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ABSTRACT: Objectives
Thought disorders such as rumination or flight of ideas are frequent in patients with mood disorders, and not systematically linked to mood state. These symptoms point to anomalies in cognitive processes mediating the generation and control of thoughts; for example, associative thinking and inhibition. However, their neural substrates are not known.Method
To obtain an ecological measure of neural processes underlying the generation and suppression of spontaneous thoughts, we designed a free word association task during fMRI allowing us to explore verbal associative patterns in patients with mood disorders and matched controls. Participants were presented with emotionally negative, positive or neutral words, and asked to produce two words either related or unrelated to these stimuli.Results
Relative to controls, patients produced a reverse pattern of answer typicality for the related vs unrelated conditions. Controls activated larger semantic and executive control networks, as well as basal ganglia, precuneus and middle frontal gyrus. Unlike controls, patients activated fusiform gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus and medial prefrontal cortex for emotional stimuli.Conclusions
Mood disorder patients are impaired in automated associative processes, but prone to produce more unique/personal associations through activation of memory and self-related areas.
SUBMITTER: Piguet C
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4483568 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Piguet Camille C Desseilles Martin M Cojan Yann Y Sterpenich Virginie V Dayer Alexandre A Bertschy Gilles G Vuilleumier Patrik P
Social cognitive and affective neuroscience 20141117 7
<h4>Objectives</h4>Thought disorders such as rumination or flight of ideas are frequent in patients with mood disorders, and not systematically linked to mood state. These symptoms point to anomalies in cognitive processes mediating the generation and control of thoughts; for example, associative thinking and inhibition. However, their neural substrates are not known.<h4>Method</h4>To obtain an ecological measure of neural processes underlying the generation and suppression of spontaneous though ...[more]