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Fennema D, Barker GJ, O'Daly O, Duan S, Godlewska BR, Goldsmith K, Young AH, Moll J, Zahn R. Neural responses to facial emotions and subsequent clinical outcomes in difficult-to-treat depression. Psychol Med 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38757184 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291724001144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amygdala and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex responses to facial emotions have shown promise in predicting treatment response in medication-free major depressive disorder (MDD). Here, we examined their role in the pathophysiology of clinical outcomes in more chronic, difficult-to-treat forms of MDD. METHODS Forty-five people with current MDD who had not responded to ⩾2 serotonergic antidepressants (n = 42, meeting pre-defined fMRI minimum quality thresholds) were enrolled and followed up over four months of standard primary care. Prior to medication review, subliminal facial emotion fMRI was used to extract blood-oxygen level-dependent effects for sad v. happy faces from two pre-registered a priori defined regions: bilateral amygdala and dorsal/pregenual anterior cingulate cortex. Clinical outcome was the percentage change on the self-reported Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (16-item). RESULTS We corroborated our pre-registered hypothesis (NCT04342299) that lower bilateral amygdala activation for sad v. happy faces predicted favorable clinical outcomes (rs[38] = 0.40, p = 0.01). In contrast, there was no effect for dorsal/pregenual anterior cingulate cortex activation (rs[38] = 0.18, p = 0.29), nor when using voxel-based whole-brain analyses (voxel-based Family-Wise Error-corrected p < 0.05). Predictive effects were mainly driven by the right amygdala whose response to happy faces was reduced in patients with higher anxiety levels. CONCLUSIONS We confirmed the prediction that a lower amygdala response to negative v. positive facial expressions might be an adaptive neural signature, which predicts subsequent symptom improvement also in difficult-to-treat MDD. Anxiety reduced adaptive amygdala responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diede Fennema
- Centre of Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Centre for Affective Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Gareth J Barker
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Owen O'Daly
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Suqian Duan
- Centre of Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Centre for Affective Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Beata R Godlewska
- Psychopharmacology Research Unit, University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Kimberley Goldsmith
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Allan H Young
- Centre of Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Centre for Affective Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- National Service for Affective Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Jorge Moll
- Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Pioneer Science Program, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Roland Zahn
- Centre of Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Centre for Affective Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- National Service for Affective Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Pioneer Science Program, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Hahad O, Kuntic M, Al-Kindi S, Kuntic I, Gilan D, Petrowski K, Daiber A, Münzel T. Noise and mental health: evidence, mechanisms, and consequences. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2024:10.1038/s41370-024-00642-5. [PMID: 38279032 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-024-00642-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
The recognition of noise exposure as a prominent environmental determinant of public health has grown substantially. While recent years have yielded a wealth of evidence linking environmental noise exposure primarily to cardiovascular ailments, our understanding of the detrimental effects of noise on the brain and mental health outcomes remains limited. Despite being a nascent research area, an increasing body of compelling research and conclusive findings confirms that exposure to noise, particularly from sources such as traffic, can potentially impact the central nervous system. These harms of noise increase the susceptibility to mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, suicide, and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. From a mechanistic perspective, several investigations propose direct adverse phenotypic changes in brain tissue by noise (e.g. neuroinflammation, cerebral oxidative stress), in addition to feedback signaling by remote organ damage, dysregulated immune cells, and impaired circadian rhythms, which may collectively contribute to noise-dependent impairment of mental health. This concise review linking noise exposure to mental health outcomes seeks to fill research gaps by assessing current findings from studies involving both humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Hahad
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Marin Kuntic
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sadeer Al-Kindi
- Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness, DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ivana Kuntic
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Donya Gilan
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Katja Petrowski
- Medical Psychology & Medical Sociology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Andreas Daiber
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany
| | - Thomas Münzel
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany
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3
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Della Longa L, Carnevali L, Farroni T. The role of affective touch in modulating emotion processing among preschool children. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 235:105726. [PMID: 37336064 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105726] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Recognizing emotional expressions is a prerequisite for understanding others' feelings and intentions, a key component of social interactions that develops throughout childhood. In multisensory social environments, touch may be crucial for emotion processing, linking external sensory information with internal affective states. The current study investigated whether affective touch facilitates recognition of emotional expressions throughout childhood. Preschool children (N = 121 3- to 6-year-olds) were presented with different tactile stimulations followed by an emotion-matching task. Results revealed that affective touch fosters the recognition of negative emotions and increases the speed of association of positive emotions, highlighting the centrality of tactile experiences for socioemotional understanding. The current research opens new perspectives on how to support emotional recognition with potential consequences for the development of social functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Della Longa
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Laura Carnevali
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Teresa Farroni
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
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4
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Hu P, Lu Y, Pan BX, Zhang WH. New Insights into the Pivotal Role of the Amygdala in Inflammation-Related Depression and Anxiety Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:11076. [PMID: 36232376 PMCID: PMC9570160 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression and anxiety disorders are the two most prevalent psychiatric diseases that affect hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide. Understanding the etiology and related mechanisms is of great importance and might yield new therapeutic strategies to treat these diseases effectively. During the past decades, a growing number of studies have pointed out the importance of the stress-induced inflammatory response in the amygdala, a kernel region for processing emotional stimuli, as a potentially critical contributor to the pathophysiology of depression and anxiety disorders. In this review, we first summarized the recent progress from both animal and human studies toward understanding the causal link between stress-induced inflammation and depression and anxiety disorders, with particular emphasis on findings showing the effect of inflammation on the functional changes in neurons in the amygdala, at levels ranging from molecular signaling, cellular function, synaptic plasticity, and the neural circuit to behavior, as well as their contributions to the pathology of inflammation-related depression and anxiety disorders. Finally, we concluded by discussing some of the difficulties surrounding the current research and propose some issues worth future study in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Hu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330001, China
| | - Ying Lu
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Wen-Hua Zhang
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
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Roelofs EF, Bas-Hoogendam JM, van der Werff SJA, Valstar SD, van der Wee NJA, Vermeiren RRJM. Exploring the course of adolescent anxiety and depression: associations with white matter tract microstructure. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 272:849-858. [PMID: 34748029 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-021-01347-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cross-sectional Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) studies have reported alterations in white matter (WM) microstructure in adolescents with internalizing psychopathology. Yet, longitudinal studies investigating the course of WM microstructure are lacking. This study explored WM alterations and its relation to clinical symptoms over time in adolescents with internalizing disorders. DTI scans were acquired at baseline and after three months in 22 adolescents with clinical depression and comorbid anxiety (INT), and 21 healthy peers (HC) (age: 12-18). Tract-based spatial statistics was used for three voxelwise analyses: i) changes in WM microstructure between and within the INT and HC group; ii) associations between changes in symptom severity and changes in WM microstructure within youths with INT; and iii) associations between baseline WM parameters with changes in symptom severity within youths with INT. Data did not reveal changes in WM microstructure between or within groups over three months' time nor associations between changes in WM microstructure and changes in self-reported symptoms (analyses corrected for age, gender and puberty stage). Lower baseline levels of fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right posterior corona radiata (PCR) and right cingulum were associated with a higher decrease of depressive symptoms within the INT group. Post hoc analysis of additional WM parameters in the significant FA clusters showed that higher levels of baseline mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity in the PCR were associated with a lower decrease in depressive symptoms. Baseline WM microstructure characteristics were associated with a higher decrease in depressive symptoms over time. These findings increase our understanding of neurobiological mechanisms underlying the course of internalizing disorders in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline F Roelofs
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Curium-LUMC, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. .,Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. .,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Steven J A van der Werff
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia D Valstar
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Curium-LUMC, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nic J A van der Wee
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Robert R J M Vermeiren
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Curium-LUMC, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Jamieson AJ, Harrison BJ, Davey CG. Altered effective connectivity of the extended face processing system in depression and its association with treatment response: findings from the YoDA-C randomized controlled trial. Psychol Med 2021; 51:2933-2944. [PMID: 37676047 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721002567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is commonly associated with fronto-amygdala dysfunction during the processing of emotional face expressions. Interactions between these regions are hypothesized to contribute to negative emotional processing biases and as such have been highlighted as potential biomarkers of treatment response. This study aimed to investigate depression associated alterations to directional connectivity and assess the utility of these parameters as predictors of treatment response. METHODS Ninety-two unmedicated adolescents and young adults (mean age 20.1; 56.5% female) with moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder and 88 healthy controls (mean age 19.8; 61.4% female) completed an implicit emotional face processing fMRI task. Patients were randomized to receive cognitive behavioral therapy for 12 weeks, plus either fluoxetine or placebo. Using dynamic causal modelling, we examined functional relationships between six brain regions implicated in emotional face processing, comparing both patients and controls and treatment responders and non-responders. RESULTS Depressed patients demonstrated reduced inhibition from the dlPFC to vmPFC and reduced excitation from the dlPFC to amygdala during sad expression processing. During fearful expression processing patients showed reduced inhibition from the vmPFC to amygdala and reduced excitation from the amygdala to dlPFC. Response was associated with connectivity from the amygdala to dlPFC during sad expression processing and amygdala to vmPFC connectivity during fearful expression processing. CONCLUSIONS Our study clarifies the nature of face processing network alterations in adolescents and young adults with depression, highlighting key interactions between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Moreover, these findings highlight the potential utility of these interactions in predicting treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alec J Jamieson
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ben J Harrison
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Christopher G Davey
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Australia
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Transcriptomic Analysis of Long Noncoding RNA and mRNA Expression Profiles in the Amygdala of Rats with Bone Cancer Pain-Depression Comorbidity. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11080834. [PMID: 34440578 PMCID: PMC8400935 DOI: 10.3390/life11080834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone cancer pain (BCP)–depression comorbidity has become a complex clinical problem during cancer treatment; however, its underlying molecular mechanisms have not been clarified. Several long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated to be promising therapeutic targets in depression, but research on the role of lncRNAs in BCP–depression comorbidity has been limited. Therefore, high-throughput RNA sequencing was performed to detect differentially expressed profiles in the amygdala of a BCP–depression rat model in this study. We detected 330 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) and 78 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) in the BCP–depression comorbidity model and then verified the expression of six DEmRNAs and six DElncRNAs with the greatest degrees of difference by RT-qPCR. Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses revealed that differentially expressed genes were strongly enriched in inflammatory and immunologic systemic responses. Then the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway and the Th17 differentiation pathway showed significant differences, as determined by Western blot analysis. Finally, we constructed a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network to explore the potential regulatory mechanism of DEmRNAs. In conclusion, our study reveals a new resource for the understanding of dysregulated lncRNAs and mRNAs in BCP–depression comorbidity and provides novel potential therapeutic targets for further approaches.
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8
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Apical intercalated cell cluster: A distinct sensory regulator in the amygdala. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109151. [PMID: 34010641 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
GABAergic neurons regulate different aspects of information processing in the amygdala. Among these are clusters of intercalated cells (ITCs), which have been implicated in fear-related behaviors. Although a few of the ITC clusters have been studied, the functional role of apical ITCs (apITCs) is unknown. Here, we combine monosynaptic rabies tracing with optogenetics and demonstrate that apITCs receive synaptic input from medial geniculate nucleus (MGm), posterior intralaminar nucleus (PIN), and medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus and from a diverse range of cortical areas including temporal association, entorhinal, insular, piriform, and somatosensory cortex. Upon fear learning, PIN/MGm inputs are strengthened, indicative of their involvement in fear behaviors. 3-D reconstruction of apITCs reveals local arborization and innervation of the dorsal striatum and lateral amygdala. We further show that apITCs provide sensory feedforward inhibition to LA principal cells, a putative mechanism for controlling plasticity during fear learning.
