The interaction of anticipatory anxiety and emotional picture processing: an event-related brain potential study.
The present study examined the interaction of anticipatory anxiety and selective emotion processing. Toward this end, a rapid stream of pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant pictures was presented in alternating blocks of threat-of-shock or safety, which were signaled by colored picture frames. The main finding is that pleasant pictures elicited a sustained negative difference potential over occipital regions during threat as compared to safety periods. In contrast, unpleasant and neutral picture processing did not vary as a function of threat-of-shock. Furthermore, in both the safety and threat-of-shock conditions, emotional pictures elicited an enlarged early posterior negativity and late positive potential. These data show that the activation of the fear/anxiety network exerts valence-specific effects on affective picture processing. Pleasant stimuli mismatching the current state of anticipatory anxiety apparently draw more attentional resources.
Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany. florian.bublatzky@uni-konstanz.de
Florian
F
Bublatzky
Tobias
T
Flaisch
Jessica
J
Stockburger
Ralf
R
Schmälzle
Harald T
HT
Schupp
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004597:Electroshock; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult