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.
Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. pfrewen@uwo.ca
Paul A
PA
Frewen
David J A
DJ
Dozois
Richard W J
RW
Neufeld
Maria
M
Densmore
Todd K
TK
Stevens
Ruth A
RA
Lanius
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