title: The neural basis of conceptual-emotional integration and its role in major depressive disorder.
abstract: The importance of differentiating between social concepts when appraising actions (e.g., understanding behavior as critical vs. fault-finding) and its contribution to vulnerability to major depressive disorder (MDD) is unknown. We predicted poor integration of differentiated conceptual knowledge when people with MDD appraise their social actions, contributing to their tendency to grossly overgeneralize self-blame (e.g., "I am unlikable rather than critical"). To test this hypothesis, we used a neuropsychological test measuring social conceptual differentiation and its relationship with emotional biases in a remitted MDD and a control group. During fMRI, guilt- and indignation-evoking sentences were presented. As predicted, conceptual overgeneralization was associated with increased emotional intensity when appraising social actions. Interdependence of conceptual overgeneralization and negative emotional biases was stronger in MDD (reproducible in the subgroup without medication) and was associated with overgeneralized self-blame. This high conceptual-emotional interdependence was associated with functional disconnection between the right superior anterior temporal lobe (ATL) and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) as well as a septal region across groups when experiencing guilt (SPM8). Strong coupling of conceptual information (ATL) with information about the context of actions and emotions (frontal-subcortical regions) is thus associated with appraisal being less dependent on conceptual overgeneralization, thereby protecting against excessive self-blame.
authors.affiliation: a Neuroscience and Aphasia Research Unit, School of Psychological Sciences , The University of Manchester & Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre , Manchester , UK.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Matthew A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lambon Ralph
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moll
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zakrzewski
authors.forename: John F William
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Deakin
authors.forename: Jordan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grafman
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zahn
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011594:Psychometrics; D012919:Social Behavior; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen