Acute Tryptophan Depletion Effects on the Vertex and Late Positive Potentials to Emotional Faces in Individuals with a Family History of Depression

Abstract

Background: Depression, which is associated with dysfunctional serotonin (5-HT) activity, may be characterized by impaired emotional information processing. This study assessed the effects of acute tryptophan depletion (TRP–), which transiently lowers CNS 5-HT, on the emotion-sensitive vertex positive potential (VPP) and late positive potential (LPP) event-related potentials (ERPs) and mood in individuals with a family history of depression. The VPP and LPP are thought to index the early and later stages of motivated attentional processing, respectively. Method: Within a double-blind balanced design, ERPs were acquired in 18 individuals with a family history of depression (12 females) after TRP– and TRP+ (balanced) treatment while participants were presented with facial expressions (neutral, as well as sad, joy and surprise at 50 and 100% intensity) and responded to surprised faces. Results: TRP– increased total mood disturbance and maintained depression scores. The VPP and LPP were larger to intense versus mild expressions. Enhanced processing of emotional versus neutral faces, as indexed by the VPP, was primarily evident with TRP–. Speeded and enhanced processing of intensely joyful versus mildly sad faces was found with TRP– (VPP indexed). Compared with TRP+, TRP also increased the VPP to mildly joyful faces. Conclusion: Transient 5-HT decreases in individuals with a family history of depression induce subtle changes in early stages of motivated emotional processing, though not in later ones.

The temporal electrocortical profile of emotive facial processing in depressed males and females and healthy controls

“…However, we previously found it to be enhanced to emotive (happy and sad) faces (Jaworska et al, 2011), consistent with the current study. Previous work has also found the VPP to be shortest to positive expressions (Batty & Taylor, 2003; Jaworska et al, 2011). Thus, highly arousing and positive faces appear to elicit maximal VPPs with shortest latencies.…”

“…For instance, increased emotive intensities (Sprengelmeyer & Jentzsch, 2006) and expressions of anger and fear enhanced the N170 (Batty & Taylor, 2003; Stekelenburg & de Gelder, 2004; Krombholz et al, 2007), though previous work from our group found it to be increased to joyful versus neutral and sad faces (Jaworksa et al, 2010). Similarly, the anterior face-sensitive vertex positive potential (VPP) has been shown to be more pronounced to negative versus neutral expressions (Sewell et al, 2008; Foti et al, 2010; Luo et al, 2010), though we found it to be enhanced to emotive (happy and sad) faces (Jaworska et al, 2011). Both N170 and VPP latencies were decreased to positive expressions (Batty & Taylor, 2003; Jaworska et al, 2011).…”

“…Similarly, the anterior face-sensitive vertex positive potential (VPP) has been shown to be more pronounced to negative versus neutral expressions (Sewell et al, 2008; Foti et al, 2010; Luo et al, 2010), though we found it to be enhanced to emotive (happy and sad) faces (Jaworska et al, 2011). Both N170 and VPP latencies were decreased to positive expressions (Batty & Taylor, 2003; Jaworska et al, 2011). Thus, face-sensitive ERPs are enhanced to emotive expressions, while their latencies may be shortest to positive ones.…”

“…The LPP is preferentially elicited by negative expressions, such as fear and sadness (Orozco & Ehlers, 1998; Schupp et al, 2004; Van Strien et al, 2010) and intense versus mild and neutral faces (Jaworska et al, 2011) have been shown to preferentially evoke it.…”

Emotional processing in Colombian ex-combatants and its relationship with empathy and executive functions

“…Both exaggerated and attenuated responses to emotional stimuli have been documented in generalized anxiety disorder (Weinberg & Hajcak, 2011), depression (Jaworska et al, 2012) and stress conditions (Weymar, Schwabe, Löw, & Hamm, 2012). Modulations in prefrontal regulation of emotional processing have been associated with aggressive and violent behaviour (Calzada-Reyes, Alvarez-Amador, Galán-García, & Valdés-Sosa, 2013; Reyes & Amador, 2009;Taft et al, 2007).…”