Bruce N. Cuthbert Professor N438C Elliott, (612) 626-7569 cuthbert@umn.edu Education Ph. D., 1976, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Statement of Interests

The major aims of my research are to develop new psychophysiological models and measures of affective processes, and to apply these results to research directed at an improved understanding of mood and anxiety disorders. The long-term goal of such a translational research program is to explain these internalizing disorders in terms of interactions among the major motivational systems of the brain. A particular focus of this work involves the explication of the frequent co-morbidity observed between anxiety and mood disorders, and the development of models to account for the fact that anxiety occurs before depression in a majority of cases.

Basic studies are conducted from the perspective that emotional responding may best be studied in terms of an affective space comprised of two primary dimensions - a valence dimension ranging from extremely pleasant to extremely unpleasant, and an arousal dimension that is orthogonal to valence. Both peripheral and central nervous system measures of emotional response are included. These include the startle reflex, heart rate, skin conductance, facial muscle activity, and brain event-related potentials recorded with large-array electrode nets for enhanced source localization. A focus of this research is an attempt to develop paradigms and measurements that can reveal individual differences in emotional responding that are relevant to risks for mood and anxiety disorders. In particular, the research emphasizes the use of standardized picture and imagery stimuli in order to facilitate replications within and across laboratories.

My interests in clinical research are to understand the co-morbidity among anxiety, mood, and personality disorders in terms of dysregulation of basic motivational systems. Accordingly, rather than screening for "pure" diagnostic categories, the goal is to evaluate patients for the presence of symptoms relevant to all of these internalizing diagnoses. The long-term aim is to understand the core affective processes that are common to mood and anxiety symptoms, as well as those aspects that differentiate these two broad internalizing domains. A related aim is to clarify the relationship between the constructs of fear and anxiety in terms of their behavioral manifestation, central nervous system implementation, and genetic diathesis.

I am interested in forming collaborative relationships in a variety of areas relevant to internalizing disorders. These include the study of developmental factors, genetic influences and gene-environment interactions, psychometric approaches, neurohormonal aspects, treatment outcomes as related to presenting psychopathology, and the development of new interventions for treatment and prevention.

Selected Publications

Cuthbert, B. N. (in press). Dimensional models of psychopathology: Research agenda and clinical utility. Journal of Abnormal Psychology.

Schupp, H. T., Cuthbert, B. N., Bradley, M. M., Hillman, H. H., Hamm, A. O., & Lang, P. J. (2004). Brain processes in emotional perception: Motivated attention. Cognition and Emotion, 18, 593-611.

Hillman, C. H., Cuthbert, B. N., Bradley, M. M., & Lang, P. J. (2004). Motivated engagement to appetitive and aversive fanship cues: Psychophysiological responses of rival sports fans. Journal of Sport & Exercise Physiology, 26, 338-351.

Cuthbert, B. N., Lang, P. J., Strauss, C. C., Drobes, D., Patrick, C., & Bradley, M. M. (2003). The psychophysiology of anxiety disorder: Fear memory imagery. Psychophysiology, 40, 407-422.

Simons, R. F., Detenber, B. H., Cuthbert, B. N., Schwartz, D. D., & Reiss, J. E. (2003). Attention to television: Alpha power and its relationship to image motion and emotional content. Media Psychology, 5, 283-301.

Heinssen, R. K., Cuthbert, B. N., Breiling, J. B., Colpe, L. J., & Dolan-Sewell, R. (2003). Overcoming barriers to research in early serious mental illness: Issues for future collaboration. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 29, 737-745.

First, M. B., Bell, C. C., Cuthbert, B. N., Krystal, J. H., et al. (2002). Personality disorders and relational disorders: A research agenda for addressing crucial gaps in DSM. In D. J. Kupfer (Ed.), A research agenda for DSM-V. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association Press, Inc. (pp. 123-200).

Alexopoulos, G., Borson, S., Cuthbert, B., Devanand, D., Mulsant, B., Olin, J., & Oslin, D. (2002). Assessment of late life depression. Biological Psychiatry, 52, 164-174.

Cuthbert, B. N. (2002). Social anxiety disorder: Trends and translational research. Biological Psychiatry, 51, 4-10.

Blehar, M.C., Cuthbert, B. N., & Magruder, K. M. (2002). Mental health policy and women with PTSD. In R. Kimerling & P. Ouimette (Eds.), Gender and PTSD. New York: Guilford Press (pp. 434-452).

Bradley, M. M., Codispoti, M., Cuthbert, B. N., & Lang, Peter J. (2001). Emotion and motivation I: Defensive and appetitive reactions in picture processing. Emotion, 1, 276-298.

Drobes, D. J., Miller, E.J., Hillman, C. H., Bradley, M. M., Cuthbert, B. N., & Lang, P. J. (2001). Food deprivation and emotional reactions to food cues: Implications for eating disorders. Biological Psychology, 57, 153-177.

McManis, M. H., Bradley, M. M., Berg, W. K., Cuthbert, B. N., & Lang, P. J. (2001). Emotional reactions in children: Verbal, physiological, and behavioral responses to affective pictures. Psychophysiology, 38, 222-231.

Cuthbert, B. N., Schupp, H. T., Bradley, M. M., Birbaumer, N., & Lang, P. J. (2000). Brain potentials in affective picture processing: Covariation with autonomic arousal and affective report. Biological Psychology, 52, 95-111.

Schupp, H. T., Cuthbert, B. N., Bradley, M. M., Cacioppo, J. T., Ito, T., & Lang, P. J. (2000). Affective picture processing: The late positive potential is modulated by motivational relevance. Psychophysiology, 37, 257-261.