scholarly journals Emotional recognition training modifies neural response to emotional faces but does not improve mood in healthy volunteers with high levels of depressive symptoms

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Ian S. Penton-Voak ◽  
Sally Adams ◽  
Katherine S. Button ◽  
Meg Fluharty ◽  
Michael Dalili ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Emotion Recognition Training ◽  
Bias Modification

Abstract Background There is demand for new, effective and scalable treatments for depression, and development of new forms of cognitive bias modification (CBM) of negative emotional processing biases has been suggested as possible interventions to meet this need. Methods We report two double blind RCTs, in which volunteers with high levels of depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory ii (BDI-ii) > 14) completed a brief course of emotion recognition training (a novel form of CBM using faces) or sham training. In Study 1 (N = 36), participants completed a post-training emotion recognition task whilst undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate neural correlates of CBM. In Study 2 (N = 190), measures of mood were assessed post-training, and at 2-week and 6-week follow-up. Results In both studies, CBM resulted in an initial change in emotion recognition bias, which (in Study 2) persisted for 6 weeks after the end of training. In Study 1, CBM resulted in increases neural activation to happy faces, with this effect driven by an increase in neural activity in the medial prefrontal cortex and bilateral amygdala. In Study 2, CBM did not lead to a reduction in depressive symptoms on the BDI-ii, or on related measures of mood, motivation and persistence, or depressive interpretation bias at either 2 or 6-week follow-ups. Conclusions CBM of emotion recognition has effects on neural activity that are similar in some respects to those induced by Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) administration (Study 1), but we find no evidence that this had any later effect on self-reported mood in an analogue sample of non-clinical volunteers with low mood (Study 2).

scholarly journals Emotional recognition training modifies neural response to emotional faces but does not improve mood in healthy volunteers with high levels of depressive symptoms

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian S. Penton-Voak ◽  
Sally Adams ◽  
Katherine S. Button ◽  
Meg Fluharty ◽  
Michael Dalili ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Healthy Volunteers ◽  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Regions Of Interest ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Emotion Recognition Training

AbstractIMPORTANCEDepression is a debilitating and highly prevalent mental health disorder. There is a need for new, effective, and scalable treatments for depression, and cognitive bias modification (CBM) of negative emotional processing biases has been suggested as one possibility. Such treatments may form the basis of ‘digital therapeutics’, that could be administered remotely and at low cost, should they prove to be effective.OBJECTIVESStudy one was designed to determine neural correlates of a recently developed CBM technique for emotion recognition training; specifically, our aim was to compare the effects of training vs placebo on pre-specified regions of interest involved in emotion processing that are known to be sensitive to antidepressant treatment. Study two aimed to investigate efficacy of training on mood measures at 2 and 6-week follow-up and was powered to replicate and extend earlier findings.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSBoth studies were double blind RCTs, in which participants completed five sessions of emotion recognition training or sham training, in the laboratory, over a one-week period. In study one (N=37), following this training, participants completed a novel emotion recognition task whilst undergoing fMRI. In study two (N=190), measures of mood were assessed post training, and at 2-week and 6-week follow-up. Both studies recruited analogue samples of healthy volunteers with high levels of depressive symptoms (BDI-ii > 14).MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESIn study one, our primary outcome was neural activation in the following pre-specified regions of interest: the bilateral amygdala, the mPFC, bilateral dlPFC, and the occipital cortex. In study two, our primary outcome was depressive symptoms over the last 2 weeks assessed using the BDI-ii at 6-week follow-up. Secondary outcomes included depressive symptoms measured using the HAM-D, and positive and negative affect assessed using the PANAS.RESULTSIn both studies, CBM resulted in a change in emotion recognition bias, which (in study two) persisted for 6 weeks after the end of the CBM phase. In study one, CBM resulted in increases neural activation to happy faces compared to sad faces, with this effect driven by an increase in neural activity for happy faces. We saw this increase in activation for this contrast at both the whole brain level and among our a priori ROIs, specifically the mPFC and bilateral amygdala. In study two, CBM did not lead to a reduction in depressive symptoms on the BDI-ii, or on related measures of mood, motivation and persistence, or depressive interpretation bias.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCECBM of emotion recognition appears to have effects on neural activity that are similar in some respects to those induced by SSRI administration (study one), but we find no evidence that this has any effect on self-reported mood in an analogue sample of healthy volunteers with low mood (study two).

scholarly journals State-dependent alteration in face emotion recognition in depression

2011 ◽  
Vol 198 (4) ◽  
pp. 302-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian M. Anderson ◽  
Clare Shippen ◽  
Gabriella Juhasz ◽  
Diana Chase ◽  
Emma Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Control Group ◽  
State Dependent ◽  
Depressed Group ◽  
History Of ◽  
Remitted Depression ◽  
Face Emotion Recognition ◽  
History Of Depression

BackgroundNegative biases in emotional processing are well recognised in people who are currently depressed but are less well described in those with a history of depression, where such biases may contribute to vulnerability to relapse.AimsTo compare accuracy, discrimination and bias in face emotion recognition in those with current and remitted depression.MethodThe sample comprised a control group (n = 101), a currently depressed group (n = 30) and a remitted depression group (n = 99). Participants provided valid data after receiving a computerised face emotion recognition task following standardised assessment of diagnosis and mood symptoms.ResultsIn the control group women were more accurate in recognising emotions than men owing to greater discrimination. Among participants with depression, those in remission correctly identified more emotions than controls owing to increased response bias, whereas those currently depressed recognised fewer emotions owing to decreased discrimination. These effects were most marked for anger, fear and sadness but there was no significant emotion × group interaction, and a similar pattern tended to be seen for happiness although not for surprise or disgust. These differences were confined to participants who were antidepressant-free, with those taking antidepressants having similar results to the control group.ConclusionsAbnormalities in face emotion recognition differ between people with current depression and those in remission. Reduced discrimination in depressed participants may reflect withdrawal from the emotions of others, whereas the increased bias in those with a history of depression could contribute to vulnerability to relapse. The normal face emotion recognition seen in those taking medication may relate to the known effects of antidepressants on emotional processing and could contribute to their ability to protect against depressive relapse.

Distinct Effects of D9-tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Neural Activation During Emotional Processing

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Fusar-Poli
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Electrodermal Activity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Posterior Cingulate ◽  
Fearful Faces ◽  
Scanning Session

Aims:Cannabis use can both increase and reduce anxiety in humans. The neurophysiological substrates of these effects are unknown.Method:Fifteen healthy English-native right-handed men were studied on three separate occasions using an event-related fMRI paradigm while viewing faces that implicitly elicited different levels of anxiety. Each scanning session was preceded by the ingestion of either 10mg of D-9-THC, 600mg of CBD, or a placebo, in a double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled design. Electrodermal activity (Skin Conductance Response, SCR) and objective and subjective ratings of anxiety were recorded durign the scanning.Results:D-9THC increased anxiety, as well as levels of intoxication, sedation and psychotic symptoms, whereas there was a trend for a reduction in anxiety following administration of CBD. The number of SCR fluctuations during the processing of intensely fearful faces increased following administration of D-9THC but decreased following administration of CBD. CBD attenuated the BOLD signal in the amygdala and the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex while subjects were processing intensely fearful faces, and its suppression of the amygdalar and posterior cingulate responses was correlated with the concurrent reduction in SCR fluctuations. D-9-THC mainly modulated activation in frontal and parietal areas.Conclusions:D-9-THC and CBD had clearly distinct effects on the neural, eclectrodermal and symptomatic response to fearful faces. The effects of CBD on activation in limbic and paralimbic regions may contribute to its ability to reduce autonomic arousal and subjective anxiety, whereas the anxiogenic effects of D-9-THC may be related to effects in other brain regions.

scholarly journals Facial Sadness Recognition is Modulated by Estrogen Receptor Gene Polymorphisms in Healthy Females

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayra Gutiérrez-Muñoz ◽  
Martha Fajardo-Araujo ◽  
Erika González-Pérez ◽  
Victor Aguirre-Arzola ◽  
Silvia Solís-Ortiz
Keyword(s):  
Estrogen Receptor ◽  
Response Time ◽  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Facial Emotion Recognition ◽  
Facial Emotion ◽  
The Impact

Polymorphisms of the estrogen receptor ESR1 and ESR2 genes have been linked with cognitive deficits and affective disorders. The effects of these genetic variants on emotional processing in females with low estrogen levels are not well known. The aim was to explore the impact of the ESR1 and ESR2 genes on the responses to the facial emotion recognition task in females. Postmenopausal healthy female volunteers were genotyped for the polymorphisms Xbal and PvuII of ESR1 and the polymorphism rs1256030 of ESR2. The effect of these polymorphisms on the response to the facial emotion recognition of the emotions happiness, sadness, disgust, anger, surprise, and fear was analyzed. Females carrying the P allele of the PvuII polymorphism or the X allele of the Xbal polymorphism of ESR1 easily recognized facial expressions of sadness that were more difficult for the women carrying the p allele or the x allele. They displayed higher accuracy, fast response time, more correct responses, and fewer omissions to complete the task, with a large effect size. Women carrying the ESR2 C allele of ESR2 showed a faster response time for recognizing facial expressions of anger. These findings link ESR1 and ESR2 polymorphisms in facial emotion recognition of negative emotions.