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Todeva-Radneva A, Paunova R, Kandilarova S, St Stoyanov D. The Value of Neuroimaging Techniques in the Translation and Transdiagnostic Validation of Psychiatric Diagnoses - Selective Review. Curr Top Med Chem 2021; 20:540-553. [PMID: 32003690 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666200131095328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Psychiatric diagnosis has long been perceived as more of an art than a science since its foundations lie within the observation, and the self-report of the patients themselves and objective diagnostic biomarkers are lacking. Furthermore, the diagnostic tools in use not only stray away from the conventional medical framework but also remain invalidated with evidence-based concepts. However, neuroscience, as a source of valid objective knowledge has initiated the process of a paradigm shift underlined by the main concept of psychiatric disorders being "brain disorders". It is also a bridge closing the explanatory gap among the different fields of medicine via the translation of the knowledge within a multidisciplinary framework. The contemporary neuroimaging methods, such as fMRI provide researchers with an entirely new set of tools to reform the current status quo by creating an opportunity to define and validate objective biomarkers that can be translated into clinical practice. Combining multiple neuroimaging techniques with the knowledge of the role of genetic factors, neurochemical imbalance and neuroinflammatory processes in the etiopathophysiology of psychiatric disorders is a step towards a comprehensive biological explanation of psychiatric disorders and a final differentiation of psychiatry as a well-founded medical science. In addition, the neuroscientific knowledge gained thus far suggests a necessity for directional change to exploring multidisciplinary concepts, such as multiple causality and dimensionality of psychiatric symptoms and disorders. A concomitant viewpoint transition of the notion of validity in psychiatry with a focus on an integrative validatory approach may facilitate the building of a collaborative bridge above the wall existing between the scientific fields analyzing the mind and those studying the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Todeva-Radneva
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology and Scientific Research Institute, The Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Rositsa Paunova
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology and Scientific Research Institute, The Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Sevdalina Kandilarova
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology and Scientific Research Institute, The Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Drozdstoy St Stoyanov
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology and Scientific Research Institute, The Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
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10
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Spechler PA, Chaarani B, Orr C, Albaugh MD, Fontaine NR, Higgins ST, Banaschewski T, Bokde ALW, Quinlan EB, Desrivières S, Flor H, Grigis A, Gowland P, Heinz A, Ittermann B, Artiges E, Martinot MLP, Nees F, Orfanos DP, Paus T, Poustka L, Hohmann S, Fröhner JH, Smolka MN, Walter H, Whelan R, Schumann G, Garavan H. Longitudinal associations between amygdala reactivity and cannabis use in a large sample of adolescents. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:3447-3458. [PMID: 32772145 PMCID: PMC7572697 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05624-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The amygdala is a key brain structure to study in relation to cannabis use as reflected by its high-density of cannabinoid receptors and functional reactivity to processes relevant to drug use. Previously, we identified a correlation between cannabis use in early adolescence and amygdala hyper-reactivity to angry faces (Spechler et al. 2015). OBJECTIVES Here, we leveraged the longitudinal aspect of the same dataset (the IMAGEN study) to determine (1) if amygdala hyper-reactivity predicts future cannabis use and (2) if amygdala reactivity is affected by prolonged cannabis exposure during adolescence. METHODS First, linear regressions predicted the level of cannabis use by age 19 using amygdala reactivity to angry faces measured at age 14 prior to cannabis exposure in a sample of 1119 participants. Next, we evaluated the time course of amygdala functional development from age 14 to 19 for angry face processing and how it might be associated with protracted cannabis use throughout this developmental window. We compared the sample from Spechler et al. 2015, the majority of whom escalated their use over the 5-year interval, to a matched sample of non-users. RESULTS Right amygdala reactivity to angry faces significantly predicted cannabis use 5 years later in a dose-response fashion. Cannabis-naïve adolescents demonstrated the lowest levels of amygdala reactivity. No such predictive relationship was identified for alcohol or cigarette use. Next, follow-up analyses indicated a significant group-by-time interaction for the right amygdala. CONCLUSIONS (1) Right amygdala hyper-reactivity is predictive of future cannabis use, and (2) protracted cannabis exposure during adolescence may alter the rate of neurotypical functional development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip A Spechler
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA.
