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Metz S, Mengering L, Lipka R, Rosada C, Otte C, Heekeren H, Wingenfeld K. The effects of yohimbine and hydrocortisone on selective attention to fearful faces: An fMRI study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 165:107031. [PMID: 38581746 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107031] [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: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Selective attention to salient emotional information can enable an advantage in the face of danger. The present study aims to investigate the influence of the stress neuromodulators, norepinephrine and cortisol, on selective attention processes to fearful faces and its neuronal activation. METHODS AND MATERIALS We used a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design. 167 healthy men between 18 and 35 years (mean [SD] age: 25.23 [4.24] years) participated in the study. Participants received either: (A) yohimbine (n= 41), (B) hydrocortisone (n = 41), (C) yohimbine and hydrocortisone (n = 42) or (D) placebo only (n= 43) and participated in a dot-probe task with fearful and neutral faces in an fMRI scanner. RESULTS We found an attentional bias toward fearful faces across all groups and related neuronal activation in the left cuneus. We did not find any differences between experimental treatment groups in selective attention and its neuronal activation. DISCUSSION Our results provide evidence that fearful faces lead to an attentional bias with related neuronal activation in the left cuneus. We did not replicate formerly reported activation in the amygdala, intraparietal sulcus, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and thalamus. Suitability of the dot-probe task for fMRI studies and insignificant treatment effects are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Metz
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Medical Psychology, Luisenstraße 57, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Leon Mengering
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, Berlin 12203, Germany
| | - Renée Lipka
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, Berlin 12203, Germany; Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Catarina Rosada
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, Berlin 12203, Germany
| | - Christian Otte
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, Berlin 12203, Germany
| | - Hauke Heekeren
- Universität Hamburg, Mittelweg 177, Hamburg 20148, Germany
| | - Katja Wingenfeld
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, Berlin 12203, Germany.
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Lamontagne SJ, Zabala PK, Zarate CA, Ballard ED. Toward objective characterizations of suicide risk: A narrative review of laboratory-based cognitive and behavioral tasks. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105361. [PMID: 37595649 PMCID: PMC10592047 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Although suicide is a leading cause of preventable death worldwide, current prevention efforts have failed to substantively mitigate suicide risk. Suicide research has traditionally relied on subjective reports that may not accurately differentiate those at high versus minimal risk. This narrative review supports the inclusion of objective task-based measures in suicide research to complement existing subjective batteries. The article: 1) outlines risk factors proposed by contemporary theories of suicide and highlights recent empirical findings supporting these theories; 2) discusses ongoing challenges associated with current risk assessment tools and their ability to accurately evaluate risk factors; and 3) analyzes objective laboratory measures that can be implemented alongside traditional measures to enhance the precision of risk assessment. To illustrate the potential of these methods to improve our understanding of suicide risk, the article reviews how acute stress responses in a laboratory setting can be modeled, given that stress is a major precipitant for suicidal behavior. More precise risk assessment strategies can emerge if objective measures are implemented in conjunction with traditional subjective measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Lamontagne
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Paloma K Zabala
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Carlos A Zarate
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth D Ballard
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Hunter CL, Shields GS. (A lack of) effects of acute social stress on attentional bias to threat. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2023; 15:100195. [PMID: 37554554 PMCID: PMC10405195 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100195] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Attentional biases toward or away from emotionally evocative stimuli have been well documented and are known to be clinically relevant, making it important to understand how various factors contribute to them. Some work has suggested that acute stress modulates attentional biases, but this work has produced inconsistent results. For example, many studies have found that stress enhances attentional bias, others that stress decreases attentional bias, and others still that there is no effect of stress at all. Methodological differences may explain these inconsistencies. For example, discrepancies exist between studies in participant sex (e.g., mixed sample vs. all men) and in the type of attentional bias paradigm. We addressed these gaps by examining the effects of an acute social stressor (vs. control) on attentional bias assessed via facial dot probe, focusing on potential sex differences in these effects (N = 141). We found that, overall, participants were significantly biased towards threat, but biases did not differ by stress condition or sex. These findings help to clarify the existing discrepancy in the literature, as we found that stress exerts little if any effect on attentional bias assessed via a facial dot probe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colton L. Hunter
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, USA
