Emotion-motion interactions in conversion disorder: an FMRI study.

<h4>Objectives</h4>To evaluate the neural correlates of implicit processing of negative emotions in motor conversion disorder (CD) patients.<h4>Methods</h4>An event related fMRI task was completed by 12 motor CD patients and 14 matched healthy controls using standardised stim...

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Main Authors: Selma Aybek, Timothy R Nicholson, Owen O'Daly, Fernando Zelaya, Richard A Kanaan, Anthony S David
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2015-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0123273
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author Selma Aybek
Timothy R Nicholson
Owen O'Daly
Fernando Zelaya
Richard A Kanaan
Anthony S David
author_facet Selma Aybek
Timothy R Nicholson
Owen O'Daly
Fernando Zelaya
Richard A Kanaan
Anthony S David
author_sort Selma Aybek
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Objectives</h4>To evaluate the neural correlates of implicit processing of negative emotions in motor conversion disorder (CD) patients.<h4>Methods</h4>An event related fMRI task was completed by 12 motor CD patients and 14 matched healthy controls using standardised stimuli of faces with fearful and sad emotional expressions in comparison to faces with neutral expressions. Temporal changes in the sensitivity to stimuli were also modelled and tested in the two groups.<h4>Results</h4>We found increased amygdala activation to negative emotions in CD compared to healthy controls in region of interest analyses, which persisted over time consistent with previous findings using emotional paradigms. Furthermore during whole brain analyses we found significantly increased activation in CD patients in areas involved in the 'freeze response' to fear (periaqueductal grey matter), and areas involved in self-awareness and motor control (cingulate gyrus and supplementary motor area).<h4>Conclusions</h4>In contrast to healthy controls, CD patients exhibited increased response amplitude to fearful stimuli over time, suggesting abnormal emotional regulation (failure of habituation / sensitization). Patients with CD also activated midbrain and frontal structures that could reflect an abnormal behavioral-motor response to negative including threatening stimuli. This suggests a mechanism linking emotions to motor dysfunction in CD.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1932-6203
language English
publishDate 2015-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
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spelling doaj-art-c5729cdf0c2648a69a4f0c4d0dfad0172025-08-20T03:46:23ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-01104e012327310.1371/journal.pone.0123273Emotion-motion interactions in conversion disorder: an FMRI study.Selma AybekTimothy R NicholsonOwen O'DalyFernando ZelayaRichard A KanaanAnthony S David<h4>Objectives</h4>To evaluate the neural correlates of implicit processing of negative emotions in motor conversion disorder (CD) patients.<h4>Methods</h4>An event related fMRI task was completed by 12 motor CD patients and 14 matched healthy controls using standardised stimuli of faces with fearful and sad emotional expressions in comparison to faces with neutral expressions. Temporal changes in the sensitivity to stimuli were also modelled and tested in the two groups.<h4>Results</h4>We found increased amygdala activation to negative emotions in CD compared to healthy controls in region of interest analyses, which persisted over time consistent with previous findings using emotional paradigms. Furthermore during whole brain analyses we found significantly increased activation in CD patients in areas involved in the 'freeze response' to fear (periaqueductal grey matter), and areas involved in self-awareness and motor control (cingulate gyrus and supplementary motor area).<h4>Conclusions</h4>In contrast to healthy controls, CD patients exhibited increased response amplitude to fearful stimuli over time, suggesting abnormal emotional regulation (failure of habituation / sensitization). Patients with CD also activated midbrain and frontal structures that could reflect an abnormal behavioral-motor response to negative including threatening stimuli. This suggests a mechanism linking emotions to motor dysfunction in CD.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0123273
spellingShingle Selma Aybek
Timothy R Nicholson
Owen O'Daly
Fernando Zelaya
Richard A Kanaan
Anthony S David
Emotion-motion interactions in conversion disorder: an FMRI study.
PLoS ONE
title Emotion-motion interactions in conversion disorder: an FMRI study.
title_full Emotion-motion interactions in conversion disorder: an FMRI study.
title_fullStr Emotion-motion interactions in conversion disorder: an FMRI study.
title_full_unstemmed Emotion-motion interactions in conversion disorder: an FMRI study.
title_short Emotion-motion interactions in conversion disorder: an FMRI study.
title_sort emotion motion interactions in conversion disorder an fmri study
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0123273
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AT timothyrnicholson emotionmotioninteractionsinconversiondisorderanfmristudy
AT owenodaly emotionmotioninteractionsinconversiondisorderanfmristudy
AT fernandozelaya emotionmotioninteractionsinconversiondisorderanfmristudy
AT richardakanaan emotionmotioninteractionsinconversiondisorderanfmristudy
AT anthonysdavid emotionmotioninteractionsinconversiondisorderanfmristudy