Spring 2022, PY 630: Affective Neuroscience

Instructor: Dr. Caitlin M. Hudac (she/her/hers)
Email: cmhudac [at] ua.edu 
Student hours: After class until 12 pm

​Prerequisites: Clinical Psychology students are required to take PY 629 (Biological Bases of Behavior) prior to this course. Other students may request an override of this pre-requisite with professor permission if the student has completed complimentary coursework.

Required text:
None -- only primary source readings
Last semester's website

Course description: This course will overview of the principles, theory, and applications of human affective neuroscience. The course introduce theory and research in major areas of affective neuroscience, including cross-level integration of biological data, including neural and physiological data. The course will describe laboratory techniques and methodological principles in human affective neuroscience methods and will include demonstrations. Readings will include introductions to topics and relevant selections from the current literature. The basis of the course will involve a combination of lecture and discussions co-facilitated by students and the professor.

Syllabus for Spring 2022:
Final syllabus

Example of 3-minute thesis  ​

​Planned schedule of topics, reading, and assignment due dates

• C01 Wed 1/12: Introduction to course; Importance of affective neuroscience
• NO CLASS Mon 1/17: MLK Observance 
• C02 Wed 1/19: What is emotion? What is affect? Major theories and the link to cognition. C02 slides
  • Reading 1: Shackman, A. J., & Wager, T. D. (2019). The emotional brain: Fundamental questions and strategies for future research. Neuroscience letters, 693, 68-74.
    Reading 2: Dalgleish, T., Dunn, B. D., & Mobbs, D. (2009). Affective neuroscience: Past, present, and future. Emotion Review, 1(4), 355-368.
• C03 Mon 1/24: Discussion class -- continuation of readings from C02; plus Reading 3: 
  • Reading 3: LeDoux, J. (2012). Rethinking the emotional brain. Neuron, 73(4), 653-676.
• C04 Wed 1/26: The anatomy of feelings: Autonomic nervous system and neuroanatomy. C03 slides
  • Reading 1: Feinstein, J. S., Adolphs, R., Damasio, A., & Tranel, D. (2011). The human amygdala and the induction and experience of fear. Current biology, 21(1), 34-38.
  • Reading 2: Lindquist, K. A., & Barrett, L. F. (2012). A functional architecture of the human brain: emerging insights from the science of emotion. Trends in cognitive sciences, 16(11), 533-540.
• C05 Mon 1/31: Discussion class -- continuation of readings from C04
  • ​Short essay will be assigned
• C06 Wed 2/2: Emotion perception - fMRI/fNIRS and the BOLD signal. C06 slides. ​Supplemental papers that may be helpful:
  • ​Yücel, M. A., Lühmann, A. V., Scholkmann, F., Gervain, J., Dan, I., Ayaz, H., ... & Wolf, M. (2021). Best practices for fNIRS publications. Neurophotonics, 8(1), 012101.
  • Dubois, J., & Adolphs, R. (2016). Building a science of individual differences from fMRI. Trends in cognitive sciences, 20(6), 425-443.
• C07 Mon 2/7: fMRI/fNIRS demonstration @ Capital Hall 1630 with the NERD Lab
• C08 Wed 2/9: Discussion:
  • Reading 1: Kluczniok, D., Hindi Attar, C., Stein, J., Poppinga, S., Fydrich, T., Jaite, C., ... & Bermpohl, F. (2017). Dissociating maternal responses to sad and happy facial expressions of their own child: An fMRI study. PloS one, 12(8), e0182476.
  • Reading 2:  Zhang, D., Zhou, Y., & Yuan, J. (2018). Speech prosodies of different emotional categories activate different brain regions in adult cortex: an fNIRS study. Scientific reports, 8(1), 1-11.
• C09 Mon 2/14: Emotion perception - Basic physiology, eye tracking. C09 Slides Supplemental papers :
  • ​Carter, B. T., & Luke, S. G. (2020). Best practices in eye tracking research. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 155, 49-62.
  • Egger, M., Ley, M., & Hanke, S. (2019). Emotion recognition from physiological signal analysis: A review. Electronic Notes in Theoretical Computer Science, 343, 35-55.
• C10 Wed 2/16: Emotion perception - Electrophysiology (EEG/ERP). C10 Slides - EEG/ERP Ref Guide. Supplemental papers:
  • ​Hinojosa, J. A., Mercado, F., & Carretié, L. (2015). N170 sensitivity to facial expression: A meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 55, 498-509.
  • Webb, S. J., Bernier, R., Henderson, H. A., Johnson, M. H., Jones, E. J., Lerner, M. D., ... & Westerfield, M. (2015). Guidelines and best practices for electrophysiological data collection, analysis and reporting in autism. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 45(2), 425-443.
• C11 Mon 2/21: EEG/ET demonstration @ CYDI, McMillan Hall Clinical suite (straight ahead after entering the building)
  • ​Short test will be opened
• C12 Wed 2/23: Discussion:
  • Reading 1: Chilver, M. R., Park, H. R., Schofield, P. R., Clark, C. R., Williams, L. M., & Gatt, J. M. (2022). Emotional face processing correlates with depression/anxiety symptoms but not wellbeing in non-clinical adults: An event-related potential study. Journal of psychiatric research, 145, 18-26.
  • Reading 2: Van der Donck, S., Vettori, S., Dzhelyova, M., Mahdi, S. S., Claes, P., Steyaert, J., & Boets, B. (2021). Investigating automatic emotion processing in boys with autism via eye tracking and facial mimicry recordings. Autism Research.
