A high tendency to ruminate was associated with decreased activation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and reduced information flow to the left temporal lobe during emotional mental imagery.
Cross-Sectional (n=26)
No
Does induced depressive rumination alter EEG activation and connectivity in the emotional control circuit in high versus low ruminating individuals?
High tendency to ruminate is associated with hypoactivation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and its inability to modulate left temporal lobe structures during depressive rumination.
p-value: p=0.038
Ruminations are repetitive thoughts associated with symptoms, causes, and consequences of one's negative feelings. The objective of this study was to explore the neuronal basis of depressive rumination in a non-clinical population within the context of emotional control. Participants scoring high or low on the tendency to ruminate scale took part in the EEG experiment. Their EEG data were collected during a state of induced depressive ruminations and compared with positive and neutral conditions. We hypothesized that both groups would differ according to the level of activation and effective connectivity among the structures involved in the emotional control circuit. Clustering of independent components, together with effective connectivity (Directed Transfer Function), was performed using the EEG signal. The main findings involved decreased activation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and increased activation of the left temporal lobe structures in the highly ruminating group. The latter result was most pronounced during the ruminative condition. Decreased information from the left DLPFC to the left temporal lobe structures was also found, leading to the conclusion that hypoactivation of the left DLPFC and its inability to modulate the activation of the left temporal lobe structures is crucial for the ruminative tendencies.
Ferdek et al. (Mon,) conducted a cross-sectional in Depressive rumination (n=26). High tendency to ruminate vs. Low tendency to ruminate was evaluated on Beta3 spectral power in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC) (p=0.038). A high tendency to ruminate was associated with decreased activation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and reduced information flow to the left temporal lobe during emotional mental imagery.