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

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