@misc{WeymarVenturaBortWirkneretal.2018, author = {Weymar, Mathias and Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Wirkner, Janine and Wendt, Julia and Hamm, Alfons}, title = {Effects of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (TVNS) on unpleasant picture processing and long-term memory}, series = {Psychophysiology : journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research}, volume = {55}, journal = {Psychophysiology : journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0048-5772}, pages = {S18 -- S18}, year = {2018}, language = {en} } @misc{WeymarVenturaBortWirkneretal.2019, author = {Weymar, Mathias and Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Wirkner, Janine and Genheimer, Hannah and Wendt, Julia and Hamm, Alfons O.}, title = {Effects of Transcutaneous Vagus Vagus Nerve Stimulation (TVNS) on selective attentions and emotional episodic memory : findings from ERP research}, series = {Psychophysiology : journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research}, volume = {56}, journal = {Psychophysiology : journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0048-5772}, doi = {10.1111/psyp.13501}, pages = {S12 -- S12}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Recent research indicates that non- invasive stimulation of the afferent auricular vagal nerve (tVNS) may modulate various cognitive and affec-tive functions, likely via activation of the locus coeruleus- norepinephrine (LC- NE) system. In a series of ERP studies we found that the attention- related P300 component is enhanced during continuous vagal stimula-tion, compared to sham, which is also related to increased salivary alpha amylase levels (a putative indirect marker for central NE activation). In another study, we investigated the effect of continuous tVNS on the late positive potential (LPP), an electrophysiological index for motivated atten-tion toward emotionally evocative cues, and the effects of tVNS on later recognition memory (1- week delay). Here, vagal stimulation prompted earlier LPP differences (300- 500 ms) between unpleasant and neutral scenes. During retrieval, vagal stimulation significantly improved memory performance for unpleasant, but not neutral pictures, compared to sham stimulation, which was also related to enhanced salivary alpha amylase levels. In line, unpleasant images encoded under tVNS compared to sham stimulation also produced enhanced ERP old/new differences (500- 800 ms) during retrieval indicating better recollection. Taken together, our studies suggest that tVNS facilitates attention, learning and episodic memory, likely via afferent projections to the arousal- modulated LC- NE system. We will, however, also show data that point to critical stimulation parameters (likely duration and frequency) that need to be considered when applying tVNS}, language = {en} } @misc{WeymarVenturaBortWendtetal.2019, author = {Weymar, Mathias and Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Wendt, Julia and Lischke, Alexander}, title = {Behavioral and neural evidence of enhanced long-term memory for untrustworthy faces}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {594}, issn = {1866-8364}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-44292}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-442925}, pages = {10}, year = {2019}, abstract = {In daily life, we automatically form impressions of other individuals on basis of subtle facial features that convey trustworthiness. Because these face-based judgements influence current and future social interactions, we investigated how perceived trustworthiness of faces affects long-term memory using event-related potentials (ERPs). In the current study, participants incidentally viewed 60 neutral faces differing in trustworthiness, and one week later, performed a surprise recognition memory task, in which the same old faces were presented intermixed with novel ones. We found that after one week untrustworthy faces were better recognized than trustworthy faces and that untrustworthy faces prompted early (350-550 ms) enhanced frontal ERP old/new differences (larger positivity for correctly remembered old faces, compared to novel ones) during recognition. Our findings point toward an enhanced long-lasting, likely familiarity-based, memory for untrustworthy faces. Even when trust judgments about a person do not necessarily need to be accurate, a fast access to memories predicting potential harm may be important to guide social behaviour in daily life.}, language = {en} } @article{WeymarVenturaBortWendtetal.2019, author = {Weymar, Mathias and Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Wendt, Julia and Lischke, Alexander}, title = {Behavioral and neural evidence of enhanced long-term memory for untrustworthy faces}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {9}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, publisher = {Macmillan Publishers Limited}, address = {London}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-55705-7}, pages = {8}, year = {2019}, abstract = {In daily life, we automatically form impressions of other individuals on basis of subtle facial features that convey trustworthiness. Because these face-based judgements influence current and future social interactions, we investigated how perceived trustworthiness of faces affects long-term memory using event-related potentials (ERPs). In the current study, participants incidentally viewed 60 neutral faces differing in trustworthiness, and one week later, performed a surprise recognition memory task, in which the same old faces were presented intermixed with novel ones. We found that after one week untrustworthy faces were better recognized than trustworthy faces and that untrustworthy faces prompted early (350-550 ms) enhanced frontal ERP old/new differences (larger positivity for correctly remembered old faces, compared to novel ones) during recognition. Our findings point toward an enhanced long-lasting, likely familiarity-based, memory for untrustworthy faces. Even when trust judgments about a person do not necessarily need to be accurate, a fast access to memories predicting potential harm may be important to guide social behaviour in daily life.