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Ersöz S, Nissen A, Schütte R. Risk, Trust, and Emotion in Online Pharmacy Medication Purchases: Multimethod Approach Incorporating Customer Self-Reports, Facial Expressions, and Neural Activation. JMIR Form Res 2023; 7:e48850. [PMID: 38145483 PMCID: PMC10775049 DOI: 10.2196/48850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Online pharmacies are used less than other e-commerce sites in Germany. Shopping behavior does not correspond to consumption behavior, as online purchases are predominantly made for over-the-counter (OTC) medications. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to understand the purchasing experiences of online pharmacy customers in terms of critical factors for online pharmacy adoption. METHODS This study examined the perceived risk, perceived trust, and emotions related to purchasing medications online and, consequently, the purchase intention toward online pharmacies. In a within-subjects design (N=37 participants), 2 German online pharmacies with different perceptions of risk and trust were investigated for their main business, namely OTC and prescription drugs. The results of a preliminary study led to 1 online pharmacy with high and 1 with significantly low self-reported risk by the prestudy sample. Emotions were measured with a multimethod approach during and after the purchase situation as follows: (1) neural evaluation processes using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, (2) the automated direct motor response during the use of the online pharmacy via facial expression analysis (FaceReader), and (3) subjective evaluations through self-reports. Following the shopping experiences at both pharmacies for both product types, risk, trust, and purchase intention toward the pharmacies were assessed using self-assessments. RESULTS The 2 online pharmacies were rated differently in terms of risk, trust, emotions, and purchase intention. The high-risk pharmacy was also perceived as having lower trust and vice versa. Significantly stronger negative emotional expressions on customers' faces and different neural activations in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex were measured when purchasing prescription drugs from the high-risk pharmacy than from the low-risk pharmacy, combined with OTC medications. In line with this, customers' self-ratings indicated higher negative emotions for the high-risk pharmacy and lower negative emotions for the low-risk pharmacy. Moreover, the ratings showed lower purchase intention for the high-risk pharmacy. CONCLUSIONS Using multimethod measurements, we showed that the preceding neural activation and subsequent verbal evaluation of online pharmacies are reflected in the customers' immediate emotional facial expressions. High-risk online pharmacies and prescription drugs lead to stronger negative emotional facial expressions and trigger neural evaluation processes that imply perceived loss. Low-risk online pharmacies and OTC medications lead to weaker negative emotional facial expressions and trigger neural evaluation processes that signify certainty and perceived reward. The results may provide an explanation for why OTC medications are purchased online more frequently than prescription medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Semra Ersöz
- Institute for Marketing and Retail, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Anika Nissen
- Institute for Business Administration, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Hagen, Hagen, Germany
| | - Reinhard Schütte
- Institute for Computer Science and Business Information Systems, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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2
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Vaessen M, Van der Heijden K, de Gelder B. Modality-specific brain representations during automatic processing of face, voice and body expressions. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1132088. [PMID: 37869514 PMCID: PMC10587395 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1132088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
A central question in affective science and one that is relevant for its clinical applications is how emotions provided by different stimuli are experienced and represented in the brain. Following the traditional view emotional signals are recognized with the help of emotion concepts that are typically used in descriptions of mental states and emotional experiences, irrespective of the sensory modality. This perspective motivated the search for abstract representations of emotions in the brain, shared across variations in stimulus type (face, body, voice) and sensory origin (visual, auditory). On the other hand, emotion signals like for example an aggressive gesture, trigger rapid automatic behavioral responses and this may take place before or independently of full abstract representation of the emotion. This pleads in favor specific emotion signals that may trigger rapid adaptative behavior only by mobilizing modality and stimulus specific brain representations without relying on higher order abstract emotion categories. To test this hypothesis, we presented participants with naturalistic dynamic emotion expressions of the face, the whole body, or the voice in a functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) study. To focus on automatic emotion processing and sidestep explicit concept-based emotion recognition, participants performed an unrelated target detection task presented in a different sensory modality than the stimulus. By using multivariate analyses to assess neural activity patterns in response to the different stimulus types, we reveal a stimulus category and modality specific brain organization of affective signals. Our findings are consistent with the notion that under ecological conditions emotion expressions of the face, body and voice may have different functional roles in triggering rapid adaptive behavior, even if when viewed from an abstract conceptual vantage point, they may all exemplify the same emotion. This has implications for a neuroethologically grounded emotion research program that should start from detailed behavioral observations of how face, body, and voice expressions function in naturalistic contexts.
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3
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Neoh MJY, Bizzego A, Teng JH, Gabrieli G, Esposito G. Neural Processing of Sexist Comments: Associations between Perceptions of Sexism and Prefrontal Activity. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13040529. [PMID: 37190494 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13040529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexism is a widespread form of gender discrimination which includes remarks based on gender stereotypes. However, little is known about the neural basis underlying the experience of sexist-related comments and how perceptions of sexism are related to these neural processes. The present study investigated whether perceptions of sexism influence neural processing of receiving sexist-related comments. Participants (N = 67) read experimental vignettes describing scenarios of comments involving gender stereotypes while near-infrared spectroscopy recordings were made to measure the hemodynamic changes in the prefrontal cortex. Results found a significant correlation between participants' perceptions of sexism and brain activation in a brain cluster including the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus. There was a significant gender difference where female participants showed a stronger negative correlation compared to male participants. Future research can expand on these initial findings by looking at subcortical structures involved in emotional processing and gender stereotype application as well as examining cultural differences in perceptions of gender stereotypes and sexism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Jin Yee Neoh
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639818, Singapore
| | - Andrea Bizzego
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Jia Hui Teng
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639818, Singapore
| | - Giulio Gabrieli
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639818, Singapore
- Neuroscience and Behaviour Laboratory, Italian Institute of Technology, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
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Engelen T, Buot A, Grèzes J, Tallon-Baudry C. Whose emotion is it? Perspective matters to understand brain-body interactions in emotions. Neuroimage 2023; 268:119867. [PMID: 36610678 PMCID: PMC9926012 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Feeling happy, or judging whether someone else is feeling happy are two distinct facets of emotions that nevertheless rely on similar physiological and neural activity. Differentiating between these two states, also called Self/Other distinction, is an essential aspect of empathy, but how exactly is it implemented? In non-emotional cognition, the transient neural response evoked at each heartbeat, or heartbeat evoked response (HER), indexes the self and signals Self/Other distinction. Here, using electroencephalography (n = 32), we probe whether HERs' role in Self/Other distinction extends also to emotion - a domain where brain-body interactions are particularly relevant. We asked participants to rate independently validated affective scenes, reporting either their own emotion (Self) or the emotion expressed by people in the scene (Other). During the visual cue indicating to adopt the Self or Other perspective, before the affective scene, HERs distinguished between the two conditions, in visual cortices as well as in the right frontal operculum. Physiological reactivity (facial electromyogram, skin conductance, heart rate) during affective scene co-varied as expected with valence and arousal ratings, but also with the Self- or Other- perspective adopted. Finally, HERs contributed to the subjective experience of valence in the Self condition, in addition to and independently from physiological reactivity. We thus show that HERs represent a trans-domain marker of Self/Other distinction, here specifically contributing to experienced valence. We propose that HERs represent a form of evidence related to the 'I' part of the judgement 'To which extent do I feel happy'. The 'I' related evidence would be combined with the affective evidence collected during affective scene presentation, accounting at least partly for the difference between feeling an emotion and identifying it in someone else.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahnée Engelen
- Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory (LNC2), Inserm U960, Department of Cognitive Studies, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, 29 rue d'Ulm, Paris 75005, France.
| | - Anne Buot
- Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory (LNC2), Inserm U960, Department of Cognitive Studies, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, 29 rue d'Ulm, Paris 75005, France
| | - Julie Grèzes
- Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory (LNC2), Inserm U960, Department of Cognitive Studies, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, 29 rue d'Ulm, Paris 75005, France
| | - Catherine Tallon-Baudry
- Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory (LNC2), Inserm U960, Department of Cognitive Studies, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, 29 rue d'Ulm, Paris 75005, France.
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5
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Odor Pleasantness Modulates Functional Connectivity in the Olfactory Hedonic Processing Network. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12101408. [PMID: 36291341 PMCID: PMC9599424 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12101408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfactory hedonic evaluation is the primary dimension of olfactory perception and thus central to our sense of smell. It involves complex interactions between brain regions associated with sensory, affective and reward processing. Despite a recent increase in interest, several aspects of olfactory hedonic evaluation remain ambiguous: uncertainty surrounds the communication between, and interaction among, brain areas during hedonic evaluation of olfactory stimuli with different levels of pleasantness, as well as the corresponding supporting oscillatory mechanisms. In our study we investigated changes in functional interactions among brain areas in response to odor stimuli using electroencephalography (EEG). To this goal, functional connectivity networks were estimated based on phase synchronization between EEG signals using the weighted phase lag index (wPLI). Graph theoretic metrics were subsequently used to quantify the resulting changes in functional connectivity of relevant brain regions involved in olfactory hedonic evaluation. Our results indicate that odor stimuli of different hedonic values evoke significantly different interaction patterns among brain regions within the olfactory cortex, as well as in the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortices. Furthermore, significant hemispheric laterality effects have been observed in the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, specifically in the beta ((13–30) Hz) and gamma ((30–40) Hz) frequency bands.
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Argaman Y, Granovsky Y, Sprecher E, Sinai A, Yarnitsky D, Weissman-Fogel I. Resting-state functional connectivity predicts motor cortex stimulation-dependent pain relief in fibromyalgia syndrome patients. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17135. [PMID: 36224244 PMCID: PMC9556524 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21557-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
MRI-based resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) has been shown to predict response to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for chronic pain, but not yet for motor cortex transcranial magnetic stimulation (M1-rTMS). Twenty-seven fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients participated in this double-blind, crossover, and sham-controlled study. Ten daily treatments of 10 Hz M1-rTMS were given over 2 weeks. Before treatment series, patients underwent resting-state fMRI and clinical pain evaluation. Significant pain reduction occurred following active, but not sham, M1-rTMS. The following rsFC patterns predicted reductions in clinical pain intensity after the active treatment: weaker rsFC of the default-mode network with the middle frontal gyrus (r = 0.76, p < 0.001), the executive control network with the rostro-medial prefrontal cortex (r = 0.80, p < 0.001), the thalamus with the middle frontal gyrus (r = 0.82, p < 0.001), and the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex with the inferior parietal lobule (r = 0.79, p < 0.001); and stronger rsFC of the anterior insula with the angular gyrus (r = - 0.81, p < 0.001). The above regions process the attentional and emotional aspects of pain intensity; serve as components of the resting-state networks; are modulated by rTMS; and are altered in FMS. Therefore, we suggest that in FMS, the weaker pre-existing interplay between pain-related brain regions and networks, the larger the pain relief resulting from M1-rTMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Argaman
- grid.6451.60000000121102151Clinical Neurophysiology Lab, Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yelena Granovsky
- grid.6451.60000000121102151Clinical Neurophysiology Lab, Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel ,grid.413731.30000 0000 9950 8111Department of Neurology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | - Elliot Sprecher
- grid.413731.30000 0000 9950 8111Department of Neurology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | - Alon Sinai
- grid.413731.30000 0000 9950 8111Department of Neurosurgery, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | - David Yarnitsky
- grid.6451.60000000121102151Clinical Neurophysiology Lab, Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel ,grid.413731.30000 0000 9950 8111Department of Neurology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | - Irit Weissman-Fogel
- grid.18098.380000 0004 1937 0562Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Guimond S, Ling G, Drodge J, Matheson H, Wojtalik JA, Lopez B, Collin G, Brady R, Mesholam-Gately RI, Thermenos H, Eack SM, Keshavan MS. Functional connectivity associated with improvement in emotion management after cognitive enhancement therapy in early-course schizophrenia. Psychol Med 2022; 52:2245-2254. [PMID: 33183362 PMCID: PMC10763577 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291720004110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to manage emotions is an important social-cognitive domain impaired in schizophrenia and linked to functional outcome. The goal of our study was to examine the impact of cognitive enhancement therapy (CET) on the ability to manage emotions and brain functional connectivity in early-course schizophrenia. METHODS Participants were randomly assigned to CET (n = 55) or an enriched supportive therapy (EST) control group (n = 45). The resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans and measures of emotion management performances were collected at baseline, 9, and 18 months follow-up. The final sample consisted of 37 CET and 25 EST participants, including 19 CET and 12 EST participants with imaging data. Linear mixed-effects models investigated the impact of treatment on emotion management and functional connectivity from the amygdala to ventrolateral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). RESULTS The CET group showed significant improvement over time in emotion management compared to EST. Neither functional connectivity changes nor main group differences were observed following treatment. However, a significant between-group interaction showed that improved emotion management ability was associated with increased functional connectivity between the left amygdala and the left dlPFC in the CET group exclusively. CONCLUSION Our results replicate the previous work demonstrating that CET is effective at improving some aspects of social cognition in schizophrenia. We found evidence that improvement in emotion management may be associated with a change in amygdala-dlPFC connectivity. This fronto-limbic circuit may provide a mechanistic link between the biology of emotion management processes that can be enhanced in individuals with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Synthia Guimond
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center Division of Public Psychiatry, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1Z 7K4, Canada
- Department of Psychoeducation and Psychology, University of Québec in Outaouais, Gatineau, QC, J8X 3X7, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - George Ling
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center Division of Public Psychiatry, MA, 02115, USA
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Jessica Drodge
- Department of Psychiatry, The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1Z 7K4, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Hannah Matheson
- Department of Psychiatry, The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1Z 7K4, Canada
| | - Jessica A. Wojtalik
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Betzamel Lopez
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center Division of Public Psychiatry, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Guusje Collin
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center Division of Public Psychiatry, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, 3584 XC Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Roscoe Brady
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center Division of Public Psychiatry, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Raquelle I. Mesholam-Gately
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center Division of Public Psychiatry, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Heidi Thermenos
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center Division of Public Psychiatry, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Shaun M. Eack
- School of Social Work and Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Matcheri S. Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center Division of Public Psychiatry, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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Zamani A, Carhart-Harris R, Christoff K. Prefrontal contributions to the stability and variability of thought and conscious experience. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:329-348. [PMID: 34545195 PMCID: PMC8616944 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01147-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The human prefrontal cortex is a structurally and functionally heterogenous brain region, including multiple subregions that have been linked to different large-scale brain networks. It contributes to a broad range of mental phenomena, from goal-directed thought and executive functions to mind-wandering and psychedelic experience. Here we review what is known about the functions of different prefrontal subregions and their affiliations with large-scale brain networks to examine how they may differentially contribute to the diversity of mental phenomena associated with prefrontal function. An important dimension that distinguishes across different kinds of conscious experience is the stability or variability of mental states across time. This dimension is a central feature of two recently introduced theoretical frameworks-the dynamic framework of thought (DFT) and the relaxed beliefs under psychedelics (REBUS) model-that treat neurocognitive dynamics as central to understanding and distinguishing between different mental phenomena. Here, we bring these two frameworks together to provide a synthesis of how prefrontal subregions may differentially contribute to the stability and variability of thought and conscious experience. We close by considering future directions for this work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre Zamani
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Robin Carhart-Harris
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Kalina Christoff
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Li E, Xiao F, Zou T, Guo J. Positive emotion of self-referential contexts could facilitate adult's novel word learning: An fNIRS study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 221:104994. [PMID: 34303109 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.104994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Learning words through contextual inference is a key way to enlarge one's vocabulary especially for adults. However, few studies focused on the effects of different information contained in contexts on novel word learning. The present study used behavioral and fNIRS techniques to investigate the influences of positive, neutral and negative emotions inherent in self-related or other-related referential contexts. Participants were asked to perform a semantic consistency and a source judgment task after learning the relations between novel words and concepts in different contexts. The results showed that self-reference during lexical encoding could promote word learning generally. More importantly, there existed a self-positivity bias which is manifested in the significant interactions between contextual emotions and referential value. These interactions are related to the neural activities of the DLPFC and IFG. These results revealed the contextual information's integrative contributions to semantic meaning acquisition and episodic source memory related with novel word learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enhui Li
- Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, PR China
| | - Feng Xiao
- Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, PR China
| | - Tiantian Zou
- Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, PR China
| | - Jingjing Guo
- Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, PR China.
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Feng C, Gu R, Li T, Wang L, Zhang Z, Luo W, Eickhoff SB. Separate neural networks of implicit emotional processing between pictures and words: A coordinate-based meta-analysis of brain imaging studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:331-344. [PMID: 34562542 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Both pictures and words are frequently employed as experimental stimuli to investigate the neurocognitive mechanisms of emotional processing. However, it remains unclear whether emotional picture processing and emotional word processing share neural underpinnings. To address this issue, we focus on neuroimaging studies examining the implicit processing of affective words and pictures, which require participants to meet cognitive task demands under the implicit influence of emotional pictorial or verbal stimuli. A coordinate-based activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis was conducted on these studies, which revealed no common activation maximum between the picture and word conditions. Specifically, implicit negative picture processing (35 experiments, 393 foci, and 932 subjects) engages the bilateral amygdala, left hippocampus, fusiform gyri, and right insula, which are mainly located in the subcortical network and visual network associated with bottom-up emotional responses. In contrast, implicit negative word processing (34 experiments, 316 foci, and 799 subjects) engages the default mode network and fronto-parietal network including the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, indicating the involvement of top-down semantic processing and emotion regulation. Our findings indicate that affective pictures (that intrinsically have an affective valence) and affective words (that inherit the affective valence from their object) modulate implicit emotional processing in different ways, and therefore recruit distinct brain systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunliang Feng
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Ruolei Gu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Ting Li
- Institute of Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhixing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenbo Luo
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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11
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Madeira N, Martins R, Valente Duarte J, Costa G, Macedo A, Castelo-Branco M. A fundamental distinction in early neural processing of implicit social interpretation in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 32:102836. [PMID: 34619651 PMCID: PMC8498462 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social cognition impairment is a key phenomenon in serious mental disorders such as schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BPD). Although genetic and neurobiological studies have suggested common neural correlates, here we hypothesized that a fundamental dissociation of social processing occurs at an early level in these conditions. METHODS Based on the hypothesis that key structures in the social brain, namely the temporoparietal junction, should present distinctive features in SCZ and BPD during low-level social judgment, we conducted a case-control study in SCZ (n = 20) and BPD (n = 20) patients and controls (n = 20), using task-based fMRI during a Theory of Mind (ToM) visual paradigm leading to interpretation of social meaning based on simple geometric figures. RESULTS We found opposite neural responses in two core ToM regions: SCZ patients showed social content-related deactivation (relative to controls and BPD) of the right supramarginal gyrus, while the opposite pattern was found in BPD; reverse patterns, relative to controls and SCZ, were found in the left posterior superior temporal gyrus, a region involved in inferring other's intentions. Receiver-operating-characteristic curve analysis showed 88% accuracy in discriminating the two clinical groups based on these neural responses. CONCLUSIONS These contrasting activation patterns of the temporoparietal junction in SCZ and BPD represent mechanistic differences of social cognitive dysfunction that may be explored as biomarkers or therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Madeira
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Portugal; University of Coimbra, Faculty of Medicine (FMUC) - Institute of Psychological Medicine, Portugal; Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC) - Department of Psychiatry, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Martins
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Portugal; University of Coimbra, Faculty of Medicine (FMUC), Portugal
| | - João Valente Duarte
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Portugal; University of Coimbra, Faculty of Medicine (FMUC) - Institute of Psychological Medicine, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Faculty of Medicine (FMUC), Portugal
| | - Gabriel Costa
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Portugal; University of Coimbra, Faculty of Medicine (FMUC), Portugal
| | - António Macedo
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Portugal; University of Coimbra, Faculty of Medicine (FMUC) - Institute of Psychological Medicine, Portugal; Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC) - Department of Psychiatry, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Portugal; University of Coimbra, Faculty of Medicine (FMUC) - Institute of Psychological Medicine, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Faculty of Medicine (FMUC), Portugal
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12
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Abstract
Initial evaluation structures (IESs) currently proposed as the earliest detectors of affective stimuli (e.g., amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, or insula) are high-order structures (a) whose response latency cannot account for the first visual cortex emotion-related response (~80 ms), and (b) lack the necessary infrastructure to locally analyze the visual features that define emotional stimuli. Several thalamic structures accomplish both criteria. The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), a first-order thalamic nucleus that actively processes visual information, with the complement of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) are proposed as core IESs. This LGN–TRN tandem could be supported by the pulvinar, a second-order thalamic structure, and by other extrathalamic nuclei. The visual thalamus, scarcely explored in affective neurosciences, seems crucial in early emotional evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Carretié
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
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13
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Yin S, Bo K, Liu Y, Thigpen N, Keil A, Ding M. Fear conditioning prompts sparser representations of conditioned threat in primary visual cortex. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 15:950-964. [PMID: 32901822 PMCID: PMC7647380 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Repeated exposure to threatening stimuli alters sensory responses. We investigated the underlying neural mechanism by re-analyzing previously published simultaneous electroencephalogram-functional magnetic resonance imaging (EEG-fMRI) data from humans viewing oriented gratings during Pavlovian fear conditioning. In acquisition, one grating (CS+) was paired with a noxious noise, the unconditioned stimulus (US). The other grating (CS-) was never paired with the US. In habituation, which preceded acquisition, and in extinction, the same two gratings were presented without US. Using fMRI multivoxel patterns in primary visual cortex during habituation as reference, we found that during acquisition, aversive learning selectively prompted systematic changes in multivoxel patterns evoked by CS+. Specifically, CS+ evoked voxel patterns in V1 became sparser as aversive learning progressed, and the sparsified pattern appeared to be preserved in extinction. Concomitant with the voxel pattern changes, occipital alpha oscillations were increasingly more desynchronized during CS+ (but not CS-) trials. Across acquisition trials, the rate of change in CS+-related alpha desynchronization was correlated with the rate of change in multivoxel pattern representations of CS+. Furthermore, alpha oscillations co-varied with blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) data in the ventral attention network, but not with BOLD in the amygdala. Thus, fear conditioning prompts persistent sparsification of voxel patterns evoked by threat, likely mediated by attention-related mechanisms
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyang Yin
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Ke Bo
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Yuelu Liu
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA 95618, USA
| | - Nina Thigpen
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Andreas Keil
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Mingzhou Ding
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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14
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Stephenson LJ, Edwards SG, Bayliss AP. From Gaze Perception to Social Cognition: The Shared-Attention System. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021; 16:553-576. [PMID: 33567223 PMCID: PMC8114330 DOI: 10.1177/1745691620953773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
When two people look at the same object in the environment and are aware of each other's attentional state, they find themselves in a shared-attention episode. This can occur through intentional or incidental signaling and, in either case, causes an exchange of information between the two parties about the environment and each other's mental states. In this article, we give an overview of what is known about the building blocks of shared attention (gaze perception and joint attention) and focus on bringing to bear new findings on the initiation of shared attention that complement knowledge about gaze following and incorporate new insights from research into the sense of agency. We also present a neurocognitive model, incorporating first-, second-, and third-order social cognitive processes (the shared-attention system, or SAS), building on previous models and approaches. The SAS model aims to encompass perceptual, cognitive, and affective processes that contribute to and follow on from the establishment of shared attention. These processes include fundamental components of social cognition such as reward, affective evaluation, agency, empathy, and theory of mind.
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15
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Yankouskaya A, Sui J. Self-Positivity or Self-Negativity as a Function of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11020264. [PMID: 33669682 PMCID: PMC7922957 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11020264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Self and emotions are key motivational factors of a person strivings for health and well-being. Understanding neural mechanisms supporting the relationship between these factors bear far-reaching implications for mental health disorders. Recent work indicates a substantial overlap between self-relevant and emotion information processing and has proposed the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) as one shared neural signature. However, the precise cognitive and neural mechanisms represented by the MPFC in investigations of self- and emotion-related processing are largely unknown. Here we examined whether the neural underpinnings of self-related processing in the MPFC link to positive or negative emotions. We collected fMRI data to test the distinct and shared neural circuits of self- and emotion-related processing while participants performed personal (self, friend, or stranger) and emotion (happy, sad, or neutral) associative matching tasks. By exploiting tight control over the factors that determine the effects of self-relevance and emotions (positive: Happy vs. neutral; negative: Sad vs. neutral), our univariate analysis revealed that the ventral part of the MPFC (vmPFC), which has established involvement in self-prioritisation effects, was not recruited in the negative emotion prioritisation effect. In contrast, there were no differences in brain activity between the effects of positive emotion- and self-prioritisation. These results were replicated by both region of interest (ROI)-based analysis in the vmPFC and the seed- to voxel functional connectivity analysis between the MPFC and the rest of the brain. The results suggest that the prioritisation effects for self and positive emotions are tightly linked together, and the MPFC plays a large role in discriminating between positive and negative emotions in relation to self-relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla Yankouskaya
- Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Jie Sui
- The School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK;
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16
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Ouerchefani R, Ouerchefani N, Kammoun B, Ben Rejeb MR, Le Gall D. A Voxel-based lesion study on facial emotion recognition after circumscribed prefrontal cortex damage. J Neuropsychol 2021; 15:533-563. [PMID: 33595204 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown inconsistent findings regarding the contribution of the different prefrontal regions in emotion recognition. Moreover, the hemispheric lateralization hypothesis posits that the right hemisphere is dominant for processing all emotions regardless of affective valence, whereas the valence specificity hypothesis posits that the left hemisphere is specialized for processing positive emotions while the right hemisphere is specialized for negative emotions. However, recent findings suggest that the evidence for such lateralization has been less consistent. In this study, we investigated emotion recognition of fear, surprise, happiness, sadness, disgust, and anger in 30 patients with focal prefrontal cortex lesions and 30 control subjects. We also examined the impact of lesion laterality on recognition of the six basic emotions. The results showed that compared to control subjects, the frontal subgroups were impaired in recognition of three negative basic emotions of fear, sadness, and anger - regardless of the lesion laterality. Therefore, our findings did not establish that each hemisphere is specialized for processing specific emotions. Moreover, the voxel-based lesion symptom mapping analysis showed that recognition of fear, sadness, and anger draws on a partially common bilaterally distributed prefrontal network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riadh Ouerchefani
- High Institute of Human Sciences, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunisia.,Laboratory of Psychology of Pays de la Loire (EA 4638), University of Angers, France
| | | | - Brahim Kammoun
- Department of Neurosurgery, Habib Bourguiba Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia.,Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia
| | | | - Didier Le Gall
- Laboratory of Psychology of Pays de la Loire (EA 4638), University of Angers, France
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17
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Modality-general and modality-specific audiovisual valence processing. Cortex 2021; 138:127-137. [PMID: 33684626 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
A fundamental question in affective neuroscience is whether there is a common hedonic system for valence processing independent of modality, or there are distinct neural systems for different modalities. To address this question, we used both region of interest and whole-brain representational similarity analyses on functional magnetic resonance imaging data to identify modality-general and modality-specific brain areas involved in valence processing across visual and auditory modalities. First, region of interest analyses showed that the superior temporal cortex was associated with both modality-general and auditory-specific models, while the primary visual cortex was associated with the visual-specific model. Second, the whole-brain searchlight analyses also identified both modality-general and modality-specific representations. The modality-general regions included the superior temporal, medial superior frontal, inferior frontal, precuneus, precentral, postcentral, supramarginal, paracentral lobule and middle cingulate cortices. The modality-specific regions included both perceptual cortices and higher-order brain areas. The valence representations derived from individualized behavioral valence ratings were consistent with these results. Together, these findings suggest both modality-general and modality-specific representations of valence.
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18
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Neural correlates of sex-related differences in attachment dimensions. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 21:191-211. [PMID: 33560494 PMCID: PMC7994245 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00859-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate sex-related differences in the electrophysiological response to socioemotional stimuli (positive, negative, and ambiguous) depicting couple interactions. The associations between anxiety and avoidance attachment dimensions (measured with the Experiences in Close Relationships–Revised questionnaire) and the strength of cortico-limbic circuit intensity was explored, recorded using a 256-Hydrocel Geodesic Sensor-Net. Event-related potentials (ERPs) and standardized low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) data were analyzed for a total sample of 74 participants. Regression analyses showed that the women presented increased brain intensity compared with that in men, and the avoidance score was positively associated with brain intensity, particularly in response to negative socioemotional stimuli. The interaction sex per avoidance was a significant predictor of intensity in many brain areas, with women displaying significantly more pronounced positive associations between avoidance and brain intensity than men. In conclusion, the findings of the present study showed that women appeared to be more emotionally involved during the socioemotional task. Avoidance was positively associated with intensity of the cingulate and prefrontal regions, and these associations were more pronounced in women than in men. These findings suggested that avoidance seems to represent two different socioemotional strategies, in which women appear to activate an avoidant strategy to modulate increased emotional involvement in relationships, whereas men appear to adopt avoidance with a more intense emotional suppression.
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19
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Stoica T, Depue B. Shared Characteristics of Intrinsic Connectivity Networks Underlying Interoceptive Awareness and Empathy. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:571070. [PMID: 33364926 PMCID: PMC7751325 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.571070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Awareness of internal bodily sensations (interoceptive awareness; IA) and its connection to complex socioemotional abilities like empathy has been postulated, yet the functional neural circuitry they share remains poorly understood. The present fMRI study employs independent component analysis (ICA) to investigate which empathy facet (Cognitive or Affective) shares resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and/or BOLD variability (rsBOLD) with IA. Healthy participants viewed an abstract nonsocial movie demonstrated to evoke strong rsFC in brain networks resembling rest (InScapes), and resultant rsFC and rsBOLD data were correlated with self-reported empathy and IA questionnaires. We demonstrate a bidirectional behavioral and neurobiological relationship between empathy and IA, depending on the type of empathy interrogated: Affective empathy and IA share both rsFC and rsBOLD, while Cognitive empathy and IA only share rsBOLD. Specifically, increased rsFC in the right inferior frontal operculum (rIFO) of a larger attention network was associated with increased vicarious experience but decreased awareness of inner body sensations. Furthermore, increased rsBOLD between brain regions of an interoceptive network was related to increased sensitivity to internal sensations along with decreased Affective empathy. Finally, increased rsBOLD between brain regions subserving a mentalizing network related to not only an improved ability to take someone's perspective, but also a better sense of mind-body interconnectedness. Overall, these findings suggest that the awareness of one's own internal body changes (IA) is related to the socioemotional ability of feeling and understanding another's emotional state (empathy) and critically, that this relationship is reflected in the brain's resting state neuroarchitecture. Methodologically, this work highlights the importance of utilizing rsBOLD as a complementary window alongside rsFC to better understand neurological phenomena. Our results may be beneficial in aiding diagnosis in clinical populations such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), where participants may be unable to complete tasks or questionnaires due to the severity of their symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodora Stoica
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Brendan Depue
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
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20
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Lee S, Kim J, Tak S. Effects of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response on the Functional Connectivity as Measured by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:154. [PMID: 33192358 PMCID: PMC7481390 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a sensory phenomenon in which audio-visual stimuli evoke a tingling sensation and is accompanied by a feeling of calm and relaxation. Therefore, there has been an increasing interest in using stimuli that elicit ASMR in cognitive and clinical neuroscience studies. However, neurophysiological basis of sensory-emotional experiences evoked by ASMR remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated how functional connectivity is changed while watching ASMR video, compared to resting state, and assessed its potential association with affective state induced by ASMR. 28 subjects participated in fMRI experiment consisting of 2 sessions (resting-state and task of viewing ASMR-eliciting video). Using a seed-based correlation analysis, we found that functional connections between the posterior cingulate cortex, and superior/middle temporal gyri, cuneus, and lingual gyrus were significantly increased during ASMR compared to resting state. In addition, we found that with the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex seed region, functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex was increased during ASMR condition, relative to resting state. These results imply that ASMR can be elicited and maintained by ongoing interaction between regional activity that are mainly involved in the mentalizing and self-referential processing. We also found that ASMR-induced affective state changes (high activation negative and high activation positive state) were negatively correlated with functional connectivity involved in visual information processing, suggesting that visual information processing in response to high arousal states can be weakened by ASMR-eliciting stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seonjin Lee
- Research Center for Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju, South Korea.,Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Jooyeon Kim
- Center for Research Equipment, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju, South Korea
| | - Sungho Tak
- Research Center for Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju, South Korea.,Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, South Korea
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21
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Neoh MJY, Azhari A, Mulatti C, Bornstein MH, Esposito G. Disapproval from romantic partners, friends and parents: Source of criticism regulates prefrontal cortex activity. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229316. [PMID: 33006966 PMCID: PMC7531840 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of criticism in everyday social situations, and its empirically demonstrated association with psychopathology, highlight the importance of understanding neural mechanisms underlying the perception and response of individuals to criticism. However, neuroimaging studies to date have been limited largely to maternal criticism. The present study aims to investigate neural responses to observing criticism occurring in the context of three different relationship types: romantic partners, friends, and parents-from a third-party perspective. 49 participants were recruited and asked to rate the perceived criticism for these relationships. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used to measure changes in oxygenated haemoglobin levels in the prefrontal cortex when participants read vignettes describing three different scenarios of criticism. Participants were randomly assigned to 3 groups where the given description of the relationship of the protagonist to the source of criticism for each vignette was randomised. A significant interaction between relationship type and perceived criticism ratings for mothers was found in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Compared to low perceived criticism, high perceived criticism individuals showed increased activation reading vignettes describing criticism from romantic partners and parents but decreased activation for those from friends. Findings contribute to understanding neural responses to criticism as observed from a third-party perspective. Future studies can look into differentiating neural responses of personalised experiences of criticism and third-party observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Jin-Yee Neoh
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Atiqah Azhari
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Claudio Mulatti
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Marc H. Bornstein
- Child and Family Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, Untied States of America
- Institute for Fiscal Studies, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
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22
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Rakesh D, Allen NB, Whittle S. Balancing act: Neural correlates of affect dysregulation in youth depression and substance use - A systematic review of functional neuroimaging studies. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 42:100775. [PMID: 32452461 PMCID: PMC7139159 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Both depression and substance use problems have their highest incidence during youth (i.e., adolescence and emerging adulthood), and are characterized by emotion regulation deficits. Influential neurodevelopmental theories suggest that alterations in the function of limbic and frontal regions render youth susceptible to these deficits. However, whether depression and substance use in youth are associated with similar alterations in emotion regulation neural circuitry is unknown. In this systematic review we synthesized the results of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies investigating the neural correlates of emotion regulation in youth depression and substance use. Resting-state fMRI studies focusing on limbic connectivity were also reviewed. While findings were largely inconsistent within and between studies of depression and substance use, some patterns emerged. First, youth depression appears to be associated with exaggerated amygdala activity in response to negative stimuli; second, both depression and substance use appear to be associated with lower functional connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex during rest. Findings are discussed in relation to support for existing neurodevelopmental models, and avenues for future work are suggested, including studying neurodevelopmental trajectories from a network perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divyangana Rakesh
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicholas B Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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23
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Fields EC, Weber K, Stillerman B, Delaney-Busch N, Kuperberg GR. Functional MRI reveals evidence of a self-positivity bias in the medial prefrontal cortex during the comprehension of social vignettes. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 14:613-621. [PMID: 31087068 PMCID: PMC6688454 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A large literature in social neuroscience has associated the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) with the processing of self-related information. However, only recently have social neuroscience studies begun to consider the large behavioral literature showing a strong self-positivity bias, and these studies have mostly focused on its correlates during self-related judgments and decision-making. We carried out a functional MRI (fMRI) study to ask whether the mPFC would show effects of the self-positivity bias in a paradigm that probed participants’ self-concept without any requirement of explicit self-judgment. We presented social vignettes that were either self-relevant or non-self-relevant with a neutral, positive or negative outcome described in the second sentence. In previous work using event-related potentials, this paradigm has shown evidence of a self-positivity bias that influences early stages of semantically processing incoming stimuli. In the present fMRI study, we found evidence for this bias within the mPFC: an interaction between self-relevance and valence, with only positive scenarios showing a self vs other effect within the mPFC. We suggest that the mPFC may play a role in maintaining a positively biased self-concept and discuss the implications of these findings for the social neuroscience of the self and the role of the mPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric C Fields
- Department of Psychiatry and Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.,Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.,Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Kirsten Weber
- Department of Psychiatry and Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Benjamin Stillerman
- Department of Psychiatry and Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | | | - Gina R Kuperberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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24
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Vucurovic K, Caillies S, Kaladjian A. Neural correlates of theory of mind and empathy in schizophrenia: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. J Psychiatr Res 2020; 120:163-174. [PMID: 31689587 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Social cognition impairment predicts social functioning in schizophrenia. Several studies have found abnormal brain activation in patients with schizophrenia during social cognition tasks. Nevertheless, no coordinate-based meta-analysis comparing the neural correlates of theory of mind and empathy had been done in this population. Our aim was to explore neural correlates related to theory of mind and empathy in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls, in order to identify abnormal brain activation related to emotional content during mental state attribution in schizophrenia. We performed a neural-coordinate-based Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of existing neuroimaging data in the literature to distinguish between abnormal brain maps associated with emotional attribution and those associated with intention/belief inference. We found that brain activation in patients group was significantly decreased in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) during emotional attribution, while there was a significant decrease in the left posterior temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) during intention/belief attribution. Using a meta-analytic connectivity modeling approach (MACM), we demonstrated that both regions are coactivated with other brain regions known to play a role in social cognition, including the bilateral anterior insula, right TPJ, left amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In addition, abnormal activation in both the left TPJ and right VLPFC was previously reported in association with verbal-auditory hallucinations and a "jumping to conclusions" cognitive bias. Thus, these regions could be valuable targets for therapeutic interventions in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksenija Vucurovic
- Laboratoire C2S (Cognition, Santé, Société), University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, EA 6291, France.
| | - Stéphanie Caillies
- Laboratoire C2S (Cognition, Santé, Société), University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, EA 6291, France
| | - Arthur Kaladjian
- Laboratoire C2S (Cognition, Santé, Société), University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, EA 6291, France; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Reims, France
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25
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Mayseless N, Hawthorne G, Reiss AL. Real-life creative problem solving in teams: fNIRS based hyperscanning study. Neuroimage 2019; 203:116161. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
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26
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The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is particularly responsive to social evaluations requiring the use of person-knowledge. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5054. [PMID: 30911111 PMCID: PMC6434022 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41544-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans can rely on diverse sources of information to evaluate others, including knowledge (e.g., occupation, likes and dislikes, education, etc.) and perceptual cues (e.g., attractiveness, race, etc.). Previous research has identified brain regions supporting person evaluations, but are evaluations based on perceptual cues versus person-knowledge processed differently? Moreover, are neural responses consistent when person-knowledge is available but unnecessary for the evaluation? This fMRI study examined how the use and availability of person-knowledge shapes the neural underpinnings of social evaluations. Participants evaluated well-known actors based on attractiveness or body of work (i.e., person-knowledge) and unknown models based on attractiveness only. Analyses focused on the VMPFC, following research implicating this region in positive evaluations based on person-knowledge. The VMPFC was sensitive to the (1) availability of person-knowledge, showing greater responses as ratings became more positive for actors (but not models) regardless of rating dimension and (2) use of available person-knowledge, showing greater activity as ratings for likability based on body of work became more positive for actors versus models rated on attractiveness. These findings indicate that although brain regions supporting person evaluation are sensitive to the availability to person-knowledge, they are even more responsive when judgments require the use of available person-knowledge.
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Burkhardt A, Buff C, Brinkmann L, Feldker K, Gathmann B, Hofmann D, Straube T. Brain activation during disorder-related script-driven imagery in panic disorder: a pilot study. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2415. [PMID: 30787382 PMCID: PMC6382839 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38990-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite considerable effort, the neural correlates of altered threat-related processing in panic disorder (PD) remain inconclusive. Mental imagery of disorder-specific situations proved to be a powerful tool to investigate dysfunctional threat processing in anxiety disorders. The current functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study aimed at investigating brain activation in PD patients during disorder-related script-driven imagery. Seventeen PD patients and seventeen healthy controls (HC) were exposed to newly developed disorder-related and neutral narrative scripts while brain activation was measured with fMRI. Participants were encouraged to imagine the narrative scripts as vividly as possible and they rated their script-induced emotional states after the scanning session. PD patients rated disorder-related scripts as more arousing, unpleasant and anxiety-inducing as compared to HC. Patients relative to HC showed elevated activity in the right amygdala and the brainstem as well as decreased activity in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, and the medial and lateral prefrontal cortex to disorder-related vs. neutral scripts. The results suggest altered amygdala/ brainstem and prefrontal cortex engagement and point towards the recruitment of brain networks with opposed activation patterns in PD patients during script-driven imagery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Burkhardt
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Muenster, Germany.
| | - Christine Buff
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Leonie Brinkmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Katharina Feldker
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Bettina Gathmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - David Hofmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Thomas Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Muenster, Germany
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Smith R, Killgore WD, Alkozei A, Lane RD. A neuro-cognitive process model of emotional intelligence. Biol Psychol 2018; 139:131-151. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Labek K, Berger S, Buchheim A, Bosch J, Spohrs J, Dommes L, Beschoner P, Stingl JC, Viviani R. The iconography of mourning and its neural correlates: a functional neuroimaging study. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 12:1303-1313. [PMID: 28449116 PMCID: PMC5597887 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsx058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The present functional neuroimaging study focuses on the iconography of mourning. A culture-specific pattern of body postures of mourning individuals, mostly suggesting withdrawal, emerged from a survey of visual material. When used in different combinations in stylized drawings in our neuroimaging study, this material activated cortical areas commonly seen in studies of social cognition (temporo-parietal junction, superior temporal gyrus, and inferior temporal lobe), empathy for pain (somatosensory cortex), and loss (precuneus, middle/posterior cingular gyrus). This pattern of activation developed over time. While in the early phases of exposure lower association areas, such as the extrastriate body area, were active, in the late phases activation in parietal and temporal association areas and the prefrontal cortex was more prominent. These findings are consistent with the conventional and contextual character of iconographic material, and further differentiate it from emotionally negatively valenced and high-arousing stimuli. In future studies, this neuroimaging assay may be useful in characterizing interpretive appraisal of material of negative emotional valence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Labek
- Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Samantha Berger
- Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Anna Buchheim
- Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Julia Bosch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Jennifer Spohrs
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Lisa Dommes
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.,Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy Clinic, University of Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Petra Beschoner
- Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy Clinic, University of Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Julia C Stingl
- Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, Bonn, Germany.,Center for Translational Medicine, University of Bonn Medical School, Bonn, Germany
| | - Roberto Viviani
- Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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30
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Lee KH, Oppenheimer CW, Siegle GJ, Ladouceur CD, Lee GE, Silk JS, Dahl RE. Prefrontal Cortical Response to Negative Social Words Links Social Risk to Depressive Symptoms in Adolescence. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2018; 28:87-102. [PMID: 29460362 PMCID: PMC5926184 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Research suggests that altered emotion processing may be one important pathway linking social risk factors and depressive symptoms. We examined the extent to which neural response to negatively valenced social information might help to account for the relationship between social risk and depressive symptoms in youth. Forty-nine youth were scanned while identifying the emotional valence of words that connoted social status. They also completed questionnaires assessing self-reported social risk factors and depressive symptoms. Mediation analysis revealed that reduced dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity in response to negative social status words explained the positive association between social risk and depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that social risk factors present during adolescence may contribute to depressive symptoms by influencing the neural substrates of emotion processing.
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Bosch OG, Esposito F, Havranek MM, Dornbierer D, von Rotz R, Staempfli P, Quednow BB, Seifritz E. Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate Increases Resting-State Limbic Perfusion and Body and Emotion Awareness in Humans. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:2141-2151. [PMID: 28561068 PMCID: PMC5603804 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a GHB-/GABA-B receptor agonist inducing a broad spectrum of subjective effects including euphoria, disinhibition, and enhanced vitality. It is used as treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders including narcolepsy and alcohol withdrawal, but is also a drug of abuse. Non-medical users report enhancement of body and emotion awareness during intoxication. However, the neuronal underpinnings of such awareness alterations under GHB are unknown so far. The assessment of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) by pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI) enables the elucidation of drug-induced functional brain alterations. Thus, we assessed the effects of GHB (35 mg/kg p.o.) in 17 healthy males on rCBF and subjective drug effects, using a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, cross-over design employing arterial spin labeling phMRI. Compared to placebo, GHB increased subjective ratings for body and emotion awareness, and for dizziness (p<0.01-0.001, Bonferroni-corrected). A whole-brain analysis showed increased rCBF in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the right anterior insula under GHB (p<0.05, cluster-corrected). ACC and insula rCBF are correlated with relaxation, and body and emotion awareness (p<0.05-0.001, uncorrected). Interaction analyses revealed that GHB-induced increase of body awareness was accompanied by increased rCBF in ACC, whereas relaxation under GHB was accompanied by elevated rCBF in right anterior insula (p<0.05, uncorrected). In conclusion, enhancement of emotion and body awareness, and increased perfusion of insula and ACC bears implications both for the properties of GHB as a drug of abuse as well as for its putative personalized potential for specific therapeutic indications in affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver G Bosch
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Zurich CH-8032, Switzerland, Tel: +41 44 384 2357, Fax: +41 44 383 4456, E-mail:
| | - Fabrizio Esposito
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry ‘Scuola Medica Salernitana’, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Michael M Havranek
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dario Dornbierer
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robin von Rotz
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Staempfli
- MR-Center of the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics and the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Boris B Quednow
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,Neuroscience Center Zurich, Research Group Disorders of the Nervous System, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Erich Seifritz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,Neuroscience Center Zurich, Research Group Disorders of the Nervous System, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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32
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Park SQ, Kahnt T, Dogan A, Strang S, Fehr E, Tobler PN. A neural link between generosity and happiness. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15964. [PMID: 28696410 PMCID: PMC5508200 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Generous behaviour is known to increase happiness, which could thereby motivate generosity. In this study, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging and a public pledge for future generosity to investigate the brain mechanisms that link generous behaviour with increases in happiness. Participants promised to spend money over the next 4 weeks either on others (experimental group) or on themselves (control group). Here, we report that, compared to controls, participants in the experimental group make more generous choices in an independent decision-making task and show stronger increases in self-reported happiness. Generous decisions engage the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) in the experimental more than in the control group and differentially modulate the connectivity between TPJ and ventral striatum. Importantly, striatal activity during generous decisions is directly related to changes in happiness. These results demonstrate that top–down control of striatal activity plays a fundamental role in linking commitment-induced generosity with happiness. Generous behaviour increases happiness, but the neural underpinnings of this link are unknown. Here, authors show that promising to be generous changes the neural response in the temporo-parietal junction, and that the connection between this region and the ventral striatum was related to happiness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoung Q Park
- Department of Psychology I, University of Lübeck, Lübeck 23562, Germany
| | - Thorsten Kahnt
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Azade Dogan
- Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
| | - Sabrina Strang
- Department of Psychology I, University of Lübeck, Lübeck 23562, Germany
| | - Ernst Fehr
- Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
| | - Philippe N Tobler
- Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
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33
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Adolfi F, Couto B, Richter F, Decety J, Lopez J, Sigman M, Manes F, Ibáñez A. Convergence of interoception, emotion, and social cognition: A twofold fMRI meta-analysis and lesion approach. Cortex 2017; 88:124-142. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Abstract
Altruism is an important social construct related to human relationships and the way many interpersonal and economic decisions are made. Recent progress in social neuroscience research shows that altruism is associated with a specific pattern of brain activity. The tendency to engage in altruistic behaviors is associated with greater activity within limbic regions such as the nucleus accumbens and anterior cingulate cortex in addition to cortical regions such as the medial prefrontal cortex and temporoparietal junction. Here, we review existing theoretical models of altruism as well as recent empirical neuroimaging research demonstrating how altruism is processed within the brain. This review not only highlights the progress in neuroscience research on altruism but also shows that there exist several open questions that remain unexplored.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - R Nick Cochran
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Brian W Haas
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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35
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Mitchell RLC, Jazdzyk A, Stets M, Kotz SA. Recruitment of Language-, Emotion- and Speech-Timing Associated Brain Regions for Expressing Emotional Prosody: Investigation of Functional Neuroanatomy with fMRI. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:518. [PMID: 27803656 PMCID: PMC5067951 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
We aimed to progress understanding of prosodic emotion expression by establishing brain regions active when expressing specific emotions, those activated irrespective of the target emotion, and those whose activation intensity varied depending on individual performance. BOLD contrast data were acquired whilst participants spoke non-sense words in happy, angry or neutral tones, or performed jaw-movements. Emotion-specific analyses demonstrated that when expressing angry prosody, activated brain regions included the inferior frontal and superior temporal gyri, the insula, and the basal ganglia. When expressing happy prosody, the activated brain regions also included the superior temporal gyrus, insula, and basal ganglia, with additional activation in the anterior cingulate. Conjunction analysis confirmed that the superior temporal gyrus and basal ganglia were activated regardless of the specific emotion concerned. Nevertheless, disjunctive comparisons between the expression of angry and happy prosody established that anterior cingulate activity was significantly higher for angry prosody than for happy prosody production. Degree of inferior frontal gyrus activity correlated with the ability to express the target emotion through prosody. We conclude that expressing prosodic emotions (vs. neutral intonation) requires generic brain regions involved in comprehending numerous aspects of language, emotion-related processes such as experiencing emotions, and in the time-critical integration of speech information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L C Mitchell
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London London, UK
| | | | - Manuela Stets
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex Colchester, UK
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Section of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University Maastricht, Netherlands
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36
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Filkowski MM, Haas BW. Rethinking the Use of Neutral Faces as a Baseline in fMRI Neuroimaging Studies of Axis-I Psychiatric Disorders. J Neuroimaging 2016; 27:281-291. [PMID: 27805291 DOI: 10.1111/jon.12403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Major Axis-I disorders including major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), anxiety disorder, and schizophrenia are associated with a host of aberrations in the way social stimuli are processed. Face perception tasks are often used in neuroimaging research of emotion processing in both healthy and patient populations, and to date, there exists a mounting body of evidence, both behavioral and within the brain, indicating that emotional faces compared to neutral faces are processed abnormally by those with Axis-I disorders relative to healthy control (HC) groups. The use of neutral faces as a "baseline control condition" is predicated on the assumption that neutral faces are processed in the same way HCs and individuals with major Axis-I disorders. In this paper, existing fMRI studies examining the way neutral faces are processed in groups with Axis-I disorders involving socioaffective perception are reviewed. In reviewing available studies, a consistent pattern of results demonstrated that these disorders are associated with abnormal frontolimbic activity in response to neutral faces and in particular within the amygdala and prefrontal regions such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) compared to HC groups. Specifically, increased amygdala activation was consistently reported in response to neutral faces in anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. Abnormal medial PFC activity was reported in patients with MDD, and patients with BD exhibit decreased activity in the DLPFC and ACC relative to HCs. In addition, specific suggestions to overcome these obstacles with new research and additional analyses are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Filkowski
