In search of the depressive self: extended medial prefrontal network during self-referential processing in major depression

Abstract

Major depression is associated with an excessive self-focus, a tendency to engage oneself in self-referential processing. The medial frontal gyrus (MFG) is central to self-referential processing. This study aimed to explore the neural bases of this excessive self-focus and to disambiguate the role of the MFG in the pathophysiology of major depression. We presented 15 depressed patients and 15 healthy subjects with personality traits during functional magnetic resonance imaging and asked them to judge whether each trait described them ('self' condition) or a generally desirable trait ('general' condition). Both patients and healthy subjects activated the MFG in 'self' vs 'general' condition. However, the activation of the dorsal part of the MFG and of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in 'self' vs 'general' condition was unique to patients. Additionally, patients displayed an increased functional connectivity between the MFG, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the DLPFC. These results provide evidence for an extended medial prefrontal network during self-referential processing in major depression, suggesting the involvement of a greater cognitive control.

Resting-State Connectivity Predictors of Response to Psychotherapy in Major Depressive Disorder

“…Sheline et al (2010) reported hyperconnectivity with bilateral dorsal medial prefrontal cortex across the ECN, the DMN, and the DAN and proposed that these patterns of hyperconnectivity may explain impaired concentration (ECN), increased rumination, selffocus, and vigilance (DMN), and emotional, visceral, and autonomic dysregulation (DAN) in MDD. These findings converge with other reports of aberrant affective network activation at rest and during emotional tasks in MDD (Johansen-Berg et al, 2008;Mayberg et al, 1999;Smoski et al, 2009), DMN hyperactivation during emotional tasks (Sheline et al, 2009), DMN hyperconnectivity at rest in MDD (Lemogne et al, 2009), and increased task-related connectivity (Schlosser et al, 2008;Vasic et al, 2009) and decreased task-related activation (Davidson et al, 2002;Panksepp, 2010) in the ECN in MDD.…”

The Neural Basis of Semantic and Episodic Forms of Self-Knowledge: Insights from Functional Neuroimaging

“…More interestingly, there were also differences in activations between the two types of semantic judgments, with judgments about the self leading to greater activation in the MPFC than judgments about the other. An increased activation in the MPFC when reflecting on one's own traits (compared to the traits of others or to making semantic judgments) has also been observed in several subsequent studies [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] (see Fig. 1 for an illustration of the MPFC activations detected in different studies).…”

“…White circles represent the locations of peak MPFC activations detected when reflecting on one's own psychological traits relative to reflecting on the traits of others or making semantic judgements. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]25,26,29,30 White squares represent the locations of peak MPFC activations detected when reflecting on one's own promotion goals. [38][39][40][41] when participants made judgments from their own perspective and when they made judgments from the perspective of their friend.…”

Childhood Maltreatment and Coping in Bipolar Disorder

“…CEM related dorsal mPFC responsivity may reflect a further increase in negative selfand other-referential processing in these individuals, since the mPFC is pivotal in self-referential processing [20,[48][49][50][51][52][53]. And a recent meta-analysis suggested that dorsal mPFC responsivity to social exclusion is related with enhanced social uncertainty, social distress, and social rumination [15].…”