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Wu Q, Xu L, Wan J, Yu Z, Lei Y. Intolerance of uncertainty affects the behavioral and neural mechanisms of higher generalization. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae153. [PMID: 38615238 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is associated with several anxiety disorders. In this study, we employed rewards and losses as unconditioned positive and negative stimuli, respectively, to explore the effects of an individual's IU level on positive and negative generalizations using magnetic resonance imaging technology. Following instrumental learning, 48 participants (24 high IU; 24 low IU) were invited to complete positive and negative generalization tasks; their behavioral responses and neural activities were recorded by functional magnetic resonance imaging. The behavior results demonstrated that participants with high IUs exhibited higher generalizations to both positive and negative cues as compared with participants having low IUs. Neuroimaging results demonstrated that they exhibited higher activation levels in the right anterior insula and the default mode network (i.e. precuneus and posterior cingulate gyrus), as well as related reward circuits (i.e. caudate and right putamen). Therefore, higher generalization scores and the related abnormal brain activation may be key markers of IU as a vulnerability factor for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wu
- Institute for Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Institute for Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, China
| | - Jiaming Wan
- Institute for Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, China
| | - Zhang Yu
- Institute for Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, China
| | - Yi Lei
- Institute for Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, China
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2
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Ahn S, Lee SH, Lee KS. Impact of Intolerance of Uncertainty on Brain Structural Changes in Panic Disorder. Psychiatry Investig 2023; 20:1069-1076. [PMID: 37997335 PMCID: PMC10678144 DOI: 10.30773/pi.2023.0181] [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] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study investigated the impact of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) on structural changes in the brain and symptom severity in patients with panic disorder. METHODS This study included 90 participants diagnosed with panic disorder. The IU Scale, Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), Self-Forgiveness Scale (SFS), and Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF) were used. A voxel-wise correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the structural differences in the gray matter. RESULTS As IU increased, the cortical thickness of the right lingual gyrus decreased significantly, while the gray matter volume of the right pars triangularis increased. The cortical thickness of the right lingual gyrus showed a significant negative correlation with the BDI-II score and a positive correlation with the SFS. Additionally, the gray matter volume of the right pars triangularis was positively correlated with the PDSS, PSWQ, and BDI-II scores and negatively correlated with the mental health domain of the SF. CONCLUSION According to our findings, elevated IU in participants with panic disorder was associated with cortical thinning in the lingual gyrus and increased gray matter volume in the pars triangularis. These structural alterations may also have an impact on perceived quality of life, as well as high levels of depression and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungjun Ahn
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Hyuk Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Kang Soo Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
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Picard F. Ecstatic or Mystical Experience through Epilepsy. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35:1372-1381. [PMID: 37432752 PMCID: PMC10513764 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Ecstatic epilepsy is a rare form of focal epilepsy, so named because the seizures' first symptoms consist of an ecstatic/mystical experience, including feelings of increased self-awareness, mental clarity, and "unity with everything that exists," accompanied by a sense of bliss and physical well-being. In this perspective article, we first describe the phenomenology of ecstatic seizures, address their historical context, and describe the primary brain structure involved in the genesis of these peculiar epileptic seizures, the anterior insula. In the second part of the article, we move onto the possible neurocognitive underpinnings of ecstatic seizures. We first remind the reader of the insula's role in interoceptive processing and consciously experienced feelings, contextualized by the theory of predictive coding. This leads us to hypothesize that temporary disruptions to activity in the anterior insula could interrupt the generation of interoceptive prediction errors, and cause one to experience the absence of uncertainty, and thereby, a sense of bliss. The absence of interoceptive prediction errors would in fact mimic perfect prediction of the body's physiological state. This sudden clarity of bodily perception could explain the ecstatic quality of the experience, as the interoceptive system forms the basis for unified conscious experience. Our alternative hypothesis is that the anterior insula plays an overarching role in the processing of surprise and that the dysfunction caused by the epileptic discharge could interrupt any surprise exceeding expectations, resulting in a sense of complete control and oneness with the environment.
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Yang Y, Gorka SM, Pennell ML, Weinhold K, Orchard T. Intolerance of Uncertainty and Cognition in Breast Cancer Survivors: The Mediating Role of Anxiety. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3105. [PMID: 37370715 PMCID: PMC10296605 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15123105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is one of the most prevalent symptoms that breast cancer survivors experience. While cancer treatments are established contributors to CRCI, inter-individual differences in CRCI are not well understood. Individual differences in sensitivity to uncertainty are potential contributors to CRCI; however, no prior studies have attempted to examine this link in the context of breast cancer. To address the gap, we used preliminary findings from an ongoing cross-sectional study. A total of 38 women with stage I-III breast cancer (1-4 years post-treatment) were included in this study. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) was assessed using the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale. Self-reported cognitive function was assessed with the Neuro-QoL questionnaire. Anxiety was assessed using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement System Bank. From this study, we found that anxiety mediates the association between IU and cognitive function of survivors. In other words, among post-menopausal breast cancer survivors, those with higher IU showed higher anxiety and consequently had lower cognitive function. This finding suggests that assessing IU may help predict the risk of CRCI. This study expands the current knowledge that addresses the importance of IU as a factor associated with cognitive health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesol Yang
- Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-James, 406 W 10th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Stephanie M. Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 370 W 9th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, 460 Medical Center Drive, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Michael L. Pennell
- Division of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 1841 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Kellie Weinhold
- Human Nutrition Program, Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Tonya Orchard
- Human Nutrition Program, Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
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Gorka SM, Manzler CA, Jones EE, Smith RJ, Bryan CJ. Reward-related neural dysfunction in youth with a history of suicidal ideation: The importance of temporal predictability. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 158:20-26. [PMID: 36549196 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.11.036] [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: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal reward processing is an important yet understudied risk factor for suicide. Recent neuroimaging studies have found that suicidality is associated with abnormal reward-related neural reactivity and connectivity across a wide range of brain regions and circuits. The varying, and oftentimes discrepant, findings have hindered progress in elucidating the neurobiological link between reward processing dysfunction and suicide risk. Some of this variability is likely related to different reward-related paradigms that are utilized across studies. The primary aim of the current study was to address these issues by comparing neural reactivity between youth with and without a history of suicidal ideation during direct manipulation of reward parameters. A total of 108 unmedicated youth, ages 17-19, were classified into two groups: 1) history of suicidal ideation (n = 39) and 2) no history of suicidal ideation (n = 69). All participants completed a novel reward anticipation task probing anticipation of predictable (P-reward) and unpredictable (U-reward) monetary reward. Results revealed that compared with controls, youth with a history of suicidal ideation exhibited increased neural activation in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and right anterior insula (aINS) during anticipation of U-reward. There were no group differences during anticipation of P-reward. These findings suggest that propensity for suicidal ideation may be related to specific abnormalities during anticipation of U-reward, but not P-reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 370 W. 9th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA; Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, 460 Medical Center Drive, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| | - Charles A Manzler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 370 W. 9th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA; Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, 460 Medical Center Drive, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Emily E Jones
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 370 W. 9th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA; Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, 460 Medical Center Drive, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Reid J Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 370 W. 9th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA; Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, 460 Medical Center Drive, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Craig J Bryan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 370 W. 9th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
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Wiese AD, Lim SL, Filion DL, Kang SS. Intolerance of uncertainty and neural measures of anticipation and reactivity for affective stimuli. Int J Psychophysiol 2023; 183:138-147. [PMID: 36423712 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a transdiagnostic construct referring to the aversive interpretation of contexts characterized by uncertainty. Indeed, there is a growing body of research examining individual differences in IU and how these are associated with emotional anticipation and reactivity during periods of certainty and uncertainty, however, how these associations are reflected via neurophysiological indices remain understudied and poorly understood. The present study examined the relationship between self-reported IU and neurophysiological measures of emotional anticipation and reactivity, namely stimulus preceding negativity (SPN) and late positive potential (LPP), and self-report measures of emotional experiences. These measures were captured during an S1-S2 picture viewing tasks in which participants were presented with cues (S1) that either indicated the affective valence of upcoming picture (S2) or provided no information about the valence. Findings here provide evidence for significant associations between SPN amplitude and IU scores during uncertain and certain-positive cueing conditions, and significant associations between LPP amplitude and IU scores during both certain- and uncertain-negative picture viewing conditions that appear driven by prospective IU sub-scores. These positive associations between IU and SPN amplitude are suggestive of heightened emotional anticipation following S1 cues, while positive associations between IU and LPP are suggestive of heightened emotional reactivity following S2 images. These findings are discussed in detail relative to existing IU literature, and potential implications of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Wiese
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States of America
| | - Seung-Lark Lim
- Department of Psychology, University of Missouri - Kansas City, United States of America
| | - Diane L Filion
- Department of Psychology, University of Missouri - Kansas City, United States of America
| | - Seung Suk Kang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri - Kansas City, United States of America.
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Radoman M, Gorka SM. Intolerance of uncertainty and functional connectivity of the anterior insula during anticipation of unpredictable reward. Int J Psychophysiol 2023; 183:1-8. [PMID: 36122824 PMCID: PMC11062179 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with high intolerance of uncertainty (IU) tend to display maladaptive cognitive, behavioral, physiological, and/or neural responses during anticipation of uncertain or ambiguous outcomes, both positive and negative in valence. Importantly, high IU has been proposed as a key transdiagnostic phenotypic risk factor for the onset and maintenance of several psychiatric disorders. Within the context of reward processing, high IU has been related to dysfunctional reward anticipation, which may be mediated by hyperactive anterior insula (AIC) response to uncertainty. The present study further investigated the relationship between the AIC and IU by examining the association between individual differences in IU and task-based functional connectivity of the right AIC using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants (N = 171) completed a self-report measure of IU and a reward anticipation task during fMRI. Generalized psychophysiological interaction (gPPI) analyses were performed with a seed in the right AIC. In the U-threat model, we found that greater self-reported levels of IU were correlated with increased functional connectivity between the right AIC and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). In the P-threat model, we did not find these associations, perhaps indicating that they may be more robust during uncertainty. These preliminary findings suggest that parts of salience and central executive control networks may be impacted by and underlie the expression of IU. Future studies should examine the generalizability of these findings to clinical populations and investigate how disruption of these functional networks may contribute to psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Radoman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 S Wood Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; The Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 S Wood Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
| | - Stephanie M Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ohio State University, 1670 Upham Drive, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
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8
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Morriss J, Goh K, Hirsch CR, Dodd HF. Intolerance of uncertainty heightens negative emotional states and dampens positive emotional states. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1147970. [PMID: 37032949 PMCID: PMC10073686 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1147970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals high in self-reported Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) tend to view uncertainty as unbearable and stressful. Notably, IU is transdiagnostic, and high levels of IU are observed across many different emotional disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression). Research has primarily focused on how IU evokes and modulates emotional states such as fear and anxiety. However, recent research suggests that IU may have relevance for a broader range of emotional states. Here, an online survey was conducted to examine whether IU evokes and modulates a range of negative (e.g., fear/anxiety, sadness/upset, anger/frustration, disgust) and positive (e.g., happiness/joy, excitement/enthusiasm, surprise/interest) emotional states. Findings within a community sample (n = 231) revealed that individuals with higher levels of IU report: (1) that uncertainty in general and uncertainty under ambiguity are more likely to evoke negative emotional states and less likely to evoke positive emotional states, (2) that uncertainty under risk is less likely to evoke positive emotional states, and (3) that uncertainty heightens existing negative emotional states and dampens existing positive emotional states. Importantly, these IU-related findings remained when controlling for current experiences of general distress, anxious arousal, and anhedonic depression. Taken together, these findings suggest that IU is involved in evoking and modulating a wide array of emotional phenomena, which likely has relevance for transdiagnostic models and treatment plans for emotional disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Morriss
- Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Jayne Morriss,
| | - Kimberly Goh
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Colette R. Hirsch
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Helen F. Dodd
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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9
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Cui L, Ye M, Sun L, Zhang S, He G. Common and Distinct Neural Correlates of Intertemporal and Risky Decision-Making: Meta-Analytical Evidence for the Dual-System Theory. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 141:104851. [PMID: 36058404 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between intertemporal and risky decision-making has received considerable attention in decision research. Single-process theories suggest that choices involving delay and risk are simply two manifestations of the same psychological mechanism, which implies similar patterns of neural activation. Conversely, the dual-system theory suggests that delayed and risky choices are two contrasting types of processes, which implies distinct brain networks. How these two types of choices relate to each other remains unclear. The current study addressed this issue by performing a meta-analysis of 28 intertemporal decision-making studies (862 subjects) and 51 risky decision-making studies (1539 subjects). We found no common area activated in the conjunction analysis of the delayed and risky rewards. Based on the contrast analysis, delayed rewards were associated with stronger activation in the left dorsal insula, while risky rewards were associated with activation in the bilateral ventral striatum and the right anterior insula. The results align with the dual-system theory with separate neural networks for delayed and risky rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidan Cui
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China; College of Computer Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Meng Ye
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
| | - Lingyun Sun
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Shunmin Zhang
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China.
| | - Guibing He
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China.
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Klein S, Kruse O, Tapia León I, Van Oudenhove L, van 't Hof SR, Klucken T, Wager TD, Stark R. Cross-paradigm integration shows a common neural basis for aversive and appetitive conditioning. Neuroimage 2022; 263:119594. [PMID: 36041642 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119594] [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: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Sharing imaging data and comparing them across different psychological tasks is becoming increasingly possible as the open science movement advances. Such cross-paradigm integration has the potential to identify commonalities in findings that neighboring areas of study thought to be paradigm-specific. However, even the integration of research from closely related paradigms, such as aversive and appetitive classical conditioning is rare - even though qualitative comparisons already hint at how similar the 'fear network' and 'reward network' may be. We aimed to validate these theories by taking a multivariate approach to assess commonalities across paradigms empirically. Specifically, we quantified the similarity of an aversive conditioning pattern derived from meta-analysis to appetitive conditioning fMRI data. We tested pattern expression in three independent appetitive conditioning studies with 29, 76 and 38 participants each. During fMRI scanning, participants in each cohorts performed an appetitive conditioning task in which a CS+ was repeatedly rewarded with money and a CS- was never rewarded. The aversive pattern was highly similar to appetitive CS+ > CS- contrast maps across samples and variations of the appetitive conditioning paradigms. Moreover, the pattern distinguished the CS+ from the CS- with above-chance accuracy in every sample. These findings provide robust empirical evidence for an underlying neural system common to appetitive and aversive learning. We believe that this approach provides a way to empirically integrate the steadily growing body of fMRI findings across paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanja Klein
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University, Giessen 35394, Germany; Bender Institute for Neuroimaging (BION), Justus Liebig University, Giessen 35394, Germany; Center of Mind, Brain and Behavior, Universities of Marburg and Giessen, Marburg 35032, Germany.
