title: Distracted and down: neural mechanisms of affective interference in subclinical depression.
abstract: Previous studies have shown that depressed individuals have difficulty directing attention away from negative distractors, a phenomenon known as affective interference. However, findings are mixed regarding the neural mechanisms and network dynamics of affective interference. The present study addressed these issues by comparing neural activation during emotion-word and color-word Stroop tasks in participants with varying levels of (primarily subclinical) depression. Depressive symptoms predicted increased activation to negative distractors in areas of dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), regions implicated in cognitive control and internally directed attention, respectively. Increased dACC activity was also observed in the group-average response to incongruent distractors, suggesting that dACC activity during affective interference is related to overtaxed cognitive control. In contrast, regions of PCC were deactivated across the group in response to incongruent distractors, suggesting that PCC activity during affective interference represents task-independent processing. A psychophysiological interaction emerged in which higher depression predicted more positively correlated activity between dACC and PCC during affective interference, i.e. greater connectivity between cognitive control and internal-attention systems. These findings suggest that, when individuals high in depression are confronted by negative material, increased attention to internal thoughts and difficulty shifting resources to the external world interfere with goal-directed behavior.
authors: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA RHKaiser@mclean.harvard.edu.
authors: Roselinde H
authors: RH
authors: Kaiser
authors: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
authors: Jessica R
authors: JR
authors: Andrews-Hanna
authors: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
authors: Jeffrey M
authors: JM
authors: Spielberg
authors: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
authors: Stacie L
authors: SL
authors: Warren
authors: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
authors: Bradley P
authors: BP
authors: Sutton
authors: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Ang
authors: Gregory A
authors: GA
authors: Miller
authors: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
authors: Wendy
authors: W
authors: Heller
authors: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
authors: Marie T
authors: MT
authors: Banich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001288:Attention; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D057190:Stroop Test; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: connectivity; default network; depression; emotion; executive function