [PMID: 24917798 PMCID: PMC4042186 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2013] [Accepted: 04/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The memory-enhancing effect of emotion has been linked to the engagement of emotion- and memory-related medial temporal lobe (MTL) regions (amygdala-AMY; hippocampus-HC; parahippocampus-PHC), during both encoding and retrieval. However, recognition tasks used to investigate the neural correlates of retrieval make it difficult to distinguish MTL engagement linked to retrieval success (RS) from that linked to incidental encoding success (ES) during retrieval. This issue has been investigated for retrieval of non-emotional memories, but not for emotional memory retrieval. To address this, we used event-related functional MRI in conjunction with an emotional distraction and two episodic memory tasks (one testing memory for distracter items and the other testing memory for new/lure items presented in the first memory task). This paradigm allowed for dissociation of MTL activity specifically linked to RS from that linked to both RS and incidental ES during retrieval. There were two novel findings regarding the neural correlates of emotional memory retrieval. First, greater emotional RS was identified bilaterally in AMY, HC, and PHC. However, AMY activity was most impacted when accounting for ES activity, as only RS activity in left AMY was dissociated from ES activity during retrieval, whereas portions of HC and PHC showing greater emotional RS were largely uninvolved in ES. Second, an earlier and more anteriorly spread response (left AMY and bilateral HC, PHC) was linked to greater emotional RS activity, whereas a later and more posteriorly localized response (right posterior PHC) was linked to greater neutral RS activity. These findings shed light on MTL mechanisms subserving the memory-enhancing effect of emotion at retrieval.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea T Shafer
- Centre for Neuroscience, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Florin Dolcos
- Centre for Neuroscience, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada ; Social, Cognitive, Personality, and Emotional Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Department, Neuroscience Program, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Hsu KJ, Babeva KN, Feng MC, Hummer JF, Davison GC. Experimentally induced distraction impacts cognitive but not emotional processes in think-aloud cognitive assessment. Front Psychol 2014; 5:474. [PMID: 24904488 PMCID: PMC4033004 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2014] [Accepted: 05/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have examined the impact of distraction on basic task performance (e.g., working memory, motor responses), yet research is lacking regarding its impact in the domain of think-aloud cognitive assessment, where the threat to assessment validity is high. The Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations think-aloud cognitive assessment paradigm was employed to address this issue. Participants listened to scenarios under three conditions (i.e., while answering trivia questions, playing a visual puzzle game, or with no experimental distractor). Their articulated thoughts were then content-analyzed both by the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) program and by content analysis of emotion and cognitive processes conducted by trained coders. Distraction did not impact indices of emotion but did affect cognitive processes. Specifically, with the LIWC system, the trivia questions distraction condition resulted in significantly higher proportions of insight and causal words, and higher frequencies of non-fluencies (e.g., “uh” or “umm”) and filler words (e.g., “like” or “you know”). Coder-rated content analysis found more disengagement and more misunderstanding particularly in the trivia questions distraction condition. A better understanding of how distraction disrupts the amount and type of cognitive engagement holds important implications for future studies employing cognitive assessment methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kean J Hsu
- Laboratory for Cognitive Studies in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kalina N Babeva
- Laboratory for Cognitive Studies in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michelle C Feng
- Laboratory for Cognitive Studies in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Justin F Hummer
- Laboratory for Cognitive Studies in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gerald C Davison
- Laboratory for Cognitive Studies in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Markovic J, Anderson AK, Todd RM. Tuning to the significant: Neural and genetic processes underlying affective enhancement of visual perception and memory. Behav Brain Res 2014; 259:229-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2013] [Revised: 11/10/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
47
|
Denkova E, Dolcos S, Dolcos F. The Effect of Retrieval Focus and Emotional Valence on the Inferior Frontal Cortex Activity during Autobiographical Recollection. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:192. [PMID: 24379766 PMCID: PMC3864104 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Although available evidence points to a role of the inferior frontal cortex (IFC) in both emotion processing and autobiographical memory (AM) recollection, it is unclear what the role of this region is in emotional AM recollection. The present study investigated whether IFC activity can be influenced by manipulations of the retrieval focus (emotional vs. non-emotional) and whether this influence is similar for AMs with positive and negative emotional valence. Participants were asked to focus either on emotional (Emotion condition) or on non-emotional contextual (Context condition) details during the elaboration of positive and negative AMs, while fMRI data were collected. The study yielded two main findings: (1) Focusing on Emotion compared to Context during AM recollection was associated with increased activity in bilateral IFC, for positive AMs, whereas negative AMs produced similarly high IFC activity during Emotion and Context conditions; (2) There was a hemispheric dissociation in the IFC linked to the experiencing of emotion and the focus of AM recollection, such that the left IFC activity correlated positively with the subjective re-experience of emotion during the Emotion condition, whereas the right IFC activity correlated negatively with the subjective re-experience of emotion during the Context condition, for both positive and negative AMs. Overall, the present findings suggest that IFC’s involvement during the recollection of emotional AMs is susceptible to manipulations of the retrieval focus only in the case of positive AMs, and that this region plays a role in both the enhancement and inhibition of emotional experience during AM recollection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Denkova
- Alberta Cognitive Neuroscience Group, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
| | - Sanda Dolcos
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL , USA
| | - Florin Dolcos
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL , USA ; Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL , USA ; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL , USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Viviani R. Emotion regulation, attention to emotion, and the ventral attentional network. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:746. [PMID: 24223546 PMCID: PMC3819767 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Accounts of the effect of emotional information on behavioral response and current models of emotion regulation are based on two opposed but interacting processes: automatic bottom-up processes (triggered by emotionally arousing stimuli) and top-down control processes (mapped to prefrontal cortical areas). Data on the existence of a third attentional network operating without recourse to limited-capacity processes but influencing response raise the issue of how it is integrated in emotion regulation. We summarize here data from attention to emotion, voluntary emotion regulation, and on the origin of biases against negative content suggesting that the ventral network is modulated by exposure to emotional stimuli when the task does not constrain the handling of emotional content. In the parietal lobes, preferential activation of ventral areas associated with “bottom-up” attention by ventral network theorists is strongest in studies of cognitive reappraisal. In conditions when no explicit instruction is given to change one's response to emotional stimuli, control of emotionally arousing stimuli is observed without concomitant activation of the dorsal attentional network, replaced by a shift of activation toward ventral areas. In contrast, in studies where emotional stimuli are placed in the role of distracter, the observed deactivation of these ventral semantic association areas is consistent with the existence of proactive control on the role emotional representations are allowed to take in generating response. It is here argued that attentional orienting mechanisms located in the ventral network constitute an intermediate kind of process, with features only partially in common with effortful and automatic processes, which plays an important role in handling emotion by conveying the influence of semantic networks, with which the ventral network is co-localized. Current neuroimaging work in emotion regulation has neglected this system by focusing on a bottom-up/top-down dichotomy of attentional control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Viviani
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm Ulm, Germany ; Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck Innsbruck, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Schizophrenia and emotional rubbernecking. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2013; 14:202-8. [PMID: 24150903 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-013-0214-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Orienting toward emotionally salient information can be adaptive, as when danger needs to be avoided. Consistent with this idea, research has shown that emotionally valenced information draws attention more so than does neutral information in healthy individuals. However, at times this tendency is not adaptive, and it may distract the individual from goals. People with schizophrenia (PSZ), though they frequently show deficits in attentional control, have also been shown to exhibit diminished recognition of and attention to emotional information. In the present study, we investigated how the presentation of emotionally salient information affected performance on a working memory task for PSZ and healthy controls (HC). We found that although hit rates were equal to those of HCs for PSZ, the PSZ made fewer false alarms-resulting in overall better performance-than did the HCs. Deficits in emotional processing in PSZ appear to provide an advantage to them in situations in which salient emotional information competes with active cognitive goals.
Collapse
|
50
|
Gathmann B, Pawlikowski M, Schöler T, Brand M. Performing a secondary executive task with affective stimuli interferes with decision making under risk conditions. Cogn Process 2013; 15:113-26. [DOI: 10.1007/s10339-013-0584-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Accepted: 10/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|