| | - Onno Kruse
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University, Giessen 35394, Germany; Bender Institute for Neuroimaging (BION), Justus Liebig University, Giessen 35394, Germany
| | - Isabell Tapia León
- Bender Institute for Neuroimaging (BION), Justus Liebig University, Giessen 35394, Germany; Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University Siegen, Siegen 57076, Germany
| | - Lukas Van Oudenhove
- Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), Laboratory for Brain-Gut Axis Studies (LaBGAS), Translational Research Centre for Gastrointestinal Disorders TARGID, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Sophie R van 't Hof
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Tim Klucken
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University Siegen, Siegen 57076, Germany
| | - Tor D Wager
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Rudolf Stark
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University, Giessen 35394, Germany; Bender Institute for Neuroimaging (BION), Justus Liebig University, Giessen 35394, Germany; Center of Mind, Brain and Behavior, Universities of Marburg and Giessen, Marburg 35032, Germany
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11
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Letkiewicz AM, Cochran AL, Mittal VA, Walther S, Shankman SA. Reward-based reinforcement learning is altered among individuals with a history of major depressive disorder and psychomotor retardation symptoms. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 152:175-181. [PMID: 35738160 PMCID: PMC10185002 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Reward-based reinforcement learning impairments are common in major depressive disorder, but it is unclear which aspects of reward-based reinforcement learning are disrupted in remitted major depression (rMDD). Given that the neurobiological substrates that implement reward-based RL are also strongly implicated in psychomotor retardation (PmR), the present study sought to test whether reward-based reinforcement learning is altered in rMDD individuals with a history of PmR. Three groups of individuals (1) rMDD with past PmR (PmR+, N = 34), (2) rMDD without past PmR (PmR-, N = 44), and (3) healthy controls (N = 90) completed a reward-based reinforcement learning task. Computational modeling was applied to test for group differences in model-derived parameters - specifically, learning rates and reward sensitivity. Compared to controls, rMDD PmR + exhibited lower learning rates, but not reduced reward sensitivity. By contrast, rMDD PmR- did not significantly differ from controls on either of the model-derived parameters. Follow-up analyses indicated that the results were not due to current psychopathology symptoms. Results indicate that a history of PmR predicts altered reward-based reinforcement learning in rMDD. Abnormal reward-related reinforcement learning may reflect a scar of past depressive episodes that contained psychomotor symptoms, or a trait-like deficit that preceded these episodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Letkiewicz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Amy L Cochran
- Department of Mathematics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Vijay A Mittal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Sebastian Walther
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stewart A Shankman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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Beatty CC, Ferry RA, Nelson BD. Intolerance of uncertainty and psychophysiological reactivity in anticipation of unpredictable threat in youth. Int J Psychophysiol 2022; 179:110-118. [PMID: 35787438 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.06.017] [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: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a key transdiagnostic feature of internalizing psychopathology. An increasing body of research suggests that IU is associated with increased psychophysiological reactivity in anticipation of unpredictable threat. However, most studies examining the psychophysiological correlates of IU have been conducted in adults. There is a critical need to understand the relationship between IU and psychophysiological reactivity in anticipation of unpredictable threat during adolescence, a key developmental period associated with increased exploration of situations with uncertain outcomes. Thus, the present study examined the association between (1) youth IU and (2) parental IU (as an indicator of risk) in relation to youth defensive motivation (startle reflex) and attention (startle probe N100 and P300) in anticipation of unpredictable threat. METHODS The sample included 193 13 to 22-year-old (M = 17.33, SD = 1.97) females and a biological parent. Participants and their parent completed a self-report measure of prospective and inhibitory IU. Youth startle potentiation, probe N100 enhancement, and probe P300 suppression (indicating increased attention to threat) were measured in anticipation of predictable and unpredictable threat. RESULTS Youth prospective IU and inhibitory IU were not related to youth psychophysiological reactivity to predictable or unpredictable threat. Greater parental prospective IU was associated with greater youth startle potentiation and probe N100 enhancement in anticipation of unpredictable threat. CONCLUSION The present study suggests that parental IU, but not concurrent IU, is associated with heightened defensive motivation and attentional engagement in anticipation of unpredictable threat in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare C Beatty
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, United States of America.
| | - Rachel A Ferry
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, United States of America
| | - Brady D Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, United States of America
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13
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Brewer R, Murphy J, Bird G. Atypical interoception as a common risk factor for psychopathology: A review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:470-508. [PMID: 34358578 PMCID: PMC8522807 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The inadequacy of a categorial approach to mental health diagnosis is now well-recognised, with many authors, diagnostic manuals and funding bodies advocating a dimensional, trans-diagnostic approach to mental health research. Variance in interoception, the ability to perceive one's internal bodily state, is reported across diagnostic boundaries, and is associated with atypical functioning across symptom categories. Drawing on behavioural and neuroscientific evidence, we outline current research on the contribution of interoception to numerous cognitive and affective abilities (in both typical and clinical populations), and describe the interoceptive atypicalities seen in a range of psychiatric conditions. We discuss the role that interoception may play in the development and maintenance of psychopathology, as well as the ways in which interoception may differ across clinical presentations. A number of important areas for further research on the role of interoception in psychopathology are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Brewer
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Murphy
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom.
