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Chilver MR, Park HRP, Schofield PR, Clark CR, Williams LM, Gatt JM. Emotional face processing correlates with depression/anxiety symptoms but not wellbeing in non-clinical adults: An event-related potential study. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 145:18-26. [PMID: 34844048 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.11.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Whilst alterations in emotional face processing, as indicated by event-related potentials (ERPs), are associated with depression and anxiety symptoms in clinical and non-clinical samples, it has remained unclear whether they are related to mental wellbeing. The current study aimed to address this question in a non-clinical sample. The analysis included 402 adult twins from the TWIN-E study. The COMPAS-W and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-42) were used to measure mental wellbeing and depression/anxiety symptoms, respectively. Participants viewed facial expressions under Unmasked (conscious) and Masked (subliminal) conditions while ERPs were recorded. The associations of emotion processing with mental wellbeing and depression/anxiety symptoms were assessed using multivariate linear mixed models. There was a strong association between depression/anxiety symptoms and the N170 amplitude difference for the Fear - Happy contrast in the Masked condition after controlling for wellbeing scores (B = 0.34, p < .001). Specifically, higher depression/anxiety symptoms were associated with a lack of differentiation between fearful and happy faces. No associations were found between emotional face processing and mental wellbeing scores. These results indicate that even within a non-clinical sample, alterations in emotional ERPs, namely the N170, reflect differences in depression/anxiety symptoms rather than differences in wellbeing. Furthermore, this effect was limited to automatic processing, rather than conscious processing of emotional stimuli, suggesting the observed differences apply only to the subconscious pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda R Chilver
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Haeme R P Park
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Peter R Schofield
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - C Richard Clark
- College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia, 5042
| | - Leanne M Williams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5717, USA; Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Centers VISN21, Veterans Administration Palo Alto Health Care System, California, 94304-151-Y, USA
| | - Justine M Gatt
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.
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Lin SH, Lee IH, Tsai HC, Chi MH, Chang WH, Chen PS, Chen KC, Yang YK. The association between plasma cholesterol and the effect of tryptophan depletion on heart rate variability. Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2019; 35:440-445. [PMID: 30972948 DOI: 10.1002/kjm2.12067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on the cholesterol-serotonin hypothesis and its link to mood disorders are scarce. In addition, little is known about the association between cholesterol and the effects of tryptophan depletion (TD). The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between plasma cholesterol and changes in heart rate variability (HRV), an important marker of depression and anxiety, after TD. The plasma cholesterol levels of 28 healthy participants were noted, and their HRVs were measured by spectrum analysis. TD was carried out on testing day, and participants provided blood samples just before and 5 hours for tryptophan level after TD. HRV was measured again after TD. An association was found between plasma cholesterol levels and the change in HRV. Decreased high frequency HRV was marginally associated with lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, while increased low frequency HRV was significantly associated with lower levels of total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Our findings indicate that low cholesterol levels may play parts of role in the mechanism of the deactivation of parasympathetic, and activation of sympathetic, functions induced by altered serotonergic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih-Hsien Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Institute of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - I Hui Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Hsin Chun Tsai
- Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Dou-Liou Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan
| | - Mei Hung Chi
- Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Wei Hung Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Po See Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Institute of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Kao Chin Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yen Kuang Yang
- Institute of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Dou-Liou Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan
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Watters AJ, Harris AW, Williams LM. Electrocortical reactivity to negative and positive facial expressions in individuals with a family history of major depression. Biol Psychol 2018; 136:127-135. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Revised: 05/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Colasante T, Mossad SI, Dudek J, Haley DW. The special status of sad infant faces: age and valence differences in adults' cortical face processing. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 12:586-595. [PMID: 27998995 PMCID: PMC5390733 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the relative and joint prioritization of age- and valence-related face characteristics in adults’ cortical face processing remains elusive because these two characteristics have not been manipulated in a single study of neural face processing. We used electroencephalography to investigate adults’ P1, N170, P2 and LPP responses to infant and adult faces with happy and sad facial expressions. Viewing infant vs adult faces was associated with significantly larger P1, N170, P2 and LPP responses, with hemisphere and/or participant gender moderating this effect in select cases. Sad faces were associated with significantly larger N170 responses than happy faces. Sad infant faces were associated with significantly larger N170 responses in the right hemisphere than all other combinations of face age and face valence characteristics. We discuss the relative and joint neural prioritization of infant face characteristics and negative facial affect, and their biological value as distinct caregiving and social cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler Colasante
