[The role of emotions in psychopathology].

OBJECTIVE

In the present study, functional fMRI was used to test the influence of induced emotions on a non-affective, attention-demanding, cognitive task.

METHOD: Twelve healthy males viewed blocks of affective pictures. Between picture presentation a Simon-paradigm was presented. In an alternating way blocks with stimulus-response compatible and incompatible trials were presented.

RESULTS

Emotion induction differentially influenced cortical activation patterns. In negative mood incompatible trials in contrast to compatible trials lead to significant decrease of activity in emotion related brain areas like the amygdala, the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex.

CONCLUSIONS

These results support the hypothesis that negative emotions increase the information processing load and drain attentional resources. To compensate these effects emotion related brain areas must attenuate their activity.