Task and content modulate amygdala-hippocampal connectivity in emotional retrieval

The ability to remember emotional events is crucial for adapting to biologically and socially significant situations. Little is known, however, about the nature of the neural interactions supporting the integration of mnemonic and emotional information. Using fMRI and dynamic models of effective connectivity, we examined regional neural activity and specific interactions between brain regions during a contextual memory retrieval task. We independently manipulated emotional context and relevance of retrieved emotional information to task demands. We show that retrieval of emotionally valenced contextual information is associated with enhanced connectivity from hippocampus to amygdala, structures crucially involved with encoding of emotional events. When retrieval of emotional information is relevant to current behavior, amygdala-hippocampal connectivity increases bidirectionally, under modulatory influences from orbitofrontal cortex, a region implicated in representation of affective value and behavioral guidance. Our findings demonstrate that both memory content and behavioral context impact upon large scale neuronal dynamics underlying emotional retrieval.     

A spherical model of the discrimination of the emotional expressions of a schematic human face]

The four-dimensional spherical emotional space was constructed by multidimensional scaling of visually perceived differences between emotional expressions of schematic faces. In this spherical model Euclidean distances between the points representing the schematic faces are directly proportional to perceived differences of emotional expressions. Three angles of the four-dimensional sphere correspond to specific characteristics of emotions, such as emotional modality (joy, fear, anger, etc.), intensity of emotions, and emotional fullness (saturation). At the same time Cartesian coordinates represent excitations in the neuronal channels encoding line orientations. It was shown that the structure of the emotional space is similar to the structure of color space, i.e., emotional modality corresponds to color hue, emotional intensity to brightness, and emotional fullness to color saturation. The obtained evidence suggests the common mechanisms of information coding in the visual system.     

Emotional dysregulation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Emotional dysregulation is increasingly recognized as a core feature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The purpose of the present systematic literature review was to identify published data related to the neuropsychology of emotional dysregulation in children with ADHD. The literature obtained is discussed in the contexts of deficits in emotional control, impairments in executive function, the emotional components of comorbidities, neurophysiological and autonomic correlates of emotional dysregulation, and the significance of multiple neuropsychological pathways of ADHD on emotional dysregulation. These various lines of evidence are used to create a patient-oriented conceptual model framework of the pathway from stimulus to inappropriate internalized (sadness, moodiness) or externalized (anger, aggressiveness) emotional responses. The article concludes by calling for continued research into the development of reliable and universally accepted measures of emotional dysregulation in order to provide children affected with ADHD, and their caregivers, some explanation for their emotional lability and, ultimately, to be used as tools to evaluate potential treatments.     

额叶EEG偏侧化预测情绪灵活性

随着社会竞争的日益加剧,人们在生活、学习、工作中都可能遇到各种与情绪有关的事件,如何根据情境的要求和个人的需要对情绪进行灵活性的反应,对每个人而言都至关重要.情绪灵活性的研究已成为情绪心理学、临床心理学、健康心理学等多个领域热衷讨论的课题.研究发现,左侧和右侧前额叶皮层半球不同程度地涉及加工和调节对情绪刺激的情绪反应,因此,额叶脑电图(EEG)偏侧化与情绪灵活性存在密切关系.但是,额叶EEG偏侧化是否是情绪灵活性的一个客观指标,以及额叶EEG偏侧化怎样预测情绪灵活性,至今仍不清楚.本研究测量了通过情绪电影范式诱发被试产生高兴、悲伤、愤怒、恐惧、厌恶等情绪过程中的额叶EEG活动.结果显示,情绪灵活性的激活模式反映的是情绪的动机维度,而不是情绪的效价维度.在静息状态下,对于与接近动机相关的情绪,额叶EEG左侧化的个体的左侧化程度增加;对于与回避动机相关的情绪,其左侧化程度降低.与之相对,静息状态额叶EEG右侧化的个体,无论对于与趋近动机相关的情绪还是与回避动机相关的情绪,额叶EEG偏侧化的程度没有发生改变.研究表明,额叶EEG偏侧化模式能够预测情绪灵活性,额叶EEG左侧化的个体有更灵活的情绪反应,额叶EEG右侧化的个体则有相对不灵活的情绪反应.     

Circadian Typology and Emotional Intelligence in Healthy Adults

Several aspects related to health, such as satisfaction with life, perceived well-being, and psychopathological symptomatology have been associated with circadian typology and with emotional intelligence. Nevertheless, the relationships between circadian typology and emotional intelligence have not been explored yet. The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationships between circadian typology and emotional intelligence, taking into account the possible interactions between sex and physical exercise, and controlling for age. A sample of 1011 participants (649 women), aged between 18 and 50 yrs (26.92?±?6.53) completed the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ) and the Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24 (TMMS-24). The TMMS-24 considers three dimensions of emotional intelligence: emotional attention, emotional clarity, and emotional repair. Women showed higher values for emotional attention, whereas men showed higher values for emotional repair (p?<?0.035, in both cases). Subjects who do physical exercise weekly showed higher values for emotional repair (p?=?0.001) regardless of circadian typology or sex. Circadian typology presents differences in all scores of emotional intelligence dimensions. Morning-type had lower emotional attention than evening- and neither-type; neither-type had lower emotional repair than morning-type, and lower emotional clarity than both evening- and morning-type (p?<?0.046, in all cases). Moreover, circadian typology modulated the sex differences in emotional attention, and only morning-type men showed a low emotional attention score. From the results of emotional intelligence we can conclude that morning typology may be a protective factor in terms of general health, whereas we should be aware that the neither-type may present a possible vulnerability to develop psychological problems.     

Resolving emotional conflict: a role for the rostral anterior cingulate cortex in modulating activity in the amygdala

Effective mental functioning requires that cognition be protected from emotional conflict due to interference by task-irrelevant emotionally salient stimuli. The neural mechanisms by which the brain detects and resolves emotional conflict are still largely unknown, however. Drawing on the classic Stroop conflict task, we developed a protocol that allowed us to dissociate the generation and monitoring of emotional conflict from its resolution. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we find that activity in the amygdala and dorsomedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices reflects the amount of emotional conflict. By contrast, the resolution of emotional conflict is associated with activation of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex. Activation of the rostral cingulate is predicted by the amount of previous-trial conflict-related neural activity and is accompanied by a simultaneous and correlated reduction of amygdalar activity. These data suggest that emotional conflict is resolved through top-down inhibition of amygdalar activity by the rostral cingulate cortex.     

A Controlled Approach to the Emotional Dilution of the Stroop Effect

We re-examined a modified emotional Stroop task that included an additional colour-word alongside the emotional word, providing the response conflict of the traditional Stroop task. Negative emotionally salient (i.e. unpleasant’) words are claimed to capture attention, producing a smaller Stroop effect for negative words compared to neutral words; this phenomenon is called the emotional dilution of the Stroop effect. To address previous limitations, this study compared negative words with lexically matched neutral words in a powered sample of 45 participants. Results demonstrated an emotional Stroop effect (slower colour-naming responses for negative words) and a traditional Stroop effect but not an emotional dilution of the Stroop effect. This finding is at odds with claims that other processing resources are diminished through the failure to disengage attention from emotional information. No matter how attention towards emotional information builds up over time, our findings indicate that attentional resources are not fully captured by negative words.     

甲基苯丙胺成瘾者情绪加工障碍的机制及其临床干预方法的整合研究进展

近年来,在中国以甲基苯丙胺为代表的合成毒品使用人数已经超过海洛因等传统毒品,而且滥用问题日益严重.情绪问题是诱发甲基苯丙胺成瘾者复吸的重要因素.慢性使用甲基苯丙胺导致前额叶-边缘单胺类神经递质系统及相应神经环路结构和功能损害,是成瘾者出现情绪加工障碍的原因.本文从情绪体验、情绪识别与表达和线索诱发的情绪反应性三个方面总结甲基苯丙胺成瘾者情绪加工障碍的表现形式,及相应神经递质系统神经环路基础.指出易激惹和愤怒攻击行为是甲基苯丙胺成瘾过程需要重点关注的情绪问题,并进一步总结了甲基苯丙胺成瘾者情绪障碍的临床治疗和干预的潜在方法,包括药物手段、神经调控技术、认知与行为治疗等,特别是信息科学和脑科学的新技术,如虚拟现实整合多感觉通道的情绪信息,并结合神经调控技术可为甲基苯丙胺成瘾者情绪加工障碍的临床干预提供新的视角.     

Anxious or Depressed and Still Happy?

This study aimed to examine cross-sectionally to what extent persons with higher symptom levels or a current or past emotional disorder report to be less happy than controls and to assess prospectively whether time-lagged measurements of extraversion and neuroticism predict future happiness independent of time-lagged measurements of emotional disorders or symptom severity. A sample of 2142 adults aged 18–65, consisting of healthy controls and persons with current or past emotional disorder according to DSM-IV criteria completed self-ratings for happiness and emotional well-being and symptom severity. Lagged measurements of personality, symptom severity and presence of anxiety and depressive disorder at T0 (year 0), T2 (year 2) and T4 (year 4) were used to predict happiness and emotional well-being at T6 (year 6) controlling for demographics. In particular persons with more depressive symptoms, major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder and comorbid emotional disorders reported lower levels of happiness and emotional well-being. Depression symptom severity and to a lesser extent depressive disorder predicted future happiness and emotional well-being at T6. Extraversion and to a lesser extent neuroticism also consistently forecasted future happiness and emotional well-being independent of concurrent lagged measurements of emotional disorders and symptoms. A study limitation is that we only measured happiness and emotional well-being at T6 and our measures were confined to hedonistic well-being and did not include psychological and social well-being. In sum, consistent with the two continua model of emotional well-being and mental illness, a ‘happy’ personality characterized by high extraversion and to a lesser extent low neuroticism forecasts future happiness and emotional well-being independent of concurrently measured emotional disorders or symptom severity levels. Boosting positive emotionality may be an important treatment goal for persons personally inclined to lower levels of happiness.     

情绪信息的注意偏向研究

目的:考察被试对消极词和积极词在无意识状态下的注意偏向,探讨被试在无意识状态下对两类情绪词汇诱发的情绪信息所产生的注意选择与偏向问题。方法:以情绪词为材料,采用任务分离范式,考察被试在无意识状态下对情绪词汇的选择率和反应时。结果:(1)无意识注意阶段存在情绪刺激的注意偏向;(2)在选择率上,被试对积极词汇的选择要明显多于对中性词汇或消极词汇,且女性对积极词汇的选择率要明显高于男性;(3)在反应时上,被试对消极词汇的反应时要明显快于中性词汇或积极词汇。结论:该实验结果说明,带情绪信息的词汇都较中性词汇更能引起被试的注意偏向。     

Post-determined emotion: motor action retrospectively modulates emotional valence of visual images

Upward and downward motor actions influence subsequent and ongoing emotional processing in accordance with a space–valence metaphor: positive is up/negative is down. In this study, we examined whether upward and downward motor actions could also affect previous emotional processing. Participants were shown an emotional image on a touch screen. After the image disappeared, they were required to drag a centrally located dot towards a cued area, which was either in the upper or lower portion of the screen. They were then asked to rate the emotional valence of the image using a 7-point scale. We found that the emotional valence of the image was more positive when the cued area was located in the upper portion of the screen. However, this was the case only when the dragging action was required immediately after the image had disappeared. Our findings suggest that when somatic information that is metaphorically associated with an emotion is linked temporally with a visual event, retrospective emotional integration between the visual and somatic events occurs.     

Comparative analysis of the stability of cardiovascular system functions in immobilized rats of different strains

The dynamics of arterial pressure and heart rate was studied in rats of different genetic lines (non-linear, Wistar, Way and August) during immobilization emotional stress. Different lines were characterised by different stability and ability of adaptation to emotional stress. Prognostic criteria were specified that enable to foresee at an early stage of emotional stress the disturbances of cardio-vascular control. The conclusion is made that resistancy against cardio-vascular disturbances during emotional stress is of genetic nature as well as may be due to characteristics of individual growth.     

