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Ko K, Jones A, Francis D, Robidoux S, McArthur G. Physiological correlates of anxiety in childhood and adolescence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Stress Health 2024:e3388. [PMID: 38451702 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Anxiety is one of the most prevalent problems that affects children and adolescents. The vast majority of diagnostic tools for anxiety depend on written or verbal reports from children and adolescents or their significant others. The validity and reliability of such reports can be compromised by their subjective nature. Thus, there is growing interest in whether anxiety can be indexed with objective physiological measures. The key aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine which physiological measures are most reliably associated with elevated levels of anxiety amongst children and adolescents. Online databases (e.g., PsycINFO, Embase, Medline) were searched for relevant studies according to pre-determined criteria. Twenty-five studies comprising 2502 participants (N = 1160 with high anxiety) met inclusion, identifying 11 groups of physiological measures. Our meta-analysis revealed that skin conductance level is the most sensitive measure of anxiety (d = 0.83), followed by electromyography (EMG) measures (d = 0.71) and skin conductance response (d = 0.58). However, the included studies varied in terms of subjective measures, study designs, experimental task measures, and physiological measures. Consideration of these differences in methodology offer potential directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Ko
- Macquarie University Centre for Reading, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Research Centre, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alana Jones
- Macquarie University Centre for Reading, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Research Centre, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Deanna Francis
- Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Serje Robidoux
- Macquarie University Centre for Reading, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Genevieve McArthur
- Australian Centre for the Advancement of Literacy, Australian Catholic University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation Literacy and Clinical Services, South Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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2
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Mistry-Patel S, Brooker RJ. Associations between error-related negativity and childhood anxiety risk differ based on socioeconomic status. Dev Psychol 2023; 59:801-812. [PMID: 36174180 PMCID: PMC10050233 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) families are at increased risk for anxiety problems, though knowledge of the pathways by which SES predicts children's anxiety outcomes remains scant. Limited work suggests SES as a moderator of links between early development and anxiety outcomes but has not used a longitudinal framework or a multimethod approach. In this preregistered study, SES was tested as a simultaneous moderator of putatively biologically (error-related negativity [ERN]) and contextually (authoritarian parenting) based pathways of anxiety risk from ages 3 (Mage = 3.59), 4 (Mage = 4.57), and 5 (Mage = 5.52) [N = 121; 59% female]. Families were largely White and Non-Hispanic and reported a broad range of income (less than $15,000 to $90,001 or greater) from 2014 to 2017. We hypothesized that putatively biological pathways would be the strongest predictors of child outcomes at high SES and that putatively contextual pathways would be the strongest predictors of child outcomes at low SES. Consistent with expectations, smaller ERN across ages 3 and 4 was associated with greater anxious behaviors at age 5, but only at high SES. SES did not moderate parenting-based pathways of risk. Results are partially consistent with previous work suggesting that putatively biological pathways are more robust predictors of child outcomes at high SES than at low SES. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca J Brooker
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University
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3
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Cardinale EM, Bezek J, Morales S, Filippi C, Smith AR, Haller S, Valadez EA, Harrewijn A, Phillips D, Chronis-Tuscano A, Brotman MA, Fox NA, Pine DS, Leibenluft E, Kircanski K. Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Associations of Anxiety and Irritability With Adolescents' Neural Responses to Cognitive Conflict. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:436-444. [PMID: 35358745 PMCID: PMC9764223 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychiatric symptoms are commonly comorbid in childhood. The ability to disentangle unique and shared correlates of comorbid symptoms facilitates personalized medicine. Cognitive control is implicated broadly in psychopathology, including in pediatric disorders characterized by anxiety and irritability. To disentangle cognitive control correlates of anxiety versus irritability, the current study leveraged both cross-sectional and longitudinal data from early childhood into adolescence. METHODS For this study, 89 participants were recruited from a large longitudinal research study on early-life temperament to investigate associations of developmental trajectories of anxiety and irritability symptoms (from ages 2 to 15) as well as associations of anxiety and irritability symptoms measured cross-sectionally at age 15 with neural substrates of conflict and error processing assessed at age 15 using the flanker task. RESULTS Results of whole-brain multivariate linear models revealed that anxiety at age 15 was uniquely associated with decreased neural response to conflict across multiple regions implicated in attentional control and conflict adaptation. Conversely, irritability at age 15 was uniquely associated with increased neural response to conflict in regions implicated in response inhibition. Developmental trajectories of anxiety and irritability interacted in relation to neural responses to both error and conflict. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that neural correlates of conflict processing may relate uniquely to anxiety and irritability. Continued cross-symptom research on the neural correlates of cognitive control could stimulate advances in individualized treatment for anxiety and irritability during child and adolescent development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica Bezek
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Santiago Morales
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland; Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | | | | | - Simone Haller
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Emilio A Valadez
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Anita Harrewijn
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Clinical Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Andrea Chronis-Tuscano
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | | | - Nathan A Fox
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Daniel S Pine
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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4
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Error Processing and Pain: A New Perspective. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2022; 23:1811-1822. [PMID: 35643271 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Errors put organisms in danger. Upon error commission, error processing allows for the updating of behavior that proved ineffective in light of the current context and goals, and for the activation of behavioral defensive systems. Pain, on the other hand, signals actual or potential danger to one's physical integrity and, likewise, motivates protective behavior. These parallels suggest the existence of cross-links between pain and error processing but so far their relationship remains elusive. In this review, we tie together findings from the field of pain research with those from electroencephalography studies on error processing [specifically the Error Related Negativity (ERN) and Positivity (Pe)]. More precisely, we discuss three plausible associations: Firstly, pain may enhance error processing as it increases error salience. Secondly, persons fearful of pain may be particularly vigilant towards painful errors and thus show a stronger neural response to them. Thirdly, the ERN as a component of the neural response to error commission is considered an endophenotype of threat sensitivity. As high sensitivity to pain threats is known to incite avoidance behavior, this raises the intriguing possibility that neural signatures of error processing predict pain-related protective behaviors, such as avoidance. We propose an integration of these findings into a common framework to inspire future research. Perspectives Inspired by research in anxiety disorders, we discuss the potential bi-directional relationships between error processing and pain, and identify future directions to examine the neural and psychological processes involved in acute and chronic pain and respective avoidance behavior.
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Isbell E, Grammer JK. Event-related potentials data quality in young children: Standardized measurement error of ERN and Pe. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22245. [PMID: 35452543 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Most methods used to quantify event-related potential (ERP) data were developed for use with typical adult populations. Questions regarding how these methods apply to child ERP data remain. Here, we focused on two widely used ERP scoring methods, namely, time-window mean amplitude and peak amplitude measures, for two ERP error monitoring components, the error-related negativity (ERN) and the error positivity (Pe), collected from Kindergarteners during a child-friendly cognitive control task (N = 170). We first established the presence of error-related ERPs and examined the relations between ERP scores and children's behavioral task performance. We then assessed the data quality (precision) of mean and peak ERP amplitude scores at the level of individual participants using the standardized measurement error of ERPs. We also compared the effects of choosing baseline correction periods that were relatively distal versus proximal to responses on data quality. Across each of these analyses, we found that time-window mean amplitude scoring was comparable to, and in some cases outperformed, peak amplitude scoring. In addition, the proximal baseline provided higher data quality than the distal baseline. We conclude with specific recommendations regarding the scoring and baseline correction for ERP data collected from young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Isbell
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of California Merced
| | - Jennie K Grammer
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia
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6
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Meyer A. On the relationship between the error-related negativity and anxiety in children and adolescents: From a neural marker to a novel target for intervention. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14050. [PMID: 35324015 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The current review focuses on our work on the relationship between the error-related negativity (i.e., ERN) and anxiety in children and adolescents. The ERN is an event-related potential (ERP) that appears as a negative deflection in the ERP waveform when individuals make errors and has been found to be increased in anxious individuals. We, and others, have extended this work into developmental populations, finding that the ERN can be measured reliably in children and that the ERN is increased among clinically anxious youth. Furthermore, we have found that the ERN predicts risk for increases in anxiety across development, among healthy and clinically anxious children. We have done work to elucidate what psychological phenomena the increased ERN among anxious children may reflect by creating a self-report measure of error sensitivity (i.e., the Child Error Sensitivity Index) that relates to the ERN. Moreover, we review our work on parenting and the ERN, which suggests that harsh or critical parenting styles may potentiate the ERN in offspring. And, building on these findings, we discuss our recent work to develop novel, computerized intervention strategies to reduce the ERN and thereby risk for anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria Meyer
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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7
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Boen R, Quintana DS, Ladouceur CD, Tamnes CK. Age‐related differences in the error‐related negativity and error positivity in children and adolescents are moderated by sample and methodological characteristics: A meta‐analysis. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14003. [PMID: 35128651 PMCID: PMC9285728 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rune Boen
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo Oslo Norway
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology University of Oslo Oslo Norway
| | - Daniel S. Quintana
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo Oslo Norway
- Department of Psychology University of Oslo Oslo Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders University of Oslo Oslo Norway
- NevSom, Department of Rare Disorders Oslo University Hospital Oslo Norway
| | - Cecile D. Ladouceur
- Department of Psychiatry University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
| | - Christian K. Tamnes
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo Oslo Norway
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology University of Oslo Oslo Norway
- Department of Psychiatric Research Diakonhjemmet Hospital Oslo Norway
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8
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Premo JE, Mannella KA, Duval ER, Liu Y, Morrison CL, Moser JS, Muzik M, Rosenblum KL, Fitzgerald KD. Startle to neutral, not negative stimuli: A neurophysiological correlate of behavioral inhibition in young children. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:1322-1329. [PMID: 33782955 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
A putative biomarker of anxiety risk, the startle response is typically enhanced by negative compared to neutral emotion modulation in adults, but remains understudied in children. To determine the extent to which neutral, negative, and positively valenced emotional conditions modulate startle response in early life, a child-friendly film paradigm was used to vary emotion across these conditions during startle induction in sixty-four 4- to 7-year-old children. Association of emotion-modulated startle with parent-reported anxiety symptom severity and child behavioral inhibition, a risk factor for anxiety problems, were assessed. Analyses revealed no difference in startle magnitude during negative compared to neutral film clips. By contrast, startle during both negative and neutral conditions was greater than startle during the positive condition. Larger startle magnitude during the neutral condition associated with higher levels of child behavioral inhibition (BI). These results are consistent with possible immaturity of startle response in young children, and suggest that startle amplitude in more emotionally ambiguous, neutral conditions could serve as an early biomarker for anxiety risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie E Premo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth R Duval
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yanni Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Claire L Morrison
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Jason S Moser
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Maria Muzik
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Kate D Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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9
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Lawler JM, Hruschak J, Aho K, Liu Y, Ip KI, Lajiness‐O’Neill R, Rosenblum KL, Muzik M, Fitzgerald KD. The error-related negativity as a neuromarker of risk or resilience in young children. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e02008. [PMID: 33354942 PMCID: PMC7994696 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The error-related negativity (ERN) is a neural response that reflects error monitoring. Contradictorily, an enlarged (more negative) ERN has been cited as both a risk factor and a protective factor, which hinders its utility as a predictive indicator. The aim of the current study was to examine the associations between ERN measured in early childhood with the development of cognitive control (CC), emotion regulation, and internalizing/externalizing symptoms over 1-2 years. METHODS When children were ages 5-7, EEG was collected during a Go/No-Go task. A subset of the original participants (n = 30) were selected based on their baseline ERN in an extreme-case design: half with high-amplitude ERN, matched by age and sex with another group with low-amplitude ERN. RESULTS At follow-up, children in the High-Amplitude group showed better executive function, less self-reported anxiety and depression, less affect dysregulation, more parent-rated CC, less lability/negativity, and fewer parent-reported externalizing problems. Many results held even when accounting for baseline levels. Further, emotion dysregulation mediated the relationship between the ERN and both anxiety and externalizing problems, while CC mediated the ERN's relationship with externalizing problems only. CONCLUSIONS These results can inform identification and intervention efforts for children at risk for psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yanni Liu
- University of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
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10
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Heffer T, Willoughby T. A person-centered examination of emotion dysregulation, sensitivity to threat, and impulsivity among children and adolescents: An ERP study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 47:100900. [PMID: 33401153 PMCID: PMC7787925 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Adolescence often is characterized by the onset of social anxiety and risk taking; yet, not all youth are anxious and/or risk takers. There are several factors that may help differentiate youth with anxiety (e.g., threat sensitivity and emotion dysregulation) and youth who take risks (e.g., impulsivity and emotion dysregulation). We conducted a latent class analysis to identify groups of youth who differ in these processes, and then investigated group differences on the error-related negativity, an ERP that has been differentially associated with threat sensitivity and impulsivity. Method Youth (N = 1313, Mage = 11, range = 8–15 years) completed a survey assessing their emotion dysregulation, sensitivity to threat, and impulsivity. A subsample (N = 424) also completed a go/no-go task while EEG was recorded. Results and conclusions Four groups were identified with differential levels of emotion dysregulation, sensitivity to threat, and impulsivity. Adolescents had greater odds than children of being in the High_Dysregulation/ThreatSensitivity or ModerateDysregulation/HighImpulsivity Groups in comparison to two other groups with lower scores. The High_Dysregulation/ThreatSensitivity Group had the largest ERN, while the ModerateDysregulation/HighImpulsivity Group had the smallest ERN. The ERN may be a potential biomarker to help distinguish between different profiles of adolescents who may be at risk for either anxiety or risk taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Heffer
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - Teena Willoughby
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
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11
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Hanna GL, Liu Y, Rough HE, Surapaneni M, Hanna BS, Arnold PD, Gehring WJ. A Diagnostic Biomarker for Pediatric Generalized Anxiety Disorder Using the Error-Related Negativity. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2020; 51:827-838. [PMID: 32656660 PMCID: PMC7529976 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-020-01021-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The error-related negativity (ERN) is a negative deflection in the event-related potential following a mistake that is a putative biomarker of anxiety. The study assessed the ERN as a diagnostic biomarker using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses in 96 cases with anxiety disorders (AD) and 96 matched healthy controls (HC) ages 8 to 18 years. Forty-one cases had generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); 55 cases had other anxiety disorders (OAD) without GAD. ERN amplitude was significantly increased in AD cases compared to HC. The area under the curve (AUC) in the ROC analysis was 0.64, indicating the ERN is an inadequate diagnostic test for AD altogether. The ERN was significantly increased in cases with either GAD or OAD compared to HC. The AUC in ROC analyses with GAD and OAD was 0.75 and 0.56, respectively, suggesting the ERN provides an adequate diagnostic test for GAD but not for OAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory L Hanna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Yanni Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Haley E Rough
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Mihir Surapaneni
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Barbara S Hanna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Paul D Arnold
- Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - William J Gehring
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5766, USA
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12
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Banica I, Sandre A, Shields GS, Slavich GM, Weinberg A. The error-related negativity (ERN) moderates the association between interpersonal stress and anxiety symptoms six months later. Int J Psychophysiol 2020; 153:27-36. [PMID: 32277956 PMCID: PMC7335004 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2020.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are often preceded by interpersonal stress; however, most individuals who experience stress do not develop anxiety, making it difficult to predict who is most susceptible to stress. One proposed trans-diagnostic neural risk marker for anxiety is the error-related negativity (ERN), a negative deflection in the event-related potential waveform occurring within 100 ms of error commission. The present study sought to investigate whether interpersonal stress experienced over the course of a year interacts with ERN magnitude to prospectively predict anxiety symptoms. A sample of 57 emerging adults performed an arrow flanker task to elicit the ERN at the start of the academic school year (time one). Toward the end of the academic year (time two), participants reported on past-year interpersonal stress and anxiety symptoms. Stress interacted with ERN magnitude to predict anxiety symptoms, whereby, for individuals with an enhanced ERN at time one, greater interpersonal stress over the course of a year was significantly associated with increased anxiety symptoms at time two, even controlling for anxiety symptoms at time one. These findings suggest that enhanced performance monitoring may render individuals more susceptible to the adverse effects of interpersonal stress, thereby increasing risk for heightened anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iulia Banica
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 1G1, Canada
| | - Aislinn Sandre
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 1G1, Canada
| | - Grant S Shields
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA 95618, USA
| | - George M Slavich
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Anna Weinberg
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 1G1, Canada.
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13
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Mulligan EM, Infantolino ZP, Klein DN, Hajcak G. Developmental trajectory of the late positive potential: Using temporal-spatial PCA to characterize within-subject developmental changes in emotional processing. Psychophysiology 2019; 57:e13478. [PMID: 31536141 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The late positive potential (LPP) is characterized by temporal and spatial changes across development-though existing work has primarily relied on visual or statistical comparisons of relatively few electrodes and averaged activity over time. The current study used an empirically based approach to characterize temporal and spatial changes in ERPs over time. Data were utilized from a large longitudinal study (N = 380) in which the LPP was recorded to pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant pictures around age 9 and again around age 12. Age 9 ERPs were subtracted from age 12 ERPs for all three image types; the resulting ERPs for each subject at each electrode site were then submitted to a temporospatial principal component analysis (PCA). A PCA factor was greater in amplitude for emotional pictures compared to neutral pictures between ages 9 and 12, evident as an occipital negativity and frontocentral positivity that peaked approximately 850 ms following picture presentation. Furthermore, the factor scores to emotional pictures for this component increased as a function of age 12 pubertal development, consistent with the notion that the LPP shifts from occipital to more frontocentral sites in relation to developmental changes from childhood to adolescence. A similar factor was observed when PCA was applied to all ERPs from both ages 9 and 12. Using temporospatial PCA on ERPs collected from the same subjects over time-especially within-subject subtraction-based ERPs-provides a concise way of characterizing and quantifying within-subject developmental changes in both the timing and scalp distribution of ERPs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniel N Klein
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Greg Hajcak
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
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14
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Reliable and efficient recording of the error-related negativity with a speeded Eriksen Flanker Task. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2019; 31:135-142. [PMID: 30561291 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2018.36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There is accumulating evidence that the error-related negativity (ERN), an event-related potential elicited after erroneous actions, is altered in different psychiatric disorders and may help to guide treatment options. Thus, the ERN is a promising candidate as a psychiatric biomarker. Basic methodological requirements for a biomarker are that their measurements are standardised and reliable. The aim of the present study was to establish ERN acquisition in a reliable, time-efficient and patient-friendly way for use in clinical practice. METHODS Healthy subjects performed a speeded Eriksen Flanker Task that increases the number of errors. In a test-retest design (N = 14) with two sessions separated by 28 days we assessed the reliability of the ERN. To ensure external validity, we aimed to replicate previously reported correlation patterns of ERN amplitude with (A) number of errors and (B) negative affect. In order to optimise the clinical use of the task, we determined to which extent the task can be shortened while keeping reliability >0.80. RESULTS We found excellent reliability of the ERN (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.806-0.947) and replicated ERN correlation patterns. The task can be halved to a patient-friendly length of 200 trials (recorded in 8 min) keeping reliability >0.80. CONCLUSIONS The modified task provides reliable and efficient recording of the ERN, facilitating its use as a psychiatric biomarker.
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Peters AT, Burkhouse KL, Kujawa A, Afshar K, Fitzgerald KD, Monk CS, Hajcak G, Phan KL. Impact of pubertal timing and depression on error-related brain activity in anxious youth. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 61:69-80. [PMID: 30043447 PMCID: PMC6318038 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are associated with enhanced error-related negativity (ERN) across development but it remains unclear whether alterations in brain electrophysiology are linked to the timing of puberty. Pubertal timing and alterations of prefrontal and limbic development are implicated in risk for depression, but the interplay of these factors on the ERN-anxiety association has not been assessed. We examined the unique and interactive effects of pubertal timing and depression on the ERN in a sample of youth 10-19 years old with anxiety disorders (n = 30) or no history of psychopathology (n = 30). Earlier pubertal maturation was associated with an enhanced ERN. Among early, but not late maturing youth, higher depressive symptoms were associated with a reduced ERN. The magnitude of neural reactivity to errors is sensitive to anxiety, depression, and development. Early physical maturation and anxiety may heighten neural sensitivity to errors yet predict opposing effects in the context of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy T. Peters
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, 1747 W Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, 60608
| | - Katie L. Burkhouse
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, 1747 W Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, 60608
| | - Autumn Kujawa
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Psychology and Human Development, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203
| | - Kaveh Afshar
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, 1747 W Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, 60608
| | - Kate D. Fitzgerald
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, 1500 E Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Christopher S. Monk
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, 1500 E Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, 530 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Greg Hajcak
- Florida State University, Department of Psychology and Biomedical Sciences, 1107 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306
| | - K. Luan Phan
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, 1747 W Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, 60608
- University of Illinois-Chicago, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology & Graduate Program in Neuroscience, 840 S Wood St, Chicago, IL 60612
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16
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Pasion R, Paiva TO, Fernandes C, Almeida R, Barbosa F. ERN modulation under sustained threat: A pre-registered report. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2018.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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17
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Chong LJ, Meyer A. Understanding the Link between Anxiety and a Neural Marker of Anxiety (The Error-Related Negativity) in 5 to 7 Year-Old Children. Dev Neuropsychol 2018; 44:71-87. [PMID: 30407088 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2018.1528264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite growing evidence that an elevated error-related negativity (ERN) is a risk marker for anxiety, it is unclear what psychological construct underlies this association. To address this gap, we devised a 9-item self-report scale for assessing error sensitivity (i.e. the fear of making mistakes) in children. The Child Error Sensitivity Index was administered to 97 children ages 5-7 years old and demonstrated good internal reliability and convergent validity. The Child Error Sensitivity Index related to the ERN, and the relationship between the ERN and child anxiety symptoms was mediated by scores on the Child Error Sensitivity Index.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexandria Meyer
- a Department of Psychology , Florida State University , Tallahassee , Florida , USA
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18
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Meyer A, Nelson B, Perlman G, Klein DN, Kotov R. A neural biomarker, the error-related negativity, predicts the first onset of generalized anxiety disorder in a large sample of adolescent females. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2018; 59:1162-1170. [PMID: 29665048 PMCID: PMC6192876 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE An increased neural response to making mistakes has emerged as a potential biomarker of anxiety across development. The error-related negativity (ERN) is an event-related potential elicited when people make mistakes on simple laboratory-based reaction time tasks that has been associated with risk for anxiety. This study examined whether the ERN prospectively predicted the first onset of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) over 1.5 years in adolescent girls. METHODS The sample included 457 girls between the ages of 13.5 and 15.5 years, with no history of GAD. At baseline, the ERN was measured using a flankers task. Psychiatric history of the adolescent and biological parent was assessed with diagnostic interviews, and the adolescent completed a self-report questionnaire regarding anxiety symptoms. Approximately 1.5 years later, adolescents completed the same interview. RESULTS An increased neural response to errors at baseline predicted first-onset GAD over 1.5 years. The ERN was a significant predictor independent of other prominent risk factors, including baseline anxiety and depression symptoms and parental lifetime psychiatric history. Jointly the ERN and social anxiety symptoms provided the greatest power for predicting first-onset GAD. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence for the utility of the ERN as a biomarker of risk for GAD during a key developmental period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria Meyer
- Florida State University, Department of Psychology, Psychology, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Brady Nelson
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Greg Perlman
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | | | - Roman Kotov
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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19
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Khan NI, Burkhouse KL, Lieberman L, Gorka SM, DiGangi JA, Schroth C, Frederick A, Kennedy AE, Aase DM, Greenstein JE, Proescher E, Hajcak G, Phan KL. Individual differences in combat experiences and error-related brain activity in OEF/OIF/OND veterans. Int J Psychophysiol 2018; 129:52-57. [PMID: 29704581 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Increased error-related negativity (ERN) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of multiple forms of psychopathology. Although there is increasing evidence that the ERN can be shaped by environment and experience, no studies to date have examined this question in a clinical sample. In the current study, we examined the influence of combat exposure on the ERN using electroencephalogram (EEG) in a sample of military veterans with a high prevalence of psychopathology. Participants included sixty-seven U.S. military veterans from Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND). The degree of combat exposure was assessed using the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory-2 (DRRI-2) and Combat Exposure Scale (CES). A well-validated flanker task was used to elicit the ERN during continuous EEG recording. Results revealed that veterans who reported experiencing greater combat exposure exhibited a more enhanced ERN, even when adjusting for broad anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The association between combat exposure and ERN was not moderated by PTSD symptom severity. The current study demonstrates that greater combat exposure is associated with a more enhanced ERN among OEF/OIF/OND veterans. This enhanced ERN may be one mechanism that places veterans at greater risk for developing psychiatric disorders following exposure to combat. Future longitudinal studies are needed to directly test whether the ERN mediates the relation between level of combat exposure and the development of internalizing disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narmeen I Khan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States
| | - Katie L Burkhouse
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States.
| | - Lynne Lieberman
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States
| | - Stephanie M Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States
| | - Julia A DiGangi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States
| | | | - Alyssa Frederick
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States
| | - Amy E Kennedy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States
| | - Darrin M Aase
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States; Mental Health Service Line, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, United States; College of Health and Human Services, Governors State University, United States
| | - Justin E Greenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States; Mental Health Service Line, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, United States
| | - Eric Proescher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States; Mental Health Service Line, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, United States
| | - Greg Hajcak
- Florida State University, Department of Psychology and Biological Sciences, United States
| | - K Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States; Mental Health Service Line, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, United States
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20
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Rosen TE, Lerner MD. Error-related brain activity and anxiety symptoms in youth with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2017; 11:342-354. [PMID: 29210194 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience symptoms associated with generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety disorder. In other populations, these same symptoms are associated with a larger error-related negativity (ERN), an event-related potential that reflects endogenous threat sensitivity. As such, it is possible that the ERN may relate to the clinical presentation of anxiety in ASD. However, studies examining these associations in youth with ASD have yielded mixed results. The present study aimed to clarify this relationship by examining the ERN in relation to these specific anxiety symptoms in ASD, and by accounting for typical covariates (e.g., age, verbal abilities, depression, ASD symptoms) of the ERN. Fifty-one youth, ages 8-17, with ASD and intact cognitive ability completed a modified Flanker task, from which the ERN component was obtained. Measures of anxiety, verbal abilities, depression, and ASD symptoms were collected from participants and parents. Results revealed that greater self-reported social anxiety symptoms, specifically performance fears but not humiliation/rejection fears, were associated with an increased neural response to errors, as measured by the ERN. This relationship remained after controlling for other anxiety symptoms, as well as age, verbal IQ, depression symptoms, and ASD symptoms. Findings suggest that heightened threat sensitivity may be characteristic of individuals with ASD who exhibit social fearfulness. Autism Res 2018, 11: 342-354. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY The error-related negativity (ERN) is a physiological measure of the brain's response to errors which is thought to reflect threat sensitivity and has been implicated in anxiety disorders in individuals without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study revealed that the ERN is related to social anxiety symptoms, specifically performance fears, in a sample of youth with ASD. Findings suggest that heightened threat sensitivity may be characteristic of individuals with ASD who exhibit social fearfulness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara E Rosen
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794
| | - Matthew D Lerner
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794
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21
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Meyer A. A biomarker of anxiety in children and adolescents: A review focusing on the error-related negativity (ERN) and anxiety across development. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 27:58-68. [PMID: 28818707 PMCID: PMC6987910 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anxiety disorders are the most common form of psychopathology and often begin early in development. Therefore, there is interest in identifying neural biomarkers that characterize pathways leading to anxiety disorders early in the course of development. A substantial amount of work focuses on the error-related negativity (ERN) as a biomarker of anxiety. While two previous reviews have focused on the relationship of the ERN and anxiety in adults, no previous review has focused on this issue in children and adolescents. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Overall, 22 studies were included in the current review. A number of patterns emerged, including: 1.) The ERN is enhanced in clinically anxious children at all ages (6-18 years old), regardless of the task used to measure the ERN. 2.) Studies focusing on anxiety symptoms and temperamental fear suggest that the relationship between the ERN and normative anxiety may change across development. 3.) The ERN can predict the onset of anxiety disorders across different developmental periods. 4.) The ERN relates to other markers of risk for anxiety (e.g., aversive startle potentiation) in children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria Meyer
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W Call St., Tallahassee, FL 32303, United States.
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22
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Moser JS. The Nature of the Relationship Between Anxiety and the Error-Related Negativity Across Development. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2017; 4:309-321. [DOI: 10.1007/s40473-017-0132-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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23
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Impact of anxiety symptoms and problematic alcohol use on error-related brain activity. Int J Psychophysiol 2017; 118:32-39. [PMID: 28606471 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2017.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Revised: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are associated with enhanced defensive reactivity to errors, measured via the error-related negativity (ERN). There is some evidence to suggest that problematic alcohol use is also associated with an enhanced ERN; although prior studies have been almost exclusively in men and have yet to examine the potential interactive effects of anxiety and alcohol abuse symptoms. The aim of the current study was to address the gaps in this literature by examining the unique and interactive effects of anxiety symptoms and problematic alcohol use on the ERN in a sample of 79 heterogeneous internalizing disorder patients. All participants completed a flanker task designed to robustly elicit the ERN and questionnaires assessing current internalizing symptoms and problematic alcohol use. As expected, results revealed that greater anxiety symptoms, but not depressive symptoms, were associated with a more enhanced ERN. There was no main effect of problematic alcohol use but there was a significant anxiety by problematic alcohol use interaction. At high anxiety symptoms, greater problematic alcohol use was associated with a more enhanced ERN; at low anxiety symptoms, alcohol use was unrelated to the ERN. There was no depression by alcohol abuse interaction. The findings suggest that within anxious individuals, heightened reactivity to errors/threat may be related to risk for alcohol abuse. The findings also converge with a broader literature suggesting that heightened reactivity to threat may be a shared vulnerability factor for anxiety and alcohol abuse and a novel prevention and intervention target for anxiety-alcohol abuse comorbidity.
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