Nonconscious attention bias to threat is correlated with anterior cingulate cortex gray matter volume: A voxel-based morphometry result and replication
Nonconscious attention bias to threat is correlated with anterior cingulate cortex gray matter volume: A voxel-based morphometry result and replication
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DOI：
10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.09.040
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发表时间：
2012-01-16
期刊：
影响因子：
5.7
通讯作者：
Hajcak, Greg
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Carlson, Joshua M.;Beacher, Felix;Hajcak, Greg
恐惧反应的一个重要方面是空间注意力对威胁性刺激的分配。这种反应是如此强大，以至于空间注意力的调节可以在没有意识的情况下自动发生。功能性神经影像学研究表明，杏仁核和前扣带皮层（ACC）形成了一个网络，参与了对威胁的快速注意定向。对威胁的高度反应性注意偏向是焦虑症的常见组成部分。然而，人们对潜在的大脑形态测量学的个体差异如何与对威胁的注意力偏差的变异性相关知之甚少。在这里，我们进行了两个实验，使用点探测任务，测量个人的注意偏向向后掩盖可怕的面孔。我们收集了全脑结构磁共振图像，并使用基于体素的形态测量来测量脑形态。我们检验了杏仁核和前扣带回内灰质减少与对威胁的注意偏向减少有关的假设。在实验1中，我们发现，向后掩盖恐惧的面孔捕获空间注意力，并提高注意力偏见掩盖威胁与更大的ACC灰质体积。在实验2中，这种关联被复制在一个单独的样本。因此，我们提供了初始和复制证据表明，ACC灰质体积与对威胁的偏见相关。重要的是，我们证明了健康人群中情感注意偏差的变化与ACC形态学相关。这一结果为未来研究临床焦虑人群中与注意力偏差相关的潜在脑形态测量学打开了大门。(C)2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
An important aspect of the fear response is the allocation of spatial attention toward threatening stimuli. This response is so powerful that modulations in spatial attention can occur automatically without conscious awareness. Functional neuroimaging research suggests that the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) form a network involved in the rapid orienting of attention to threat. A hyper-responsive attention bias to threat is a common component of anxiety disorders. Yet, little is known of how individual differences in underlying brain morphometry relate to variability in attention bias to threat. Here, we performed two experiments using dot-probe tasks that measured individuals' attention bias to backward masked fearful faces. We collected whole-brain structural magnetic resonance images and used voxel-based morphometry to measure brain morphometry. We tested the hypothesis that reduced gray matter within the amygdala and ACC would be associated with reduced attention bias to threat. In Experiment 1, we found that backward masked fearful faces captured spatial attention and that elevated attention bias to masked threat was associated with greater ACC gray matter volumes. In Experiment 2, this association was replicated in a separate sample. Thus, we provide initial and replicating evidence that ACC gray matter volume is correlated with biased attention to threat. Importantly, we demonstrate that variability in affective attention bias within the healthy population is associated with ACC morphometry. This result opens the door for future research into the underlying brain morphometry associated with attention bias in clinically anxious populations. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.