Processing emotional facial expressions influences performance on a Go/NoGo task in pediatric anxiety and depression.
BACKGROUND
This study investigated whether processing emotionally salient information such as emotional facial expressions influences the performance on a cognitive control task in pediatric anxiety and depression.


METHODS
The sample included 68 participants between 8 and 16 years of age selected into three diagnostic groups: Anxiety Disorder (ANX, n = 23), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD, n = 19), and Low-Risk Normal Control (LRNC, n = 26). Participants completed an Emotional Go/NoGo task in which participants must either respond to (Go trials) or not respond to (NoGo trials) specific facial expressions (angry, fearful, sad, happy, neutral). In order to manipulate the level of cognitive control needed to perform the task, the probability of occurrence of the Go trials was varied across 3 probability conditions (low, moderate, high).


RESULTS
Analyses showed that the MDD group had significantly faster reaction times to sad face Go trials embedded in neutral face NoGo trials in the moderate probability condition and that the ANX group had significantly slower reaction times to neutral face Go trials embedded in angry face NoGo trials in the low probability condition.


CONCLUSIONS
These data demonstrate that processing emotional facial expressions influences the performance on a cognitive control task in children and adolescents diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and major depression.
Ladouceur
Cecile D
CD
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. ladouceurcd@upmc.edu
Dahl
Ronald E
RE
Williamson
Douglas E
DE
Birmaher
Boris
B
Axelson
David A
DA
Ryan
Neal D
ND
Casey
B J
BJ
D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011337:Probability Learning; D011930:Reaction Time