Titre du document / Document title

Scopolamine induces impairments in the recognition of human facial expressions of anger and disgust

Auteur(s) / Author(s)

KAMBOJ S. K. ⁽¹⁾ ; CURRAN H. V. ⁽¹⁾ ;

Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)

⁽¹⁾ Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Sub-Department of Clinical Health Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, ROYAUME-UNI

Résumé / Abstract

Rationale: Recent psychopharmacological studies lend support to the notion of partially dissociable neuronal systems dedicated to processing specific emotions. For example, GABA-ergic enhancement after an acute dose of the benzodiazepine, diazepam, produces specific impairments in anger and fear recognition. However, it is unclear if these impairments are a general property of benzodiazepines and other drugs that produce a similar profile of neurocognitive impairment to benzodiazepines, such as the anticholinergic, scopolamine. Objective: We investigated the effects of scopolamine and the benzodiazepine, lorazepam, on emotion-recognition accuracy. Methods: A double-blind independent group design was used with 48 healthy volunteers to compare the effects of scopolamine and lorazepam with an inactive placebo on a commonly used emotion-recognition task. Control measures included an episodic memory task and subjective mood ratings. Results: Anger and disgust recognition accuracy was impaired after scopolamine. In contrast, lorazepam produced no impairment in emotion-recognition despite producing similar levels of sedation and anterograde amnesia to scopolamine. Conclusions: Scopolamine-induced cholinergic hypofunction selectively impaired the recognition accuracy of disgust and anger facial expressions. The effects of scopolamine on emotion-recognition are similar to those found in Huntington's disease patients. Furthermore, the impairments in anger and fear recognition previously observed with diazepam do not appear to be a general property of benzodiazepines. This suggests that alterations in emotional processing involving changes in the ability to recognize threat-related emotions (particularly, fear and anger) may not be a principal mechanism underlying anxiolysis or paradoxical aggression seen with benzodiazepines.

Revue / Journal Title

Psychopharmacologia   ISSN 0033-3158   CODEN PSYPAG 

Source / Source

2006, vol. 185, n^o4, pp. 529-535 [7 page(s) (article)] (42 ref.)

Langue / Language

Anglais

Editeur / Publisher

Springer, Berlin, ALLEMAGNE  (1959) (Revue)

Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords

Alkaloid ; Disgust ; Hypnotic ; Psychotropic ; Benzodiazepine derivatives ; Tranquillizer ; Lorazepam ; Parasympatholytic ; Anger ; Face ; Emotion emotionality ; Facial expression ; Human ; Recognition ; Memory ; Hyoscine ;

Mots-clés français / French Keywords

Alcaloïde ; Dégoût ; Hypnotique ; Psychotrope ; Benzodiazépine dérivé ; Tranquillisant ; Lorazépam ; Parasympatholytique ; Colère ; Face ; Emotion émotivité ; Mimique ; Homme ; Reconnaissance ; Mémoire ; Scopolamine ;

Mots-clés espagnols / Spanish Keywords

Alcaloide ; Hipnótico ; Psicotropo ; Benzodiazepina derivado ; Tranquilizante ; Lorazepam ; Parasimpatolítico ; Ira ; Cara ; Emoción emotividad ; Mímica ; Hombre ; Reconocimiento ; Memoria ; Hioscina ;

Mots-clés d'auteur / Author Keywords

Emotion-recognition ; Disgust ; Anger ; Scopolamine ; Anticholinergic ; Lorazepam ; Benzodiazepine ;

Localisation / Location

INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 1761, 35400015678460.0150