| | - Bader Chaarani
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
| | - Catherine Orr
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
| | - Matthew D Albaugh
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
| | - Nicholas R Fontaine
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
| | - Stephen T Higgins
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arun L W Bokde
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Erin Burke Quinlan
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS) and MRC-SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS) and MRC-SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Herta Flor
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Antoine Grigis
- NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernd Ittermann
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig-Berlin, Germany
| | - Eric Artiges
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U A10 "Trajectoires développementales en psychiatrie", Université Paris-Saclay, Ecole Normale supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Centre Borelli; and Psychiatry Department 91G16, Orsay Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U A10 "Trajectoires développementales en psychiatrie", Université Paris-Saclay, Ecole Normale supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Centre Borelli; and AP-HP.Sorbonne Université, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Tomáš Paus
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Paris, France
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Göttingen, von-Siebold-Str. 5, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Hohmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Juliane H Fröhner
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Göttingen, von-Siebold-Str. 5, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Whelan
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS) and MRC-SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
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Mu E, Crewther D. Occipital Magnocellular VEP Non-linearities Show a Short Latency Interaction Between Contrast and Facial Emotion. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:268. [PMID: 32754021 PMCID: PMC7381315 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The magnocellular system has been implicated in the rapid processing of facial emotions, such as fear. Of the various anatomical possibilities, the retino-colliculo-pulvinar route to the amygdala is currently favored. However, it is not clear whether and when amygdala arousal activates the primary visual cortex (V1). Non-linear visual evoked potentials provide a well-accepted technique for examining temporal processing in the magnocellular and parvocellular pathways in the visual cortex. Here, we investigated the relationship between facial emotion processing and the separable magnocellular (K2.1) and parvocellular (K2.2) components of the second-order non-linear multifocal visual evoked potential responses recorded from the occipital scalp (OZ). Stimuli comprised pseudorandom brightening/darkening of fearful, happy, neutral faces (or no face) with surround patches decorrelated from the central face-bearing patch. For the central patch, the spatial contrast of the faces was 30% while the modulation of the per-pixel brightening/darkening was uniformly 10% or 70%. From 14 neurotypical young adults, we found a significant interaction between emotion and contrast in the magnocellularly driven K2.1 peak amplitudes, with greater K2.1 amplitudes for fearful (vs. happy) faces at 70% temporal contrast condition. Taken together, our findings suggest that facial emotional information is present in early V1 processing as conveyed by the M pathway, and more activated for fearful as opposed to happy and neutral faces. An explanation is offered in terms of the contest between feedback and response gain modulation models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eveline Mu
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - David Crewther
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
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12
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Luo L, Zhang Q, Wang J, Lin Q, Zhao B, Xu M, Langley C, Li H, Gao S. The baby schema effect in adolescence and its difference from that in adulthood. J Exp Child Psychol 2020; 198:104908. [PMID: 32600740 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.104908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The baby schema effect induced by particular features of baby faces acts as an innate releasing mechanism that evokes positive emotions and instinctual behavioral responses. Our prior research in adults has revealed that this effect initially found in infancy extends into child faces. Adolescence is an important period involving development in various aspects of cognition, including face perception. Here, we investigated whether the extended baby schema effect we previously found in adult observers develops earlier-in adolescence-and how different it appears in adolescents as compared with in adults. In the current study, 76 adolescents and 77 adults were asked to judge the likeability of 148 neutral faces of infants and children (0.08-6.5 years of age) on 7-point scales. Results showed that both adolescents and adults perceived the faces of both infants and children younger than 4.6 years as more likeable relative to those of older children, indicating that the baby schema effect previously found in adulthood also occurs in adolescence. However, adolescents rated lower than adults toward the infant and child faces across all face ages, suggesting that this effect might be under development in adolescence. Overall, our findings provide new evidence for the development of face perception in adolescence and demonstrate age-related changes in innate releasing mechanisms in our protective and caretaking responses toward infants and children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizhu Luo
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, Chengdu 610091, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaojian Wang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiyuan Lin
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, People's Republic of China
| | - Bingmei Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Xu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, People's Republic of China
| | - Christelle Langley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Hong Li
- Institute for Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610068, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shan Gao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, People's Republic of China; School of Foreign Languages, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, People's Republic of China.
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13
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Sun J, Lu Y, Yang J, Song Z, Lu W, Wang JH. mRNA and microRNA Profiles in the Amygdala Are Relevant to Susceptibility and Resilience to Psychological Stress Induced in Mice. J Mol Neurosci 2020; 70:1771-1796. [DOI: 10.1007/s12031-020-01570-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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14
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Kneer K, Reinhard J, Ziegler C, Slyschak A, Schiele M, Vietz M, Peters K, Meisenzahl EM, Pauli P, Reif A, Deckert J, Romanos M, Domschke K, Neufang S. Serotonergic influence on depressive symptoms and trait anxiety is mediated by negative life events and frontal activation in children and adolescents. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2020; 29:691-706. [PMID: 31422473 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-019-01389-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Depression and anxiety are common in childhood and adolescence. Even though cardinal symptoms differ, there is a considerable overlap regarding the pathogenic influence of serotonergic innervation, negative life experience, disturbed emotion perception/affect regulation, and impaired neural functioning in the fronto-limbic circuit. In this study, we examined the effect of the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotype on depressive symptoms and trait anxiety under the consideration of the amount of negative life events in healthy children and adolescents (N = 389). In a subsample of 49 subjects, we performed fMRI to add fronto-limbic brain activation as a second interacting factor. Across all subjects, negative life events moderated the influence of the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotype on both depressive symptoms and trait anxiety. In the fMRI subsample, 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 S + S/LG + S/LA + LGLA + LGLG genotype-associated left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) activation mediated the influence of 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotype on depressive symptoms, however, only in combination with negative life events. Genetic influence on trait anxiety was predominantly mediated by negative life events; only LALA genotype-specific activation in the right MFG worked as a mediator in combination with negative life events. The present findings hint towards distinct mechanisms mediating the influence of 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotype on depressive symptoms and anxiety, with negative life events playing a crucial role in both phenotypes. With regard to depressive symptoms, however, this influence was only visible in combination with MFG activation, whereas, in anxiety, it was independent of brain activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Kneer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Julia Reinhard
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christiane Ziegler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anna Slyschak
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Miriam Schiele
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Vietz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Peters
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Eva M Meisenzahl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty Heinrich-Heine University, Bergische Landstraße 2, 40629, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Paul Pauli
- Department of Psychology, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jürgen Deckert
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marcel Romanos
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Basics in Neuromodulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Susanne Neufang
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty Heinrich-Heine University, Bergische Landstraße 2, 40629, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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15
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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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16
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Clarkson T, Kang E, Capriola-Hall N, Lerner MD, Jarcho J, Prinstein MJ. Meta-Analysis of the RDoC Social Processing Domain across Units of Analysis in Children and Adolescents. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 49:297-321. [PMID: 31799882 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2019.1678167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This meta-analysis advances a framework to understand correspondence among units of analysis of the social processing construct within Research Domain Criteria (RDoC). METHOD As requested for this special issue, eligible studies cited an RDoC-initiative paper or mentioned RDoC in the abstract, title, or keywords were empirical and peer reviewed, and described a correlation or regression analysis (r, β, or odds ratio) between two different units of analysis in the social processing domain in youth. We examined the frequency (descriptive statistics) and magnitude of correspondence between unit-pairs (random effects models), and predefined moderators (meta-regression). RESULTS Eight of the twenty-eight possible unit-by-unit pairs were identified, with subjective-by-behavior units being the most common. Of those, only subjective-by-circuit had significant correspondence between units. Moderator analysis revealed that the age and diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder moderated correspondence between subjective-by-circuit units of analysis, and that a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder moderated correspondence between subjective-by-gene units of analysis. Younger ages and inclusion of either diagnostic group reduced correspondence. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that the RDoC initiative has generated limited research within the social processing domain across units of analysis in youth to date. Moreover, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded studies do not appear to be biased toward supporting the RDoC framework. However, the limited number of included studies precludes the generalizability of these findings and underscores the need for further research. Despite this, results suggest that the NIMH model for providing standard batteries of measurement tools may effectively reduce spurious correlations between subjective-by-behavior units of analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erin Kang
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University
| | | | | | | | - Mitchell J Prinstein
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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17
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Abstract
Abstract
Purpose of Review
Adolescent depression is a major public health concern associated with severe outcomes. A lack of efficacious interventions has triggered an increase in cognitive neuropsychology research to identify relevant treatment targets for new interventions. This review summarises key neurocognitive findings in adolescent depression and explores the potential of neurocognitive markers as treatment targets in new interventions.
Recent Findings
Studies support difficulties in the voluntary deployment of attention towards and away from emotional stimuli, negative interpretation biases and overgeneralised autobiographical memories in adolescent depression; however, little evidence is given to a general decline in executive function. There is consistent evidence for abnormalities in several distributed neural networks in adolescent depression, including dysfunction in and between the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum.
Summary
The relationships between different cognitive biases and abnormalities in specific neural networks remain unclear. Several new experimental interventions targeting these neurocognitive markers await evaluation.
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18
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Hur J, Stockbridge MD, Fox AS, Shackman AJ. Dispositional negativity, cognition, and anxiety disorders: An integrative translational neuroscience framework. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2019; 247:375-436. [PMID: 31196442 PMCID: PMC6578598 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2019.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
When extreme, anxiety can become debilitating. Anxiety disorders, which often first emerge early in development, are common and challenging to treat, yet the underlying mechanisms have only recently begun to come into focus. Here, we review new insights into the nature and biological bases of dispositional negativity, a fundamental dimension of childhood temperament and adult personality and a prominent risk factor for the development of pediatric and adult anxiety disorders. Converging lines of epidemiological, neurobiological, and mechanistic evidence suggest that dispositional negativity increases the likelihood of psychopathology via specific neurocognitive mechanisms, including attentional biases to threat and deficits in executive control. Collectively, these observations provide an integrative translational framework for understanding the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders in adults and youth and set the stage for developing improved intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juyoen Hur
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States.
| | | | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, United States; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Alexander J Shackman
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States; Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States; Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States.
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19
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Sharp PB, Heller W, Telzer EH. Selective neural sensitivity to familial threat in adolescents with weak family bonds. Soc Neurosci 2019; 14:80-89. [PMID: 29067872 PMCID: PMC6092247 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2017.1397545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Familial stressors, such as weak familial connectedness, are associated with the development of maladaptive threat processing, yet little is known regarding how weak familial bonds impinge on biological mechanisms of threat processing. The present study leveraged multivoxel pattern analysis of fMRI data to compare the neural encoding of familial and nonfamilial threatening and non-threatening stimuli in adolescents who endorsed varying levels of connectedness to their families. Adolescents (N = 22, Mage = 14.38 years) reporting lower family connectedness 1 year earlier showed elevated sensitivity to familial threat, but not to nonfamilial threat in a neural network associated with threat processing, comprising left and right amygdala, and right inferior and middle temporal gyri. Results suggest that a learning history about one's social environment may shape neural mechanisms of threat processing by sensitizing them to risk-relevant stimuli. Such findings advance our understanding of how familial stressors contribute to disordered threat processing in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Sharp
- a Department of Psychology and Neuroscience , Chapel Hill , NC , USA
| | - Wendy Heller
- b Department of Psychology , University of Illinois , Champaign-Urbana , IL , USA
| | - Eva H Telzer
- a Department of Psychology and Neuroscience , Chapel Hill , NC , USA
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20
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Blunted amygdala activity is associated with depression severity in treatment-resistant depression. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2018; 17:1221-1231. [PMID: 29063521 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-017-0544-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Up to 50% of individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) do not recover after two antidepressant medication trials, and therefore meet the criteria for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is one promising treatment; however, the extent to which MBCT influences clinical outcomes relative to baseline neural activation remains unknown. In the present study we investigated baseline differences in amygdala activation between TRD patients and healthy controls (HCs), related amygdala activation to depression symptoms, and examined the impacts of MBCT and amygdala activation on longitudinal depression outcomes. At baseline, TRD patients (n = 80) and HCs (n = 37) participated in a functional magnetic resonance imaging task in which they identified either the emotion (affect labeling) or the gender (gender labeling) of faces, or passively viewed faces (observing). The TRD participants then completed eight weeks of MBCT or a health enhancement program (HEP). Relative to HCs, the TRD patients demonstrated less amygdala activation during affect labeling, and marginally less during gender labeling. Blunted amygdala activation in TRD patients during affect labeling was associated with greater depression severity. MBCT was associated with greater depression reductions than was HEP directly following treatment; however, at 52 weeks the treatment effect was not significant, and baseline amygdala activation across the task conditions predicted depression severity in both groups. TRD patients have blunted amygdala responses during affect labeling that are associated with greater concurrent depression. Furthermore, although MBCT produced greater short-term improvements in depression than did HEP, overall baseline amygdala reactivity was predictive of long-term clinical outcomes in both groups.
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21
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Neumeister P, Feldker K, Heitmann CY, Buff C, Brinkmann L, Bruchmann M, Straube T. Specific amygdala response to masked fearful faces in post-traumatic stress relative to other anxiety disorders. Psychol Med 2018; 48:1209-1217. [PMID: 28950918 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291717002513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Altered amygdala activation to fear-related stimuli has been proposed to be a potential neural correlate of heightened threat sensitivity in anxiety- and stress-related disorders. However, the role of stimulus awareness and disorder specificity remains widely unclear. Here we investigated amygdala responses to conscious and unconscious fearful faces in patients suffering from panic disorder (PD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and in a large sample of healthy controls (HC). METHODS During event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging participants (n = 120; 20 PD, 20 GAD, 20 PTSD, 60 HC) were confronted with briefly presented fearful faces, neutral faces, and non-faces in a backward masking paradigm. The design allowed for the analysis of trial-by-trial face detection performance and amygdala responses to fearful v. neutral faces. RESULTS All participants exhibited increased amygdala activation to fearful v. neutral faces during conscious trials. Specifically during unconscious face processing, the PTSD, compared with all other groups, showed higher right basolateral (BLA) amygdala activity to fearful v. neutral faces. CONCLUSIONS The present study shows that BLA amygdala hyperactivity during unconscious, but not conscious, processing of fearful faces differentiates PTSD from the investigated disorders. This finding suggests an automatic and specific neural hyper-responsivity to general fear cues in PTSD and supports the idea of categorical differences between PTSD and other anxiety-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Neumeister
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience,University Hospital Muenster,Muenster,Germany
| | - K Feldker
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience,University Hospital Muenster,Muenster,Germany
| | - C Y Heitmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience,University Hospital Muenster,Muenster,Germany
| | - C Buff
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience,University Hospital Muenster,Muenster,Germany
| | - L Brinkmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience,University Hospital Muenster,Muenster,Germany
| | - M Bruchmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience,University Hospital Muenster,Muenster,Germany
| | - T Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience,University Hospital Muenster,Muenster,Germany
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22
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Maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy are associated with amygdala hyperresponsivity in children. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2018; 27:57-64. [PMID: 28667426 PMCID: PMC5799325 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-017-1015-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Depression during pregnancy is highly prevalent and has a multitude of potential risks of the offspring. Among confirmed consequences is a higher risk of psychopathology. However, it is unknown how maternal depression may impact the child's brain to mediate this vulnerability. Here we studied amygdala functioning, using task-based functional MRI, in children aged 6-9 years as a function of prenatal maternal depressive symptoms selected from a prospective population-based sample (The Generation R Study). We show that children exposed to clinically relevant maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy (N = 19) have increased amygdala responses to negative emotional faces compared to control children (N = 20) [F(1,36) 7.02, p = 0.022]. Strikingly, postnatal maternal depressive symptoms, obtained at 3 years after birth, did not explain this relation. Our findings are in line with a model in which prenatal depressive symptoms of the mother are associated with amygdala hyperresponsivity in her offspring, which may represent a risk factor for later-life psychopathology.
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23
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Cheremushkin EA, Petrenko NE, Yakovenko IA, Gordeev SA, Alipov NN, Sergeeva OV. Neurophysiological markers of high anxiety level in man during the process of preparing for a visual recognition. J Integr Neurosci 2017; 17:377-390. [PMID: 29154291 DOI: 10.3233/jin-170074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
By means of EEG analysis the functional state of subjects with high and low levels of anxiety was studied in different periods preceding a cognitive task - a visual expression recognition. Several conditions were investigated: background/eyes closed; background/eyes opened; listening the instruction for the cognitive task; operative rest (time lapse between listening the instruction and the beginning of the task), as well as short intervals immediately preceding the exposition of target stimuli (stage of preparation) - pairs of faces pictures with identical or different emotional expressions. At all these pre-task stages high-anxiety subjects exhibited much lower amplitude values in alpha and theta bands (as compared with low-anxiety subjects). The most prominent differences were revealed in the phases of instruction listening and operative rest. These data could provide more precise electrophysiological markers of anxiety level in conditions preceeding cognitive task performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniy A Cheremushkin
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nadezda E Petrenko
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Irina A Yakovenko
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergei A Gordeev
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikolay N Alipov
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga V Sergeeva
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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24
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Anxiety-related experience-dependent white matter structural differences in adolescence: A monozygotic twin difference approach. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8749. [PMID: 28821748 PMCID: PMC5562810 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08107-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety is linked to deficits in structural and functional connectivity between limbic structures and pre-frontal cortices. We employed a monozygotic (MZ) twin difference design to examine the relationship between structural characteristics of the uncinate fasciculus (UF) measured by Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and anxiety symptoms in a sample of N = 100 monozygotic (genetically identical), adolescent twins. The MZ difference design allowed us focus on environmental factors that vary within twin pairs while controlling for genetic and environmental factors shared by twin pairs. Twins aged 13-18 years reported on symptoms of generalized anxiety and social phobia prior to participating in a neuroimaging visit. Regions of interest from the JHU ICBM atlas, including uncinate fasciculus and sagittal stratum as a control tract, were registered to the study template. We incorporated multiple diffusion tensor measures to characterize the white matter differences. Within twin pairs, the more anxious twin exhibited decreased fractional anisotropy (t = -2.22, p = 0.032) and axial diffusivity (t = -2.38, p = 0.022) in the left UF compared to the less anxious twin, controlling for age and gender. This study demonstrated the feasibility and advantages of adopting the MZ twin design for DTI measures in neuroimaging research.
