The impact of processing load on emotion

Mitchell, Derek; Nakic, Marina; Fridberg, Daniel J.; Kamel, Niveen; Pine, Daniel S.; Blair, R. J. R.

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.10.012

Cited by 139 publications

(153 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…In recent years, the neural effects of task load on processing of emotional stimuli have begun to receive more systematic attention. Several studies have demonstrated that activity in emotion processing regions of the brain in response to negative emotional stimuli, such as the amygdalae, depend on the availability of attentional resources for processing of these stimuli Erk et al, 2007;OkonSinger et al, 2007;Mitchell et al, 2007;Pessoa et al, 2002;Van Reekum et al, 2007). For example, in one study, negative visual distracters engaged the amygdalae during participants' judgements whether two bars were like oriented or not (Pessoa et al, 2002), but only when the difference in orientation of two bars was easy to judge.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Tuning down the emotional brain: An fMRI study of the effects of cognitive load on the processing of affective images

Dillen

Heslenfeld

Koole³

2009

NeuroImage

210

167

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a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oThe present research examines whether cognitive load can modulate the processing of negative emotional stimuli, even after negative stimuli have already activated emotional centers of the brain. In a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, participants viewed neutral and negative stimuli that were followed by an attention-demanding arithmetic task. As expected, exposure to negative stimuli led to increased activation in emotional regions (the amygdalae and the right insula). Subsequently induced task load led to increased activation in cognitive regions (right dorsolateral frontal cortex, right superior parietal cortex). Importantly, task load down-regulated the brain's response to negative stimuli in emotional regions. Task load also reduced subjectively experienced negative emotion in response to negative stimuli. Finally, coactivation analyses suggest that during task performance, activity in right dorsolateral frontal cortex was related to activity in the amygdalae and the right insula. Together, these findings indicate that cognitive load is capable of tuning down the emotional brain.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Tuning down the emotional brain: An fMRI study of the effects of cognitive load on the processing of affective images

Dillen

Heslenfeld

Koole³

2009

NeuroImage

210

167

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“…Previous work has shown that emotional stimuli cause greater interference than neutral stimuli Erthal et al, 2005;Harris & Pashler, 2004;Mitchell et al 2006Mitchell et al ,2007Pessoa et al, 2003;Vuilleumier et al, 2001). This is thought to reflect reciprocal connections between the amygdala and temporal and occipital cortex; the amygdala augments the activation of sensory representations of emotional distracters within occipital and temporal cortex LeDoux, 1996;Mitchell et al, 2007;Pessoa et al, 2002;Vuilleumier et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…This is thought to reflect reciprocal connections between the amygdala and temporal and occipital cortex; the amygdala augments the activation of sensory representations of emotional distracters within occipital and temporal cortex LeDoux, 1996;Mitchell et al, 2007;Pessoa et al, 2002;Vuilleumier et al, 2004). Indeed, this augmentation of the sensory representations of emotional stimuli by the amygdala appears to allow the enhanced perception of emotional, relative to neutral, stimuli following target stimuli in attentional blink paradigms (Anderson & Phelps, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This issue has been investigated through Stroop-type Bremner et al, 2004;Etkin et al, 2006;Shin et al, 2001;Whalen et al, 1998) and other attentional paradigms (Bishop et al, 2004;Mitchell et al 2007;Simpson et al, 2000;Vuilleumier, et al, 2001). These studies suggest that systems involved in the top-down attentional control of emotional distracters include ACC Bremner et al, 2004;Etkin et al, 2006;Shin et al, 2001;Whalen et al, 1998), PFC (Bishop et al, 2004;Blair et al, 2007;Shin et al, 2001;Simpson et al, 2000;Vuilleumier, et al, 2001;Whalen et al, 1998) and parietal cortex Bremner et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, attentional control of nonemotional distracters is thought to implicate dACC Carter et al 1995Carter et al , 2000Durston et al, 2002;MacDonald et al 2000;Menon et al, 2001). However, some studies report dACC rather than rACC activity in response to emotional distracters Davis et al, 2005;Haas et al, 2006;Mitchell et al, 2007). Moreover, work has shown that rACC shows increased responding to emotional stimuli even in contexts where attentional control is not required Kosson et al, 2006;Pissiota et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Common regions of dorsal anterior cingulate and prefrontal–parietal cortices provide attentional control of distracters varying in emotionality and visibility

et al. 2007

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Top-down attentional control is necessary to ensure successful task performance in the presence of distracters. Lateral prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex have been previously implicated in top-down attentional control. However, it is unclear whether these regions are engaged independent of distracter type or whether, as has been suggested for anterior cingulate cortex, different regions provide attentional control over emotional versus other forms of salient distracter. In the current task, subjects viewed targets that were preceded by distracters that varied in both emotionality and visibility. We found that behaviorally, the presence of preceding distracters significantly interfered with target judgment. At the neural level, increases in the emotional and visual saliency of distracters were both associated with increased activity in proximal regions of prefrontal, parietal and cingulate cortex. Moreover, a conjunction analysis indicated considerable overlap in the regions of prefrontal, parietal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex responding to distracters of increased emotionality and visibility.

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Neural Response to Self- and Other Referential Praise and Criticism in Generalized Social Phobia

Blair

Geraci

DeVido

et al. 2008

Arch Gen Psychiatry

146

126

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Context Generalized social phobia (GSP) is characterized by fear/avoidance of social situations. Previous studies have examined the neural responses in GSP to one class of social stimuli, facial expressions. However, studies have not examined the neural response in GSP to another equally important class of social stimuli, the communication of praise or criticism. Objective To examine the neural response to receipt of praise or criticism in GSP; specifically, to determine whether patients with GSP show an increased response to the receipt of both praise and criticism and whether self-relevance modulates this relationship. Design Case-control study. Setting Government clinical research institute. Participants Unmedicated individuals with GSP (n=17) and age-, IQ-, and sex-matched healthy comparison individuals (n=17). Main Outcome Measure Blood oxygenation level–dependent signal, as measured via functional magnetic resonance imaging. During functional magnetic resonance imaging scans, individuals read positive (eg, You are beautiful), negative (eg, You are ugly), and neutral (eg, You are human) comments that could be either about the self or about somebody else (eg, He is beautiful). Results Hypothesized significant group×valence×referent interactions were observed within regions of the medial prefrontal cortex and bilateral amygdala. In these regions, the patients with GSP showed significantly increased blood oxygenation level–dependent responses, relative to comparison individuals, to negative comments (criticism) referring to themselves. However, in contrast, there were no significant group differences with respect to negative comments referring to others or neutral or positive comments referring to self or others. Conclusions These results implicate the medial prefrontal cortex, involved in the representation of the self, together with the amygdala, in the pathophysiology of GSP. Further, findings demonstrate a meaningful effect of psychological context on neural-circuitry hyperactivity in GSP.

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The impact of processing load on emotion

Cited by 139 publications

References 52 publications

Tuning down the emotional brain: An fMRI study of the effects of cognitive load on the processing of affective images

Tuning down the emotional brain: An fMRI study of the effects of cognitive load on the processing of affective images

Common regions of dorsal anterior cingulate and prefrontal–parietal cortices provide attentional control of distracters varying in emotionality and visibility

Neural Response to Self- and Other Referential Praise and Criticism in Generalized Social Phobia

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