Attentional Bias to Reminders of the Deceased as Compared With a Living Attachment in Grieving

Noam Schneck; Tao Tu; Christina A Michel; George A Bonanno; Paul Sajda; J John Mann

doi:10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.08.003

Attentional Bias to Reminders of the Deceased as Compared With a Living Attachment in Grieving

Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2018 Feb;3(2):107-115. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.08.003. Epub 2017 Aug 24.

Authors

Noam Schneck¹, Tao Tu², Christina A Michel³, George A Bonanno⁴, Paul Sajda², J John Mann³

Affiliations

¹ Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York. Electronic address: schneck@nyspi.columbia.edu.
² Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York.
³ Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York.
⁴ Department of Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York.

Abstract

Background: Grieving individuals demonstrate attentional bias toward reminders of the deceased versus neutral stimuli. We sought to assess bias toward reminders of the deceased versus a living attachment figure and to evaluate similarities and differences in the neural correlates of deceased- and living-related attention. We also sought to identify grief process variables associated with deceased-related attentional bias.

Methods: Twenty-five subjects grieving the death of a first-degree relative or partner within 14 months performed an emotional Stroop task, using words related to a deceased or a living attachment figure, and a standard Stroop task, to identify general selective attention, during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Subjects rated word sadness, complicated grief symptoms, depression severity, attachment style, emotional pain, nonacceptance, yearning, and intrusions.

Results: We identified an attentional bias to deceased-related versus living-related words, independent of age, depression severity/history, loss type, word sadness, medication use, and time since loss. Attentional bias correlated with complicated grief severity and intrusive thinking. A conjunction analysis identified joint activation in the fusiform gyrus, posterior cingulate, and temporal parietal junction across living- and deceased-related attention versus general selective attention. Insecure-avoidant attachment style correlated with decreased engagement of this network in deceased-related attention.

Conclusions: We have demonstrated an attentional bias to reminders of the deceased versus a living attachment in grieving. Overlapping neural circuits related to living- and deceased-related attention suggest that the bereaved employ similar processes in attending to the deceased as they do in attending to the living. Deceased-related attentional bias appears to be linked primarily to intrusive thinking about the loss.

Keywords: Attachment; Attention bias; Complicated grief; Fusiform; Grieving; Intrusive thinking.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Attention / physiology*
Attentional Bias / physiology*
Emotions / physiology*
Female
Grief*
Gyrus Cinguli / physiopathology
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Male
Middle Aged
Object Attachment
Stroop Test
Young Adult

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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