Trait-like visual cortical hyperactivity in trait anxiety

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Sensory processing differences, especially hypersensitivity, correlate with emotional traits and psychiatric conditions.
• Existing theories often link sensory-emotion processing to limbic or prefrontal brain regions, but empirical evidence is scarce.
• Emerging research indicates the sensory cortex itself dynamically encodes value, challenging traditional labeled-line theories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural underpinnings of the link between trait anxiety and sensory processing.
• To determine if early visual cortex activity differs in individuals with high trait anxiety.
• To explore the role of cortical excitation-inhibition balance in modulating sensory responses related to anxiety.

Main Methods:

• Conducted four high-density electroencephalography (EEG) experiments with repeated assessments.
• Analyzed visual cortical activity, specifically focusing on early visual processing (V1/V2) and the parvocellular pathway.
• Assessed cortical excitation-inhibition balance using the EEG aperiodic exponent (1/f slope) and correlated it with sensory responses.

Main Results:

• Identified consistent visual cortical hyperactivity in individuals with high trait anxiety, appearing as early as 46 ms.
• This hyperactivity was specific to the parvocellular visual pathway and robust across different arousal states, stimulus valences, and image complexities.
• Cortical excitation-inhibition balance predicted parvocellular responses in low-anxiety individuals but not in high-anxiety individuals, suggesting disrupted modulation.

Conclusions:

• Trait anxiety significantly alters early visual processing, manifesting as hyperactivity in the parvocellular pathway.
• These findings suggest that altered cortical computations in sensory areas may underlie an individual's predisposition to anxiety.
• The results highlight the importance of considering sensory cortex function in the neurobiology of anxiety disorders.