| | - Grant S. Shields
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, USA
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4
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Cassidy LC, Bethell EJ, Brockhausen RR, Boretius S, Treue S, Pfefferle D. The Dot-Probe Attention Bias Task as a Method to Assess Psychological Well-Being after Anesthesia: A Study with Adult Female Long-Tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Eur Surg Res 2023; 64:37-53. [PMID: 34915502 PMCID: PMC9909723 DOI: 10.1159/000521440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the impact routine research and laboratory procedures have on animals is crucial to improving their well-being and to the success and reproducibility of the research they are involved in. Cognitive measures of welfare offer insight into animals' internal psychological state, but require validation. Attention bias - the tendency to attend to one type of information over another - is a cognitive phenomenon documented in humans and animals that is known to be modulated by affective state (i.e., emotions). Hence, changes in attention bias may offer researchers a deeper perspective of their animals' psychological well-being. The dot-probe task is an established method for quantifying attention bias in humans (by measuring reaction time to a dot-probe replacing pairs of stimuli), but has yet to be validated in animals. We developed a dot-probe task for long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) to determine if the task can detect changes in attention bias following anesthesia, a context known to modulate attention and trigger physiological arousal in macaques. Our task included the following features: stimulus pairs of threatening and neutral facial expressions of conspecifics and their scrambled counterparts, two stimuli durations (100 and 1,000 ms), and counterbalancing of the dot-probe's position on the touchscreen (left and right) and location relative to the threatening stimulus. We tested 8 group-housed adult females on different days relative to being anesthetized (baseline and 1-, 3-, 7-, and 14-days after). At baseline, monkeys were vigilant to threatening content when stimulus pairs were presented for 100 ms, but not 1,000 ms. On the day immediately following anesthesia, we found evidence that attention bias changed to an avoidance of threatening content. Attention bias returned to threat vigilance by the third day postanesthesia and remained so up to the last day of testing (14-days after anesthesia). We also found that attention bias was independent of the type of stimuli pair (i.e., whole face vs. scrambled counterparts), suggesting that the scrambled stimuli retained aspects of the original stimuli. Nevertheless, whole faces were more salient to the monkeys as responses to these trials were generally slower than to scrambled stimulus pairs. Overall, our study suggests it is feasible to detect changes in attention bias following anesthesia using the dot-probe task in nonhuman primates. Our results also reveal important aspects of stimulus preparation and experimental design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren C Cassidy
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Emily J Bethell
- Liverpool John Moores University, Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool, UK
- Liverpool John Moores University, Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ralf R Brockhausen
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Susann Boretius
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Functional Imaging Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Treue
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Dana Pfefferle
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
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Kreddig N, Hasenbring MI, Keogh E. Comparing the Effects of Thought Suppression and Focused Distraction on Pain-Related Attentional Biases in Men and Women. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2022; 23:1958-1972. [PMID: 35914643 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2022.07.004] [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: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Increasing attentional focus away from pain can affect pain experience, suggesting that cognitive strategies that move attentional allocation may be a moderator of pain. In a pre-post-design, the present study examined the effects of 2 cognitive strategies used in pain contexts, thought suppression and focused distraction, on subsequent pain-related attention. Thought suppression was hypothesized to increase pain-related attention, whereas focused distraction was expected to reduce it. Influences of both anxiety and sex were also considered, as secondary questions. 139 (86 women, 53 men) healthy, pain-free participants were randomly assigned to use either thought suppression or focused distraction during a mild cold pressor test (CPT). Pain-related attention was examined using a dot-probe and an attentional blink task, pre-and post-CPT. Questionnaires about relevant cognitive and emotional aspects, demographics, and pain were completed. Results showed no difference in the effect of the 2 pain inhibition strategies on pain-related attention. The hypothesized rebound effect in thought suppression on pain-related attention did not emerge. However, thought suppression showed a short-term benefit in comparison to focused distraction regarding reported pain and perceived threat during the cold pressor test. Few sex differences were found. Thus, the cognitive strategies affected pain outcomes, but did not influence pain-related attention. PERSPECTIVE: Cognitive strategies could help with pain through changing attention allocation. In this study, the effects of the 2 cognitive strategies thought suppression and focused distraction on pain-related attention in men and women were examined. Elucidating mechanisms that lie behind pain strategies that focus on changing attention may help improve treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Kreddig
- Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; University of Bath, Bath, UK.
