In the present study of a collectively shared trauma, the alexithymic factor "difficulty-describing-feelings" was significantly associated with the intensity of post-traumatic symptoms.

In the present study, we aimed to explore neural correlates of survivors of the 2009 L'Aquila, Italy earthquake in response to being shown pictures featuring their own city before and after an earthquake as well as those of an unfamiliar city. Moreover, we explored the associations among psychological variables and brain responses to the pictures of L'Aquila after the earthquake. Our final sample (N = 30 adults) comprised 15 survivors (M age = 31.40 years, SD = 9.42) and 15 controls (M age = 30.53 years, SD = 10.01). Participants’ electroencephalographic (EEG) data were recorded during a visual task that included earthquake‐related stimuli. Participants were assessed for posttraumatic and dissociation symptoms and event‐related potential components, and low‐resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) were analyzed. Compared to the control group, source localization in survivors indicated a lower intensity of the amygdala, hippocampal, parahippocampal, and temporopolar areas in response to visual stimuli concerning the earthquake, p < .001 to p < .0001. Results indicated a reduced limbic activation in response to visual stimuli that evoked the recall of earthquake in survivors. This finding suggests that survivors likely adopted a distancing strategy toward stimuli that may have elicited an emotional activation related to collective trauma.

Exposure to violence in video games has been associated with a desensitization toward violent content, a decrease of empathy, and prosocial behavior. Moreover, violent video games seem to be related to a reduction of neural activation in the circuits linked to social emotional processing. The purpose of the present study was to compare the neural response to social inclusion images after violent and nonviolent video game playing. Electroencephalographic data of the 32 participants were recorded during a visual task with three presentations (T0, T1, T2) of 60 stimuli (30 social inclusion vs. 30 neutral images). After the T0 presentation, the participants played with a video game (orientation or violent). After the T1 presentation, the participants played with the other video game (orientation or violent). The two types of video games were randomly displayed. Event-related potential (ERP) components and low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) were analyzed. The main findings showed a longer latency of the P2 component on occipito-temporal montage and a lower activation of the limbic and temporal areas in response to the social inclusion images post violent video game compared with the post orientation video game. The findings suggest a reduction of emotional engagement in social processing after playing violent video game.

No abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dream recall on the neurophysiological correlates of emotional processing. The hypothesis was that dream recall will produce an increased activation of fronto-limbic areas during an emotional task. Thirty-seven women were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups. Both groups were exposed to a visual task with emotional images (positive vs. negative) presented in two stages (T0 and T1). Between T0 and T1, in the experimental group, women were asked to recall and report a dream; whereas, in the control group, they were asked to report their work experiences. Electroencephalography data were continuously recorded in each participant, except during the personal report session. Event-related potential analyses showed an interaction effect of Time (T0 vs. T1) ϫ Condition (positive vs. negative) ϫ Group (experimental vs. control) in temporo-parietal montage at P100; and Condition ϫ Hemisphere ϫ Group in frontal montage from 200 to 1,000 ms. Standardized low resolution electromagnetic tomography results showed an increased activation of the frontolimbic areas and a decreased activation of the anterior middle frontal gyrus and temporo-parietal junction at T1 compared with T0 in the experimental group. Conversely, in the control group, a decreased activation in limbic areas was found. Dream recall was associated with an increased intensity of the limbic and temporal circuits during emotional exposition, suggesting that dream recall seems to favor an emotional response.