}, language = {en} } @misc{WeymarVenturaBortGenheimeretal.2017, author = {Weymar, Mathias and Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Genheimer, Hannah and Wirkner, Janine and Wendt, Julia and Hamm, Alfons O.}, title = {THE P300 AND THE LC-NE SYSTEM: NEW INSIGHTS FROM TRANSCUTANEOUS VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION (TVNS)}, series = {Psychophysiology : journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research}, volume = {54}, journal = {Psychophysiology : journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0048-5772}, pages = {S145 -- S145}, year = {2017}, language = {en} } @article{WendtWeymarJungeetal.2018, author = {Wendt, Julia and Weymar, Mathias and Junge, Martin and Hamm, Alfons O. and Lischke, Alexander}, title = {Heartfelt memories}, series = {Emotion : a new journal from the American Psychological Association}, volume = {19}, journal = {Emotion : a new journal from the American Psychological Association}, number = {1}, publisher = {American Psychological Association}, address = {Washington}, issn = {1528-3542}, doi = {10.1037/emo0000396}, pages = {178 -- 182}, year = {2018}, abstract = {During social interactions, we rapidly judge others' trustworthiness on basis of their facial characteristics. Face-based trustworthiness judgments may not only affect our current but also our future interactions because we seem to be more inclined to remember untrustworthy than trustworthy faces. Memory formation of salient stimuli like untrustworthy faces may be modulated by the interplay between the autonomic and central nervous system, which can be indexed by changes in vagally mediated heart rate variability (HRV). To test this assumption, we investigated whether differences in HRV would be associated with differences in memory formation of untrustworthy faces in a sample of healthy participants (n = 34, all female). Untrustworthy faces were remembered more accurately than trustworthy faces, albeit only by participants with high and not low HRV. Across participants, increased memory accuracy for untrustworthy faces was associated with increased HRV. We discuss these findings in the context of neurobiological theories regarding the interplay between the autonomic and central nervous system during the regulation of autonomic, emotional and cognitive processes. (PsycInfo Database Record}, language = {en} } @article{WendtMorriss2022, author = {Wendt, Julia and Morriss, Jayne}, title = {An examination of intolerance of uncertainty and contingency instruction on multiple indices during threat acquisition and extinction training}, series = {International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology}, volume = {177}, journal = {International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam [u.a.]}, issn = {0167-8760}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.05.005}, pages = {171 -- 178}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Individuals who score high in self-reported Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) tend to find uncertainty aversive. Prior research has demonstrated that under uncertainty individuals with high IU display difficulties in updating learned threat associations to safety associations. Importantly, recent research has shown that providing contingency instructions about threat and safety contingencies (i.e. reducing uncertainty) to individuals with high IU promotes the updating of learned threat associations to safety associations. Here we aimed to conceptually replicate IU and contingency instruction-based effects by conducting a secondary analysis of self-reported IU, ratings, skin conductance, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data recorded during uninstructed/instructed blocks of threat acquisition and threat extinction training (n = 48). Generally, no significant associations were observed between self-reported IU and differential responding to learned threat and safety cues for any measure during uninstructed/instructed blocks of threat acquisition and threat extinction training. There was some tentative evidence that higher IU was associated with greater ratings of unpleasantness and arousal to the safety cue after the experiment and greater skin conductance response to the safety cue during extinction generally. Potential explanations for these null effects and directions for future research are discussed.}, language = {en} } @article{WendtLoewWeymaretal.2017, author = {Wendt, Julia and Loew, Andreas and Weymar, Mathias and Lotze, Martin and Hamm, Alfons O.}, title = {Active avoidance and attentive freezing in the face of approaching threat}, series = {NeuroImage : a journal of brain function}, volume = {158}, journal = {NeuroImage : a journal of brain function}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {San Diego}, issn = {1053-8119}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.06.054}, pages = {196 -- 204}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Defensive behaviors in animals and humans vary dynamically with increasing proximity of a threat and depending upon the behavioral repertoire at hand. The current study investigated physiological and behavioral adjustments and associated brain activation when participants were exposed to dynamically approaching threat that was either inevitable or could be avoided by motor action. When the approaching threat was inevitable, attentive freezing was observed as indicated by fear bradycardia, startle potentiation, and a dynamic increase in activation of the anterior insula and the periaqueductal grey. In preparation for active avoidance a switch in defensive behavior was observed characterized by startle inhibition and heart rate acceleration along with potentiated activation of the amygdala and the periaqueductal grey. Importantly, the modulation of defensive behavior according to threat imminence and the behavioral option at hand was associated with activity changes in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. These findings improve our understanding of brain mechanisms guiding human behavior during approaching threat depending on available resources.}, language = {en} } @article{WendtHufenbachKoenigetal.2020, author = {Wendt, Julia and Hufenbach, Miriam Catrin and K{\"o}nig, J{\"o}rg and Hamm, Alfons O.}, title = {Effects of verbal instructions and physical threat removal prior to extinction training on the return of conditioned fear}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {10}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, publisher = {Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature}, address = {London}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-57934-7}, pages = {14}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Instructions given prior to extinction training facilitate the extinction of conditioned skin conductance (SCRs) and fear-potentiated startle responses (FPSs) and serve as laboratory models for cognitive interventions implemented in exposure-based treatments of pathological anxiety. Here, we investigated how instructions given prior to extinction training, with or without the additional removal of the electrode used to deliver the unconditioned stimulus (US), affect the return of fear assessed 24 hours later. We replicated previous instruction effects on extinction and added that the additional removal of the US electrode slightly enhanced facilitating effects on the extinction of conditioned FPSs. In contrast, extinction instructions hardly affected the return of conditioned fear responses. These findings suggest that instruction effects observed during extinction training do not extent to tests of return of fear 24 hours later which serve as laboratory models of relapse and improvement stability of exposure-based treatments.}, language = {en} } @misc{WendtHufenbachKoenigetal.2020, author = {Wendt, Julia and Hufenbach, Miriam Catrin and K{\"o}nig, J{\"o}rg and Hamm, Alfons O.}, title = {Effects of verbal instructions and physical threat removal prior to extinction training on the return of conditioned fear}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {599}, issn = {1866-8364}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-44479}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-444796}, pages = {16}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Instructions given prior to extinction training facilitate the extinction of conditioned skin conductance (SCRs) and fear-potentiated startle responses (FPSs) and serve as laboratory models for cognitive interventions implemented in exposure-based treatments of pathological anxiety. Here, we investigated how instructions given prior to extinction training, with or without the additional removal of the electrode used to deliver the unconditioned stimulus (US), affect the return of fear assessed 24 hours later. We replicated previous instruction effects on extinction and added that the additional removal of the US electrode slightly enhanced facilitating effects on the extinction of conditioned FPSs. In contrast, extinction instructions hardly affected the return of conditioned fear responses. These findings suggest that instruction effects observed during extinction training do not extent to tests of return of fear 24 hours later which serve as laboratory models of relapse and improvement stability of exposure-based treatments.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{WendtHufenbach2021, author = {Wendt, Julia and Hufenbach, Miriam Catrin}, title = {Trait anxiety and conditioned responding: role of the US work-up procedure?}, series = {Psychophysiology : journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research}, volume = {58}, booktitle = {Psychophysiology : journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1469-8986}, pages = {S61 -- S61}, year = {2021}, language = {en} } @article{VenturaBortWirknerWendtetal.2021, author = {Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Wirkner, Janine and Wendt, Julia and Hamm, Alfons O. and Weymar, Mathias}, title = {Establishment of emotional memories is mediated by vagal nerve activation}, series = {The journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience}, volume = {41}, journal = {The journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience}, number = {36}, publisher = {Society for Neuroscience}, address = {Washington, DC}, issn = {1529-2401}, doi = {10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2329-20.2021}, pages = {7636 -- 7648}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Emotional memories are better remembered than neutral ones, but the mechanisms leading to this memory bias are not well under-stood in humans yet. Based on animal research, it is suggested that the memory-enhancing effect of emotion is based on central nor-adrenergic release, which is triggered by afferent vagal nerve activation. To test the causal link between vagus nerve activation and emotional memory in humans, we applied continuous noninvasive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) during exposure to emotional arousing and neutral scenes and tested subsequent, long-term recognition memory after 1 week. We found that taVNS, compared with sham, increased recollection-based memory performance for emotional, but not neutral, material. These findings were complemented by larger recollection-related brain potentials (parietal ERP Old/New effect) during retrieval of emotional scenes encoded under taVNS, compared with sham. Furthermore, brain potentials recorded during encoding also revealed that taVNS facilitated early attentional discrimination between emotional and neutral scenes. Extending animal research, our behavioral and neu-ral findings confirm a modulatory influence of the vagus nerve in emotional memory formation in humans.