Result: Linking subjective experience of anxiety to brain function using natural language processing.

Title:
Linking subjective experience of anxiety to brain function using natural language processing.
Authors:
Kirk PA; Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA., Qamar P; Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA., Lentz J; Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA., Zugman A; Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA., Abend R; Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.; Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, 46150, Israel., Kircanski K; Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA., Pine DS; Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
Source:
Social cognitive and affective neuroscience [Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci] 2026 Jan 21; Vol. 21 (1).
Publication Type:
Journal Article
Language:
English
Journal Info:
Publisher: Oxford Journals, Oxford University Press Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101288795 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1749-5024 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 17495016 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s):
Original Publication: Oxford, UK : Oxford Journals, Oxford University Press
MeSH Terms:
Brain*/physiopathology , Brain*/blood supply , Anxiety*/physiopathology , Anxiety*/psychology , Natural Language Processing*, Humans ; Female ; Male ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Brain Mapping ; Adolescent ; Child ; Motion Pictures ; Photic Stimulation ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Emotions/physiology
References:
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Grant Information:
ZIAMH002781 Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Mental Health; Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH); NIH; NIH or the US Department of Health and Human Services; ZIA MH002781 United States ImNIH Intramural NIH HHS
Contributed Indexing:
Keywords: anxiety; development; language; movie fMRI; natural language processing; naturalistic
Entry Date(s):
Date Created: 20250926 Date Completed: 20260121 Latest Revision: 20260124
Update Code:
20260124
PubMed Central ID:
PMC12823007
DOI:
10.1093/scan/nsaf099
PMID:
41002215
Database:
MEDLINE

Further information

Research on anxiety focuses on clinically relevant behaviours and neurophysiological responses, particularly emphasizing recruitment of amygdala, insula, and cingulate cortex. Whether these same circuits instantiate subjective experience of anxiety remains unclear, a vital hurdle for clinical neuroscience. We used a semi-naturalistic, anxiogenic stimulus (animated movie) to evoke anxiety during fMRI in a pediatric sample with and without anxiety disorders (N = 84, before exclusion). After, participants provided verbal responses to interview questions about the stimulus. We quantified semantic content and valence of responses via natural language processing algorithms. Preregistered analyses found that wide-spread brain activity during the movie-including in the anterior insula cortex-related to participants' descriptions of the movie's narrative. Secondary analyses indicated anxiety symptoms were associated with insula responses, participants' descriptions of the movie's narrative, and appraisals. This study provides preliminary evidence that anxiety symptoms may shape patterns of insula activity during movie-watching, influencing the type of notable details later recalled. These findings underscore the utility of movie viewing paradigms in clinical neuroscience research on subjective emotional experiences in anxiety.
(Published by Oxford University Press 2025.)