The missing link in early emotional processing

Initial evaluation structures (IESs) currently proposed as the earliest detectors of affective stimuli (e.g., amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, or insula) are high-order structures (a) whose response latency cannot account for the first visual cortex emotion-related response (~80 ms), and (b) lack the necessary infrastructure to locally analyze the visual features that define emotional stimuli. Several thalamic structures accomplish both criteria. The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), a first-order thalamic nucleus that actively processes visual information, with the complement of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) are proposed as core IESs. This LGN–TRN tandem could be supported by the pulvinar, a second-order thalamic structure, and by other extrathalamic nuclei. The visual thalamus, scarcely explored in affective neurosciences, seems crucial in early emotional evaluation.This research was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) (Grant no. PGC2018-093570- B-I00) and the Comunidad de Madrid (Grant no. HUM19-HUM5705)

An event-related potential study on the interaction between lighting level and stimulus spatial location

Due to heterogeneous photoreceptor distribution, spatial location of stimulation is crucial to study visual brain activity in different light environments. This unexplored issue was studied through occipital event-related potentials (ERPs) recorded from 40 participants in response to discrete visual stimuli presented at different locations and in two environmental light conditions, low mesopic (L, 0.03 lux) and high mesopic (H, 6.5 lux), characterized by a differential photoreceptor activity balance: rod > cone and rod < cone, respectively. Stimuli, which were exactly the same in L and H, consisted of squares presented at fixation, at the vertical periphery (above or below fixation) or at the horizontal periphery (left or right). Analyses showed that occipital ERPs presented important L vs. H differences in the 100 to 450 ms window, which were significantly modulated by spatial location of stimulation: differences were greater in response to peripheral stimuli than to stimuli presented at fixation. Moreover, in the former case, significance of L vs. H differences was even stronger in response to stimuli presented at the horizontal than at the vertical periphery. These low vs. high mesopic differences may be explained by photoreceptor activation and their retinal distribution, and confirm that ERPs discriminate between rod– and cone-originated visual processingThis work was supported by the grant PSI2014-54853-P and PSI2012-37090 from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (MINECO

Emotional memory in anxiety: Behavioral and electrophysiological data

Background and Objectives: Recognition memory in anxiety is crucial since association with past experience is particularly important to manage emotional situations. A recognition bias can be the first step in cognitive anxiogenic distortions. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of anxiety on recognition memory, including consolidation and retrieval. This is the first study to date to assess recollection and familiarity through an independentremember/know paradigm in anxious participants, both behaviorally and electrophysiologically. Methods: Two groups of 17 participants with low and high anxiety level performed an experimental task of visual recognition memory, using neutral, pleasant and threatening pictures. The experiment was carried out two times, with an interval of 24 hours. The pattern of recognition was analyzed, behaviorally (through an independent Remember/Know paradigm) and with event-related potentials (ERP). Results: Subjects with higher levels of anxiety developed a bias in recognition of arousing stimuli (threatening and pleasant) compared with less anxiety level group. This bias was observed in the subprocess of familiarity and produced a positive modulation of a parietal late positive component (LPC) at approximately 620 milliseconds of latency. This effect was not found 24 hours later. Limitations: A reduced post-study interval limited the experimental effect on consolidation. Anxiety was assessed only dimensionally. Conclusions: The familiarity bias in recognition found in this experiment is a promising way of explaining the memory distortion in anxiety. The way in which an individual recognizes a situation determines their reaction; the recovery of a past experience is essential to manage the present one. According to the familiarity bias, the anxious subject can recognize the arousing stimuli with accuracy but exhibits difficulty in discriminating whether the item is pleasant or potentially dangerous. In addition, anxious individuals cannot recover contextual information that helps them resolve this conflict. In this regard, the process described could be a symptom as well as a factor that perpetuates the anxiety disordersAgencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovació

Affective neuroscience of ADHD: current data and future directions

Universidad de MálagaEl trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad (TDAH) es un trastorno de origen neurobiológico complejo y heterogéneo que se caracteriza no sólo por sus disfunciones cognitivas sino también por la existencia de importantes alteraciones afectivas, tanto motivacionales como emocionales. Sin embargo, los correlatos neurobiológicos que subyacen a las disfunciones afectivas del TDAH apenas han sido explorados, en comparación con la extensa investigación llevada a cabo sobre los mecanismos neurales implicados en sus principales déficit cognitivos (atención, inhibición de respuesta y memoria de trabajo). Este trabajo revisa las recientes investigaciones que han explorado las bases neurales involucradas en las alteraciones motivacionales y emocionales mostradas por las personas con TDAH. Asimismo, se discuten las implicaciones prácticas derivadas de los resultados de estos estudios y se proponen nuevas líneas de investigación desde la Neurociencia afectiva.Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex and heterogeneous disorder that is characterized not only by cognitive deficits but also by affective dysfunctions, both motivational and emotional. Nevertheless, the neural bases of affective dysfunctions have barely been explored in relation to this disorder, in contrast to extensive research that examined the neural correlates of its main cognitive deficits (attention, response inhibition and working memory). This article reviews the available data regarding the neurobiological substrates of motivational and emotional alterations showed by children, adolescents and adults with ADHD. Practical implications derived from these data are discussed and future research directions from affective neuroscience are suggested.Estudio financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (PSI2008-03688) y la Comunidad de Madrid/Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (CCG08-UAM/SAL-4463)

Efectos del contenido emocional sobre la producción del lenguaje

El contenido emocional de las palabras afecta a los procesos relacionados con su comprensión. Sin embargo, se desconoce la posible influencia que los aspectos emocionales pueden ejercer sobre la producción de las palabras. En este estudio se investigaron los correlatos electrofisiológicos mediante el uso de una tarea de identificación de letras en los nombres correspondientes a imágenes positivas, negativas y neutras. Los resultados sugieren que la información emocional captura la atención y afecta a la producción de lenguaje durante las etapas relacionadas con el acceso al concepto y a la información fonológica

Retinotopic mapping of visual event-related potentials

Visual stimulation is frequently employed in electroencephalographic (EEG) research. However, despite its widespread use, no studies have thoroughly evaluated how the morphology ofthe visual event-related potentials (ERPs) varies according to the spatial location of stimuli. Hence, the purpose of this study was to perform a detailed retinotopic mapping of visual ERPs. We recorded EEG activity while participants were visually stimulated with 60 pattern-reversing checkerboards placed at different polar angles and eccentricities. Our results show five pattern-reversal ERP components. C1 and C2 components inverted polarity between the upper and lower hemifields. P1 and N1 showed higher amplitudes and shorter latencies to stimuli located in the contralateral lower quadrant. In contrast, P2 amplitude was enhanced and its latency was reduced by stimuli presented in the periphery of the upper hemifield. The retinotopic maps presented here could serve as a guide for selecting optimal visuo-spatial locations in future ERP studiesThis work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation/Economy and Competitiveness (MICINN/MINECO) (PSI2011-26314, PSI2012-34558 and PSI2014-54853-P

Ambient light modulation of exogenous attention to threat

Planet Earth’s motion yields a 50 % day–50 % night yearly balance in every latitude or longitude, so survival must be guaranteed in very different light conditions in many species, including human. Cone- and rod-dominant vision, respectively specialized in light and darkness, present several processing differences, which are—at least partially—reflected in event-related potentials (ERPs). The present experiment aimed at characterizing exogenous attention to threatening (spiders) and neutral (wheels) distractors in two environmental light conditions, low mesopic (L, 0.03 lx) and high mesopic (H, 6.5 lx), yielding a differential photoreceptor activity balance: rod &gt; cone and rod &lt; cone, respectively. These distractors were presented in the lower visual hemifield while the 40 participants were involved in a digit categorization task. Stimuli, both targets (digits) and distractors, were exactly the same in L and H. Both ERPs and behavioral performance in the task were recorded. Enhanced attentional capture by salient distractors was observed regardless of ambient light level. However, ERPs showed a differential pattern as a function of ambient light. Thus, significantly enhanced amplitude to salient distractors was observed in posterior P1 and early anterior P2 (P2a) only during the H context, in late P2a during the L context, and in occipital P3 during both H and L contexts. In other words, while exogenous attention to threat was equally efficient in light and darkness, cone-dominant exogenous attention was faster than rod-dominant, in line with previous data indicating slower processing times for rod- than for cone-dominant visionThis research was supported by the Grants PSI2014-54853-P and PSI2012-37090 from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (MINECO

Magnocellular bias in exogenous attention to biologically salient stimuli as revealed by manipulating their luminosity and color

