Reactive and Proactive Control Adjustments under Increased Depressive Symptoms: Insights from the Classic and Emotional-Face Stroop Task

Abstract

The current research investigated differences in reactive and proactive cognitive control as a function of depressive symptomatology. Three participant groups with varying symptom levels (Beck Depression Inventory–II, BDI–II score) completed both the classic and an emotional-face Stroop task separately under speed and accuracy instructions. All groups made equivalent speed–accuracy trade-offs independent of task, suggesting that proactive adjustments are unaffected by depressive symptoms. Additionally, groups made equivalent reactive control adjustments (Stroop effects, congruency sequence effects) in the classic Stroop task, suggesting that these reactive control adjustments are spared across a wide range of BDI–II scorers. In contrast, the high BDI–II group displayed a selective impairment in the resolution of conflict in the emotional-face Stroop task. Thus, while proactive control and many aspects of reactive control were unaffected by the level of depressive symptoms, specific impairments occurred when current task demands required the trial-to-trial regulation of emotional processing.

Cognitive dysfunction under emotional exposure: When participants with depression symptoms show no cognitive control

“…The failure for participants with depression symptoms to engage cognitive control following errors on emotional stimuli builds upon previous work, reviewed above, that indicates a cognitive control impairment in depression when emotional regulation is required (Holmes & Pizzagalli, ; Saunders & Jentzsch, ). It is also consistent with several other lines of research that describe an association between error detection and correction, and emotional regulation.…”

“…Compared to subjects with low depression scores, those with elevated depression showed faster RT (accompanied by a lower accuracy) following errors. Similarly, Saunders and Jentzsch () found subjects with high depression scores had disrupted reactive control mechanisms, as evidenced by an impaired congruency sequence effect, in an emotional Stroop task, but not in a classic Stroop task. Importantly, the emotional Stroop task requires emotional regulation, whereas the classic Stroop task does not.…”

“…For example, additional and specific adjustments are sometimes required to minimise emotional behaviour when an unplanned event occurs (e.g., conflict, a demotion). Recent evidence hints that depression might be associated with a specific deficit in reactive control when emotional regulation is required (Holmes & Pizzagalli, ; Saunders & Jentzsch, ).…”

“…Given these links between depression and the brain regions implicated in reactive cognitive control, it is extremely surprising that the behavioural signatures of reactive cognitive control—post‐error adjustments—have not been reliably linked to depression. Rather, post‐error slowing and adjustments of post‐error accuracy have been described as inconsistent or non‐specific for depressed populations (Pizzagalli et al, ; Saunders & Jentzsch, ). Some evidence hints that reactive cognitive control, and therefore post‐error adjustments, may be compromised for depressed individuals when emotional regulation is required .…”

Cognitive control modulates preferential sensory processing of affective stimuli

“…However, recent studies demonstrated that if conflicts are mediated by emotional categories, different neural systems and different control processes are involved (Egner, Etkin, Gale, & Hirsch, 2008;Etkin, Egner, Peraza, Kandel, & Hirsch, 2006;Etkin, Egner, & Kalisch, 2011;Maier & di Pellegrino, 2012;Mohanty et al, 2007;Monti, Weintraub, & Egner, 2010;Saunders & Jentzsch, 2013;. When participants had to discriminate between fearful and happy faces while ignoring congruent or incongruent emotional words ("anxious", "happy"), high response conflict led to decreased activity in the amygdala on the subsequent trial (Egner et al, 2008;Etkin et al, 2006).…”