Neuronal underpinnings of the attentional bias toward threat in the anxiety spectrum: Meta-analytical data on P3 and LPP event-related potentials

Abstract

BackgroundThis systematic review analyzes brain responses at later stages of neuronal processing (P3 at 300–500 ms, and LPP at 300–700 ms). Both P3 and LPP are implicated in attentional threat bias in disorders grouped into fear and distress dimensions of the anxiety spectrum described by the Hierarchical Taxonomy Model of Psychopathology (HiTOP), but there are no consistent findings so far. MethodMeta-analyses with between- (32 studies, n = 1631) and within-groups design (31 studies, n = 1699) were performed for assessing P3 and LPP modulation in negative, positive, and neutral stimuli, while also considering differences between controls and anxious individuals. Relevant moderators (e.g., age, sex, task) were controlled for and negative stimuli were further decomposed in terms of category (Relevant, Fear/Threat, or Unpleasant). ResultsIncreased P3 and LPP amplitudes were found for negative and positive stimuli, when compared to neutral stimuli (within-subjects analysis), confirming that both components are elicited by emotionally arousing information. Within-effects for negative and positive stimuli were higher for the anxious groups. Nonetheless, between-groups analyses showed that attentional threat bias occurs only in anxious groups when negative, personally relevant-threat information is presented. The HiTOP fear dimension moderated the findings. LimitationsPotential missed studies; ERPs time windows’ heterogeneity; adult sample only; the uneven number of computed effects; categorical analyses. ConclusionAttentional bias toward disorder-congruent threatening cues can be a transdiagnostic mechanism of HiTOP fear disorders, clustered within the anxiety spectrum.