Alterations in neural systems mediating cognitive flexibility and inhibition in mood disorders

Abstract

Impairment in mental flexibility may be a key component contributing to cardinal cognitive symptoms among mood disorders patients, particularly thought control disorders. Impaired ability to switch from one thought to another might reflect difficulties in either generating new mental states, inhibiting previous states, or both. However, the neural underpinnings of impaired cognitive flexibility in mood disorders remain largely unresolved. We compared a group of mood disorders patients (n = 29) and a group of matched healthy subjects (n = 32) on a novel task-switching paradigm involving happy and sad faces, that allowed us to separate generation of a new mental set (Switch Cost) and inhibition of the previous set during switching (Inhibition Cost), using fMRI. Behavioral data showed a larger Switch Cost in patients relative to controls, but the average Inhibition Cost did not differ between groups. At the neural level, a main effect of group was found with stronger activation of the subgenual cingulate cortex in patients. The larger Switch Cost in patients was reflected by a stronger recruitment of brain regions involved in attention and executive control, including the left intraparietal sulcus, precuneus, left inferior fontal gyrus, and right anterior cingulate. Critically, activity in the subgenual cingulate cortex was not downregulated by inhibition in patients relative to controls. In conclusion, mood disorder patients have exaggerated Switch Cost relative to controls, and this deficit in cognitive flexibility is associated with increased activation of the fronto-parietal attention networks, combined with impaired modulation of the subgenual cingulate cortex when inhibition of previous mental states is needed.

Aversive stimuli exacerbate defensive motor behaviour in motor conversion disorder

“…This exclusive mask therefore removed all voxels reaching Neuropsychologia 93 (2016) 229-241 significance in the U > P contrast for one group that overlapped with significant voxels in the U > P contrast for the other group; the more liberal the exclusive mask threshold, the more conservative the masking procedure. Similar analyses using exclusive masking procedures have been used in other clinical studies (e.g., Desseilles, et al, 2009;Piguet, et al, 2016;Schwartz, et al, 2008;van der Stouwe et al, 2015) and provide a rigorous way to delineate group differences characterised by unique activation patterns between patient and control cohorts. Group differences were also assessed by formal interaction contrasts at the whole-brain level, using small volume correction (SVC) based on regions of interest (ROI) activated in the main effect of unpleasant versus pleasant stimuli for patients and controls.…”

Brain functional connectivity dynamics in the aftermaths of affective and cognitive events

“…A key feature of this method is the selection of a seed region of interest (ROI), with which the rest of the brain co-activates under different spatial configurations at specific time points. Here we selected the bilateral precuneus as seed, based on its central contribution to the default mode network (DMN; Utevsky et al, 2014) as well as its role in selfconsciousness (Vogt and Laureys 2005), memory (Cavanna and Trimble 2006), and attentional flexibility (Piguet et al 2016). Moreover, the precuneus was also found to show higher activity during affective vs. neutral movies in our main GLM analysis (see below and Supplementary Figure S1.A).…”

“…In particular, negative affect may impair the efficiency of high-level cognitive processes and reduce cognitive control (Hilt et al 2014). Further, experiencing negative emotions has been associated with cognitive inflexibility (Davis and Nolen-Hoeksema 2000) and difficulties in mental switching (Piguet et al 2010(Piguet et al , 2016. A better understanding of such influences of affective states on cognitive control and mental functions is therefore warranted to elucidate mechanisms by which emotions and moods can steer behavior in adaptive or maladaptive manners, in both health and disease.…”

A closer look at the relationship between the default network, mind wandering, negative mood, and depression

“…Franklin et al (2013) show that the presence of interesting thoughts during mind wandering increases positive Despite such helpful roles they play in our life, some researchers argue that mind wandering has an emotional cost in terms of its correlation with unhappiness and negative mood (Killingsworth & Gilbert, 2010;Mor & Winquist, 2002;Mrazek, Phillips, Franklin, Broadway & Schooler, 2013;Perkins, Arnone, Smallwood, & Mobbs, 2015;Poerio, Totterdell, & Miles, 2013;Smallwood, Fitzgerald, Miles & Phillips, 2009;Stawarczyk, Majerus, & D'Argembeau, 2013). There are also some studies which address the role of the DN in depressive disorders (e.g., Berman et al, 2011;Hahn et al, 2012;Kaiser, Andrews-Hanna, Wager & Pizzagalli, 2015;Marchetti, Koster & De Raedt, 2013;Marchetti, Koster, Sonuga-Barke, & De Raedt, 2012;McCabe & Mishor, 2011;Piguet et al, 2016;Posner et al, 2013;Simon & Engström, 2015). In the next sections, we delve deeper into the nature of such a correlation.…”

“…However, if executive resources become engaged in functions such as maintaining detachment from or restraining elaboration of thoughts, despite increased DN activity, negative mood or depression will not occur. Finally, the lack of metacognition and decreased activity in the FPCN along with increased DN activity may be accompanied by negative mood and depression, probably due to poor cognitive control Marchetti et al, 2013;McCabe & Mishor, 2011;Piguet et al, 2016;Posner et al, 2013;Simon & Engström, 2015). For example, some researchers Marchetti et al, 2013) argue that rumination and cognitive reactivity, as two kinds of cognitive risk factors for depression, are outcomes of DN dysfunctions.…”