scholarly journals Effect of the NMDA receptor partial agonist, d-cycloserine, on emotional processing and autobiographical memory

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Runsen Chen ◽  
Liliana P. Capitão ◽  
Philip J. Cowen ◽  
Catherine J. Harmer
Keyword(s):  
Single Dose ◽  
Healthy Volunteers ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Partial Agonist ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Emotional Memory ◽  
Expression Recognition ◽  
Double Blind

Abstract Background Studies suggest that d-cycloserine (DCS) may have antidepressant potential through its interaction with the glycine site of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor; however, clinical evidence of DCS's efficacy as a treatment for depression is limited. Other evidence suggests that DCS affects emotional learning which may also be relevant for the treatment of depression and anxiety. The aim of the present investigation was to assess the effect of DCS on emotional processing in healthy volunteers and to further characterise its effects on emotional and autobiographical memory. Methods Forty healthy volunteers were randomly allocated to a single dose of 250 mg DCS or placebo in a double-blind design. Three hours later, participants performed an Emotional Test Battery [including Facial Expression Recognition Task (FERT), Emotional Categorisation Task (ECAT), Emotional Recall Task (EREC), Facial Dot-Probe Task (FDOT) and Emotional Recognition Memory Task (EMEM)] and an Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT). Also, participants performed the FERT, EREC and AMT tasks again after 24 h in order to assess longer lasting effects of a single dose of DCS. Results DCS did not significantly affect the FERT, EMEM and FDOT performance but significantly increased emotional memory and classification for positive words v. negative words. Also, DCS enhanced the retrieval of more specific autobiographical memories, and this effect persisted at 24 h. Conclusions These findings support the suggestion that low-dose DCS increases specific autobiographical memory retrieval and positive emotional memory. Such effects make it an intriguing agent for further investigation in clinical depression, which is characterised by decreased autobiographical memory specificity and increased negative bias in memory recall. It also underscores the potential role of DCS as an adjunct to cognitive behavioural therapy in depression.

scholarly journals Facial Emotion Recognition Impairment in Patients with Parkinson's Disease and Isolated Apathy

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mercè Martínez-Corral ◽  
Javier Pagonabarraga ◽  
Gisela Llebaria ◽  
Berta Pascual-Sedano ◽  
Carmen García-Sánchez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Facial Emotion Recognition ◽  
Facial Emotion ◽  
Affective Processing ◽  
Affective Disturbances

Apathy is a frequent feature of Parkinson's disease (PD), usually related with executive dysfunction. However, in a subgroup of PD patients apathy may represent the only or predominant neuropsychiatric feature. To understand the mechanisms underlying apathy in PD, we investigated emotional processing in PD patients with and without apathy and in healthy controls (HC), assessed by a facial emotion recognition task (FERT). We excluded PD patients with cognitive impairment, depression, other affective disturbances and previous surgery for PD. PD patients with apathy scored significantly worse in the FERT, performing worse in fear, anger, and sadness recognition. No differences, however, were found between nonapathetic PD patients and HC. These findings suggest the existence of a disruption of emotional-affective processing in cognitive preserved PD patients with apathy. To identify specific dysfunction of limbic structures in PD, patients with isolated apathy may have therapeutic and prognostic implications.

scholarly journals Reduced recognition of facial emotional expressions in global burnout and burnout depersonalization in healthcare providers

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e10610
Author(s):  
Valentina Colonnello ◽  
Luca Carnevali ◽  
Paolo Maria Russo ◽  
Cristina Ottaviani ◽  
Valeria Cremonini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Selective Reduction ◽  
Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽  
Emotional Expressions ◽  
Subjective Experiences ◽  
Objectively Measured

