Neural reactivity to neutral and aversive stimuli: Evidence for altered precuneus function in internalizing psychopathologies

Abstract

Individuals with internalizing psychopathologies (IPs) demonstrate a negativity bias in emotion and self-related processing that contributes to negative interpretation of neutral information. However, most neuroimaging studies of emotional experience in IPs do not specifically investigate reactivity to neutral stimuli. Thus, little is known about the neural processes underlying emotional experience for neutral stimuli and how those processes may differ between groups and during neutral versus negative stimuli. To address this gap, we asked: (1) does neural reactivity to neutral and negative stimuli differ between IPs and control groups in brain regions associated with emotional and self-referential processing, and (2) does neural activity during neutral condition relate to clinical symptoms? Adults with IPs (n = 103) and healthy volunteers (HVs; n = 40) completed a well-validated fMRI task probing neural responses to neutral and negative images. A flexible factorial model revealed a significant group-by-condition interaction, such that individuals with IPs had less precuneus activation during the neutral condition relative to HVs. In IPs, precuneus activation during the neutral condition was negatively correlated with depression symptom severity. Individuals with IPs demonstrate abnormal precuneus reactivity to neutral stimuli that is associated with depression symptoms. This may reflect altered default mode network activity and/or self-referential processing in IPs.