Mapping the emotional landscape: The role of specific emotions in conceptual categorization.

Although researchers generally subscribe to the opinion that emotions play a critical role in cognition, very few (see Niedenthal, Halberstadt, & Innes-Ker, 1999) have examined the specific interaction between the emotional state of the perceiver and the emotional meaning of stimuli in conceptual categorization - an important aspect of "higher-level" cognition. Niedenthal et al. (1999) advanced a fine-grained theory of emotional response categorization, arguing that emotional states increase the tendency to categorize concepts into a predictable set of emotional response categories characterized by the common, distinct emotional responses elicited by the concepts. Based on the pioneering work of Niedenthal et al., we further argued that (1) the specific emotion experienced by the individual should selectively facilitate the categorization of concepts associated with the same emotion, (2) both in terms of category inclusion and category exclusion, and (3) this facilitation effect should not be contingent on the awareness of the emotional state. In three experiments, participants were induced to experience different emotional states through movies or a facial-feedback manipulation. They judged whether or not a target concept belonged to the same category as the two comparison concepts. Some of the concept triads shared emotional associations, while others didn't. Results showed that emotive participants had a greater tendency than those in a neutral mood to group concepts according to their emotional associations, and to distinguish concepts with different emotional associations. They were also more efficient in categorizing concepts that had specific emotional meaning corresponding to their own emotional state than to other emotional concepts. Furthermore, participants posing a disgust expression without their knowledge showed higher tendency to categorize concepts according to their relevance to disgust. Implications and potential applications of the findings were discussed.

Tanshinone IIA prevents the loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons by inhibiting NADPH oxidase and iNOS in the MPTP model of Parkinson's disease.

Tanshinone IIA is one of the major constituents of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge known as Danshen. Recent reports have shown that Tanshinone IIA has neuroprotective effects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and traumatic injury of the spinal cord in rats. However, whether Tanshinone IIA has any neuroprotective effect in Parkinson's disease remains unknown. In this study, we evaluated whether Tanshinone IIA promotes the survival of nigrostriatal dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model of Parkinson's disease. MPTP induced degeneration of nigrostriatal DA neurons and microglial activation as visualized by tyrosine hydroxylase and CD11b immunoreactivity. The results of Western blot and immunohistochemistry showed upregulation of NADPH oxidase and iNOS in the MPTP-treated substantia nigra pars compacta. Treatment with Tanshinone IIA prevented degeneration of nigrostriatal DA neurons and increased the level of striatal dopamine content. This neuroprotection afforded by Tanshinone IIA was associated with the suppression of microglial activation and reduced expression of NADPH oxidase and iNOS. The present findings show that Tanshinone IIA may possess anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties and may have therapeutic value in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.