Logo image
Back
An fMRI study of emotional stroop in euthymic bipolar patients
Abstract   Peer reviewed

An fMRI study of emotional stroop in euthymic bipolar patients

G S Malhi, Jim Lagopoulos and R C Shnier
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
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-5618.2005.00226.x
url
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-5618.2005.00226.xView
Published Version

Abstract

Psychology neuroimaging faces affect
Background: Data from lesion, neuropsychological and neuroimag-ing studies suggests that right lateralized occipito-temporal networkssubserve facial processing. In particular recent functional MagneticResonance Imaging (fMRI) studies implicate specific networks for pro-cessing facial affect. For instance, neutral facial expressions activateextra-striate, occipital and insular-temporal brain regions bilaterally.Various functional networks are thought to be associated with specificaffects and the emerging evidence appears to be most consistent forbehaviourally fundamental threatening negative emotions.Objective and method: To determine the role of such networks in thebipolar brain we conducted a fMRI study in ten bipolar patients and 10 healthy controls matched for age, sex and handedness using a 3TPhilips Intera scanner. Blood Oxygenated Level Dependant fMRI(BOLD fMRI) was employed to detect areas of the brain activated inresponse to a variety of facial emotions.Results and conclusions: Robust activations in the hippocampus andamygdala in response to fear and anterior insula, parahippocampal,lingual and fusiform gyri in response to disgust in healthy control sub-jects contrasted with a markedly attenuated pattern of activation ineuthymic bipolar patients. Of note amygdala activation was absent in response to fear and only lingual gyrus activity was observed inresponse to disgust suggesting that bipolar patients even when 'well'process these affects via differential networks as compared to healthysubjects. The ramifications of a putative trait deficit are discussed.

Details

Metrics

308 Record Views
Logo image