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Duran N, Atkinson AP. Foveal processing of emotion-informative facial features. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260814. [PMID: 34855898 PMCID: PMC8638924 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Certain facial features provide useful information for recognition of facial expressions. In two experiments, we investigated whether foveating informative features of briefly presented expressions improves recognition accuracy and whether these features are targeted reflexively when not foveated. Angry, fearful, surprised, and sad or disgusted expressions were presented briefly at locations which would ensure foveation of specific features. Foveating the mouth of fearful, surprised and disgusted expressions improved emotion recognition compared to foveating an eye or cheek or the central brow. Foveating the brow led to equivocal results in anger recognition across the two experiments, which might be due to the different combination of emotions used. There was no consistent evidence suggesting that reflexive first saccades targeted emotion-relevant features; instead, they targeted the closest feature to initial fixation. In a third experiment, angry, fearful, surprised and disgusted expressions were presented for 5 seconds. Duration of task-related fixations in the eyes, brow, nose and mouth regions was modulated by the presented expression. Moreover, longer fixation at the mouth positively correlated with anger and disgust accuracy both when these expressions were freely viewed (Experiment 2b) and when briefly presented at the mouth (Experiment 2a). Finally, an overall preference to fixate the mouth across all expressions correlated positively with anger and disgust accuracy. These findings suggest that foveal processing of informative features is functional/contributory to emotion recognition, but they are not automatically sought out when not foveated, and that facial emotion recognition performance is related to idiosyncratic gaze behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazire Duran
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony P. Atkinson
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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2
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Rutter LA, Norton DJ, Brown TA. Visual attention toward emotional stimuli: Anxiety symptoms correspond to distinct gaze patterns. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250176. [PMID: 33983969 PMCID: PMC8118267 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Decades of research have established a link between emotional disorders and attentional biases for emotional stimuli, but the relationship between symptom severity and visual attention is still not fully understood. Depression has been associated with increased attention towards dysphoric stimuli and decreased attention on positive stimuli (“negativity bias”), and some studies have also shown this trend in anxiety disorders. We examined eye fixation variables in 47 participants with emotional disorders completing an emotion recognition task. Results showed that depression severity was not associated with increased fixations on dysphoric stimuli, however, higher levels of generalized anxiety predicted increased fixations in the mouth region of sad and happy faces. Higher levels of social interaction anxiety predicted reduced fixations in the eye region of happy faces. While we did not replicate the negativity bias that has been shown in prior studies, our sample was highly comorbid, indicating the need to consider comorbidity, disorder severity, and the task itself when conducting research on visual attention in clinical samples. Additionally, more attention should be paid to the mouth region of emotional faces, as it may provide more specific information regarding the visual processing of emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A. Rutter
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University-Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Daniel J. Norton
- Department of Psychology, Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Timothy A. Brown
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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3
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Kolter JF, Hildenbrand MF, Popp S, Nauroth S, Bankmann J, Rother L, Waider J, Deckert J, Asan E, Jakob PM, Lesch KP, Schmitt-Böhrer A. Serotonin transporter genotype modulates resting state and predator stress-induced amygdala perfusion in mice in a sex-dependent manner. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0247311. [PMID: 33606835 PMCID: PMC7895400 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The serotonin transporter (5-HTT) is a key molecule of serotoninergic neurotransmission and target of many anxiolytics and antidepressants. In humans, 5-HTT gene variants resulting in lower expression levels are associated with behavioral traits of anxiety. Furthermore, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies reported increased cerebral blood flow (CBF) during resting state (RS) and amygdala hyperreactivity. 5-HTT deficient mice as an established animal model for anxiety disorders seem to be well suited for investigating amygdala (re-)activity in an fMRI study. We investigated wildtype (5-HTT+/+), heterozygous (5-HTT+/-), and homozygous 5-HTT-knockout mice (5-HTT-/-) of both sexes in an ultra-high-field 17.6 Tesla magnetic resonance scanner. CBF was measured with continuous arterial spin labeling during RS, stimulation state (SS; with odor of rats as aversive stimulus), and post-stimulation state (PS). Subsequently, post mortem c-Fos immunohistochemistry elucidated neural activation on cellular level. The results showed that in reaction to the aversive odor CBF in total brain and amygdala of all mice significantly increased. In male 5-HTT+/+ mice amygdala RS CBF levels were found to be significantly lower than in 5-HTT+/- mice. From RS to SS 5-HTT+/+ amygdala perfusion significantly increased compared to both 5-HTT+/- and 5-HTT-/- mice. Perfusion level changes of male mice correlated with the density of c-Fos-immunoreactive cells in the amygdaloid nuclei. In female mice the perfusion was not modulated by the 5-Htt-genotype, but by estrous cycle stages. We conclude that amygdala reactivity is modulated by the 5-Htt genotype in males. In females, gonadal hormones have an impact which might have obscured genotype effects. Furthermore, our results demonstrate experimental support for the tonic model of 5-HTTLPR function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jann F. Kolter
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Markus F. Hildenbrand
- Department of Magnetic Resonance and X-Ray Imaging, Fraunhofer Development Center X-Ray Technology, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Sandy Popp
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Nauroth
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Julian Bankmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Rother
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Jonas Waider
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Deckert
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Esther Asan
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Peter M. Jakob
- Department of Experimental Physics 5, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Angelika Schmitt-Böhrer
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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4
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Kawamoto A, Kajiume A, Yoshida H, Toshima T, Kobayashi M. Individual Differences in Autistic Traits are Associated with Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphism Through Medial Prefrontal Function: A Study Using NIRS. Neuroscience 2021; 458:43-53. [PMID: 33460729 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.01.007] [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: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heritable neurodevelopmental disorder that can vary considerably in severity. Autistic traits are distributed continuously across populations, even in sub-clinical individuals. Serotonin transporter-gene polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) has been studied as a candidate genetic factor related to ASD, however results have been inconsistent. 5-HTTLPR is implicated in the function of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a region associated with the social abnormalities found in ASD. Here we hypothesize that autistic traits are affected by the 5-HTTLPR genotype indirectly through mPFC mediation. Using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), we first examined mPFC activation in people with ASD when they performed a facial affect-labeling task. Compared with a typical development group, the ASD group showed significantly lower mPFC activation during the task. Using the same task paradigm, we next investigated the relationship between autistic traits and 5-HTTLPR in sub-clinical participants, and whether associations were mediated by mPFC function. Correlation analyses indicated that participants with a large number of 5-HTTLPR L-alleles had high-level autistic traits related to social skills and low right mPFC activation. We also observed a significant negative correlation between autistic traits related to social skills and right mPFC activation. Structural equation analysis suggested a significant indirect effect of 5-HTTLPR on Autism-Spectrum Quotients, with right mPFC activation acting as a mediator. These results suggest that the diverse autistic traits related to social skills seen in the general population are associated with the 5-HTTLPR genotype, and that this association is mediated by right mPFC function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Kawamoto
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan.
| | - Aiko Kajiume
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yoshida
- Faculty of Contemporary Culture, Hijiyama University, 4-1-1 Ushitashinmachi, Higashi-ku, Hiroshima 732-8509, Japan
| | - Tamotsu Toshima
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Education, Hiroshima University, 1-7-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan
| | - Masao Kobayashi
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
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Seitz KI, Leitenstorfer J, Krauch M, Hillmann K, Boll S, Ueltzhoeffer K, Neukel C, Kleindienst N, Herpertz SC, Bertsch K. An eye-tracking study of interpersonal threat sensitivity and adverse childhood experiences in borderline personality disorder. Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul 2021; 8:2. [PMID: 33397512 PMCID: PMC7784013 DOI: 10.1186/s40479-020-00141-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous eye-tracking studies provide preliminary evidence for a hypersensitivity to negative, potentially threatening interpersonal cues in borderline personality disorder (BPD). From an etiological point of view, such interpersonal threat hypersensitivity might be explained by a biological vulnerability along with a history of early life adversities. The objective of the current study was to investigate interpersonal threat hypersensitivity and its association with adverse childhood experiences (ACE) in patients with BPD employing eye-tracking technology. METHODS We examined a sample of 46 unmedicated, adult female patients with BPD and 25 healthy female volunteers, matched on age and intelligence, with a well-established emotion classification paradigm with angry, fearful, happy, and neutral facial expressions. ACE were assessed retrospectively with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. RESULTS Patients as compared to healthy volunteers reflexively directed their gaze more quickly towards the eyes of emotional and neutral faces and did not adapt their fixation patterns according to the facial expression presented. Misclassifying emotional and neutral faces as angry correlated positively with the patients' self-reported ACE. CONCLUSIONS Building on and extending earlier findings, our results are likely to suggest a visual hypervigilance towards the eyes of emotional and neutral facial expressions and a childhood trauma-related anger bias in patients with BPD. Given the lack of a clinical control group, the question whether these findings are specific for BPD has to remain open. Thus, further research is needed to elucidate the specificity of altered visual attention allocation and the role of ACE in anger recognition in patients with BPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja I Seitz
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Johanna Leitenstorfer
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marlene Krauch
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Karen Hillmann
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sabrina Boll
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kai Ueltzhoeffer
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Corinne Neukel
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Kleindienst
- Institute for Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sabine C Herpertz
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
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6
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Genetic modulation of facial emotion recognition in borderline personality disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 99:109816. [PMID: 31738966 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Facial emotion recognition (FER) has been described to be impaired in borderline personality disorder (BPD), especially for neutral faces. Genetic modulation of FER has been studied in healthy individuals and some psychiatric conditions, but no genetic association studies have been conducted in BPD hitherto. The main objective of our study was to explore the influence of the serotonin-transporter-linked promoter region (5HTTLPR) and catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met on facial emotion processing among BPD patients. To that end, seventy-six BPD outpatients were asked to complete a computer-based facial affect recognition task, representing four emotions (neutral, happy, fearful or angry). Accuracy of FER and perceptual biases were calculated. The 5HTTLPR and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms were genotyped using saliva samples. Individuals with the high-activity serotonin-transporter genotype and those with the low-activity COMT genotype had significantly more difficulties identifying neutral faces; the former showed stronger bias to perceive neutral faces as happy, and the latter, neutral faces as fearful. Interestingly, the perceptual biases observed in our patients are similar to previous reports in healthy individuals. The authors propose that the ability to accurately recognize neutral faces might be a possible endophenotype of BPD. Sex-genotype interactions were also observed in relation to angry faces and 5HTTLPR, and neutral faces and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms, in line with sex-related differences previously described for both polymorphisms in relation to FER and other cognitive and behavioral outcomes. The impact of inaccurate FER on psychosocial functioning and potential interventions are also discussed.
