1
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Zahn R. The psychopathology of mood disorders: implications for identifying neurocognitive intervention targets. J Affect Disord 2025; 385:119423. [PMID: 40383302 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.119423] [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: 10/28/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2025] [Accepted: 05/15/2025] [Indexed: 05/20/2025]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurofeedback and neuromodulation treatments are of increasing clinical interest, but their neurocognitive targets are poorly understood. METHODS In this review, we will use Jaspers' phenomenological psychopathology combined with modern network analysis to identify neurocognitive treatment targets by focussing on distinctive and necessary symptoms of mood disorders as well as their subsyndromal and prognostic variations. RESULTS We discuss the early descriptions of Kraepelin's mixed affective states and suggest a model of four mood states (depressed, anxious, irritable, and elated) and their dynamic evolution and mixing. Blame and praise internalisation and externalisation biases are proposed as key mechanisms underpinning mood states, together with approach/withdrawal-related action tendencies. Whilst self-worth and interest emerge as the most distinctive symptom dimensions, that are necessary for bipolar and recurrent unipolar depressive disorders, we also discuss anxiety as a potential primary symptom in a subgroup of chronic depression. Based on a neuroanatomical model of the conceptual self, anterior temporal and subgenual networks and their importance for self-blame and worthlessness, as well as the hypothesised role of septo-hypothalamic networks for affiliative interest are discussed. The latter is distinguished from ventral striatal networks as relevant for more general approach-related action tendencies and hedonic interest (anticipatory anhedonia). Finally, recent target validation from early-stage fMRI neurofeedback trials are reviewed. LIMITATIONS It was not feasible to employ a systematic review approach. CONCLUSIONS Neurofeedback studies are not only of interest as new treatments, but also for enhancing our pathophysiological understanding and could gain clinical impact with ongoing advances in scalable neurotechnologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Zahn
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, Centre for Affective Disorders, King's College London, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London BR3 3BX, United Kingdom.
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2
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Phillips RA, Oh S, Bach SV, Du Y, Miller RA, Kleinman JE, Hyde TM, Hicks SC, Page SC, Martinowich K. Transcriptomic characterization of human lateral septum neurons reveals conserved and divergent marker genes across species. iScience 2025; 28:111820. [PMID: 39967863 PMCID: PMC11834073 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.111820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 09/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2025] [Indexed: 02/20/2025] Open
Abstract
The lateral septum (LS) is a midline, subcortical structure that is a critical regulator of social behaviors. Mouse studies have identified molecularly distinct neuronal populations within the LS, which control specific facets of social behavior. Despite its known molecular heterogeneity in the mouse and critical role in regulating social behavior, comprehensive molecular profiling of the human LS has not been performed. Here, we conducted single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) to generate transcriptomic profiles of the human LS and compared human LS profiles to recently collected mouse LS snRNA-seq datasets. Our analyses identified TRPC4 as a conserved molecular marker of the mouse and human LS, while FREM2 is enriched only in the human LS. We also identify a distinct neuronal cell type marked by OPRM1, the gene encoding the μ-opioid receptor. Together, these results highlight transcriptional heterogeneity of the human LS and identify robust marker genes for the human LS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A. Phillips
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Seyun Oh
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Svitlana V. Bach
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Yufeng Du
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Ryan A. Miller
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Joel E. Kleinman
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Thomas M. Hyde
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Stephanie C. Hicks
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Stephanie C. Page
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Keri Martinowich
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- The Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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3
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Caria A. A Hypothalamic Perspective of Human Socioemotional Behavior. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:399-420. [PMID: 36703298 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221149647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Historical evidence from stimulation and lesion studies in animals and humans demonstrated a close association between the hypothalamus and typical and atypical socioemotional behavior. A central hypothalamic contribution to regulation of socioemotional responses was also provided indirectly by studies on oxytocin and arginine vasopressin. However, a limited number of studies have so far directly investigated the contribution of the hypothalamus in human socioemotional behavior. To reconsider the functional role of the evolutionarily conserved hypothalamic region in regulating human social behavior, here I provide a synthesis of neuroimaging investigations showing that the hypothalamus is involved in multiple and diverse facets of human socioemotional behavior through widespread functional interactions with other cortical and subcortical regions. These neuroimaging findings are then integrated with recent optogenetics studies in animals demonstrating that the hypothalamus plays a more active role in eliciting socioemotional responses and is not simply a downstream effector of higher-level brain systems. Building on the aforementioned evidence, the hypothalamus is argued to substantially contribute to a continuum of human socioemotional behaviors promoting survival and preservation of the species that extends from exploratory and approaching responses facilitating social bonding to aggressive and avoidance responses aimed to protect and defend formed relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Caria
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
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4
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Bortolini T, Laport MC, Latgé-Tovar S, Fischer R, Zahn R, de Oliveira-Souza R, Moll J. The extended neural architecture of human attachment: An fMRI coordinate-based meta-analysis of affiliative studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 159:105584. [PMID: 38367888 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Functional imaging studies and clinical evidence indicate that cortical areas relevant to social cognition are closely integrated with evolutionarily conserved basal forebrain structures and neighboring regions, enabling human attachment and affiliative emotions. The neural circuitry of human affiliation is continually being unraveled as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) becomes increasingly prevalent, with studies examining human brain responses to various attachment figures. However, previous fMRI meta-analyses on affiliative stimuli have encountered challenges, such as low statistical power and the absence of robustness measures. To address these issues, we conducted an exhaustive coordinate-based meta-analysis of 79 fMRI studies, focusing on personalized affiliative stimuli, including one's infants, family, romantic partners, and friends. We employed complementary coordinate-based analyses (Activation Likelihood Estimation and Signed Differential Mapping) and conducted a robustness analysis of the results. Findings revealed cluster convergence in cortical and subcortical structures related to reward and motivation, salience detection, social bonding, and cognition. Our study thoroughly explores the neural correlates underpinning affiliative responses, effectively overcoming the limitations noted in previous meta-analyses. It provides an extensive view of the neural substrates associated with affiliative stimuli, illuminating the intricate interaction between cortical and subcortical regions. Our findings significantly contribute to understanding the neurobiology of human affiliation, expanding the known human attachment circuitry beyond the traditional basal forebrain regions observed in other mammals to include uniquely human isocortical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Bortolini
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; IDOR - Pioneer Science Initiative, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Maria Clara Laport
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Sofia Latgé-Tovar
- Institute of Psychiatry, Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ronald Fischer
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; IDOR - Pioneer Science Initiative, São Paulo, Brazil; School of Psychology, PO Box 600, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
| | - Roland Zahn
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; The Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jorge Moll
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; IDOR - Pioneer Science Initiative, São Paulo, Brazil
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5
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Kuroda KO, Fukumitsu K, Kurachi T, Ohmura N, Shiraishi Y, Yoshihara C. Parental brain through time: The origin and development of the neural circuit of mammalian parenting. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1534:24-44. [PMID: 38426943 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15111] [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] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
This review consolidates current knowledge on mammalian parental care, focusing on its neural mechanisms, evolutionary origins, and derivatives. Neurobiological studies have identified specific neurons in the medial preoptic area as crucial for parental care. Unexpectedly, these neurons are characterized by the expression of molecules signaling satiety, such as calcitonin receptor and BRS3, and overlap with neurons involved in the reproductive behaviors of males but not females. A synthesis of comparative ecology and paleontology suggests an evolutionary scenario for mammalian parental care, possibly stemming from male-biased guarding of offspring in basal vertebrates. The terrestrial transition of tetrapods led to prolonged egg retention in females and the emergence of amniotes, skewing care toward females. The nocturnal adaptation of Mesozoic mammalian ancestors reinforced maternal care for lactation and thermal regulation via endothermy, potentially introducing metabolic gate control in parenting neurons. The established maternal care may have served as the precursor for paternal and cooperative care in mammals and also fostered the development of group living, which may have further contributed to the emergence of empathy and altruism. These evolution-informed working hypotheses require empirical validation, yet they offer promising avenues to investigate the neural underpinnings of mammalian social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumi O Kuroda
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- School of Life Sciences and Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kansai Fukumitsu
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Takuma Kurachi
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nami Ohmura
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Center for Brain, Mind and Kansei Sciences Research, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yuko Shiraishi
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Kawamura Gakuen Woman's University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Chihiro Yoshihara
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- School of Life Sciences and Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
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6
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Crespi BJ. The Roots of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: What Are the Evolutionary and Neural Bases of Human Mathematics and Technology? BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2024; 99:1-12. [PMID: 38368855 DOI: 10.1159/000537908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neural exaptations represent descent via transitions to novel neural functions. A primary transition in human cognitive and neural evolution was from a predominantly socially oriented primate brain to a brain that also instantiates and subserves science, technology, and engineering, all of which depend on mathematics. Upon what neural substrates and upon what evolved cognitive mechanisms did human capacities for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and especially its mathematical underpinnings, emerge? Previous theory focuses on roles for tools, language, and arithmetic in the cognitive origins of STEM, but none of these factors appears sufficient to support the transition. METHODS In this article, I describe and evaluate a novel hypothesis for the neural origins and substrates of STEM-based cognition: that they are based in human kinship systems and human maximizing of inclusive fitness. RESULTS The main evidence for this hypothesis is threefold. First, as demonstrated by anthropologists, human kinship systems exhibit complex mathematical and geometrical structures that function under sets of explicit rules, and such systems and rules pervade and organize all human cultures. Second, human kinship underlies the core algebraic mechanism of evolution, maximization of inclusive fitness, quantified as personal reproduction plus the sum of all effects on reproduction of others, each multiplied by their coefficient of relatedness to self. This is the only "natural" equation expected to be represented in the human brain. Third, functional imaging studies show that kinship-related cognition activates frontal-parietal regions that are also activated in STEM-related tasks. In turn, the decision-making that integrates kinship levels with costs and benefits from alternative behaviors has recently been shown to recruit the lateral septum, a hub region that combines internal (from the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and other regions) and external information relevant to social behavior, using a dedicated subsystem of neurons specific to kinship. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these lines of evidence suggest that kinship systems and kin-associated behaviors may represent exaptations for the origin of human STEM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard J Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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7
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Ravenel JR, Perkins AE, Tomczik A, Defendini A, Strnad HK, Varlinskaya E, Deak T, Spencer RL. Age-related decline in social interaction is associated with decreased c-Fos induction in select brain regions independent of oxytocin receptor expression profiles. AGING BRAIN 2024; 5:100107. [PMID: 38313579 PMCID: PMC10837624 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Social behavior decreases with aging, and we have previously found a substantial decline in social investigative behavior of old female rats. In this study we examined the neural activation pattern (c-Fos mRNA) of young (3 month) and old (18 month) female rats after brief 10 min exposure to a novel female rat in order to identify forebrain regions that show selective age-related alterations in their neural response to social investigation. We also measured relative oxytocin receptor expression (Oxtr mRNA) as a possible factor in age-related declines in c-Fos induction after social interaction. Young rats exposed to a social partner had a greater c-Fos mRNA response than those exposed to novel context alone in the lateral septum and septohypothalamic area, with blunted increases evident in old rats. In addition, c-Fos mRNA levels in the lateral septum were positively correlated with social investigative behavior. Interestingly, age-related differences in c-Fos gene induction were unrelated to the local amount of Oxtr expression within specific brain regions, although we found an age-related decline in Oxtr expression in the ventromedial hypothalamus. This functional neuroanatomical characterization may point to certain brain regions that are especially sensitive to age-related declines associated with social interaction behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Russell Ravenel
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Amy E. Perkins
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University—SUNY, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
| | - Angela Tomczik
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Ana Defendini
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Helen K. Strnad
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Elena Varlinskaya
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University—SUNY, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
| | - Terrence Deak
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University—SUNY, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
| | - Robert L. Spencer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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8
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de León Reyes NS, Sierra Díaz P, Nogueira R, Ruiz-Pino A, Nomura Y, de Solis CA, Schulkin J, Asok A, Leroy F. Corticotropin-releasing hormone signaling from prefrontal cortex to lateral septum suppresses interaction with familiar mice. Cell 2023; 186:4152-4171.e31. [PMID: 37669667 PMCID: PMC7615103 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Social preference, the decision to interact with one member of the same species over another, is critical to optimize social interactions. Thus, adult rodents favor interacting with novel conspecifics over familiar ones, but whether this social preference stems from neural circuits facilitating interactions with novel individuals or suppressing interactions with familiar ones remains unknown. Here, we identify neurons in the infra-limbic area (ILA) of the mouse prefrontal cortex that express the neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and project to the dorsal region of the rostral lateral septum (rLS). We show how release of CRH during familiar encounters disinhibits rLS neurons, thereby suppressing social interactions with familiar mice and contributing to social novelty preference. We further demonstrate how the maturation of CRH expression in ILA during the first 2 post-natal weeks enables the developmental shift from a preference for littermates in juveniles to a preference for novel mice in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia Sofia de León Reyes
- Instituto de Neurociencias (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche), San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Paula Sierra Díaz
- Instituto de Neurociencias (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche), San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Ramon Nogueira
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain & Behavior Institute, New York, USA
| | - Antonia Ruiz-Pino
- Instituto de Neurociencias (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche), San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Yuki Nomura
- Instituto de Neurociencias (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche), San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Christopher A de Solis
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain & Behavior Institute, New York, USA
| | - Jay Schulkin
- School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Arun Asok
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain & Behavior Institute, New York, USA
| | - Felix Leroy
- Instituto de Neurociencias (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche), San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
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9
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Potegal M, Nordman JC. Non-angry aggressive arousal and angriffsberietschaft: A narrative review of the phenomenology and physiology of proactive/offensive aggression motivation and escalation in people and other animals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105110. [PMID: 36822384 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Human aggression typologies largely correspond with those for other animals. While there may be no non-human equivalent of angry reactive aggression, we propose that human proactive aggression is similar to offense in other animals' dominance contests for territory or social status. Like predation/hunting, but unlike defense, offense and proactive aggression are positively reinforcing, involving dopamine release in accumbens. The drive these motivational states provide must suffice to overcome fear associated with initiating risky fights. We term the neural activity motivating proactive aggression "non-angry aggressive arousal", but use "angriffsberietschaft" for offense motivation in other animals to acknowledge possible differences. Temporal variation in angriffsberietschaft partitions fights into bouts; engendering reduced anti-predator vigilance, redirected aggression and motivational over-ride. Increased aggressive arousal drives threat-to-attack transitions, as in verbal-to-physical escalation and beyond that, into hyper-aggression. Proactive aggression and offense involve related neural activity states. Cingulate, insular and prefrontal cortices energize/modulate aggression through a subcortical core containing subnuclei for each aggression type. These proposals will deepen understanding of aggression across taxa, guiding prevention/intervention for human violence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacob C Nordman
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA.
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10
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Beyond shallow feelings of complex affect: Non-motor correlates of subjective emotional experience in Parkinson's disease. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281959. [PMID: 36827296 PMCID: PMC9955984 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Affective disorders in Parkinson's disease (PD) concern several components of emotion. However, research on subjective feeling in PD is scarce and has produced overall varying results. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the subjective emotional experience and its relationship with autonomic symptoms and other non-motor features in PD patients. We used a battery of film excerpts to elicit Amusement, Anger, Disgust, Fear, Sadness, Tenderness, and Neutral State, in 28 PD patients and 17 healthy controls. Self-report scores of emotion category, intensity, and valence were analyzed. In the PD group, we explored the association between emotional self-reported scores and clinical scales assessing autonomic dysregulation, depression, REM sleep behavior disorder, and cognitive impairment. Patient clustering was assessed by considering relevant associations. Tenderness occurrence and intensity of Tenderness and Amusement were reduced in the PD patients. Tenderness occurrence was mainly associated with the overall cognitive status and the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms. In contrast, the intensity and valence reported for the experience of Amusement correlated with the prevalence of urinary symptoms. We identified five patient clusters, which differed significantly in their profile of non-motor symptoms and subjective feeling. Our findings further suggest the possible existence of a PD phenotype with more significant changes in subjective emotional experience. We concluded that the subjective experience of complex emotions is impaired in PD. Non-motor feature grouping suggests the existence of disease phenotypes profiled according to specific deficits in subjective emotional experience, with potential clinical implications for the adoption of precision medicine in PD. Further research on larger sample sizes, combining subjective and physiological measures of emotion with additional clinical features, is needed to extend our findings.
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11
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Pintos Lobo R, Bottenhorn KL, Riedel MC, Toma AI, Hare MM, Smith DD, Moor AC, Cowan IK, Valdes JA, Bartley JE, Salo T, Boeving ER, Pankey B, Sutherland MT, Musser ED, Laird AR. Neural systems underlying RDoC social constructs: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:104971. [PMID: 36436737 PMCID: PMC9843621 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Neuroscientists have sought to identify the underlying neural systems supporting social processing that allow interaction and communication, forming social relationships, and navigating the social world. Through the use of NIMH's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework, we evaluated consensus among studies that examined brain activity during social tasks to elucidate regions comprising the "social brain". We examined convergence across tasks corresponding to the four RDoC social constructs, including Affiliation and Attachment, Social Communication, Perception and Understanding of Self, and Perception and Understanding of Others. We performed a series of coordinate-based meta-analyses using the activation likelihood estimate (ALE) method. Meta-analysis was performed on whole-brain coordinates reported from 864 fMRI contrasts using the NiMARE Python package, revealing convergence in medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, temporoparietal junction, bilateral insula, amygdala, fusiform gyrus, precuneus, and thalamus. Additionally, four separate RDoC-based meta-analyses revealed differential convergence associated with the four social constructs. These outcomes highlight the neural support underlying these social constructs and inform future research on alterations among neurotypical and atypical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katherine L Bottenhorn
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael C Riedel
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Afra I Toma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Megan M Hare
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Donisha D Smith
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Alexandra C Moor
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Isis K Cowan
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Javier A Valdes
- College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jessica E Bartley
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Taylor Salo
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Emily R Boeving
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Brianna Pankey
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Erica D Musser
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Angela R Laird
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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12
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Caria A, Dall’Ò GM. Functional Neuroimaging of Human Hypothalamus in Socioemotional Behavior: A Systematic Review. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12060707. [PMID: 35741594 PMCID: PMC9221465 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12060707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
There exist extensive animal research and lesion studies in humans demonstrating a tight association between the hypothalamus and socioemotional behavior. However, human neuroimaging literature in this direction is still rather limited. In order to reexamine the functional role of this region in regulating human social behavior, we here provided a synthesis of neuroimaging studies showing hypothalamic activation during affiliative, cooperative interactions, and in relation to ticklish laughter and humor. In addition, studies reporting involvement of the hypothalamus during aggressive and antisocial interactions were also considered. Our systematic review revealed a growing number of investigations demonstrating that the evolutionary conserved hypothalamic neural circuity is involved in multiple and diverse aspects of human socioemotional behavior. On the basis of the observed heterogeneity of hypothalamus-mediated socioemotional responses, we concluded that the hypothalamus might play an extended functional role for species survival and preservation, ranging from exploratory and approaching behaviors promoting social interactions to aggressive and avoidance responses protecting and defending the established social bonds.
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13
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Engel A, Hoefle S, Monteiro MC, Moll J, Keller PE. Neural Correlates of Listening to Varying Synchrony Between Beats in Samba Percussion and Relations to Feeling the Groove. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:779964. [PMID: 35281511 PMCID: PMC8915847 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.779964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Listening to samba percussion often elicits feelings of pleasure and the desire to move with the beat-an experience sometimes referred to as "feeling the groove"- as well as social connectedness. Here we investigated the effects of performance timing in a Brazilian samba percussion ensemble on listeners' experienced pleasantness and the desire to move/dance in a behavioral experiment, as well as on neural processing as assessed via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants listened to different excerpts of samba percussion produced by multiple instruments that either were "in sync", with no additional asynchrony between instrumental parts other than what is usual in naturalistic recordings, or were presented "out of sync" by delaying the snare drums (by 28, 55, or 83 ms). Results of the behavioral experiment showed increasing pleasantness and desire to move/dance with increasing synchrony between instruments. Analysis of hemodynamic responses revealed stronger bilateral brain activity in the supplementary motor area, the left premotor area, and the left middle frontal gyrus with increasing synchrony between instruments. Listening to "in sync" percussion thus strengthens audio-motor interactions by recruiting motor-related brain areas involved in rhythm processing and beat perception to a higher degree. Such motor related activity may form the basis for "feeling the groove" and the associated desire to move to music. Furthermore, in an exploratory analysis we found that participants who reported stronger emotional responses to samba percussion in everyday life showed higher activity in the subgenual cingulate cortex, an area involved in prosocial emotions, social group identification and social bonding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annerose Engel
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit, D’Or Institute for Research and Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sebastian Hoefle
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit, D’Or Institute for Research and Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marina Carneiro Monteiro
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit, D’Or Institute for Research and Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jorge Moll
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit, D’Or Institute for Research and Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Peter E. Keller
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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14
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Dimén D, Puska G, Szendi V, Sipos E, Zelena D, Dobolyi Á. Sex-specific parenting and depression evoked by preoptic inhibitory neurons. iScience 2021; 24:103090. [PMID: 34604722 PMCID: PMC8463871 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of preoptic GABAergic inhibitory neurons was addressed in parenting, anxiety and depression. Pup exposure and forced swimming resulted in similar c-Fos activation pattern in neurons expressing vesicular GABA transporter in the preoptic area with generally stronger labeling and different distributional pattern in females than in males. Chemogenetic stimulation of preoptic GABAergic cells resulted in elevated maternal motivation and caring behavior in females and mothers but aggression toward pups in males. Behavioral effects were the opposite following inhibition of preoptic GABAergic neurons suggesting their physiological relevance. In addition, increased anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors were found following chemogenetic stimulation of the same neurons in females, whereas previous pup exposure increased only anxiety-like behavior suggesting that not the pups, but overstimulation of the cells can lead to depression-like behavior. A sexually dimorphic projection pattern of preoptic GABAergic neurons was also identified, which could mediate sex-dependent parenting and associated emotional behaviors. Preoptic GABAergic neurons promote maternal behaviors in females mice Activation of preoptic GABAergic neurons induces pup-directed aggression in males Projection pattern of preoptic GABAergic neurons is sexually dimorphic Depression-like behaviors are provoked by stimulation of preoptic GABAergic neurons
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Affiliation(s)
- Diána Dimén
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gina Puska
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, 1078 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Vivien Szendi
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Sipos
- Department of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1080 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dóra Zelena
- Department of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1080 Budapest, Hungary.,Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Árpád Dobolyi
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
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15
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Wu Y, Veerareddy A, Lee MR, Bellucci G, Camilleri JA, Eickhoff SB, Krueger F. Understanding identification-based trust in the light of affiliative bonding: Meta-analytic neuroimaging evidence. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:627-641. [PMID: 34606821 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Trust is vital for establishing social relationships and is a crucial precursor for affiliative bonds. Investigations explored the neuropsychological bases of trust separately (e.g., measured by the trust game) and affiliative bonding (e.g., measured by parental care, pair-bonding, or friendship). However, direct empirical support for the shared neural mechanisms between trust and affiliative bonding is missing. Here, we conducted a coordinate-based meta-analysis on functional magnetic resonance imaging studies on interpersonal trust and affiliative bonding using the activation likelihood estimation method. Our results demonstrated that decisions to trust strangers in repeated interactions (i.e., identification-based trust) engaged the ventral striatum (vSTR, part of the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway), likely signaling the reward anticipation. Further, both feedbacks in repeated interactions and affiliative bonding engaged the dorsal striatum (dSTR, part of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway), likely encoding learning dynamics. Our findings suggest that identification-based trust can be understood in the light of affiliative bonding, involving the mesocorticolimbic "reward" pathway (vSTR) and nigrostriatal "habit formation" pathway (dSTR) in building and sustaining social relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wu
- Department of Psychology, College of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | | | - Mary R Lee
- US Department of Veteran Affairs, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Gabriele Bellucci
- Department of Computational Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julia A Camilleri
- Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Germany; Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Germany; Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Frank Krueger
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.
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16
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Eslinger PJ, Anders S, Ballarini T, Boutros S, Krach S, Mayer AV, Moll J, Newton TL, Schroeter ML, de Oliveira-Souza R, Raber J, Sullivan GB, Swain JE, Lowe L, Zahn R. The neuroscience of social feelings: mechanisms of adaptive social functioning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:592-620. [PMID: 34089764 PMCID: PMC8388127 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Social feelings have conceptual and empirical connections with affect and emotion. In this review, we discuss how they relate to cognition, emotion, behavior and well-being. We examine the functional neuroanatomy and neurobiology of social feelings and their role in adaptive social functioning. Existing neuroscience literature is reviewed to identify concepts, methods and challenges that might be addressed by social feelings research. Specific topic areas highlight the influence and modulation of social feelings on interpersonal affiliation, parent-child attachments, moral sentiments, interpersonal stressors, and emotional communication. Brain regions involved in social feelings were confirmed by meta-analysis using the Neurosynth platform for large-scale, automated synthesis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Words that relate specifically to social feelings were identfied as potential research variables. Topical inquiries into social media behaviors, loneliness, trauma, and social sensitivity, especially with recent physical distancing for guarding public and personal health, underscored the increasing importance of social feelings for affective and second person neuroscience research with implications for brain development, physical and mental health, and lifelong adaptive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Eslinger
- Departments of Neurology, Neural & Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics, and Radiology, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
| | - Silke Anders
- Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Tommaso Ballarini
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sydney Boutros
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Sören Krach
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Translational Psychiatry Unit, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Annalina V Mayer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Translational Psychiatry Unit, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Jorge Moll
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tamara L Newton
- University of Louisville, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Matthias L Schroeter
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), BR Hospital Universitario, Universidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jacob Raber
- Departments of Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurology, and Radiation Medicine, Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Gavin B Sullivan
- International Psychoanalytic University, Berlin, Germany, Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, UK
| | - James E Swain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Psychology and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | - Roland Zahn
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
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17
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De Filippi E, Wolter M, Melo BRP, Tierra-Criollo CJ, Bortolini T, Deco G, Moll J. Classification of Complex Emotions Using EEG and Virtual Environment: Proof of Concept and Therapeutic Implication. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:711279. [PMID: 34512297 PMCID: PMC8427812 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.711279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last decades, neurofeedback training for emotional self-regulation has received significant attention from scientific and clinical communities. Most studies have investigated emotions using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), including the real-time application in neurofeedback training. However, the electroencephalogram (EEG) is a more suitable tool for therapeutic application. Our study aims at establishing a method to classify discrete complex emotions (e.g., tenderness and anguish) elicited through a near-immersive scenario that can be later used for EEG-neurofeedback. EEG-based affective computing studies have mainly focused on emotion classification based on dimensions, commonly using passive elicitation through single-modality stimuli. Here, we integrated both passive and active elicitation methods. We recorded electrophysiological data during emotion-evoking trials, combining emotional self-induction with a multimodal virtual environment. We extracted correlational and time-frequency features, including frontal-alpha asymmetry (FAA), using Complex Morlet Wavelet convolution. Thinking about future real-time applications, we performed within-subject classification using 1-s windows as samples and we applied trial-specific cross-validation. We opted for a traditional machine-learning classifier with low computational complexity and sufficient validation in online settings, the Support Vector Machine. Results of individual-based cross-validation using the whole feature sets showed considerable between-subject variability. The individual accuracies ranged from 59.2 to 92.9% using time-frequency/FAA and 62.4 to 92.4% using correlational features. We found that features of the temporal, occipital, and left-frontal channels were the most discriminative between the two emotions. Our results show that the suggested pipeline is suitable for individual-based classification of discrete emotions, paving the way for future personalized EEG-neurofeedback training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora De Filippi
- Computational Neuroscience Group, Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mara Wolter
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bruno R. P. Melo
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Biomedical Engineering Program, Instituto Alberto Luiz Coimbra de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa de Engenharia, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carlos J. Tierra-Criollo
- Biomedical Engineering Program, Instituto Alberto Luiz Coimbra de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa de Engenharia, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tiago Bortolini
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Computational Neuroscience Group, Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jorge Moll
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Scients Institute, Palo Alto, CA, United States
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18
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Bortolini T, Melo B, Basilio R, Fischer R, Zahn R, de Oliveira-Souza R, Knutson B, Moll J. Striatal and septo-hypothalamic responses to anticipation and outcome of affiliative rewards. Neuroimage 2021; 243:118474. [PMID: 34407439 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans are intrinsically motivated to bond with others. The ability to experience affiliative emotions (such as affection/tenderness, sexual attraction, and admiration/awe) may incentivize and promote these affiliative bonds. Here, we interrogate the role of the critical reward circuitry, especially the Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc) and the septo-hypothalamic region, in the anticipation of and response to affiliative rewards using a novel incentive delay task. During Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI), participants (n = 23 healthy humans; 14 female) anticipated and watched videos involving affiliative (tenderness, erotic desire, and awe) and nonaffiliative (i.e., food) rewards, as well as neutral scenes. On the one hand, anticipation of both affiliative and nonaffiliative rewards increased activity in the NAcc, anterior insula, and supplementary motor cortex, but activity in the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) increased in response to reward outcomes. On the other hand, affiliative rewards more specifically increased activity in the septo-hypothalamic area. Moreover, NAcc activity during anticipation correlated with positive arousal for all rewards, whereas septo-hypothalamic activity during the outcome correlated with positive arousal and motivation for subsequent re-exposure only for affiliative rewards. Together, these findings implicate a general appetitive response in the NAcc to different types of rewards but suggests a more specific response in the septo-hypothalamic region in response to affiliative rewards outcomes. This work also presents a new task for distinguishing between neural responses to affiliative and non-affiliative rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Bortolini
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil.
| | - Bruno Melo
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Basilio
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil
| | - Ronald Fischer
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil; School of Psychology, PO Box 600, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
| | - Roland Zahn
- Centre for Affective Disorders, King's College London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil; The Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22270-000, Brazil
| | - Brian Knutson
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jorge Moll
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil; Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Scients Institute, Palo Alto, CA 94306, USA
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19
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Dor-Ziderman Y, Cohen D, Levit-Binnun N, Golland Y. Synchrony with distress in affective empathy and compassion. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13889. [PMID: 34287922 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Sensitivity to suffering of others is a core factor in social cohesion and evolutionary success. The emergence of such sensitivity may occur via two neuro-functional mechanisms. One is sharing the pain and distress of others, which relies on affective empathy. The other involves a caring concern for others' wellbeing, termed compassion. Both affective empathy and compassion are triggered by cues of pain and distress, exhibited by suffering targets. Yet, the mechanisms underlying distress processing in empathy and compassion are not clear. In the current research, we investigated synchrony with a target's distress, as a putative mechanism for continuous processing of distress cues. Participants viewed a video of a target in distress when given two different instructions: they were asked to continuously rate their distress in the affective empathy condition, or their feelings of care in the compassion condition. We used these dynamic ratings as well as participants' autonomic and facial responses to assess multi-channel synchrony with the target's self-rated distress fluctuations. Dynamic ratings and facial corrugator responses were significantly positively synchronized with the target's distress. For the corrugator responses, synchrony with the target was more pronounced than synchrony with participants' own ratings. Autonomic responses exhibited negative synchrony with the target's distress. Synchrony was higher in the affective empathy than in the compassion condition, across channels. These results point to the key role of subjective and physiological synchrony with the target's distress in empathic sharing of negative experiences. They also highlight the attenuation of embodied resonance with distress in compassionate experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yair Dor-Ziderman
- Sagol Center for Brain and Mind, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel.,Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Daniela Cohen
- Sagol Center for Brain and Mind, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Nava Levit-Binnun
- Sagol Center for Brain and Mind, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Yulia Golland
- Sagol Center for Brain and Mind, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel
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20
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Clemens AM, Brecht M. Neural representations of kinship. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 68:116-123. [PMID: 33845346 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
While the fundamental relevance of kinship behavior for evolutionary and behavioral biology has long been recognized, the examination of kinship behavior from a neuroscience perspective is still in its infancy. Kinship is highly conserved from single-celled organisms to humans, where kin preferences are prevalent in behavior and vocal communication. Kin recognition mechanisms are varied, with evidence for both genetic and both prenatal as well as postnatal learning-based kin recognition. Learned kinship mechanisms are predominant in vertebrates and allow for flexibility regarding the concept of kin. We review new evidence for the lateral septum and its role in kinship behavior. We further discuss the discovery of nepotopy, a topographical representation of kin- and nonkin-responsive neurons in the lateral septum. Neural representations of self/other, familiar/unfamiliar, and nepotopy (kin/nonkin) may support a circuit-level framework for a social template through which the mammalian brain learns, categorizes, and selects behavior based on perceived identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Clemens
- The University of Edinburgh, Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, United Kingdom.
| | - Michael Brecht
- Humboldt University of Berlin, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, United Kingdom
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21
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Dennis EJ, El Hady A, Michaiel A, Clemens A, Tervo DRG, Voigts J, Datta SR. Systems Neuroscience of Natural Behaviors in Rodents. J Neurosci 2021; 41:911-919. [PMID: 33443081 PMCID: PMC7880287 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1877-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals evolved in complex environments, producing a wide range of behaviors, including navigation, foraging, prey capture, and conspecific interactions, which vary over timescales ranging from milliseconds to days. Historically, these behaviors have been the focus of study for ecology and ethology, while systems neuroscience has largely focused on short timescale behaviors that can be repeated thousands of times and occur in highly artificial environments. Thanks to recent advances in machine learning, miniaturization, and computation, it is newly possible to study freely moving animals in more natural conditions while applying systems techniques: performing temporally specific perturbations, modeling behavioral strategies, and recording from large numbers of neurons while animals are freely moving. The authors of this review are a group of scientists with deep appreciation for the common aims of systems neuroscience, ecology, and ethology. We believe it is an extremely exciting time to be a neuroscientist, as we have an opportunity to grow as a field, to embrace interdisciplinary, open, collaborative research to provide new insights and allow researchers to link knowledge across disciplines, species, and scales. Here we discuss the origins of ethology, ecology, and systems neuroscience in the context of our own work and highlight how combining approaches across these fields has provided fresh insights into our research. We hope this review facilitates some of these interactions and alliances and helps us all do even better science, together.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Jane Dennis
- Princeton University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Princeton, New Jersey, 08540
| | - Ahmed El Hady
- Princeton University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Princeton, New Jersey, 08540
| | | | - Ann Clemens
- University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH8 9JZ
| | | | - Jakob Voigts
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusets, 02139
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22
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Busatto G, Rosa PG, Serpa MH, Squarzoni P, Duran FL. Psychiatric neuroimaging research in Brazil: historical overview, current challenges, and future opportunities. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PSIQUIATRIA (SAO PAULO, BRAZIL : 1999) 2021; 43:83-101. [PMID: 32520165 PMCID: PMC7861184 DOI: 10.1590/1516-4446-2019-0757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The last four decades have witnessed tremendous growth in research studies applying neuroimaging methods to evaluate pathophysiological and treatment aspects of psychiatric disorders around the world. This article provides a brief history of psychiatric neuroimaging research in Brazil, including quantitative information about the growth of this field in the country over the past 20 years. Also described are the various methodologies used, the wealth of scientific questions investigated, and the strength of international collaborations established. Finally, examples of the many methodological advances that have emerged in the field of in vivo neuroimaging are provided, with discussion of the challenges faced by psychiatric research groups in Brazil, a country of limited resources, to continue incorporating such innovations to generate novel scientific data of local and global relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldo Busatto
- Laboratório de Neuroimagem em Psiquiatria (LIM 21), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Pedro G. Rosa
- Laboratório de Neuroimagem em Psiquiatria (LIM 21), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mauricio H. Serpa
- Laboratório de Neuroimagem em Psiquiatria (LIM 21), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Paula Squarzoni
- Laboratório de Neuroimagem em Psiquiatria (LIM 21), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Fabio L. Duran
- Laboratório de Neuroimagem em Psiquiatria (LIM 21), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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23
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Workman CI, Yoder KJ, Decety J. The Dark Side of Morality - Neural Mechanisms Underpinning Moral Convictions and Support for Violence. AJOB Neurosci 2020; 11:269-284. [PMID: 33196349 PMCID: PMC7939028 DOI: 10.1080/21507740.2020.1811798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
People are motivated by shared social values that, when held with moral conviction, can serve as compelling mandates capable of facilitating support for ideological violence. The current study examined this dark side of morality by identifying specific cognitive and neural mechanisms associated with beliefs about the appropriateness of sociopolitical violence, and determining the extent to which the engagement of these mechanisms was predicted by moral convictions. Participants reported their moral convictions about a variety of sociopolitical issues prior to undergoing functional MRI scanning. During scanning, they were asked to evaluate the appropriateness of violent protests that were ostensibly congruent or incongruent with their views about sociopolitical issues. Complementary univariate and multivariate analytical strategies comparing neural responses to congruent and incongruent violence identified neural mechanisms implicated in processing salience and in the encoding of subjective value. As predicted, neuro-hemodynamic response was modulated parametrically by individuals' beliefs about the appropriateness of congruent relative to incongruent sociopolitical violence in ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and by moral conviction in ventral striatum. Overall moral conviction was predicted by neural response to congruent relative to incongruent violence in amygdala. Together, these findings indicate that moral conviction about sociopolitical issues serves to increase their subjective value, overriding natural aversion to interpersonal harm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifford I. Workman
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Keith J. Yoder
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Jean Decety
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
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Clemens AM, Wang H, Brecht M. The lateral septum mediates kinship behavior in the rat. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3161. [PMID: 32572024 PMCID: PMC7308382 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16489-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary theory and behavioral biology suggest that kinship is an organizing principle of social behavior. The neural mechanisms that mediate kinship behavior are, however, not known. Experiments confirm a sibling-approach preference in young rat pups and a sibling-avoidance-preference in older pups. Lesions of the lateral septum eliminate such kin preferences. In vivo juxta-cellular and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in the lateral septum show multisensory neuronal responses to kin and non-kin stimuli. Non-kin odor-responsive neurons are located dorsally and kin-odor responsive neurons are located ventrally in the lateral septum. With development, the fraction of kin-responsive lateral septal neurons decrease and ongoing firing rates increase. Lesion effects, developmental changes and the ordered representation of response preferences according to kinship—an organization we refer to as nepotopy—point to a key role of the lateral septum in organizing mammalian kinship behavior. Kinship behavior in rodents has been documented in the laboratory setting but the neural mechanisms that mediate kinship behavior are not known. Here, the authors show that the lateral septum has a key role in organizing mammalian kinship behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Clemens
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13, Haus 6, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Hong Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Xueyuan Boulevard, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Michael Brecht
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13, Haus 6, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
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Condliffe O, Maratos FA. Can compassion, happiness and sympathetic concern be differentiated on the basis of facial expression? Cogn Emot 2020; 34:1395-1407. [PMID: 32281475 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2020.1747989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Recent research has demonstrated the importance of positive emotions, and especially compassion, for well-being. Via two investigations, we set out to determine if facial expressions of happiness, "kind" compassion and sympathetic concern can be distinguished, given limitations of previous research. In investigation one, prototypes of the three expressions were analysed for similarities and differences using the facial action coding system (FACS) by two certified independent coders. Results established that each expression comprised distinct FACS units. Thus, in investigation 2, a new photographic stimulus set was developed using a gender/racially balanced group of actors to pose these expressions of "kind" compassion, happiness, sympathetic concern, and the face in a relaxed/neutral pose. 75 participants were then asked to name the FACS generated expressions using not only forced categorical quantitative ratings but, importantly, free response. Results revealed that kind compassionate facial expressions: (i) engendered words associated with contented and affiliative emotions (although, interestingly, not the word "kind"); (ii) were labelled as compassionate significantly more often than any of the other emotional expressions; but (iii) in common with happiness expressions, engendered happiness word groupings and ratings. Findings have implications for understandings of positive emotions, including specificity of expressions and their veridicality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otto Condliffe
- School of Language, Education and Culture, The Sino-British College, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Frances A Maratos
- College of Life & Natural Sciences, Human Sciences Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, UK
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Abstract
The clinicoanatomic cases of acquired pedophilia that have been published in the medical and forensic literature up to 2019 are reviewed. Twenty-two cases fit our inclusion criteria. All but one were men, and in only one case the injury was localized to the left hemisphere. Hypersexuality was present in 18 cases. The damaged areas fell within the frontotemporoinsular cortices and related subcortical nuclei; however, the anterior hypothalamus was spared. Damage to parts of the right frontotemporoinsular lobes with sparing of the anterior hypothalamus seems to be critical for the emergence of acquired pedophilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Maranhão Gomes Lopes
- Medical Internship Program, Gaffrée eGuinle University Hospital, the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Catarina Sodré de Castro Prado
- Medical Internship Program, Gaffrée eGuinle University Hospital, the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza
- Medical Internship Program, Gaffrée eGuinle University Hospital, the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Senior Researcher in the Clinical Neurosciences, the D 'Or Institute for Research & Education, and Department of Neurology, Gaffrée e Guinle University Hospital, the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Abstract
Over the past 150 years, the frontal lobes (FLs) have been implicated in the neural mediation of both normal and abnormal moral conduct and social behavior (MCSB). Despite the remarkable advances that have permeated this period up to the present, a comprehensive account of the neural underpinnings of MCSB has stubbornly defied the best minds of psychology, psychiatry, and neurology. The goal of this chapter is to review a few practical and conceptual achievements that have proved heuristically valuable as an impetus for further advance of knowledge. In virtually all cases in which MCSB was compromised by brain damage, the injuries were located (i) in the prefrontal cortices, (ii) in their connections with the temporal poles and anterior insula, or (iii) in related subcortical structures and pathways, such as the thalamic dorsomedial nucleus or the anterior thalamic radiation. The clinicoanatomic associations among these structures originated the "frontal network systems" concept, which satisfactorily explains the occurrence of classical FL syndromes in patients with lesions outside the prefrontal cortices. Overall, clinicoanatomic observational studies and experimental evidence from patients with acquired sociopathy/psychopathy indicate that abnormalities of MCSB are the final common pathway of single or mixed impairments of subordinate psychologic and neural domains that support MCSB. Independent studies on normal volunteers concur with this view, indicating that MCSB is shaped by the dynamic interplay of subordinate psychologic domains, such as moral sensitivity and judgment, and their neural correlates.
