Background
Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated reliably with ruminative responding;
this kind of responding is composed of both maladaptive and adaptive components. Levels
of activity in the default-mode network (DMN) relative to the task-positive network
(TPN), as well as activity in structures that influence DMN and TPN functioning, may
represent important neural substrates of maladaptive and adaptive rumination in MDD.
Methods
We used a unique metric to estimate DMN dominance over TPN from blood oxygenation
level-dependent data collected during eyes-closed rest in 17 currently depressed and
17 never-disordered adults. We calculated correlations between this metric of DMN
dominance over TPN and the depressive, brooding, and reflective subscales of the Ruminative
Responses Scale, correcting for associations between these measures both with one
another and with severity of depression. Finally, we estimated and compared across
groups right fronto-insular cortex (RFIC) response during initiations of ascent in
DMN and in TPN activity.
Results
In the MDD participants, increasing levels of DMN dominance were associated with higher
levels of maladaptive, depressive rumination and lower levels of adaptive, reflective
rumination. Moreover, our RFIC state-change analysis showed increased RFIC activation
in the MDD participants at the onset of increases in TPN activity; conversely, healthy
control participants exhibited increased RFIC response at the onset of increases in
DMN activity.
Conclusions
These findings support a formulation in which the DMN undergirds representation of
negative, self-referential information in depression, and the RFIC, when prompted
by increased levels of DMN activity, initiates an adaptive engagement of the TPN.
Key Words
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: April 04, 2011
Accepted:
February 3,
2011
Received in revised form:
February 3,
2011
Received:
August 26,
2010
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
