title: Dissociating Bottom-Up and Top-Down Mechanisms in the Cortico-Limbic System during Emotion Processing.
abstract: The cortico-limbic system is critically involved in emotional responses and resulting adaptive behaviors. Within this circuit, complementary regions are believed to be involved in either the appraisal or the regulation of affective state. However, the respective contribution of these bottom-up and top-down mechanisms during emotion processing remains to be clarified. We used a new functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigm varying 3 parameters: emotional valence, emotional congruency, and allocation of attention, to distinguish the functional variation in activity and connectivity between amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Bottom-up appraisal of negative compared with positive stimuli led to a greater amygdala response and stronger functional interaction between amygdala and both dorsal ACC and DLPFC. Top-down resolution of emotional conflict was associated with increased activity within ACC and higher functional connectivity between this structure, and both the amygdala and DLPFC. Finally, increased top-down attentional control caused greater engagement of the DLPFC, accompanied by increased connectivity between DLPFC and dorsal ACC. This novel task provides an efficient tool for exploring bottom-up and top-down processes underlying emotion and may be particularly helpful for investigating the neurofunctional underpinnings of psychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Magali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Comte
authors.affiliation: INS, UMR 1106, Aix-Marseille Université and INSERM, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schön
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Neurosciences Cognitives, UMR 7291, Pôle 3C, Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Jennifer T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Coull
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reynaud
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khalfa
authors.affiliation: Service Hospitalo-Universitaire de Psychiatrie, AP-HM, Hôpital Ste. Marguerite, Marseille, France FondaMental, Fondation de Recherche et de Soins en Santé Mentale, Créteil, France.
authors.forename: Raoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Belzeaux
authors.affiliation: FondaMental, Fondation de Recherche et de Soins en Santé Mentale, Créteil, France Aix Marseille Université and CNRS, CRN2M UMR 7286, 13344 Marseille Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: El Chérif
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guedj
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, Marseille, France CIC-UPCET et Pharmacologie Clinique, Hôpital de la Timone, 13385 Marseille Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Blin
authors.affiliation: Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Weinberger
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, Marseille, France Service Hospitalo-Universitaire de Psychiatrie, AP-HM, Hôpital Ste. Marguerite, Marseille, France CIC-UPCET et Pharmacologie Clinique, Hôpital de la Timone, 13385 Marseille Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fakra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008032:Limbic System / Q000166:cytology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cortico-limbic system; emotion; fMRI; psychophysiological interaction