Neurobiology of processing vocal emotions in unipolar and bipolar depression

对情绪信号的正确解读对于成功的社交互动和维持一个人的社交网络至关重要。单相和双相抑郁症患者对面部表情和语音旋律(韵律)中情绪信号的感知发生了变化。这些对非语言信号解释的变化可能导致令人厌恶的交流情况，从而可能导致社会孤立，从而有可能维持甚至恶化疾病过程。在抑郁症患者的神经成像研究中，对面部信号情绪处理关键区域的神经反应谱进行了深入的研究。然而，到目前为止，语音情绪处理受损的神经相关性仍然完全没有被探索过。该项目的目的是研究单相双相抑郁患者在声音(韵律和笑声)的情绪评估方面存在缺陷的神经生物学基础。为此，将采用成像遗传学的方法，通过结构和功能成像以及单相和双相抑郁风险基因(PCLO、ANK3、CACNA1C、Trank 1、NCAN和SLC6A15)的影响来研究潜在的大脑结构。

Correct interpretation of emotional signals is crucial for successful social interactions and for maintaining one`s social network. Altered Perception of emotional signals in facial expressions and speech melody (prosody) has been demonstrated in patients with unipolar and bipolar depression. These changes in interpretation of nonverbal signals can result in aversive communication situations which may cause social isolation and thus have the potential to maintain or even worsen the disease process. The neural response profile in key areas for emotion processing of facial signals have been thoroughly investigated in neuroimaging studies of depressed patients. The neural correlates of impaired processing of vocal emotions, however, remained completely unexplored so far. The aim of the proposed project is to examine the neurobiological basis of deficits in evaluation of emotions in the voice (prosody and laughter) in patients with unipolar of bipolar depression. To this end, an imaging genetics approach will be employed to investigate the underlying brain structures using structural and functional imaging as well as the impact of risk genes for unipolar and bipolar depression (PCLO, ANK3, CACNA1C, TRANK 1, NCAN, and SLC6A15).