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Hoferichter F, Raufelder D. Biophysiological stress markers relate differently to grit and school engagement among lower- and higher-track secondary school students. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 93 Suppl 1:174-194. [PMID: 35583016 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study examines the relationship between adolescents' biophysiological stress (i.e. cortisol, alpha-amylase and oxidative stress) and the development of grit and school engagement over one school year. AIMS The study aims to identify how objective stress affects grit and three dimensions of school engagement. Based on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, the study considers lower- and higher-track school students and their genders. SAMPLE The sample consists of secondary school students (N = 82; MAge = 13.71; SD = 0.67; 48% girls) from Germany. METHODS Students participated in a questionnaire and a biophysiological study in the first semester (t1) of the school year and completed the same questionnaire at the end of the school year (t2). After conducting whole-sample analysis, a multi-group cross-lagged panel model was calculated to identify differences among students at lower- and higher-track schools. RESULTS Whole-sample analysis reveals that students who exhibit high levels of cortisol report lower cognitive school engagement at t2, whereas students who exhibit high levels of alpha-amylase exhibit less grit at t2. Additionally, lower-track students who exhibited high cortisol levels reported lower cognitive and emotional school engagement throughout the school year. Furthermore, higher-track students with high oxidative stress levels reported lower grit and behavioural school engagement at t2. CONCLUSIONS Examining the relationship between biophysiological stress markers and grit and school engagement of students at lower- and higher-track schools indicates that the educational context and its specific subculture shapes physiological stress reactions, which are related differently to grit and engagement dimensions.
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Blekić W, Rossignol M, Wauthia E, Felmingham KL. Influence of acute stress on attentional bias toward threat: How a previous trauma exposure disrupts threat apprehension. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 170:20-29. [PMID: 34597728 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.09.009] [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: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
While previous trauma exposure is known to be a risk factor for the development and maintenance of many psychological disorders, it remains unclear how it increases individual risk for prospective psychopathology in the aftermath of a new trauma exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate how a prior exposure to trauma affects attentional processing of threat before and after an acute stress task. Specifically, we assessed attentional biases to threat before and after a cold pressor task in 17 individuals who have been exposed to trauma (TE) compared to 18 individuals without trauma exposure (NTE). Behavioral results showed difficulties to disengage from threat in TE but not in the control group prior to stress induction, as well as a switch to an attentional bias toward threat after the cold pressor task in the TE group. For the ERPs, we highlighted (1) decreased N1 negativity in response to threatening stimuli after an acute stress in both groups, and (2) a parallel increase in P1 for such stimuli only in the TE group. Those results suggest a vulnerability presented by previously traumatized individuals when dealing with threats as well as an acute responsitity toward stress. Those results are interpreted in regards with the theorical models of stress and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wivine Blekić
- Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Mons, Belgium.
| | - Mandy Rossignol
- Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Mons, Belgium
| | - Erika Wauthia
- Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Mons, Belgium
| | - Kim L Felmingham
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia
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Dean AE, Reichardt F, Anakk S. Sex differences feed into nuclear receptor signaling along the digestive tract. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2021; 1867:166211. [PMID: 34273530 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2021.166211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences in physiology are noted in clinical and animal studies. However, mechanisms underlying these observed differences between males and females remain elusive. Nuclear receptors control a wide range of physiological pathways and are expressed in the gastrointestinal tract, including the mouth, stomach, liver and intestine. We investigated the literature pertaining to ER, AR, FXR, and PPAR regulation and highlight the sex differences in nutrient metabolism along the digestive system. We chose these nuclear receptors based on their metabolic functions, and hormonal actions. Intriguingly, we noted an overlap in target genes of ER and FXR that modulate mucosal integrity and GLP-1 secretion, whereas overlap in target genes of PPARα with ER and AR modulate lipid metabolism. Sex differences were seen not only in the basal expression of nuclear receptors, but also in activation as their endogenous ligand concentrations fluctuate depending on nutrient availability. Finally, in this review, we speculate that interactions between the nuclear receptors may influence overall metabolic decisions in the gastrointestinal tract in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela E Dean
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America
| | - François Reichardt
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America
| | - Sayeepriyadarshini Anakk
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America; Cancer center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America.
