Emotional disorders including anxiety and depression are among the most prevalent and devastating disorders. Endocrine and physiological-related studies have suggested several biomarkers such as salivary cortisone and heart rate variability for depression and anxiety. Neuroimaging studies using different approaches including EEG, ERP, and fMRI also determine multiple neural biomarkers for emotional disorders. While physiological, structural, and resting-state fMRI research demonstrates the intrinsic alterations in these disorders, task-related behavioral and neuroimaging studies allow us to determine the specific dysfunctions during task processing. In fact, a large body of studies have found that these disorders are characterized by impairments in emotion regulation and cognitive executive functions, particularly when social-related information is involved. This suggests that social processing may also have utility as a biomarker for emotional disorders. For example, converging studies have demonstrated that patients with depression or anxiety showed an attentional bias for and difficulties disengaging from social, specifically negative social, but not non-social stimuli. In addition, social feedback processing has been found as a biomarker for depression and anxiety as well. These results indicate that aberrant social processing maybe the potential mechanism underlying the uncontrollable negative mood in emotional disorders.
Emotional disorders have led to personal and familial tragedies however, unfortunately, current pharmacological and behavioral treatments are not effective enough. Therefore, investigating novel particularly non-invasive novel interventions is still of great importance. Recent studies indicated that oxytocin and vasopressin increased attention toward social stimuli and may contribute to emotional disorders. Research targeting brain modulation such as real-time neurofeedback and TMS also showed positive results. Although those interventions look promising, they are still at a very initial stage and need more evidence to interpret the mechanism and improve the treatment strategy.
To improve our understanding of if and how social processing function is impaired in emotional disorders and how noninvasive treatment may contribute to normalizing it, the current research topic welcomes submissions of original research articles as well as review/viewpoint articles that can bring new progress to this field.
Specific themes we strongly suggest addressing may include (but not limited to) the following:
-Behavioral and eye-tracking studies relevant to social processing in subclinical and clinical subjects.
-Neuroimaging studies using EEG, ERP, fMRI, fNIRS, and PET to explore social-related biomarkers and potential interventions for subclinical and clinical emotional disorders.
-Brain stimulating interventions such as TMS, tDCS, DBS and their effect on social processing in subclinical and clinical emotional disorders.
-Pharmacology (e.g., oxytocin, vasopressin, losartan...) interventions
-Behavioral, brain, and brain-behavior biomarkers of treatment response.
-The brain pathways that respond to social processing in emotional disorders.
Emotional disorders including anxiety and depression are among the most prevalent and devastating disorders. Endocrine and physiological-related studies have suggested several biomarkers such as salivary cortisone and heart rate variability for depression and anxiety. Neuroimaging studies using different approaches including EEG, ERP, and fMRI also determine multiple neural biomarkers for emotional disorders. While physiological, structural, and resting-state fMRI research demonstrates the intrinsic alterations in these disorders, task-related behavioral and neuroimaging studies allow us to determine the specific dysfunctions during task processing. In fact, a large body of studies have found that these disorders are characterized by impairments in emotion regulation and cognitive executive functions, particularly when social-related information is involved. This suggests that social processing may also have utility as a biomarker for emotional disorders. For example, converging studies have demonstrated that patients with depression or anxiety showed an attentional bias for and difficulties disengaging from social, specifically negative social, but not non-social stimuli. In addition, social feedback processing has been found as a biomarker for depression and anxiety as well. These results indicate that aberrant social processing maybe the potential mechanism underlying the uncontrollable negative mood in emotional disorders.
Emotional disorders have led to personal and familial tragedies however, unfortunately, current pharmacological and behavioral treatments are not effective enough. Therefore, investigating novel particularly non-invasive novel interventions is still of great importance. Recent studies indicated that oxytocin and vasopressin increased attention toward social stimuli and may contribute to emotional disorders. Research targeting brain modulation such as real-time neurofeedback and TMS also showed positive results. Although those interventions look promising, they are still at a very initial stage and need more evidence to interpret the mechanism and improve the treatment strategy.
To improve our understanding of if and how social processing function is impaired in emotional disorders and how noninvasive treatment may contribute to normalizing it, the current research topic welcomes submissions of original research articles as well as review/viewpoint articles that can bring new progress to this field.
Specific themes we strongly suggest addressing may include (but not limited to) the following:
-Behavioral and eye-tracking studies relevant to social processing in subclinical and clinical subjects.
-Neuroimaging studies using EEG, ERP, fMRI, fNIRS, and PET to explore social-related biomarkers and potential interventions for subclinical and clinical emotional disorders.
-Brain stimulating interventions such as TMS, tDCS, DBS and their effect on social processing in subclinical and clinical emotional disorders.
-Pharmacology (e.g., oxytocin, vasopressin, losartan...) interventions
-Behavioral, brain, and brain-behavior biomarkers of treatment response.
-The brain pathways that respond to social processing in emotional disorders.