Dataset Information

Lower prefrontal activation during emotion regulation in subjects at ultrahigh risk for psychosis: an fMRI-study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Previous research has shown that patients with schizophrenia experience difficulties with emotion regulation and activate prefrontal regions to a lesser extent during reappraisal of emotional information. It has been suggested that problems in emotion regulation might precede the onset of psychosis. Therefore, it could be hypothesized that also individuals at ultrahigh risk (UHR) for developing psychosis experience difficulties with emotion regulation.

Aims

The aim of the current study was to investigate whether individuals at UHR for developing psychosis show abnormal brain activation during reappraisal of negative pictures.

Methods

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we scanned 15 UHR participants and 16 matched healthy controls while performing an emotion regulation task. During this task, participants had to reappraise their negative emotion elicited by International Affective Picture System pictures. Furthermore, the reported use of reappraisal was examined with the emotion regulation questionnaire (ERQ).

Results

Individuals at UHR for psychosis showed less activation in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex during reappraisal compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, they reported less use of reappraisal in daily life (P=0.01; 95% CI (0.24-1.63)).

Conclusions

These findings indicate that dysfunctional emotion regulation may already occur in individuals at risk for psychosis. These regulation difficulties are underpinned by less ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activation, and may result in high negative affect, lower social functioning, and high rates of psychotic symptoms.

SUBMITTER: van der Velde J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4849453 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Lower prefrontal activation during emotion regulation in subjects at ultrahigh risk for psychosis: an fMRI-study.

van der Velde Jorien J Opmeer Esther M EM Liemburg Edith J EJ Bruggeman Richard R Nieboer Roeline R Wunderink Lex L Aleman André A

NPJ schizophrenia 20150923

<h4>Background</h4>Previous research has shown that patients with schizophrenia experience difficulties with emotion regulation and activate prefrontal regions to a lesser extent during reappraisal of emotional information. It has been suggested that problems in emotion regulation might precede the onset of psychosis. Therefore, it could be hypothesized that also individuals at ultrahigh risk (UHR) for developing psychosis experience difficulties with emotion regulation.<h4>Aims</h4>The aim of t ...[more]

PMID: 27336036

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Dataset Information

Lower prefrontal activation during emotion regulation in subjects at ultrahigh risk for psychosis: an fMRI-study.

Background

Aims

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Lower prefrontal activation during emotion regulation in subjects at ultrahigh risk for psychosis: an fMRI-study.

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