1
|
Perchtold-Stefan CM, Fink A, Rominger C, Szabó E, Papousek I. Enjoying others' distress and indifferent to threat? Changes in prefrontal-posterior coupling during social-emotional processing are linked to malevolent creativity. Brain Cogn 2022; 163:105913. [PMID: 36087513 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2022.105913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Malevolent creativity is characterized by malicious interpersonal goals aimed at damaging others. Neurocognitive processing patterns of negative social-emotional signals may explain variance in this disruptive phenomenon. This study examined whether individuals' brain responses to emotional expressions of others are linked to their capacity of malevolent creativity in a psychometric test. State-dependent changes of prefrontal-posterior EEG coherence were recorded while n = 60 participants listened to other people's anger, desperate crying, and laughter. These EEG measures were used to indicate affective dispositions towards emotional absorption (decreased coherence) or detachment (increased coherence) from others' emotional states. Results showed that higher malevolent creativity was reflected in relatively greater increases of EEG coherence during others' expressions of anger, and conversely, relatively greater decreases of EEG coherence during others' desperate crying. This pattern suggests that the generation of creative ideas for malicious, antisocial purposes may be partly attributed to an indifference towards others' aggression and potential retaliation, and partly to finding others' adversity rewarding on a neuronal level, increasing the quantity of ideas and the chances of hurting others. This first study linking malevolent creativity to social-emotional brain functions may offer novel insights into affective dispositions that may help understand individuals' potential for creative destruction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andreas Fink
- Department of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Christian Rominger
- Department of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Enikő Szabó
- Oradea Maximum Security Penitentiary, Parcul Traian 3, 410100 Oradea, Romania
| | - Ilona Papousek
- Department of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang W, Tang F, Liu X, Liao C, Sun B, Li H. Adolescents Exhibit Late Maturation of Long-Range Beta Coherences in Affective Processing. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2020; 30:334-344. [PMID: 31469488 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We investigated whether intra-/interhemispheric long-range beta coherences mirror developmental changes in affective functional integration during adolescence. Electroencephalogram data were gathered from 15 young adolescents, 16 old adolescents, and 16 young adults during viewing affective pictures. The results indicated that both positive and negative pictures induced greater intra- and interhemispheric long-distance beta coherences than neutral pictures. However, opposite results were observed between young and old adolescents in terms of negative phase differences. Old adolescents exhibited greater beta coherences for positive and negative pictures than both young adolescents and young adults, but there was no difference between the groups for neutral pictures. These observations suggest that long-range beta coherence might reflect the late maturation of affective functional integration in adolescents.
Collapse
|
3
|
Lau-Zhu A, Henson RN, Holmes EA. Intrusive memories and voluntary memory of a trauma film: Differential effects of a cognitive interference task after encoding. J Exp Psychol Gen 2019; 148:2154-2180. [PMID: 31021150 PMCID: PMC7116494 DOI: 10.1037/xge0000598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Methods to reduce intrusive memories (e.g., of traumatic events) should ideally spare voluntary memory for the same event (e.g., to report on the event in court). Single-trace memory accounts assume that interfering with a trace should impact both its involuntary and voluntary expressions, whereas separate-trace accounts assume these two can dissociate, allowing for selective interference. This possibility was investigated in 3 experiments. Nonclinical participants viewed a trauma film followed by an interference task (Tetris game-play after reminder cues). Next, memory for the film was assessed with various measures. The interference task reduced the number of intrusive memories (diary-based, Experiments 1 and 2), but spared performance on well-matched measures of voluntary retrieval-free recall (Experiment 1) and recognition (Experiments 1 and 2)-challenging single-trace accounts. The interference task did not affect other measures of involuntary retrieval-perceptual priming (Experiment 1) or attentional bias (Experiment 2). However, the interference task did reduce the number of intrusive memories in a laboratory-based vigilance-intrusion task (Experiments 2 and 3), irrespective of concurrent working memory load during intrusion retrieval (Experiment 3). Collectively, results reveal a robust dissociation between intrusive and voluntary memories, having ruled out key methodological differences between how these two memory expressions are assessed, namely cue overlap (Experiment 1), attentional capture (Experiment 2), and retrieval load (Experiment 3). We argue that the inability of these retrieval factors to explain the selective interference is more compatible with separate-trace than single-trace accounts. Further theoretical developments are needed to account for this clinically important distinction between intrusive memories and their voluntary counterpart. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex Lau-Zhu
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
| | | | - Emily A Holmes
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Prefrontal-posterior coupling mediates transitions between emotional states and influences executive functioning. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8252. [PMID: 31164677 PMCID: PMC6547671 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44624-2] [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: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotions often result from fluctuating experiences with self-regulation unfolding over time. However, most research has been focused on neural responses to static, affective stimuli. We studied emotion transitions, which correspond to dynamic conditions of varying affective valence or intensities. Functional coupling of prefrontal and posterior cortex (EEG coherence) was recorded during exposure to stable versus changing emotion-eliciting images (static vs. dynamic conditions). Prefrontal-posterior coupling was decreased in the dynamic conditions compared to the static conditions. A decrease in prefrontal-posterior coupling implies less control of the prefrontal cortex over perceptual information, which may allow the brain to become more affected by emotional fluctuations. We also assessed the aftereffect of EEG coherence on executive functioning, utilizing the flanker task. Among individuals reporting higher chronic stress, executive functioning decreased after dynamic conditions. This decrease in executive functioning was mediated by the decrease in prefrontal-posterior coupling in the dynamic conditions. These findings suggest that the strength of prefrontal-posterior coupling is not only related to emotional transitions but also to executive functioning. The deterioration of executive functioning after dynamic emotional processing may reflect the additional cognitive effort required to process dynamic shifts in affective stimuli, and this relationship is exacerbated by chronic stress.
Collapse
|
5
|
The Use of Bright and Dark Types of Humour is Rooted in the Brain. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42967. [PMID: 28211496 PMCID: PMC5314334 DOI: 10.1038/srep42967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The ways in which humour can be used are related to the manifold interpersonal functions humour can serve, some of which are positive, and some negative. In the present study, phasic changes in the functional coupling of prefrontal and posterior cortex (EEG coherence) during other people’s auditory displays of happy and sad mood were recorded to predict people’s typical use of humour in social interactions. Greater use of benevolent humour, the intentions of which are in keeping with the characteristics of “laughing-with” humour, was associated with greater decreases of prefrontal-posterior coupling during the processing of happy laughter. More loose prefrontal-posterior coupling indicates loosening of control of the prefrontal cortex over the incoming perceptual information, thereby opening up the perceptual gate and allowing the brain to become more affected by the social-emotional signals. Greater use of humour styles linked to malicious intentions of “laughing-at” humour was associated with responses indicating a wider opened perceptual gate during the processing of other people’s crying. The findings are consistent with the idea that typical humour styles develop in line with the rewarding values of their outcomes (e.g., interaction partners are happy or hurt), which in turn are defined through the individuals’ latent interpersonal goals.
Collapse
|
6
|
Thome J, Densmore M, Frewen PA, McKinnon MC, Théberge J, Nicholson AA, Koenig J, Thayer JF, Lanius RA. Desynchronization of autonomic response and central autonomic network connectivity in posttraumatic stress disorder. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 38:27-40. [PMID: 27647521 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Although dysfunctional emotion regulatory capacities are increasingly recognized as contributing to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), little work has sought to identify biological markers of this vulnerability. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a promising biomarker that, together with neuroimaging, may assist in gaining a deeper understanding of emotion dysregulation in PTSD. The objective of the present study was, therefore, to characterize autonomic response patterns, and their related neuronal patterns in individuals with PTSD at rest. METHODS PTSD patients (N = 57) and healthy controls (N = 41) underwent resting-state fMRI. Connectivity patterns of key regions within the central autonomic network (CAN)-including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), amygdala, and periaqueductal gray (PAG)-were examined using a seed-based approach. Observed connectivity patterns were then correlated to resting HRV. RESULTS In contrast to controls, individuals with PTSD exhibited lower HRV. In addition, whereas controls engaged a localized connectivity pattern of CAN-related brain regions, in PTSD, key CAN regions were associated with widespread connectivity patterns in regions related to emotional reactivity (vmPFC and amygdala to insular cortex and lentiform nucleus; PAG to insula) and motor readiness (vmPFC and amygdala to precentral gyrus; PAG to precentral gyrus and cerebellum). Critically, whereas CAN connectivity in controls was strongly related to higher HRV (insula, mPFC, superior frontal cortex, thalamus), HRV covariation was absent in PTSD subjects. CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first evidence for a specific psychophysiological-neuronal profile in PTSD individuals characterized by lower resting HRV and a lack of HRV covariation with CAN-related brain connectivity. Hum Brain Mapp 38:27-40, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janine Thome
- Medical Faculty Mannheim, Institute of Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Densmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul A Frewen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Margaret C McKinnon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Mc Master University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jean Théberge
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew A Nicholson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julian Koenig
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Section for Translational Psychobiology in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julian F Thayer
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Ruth A Lanius
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
The fear of other persons' laughter: Poor neuronal protection against social signals of anger and aggression. Psychiatry Res 2016; 235:61-8. [PMID: 26657308 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.11.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Revised: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The fear of other persons' laughter (gelotophobia) occurs in the context of several psychiatric conditions, particularly in the schizophrenia spectrum and social phobia. It entails severe personal and inter-personal problems including heightened aggression and possibly violence. Individuals with gelotophobia (n=30; 24 with social phobia or Cluster A diagnosis) and matched symptom-free controls (n=30) were drawn from a large screening sample (n=1440). EEG coherences were recorded during the confrontation with other people's affect expressions, to investigate the brain's modulatory control over the emotionally laden perceptual input. Gelotophobia was associated with more loose functional coupling of prefrontal and posterior cortex during the processing of expressions of anger and aggression, thus leaving the individual relatively unprotected from becoming affected by these social signals. The brain's response to social signals of anger/aggression and the accompanied heightened permeability for this kind of information explains the particular sensitivity to actual or supposed malicious aspects of laughter (and possibly of other ambiguous social signals) in individuals with gelotophobia, which represents the core feature of the condition. Heightened perception of stimuli that could be perceived as offensive, which is inherent in several psychiatric conditions, may be particularly evident in the fear of other persons' laughter.
Collapse
|