Negative Affective Pictures Research Articles

The Serotonin Transporter Gene Alters Sensitivity to Attention Bias Modification: Evidence for a Plasticity Gene

BackgroundAttention bias modification (ABM) procedures have been shown to modify biased attention with important implications for emotional vulnerability and resilience. The use of ABM to reduce potentially toxic biases, for instance, is a newly emerging therapy for anxiety disorders. A separate line of gene-by-environment interaction research proposes that many so-called vulnerability genes or risk alleles are better seen as plasticity genes, as they seem to make individuals more susceptible to environmental influences for better and for worse.MethodsA standard ABM procedure was used with a sample of 116 healthy adults. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two training groups. One received an ABM procedure designed to induce a bias in attention toward negative material, while the other was trained toward positive pictures. Individuals with low- and high-expressing forms of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) were compared.ResultsThose with a low-expression form (S/S, S/Lg, or Lg/Lg) of the 5-HTTLPR gene developed stronger biases for both negative and positive affective pictures relative to those with the high-expression (La/La) form of the gene.ConclusionsHere, we report the first evidence that allelic variation in the promotor region of the 5-HTTLPR gene predicts different degrees of sensitivity to ABM. These results suggest a potential cognitive mechanism for the gene-by-environment interactions that have been found in relation to the serotonin transporter gene. Variation on this genotype may therefore determine who will benefit most (and least) from therapeutic interventions, adversity, and supportive environments.

Effect of mood states on the breadth of spatial attentional focus: An event-related potential study

In order to determine the processing stage that is responsible for the effect of mood states on the breadth of attentional focus, we recorded event-related potentials from 18 students who performed a flanker task involving adjacent letters. To induce a specific mood state, positive, neutral, or negative affective pictures were presented repeatedly during the task. The participants’ task was to respond to the central target letter by pressing a corresponding button. Spacing between each letter was manipulated so that it appeared either near or far. In 80% of the task trials, a probe stimulus was presented at one of four locations superimposed on the letter array: 0.5° left or right from the central letter or 1.5° left or right from the central letter. Reaction time data showed that the effect of spacing on the flanker compatibility effect was absent under positive mood state. The probe-evoked P1 amplitude was larger in the positive mood state than in the neutral and negative mood states. These results indicate that positive mood states may broaden the focus of attention during visual input stage.

The emotional influence on the breadth of attentional focus at the sensory input stage

It has been suggested that emotional states modulate the breadth of attentional focus. However, it remains unclear whether this effect occurs from the beginning of the sensory input stage or at later stages of processing. In the present study, we recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) in a spatial selective attention task to examine the breadth of spatial attention at early visual processing stages. Twelve university students participated in the experiment. After viewing negative, neutral, and positive affective pictures, participants directed their attention to the left or right visual field and performed a target detection task. The occipitotemporal P1 (80–130 ms) elicited by standard stimuli was more positive over the hemisphere contralateral to the attended visual hemifield. This contralateral preponderance effect has been assumed to reflect the attentional gain control mechanism in the visual cortices. Although affective pictures induced significant changes in subjective emotional states, they did not modulate the P1 attention effect. The result does not support the hypothesis that emotional states modulate the breadth of attentional focus at early visual processing stages. Based on this and previous findings, we discuss that the emotional influence on the breadth of attentional focus may occur at later stages of processing.

Negative affective pictures can elicit physical symptoms in high habitual symptom reporters

The present study aimed to explore the role of a brief negative affective state on symptom reporting. Non-clinical high (n = 24) and low (n = 24) habitual symptom reporters viewed four picture series (160 s per series) varying in affective content: neutral, general positive, general negative and symptom-related. Participants rated each picture series on valence, dominance and arousal, and reported their affective state and somatic symptoms experienced during the series. Results showed that all participants reported higher levels of negative affect during the negative and symptom-related picture series compared with the positive and neutral picture series. Only high habitual symptom reporters also reported more bodily symptoms after viewing the negative and symptom-related pictures. The findings allude to a learned association between negative emotional states and symptom reporting in high habitual symptom reporters.

Childhood methylphenidate treatment of ADHD and response to affective stimuli

Neural correlates of emotional dysregulation in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and persisting influence of Methylphenidate (MPH) still remain insufficiently understood. Decreased activation in the subgenual cingulate and the ventral striatum were found during the perception of positive and negative affective pictures in drug-naïve males with ADHD during childhood ( n = 10). Males with ADHD during childhood treated with MPH ( n = 10) did not show any significant differences compared to healthy controls ( n = 10). Further prospective studies need to clarify direct and indirect mechanisms of MPH treatment that may contribute to emotional processing, which is dysfunctional in males without pharmacological treatment in childhood.

The Brain Functional Networks Associated to Human and Animal Suffering Differ among Omnivores, Vegetarians and Vegans

Empathy and affective appraisals for conspecifics are among the hallmarks of social interaction. Using functional MRI, we hypothesized that vegetarians and vegans, who made their feeding choice for ethical reasons, might show brain responses to conditions of suffering involving humans or animals different from omnivores. We recruited 20 omnivore subjects, 19 vegetarians, and 21 vegans. The groups were matched for sex and age. Brain activation was investigated using fMRI and an event-related design during observation of negative affective pictures of human beings and animals (showing mutilations, murdered people, human/animal threat, tortures, wounds, etc.). Participants saw negative-valence scenes related to humans and animals, alternating with natural landscapes. During human negative valence scenes, compared with omnivores, vegetarians and vegans had an increased recruitment of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). More critically, during animal negative valence scenes, they had decreased amygdala activation and increased activation of the lingual gyri, the left cuneus, the posterior cingulate cortex and several areas mainly located in the frontal lobes, including the ACC, the IFG and the middle frontal gyrus. Nonetheless, also substantial differences between vegetarians and vegans have been found responding to negative scenes. Vegetarians showed a selective recruitment of the right inferior parietal lobule during human negative scenes, and a prevailing activation of the ACC during animal negative scenes. Conversely, during animal negative scenes an increased activation of the inferior prefrontal cortex was observed in vegans. These results suggest that empathy toward non conspecifics has different neural representation among individuals with different feeding habits, perhaps reflecting different motivational factors and beliefs.

The human serotonin transporter gene explains why some populations are more optimistic?

The recent report by Fox et al. analyzed the impact of a common serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in biased attention toward positive and negative affective pictures. They found that homozygous for the ‘L’ variant (LL) differed significantly from the other genotype groups (Ls and ss) in terms of both their avoidance of negative material as well as their vigilance for positive material. Their results raised an interesting question: if the human serotonin transporter gene plays a role in positive or negative affective states (such as optimism and joy as opposed to pessimism), would the LL polymorphism be more frequent among people (or in populations) with more optimistic attitude? Recently, studies about the subjective perception of happiness across nations show that some groups are highly motivated and enthusiastic, such as Brazilians, despite the fact of living in places with a general low human development index. Could this be explained by the differential distribution of such polymorphisms across nations? We were able to address this question, as we have investigated, several years ago, the distribution of these polymorphisms in neuropsychiatric disorders as compared with the normal controls. It is interesting to note that the LL genotype was found to be 2.5 times more frequent in the Brazilian population as compared with that reported by Fox et al. in UK population. Among 197 normal Brazilian controls, there were 32 ss (16.2%), 87 Ls (44.2%) and 78 LL (39.6%) as compared with the following distribution among 97 normal controls reported by Fox et al.: 36 ss (37%), 45 Ls (46.4%) and 16 LL (16.5%). These differences are statistically significant (w = 23.16, d.f. = 2, P < 0.0001). Association studies between the different polymorphisms in the promoter region of the 5-HTTLPR human serotonin transporter gene and neuropsychiatric disorders, including mood disorders, have shown controversial results. One possible explanation is the difference of the various genotypes distribution in various populations. However, it is very interesting to observe that the LL genotype is relatively frequent in the Brazilian normal population. Although the association of this variant with personality traits should be validated in other population studies, it would provide an interesting biological explanation for being more or less optimistic. AL Nishimura, JRM Oliveira and M Zatz Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, London, UK; Department of Neuropsychiatry and Keizo Asami Laboratory, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil and Human Genome Research Center, Institute of Biosciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil E-mail: mayazatz@usp.br

The impact of affective states on the perception of dyspnea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Dyspnea is the cardinal symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Affective states can profoundly impact upon the perception of dyspnea, but little is known about this relationship in patients with COPD. We, therefore, examined the impact of viewing positive versus negative affective picture series on perceived dyspnea during two cycle ergometer exercise tests (CEET) in 30 patients with COPD. Whereas cardiopulmonary measures indicated comparable exercise intensity during both CEETs, parallel viewing of negative affective pictures resulted in increased dyspnea ratings compared to positive affective pictures. Regression analyses showed that only during positive picture viewing increases in the affective unpleasantness of dyspnea, but not in the sensory intensity of dyspnea, during CEETs were predictive of greater dyspnea during everyday activities and reduced health-related quality of life. The results suggest that negative affective states increase perceived dyspnea in patients with COPD and underline the importance of targeting the affect–dyspnea-relationship in this patient group.

Looking on the bright side: biased attention and the human serotonin transporter gene.

Humans differ in terms of biased attention for emotional stimuli and these biases can confer differential resilience and vulnerability to emotional disorders. Selective processing of positive emotional information, for example, is associated with enhanced sociability and well-being while a bias for negative material is associated with neuroticism and anxiety. A tendency to selectively avoid negative material might also be associated with mental health and well-being. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying these cognitive phenotypes are currently unknown. Here we show for the first time that allelic variation in the promotor region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) is associated with differential biases for positive and negative affective pictures. Individuals homozygous for the long allele (LL) showed a marked bias to selectively process positive affective material alongside selective avoidance of negative affective material. This potentially protective pattern was absent among individuals carrying the short allele (S or SL). Thus, allelic variation on a common genetic polymorphism was associated with the tendency to selectively process positive or negative information. The current study is important in demonstrating a genotype-related alteration in a well-established processing bias, which is a known risk factor in determining both resilience and vulnerability to emotional disorders.

The neural substrates of affective processing toward positive and negative affective pictures in patients with major depressive disorder

Previous studies examining neural responses to emotional stimuli in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) have indicated increased responses within the left amygdala to sad faces, and increased activity within the visual cortex and striatum to expressions of happiness. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the current study measured neural responses to neutral, positive and negative pictures of the International Affective Picture System in 15 healthy individuals and 15 patients with MDD. Depressed individuals demonstrated lower activity in the right hippocampus and the right insula to negative affective pictures, whereas they showed lower activity in the right anterior cingulate cortex and the left insula to positive pictures. However, within the MDD group, the severity of depression correlated with the activity of the left amygdala, bilateral inferior orbitofrontal areas, and the left insula to negative pictures, whereas there were no clear indications of association between specific cerebral regions and positive pictures. Our findings indicate that preferential decreases in the left amygdala in response to negative pictures might be involved in the processing of emotional stimuli in depressed individuals. Also, these findings suggest that the bilateral inferior orbitofrontal cortices and left amygdala may be preferentially recruited in MDD patients, but not in healthy individuals.

Reduced anterior cingulate activation in aggressive children and adolescents during affective stimulation: Association with temperament traits

Objective The risk for conduct disorder (CD) is markedly increased in children with specific temperament dimensions. Here, we investigated whether adverse temperament factors might contribute to an impairment in neural mechanisms underlying the regulation of aggressive behaviour. Method Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 13 male adolescents with CD aged 9 to 14 years and in 14 healthy age and sex-matched control subjects at 1.5 T. During scanning, subjects looked at pictures from the International Affective Picture System with neutral or strong negative emotional valence. Temperament was assessed using the German version of the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory. In addition, behavioural control strategies (Wisconsin Card Sorting, Four Pack Card Playing Task) and sociomoral reasoning (Sociomoral Reflection Measure Short Form) were tested to behaviourally characterise the study groups. Results When comparing CD patients with healthy controls, we found reduced activation in the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in response to negative affective pictures. The temperament dimension ‘novelty seeking’ was a significant predictor for ACC responsiveness to affective pictures as revealed by a stepwise multiple regression analysis ( β = − 0.53, p < 0.01). Moreover, individuals with high ‘novelty seeking’ scores chose more disadvantageous strategies in the Four Pack Card Playing Task ( p < 0.05) and were characterised by a lower level of sociomoral reasoning ( p < 0.05). Conclusion The results of this study provide a link between temperament factors and neural correlates of emotion processing in adolesecents with conduct disorder.