Open AccessIndividual variation in neural correlates of sadness in children: A twin fMRI study
Author(s) -
Côté Catherine,
Beauregard Mario,
Girard Alain,
Mensour Boualem,
ManciniMarïe Adham,
Pérusse Daniel
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/hbm.20400
Subject(s) - sadness , psychology , functional magnetic resonance imaging , neuroimaging , prefrontal cortex , functional neuroimaging , variation (astronomy) , depression (economics) , neuroscience , developmental psychology , anger , clinical psychology , cognition , economics , macroeconomics , physics , astrophysics
Functional neuroimaging studies show substantial individual variation in brain activation accompanying the experience of emotion, including sadness. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 104 pairs of 8‐year‐old twins (47 MZ, 57 DZ) to assess genetic‐environmental contributions to individual differences in neural activation in two prefrontal cortex (PFC) areas previously shown to be involved in sadness. No genetic effects were found for any area, individual environmental factors entirely accounting for individual variation in brain activation related to sadness. Sadness being the prevailing mood in depression, these findings may be of relevance to the etiology of childhood depressive disorders. Hum Brain Mapp 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.