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Vekaria KM, O'Connell K, Rhoads SA, Brethel-Haurwitz KM, Cardinale EM, Robertson EL, Walitt B, VanMeter JW, Marsh AA. Activation in bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) corresponds to everyday helping. Cortex 2020; 127:67-77. [PMID: 32169677 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Everyday prosociality includes helping behaviors such as holding doors or giving directions that are spontaneous and low-cost and are performed frequently by the average person. Such behaviors promote a wide array of positive outcomes that include increased well-being, trust, and social capital, but the cognitive and neural mechanisms that support these behaviors are not yet well understood. Whereas costly altruistic responding to others' distress is associated with elevated reactivity in the amygdala, we hypothesized that everyday prosociality would be more closely associated with activation in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a region of the extended amygdala known for its roles in maintaining vigilance for relevant socio-affective environmental cues and in supporting parental care. One previous study of the neural correlates of everyday prosociality highlighted a functional cluster identified as the septal area but which overlapped with established coordinates of BNST. We used an anatomical mask of BNST (Torrisi et al., 2015) to evaluate the association of BNST activation and daily helping in a sample of 25 adults recruited from the community as well as 23 adults who had engaged in acts of extraordinary altruism. Results found that activation in left BNST during an empathy task predicted everyday helping over a subsequent 14-day period in both samples. BNST activation most strongly predicted helping strangers and proactive helping. We conclude that beyond facilitating care for offspring, activation in BNST may provide a basis for the motivation to engage in a broad array of everyday helping behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kruti M Vekaria
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Katherine O'Connell
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Shawn A Rhoads
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Elise M Cardinale
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Emily L Robertson
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Brian Walitt
- National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John W VanMeter
- Department of Neurology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Abigail A Marsh
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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Zahn R, de Oliveira-Souza R, Moll J. Moral Motivation and the Basal Forebrain. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:207-217. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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30
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Furukawa E, da Costa RQM, Bado P, Hoefle S, Vigne P, Monteiro M, Wickens JR, Moll J, Tripp G, Mattos P. Methylphenidate modifies reward cue responses in adults with ADHD: An fMRI study. Neuropharmacology 2020; 162:107833. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Woods BK, Forbes EE, Sheeber LB, Allen NB, Silk JS, Jones NP, Morgan JK. Positive affect between close friends: Brain-behavior associations during adolescence. Soc Neurosci 2019; 15:128-139. [PMID: 31487478 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2019.1662840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Identifying the neural correlates of positive interactions between friendship dyads may provide insights into mechanisms associated with adolescent social development. Forty-eight 14- to 18-year-old typically developing adolescents were video-recorded discussing a shared positive event with a close friend and subsequently viewed clips during an fMRI scan of that friend during the interaction and of an unfamiliar peer in a similar interaction. Adolescents also reported on their positive affect in daily life while with friends using ecological momentary assessment. We used multivariate repeated measures models to evaluate how positive affect with friends in the laboratory and in daily life was associated with neural response to friend and stranger positive and neutral clips. Adolescents who exhibited more positive affect when with friends in the laboratory showed less dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to friend positive clips. More positive affect when with friends in daily life was associated with less bilateral anterior insula response to friend positive clips, but greater left anterior insula response to stranger positive clips. Findings provide information on the role of lateral prefrontal cortex and anterior insula in enjoyment of friendships during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erika E Forbes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Jennifer S Silk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Neil P Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Judith K Morgan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Eckstein M, Zietlow AL, Gerchen MF, Schmitgen MM, Ashcroft-Jones S, Kirsch P, Ditzen B. The NeMo real-time fMRI neurofeedback study: protocol of a randomised controlled clinical intervention trial in the neural foundations of mother-infant bonding. BMJ Open 2019; 9:e027747. [PMID: 31315861 PMCID: PMC6661567 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Most mothers feel an immediate, strong emotional bond with their newborn. On a neurobiological level, this is accompanied with the activation of the brain reward systems, including the striatum. However, approximately 10% of all mothers report difficulties to bond emotionally with their infant and display impaired reward responses to the interaction with their infant which might have long-term negative effects for the child's development. As previous studies suggest that activation of the striatal reward system can be regulated through functional MRI (fMRI)-based neurofeedback (NFB), we have designed and investigate fMRI-NFB training to treat maternal bonding difficulties. METHODS AND ANALYSIS In the planned trial, mothers will be presented pictures of their infant and real-time fMRI (rtfMRI), peripheral measures, neural, endocrine, psychophysiological and behavioural measures will be assessed. Mothers with bonding difficulties (n=68) will be randomised to one of two double-blind intervention groups at 4-6 months postpartum. They will participate in three repeated NFB training sessions with rtfMRI-NFB training to increase activation of (a) the ventral striatum or (b) the anterior cingulate. Interview data and real-time mother-infant interaction behaviour pre-intervention, post-intervention and at follow-up will serve as clinical outcome measures. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Study procedures are in line with the recommendations of the World Medical Association (revised Declaration of Helsinki) and were approved by the Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty, s-450/2017, Heidelberg University. All participants will provide written informed consent after receiving a detailed oral and written explanation of all procedures and can withdraw their consent at any time without negative consequence. Results will be internationally published and disseminated, to further the discussion on non-pharmacological treatment options in complex mental disorders. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER DRKS00014570; Pre-results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Eckstein
- Institute of Medical Psychology in the Center for Psychosocial Medicine, UniversitatsKlinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna-Lena Zietlow
- Institute of Medical Psychology in the Center for Psychosocial Medicine, UniversitatsKlinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Fungisai Gerchen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Central Institute for Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Sarah Ashcroft-Jones
- Institute of Medical Psychology in the Center for Psychosocial Medicine, UniversitatsKlinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Kirsch
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Central Institute for Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Beate Ditzen
- Institute of Medical Psychology in the Center for Psychosocial Medicine, UniversitatsKlinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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Lorenzetti V, Melo B, Basílio R, Suo C, Yücel M, Tierra-Criollo CJ, Moll J. Emotion Regulation Using Virtual Environments and Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback. Front Neurol 2018; 9:390. [PMID: 30087646 PMCID: PMC6066986 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurofeedback (NFB) enables the voluntary regulation of brain activity, with promising applications to enhance and recover emotion and cognitive processes, and their underlying neurobiology. It remains unclear whether NFB can be used to aid and sustain complex emotions, with ecological validity implications. We provide a technical proof of concept of a novel real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) NFB procedure. Using rtfMRI-NFB, we enabled participants to voluntarily enhance their own neural activity while they experienced complex emotions. The rtfMRI-NFB software (FRIEND Engine) was adapted to provide a virtual environment as brain computer interface (BCI) and musical excerpts to induce two emotions (tenderness and anguish), aided by participants' preferred personalized strategies to maximize the intensity of these emotions. Eight participants from two experimental sites performed rtfMRI-NFB on two consecutive days in a counterbalanced design. On one day, rtfMRI-NFB was delivered to participants using a region of interest (ROI) method, while on the other day using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. Our multimodal VR/NFB approach was technically feasible and robust as a method for real-time measurement of the neural correlates of complex emotional states and their voluntary modulation. Guided by the color changes of the virtual environment BCI during rtfMRI-NFB, participants successfully increased in real time, the activity of the septo-hypothalamic area and the amygdala during the ROI based rtfMRI-NFB, and successfully evoked distributed patterns of brain activity classified as tenderness and anguish during SVM-based rtfMRI-NFB. Offline fMRI analyses confirmed that during tenderness rtfMRI-NFB conditions, participants recruited the septo-hypothalamic area and other regions ascribed to social affiliative emotions (medial frontal / temporal pole and precuneus). During anguish rtfMRI-NFB conditions, participants recruited the amygdala and other dorsolateral prefrontal and additional regions associated with negative affect. These findings were robust and were demonstrable at the individual subject level, and were reflected in self-reported emotion intensity during rtfMRI-NFB, being observed with both ROI and SVM methods and across the two sites. Our multimodal VR/rtfMRI-NFB protocol provides an engaging tool for brain-based interventions to enhance emotional states in healthy subjects and may find applications in clinical conditions associated with anxiety, stress and impaired empathy among others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lorenzetti
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Psychology Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Bruno Melo
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education, IDOR, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Biomedical Engineering Program, COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Basílio
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education, IDOR, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Chao Suo
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Carlos J Tierra-Criollo
- Biomedical Engineering Program, COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jorge Moll
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education, IDOR, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Asymmetric hemisphere activation in tenderness: evidence from EEG signals. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8029. [PMID: 29795119 PMCID: PMC5966511 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26133-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotions are processed asymmetrically by the human brain. Frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) as measured by electroencephalographic (EEG) power in the alpha band (8–13 Hz), is a sensitive indicator of asymmetric brain activity in the frontal cortex. The current study aimed to analyze the frontal EEG asymmetries in terms of valence and motivational direction. We presented 37 participants with three film excerpts that were selected from the standard emotional film database to elicit three target emotions: tenderness, anger, and neutrality. Participants’ self-reports on their induced emotional responses and EEG signals were recorded and analyzed. The results showed that individuals displayed lower alpha power in the left hemisphere than the right hemisphere when they were watching a tender film, indicating that tenderness was positive and related to approach motivation. In contrast, when watching an angry movie, participants showed higher alpha power in the left hemisphere than the right hemisphere, suggesting that anger was negative and associated with withdrawal motivation. These findings help to link positive and approach-motivated tenderness with greater left hemispheric activation and state-anger with greater right hemispheric activation through the analysis of FAA.
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Neural bases of ingroup altruistic motivation in soccer fans. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16122. [PMID: 29170383 PMCID: PMC5700961 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15385-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans have a strong need to belong to social groups and a natural inclination to benefit ingroup members. Although the psychological mechanisms behind human prosociality have extensively been studied, the specific neural systems bridging group belongingness and altruistic motivation remain to be identified. Here, we used soccer fandom as an ecological framing of group membership to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying ingroup altruistic behaviour in male fans using event-related functional magnetic resonance. We designed an effort measure based on handgrip strength to assess the motivation to earn money (i) for oneself, (ii) for anonymous ingroup fans, or (iii) for a neutral group of anonymous non-fans. While overlapping valuation signals in the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) were observed for the three conditions, the subgenual cingulate cortex (SCC) exhibited increased functional connectivity with the mOFC as well as stronger hemodynamic responses for ingroup versus outgroup decisions. These findings indicate a key role for the SCC, a region previously implicated in altruistic decisions and group affiliation, in dovetailing altruistic motivations with neural valuation systems in real-life ingroup behaviour.
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Heijne A, Rossi F, Sanfey AG. Why we stay with our social partners: Neural mechanisms of stay/leave decision-making. Soc Neurosci 2017; 13:667-679. [PMID: 28820016 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2017.1370010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
How do we decide to keep interacting (e.g., stay) with a social partner or to switch (e.g., leave) to another? This paper investigated the neural mechanisms of stay/leave decision-making. We hypothesized that these decisions fit within a framework of value-based decision-making, and explored four potential mechanisms underlying a hypothesized bias to stay. Twenty-six participants underwent functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) while completing social and nonsocial versions of a stay/leave decision-making task. On each trial, participants chose between four alternative options, after which they received a monetary reward. Crucially, in the social condition, reward magnitude was ostensibly determined by the generosity of social partners, whereas in the nonsocial condition, reward amounts were ostensibly determined in a pre-programmed manner. Results demonstrated that participants were more likely to stay with options of relatively high expected value, with these values updated through Reinforcement Learning mechanisms and represented neurally within ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Moreover, we demonstrated that greater brain activity in ventromedial prefrontal cortex, caudate nucleus, and septo-hypothalamic regions for social versus nonsocial decisions to stay may underlie a bias towards staying with social partners in particular. These findings complement existing social psychological theories by investigating the neural mechanisms of actual stay/leave decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Heijne
- a Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging , Radboud University , Nijmegen , the Netherlands.,b Department of Cognitive Science and Education , University of Trento , Rovereto , Italy
| | - Filippo Rossi
- c Institute for Neural Computation , University of California , San Diego , CA , USA
| | - Alan G Sanfey
- a Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging , Radboud University , Nijmegen , the Netherlands
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Ashar YK, Andrews-Hanna JR, Dimidjian S, Wager TD. Empathic Care and Distress: Predictive Brain Markers and Dissociable Brain Systems. Neuron 2017; 94:1263-1273.e4. [PMID: 28602689 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Revised: 03/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Encountering another's suffering can elicit both empathic distress and empathic care-the warm desire to affiliate. It remains unclear whether these two feelings can be accurately and differentially predicted from neural activity and to what extent their neural substrates can be distinguished. We developed fMRI markers predicting moment-by-moment intensity levels of care and distress intensity while participants (n = 66) listened to true biographies describing human suffering. Both markers' predictions correlated strongly with self-report in out-of-sample participants (r = 0.59 and r = 0.63, p < 0.00001), and both markers predicted later trial-by-trial charitable donation amounts (p < 0.05). Empathic care was preferentially associated with nucleus accumbens and medial orbitofrontal cortex activity, whereas distress was preferentially associated with premotor and somatosensory cortical activity. In tests of marker specificity with an independent behavioral sample (n = 200), the empathic care marker was associated with a mixed-valence feeling state, whereas the empathic distress marker was specific to negative emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoni K Ashar
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
| | | | - Sona Dimidjian
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Tor D Wager
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
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Gentile S, Fusco ML. Untreated perinatal paternal depression: Effects on offspring. Psychiatry Res 2017; 252:325-332. [PMID: 28314228 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.02.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2016] [Revised: 02/18/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Transition to parenthood represents an important life event which increases vulnerability to psychological disorders. Aim of this article is to analyze all studies which investigated the effects of untreated perinatal paternal depression in offspring. We searched pertinent, peer-reviewed articles published in English (January 1980 to April 2016) on MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Science.gov. Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria. Most of the reviewed studies suffer from methodological limitations, including the small sample, the lack of a structured psychiatric diagnosis, and inclusion bias. Despite such limitations, paternal depression seems to be associated with an increased risk of developmental and behavioural problems and even psychiatric disorders in offspring. In particular, in infants and toddlers such problems vary from increased crying to hyperactivity and conduct problems to psychological and developmental impairment, and poor social outcomes. School-age children of depressed fathers have a doubled risk for suffering from specific psychiatric disorders. Hence, facilitating access to vigorous and evidence based treatments is a public health opportunity for improving the quality of life of depressed parents and their children. Evidences emerging from this review actually suggest that the traditional gender-focused approach to perinatal mood disorders should be completed by a family-centred approach, in order to improve the effectiveness of perinatal mental health programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Gentile
- Department of Mental Health ASL Salerno, Piazza Galdi, 841013 Cava de' Tirreni, Salerno, Italy; University of Naples, Medical School "Federico II", Department of Neurosciences, Perinatal Psychiatry, Via S. Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Maria Luigia Fusco
- Mental Health Institute, Via Dante Alighieri 1, 80058 Torre Annunziata, Naples, Italy; Post-graduate School of Psychology (SIPGI Campania), Via Dante Alighieri 1, 80058 Torre Annunziata, Naples, Italy.
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Lima LB, Bueno D, Leite F, Souza S, Gonçalves L, Furigo IC, Donato J, Metzger M. Afferent and efferent connections of the interpeduncular nucleus with special reference to circuits involving the habenula and raphe nuclei. J Comp Neurol 2017; 525:2411-2442. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Leandro B. Lima
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | - Debora Bueno
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | - Fernanda Leite
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | - Stefani Souza
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | - Luciano Gonçalves
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | - Isadora C. Furigo
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | - Jose Donato
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | - Martin Metzger
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
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40
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Tabbaa M, Paedae B, Liu Y, Wang Z. Neuropeptide Regulation of Social Attachment: The Prairie Vole Model. Compr Physiol 2016; 7:81-104. [PMID: 28135000 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c150055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Social attachments are ubiquitous among humans and integral to human health. Although great efforts have been made to elucidate the neural underpinnings regulating social attachments, we still know relatively little about the neuronal and neurochemical regulation of social attachments. As a laboratory animal research model, the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) displays behaviors paralleling human social attachments and thus has provided unique insights into the neural regulation of social behaviors. Research in prairie voles has particularly highlighted the significance of neuropeptidergic regulation of social behaviors, especially of the roles of oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP). This article aims to review these findings. We begin by discussing the role of the OT and AVP systems in regulating social behaviors relevant to social attachments, and thereafter restrict our discussion to studies in prairie voles. Specifically, we discuss the role of OT and AVP in adult mate attachments, biparental care, social isolation, and social buffering as informed by studies utilizing the prairie vole model. Not only do these studies offer insight into social attachments in humans, but they also point to dysregulated mechanisms in several mental disorders. We conclude by discussing these implications for human health. © 2017 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 7:81-104, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manal Tabbaa
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Brennan Paedae
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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41
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Zacharopoulos G, Hanel PHP, Lancaster TM, Ihssen N, Drakesmith M, Foley S, Maio GR, Linden DEJ. Nonlinear associations between human values and neuroanatomy. Soc Neurosci 2016; 12:673-684. [PMID: 27635795 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2016.1229215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Human values guide behavior and the smooth functioning of societies. Schwartz's circumplex model of values predicts a sinusoidal waveform in relations between ratings of the importance of diverse human value types (e.g., achievement, benevolence) and any variables psychologically relevant to them. In this neuroimaging study, we examined these nonlinear associations between values types and brain structure. In 85 participants, we found the predicted sinusoidal relationship between ratings of values types and two measures of white matter (WM), volume and myelin volume fraction, as well as for grey matter (GM) parameters in several frontal regions. These effects reveal new functional associations for structural brain parameters and provide a novel cross-validation of Schwartz's model. Moreover, the sinusoidal waveform test can be applied to other circumplex models in social, affective and cognitive neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul H P Hanel
- a CUBRIC, School of Psychology , Cardiff University , Cardiff , Wales
| | - Thomas M Lancaster
- a CUBRIC, School of Psychology , Cardiff University , Cardiff , Wales.,b Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute , Cardiff , UK.,c MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics , Cardiff , UK
| | - Niklas Ihssen
- a CUBRIC, School of Psychology , Cardiff University , Cardiff , Wales.,d Department of Psychology , Durham University , Durham , England
| | - Mark Drakesmith
- a CUBRIC, School of Psychology , Cardiff University , Cardiff , Wales.,b Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute , Cardiff , UK
| | - Sonya Foley
- a CUBRIC, School of Psychology , Cardiff University , Cardiff , Wales.,b Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute , Cardiff , UK
| | - Gregory R Maio
- a CUBRIC, School of Psychology , Cardiff University , Cardiff , Wales
| | - David E J Linden
- a CUBRIC, School of Psychology , Cardiff University , Cardiff , Wales.,b Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute , Cardiff , UK.,c MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics , Cardiff , UK
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42
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Numan M, Young LJ. Neural mechanisms of mother-infant bonding and pair bonding: Similarities, differences, and broader implications. Horm Behav 2016; 77:98-112. [PMID: 26062432 PMCID: PMC4671834 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Revised: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Parental Care". Mother-infant bonding is a characteristic of virtually all mammals. The maternal neural system may have provided the scaffold upon which other types of social bonds in mammals have been built. For example, most mammals exhibit a polygamous mating system, but monogamy and pair bonding between mating partners occur in ~5% of mammalian species. In mammals, it is plausible that the neural mechanisms that promote mother-infant bonding have been modified by natural selection to establish the capacity to develop a selective bond with a mate during the evolution of monogamous mating strategies. Here we compare the details of the neural mechanisms that promote mother-infant bonding in rats and other mammals with those that underpin pair bond formation in the monogamous prairie vole. Although details remain to be resolved, remarkable similarities and a few differences between the mechanisms underlying these two types of bond formation are revealed. For example, amygdala and nucleus accumbens-ventral pallidum (NA-VP) circuits are involved in both types of bond formation, and dopamine and oxytocin actions within NA appear to promote the synaptic plasticity that allows either infant or mating partner stimuli to persistently activate NA-VP attraction circuits, leading to an enduring social attraction and bonding. Further, although the medial preoptic area is essential for maternal behavior, its role in pair bonding remains to be determined. Our review concludes by examining the broader implications of this comparative analysis, and evidence is provided that the maternal care system may have also provided the basic neural foundation for other types of strong social relationships, beyond pair bonding, in mammals, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States