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7
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Weinberg-Wolf H, Chang SWC. Differences in how macaques monitor others: Does serotonin play a central role? WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2019; 10:e1494. [PMID: 30775852 PMCID: PMC6570566 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Primates must balance the need to monitor other conspecifics to gain social information while not losing other resource opportunities. We consolidate evidence across the fields of primatology, psychology, and neuroscience to examine individual, population, and species differences in how primates, particularly macaques, monitor conspecifics. We particularly consider the role of serotonin in mediating social competency via social attention, aggression, and dominance behaviors. Finally, we consider how the evolution of variation in social tolerance, aggression, and social monitoring might be explained by differences in serotonergic function in macaques. This article is categorized under: Economics > Interactive Decision-Making Psychology > Comparative Psychology Neuroscience > Behavior Cognitive Biology > Evolutionary Roots of Cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steve W C Chang
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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8
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Blanchard D, Meyza K. Risk assessment and serotonin: Animal models and human psychopathologies. Behav Brain Res 2019; 357-358:9-17. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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9
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Bertsch K, Krauch M, Stopfer K, Haeussler K, Herpertz SC, Gamer M. Interpersonal Threat Sensitivity in Borderline Personality Disorder: An Eye-Tracking Study. J Pers Disord 2017; 31:647-670. [PMID: 28072041 DOI: 10.1521/pedi_2017_31_273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Threat sensitivity is a prominent predictor of interpersonal dysfunctions in borderline personality disorder (BPD), leading to intense, aversive feelings of threat and eventually dysfunctional behaviors, such as aggression. In the present study, BPD patients and healthy volunteers classified angry, fearful, neutral, and happy faces presented for 150 ms or 5,000 ms to investigate initial saccades and facial scanning. Patients more often wrongly identified anger, responded slower to all faces, and made faster saccades towards the eyes of briefly presented neutral faces and slower saccades away from fearful eyes compared with healthy volunteers. Latency of initial saccades and fixation duration correlated negatively with the patients' aggressiveness. Supporting previous results, BPD patients did not experience general deficits in facial emotion processing, but a specific hypersensitivity for and deficits in detailed evaluation of threat cues, which was particularly enhanced in aggressive patients. Interventions might benefit from relocating attention towards positive information and detailed evaluation of social cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Bertsch
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marlene Krauch
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katharina Stopfer
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katrin Haeussler
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Heidelberg
| | - Sabine C Herpertz
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthias Gamer
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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10
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Schroeder KB, Asherson P, Blake PR, Fenstermacher SK, Saudino KJ. Variant at serotonin transporter gene predicts increased imitation in toddlers: relevance to the human capacity for cumulative culture. Biol Lett 2017; 12:rsbl.2016.0106. [PMID: 27072408 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cumulative culture ostensibly arises from a set of sociocognitive processes which includes high-fidelity production imitation, prosociality and group identification. The latter processes are facilitated by unconscious imitation or social mimicry. The proximate mechanisms of individual variation in imitation may thus shed light on the evolutionary history of the human capacity for cumulative culture. In humans, a genetic component to variation in the propensity for imitation is likely. A functional length polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene, the short allele at 5HTTLPR, is associated with heightened responsiveness to the social environment as well as anatomical and activational differences in the brain's imitation circuity. Here, we evaluate whether this polymorphism contributes to variation in production imitation and social mimicry. Toddlers with the short allele at 5HTTLPR exhibit increased social mimicry and increased fidelity of demonstrated novel object manipulations. Thus, the short allele is associated with two forms of imitation that may underlie the human capacity for cumulative culture. The short allele spread relatively recently, possibly due to selection, and its frequency varies dramatically on a global scale. Diverse observations can be unified via conceptualization of 5HTTLPR as influencing the propensity to experience others' emotions, actions and sensations, potentially through the mirror mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari Britt Schroeder
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Philip Asherson
- Department of Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Peter R Blake
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Susan K Fenstermacher
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Kimberly J Saudino
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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11
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End A, Gamer M. Preferential Processing of Social Features and Their Interplay with Physical Saliency in Complex Naturalistic Scenes. Front Psychol 2017; 8:418. [PMID: 28424635 PMCID: PMC5371661 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
According to so-called saliency-based attention models, attention during free viewing of visual scenes is particularly allocated to physically salient image regions. In the present study, we assumed that social features in complex naturalistic scenes would be processed preferentially irrespective of their physical saliency. Therefore, we expected worse prediction of gazing behavior by saliency-based attention models when social information is present in the visual field. To test this hypothesis, participants freely viewed color photographs of complex naturalistic social (e.g., including heads, bodies) and non-social (e.g., including landscapes, objects) scenes while their eye movements were recorded. In agreement with our hypothesis, we found that social features (especially heads) were heavily prioritized during visual exploration. Correspondingly, the presence of social information weakened the influence of low-level saliency on gazing behavior. Importantly, this pattern was most pronounced for the earliest fixations indicating automatic attentional processes. These findings were further corroborated by a linear mixed model approach showing that social features (especially heads) add substantially to the prediction of fixations beyond physical saliency. Taken together, the current study indicates gazing behavior for naturalistic scenes to be better predicted by the interplay of social and physically salient features than by low-level saliency alone. These findings strongly challenge the generalizability of saliency-based attention models and demonstrate the importance of considering social influences when investigating the driving factors of human visual attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert End
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Gamer
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Julius Maximilians University of WürzburgWürzburg, Germany
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12
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Savage JE, Sawyers C, Roberson-Nay R, Hettema JM. The genetics of anxiety-related negative valence system traits. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2017; 174:156-177. [PMID: 27196537 PMCID: PMC5349709 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
NIMH's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) domain of negative valence systems (NVS) captures constructs of negative affect such as fear and distress traditionally subsumed under the various internalizing disorders. Through its aims to capture dimensional measures that cut across diagnostic categories and are linked to underlying neurobiological systems, a large number of phenotypic constructs have been proposed as potential research targets. Since "genes" represent a central "unit of analysis" in the RDoC matrix, it is important for studies going forward to apply what is known about the genetics of these phenotypes as well as fill in the gaps of existing knowledge. This article reviews the extant genetic epidemiological data (twin studies, heritability) and molecular genetic association findings for a broad range of putative NVS phenotypic measures. We find that scant genetic epidemiological data is available for experimentally derived measures such as attentional bias, peripheral physiology, or brain-based measures of threat response. The molecular genetic basis of NVS phenotypes is in its infancy, since most studies have focused on a small number of candidate genes selected for putative association to anxiety disorders (ADs). Thus, more research is required to provide a firm understanding of the genetic aspects of anxiety-related NVS constructs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne E. Savage
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Chelsea Sawyers
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Roxann Roberson-Nay
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA,Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - John M. Hettema
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA,Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
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13
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Hildebrandt A, Kiy A, Reuter M, Sommer W, Wilhelm O. Face and emotion expression processing and the serotonin transporter polymorphism 5-HTTLPR/rs22531. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2016; 15:453-64. [PMID: 27079569 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Revised: 03/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Face cognition, including face identity and facial expression processing, is a crucial component of socio-emotional abilities, characterizing humans as highest developed social beings. However, for these trait domains molecular genetic studies investigating gene-behavior associations based on well-founded phenotype definitions are still rare. We examined the relationship between 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 polymorphisms - related to serotonin-reuptake - and the ability to perceive and recognize faces and emotional expressions in human faces. For this aim we conducted structural equation modeling on data from 230 young adults, obtained by using a comprehensive, multivariate task battery with maximal effort tasks. By additionally modeling fluid intelligence and immediate and delayed memory factors, we aimed to address the discriminant relationships of the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 polymorphisms with socio-emotional abilities. We found a robust association between the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 polymorphism and facial emotion perception. Carriers of two long (L) alleles outperformed carriers of one or two S alleles. Weaker associations were present for face identity perception and memory for emotional facial expressions. There was no association between the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 polymorphism and non-social abilities, demonstrating discriminant validity of the relationships. We discuss the implications and possible neural mechanisms underlying these novel findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Hildebrandt
- Department of Psychology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald
| | - A Kiy
- Department of Psychology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald
| | - M Reuter
