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Liu J, Xie S, Hu Y, Ding Y, Zhang X, Liu W, Zhang L, Ma C, Kang Y, Jin S, Xia Y, Hu Z, Liu Z, Cheng W, Yang Z. Age-dependent alterations in the coordinated development of subcortical regions in adolescents with social anxiety disorder. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 33:51-64. [PMID: 36542201 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-022-02118-z] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Subcortical brain regions play essential roles in the pathology of social anxiety disorder (SAD). While adolescence is the peak period of SAD, the relationships between altered development of the subcortical regions during this period and SAD are still unclear. This study investigated the age-dependent alterations in structural co-variance among subcortical regions and between subcortical and cortical regions, aiming to reflect aberrant coordination during development in the adolescent with SAD. High-resolution T1-weighted images were obtained from 76 adolescents with SAD and 67 healthy controls (HC), ranging from 11 to 17.9 years. Symptom severity was evaluated with the Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC) and the Depression Self Rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C). Structural co-variance and sliding age-window analyses were used to detect age-dependent group differences in inter-regional coordination patterns among subcortical regions and between subcortical and cortical regions. The volume of the striatum significantly correlated with SAD symptom severity. The SAD group exhibited significantly enhanced structural co-variance among key regions of the striatum (putamen and caudate). While the co-variance decreased with age in healthy adolescents, the co-variance in SAD adolescents stayed high, leading to more apparent group differences in middle adolescence. Moreover, the striatum's mean structural co-variance with cortical regions decreased with age in HC but increased with age in SAD. Adolescents with SAD suffer aberrant developmental coordination among the key regions of the striatum and between the striatum and cortical regions. The degree of incoordination is age-dependent, which may represent a neurodevelopmental trait of SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Liu
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Shuqi Xie
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Yang Hu
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Yue Ding
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Xiaochen Zhang
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Wenjing Liu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Changminghao Ma
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Yinzhi Kang
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Shuyu Jin
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Yufeng Xia
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Zhishan Hu
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Zhen Liu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Wenhong Cheng
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China.
| | - Zhi Yang
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China.
- Institute of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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2
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Li Q, Zhang X, Yang X, Pan N, Li X, Kemp GJ, Wang S, Gong Q. Pre-COVID brain network topology prospectively predicts social anxiety alterations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 27:100578. [PMID: 37842018 PMCID: PMC10570707 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Social anxiety (SA) is a negative emotional response that can lead to mental health issues, which some have experienced during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Little attention has been given to the neurobiological mechanisms underlying inter-individual differences in SA alterations related to COVID-19. This study aims to identify neurofunctional markers of COVID-specific SA development. Methods 110 healthy participants underwent resting-state magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral tests before the pandemic (T1, October 2019 to January 2020) and completed follow-up behavioral measurements during the pandemic (T2, February to May 2020). We constructed individual functional networks and used graph theoretical analysis to estimate their global and nodal topological properties, then used Pearson correlation and partial least squares correlations examine their associations with COVID-specific SA alterations. Results In terms of global network parameters, SA alterations (T2-T1) were negatively related to pre-pandemic brain small-worldness and normalized clustering coefficient. In terms of nodal network parameters, SA alterations were positively linked to a pronounced degree centrality pattern, encompassing both the high-level cognitive networks (dorsal attention network, cingulo-opercular task control network, default mode network, memory retrieval network, fronto-parietal task control network, and subcortical network) and low-level perceptual networks (sensory/somatomotor network, auditory network, and visual network). These findings were robust after controlling for pre-pandemic general anxiety, other stressful life events, and family socioeconomic status, as well as by treating SA alterations as categorical variables. Conclusions The individual functional network associated with SA alterations showed a disrupted topological organization with a more random state, which may shed light on the neurobiological basis of COVID-related SA changes at the network level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyuan Li
- Department of Interventional Therapy, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xun Zhang
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xun Yang
- School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Nanfang Pan
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiao Li
- Department of Interventional Therapy, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Graham J. Kemp
- Liverpool Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre (LiMRIC) and Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK
| | - Song Wang
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, 361000, China
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3
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Shany O, Dunsky N, Gilam G, Greental A, Gilboa-Schechtman E, Hendler T. Self-evaluation of social-rank in socially anxious individuals associates with enhanced striatal reward function. Psychol Med 2023; 53:4569-4579. [PMID: 35698849 PMCID: PMC10388315 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722001453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Negative self-views, especially in the domain of power (i.e. social-rank), characterize social anxiety (SA). Neuroimaging studies on self-evaluations in SA have mainly focused on subcortical threat processing systems. Yet, self-evaluation may concurrently invoke diverse affective processing, as motivational systems related to desired self-views may also be activated. To investigate the conflictual nature that may accompany self-evaluation of certain social domains in SA, we examined brain activity related to both threat and reward processing. METHODS Participants (N = 74) differing in self-reported SA-severity underwent fMRI while completing a self-evaluation task, wherein they judged the self-descriptiveness of high- v. low-intensity traits in the domains of power and affiliation (i.e. social connectedness). Participants also completed two auxiliary fMRI tasks designated to evoke reward- and threat-related activations in the ventral striatum (VS) and amygdala, respectively. We hypothesized that self-evaluations in SA, particularly in the domain of power, involve aberrant brain activity related to both threat and reward processing. RESULTS SA-severity was more negatively associated with power than with affiliation self-evaluations. During self-evaluative judgment of high-power (e.g. dominant), SA-severity associated with increased activity in the VS and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Moreover, SA-severity correlated with higher similarity between brain activity patterns activated by high-power traits and patterns activated by incentive salience (i.e. reward anticipation) in the VS during the reward task. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that self-evaluation of high-power in SA involves excessive striatal reward-related activation, and pinpoint the downregulation of VS-VMPFC activity within such self-evaluative context as a potential neural outcome for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofir Shany
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Netta Dunsky
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Gadi Gilam
- Faculty of Dental Medicine, The Institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ayam Greental
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Eva Gilboa-Schechtman
- Department of Psychology and the Gonda Brain Science Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Talma Hendler
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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4
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Feng Y, Kang X, Wang H, Cong J, Zhuang W, Xue K, Li F, Yao D, Xu P, Zhang T. The relationships between dynamic resting-state networks and social behavior in autism spectrum disorder revealed by fuzzy entropy-based temporal variability analysis of large-scale network. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:764-776. [PMID: 35297491 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a core deficit in social processes. However, it is still unclear whether the core clinical symptoms of the disorder can be reflected by the temporal variability of resting-state network functional connectivity (FC). In this article, we examined the large-scale network FC temporal variability at the local region, within-network, and between-network levels using the fuzzy entropy technique. Then, we correlated the network FC temporal variability to social-related scores. We found that the social behavior correlated with the FC temporal variability of the precuneus, parietal, occipital, temporal, and precentral. Our results also showed that social behavior was significantly negatively correlated with the temporal variability of FC within the default mode network, between the frontoparietal network and cingulo-opercular task control network, and the dorsal attention network. In contrast, social behavior correlated significantly positively with the temporal variability of FC within the subcortical network. Finally, using temporal variability as a feature, we construct a model to predict the social score of ASD. These findings suggest that the network FC temporal variability has a close relationship with social behavioral inflexibility in ASD and may serve as a potential biomarker for predicting ASD symptom severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Feng
- Mental Health Education Center and School of Science, Xihua University, No. 999, Jinzhou Road, Jinniu District, Chengdu 610039, China
| | - Xiaodong Kang
- The Department of Sichuan 81 Rehabilitation Center, Chengdu University of TCM, No.37, Twelfth Bridge Road,Chengdu 610075, China
| | - Hesong Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Institute of Gastroenterology of Guangdong Province, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 1023-1063, Shatai South Road, Baiyun District, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jing Cong
- Mental Health Education Center and School of Science, Xihua University, No. 999, Jinzhou Road, Jinniu District, Chengdu 610039, China
| | - Wenwen Zhuang
- Mental Health Education Center and School of Science, Xihua University, No. 999, Jinzhou Road, Jinniu District, Chengdu 610039, China
| | - Kaiqing Xue
- School of Computer and Software Engineering, Xihua University, No. 999, Jinzhou Road, Jinniu District, Chengdu 610039, China
| | - Fali Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 2006, Xiyuan Dadao, Gaoxin District, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Dezhong Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 2006, Xiyuan Dadao, Gaoxin District, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Peng Xu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 2006, Xiyuan Dadao, Gaoxin District, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Mental Health Education Center and School of Science, Xihua University, No. 999, Jinzhou Road, Jinniu District, Chengdu 610039, China.,The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 2006, Xiyuan Dadao, Gaoxin District, Chengdu 611731, China
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5
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Shany O, Gurevitch G, Gilam G, Dunsky N, Reznik Balter S, Greental A, Nutkevitch N, Eldar E, Hendler T. A corticostriatal pathway mediating self-efficacy enhancement. NPJ MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2022; 1:6. [PMID: 38609484 PMCID: PMC10955890 DOI: 10.1038/s44184-022-00006-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Forming positive beliefs about one's ability to perform challenging tasks, often termed self-efficacy, is fundamental to motivation and emotional well-being. Self-efficacy crucially depends on positive social feedback, yet people differ in the degree to which they integrate such feedback into self-beliefs (i.e., positive bias). While diminished positive bias of this sort is linked to mood and anxiety, the neural processes by which positive feedback on public performance enhances self-efficacy remain unclear. To address this, we conducted a behavioral and fMRI study wherein participants delivered a public speech and received fictitious positive and neutral feedback on their performance in the MRI scanner. Before and after receiving feedback, participants evaluated their actual and expected performance. We found that reduced positive bias in updating self-efficacy based on positive social feedback associated with a psychopathological dimension reflecting symptoms of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Analysis of brain encoding of social feedback showed that a positive self-efficacy update bias associated with a stronger reward-related response in the ventral striatum (VS) and stronger coupling of the VS with a temporoparietal region involved in self-processing. Together, our findings demarcate a corticostriatal circuit that promotes positive bias in self-efficacy updating based on social feedback, and highlight the centrality of such bias to emotional well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofir Shany
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
| | - Guy Gurevitch
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Gadi Gilam
- The Institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Netta Dunsky
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Ayam Greental
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Noa Nutkevitch
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Eran Eldar
- Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Departments, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Talma Hendler
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
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6
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Muthesius A, Grothey F, Cunningham C, Hölzer S, Vogeley K, Schultz J. Preserved metacognition despite impaired perception of intentionality cues in schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH-COGNITION 2021; 27:100215. [PMID: 34692428 PMCID: PMC8517602 DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2021.100215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Social cognition and metacognition are frequently impaired in schizophrenia, and these impairments complicate recovery. Recent work suggests that different aspects of metacognition may not be impaired to the same degree. Furthermore, metacognition and the cognitive capacity being monitored need not be similarly impaired. Here, we assessed performance in detecting cues of intentional behaviour as well as metacognition about detecting those cues in schizophrenia. Thirty patients and controls categorized animations of moving dots into those displaying a dyadic interaction demonstrating a chase or no chase and indicated their confidence in these judgments. Perception and metacognition were assessed using signal detection theoretic measures, which were analysed using frequentist and Bayesian statistics. Patients showed a deficit compared to controls in detecting intentionality cues, but showed preserved metacognitive performance into this task. Our study reveals a selective deficit in the perception of intentionality cues, but preserved metacognitive insight into the validity of this perception. It thus appears that impairment of metacognition in schizophrenia varies across cognitive domains - metacognition should not be considered a monolithic stone that is either impaired or unimpaired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Muthesius
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Farina Grothey
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Carter Cunningham
- Masters in Neuroscience Program, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Susanne Hölzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kai Vogeley
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Cognitive Neuroscience (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Johannes Schultz
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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7
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Cui F, Huang X, Li X, Liao C, Liu J, Luo YJ. Moral Conflict in Economic Decision Making: The Role of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex-Striatum Pathway. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:5121-5130. [PMID: 34148081 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab146] [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: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study combined a novel hypothetical investment game with functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine how moral conflict biases our real decision preference when it is not obvious or explicitly presented. Investment projects were chosen based on their prior subjective morality ratings to fit into 2 categories: a high level of moral conflict (HMC) or a low level of moral conflict (LMC). Participants were instructed to invest high or low amounts of capital into different projects. Behavioral and neural responses during decision making were recorded and compared. Behaviorally, we observed a significant decision bias such that investments were lower for HMC projects than for LMC projects. At the neural level, we found that moral conflict-related activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was higher in the HMC condition than in the LMC condition and that reward-related activity in bilateral striatum was lower. Dynamic causal modeling further suggested that the moral conflict detected in the ACC influenced final decisions by modulating the representation of subjective value through the ACC's connection to the reward system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Cui
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.,Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Huang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Xiaoyun Li
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Chong Liao
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.,Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim 68131, Germany
| | - Jie Liu
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yue-Jia Luo
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.,Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.,Department of Psychology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.,College of Teacher Education, Qilu Normal University, Jining 250200, China
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8
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Gellner AK, Voelter J, Schmidt U, Beins EC, Stein V, Philipsen A, Hurlemann R. Molecular and neurocircuitry mechanisms of social avoidance. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 78:1163-1189. [PMID: 32997200 PMCID: PMC7904739 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03649-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Humans and animals live in social relationships shaped by actions of approach and avoidance. Both are crucial for normal physical and mental development, survival, and well-being. Active withdrawal from social interaction is often induced by the perception of threat or unpleasant social experience and relies on adaptive mechanisms within neuronal networks associated with social behavior. In case of confrontation with overly strong or persistent stressors and/or dispositions of the affected individual, maladaptive processes in the neuronal circuitries and its associated transmitters and modulators lead to pathological social avoidance. This review focuses on active, fear-driven social avoidance, affected circuits within the mesocorticolimbic system and associated regions and a selection of molecular modulators that promise translational potential. A comprehensive review of human research in this field is followed by a reflection on animal studies that offer a broader and often more detailed range of analytical methodologies. Finally, we take a critical look at challenges that could be addressed in future translational research on fear-driven social avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Kathrin Gellner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jella Voelter
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 7, 26160, Bad Zwischenahn, Germany
| | - Ulrike Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry Und Psychotherapy, University of Göttingen, Von-Siebold-Str. 5, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Eva Carolina Beins
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Valentin Stein
- Institute of Physiology II, University Hospital Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Alexandra Philipsen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany. .,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 7, 26160, Bad Zwischenahn, Germany. .,Research Center Neurosensory Science, University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany.
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9
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Tapp DN, Singstock MD, Gottliebson MS, McMurray MS. Central but not peripheral oxytocin administration reduces risk-based decision-making in male rats. Horm Behav 2020; 125:104840. [PMID: 32795469 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The hormone oxytocin has long been associated with social behaviors, but recent evidence suggests that it may also affect reward processing in non-social contexts. Decisions are an integral component of many social and reward-based behavioral paradigms. Thus, a broad role for oxytocin in decision-making may explain the wide variety of effects that have been previously observed and resolve controversies in the literature about its role. To determine if oxytocin can selectively modulate decision-making in male rats, we assessed the dose-dependent effects of central (intracerebroventricular) or peripheral (intraperitoneal) administration of oxytocin on probability and delay discounting, two commonly used decision-making tasks that are free of social contexts. Our results showed that central administration of oxytocin dose-dependently reduced preference for risky outcomes in the probability discounting task, but had no impact on delay discounting or reward sensitivity. This effect was blocked by the co-administration of an oxytocin antagonist. Additionally, we found no effect of peripheral oxytocin administration on any task. To identify potential cognitive mechanisms of central oxytocin's effect on decision-making, we determined if central or peripheral oxytocin affects reward sensitivity using an intracranial self-stimulation task, and motivation using a progressive ratio task. These results showed that at the dosage that affects decision-making, central oxytocin had a mild and short-lasting effect on motivation, but no observable effect on reward sensitivity. This pattern of results suggests that oxytocin may selectively reduce risky decisions in male rats, even at dosages that have no major effects on reward processing and motivation. These findings highlight a potentially novel role for oxytocin in non-social cognitive processes and expand our understanding of the mechanism by which oxytocin may regulate social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle N Tapp
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Ave., Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Mitchell D Singstock
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Ave., Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | | | - Matthew S McMurray
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Ave., Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
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Schultz J, Willems T, Gädeke M, Chakkour G, Franke A, Weber B, Hurlemann R. A human subcortical network underlying social avoidance revealed by risky economic choices. eLife 2019; 8:45249. [PMID: 31329098 PMCID: PMC6703852 DOI: 10.7554/elife.45249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interactions have a major impact on well-being. While many individuals actively seek social situations, others avoid them, at great cost to their private and professional life. The neural mechanisms underlying individual differences in social approach or avoidance tendencies are poorly understood. Here we estimated people’s subjective value of engaging in a social situation. In each trial, more or less socially anxious participants chose between an interaction with a human partner providing social feedback and a monetary amount. With increasing social anxiety, the subjective value of social engagement decreased; amygdala BOLD response during decision-making and when experiencing social feedback increased; ventral striatum BOLD response to positive social feedback decreased; and connectivity between these regions during decision-making increased. Amygdala response was negatively related to the subjective value of social engagement. These findings suggest a relation between trait social anxiety/social avoidance and activity in a subcortical network during social decision-making. Your relationships with the people around you – friends, family, colleagues – have a strong influence on your overall life happiness. Even so, many people struggle to engage with the people around them. Social interactions can be stressful and many people choose to avoid them, even at a cost. Being able to measure these tendencies experimentally is a first useful step for assessing social avoidance without relying on people’s, often biased, recollections of their actions and behaviours. But how can a tendency to avoid social situations be quantified? And what can an experiment to measure this tendency reveal about the neural underpinnings of social avoidance? Schultz et al. asked volunteers to play a social game. If they played, the volunteers had the chance to win three euros, but they could choose not to play and receive a fixed amount of money, which varied across trials between zero and three euros. This approach allowed Schultz et al. to quantify how much the volunteers valued playing the game. The game involved playing with other virtual human partners, who gave either positive or negative social feedback depending on the outcome of the game in the form of videos of facial expressions. In a non-social control experiment, a computer gave abstract feedback in the form of symbols. Schultz et al. found that the value people placed on playing the social game varied with their level of social anxiety (established using a standard questionnaire). The more anxious people attributed less value to engaging in the game. Neuroimaging experiments revealed that the activity and connectivity between the amygdala and ventral striatum, two parts of the brain involved in processing emotions and reward-related stimuli, varied according to people’s levels of social anxiety. Social interactions have a major impact on the quality of life of both healthy people and those with mental disorders. Developing new ways to measure and understand the differences in the brain linked to social traits could help to characterise certain conditions and document therapy progress. Methods to quantify social anxiety and avoidance are also in line with efforts to explore the neuroscience behind the full range of human behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Schultz
- Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tom Willems
- Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Maria Gädeke
- Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ghada Chakkour
- Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Medical School, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Alexander Franke
- Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Medical School, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Bernd Weber
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Rene Hurlemann
- Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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