非情绪与情绪背景下行为抑制时外侧前额叶的功能分化:一项fNIRS研究

采用功能性近红外脑成像技术(f NIRS),结合事件相关设计,在非情绪与情绪背景下,测量个体完成go/no-go任务时外侧前额叶皮层氧合血红蛋白浓度(Hb O)的变化。结果发现:在非情绪背景下,行为抑制时双侧背外侧前额叶皮层和右眶额叶皮层负激活;在情绪背景下,行为抑制时双侧背外侧前额叶皮层和眶额皮层负激活,情绪与行为抑制的交互作用显著负激活双侧腹外侧前额叶皮层。结果表明:在非情绪与情绪背景下,双侧背外侧前额叶和右眶额叶皮层可能以神经抑制的活动形式参与行为抑制反应;腹外侧前额叶皮层可能不是行为抑制的重要脑区,但对情绪与行为抑制整合具有重要意义,特别是在负性情绪背景下,双侧腹外侧前额叶皮层可能以更大程度的神经抑制活动参与到情绪与行为抑制交互作用中来。     

情绪大脑机制研究的进展

文章综述情绪大脑机制研究的最新进展。情绪的脑机制——大脑回路,包括前额皮层、杏仁核、海马、前部扣带回、腹侧纹状体等。前额皮层中的不对称性与趋近和退缩系统有关,左前额皮层与趋近系统和积极感情有关,右前额皮层与消极感情和退缩有关。杏仁核易被消极的感情刺激所激活,尤其是恐惧。海马在情绪的背景调节中起着重要作用。前额皮层和杏仁核激活不对称性的个体差异是情绪个体差异的生理基础。情绪的中枢回路有可塑性。     

最后通牒博弈中的公平偏好:基于双系统理论的视角

在最后通牒博弈中,自利动机与公平偏好的权衡决定着个体拒绝或者接受不公平分配。根据双系统理论,对于个体拒绝不公平分配是系统1中的自动反应还是系统2中的控制加工这一争议,从理论假说、影响因素和脑机制三个方面进行了探讨。自动消极互惠假说和社会启发假说支持公平偏好的自动加工假说,公平偏好控制假说则认为公平偏好是抑制自利动机的控制加工的结果。系统1通过脑岛、杏仁核和腹内侧前额叶皮层识别和评估公平行为;系统2通过扣带回皮层、腹外侧、背内侧和背外侧前额叶皮层,对系统1进行重新评估和调节并做出相应的决策。个体差异因素和实验任务特征可能会影响个体在系统1中的自动反应。未来研究需要进一步完善实验范式,深入探索其中的调节变量及其神经网络。     

强迫症的脑功能障碍

近期,对强迫症(OCD)的现象学解释强调了病人在特定情境下错误识别和情绪与动机功能的异常加工。来自神经解剖、神经生理以及近期神经心理和功能成像等的相关研究证据显示：OCD病人眶额皮层（OFC）、前扣带回皮层（ACC）的过度激活可能会导致错误识别功能和对行为结果预期的情绪与动机评价增高;背外侧前额皮层(DLPC)的活动减弱损害了对信息加工的认知整合能力。以上这些皮层信号在控制行为活动程序的尾状核进行整合。OCD病人的强迫性观念和行为可能由这些结构相关的神经网络中一个或多个环节的功能障碍所致     

自闭症谱系障碍者抑制控制的影响因素及神经机制

自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)是一种起源于儿童期的神经发育障碍, ASD的重复刻板行为与其抑制控制发展有密切关系。使用Go/No-go、Flanker及Stroop等范式的研究发现, ASD者抑制控制受损主要表现为反应抑制和干扰抑制能力存在缺陷; 其主要影响因素是任务状态、被试年龄及取样; 涉及的脑区和脑网络集中在前额皮层、前扣带回和基底神经节; 涉及的基因集中在谷氨酸盐、γ-氨基丁酸与5-羟色胺三种神经递质。未来应从脑机制研究入手, 综合考虑任务状态、个体特征对研究结果造成的影响, 并着力开发更有效的干预模式。     

情绪加工的脑机制研究及其现状

本文从情绪的效价载荷及其脑功能成像研究、面部表情的识别及其脑功能成像研究以及情绪的诱发及其脑功能成像研究等三方面介绍了情绪加工的脑机制及其研究现状。从现有的研究成果来看,大脑皮层在加工不同效价载荷的情绪时具有很大的重叠性;有关面部表情识别的研究表明,不同的神经环路负责调节对不同面部表情的反应;有关诱发的情绪的研究表明,前扣带回皮层在表征实验诱发的情绪时扮演着一个非常重要的角色。文章最后指出了情绪研究目前面临的一些问题,并指出在我国开展情绪的脑机制研究的重要意义。     

人际情绪调节的认知神经基础

人际情绪调节是社会互动一方有意改变另一方情绪状态的过程,它有利于个体的心理健康和社会关系发展,并且具有不同于自我情绪调节的独特优势。近年已有不少脑成像研究考察了人际情绪调节,在一定程度上揭示了该过程的脑神经基础:人际情绪调节涉及心智化系统(楔前叶、颞顶联合区、内侧前额叶等)、情绪反应系统(杏仁核、脑岛等)和情绪调控系统(外侧前额叶、内侧前额叶、扣带回等),其中心智化系统是不同于自我情绪调节的特异性脑区。未来研究可纳入不同人群作为研究对象,将脑观测技术与脑调控技术相结合,从单脑和双脑两个层面对人际情绪调节的认知神经机制深入探讨,为人际情绪调节在应用领域的实施和推广提供科学依据。     

利他惩罚的发生机制及其神经基础

利他惩罚是指个体为惩罚违反社会规范的人而自愿个人支付成本,它在人类合作演化过程中扮演着重要的作用。"认知控制"与"情绪满足"被用来阐述利他惩罚的产生机制。而神经层面的研究也发现,利他惩罚主要涉及以背外侧前额叶皮层为主的基于规则的系统和包括纹状体、内侧前额叶皮层以及脑岛等脑区在内的情绪驱动系统。此外,5-羟色胺、多巴胺等神经递质可能是利他惩罚行为发生的神经生化基础。未来研究除了需进一步深入探讨与整合利他惩罚的发生机制、神经机制、基因机制以外,还应注重利他惩罚在自然情境下的研究。     

自我面孔识别的神经机制：基于fMRI研究的ALE元分析

自我面孔识别反映了个体通过自我与他人的区分识别出自我面孔的过程。本文采用ALE元分析的方法, 对自我面孔识别的fMRI研究进行系统的定量分析, 探究自我面孔识别的神经基础。结果显示, 自我面孔识别的关键脑区包括顶上小叶、额中回、额下回、脑岛、梭状回、楔前叶和枕叶皮层。另外, 自我面孔识别可能包括两个层面的加工过程：知觉层面的加工整合过程以及由知觉引发的评价和情绪反应过程。知觉加工整合涵盖了自我面孔识别的各个加工阶段, 主要涉及枕叶、梭状回和楔前叶的功能; 而评价加工及情绪反应过程则发生在自我面孔识别的中晚期, 主要涉及顶上小叶、额中回、额下回及脑岛的功能。未来研究可结合时间和空间数据并关注脑区间的协同功能, 考察与内感受的神经关联, 开展临床研究并探索威胁信息的影响机制。     

内疚的认知和情绪活动及其脑区调控

内疚是个体做出危害他人的行为或违反道德准则之后产生的良心上的反省, 对行为负有责任的一种负性体验。内疚在道德规范和人际社会中具有重要的作用。研究者主要采取自我报告范式、情境模拟范式、过失范式和经济博弈范式考察内疚的发生发展及其功能。近年来, 研究者尝试揭示内疚脑机制, 研究发现内疚主要激活前额叶皮层和脑岛等脑区, 前额叶可能与内疚的认知成分相关, 而脑岛主要与内疚的情绪成分相关。未来的研究需要采用多种技术手段进一步考察内疚的认知神经机制。     

Neural dynamics of autistic behaviors: cognitive, emotional, and timing substrates

What brain mechanisms underlie autism, and how do they give rise to autistic behavioral symptoms? This article describes a neural model, called the Imbalanced Spectrally Timed Adaptive Resonance Theory (iSTART) model, that proposes how cognitive, emotional, timing, and motor processes that involve brain regions such as the prefrontal and temporal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and cerebellum may interact to create and perpetuate autistic symptoms. These model processes were originally developed to explain data concerning how the brain controls normal behaviors. The iSTART model shows how autistic behavioral symptoms may arise from prescribed breakdowns in these brain processes, notably a combination of underaroused emotional depression in the amygdala and related affective brain regions, learning of hyperspecific recognition categories in the temporal and prefrontal cortices, and breakdowns of adaptively timed attentional and motor circuits in the hippocampal system and cerebellum. The model clarifies how malfunctions in a subset of these mechanisms can, through a systemwide vicious circle of environmentally mediated feedback, cause and maintain problems with them all.     

Dimensional emotions are represented by distinct topographical brain networks

The ability to recognize others’ facial emotions has become increasingly important after the COVID-19 pandemic, which causes stressful situations in emotion regulation. Considering the importance of emotion in maintaining a social life, emotion knowledge to perceive and label emotions of oneself and others requires an understanding of affective dimensions, such as emotional valence and emotional arousal. However, limited information is available about whether the behavioral representation of affective dimensions is similar to their neural representation. To explore the relationship between the brain and behavior in the representational geometries of affective dimensions, we constructed a behavioral paradigm in which emotional faces were categorized into geometric spaces along the valence, arousal, and valence and arousal dimensions. Moreover, we compared such representations to neural representations of the faces acquired by functional magnetic resonance imaging. We found that affective dimensions were similarly represented in the behavior and brain. Specifically, behavioral and neural representations of valence were less similar to those of arousal. We also found that valence was represented in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, frontal eye fields, precuneus, and early visual cortex, whereas arousal was represented in the cingulate gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex, fusiform gyrus, and early visual cortex. In conclusion, the current study suggests that dimensional emotions are similarly represented in the behavior and brain and are presented with differential topographical organizations in the brain.     

Neuroticism and psychopathy predict brain activation during moral and nonmoral emotion regulation

Functional neuroimaging has identified brain regions associated with voluntary regulation of emotion, including the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. The neural mechanisms underlying individual differences in emotion regulation have not been extensively studied. We investigated the neural correlates of neuroticism and psychopathic personality traits in the context of an emotion regulation task. Results showed that amygdala activity elicited by unpleasant pictures was positively correlated with neuroticism and negatively correlated with a specific psychopathic trait related to emotional underreactivity. During active attempts to decrease emotional responses to unpleasant pictures, superior and ventrolateral prefrontal activity was positively correlated with psychopathy, but not with neuroticism. In contrast, dorsolateral prefrontal activity was positively correlated with neuroticism, but not with psychopathy. Psychopathy was also negatively correlated with medial prefrontal activity in response to pictures depicting moral violations, suggesting reduced emotional responses to moral stimuli in individuals with high levels of psychopathic traits. These results demonstrate dissociable influences of different personality traits on neural activity associated with responses to emotional stimuli and on the recruitment of regulation-related brain activity during the active down-regulation of responses to negative emotional stimuli. These results have implications for the etiology of trait-based psychopathology involving emotional dysregulation.     

Adding fear to conflict: A general purpose cognitive control network is modulated by trait anxiety

Studies of cognitive control show that the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex are involved in the detection and resolution of cognitive conflict. However, the neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying emotional interference effects are less consistent. We used fMRI during emotional and nonemotional versions of a facial Stroop task to investigate the effects of emotional stimuli on cognitive control. In the full group there was limited evidence that different prefrontal circuits manage conflict arising from emotional and nonemotional distractors. However, individual differences in trait anxiety affected both behavioral performance and neural activity during the emotional task. Relative to low-anxiety (LA) subjects, high-anxiety (HA) subjects showed greater amygdala activity to task-relevant emotional information and impaired performance and greater conflict-related activity in the dACC when emotional content was task-irrelevant. Only LA subjects activated rostral ACC during the emotional task. This is consistent with cognitive models of individual differences that hypothesize deficient control of task-irrelevant emotional information in HA subjects. Additional behavioral and fMRI results from this study may be downloaded from http://cabn.psychonomic-journals .org/content/supplemental.     

Prefrontal Cortex,Emotion, and Approach/Withdrawal Motivation

This article provides a selective review of the literature and current theories regarding the role of prefrontal cortex, along with some other critical brain regions, in emotion and motivation. Seemingly contradictory findings have often appeared in this literature. Research attempting to resolve these contradictions has been the basis of new areas of growth and has led to more sophisticated understandings of emotional and motivational processes as well as neural networks associated with these processes. Progress has, in part, depended on methodological advances that allow for increased resolution in brain imaging. A number of issues are currently in play, among them the role of prefrontal cortex in emotional or motivational processes. This debate fosters research that will likely lead to further refinement of conceptualizations of emotion, motivation, and the neural processes associated with them.     

Affective personality differences in neural processing efficiency confirmed using fMRI

To test for a relation between individual differences in personality and neural-processing efficiency, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess brain activity within regions associated with cognitive control during a demanding working memory task. Fifty-three participants completed both the self-report behavioral inhibition sensitivity (BIS) and behavioral approach sensitivity (BAS) personality scales and a standard measure of fluid intelligence (Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices). They were then scanned as they performed a three-back working memory task. A mixed blocked/ event-related fMRI design enabled us to identify both sustained and transient neural activity. Higher BAS was negatively related to event-related activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate, the lateral prefrontal cortex, and parietal areas in regions of interest identified in previous work. These relationships were not explained by differences in either behavioral performance or fluid intelligence, consistent with greater neural efficiency. The results reveal the high specificity of the relationships among personality, cognition, and brain activity. The data confirm that affective dimensions of personality are independent of intelligence, yet also suggest that they might be interrelated in subtle ways, because they modulate activity in overlapping brain regions that appear to be critical for task performance.     

认知重评和表达抑制情绪调节策略的脑网络分析：来自EEG和ERP的证据

本文旨在对认知重评和表达抑制两种常用情绪调节策略的自发脑网络特征及认知神经活动进行深入探讨。研究采集36名在校大学生的静息态和任务态脑电数据, 经过源定位和图论分析发现节点效率与两种情绪调节显著相关的脑区, 以及脑区之间的功能连接。研究结果表明, 在使用认知重评进行情绪调节时会激活前额叶皮质、前扣带回、顶叶、海马旁回和枕叶等多个脑区, 在使用表达抑制进行情绪调节时会激活前额叶皮质、顶叶、海马旁回、枕叶、颞叶和脑岛等多个脑区。因此, 这些脑区的节点效率或功能连接强度可能成为评估个体使用认知重评和表达抑制调节情绪效果的指标。     

前额叶皮质损伤患者的情绪异常

人类前额叶皮质与情绪之间有着密切的关系,文章在相关的临床和神经成像研究结果基础上,分析了前额叶皮质损伤对情绪行为造成的影响,分别概述了精神分裂症、重性抑郁和焦虑患者的情绪变化、前额叶切除对情绪的影响以及左右前额叶皮质与情绪的关系,重点阐述了前额叶功能异常的神经生理学特点,认为情绪的改变会随着前额叶皮质不同部位的结构缺损或功能变化而有所不同,此有利于对前额叶皮质损伤患者情绪异常的评价与防治。     

Vulnerability of conditional NCAM-deficient mice to develop stress-induced behavioral alterations

Previous studies in rodents showed that chronic stress induces structural and functional alterations in several brain regions, including shrinkage of the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, which are accompanied by cognitive and emotional disturbances. Reduced expression of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) following chronic stress has been proposed to be crucially involved in neuronal retraction and behavioral alterations. Since NCAM gene polymorphisms and altered expression of alternatively spliced NCAM isoforms have been associated with bipolar depression and schizophrenia in humans, we hypothesized that reduced expression of NCAM renders individuals more vulnerable to the deleterious effects of stress on behavior. Here, we specifically questioned whether mice in which the NCAM gene is inactivated in the forebrain by cre-recombinase under the control of the calcium-calmodulin-dependent kinase II promoter (conditional NCAM-deficient mice), display increased vulnerability to stress. We assessed the evolving of depressive-like behaviors and spatial learning and memory impairments following a subchronic stress protocol (2 weeks) that does not result in behavioral dysfunction, nor in altered NCAM expression, in wild-type mice. Indeed, while no behavioral alterations were detected in wild-type littermates after subchronic stress, conditional NCAM-deficient mice showed increased immobility in the tail suspension test and deficits in reversal spatial learning in the water maze. These findings indicate that diminished NCAM expression might be a critical vulnerability factor for the development of behavioral alterations by stress and further support a functional involvement of NCAM in stress-induced cognitive and emotional disturbances.