Disentangling emotional processing in dysphoria: An ERP and cardiac deceleration study

Moretta, Tania; Bò, Elisa Dal; Dell’Acqua, Carola; Benvenuti, Simone Messerotti; Palomba, Daniela

doi:10.1016/j.brat.2021.103985

Cited by 8 publications

(27 citation statements)

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“…The present study was conducted within an extensive research project on vulnerability to depression and participants’ EEG data have partially been described in a previous publication 33 . However, a distinct approach to data analysis was employed in the present study.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on the psychological assessment, 27 participants (5 males) who scored equal to or greater than 12 on the BDI-II and showed at least two present depressive symptoms, for at least two weeks, without meeting the diagnostic criteria for major depression, persistent depressive disorder, or bipolar disorder, were assigned to the group with dysphoria. Twenty-five participants (12 males) who scored equal to or lower than 8 on the BDI-II and had no history of depression or current depressive symptoms were assigned to the control group (i.e., without dysphoria) (see 33 , for more details on participants enrolled in the study). To ensure separation between groups with dysphoria and without dysphoria, participants who scored between 9 and 11 on the BDI-II were excluded from the present study ( n = 17).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pictures were shown for 6000 ms each in a semi-randomized sequence (i.e., no more than one stimulus in the same emotional condition had to be shown consecutively). The length of picture presentation was set to 6000 ms as the project included the registration of electrocardiographic activity to analyze cardiac deceleration (as reported in 33 ). Each picture was preceded by a 3000 ms interval where a white fixation cross was placed centrally on a grey screen.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Participants were required to look at the central fixation cross and keep their gaze on the center of the screen. Picture presentation was followed by a variable intertrial interval (ITI) of 6000–8000 ms, during which a white fixation cross (identical to the 3-s baseline) was presented 33 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further, depression appears also to be characterized by reduced processing of pleasant stimuli (e.g. 33 , 36 ; for a review see 37 ), indicating attentional avoidance of pleasant content.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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EEG time–frequency analysis reveals blunted tendency to approach and increased processing of unpleasant stimuli in dysphoria

Dell’Acqua

Bò

Moretta

et al. 2022

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To date, affective and cognitive processing of emotional information in individuals with depressive symptoms have been examined through peripheral psychophysiological measures, event-related potentials, and time–frequency analysis of oscillatory activity. However, electrocortical correlates of emotional and cognitive processing of affective content in depression have not been fully understood. Time–frequency analysis of electroencephalographic activity allows disentangling the brain's parallel processing of information. The present study employed a time–frequency approach to simultaneously examine affective disposition and cognitive processing during the viewing of emotional stimuli in dysphoria. Time–frequency event-related changes were examined during the viewing of pleasant, neutral and unpleasant pictures in 24 individuals with dysphoria and 24 controls. Affective disposition was indexed by delta and alpha power, while theta power was employed as a correlate of cognitive elaboration of the stimuli. Cluster-based statistics revealed a centro-parietal reduction in delta power for pleasant stimuli in individuals with dysphoria relative to controls. Also, dysphoria was characterized by an early fronto-central increase in theta power for unpleasant stimuli relative to neutral and pleasant ones. Comparatively, controls were characterized by a late fronto-central and occipital reduction in theta power for unpleasant stimuli relative to neutral and pleasant. The present study granted novel insights on the interrelated facets of affective elaboration in dysphoria, mainly characterized by a hypoactivation of the approach-related motivational system and a sustained facilitated cognitive processing of unpleasant stimuli.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further, depression appears also to be characterized by reduced processing of pleasant stimuli (e.g. 33 , 36 ; for a review see 37 ), indicating attentional avoidance of pleasant content.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations