Neural basis of uncertain cue processing in trait anxiety.

Meng Zhang,Chao Ma,Jiang Qiu,Qingwei Li,Yijun Liu,Cody Ding,Yanyan Luo,Ji Li

doi:10.1038/srep21298

Abstract

Individuals with high trait anxiety form a non-clinical group with a predisposition for an anxiety-related bias in emotional and cognitive processing that is considered by some to be a prerequisite for psychiatric disorders. Anxious individuals tend to experience more worry under uncertainty, and processing uncertain information is an important, but often overlooked factor in anxiety. So, we decided to explore the brain correlates of processing uncertain information in individuals with high trait anxiety using the learn-test paradigm. Behaviorally, the percentages on memory test and the likelihood ratios of identifying novel stimuli under uncertainty were similar to the certain fear condition, but different from the certain neutral condition. The brain results showed that the visual cortex, bilateral fusiform gyrus, and right parahippocampal gyrus were active during the processing of uncertain cues. Moreover, we found that trait anxiety was positively correlated with the BOLD signal of the right parahippocampal gyrus during the processing of uncertain cues. No significant results were found in the amygdala during uncertain cue processing. These results suggest that memory retrieval is associated with uncertain cue processing, which is underpinned by over-activation of the right parahippocampal gyrus, in individuals with high trait anxiety.

Highlights

The brain results showed that the visual cortex, bilateral fusiform gyrus, and right parahippocampal gyrus were active during the processing of uncertain cues
Multiple comparisons showed that the percentage of correct answers was lowest in the certain neutral condition (CNC) (p < 0.001), and that there was no significant difference between the percentage in the certain fear condition (CFC) and the uncertain condition (UNC)
The fMRI results showed that the visual cortex, bilateral fusiform gyrus, and the right parahippocampal gyrus were active during the processing of uncertain cues

Summary

Introduction

We found that anxiety (a) was negatively correlated with rGMV in the right middle occipital gyrus, (b) was positively correlated with the ALFF in the right supplementary motor area and the bilateral superior frontal gyrus, and (c) was negatively correlated with the ALFF in the thalamus and left cerebellum This experiment, which was conducted with a normal sample, found that individuals with high trait anxiety showed attenuated image processing on a consciousness level (cognitive processing bias) and exhibited stronger induced sensibility and over-processing ability of the relationships (emotional processing bias) (submitted). Given that the results of uncertain stimuli (or signals) can be interpreted as maintaining avoidance of a potential threat, vulnerability to anxiety during uncertainty may reflect greater memory retrieval in anxious individuals Such findings suggest that the processing of uncertain cues in individuals with high trait anxiety is disordered. This experimental paradigm can help us explore the brain activity pattern during uncertain cue processing and the subsequent experience of future events

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion