Abstract
BackgroundPrevious studies revealed increased parietal late positive potentials (LPPs) in response to spider pictures in spider phobic individuals. This study searched for basic features of fear-relevant stimuli by investigating whether schematic spider images are sufficient to evoke differential behavioral as well as differential early and late ERP responses in spider phobic, social phobic (as a clinical control group), and non-phobic control participants.MethodsBehavioral and electrophysiological correlates of the processing of schematic spider and flower images were investigated while participants performed a color (emotional Stroop) and an object identification task. Stimuli were schematic pictures of spiders and flowers matched with respect to constituting visual elements.ResultsConsistent with previous studies using photographic spider pictures, spider phobic persons showed enhanced LPPs when identifying schematic spiders compared to schematic flowers. In addition, spider phobic individuals showed generally faster responses than the control groups. This effect was interpreted as evidence for an increased general behavioral hypervigilance in this anxiety disorder group. Furthermore, both phobic groups showed enhanced P100 amplitudes compared to controls, which was interpreted as evidence for an increased (cortical) hypervigilance for incoming stimuli in phobic patients in general. Finally, all groups showed faster identification of and larger N170 amplitudes in response to schematic spider than flower pictures. This may reflect either a general advantage for fear-relevant compared to neutral stimuli, or might be due to a higher level of expertise in processing schematic spiders as compared to the more artificially looking flower stimuli.ConclusionResults suggest that schematic spiders are sufficient to prompt differential responses in spider-fearful and spider-non-fearful persons in late ERP components. Early ERP components, on the other hand, seem to be modified by anxiety status per se, which is consistent with recent theories on general hypervigilance in the anxiety disorder spectrum.
Highlights
Previous studies revealed increased parietal late positive potentials (LPPs) in response to spider pictures in spider phobic individuals
Spider phobic individuals showed no emotional Stroop interference when identifying the color of schematic spiders
Absence of Stroop interference This study found no emotional Stroop interference in spider phobic persons when identifying the color of schematic spiders, which is consistent with a preceding study by Kolassa et al [18] that found no emotional interference in a similar experimental paradigm with spider phobic individuals
Summary
Previous studies revealed increased parietal late positive potentials (LPPs) in response to spider pictures in spider phobic individuals. Spiders are genuinely feared stimuli for individuals with spider phobia, but they are considered fear-relevant (ancestral) stimuli for humans in general, and it has been hypothesized that such stimuli are detected and processed preferentially to other stimuli [1,2,3,4]. In support of this hypothesis, Öhman, Flykt, and Esteves [5] reported faster detection of fear-relevant stimuli among neutral stimuli than vice versa in a visual search task (see [6] for a critical comment on the study). As Öhman et al ([5], p. 475) remark, "such elementary threat features [. . .] still remain to be specified"
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
