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van Herk L, Schilder FP, de Weijer AD, Bruinsma B, Geuze E. Heightened SAM- and HPA-axis activity during acute stress impairs decision-making: A systematic review on underlying neuropharmacological mechanisms. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 31:100659. [PMID: 39070283 PMCID: PMC11277380 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Individuals might be exposed to intense acute stress while having to make decisions with far-reaching consequences. Acute stress impairs processes required for decision-making by activating different biological stress cascades that in turn affect the brain. By knowing which stress system, brain areas, and receptors are responsible for compromised decision-making processes, we can effectively find potential pharmaceutics that can prevent the deteriorating effects of acute stress. We used a systematic review procedure and found 44 articles providing information on this topic. Decision-making processes could be subdivided into 4 domains (cognitive, motivational, affective, and predictability) and could be referenced to specific brain areas, while mostly being impaired by molecules associated with the sympathetic-adrenal-medullar and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axes. Potential drugs to alleviate these effects included α1 and β adrenoceptor antagonists, α2 adrenoceptor agonists, and corticotropin releasing factor receptor1/2 antagonists, while consistent stress-like effects were found with yohimbine, an α2 adrenoceptor antagonist. We suggest possible avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas van Herk
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Frank P.M. Schilder
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Antoin D. de Weijer
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan Bruinsma
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Elbert Geuze
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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2
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Schmitt CM, Schoen S. Interoception: A Multi-Sensory Foundation of Participation in Daily Life. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:875200. [PMID: 35757546 PMCID: PMC9220286 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.875200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to examine evidence that broadens the clinical perspective on interoception as an imperative consideration for individuals with mental health and sensory processing challenges. The central supposition is that interoception is broader than just signals from the viscera. Rather, interoception refers to perceptions of bodily signals and bodily states that construct a subjective representation of the experience. These representations are then utilized for categorizing the sensory attributes and constructing meaning. Thus, this updated conceptualization presents interoception as a complex multidimensional system, with bidirectional features. The interplay between the brain and the body is necessary to maintain homeostasis as well as respond adaptively to the changes in one's internal and external environment. As a sensory capacity, interoceptive information must be processed and interpreted before it can be integrated into a personal experiential history. Interoception supports both body and mental functions and as such, interoceptive processes support health and wellness by establishing a felt sense of psychological and physiological safety that is foundational to meaningful participation in life. The information presented in this article is central to the pursuit of evidence-based best practices for any professional wishing to integrate consideration of interoception into their clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn M. Schmitt
- Sensory Therapies and Research (STAR) Institute, Centennial, CO, United States
| | - Sarah Schoen
- Sensory Therapies and Research (STAR) Institute, Centennial, CO, United States
- Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Provo, UT, United States
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3
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Zhen S, Yaple ZA, Eickhoff SB, Yu R. To learn or to gain: neural signatures of exploration in human decision-making. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 227:63-76. [PMID: 34596757 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02389-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Individuals not only take actions to obtain immediate rewards but also to gain more information to guide future choices. An ideal exploration-exploitation balance is crucial for maximizing reward over the long run. However, the neural signatures of exploration in humans remain unclear. Using quantitative meta-analyses of functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments on exploratory behaviors, we sought to identify the concordant activity pertaining to exploration over a range of experiments. The results revealed that exploration activates concordant brain activity associated with risk (e.g., dorsal medial prefrontal cortex and anterior insula), cognitive control (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus), and motor processing (e.g., premotor cortex). These stereotaxic maps of exploration may indicate that exploration is highly linked to risk processing, but is also specifically associated with regions involved in executive control processes. Although this explanation should be treated as exploratory, these findings support theories positing an important role for the prefrontal-insular-motor cortical network in exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Zhen
- Department of Management, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zachary A Yaple
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Medical Faculty, Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Rongjun Yu
- Department of Management, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
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Lambert K, Hunter RG, Bartlett AA, Lapp HE, Kent M. In search of optimal resilience ratios: Differential influences of neurobehavioral factors contributing to stress-resilience spectra. Front Neuroendocrinol 2020; 56:100802. [PMID: 31738947 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The ability to adapt to stressful circumstances, known as emotional resilience, is a key factor in the maintenance of mental health. Several individual biomarkers of the stress response (e.g., corticosterone) that influence an animal's position along the continuum that ranges from adaptive allostasis to maladaptive allostatic load have been identified. Extending beyond specific biomarkers of stress responses, however, it is also important to consider stress-related responses relative to other relevant responses for a thorough understanding of the underpinnings of adaptive allostasis. In this review, behavioral, neurobiological, developmental and genomic variables are considered in the context of emotional resilience [e.g., explore/exploit behavioral tendencies; DHEA/CORT ratios and relative proportions of protein-coding/nonprotein-coding (transposable) genomic elements]. As complex and multifaceted relationships between pertinent allostasis biomediators are identified, translational applications for optimal resilience are more likely to emerge as effective therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Lambert
- Dept of Psychology, B326 Gottwald Science Center, University of Richmond, VA 23173, United States.
| | - Richard G Hunter
- Dept of Psychology, University of Massachusetts-Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 00252, United States
| | - Andrew A Bartlett
- Dept of Psychology, University of Massachusetts-Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 00252, United States
| | - Hannah E Lapp
- Dept of Psychology, University of Massachusetts-Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 00252, United States
| | - Molly Kent
- Dept of Psychology, B326 Gottwald Science Center, University of Richmond, VA 23173, United States
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5
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Pure correlates of exploration and exploitation in the human brain. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 18:117-126. [PMID: 29218570 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-017-0556-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Balancing exploration and exploitation is a fundamental problem in reinforcement learning. Previous neuroimaging studies of the exploration-exploitation dilemma could not completely disentangle these two processes, making it difficult to unambiguously identify their neural signatures. We overcome this problem using a task in which subjects can either observe (pure exploration) or bet (pure exploitation). Insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex showed significantly greater activity on observe trials compared to bet trials, suggesting that these regions play a role in driving exploration. A model-based analysis of task performance suggested that subjects chose to observe until a critical evidence threshold was reached. We observed a neural signature of this evidence accumulation process in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. These findings support theories positing an important role for anterior cingulate cortex in exploration, while also providing a new perspective on the roles of insula and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.
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Goto T, Ishibashi Y, Kajimura S, Oka R, Kusumi T. Belief in free will indirectly contributes to the strategic transition through sympathetic arousal. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2018.02.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Stöttinger E, Guay CL, Danckert J, Anderson B. Updating impairments and the failure to explore new hypotheses following right brain damage. Exp Brain Res 2018; 236:1749-1765. [PMID: 29651518 PMCID: PMC5982454 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-018-5259-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We have shown recently that damage to the right hemisphere impairs the ability to update mental models when evidence suggests an old model is no longer appropriate. We argue that this deficit is generic in the sense that it crosses multiple cognitive and perceptual domains. Here, we examined the nature of this updating impairment to determine more precisely the underlying mechanisms. We had right (RBD, N = 12) and left brain damaged (LBD, N = 10) patients perform versions of our picture-morphing task in which pictures gradually morph from one object (e.g., shark) to another (e.g., plane). Performance was contrasted against two groups of healthy older controls, one matched on age (HCO-age-matched, N = 9) and another matched on general level of cognitive ability (HCO-cognitively-matched, N = 9). We replicated our earlier findings showing that RBD patients took longer than LBD patients and HCOs to report seeing the second object in a sequence of morphing images. The groups did not differ when exposed to a morphing sequence a second time, or when responding to ambiguous images outside the morphing context. This indicates that RBD patients have little difficulty alternating between known representations or labeling ambiguous images. Instead, the difficulty lies in generating alternate hypotheses for ambiguous information. Lesion overlay analyses, although speculative given the sample size, are consistent with our fMRI work in healthy individuals in implicating the anterior insular cortex as critical for updating mental models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Stöttinger
- Department of Psychology, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
| | | | - James Danckert
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Britt Anderson
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Canada.,Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Canada
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Poppa T, Bechara A. The somatic marker hypothesis: revisiting the role of the ‘body-loop’ in decision-making. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Yamakawa K, Ohira H, Matsunaga M, Isowa T. Prolonged Effects of Acute Stress on Decision-Making under Risk: A Human Psychophysiological Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:444. [PMID: 27679566 PMCID: PMC5020085 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the prolonged effects of physiological responses induced by acute stress on risk-taking in decision-making. Participants were divided into a Stress group (N = 14) and a Control group (N = 12). The Trier Social Stress Test was administered as an acute stressor, and reading was administered as a control task; thereafter, participants performed a decision-making task in which they needed to choose a sure option or a gamble option in Gain and Loss frame trials 2 h after (non-) exposure to the stressor. Increased cortisol, adrenaline, heart rate (HR), and subjective stress levels validated acute stress manipulation. Stressed participants made fewer risky choices only in the Gain domain, whereas no effect of stress was shown in the Loss domain. Deceleration of HR reflecting attention was greater for Gains compared with Losses only in the Stress group. Risk avoidance was determined by increased levels of cortisol caused by acute stress. These results suggest that processes regarding glucocorticoid might be involved in the prolonged effects of acute stress on the evaluation of risks and the monitoring of outcomes in decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Yamakawa
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya UniversityNagoya, Japan; Department of Psychology, School of Humanities, Tokaigakuen UniversityNagoya, Japan
| | - Hideki Ohira
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masahiro Matsunaga
- Department of Health and Psychosocial Medicine, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine Nagakute, Japan
| | - Tokiko Isowa
- Department of Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University Tsu, Japan
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Takahashi H, Izuma K, Matsumoto M, Matsumoto K, Omori T. The Anterior Insula Tracks Behavioral Entropy during an Interpersonal Competitive Game. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123329. [PMID: 26039634 PMCID: PMC4454696 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
In competitive situations, individuals need to adjust their behavioral strategy dynamically in response to their opponent’s behavior. In the present study, we investigated the neural basis of how individuals adjust their strategy during a simple, competitive game of matching pennies. We used entropy as a behavioral index of randomness in decision-making, because maximizing randomness is thought to be an optimal strategy in the game, according to game theory. While undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), subjects played matching pennies with either a human or computer opponent in each block, although in reality they played the game with the same computer algorithm under both conditions. The winning rate of each block was also manipulated. Both the opponent (human or computer), and the winning rate, independently affected subjects’ block-wise entropy during the game. The fMRI results revealed that activity in the bilateral anterior insula was positively correlated with subjects’ (not opponent’s) behavioral entropy during the game, which indicates that during an interpersonal competitive game, the anterior insula tracked how uncertain subjects’ behavior was, rather than how uncertain subjects felt their opponent's behavior was. Our results suggest that intuitive or automatic processes based on somatic markers may be a key to optimally adjusting behavioral strategies in competitive situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideyuki Takahashi
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Machida, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka university, Suita city, Osaka, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Keise Izuma
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Machida, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Madoka Matsumoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsumoto
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Machida, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Omori
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Machida, Tokyo, Japan
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Ohira H, Ichikawa N, Kimura K, Fukuyama S, Shinoda J, Yamada J. Neural and sympathetic activity associated with exploration in decision-making: further evidence for involvement of insula. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:381. [PMID: 25426038 PMCID: PMC4226165 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously reported that sympathetic activity was associated with exploration in decision-making indexed by entropy, which is a concept in information theory and indexes randomness of choices or the degree of deviation from sticking to recent experiences of gains and losses, and that activation of the anterior insula mediated this association. The current study aims to replicate and to expand these findings in a situation where contingency between options and outcomes is manipulated. Sixteen participants performed a stochastic decision-making task in which we manipulated a condition with low uncertainty of gain/loss (contingent-reward condition) and a condition with high uncertainty of gain/loss (random-reward condition). Regional cerebral blood flow was measured by (15)O-water positron emission tomography (PET), and cardiovascular parameters and catecholamine in the peripheral blood were measured, during the task. In the contingent-reward condition, norepinephrine as an index of sympathetic activity was positively correlated with entropy indicating exploration in decision-making. Norepinephrine was negatively correlated with neural activity in the right posterior insula, rostral anterior cingulate cortex, and dorsal pons, suggesting neural bases for detecting changes of bodily states. Furthermore, right anterior insular activity was negatively correlated with entropy, suggesting influences on exploration in decision-making. By contrast, in the random-reward condition, entropy correlated with activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal and parietal cortices but not with sympathetic activity. These findings suggest that influences of sympathetic activity on exploration in decision-making and its underlying neural mechanisms might be dependent on the degree of uncertainty of situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideki Ohira
- Department of Psychology, Nagoya UniversityNagoya, Japan
| | - Naho Ichikawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Hiroshima UniversityHiroshima, Japan
| | - Kenta Kimura
- Human Technology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and TechnologyTsukuba, Japan
| | | | - Jun Shinoda
- Chubu Ryogo Center, Kizawa Memorial HospitalMinokamo, Japan
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Different impressions of other agents obtained through social interaction uniquely modulate dorsal and ventral pathway activities in the social human brain. Cortex 2014; 58:289-300. [PMID: 24880954 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2014.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2013] [Revised: 12/10/2013] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Internal (neuronal) representations in the brain are modified by our experiences, and this phenomenon is not unique to sensory and motor systems. Here, we show that different impressions obtained through social interaction with a variety of agents uniquely modulate activity of dorsal and ventral pathways of the brain network that mediates human social behavior. We scanned brain activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 16 healthy volunteers when they performed a simple matching-pennies game with a human, human-like android, mechanical robot, interactive robot, and a computer. Before playing this game in the scanner, participants experienced social interactions with each opponent separately and scored their initial impressions using two questionnaires. We found that the participants perceived opponents in two mental dimensions: one represented "mind-holderness" in which participants attributed anthropomorphic impressions to some of the opponents that had mental functions, while the other dimension represented "mind-readerness" in which participants characterized opponents as intelligent. Interestingly, this "mind-readerness" dimension correlated to participants frequently changing their game tactic to prevent opponents from envisioning their strategy, and this was corroborated by increased entropy during the game. We also found that the two factors separately modulated activity in distinct social brain regions. Specifically, mind-holderness modulated activity in the dorsal aspect of the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and medial prefrontal and posterior paracingulate cortices, while mind-readerness modulated activity in the ventral aspect of TPJ and the temporal pole. These results clearly demonstrate that activity in social brain networks is modulated through pre-scanning experiences of social interaction with a variety of agents. Furthermore, our findings elucidated the existence of two distinct functional networks in the social human brain. Social interaction with anthropomorphic or intelligent-looking agents may distinctly shape the internal representation of our social brain, which may in turn determine how we behave for various agents that we encounter in our society.
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Norman GJ, Berntson GG, Cacioppo JT. Emotion, Somatovisceral Afference, and Autonomic Regulation. EMOTION REVIEW 2014. [DOI: 10.1177/1754073913512006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The precise relationship between the autonomic nervous system and emotion has been a topic of intense debate and research throughout the history of modern psychology. The present article considers some of the more influential theoretical frameworks that continue to drive contemporary research on the relationship between emotion and physiological processes. In particular, we highlight the multiple routes through which somatovisceral afference influences emotion and how this relates to the topic of emotion-specific patterns of autonomic nervous system activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg J. Norman
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, USA
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