Neuroimaging social emotional processing in women: fMRI study of script-driven imagery.
Emotion theory emphasizes the distinction between social vs non-social emotional-processing (E-P) although few functional neuroimaging studies have examined whether the neural systems that mediate social vs non-social E-P are similar or distinct. The present fMRI study of script-driven imagery in 20 women demonstrates that social E-P, independent of valence, more strongly recruits brain regions involved in social- and self-referential processing, specifically the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate/precuneus, bilateral temporal poles, bilateral temporoparietal junction and right amygdala. Functional response within brain regions involved in E-P was also significantly more pronounced during negatively relative to positively valenced E-P. Finally, the effect for social E-P was increased for positive relative to negative stimuli in many of these same regions. Future research directions for social and affective neuroscience are discussed.
Frewen
Paul A
PA
Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. pfrewen@uwo.ca
Dozois
David J A
DJ
Neufeld
Richard W J
RW
Densmore
Maria
M
Stevens
Todd K
TK
Lanius
Ruth A
RA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult