Affective neuroscience research using electrocortical event-related potentials has provided valuable insights on alterations in emotion processing in internalizing disorders. However, internalizing disorders are accompanied by additional impairments in social cognition and functioning, and most extant research examines neural responses to broad categories of emotional scenes or faces presented irrespective of context. Examining neural reactivity specifically to interpersonal emotional scenes may more precisely capture and disentangle processes involved in depression and social anxiety, two highly comorbid forms of psychopathology. The current study validated a novel set of positive and threatening interpersonal emotional stimuli in a sample of emerging adults (N = 114) who completed a modified emotional interrupt paradigm while electroencephalogram and behavioral data were recorded. Participant ratings of valence and arousal supported the validity of the emotional images. Consistent with prior research, sustained neurophysiological processing indexed by the late positive potential (LPP) was observed for interpersonal emotional images, especially positive, compared with neutral images. Elevated LPP reactivity to both positive and threatening interpersonal images moderated the effects of chronic interpersonal stress on social anxiety symptoms, such that enhanced LPP reactivity in conjunction with higher levels of chronic interpersonal stress was associated with elevated social anxiety symptoms. These results were unique to social anxiety symptoms and not symptoms of depression, suggesting sustained neural processing of interpersonal stimuli may differentiate social anxiety from depression. Future research on emotional reactivity specifically within the interpersonal domain is needed to inform our understanding of developmental pathways to internalizing psychopathology.

使用皮层事件相关电位的情感神经科学研究为内化障碍中情绪处理的改变提供了宝贵的见解。然而，内化障碍伴随着社会认知和功能的额外损害，大多数现存研究检查神经对广泛类别的情感场景或面孔的反应，而不考虑上下文。专门检查对人际情感场景的神经反应可能更准确地捕捉和理清抑郁症和社交焦虑症这两种高度共病的精神病理学形式所涉及的过程。目前的研究在新兴成年人样本中验证了一组新的积极和威胁性的人际情感刺激（N= 114) 在记录脑电图和行为数据的同时完成了改良的情绪中断范式。参与者对效价和唤醒度的评分支持情绪图像的有效性。与之前的研究一致，与中性图像相比，对于人际情感图像，尤其是积极的，观察到由晚期正电位 (LPP) 索引的持续神经生理学处理。LPP 对积极和威胁性人际关系图像的反应性升高缓和了慢性人际关系压力对社交焦虑症状的影响，因此增强的 LPP 反应性与较高水平的慢性人际关系压力与社交焦虑症状升高有关。这些结果是社交焦虑症状所独有的，而不是抑郁症的症状，表明人际刺激的持续神经处理可以区分社交焦虑和抑郁。未来需要专门针对人际关系领域内的情绪反应进行研究，以告知我们对内化精神病理学的发展途径的理解。