Posner J, Russell JA, Gerber A, Gorman D, Colibazzi T, Yu S, Wang Z, Kangarlu A, Zhu H, Peterson BS.
Human Brain Mapping, in press
Objective: We aimed to study the neural processing of emotion-denoting words based on a circumplex model of affect, which posits that all emotions can be described as a linear combination of two neurophysiological dimensions, valence and arousal. Based on the circumplex model, we predicted a linear relationship between neural activity and incremental changes in these two affective dimensions. Methods: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we assessed in 10 subjects the correlations of BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent) signal with ratings of valence and arousal during the presentation of emotion-denoting words. Results: Valence ratings correlated positively with neural activity in the left insular cortex and inversely with neural activity in the right dorsolateral prefrontal and precuneus cortices. The absolute value of valence ratings (reflecting the positive and negative extremes of valence) correlated positively with neural activity in the left dorsolateral and medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and right dorsal PFC, and inversely with neural activity in the left medial temporal cortex and right amygdala. Arousal ratings and neural activity correlated positively in the left parahippocampus and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and inversely in the left dorsolateral PFC and dorsal cerebellum. Conclusion: We found evidence for two neural networks subserving the affective dimensions of valence and arousal. These findings clarify inconsistencies from prior imaging studies of affect by suggesting that two underlying neurophysiological systems, valence and arousal, may subserve the processing of affective stimuli, consistent with the circumplex model of affect.
Friday, March 28, 2008
ARTICLE UPDATE - Should Persuasion Be Affective or Cognitive? The Moderating Effects of Need for Affect and Need for Cognition.
Haddock G, Maio GR, Arnold K, Huskinson T.
ersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin, in press
Three experiments tested the hypothesis that need for affect and need for cognition influence receptivity to affect-and cognition-based persuasive messages. Experiment 1 found that an affective message elicited more positive attitudes among individuals high in need for affect and low in need for cognition, whereas a cognitive message elicited more positive attitudes among individuals low in need for affect and high in need for cognition. Experiment 2 found that individual differences in need for affect influenced receptivity to an affect-based (but not cognition-based) message, whereas individual differences in need for cognition influenced receptivity to a cognition-based (but not affect-based) message. Experiment 3 found that individual differences in need for affect were associated with increased recognition of information from an affect-based (but not cognition-based) message, whereas individual differences in need for cognition were associated with increased recognition of information from a cognition-based (but not affect-based) message. Overall, the studies point to the importance of individual differences in need for affect and need for cognition in understanding how individuals respond to different types of persuasive messages.
ersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin, in press
Three experiments tested the hypothesis that need for affect and need for cognition influence receptivity to affect-and cognition-based persuasive messages. Experiment 1 found that an affective message elicited more positive attitudes among individuals high in need for affect and low in need for cognition, whereas a cognitive message elicited more positive attitudes among individuals low in need for affect and high in need for cognition. Experiment 2 found that individual differences in need for affect influenced receptivity to an affect-based (but not cognition-based) message, whereas individual differences in need for cognition influenced receptivity to a cognition-based (but not affect-based) message. Experiment 3 found that individual differences in need for affect were associated with increased recognition of information from an affect-based (but not cognition-based) message, whereas individual differences in need for cognition were associated with increased recognition of information from a cognition-based (but not affect-based) message. Overall, the studies point to the importance of individual differences in need for affect and need for cognition in understanding how individuals respond to different types of persuasive messages.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Disconnecting force from money: effects of basal ganglia damage on incentive motivation.
Schmidt L, d'Arc BF, Lafargue G, Galanaud D, Czernecki V, Grabli D, Schüpbach M, Hartmann A, Lévy R, Dubois B, Pessiglione M.
Brain, in press
Bilateral basal ganglia lesions have been reported to induce a particular form of apathy, termed auto-activation deficit (AAD), principally defined as a loss of self-driven behaviour that is reversible with external stimulation. We hypothesized that AAD reflects a dysfunction of incentive motivation, a process that translates an expected reward (or goal) into behavioural activation. To investigate this hypothesis, we designed a behavioural paradigm contrasting an instructed (externally driven) task, in which subjects have to produce different levels of force by squeezing a hand grip, to an incentive (self-driven) task, in which subjects can win, depending on their hand grip force, different amounts of money. Skin conductance was simultaneously measured to index affective evaluation of monetary incentives. Thirteen AAD patients with bilateral striato-pallidal lesions were compared to thirteen unmedicated patients with Parkinson's; disease (PD), which is characterized by striatal dopamine depletion and regularly associated with apathy. AAD patients did not differ from PD patients in terms of grip force response to external instructions or skin conductance response to monetary incentives. However, unlike PD patients, they failed to distinguish between monetary incentives in their grip force. We conclude that bilateral striato-pallidal damage specifically disconnects motor output from affective evaluation of potential rewards.
Brain, in press
Bilateral basal ganglia lesions have been reported to induce a particular form of apathy, termed auto-activation deficit (AAD), principally defined as a loss of self-driven behaviour that is reversible with external stimulation. We hypothesized that AAD reflects a dysfunction of incentive motivation, a process that translates an expected reward (or goal) into behavioural activation. To investigate this hypothesis, we designed a behavioural paradigm contrasting an instructed (externally driven) task, in which subjects have to produce different levels of force by squeezing a hand grip, to an incentive (self-driven) task, in which subjects can win, depending on their hand grip force, different amounts of money. Skin conductance was simultaneously measured to index affective evaluation of monetary incentives. Thirteen AAD patients with bilateral striato-pallidal lesions were compared to thirteen unmedicated patients with Parkinson's; disease (PD), which is characterized by striatal dopamine depletion and regularly associated with apathy. AAD patients did not differ from PD patients in terms of grip force response to external instructions or skin conductance response to monetary incentives. However, unlike PD patients, they failed to distinguish between monetary incentives in their grip force. We conclude that bilateral striato-pallidal damage specifically disconnects motor output from affective evaluation of potential rewards.
ARTICLE UDPATE - Affective incoherence: When affective concepts and embodied reactions clash.
Centerbar DB, Schnall S, Clore GL, Garvin ED.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94, 560-578.
In five studies, the authors examined the effects on cognitive performance of coherence and incoherence between conceptual and experiential sources of affective information. The studies crossed the priming of happy and sad concepts with affective experiences. In different experiments, these included approach or avoidance actions, happy or sad feelings, and happy or sad expressive behaviors. In all studies, coherence between affective concepts and affective experiences led to better recall of a story than did affective incoherence. The authors suggest that the experience of such experiential affective cues serves as evidence of the appropriateness of affective concepts that come to mind. The results suggest that affective coherence has epistemic benefits and that incoherence is costly in terms of cognitive performance.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94, 560-578.
In five studies, the authors examined the effects on cognitive performance of coherence and incoherence between conceptual and experiential sources of affective information. The studies crossed the priming of happy and sad concepts with affective experiences. In different experiments, these included approach or avoidance actions, happy or sad feelings, and happy or sad expressive behaviors. In all studies, coherence between affective concepts and affective experiences led to better recall of a story than did affective incoherence. The authors suggest that the experience of such experiential affective cues serves as evidence of the appropriateness of affective concepts that come to mind. The results suggest that affective coherence has epistemic benefits and that incoherence is costly in terms of cognitive performance.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Rapid interactions between the ventral visual stream and emotion-related structures rely on a two-pathway architecture.
Rudrauf D, David O, Lachaux JP, Kovach CK, Martinerie J, Renault B, Damasio A.
The Journal of Neuroscience, 28, 2793-2803
Visual attention can be driven by the affective significance of visual stimuli before full-fledged processing of the stimuli. Two kinds of models have been proposed to explain this phenomenon: models involving sequential processing along the ventral visual stream, with secondary feedback from emotion-related structures ("two-stage models"); and models including additional short-cut pathways directly reaching the emotion-related structures ("two-pathway models"). We tested which type of model would best predict real magnetoencephalographic responses in subjects presented with arousing visual stimuli, using realistic models of large-scale cerebral architecture and neural biophysics. The results strongly support a "two-pathway" hypothesis. Both standard models including the retinotectal pathway and nonstandard models including cortical-cortical long-range fasciculi appear plausible.
The Journal of Neuroscience, 28, 2793-2803
Visual attention can be driven by the affective significance of visual stimuli before full-fledged processing of the stimuli. Two kinds of models have been proposed to explain this phenomenon: models involving sequential processing along the ventral visual stream, with secondary feedback from emotion-related structures ("two-stage models"); and models including additional short-cut pathways directly reaching the emotion-related structures ("two-pathway models"). We tested which type of model would best predict real magnetoencephalographic responses in subjects presented with arousing visual stimuli, using realistic models of large-scale cerebral architecture and neural biophysics. The results strongly support a "two-pathway" hypothesis. Both standard models including the retinotectal pathway and nonstandard models including cortical-cortical long-range fasciculi appear plausible.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Beyond Conventional Event-related Brain Potential (ERP): Exploring the Time-course of Visual Emotion Processing Using Topographic and
Pourtois G, Delplanque S, Michel C, Vuilleumier P.
Brain Topography, in press
Recent technological advances with the scalp EEG methodology allow researchers to record electric fields generated in the human brain using a large number of electrodes or sensors (e.g. 64-256) distributed over the head surface (multi-channel recording). As a consequence, such high-density ERP mapping yields fairly dense ERP data sets that are often hard to analyze comprehensively or to relate straightforwardly to specific cognitive or emotional processes, because of the richness of the recorded signal in both the temporal (millisecond time-resolution) and spatial (multidimensional topographic information) domains. Principal component analyses (PCA) and topographic analyses (combined with distributed source localization algorithms) have been developed and successfully used to deal with this complexity, now offering powerful alternative strategies for data-driven analyses in complement to more traditional ERP analyses based on waveforms and peak measures. In this paper, we first briefly review the basic principles of these approaches, and then describe recent ERP studies that illustrate how they can inform about the precise spatio-temporal dynamic of emotion processing. These studies show that the perception of emotional visual stimuli may produce both quantitative and qualitative changes in the electric field configuration recorded at the scalp level, which are not apparent when using conventional ERP analyses. Additional information gained from these approaches include the identification of a sequence of successive processing stages that may not fully be reflected in ERP waveforms only, and the segregation of multiple or partly overlapping neural events that may be blended within a single ERP waveform. These findings highlight the added value of such alternative analyses when exploring the electrophysiological manifestations of complex and distributed mental functions, as for instance during emotion processing.
Brain Topography, in press
Recent technological advances with the scalp EEG methodology allow researchers to record electric fields generated in the human brain using a large number of electrodes or sensors (e.g. 64-256) distributed over the head surface (multi-channel recording). As a consequence, such high-density ERP mapping yields fairly dense ERP data sets that are often hard to analyze comprehensively or to relate straightforwardly to specific cognitive or emotional processes, because of the richness of the recorded signal in both the temporal (millisecond time-resolution) and spatial (multidimensional topographic information) domains. Principal component analyses (PCA) and topographic analyses (combined with distributed source localization algorithms) have been developed and successfully used to deal with this complexity, now offering powerful alternative strategies for data-driven analyses in complement to more traditional ERP analyses based on waveforms and peak measures. In this paper, we first briefly review the basic principles of these approaches, and then describe recent ERP studies that illustrate how they can inform about the precise spatio-temporal dynamic of emotion processing. These studies show that the perception of emotional visual stimuli may produce both quantitative and qualitative changes in the electric field configuration recorded at the scalp level, which are not apparent when using conventional ERP analyses. Additional information gained from these approaches include the identification of a sequence of successive processing stages that may not fully be reflected in ERP waveforms only, and the segregation of multiple or partly overlapping neural events that may be blended within a single ERP waveform. These findings highlight the added value of such alternative analyses when exploring the electrophysiological manifestations of complex and distributed mental functions, as for instance during emotion processing.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Emotion Processing in the Visual Brain: A MEG Analysis.
Peyk P, Schupp HT, Elbert T, Junghöfer M.
Brain Topography, in press
Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and event-related brain potential (ERP) studies provide empirical support for the notion that emotional cues guide selective attention. Extending this line of research, whole head magneto-encephalogram (MEG) was measured while participants viewed in separate experimental blocks a continuous stream of either pleasant and neutral or unpleasant and neutral pictures, presented for 330 ms each. Event-related magnetic fields (ERF) were analyzed after intersubject sensor coregistration, complemented by minimum norm estimates (MNE) to explore neural generator sources. Both streams of analysis converge by demonstrating the selective emotion processing in an early (120-170 ms) and a late time interval (220-310 ms). ERF analysis revealed that the polarity of the emotion difference fields was reversed across early and late intervals suggesting distinct patterns of activation in the visual processing stream. Source analysis revealed the amplified processing of emotional pictures in visual processing areas with more pronounced occipito-parieto-temporal activation in the early time interval, and a stronger engagement of more anterior, temporal, regions in the later interval. Confirming previous ERP studies showing facilitated emotion processing, the present data suggest that MEG provides a complementary look at the spread of activation in the visual processing stream.
Brain Topography, in press
Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and event-related brain potential (ERP) studies provide empirical support for the notion that emotional cues guide selective attention. Extending this line of research, whole head magneto-encephalogram (MEG) was measured while participants viewed in separate experimental blocks a continuous stream of either pleasant and neutral or unpleasant and neutral pictures, presented for 330 ms each. Event-related magnetic fields (ERF) were analyzed after intersubject sensor coregistration, complemented by minimum norm estimates (MNE) to explore neural generator sources. Both streams of analysis converge by demonstrating the selective emotion processing in an early (120-170 ms) and a late time interval (220-310 ms). ERF analysis revealed that the polarity of the emotion difference fields was reversed across early and late intervals suggesting distinct patterns of activation in the visual processing stream. Source analysis revealed the amplified processing of emotional pictures in visual processing areas with more pronounced occipito-parieto-temporal activation in the early time interval, and a stronger engagement of more anterior, temporal, regions in the later interval. Confirming previous ERP studies showing facilitated emotion processing, the present data suggest that MEG provides a complementary look at the spread of activation in the visual processing stream.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Neuronal Processes Involved in Subjective Feeling Emergence: Oscillatory Activity During an Emotional Monitoring Task.
Dan Glauser ES, Scherer KR.
Brain Topography, in press
Subjective feeling, defined as the conscious experience of emotion and measured by self-report, is generally used as a manipulation check in studying emotional processes, rather than being the primary focus of research. In this paper, we report a first investigation into the processes involved in the emergence of a subjective feeling. We hypothesized that the oscillatory brain activity presumed to underlie the emergence of a subjective feeling can be measured by electroencephalographic (EEG) frequency band activity, similar to what has been shown in the literature for the conscious representation of objects. Emotional reactions were induced in participants using static visual stimuli. Episodes for which participants reported a subjective feeling were compared to those that did not lead to a conscious emotional experience, in order to identify potential differences between these two kinds of reactions at the oscillatory level. Discrete wavelet transforms of the EEG signal in gamma (31-63 Hz) and beta (15-31 Hz) bands showed significant differences between these two types of reactions. In addition, whereas beta band activities were widely distributed, differences in gamma band activity were predominantly observed in the frontal and prefrontal regions. The results are interpreted and discussed in terms of the complexity of the processes required to perform the affective monitoring task. It is suggested that future work on coherent mental representation of multimodal reaction patterns leading to the emergence of conscious emotional experience should include modifications in the time window examined and an extension of the frequency range to be considered.
Brain Topography, in press
Subjective feeling, defined as the conscious experience of emotion and measured by self-report, is generally used as a manipulation check in studying emotional processes, rather than being the primary focus of research. In this paper, we report a first investigation into the processes involved in the emergence of a subjective feeling. We hypothesized that the oscillatory brain activity presumed to underlie the emergence of a subjective feeling can be measured by electroencephalographic (EEG) frequency band activity, similar to what has been shown in the literature for the conscious representation of objects. Emotional reactions were induced in participants using static visual stimuli. Episodes for which participants reported a subjective feeling were compared to those that did not lead to a conscious emotional experience, in order to identify potential differences between these two kinds of reactions at the oscillatory level. Discrete wavelet transforms of the EEG signal in gamma (31-63 Hz) and beta (15-31 Hz) bands showed significant differences between these two types of reactions. In addition, whereas beta band activities were widely distributed, differences in gamma band activity were predominantly observed in the frontal and prefrontal regions. The results are interpreted and discussed in terms of the complexity of the processes required to perform the affective monitoring task. It is suggested that future work on coherent mental representation of multimodal reaction patterns leading to the emergence of conscious emotional experience should include modifications in the time window examined and an extension of the frequency range to be considered.
Friday, March 14, 2008
ARTICLE UPDATE - Distinct effects of attention and affect on pain perception and somatosensory evoked potentials.
Kenntner-Mabiala R, Andreatta M, Wieser MJ, Mühlberger A, Pauli P.
Biological Psychology, in press
The influence of affect and attention on sensory and affective pain as well as on somatosensory evoked potentials in response to painful and nonpainful electrical stimuli was investigated in a single experimental design. Affect was induced by pictures from the International Affective Picture System; attention was manipulated by asking participants to focus attention either on the pictures or on the electrical stimuli. Sensory and affective pain ratings were generally lower during exposure to positive compared to negative and neutral pictures. Attention modulated only sensory pain ratings with lower ratings with an attention focus on pictures than with an attention focus on sensory pain. The N150 was modulated by picture valence, the P260 by picture arousal. Furthermore, the P260 was modulated by attention with highest amplitudes with an attention focus on the stimulus intensity. This study provides neurophysiological evidence that attention and affect have distinct effects on pain processing.
Biological Psychology, in press
The influence of affect and attention on sensory and affective pain as well as on somatosensory evoked potentials in response to painful and nonpainful electrical stimuli was investigated in a single experimental design. Affect was induced by pictures from the International Affective Picture System; attention was manipulated by asking participants to focus attention either on the pictures or on the electrical stimuli. Sensory and affective pain ratings were generally lower during exposure to positive compared to negative and neutral pictures. Attention modulated only sensory pain ratings with lower ratings with an attention focus on pictures than with an attention focus on sensory pain. The N150 was modulated by picture valence, the P260 by picture arousal. Furthermore, the P260 was modulated by attention with highest amplitudes with an attention focus on the stimulus intensity. This study provides neurophysiological evidence that attention and affect have distinct effects on pain processing.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Viewing emotionally arousing compared to neutral pictures is associated with differential electrophysiological activity in early ("ea
Rigoulot S, Delplanque S, Despretz P, Defoort-Dhellemmes S, Honoré J, Sequeira H.
Brain Topography, in press
Recent findings from event-related potentials (ERPs) studies provided strong evidence that cen- trally presented emotional pictures could be used to assess affective processing. Moreover, several studies showed that emotionally charged stimuli may automatically attract attention even if these are not consciously identified. Indeed, such perceptive conditions can be compared to those typical of the peripheral vision, particularly known to have low spatial resolution capacities. The aim of the present study was to characterize at behavioral and neural levels the impact of emotional visual scenes presented in peripheral vision. Eighteen participants were asked to categorize neutral and unpleasant pictures presented at central (0 degrees ) and peripheral eccentricities (-30 and +30 degrees ) while ERPs were recorded from 63 electrodes. ERPs were analysed by means of spatio-temporal principal component analyses (PCA) in order to evaluate influences of the emotional content on ERP components for each spatial position (central vs. peripheral). Main results highlight that affective modulation of early ERP components exists for both centrally and peripherally presented pictures. These findings suggest that, for far peripheral eccentricities as for central vision, the brain engages specific resources to process emotional information.
Brain Topography, in press
Recent findings from event-related potentials (ERPs) studies provided strong evidence that cen- trally presented emotional pictures could be used to assess affective processing. Moreover, several studies showed that emotionally charged stimuli may automatically attract attention even if these are not consciously identified. Indeed, such perceptive conditions can be compared to those typical of the peripheral vision, particularly known to have low spatial resolution capacities. The aim of the present study was to characterize at behavioral and neural levels the impact of emotional visual scenes presented in peripheral vision. Eighteen participants were asked to categorize neutral and unpleasant pictures presented at central (0 degrees ) and peripheral eccentricities (-30 and +30 degrees ) while ERPs were recorded from 63 electrodes. ERPs were analysed by means of spatio-temporal principal component analyses (PCA) in order to evaluate influences of the emotional content on ERP components for each spatial position (central vs. peripheral). Main results highlight that affective modulation of early ERP components exists for both centrally and peripherally presented pictures. These findings suggest that, for far peripheral eccentricities as for central vision, the brain engages specific resources to process emotional information.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Affective Prime and Target Picture Processing: An ERP Analysis of Early and Late Interference Effects.
Flaisch T, Stockburger J, Schupp HT.
Brain Topography, in press
Viewing emotionally arousing compared to neutral pictures is associated with differential electrophysiological activity in early ("early posterior negativity", EPN), as well as later time-windows ("late positive potential", LPP). A previous study revealed that the EPN is reduced when the preceding prime picture was emotional. The present study explored whether sequential interference effects are specific for early processing stages or extend to later processing stages. Dense sensor ERPs were measured while subjects viewed a continuous stream of pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant pictures, presented for 660 ms each. Previous results were replicated in that emotional pictures were associated with enlarged EPN and LPP amplitudes compared to neutral pictures. Furthermore, the EPN to emotional and neutral pictures was reduced when preceded by pleasant prime pictures. The novel finding was that emotional compared to neutral prime pictures were associated with reduced LPP amplitudes to the subsequently presented picture irrespective of its emotional valence (pleasant, neutral, unpleasant). These results demonstrate sustained interference effects in serial picture presentations discussed within a framework of resource competition among successive pictures.
Brain Topography, in press
Viewing emotionally arousing compared to neutral pictures is associated with differential electrophysiological activity in early ("early posterior negativity", EPN), as well as later time-windows ("late positive potential", LPP). A previous study revealed that the EPN is reduced when the preceding prime picture was emotional. The present study explored whether sequential interference effects are specific for early processing stages or extend to later processing stages. Dense sensor ERPs were measured while subjects viewed a continuous stream of pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant pictures, presented for 660 ms each. Previous results were replicated in that emotional pictures were associated with enlarged EPN and LPP amplitudes compared to neutral pictures. Furthermore, the EPN to emotional and neutral pictures was reduced when preceded by pleasant prime pictures. The novel finding was that emotional compared to neutral prime pictures were associated with reduced LPP amplitudes to the subsequently presented picture irrespective of its emotional valence (pleasant, neutral, unpleasant). These results demonstrate sustained interference effects in serial picture presentations discussed within a framework of resource competition among successive pictures.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Immediate memory consequences of the effect of emotion on attention to pictures.
Talmi D, Anderson AK, Riggs L, Caplan JB, Moscovitch M.
Learning & Memory, 15, 172-182
Emotionally arousing stimuli are at once both highly attention grabbing and memorable. We examined whether emotional enhancement of memory (EEM) reflects an indirect effect of emotion on memory, mediated by enhanced attention to emotional items during encoding. We tested a critical prediction of the mediation hypothesis-that regions conjointly activated by emotion and attention would correlate with subsequent EEM. Participants were scanned with fMRI while they watched emotional or neutral pictures under instructions to attend to them a lot or a little, and were then given an immediate recognition test. A region in the left fusiform gyrus was activated by emotion, voluntary attention, and subsequent EEM. A functional network, different for each attention condition, connected this region and the amygdala, which was associated with emotion and EEM, but not with voluntary attention. These findings support an indirect cortical mediation account of immediate EEM that may complement a direct modulation model.
Learning & Memory, 15, 172-182
Emotionally arousing stimuli are at once both highly attention grabbing and memorable. We examined whether emotional enhancement of memory (EEM) reflects an indirect effect of emotion on memory, mediated by enhanced attention to emotional items during encoding. We tested a critical prediction of the mediation hypothesis-that regions conjointly activated by emotion and attention would correlate with subsequent EEM. Participants were scanned with fMRI while they watched emotional or neutral pictures under instructions to attend to them a lot or a little, and were then given an immediate recognition test. A region in the left fusiform gyrus was activated by emotion, voluntary attention, and subsequent EEM. A functional network, different for each attention condition, connected this region and the amygdala, which was associated with emotion and EEM, but not with voluntary attention. These findings support an indirect cortical mediation account of immediate EEM that may complement a direct modulation model.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Distinguishing specific sexual and general emotional effects in fMRI-Subcortical and cortical arousal during erotic picture viewing.
Walter M, Bermpohl F, Mouras H, Schiltz K, Tempelmann C, Rotte M, Heinze HJ, Bogerts B, Northoff G.
Neuroimage, in press
Sexual activity involves excitement with high arousal and pleasure as typical features of emotions. Brain activations specifically related to erotic feelings and those related to general emotional processing are therefore hard to disentangle. Using fMRI in 21 healthy subjects (11 males and 10 females), we investigated regions that show activations specifically related to the viewing of sexually intense pictures while controlling for general emotional arousal (GEA) or pleasure. Activations in the ventral striatum and hypothalamus were found to be modulated by the stimulus' specific sexual intensity (SSI) while activations in the anterior cingulate cortex were associated with an interaction between sexual intensity and emotional valence. In contrast, activation in other regions like the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, the mediodorsal thalamus and the amygdala was associated only with a general emotional component during sexual arousal. No differences were found in these effects when comparing females and males. Our findings demonstrate for the first time neural differentiation between emotional and sexual components in the neural network underlying sexual arousal.
Neuroimage, in press
Sexual activity involves excitement with high arousal and pleasure as typical features of emotions. Brain activations specifically related to erotic feelings and those related to general emotional processing are therefore hard to disentangle. Using fMRI in 21 healthy subjects (11 males and 10 females), we investigated regions that show activations specifically related to the viewing of sexually intense pictures while controlling for general emotional arousal (GEA) or pleasure. Activations in the ventral striatum and hypothalamus were found to be modulated by the stimulus' specific sexual intensity (SSI) while activations in the anterior cingulate cortex were associated with an interaction between sexual intensity and emotional valence. In contrast, activation in other regions like the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, the mediodorsal thalamus and the amygdala was associated only with a general emotional component during sexual arousal. No differences were found in these effects when comparing females and males. Our findings demonstrate for the first time neural differentiation between emotional and sexual components in the neural network underlying sexual arousal.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Neuromagnetic Activity During Recognition of Emotional Pictures.
Kissler J, Hauswald A.
Brain Topography, in press
Recently studied [Symbol: see text]old' stimuli lead to larger frontal and parietal ERP responses than [Symbol: see text]new' stimuli. The present experiment investigated the neuromagnetic correlates (MEG) of this [Symbol: see text]old-new' effect and its modulation by emotional stimulus content. Highly arousing pleasant, highly arousing unpleasant and un-arousing neutral photographs were presented to the participants with the instruction to memorize them. They were later re-presented together with new photographs in an old-new decision task. In line with previous ERP studies, a long-lasting old-new effect (350-700 ms) was found. Independently, an emotion effect also occurred, as reflected in a, particularly left temporal, activity increase for emotional pictures between 450 and 580 ms. Moreover, only for the pleasant pictures did the early part of the old-new effect, which is thought to reflect familiarity based recognition processes, interact with picture content: The old-new effect for pleasant pictures in frontal regions was larger than the one for neutral or unpleasant pictures between 350 and 450 ms. In parallel, subjects' responses were accelerated towards and biased in favour of classifying pleasant pictures as old. However, when false alarm rate was taken into account, there was no significant effect of emotional content on recognition accuracy. In sum, this MEG study demonstrates an effect of particularly pleasant emotional content on recognition memory which may be mediated by a familiarity based process.
Brain Topography, in press
Recently studied [Symbol: see text]old' stimuli lead to larger frontal and parietal ERP responses than [Symbol: see text]new' stimuli. The present experiment investigated the neuromagnetic correlates (MEG) of this [Symbol: see text]old-new' effect and its modulation by emotional stimulus content. Highly arousing pleasant, highly arousing unpleasant and un-arousing neutral photographs were presented to the participants with the instruction to memorize them. They were later re-presented together with new photographs in an old-new decision task. In line with previous ERP studies, a long-lasting old-new effect (350-700 ms) was found. Independently, an emotion effect also occurred, as reflected in a, particularly left temporal, activity increase for emotional pictures between 450 and 580 ms. Moreover, only for the pleasant pictures did the early part of the old-new effect, which is thought to reflect familiarity based recognition processes, interact with picture content: The old-new effect for pleasant pictures in frontal regions was larger than the one for neutral or unpleasant pictures between 350 and 450 ms. In parallel, subjects' responses were accelerated towards and biased in favour of classifying pleasant pictures as old. However, when false alarm rate was taken into account, there was no significant effect of emotional content on recognition accuracy. In sum, this MEG study demonstrates an effect of particularly pleasant emotional content on recognition memory which may be mediated by a familiarity based process.
Friday, March 07, 2008
ARTICLE UPDATE - Incidental encoding of emotional pictures: Affective bias studied through event related brain potentials.
Tapia M, Carretié L, Sierra B, Mercado F.
International Journal of Psychophysiology, in press
Emotional stimuli are better remembered than neutral stimuli. Most of the studies taking into account this emotional bias refer to explicit memory, use behavioral measures of the recall and predict better recall of negative stimuli. The few studies taking into account implicit memory and the valence emotional dimension are inconclusive on the effect of the stimulus' emotional valence. In the present study, 120 pictures (30 positive, 30 negative, 30 relaxing and 30 neutral) were shown to, and assessed by, 28 participants (study phase). Subsequently, event related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded during the presentation of 120 new (shown for the first time) and 120 old (already shown in the study phase) pictures (test phase). No explicit instructions or clues related to recovery were given to participants, and a distractor task was employed, in order to maintain implicit the memory assessment. As expected from other studies' data, our results showed that old stimuli elicited an enhanced late positive component 450 ms after stimulus onset (repetition effect). Moreover, this effect was modulated by the stimuli's emotional valence, since the most positively valenced stimuli were associated with a decreased repetition effect with respect to the most negatively valenced stimuli. This effect was located at ventromedial prefrontal cortex. These results suggest the existence of a valence-mediated bias in implicit memory.
International Journal of Psychophysiology, in press
Emotional stimuli are better remembered than neutral stimuli. Most of the studies taking into account this emotional bias refer to explicit memory, use behavioral measures of the recall and predict better recall of negative stimuli. The few studies taking into account implicit memory and the valence emotional dimension are inconclusive on the effect of the stimulus' emotional valence. In the present study, 120 pictures (30 positive, 30 negative, 30 relaxing and 30 neutral) were shown to, and assessed by, 28 participants (study phase). Subsequently, event related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded during the presentation of 120 new (shown for the first time) and 120 old (already shown in the study phase) pictures (test phase). No explicit instructions or clues related to recovery were given to participants, and a distractor task was employed, in order to maintain implicit the memory assessment. As expected from other studies' data, our results showed that old stimuli elicited an enhanced late positive component 450 ms after stimulus onset (repetition effect). Moreover, this effect was modulated by the stimuli's emotional valence, since the most positively valenced stimuli were associated with a decreased repetition effect with respect to the most negatively valenced stimuli. This effect was located at ventromedial prefrontal cortex. These results suggest the existence of a valence-mediated bias in implicit memory.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Affective neuroscience of pleasure: reward in humans and animals.
Berridge KC, Kringelbach ML.
