Positive Emotional Processing: Exploring Novel Treatment Targets in Social Phobia

社交焦虑障碍（SAD）是一种高度流行和衰弱的疾病，其特征是显著的 社会关系功能受损和生活质量下降。目前的治疗方法 对于SAD，强调负面情绪（焦虑和恐惧），认知（专注于 负面评价）和回避行为作为中心治疗目标。然而，这些治疗 从研究中删除，表明SAD的特征也是基础调节功能失调， 控制对积极刺激和具有奖励潜力的情况的反应的系统。虽然目前 SAD的现有治疗是有效的，许多人未能实现完全恢复，并继续 在治疗后经历积极社会功能的损害。这些缺陷是值得注意的 积极的社会和情感体验是身心健康的基础。 为了解决这个关键的差距，拟议的项目将结合联合收割机认知神经科学的通知， 实验程序（认知偏差修正，CBM）^与功能神经成像，以调查如何 修正积极社会线索的内隐接近倾向会影响行为、情感和大脑 这些机制对积极的社会关系和福祉至关重要。所完成工作 申请人在K99阶段证明，（1）进近/回避CBM程序可靠 修正了内隐接近倾向并影响了呼气中的积极社会功能指数， （2）CBM程序调节对情绪处理很重要的大脑区域的功能。 在这些研究的基础上，本提案的具体目标是：(1)为了检验短暂的多重会话的影响， 积极情感和社会接近行为的变化 符合泛发性SAD诊断标准的个体;（2）检查社交焦虑的神经相关因素， GSAD患者与健康对照组相比的奖赏加工;（3）研究奖赏加工的功能变化 神经外科遵循的方法积极的CBM程序：本项目的目标是确定新的 治疗目标和方法，可以加强现有的干预措施，在GSAD患者。

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a highly prevalent and debilitating condition, marked by significant impairments in social relationship functioning and a diminished quality of life. Current treatment approaches for SAD emphasize heightened negative emotions (anxiety and fear), cognitions (preoccupation with negative evaluation), and avoidance behaviors as the central treatment targets. However, these treatments are removed from research suggesting that SAD is also characterized by a dysregulation of basic regulatory systems that govern responses to positive stimuli and situations with reward potential. Although currently available treatments for SAD are efficacious, many individuals fail to achieve full recovery and continue to experience impairments in positive social functioning following treatment. These deficiencies are notable given that positive social and emotional experiences are fundamental for psychological and physical wellbeing. To address this critical gap, the proposed project will combine a cognitive neuroscience-informed experimental procedure (cognitive bias modification, CBM)^with functioning neuroimaging to investigate how modifying implicit approach tendencies for positive social cues effects behavioral, affective, and brain mechanisms that are important for positive social relationships and well-being. Work accomplished by the applicant during the K99 phase demonstrated that (1) an approach/avoidance CBM procedure reliably modifies implicit approach tendencies and influences indices of positive social functioning in the latxiratory, and (2) CBM procedures modulate functioning in brain regions that are important for emotion processing. Building on these studies, the specific aims of this proposal are:. (1) To examine the effects of a brief multisession approach-positive CBM procedure on change in positive affect and social approach behaviors in individuals meeting diagnostic criteria for generalized SAD; (2) To examine the neural correlates of social reward processing in GSAD relative to healthy controls; and (3) To examine functional changes in reward neurodrcuitry following the approach-positive CBM procedure: The goal of this project is to identify novel treatment targets and approaches that can augment existing interventions in GSAD patients.