- Behavioral and Brain Sciences Program, Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin Street, Athens, GA
| | - Brian W Haas
- Behavioral and Brain Sciences Program, Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin Street, Athens, GA
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37
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Quevedo K, Ng R, Scott H, Martin J, Smyda G, Keener M, Oppenheimer CW. The neurobiology of self-face recognition in depressed adolescents with low or high suicidality. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 125:1185-1200. [PMID: 27618278 PMCID: PMC5858689 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
This study sought to test whether the neurobiology of self-processing differentiated depressed adolescents with high suicidality (HS) from those with low suicidality (LS) and healthy controls (HC; N = 119, MAGE = 14.79, SD = 1.64, Min = 11.3, Max = 17.8). Participants completed a visual self-recognition task in the scanner during which they identified their own or an unfamiliar adolescent face across 3 emotional expressions (happy, neutral or sad). A 3-group (HS, LS, HC) by 2 within-subject factors (2 Self conditions [self, other] and 3 Emotions [happy, neutral, sad]) GLM yielded (a) a main effect of Self condition with all participants showing higher activity in the right occipital, precuneus and fusiform during the self- versus other-face conditions; (b) a main effect of Group where all depressed youth showed higher dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity than HC across all conditions, and with HS showing higher cuneus and occipital activity versus both LS and HC; and (c) a Group by Self by Emotion interaction with HS showing lower activity in both mid parietal, limbic, and prefrontal areas in the Happy self versus other-face condition relative to the LS group, who in turn had less activity compared to HC youth. Covarying for depression severity replicated all results except the third finding; In this subsequent analysis, a Group by Self interaction showed that although HC had similar midline cortical structure (MCS) activity for all faces, LS showed higher MCS activity for the self versus other faces, whereas HS showed the opposite pattern. Results suggest that the neurophysiology of emotionally charged self-referential information can distinguish depressed, suicidal youth versus nonsuicidal depressed and healthy adolescents. Neurophysiological differences and implications for the prediction of suicidality in youth are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rowena Ng
- University of Minnesota Institute of Child Development
| | - Hannah Scott
- University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry
| | - Jodi Martin
- University of Minnesota Institute of Child Development
| | - Garry Smyda
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Public Health
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38
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Bryant RA, Felmingham KL, Liddell B, Das P, Malhi GS. Association of FKBP5 polymorphisms and resting-state activity in a frontotemporal-parietal network. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e925. [PMID: 27754486 PMCID: PMC5315540 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 03/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The FKBP5 polymorphism is a key regulator of the glucocorticoid system underpinning stress responsivity, and risk alleles can increase vulnerability for developing posttraumatic stress disorder. To delineate the specific role of FKBP5 risk alleles unencumbered by the confounds of psychopathology, this study investigated whether high-risk alleles of the FKBP5 polymorphism are characterized by distinctive neural activity during resting state. Thirty-seven healthy participants were selected on the basis of four SNPs in the FKBP5 gene region (rs3800373, rs9296158, rs1360780 and rs9470080) to determine participants who were carriers of the FKBP5 high- and low-risk alleles. Spatial maps, power spectra and connectivity in neural networks active during resting state were assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). During resting-state fMRI, FKBP5 low-risk allele group displayed more power in the low frequency range (<0.1 Hz) than the high-risk allele group, who had significantly more power in higher frequency bins (>0.15 Hz). This difference was apparent only in a frontotemporoparietal network underpinning salience detection and emotion processing. This study provides initial evidence that the risk alleles of the FKBP5 polymorphism are associated with different resting-state activity in a frontotemporal-parietal network, and may point to mechanisms underpinning high-risk carriers' vulnerability to severe stress reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Bryant
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Department of Psychiatry, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia. E-mail: r.bryant@.unsw.edu.au
| | - K L Felmingham
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia,School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - B Liddell
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - P Das
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - G S Malhi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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39
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Muir K, Madill A, Brown C. Individual differences in emotional processing and autobiographical memory: interoceptive awareness and alexithymia in the fading affect bias. Cogn Emot 2016; 31:1392-1404. [DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2016.1225005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kate Muir
- Faculty of Business and Law, Centre for the Study of Behaviour Change and Influence, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
| | - Anna Madill
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Charity Brown
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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40
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Yoon HJ, Kim JS, Shin YB, Choi SH, Lee SK, Kim JJ. Neural activity during self-referential working memory and the underlying role of the amygdala in social anxiety disorder. Neurosci Lett 2016; 627:139-47. [PMID: 27260987 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.05.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2016] [Revised: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Self-referential processing, theory of mind, and working memory are distorted in social anxiety disorder (SAD). This study aimed to investigate characteristics of altered self-referential working memory processing and resting-state functional connectivity in patients with SAD. Twenty patients and 20 healthy controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging at resting-state and while performing a working memory task containing faces with self-referential positive or negative comments and three memory phases (encoding, maintenance, and retrieval). Task-related results were compared between groups and tested for correlations. Resting-state connectivity between amygdala subregions and regions showing a task-related difference was also compared between groups. Patients compared to controls showed augmented memory for the negative comments, hyperactivation of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction during encoding, and hypoactivation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and insula during retrieval. At resting-state, increased connectivity of amygdala subregions with multiple task-related regions was found in patients. These findings suggest that the encoding process in SAD is accompanied by altered involvement of self-referential processing and theory of mind, whereas the retrieval process reflects impaired cognitive control. These memory-related processing may be affected by predisposing resting-state hyperconnectivity with the amygdala, and may underlie a hypersensitivity to negative comments and post-event reflection in SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung-Jun Yoon
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Seong Kim
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu-Bin Shin
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo-Hee Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Koo Lee
- Department of Radiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Jin Kim
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Radiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University Gangnam Severance Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Clark IA, Holmes EA, Woolrich MW, Mackay CE. Intrusive memories to traumatic footage: the neural basis of their encoding and involuntary recall. Psychol Med 2016; 46:505-518. [PMID: 26647849 PMCID: PMC4697303 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291715002007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Revised: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A hallmark symptom after psychological trauma is the presence of intrusive memories. It is unclear why only some moments of trauma become intrusive, and how these memories involuntarily return to mind. Understanding the neural mechanisms involved in the encoding and involuntary recall of intrusive memories may elucidate these questions. METHOD Participants (n = 35) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while being exposed to traumatic film footage. After film viewing, participants indicated within the scanner, while undergoing fMRI, if they experienced an intrusive memory of the film. Further intrusive memories in daily life were recorded for 7 days. After 7 days, participants completed a recognition memory test. Intrusive memory encoding was captured by comparing activity at the time of viewing 'Intrusive scenes' (scenes recalled involuntarily), 'Control scenes' (scenes never recalled involuntarily) and 'Potential scenes' (scenes recalled involuntarily by others but not that individual). Signal change associated with intrusive memory involuntary recall was modelled using finite impulse response basis functions. RESULTS We found a widespread pattern of increased activation for Intrusive v. both Potential and Control scenes at encoding. The left inferior frontal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus showed increased activity in Intrusive scenes compared with Potential scenes, but not in Intrusive scenes compared with Control scenes. This pattern of activation persisted when taking recognition memory performance into account. Intrusive memory involuntary recall was characterized by activity in frontal regions, notably the left inferior frontal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS The left inferior frontal gyrus may be implicated in both the encoding and involuntary recall of intrusive memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- I. A. Clark
- Department of Psychiatry,
University of Oxford, Warneford
Hospital, Oxford OX3 7NG, UK
| | - E. A. Holmes
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain
Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge
CB2 7EF, UK
- Division of Psychology,
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska
Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M. W. Woolrich
- Department of Psychiatry,
Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity (OHBA),
Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7NG,
UK
| | - C. E. Mackay
- Department of Psychiatry,
University of Oxford, Warneford
Hospital, Oxford OX3 7NG, UK
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Cerebral Correlates of Emotional and Action Appraisals During Visual Processing of Emotional Scenes Depending on Spatial Frequency: A Pilot Study. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0144393. [PMID: 26757433 PMCID: PMC4710497 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual processing of emotional stimuli critically depends on the type of cognitive appraisal involved. The present fMRI pilot study aimed to investigate the cerebral correlates involved in the visual processing of emotional scenes in two tasks, one emotional, based on the appraisal of personal emotional experience, and the other motivational, based on the appraisal of the tendency to action. Given that the use of spatial frequency information is relatively flexible during the visual processing of emotional stimuli depending on the task’s demands, we also explored the effect of the type of spatial frequency in visual stimuli in each task by using emotional scenes filtered in low spatial frequency (LSF) and high spatial frequencies (HSF). Activation was observed in the visual areas of the fusiform gyrus for all emotional scenes in both tasks, and in the amygdala for unpleasant scenes only. The motivational task induced additional activation in frontal motor-related areas (e.g. premotor cortex, SMA) and parietal regions (e.g. superior and inferior parietal lobules). Parietal regions were recruited particularly during the motivational appraisal of approach in response to pleasant scenes. These frontal and parietal activations, respectively, suggest that motor and navigation processes play a specific role in the identification of the tendency to action in the motivational task. Furthermore, activity observed in the motivational task, in response to both pleasant and unpleasant scenes, was significantly greater for HSF than for LSF scenes, suggesting that the tendency to action is driven mainly by the detailed information contained in scenes. Results for the emotional task suggest that spatial frequencies play only a small role in the evaluation of unpleasant and pleasant emotions. Our preliminary study revealed a partial distinction between visual processing of emotional scenes during identification of the tendency to action, and during identification of personal emotional experiences. It also illustrates flexible use of the spatial frequencies contained in scenes depending on their emotional valence and on task demands.
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Neuro-Epigenetic Indications of Acute Stress Response in Humans: The Case of MicroRNA-29c. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0146236. [PMID: 26730965 PMCID: PMC4711717 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress research has progressively become more integrative in nature, seeking to unfold crucial relations between the different phenotypic levels of stress manifestations. This study sought to unravel stress-induced variations in expression of human microRNAs sampled in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and further assess their relationship with neuronal and psychological indices. We obtained blood samples from 49 healthy male participants before and three hours after performing a social stress task, while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analysis was conducted for the ventro-medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), a key area of stress regulation. Out of hundreds of microRNAs, a specific increase was identified in microRNA-29c (miR-29c) expression, corresponding with both the experience of sustained stress via self-reports, and alterations in vmPFC functional connectivity. Explicitly, miR-29c expression levels corresponded with both increased connectivity of the vmPFC with the anterior insula (aIns), and decreased connectivity of the vmPFC with the left dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Our findings further revealed that miR-29c mediates an indirect path linking enhanced vmPFC-aIns connectivity during stress with subsequent experiences of sustained stress. The correlative patterns of miR-29c expression and vmPFC FC, along with the mediating effects on subjective stress sustainment and the presumed localization of miR-29c in astrocytes, together point to an intriguing assumption; miR-29c may serve as a biomarker in the blood for stress-induced functional neural alterations reflecting regulatory processes. Such a multi-level model may hold the key for future personalized intervention in stress psychopathology.
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Couto B, Adolfi F, Velasquez M, Mesow M, Feinstein J, Canales-Johnson A, Mikulan E, Martínez-Pernía D, Bekinschtein T, Sigman M, Manes F, Ibanez A. Heart evoked potential triggers brain responses to natural affective scenes: A preliminary study. Auton Neurosci 2015; 193:132-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2015.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Revised: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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45
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Goerlich-Dobre KS, Lamm C, Pripfl J, Habel U, Votinov M. The left amygdala: A shared substrate of alexithymia and empathy. Neuroimage 2015; 122:20-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Revised: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
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Disrupted prefrontal activity during emotion processing in complicated grief: An fMRI investigation. Neuroimage 2015; 124:968-976. [PMID: 26434802 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.09.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2015] [Revised: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 09/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Complicated Grief, marked by a persistent and intrusive grief lasting beyond the expected period of adaptation, is associated with a relative inability to disengage from idiographic loss-relevant stimuli (O'Connor and Arizmendi, 2014). In other populations, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies investigating the neural networks associated with this bias consistently implicate the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) during emotion regulation. In the present study, twenty-eight older adults were categorized into three groups based on grief severity: Complicated Grief (n=8), Non-Complicated Grief (n=9), and Nonbereaved, married controls (n=11). Using a block design, all participants completed 8 blocks (20 stimuli per block) of the ecStroop task during fMRI data acquisition. Differences in neural activity during grief-related (as opposed to neutral) stimuli across groups were examined. Those with Complicated Grief showed an absence of increased rostral ACC (rACC) and fronto-cortical recruitment relative to Nonbereaved controls. Activity in the orbitofrontal cortex (x=6, y=54, z=-10) was significantly elevated in the Non-Complicated Grief group when compared to Nonbereaved controls. Post hoc analysis evidenced activity in the dorsal ACC in the Complicated Grief and Nonbereaved groups late in the task. These findings, supported by behavioral data, suggest a relative inability to recruit the regions necessary for successful completion of this emotional task in those with Complicated Grief. This deficit was not observed in recruitment of the orbitofrontal cortex and the rACC during processing of idiographic semantic stimuli in Non-Complicated Grief.
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47
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The neural basis of one's own conscious and unconscious emotional states. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 57:1-29. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 08/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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48
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Terasawa Y, Kurosaki Y, Ibata Y, Moriguchi Y, Umeda S. Attenuated sensitivity to the emotions of others by insular lesion. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1314. [PMID: 26388817 PMCID: PMC4554943 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The insular cortex has been considered to be the neural base of visceral sensation for many years. Previous studies in psychology and cognitive neuroscience have accumulated evidence indicating that interoception is an essential factor in the subjective feeling of emotion. Recent neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that anterior insular cortex activation is associated with accessing interoceptive information and underpinning the subjective experience of emotional state. Only a small number of studies have focused on the influence of insular damage on emotion processing and interoceptive awareness. Moreover, disparate hypotheses have been proposed for the alteration of emotion processing by insular lesions. Some studies show that insular lesions yield an inability for understanding and representing disgust exclusively, but other studies suggest that such lesions modulate arousal and valence judgments for both positive and negative emotions. In this study, we examined the alteration in emotion recognition in three right insular and adjacent area damaged cases with well-preserved higher cognitive function. Participants performed an experimental task using morphed photos that ranged between neutral and emotional facial expressions (i.e., anger, sadness, disgust, and happiness). Recognition rates of particular emotions were calculated to measure emotional sensitivity. In addition, they performed heartbeat perception task for measuring interoceptive accuracy. The cases identified emotions that have high arousal level (e.g., anger) as less aroused emotions (e.g., sadness) and a case showed remarkably low interoceptive accuracy. The current results show that insular lesions lead to attenuated emotional sensitivity across emotions, rather than category-specific impairments such as to disgust. Despite the small number of cases, our findings suggest that the insular cortex modulates recognition of emotional saliency and mediates interoceptive and emotional awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Terasawa
- Department of Psychology, Keio University Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshiko Kurosaki
- Department of Communication Disorders, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Yukio Ibata
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nasu Red Cross Hospital Tochigi, Japan
| | - Yoshiya Moriguchi
- Department of Psychophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Umeda
- Department of Psychology, Keio University Tokyo, Japan
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Lane RD, Weihs KL, Herring A, Hishaw A, Smith R. Affective agnosia: Expansion of the alexithymia construct and a new opportunity to integrate and extend Freud's legacy. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:594-611. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Revised: 05/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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50
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The overlapping relationship between emotion perception and theory of mind. Neuropsychologia 2015; 70:1-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Revised: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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