Neuropsychological correlates of normal variation in emotional response to visual stimuli.
Although the neural substrates of induced emotion have been the focus of numerous investigations, the factors related to individual variation in emotional experience have rarely been investigated in older adults. Twenty-six older normal subjects (mean age, 54) were shown color slides to elicit emotions of sadness, fear, or happiness and asked to rate the intensity of their emotional responses. Subjects who experienced negative emotion most intensely showed relative impairment on every aspect of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Intense positive emotion was associated with relatively impaired performance on the Rey Complex Figure Test. The volume of frontal brain structures, however, was not associated with emotion responses. Hemisphere-specific executive dysfunction was associated with greater intensity of emotional experience in normal older subjects. The role of these differences in intensity of induced emotion and impairment in executive function in daily social and vocational activity should be investigated.
Robinson
Robert G
RG
University of Iowa, Department of Psychiatry, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
Paradiso
Sergio
S
Mizrahi
Romina
R
Fiedorowicz
Jess G
JG
Kouzoukas
Dimitrios E
DE
Moser
David J
DJ
D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012919:Social Behavior; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*