Memory for novel positive information in major depressive disorder
Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with biases in memory, including poor memory for positive stimuli. It is unclear, however, if this impaired memory for positive stimuli in MDD is related to difficulties in the initial processing of stimuli, or alternatively, reflects a decreased ability to draw on memories of positive stimuli after they have been formed. Using two versions of a word-matching task that featured a mixture of novel and practiced emotionally valenced words, we found that depressed individuals experienced greater difficulty learning positively valenced information than did their nondepressed peers. This difficulty seemed to be specific to initial encounters with the novel, but not the practiced, positive stimuli. These findings suggest that memory deficits for positive information associated with depression are related to how this information is initially processed. Implications of these findings for interventions are discussed and directions for future research are advanced.
Source: Cognition & Emotion
Authors: James E. Sorenson, Daniella J. Furman, Ian H. Gotlib
Institution: Stanford University
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2165755590