Psychopharmacology, in press
INTRODUCTION: Pleasure and reward are generated by brain circuits that are largely shared between humans and other animals. DISCUSSION: Here, we survey some fundamental topics regarding pleasure mechanisms and explicitly compare humans and animals. CONCLUSION: Topics surveyed include liking, wanting, and learning components of reward; brain coding versus brain causing of reward; subjective pleasure versus objective hedonic reactions; roles of orbitofrontal cortex and related cortex regions; subcortical hedonic hotspots for pleasure generation; reappraisals of dopamine and pleasure-electrode controversies; and the relation of pleasure to happiness.
Psychopharmacology, in press
INTRODUCTION: Pleasure and reward are generated by brain circuits that are largely shared between humans and other animals. DISCUSSION: Here, we survey some fundamental topics regarding pleasure mechanisms and explicitly compare humans and animals. CONCLUSION: Topics surveyed include liking, wanting, and learning components of reward; brain coding versus brain causing of reward; subjective pleasure versus objective hedonic reactions; roles of orbitofrontal cortex and related cortex regions; subcortical hedonic hotspots for pleasure generation; reappraisals of dopamine and pleasure-electrode controversies; and the relation of pleasure to happiness.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Valuating other people's emotional face expression: A combined functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography study
Seitz RJ, Schäfer R, Scherfeld D, Friederichs S, Popp K, Wittsack HJ, Azari NP, Franz M.
Neuroscience, in press
Reading the facial expression of other people is a fundamental skill for social interaction. Human facial expressions of emotions are readily recognized but may also evoke the same experiential emotional state in the observer. We used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging and multi-channel electroencephalography to determine in 14 right-handed healthy volunteers (29+/-6 years) which brain structures mediate the perception of such a shared experiential emotional state. Statistical parametric mapping showed that an area in the dorsal medial frontal cortex was specifically activated during the perception of emotions that reflected the seen happy and sad emotional face expressions. This area mapped to the pre-supplementary motor area which plays a central role in control of behavior. Low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography-based analysis of the encephalographic data revealed that the activation was detected 100 ms after face presentation onset lasting until 740 ms. Our observation substantiates recently emerging evidence suggesting that the subjective perception of an experiential emotional state-empathy-is mediated by the involvement of the dorsal medial frontal cortex.
Neuroscience, in press
Reading the facial expression of other people is a fundamental skill for social interaction. Human facial expressions of emotions are readily recognized but may also evoke the same experiential emotional state in the observer. We used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging and multi-channel electroencephalography to determine in 14 right-handed healthy volunteers (29+/-6 years) which brain structures mediate the perception of such a shared experiential emotional state. Statistical parametric mapping showed that an area in the dorsal medial frontal cortex was specifically activated during the perception of emotions that reflected the seen happy and sad emotional face expressions. This area mapped to the pre-supplementary motor area which plays a central role in control of behavior. Low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography-based analysis of the encephalographic data revealed that the activation was detected 100 ms after face presentation onset lasting until 740 ms. Our observation substantiates recently emerging evidence suggesting that the subjective perception of an experiential emotional state-empathy-is mediated by the involvement of the dorsal medial frontal cortex.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Emotional valence and arousal interact in attentional control.
Jefferies LN, Smilek D, Eich E, Enns JT.
Psychological Science, 19, 290-295
A recent study demonstrated that observers' ability to identify targets in a rapid visual sequence was enhanced when they simultaneously listened to happy music. In the study reported here, we examined how the emotion-attention relationship is influenced by changes in both mood valence (negative vs. positive) and arousal (low vs. high). We used a standard induction procedure to generate calm, happy, sad, and anxious moods in participants. Results for an attentional blink task showed no differences in first-target accuracy, but second-target accuracy was highest for participants with low arousal and negative affect (sad), lowest for those with strong arousal and negative affect (anxious), and intermediate for those with positive affect regardless of their arousal (calm, happy). We discuss implications of this valence-arousal interaction for the control of visual attention.
Psychological Science, 19, 290-295
A recent study demonstrated that observers' ability to identify targets in a rapid visual sequence was enhanced when they simultaneously listened to happy music. In the study reported here, we examined how the emotion-attention relationship is influenced by changes in both mood valence (negative vs. positive) and arousal (low vs. high). We used a standard induction procedure to generate calm, happy, sad, and anxious moods in participants. Results for an attentional blink task showed no differences in first-target accuracy, but second-target accuracy was highest for participants with low arousal and negative affect (sad), lowest for those with strong arousal and negative affect (anxious), and intermediate for those with positive affect regardless of their arousal (calm, happy). We discuss implications of this valence-arousal interaction for the control of visual attention.
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