- Department of Psychology, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn.,Center for Economics & Neuroscience (CENs), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, University of Bonn
| | - W Sommer
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
| | - O Wilhelm
- Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Germany
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14
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Boll S, Bartholomaeus M, Peter U, Lupke U, Gamer M. Attentional mechanisms of social perception are biased in social phobia. J Anxiety Disord 2016; 40:83-93. [PMID: 27131909 PMCID: PMC4877390 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Revised: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies of social phobia have reported an increased vigilance to social threat cues but also an avoidance of socially relevant stimuli such as eye gaze. The primary aim of this study was to examine attentional mechanisms relevant for perceiving social cues by means of abnormalities in scanning of facial features in patients with social phobia. In two novel experimental paradigms, patients with social phobia and healthy controls matched on age, gender and education were compared regarding their gazing behavior towards facial cues. The first experiment was an emotion classification paradigm which allowed for differentiating reflexive attentional shifts from sustained attention towards diagnostically relevant facial features. In the second experiment, attentional orienting by gaze direction was assessed in a gaze-cueing paradigm in which non-predictive gaze cues shifted attention towards or away from subsequently presented targets. We found that patients as compared to controls reflexively oriented their attention more frequently towards the eyes of emotional faces in the emotion classification paradigm. This initial hypervigilance for the eye region was observed at very early attentional stages when faces were presented for 150ms, and persisted when facial stimuli were shown for 3s. Moreover, a delayed attentional orienting into the direction of eye gaze was observed in individuals with social phobia suggesting a differential time course of eye gaze processing in patients and controls. Our findings suggest that basic mechanisms of early attentional exploration of social cues are biased in social phobia and might contribute to the development and maintenance of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Boll
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany; Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Marie Bartholomaeus
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | | | | | - Matthias Gamer
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany,Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Germany
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15
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Christou AI, Wallis Y, Bair H, Crawford H, Frisson S, Zeegers MP, McCleery JP. BDNF Val(66)Met and 5-HTTLPR Genotype are Each Associated with Visual Scanning Patterns of Faces in Young Children. Front Behav Neurosci 2015. [PMID: 26217202 PMCID: PMC4500100 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have documented both neuroplasticity-related BDNF Val(66)Met and emotion regulation-related 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms as genetic variants that contribute to the processing of emotions from faces. More specifically, research has shown the BDNF Met allele and the 5-HTTLPR Short allele to be associated with mechanisms of negative affectivity that relate to susceptibility for psychopathology. We examined visual scanning pathways in response to angry, happy, and neutral faces in relation to BDNF Val(66)Met and 5-HTTLPR genotyping in 49 children aged 4-7 years. Analyses revealed that variations in the visual processing of facial expressions of anger interacted with BDNF Val(66)Met genotype, such that children who carried at least one low neuroplasticity Met allele exhibited a vigilance-avoidance pattern of visual scanning compared to homozygotes for the high neuroplasticity Val allele. In a separate investigation of eye gaze towards the eye versus mouth regions of neutral faces, we observed that short allele 5-HTTLPR carriers exhibited reduced looking at the eye region compared with those with the higher serotonin uptake Long allele. Together, these findings suggest that genetic mechanisms early in life may influence the establishment of patterns of visual scanning of environmental stressors, which in conjunction with other factors such as negative life events, may lead to psychological difficulties and disorders in the later adolescent and adult years.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yvonne Wallis
- West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory, Birmingham Women's Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust , Birmingham , UK
| | - Hayley Bair
- West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory, Birmingham Women's Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust , Birmingham , UK
| | - Hayley Crawford
- Centre for Research in Psychology, Behaviour and Achievement, Coventry University , Coventry , UK ; Cerebra Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham , Birmingham , UK
| | - Steven Frisson
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham , Birmingham , UK
| | - Maurice P Zeegers
- Department of Complex Genetics, NUTRIM School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism, Maastricht University , Maastricht , Netherlands
| | - Joseph P McCleery
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham , Birmingham , UK ; Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia , Philadelphia, PA , USA
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16
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Herrmann M, Bogon J, Quester S, Cordes A, Stenneken P, Reif A, Ehlis AC. Serotonin transporter polymorphism modulates neural correlates of real-life joint action. An investigation with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Neuroscience 2015; 292:129-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Revised: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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