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Covariation of psychobiological stress regulation with valence and quantity of social interactions in everyday life: disentangling intra- and interindividual sources of variation. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2021; 128:1381-1395. [PMID: 34181094 PMCID: PMC8423684 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-021-02359-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
While the overall effects of social relationships on stress and health have extensively been described, it remains unclear how the experience of social interactions covaries with the activity of psychobiological stress in everyday life. We hypothesized that the valence as well as quantitative characteristics of social interactions in everyday life would attenuate psychobiological stress. Sixty healthy participants provided data for the analyses. Using an ecological momentary assessment design, participants received 6 prompts on their smartphone for 4 days. At each prompt, they reported on social interactions since the last prompt (any occurrence, frequency, duration, quality, and perceived social support), current subjective stress, and provided one saliva sample for the analyses of cortisol (sCort) and alpha-amylase (sAA). Experiencing any contact within days as well as higher daily levels of contact quality and perceived social support were associated with reduced levels of sCort. Furthermore, on a daily level, experiencing at least one contact in-between prompts more often as well as having more contacts on average attenuated the sAA output. Perceived social support and contact quality as well as higher daily contact durations were associated with lower subjective stress. For sCort, daily levels of stress moderated the effects of experiencing any contact within days while daily perceived social support moderated the effects of subjective stress. For sAA, experiencing at least one contact in-between prompts more often on a daily level moderated the effects of subjective stress. There were no between-person effects throughout all analyses. The results show ecologically valid evidence for direct attenuating effects of social interactions on psychobiological stress as well as for the stress-buffering hypothesis in everyday life. Increasing the quantity and improving the valence of social interactions on an intrapersonal level can possibly reduce psychobiological stress and prevent its consequences.
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Keogh E, Attridge N, Walsh J, Bartlett J, Francis R, Bultitude JH, Eccleston C. Attentional Biases Towards Body Expressions of Pain in Men and Women. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2021; 22:1696-1708. [PMID: 34174386 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated whether there are gender differences in attention to bodily expressions of pain and core emotions. Three experiments are reported using the attentional dot probe task. Images of men and women displaying bodily expressions, including pain, were presented. The task was used to determine whether participants' attention was drawn towards or away from target expressions. Inconsistent evidence was found for an attentional bias towards body expressions, including pain. While biases were affected by gender, patterns varied across the Experiments. Experiment 1, which had a presentation duration of 500 ms, found a relative bias towards the location of male body expressions compared to female expressions. Experiments 2 and 3 varied stimulus exposure times by including both shorter and longer duration conditions (e.g., 100 vs. 500 vs. 1250 ms). In these experiments, a bias towards pain was confirmed. Gender differences were also found, especially in the longer presentation conditions. Expressive body postures captured the attention of women for longer compared to men. These results are discussed in light of their implications for why there are gender differences in attention to pain, and what impact this has on pain behaviour. PERSPECTIVE: We show that men and women might differ in how they direct their attention towards bodily expressions, including pain. These results have relevance to understanding how carers might attend to the pain of others, as well as highlighting the wider role that social-contextual factors have in pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmund Keogh
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, UK; Bath Centre for Pain Research, University of Bath, UK.
