Selective impairment in effortful information processing in major depression

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 954-959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Hammar ◽  
Anders Lund ◽  
Kenneth Hugdahl
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Visual Search ◽  
Major Depression ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Search Time ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Impaired Performance ◽  
Depressed Patients ◽  
Automatic Information ◽  
Healthy Control

AbstractAutomatic and effortful information processing in depressed patients was investigated by a visual search paradigm, in order to examine dysfunctional effortful processing in depressed patients. Twenty-one patients with major depression, according to the DSM–IV, and with a moderate depression measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale score at >18 participated in the study. The healthy control group was matched for age, gender, and level of education. Half of the trials involved only one type of distractor, and the other half of the trials involved two types of distractors being presented. The results show that the performance of the depressed patients was equal to the control group when the target was easily recognized with only one type of distractor present. However, when target detection required a more difficult and complex attentive search strategy, effortful information processing, the depressed patients needed longer visual search time compared to the controls. Depressed patients seem to have impaired performance on effortful but not automatic information processing. (JINS, 2003, 9, 954–959.)

scholarly journals Perception of Non-Verbal Prosody in Children with ASD

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra V. Maslennikova ◽  
Galina V. Portnova ◽  
Olga V. Martynova
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Spectral Power ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Target Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Spectrum Density ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Important Marker

AbstractParalinguistic features of the speaker, such as prosody, temp, loudness, and dynamics, are an important marker of a person’s emotional state. The deficit of processing of emotional prosody could be preferably associated with the impairments in individuals with ASD’s social behavior. The following two groups of children participated in our study: 30 preschoolers from 4 to 6 years old in the target group (39.1 ± 6.4 scores by Childhood Autism Rating Scale), 24 preschoolers of the control group from 4 to 6 years in the control group. The prosody stimuli were the combination of syllables, said with intonations of “joy,” “angry,” “sadness,” “fear,” and “calm.” Fast Fourier transform (FFT) is used to analyze power spectrum density (PSD). The resulting normalized spectrum was integrated over unit width intervals in the range of interest (2 to 20 Hz with a step in 1Hz). Children with ASD, similarly to TD children, showed the most pronounced differenced of EEG in response to prosodics of fear and anger. The significant groups’ differences in PSD were detected for sad and joy intonations. Indexes of EEG differences between pleasure and painful intonations were significantly higher in the control group than children with ASD and between sadness and calm or joy and calm intonations. This paper makes up two main contributions: In general, we obtained that children with ASD have less response to a human voice’s emotional intonation. The physical characteristics of stimuli are more critical than a sign of emotions. The effect of EEG spectral power has hemisphere specialization in the healthy control group, but not in ASD children. Since spectral power for negative emotions in the target group is higher, we proposed that ASD children worse recognize positive emotions than negative emotions.

Stereopsis Deficits in Parkinson’s Disease and Their Clinical Implications

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang Ba ◽  
Tina T. Sang ◽  
Jaleh Fatehi ◽  
Wenjing He ◽  
Emanuel Mostofi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Disease Status ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Motor Disorder ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Stereo Acuity

Abstract Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is not exclusively a motor disorder. Among non-motor features, PD patients possess sensory visual dysfunctions. Stereopsis deficit can significantly impact patients' motor performance. However, it is not routinely tested, and its significance is under-investigated. Studying stereopsis using reliable 3D stimuli may help determine its implications in disease status in PD.The objective of the study is to investigate stereopsis abnormalities in PD with reliable and more physiological tools, and their correlation with indicators of PD severity. Methods: Twenty-four healthy control and 20 PD participants were first evaluated for visual acuity, visual field, contrast acuity, and stereoperception with 2D and Titmus stereotests, followed by the assessment with the 3D active shutter system. The correlation between stereopsis and disease severity, Unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale motor scores (UPDRS-III), levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD), course of disease and cognitive status were evaluated using univariate regression models. Results: Screening visual tests did not reveal any differences between PD and control group. With the 3D active shutter system, PD patients demonstrated significantly worse stereopsis (i.e p=0.002, 26 seconds of arc). There was a trend that UPDRS-III and LEDD negatively correlate with the stereo acuity, suggesting poorer stereoperception is related to disease severity. Preserved cognitive function correlated with more intact stereo acuity. Conclusion: With more reliable and physiological tools, PD patients exhibit poorer stereopsis. These deficits reflected PD motor and cognitive status. How stereopsis relates to gait, fall risks and navigation warrants more investigations in the future.

Field Dependence and Driver Visual Search Behavior

1978 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 553-559 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Shinar ◽  
Edward D. McDowell ◽  
Nick J. Rackoff ◽  
Thomas H. Rockwell
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Visual Search ◽  
Field Dependence ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Search Time ◽  
Search Behavior ◽  
Search Pattern ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Field Dependent ◽  
On The Road

This paper reports on two studies that examined the relationship between field dependence and on-the-road visual search behavior. In the first study, concerned with eye movements in curve negotiation, it was found that field-dependent subjects have a less effective visual search pattern. In the second study, young and aged drivers were compared on several information processing tasks and on their ability to maintain their eyes closed part of the time while driving. Of the various information processing tasks, only field dependence and visual search time correlated significantly with the mean time the drivers needed to maintain their eyes open while driving, Together the two studies indicate that field dependent subjects require more time to process the available visual information and are less effective in their visual search pattern.

scholarly journals Stroop performance in multiple sclerosis: Information processing, selective attention, or executive functioning?

2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 805-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A.B. MACNIVEN ◽  
C. DAVIS ◽  
M.-Y. HO ◽  
C.M. BRADSHAW ◽  
E. SZABADI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Patient Group ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Stroop Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Information Processing Speed ◽  
Impaired Performance

Cognitive impairments in information processing speed, attention and executive functioning are widely reported in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Several studies have identified impaired performance on the Stroop test in people with MS, yet uncertainty remains over the cause of this phenomenon. In this study, 25 patients with MS were assessed with a neuropsychological test battery including a computerized Stroop test and a computerized test of information processing speed, the Graded Conditional Discrimination Tasks (GCDT). The patient group was compared with an individually age, sex and estimated premorbid IQ-matched healthy control group. The patients' reaction times (RTs) were significantly longer than those of the controls on all Stroop test trials and there was a significantly enhanced absolute (RTincongruent-RTneutral) and relative (100·[RTincongruent-RTneutral]/RTneutral) Stroop interference effect for the MS group. The linear function relating RT to stimulus complexity in the GCDT was significantly steeper in the patient group, indicating slowed information processing. The results are discussed with reference to the difference engine model, a theory of diversity in speeded cognition. It is concluded that, in the assessment of people with MS, great caution must be used in the interpretation of performance on neuropsychological tests which rely on RT as the primary measure. (JINS, 2008, 14, 805–814.)

scholarly journals Expression of Selected Genes Involved in Neurogenesis in the Etiopathogenesis of Depressive Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 168
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Bliźniewska-Kowalska ◽  
Piotr Gałecki ◽  
Janusz Szemraj ◽  
Monika Talarowska
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Depressed Patients ◽  
Gdnf Gene ◽  
Glial Derived Neurotrophic Factor

(1) Background: The neurogenic theory suggests that impaired neurogenesis within the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus is one of the factors causing depression. Immunology also has an impact on neurotrophic factors. The aim of the study was to assess the importance of selected genes involved in the process of neurogenesis i.e., nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and neuron-restrictive silencer factor (REST gene) in the etiopathogenesis of depressive disorders. (2) Methods: A total of 189 subjects took part in the study (95 depressed patients, 94 healthy controls). Sociodemographic data were collected. The severity of depressive symptoms was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). RT-PCR was used to assess gene expression at the mRNA levels, while Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to assess gene expression at the protein level. (3) Results: Expression of NGF, BDNF, REST genes is lower in depressed patients than in the control group, whereas the expression of GDNF gene is higher in patients with depressive disorders than in the group of healthy volunteers. (4) Conclusions: The expression of selected genes might serve as a biomarker of depression.

scholarly journals Potential biomarkers of major depression diagnosis and chronicity

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0257251
Author(s):  
Ana Cecília de Menezes Galvão ◽  
Raíssa Nobrega Almeida ◽  
Geovan Menezes de Sousa Júnior ◽  
Mário André Leocadio-Miguel ◽  
Fernanda Palhano-Fontes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Serum Cortisol ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Major Depression Disorder ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Mature Brain ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Depression Disorder ◽  
Potential Use

Background Molecular biomarkers are promising tools to be routinely used in clinical psychiatry. Among psychiatric diseases, major depression disorder (MDD) has gotten attention due to its growing prevalence and morbidity. Methods We tested some peripheral molecular parameters such as serum mature Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (mBDNF), plasma C-Reactive Protein (CRP), serum cortisol (SC), and the salivary Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), as well as the Pittsburgh sleep quality inventory (PSQI), as part of a multibiomarker panel for potential use in MDD diagnosis and evaluation of disease’s chronicity using regression models, and ROC curve. Results For diagnosis model, two groups were analyzed: patients in the first episode of major depression (MD: n = 30) and a healthy control (CG: n = 32). None of those diagnosis models tested had greater power than Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-6. For MDD chronicity, a group of patients with treatment-resistant major depression (TRD: n = 28) was tested across the MD group. The best chronicity model (p < 0.05) that discriminated between MD and TRD included four parameters, namely PSQI, CAR, SC, and mBDNF (AUC ROC = 0.99), with 96% of sensitivity and 93% of specificity. Conclusion These results indicate that changes in specific biomarkers (CAR, SC, mBDNF and PSQI) have potential on the evaluation of MDD chronicity, but not for its diagnosis. Therefore, these findings can contribute for further studies aiming the development of a stronger model to be commercially available and used in psychiatry clinical practice.

