title: Increased spreading activation in depression.
abstract: The dopaminergic system is implicated in depressive disorders and research has also shown that dopamine constricts lexical/semantic networks by reducing spreading activation. Hence, depression, which is linked to reductions of dopamine, may be associated with increased spreading activation. However, research has generally found no effects of depression on spreading activation, using semantic priming paradigms. We used a different paradigm to investigate the relationship between depression and spreading activation, one based on word frequencies. Our sample included 97 undergraduates who completed the BDI-II and the Controlled Oral Word Association test as well as the Animal Naming test. The results indicated that the group scoring within the depressed ranged evidenced greater spreading activation as compared to those who scored within the normal range on the BDI-II. The implications of these results as they relate to creativity in depression is discussed.
authors: Psychology Department, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, United States. pfoster@mtsu.edu
authors: Paul S
authors: PS
authors: Foster
authors: Raegan C
authors: RC
authors: Yung
authors: Kaylei K
authors: KK
authors: Branch
authors: Kristi
authors: K
authors: Stringer
authors: Brad J
authors: BJ
authors: Ferguson
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Sullivan
authors: Valeria
authors: V
authors: Drago
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010153:Paired-Associate Learning / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014936:Word Association Tests