| | | | - Joseph Walsh
- School of Society, Enterprise & Environment, Bath Spa University, UK
| | | | | | - Janet H Bultitude
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, UK; Bath Centre for Pain Research, University of Bath, UK
| | - Christopher Eccleston
- Bath Centre for Pain Research, University of Bath, UK; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
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Byman E, Nägga K, Gustavsson AM, Andersson-Assarsson J, Hansson O, Sonestedt E, Wennström M. Alpha-amylase 1A copy number variants and the association with memory performance and Alzheimer's dementia. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2020; 12:158. [PMID: 33220711 PMCID: PMC7680592 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-020-00726-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Background Previous studies have shown that copy number variation (CNV) in the alpha (α)-amylase gene (AMY1A) is associated with body mass index, insulin resistance, and blood glucose levels, factors also shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia (AD). We have previously demonstrated the presence of α-amylase in healthy neuronal dendritic spines and a reduction of the same in AD patients. In the current study, we investigate the relationship between AMY1A copy number and AD, memory performance, and brain α-amylase activity. Methods and materials The association between AMY1A copy number and development of AD was analyzed in 5422 individuals (mean age at baseline 57.5 ± 5.9, females 58.2%) from the Malmö diet and cancer study genotyped for AMY1A copy number, whereof 247 where diagnosed with AD during a mean follow-up of 20 years. Associations between AMY1A copy number and cognitive performance where analyzed in 791 individuals (mean age at baseline 54.7 ± 6.3, females 63%), who performed Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test. Correlation analysis between α-amylase activity or α-amylase gene expression and AMY1A copy number in post-mortem hippocampal tissue from on demented controls (n = 8) and AD patients (n = 10) was also performed. Results Individuals with very high ( ≥10) AMY1A copy number had a significantly lower hazard ratio of AD (HR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.41–0.94) and performed significantly better on MoCA delayed word recall test, compared to the reference group with AMY1A copy number 6. A trend to lower hazard ratio of AD was also found among individuals with low AMY1A copy number (1–5) (HR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.53–1.02). A tendency towards a positive correlation between brain α-amylase activity and AMY1A copy number was found, and females showed higher brain α-amylase activity compared to males. Conclusion Our study suggests that the degree of α-amylase activity in the brain is affected by AMY1A copy number and gender, in addition to AD pathology. The study further suggests that very high AMY1A copy number is associated with a decreased hazard ratio of AD and we speculate that this effect is mediated via a beneficial impact of AMY1A copy number on episodic memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin Byman
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Inga Marie Nilssons gata 53, SE-214 28, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Katarina Nägga
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Inga Marie Nilssons gata 53, SE-214 28, Malmö, Sweden.,Department of Acute Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Anna-Märta Gustavsson
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Inga Marie Nilssons gata 53, SE-214 28, Malmö, Sweden.,Memory Clinic, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
| | | | - Johanna Andersson-Assarsson
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Oskar Hansson
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Inga Marie Nilssons gata 53, SE-214 28, Malmö, Sweden.,Memory Clinic, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Emily Sonestedt
- Nutritional Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Malin Wennström
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Inga Marie Nilssons gata 53, SE-214 28, Malmö, Sweden.
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Ali N, Nitschke JP, Cooperman C, Baldwin MW, Pruessner JC. Systematic manipulations of the biological stress systems result in sex-specific compensatory stress responses and negative mood outcomes. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1672-1680. [PMID: 32498073 PMCID: PMC7421880 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0726-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with anxiety and mood disorders. One potential underlying mechanism is sex differences in physiological and psychological responses to stress; however, no studies to date have investigated this proposed mechanism experimentally. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, pharmacological challenges were administered to individually suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, or the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) prior to stress exposure, to investigate sex differences in the resulting cross talk among the physiological and psychological stress responses. Sex-specific compensatory patterns and psychological effects emerged when the stress systems were manipulated. Men demonstrated heightened SNS reactivity to stress when the HPA axis was suppressed, and greater HPA reactivity after SNS suppression. This ability to react appropriately to the stressor, even with one system, did not lead to significant negative mood effects. In women, higher baseline activation (but dampened reactivity to stress) of SNS or HPA was observed when the other system was suppressed. This was coupled with worsened mood in response to stress when either stress system was compromised. Our results indicate that men and women may be differentially sensitive to fluctuations of their stress systems. This might be a potential link that underlies the sexual dimorphism in vulnerability for psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nida Ali
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. .,Clinical and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Jonas P. Nitschke
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Cory Cooperman
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Mark W. Baldwin
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Jens C. Pruessner
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Faculty of Medicine, McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada ,grid.9811.10000 0001 0658 7699Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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13
