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Grogans SE, Hur J, Barstead MG, Anderson AS, Islam S, Kim HC, Kuhn M, Tillman RM, Fox AS, Smith JF, DeYoung KA, Shackman AJ. Neuroticism/negative emotionality is associated with increased reactivity to uncertain threat in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, not the amygdala. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.02.09.527767. [PMID: 36798350 PMCID: PMC9934698 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.09.527767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Neuroticism/Negative Emotionality (N/NE)-the tendency to experience anxiety, fear, and other negative emotions-is a fundamental dimension of temperament with profound consequences for health, wealth, and wellbeing. Elevated N/NE is associated with a panoply of adverse outcomes, from reduced socioeconomic attainment to psychiatric illness. Animal research suggests that N/NE reflects heightened reactivity to uncertain threat in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce), but the relevance of these discoveries to humans has remained unclear. Here we used a novel combination of psychometric, psychophysiological, and neuroimaging approaches to rigorously test this hypothesis in an ethnoracially diverse, sex-balanced sample of 220 emerging adults selectively recruited to encompass a broad spectrum of N/NE. Cross-validated robust-regression analyses demonstrated that N/NE is preferentially associated with heightened BST activation during the uncertain anticipation of a genuinely distressing threat (aversive multimodal stimulation), whereas N/NE was unrelated to BST activation during certain-threat anticipation, Ce activation during either type of threat anticipation, or BST/Ce reactivity to threat-related faces. It is often assumed that different threat paradigms are interchangeable assays of individual differences in brain function, yet this has rarely been tested. Our results revealed negligible associations between BST/Ce reactivity to the anticipation of threat and the presentation of threat-related faces, indicating that the two tasks are non-fungible. These observations provide a framework for conceptualizing emotional traits and disorders; for guiding the design and interpretation of biobank and other neuroimaging studies of psychiatric risk, disease, and treatment; and for informing mechanistic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Grogans
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Juyoen Hur
- Department of Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Allegra S Anderson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240 USA
| | - Samiha Islam
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Hyung Cho Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Manuel Kuhn
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | | | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Jason F Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Kathryn A DeYoung
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Alexander J Shackman
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
- Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
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2
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Fishstrom S, Capin P, Fall AM, Roberts G, Grills AE, Vaughn S. Understanding the relation between reading and anxiety among upper elementary students with reading difficulties. ANNALS OF DYSLEXIA 2024; 74:123-141. [PMID: 38227129 DOI: 10.1007/s11881-024-00299-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
This study examined the relations between reading anxiety, general anxiety, and test anxiety in a sample of students with reading difficulties (n = 536). It also tested if dimensions of anxiety were differentially related to word reading accuracy and fluency, text reading fluency, or reading comprehension. The results indicated that the three anxiety measures were significantly related (r = 0.51 to 0.56, p < .001). Additionally, higher reading anxiety was related to poorer word reading fluency, text reading fluency, and comprehension outcomes. Further analyses indicated that these relations existed in students who fell in the middle and upper quantiles for reading, but not the lowest quantile. This pattern of findings suggests that the relation is complex and varies depending on severity of reading difficulty. Results may help to inform future efforts to support students with reading difficulties, including students with dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Fishstrom
- College of Education, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 1776 University Avenue, Wist 121, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.
| | - Philip Capin
- The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Anna-Mari Fall
- The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Gregory Roberts
- The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Amie E Grills
- School of Education, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sharon Vaughn
- The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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3
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Wen Z, Pace-Schott EF, Lazar SW, Rosén J, Åhs F, Phelps EA, LeDoux JE, Milad MR. Distributed neural representations of conditioned threat in the human brain. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2231. [PMID: 38472184 PMCID: PMC10933283 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46508-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Detecting and responding to threat engages several neural nodes including the amygdala, hippocampus, insular cortex, and medial prefrontal cortices. Recent propositions call for the integration of more distributed neural nodes that process sensory and cognitive facets related to threat. Integrative, sensitive, and reproducible distributed neural decoders for the detection and response to threat and safety have yet to be established. We combine functional MRI data across varying threat conditioning and negative affect paradigms from 1465 participants with multivariate pattern analysis to investigate distributed neural representations of threat and safety. The trained decoders sensitively and specifically distinguish between threat and safety cues across multiple datasets. We further show that many neural nodes dynamically shift representations between threat and safety. Our results establish reproducible decoders that integrate neural circuits, merging the well-characterized 'threat circuit' with sensory and cognitive nodes, discriminating threat from safety regardless of experimental designs or data acquisition parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenfu Wen
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Edward F Pace-Schott
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Sara W Lazar
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Jörgen Rosén
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Åhs
- Department of Psychology and Social Work, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden
| | | | - Joseph E LeDoux
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neural Science and Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mohammed R Milad
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
- The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
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4
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McVeigh K, Kleckner IR, Quigley KS, Satpute AB. Fear-related psychophysiological patterns are situation and individual dependent: A Bayesian model comparison approach. Emotion 2024; 24:506-521. [PMID: 37603002 PMCID: PMC10882564 DOI: 10.1037/emo0001265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Is there a universal mapping of physiology to emotion, or do these mappings vary substantially by person or situation? Psychologists, philosophers, and neuroscientists have debated this question for decades. Most previous studies have focused on differentiating emotions on the basis of accompanying autonomic responses using analytical approaches that often assume within-category homogeneity. In the present study, we took an alternative approach to this question. We determined the extent to which the relationship between subjective experience and autonomic reactivity generalizes across, or depends upon, the individual and situation for instances of a single emotion category, specifically, fear. Electrodermal activity and cardiac activity-two autonomic measures that are often assumed to show robust relationships with instances of fear-were recorded while participants reported fear experience in response to dozens of fear-evoking videos related to three distinct situations: spiders, heights, and social encounters. We formally translated assumptions from diverse theoretical models into a common framework for model comparison analyses. Results exceedingly favored a model that assumed situation-dependency in the relationship between fear experience and autonomic reactivity, with subject variance also significant but constrained by situation. Models that assumed generalization across situations and/or individuals performed much worse by comparison. These results call into question the assumption of generalizability of autonomic-subjective mappings across instances of fear, as required in translational research from nonhuman animals to humans, and advance a situated approach to understanding the autonomic correlates of fear experience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kieran McVeigh
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, 125 NI, Boston, MA 02115
| | | | - Karen S. Quigley
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, 125 NI, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Ajay B. Satpute
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, 125 NI, Boston, MA 02115
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5
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Liu X, Jiao G, Zhou F, Kendrick KM, Yao D, Gong Q, Xiang S, Jia T, Zhang XY, Zhang J, Feng J, Becker B. A neural signature for the subjective experience of threat anticipation under uncertainty. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1544. [PMID: 38378947 PMCID: PMC10879105 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45433-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Uncertainty about potential future threats and the associated anxious anticipation represents a key feature of anxiety. However, the neural systems that underlie the subjective experience of threat anticipation under uncertainty remain unclear. Combining an uncertainty-variation threat anticipation paradigm that allows precise modulation of the level of momentary anxious arousal during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with multivariate predictive modeling, we train a brain model that accurately predicts subjective anxious arousal intensity during anticipation and test it across 9 samples (total n = 572, both gender). Using publicly available datasets, we demonstrate that the whole-brain signature specifically predicts anxious anticipation and is not sensitive in predicting pain, general anticipation or unspecific emotional and autonomic arousal. The signature is also functionally and spatially distinguishable from representations of subjective fear or negative affect. We develop a sensitive, generalizable, and specific neuroimaging marker for the subjective experience of uncertain threat anticipation that can facilitate model development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiqin Liu
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Guojuan Jiao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Chongqing, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Dezhong Yao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Shitong Xiang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianye Jia
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- The Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), ISTBI, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Xiao-Yong Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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6
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Shackman AJ, Gee DG. Maternal Perinatal Stress Associated With Offspring Negative Emotionality, But the Underlying Mechanisms Remain Elusive. Am J Psychiatry 2023; 180:708-711. [PMID: 37777854 PMCID: PMC10558087 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. Shackman
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
- Department of Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Dylan G. Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
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7
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Abend R. Understanding anxiety symptoms as aberrant defensive responding along the threat imminence continuum. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105305. [PMID: 37414377 PMCID: PMC10528507 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Threat-anticipatory defensive responses have evolved to promote survival in a dynamic world. While inherently adaptive, aberrant expression of defensive responses to potential threat could manifest as pathological anxiety, which is prevalent, impairing, and associated with adverse outcomes. Extensive translational neuroscience research indicates that normative defensive responses are organized by threat imminence, such that distinct response patterns are observed in each phase of threat encounter and orchestrated by partially conserved neural circuitry. Anxiety symptoms, such as excessive and pervasive worry, physiological arousal, and avoidance behavior, may reflect aberrant expression of otherwise normative defensive responses, and therefore follow the same imminence-based organization. Here, empirical evidence linking aberrant expression of specific, imminence-dependent defensive responding to distinct anxiety symptoms is reviewed, and plausible contributing neural circuitry is highlighted. Drawing from translational and clinical research, the proposed framework informs our understanding of pathological anxiety by grounding anxiety symptoms in conserved psychobiological mechanisms. Potential implications for research and treatment are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rany Abend
- School of Psychology, Reichman University, P.O. Box 167, Herzliya 4610101, Israel; Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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8
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Kragel PA, Treadway MT, Admon R, Pizzagalli DA, Hahn EC. A mesocorticolimbic signature of pleasure in the human brain. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:1332-1343. [PMID: 37386105 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01639-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Pleasure is a fundamental driver of human behaviour, yet its neural basis remains largely unknown. Rodent studies highlight opioidergic neural circuits connecting the nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum, insula and orbitofrontal cortex as critical for the initiation and regulation of pleasure, and human neuroimaging studies exhibit some translational parity. However, whether activation in these regions conveys a generalizable representation of pleasure regulated by opioidergic mechanisms remains unclear. Here we use pattern recognition techniques to develop a human functional magnetic resonance imaging signature of mesocorticolimbic activity unique to states of pleasure. In independent validation tests, this signature is sensitive to pleasant tastes and affect evoked by humour. The signature is spatially co-extensive with mu-opioid receptor gene expression, and its response is attenuated by the opioid antagonist naloxone. These findings provide evidence for a basis of pleasure in humans that is distributed across brain systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip A Kragel
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Michael T Treadway
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Roee Admon
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Diego A Pizzagalli
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Emma C Hahn
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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9
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Kim HC, Kaplan CM, Islam S, Anderson AS, Piper ME, Bradford DE, Curtin JJ, DeYoung KA, Smith JF, Fox AS, Shackman AJ. Acute nicotine abstinence amplifies subjective withdrawal symptoms and threat-evoked fear and anxiety, but not extended amygdala reactivity. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288544. [PMID: 37471317 PMCID: PMC10358993 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Tobacco smoking imposes a staggering burden on public health, underscoring the urgency of developing a deeper understanding of the processes that maintain addiction. Clinical and experience-sampling data highlight the importance of anxious withdrawal symptoms, but the underlying neurobiology has remained elusive. Mechanistic work in animals implicates the central extended amygdala (EAc)-including the central nucleus of the amygdala and the neighboring bed nucleus of the stria terminalis-but the translational relevance of these discoveries remains unexplored. Here we leveraged a randomized trial design, well-established threat-anticipation paradigm, and multidimensional battery of assessments to understand the consequences of 24-hour nicotine abstinence. The threat-anticipation paradigm had the expected consequences, amplifying subjective distress and arousal, and recruiting the canonical threat-anticipation network. Abstinence increased smoking urges and withdrawal symptoms, and potentiated threat-evoked distress, but had negligible consequences for EAc threat reactivity, raising questions about the translational relevance of prominent animal and human models of addiction. These observations provide a framework for conceptualizing nicotine abstinence and withdrawal, with implications for basic, translational, and clinical science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung Cho Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Claire M Kaplan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Samiha Islam
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Allegra S Anderson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Megan E Piper
- Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention and Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Daniel E Bradford
- School of Psychological Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - John J Curtin
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Kathryn A DeYoung
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jason F Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Alexander J Shackman
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
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10
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Grogans SE, Bliss-Moreau E, Buss KA, Clark LA, Fox AS, Keltner D, Cowen AS, Kim JJ, Kragel PA, MacLeod C, Mobbs D, Naragon-Gainey K, Fullana MA, Shackman AJ. The Nature and Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety: State of the Science and Opportunities for Accelerating Discovery. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023:105237. [PMID: 37209932 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Fear and anxiety play a central role in mammalian life, and there is considerable interest in clarifying their nature, identifying their biological underpinnings, and determining their consequences for health and disease. Here we provide a roundtable discussion on the nature and biological bases of fear- and anxiety-related states, traits, and disorders. The discussants include scientists familiar with a wide variety of populations and a broad spectrum of techniques. The goal of the roundtable was to take stock of the state of the science and provide a roadmap to the next generation of fear and anxiety research. Much of the discussion centered on the key challenges facing the field, the most fruitful avenues for future research, and emerging opportunities for accelerating discovery, with implications for scientists, funders, and other stakeholders. Understanding fear and anxiety is a matter of practical importance. Anxiety disorders are a leading burden on public health and existing treatments are far from curative, underscoring the urgency of developing a deeper understanding of the factors governing threat-related emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eliza Bliss-Moreau
- Department of Psychology; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kristin A Buss
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Lee Anna Clark
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
| | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Dacher Keltner
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | | | - Jeansok J Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Philip A Kragel
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 USA
| | - Colin MacLeod
- Centre for the Advancement of Research on Emotion, School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Dean Mobbs
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences; Computation and Neural Systems Program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125 USA
| | - Kristin Naragon-Gainey
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Miquel A Fullana
- Adult Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain; Imaging of Mood- and Anxiety-Related Disorders Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, CIBERSAM, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexander J Shackman
- Department of Psychology; Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program; Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA.
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11
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Kim B, Niu X, Zhang F. Functional connectivity strength and topology differences in social phobia adolescents with and without ADHD comorbidity. Neuropsychologia 2023; 178:108418. [PMID: 36403658 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Social phobia (SP) is associated with changes in functional connectivity strength and topology. However, reported changes have been heterogeneous due to small sample sizes, inconsistent methodologies, and comorbidities, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which has a high comorbidity rate with SP. Furthermore, there are few studies looking at SP in an adolescent population, a critical period for the development of the social brain. This project focuses on functional connectivity strength and topological differences in social phobia patients with and without ADHD comorbidity. We examined resting-state functional MRI images from 158 subjects, including 36 SP participants without ADHD comorbidity, 60 SP participants with ADHD comorbidity, and 62 healthy controls, with an overall average age of 14.16. We used a data-driven approach to examine impaired functional connectivity in a whole-brain analysis and higher-order topological differences in functional brain networks. We identified changes in the cerebellum and default mode network in social phobia patients as a whole, with the presence of ADHD comorbidity affecting various subsystems of the default mode network. Social phobia functional connectivity networks resembled random graphs, and local connectivity patterns in the superior occipital gyrus were different due to ADHD comorbidity. These alterations may indicate impairments in self-related processing, imagery, mentalizing, and predictive processes. We then used these changes in a linear support vector machine to distinguish between each pair of groups and achieved prediction accuracy significantly above chance rates. Our study extends prior research by showing that functional connectivity changes exist at adolescence, which are affected by ADHD comorbidity. As such, these results offer a new perspective in examining neurobiological changes in SP patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Kim
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Xin Niu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Fengqing Zhang
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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12
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McClellan France J, Jovanovic T. Human fear neurobiology reimagined: Can brain-derived biotypes predict fear-based disorders after trauma? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:104988. [PMID: 36470327 PMCID: PMC10960960 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
Human studies of fear neurobiology have established neural circuits that are activated to threatening stimuli, whether it be during Pavlovian fear conditioning or in response to naturally occurring threats. This circuitry involves the central and basolateral amygdala, as well as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, insula, hippocampus, and regulatory regions such as the anterior cingulate cortex and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. While research has found that fear-based disorders, such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, as associated with dysfunction in these circuits, there is substantial individual heterogeneity in the clinical presentation of symptoms. Recent work has used data-driven methods to derive brain biotypes that capitalize on the activity of the fear circuit and its interaction with other regions of the brain. These biotypes have great utility in both describing individual variation in psychopathology and in identifying individuals at greater risk for fear-based disorders after an environmental stressor, such as a traumatic event. The review discusses recent examples of how fear neurobiology studies can be leveraged to derive biotypes that may ultimately lead to improved treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- John McClellan France
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, United States
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, United States.
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13
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Couillard Larocque M, Fortin-Vidah G, Angers M, Garceau L, Gros L, Fournel I, Provencher MD. Anxiety in bipolar disorder: A review of publication trends. J Affect Disord 2023; 320:340-347. [PMID: 36174785 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.09.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although anxiety is highly prevalent in people with bipolar disorders and has deleterious impact on the course of the illness, past reviews have shown that many aspects of the topic remain under-researched. This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature addressing anxiety in bipolar disorder (A-BD) between 2011 and 2020, assess if the interest in the topic has increased over the period and map the publication trends. METHODS Three databases were systematically searched, and all articles were screened at the title/abstract and full text level based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of these, 1099 articles were included in the study. The annual number of articles on A-BD published between 2011 and 2020 was calculated and articles addressing it as a primary topic (n = 310) were classified into 4 categories and 11 subcategories to identify gaps in the knowledge. RESULTS The results show no clear increase in the number of annual publications during the period and much of the available literature is of a descriptive nature. Less is known about the processes underlying the comorbidity and about treatment approaches. LIMITATIONS Given the large scope of the research question, no quality assessment of the evidence was made. Only articles in English or French were considered. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight the need to change the focus of research efforts to better understand and address this unique set of conditions in clinical settings.
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14
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Khosravi P, Zugman A, Amelio P, Winkler AM, Pine DS. Translating Big Data to Clinical Outcomes in Anxiety: Potential for Multimodal Integration. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2022; 24:841-851. [PMID: 36469202 PMCID: PMC9931491 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-022-01385-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW This review describes approaches to research on anxiety that attempt to link neural correlates to treatment response and novel therapies. The review emphasizes pediatric anxiety disorders since most anxiety disorders begin before adulthood. RECENT FINDINGS Recent literature illustrates how current treatments for anxiety manifest diverse relations with a range of neural markers. While some studies demonstrate post-treatment normalization of markers in anxious individuals, others find persistence of group differences. For other markers, which show no pretreatment association with anxiety, the markers nevertheless distinguish treatment-responders from non-responders. Heightened error related negativity represents the risk marker discussed in the most depth; however, limitations in measures related to error responding necessitate multimodal and big-data approaches. Single risk markers show limits as correlates of treatment response. Large-scale, multimodal data analyzed with predictive models may illuminate additional risk markers related to anxiety disorder treatment outcomes. Such work may identify novel targets and eventually guide improvements in treatment response/outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parmis Khosravi
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, MD, Bethesda, USA.
| | - André Zugman
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, MD, Bethesda, USA
| | - Paia Amelio
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, MD, Bethesda, USA
| | - Anderson M Winkler
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, MD, Bethesda, USA
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, MD, Bethesda, USA
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15
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Bu J, Huang H. Editorial: Non-invasive neuromodulation for movement and emotional disorders. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1079531. [PMID: 36506997 PMCID: PMC9728098 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1079531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Bu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,*Correspondence: Junjie Bu
| | - Huijing Huang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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16
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Holley D, Fox AS. The central extended amygdala guides survival-relevant tradeoffs: Implications for understanding common psychiatric disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104879. [PMID: 36115597 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
To thrive in challenging environments, individuals must pursue rewards while avoiding threats. Extensive studies in animals and humans have identified the central extended amygdala (EAc)-which includes the central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST)-as a conserved substrate for defensive behavior. These studies suggest the EAc influences defensive responding and assembles fearful and anxious states. This has led to the proliferation of a view that the EAc is fundamentally a defensive substrate. Yet mechanistic work in animals has implicated the EAc in numerous appetitive and consummatory processes, yielding fresh insights into the microcircuitry of survival- and emotion-relevant response selection. Coupled with the EAc's centrality in a conserved network of brain regions that encode multisensory environmental and interoceptive information, these findings suggest a broader role for the EAc as an arbiter of survival- and emotion-relevant tradeoffs for action selection. Determining how the EAc optimizes these tradeoffs promises to improve our understanding of common psychiatric illnesses such as anxiety, depression, alcohol- and substance-use disorders, and anhedonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Holley
- Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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17
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Hur J, Kuhn M, Grogans SE, Anderson AS, Islam S, Kim HC, Tillman RM, Fox AS, Smith JF, DeYoung KA, Shackman AJ. Anxiety-Related Frontocortical Activity Is Associated With Dampened Stressor Reactivity in the Real World. Psychol Sci 2022; 33:906-924. [PMID: 35657777 PMCID: PMC9343891 DOI: 10.1177/09567976211056635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Negative affect is a fundamental dimension of human emotion. When extreme, it contributes to a variety of adverse outcomes, from physical and mental illness to divorce and premature death. Mechanistic work in animals and neuroimaging research in humans and monkeys have begun to reveal the broad contours of the neural circuits governing negative affect, but the relevance of these discoveries to everyday distress remains incompletely understood. Here, we used a combination of approaches-including neuroimaging assays of threat anticipation and emotional-face perception and more than 10,000 momentary assessments of emotional experience-to demonstrate that individuals who showed greater activation in a cingulo-opercular circuit during an anxiety-eliciting laboratory paradigm experienced lower levels of stressor-dependent distress in their daily lives (ns = 202-208 university students). Extended amygdala activation was not significantly related to momentary negative affect. These observations provide a framework for understanding the neurobiology of negative affect in the laboratory and in the real world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juyoen Hur
- Department of Psychology, Yonsei
University
| | - Manuel Kuhn
- Center for Depression, Anxiety
and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard
University
| | | | | | - Samiha Islam
- Department of Psychology,
University of Pennsylvania
| | - Hyung Cho Kim
- Department of Psychology,
University of Maryland
- Neuroscience and Cognitive
Science Program, University of Maryland
| | | | - Andrew S. Fox
- Department of Psychology,
University of California, Davis
- California National Primate
Research Center, University of California, Davis
| | | | | | - Alexander J. Shackman
- Department of Psychology,
University of Maryland
- Neuroscience and Cognitive
Science Program, University of Maryland
- Maryland Neuroimaging Center,
University of Maryland, College Park
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18
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Zhang X, Suo X, Yang X, Lai H, Pan N, He M, Li Q, Kuang W, Wang S, Gong Q. Structural and functional deficits and couplings in the cortico-striato-thalamo-cerebellar circuitry in social anxiety disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:26. [PMID: 35064097 PMCID: PMC8782859 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01791-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although functional and structural abnormalities in brain regions involved in the neurobiology of fear and anxiety have been observed in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD), the findings have been heterogeneous due to small sample sizes, demographic confounders, and methodological differences. Besides, multimodal neuroimaging studies on structural-functional deficits and couplings are rather scarce. Herein, we aimed to explore functional network anomalies in brain regions with structural deficits and the effects of structure-function couplings on the SAD diagnosis. High-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting-state functional MRI images were obtained from 49 non-comorbid patients with SAD and 53 demography-matched healthy controls. Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis was conducted to investigate structural alterations, which were subsequently used as seeds for the resting-state functional connectivity analysis. In addition, correlation and mediation analyses were performed to probe the potential roles of structural-functional deficits in SAD diagnosis. SAD patients had significant gray matter volume reductions in the bilateral putamen, right thalamus, and left parahippocampus. Besides, patients with SAD demonstrated widespread resting-state dysconnectivity in cortico-striato-thalamo-cerebellar circuitry. Moreover, dysconnectivity of the putamen with the cerebellum and the right thalamus with the middle temporal gyrus/supplementary motor area partially mediated the effects of putamen/thalamus atrophy on the SAD diagnosis. Our findings provide preliminary evidence for the involvement of structural and functional deficits in cortico-striato-thalamo-cerebellar circuitry in SAD, and may contribute to clarifying the underlying mechanisms of structure-function couplings for SAD. Therefore, they could offer insights into the neurobiological substrates of SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Zhang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xueling Suo
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xun Yang
- School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Han Lai
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Nanfang Pan
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Min He
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Qingyuan Li
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Weihong Kuang
- Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Song Wang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, 361000, China.
