scholarly journals Insula reactivity mediates subjective isolation stress in alexithymia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitjan Morr ◽  
Jana Lieberz ◽  
Michael Dobbelstein ◽  
Alexandra Philipsen ◽  
René Hurlemann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Emotional Awareness ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
First Year ◽  
Subjective Stress ◽  
Emotional Faces ◽  
Neurobiological Substrates ◽  
Emotional Face

AbstractThe risk for developing stress-related disorders is elevated in individuals with high alexithymia, a personality trait characterized by impaired emotional awareness and interpersonal relating. However, it is still unclear how alexithymia alters perceived psychosocial stress and which neurobiological substrates are mechanistically involved. To address this question, we examined freshmen during transition to university, given that this period entails psychosocial stress and frequently initiates psychopathology. Specifically, we used a functional magnetic resonance imaging emotional face matching task to probe emotional processing in 54 participants (39 women) at the beginning of the first year at university and 6 months later. Furthermore, we assessed alexithymia and monitored perceived psychosocial stress and loneliness via questionnaires for six consecutive months. Perceived psychosocial stress significantly increased over time and initial alexithymia predicted subjective stress experiences via enhanced loneliness. On the neural level, alexithymia was associated with lowered amygdala responses to emotional faces, while loneliness correlated with diminished reactivity in the anterior insular and anterior cingulate cortex. Furthermore, insula activity mediated the association between alexithymia and loneliness that predicted perceived psychosocial stress. Our findings are consistent with the notion that alexithymia exacerbates subjective stress via blunted insula reactivity and increased perception of social isolation.

scholarly journals The roles of early-life adversity and rumination in neural response to emotional faces amongst anxious and depressed adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (13) ◽  
pp. 2267-2278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy T. Peters ◽  
Katie L. Burkhouse ◽  
Kerry L. Kinney ◽  
K. Luan Phan
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Emotion Processing ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Emotional Faces ◽  
Regulatory Strategies ◽  
Emotional Face

AbstractBackgroundEarly-life adversity (ELA) is a risk factor for internalizing psychopathology (IP). ELA is also linked to alterations in neural phenotypes of emotion processing and maladaptive emotion regulatory strategies, such as ruminative brooding, in adulthood. We therefore expected that ELA would predict cortical brain activation to emotional faces in transdiagnostic IP and in turn, mediate the extent of rumination amongst patients with IPs and ELA (IP + ELA).MethodOne hundred and thirty-two individuals, including 102 treatment-seeking adults with heterogeneous IPs and 30 healthy controls (HCs) performed an Emotional Face-Matching Task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Whole-brain analyses compared HC (n = 30), IP (n = 52), and IP + ELA (n = 50) neural responses to emotional (angry, fearful, happy, and sad) faces v. shapes, controlling for depression and anxiety symptoms. Parameter estimates of activation were extracted for significant between-group differences and tested as a mediator of ruminative brooding in IP + ELA.ResultsIP + ELA demonstrated increased activation in the superior frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate cortex (fear), superior parietal lobule, precuneus, posterior cingulate, and inferior temporal gyrus (fear only), and cuneus (fear and angry). These regions were preferentially correlated with ruminative brooding in IP + ELA, many of which mediated the link between IP + ELA and ruminative brooding.ConclusionsResults provide evidence that ELA history amongst IP patients augments engagement of brain regions involved in emotion processing, above and beyond what is accounted for by current symptoms. Though longitudinal designs are needed, alterations in the neural correlates of maladaptive processing of socio-emotional information may be a common pathway by which ELA poses risk for psychopathology.

scholarly journals Brain Responsivity to Emotional Faces Differs in Alcoholic Men and Women

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlene Oscar-Berman ◽  
Susan Mosher Ruiz ◽  
Ksenija Marinkovic ◽  
Mary M. Valmas ◽  
Gordon J. Harris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Gender Effects ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Reverse Direction ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Neuropsychological Dysfunction ◽  
Emotional Faces ◽  
The Right ◽  
Emotional Face

AbstractInclusion of women in alcoholism research has shown that gender differences contribute to unique profiles of cognitive, emotional, and neuropsychological dysfunction. We employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of abstinent long-term alcoholics (21 women [ALCw] and 21 men [ALCm]) and demographically-similar nonalcoholic controls (21 women [NCw] and 21 men [NCm]) to explore how gender and alcoholism interact to influence emotional processing and memory. Participants completed a delayed match-to-sample emotional face memory fMRI task. While the results corroborated reports implicating amygdalar, superior temporal, and cerebellar involvement in emotional processing overall, the alcoholic participants showed hypoactivation of the left intraparietal sulcus to encoding the identity of the emotional face stimuli. The nonalcoholic participants demonstrated more reliable gender differences in neural responses to encoding the identity of the emotional faces than did the alcoholic group, and widespread neural responses to these stimuli were more pronounced in the NCw than in the NCm. By comparison, gender differences among ALC participants were either smaller or in the opposite direction (higher brain activation in ALCm than ALCw). Specifically, Group by Gender interaction effects indicated stronger responses to emotional faces by ALCm than ALCw in the left superior frontal gyrus and the right inferior frontal sulcus, while NCw had stronger responses than NCm. However, this pattern was inconsistent throughout the brain, with results suggesting the reverse direction of gender effects in the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex. Together, these findings demonstrated that gender plays a significant role in the profile of functional brain abnormalities observed in alcoholism.

scholarly journals Effects of diazepam on BOLD activation during the processing of aversive faces

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 443-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina M Del-Ben ◽  
Cesar AQ Ferreira ◽  
Tiago A Sanchez ◽  
Wolme C Alves-Neto ◽  
Vinicius G Guapo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Recognition Task ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Experimental Session ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Emotional Faces ◽  
Fearful Faces ◽  
Stimulus Features ◽  
Emotional Face ◽  
Left Insula

This study aimed to measure, using fMRI, the effect of diazepam on the haemodynamic response to emotional faces. Twelve healthy male volunteers (mean age = 24.83 ± 3.16 years), were evaluated in a randomized, balanced-order, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design. Diazepam (10 mg) or placebo was given 1 h before the neuroimaging acquisition. In a blocked design covert face emotional task, subjects were presented with neutral (A) and aversive (B) (angry or fearful) faces. Participants were also submitted to an explicit emotional face recognition task, and subjective anxiety was evaluated throughout the procedures. Diazepam attenuated the activation of right amygdala and right orbitofrontal cortex and enhanced the activation of right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) to fearful faces. In contrast, diazepam enhanced the activation of posterior left insula and attenuated the activation of bilateral ACC to angry faces. In the behavioural task, diazepam impaired the recognition of fear in female faces. Under the action of diazepam, volunteers were less anxious at the end of the experimental session. These results suggest that benzodiazepines can differentially modulate brain activation to aversive stimuli, depending on the stimulus features and indicate a role of amygdala and insula in the anxiolytic action of benzodiazepines.

scholarly journals Amygdala activity to angry and fearful faces relates to bullying and victimization in adolescents

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 1027-1035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johnna R Swartz ◽  
Angelica F Carranza ◽  
Annchen R Knodt
Keyword(s):  
Social Information Processing ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Fearful Faces ◽  
Relational Bullying ◽  
Amygdala Activity ◽  
Bullying Behavior ◽  
Emotional Face

Abstract Relational bullying and victimization are common social experiences during adolescence, but relatively little functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research has examined the neural correlates of bullying and victimization in adolescents. The aim of the present study was to address this gap by examining the association between amygdala activity to angry and fearful faces and peer relational bullying and victimization in a community-based sample of adolescents. Participants included 49 adolescents, 12–15 years old, who underwent fMRI scanning while completing an emotional face matching task. Results indicated that interactions between amygdala activity to angry and fearful faces predicted self-reported relational bullying and victimization. Specifically, a combination of higher amygdala activity to angry faces and lower amygdala activity to fearful faces predicted more bullying behavior, whereas a combination of lower amygdala activity to angry faces and lower amygdala activity to fearful faces predicted less relational victimization. Exploratory whole-brain analyses also suggested that increased rostral anterior cingulate cortex activity to fearful faces was associated with less bullying. These results suggest that relational bullying and victimization are related to different patterns of neural activity to angry and fearful faces, which may help in understanding how patterns of social information processing predict these experiences.

Emotional processing in panic disorder and its subtypes: An fMRI study using the emotional faces paradigm

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S372-S372
Author(s):  
T. Pattyn ◽  
L. Schmaal ◽  
V.D.E. Filip ◽  
P. Brenda ◽  
S. Bernard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Fusiform Gyrus ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Emotional Facial Expressions ◽  
Emotional Faces ◽  
Subgroup Versus

IntroductionThe literature on the neurobiology of emotional processing in panic disorder (PD) remains inconsistent. Clinical heterogeneity could be causing this.ObjectiveTo investigate differences in brain activity between PD and healthy controls using the emotional faces fMRI paradigm.AimsTo elucidate neurobiological mechanisms underlying emotional processing in PD and previously identified subtypes (Pattyn et al., 2015).MethodsThe main analysis compared the neural processing of different emotional facial expressions from a large group of PD patients (n = 73) versus healthy controls (n = 58) originating from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA). A second analysis divided the PD group into the three previously identified subgroups: a cognitive-autonomic (n = 22), an autonomic (n = 16) and an aspecific subgroup (n = 35). The fusiform gyrus, the anterior cingulate cortex and the insula were used in a ROI approach.ResultsComparing PD patients with healthy controls, a decreased activity on angry faces was observed in the left fusiform gyrus. The subgroup analysis showed more activity in the anterior cingulate cortex on neutral faces in the cognitive-autonomic subgroup versus the autonomic subgroup and a decreased activity in the left fusiform gyrus on angry faces compared to the aspecific subgroup. Less activity was observed in the right insula on neutral faces in the autonomic subgroup versus the aspecific subgroup.ConclusionReduced activity in the left fusiform gyrus was differentiating panic disorder patients from healthy controls. In accordance with clinical subtyping, between-subtype differences are an indication that a phenomenological approach could provide more insight in underlying neurobiological mechanisms in emotional processing in PD.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Emotional processing in panic disorder and its subtypes: an fMRI study using emotional faces