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Kan Y, Duan H, Chen X, Wang X, Xue W, Hu W. Attentional blink affected by acute stress in women: The role of affective stimuli and attentional resources. Conscious Cogn 2019; 75:102796. [PMID: 31374428 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2019.102796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The role of attentional resources and affective stimuli on temporal selective attention in the rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) paradigm under acute stress was explored among women. Seventy-three female undergraduates were randomly assigned to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) group or control group. We found that when the first target was negative, stress increased its accuracy. Stress promoted the recognition of neutral target two (T2) only at lag2, and there was no interaction with theemotionality of target one (T1). In addition, the accumulated effect of stress enhanced temporal selective attention, predominately 20-40 min after the TSST task; cortisol concentration during this time period could significantly predict AB task performance. In summary, when attentional resources were severely insufficient, individuals under stress were more able to focus on the current target; that is, stress facilitated selective attention. A novel result was that participants were exempt from the affective influence of previous targets, which may have been caused by activation of the autonomic nervous system and gender differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuecui Kan
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China; School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Haijun Duan
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
| | - Xitong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xuewei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenlong Xue
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Weiping Hu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Towards Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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14
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Espin L, Villada C, Hidalgo V, Salvador A. Effects of sex and menstrual cycle phase on cardiac response and alpha- amylase levels in psychosocial stress. Biol Psychol 2018; 140:141-148. [PMID: 30552951 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The impact of sex and the menstrual cycle phase on the autonomic response to psychosocial stress remains controversial. This study explored autonomic nervous system activity through salivary alpha-amylase, heart rate, and heart rate variability responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in healthy young people. The sample was composed of 25 men, 26 women in the luteal phase, and 25 women in the follicular phase, from 18 to 25 years of age. Participants were exposed to the TSST or a control condition. The results indicate that women in their follicular phase showed a blunted alpha-amylase response to stress compared to men and women in the luteal phase. In addition, men showed higher sympatho-vagal activity in the stress condition compared to the two groups of women. These results confirm that sex and the menstrual cycle phase are potential modulators of autonomic nervous system reactivity to psychosocial stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Espin
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
| | - Carolina Villada
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain; Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Neurobiology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Vanesa Hidalgo
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain; IIS Aragón, Department of Psychology and Sociology, Area of Psychobiology, University of Zaragoza, Teruel, Spain
| | - Alicia Salvador
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
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15
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Graham BM, Shin G. Estradiol moderates the relationship between state-trait anxiety and attentional bias to threat in women. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 93:82-89. [PMID: 29705576 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are characterized by impaired fear extinction and heightened attentional allocation to threatening stimuli. The sex hormones estradiol and progesterone modulate fear extinction in female rats and women; whether these hormones are similarly related to attentional biases to threat has not been examined. In the present study 74 women (53 cycling, 21 using hormonal contraception), and a comparison group of 30 men, completed standard assessments of state-trait anxiety, as well symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, followed by a computerized assessment of attentional bias, the dot-probe task. Women's endogenous estradiol and progesterone levels were ascertained by a blood sample. No differences in attentional bias were found dependent on sex or hormonal contraceptive use. Estradiol was the only variable measured that was independently positively correlated with attentional bias to threat. Regression analyses revealed a bi-directional relationship between state-trait anxiety, symptoms of anxiety and stress, and attentional bias that was moderated by estradiol, such that a positive relationship was observed amongst women with higher estradiol, and a negative relationship was observed amongst women with lower estradiol. Together, these results indicate that under conditions of anxiety and stress, women may attend to threat differently depending on endogenous estradiol levels, being avoidant when estradiol is lower, and vigilant when estradiol is higher. A more nuanced understanding of the role for attention in anxiety disorders amongst women may be developed by taking hormonal status into consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bronwyn M Graham
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Geena Shin
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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16
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Keogh E, Cheng F, Wang S. Exploring attentional biases towards facial expressions of pain in men and women. Eur J Pain 2018; 22:1617-1627. [DOI: 10.1002/ejp.1244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. Keogh
- Department of Psychology; University of Bath; UK
- Centre for Pain Research; University of Bath; UK
| | - F. Cheng
- Department of Psychology; University of Bath; UK
| | - S. Wang
- Department of Psychology; University of Bath; UK
- Centre for Pain Research; University of Bath; UK
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17
