Increased anger and stress and heightened connectivity between IFG and vmPFC in victims during social interaction
Abstract Self-identification as a victim of violence may lead to increased negative emotions and stress and thus, may change both structure and function of the underlying neural network(s). In a trans-diagnostic sample of individuals who identified themselves as victims of violence and a matched con...
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Nature Portfolio
2024-04-01
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Series: | Scientific Reports |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57585-y |
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author | Ann-Kristin Röhr Nils Kohn Rene Bergs Benjamin Clemens Angelika Lampert Marc Spehr Ute Habel Lisa Wagels |
author_facet | Ann-Kristin Röhr Nils Kohn Rene Bergs Benjamin Clemens Angelika Lampert Marc Spehr Ute Habel Lisa Wagels |
author_sort | Ann-Kristin Röhr |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Abstract Self-identification as a victim of violence may lead to increased negative emotions and stress and thus, may change both structure and function of the underlying neural network(s). In a trans-diagnostic sample of individuals who identified themselves as victims of violence and a matched control group with no prior exposure to violence, we employed a social exclusion paradigm, the Cyberball task, to stimulate the re-experience of stress. Participants were partially excluded in the ball-tossing game without prior knowledge. We analyzed group differences in brain activity and functional connectivity during exclusion versus inclusion in exclusion-related regions. The victim group showed increased anger and stress levels during all conditions. Activation patterns during the task did not differ between groups but an enhanced functional connectivity between the IFG and the right vmPFC distinguished victims from controls during exclusion. This effect was driven by aberrant connectivity in victims during inclusion rather than exclusion, indicating that victimization affects emotional responses and inclusion-related brain connectivity rather than exclusion-related brain activity or connectivity. Victims may respond differently to the social context itself. Enhanced negative emotions and connectivity deviations during social inclusion may depict altered social processing and may thus affect social interactions. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-24T09:54:43Z |
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id | doaj.art-ce1245c05d764892b3cdb3c3011cb6f1 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2045-2322 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-24T09:54:43Z |
publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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series | Scientific Reports |
spelling | doaj.art-ce1245c05d764892b3cdb3c3011cb6f12024-04-14T11:14:38ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-04-0114111510.1038/s41598-024-57585-yIncreased anger and stress and heightened connectivity between IFG and vmPFC in victims during social interactionAnn-Kristin Röhr0Nils Kohn1Rene Bergs2Benjamin Clemens3Angelika Lampert4Marc Spehr5Ute Habel6Lisa Wagels7Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Uniklinik RWTH AachenDonders Institute, Centre for Cognitive NeuroimagingDepartment of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Uniklinik RWTH AachenDepartment of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Uniklinik RWTH AachenInstitute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTHDepartment of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Uniklinik RWTH AachenDepartment of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Uniklinik RWTH AachenAbstract Self-identification as a victim of violence may lead to increased negative emotions and stress and thus, may change both structure and function of the underlying neural network(s). In a trans-diagnostic sample of individuals who identified themselves as victims of violence and a matched control group with no prior exposure to violence, we employed a social exclusion paradigm, the Cyberball task, to stimulate the re-experience of stress. Participants were partially excluded in the ball-tossing game without prior knowledge. We analyzed group differences in brain activity and functional connectivity during exclusion versus inclusion in exclusion-related regions. The victim group showed increased anger and stress levels during all conditions. Activation patterns during the task did not differ between groups but an enhanced functional connectivity between the IFG and the right vmPFC distinguished victims from controls during exclusion. This effect was driven by aberrant connectivity in victims during inclusion rather than exclusion, indicating that victimization affects emotional responses and inclusion-related brain connectivity rather than exclusion-related brain activity or connectivity. Victims may respond differently to the social context itself. Enhanced negative emotions and connectivity deviations during social inclusion may depict altered social processing and may thus affect social interactions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57585-yVictims of violenceTrans-diagnostic sampleCyberballFunctional connectivityBOLD brain activity |
spellingShingle | Ann-Kristin Röhr Nils Kohn Rene Bergs Benjamin Clemens Angelika Lampert Marc Spehr Ute Habel Lisa Wagels Increased anger and stress and heightened connectivity between IFG and vmPFC in victims during social interaction Scientific Reports Victims of violence Trans-diagnostic sample Cyberball Functional connectivity BOLD brain activity |
title | Increased anger and stress and heightened connectivity between IFG and vmPFC in victims during social interaction |
title_full | Increased anger and stress and heightened connectivity between IFG and vmPFC in victims during social interaction |
title_fullStr | Increased anger and stress and heightened connectivity between IFG and vmPFC in victims during social interaction |
title_full_unstemmed | Increased anger and stress and heightened connectivity between IFG and vmPFC in victims during social interaction |
title_short | Increased anger and stress and heightened connectivity between IFG and vmPFC in victims during social interaction |
title_sort | increased anger and stress and heightened connectivity between ifg and vmpfc in victims during social interaction |
topic | Victims of violence Trans-diagnostic sample Cyberball Functional connectivity BOLD brain activity |
url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57585-y |
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