@phdthesis{Stegmann2021, author = {Stegmann, Yannik}, title = {Electrocortical mechanisms of sustained attention during the acquisition and interaction of conditioned fear and anxiety}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-23770}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-237700}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Adapting defensive behavior to the characteristics of a threatening situation is a fundamental function of the brain. Particularly, threat imminence plays a major role for the organization of defensive responses. Acute threat prompts phasic physiological responses, which are usually associated with an intense feeling of fear. In contrast, diffuse and potentially threatening situations elicit a sustained state of anxious apprehension. Detection of the threatening stimulus defines the key event in this framework, initiating the transition from potential to acute threat. Consequently, attention to threat is crucial for supporting defensive behavior. The functions of attention are finely tuned to the characteristics of a threatening situation. Potential threat is associated with hypervigilance, in order to facilitate threat detection. Once a threatening stimulus has been identified, attention is selectively focused on the source of danger. Even though the concepts of selective attention and hypervigilance to threat are well established, evidence for their neural correlates remain scarce. Therefore, a major goal of this thesis is to elucidate the neural correlates of selective attention to acute threat and hypervigilance during potential threat. A second aim of this thesis is to provide a mechanistic account for the interaction of fear and anxiety. While contemporary models view fear and anxiety as mutually exclusive, recent findings for the neural networks of fear and anxiety suggest potential interactions. In four studies, aversive cue conditioning was used to induce acute threat, while context conditioning served as a laboratory model of potential threat. To quantify neural correlates of selective attention and hypervigilance, steady-state visual evoked potentials (ssVEPs) were measured as an index of visuocortical responding. Study 1 compared visuocortical responses to acute and potential threat for high versus low trait-anxious individuals. All individuals demonstrated enhanced electrocortical responses to the central cue in the acute threat condition, suggesting evidence for the neural correlate of selective attention. However, only low anxious individuals revealed facilitated processing of the contexts in the potential threat condition, reflecting a neural correlate of hypervigilance. High anxious individuals did not discriminate among contexts. These findings contribute to the notion of aberrational processing of potential threat for high anxious individuals. Study 2 and 3 realized orthogonal combinations of cue and context conditioning to investigate potential interactions of fear and anxiety. In contrast to Study 1 and 2, Study 3 used verbal instructions to induce potentially threatening contexts. Besides ssVEPs, threat ratings and skin conductance responses (SCRs) were recorded as efferent indices of defensive responding. None of these studies found further evidence for the neural correlates of hypervigilance and selective attention. However, results for ratings and SCRs revealed additive effects of fear and anxiety, suggesting that fear and anxiety are not mutually exclusive, but interact linearly to organize and facilitate defensive behavior. Study 4 tested ssVEPs to more ecologically valid forms of context conditioning, using flickering video stimuli of virtual offices to establish context representations. Contrary to expectations, results revealed decreased visuocortical responses during sustained presentations of anxiety compared to neutral contexts. A disruption of ssVEP signals eventually suggests interferences by continuously changing video streams which are enhanced as a function of motivational relevance. In summary, this thesis provided evidence for the neural correlates of attention only for isolated forms of fear and anxiety, but not for their interaction. In contrast, an additive interaction model of fear and anxiety for measures of defensive responding offers a new perspective on the topography of defensive behavior.}, subject = {Furcht}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Simons2020, author = {Simons, Bibiane Stephanie Elisabeth}, title = {Modulation von emotionaler Anspannung mittels transkranieller Gleichstromstimulation (tDCS) des rechten inferioren pr{\"a}frontalen Kortex}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-19928}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-199289}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Emotionale Kontrolle ist f{\"u}r unsere Zusammenleben unerl{\"a}sslich. Zum neuronalen Netzwerk der Emotionsverarbeitung und Emotionskontrolle geh{\"o}rt auch der rechte inferiore pr{\"a}frontale Kortex, wobei seine Funktion h{\"a}ufig mit der einer Bremse verglichen wird. Die Antizipationsangst, die bei manchen Angstst{\"o}rungen eine Rolle spielt und das daraus resultierende Vermeidungsverhalten, bieten einen relevanten Zusammenhang, den man in der Therapie von Angsterkrankungen beeinflussen k{\"o}nnte. Hierbei bieten nichtinvasive Hirnstimulationsverfahren einen m{\"o}glichen Ansatzpunkt und der rechte IFG ein m{\"o}gliches Ziel. In dieser Studie stimulierten wir den rechten inferioren frontalen Gyrus (rIFG) mittels anodaler transkranieller Gleichstromstimulation (tDCS) um zu pr{\"u}fen, ob dadurch die emotionale Anspannung moduliert werden kann. Zu diesem Zwecke wurde der rIFG bei gesunden Probanden (N = 80), aufgeteilt in eine tDCS Gruppe und eine Sham Gruppe, {\"u}ber einen Zeitraum von 20 Minuten mit einer Stromst{\"a}rke von 2 mA und einer Elektrodengr{\"o}ße von 35 cm² elektrisch stimuliert. W{\"a}hrenddessen wurde die Hautleitf{\"a}higkeiten (SCL) als psychophysiologischer Parameter in Antizipation eines akustischen neutralen bzw. aversiven Reizes gemessen. Die Art des akustischen Reizes war dabei f{\"u}r die Probanden durch einen visuellen Hinweisstimulus vorhersehbar, jedoch war der Zeitpunkt der Pr{\"a}sentation des akustischen Reizes nicht vorhersehbar. Dadurch konnte emotionale Anspannung in Antizipation des aversiven Stimulus induziert werden, was wir durch ein insgesamt h{\"o}heres SCL w{\"a}hrend der aversiven Bedingung nachweisen konnten. Wir konnten einen signifikanten Effekt der tDCS des rIFG auf die psychophysiologischen Parameter der Antizipationsangst nachweisen. Der Effekt beruhte dabei auf einem geringeren Anstieg des Hautleitf{\"a}higkeitslevels der tDCS Gruppe von neutraler zu aversiver Bedingung im Vergleich zu Sham Gruppe. Wir k{\"o}nnen daher best{\"a}tigen, dass es m{\"o}glich ist die physiologische Reaktion bei emotionaler Anspannung durch tDCS des rIFG zu regulieren. Dar{\"u}ber hinaus k{\"o}nnen wir dadurch die angenommene Rolle des rIFG in der Emotionsregulation best{\"a}tigen. Dieser scheint daher ein vielversprechender Stimulationsort f{\"u}r tDCS zur Verst{\"a}rkung der emotionalen Kontrolle zu sein. Auf Basis unserer Ergebnisse, k{\"o}nnte in zuk{\"u}nftigen Studien tDCS des rIFG in Kombination mit Verhaltenstherapie bei Angsterkrankungen oder zur Modulation von Vermeidungsverhalten eingesetzt werden. Durch unseren Versuch konnte damit ein grundlegender Beitrag f{\"u}r zuk{\"u}nftige Therapiestudien im Zusammenhang mit tDCS geleistet werden.}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Rubo2019, author = {Rubo, Marius}, title = {Social Attention in the Laboratory, in Real Life and in Virtual Reality}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-18845}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-188452}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Social attention is a ubiquitous, but also enigmatic and sometimes elusive phenomenon. We direct our gaze at other human beings to see what they are doing and to guess their intentions, but we may also absorb social events en passant as they unfold in the corner of the eye. We use our gaze as a discrete communication channel, sometimes conveying pieces of information which would be difficult to explicate, but we may also find ourselves avoiding eye-contact with others in moments when self-disclosure is fear-laden. We experience our gaze as the most genuine expression of our will, but research also suggests considerable levels of predictability and automaticity in our gaze behavior. The phenomenon's complexity has hindered researchers from developing a unified framework which can conclusively accommodate all of its aspects, or from even agreeing on the most promising research methodologies. The present work follows a multi-methods approach, taking on several aspects of the phenomenon from various directions. Participants in study 1 viewed dynamic social scenes on a computer screen. Here, low-level physical saliency (i.e. color, contrast, or motion) and human heads both attracted gaze to a similar extent, providing a comparison of two vastly different classes of gaze predictors in direct juxtaposition. In study 2, participants with varying degrees of social anxiety walked in a public train station while their eye movements were tracked. With increasing levels of social anxiety, participants showed a relative avoidance of gaze at near compared to distant people. When replicating the experiment in a laboratory situation with a matched participant group, social anxiety did not modulate gaze behavior, fueling the debate around appropriate experimental designs in the field. Study 3 employed virtual reality (VR) to investigate social gaze in a complex and immersive, but still highly controlled situation. In this situation, participants exhibited a gaze behavior which may be more typical for real-life compared to laboratory situations as they avoided gaze contact with a virtual conspecific unless she gazed at them. This study provided important insights into gaze behavior in virtual social situations, helping to better estimate the possible benefits of this new research approach. Throughout all three experiments, participants showed consistent inter-individual differences in their gaze behavior. However, the present work could not resolve if these differences are linked to psychologically meaningful traits or if they instead have an epiphenomenal character.}, subject = {Aufmerksamkeit}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Ghafoor2020, author = {Ghafoor, Hina}, title = {Coping with Psychosocial Stress: Examining the Roles of Emotional Intelligence and Coping Strategies in Germany and Pakistan}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-19351}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193519}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Maladaptive coping mechanisms influence health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of individuals facing acute and chronic stress. Trait emotional intelligence (EI) may provide a protective shield against the debilitating effects of maladaptive coping thus contributing to maintained HRQoL. Low trait EI, on the other hand, may predispose individuals to apply maladaptive coping, consequently resulting in lower HRQoL. The current research is comprised of two studies. Study 1 was designed to investigate the protective effects of trait EI and its utility for efficient coping in dealing with the stress caused by chronic heart failure (CHF) in a cross-cultural setting (Pakistan vs Germany). N = 200 CHF patients were recruited at cardiology institutes of Multan, Pakistan and W{\"u}rzburg as well as Brandenburg, Germany. Path analysis confirmed the expected relation between low trait EI and low HRQoL and revealed that this association was mediated by maladaptive metacognitions and negative coping strategies in Pakistani but not German CHF patients. Interestingly, also the specific coping strategies were culture-specific. The Pakistani sample considered religious coping to be highly important, whereas the German sample was focused on adopting a healthy lifestyle such as doing exercise. These findings are in line with cultural characteristics suggesting that German CHF patients have an internal locus of control as compared to an external locus of control in Pakistani CHF patients. Finally, the findings from study 1 corroborate the culture-independent validity of the metacognitive model of generalized anxiety disorder. In addition to low trait EI, high interoception accuracy (IA) may predispose individuals to interpret cardiac symptoms as threatening, thus leading to anxiety. To examine this proposition, Study 2 compared individuals with high vs low IA in dealing with a psychosocial stressor (public speaking) in an experimental lab study. In addition, a novel physiological intervention named transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (t-VNS) and cognitive reappraisal (CR) were applied during and after the anticipation of the speech in order to facilitate coping with stress. N= 99 healthy volunteers participated in the study. Results showed interesting descriptive results that only reached trend level. They suggested a tendency of high IA individuals to perceive the situation as more threatening as indicated by increased heart rate and reduced heart rate variability in the high-frequency spectrum as well as high subjective anxiety during anticipation of and actual performance of the speech. This suggests a potential vulnerability of high IA individuals for developing anxiety disorders, specifically social anxiety disorder, in case negative self-focused attention and negative evaluation is applied to the (more prominently perceived) increased cardiac responding during anticipation of and the actual presentation of the public speech. The study did not reveal any significant protective effects of t-VNS and CR. In summary, the current research suggested that low trait EI and high IA predicted worse psychological adjustment to chronic and acute distress. Low trait EI facilitated maladaptive metacognitive processes resulting in the use of negative coping strategies in Study 1; however, increased IA regarding cardioceptions predicted high physiological arousal in study 2. Finally, the German vs. the Pakistani culture greatly affected the preference for specific coping strategies. These findings have implications for caregivers to provide culture-specific treatments on the one hand. On the other hand, they highlight high IA as a possible vulnerability to be targeted for the prevention of (social) anxiety.}, subject = {Deutschland}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{LangeneSoehnchen2020, author = {Lange [n{\´e} S{\"o}hnchen], Bastian}, title = {Influence of social anxiety on social attention and corresponding changes in action patterns}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-18900}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-189001}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {People who suffer Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) are under substantial personal distress and endure impaired normal functioning in at least some parts of everyday life. Next, to the personal suffering, there are also the immense public health costs to consider, as SAD is the most common anxiety disorder and thereby one of the major psychiatric disorders in general. Over the last years, fundamental research found cognitive factors as essential components in the development and maintenance of social fears. Following leading cognitive models, avoidance behaviors are thought to be an important factor in maintaining the developed social anxieties. Therefore, this thesis aims to deepen the knowledge of avoidance behaviors exhibited in social anxiety, which allows to get a better understanding of how SAD is maintained. To reach this goal three studies were conducted, each using a different research approach. In the first study cutting-edge Virtual Reality (VR) equipment was used to immerse participants in a virtual environment. In this virtual setting, High Socially Anxious (HSA) individuals and matched controls had to execute a social Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT). In the task, participants had to pass a virtual person displaying neutral or angry facial expressions. By using a highly immersive VR apparatus, the first described study took the initial step in establishing a new VR task for the implicit research on social approach-avoidance behaviors. By moving freely through a VR environment, participants experienced near real-life social situations. By tracking body and head movements, physical and attentional approach-avoidance processes were studied. The second study looked at differences in attention shifts initiated by gaze-cues of neutral or emotional faces. Comparing HSA and controls, enabled a closer look at attention re-allocation with special focus on social stimuli. Further, context conditioning was used to compare task performance in a safe and in a threatening environment. Next to behavioral performance, the study also investigated neural activity using Electroencephalography (EEG) primarily looking at the N2pc component. In the third study, eye movements of HSA and Low Socially Anxious (LSA) were analyzed using an eye-tracking apparatus while participants executed a computer task. The participants' tasks consisted of the detection of either social or non-social stimuli in complex visual settings. The study intended to compare attention shifts towards social components between these two tasks and how high levels of social anxiety influence them. In other words, the measurements of eye movements enabled the investigation to what extent social attention is task-dependent and how it is influenced by social anxiety. With the three described studies, three different approaches were used to get an in-depth understanding of what avoidance behaviors in SAD are and to which extent they are exhibited. Overall, the results showed that HSA individuals exhibited exaggerated physical and attentional avoidance behavior. Furthermore, the results highlighted that the task profoundly influences attention allocation. Finally, all evidence indicates that avoidance behaviors in SAD are exceedingly complex. They are not merely based on the fear of a particular stimulus, but rather involve highly compound cognitive processes, which surpass the simple avoidance of threatening stimuli. To conclude, it is essential that further research is conducted with special focus on SAD, its maintaining factors, and the influence of the chosen research task and method.}, subject = {Sozialangst}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Vietz2022, author = {Vietz, Melanie Sabrina}, title = {Pr{\"a}vention von Angsterkrankungen: Etablierung und Validierung des Kognitiven Angstsensitivit{\"a}tstrainings (KAST) - Deutsche Version}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-22312}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223122}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Angsterkrankungen stellen mit einer 12-Monats-Pr{\"a}valenz von 14\% die h{\"a}ufigsten psychischen Erkrankungen in der westlichen Gesellschaft dar. Angesichts der hohen querschnittlichen wie sequentiellen Komorbidit{\"a}t von Angsterkrankungen, der ausgepr{\"a}gten individuellen Einschr{\"a}nkungen sowie der hohen {\"o}konomischen Belastung f{\"u}r das Gesundheitssystem ist neben therapeutischen Behandlungsans{\"a}tzen die Entwicklung von kurzzeitigen, kosteng{\"u}nstigen und leicht zug{\"a}nglichen Pr{\"a}ventionsmaßnahmen von großer Bedeutung und steht zunehmend im Fokus des gesundheitspolitischen Interesses, um die Inzidenz von Angsterkrankungen zu reduzieren. Voraussetzung f{\"u}r die Entwicklung von gezielten und damit den effektivsten Pr{\"a}ventionsmaßnahmen sind valide Risikofaktoren, die die Entstehung von Angsterkrankungen beg{\"u}nstigen. Ein Konstrukt, das in der Literatur als subklinisches Symptom in Form einer kognitiven Vulnerabilit{\"a}t f{\"u}r Angsterkrankungen und damit als Risikofaktor angesehen wird, ist die sogenannte Angstsensitivit{\"a}t (AS). AS umfasst die individuelle Tendenz, angstbezogene k{\"o}rperliche Symptome generell als bedrohlich einzustufen und mit aversiven Konsequenzen zu assoziieren. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war daher die Etablierung und Validierung eines Pr{\"a}ventionsprogramms zur Reduktion der AS an einer nicht-klinischen Stichprobe von 100 Probanden (18-30 Jahre) mit einer erh{\"o}hten AS (Anxiety Sensitivity Index [ASI-3] ≥17) sowie die Rekrutierung von 100 alters- und geschlechtsangeglichenen Probanden mit niedriger Angstsensitivit{\"a}t (ASI-3 <17). In einem randomisiert-kontrollierten Studiendesign durchliefen die Probanden mit hoher AS entweder das {\"u}ber f{\"u}nf Wochen angelegte „Kognitive Angstsensitivit{\"a}tstraining" (KAST) als erste deutschsprachige {\"U}bersetzung des Computer-basierten „Cognitive Anxiety Sensitivity Treatment" (CAST) von Schmidt et al. (2014) oder wurden der Wartelisten-Kontrollgruppe zugeteilt. Das KAST Training bestand aus einer einmaligen Vermittlung kognitiv-behavioraler Psychoedukation zum Thema Stress und Anspannung sowie deren Auswirkungen auf den K{\"o}rper und der Anleitung von zwei interozeptiven Expositions{\"u}bungen (‚Strohhalm-Atmung' und ‚Hyperventilation'), die {\"u}ber den anschließenden Zeitraum von f{\"u}nf Wochen in Form von Hausaufgaben wiederholt wurden. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Teilnehmer des KAST-Programms nach Beendigung des Trainings (T1) eine signifikant niedrigere AS-Auspr{\"a}gung im Vergleich zur Wartelisten-Kontrollgruppe aufwiesen und diese Reduktion auch {\"u}ber den Katamnese-Zeitraum von sechs Monaten (T2) stabil blieb. Erg{\"a}nzend wurde auch die Targetierbarkeit weiterer intermedi{\"a}rer Risikomarker wie der Trennungsangst (TA), des Index der kardialen Sensitivit{\"a}t sowie der Herzratenvariabilit{\"a}t (HRV) untersucht, die jedoch nicht durch das KAST-Training direkt ver{\"a}ndert werden konnten. Im Vergleich der Subgruppen von Probanden mit hoher AS und gleichzeitig hoher TA (Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire [ASA-27] ≥22) und Probanden mit hoher AS, aber niedriger TA (ASA-27 <22) zeigte sich, dass die AS-TA-Hochrisikogruppe ebenfalls gut von der KAST-Intervention profitieren und eine signifikante Reduktion der AS erzielen konnte, indem sie sich bei T1 dem Niveau der Gruppe mit niedriger TA anglich. Zudem korrelierte die prozentuale Ver{\"a}nderung der Einstiegswerte der inneren Anspannung w{\"a}hrend der Strohhalm-Atmungs{\"u}bung positiv mit der prozentualen Ver{\"a}nderung der dimensionalen TA bei T1. Zusammenfassend weisen die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Arbeit erstmalig auf die Wirksamkeit der deutschsprachigen {\"U}bersetzung des CAST-Programms (Schmidt et al., 2014), eines Computer-basierten, und damit leicht zu implementierenden sowie kosteng{\"u}nstigen Programms, in Bezug auf die Reduktion der AS sowie indirekt der TA hin und k{\"o}nnen damit zur indizierten und demnach besonders effektiven Pr{\"a}vention von Angsterkrankungen in Hochrisikogruppen beitragen.