Local and Global Alternations in the Intrinsic Networks of Emotion Processing and Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Major Depressive Disorder

Depression is a psychological disorder with the debilitating social, personal and medical consequences. Neuroscientific evidences implied that the main depression symptoms – depressed mood and anhedonia – is associated with the abnormality in the emotion processing and the cognitive emotion regulation brain networks. The current study aimed at (1) comparing the local (ALFF) and global (FC) alternations of emotion processing (visual, auditory, attention, evaluation and response) and cognitive emotion regulation networks (evaluation, initiation and execution) in MDDs and HCs, (2) investigating the correlation of depression severity with the ALFF and FC of emotion processing and cognitive emotion regulation networks.Method In this study, 37 HCs and 27 MDDs were selected through convenient sampling and underwent resting-state fMRI scan. The GLM used to compare the ALFF and FC of emotion processing and regulation in MDDs and HCs, and the Pierson correlation used to investigate the relationship of depression severity with the ALFF and FC of emotion processing and regulation.Results Results showed the differences of the emotion processing (ALLF of response and FC of visual, auditory, attention) and the cognitive emotion regulation networks (ALFF of initiation and FC of appraisal, initiation and execution) in MDDs and HCs, and the correlation of depression severity with the emotion processing (FC of attention) and the cognitive emotion regulation networks (FC of appraisal, initiation and execution).Conclusions The current study expands the biological etiology of MDD, and showed the prominent role of cognitive control in the abnormalities of emotion processing and cognitive emotion regulation.