}, language = {en} } @misc{VenturaBortWirknerGenheimeretal.2018, author = {Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Wirkner, Janine and Genheimer, Hannah and Wendt, Julia and Hamm, Alfons O. and Weymar, Mathias}, title = {Effects of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS) on the P300 and Alpha-Amylase Level}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {473}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-419259}, pages = {12}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Recent research suggests that the P3b may be closely related to the activation of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system. To further study the potential association, we applied a novel technique, the non-invasive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), which is speculated to increase noradrenaline levels. Using a within-subject cross-over design, 20 healthy participants received continuous tVNS and sham stimulation on two consecutive days (stimulation counterbalanced across participants) while performing a visual oddball task. During stimulation, oval non-targets (standard), normal-head (easy) and rotated-head (difficult) targets, as well as novel stimuli (scenes) were presented. As an indirect marker of noradrenergic activation we also collected salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) before and after stimulation. Results showed larger P3b amplitudes for target, relative to standard stimuli, irrespective of stimulation condition. Exploratory post hoc analyses, however, revealed that, in comparison to standard stimuli, easy (but not difficult) targets produced larger P3b (but not P3a) amplitudes during active tVNS, compared to sham stimulation. For sAA levels, although main analyses did not show differential effects of stimulation, direct testing revealed that tVNS (but not sham stimulation) increased sAA levels after stimulation. Additionally, larger differences between tVNS and sham stimulation in P3b magnitudes for easy targets were associated with larger increase in sAA levels after tVNS, but not after sham stimulation. Despite preliminary evidence for a modulatory influence of tVNS on the P3b, which may be partly mediated by activation of the noradrenergic system, additional research in this field is clearly warranted. Future studies need to clarify whether tVNS also facilitates other processes, such as learning and memory, and whether tVNS can be used as therapeutic tool.}, language = {en} } @article{VenturaBortWirknerGenheimeretal.2018, author = {Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Wirkner, Janine and Genheimer, Hannah and Wendt, Julia and Hamm, Alfons O. and Weymar, Mathias}, title = {Effects of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS) on the P300 and Alpha-Amylase Level}, series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, publisher = {Frontiers Research Foundation}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {1662-5161}, doi = {10.3389/fnhum.2018.00202}, pages = {1 -- 12}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Recent research suggests that the P3b may be closely related to the activation of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system. To further study the potential association, we applied a novel technique, the non-invasive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), which is speculated to increase noradrenaline levels. Using a within-subject cross-over design, 20 healthy participants received continuous tVNS and sham stimulation on two consecutive days (stimulation counterbalanced across participants) while performing a visual oddball task. During stimulation, oval non-targets (standard), normal-head (easy) and rotated-head (difficult) targets, as well as novel stimuli (scenes) were presented. As an indirect marker of noradrenergic activation we also collected salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) before and after stimulation. Results showed larger P3b amplitudes for target, relative to standard stimuli, irrespective of stimulation condition. Exploratory post hoc analyses, however, revealed that, in comparison to standard stimuli, easy (but not difficult) targets produced larger P3b (but not P3a) amplitudes during active tVNS, compared to sham stimulation. For sAA levels, although main analyses did not show differential effects of stimulation, direct testing revealed that tVNS (but not sham stimulation) increased sAA levels after stimulation. Additionally, larger differences between tVNS and sham stimulation in P3b magnitudes for easy targets were associated with larger increase in sAA levels after tVNS, but not after sham stimulation. Despite preliminary evidence for a modulatory influence of tVNS on the P3b, which may be partly mediated by activation of the noradrenergic system, additional research in this field is clearly warranted. Future studies need to clarify whether tVNS also facilitates other processes, such as learning and memory, and whether tVNS can be used as therapeutic tool.}, language = {en} } @article{VenturaBortWirknerDolcosetal.2019, author = {Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Wirkner, Janine and Dolcos, Florin and Wendt, Julia and Hamm, Alfons O. and Weymar, Mathias}, title = {Enhanced spontaneous retrieval of cues from emotional events: an ERP study}, series = {Biological psychology}, volume = {148}, journal = {Biological psychology}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0301-0511}, doi = {10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107742}, pages = {7}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Recent evidence points to enhanced episodic memory retrieval not only for emotional items but also for neutral information encoded in emotional contexts. However, prior research only tested instructed explicit recognition, and hence here we investigated whether memory retrieval is also heightened for cues from emotional contexts when retrieval is not explicitly probed. During the first session of a two-session experiment, neutral objects were presented on different background scenes varying in emotional and neutral contents. One week later, objects were presented again (with no background) intermixed with novel objects. In both sessions, participants were instructed to attentively watch the stimuli (free viewing procedure), and during the second session, ERPs were also collected to measure the ERP Old/New effect, an electrophysiological correlate of episodic memory retrieval. Analyses were performed using cluster-based permutation tests in order to identify reliable spatiotemporal ERP differences. Based on this approach, old relative to new objects, were associated with larger ERP positivity in an early (364-744 ms) and late time window (760-1148 ms) over distinct central electrode clusters. Interestingly, significant late ERP Old/New differences were only observed for objects previously encoded with emotional, but not neutral scenes (504 to 1144 ms). Because these ERP differences were observed in a non-instructed retrieval context, our results indicate that long-term, spontaneous retrieval for neutral objects, is particularly heightened if encoded within emotionally salient contextual information. These findings may assist in understanding mechanisms underlying spontaneous retrieval of emotional associates and the utility of ERPs to study maladaptive involuntary memories in trauma- and stress-related disorders.}, language = {en} } @misc{VenturaBortWendtWeymar2021, author = {Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Wendt, Julia and Weymar, Mathias}, title = {The Role of Interoceptive Sensibility and Emotional Conceptualization for the Experience of Emotions}, series = {Zweitver{\"o}ffentlichungen der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Zweitver{\"o}ffentlichungen der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, issn = {1866-8364}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-55280}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-552802}, pages = {1 -- 15}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The theory of constructed emotions suggests that different psychological components, including core affect (mental and neural representations of bodily changes), and conceptualization (meaning-making based on prior experiences and semantic knowledge), are involved in the formation of emotions. However, little is known about their role in experiencing emotions. In the current study, we investigated how individual differences in interoceptive sensibility and emotional conceptualization (as potential correlates of these components) interact to moderate three important aspects of emotional experiences: emotional intensity (strength of emotion felt), arousal (degree of activation), and granularity (ability to differentiate emotions with precision). To this end, participants completed a series of questionnaires assessing interoceptive sensibility and emotional conceptualization and underwent two emotion experience tasks, which included standardized material (emotion differentiation task; ED task) and self-experienced episodes (day reconstruction method; DRM). Correlational analysis showed that individual differences in interoceptive sensibility and emotional conceptualization were related to each other. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed two independent factors that were referred to as sensibility and monitoring. The Sensibility factor, interpreted as beliefs about the accuracy of an individual in detecting internal physiological and emotional states, predicted higher granularity for negative words. The Monitoring factor, interpreted as the tendency to focus on the internal states of an individual, was negatively related to emotional granularity and intensity. Additionally, Sensibility scores were more strongly associated with greater well-being and adaptability measures than Monitoring scores. Our results indicate that independent processes underlying individual differences in interoceptive sensibility and emotional conceptualization contribute to emotion experiencing.}, language = {en} } @article{VenturaBortWendtWeymar2021, author = {Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Wendt, Julia and Weymar, Mathias}, title = {The Role of Interoceptive Sensibility and Emotional Conceptualization for the Experience of Emotions}, series = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, publisher = {Frontiers Research Foundation}, address = {Lausanne, Schweiz}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2021.712418}, pages = {1 -- 15}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The theory of constructed emotions suggests that different psychological components, including core affect (mental and neural representations of bodily changes), and conceptualization (meaning-making based on prior experiences and semantic knowledge), are involved in the formation of emotions. However, little is known about their role in experiencing emotions. In the current study, we investigated how individual differences in interoceptive sensibility and emotional conceptualization (as potential correlates of these components) interact to moderate three important aspects of emotional experiences: emotional intensity (strength of emotion felt), arousal (degree of activation), and granularity (ability to differentiate emotions with precision). To this end, participants completed a series of questionnaires assessing interoceptive sensibility and emotional conceptualization and underwent two emotion experience tasks, which included standardized material (emotion differentiation task; ED task) and self-experienced episodes (day reconstruction method; DRM). Correlational analysis showed that individual differences in interoceptive sensibility and emotional conceptualization were related to each other. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed two independent factors that were referred to as sensibility and monitoring. The Sensibility factor, interpreted as beliefs about the accuracy of an individual in detecting internal physiological and emotional states, predicted higher granularity for negative words. The Monitoring factor, interpreted as the tendency to focus on the internal states of an individual, was negatively related to emotional granularity and intensity. Additionally, Sensibility scores were more strongly associated with greater well-being and adaptability measures than Monitoring scores. Our results indicate that independent processes underlying individual differences in interoceptive sensibility and emotional conceptualization contribute to emotion experiencing.}, language = {en} } @article{VenturaBortSchnabelWendtetal.2020, author = {Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Schnabel, Ella and Wendt, Julia and Weymar, Mathias}, title = {Influence of resting heart rate variability on affect processing in different induction contexts}, series = {Psychophysiology : journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research}, volume = {57}, journal = {Psychophysiology : journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Malden}, issn = {0048-5772}, pages = {S39 -- S39}, year = {2020}, language = {en} } @article{VenturaBortDolcosWendtetal.2017, author = {Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Dolcos, Florin and Wendt, Julia and Wirkner, Janine and Hamm, Alfons O. and Weymar, Mathias}, title = {Item and source memory for emotional associates is mediated by different retrieval processes}, series = {Neuropsychologia : an international journal in behavioural and cognitive neuroscience}, volume = {145}, journal = {Neuropsychologia : an international journal in behavioural and cognitive neuroscience}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0028-3932}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.12.015}, pages = {11}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Recent event-related potential (ERP) data showed that neutral objects encoded in emotional background pictures were better remembered than objects encoded in neutral contexts, when recognition memory was tested one week later. In the present study, we investigated whether this long-term memory advantage for items is also associated with correct memory for contextual source details. Furthermore, we were interested in the possibly dissociable contribution of familiarity and recollection processes (using a Remember/Know procedure). The results revealed that item memory performance was mainly driven by the subjective experience of familiarity, irrespective of whether the objects were previously encoded in emotional or neutral contexts. Correct source memory for the associated background picture, however, was driven by recollection and enhanced when the content was emotional. In ERPs, correctly recognized old objects evoked frontal ERP Old/New effects (300-500 ms), irrespective of context category. As in our previous study (Ventura-Bort et al., 2016b), retrieval for objects from emotional contexts was associated with larger parietal Old/New differences (600-800 ms), indicating stronger involvement of recollection. Thus, the results suggest a stronger contribution of recollection-based retrieval to item and contextual background source memory for neutral information associated with an emotional event.}, language = {en} } @article{SzeskaRichterWendtetal.2020, author = {Szeska, Christoph and Richter, Jan and Wendt, Julia and Weymar, Mathias and Hamm, Alfons O.}, title = {Promoting long-term inhibition of human fear responses by non-invasive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation during extinction training}, series = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, journal = {Scientific reports}, number = {1}, publisher = {Nature Publishing Group}, address = {London}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-58412-w}, pages = {16}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Inhibiting fear-related thoughts and defensive behaviors when they are no longer appropriate to the situation is a prerequisite for flexible and adaptive responding to changing environments. Such inhibition of defensive systems is mediated by ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), limbic basolateral amygdala (BLA), and brain stem locus-coeruleus noradrenergic system (LC-NAs). Non-invasive, transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) has shown to activate this circuit. Using a multiple-day single-cue fear conditioning and extinction paradigm, we investigated long-term effects of tVNS on inhibition of low-level amygdala modulated fear potentiated startle and cognitive risk assessments. We found that administration of tVNS during extinction training facilitated inhibition of fear potentiated startle responses and cognitive risk assessments, resulting in facilitated formation, consolidation and long-term recall of extinction memory, and prevention of the return of fear. These findings might indicate new ways to increase the efficacy of exposure-based treatments of anxiety disorders.}, language = {en} }