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The role of the cannabinoid receptor in adolescents′ processing of facial expressions
Author(s) -
Ewald Anais,
Becker Susanne,
Heinrich Angela,
Banaschewski Tobias,
Poustka Luise,
Bokde Arun,
Büchel Christian,
Bromberg Uli,
Cattrell Anna,
Conrod Patricia,
Desrivières Sylvane,
Frouin Vincent,
PapadopoulosOrfanos Dimitri,
Gallinat Jürgen,
Garavan Hugh,
Heinz Andreas,
Walter Henrik,
Ittermann Bernd,
Gowland Penny,
Paus Tomáš,
Martinot JeanLuc,
Paillère Martinot MarieLaure,
Smolka Michael N.,
Vetter Nora,
Whelan Rob,
Schumann Gunter,
Flor Herta,
Nees Frauke
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/ejn.13118
Subject(s) - sadness , psychology , disgust , facial expression , anger , insula , happiness , functional magnetic resonance imaging , amygdala , emotional expression , emotion classification , association (psychology) , developmental psychology , cognitive psychology , neuroscience , clinical psychology , social psychology , communication , psychotherapist
Abstract The processing of emotional faces is an important prerequisite for adequate social interactions in daily life, and might thus specifically be altered in adolescence, a period marked by significant changes in social emotional processing. Previous research has shown that the cannabinoid receptor CB 1R is associated with longer gaze duration and increased brain responses in the striatum to happy faces in adults, yet, for adolescents, it is not clear whether an association between CBR 1 and face processing exists. In the present study we investigated genetic effects of the two CB 1R polymorphisms, rs1049353 and rs806377, on the processing of emotional faces in healthy adolescents. They participated in functional magnetic resonance imaging during a Faces Task, watching blocks of video clips with angry and neutral facial expressions, and completed a Morphed Faces Task in the laboratory where they looked at different facial expressions that switched from anger to fear or sadness or from happiness to fear or sadness, and labelled them according to these four emotional expressions. A‐allele versus GG ‐carriers in rs1049353 displayed earlier recognition of facial expressions changing from anger to sadness or fear, but not for expressions changing from happiness to sadness or fear, and higher brain responses to angry, but not neutral, faces in the amygdala and insula. For rs806377 no significant effects emerged. This suggests that rs1049353 is involved in the processing of negative facial expressions with relation to anger in adolescence. These findings add to our understanding of social emotion‐related mechanisms in this life period.