Inhibition dysfunction in depression: event-related potentials during negative affective priming.
The study aimed to investigate whether depressed patients show impairment of valence-dependent inhibition and its neurophysiological correlates. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were collected from 18 patients with unipolar depression and 18 normal controls during an affective negative priming task. A less effective inhibition in patients was specific for negative information. These behavioral effects were paralleled by ERP differences. In addition to the overall reduced P2 amplitude for negative trials and the overall reduced late positive component (LPC) amplitude for positive and negative trials in patients, ERP differences in different conditions for each group were also found. The patients showed reduced central-parietal P2 amplitude and shorter LPC latency in response to negative experimental targets, whereas the controls showed larger left central P2 amplitude and delayed LPC latency in response to negative experimental targets. No such effects were found for positive targets. These results suggest that the inhibition dysfunction of negative affect influences the earlier attention allocation stage and the later evaluation stage in depressed patients.
Yao
Shuqiao
S
The Medical Psychological Research Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, #139 Ren-Ming Zhong Road, Changsha, Hunan, China. Shuqiaoyao@163.com
Liu
Mingfan
M
Liu
Jianping
J
Hu
Zhujing
Z
Yi
Jinyao
J
Huang
Renzhi
R
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult