| contributors |
date |
external_url |
layout |
params |
projects |
title |
topics |
|
|
2025-05-07 |
https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.16330 |
publication |
|
|
Neural, behavioral, and speech indicators of mood-congruent bias in major depressive disorder |
|
Aim: This study aims to explore the neural, behavioral, and speech indicators of mood-
congruent bias in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), investigating the relationship between
emotional processing biases and cognitive control deficits in MDD.
Method: Using a novel video paradigm during fMRI, facial expressions (happy/sad) were
subliminally presented (16.7 ms) congruent or incongruent with video content (happy/sad) in a
large sample (N = 126; MDD: n = 60, Control: n = 66). Psychological testing and speech
recordings during a storytelling task of positive and negative life events were conducted outside
the scanner.
Results: During dynamic emotional cues, faster and more accurate detection was apparent when
the emotion of the video content and the subliminal prime expression were congruent. Patients
exhibited reduced task performance (subjective ratings and reaction times) compared to
controls. Reduced accuracy was found in MDD particularly when happy videos were
interrupted by a sad primer. Neuroimaging showed increased activation in the right inferior and
middle occipital and temporal gyri. An interaction between speech features and psychological
measures was not moderated by the group.
Conclusion: Neuroimaging reflects compensatory mechanisms in MDD, indicating increased
cognitive effort in processing emotional content. Multimodal evidence highlights the
coexistence and mutual contribution of emotional and cognitive mechanisms, which together
underscore maladaptive patterns that may exacerbate mood-congruent biases and the
persistence and intensity of depressive symptoms.
Schräder, J., Sieberg, R., Menne, F., Dörr, F., Tröger, J., Habel, U., König, A., & Wagels, L. (2025). Neural, Behavioral, and Speech Indicators of Mood-Congruent Bias in Major Depressive Disorder. PsychArchives. https://doi.org/10.23668/PSYCHARCHIVES.16330