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25
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Mueller SC, Cromheeke S, Siugzdaite R, Nicolas Boehler C. Evidence for the triadic model of adolescent brain development: Cognitive load and task-relevance of emotion differentially affect adolescents and adults. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 26:91-100. [PMID: 28688343 PMCID: PMC6987860 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In adults, cognitive control is supported by several brain regions including the limbic system and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) when processing emotional information. However, in adolescents, some theories hypothesize a neurobiological imbalance proposing heightened sensitivity to affective material in the amygdala and striatum within a cognitive control context. Yet, direct neurobiological evidence is scarce. Twenty-four adolescents (12-16) and 28 adults (25-35) completed an emotional n-back working memory task in response to happy, angry, and neutral faces during fMRI. Importantly, participants either paid attention to the emotion (task-relevant condition) or judged the gender (task-irrelevant condition). Behaviorally, for both groups, when happy faces were task-relevant, performance improved relative to when they were task-irrelevant, while performance decrements were seen for angry faces. In the dlPFC, angry faces elicited more activation in adults during low relative to high cognitive load (2-back vs. 0-back). By contrast, happy faces elicited more activation in the amygdala in adolescents when they were task-relevant. Happy faces also generally increased nucleus accumbens activity (regardless of relevance) in adolescents relative to adults. Together, the findings are consistent with neurobiological models of adolescent brain development and identify neurodevelopmental differences in cognitive control emotion interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven C Mueller
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Sofie Cromheeke
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Roma Siugzdaite
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - C Nicolas Boehler
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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26
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Attwood AS, Easey KE, Dalili MN, Skinner AL, Woods A, Crick L, Ilett E, Penton-Voak IS, Munafò MR. State anxiety and emotional face recognition in healthy volunteers. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:160855. [PMID: 28572987 PMCID: PMC5451788 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
High trait anxiety has been associated with detriments in emotional face processing. By contrast, relatively little is known about the effects of state anxiety on emotional face processing. We investigated the effects of state anxiety on recognition of emotional expressions (anger, sadness, surprise, disgust, fear and happiness) experimentally, using the 7.5% carbon dioxide (CO2) model to induce state anxiety, and in a large observational study. The experimental studies indicated reduced global (rather than emotion-specific) emotion recognition accuracy and increased interpretation bias (a tendency to perceive anger over happiness) when state anxiety was heightened. The observational study confirmed that higher state anxiety is associated with poorer emotion recognition, and indicated that negative effects of trait anxiety are negated when controlling for state anxiety, suggesting a mediating effect of state anxiety. These findings may have implications for anxiety disorders, which are characterized by increased frequency, intensity or duration of state anxious episodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela S. Attwood
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Kayleigh E. Easey
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Michael N. Dalili
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Andrew L. Skinner
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Andy Woods
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Lana Crick
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Elizabeth Ilett
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Ian S. Penton-Voak
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marcus R. Munafò
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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27
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van den Bulk BG, Somerville LH, van Hoof MJ, van Lang NDJ, van der Wee NJA, Crone EA, Vermeiren RRJM. Amygdala habituation to emotional faces in adolescents with internalizing disorders, adolescents with childhood sexual abuse related PTSD and healthy adolescents. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2016; 21:15-25. [PMID: 27591712 PMCID: PMC6987649 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2016] [Revised: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A study investigating habituation patterns in the amygdala. Compares adolescents with internalizing disorders and adolescents with CSA-related PTSD. Initial heightened response and fast habituation in amygdala for the PTSD group. No habituation of amygdala response in the internalizing group. Possible difference in underlying neurobiological mechanisms for emotional face processing.
Adolescents with internalizing disorders and adolescents with childhood sexual abuse related post-traumatic stress disorder (CSA-related PTSD) show a large overlap in symptomatology. In addition, brain research indicated hyper-responsiveness and sustained activation instead of habituation of amygdala activation to emotional faces in both groups. Little is known, however, about whether the same patterns of amygdala habituation are present in these two groups. The current study examined habituation patterns of amygdala activity to emotional faces (fearful, happy and neutral) in adolescents with a DSM-IV depressive and/or anxiety disorder (N = 25), adolescents with CSA-related PTSD (N = 19) and healthy controls (N = 26). Behaviourally, the adolescents from the internalizing and CSA-related PTSD group reported more anxiety to fearful and neutral faces than adolescents from the control group and adolescents from the CSA-related PTSD group reacted slower compared to the internalizing group. At the whole brain level, there was a significant interaction between time and group within the left amygdala. Follow-up ROI analysis showed elevated initial activity in the amygdala and rapid habituation in the CSA-related PTSD group compared to the internalizing group. These findings suggest that habituation patterns of amygdala activation provide additional information on problems with emotional face processing. Furthermore, the results suggest there are differences in the underlying neurobiological mechanisms related to emotional face processing for adolescents with internalizing disorders and adolescents with CSA-related PTSD. Possibly CSA-related PTSD is characterized by a stronger primary emotional response driven by the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca G van den Bulk
- Curium-LUMC, Department of Child Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Centre, P.O. box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Department of Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, P.O. box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, the Netherlands; Institute of Psychology, Brain and Development Lab, Leiden University, P.O. box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Centre, P.O. box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Leah H Somerville
- Department of Psychology, Affective Neuroscience and Development Lab, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Marie-José van Hoof
- Curium-LUMC, Department of Child Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Centre, P.O. box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Centre, P.O. box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands; GGZ Rivierduinen, Psychotraumacenter and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, P.O. box 2211, 2301 CE Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Natasja D J van Lang
- Curium-LUMC, Department of Child Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Centre, P.O. box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Centre, P.O. box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nic J A van der Wee
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Centre, P.O. box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Centre. P.O. box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Institute of Psychology, Brain and Development Lab, Leiden University, P.O. box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Centre, P.O. box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Robert R J M Vermeiren
- Curium-LUMC, Department of Child Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Centre, P.O. box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Centre, P.O. box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Child Psychiatry, VU University Medical Centre, P.O. box 303, 1115 ZG Duivendrecht, the Netherlands
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28
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Shackman AJ, Stockbridge MD, Tillman RM, Kaplan CM, Tromp DPM, Fox AS, Gamer M. The neurobiology of dispositional negativity and attentional biases to threat: Implications for understanding anxiety disorders in adults and youth. J Exp Psychopathol 2016; 7:311-342. [PMID: 27917284 PMCID: PMC5130287 DOI: 10.5127/jep.054015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
When extreme, anxiety can become debilitating. Anxiety disorders, which often first emerge early in development, are common and challenging to treat, yet the neurocognitive mechanisms that confer increased risk have only recently begun to come into focus. Here we review recent work highlighting the importance of neural circuits centered on the amygdala. We begin by describing dispositional negativity, a core dimension of childhood temperament and adult personality and an important risk factor for the development of anxiety disorders and other kinds of stress-sensitive psychopathology. Converging lines of epidemiological, neurophysiological, and mechanistic evidence indicate that the amygdala supports stable individual differences in dispositional negativity across the lifespan and contributes to the etiology of anxiety disorders in adults and youth. Hyper-vigilance and attentional biases to threat are prominent features of the anxious phenotype and there is growing evidence that they contribute to the development of psychopathology. Anatomical studies show that the amygdala is a hub, poised to govern attention to threat via projections to sensory cortex and ascending neuromodulatory systems. Imaging and lesion studies demonstrate that the amygdala plays a key role in selecting and prioritizing the processing of threat-related cues. Collectively, these observations provide a neurobiologically-grounded framework for understanding the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders in adults and youth and set the stage for developing improved intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. Shackman
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
- Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Melissa D. Stockbridge
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Rachael M. Tillman
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Claire M. Kaplan
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Do P. M. Tromp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53719 USA
- HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53719 USA
- Lane Neuroimaging Laboratory, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53719 USA
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53719 USA
| | - Andrew S. Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Matthias Gamer
- Department of Psychology, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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29
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Habib M, Cassotti M, Moutier S, Houdé O, Borst G. Fear and anger have opposite effects on risk seeking in the gain frame. Front Psychol 2015; 6:253. [PMID: 25806015 PMCID: PMC4354239 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotions strongly influence our decisions, particularly those made under risk. A classic example of the effect of emotion on decision making under risk is the “framing effect,” which involves predictable shifts in preferences when the same problem is formulated in different ways. According to dual process theories, this bias could stem from an affective heuristic belonging to an intuitive type of reasoning. In this study, we examined whether specific incidental negative emotions (i.e., fear and anger) influence framing susceptibility and risk-taking identically. In each trial, participants received an initial amount of money, and pictures of angry or fearful faces were presented to them. Finally, participants chose between a sure option and a gamble option of equally expected value in a gain or loss frame. Risk-taking was modulated by emotional context: fear and anger influenced risk-taking specifically in the gain frame and had opposite effects. Fear increased risk-averse choices, whereas anger decreased risk-averse choices, leading to a suppression of the framing effect. These results confirm that emotions play a key role in framing susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Habib
- Paragraph Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Paris 8 University, Paris Lumières University , Paris, France ; CNRS Unit 8240, Laboratory for the Psychology of Child Development and Education, Department of Psychology, Paris Descartes University - Sorbonne Paris Cité, and Caen University , Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Cassotti
- CNRS Unit 8240, Laboratory for the Psychology of Child Development and Education, Department of Psychology, Paris Descartes University - Sorbonne Paris Cité, and Caen University , Paris, France ; Institut Universitaire de France , Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Moutier
- Laboratoire de Psychopathologie et Processus de Santé, Department of Psychology, Paris Descartes University , Paris, France
| | - Olivier Houdé
- CNRS Unit 8240, Laboratory for the Psychology of Child Development and Education, Department of Psychology, Paris Descartes University - Sorbonne Paris Cité, and Caen University , Paris, France ; Institut Universitaire de France , Paris, France
| | - Grégoire Borst
- CNRS Unit 8240, Laboratory for the Psychology of Child Development and Education, Department of Psychology, Paris Descartes University - Sorbonne Paris Cité, and Caen University , Paris, France
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30
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Hamm LL, Jacobs RH, Johnson MW, Fitzgerald DA, Fitzgerald KD, Langenecker SA, Monk CS, Phan KL. Aberrant amygdala functional connectivity at rest in pediatric anxiety disorders. BIOLOGY OF MOOD & ANXIETY DISORDERS 2014; 4:15. [PMID: 25530842 PMCID: PMC4272798 DOI: 10.1186/s13587-014-0015-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 11/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood onset of anxiety disorders is associated with greater functional impairment and burden across the lifespan. Recent work suggests that generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by dysfunctional connectivity in amygdala-based circuits at rest in adolescents, consistent with adults. However, neural mechanisms underlying a broad spectrum of often-comorbid anxiety disorders in children remains unclear and understudied. The current study examines amygdala functional connectivity at rest in children and adolescents across comorbid anxiety disorders (ADs) including youth with primary diagnoses of GAD and social phobia (SP). RESULTS Compared with healthy controls (HCs), AD youth exhibited hyperconnectivity between the right amygdala and the insula and hypoconnectivity between the left amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Within the AD group, connectivity was not correlated with anxiety severity and only the amygdala-PCC connectivity was positively correlated with age. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that youth with comorbid ADs demonstrate aberrant connectivity in the anterior limbic network (ALN) as well as the PCC at rest. This extends upon previous work suggesting alterations in amygdala circuits underlying fear learning, emotion regulation, and the processing of interoceptive states. Presence of these findings within this young, comorbid sample points to underlying common mechanisms across ADs and illuminates future targets for prevention and intervention in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa L Hamm
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 W. Roosevelt Road, IJR/WROB Rm. 244, Chicago, IL 60608 USA
| | - Rachel H Jacobs
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 W. Roosevelt Road, IJR/WROB Rm. 244, Chicago, IL 60608 USA
| | - Meghan W Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 W. Roosevelt Road, IJR/WROB Rm. 244, Chicago, IL 60608 USA
| | - Daniel A Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 W. Roosevelt Road, IJR/WROB Rm. 244, Chicago, IL 60608 USA
| | - Kate D Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
| | - Scott A Langenecker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 W. Roosevelt Road, IJR/WROB Rm. 244, Chicago, IL 60608 USA
| | - Christopher S Monk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan USA ; Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
| | - K Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 W. Roosevelt Road, IJR/WROB Rm. 244, Chicago, IL 60608 USA ; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan USA ; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois USA ; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois USA
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