Neural responses to dynamic expressions of fear in schizophrenia

Abnormalities in social functioning are a significant feature of schizophrenia. One critical aspect of these abnormalities is the difficulty these individuals have with the recognition of facial emotions, particularly negative expressions such as fear. The present work focuses on fear perception and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuropsychologia 2007-01, Vol.45 (1), p.107-123
Main Authors: Russell, T.A., Reynaud, E., Kucharska-Pietura, K., Ecker, C., Benson, P.J., Zelaya, F., Giampietro, V., Brammer, M., David, A., Phillips, M.L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Amygdala
Amygdala - physiopathology
Arousal - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Brain - physiopathology
Brain Mapping
Emotion
Eye Movements - physiology
Facial Expression
Fear
Fear - psychology
Functional Laterality - physiology
Functional MRI
Hippocampus
Hippocampus - physiopathology
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Paranoid schizophrenia
Photic Stimulation
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Psychoses
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia - physiopathology
Schizophrenia, Paranoid - physiopathology
Schizophrenia, Paranoid - psychology
Schizophrenic Psychology
Social Perception
Vigilance-avoidance
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Summary:Abnormalities in social functioning are a significant feature of schizophrenia. One critical aspect of these abnormalities is the difficulty these individuals have with the recognition of facial emotions, particularly negative expressions such as fear. The present work focuses on fear perception and its relationship to the paranoid symptoms of schizophrenia, specifically, how underlying limbic system structures (i.e. the amygdala) react when probed with dynamic fearful facial expressions. Seven paranoid and eight non-paranoid subjects (all males) with a diagnosis of schizophrenia took part in functional magnetic resonance imaging study (1.5T) examining neural responses to emerging fearful expressions contrasted with dissipating fearful expressions. Subjects viewed emerging and dissipating expressions while completing a gender discrimination task. Their brain activation was compared to that of 10 healthy male subjects. Increased hippocampal activation was seen in the non-paranoid group, while abnormalities in the bilateral amygdalae were observed only in the paranoid individuals. These patterns may represent trait-related hippocampal dysfunction, coupled with state (specifically paranoia) related amygdala abnormalities. The findings are discussed in light of models of paranoia in schizophrenia.
ISSN:0028-3932
1873-3514
DOI:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.04.026