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Pattyn ◽  
L. Schmaal ◽  
F. Van Den Eede ◽  
L. Cassiers ◽  
BW Penninx ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Emotional Faces ◽  
Fmri Study

scholarly journals Influence of a Suggestive Placebo Intervention on Psychobiological Responses to Social Stress

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Zimmermann-Viehoff ◽  
Nico Steckhan ◽  
Karin Meissner ◽  
Hans-Christian Deter ◽  
Clemens Kirschbaum
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Salivary Cortisol ◽  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Alpha Amylase ◽  
Subjective Stress ◽  
Psychological Variables ◽  
Placebo Intervention

We tested the hypothesis that a suggestive placebo intervention can reduce the subjective and neurobiological stress response to psychosocial stress. Fifty-four healthy male subjects with elevated levels of trait anxiety were randomly assigned in a 4:4:1 fashion to receive either no treatment (n = 24), a placebo pill (n = 24), or a herbal drug (n = 6) before undergoing a stress test. We repeatedly measured psychological variables as well as salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase, and heart rate variability prior to and following the stress test. The stressor increased subjective stress and anxiety, salivary cortisol, and alpha-amylase, and decreased heart rate variability (all P < .001). However, no significant differences between subjects receiving placebo or no treatment were found. Subjects receiving placebo showed increased wakefulness during the stress test compared with no-treatment controls ( P < .001). Thus, the suggestive placebo intervention increased alertness, but modulated neither subjective stress and anxiety nor the physiological response to psychosocial stress.

scholarly journals EEG recording during an emotional face-matching task in children of mothers with interpersonal violence-related posttraumatic stress disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 283 ◽  
pp. 34-44
Author(s):  
Virginie C. Perizzolo ◽  
Cristina Berchio ◽  
Dominik A. Moser ◽  
Cristina Puro Gomez ◽  
Marylène Vital ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Face Matching ◽  
Emotional Face

scholarly journals Neuropsychology of facial expressions. The role of consciousness in processing emotional faces

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michela Balconi
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Emotional Information ◽  
Unconscious Processing ◽  
Emotional Faces ◽  
Facial Expression Of Emotion ◽  
Expression Of Emotion ◽  
Brain Correlates ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Emotional Face

Neuropsychological studies have underlined the significant presence of distinct brain correlates deputed to analyze facial expression of emotion. It was observed that some cerebral circuits were considered as specific for emotional face comprehension as a function of conscious vs. unconscious processing of emotional information. Moreover, the emotional content of faces (i.e. positive vs. negative; more or less arousing) may have an effect in activating specific cortical networks. Between the others, recent studies have explained the contribution of hemispheres in comprehending face, as a function of type of emotions (mainly related to the distinction positive vs. negative) and of specific tasks (comprehending vs. producing facial expressions). Specifically, ERPs (event-related potentials) analysis overview is proposed in order to comprehend how face may be processed by an observer and how he can make face a meaningful construct even in absence of awareness. Finally, brain oscillations is considered in order to explain the synchronization of neural populations in response to emotional faces when a conscious vs. unconscious processing is activated.

Duration Estimation of Angry and Neutral Faces: Behavioral and Electrophysiological Correlates

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 254-278
Author(s):  
Lisa V. Eberhardt ◽  
Ferdinand Pittino ◽  
Anna Scheins ◽  
Anke Huckauf ◽  
Markus Kiefer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Stimulus Onset ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
Information Processing Model ◽  
Emotional Faces ◽  
Early Posterior Negativity ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Stimulus Offset ◽  
Duration Estimation

Abstract Emotional stimuli like emotional faces have been frequently shown to be temporally overestimated compared to neutral ones. This effect has been commonly explained by induced arousal caused by emotional processing leading to the acceleration of an inner-clock-like pacemaker. However, there are some studies reporting contradictory effects and others point to relevant moderating variables. Given this controversy, we aimed at investigating the processes underlying the temporal overestimation of emotional faces by combining behavioral and electrophysiological correlates in a temporal bisection task. We assessed duration estimation of angry and neutral faces using anchor durations of 400 ms and 1600 ms while recording event-related potentials. Subjective ratings and the early posterior negativity confirmed encoding and processing of stimuli’s emotionality. However, temporal ratings did not differ between angry and neutral faces. In line with this behavioral result, the Contingent Negative Variation (CNV), an electrophysiological index of temporal accumulation, was not modulated by the faces’ emotionality. Duration estimates, i.e., short or long responses toward stimuli of ambiguous durations of 1000 ms, were nevertheless associated with a differential CNV amplitude. Interestingly, CNV modulation was already observed at 600–700 ms after stimulus onset, i.e., long before stimulus offset. The results are discussed in light of the information-processing model of time perception as well as regarding possible factors of the experimental setup moderating temporal overestimation of emotional stimuli. In sum, combining behavioral and electrophysiological measures seems promising to more clearly understand the complex processes leading to the illusion of temporal lengthening of emotional faces.

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