The healthcare provider profession strongly relies on the ability to care for others’ emotional experiences. To what extent burnout may relate to an actual alteration of this key professional ability has been little investigated. In an experimentally controlled setting, we investigated whether subjective experiences of global burnout or burnout depersonalization (the interpersonal component of burnout) relate to objectively measured alterations in emotion recognition and to what extent such alterations are emotion specific. Healthcare workers (n = 90) completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory and a dynamic emotion recognition task in which faces with neutral emotional expressions gradually changed to display a specific basic emotion (happiness, anger, fear, or sadness). Participants were asked to identify and then classify each displayed emotion. Before the task, a subsample of 46 participants underwent two salivary cortisol assessments. Individuals with global burnout were less accurate at recognizing others’ emotional expressions of anger and fear, tending to misclassify these as happiness, compared to individuals without global burnout. Individuals with high burnout depersonalization were more accurate in recognizing happiness and less accurate in recognizing all negative emotions, with a tendency to misclassify the latter as positive ones, compared to healthcare workers with moderate/low depersonalization. Moreover, individuals with high depersonalization—but not participants with global burnout—were characterized by higher cortisol levels. These results suggest that the subjective burnout experience relates to an actual, but selective, reduction in the recognition of facial emotional expressions, characterized by a tendency to misclassify negative emotional expressions as positive ones, perhaps due to an enhanced seeking of positive social cues. This study adds to the understanding of emotional processing in burnout and paves the way for more nuanced studies on the role of altered processing of threat signals in the development and/or persistence of burnout.

scholarly journals The effects of medication and current mood upon facial emotion recognition: findings from a large bipolar disorder cohort study

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 320-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy C Bilderbeck ◽  
Lauren Z Atkinson ◽  
John R Geddes ◽  
Guy M Goodwin ◽  
Catherine J Harmer
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Facial Expression ◽  
Facial Expression Recognition ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Mood State ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Dopamine Antagonists ◽  
Expression Recognition ◽  
Current Mood

Objectives: Emotional processing abnormalities have been implicated in bipolar disorder (BD) but studies are typically small and uncontrolled. Here, facial expression recognition was explored in a large and naturalistically recruited cohort of BD patients. Methods: 271 patients with BD completed the facial expression recognition task. The effects of current medication together with the influence of current mood state and diagnostic subtype were assessed whilst controlling for the effects of demographic variables. Results: Patients who were currently receiving treatment with lithium demonstrated significantly poorer accuracy in recognising angry faces, an effect that held in a monotherapy sub-analysis comparing those participants on lithium only and those who were medication-free. Accuracy in recognising angry faces was also lower amongst participants currently taking dopamine antagonists (antipsychotics). Higher levels of current depressive symptoms were linked to poorer accuracy at identifying happy faces. Conclusion: Use of lithium and possibly dopamine antagonists may be associated with reduced processing of anger cues in BD. Findings support the existence of mood-congruent negative biases associated with depressive symptoms in BD. Observational cohort studies provide opportunities to explore the substantial effects of demographic, psychometric and clinical variables on cognitive performance and emotional processing.

scholarly journals Concussion-related Alterations in Neural Activity During Emotion Recognition: Case Studies of Short-term and Residual Effects

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Ricker ◽  
Kylee Smith ◽  
Aexandra Schmidt ◽  
Andrea Cripps ◽  
Palguna Thalla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Occipital Lobe ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Residual Effects ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Neural Activation

Concussions have recently become an area of concern among the general public, but a clear understanding of their total consequence is still being developed. Symptoms of concussions are wide-ranging, encapsulating a plethora of cognitive and emotional abilities that could be affected. Concussions transiently disrupt neural activation as well as behavioral responses across multiple categories. Skills pertaining to various aspects of emotions are often affected yet have rarely been studied after concussions. We present two case studies of collegiate athletes with a history of multiple concussions. This paper highlights the case of a collegiate athlete who had obtained two previous concussions with the most recent being sustained sixteen days prior to neuroimaging. A second athlete with two lifetime concussions was tested one year after the most recent injury. The current study utilized a novel emotional recognition task to assess the behavioral and neural effects of this injury. A group of five controls responded with high accuracy rates and quick response times to the task. They showed activation in regions of the frontal lobe as well as facial recognition areas of the occipital lobe. The 16-day case subject was impaired in recognizing emotions relative to controls and showed little to no overlap in brain activity for regions involved in emotional face processing. The athlete with a longer post-concussion period also showed residual effects of neural activity alteration when compared to controls with few overlapping active regions. Specific brain regions were activated in this group but not in controls including the sensorimotor cortex, supramarginal gyrus, and lateral occipital cortex. By taking a more individual approach in examination of neural activity post-concussion, we may be able to gain a better understanding of this heterogeneous injury.

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