Contributions of the amygdala to emotion processing: from animal models to human behavior

Research on the neural systems underlying emotion in animal models over the past two decades has implicated the amygdala in fear and other emotional processes. This work stimulated interest in pursuing the brain mechanisms of emotion in humans. Here, we review research on the role of the amygdala in emotional processes in both animal models and humans. The review is not exhaustive, but it highlights five major research topics that illustrate parallel roles for the amygdala in humans and other animals, including implicit emotional learning and memory, emotional modulation of memory, emotional influences on attention and perception, emotion and social behavior, and emotion inhibition and regulation.     

Capuchin monkeys (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cebus apella</Emphasis>) modify their own behaviors according to a conspecific’s emotional expressions

Understanding conspecifics’ emotional states is important for managing social interactions. We examined whether capuchin monkeys modify their own behaviors in response to a conspecific’s emotional expressions. Six monkeys saw a demonstrator monkey responding emotionally to an object in a container; the subject monkeys could not see the object. The subjects reached for the container more frequently when the demonstrator showed an emotionally positive expression than when she showed an emotionally neutral or negative expression. This is the first report that New World monkeys are sensitive to the emotional valence of conspecifics’ emotional expressions. The finding is consistent with the hypothesis that monkeys can recognize emotional meanings in others’ expressions, an ability previously attributed only to humans and great apes.     

Down-regulation of negative emotional processing by transcranial direct current stimulation: effects of personality characteristics

Evidence from neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies indicates that the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is a core region in emotional processing, particularly during down-regulation of negative emotional conditions. However, emotional regulation is a process subject to major inter-individual differences, some of which may be explained by personality traits. In the present study we used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left DLPFC to investigate whether transiently increasing the activity of this region resulted in changes in the ratings of positive, neutral and negative emotional pictures. Results revealed that anodal, but not cathodal, tDCS reduced the perceived degree of emotional valence for negative stimuli, possibly due to an enhancement of cognitive control of emotional expression. We also aimed to determine whether personality traits (extraversion and neuroticism) might condition the impact of tDCS. We found that individuals with higher scores on the introversion personality dimension were more permeable than extraverts to the modulatory effects of the stimulation. The present study underlines the role of the left DLPFC in emotional regulation, and stresses the importance of considering individual personality characteristics as a relevant variable, although replication is needed given the limited sample size of our study.     

Personnalisation des émotions et cortex médial préfrontal

Functional brain imaging studies in healthy subjects suggest that several regions (prefrontal cortex, amygdala, thalamus, hippocampus, anterior cingulate) have specialized functions for emotional operations. Within these regions, the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is considered to have a general role in emotional processing. Using a memory paradigm with verbal material, we recently demonstrated that the MPFC is specifically involved in self-related processing of emotional stimuli. Study with mood induction also suggest that personality traits may modulate the reactivity of the MPFC to emotional Stressors. Taken together these findings support the hypothesis that the MPFC subserve processes involved in emotion regulation. Dysfunction of the MPFC and related structures (i.e. amygdala) may increase the vulnerability to emotional disorders.     

Evidence for Unintentional Emotional Contagion Beyond Dyads

Little is known about the spread of emotions beyond dyads. Yet, it is of importance for explaining the emergence of crowd behaviors. Here, we experimentally addressed whether emotional homogeneity within a crowd might result from a cascade of local emotional transmissions where the perception of another’s emotional expression produces, in the observer''s face and body, sufficient information to allow for the transmission of the emotion to a third party. We reproduced a minimal element of a crowd situation and recorded the facial electromyographic activity and the skin conductance response of an individual C observing the face of an individual B watching an individual A displaying either joy or fear full body expressions. Critically, individual B did not know that she was being watched. We show that emotions of joy and fear displayed by A were spontaneously transmitted to C through B, even when the emotional information available in B’s faces could not be explicitly recognized. These findings demonstrate that one is tuned to react to others’ emotional signals and to unintentionally produce subtle but sufficient emotional cues to induce emotional states in others. This phenomenon could be the mark of a spontaneous cooperative behavior whose function is to communicate survival-value information to conspecifics.     

