Relationship between Mood State and Information Processing of Negative versus Positive Emotional Stimuli in Brain-Damaged Patients

Abstract

The present study investigates the relationship between affective mood state as assessed by self- and hetero-rating scales and information processing of negative versus positive emotional stimuli in unilateral brain-damaged patients. Results show a high positive correlation between depressive mood scores and rating of self-awareness. Left brain-damaged (LBD) patients do not differ significantly from right brain-damaged (RBD) patients on both rating scales. RBD patients mismatch negative emotional stimuli in the nonverbal matching task. Results are discussed with reference to interaction between expression of emotion and cognition. The selective neglect of negative information is interpreted as a more basic emotional impairment.