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van der Westhuizen D, Solms M. Basic emotional foundations of social dominance in relation to Panksepp's affective taxonomy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/15294145.2015.1021371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Rocchetti M, Radua J, Paloyelis Y, Xenaki LA, Frascarelli M, Caverzasi E, Politi P, Fusar-Poli P. Neurofunctional maps of the 'maternal brain' and the effects of oxytocin: a multimodal voxel-based meta-analysis. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2014; 68:733-51. [PMID: 24734987 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Revised: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have tried to understand the possible neurobiological basis of mothering. The putative involvement of oxytocin, in this regard, has been deeply investigated. Performing a voxel-based meta-analysis, we aimed at testing the hypothesis of overlapping brain activation in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies investigating the mother-infant interaction and the oxytocin modulation of emotional stimuli in humans. We performed two systematic literature searches: fMRI studies investigating the neurofunctional correlates of the 'maternal brain' by employing mother-infant paradigms; and fMRI studies employing oxytocin during emotional tasks. A unimodal voxel-based meta-analysis was performed on each database, whereas a multimodal voxel-based meta-analytical tool was adopted to assess the hypothesis that the neurofunctional effects of oxytocin are detected in brain areas implicated in the 'maternal brain.' We found greater activation in the bilateral insula extending to the inferior frontal gyrus, basal ganglia and thalamus during mother-infant interaction and greater left insular activation associated with oxytocin administration versus placebo. Left insula extending to basal ganglia and frontotemporal gyri as well as bilateral thalamus and amygdala showed consistent activation across the two paradigms. Right insula also showed activation across the two paradigms, and dorsomedial frontal cortex activation in mothers but deactivation with oxytocin. Significant activation in areas involved in empathy, emotion regulation, motivation, social cognition and theory of mind emerged from our multimodal meta-analysis, supporting the need for further studies directly investigating the neurobiology of oxytocin in the mother-infant relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Rocchetti
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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Abstract
Fathering plays an important role in infants' socioemotional and cognitive development. Previous studies have identified brain regions that are important for parenting behavior in human mothers. However, the neural basis of parenting in human fathers is largely unexplored. In the current longitudinal study, we investigated structural changes in fathers' brains during the first 4 months postpartum using voxel-based morphometry analysis. Biological fathers (n = 16) with full-term, healthy infants were scanned at 2-4 weeks postpartum (time 1) and at 12-16 weeks postpartum (time 2). Fathers exhibited increase in gray matter (GM) volume in several neural regions involved in parental motivation, including the hypothalamus, amygdala, striatum, and lateral prefrontal cortex. On the other hand, fathers exhibited decreases in GM volume in the orbitofrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and insula. The findings provide evidence for neural plasticity in fathers' brains. We also discuss the distinct patterns of associations among neural changes, postpartum mood symptoms, and parenting behaviors among fathers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilyoung Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, CO 80208-3500
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Paola Rigo
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, CO 80208-3500
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Trento, 38122 Italy
| | - Linda C. Mayes
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06510
- The Anna Freud Centre, 12 Maresfield Gardens, London NW3 5SD, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth Feldman
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06510
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel
| | - James F. Leckman
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - James E Swain
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06510
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychology, Center for Human Growth and Development, Women and Infants Mental Health Program, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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Moll J, Weingartner JH, Bado P, Basilio R, Sato JR, Melo BR, Bramati IE, de Oliveira-Souza R, Zahn R. Voluntary enhancement of neural signatures of affiliative emotion using FMRI neurofeedback. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97343. [PMID: 24847819 PMCID: PMC4029815 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In Ridley Scott's film "Blade Runner", empathy-detection devices are employed to measure affiliative emotions. Despite recent neurocomputational advances, it is unknown whether brain signatures of affiliative emotions, such as tenderness/affection, can be decoded and voluntarily modulated. Here, we employed multivariate voxel pattern analysis and real-time fMRI to address this question. We found that participants were able to use visual feedback based on decoded fMRI patterns as a neurofeedback signal to increase brain activation characteristic of tenderness/affection relative to pride, an equally complex control emotion. Such improvement was not observed in a control group performing the same fMRI task without neurofeedback. Furthermore, the neurofeedback-driven enhancement of tenderness/affection-related distributed patterns was associated with local fMRI responses in the septohypothalamic area and frontopolar cortex, regions previously implicated in affiliative emotion. This demonstrates that humans can voluntarily enhance brain signatures of tenderness/affection, unlocking new possibilities for promoting prosocial emotions and countering antisocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Moll
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit and Neuroinformatics Workgroup, D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Julie H. Weingartner
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit and Neuroinformatics Workgroup, D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Patricia Bado
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit and Neuroinformatics Workgroup, D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Basilio
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit and Neuroinformatics Workgroup, D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - João R. Sato
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit and Neuroinformatics Workgroup, D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Center for Mathematics, Computation, and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, Brazil
| | - Bruno R. Melo
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit and Neuroinformatics Workgroup, D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ivanei E. Bramati
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit and Neuroinformatics Workgroup, D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit and Neuroinformatics Workgroup, D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Gaffrée e Guinle University Hospital, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Roland Zahn
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit and Neuroinformatics Workgroup, D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London, United Kingdom
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Rüsch N, Bado P, Zahn R, Bramati IE, de Oliveira-Souza R, Moll J. You and your kin: Neural signatures of family-based group perception in the subgenual cortex. Soc Neurosci 2014; 9:326-31. [PMID: 24802255 PMCID: PMC4047618 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2014.912676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Attachment to one's kin as an in-group emerges from a fundamental human motivation and is vital for human survival. Despite important recent advances in the field of social neuroscience, the neural mechanisms underlying family-related in-group perception remain obscure. To examine the neural basis of perceiving family-related in-group boundaries in response to written kinship scenarios, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging in 27 healthy adults and obtained self-report ratings of family-related entitativity, which measures to what degree participants perceive their family as a coherent and distinct group in society. We expected that activity in the subgenual cingulate cortex and septo-hypothalamic region would track individual differences in entitativity. Perceiving one's family as a distinct and cohesive group (high entitativity) was associated with increased subgenual cortex response to kinship scenarios. The subgenual cingulate cortex may represent a key link between kin-related emotional attachment and group perception, providing a neurobiological basis for group belongingness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Rüsch
- a Department of Psychiatry II , University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany
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48
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Bethlehem RAI, Baron-Cohen S, van Honk J, Auyeung B, Bos PA. The oxytocin paradox. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:48. [PMID: 24596548 PMCID: PMC3925826 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 01/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Richard A I Bethlehem
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge Cambridge, UK ; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, CLASS Clinic Cambridge, UK
| | - Jack van Honk
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands ; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, J-Block Groote Schuur Hospital Observatory, University of Cape Town Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Bonnie Auyeung
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge Cambridge, UK ; Psychology Department, Edinburgh University Edinburgh, UK
| | - Peter A Bos
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands ; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, J-Block Groote Schuur Hospital Observatory, University of Cape Town Cape Town, South Africa
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49
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Che X, Wei D, Li W, Li H, Qiao L, Qiu J, Zhang Q, Liu Y. The correlation between gray matter volume and perceived social support: a voxel-based morphometry study. Soc Neurosci 2014; 9:152-9. [PMID: 24397344 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2013.873078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Social support refers to interpersonal exchanges that include the combinations of aid, affirmation and affection. Perceived social support is a kind of subjective judgment of one's availability of social support. In spite of the importance of perceived social support to health, however, its neural substrate remains unknown. To address this question, voxel-based morphometry was employed to investigate the neural bases of individual differences in responses to the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) in healthy volunteers (144 men and 203 women; mean age = 19.9; SD = 1.33, age range : 17-27). As a result, multiple regression analysis revealed that the PSSS scores were significantly and positively correlated with gray matter volume in a cluster that mainly included areas in posterior parts of posterior cingulate cortex, bilateral lingual cortex, left occipital lobe and cuneus. Highly-supported individuals had larger gray matter volume in these brain regions, implying a relatively high level of ability to engage in self-referential processes and social cognition. Our results provide a biological basis for exploring perceived social support particularly in relationship to various health parameters and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- XianWei Che
- a Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education , Chongqing 400715 , China
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Emonds G, Declerck CH, Boone C, Seurinck R, Achten R. Establishing cooperation in a mixed-motive social dilemma. An fMRI study investigating the role of social value orientation and dispositional trust. Soc Neurosci 2013; 9:10-22. [DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2013.858080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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