Psychosocial stressor effects on cortisol and ghrelin in emotional and non-emotional eaters: Influence of anger and shame

Food consumption in stressful situations vary as a function of individual difference factors (e.g., emotional vs. non-emotional eating), and may be related to hormonal responses elicited by the stressful event. These hormonal responses may be tied to specific emotions elicited by the stressful event. The present investigation examined the emotional and hormonal (cortisol, ghrelin) responses of high and low emotional eaters following a laboratory stressor (Trier Social Stress Test; TSST). Women (n = 48) either high or low in emotional eating status were tested in a TSST or served as controls during which blood samples were taken for analysis of cortisol and ghrelin, both of which have been implicated in eating and in response to stressors. The TSST promoted elevated cortisol levels, being somewhat more pronounced in emotional than in non-emotional eaters. Both shame and anger were provoked by the TSST, and although both these emotions were correlated with cortisol levels, only anger significantly mediated the relationship between the stressor and cortisol levels. As well, baseline ghrelin levels in low emotional eaters exceeded that of high emotional eaters, and increased moderately in response to the stressor situation, irrespective of emotional eating status. Interestingly, when provided with food, ghrelin levels declined in the non-emotional eaters, but not in emotional eaters. The possibility is offered that the lack of a decline of ghrelin in emotional eaters may sustain eating in these individuals.     

Evaluation of Factors Affecting Emotional Responses in Zoo Visitors and the Impact of Emotion on Conservation Mindedness

Creating experiences for visitors that increase their biological knowledge and inspire conservation mindedness is a critical task for zoos and aquariums. A growing body of literature suggests that emotional stimulation is affected by characteristics of both the visitor and the visitor's experiences and is important for learning and inspiring pro-environmental sentiment. In this study we explored relationships between emotional experience, the factors that influence it, visitors' predispositions toward nature, and their reports of conservation mindedness after viewing three carnivore exhibits at the Bronx Zoo, USA. We surveyed visitors after they viewed tigers, African wild dogs, and spotted hyenas during baseline conditions or when the animals were given environmental enrichment to stimulate natural behavior and activity. We asked visitors to report their predispositions toward nature, the extent of positive emotional experiences they had while viewing the animals, and how the experience affected their conservation mindedness. Environmental enrichment significantly increased animal behavioral diversity, particularly for African wild dogs, and contributed to visitors reporting having had an up-close encounter with the animals, both of which affected the strength of positive emotional experiences at the exhibits. The extent of eye contact with the animal and the animal species also significantly affected emotional responses. Women reported stronger emotional experiences than men, however younger adults did not experience stronger positive emotional responses than older participants. Visitors' predispositions toward nature and emotional responses were significantly correlated. Strong predispositions toward nature and emotional experiences produced significantly stronger reports of conservation mindedness in visitors as a result of their experience at the exhibit. These findings have implications for animal husbandry, exhibit design, education, and outreach efforts for zoos.     

Emotional segregation: A content analysis of institutional racism in US films, 1980–2001

The purpose of this article is to empirically demonstrate a concept, known as “emotional segregation” through a systematic analysis of US films. Emotional segregation is defined as an institutionalized process, whereby European Americans are unable to see people of colour as emotional equals or as capable of sharing the same human emotions and experiences. This concept was inspired by Charles C. Stember's (1976) study of sexual racism and Patricia Hill Collins’ (2000) work on sexualized racism. In order to examine the existence of emotional segregation in the United States, a content analysis was conducted of forty US films chosen from a stratified random sample. Differences were found in media portrayals of inter- and intra-racial relationships involving African Americans. Future research on emotional segregation is suggested to assess how this phenomenon creates emotional barriers among ethnic groups.