This is the author’s final version of the article, and that the article has been accepted for publication in Journal of Cognitive NeuroscienceExogenous attention is a set of mechanisms that allow us to detect and reorient toward salient events—such as appetitive or aversive—that appear out of the current focus of attention. The nature of these mechanisms, particularly the involvement of the parvocellular and magnocellular visual processing systems, was explored. Thirty-four participants performed a demanding digit categorization task while salient (spiders or S) and neutral (wheels or W) stimuli were presented as distractors under two figure–ground formats: heterochromatic/isoluminant (exclusively processed by the parvocellular system, Par trials) and isochromatic/heteroluminant (preferentially processed by the magnocellular system, Mag trials). This resulted in four conditions: SPar, SMag, WPar, and WMag. Behavioral (RTs and error rates in the task) and electrophysiological (ERPs) indices of exogenous attention were analyzed. Behavior showed greater attentional capture by SMag than by SPar distractors and enhanced modulation of SMag capture as fear of spiders reported by participants increased. ERPs reflected a sequence from magnocellular dominant (P1p, ≃120 msec) to both magnocellular and parvocellular processing (N2p and P2a, ≃200 msec). Importantly, amplitudes in one N2p subcomponent were greater to SMag than to SPar and WMag distractors, indicating greater magnocellular sensitivity to saliency. Taking together, results support a magnocellular bias in exogenous attention toward distractors of any nature during initial processing, a bias that remains in later stages when biologically salient distractors are presen

Neurociencia afectiva del TDAH: Datos existentes y direcciones futuras

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex and heterogeneous disorder that is characterized not only by cognitive deficits but also by affective dysfunctions, both motivational and emotional. Nevertheless, the neural bases of affective dysfunctions have barely been explored in relation to this disorder, in contrast to extensive research that examined the neural correlates of its main cognitive deficits (attention, response inhibition and working memory). This article reviews the available data regarding the neurobiological substrates of motivational and emotional alterations showed by children, adolescents and adults with ADHD. Practical implications derived from these data are discussed and future research directions from affective neuroscience are suggested.El trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad (TDAH) es un trastorno de origen neurobiológico complejo y heterogéneo que se caracteriza no sólo por sus disfunciones cognitivas sino también por la existencia de importantes alteraciones afectivas, tanto motivacionales como emocionales. Sin embargo, los correlatos neurobiológicos que subyacen a las disfunciones afectivas del TDAH apenas han sido explorados, en comparación con la extensa investigación llevada a cabo sobre los mecanismos neurales implicados en sus principales déficit cognitivos (atención, inhibición de respuesta y memoria de trabajo). Este trabajo revisa las recientes investigaciones que han explorado las bases neurales involucradas en las alteraciones motivacionales y emocionales mostradas por las personas con TDAH. Asimismo, se discuten las implicaciones prácticas derivadas de los resultados de estos estudios y se proponen nuevas líneas de investigación desde la Neurociencia afectiva

Retinotopy of emotion: Perception of negatively valenced stimuli presented at different spatial locations as revealed by event-related potentials

Scarce previous data on how the location where an emotional stimulus appears in the visual scene modulates its perception suggest that, for functional reasons, a perceptual advantage may exist, vertically, for stimuli presented at the lower visual field (LoVF) and, horizontally, for stimuli presented at the left visual field (LeVF). However, this issue has been explored through a limited number of spatial locations, usually in a single spatial dimension (e.g., horizontal) and invariant eccentricities. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from 39 participants perceiving brief neutral (wheels) and emotional stimuli (spiders) presented at 17 different locations, one foveal and 16 at different peripheral coordinates. As a secondary scope, we explored the role of the magnocellular (M) and the parvocellular (P) visual pathways by presenting an isoluminant/heterochromatic (P-biased) and a heteroluminant/isochromatic version (M-biased) of each stimulus. Emo > Neu effects were observed in PN1 (120 ms) for stimuli located at fovea, and in PN2 (215 ms) for stimuli located both at fovea and diverse peripheral regions. A factorial approach to these effects further revealed that: (a) emotional stimuli presented in the periphery are efficiently perceived, without evident decrease from para- to perifovea; (b) peripheral Emo > Neu effects are reflected 95 ms later than foveal Emo > Neu effects in ERPs; (c) LoVF is more involved than UVF in these effects; (d) our data fail to support the LeVF advantage previously reported, and (e) Emo > Neu effects were significant for both M and P stimuliComunidad de Madrid, Grant/Award Number: HUM19-HUM5705; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Grant/Award Number: PGC2018-093570-B-IO