title: Modulating speed-accuracy strategies in major depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression is associated with deficits in cognitive flexibility. The role of general slowing in modulating more specific cognitive deficits is however unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We assessed how depression affects the capacity to strategically adapt behavior between harsh and prudent response modalities and how general and specific processes may contribute to performance deficits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients suffering from major depression and age- and education-matched healthy controls were asked to randomly stress either speed or accuracy during perceptual decision-making.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diffusion models showed that patients with depression kept using a less conservative strategy after a trial with speed vs. accuracy instructions. Additionally, the depression group showed a slower rate of evidence accumulation as indicated by a generally lower drift rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data demonstrate that less efficient strategic regulation of behavior in depression is due not only to general slowing, but also to more specific deficits, such as a rigid dependence on past contextual instructions. Future studies should investigate the neuro-anatomical basis of this deficit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences: SNPSRR, Universitá degli Studi di Padova, Italy; Centro di Neuroscienze Cognitive, Universitá degli Studi di Padova, Italy. Electronic address: antoniovallesi@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vallesi
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental & Clinical Medicine (DISM), Inter-University Center for Behavioural Neurosciences (ICBN), University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Canalaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental & Clinical Medicine (DISM), Inter-University Center for Behavioural Neurosciences (ICBN), University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balestrieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental & Clinical Medicine (DISM), Inter-University Center for Behavioural Neurosciences (ICBN), University of Udine, Udine, Italy; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, TX, USA; IRCCS 'E. Medea', Scientific Institute, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brambilla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D003657:Decision Making; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Depression; Diffusion models; Executive functions; Flexibility; Perceptual decision-making; Speed-accuracy trade off