title: The "simulation" of the facial expression of emotions in case of short and long stimulus duration. The effect of pre-motor cortex inhibition by rTMS.
abstract: Embodied cognition model states that the "simulation process" is necessary to the recognition of emotional significance of face. The present research explored the contribution of frontal motor brain components (i.e. mainly premotor area) to embodied cognition by using rTMS stimulation, to produce a temporary disruption of this specific cortical site. Secondly, short and long stimulus duration conditions were included to verify the contribution of the "simulation process" in response to overt and covert emotional stimulus comprehension. Nineteen subjects were asked to detect emotion/no emotion (anger, fear, happiness, neutral) in these two experimental conditions, by using a backward masking procedure. Five-second rTMS (1Hz) was delivered before the stimulus onset. False alarms (Fa) and RTs increased and Hits decreased when frontal premotor brain activity was disrupted, specifically in response to anger and fear, for both long and shortduration condition. Thus, the present results highlight the main role of the frontal motor system for emotion facial expression processing.
authors: Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy. michela.balconi@unicatt.it
authors: Michela
authors: M
authors: Balconi
authors: Adriana
authors: A
authors: Bortolotti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Brain activity disruption; Emotions; Facial expressions; Frontal motor system; Stimulus duration; rTMS