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Angelidis A, Hagenaars M, van Son D, van der Does W, Putman P. Do not look away! Spontaneous frontal EEG theta/beta ratio as a marker for cognitive control over attention to mild and high threat. Biol Psychol 2018. [PMID: 29518523 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low spontaneous EEG theta/beta ratio (TBR) is associated with greater executive control. Their role in regulation of attentional bias for stimuli of different threat-levels is unknown. OBJECTIVES To provide the first relations between frontal TBR, trait anxiety and attentional bias to mildly and highly threatening stimuli at different processing-stages. METHODS Seventy-four healthy volunteers completed spontaneous EEG measurement, a self-report trait anxiety questionnaire and a dot-probe task with stimuli of different threat-level and 200 and 500 ms cue-target delays. RESULTS Participants with high TBR directed attention towards mildly threatening and avoided highly threatening pictures. Moreover, the most resilient participants, (low TBR and low trait anxiety) showed attention towards highly threatening stimuli. There were no effects of delay. CONCLUSIONS These data confirm that executive control is crucial for the study of threat-related attentional bias and further support the notion that TBR is a marker of cognitive control over emotional information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelos Angelidis
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Muriel Hagenaars
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dana van Son
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Willem van der Does
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Putman
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
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18
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Luo Y, Fernández G, Hermans E, Vogel S, Zhang Y, Li H, Klumpers F. How acute stress may enhance subsequent memory for threat stimuli outside the focus of attention: DLPFC-amygdala decoupling. Neuroimage 2018; 171:311-322. [PMID: 29329979 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-related disorders, e.g., anxiety and depression, are characterized by decreased top-down control for distracting information, as well as a memory bias for threatening information. However, it is unclear how acute stress biases mnemonic encoding and leads to prioritized storage of threat-related information even if outside the focus of attention. In the current study, healthy adults (N = 53, all male) were randomly assigned to stress induction using the socially evaluated cold-pressor test (SECPT) or a control condition. Participants performed a task in which they were required to identify a target letter within a string of letters that were either identical to the target and thereby facilitating detection (low distractor load) or mixed with other letters to complicate the search (high load). Either a fearful or neutral face was presented on the background, outside the focus of attention. Twenty-four hours later, participants were asked to perform a surprise recognition memory test for those background faces. Stress induction resulted in increased cortisol and negative subjective mood ratings. Stress did not affect visual search performance, however, participants in the stress group showed stronger memory compared to the control group for fearful faces in the low attentional load condition. Critically, the stress induced memory bias was accompanied by decoupling between amygdala and DLFPC during encoding, which may represent a mechanism for decreased ability to filter task-irrelevant threatening background information. The current study provides a potential neural account for how stress can produce a negative memory bias for threatening information even if presented outside the focus of attention. Despite of an adaptive advantage for survival, such tendencies may ultimately also lead to generalized fear, a possibility requiring additional investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Luo
- Department of Psychology, School of Educational Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guizhou, PR China; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Guillén Fernández
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Erno Hermans
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne Vogel
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Psychology, School of Educational Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guizhou, PR China.
| | - Hong Li
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, PR China.
| | - Floris Klumpers
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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19
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Schultebraucks K, Deuter CE, Duesenberg M, Schulze L, Hellmann-Regen J, Domke A, Lockenvitz L, Kuehl LK, Otte C, Wingenfeld K. Selective attention to emotional cues and emotion recognition in healthy subjects: the role of mineralocorticoid receptor stimulation. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:3405-15. [PMID: 27422567 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4380-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Selective attention toward emotional cues and emotion recognition of facial expressions are important aspects of social cognition. Stress modulates social cognition through cortisol, which acts on glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) in the brain. OBJECTIVES We examined the role of MR activation on attentional bias toward emotional cues and on emotion recognition. METHODS We included 40 healthy young women and 40 healthy young men (mean age 23.9 ± 3.3), who either received 0.4 mg of the MR agonist fludrocortisone or placebo. A dot-probe paradigm was used to test for attentional biases toward emotional cues (happy and sad faces). Moreover, we used a facial emotion recognition task to investigate the ability to recognize emotional valence (anger and sadness) from facial expression in four graded categories of emotional intensity (20, 30, 40, and 80 %). RESULTS In the emotional dot-probe task, we found a main effect of treatment and a treatment × valence interaction. Post hoc analyses revealed an attentional bias away from sad faces after placebo intake and a shift in selective attention toward sad faces compared to placebo. We found no attentional bias toward happy faces after fludrocortisone or placebo intake. In the facial emotion recognition task, there was no main effect of treatment. CONCLUSIONS MR stimulation seems to be important in modulating quick, automatic emotional processing, i.e., a shift in selective attention toward negative emotional cues. Our results confirm and extend previous findings of MR function. However, we did not find an effect of MR stimulation on emotion recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Schultebraucks
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Christian E Deuter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Moritz Duesenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Schulze
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julian Hellmann-Regen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Antonia Domke
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lisa Lockenvitz
- Department of Psychology, Universität Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Linn K Kuehl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Otte
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katja Wingenfeld
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
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