Cognitive control and brain resources in major depression: An fMRI study using the n-back task

Harvey, Philippe‐Olivier; Fossati, Philippe; Pochon, Jean‐Baptiste; Lévy, Richard; LeBastard, Guillaume; Lehericy, Stéphane; Allilaire, Jean‐François; Dubois, Bruno

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.02.048

Cited by 477 publications

(375 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The present findings potentially have important implications for psychopathologies that are characterized by both emotional and cognitive deficits, like depression and anxiety (Harvey et al, 2005;Luu et al, 1998;Mayberg et al, 1999). Emotional stimuli can have a lasting effect on amygdala activity (Cuthbert et al, 2000), specifically in depressed individuals (Siegle et al, 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Tuning down the emotional brain: An fMRI study of the effects of cognitive load on the processing of affective images

Dillen

Heslenfeld

Koole³

2009

NeuroImage

211

167

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a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oThe present research examines whether cognitive load can modulate the processing of negative emotional stimuli, even after negative stimuli have already activated emotional centers of the brain. In a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, participants viewed neutral and negative stimuli that were followed by an attention-demanding arithmetic task. As expected, exposure to negative stimuli led to increased activation in emotional regions (the amygdalae and the right insula). Subsequently induced task load led to increased activation in cognitive regions (right dorsolateral frontal cortex, right superior parietal cortex). Importantly, task load down-regulated the brain's response to negative stimuli in emotional regions. Task load also reduced subjectively experienced negative emotion in response to negative stimuli. Finally, coactivation analyses suggest that during task performance, activity in right dorsolateral frontal cortex was related to activity in the amygdalae and the right insula. Together, these findings indicate that cognitive load is capable of tuning down the emotional brain.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Tuning down the emotional brain: An fMRI study of the effects of cognitive load on the processing of affective images

Dillen

Heslenfeld

Koole³

2009

NeuroImage

211

167

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Based on the model proposed by Cohen and colleagues , multiple representations of stimuli would increase the activity in dorsolateral PFC. Alternatively, the increased activation to the Target-after-Sad stimuli in MDD might be a compensatory effect for the insufficient conflict control and inhibition in the left ACC and right IFG (Harvey et al, 2005, Wagner et al, 2006. Nevertheless, the increased activation in the MDD group is limited to the targets following sad stimuli.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Prefrontal mechanisms for executive control over emotional distraction are altered in major depression

Wang

LaBar

Smoski

et al. 2008

Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging

184

140

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A dysfunction in the interaction between executive function and mood regulation has been proposed as the pathophysiology of depression. However few studies have investigated the alteration in brain systems related to executive control over emotional distraction in depression. To address this issue, 19 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 20 healthy controls were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants performed an emotional oddball task in which infrequently presented circle targets required detection while sad and neutral pictures were irrelevant novel distractors. Hemodynamic responses were compared for targets, sad distractors, and for targets that followed sad or neutral distractors (Target-after-Sad and Target-after-Neutral). Patients with MDD revealed attenuated activation overall to targets in executive brain regions. MDD patients were also slower behaviorally in response to Target-after-Sad than Target-after-Neutral. Patients also revealed a reversed activation pattern from controls in the left anterior cingulate, insula, right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and bilateral middle frontal gyrus. Those patients who engaged the right IFG more during Target-after-Sad than Target-after-Neutral responded faster to targets, confirming a role of this region in coping with emotional distraction. The results provide direct evidence of the alteration in neural systems that interplay cognition with mood in MDD. (198 words) Keywords event-related fMRI; interaction of executive function and emotion; anterior cingulate cortex; inferior frontal cortex

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“…23,24 In contrast, MDD patients show abnormal activation patterns marked by more pronounced activation on the left prefrontal cortex and the cingulate cortex during working memory tasks. [25][26][27][28][29][30][31] However, all results are not consistent. Some studies suggest that patients with mood disorders show greater activation, 25,31 less activation [26][27][28] or no difference in activation within the regions of interest compared to healthy controls.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[25][26][27][28][29][30][31] However, all results are not consistent. Some studies suggest that patients with mood disorders show greater activation, 25,31 less activation [26][27][28] or no difference in activation within the regions of interest compared to healthy controls. 29,30 A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study of MDD patients during an n-back task showed significantly lower activation in bilateral thalamus, right precentral gyrus and right parietal cortex compared to healthy controls.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…27 Another study showed greater activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus and ACC compared to healthy controls, and depressed patients also showed greater activity of the left middle frontal gyrus and ACC than healthy controls. 25 A problem with some available studies that may explain such discrepancies is that they included patients with both MDD and bipolar disorders, 26,29 and some included medicated patients. 25,[27][28][29][30][31] In this report, we describe the results of an fMRI study designed to compare the brain activity patterns elicited by a working memory task in a sample of unmedicated recurrent patients with MDD and a wellmatched sample of healthy comparison subjects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prefrontal hyperactivation during working memory task in untreated individuals with major depressive disorder

et al. 2006

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The prefrontal cortex, a part of the limbic-thalamic-cortical network, participates in regulation of mood, cognition and behavior and has been implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Many neuropsychological studies demonstrate impairment of working memory in patients with MDD. However, there are few functional neuroimaging studies of MDD patients during working memory processing, and most of the available ones included medicated patients or patients with both MDD and bipolar disorder. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure prefrontal cortex function during working memory processing in untreated depressed patients with MDD. Fifteen untreated individuals with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition recurrent MDD (mean age7s.d. = 34.3711.5 years) and 15 healthy comparison subjects (37.7712.1 years) matched for age, sex and race were studied using a GE/Elscint 2T MR system. An echo-planar MRI sequence was used to acquire 24 axial slices. The n-back task (0-back, 1-back and 2-back) was used to elicit frontal cortex activation. Data were analyzed with a multiple regression analysis using the FSL-FEAT software. MDD patients showed significantly greater left dorsolateral cortex activation during the n-back task compared to the healthy controls (P < 0.01), although task performance was similar in the two groups. Furthermore, the patients showed significant anterior cingulate cortex activation during the task, but the comparison subjects did not (P < 0.01). This study provides in vivo imaging evidence of abnormal frontolimbic circuit function during working memory processing in individuals with MDD.

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Cognitive control and brain resources in major depression: An fMRI study using the n-back task

Cited by 477 publications

References 34 publications

Tuning down the emotional brain: An fMRI study of the effects of cognitive load on the processing of affective images

Tuning down the emotional brain: An fMRI study of the effects of cognitive load on the processing of affective images

Prefrontal mechanisms for executive control over emotional distraction are altered in major depression

Prefrontal hyperactivation during working memory task in untreated individuals with major depressive disorder

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