The neural basis of conceptual-emotional integration and its role in major depressive disorder

Sophie Green, Matthew A. Lambon Ralph, Jorge Moll, Jessica Zakrzewski, John F.William Deakin, Jordan Grafman, Roland Zahn*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)417-433
Number of pages17
JournalSocial neuroscience
Volume8
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2013

Funding

Correspondence should be addressed to: Roland Zahn, Neuroscience and Aphasia Research Unit, School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Manchester & Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK. Tel: +44-(0)161-27-57338; Fax: +44-(0)161-27-52873; E-mail: [email protected] RZ was funded by a University of Manchester Stepping Stones Fellowship and the UK Medical Research Council: MRC clinician scientist fellowship G0902304. SG was funded by an MRC PhD studentship. Jordan Grafman was funded through the USA NIH intramural program.

Keywords

  • Differentiation
  • Emotional biases
  • Information theory
  • Major depression
  • Moral emotions
  • Overgeneralization
  • Redundancy
  • Self-blame
  • Social concepts
  • Vulnerability

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Development
  • Social Psychology
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

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