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Sarah I Mossad
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 27 King's College Circle, Toronto ON M5S, Canada
| | - Joanna Dudek
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - David W Haley
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto ON M1C 1A4, Canada
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Deficits of unconscious emotional processing in patients with major depression: An ERP study. J Affect Disord 2016; 199:13-20. [PMID: 27057648 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2016.03.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with behavioral and neurobiological evidences of negative bias in unconscious emotional processing. However, little is known about the time course of this deficit. The current study aimed to explore the unconscious processing of emotional facial expressions in MDD patients by means of event-related potentials (ERPs). METHODS The ERP responses to subliminally presented happy/neutral/sad faces were recorded in 26 medication-free patients and 26 healthy controls in a backward masking task. Three ERP components were compared between patients and controls. RESULTS Detection accuracy was at chance level for both groups, suggesting that the process was performed in the absence of conscious awareness of the emotional stimuli. Robust emotion×group interactions were observed in P1, N170 and P3. Compared with the neutral faces, 1) the patients showed larger P1 for sad and smaller P1 for happy faces; however, the controls showed a completely inverse P1 pattern; 2) the controls exhibited larger N170 in the happy but not in the sad trials, whereas patients had comparable larger N170 amplitudes in sad and happy trials; 3) although both groups exhibited larger P3 for emotional faces, the patients showed a priority for sad trials while the controls showed a priority for happy trials. CONCLUSION Our data suggested that negative processing bias exists on the unconscious level in individuals with MDD. The ERP measures indicated that the unconscious emotional processing in MDD patients has a time course of three-stage deflection.
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Camfield DA, Mills J, Kornfeld EJ, Croft RJ. Modulation of the N170 with Classical Conditioning: The Use of Emotional Imagery and Acoustic Startle in Healthy and Depressed Participants. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:337. [PMID: 27445773 PMCID: PMC4928609 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have suggested that classical conditioning may be capable of modulating early sensory processing in the human brain, and that there may be differences in the magnitude of the conditioned changes for individuals with major depressive disorder. The effect of conditioning on the N170 event-related potential was investigated using neutral faces as conditioned stimuli (CS+) and emotional imagery and acoustic startle as unconditioned stimuli (UCS). In the first experiment, electroencephalogram was recorded from 24 undergraduate students (M = 21.07 years, SD = 3.38 years) under the following conditions: (i) CS+/aversive imagery, (ii) CS+/aversive imagery and acoustic startle, (iii) CS+/acoustic startle, and (iv) CS+/pleasant imagery. The amplitude of the N170 was enhanced following conditioning with aversive imagery as well as acoustic startle. In the second experiment, 26 healthy control participants were tested (17 females and 9 males, age M = 25.97 years, SD = 9.42) together with 18 depressed participants (13 females and 5 males, age M = 23.26 years, SD = 4.01) and three conditions were used: CS+/aversive imagery, CS+/pleasant imagery, and CS-. N170 amplitude at P7 was increased for the CS+/aversive condition in comparison to CS- in the conditioning blocks versus baseline. No differences between depressed and healthy participants were found. Across both experiments, evaluative conditioning was absent. It was concluded that aversive UCS are capable of modulating early sensory processing of faces, although further research is also warranted in regards to positive UCS.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Camfield
- School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, WollongongNSW, Australia; Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, WollongongNSW, Australia
| | - Jessica Mills
- School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, WollongongNSW, Australia; Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, WollongongNSW, Australia
| | - Emma J Kornfeld
- School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong NSW, Australia
| | - Rodney J Croft
- School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, WollongongNSW, Australia; Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, WollongongNSW, Australia
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Sass SM, Heller W, Fisher JE, Silton RL, Stewart JL, Crocker LD, Edgar JC, Mimnaugh KJ, Miller GA. Electrophysiological evidence of the time course of attentional bias in non-patients reporting symptoms of depression with and without co-occurring anxiety. Front Psychol 2014; 5:301. [PMID: 24782804 PMCID: PMC3988368 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Accepted: 03/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety is characterized by attentional biases to threat, but findings are inconsistent for depression. To address this inconsistency, the present study systematically assessed the role of co-occurring anxiety in attentional bias in depression. In addition, the role of emotional valence, arousal, and gender was explored. Ninety-two non-patients completed the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (Meyer et al., 1990; Molina and Borkovec, 1994) and portions of the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (Watson et al., 1995a,1995b). Individuals reporting high levels of depression and low levels of anxiety (depression only), high levels of depression and anxiety (combined), or low levels of both (control) completed an emotion-word Stroop task during event-related brain potential recording. Pleasant and unpleasant words were matched on emotional arousal level. An attentional bias was not evident in the depression-only group. Women in the combined group had larger N200 amplitude for pleasant than unpleasant stimuli, and the combined group as a whole had larger right-lateralized P300 amplitude for pleasant than unpleasant stimuli, consistent with an early and later attentional bias that is specific to unpleasant valence in the combined group. Men in the control group had larger N200 amplitude for pleasant than unpleasant stimuli, consistent with an early attentional bias that is specific to pleasant valence. The present study indicates that the nature and time course of attention prompted by emotional valence and not arousal differentiates depression with and without anxiety, with some evidence of gender moderating early effects. Overall, results suggest that co-occurring anxiety is more important than previously acknowledged in demonstrating evidence of attentional biases in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Sass
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at TylerTyler, TX, USA
| | - Wendy Heller
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL, USA
| | - Joscelyn E. Fisher
- Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health SciencesBethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Jennifer L. Stewart
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San DiegoSan Diego, CA, USA
| | - Laura D. Crocker
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL, USA
| | | | - Katherine J. Mimnaugh
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL, USA
| | - Gregory A. Miller
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, USA
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8
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Bernasconi F, Schmidt A, Pokorny T, Kometer M, Seifritz E, Vollenweider FX. Spatiotemporal brain dynamics of emotional face processing modulations induced by the serotonin 1A/2A receptor agonist psilocybin. Cereb Cortex 2013; 24:3221-31. [PMID: 23861318 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotional face processing is critically modulated by the serotonergic system. For instance, emotional face processing is impaired by acute psilocybin administration, a serotonin (5-HT) 1A and 2A receptor agonist. However, the spatiotemporal brain mechanisms underlying these modulations are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal brain dynamics underlying psilocybin-induced modulations during emotional face processing. Electrical neuroimaging analyses were applied to visual evoked potentials in response to emotional faces, following psilocybin and placebo administration. Our results indicate a first time period of strength (i.e., Global Field Power) modulation over the 168-189 ms poststimulus interval, induced by psilocybin. A second time period of strength modulation was identified over the 211-242 ms poststimulus interval. Source estimations over these 2 time periods further revealed decreased activity in response to both neutral and fearful faces within limbic areas, including amygdala and parahippocampal gyrus, and the right temporal cortex over the 168-189 ms interval, and reduced activity in response to happy faces within limbic and right temporo-occipital brain areas over the 211-242 ms interval. Our results indicate a selective and temporally dissociable effect of psilocybin on the neuronal correlates of emotional face processing, consistent with a modulation of the top-down control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fosco Bernasconi
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland
| | - André Schmidt
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Pokorny
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland
| | - Michael Kometer
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland
| | - Erich Seifritz
- Clinic of Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, University Hospital of Psychiatry, Zurich 8050, Switzerland
| | - Franz X Vollenweider
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland
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Young SN. The effect of raising and lowering tryptophan levels on human mood and social behaviour. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20110375. [PMID: 23440461 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) studies indicate that low serotonin can lower mood and also increase aggression, although results vary somewhat between studies with similar participants. Lowering of mood after ATD is related to the susceptibility of the study participants to clinical depression, and some participants show no effect on mood. This indicates that low serotonin can contribute to lowered mood, but cannot-by itself-cause lowered mood, unless other unknown systems interact with serotonin to lower mood. Studies using tryptophan supplementation demonstrate that increased serotonin can decrease quarrelsomeness and increase agreeableness in everyday life. Social interactions that are more agreeable and less quarrelsome are associated with better mood. Thus, serotonin may have direct effects on mood, but may also be able to influence mood through changes in social behaviour. The increased agreeableness and decreased quarrelsomeness resulting from increases in serotonin will help foster congenial relations with others and should help to increase social support. As social support and social isolation have an important relationship with both physical and mental health, more research is needed on the implications of the ability of serotonin to modulate social behaviour for the regulation of mood, and for future physical and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon N Young
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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Schmidt A, Kometer M, Bachmann R, Seifritz E, Vollenweider F. The NMDA antagonist ketamine and the 5-HT agonist psilocybin produce dissociable effects on structural encoding of emotional face expressions. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2013; 225:227-39. [PMID: 22836372 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-012-2811-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Both glutamate and serotonin (5-HT) play a key role in the pathophysiology of emotional biases. Recent studies indicate that the glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist ketamine and the 5-HT receptor agonist psilocybin are implicated in emotion processing. However, as yet, no study has systematically compared their contribution to emotional biases. OBJECTIVES This study used event-related potentials (ERPs) and signal detection theory to compare the effects of the NMDA (via S-ketamine) and 5-HT (via psilocybin) receptor system on non-conscious or conscious emotional face processing biases. METHODS S-ketamine or psilocybin was administrated to two groups of healthy subjects in a double-blind within-subject placebo-controlled design. We behaviorally assessed objective thresholds for non-conscious discrimination in all drug conditions. Electrophysiological responses to fearful, happy, and neutral faces were subsequently recorded with the face-specific P100 and N170 ERP. RESULTS Both S-ketamine and psilocybin impaired the encoding of fearful faces as expressed by a reduced N170 over parieto-occipital brain regions. In contrast, while S-ketamine also impaired the encoding of happy facial expressions, psilocybin had no effect on the N170 in response to happy faces. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that the NMDA and 5-HT receptor systems differentially contribute to the structural encoding of emotional face expressions as expressed by the N170. These findings suggest that the assessment of early visual evoked responses might allow detecting pharmacologically induced changes in emotional processing biases and thus provides a framework to study the pathophysiology of dysfunctional emotional biases.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Schmidt
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Knott V, Thompson A, Shah D, Ilivitsky V. Neural expression of nicotine's antidepressant properties during tryptophan depletion: an EEG study in healthy volunteers at risk for depression. Biol Psychol 2012; 91:190-200. [PMID: 22743591 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2012.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2012] [Revised: 06/06/2012] [Accepted: 06/06/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Nicotine amelioration of serotonergically mediated mood dysregulation may contribute to the comorbidity between cigarette smoking and depression, a disorder which is associated with aberrant activation and hemispheric asymmetry in frontal and posterior cortical regions. This randomized, double-blind study in 20 healthy volunteers with a positive family history of depression examined the effects of transdermal nicotine on mood and EEG changes accompanying transient reductions in serotonin induced by acute tryptophan depletion (ATD). Increased self-ratings of depressed mood and elevation in left frontal high alpha power (decreased activation) were evidenced with ATD (vs. balanced mixture) in participants treated with the placebo but not the nicotine treated group. Nicotine alone increased vigor and posterior high alpha bilaterally, and during ATD it prevented the reduction in left frontal high alpha that was evident in the placebo patch group. These findings indicate that in depression prone individuals, nicotine acts to stabilize the mood lowering and associated frontal functional asymmetry elicited by an acute decrease in brain serotonin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verner Knott
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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The temporal electrocortical profile of emotive facial processing in depressed males and females and healthy controls. J Affect Disord 2012; 136:1072-81. [PMID: 22127390 PMCID: PMC3288478 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2011.10.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2011] [Accepted: 10/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous work indicates that emotive processing, such as of facial expressions, may be altered in major depressive disorder (MDD). Individuals with MDD tend to exhibit a mood-congruent processing bias, though MDD may also be characterized by blunted emotive processing in general. Females tend to exhibit enhanced facial emotive processing than males. Few groups have examined the temporal electrophysiological event-related potential (ERP)-indexed profiles, spanning preconscious to sustained, conscious processing of facial expressions in MDD; systematic comparisons of ERPs to emotive stimuli between depressed males and females are also lacking. METHODS This study examined the temporal ERP profile to a simple expression recognition task in depressed adult males and females (N=52; 29 females) and controls (N=43; 23 females). RESULTS The MDD group rated facial expressions as sadder overall than controls. Females exhibited enhanced and speeded pre- and conscious face processing than males. Subtle group differences emerged to specific expressions at mid-latency ERPs (N2, P2) indicating both blunted late pre-conscious perceptual processing of expressions and prolonged processing of intensely sad faces. LIMITATIONS A more involved emotive processing task, employing threatening faces, may have revealed more robust group ERP differences. Menstrual cycle should also be controlled for in future work. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to systematically assess the temporal ERP profile, including of ERPs preceding the face-sensitive N170/VPP, to expressions in MDD. Overall, early perceptual and late conscious expression processing did not differ fundamentally between groups. Altered emotive processing may be a candidate index for monitoring and predicting antidepressant treatment outcome.
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