From avoidance to curiosity towards one's experience: Focusing on their neurobiological substrates.

Fernández-Puig (Victoria), Farriols Hernando, N. (Nuria), Gil Ibañez, A.M. (Ana Maria), Segura Bernal, J. (Jordi)

 

Submission type

Poster only

Scheduled

Poster, Beurs van Berlage , Grote Zaal

Kernwoorden

Curiosity, dopaminergic system, affective neuroscience

Onderzoeksgebied

Neuroscience

Introductie

As a result of the psychotherapeutic process, an initial avoidance attitude is replaced by an attitude of curiosity and acceptance towards one's experience. In this paper we describes the main neurobiological substrates of curiosity towards own´s experience in contrast to avoidance attitude.

Materiaal en methodes

Systematic review of literature focused on curiosity and affective neurosciences.

Resultaten

• Curiosity towards own´s experience is supported by the dopaminergic system, involved in a variety of cognitive and motivational processes. • Specifically, there is a predominant implication of a) the salience coding dopaminergic neurons versus the value coding dopaminergic neurons, and b) the tonic firing patterns versus the phasic firing patterns. • Curiosity generates a moderate level of stress. The activation of the sympathetic– adrenomedullary (SAM) axis maximezes the ability of networks to process and integrate information. • The excitation-inhibition balance is regulated by the dopaminergic excitatory lateral orbitofrontal subsystem, associated with active coping, and the noradrenalinergic inhibitory medial orbitofrontal subsystem, associated with avoidance and passive coping. • An emotional safe and emphatic psychotherapeutic relationship facilitates the passage from avoidance to curiosity.

Conclusie

Neurobiological substrates of curiosity towards own’s experience show its relevance for mental improvement in the psychotherapeutic process.

Auteurs