title: Modification of threat-processing in non-anxious individuals: a preliminary behavioral and ERP study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous research suggests that attention bias toward threat contributes to the development and maintenance of anxiety. The current study extends this work by mapping the neural correlates of experimentally-induced changes in attention bias. The study examines both behavioral and psychophysiological changes associated with experimentally-induced changes in threat bias.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-four non-anxious female adults were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: training attention toward threat or placebo control. Attention bias was assessed and trained via a modified dot-probe task. Participants completed pre- and post-training assessments of attention bias and stress reactivity. As well, EEG was collected during pre- and post-test assessment of attention bias using the dot-probe task.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Training induced significant changes in attention bias, though findings were complicated by group differences in baseline threat-bias scores. Compared to controls, those in the training group showed greater depression vulnerability to a post-training stressor and increased P2 amplitude, an ERP component associated with attention toward threat, during the dot-probe task.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although participants were randomly assigned to groups, there were still group differences in pre-training bias scores. Also, while the use of a stress task before the initial assessment of attention bias was used to control for initial differences in stress vulnerability, this may have altered pre-bias scores since participants completed this task immediately after being stressed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings demonstrate training-induced changes in behavior and neural response patterns relevant to work on attention bias modification.
authors: Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, USA. Jngold@umd.edu
authors: J G
authors: JG
authors: Suway
authors: L K
authors: LK
authors: White
authors: R E
authors: RE
authors: Vanderwert
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Bar-Haim
authors: D S
authors: DS
authors: Pine
authors: N A
authors: NA
authors: Fox
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D001007:Anxiety; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*
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