Maurage Pierre, Campanella Salvatore, Philippot Pierre, Vermeulen Nicolas, Constant Eric, Luminet Olivier, de Timary Philippe
Catholic University of Louvain, 10 Place C. Mercier, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Int J Psychophysiol. 2008 Oct;70(1):50-62. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2008.05.572. Epub 2008 May 22.
Recent studies have shown that alcoholism is characterized by a deficit in the processing of emotional facial expressions (EFE), and that this deficit could be "emotion specific". The present study explored the hypothesis that there is a specific deficit for the EFE of anger compared to another negative emotion (disgust). Moreover, on the basis of event-related potentials (ERPs), this study aimed at determining the locus of this deficit in the information-processing stream.
Fifteen patients suffering from alcoholism and fifteen matched healthy controls took part in the study, which used a "modified emotional" oddball paradigm. ERPs were recorded in response to repetitions of a particular facial expression (i.e. anger) and in response to two deviant (rare) stimuli obtained by a morphing procedure, one depicting the same emotion as the frequent stimulus, the other depicting a different emotion (i.e. disgust). The participants' task was to press a key as soon as they spotted the deviant stimulus.
Behavioural data showed an absence of categorical perception effect for anger (but not for disgust) stimuli among alcoholic patients. Moreover, electrophysiological data revealed that alcoholism is associated with an impaired processing of anger at the attentional level (N2b/P3a complex), extending to the decisional level (P3b).
This study demonstrated disturbed processing of anger in alcoholism, at behavioural and electrophysiological levels. These preliminary results strengthen the proposition of a specific deficit for anger, and localize its possible origin to the attentional level (N2b/P3a complex) of the information processing stream. The clinical implications of these results are discussed.
近期研究表明，酒精中毒的特征是在处理情绪性面部表情（EFE）方面存在缺陷，并且这种缺陷可能是“特定情绪的”。本研究探讨了这样一种假设，即与另一种负面情绪（厌恶）相比，酒精中毒患者在处理愤怒的情绪性面部表情时存在特定缺陷。此外，基于事件相关电位（ERP），本研究旨在确定该缺陷在信息处理流程中的位置。
15名酒精中毒患者和15名匹配的健康对照者参与了本研究，该研究采用了“改良情绪”oddball范式。记录ERP以响应特定面部表情（即愤怒）的重复呈现，以及响应通过变形程序获得的两种偏差（罕见）刺激，一种描绘与频繁刺激相同的情绪，另一种描绘不同的情绪（即厌恶）。参与者的任务是一旦发现偏差刺激就按下按键。
行为数据显示，酒精中毒患者对愤怒（而非厌恶）刺激不存在类别知觉效应。此外，电生理数据表明，酒精中毒与在注意水平（N2b/P3a复合体）对愤怒的处理受损有关，这种受损延伸至决策水平（P3b）。
本研究在行为和电生理水平上均证明了酒精中毒患者对愤怒的处理存在障碍。这些初步结果强化了愤怒存在特定缺陷的观点，并将其可能的起源定位到信息处理流程的注意水平（N2b/P3a复合体）。讨论了这些结果的临床意义。
