Comparing emotional working memory in adolescents and young adults with and without depressive symptoms: developmental and psychopathological differences
Abstract Depressive symptoms are associated with working memory impairments. Yet, comparative studies examining working memory across the developmental spectrum in depressed and non depressed cohorts are lacking. This study examined emotional working memory in 74 adolescents (mean age = 14; 21 with...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-05-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-00836-2 |
| _version_ | 1818206615770234880 |
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| author | Estíbaliz Royuela-Colomer Laura Wante Izaskun Orue Caroline Braet Sven C. Mueller |
| author_facet | Estíbaliz Royuela-Colomer Laura Wante Izaskun Orue Caroline Braet Sven C. Mueller |
| author_sort | Estíbaliz Royuela-Colomer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Depressive symptoms are associated with working memory impairments. Yet, comparative studies examining working memory across the developmental spectrum in depressed and non depressed cohorts are lacking. This study examined emotional working memory in 74 adolescents (mean age = 14; 21 with depressive symptoms) and 92 adults (mean age = 22; 36 with depressive symptoms). Participants completed two versions of an emotional face n-back task, and either paid attention to the valence of the emotion or the gender. Both tasks were completed at low load (0-back) and high load (2-back). In the high load condition, healthy adolescents showed a bias towards positive faces, both speeding up reaction times (RTs) when emotion was task relevant but slowing RTs when they were task irrelevant. This interaction was neither significant in adolescents with depressive symptoms nor in young adults. Depressive symptoms did not influence RTs in low load. The results indicate that adolescents with depressive symptoms might lack the bias towards positive affective material at high load WM task present in healthy adolescents. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T04:15:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-32a33e1896334bb7b905193d6c3bd098 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-7283 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T04:15:51Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-32a33e1896334bb7b905193d6c3bd0982022-12-22T00:38:27ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832022-05-0110111010.1186/s40359-022-00836-2Comparing emotional working memory in adolescents and young adults with and without depressive symptoms: developmental and psychopathological differencesEstíbaliz Royuela-Colomer0Laura Wante1Izaskun Orue2Caroline Braet3Sven C. Mueller4Department of Personality, Psychological Assessment and Treatment, University of DeustoDepartment of Developmental, Personality, and Social Psychology, Ghent UniversityDepartment of Personality, Psychological Assessment and Treatment, University of DeustoDepartment of Developmental, Personality, and Social Psychology, Ghent UniversityDepartment of Personality, Psychological Assessment and Treatment, University of DeustoAbstract Depressive symptoms are associated with working memory impairments. Yet, comparative studies examining working memory across the developmental spectrum in depressed and non depressed cohorts are lacking. This study examined emotional working memory in 74 adolescents (mean age = 14; 21 with depressive symptoms) and 92 adults (mean age = 22; 36 with depressive symptoms). Participants completed two versions of an emotional face n-back task, and either paid attention to the valence of the emotion or the gender. Both tasks were completed at low load (0-back) and high load (2-back). In the high load condition, healthy adolescents showed a bias towards positive faces, both speeding up reaction times (RTs) when emotion was task relevant but slowing RTs when they were task irrelevant. This interaction was neither significant in adolescents with depressive symptoms nor in young adults. Depressive symptoms did not influence RTs in low load. The results indicate that adolescents with depressive symptoms might lack the bias towards positive affective material at high load WM task present in healthy adolescents.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-00836-2Affective processingDevelopmentDepressionN-backWorking memory |
| spellingShingle | Estíbaliz Royuela-Colomer Laura Wante Izaskun Orue Caroline Braet Sven C. Mueller Comparing emotional working memory in adolescents and young adults with and without depressive symptoms: developmental and psychopathological differences BMC Psychology Affective processing Development Depression N-back Working memory |
| title | Comparing emotional working memory in adolescents and young adults with and without depressive symptoms: developmental and psychopathological differences |
| title_full | Comparing emotional working memory in adolescents and young adults with and without depressive symptoms: developmental and psychopathological differences |
| title_fullStr | Comparing emotional working memory in adolescents and young adults with and without depressive symptoms: developmental and psychopathological differences |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparing emotional working memory in adolescents and young adults with and without depressive symptoms: developmental and psychopathological differences |
| title_short | Comparing emotional working memory in adolescents and young adults with and without depressive symptoms: developmental and psychopathological differences |
| title_sort | comparing emotional working memory in adolescents and young adults with and without depressive symptoms developmental and psychopathological differences |
| topic | Affective processing Development Depression N-back Working memory |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-00836-2 |
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