| | - Geoffrey Bird
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
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14
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Picard F, Bossaerts P, Bartolomei F. Epilepsy and Ecstatic Experiences: The Role of the Insula. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11111384. [PMID: 34827383 PMCID: PMC8615543 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecstatic epilepsy is a rare form of focal epilepsy in which the aura (beginning of the seizures) consists of a blissful state of mental clarity/feeling of certainty. Such a state has also been described as a “religious” or mystical experience. While this form of epilepsy has long been recognized as a temporal lobe epilepsy, we have accumulated evidence converging toward the location of the symptomatogenic zone in the dorsal anterior insula during the 10 last years. The neurocognitive hypothesis for the genesis of a mental clarity is the suppression of the interoceptive prediction errors and of the unexpected surprise associated with any incoming internal or external signal, usually processed by the dorsal anterior insula. This mimics a perfect prediction of the world and induces a feeling of certainty. The ecstatic epilepsy is thus an amazing model for the role of anterior insula in uncertainty and surprise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabienne Picard
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospitals and Medical School of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +41-22-37-25-258
| | - Peter Bossaerts
- Department of Finance, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia;
- Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 9DD, UK
| | - Fabrice Bartolomei
- Clinical Neurophysiology and Epileptology Department, Timone Hospitals, 13360 Marseille, France;
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15
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Kumar S, Saini R, Jain R, Sakshi. Confirmatory factor analysis of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (short form) in India. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/00207411.2021.1969321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Kumar
- Department of Psychology, D.A.V. College, Muzaffarnagar, UP, India
| | - Reena Saini
- Department of Psychology, D.A.V. College, Muzaffarnagar, UP, India
| | - Ranjeeta Jain
- Department of Psychology, D.A.V. College, Muzaffarnagar, UP, India
| | - Sakshi
- Department of Psychology, D.A.V. College, Muzaffarnagar, UP, India
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16
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Radoman M, Lieberman L, Jimmy J, Gorka SM. Shared and unique neural circuitry underlying temporally unpredictable threat and reward processing. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:370-382. [PMID: 33449089 PMCID: PMC7990065 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporally unpredictable stimuli influence behavior across species, as previously demonstrated for sequences of simple threats and rewards with fixed or variable onset. Neuroimaging studies have identified a specific frontolimbic circuit that may become engaged during the anticipation of temporally unpredictable threat (U-threat). However, the neural mechanisms underlying processing of temporally unpredictable reward (U-reward) are incompletely understood. It is also unclear whether these processes are mediated by overlapping or distinct neural systems. These knowledge gaps are noteworthy given that disruptions within these neural systems may lead to maladaptive response to uncertainty. Here, using functional magnetic resonance imaging data from a sample of 159 young adults, we showed that anticipation of both U-threat and U-reward elicited activation in the right anterior insula, right ventral anterior nucleus of the thalamus and right inferior frontal gyrus. U-threat also activated the right posterior insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, relative to U-reward. In contrast, U-reward elicited activation in the right fusiform and left middle occipital gyrus, relative to U-threat. Although there is some overlap in the neural circuitry underlying anticipation of U-threat and U-reward, these processes appear to be largely mediated by distinct circuits. Future studies are needed to corroborate and extend these preliminary findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Radoman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Lynne Lieberman
- Road Home Program, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Jagan Jimmy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Stephanie M Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
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17
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Better the devil you know than the devil you don't: Neural processing of risk and ambiguity. Neuroimage 2021; 236:118109. [PMID: 33940147 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Risk and ambiguity are inherent in virtually all human decision-making. Risk refers to a situation in which we know the precise probability of potential outcomes of each option, whereas ambiguity refers to a situation in which outcome probabilities are not known. A large body of research has shown that individuals prefer known risks to ambiguity, a phenomenon known as ambiguity aversion. One heated debate concerns whether risky and ambiguous decisions rely on the same or distinct neural circuits. In the current meta-analyses, we integrated the results of neuroimaging research on decision-making under risk (n = 69) and ambiguity (n = 31). Our results showed that both processing of risk and ambiguity showed convergence in anterior insula, indicating a key role of anterior insula in encoding uncertainty. Risk additionally engaged dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and ventral striatum, whereas ambiguity specifically recruited the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), inferior parietal lobe (IPL) and right anterior insula. Our findings demonstrate overlapping and distinct neural substrates underlying different types of uncertainty, guiding future neuroimaging research on risk-taking and ambiguity aversion.
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18
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Morriss J, Biagi N, Lonsdorf TB, Andreatta M. The role of intolerance of uncertainty in the acquisition and extinction of reward. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:3063-3071. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Morriss
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences University of Reading Reading UK
| | - Nicolo Biagi
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences University of Reading Reading UK
| | - Tina B. Lonsdorf
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience University Medical Center Hamburg‐Eppendorf Hamburg Germany
| | - Marta Andreatta
- Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies Erasmus University Rotterdam Rotterdam The Netherlands
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19
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Martins D, Rademacher L, Gabay AS, Taylor R, Richey JA, Smith DV, Goerlich KS, Nawijn L, Cremers HR, Wilson R, Bhattacharyya S, Paloyelis Y. Mapping social reward and punishment processing in the human brain: A voxel-based meta-analysis of neuroimaging findings using the social incentive delay task. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 122:1-17. [PMID: 33421544 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Social rewards or punishments motivate human learning and behaviour, and alterations in the brain circuits involved in the processing of these stimuli have been linked with several neuropsychiatric disorders. However, questions still remain about the exact neural substrates implicated in social reward and punishment processing. Here, we conducted four Anisotropic Effect Size Signed Differential Mapping voxel-based meta-analyses of fMRI studies investigating the neural correlates of the anticipation and receipt of social rewards and punishments using the Social Incentive Delay task. We found that the anticipation of both social rewards and social punishment avoidance recruits a wide network of areas including the basal ganglia, the midbrain, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, the supplementary motor area, the anterior insula, the occipital gyrus and other frontal, temporal, parietal and cerebellar regions not captured in previous coordinate-based meta-analysis. We identified decreases in the BOLD signal during the anticipation of both social reward and punishment avoidance in regions of the default-mode network that were missed in individual studies likely due to a lack of power. Receipt of social rewards engaged a robust network of brain regions including the ventromedial frontal and orbitofrontal cortices, the anterior cingulate cortex, the amygdala, the hippocampus, the occipital cortex and the brainstem, but not the basal ganglia. Receipt of social punishments increased the BOLD signal in the orbitofrontal cortex, superior and inferior frontal gyri, lateral occipital cortex and the insula. In contrast to the receipt of social rewards, we also observed a decrease in the BOLD signal in the basal ganglia in response to the receipt of social punishments. Our results provide a better understanding of the brain circuitry involved in the processing of social rewards and punishment. Furthermore, they can inform hypotheses regarding brain areas where disruption in activity may be associated with dysfunctional social incentive processing during disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Martins
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
| | - L Rademacher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Germany and Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - A S Gabay
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, New Radcliffe House, Oxford, OX2 6NW, UK
| | - R Taylor
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - J A Richey
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, USA
| | - D V Smith
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - K S Goerlich
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Cognitive Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - L Nawijn
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - H R Cremers
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - R Wilson
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, United Kingdom
| | - S Bhattacharyya
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, United Kingdom
| | - Y Paloyelis
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
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20
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van Elburg A, Danner UN, Sternheim LC, Lammers M, Elzakkers I. Mental Capacity, Decision-Making and Emotion Dysregulation in Severe Enduring Anorexia Nervosa. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:545317. [PMID: 33776810 PMCID: PMC7991306 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.545317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa (SE-AN) is a chronic eating disorder characterized by long-term starvation and its physical and psychological sequelae, and severe loss of quality of life. Interactions between neurobiological changes caused by starvation, vulnerability (personality) traits, and eating behaviors play a role. Several other factors, such as increased fear and decreased social cognition, have also been found in relation to SE-AN. With this in mind, we aim to add to the understanding of SE-AN by introducing the concept of mental capacity (MC), which refers to the ability to understand and process information-both on a cognitive and an emotional level-and then make a well-informed choice. MC may be an important construct within the context of SE-AN. Furthermore, we will argue how impaired decision-making processes may underlie, fuel, or contribute to limited MC in SE-AN. We will speculate on the importance of dysfunctional emotion processing and anxiety-related processes (e.g., a high intolerance of uncertainty) and their potential interaction with decision-making. Lastly, we will propose how these aspects, which to our knowledge have previously received little attention, may advise research and treatment or help in dealing with the "want but cannot" situation of life-threatening AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemarie van Elburg
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Rintveld Center for Eating Disorders, Altrecht Mental Health Institute, Zeist, Netherlands
| | - Unna Nora Danner
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Rintveld Center for Eating Disorders, Altrecht Mental Health Institute, Zeist, Netherlands
| | - Lot Catharina Sternheim
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | - Isis Elzakkers
- Rintveld Center for Eating Disorders, Altrecht Mental Health Institute, Zeist, Netherlands
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21
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DeSerisy M, Musial A, Comer JS, Roy AK. Functional connectivity of the anterior insula associated with intolerance of uncertainty in youth. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 20:493-502. [PMID: 32124254 PMCID: PMC7272284 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00780-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a trait characteristic marked by distress in the face of insufficient information. Elevated IU has been implicated in the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders, particularly during adolescence, which is characterized by dramatic neural maturation and the onset of anxiety disorders. Previous task-based work implicates the bilateral anterior insula in IU. However, the association between anterior insula intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) and IU has not been examined in adolescents. Fifty-eight healthy youth (mean age = 12.56; 55% boys) completed the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale for Children (IUSC-12) and a 6-minute resting state fMRI scan. Group-level analyses were conducted using a random-effects, ordinary least-squares model, including IUSC-12 scores (Total, Inhibitory subscale, Prospective subscale), and three nuisance covariates (age, sex, and mean framewise displacement). IUSC-12 Inhibitory subscale scores were predictive of iFC between the left and right anterior insula and right prefrontal regions. IUSC-12 Prospective subscale scores significantly predicted iFC between the anterior insula and the anterior cingulate cortex. IUSC-12 total scores did not predict significant iFC of the bilateral anterior insula. Follow-up analyses, including anxiety (MASC Total Score) in the models, failed to find significant results. This could suggest that the associations found between IUSC-12 scores and anterior insula iFC are not unique to IU and, rather, reflect a broader anxiety-related connectivity pattern. Further studies with larger samples are needed to tease apart unique associations. These findings bear significance in contributing to the literature evaluating the neural correlates of risk factors for anxiety in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariah DeSerisy
- Fordham University, Dealy Hall 436, 441 East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA.
| | - Alec Musial
- Fordham University, Dealy Hall 436, 441 East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA
| | | | - Amy K Roy
- Fordham University, Dealy Hall 436, 441 East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA
- Hassenfeld Children's Hospital of New York at NYU Langone Child Study Center, New York, NY, USA
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22
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Hellberg SN, Russell TI, Robinson MJF. Cued for risk: Evidence for an incentive sensitization framework to explain the interplay between stress and anxiety, substance abuse, and reward uncertainty in disordered gambling behavior. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 19:737-758. [PMID: 30357661 PMCID: PMC6482104 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-00662-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Gambling disorder is an impairing condition confounded by psychiatric co-morbidity, particularly with substance use and anxiety disorders. Yet, our knowledge of the mechanisms that cause these disorders to coalesce remains limited. The Incentive Sensitization Theory suggests that sensitization of neural "wanting" pathways, which attribute incentive salience to rewards and their cues, is responsible for the excessive desire for drugs and cue-triggered craving. The resulting hyper-reactivity of the "wanting' system is believed to heavily influence compulsive drug use and relapse. Notably, evidence for sensitization of the mesolimbic dopamine pathway has been seen across gambling and substance use, as well as anxiety and stress-related pathology, with stress playing a major role in relapse. Together, this evidence highlights a phenomenon known as cross-sensitization, whereby sensitization to stress, drugs, or gambling behaviors enhance the sensitivity and dopaminergic response to any of those stimuli. Here, we review the literature on how cue attraction and reward uncertainty may underlie gambling pathology, and examine how this framework may advance our understanding of co-mordidity with substance-use disorders (e.g., alcohol, nicotine) and anxiety disorders. We argue that reward uncertainty, as seen in slot machines and games of chance, increases dopaminergic activity in the mesolimbic pathway and enhances the incentive value of reward cues. We propose that incentive sensitization by reward uncertainty may interact with and predispose individuals to drug abuse and stress, creating a mechanism through which co-mordidity of these disorders may emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha N Hellberg
- Psychology Department and the Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Wesleyan University, 207 High Street, Middletown, CT, 06457, USA
- University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Trinity I Russell
- Psychology Department and the Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Wesleyan University, 207 High Street, Middletown, CT, 06457, USA
- National Institutes on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mike J F Robinson
- Psychology Department and the Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Wesleyan University, 207 High Street, Middletown, CT, 06457, USA.
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23
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Morriss J, Saldarini F, van Reekum CM. The role of threat level and intolerance of uncertainty in extinction. Int J Psychophysiol 2019; 142:1-9. [PMID: 31158397 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that individual differences in intolerance of uncertainty (IUS) are associated with disrupted threat extinction. However, it is unknown what maintains the learned threat association in high IUS individuals: is it the experienced uncertainty during extinction or the combination of experienced uncertainty with potential threat during extinction? Here we addressed this question by running two independent experiments with uncertain auditory stimuli that varied in threat level (Experiment 1, aversive human scream (n = 30); Experiment 2, neutral tone (n = 47) and mildly aversive tone (n = 49)). During the experiments, we recorded skin conductance responses and subjective ratings to the learned cues during acquisition and extinction. In experiment 1, high IUS was associated with heightened skin conductance responding to the learned threat vs. safe cue during extinction. In experiment 2, high IUS was associated only with larger skin conductance responding to the learned cues with more threatening properties during extinction i.e. mildly aversive tone. These findings suggest that uncertainty in combination with threat, even when mild, disrupts extinction in high IUS individuals. Such findings help us understand the link between IUS and threat extinction, and its relevance to anxiety disorder pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Morriss
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
| | - Francesco Saldarini
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Carien M van Reekum
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
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24
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Kumar S, Saini R, Jain R. Hand preference and intolerance of uncertainty: Atypical cerebral lateralization advantages lower intolerance of uncertainty. Laterality 2019; 25:22-42. [DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2019.1611843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Kumar
- Department of Psychology, D.A.V. College, Muzaffarnagar, UP, India
| | - Reena Saini
- Department of Psychology, D.A.V. College, Muzaffarnagar, UP, India
| | - Ranjeeta Jain
- Department of Psychology, D.A.V. College, Muzaffarnagar, UP, India
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25
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Barker TV, Buzzell GA, Fox NA. Approach, avoidance, and the detection of conflict in the development of behavioral inhibition. NEW IDEAS IN PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 53:2-12. [PMID: 31105378 PMCID: PMC6518416 DOI: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Motivation has played an integral role in understanding personality development. Two motivational systems, one associated with seeking reward (approach motivation) and one associated with avoidance of threat (avoidance motivation), have been theorized to represent individual differences in behavioral responses to the environment. However, contextual factors, particularly those with a high degree of novelty, ambiguity, and unpredictability, may simultaneously activate both systems, thereby causing approach-avoidance conflict. The resulting behavior, commonly called inhibition, is characterized by an inability to engage in motivated, goal-directed behavior and is theorized to reflect a core component of anxiety. A form of inhibition observed in childhood, behavioral inhibition (BI), is a relatively stable temperamental profile characterized by negative affect in response to unfamiliar and unpredictable contexts and is a risk factor for anxiety. Our review draws from findings in clinical and cognitive neuroscience to argue that BI reflects an increased sensitivity of both approach and avoidance motivational systems, thereby increasing the likelihood of approach-avoidance conflict within the context of unfamiliar or unpredictable stimuli and environments. Such motivational conflict activates neural systems associated with conflict monitoring, which leads to increases in arousal (e.g., sympathetic nervous system activity) and onlooking behavior, two commonly observed characteristics of childhood BI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyson V. Barker
- Prevention Science Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene,
OR 97403
| | - George A. Buzzell
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative
Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
| | - Nathan A. Fox
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative
Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
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26
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Morriss J, McSorley E. Intolerance of uncertainty is associated with reduced attentional inhibition in the absence of direct threat. Behav Res Ther 2019; 118:1-6. [PMID: 30921530 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2019.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a dispositional tendency to find uncertain situations aversive. There is limited understanding as to how IU may bias attention to uncertainty in the absence of direct threat. Here we examined the extent to which uncertain distractors and individual differences in IU impacted eye-movements during an attentional capture task. Participants were asked to move their eyes towards a target, whilst ignoring an array of distractors. An additional distractor could appear before or after the target in a near or far location from the target. We observed high IU individuals to display fewer first saccades to the target in all conditions. The results were specific to IU, over trait anxiety. Overall, these results suggest that IU modulates attention to uncertainty in the absence of direct threat. Such findings inform the conceptualisation of IU and its relation to psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Morriss
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AL, United Kingdom.
| | - Eugene McSorley
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AL, United Kingdom
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27
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Gorka SM, Phan KL, Hosseini B, Chen EY, McCloskey MS. Ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activation during social exclusion mediates the relation between intolerance of uncertainty and trait aggression. Clin Psychol Sci 2018; 6:810-821. [PMID: 30643671 DOI: 10.1177/2167702618776947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is an important individual difference factor that may contribute to trait-like aggression. Deficient engagement of the ventrolateral PFC (vlPFC) during social situations may also be a mechanism that links these two constructs. The aim of the current study was to test a proposed mediation model whereby IU is associated with trait aggression through neural activation of the vlPFC during a social exclusion task. Fifty-three adults with a range of impulsive-aggressive traits completed validated assessments of IU and trait aggression, and the 'Cyberball' social exclusion task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Results supported the mediation model such that greater levels of IU were associated with greater trait aggression through hypoactivation of the vlPFC during social exclusion. This study is the first to provide evidence suggesting that individuals higher in IU have difficulties engaging regulatory neural processes, which in-turn may increase the propensity for aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Gorka
- University of Illinois-Chicago; Department of Psychiatry, 1747 West Roosevelt Road Chicago, IL 60608
| | - K Luan Phan
- University of Illinois-Chicago; Department of Psychiatry, 1747 West Roosevelt Road Chicago, IL 60608.,Jesse Brown VA Medical Center; Mental Health Service Line, 820 S. Damen Avenue Chicago, IL 60612.,University of Illinois-Chicago; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, & the Graduate Program in Neuroscience, 808 S. Wood Street Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Bobak Hosseini
- University of Illinois-Chicago; Department of Psychiatry, 1747 West Roosevelt Road Chicago, IL 60608
| | - Eunice Y Chen
- Temple University; Department of Psychology, 1701 North 13 Street Philadelphia, PA 19122
| | - Michael S McCloskey
- Temple University; Department of Psychology, 1701 North 13 Street Philadelphia, PA 19122
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Tanovic E, Gee DG, Joormann J. Intolerance of uncertainty: Neural and psychophysiological correlates of the perception of uncertainty as threatening. Clin Psychol Rev 2018; 60:87-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Morriss J, McSorley E, van Reekum CM. I don't know where to look: the impact of intolerance of uncertainty on saccades towards non-predictive emotional face distractors. Cogn Emot 2017; 32:953-962. [PMID: 28835166 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2017.1370418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Attentional bias to uncertain threat is associated with anxiety disorders. Here we examine the extent to which emotional face distractors (happy, angry and neutral) and individual differences in intolerance of uncertainty (IU), impact saccades in two versions of the "follow a cross" task. In both versions of the follow the cross task, the probability of receiving an emotional face distractor was 66.7%. To increase perceived uncertainty regarding the location of the face distractors, in one of the tasks additional non-predictive cues were presented before the onset of the face distractors and target. We did not find IU to impact saccades towards non-cued face distractors. However, we found IU, over Trait Anxiety, to impact saccades towards non-predictive cueing of face distractors. Under these conditions, IU individuals' eyes were pulled towards angry face distractors and away from happy face distractors overall, and the speed of this deviation of the eyes was determined by the combination of the cue and emotion of the face. Overall, these results suggest a specific role of IU on attentional bias to threat during uncertainty. These findings highlight the potential of intolerance of uncertainty-based mechanisms to help understand anxiety disorder pathology and inform potential treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Morriss
- a Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences , University of Reading , Reading , UK
| | - Eugene McSorley
- b School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences , University of Reading , Reading , UK
| | - Carien M van Reekum
- a Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences , University of Reading , Reading , UK
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