Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2025
09:55
Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
12.3K
Amygdala-Centered Emotional Processing in Prolonged Grief Disorder: Relationship With Clinical Symptomatology
Gyujoon Hwang1, Nutta-On P Blair1, B Douglas Ward1
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Biological Psychiatry. Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging
|December 26, 2024
Summary
Older adults with prolonged grief disorder (PGD) show heightened amygdala reactivity to negative stimuli, linked to intrusive thoughts. Brain connectivity differences in PGD may explain avoidance and loneliness, suggesting targets for treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Gerontology
Background:
- Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a complex condition impacting health.
- Enhanced negative emotional bias is hypothesized to underlie PGD symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate neural differences in emotional processing between older adults with PGD and those with integrated grief.
- To explore the relationship between brain activity, functional connectivity, and clinical symptoms in PGD.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study comparing older adults with probable PGD (n=33) and integrated grief (n=38).
- fMRI emotional face-matching task to assess neural reactivity and functional connectivity (FC).
- Analysis of amygdala, insula, ACC, and dlPFC activity, plus whole-brain regression.
Main Results:
- PGD group exhibited greater right amygdala activation to negative stimuli, correlating with intrusive thoughts.
- Lower resting-state FC between right amygdala and posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus in PGD, linked to avoidance.
- Increased resting-state FC between right amygdala and thalamus in PGD, associated with loneliness.
Conclusions:
- Dysregulated amygdala-centric neural activity and FC differentiate prolonged from integrated grief in older adults.
- These findings suggest enhanced negative bias and related neural mechanisms in PGD.
- Targeting amygdala-centric neural circuit abnormalities may inform PGD treatment strategies.
More Related Videos
06:42Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
Published on: September 28, 2018
11.6K
11:30Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection
Published on: August 26, 2011
9.8K
Related Concept Videos
01:17Bonanno's Theory of Grieving
68
Grieving is a complex psychological and emotional process that varies significantly among individuals. George Bonanno's research on bereavement identified four distinct patterns of grieving, offering a nuanced understanding of how people cope with significant loss, such as the death of a spouse, over extended periods. These patterns — resilience, recovery, chronic dysfunction, and delayed grief — highlight the diversity in emotional responses and adaptive mechanisms.
Resilience
Resilience
68
01:16Role of Amygdala in Memory
155
The amygdala is a small, almond-shaped structure responsible for processing and storing memories, particularly those linked to emotions like fear and stress. It plays an essential role in the brain's response to emotionally significant events and often enhances memory formation by triggering stress hormone release. The amygdala is vital for encoding and retrieving memories associated with fear or stress, a process that is adaptive by helping organisms avoid dangerous situations.
One of the...
One of the...
155
01:30Generalized Anxiety Disorder
45
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry that persists for at least six months, significantly interfering with daily functioning. Unlike situational anxiety, which arises in response to specific stressors, GAD often occurs without a clear cause. Individuals may experience disproportionate worry about work, health, or relationships. For instance, a person might continuously fear poor health despite normal medical evaluations or...
45
01:20Traumatic Memory
72
Emotionally traumatic events often lead to memories that are exceptionally vivid and enduring, sometimes persisting with remarkable clarity throughout an individual's life. A classic example of this phenomenon is a person who survives a car accident. Even years later, they may recall every detail of the event with startling accuracy — the screeching of the tires, the jarring impact, and the acrid smell of burning rubber. Such vividness contrasts sharply with how an individual...
72
01:15Functional Brain Systems: Limbic System
2.2K
The limbic system, often called the "emotional brain," is a complex set of structures located deep within the brain. The intricate network of the limbic system supports a wide range of psychological functions, from emotional regulation to memory formation and sensory processing. This functional brain region encompasses specific parts of the diencephalon and the cerebrum, integrating the higher mental functions of the cerebral cortex with the primitive emotional responses of the deep...
2.2K
01:27Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
27
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that arises following exposure to traumatic events such as natural disasters, forced displacement, or severe accidents. It significantly impairs individuals' ability to cope with daily activities and disrupts their emotional and psychological equilibrium.
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
27