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19
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Visser RM, Bathelt J, Scholte HS, Kindt M. Robust BOLD Responses to Faces But Not to Conditioned Threat: Challenging the Amygdala's Reputation in Human Fear and Extinction Learning. J Neurosci 2021; 41:10278-10292. [PMID: 34750227 PMCID: PMC8672698 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0857-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Most of our knowledge about human emotional memory comes from animal research. Based on this work, the amygdala is often labeled the brain's "fear center", but it is unclear to what degree neural circuitries underlying fear and extinction learning are conserved across species. Neuroimaging studies in humans yield conflicting findings, with many studies failing to show amygdala activation in response to learned threat. Such null findings are often treated as resulting from MRI-specific problems related to measuring deep brain structures. Here we test this assumption in a mega-analysis of three studies on fear acquisition (n = 98; 68 female) and extinction learning (n = 79; 53 female). The conditioning procedure involved the presentation of two pictures of faces and two pictures of houses: one of each pair was followed by an electric shock [a conditioned stimulus (CS+)], the other one was never followed by a shock (CS-), and participants were instructed to learn these contingencies. Results revealed widespread responses to the CS+ compared with the CS- in the fear network, including anterior insula, midcingulate cortex, thalamus, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, but not the amygdala, which actually responded stronger to the CS- Results were independent of spatial smoothing, and of individual differences in trait anxiety and conditioned pupil responses. In contrast, robust amygdala activation distinguished faces from houses, refuting the idea that a poor signal could account for the absence of effects. Moving forward, we suggest that, apart from imaging larger samples at higher resolution, alternative statistical approaches may be used to identify cross-species similarities in fear and extinction learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The science of emotional memory provides the foundation of numerous theories on psychopathology, including stress and anxiety disorders. This field relies heavily on animal research, which suggests a central role of the amygdala in fear learning and memory. However, this finding is not strongly corroborated by neuroimaging evidence in humans, and null findings are too easily explained away by methodological limitations inherent to imaging deep brain structures. In a large nonclinical sample, we find widespread BOLD activation in response to learned fear, but not in the amygdala. A poor signal could not account for the absence of effects. While these findings do not disprove the involvement of the amygdala in human fear learning, they challenge its typical portrayals and illustrate the complexities of translational science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée M Visser
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, 1018 WT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joe Bathelt
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, United Kingdom
| | - H Steven Scholte
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, 1018 WT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Merel Kindt
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, 1018 WT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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20
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Feola B, Melancon SNT, Clauss JA, Noall MP, Mgboh A, Flook EA, Benningfield MM, Blackford JU. Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and amygdala responses to unpredictable threat in children. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22206. [PMID: 34813095 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Substantial evidence from studies in humans suggests the amygdala is pivotal for anxiety. Findings from animal models and translational studies suggests the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is also critical for anxiety and the anticipation of unpredictable threat in adults. However, it remains unknown whether the BNST is involved in unpredictable threat anticipation in children. Forty-two 8-10-year-olds completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans and an unpredictable threat fMRI task in which they were trained to associate cues with images. Intrinsic connectivity analyses were performed to establish functional BNST and amygdala networks. BNST and amygdala activation to cues and images was tested. Significant findings were followed by task-based functional connectivity analyses. Children showed evidence for BNST and amygdala intrinsic connectivity that was similar to previous patterns observed in adults. In response to unpredictable cues relative to neutral face cues, children had a significant amygdala response but no response in the BNST. The amygdala, but not the BNST, also showed a significantly greater response to fear face images relative to neutral images. Thus, unpredictable threat activated the amygdala, but not BNST, in children. This finding is contrary to studies showing robust BNST activation to unpredictable threat in adults and may suggest that the BNST's role in threat processing emerges later in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandee Feola
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sir Norman T Melancon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Madison P Noall
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Adaora Mgboh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Flook
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Margaret M Benningfield
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jennifer Urbano Blackford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
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21
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Affiliation(s)
- Ned H Kalin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison
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