Right frontal lobe activation and right hemisphere performance. Decrement during a depressed mood

D. M. Tucker, C. E. Stenslie, R. S. Roth and S. L. Shearer

Evidence from psychiatric patients has suggested that depressive affect may coincide with a decrement in the functioning of the right cerebral hemisphere. We have observed that college students who reported greater depression also reported less vivid imagery. Students undergoing experimental induction of depressive and euphoric moods in the laboratory showed an auditory attentional bias and impaired imagery during the depression condition, while their arithmetic task performance was unchanged. A second mood-induction experiment indicated a depressed mood to be characterized by asymmetrical EEG activation over the frontal lobes, with relatively greater activity in the right frontal region. These observations suggest that anterior regions of the brain may modulate the differential effects of emotional arousal on the information-processing capacities of the cerebral hemispheres.

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Brain Lateralization of Emotional Processing: Historical Roots and a Future Incorporating "Dominance"
Demaree et al.
Behav Cogn Neurosci Rev 2005;4:3-20.
ABSTRACT  

The neural circuitry of emotion and affective style: prefrontal cortex and amygdala contributions
Davidson
Social Science Information 2001;40:11-37.
ABSTRACT  

Lateralization of Facial Emotional Expression in Schizophrenic and Depressed Patients
Yecker et al.
J. Neuropsychiatry Clin. Neurosi. 1999;11:370-379.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Hemispheric Processing and Methylphenidate Effects in Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Malone et al.
J Child Neurol 1994;9:181-189.
ABSTRACT  

The Myth of Attention Deficit- Hyperactivity Disorder: Symptoms Resulting from Multiple Causes
Weinberg and Brumback
J Child Neurol 1992;7:431-445.
 

The Effects of a Temporary Dysphoric Mood upon Selected WAIS-R Subtests
Wolff and Gregory
Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment 1991;9:340-344.
ABSTRACT  

Asymmetrical brain activity discriminates between positive and negative affective stimuli in human infants
Davidson and Fox
Science 1982;218:1235-1237.
ABSTRACT