}, subject = {Angstst{\"o}rung}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Schwarzmeier2023, author = {Schwarzmeier, Hanna}, title = {From fear extinction to exposure therapy: neural mechanisms and moderators of extinction}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-22330}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223304}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Emotional-associative learning processes such as fear conditioning and extinction are highly relevant to not only the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders (ADs), but also to their treatment. Extinction, as the laboratory analogue to behavioral exposure, is assumed a core process underlying the treatment of ADs. Although exposure-based treatments are highly effective for the average patient suffering from an AD, there remains a gap in treatment efficacy with over one third of patients failing to achieve clinically significant symptom relief. There is ergo a pressing need for intensified research regarding the underlying neural mechanisms of aberrant emotional-associative learning processes and the neurobiological moderators of treatment (non-)response in ADs. The current thesis focuses on different applications of the fundamental principles of fear conditioning and extinction by using two example cases of ADs from two different multicenter trials. First, we targeted alterations in fear acquisition, extinction, and its recall as a function of psychopathology in panic disorder (PD) patients compared to healthy subjects using fMRI. Second, exposure-based therapy and pre-treatment patient characteristics exerting a moderating influence on this essential learning process later on (i.e. treatment outcome) were examined using multimodal functional and structural neuroimaging in spider phobia. We observed aberrations in emotional-associative learning processes in PD patients compared to healthy subjects indicated by an accelerated fear acquisition and an attenuated extinction recall. Furthermore, pre-treatment differences related to defensive, regulatory, attentional, and perceptual processes may exert a moderating influence on treatment outcome to behavioral exposure in spider phobia. Although the current results need further replication, on an integrative meta level, results point to a hyperactive defensive network system and deficient emotion regulation processes (including extinction processes) and top-down control in ADs. This speaks in favor of transdiagnostic deficits in important functional domains in ADs. Deficits in transdiagnostic domains such as emotion regulation processes could be targeted by enhancing extinction learning or by means of promising tools like neurofeedback. The detection of pre-treatment clinical response moderators, for instance via machine learning frameworks, may help in supporting clinical decision making on individually tailored treatment approaches or, respectively, to avoid ineffective treatment and its related financial costs. In the long run, the identification of neurobiological markers which are capable of detecting non-responders a priori represents an ultimate goal.}, subject = {Extinktion}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Slyschak2022, author = {Slyschak, Anna}, title = {Fear conditioning, its generalization and extinction in children and adolescents under consideration of trait anxiety and anxiety sensitivity}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-26780}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-267806}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {The propounded thesis investigated fear learning including fear conditioning, its generalization as well as its extinction in 133 healthy children and adolescents aged 8 to 17 years. The main goal was to analyze these processes also in the course of childhood and adolescence due to far less research in this age span compared to adults. Of note, childhood is the typical period for the onset of anxiety disorders. To achieve this, an aversive discriminative fear conditioning, generalization and extinction paradigm, which based on the "screaming lady paradigm" from Lau et al. (2008) and was adapted by Schiele \& Reinhard et al. (2016), was applied. All probands traversed the pre-acquisition (4 x CS-, 4 x CS+, no US), the acquisition (12 x CS-, 12 x CS+, reinforcement rate: 83\%), the generalization (12 x CS-, 12 x GS4, 12 x GS3, 12 x GS2, 12 x GS1, 12 x CS+, reinforcement rate: 50\%) and the extinction (18 x CS-, 18 x CS+, no US). The generalization stimuli, i.e. GS1-GS4, were built out of CS- and CS+ in different mixtures on a percentage basis in steps of 20\% from CS- to CS+. Pictures of faces of two actresses with a neutral expression were used for the discriminative conditioning, whereby the CS+ was paired with a 95-dB loud female scream at the same time together with a fearful facial expression (US). CS- and GS1-GS4 were never followed by the US. Subjective ratings (arousal, valence and US expectancy) were collected and further the psychophysiological measure of the skin conductance response (SCR). The hypotheses were 1) that underage probands show a negative correlation between age and overgeneralization and 2) that anxiety is positively correlated with overgeneralization in the same sample. ANOVAs with repeated measures were conducted for all four dependent variables with phase (pre-acquisition phase, 1. + 2. acquisition phase, 1. + 2. generalization phase, 1. - 3. extinction phase) and stimulus type (CS-, CS+, GS1-GS4) as within-subject factors. For the analyses of the modulatory effects of age and anxiety in additional separate ANCOVAs were conducted including a) age, b) the STAIC score for trait anxiety and c) the CASI score for anxiety sensitivity as covariates. Sex was always included as covariate of no interest. On the one hand, findings indicated that the general extent of the reactions (arousal, valence and US expectancy ratings and the SCR) decreased with growing age, i.e. the older the probands the lower their reactions towards the stimuli regardless of the type of dependent variable. On the other hand, ratings of US expectancy, i.e. the likelihood that a stimulus is followed by a US (here: female scream coupled with a fearful facial expression), showed better discrimination skills the older the probands were, resulting in a smaller overgeneralization within older probands. It must be emphasized very clearly that no causality can be derived. Thus, it was only an association revealed between 15 age and generalization of conditioned fear, which is negative. Furthermore, no obvious impact of trait anxiety could be detected on the different processes of fear learning. Especially, no overgeneralization was expressed by the probands linked to higher trait anxiety. In contrast to trait anxiety, for anxiety sensitivity there was an association between its extent and the level of fear reactions. This could be described best with a kind of parallel shifts: the higher the anxiety sensitivity, the stronger the fear reactions. Likewise, for anxiety sensitivity no overgeneralization due to a stronger extent of anxiety sensitivity could be observed. Longitudinal follow-up examinations and, furthermore, neurobiological investigations are needed for replication purposes and purposes of gaining more supporting or opposing insights, but also for the profound exploration of the impact of hormonal changes during puberty and of the maturation processes of different brain structures. Finally, the question whether enhanced generalization of conditioned fear facilitates the development of anxiety disorders or vice versa remains unsolved yet.}, subject = {Furcht}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Aster2023, author = {Aster, Hans-Christoph}, title = {Characterization of subgroups in fibromyalgia syndrome}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-31304}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-313049}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The present cumulative dissertation summarizes three clinical studies, which examine subgroups of patients within the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). FMS entails chronic pain and associated symptoms, and its pathophysiology is incompletely understood (1). Previous studies show that there is a subgroup of patients with FMS with objective histological pathology of the small nerve fibers of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Another subgroup of FMS patients does not show any signs of pathological changes of the small nerve fibers. The aim of this dissertation was to compare FMS patients with healthy controls, and these two FMS subgroups for differences in the central nervous system (CNS) in order to explore possible interactions between PNS and the CNS. Regarding the CNS, differences of FMS patients with healthy controls have already been found in studies with small sample sizes, but no subgroups have yet been identified. Another aim of this thesis was to test whether the subgroups show a different response to different classes of pain medication. The methods used in this thesis are structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance diffusion imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. For the evaluation of clinical symptoms, we used standardized questionnaires. The subgroups with and without pathologies of the PNS were determined by skin biopsies of the right thigh and lower leg based on the intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) of the small nerve fibers. 1) In the first MRI study, 43 female patients with the diagnosis of FMS and 40 healthy control subjects, matched in age and body mass index, were examined with different MRI sequences. Cortical thickness was investigated by structural T1 imaging, white matter integrity by diffusion tensor imaging and functional connectivity within neuronal networks by functional resting state MRI. Compared to the controls, FMS patients had a lower cortical volume in bilateral frontotemporoparietal regions and the left insula, but a higher cortical volume in the left pericalcarine cortex. Compared to the subgroup without PNS pathology, the subgroup with PNS pathology had lower cortical volume in both pericalcarine cortices. Diffusion tensor imaging revealed an increased fractional anisotropy (FA) of FMS patients in corticospinal pathways such as the corona radiata, but also in regions of the limbic systems such as the fornix and cingulum. Subgroup comparison again revealed lower mean FA values of the posterior thalamic radiation and the posterior limb of the left internal capsule in the subgroup with PNS pathology. In the functional connectivity analysis FMS patients, compared to controls, showed a hypoconnectivity between the right median frontal gyrus and the posterior cerebellum and the right crus cerebellum, respectively. In the subgroup comparisons, the subgroup with PNS pathology showed a hyperconnectivity between both inferior frontal gyri, the right posterior parietal cortex and the right angular gyrus. In summary, these results show that differences in brain morphology and functional connectivity exist between FMS patients with and without PNS pathology. These differences were not associated with symptom duration or severity and, in some cases, have not yet been described in the context of FMS. The differences in brain morphology and connectivity between subgroups could also lead to a differential response to treatment with centrally acting drugs. Further imaging studies with FMS patients should take into account this heterogeneity of FMS patient cohorts. 2) Following the results from the first MRI study, drug therapies of FMS patients and their treatment response were compared between PNS subgroups. As there is no licensed drug for FMS in Europe, the German S3 guideline recommends amitriptyline, duloxetine and pregabalin for temporary use. In order to examine the current drug use in FMS patients in Germany on a cross-sectional basis, 156 patients with FMS were systematically interviewed. The drugs most frequently used to treat pain in FMS were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (28.9\%), metamizole (15.4\%) and amitriptyline (8.8\%). Pain relief assessed by patients on a numerical rating scale from 0-10 averaged 2.2 points for NSAIDs, 2.0 for metamizole and 1.5 for amitriptyline. Drugs that were discontinued for lack of efficacy and not for side effects were acetaminophen (100\%), flupirtine (91.7\%), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (81.8\%), NSAIDs (83.7\%) and weak opioids (74.1\%). Patients were divided into subgroups with and without PNS pathology as determined by skin biopsies. We found no differences in drug use and effect between the subgroups. Taken together, these results show that many FMS patients take medication that is not in accordance with the guidelines. The reduction of symptoms was best achieved with metamizole and NSAIDs. Further longitudinal studies on medication in FMS are necessary to obtain clearer treatment recommendations. 3) Derived from previous pharmacological and imaging studies (with smaller case numbers), there is a hypothesis in the FMS literature that hyperreactivity of the insular cortex may have an impact on FMS. The hyperreactivity seems to be due to an increased concentration of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate in the insular cortex of FMS patients. The hypothesis is supported by magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies with small number of cases, as well as results from pharmacological studies with glutamate-inhibiting medication. Studies from animal models have also shown that an artificially induced increase in glutamate in the insular cortex can lead to reduced skin innervation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare glutamate and GABA concentrations in the insular cortex of FMS patients with those of healthy controls using magnetic resonance imaging. There was no significant difference of both neurotransmitters between the groups. In addition, there was no correlation between the neurotransmitter concentrations and the severity of clinical symptoms. There were also no differences in neurotransmitter concentrations between the subgroups with and without PNS pathology. In conclusion, our study could not show any evidence of a correlation of glutamate and GABA concentrations with the symptoms of FMS or the pathogenesis of subgroups with PNS pathologies.}, subject = {Fibromyalgie}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{RiechelmannverhSteinbacher2021, author = {Riechelmann [verh. Steinbacher], Eva Katharina}, title = {Gaze interaction: Cognitive mechanisms of oculomotor action control}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-21527}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-215279}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Humans use their eyes not only as visual input devices to perceive the environment, but also as an action tool in order to generate intended effects in their environment. For instance, glances are used to direct someone else's attention to a place of interest, indicating that gaze control is an important part of social communication. Previous research on gaze control in a social context mainly focused on the gaze recipient by asking how humans respond to perceived gaze (gaze cueing). So far, this perspective has hardly considered the actor's point of view by neglecting to investigate what mental processes are involved when actors decide to perform an eye movement to trigger a gaze response in another person. Furthermore, eye movements are also used to affect the non-social environment, for instance when unlocking the smartphone with the help of the eyes. This and other observations demonstrate the necessity to consider gaze control in contexts other than social communication whilst at the same time focusing on commonalities and differences inherent to the nature of a social (vs. non-social) action context. Thus, the present work explores the cognitive mechanisms that control such goal-oriented eye movements in both social and non-social contexts. The experiments presented throughout this work are built on pre-established paradigms from both the oculomotor research domain and from basic cognitive psychology. These paradigms are based on the principle of ideomotor action control, which provides an explanatory framework for understanding how goal-oriented, intentional actions come into being. The ideomotor idea suggests that humans acquire associations between their actions and the resulting effects, which can be accessed in a bi-directional manner: Actions can trigger anticipations of their effects, but the anticipated resulting effects can also trigger the associated actions. According to ideomotor theory, action generation involves the mental anticipation of the intended effect (i.e., the action goal) to activate the associated motor pattern. The present experiments involve situations where participants control the gaze of a virtual face via their eye movements. The triggered gaze responses of the virtual face are consistent to the participant's eye movements, representing visual action effects. Experimental situations are varied with respect to determinants of action-effect learning (e.g., contingency, contiguity, action mode during acquisition) in order to unravel the underlying dynamics of oculomotor control in these situations. In addition to faces, conditions involving changes in non-social objects were included to address the question of whether mechanisms underlying gaze control differ for social versus non-social context situations. The results of the present work can be summarized into three major findings. 1. My data suggest that humans indeed acquire bi-directional associations between their eye movements and the subsequently perceived gaze response of another person, which in turn affect oculomotor action control via the anticipation of the intended effects. The observed results show for the first time that eye movements in a gaze-interaction scenario are represented in terms of their gaze response in others. This observation is in line with the ideomotor theory of action control. 2. The present series of experiments confirms and extends pioneering results of Huestegge and Kreutzfeldt (2012) with respect to the significant influence of action effects in gaze control. I have shown that the results of Huestegge and Kreutzfeldt (2012) can be replicated across different contexts with different stimulus material given that the perceived action effects were sufficiently salient. 3. Furthermore, I could show that mechanisms of gaze control in a social gaze-interaction context do not appear to be qualitatively different from those in a non-social context. All in all, the results support recent theoretical claims emphasizing the role of anticipation-based action control in social interaction. Moreover, my results suggest that anticipation-based gaze control in a social context is based on the same general psychological mechanisms as ideomotor gaze control, and thus should be considered as an integral part rather than as a special form of ideomotor gaze control.}, subject = {Verhaltenskontrolle}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Flechsenhar2019, author = {Flechsenhar, Aleya Felicia}, title = {The Ubiquity of Social Attention - a Detailed Investigation of the Underlying Mechanisms}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-18452}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-184528}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {This dissertation highlights various aspects of basic social attention by choosing versatile approaches to disentangle the precise mechanisms underlying the preference to focus on other human beings. The progressive examination of different social processes contrasted with aspects of previously adopted principles of general attention. Recent research investigating eye movements during free exploration revealed a clear and robust social bias, especially for the faces of depicted human beings in a naturalistic scene. However, free viewing implies a combination of mechanisms, namely automatic attention (bottom-up), goal-driven allocation (top-down), or contextual cues and inquires consideration of overt (open exploration using the eyes) as well as covert orienting (peripheral attention without eye movement). Within the scope of this dissertation, all of these aspects have been disentangled in three studies to provide a thorough investigation of different influences on social attention mechanisms. In the first study (section 2.1), we implemented top-down manipulations targeting non-social features in a social scene to test competing resources. Interestingly, attention towards social aspects prevailed, even though this was detrimental to completing the requirements. Furthermore, the tendency of this bias was evident for overall fixation patterns, as well as fixations occurring directly after stimulus onset, suggesting sustained as well as early preferential processing of social features. Although the introduction of tasks generally changes gaze patterns, our results imply only subtle variance when stimuli are social. Concluding, this experiment indicates that attention towards social aspects remains preferential even in light of top-down demands. The second study (section 2.2) comprised of two separate experiments, one in which we investigated reflexive covert attention and another in which we tested reflexive as well as sustained overt attention for images in which a human being was unilaterally located on either the left or right half of the scene. The first experiment consisted of a modified dot-probe paradigm, in which peripheral probes were presented either congruently on the side of the social aspect, or incongruently on the non-social side. This was based on the assumption that social features would act similar to cues in traditional spatial cueing paradigms, thereby facilitating reaction times for probes presented on the social half as opposed to the non-social half. Indeed, results reflected such congruency effect. The second experiment investigated these reflexive mechanisms by monitoring eye movements and specifying the location of saccades and fixations for short as well as long presentation times. Again, we found the majority of initial saccades to be congruently directed to the social side of the stimulus. Furthermore, we replicated findings for sustained attention processes with highest fixation densities for the head region of the displayed human being. The third study (section 2.3), tackled the other mechanism proposed in the attention dichotomy, the bottom-up influence. Specifically, we reduced the available contextual information of a scene by using a gaze-contingent display, in which only the currently fixated regions would be visible to the viewer, while the remaining image would remain masked. Thereby, participants had to voluntarily change their gaze in order to explore the stimulus. First, results revealed a replication of a social bias in free-viewing displays. Second, the preference to select social features was also evident in gaze-contingent displays. Third, we find higher recurrent gaze patterns for social images compared to non-social ones for both viewing modalities. Taken together, these findings imply a top-down driven preference for social features largely independent of contextual information. Importantly, for all experiments, we took saliency predictions of different computational algorithms into consideration to ensure that the observed social bias was not a result of high physical saliency within these areas. For our second experiment, we even reduced the stimulus set to those images, which yielded lower mean and peak saliency for the side of the stimulus containing the social information, while considering algorithms based on low-level features, as well as pre-trained high-level features incorporated in deep learning algorithms. Our experiments offer new insights into single attentional mechanisms with regard to static social naturalistic scenes and enable a further understanding of basic social processing, contrasting from that of non-social attention. The replicability and consistency of our findings across experiments speaks for a robust effect, attributing social attention an exceptional role within the general attention construct, not only behaviorally, but potentially also on a neuronal level and further allowing implications for clinical populations with impaired social functioning.}, subject = {Aufmerksamkeit}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Foerster2020, author = {F{\"o}rster, Anna}, title = {Searching for truth in dishonesty: The cognitive architecture of lying}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-20973}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-209730}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Honest actions predominate human behavior. From time to time, this general preference must yield to dishonest actions, which require an effortful process of overcoming initial honest response activation. This thesis presents three experimental series to elucidate this tug-of-war between honest and dishonest response tendencies in overtly committed instances of lies, thereby joining recent efforts to move from a sheer phenomenological perspective on dishonest responding as being more difficult than honest responding to a precise description of the underlying cognitive processes. The consideration of cognitive theories, empirical evidence, and paradigms from different research fields - dishonesty, cognitive control and sensorimotor stage models of information processing - lay the groundwork for the research questions and methodological approach of this thesis. The experiments pinpoint the underlying conflict of dishonest responding in the central, capacity-limited stage of information processing (Experiments 1 to 4), but they also demonstrate that cognitive control processes (Experiments 5 to 7) and the internalization of false alibis (Experiments 8 to 11) can reduce or even completely eliminate this conflict. The data reveals great flexibility at the cognitive basis of dishonest responding: On the one hand, dishonest responding appears to rely heavily on capacity-limited processes of response selection to overcome honest response tendencies alongside up- and downstream consequences of response activation and monitoring. On the other hand, agents have powerful tools to mitigate these effortful processes through control adaptation and false alibis. These results support and expand current theorizing of the cognitive underpinnings of dishonest responding. Furthermore, they are alerting from an applied perspective on the detection of lies, especially when considering the flexibility of even basic cognitive processes in the face of false alibis. A promising way to move forward from here would be a fine-grained discrimination of response activation, passive decay and active inhibition of honest representations in dishonest responding and the assessment of the adaptiveness of these processes.}, subject = {L{\"u}ge}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Grossekathoefer2022, author = {Großekath{\"o}fer, Jonas David}, title = {Virtually Valid? On the Importance of Ecological Validity and Virtual Reality for Social Attention Research}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-26041}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-260417}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Gazes are of central relevance for people. They are crucial for navigating the world and communicating with others. Nevertheless, research in recent years shows that many findings from experimental research on gaze behavior cannot be transferred from the laboratory to everyday behavior. For example, the frequency with which conspecifics are looked at is considerably higher in experimental contexts than what can be observed in daily behavior. In short: findings from laboratories cannot be generalized into general statements. This thesis is dedicated to this matter. The dissertation describes and documents the current state of research on social attention through a literature review, including a meta-analysis on the /gaze cueing/ paradigm and an empirical study on the robustness of gaze following behavior. In addition, virtual reality was used in one of the first studies in this research field. Virtual reality has the potential to significantly improve the transferability of experimental laboratory studies to everyday behavior. This is because the technology enables a high degree of experimental control in naturalistic research designs. As such, it has the potential to transform empirical research in the same way that the introduction of computers to psychological research did some 50 years ago. The general literature review on social attention is extended to the classic /gaze cueing/ paradigm through a systematic review of publications and a meta-analytic evaluation (Study 1). The cumulative evidence supported the findings of primary studies: Covert spatial attention is directed by faces. However, the experimental factors included do not explain the surprisingly large variance in the published results. Thus, there seem to be further, not well-understood variables influencing these social processes. Moreover, classic /gaze cueing/ studies have limited ecological validity. This is discussed as a central reason for the lack of generalisability. Ecological validity describes the correspondence between experimental factors and realistic situations. A stimulus or an experimental design can have high and low ecological validity on different dimensions and have different influences on behavior. Empirical research on gaze following behavior showed that the /gaze cueing/ effect also occurs with contextually embedded stimuli (Study 2). The contextual integration of the directional cue contrasted classical /gaze cueing/ studies, which usually show heads in isolation. The research results can thus be transferred /within/ laboratory studies to higher ecologically valid research paradigms. However, research shows that the lack of ecological validity in experimental designs significantly limits the transferability of experimental findings to complex situations /outside/ the laboratory. This seems to be particularly the case when social interactions and norms are investigated. However, ecological validity is also often limited in these studies for other factors, such as contextual embedding /of participants/, free exploration behavior (and, thus, attentional control), or multimodality. In a first study, such high ecological validity was achieved for these factors with virtual reality, which could not be achieved in the laboratory so far (Study 3). Notably, the observed fixation patterns showed differences even under /most similar/ conditions in the laboratory and natural environments. Interestingly, these were similar to findings also derived from comparisons of eye movement in the laboratory and field investigations. These findings, which previously came from hardly comparable groups, were thus confirmed by the present Study 3 (which did not have this limitation). Overall, /virtual reality/ is a new technical approach to contemporary social attention research that pushes the boundaries of previous experimental research. The traditional trade-off between ecological validity and experimental control thus becomes obsolete, and laboratory studies can closely inherit an excellent approximation of reality. Finally, the present work describes and discusses the possibilities of this technology and its practical implementation. Within this context, the extent to which this development can still guarantee a constructive classification of different laboratory tests in the future is examined.}, subject = {Aufmerksamkeit}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Frey2022, author = {Frey, Lillien Mara}, title = {Furchtgeneralisierung und Attentional Bias bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit einer St{\"o}rung des Sozialverhaltens}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-25974}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-259746}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Bereits vorangegangene Studien haben zeigen k{\"o}nnen, dass eine verst{\"a}rke Generali- sierung von Furcht sowohl bei Erwachsenen, bei denen beispielsweise eine Angstst{\"o}rung oder eine PTSB diagnostiziert wurde, aber auch bei gesunden Kindern eine Rolle spielt. In unserer Studie untersuchten wir eine Gruppe Kinder und Jugendliche (n = 31, m = 25, w = 6; Alter = 13.35 ± 2.03), die eine St{\"o}rung des Sozialverhaltens aufwiesen, auf die Konditionierbarkeit von Furcht und eine m{\"o}gliche Furchtgeneralisierung. Diese Gruppe verglichen wir mit einer gesunden Kontrollgruppe (n = 29, m = 11, w = 18; Alter = 14.28 ± 2.43). Als Generalisierungsstimuli verwendeten wir ein Furchtgeneralisierungsparadigma mit zwei Frauengesichtern, die in vier Schritten aneinander angeglichen wurden. Zus{\"a}tzlich f{\"u}hrten wir mit beiden Probandengruppen ein Dot-Probe-Paradigma zur Objektivierung von Aufmerksamkeitsprozessen im Sinne eines Attentional Bias oder Attentional Avoidance mit emotionalen Gesichtern durch. Wir konnten eine erfolgreiche Furchtkonditionierung f{\"u}r beide Gruppen erreichen. Im Vergleich mit der gesunden Kontrollgruppe zeigte die externalisierende Probandengruppe eine verst{\"a}rke Furchtgeneralisierung. Hinsichtlich der subjektiven Valenz- und Kontingenzratings wurden die Unterschiede besonders deutlich. Eine verst{\"a}rkte Generalisierungsneigung bei erh{\"o}hter Trait-Angst konnten wir nicht finden. Die externalisierende Gruppe zeigte im Vergleich mit neutralen Gesichtern bei den emotionalen Gesichtern insgesamt einen Attentional Bias. Am deutlichsten war dabei eine verst{\"a}rkte Aufmerksamkeitslenkung hin zu gl{\"u}cklichen Gesichtern festzustellen. F{\"u}r die gesunde Kontrollgruppe konnten wir keine Besonderheiten bez{\"u}glich der Aufmerksamkeitsrichtung finden. Weiterf{\"u}hrende Studien sollten mit gr{\"o}ß- eren Probandengruppen und nach Geschlecht und Alter gepaarten Probanden durch- gef{\"u}hrt werden. Mit externalisierenden Probanden sollte ein Furchtgeneralisierungs- paradigma mit neutralen Stimuli (z.B. Ringe) gew{\"a}hlt werden, um eine subjektive Wertung emotionaler Gesichter bei den Ratings als St{\"o}rfaktor auszuschließen. F{\"u}r externalisierende Probanden sollte außerdem die Auspr{\"a}gung von CU-Traits erfasst und die Dauer der Testung verk{\"u}rzt oder auf zwei Termine aufgeteilt werden, um eine ausreichende Konzentrationsf{\"a}higkeit zu erm{\"o}glichen.}, subject = {Psychische St{\"o}rung}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Roesler2020, author = {R{\"o}sler, Lara}, title = {Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms of Social Attention}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-21609}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-216092}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Humans in our environment are of special importance to us. Even if our minds are fixated on tasks unrelated to their presence, our attention will likely be drawn towards other people's appearances and their actions. While we might remain unaware of this attentional bias at times, various studies have demonstrated the preferred visual scanning of other humans by recording eye movements in laboratory settings. The present thesis aims to investigate the circumstances under and the mechanisms by which this so-called social attention operates. The first study demonstrates that social features in complex naturalistic scenes are prioritized in an automatic fashion. After 200 milliseconds of stimulus presentation, which is too brief for top-down processing to intervene, participants targeted image areas depicting humans significantly more often than would be expected from a chance distribution of saccades. Additionally, saccades towards these areas occurred earlier in time than saccades towards non-social image regions. In the second study, we show that human features receive most fixations even when bottom-up information is restricted; that is, even when only the fixated region was visible and the remaining parts of the image masked, participants still fixated on social image regions longer than on regions without social cues. The third study compares the influence of real and artificial faces on gaze patterns during the observation of dynamic naturalistic videos. Here we find that artificial faces, belonging to humanlike statues or machines, significantly predicted gaze allocation but to a lesser extent than real faces. In the fourth study, we employed functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the neural correlates of reflexive social attention. Analyses of the evoked blood-oxygenation level dependent responses pointed to an involvement of striate and extrastriate visual cortices in the encoding of social feature space. Collectively, these studies help to elucidate under which circumstances social features are prioritized in a laboratory setting and how this prioritization might be achieved on a neuronal level. The final experimental chapter addresses the question whether these laboratory findings can be generalized to the real world. In this study, participants were introduced to a waiting room scenario in which they interacted with a confederate. Eye movement analyses revealed that gaze behavior heavily depended on the social context and were influenced by whether an interaction is currently desired. We further did not find any evidence for altered gaze behavior in socially anxious participants. Alleged gaze avoidance or hypervigilance in social anxiety might thus represent a laboratory phenomenon that occurs only under very specific real-life conditions. Altogether the experiments described in the present thesis thus refine our understanding of social attention and simultaneously challenge the inferences we can draw from laboratory research.}, subject = {Aufmerksamkeit}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Mittermeier2023, author = {Mittermeier, Anna Barbara}, title = {Furchtgeneralisierung bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit internalisierenden St{\"o}rungen}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-28265}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-282658}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {In vorgegangenen Studien wurde bei erwachsenen Patienten mit Angstst{\"o}rungen eine verst{\"a}rkte Furchtgeneralisierung, eine eingeschr{\"a}nkte F{\"a}higkeit zur Reizdiskrimination sowie eine ver{\"a}nderte Aufmerksamkeitsverteilung nachgewiesen. In einer gesunden Studienpopulation konnte bei Kindern eine st{\"a}rkere Furchtgeneralisierung nachgewiesen werden als bei Erwachsenen. Ihre Generalisierungsgradienten gleichen denen von Erwachsenen mit Angstst{\"o}rung. M{\"o}glicherweise haben gest{\"o}rte Lernprozesse in der Kindheit somit langfristige Effekte auf die Entwicklung von Angstst{\"o}rungen. Obwohl die Vorg{\"a}nge des Furchtlernens im Kindesalter entscheidend f{\"u}r das Verst{\"a}ndnis von Angstst{\"o}rungen sind, gibt es kaum Studien in dieser Altersgruppe. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht die Zusammenh{\"a}nge von Furchtgeneralisierung und Aufmerksamkeitsprozessen in einer klinischen Population mit internalisierender St{\"o}rung im Kindes- und Jugendalter. Hierzu durchliefen Kinder und Jugendliche mit internalisierender St{\"o}rung (n= 49) sowie gesunde Kontrollen (n=48) im Alter von 9 bis 17 Jahre ein Furcht-generalisierungsparadigma mit Diskriminationstraining sowie einen modifizierten Dotprobe mit integriertem Eyetracking. Die {\"A}ngstlichkeit wurde mittels verschiedener Angstfrageb{\"o}gen gemessen. Im Generalisierungsparadigma wurden zwei weibliche Gesichter mit neutralem Gesichtsausdruck als Stimuli verwendet, die entweder mit (CS+) oder ohne (CS-) einem 95dB lauten Schrei sowie einem angsterf{\"u}llten Gesichtsausdruck gezeigt wurden. Zur Messung der Furchtreaktion wurden subjektive Ratings f{\"u}r Arousal, Valenz und Kontingenz erfasst, zudem wurde die Hautleitf{\"a}higkeit gemessen. Zur Auswertung des Dotprobes wurden die Reaktionszeiten und die Initialsakkade erfasst. Die statistische Analyse des Furchtgeneralisierungsparadigmas sowie des Dotprobe-Paradigmas wurde mittels Multivarianzanalysen mit Messwiederholung durchgef{\"u}hrt, gefolgt von t-Tests zur weiterf{\"u}hrenden Analyse. Desweiteren wurden die Aufmerksamkeitsreaktionen von nicht-{\"a}ngstlichen und {\"a}ngstlichen Teilnehmern in Kategorien eingeteilt und mittels Chi-Quadrat Analysen verglichen. Zur Analyse des Zusammenhangs zwischen Furchtgeneralisierung und Aufmerksamkeitsprozessen erfolgte eine Regressionsanalyse mit einem GS Mittelwert als abh{\"a}ngiger Variable und der {\"A}ngstlichkeit und den Aufmerk-samkeitsprozessen als Pr{\"a}diktoren. Die Ergebnisse best{\"a}tigten eine solide Furchtkonditionierung anhand des „Screaming Lady"-Paradigmas in einer klinischen Population, dies war erkennbar an h{\"o}heren Ratings f{\"u}r den aversiven Stimulus im Vergleich zum sicheren Stimulus in beiden Gruppen. Grunds{\"a}tzlich h{\"o}here Furchtratings sowie h{\"o}here Ratings der Generalisierungsstimuli im Vergleich zum sicheren Stimulus wiesen auf eine st{\"a}rkere Generalisierung in der Untergruppe mit h{\"o}herem Angst-Trait innerhalb der internalisierenden Probandengruppe hin. Die Analyse der Dotprobe Daten ergab schnellere Reaktionszeiten sowie h{\"a}ufigere Initialsakkaden gegen{\"u}ber furchteinfl{\"o}ßenden Stimuli bei Patienten mit internalisierender St{\"o}rung. Des Weiteren zeigten sehr {\"a}ngstliche Probanden h{\"a}ufiger einen Attentional bias im Chi Quadrat Test als nicht-{\"a}ngstliche Probanden. Dies wies daraufhin, dass sowohl bei Patienten mit internalisierender St{\"o}rung als auch bei sehr {\"a}ngstlichen Probanden ein Attentional bias gegen{\"u}ber furchtrelevanten Stimuli vorliegt. Vor allem bei Kindern mit internalisierender St{\"o}rung sagten die {\"A}ngstlichkeit und ver{\"a}nderte Aufmerksamkeitsprozesse die Auspr{\"a}gung der Furchtgeneralisierung voraus. Somit kann ein Zusammenhang von ver{\"a}nderten Aufmerksamkeitsprozessen und Furchtgeneralisierung vermutet werden.}, subject = {Kinderpsychiatrie}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{EttlingergebHaberstumpf2023, author = {Ettlinger [geb. Haberstumpf], Sophia}, title = {Pathological cognitive decline in the elderly participants of the Vogel Study}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-26558}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-265582}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Due to the global aging society and the enormous global incidence and prevalence rates that will result in the coming years, Alzheimer's Dementia (AD) represents a growing challenge for the health care system. The pathogenesis, which is unclear in parts, the chronic progression of AD, which often lasts for years, as well as insufficient diagnostic and therapeutic options complicate an adequate psychotherapeutic and medical approach to the disease. To date, AD is also considered an incurable disease. Therefore, it is essential to gain deeper insights into the early detection or even prevention of AD. Consideration of prodromal syndromes such as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) can provide significant evidence about high-risk groups for AD progression and differentiate cognitively "normal" aging individuals from those with pathological cognitive decline. Thus, for example, functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) imaging helps identify early neurodegenerative processes. In contrast, potential risk factors and predictors of later-onset clinical symptoms of MCI and AD can most often be revealed and quantified via the use of neuropsychiatric test batteries. The present thesis consists of four studies and aimed to assess and describe the pathological cognitive decline in a sample of elderly study participants (age: ≥ 70 years; N = 604 at baseline) of the longitudinal, observational, and prospective "Vogel Study" from W{\"u}rzburg, Germany, who were primarily healthy at baseline, over two measurement time points approximately 3 years apart, to differentiate between healthy and diseased study participants and to define predictors of MCI/AD and longitudinal study dropout. Studies 1 and 2 differentiated healthy study participants from MCI patients based on the baseline hemodynamic response of the parietal cortex recorded by fNIRS during the processing of a paradigm (here: Angle Discrimination Task [ADT]) for visual-spatial processing performance. Neuronal hypoactivity was found in the MCI patients, with both healthy study participants and MCI patients showing higher superior and right hemispheric activation. MCI patients had more difficulty resolving the paradigm. Thus, no evidence of possible compensatory mechanisms was uncovered in the MCI patients. Study 3 first defined the four latent factors declarative memory, working memory, attention, and visual-spatial processing based on structural equation model (SEM) calculations of the sample using adequate measurement (in-)variant confirmatory factor models from the baseline assessment to the first of a total of two follow-up assessments after approximately 3 years. This allowed a dimensional assessment of pathological cognitive decline versus classificatory-categorical assignment (healthy/diseased) of the sample. In addition, the superiority of the latent factor approach over a composite approach was demonstrated. Next, using a mixed-model approach, predictive analyses were calculated for the prediction of latent factors at first follow-up by baseline risk factors. The sex of study participants proved to be the best predictor of cognitive change in all the cognitive domains, with females performing better than men in the memory domains. Specifically, for declarative memory, older age predicted lower performance regardless of sex. Additional predictive evidence emerged for low serum levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) on lower attention performance and higher depression symptoms on lower visual-spatial processing performance. Study 4 further reported baseline predictors of study dropout at first follow-up. Cognitive performance, as defined in Study 3 using the four latent cognitive factors, was a predictor of study dropout for cognitive decline in the domains of declarative memory, attention, and visual-spatial processing. Conspicuous dementia screening on the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) also predicted dropout. Overall, both the use of fNIRS imaging to detect visual-spatial processing performance in the parietal cortex during applying ADT and the dimensional perspective of the neuropsychiatric test battery in the context of prediction and dropout analyses were found to be suitable for early detection research of MCI and AD. Finally, the results will be interpreted in the overall context and implications, limitations, and perspectives will be discussed.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Seeger2023, author = {Seeger, Fabian Reinhard}, title = {Moderators of exposure-based treatment outcome in anxiety disorders: an fMRI approach}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-21435}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-214356}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Even though exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) constitutes a first-line treatment for anxiety disorders, a substantial proportion of patients does not respond in a clinically significant manner. The identification of pre-treatment patient characteristics that are associated with treatment outcome might aid in improving response rates. Therefore, the present doctoral thesis aimed at investigating moderators of treatment outcome in anxiety disorders: first, we investigated the neural correlates of comorbidity among primary panic disorder/agoraphobia (PD/AG) and secondary social anxiety disorder (SAD) moderating treatment outcome towards exposure-based CBT. Second, pre-treatment functional resting-state connectivity signatures of treatment response in specific phobia were studied. Within the first study, we compared PD/AG patients with or without secondary SAD regarding their clinical and neurofunctional outcome towards a manualized CBT treatment focusing on PD/AG symptoms. Prior to treatment, PD/AG+SAD compared to PD/AG-SAD patients exhibited a specific neural signature within the temporal lobe, which was attenuated to the level of PD/AG-SAD patients afterwards. CBT was equally effective in both groups. Thus, comorbidity among those two anxiety disorders did not alter treatment outcome substantially. This might be due to the high overlap of shared pathophysiological features within both disorders. In the second study, we assessed pre-treatment functional resting-state connectivity within a sample of spider phobic patients that were treated with massed in virtuo exposure. We found responders already prior to treatment to be characterized by stronger inhibitory frontolimbic connectivity as well as heightened connectivity between the amygdala and regions related to the ventral visual stream. Furthermore, patients demonstrating high within-session extinction exhibited pronounced intrinsic prefrontal connectivity. Our results point to responders exhibiting a brain prepared for the mechanism of action of exposure. Taken together, results highlight the major impact of pre-treatment characteristics on treatment outcome. Both, PD/AG+SAD patients as well as responders within the SpiderVR study exhibited heightened activation or connectivity within the ventral visual pathway and the amygdala. Pronounced visual processing together with enhanced executive control and emotion regulation seem to constitute a fruitful soil for successful exposure. The results provide starting points for personalized treatment approaches in order to improve treatment success in the anxiety disorders. Future studies are needed to investigate the benefit of neuroscientifically informed CBT augmentation strategies such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.}, subject = {Angstst{\"o}rung}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Siminski2023, author = {Siminski, Niklas}, title = {Temporal predictability of threat: Evaluation of differential involvement of amygdala and BNST, and relevance for therapy response prediction in spider phobia}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-24664}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-246643}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Predictability of threat is one of the key modulators of neural activity in fear and anxiety-related threat processes and there is a considerable number of studies focusing on the exact contribution of centromedial amygdala and Bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) in animals as well as in humans. In this research field, some studies already investigated the differential involvement of both areas during temporally predictable and unpredictable threat processes in humans. However, these studies showed several limitations e.g. small sample size, no predictable threat conditions, no separation of anticipation and confrontation processes, which should be addressed in future studies. Furthermore, evidence for group-based inter-individual differences of amygdala and BNST activity during predictable and unpredictable threat processes have not been studied extensively. Several studies suggest a relevant role of the amygdala and BNST activity in phobic processes in patients with specific phobia, but no study so far has investigated the exact contribution of centromedial amygdala (CM) and BNST during temporally predictable and unpredictable threat processes in specific phobia. This thesis consisted of three studies and aimed to evaluate the exact contribution of CM and BNST during temporally predictable and unpredictable threat anticipation and confrontation with the use of an optimized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigm, which aimed to solve methodological limitations of recent studies. Study 1 used a large sample of healthy participants who were grouped based on NPSR1 genotype, and study 2 and study 3 used a sample of patients with spider phobia. In sum, the results of all three studies indicated, that BNST is more relevant for anticipation processes as compared to the CM. Contrary, during the confrontation phase the CM displays a greater relevance for threat confrontation processes. In recent years, various studies have investigated the extent to which treatment success can be predicted in patients with anxiety disorders based on pre-treatment fMRI activity. Therefore, this was investigated for the first time in study 3 in patients with spider phobia during temporally predictable and unpredictable threat processes. Results indicated that independent of temporal predictability lower anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity during threat anticipation and engaged BNST during threat confrontation might be benefitting factors for successful therapy response in spider phobia.}, subject = {Amygdala}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Breil2023, author = {Breil, Christina}, title = {Look at me and I will feel you: eye contact and social understandig}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-27802}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-278021}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {One of the features that defines humans as extraordinarily social beings is their striking susceptibility to the gaze of others. The research reported in this dissertation was undertaken to advance our understanding of the role of gaze cues in low-level attentional and higher-order cognitive processes. In particular, effects of gaze were examined with regard to three aspects of human cognition: (1) social attention, (2) social interaction and (3) social understanding. Chapter 1 consists of three manuscripts that investigate the boundary conditions of attention capture by direct gaze and how gaze direction is integrated with facial context information. Manuscript 1 and 2 suggest two necessary requirements for attention capture by direct gaze: a meaningful holistic facial context and sharp foveal vision, respectively. Manuscript 3 shows approach/avoidance-congruency effects between gaze direction and emotion expression on attention. Chapter 2 of this dissertation explores the role of gaze in more naturalistic social scenarios. Manuscript 4 demonstrates that gaze behavior during a conversation shapes our perception of another person. Manuscript 5 builds on these findings by showing that these perceptions define our willingness to act in a prosocial way towards our interaction partner. Finally, chapter 3 adopts a broader perspective on social cognition research with a special focus on methodological aspects. Manuscript 6 is a review highlighting the significance of methodological aspects in social cognition research and stressing the importance of sophisticated decisions on task and stimulus materials. Manuscript 7 introduces a new instrument for the assessment of social understanding in adolescents. Initial application in a young sample group indicates that an understanding of another person's mental states is a capacity that is still developing throughout adolescence. Both manuscripts of this final chapter include eye tracking data that suggest a relationship between gaze behavior and social understanding, a finding that further emphasizes the complex and multifaceted nature of social cognition. I conclude from the findings of this dissertation that research can benefit from adopting a broad view in terms of methodological as well as temporal aspects in order to capture human social cognition in its entirety.}, subject = {Blick}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Peters2023, author = {Peters, Katharina}, title = {Biological Substrates of Waiting Impulsivity in Children and Adolescents with and without ADHD}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-24636}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-246368}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Focus of the present work were the questions whether and how the concept of waiting impulsivity (WI), defined as the ability to regulate a response in anticipation of reward and measured by the 4-choice serial reaction time task (4-CSRTT), may contribute to our understanding of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and its neurobiological underpinnings. To address this topic, two studies were conducted: in a first study, the relationship be-tween 4-CSRTT behavioral measures, neural correlates and ADHD symptom domains, i.e. inattention (IA) and hyperactivity/impulsivity (H/I) was explored in a pooled sample of 90 children and adolescents with (n=44) and without (n=46) ADHD diagnosis. As ex-pected, IA was associated with dorsolateral prefrontal brain regions linked with executive functions and attentional control, which was evident on the structural and the functional level. Higher levels of both IA and H/I covaried with decreased activity in the right ven-trolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), a central structure for response inhibition. Moderation analyses revealed that H/I-related decreased activation in this region did not map linearly on difficulties on the behavioral level: brain activation was a significant predictor of task accuracy only, when H/I symptoms were low/absent but not for clinically relevant ADHD symptoms. Further, H/I was implicated in dysfunctional top-down control of reward eval-uation. Both symptom domains correlated positively with hippocampus (HC) activity in anticipation of reward. In addition, for high H/I symptoms, greater activation in the HC was found to correlate with higher motivation on the behavioral level, indicating that rein-forcement-learning and/or contingency awareness may contribute to altered reward pro-cessing in ADHD patients. In a second study, the possible serotonergic modulation of WI and the ADHD-WI relation-ship was addressed in a sub-sample comprising 86 children and adolescents of study I. The effects of a functional variant in the gene coding for the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of brain serotonin on behavior and structure or function of the WI-network was investigated. Moderation analyses revealed that on the behavioral level, a negative corre-lation between accuracy and IA was found only in GG-homozygotes, whereas no signifi-cant relationship emerged for carriers of the T-allele. This is in line with previous reports of differential effects of serotonergic modulation on attentional performance depending on the presence of ADHD symptoms. A trend-wise interaction effect of genotype and IA for regional volume of the right middle frontal gyrus was interpreted as a hint towards an involvement of the PFC in this relationship, although a more complex mechanism includ-ing developmental effects can be assumed. In addition, interaction effects of genotype and IA were found for brain activation in the amygdala (AMY) und HC during perfor-mance of the 4-CSRTT, while another interaction was found for H/I symptoms and geno-type for right AMY volume. These findings indicate a serotonergic modulation of coding of the emotional value of reward during performance of the 4-CSRTT that varies de-pending on the extent of psychopathology-associated traits. Taken together, it was shown that the 4-CSRTT taps distinct domains of impulsivity with relevance to ADHD symptomatology: (proactive) response inhibition difficulties in relation with anticipation of reward. Furthermore, the two symptom domains, IA and H/I, contrib-ute differently to WI, which emphasizes the need to distinguish both in the research of ADHD. The results of study II emphasized the relevance of serotonergic transmission especially for attentional control and emotional processing. Although the present findings need replication and further refinement in more homogenous age groups, the use of the 4-CSRTT with a dimensional approach is a very promising strategy, which will hopefully extend our understanding of impulsivity-related mental disorders in the future.}, subject = {Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-Syndrom}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{vonEitzen2024, author = {von Eitzen, Ingo Martin}, title = {Faktoren zur Akzeptanz von Virtual Reality Anwendungen}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-34632}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-346326}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Immersive Technologien, wie Augmented und Virtual Reality, k{\"o}nnen bestehende Gesch{\"a}ftsmodelle entweder verbessern oder gef{\"a}hrden. Jedoch kann sich das f{\"o}rderliche Potential nur entfalten, wenn die Anwender:innen die Technologien akzeptieren und letztendlich auch nutzen. In dieser Arbeit wird beschrieben, was Akzeptanz ist und welche Einflussgr{\"o}ßen (Faktoren) f{\"u}r die Akzeptanz von Virtual Reality besonders relevant sind. Anschließend ist, basierend auf der diskutierten Fachliteratur, ein neuartiges, holistisches Akzeptanzmodell f{\"u}r Virtual Reality entworfen und mit drei Studien {\"u}berpr{\"u}ft worden. In der ersten Studie wurden 129 Personen gebeten entweder in Augmented oder Virtual Reality ein Schulungsszenario oder ein Mini-Spiel auszuprobieren (2x2-Design). In beiden Anwendungen sollten Flaschen von einem virtuellen Fließband entfernt werden. Im Fokus der Untersuchung stand die Immersion, die N{\"u}tzlichkeit, das empfundene Vergn{\"u}gen (Hedonismus) und die Zufriedenheit. Die Ergebnisse ergaben zum einen, dass sich die Immersion zwischen Augmented und Virtual Reality unterscheidet, und zum anderen, dass das empfundene Vergn{\"u}gen und die N{\"u}tzlichkeit signifikante Pr{\"a}diktoren f{\"u}r die Zufriedenheit darstellen. An der zweiten Studie nahmen 62 Personen teil. Sie wurden gebeten das Schulungsszenario erneut zu absolvieren, wobei dieses mit auditiven Inhalten und animierten Figuren angereicht wurde, sowie {\"u}ber eine etwas bessere Grafikqualit{\"a}t verf{\"u}gte. Die Daten wurden mit den Virtual Reality Szenarien aus der ersten Studie verglichen, um den Einfluss der Pr{\"a}senz auf den Hedonismus zu untersuchen. Obwohl kein relevanter Unterschied zwischen den Gruppen festgestellt wurde, konnte nachgewiesen werden, dass Pr{\"a}senz Hedonismus signifikant vorhersagt. An der dritten Studie beteiligten sich insgesamt 35 Personen. Untersuchungsgegenstand der Studie war die virtuelle Darstellung der eigenen Person in der virtuellen Realit{\"a}t (Verk{\"o}rperung) und dessen Einfluss auf den Hedonismus. Die Versuchspersonen wurden gebeten das Schulungsszenario erneut zu durch-laufen, wobei sie diesmal das Eingabeger{\"a}t (Controller) der Visieranzeige (head-mounted display) zur Steuerung benutzen. In der ersten Studie erfolgte die Bedienung {\"u}ber eine Gestensteuerung. Die Analyse dieser Manipulation offenbarte keinerlei Auswirkungen auf die Verk{\"o}rperung. Allerdings stellte die Verk{\"o}rperung einen signifikanten Pr{\"a}diktor f{\"u}r den Hedonismus dar. Im Anschluss an die Studien ist das Modell mit den Daten aus den Virtual Reality Gruppen der ersten Studie beurteilt worden, wobei es sich weitgehend best{\"a}tigt hat. Abschließend werden die Befunde in Bezug auf die Fachliteratur eingeordnet, m{\"o}gliche Ursachen f{\"u}r die Ergebnisse diskutiert und weitere Forschungsbedarfe aufgezeigt.}, subject = {Akzeptanz}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Blickle2024, author = {Blickle, Marc Manuel}, title = {Das Zusammenspiel von Herz und Gehirn: Interozeptive Genauigkeit, Herzratenvariabilit{\"a}t und funktionelle Konnektivit{\"a}t kortikaler Netzwerke bei depressiven Patientinnen und Patienten}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-31676}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-316762}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Hintergrund: Depressionen z{\"a}hlen zu den h{\"a}ufigsten psychischen Erkrankungen. Depressive Symptome umfassen beeintr{\"a}chtigte kognitive Funktionen, vegetative Beschwerden und ein ver{\"a}ndertes emotionales Erleben. Die defizit{\"a}re Wahrnehmung interner k{\"o}rperlicher Signale wird sowohl mit der Pathogenese der Depression als auch mit Angstst{\"o}rungen in Verbindung gebracht. Interozeptive Genauigkeit (IAc) beschreibt dabei die F{\"a}higkeit, k{\"o}rperliche Empfindungen wie den eigenen Herzschlag akkurat wahrzunehmen und wird mit einer Herzwahrnehmungsaufgabe erfasst. In bildgebenden Verfahren wie der funktionellen Magnetresonanztomografie (fMRT) war eine niedrigere IAc mit einer verringerten Inselaktivit{\"a}t assoziiert. W{\"a}hrend der Ruhezustandsmessung des Gehirns (resting-state fMRT) kann in Abwesenheit einer Aufgabe die intrinsische Aktivit{\"a}t des Gehirns gemessen werden. Dies erm{\"o}glicht die Identifizierung von kortikalen Netzwerken. Depressive Patienten weisen eine ver{\"a}nderte funktionelle Konnektivit{\"a}t innerhalb und zwischen einzelnen Netzwerken wie dem Salience Network (SN), welchem die Insel zugerechnet wird, und dem Default Mode Network (DMN) auf. Bisherige Studien, in denen {\"u}berwiegend j{\"u}ngere depressive Patienten untersucht wurden, kamen jedoch hinsichtlich der IAc und den kortikalen Netzwerken zu inkonsistenten Ergebnissen. Insbesondere ist unklar, inwieweit sich die IAc nach einem Therapieansprechen ver{\"a}ndert, von der Herzratenvariabilit{\"a}t (HRV) moduliert wird und welche Auswirkungen dies auf die funktionelle Konnektivit{\"a}t kortikaler Netzwerke hat. Ziele: Eine ver{\"a}nderte IAc und HRV wie auch funktionelle Konnektivit{\"a}tsunterschiede im DMN und SN k{\"o}nnten Biomarker der Depression darstellen. Im Rahmen einer L{\"a}ngsschnittuntersuchung wurde getestet, ob {\"a}ltere depressive Patienten {\"u}ber eine verringerte IAc, eine geringere HRV und {\"u}ber eine ver{\"a}nderte funktionelle Konnektivit{\"a}t im SN sowie DMN verf{\"u}gen. Dar{\"u}ber hinaus sollte erforscht werden, in welchem Ausmaß sich Patienten, die auf die Behandlung ansprachen (Responder), von sogenannten Non-Respondern in Bezug auf die IAc, die HRV, das SN und das DMN unterschieden. Methoden: In Studie 1 (Baseline) wurden 30 gr{\"o}ßtenteils medizierte, schwer depressive Patienten (> 50 Jahre) und 30 gesunde Kontrollprobanden untersucht. Die IAc wurde in einer Herzwahrnehmungsaufgabe ermittelt und die HRV bestimmt. Zus{\"a}tzlich wurde eine resting-state fMRT durchgef{\"u}hrt. Eine funktionelle Konnektivit{\"a}tsanalyse f{\"u}r Saatregionen im SN und DMN wurde mit einem saatbasierten Ansatz (seed-to-voxel) durchgef{\"u}hrt. F{\"u}r eine Subgruppenanalyse wurde die Patientengruppe in {\"a}ngstlich-depressive und nicht-{\"a}ngstlich depressive Patienten unterteilt. In Studie 2 (sechs Monate Follow-up) wurde die Studienkohorte nochmals untersucht. Es nahmen 21 Personen der Patientengruppe und 28 Probanden der Kontrollgruppe teil. Wiederum wurden die IAc und die HRV bestimmt. Außerdem fand eine resting-state fMRT-Messung statt. Die Patientengruppe wurde unterteilt in depressive Responder und Non-Responder. Ergebnisse: In Studie 1 zeigten depressive Patienten eine funktionelle Hypokonnektivit{\"a}t zwischen einzelnen Saatregionen der Insel (SN) und Teilen des superioren frontalen Gyrus, des supplement{\"a}rmotorischen Cortex, des lateralen okzipitalen Cortex sowie des Okzipitalpols. Zudem wiesen depressive Patienten zwischen der Saatregion im anterioren Teil des DMN und der Insel sowie dem Operculum eine erh{\"o}hte funktionelle Konnektivit{\"a}t auf. Die Gruppen unterschieden sich nicht in der IAc und der HRV. {\"A}ngstlich-depressive Patienten zeigten eine h{\"o}here funktionelle Konnektivit{\"a}t innerhalb der Insel als nicht-{\"a}ngstlich depressive Patienten, jedoch zeigten sich keine Unterschiede in der IAc und der HRV. In Studie 2 wiesen depressive Non-Responder im Vergleich zu Respondern eine Hyperkonnektivit{\"a}t zwischen dem posterioren DMN und dem Frontalpol sowie zwischen dem posterioren DMN und temporalen Arealen im SN auf. Keine funktionellen Konnektivit{\"a}tsunterschiede zeigten sich f{\"u}r die Saatregionen im SN. Depressive Responder, Non-Responder und die Kontrollprobanden unterschieden sich in ihrer IAc und HRV nicht. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse der Studien unterstreichen, dass bei depressiven Patienten, Respondern und Non-Respondern Unterschiede in der intrinsischen Gehirnaktivit{\"a}t funktioneller Netzwerke bestehen, jedoch nicht in der akkuraten Wahrnehmung des eigenen Herzschlages und der HRV. Therapeutische Interventionen, die auf eine Verbesserung der IAc abzielen, k{\"o}nnten insbesondere f{\"u}r Non-Responder dennoch eine zus{\"a}tzliche Behandlungsm{\"o}glichkeit darstellen. F{\"u}r eine personalisierte Medizin k{\"o}nnte die weitere Erforschung von kortikalen Netzwerken einen wesentlichen Beitrag leisten, um ein individuelles Therapieansprechen zu pr{\"a}dizieren.}, subject = {Depression}, language = {de} }