Abstract
An fMRI study of emotional faces in euthymic bipolar patients
Bipolar Disorders. Supplement, Vol.7(Supplement 2), p.74
International Conference on Bipolar Disorder, 6th (Pittsburgh, United States, 16-Jun-2005 - 18-Jun-2005)
2005
Abstract
Background: Focussing attention and the use of relevant brainprocesses becomes critical in the context of multiple competingdemands. Functional MRI (fMRI) studies using the conventionalcolour-word Stroop Task have principally reported Anterior CingulateCortex (ACC) as well as Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC)activations - the former thought to reflect conflict resolution monitor-ing and the latter the maintenance and allocation of attentionalresources respectively. However, recent evidence suggests that shifts in attention can be modified by emotional loading, specifically in relationto the Stroop Task, words with emotional valence can alter the pro-cessing of attributes such as the ink colour or semantic meaning of aword. The interference between such competing inputs is explained by'selective attention theory', which suggests that one process requiresmore attention than the other.Objective: In this study we exploited this phenomenon to determinethe implicit affective processing of emotionally valent stimuli in bipolarpatients when well whilst fully engaging attentional networks.Method and results: Twelve bipolar patients and 12 healthy controlsmatched for age, sex and handedness were scanned using an emotionalStroop task on a 3T Philips Intera scanner. Blood Oxygenated LevelDependant fMRI was employed to detect areas of the brain activatedin response to the affective stroop interference. The experimental par-adigm was presented in a block design alternating between affectiveand neutral word stimuli. The acquired functional images were cor-rected for head motion as well as for linear drifts in the MR signal andco-registered to high-resolution anatomical images. Maps of the func-tional activation foci were generated using Brainvoyager software. Inhealthy controls activation occurred in the DLPFC, Ventral Lateral Pre-frontal Cortex (VLPFC), ACC and superior temporal gyrus (STG). Incontrast bipolar patients had significant activations in the superiorfrontal gyrus, VLPFC, DLPFC, STG but not in the ACC.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest differential brain pro-cessing in bipolar patients and healthy controls with respect to conflictresolution monitoring.
Details
- Title
- An fMRI study of emotional faces in euthymic bipolar patients
- Authors
- G S Malhi (Author) - University of New South WalesJim Lagopoulos (Author) - Black Dog InstituteR C Shnier (Author) - Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute
- Publication details
- Bipolar Disorders. Supplement, Vol.7(Supplement 2), p.74
- Conference details
- International Conference on Bipolar Disorder, 6th (Pittsburgh, United States, 16-Jun-2005 - 18-Jun-2005)
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc.
- DOI
- 10.1111/j.1399-5618.2005.00226.x
- ISSN
- 1399-2406
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Thompson Institute
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99450541802621
- Output Type
- Abstract
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