• C13 Mon 2/28: Role of cognition and attention (Caitlin) - C13 Slides. C13 Lecture
  • ​Ochsner, K. N., & Gross, J. J. (2005). The cognitive control of emotion. Trends in cognitive sciences, 9(5), 242-249.
  • Oliveira, L., Mocaiber, I., David, I. A., Erthal, F., Volchan, E., & Pereira, M. (2013). Emotion and attention interaction: a trade-off between stimuli relevance, motivation and individual differences. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 364.
• C14 Wed 3/2: Role of cognition and attention - Discussion with MB, TL​
  • Reading 1: Yuan, J., Zhang, Q., & Cui, L. (2021). Disgust face captures more attention in individuals with high social anxiety when cognitive resources are abundant: Evidence from N2pc. Neuropsychologia, 151, 107731.
  • Reading 2: Aleksandrowicz, A., Hagenmuller, F., Haker, H., Heekeren, K., Theodoridou, A., Walitza, S., ... & Kawohl, W. (2020). Frontal brain activity in individuals at risk for schizophrenic psychosis and bipolar disorder during the emotional Stroop task–an fNIRS study. NeuroImage: Clinical, 26, 102232.
• C15 Mon 3/7: Emotion and affect regulation (Caitlin) C15 Slides
• C16 Wed 3/9: Emotion and affect regulation - Discussion with HL, FM
  • Reading 1: Bartholomew, M. E., Yee, C. M., Heller, W., Miller, G. A., & Spielberg, J. M. (2019). Reconfiguration of brain networks supporting inhibition of emotional challenge. NeuroImage, 186, 350-357.
  • Reading 2: Hu, X., Zhuang, C., Wang, F., Liu, Y. J., Im, C. H., & Zhang, D. (2019). fNIRS evidence for recognizably different positive emotions. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 13, 120.
• Mon 3/14: NO CLASS - Spring break
• Wed 3/16: NO CLASS - Spring break
• C17 Mon 3/21: Guest conversation: Dr. Andrea Glenn - Biological foundations for interventions (and hormones)​
  • Reading 1: Glenn, A. L. (2019). Using biological factors to individualize interventions for youth with conduct problems: current state and ethical issues. International journal of law and psychiatry, 65, 101348.
• C18 Wed 3/23: Elicitation of affective experiences (Caitlin) C18 Slides
• C19 Mon 3/28: Elicitation of affective experiences - Discussion with AB, KS
  • Reading 1: Olié, E., Husky, M., Le Bars, E., Deverdun, J., de Champfleur, N. M., Crespo, A. A., ... & Courtet, P. (2021). Prefrontal activity during experimental ostracism and daily psychache in suicide attempters. Journal of affective disorders, 285, 63-68.
  • Reading 2: Mischkowski, D., Palacios-Barrios, E. E., Banker, L., Dildine, T. C., & Atlas, L. Y. (2018). Pain or nociception? Subjective experience mediates the effects of acute noxious heat on autonomic responses. Pain, 159(4), 699.
• C20 Wed 3/30: Response to stress and interactions with health (Caitlin)
• C21 Mon 4/4: Response to stress and interactions with health - Discussion with AF, AW
  • Watch TED Talk ahead of class: https://www.ted.com/talks/amishi_jha_how_to_tame_your_wandering_mind?language=en
  • Reading 1: Kim, P., Evans, G. W., Angstadt, M., Ho, S. S., Sripada, C. S., Swain, J. E., ... & Phan, K. L. (2013). Effects of childhood poverty and chronic stress on emotion regulatory brain function in adulthood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(46), 18442-18447.
  • Reading 2: Dutcher, J. M., Boyle, C. C., Eisenberger, N. I., Cole, S. W., & Bower, J. E. (2021). Neural responses to threat and reward and changes in inflammation following a mindfulness intervention. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 125, 105114.
• C22 Wed 4/6: Utility of affective neuroscience as treatment (Caitlin)
• C23 Mon 4/11: Utility of affective neuroscience as treatment - Discussion class with AR, JH
  • Reading 1: Rosenbaum, D., Kroczek, A. M., Hudak, J., Rubel, J., Maier, M. J., Sorg, T., ... & Ehlis, A. C. (2020). Neural correlates of mindful emotion regulation in high and low ruminators. Scientific reports, 10(1), 1-15.
  • Reading 2: Denson, T. F., Grisham, J. R., & Moulds, M. L. (2011). Cognitive reappraisal increases heart rate variability in response to an anger provocation. Motivation and Emotion, 35(1), 14-22.
• C24 Wed 4/13: Unique challenges for populations (Caitlin)
• C25 Mon 4/18: Unique challenges for populations - Discussion class with NF, CK
  • Reading 1: Schmidt, A. T., Hanten, G. R., Li, X., Orsten, K. D., & Levin, H. S. (2010). Emotion recognition following pediatric traumatic brain injury: longitudinal analysis of emotional prosody and facial emotion recognition. Neuropsychologia, 48(10), 2869-2877.
  • Reading 2: Lloyd-Fox, S., Papademetriou, M., Darboe, M. K., Everdell, N. L., Wegmuller, R., Prentice, A. M., ... & Elwell, C. E. (2014). Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess cognitive function in infants in rural Africa. Scientific reports, 4(1), 1-8. 
    • Supplemental: Blasi, A., Lloyd-Fox, S., Katus, L., & Elwell, C. E. (2019, September). fNIRS for tracking brain development in the context of global health projects. In Photonics (Vol. 6, No. 3, p. 89). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
• C26 Wed 4/20: Oral presentations - 3 minute thesis
• Mon 4/25 - Paper consultations
• Wed 4/27 - Paper consultations