Neural correlates of ‘pessimistic’ attitude in depression

2009 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 789-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Herwig ◽  
A. B. Brühl ◽  
T. Kaffenberger ◽  
T. Baumgartner ◽  
H. Boeker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Internal State ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Depressed Patients ◽  
The Future ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Pessimistic Attitude

BackgroundPreparing for potentially threatening events in the future is essential for survival. Anticipating the future to be unpleasant is also a cognitive key feature of depression. We hypothesized that ‘pessimism’-related emotion processing would characterize brain activity in major depression.MethodDuring functional magnetic resonance imaging, depressed patients and a healthy control group were cued to expect and then perceive pictures of known emotional valences – pleasant, unpleasant and neutral – and stimuli of unknown valence that could have been either pleasant or unpleasant. Brain activation associated with the ‘unknown’ expectation was compared with the ‘known’ expectation conditions.ResultsWhile anticipating pictures of unknown valence, activation patterns in depressed patients within the medial and dorsolateral prefrontal areas, inferior frontal gyrus, insula and medial thalamus were similar to activations associated with expecting unpleasant pictures, but not with expecting positive pictures. The activity within a majority of these areas correlated with the depression scores. Differences between healthy and depressed persons were found particularly for medial and dorsolateral prefrontal and insular activations.ConclusionsBrain activation in depression during expecting events of unknown emotional valence was comparable with activation while expecting certainly negative, but not positive events. This neurobiological finding is consistent with cognitive models supposing that depressed patients develop a ‘pessimistic’ attitude towards events with an unknown emotional meaning. Thereby, particularly the role of brain areas associated with the processing of cognitive and executive control and of the internal state is emphasized in contributing to major depression.

Do the TAIS Attentional-Style Scales Predict How Visual Information Is Processed?

1989 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Dewey ◽  
Lawrence R. Brawley
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Visual Search ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Search Time ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Integration Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Search Rate ◽  
Information Processing System ◽  
Attentional Style

A major research limitation in investigating the validity of the TAIS has been the failure to distinguish when attentional style has an effect on the information processing system, early as in encoding or late after processing. Few investigations have examined the TAIS predictive validity in a controlled setting wherein task attention demands can be systematically and accurately varied. Does the general trait of attentional style really have anything to do with how attention related information is processed? The present study examined this question using a valid attention theory (Treisman's feature integration theory) and a visual search paradigm. When the TAIS attentional-style scales were correlated with visual search rate for attention demanding targets, no significant relationships were observed. Specifically, TAIS scales did not relate to visual search rate for an attention demanding target, the performance of subjects extreme in search rate, or the central to peripheral slowing of search time in target detection. The factorial validity of the TAIS was also questioned. It was concluded that the attentional-style scales were not valid in predicting how attention related visual information is processed. The importance of distinguishing when attentional style might be operating in the information processing system was emphasized for future research.

Negators in Speech and Unconscious Denial: a ‘Refutation’

1972 ◽  
Vol 121 (562) ◽  
pp. 311-314
Author(s):  
Gerald Silverman
Keyword(s):  
Present Author ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Semantic Content ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Tape Recording ◽  
Defence Mechanisms ◽  
Behaviour Analysis ◽  
Depressed Patients ◽  
Depressed Group

In a study by Hinchcliffe, Lancashire and Roberts (1971), results of verbal behaviour analysis are described which purport to show objective, quantified evidence of ‘psychological defence mechanisms' in the speech of depressed patients. The method employed was based on earlier work by Weintraub and Aronson (1962, 1964), involving the tape-recording of speech during interviews of both patients and controls. Analysis is made of both temporo-physical events (e.g. speech rate; pausing) and lexical and semantic content. Regarding the latter, particular emphasis was placed on frequency of ‘negators', defined as ‘not, never, nor, nothing’ (Hinchcliffe et al., 1971) and ‘All negatives, e.g. “not“, “no”, “nothing“, “never”.’ (Weintraub and Aronson, 1964). Such ‘negators' are taken to indicate ‘denial’ in the psycho-analytic sense. Hinchcliffe et al. used a group of ten depressed in-patients and a control group of ten surgical in-patients ‘matched for age, sex and socio-economic position’, but sharply demarcated in terms of their scores on the Zung Self-Rating Scale for depression (Zung, 1965). They found a preponderance of ‘negators' in the speech of the depressed group which was statistically highly significant (P < 0·005), comparing well with the findings of Weintraub and Aronson (P < 0 · 01). In a subsequent communication (Silverman, 1971), the present author expressed doubt as to the validity of the inference that ‘negators' do indicate ‘denial’ in depressed patients, and suggested an alternative experiment of which this is a report.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document