Future thinking in anxiety and depression: Integrative approach from psychology, psychiatry, and autonomic neuroscience

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H03740
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Clinical psychology
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: UMEDA Satoshi 慶應義塾大学, 文学部(三田), 教授 (90317272)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 三村 將 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 教授 (00190728) ; 寺澤 悠理 慶應義塾大学, 文学部(日吉), 助教 (30585790)
• Research Collaborator: ASAHINA Masato
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 心の未来性 / 精神疾患 / 自律神経疾患

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recent studies have investigated the neural mechanisms of emotion and social functions. However, causal factors of anxiety and depression symptoms remain unclear. In this series of studies, we have focused on the mind-brain-body interactions from integrative multiple perspectives and carried out three experimental investigations including an EEG study, an fMRI study, and an autonomic clinical neurological study. Results indicated that specific patterns of automatic thinking including past- of future-oriented thinking were found in depression and anxiety, which relates interoceptive accuracy and autonomic nervous functions. For the neural mechanisms of these specificities, we found the early component of EEG and the activity in the frontopolar area could be the keys to understand anxiety and depression symptoms. Overall findings suggest that we need to address the mind-brain-body interactions for uncovering the behavioral and neural mechanism of psychiatric symptoms.

Free Research Field

認知神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は，心理学・認知神経科学・精神医学・神経学に渡る融合的なアプローチによる研究であり，そのようなアプローチを採用することにより，これまでに明らかにされてこなかった，うつや不安における思考バイアスの特徴，およびその背後にある感情と身体の複雑なメカニズムの一端を明らかにすることができた．うつや不安などは社会的にも大きな問題であり，その発生原因を解明することは喫緊の課題であるといえる．本研究は，その基礎的なメカニズムを探るものであり，本研究の成果は，認知行動療法などの心理療法に取り組む際に重要な示唆を与えてくれるものと考えられる．