Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2024 May 24:nsae034. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsae034. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The ability to interpret face-emotion displays is critical for the development of adaptive social interactions. Using a novel variant of a computational model and fMRI data, we examined behavioral and neural associations between two metrics of face-emotion labeling (sensitivity and bias) and age in youth.

METHODS: Youth and adults (n=44, M age=20.02, SD=7.44, 8-36) completed an explicit face-emotion labeling fMRI task including happy to angry morphed face-emotions. A drift diffusion model was applied to choice and reaction time distributions to examine sensitivity and bias in interpreting face-emotions. Model fit and reliability of parameters were assessed on adult data (n=42). Linear and quadratic slopes modeled brain activity associated with dimensions of face-emotion valence and ambiguity during interpretation.

RESULTS: Behaviorally, age was associated with sensitivity. Age related to more pronounced neural responses to ambiguity in the bilateral anterior insula. Associations between sensitivity and bias metrics and activation patterns indicated that systems encoding face-emotion valence and ambiguity both contribute to the ability to discriminate face-emotions.

CONCLUSIONS: The current study provides evidence for age-related improvement in perceptual sensitivity to facial affect across adolescence and young adulthood.

PMID:38794949 | DOI:10.1093/scan/nsae034