BRAIN BEHAVIOR RELATIONSHIPS IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

在本建议书中描述的项目中，我正在研究 脑电阿尔法测量的大脑活动与 在抑郁和焦虑的个体中完成一项叙事任务。在我的 在之前的研究中，我曾使用行为方法来推断大脑/行为 关系(例如，将刺激快速呈现给 右或左视野)。这项工作已经产生了一个大脑模型 情绪的功能(Heller，1990；1993)，这使得 关于抑郁和焦虑期间大脑活动的预测， 对行为任务执行的影响。为了测试 随着模型的建立，更直接地测量大脑活动变得重要。 因此，我计划研究脑电活动的模式，与 用叙述性任务测量行为功能。 来自脑电、血流和神经心理学研究的证据 评估表明，大脑活动的不同模式是 与抑郁和焦虑有关。然而，结果是 不一致的，特别是关于后部区域 右半球。这种不明确性的一个原因可能是 研究没有仔细地将抑郁症患者与 没有焦虑，反之亦然。在目前的研究中，我将检查大脑 活动中抑郁和焦虑程度同时存在的个体 已经被确定了。据推测，抑郁和焦虑会 每一个都对区域大脑的水平做出了独特的贡献 活动。特别是，高度焦虑预计将是 与右后部高活动相关；反之，高 抑郁程度将与右后方活动度低相关。 由于这些模式被假设为相反，所以两者都是 焦虑和抑郁的人预计会在中途表现出活跃的程度 在抑郁和焦虑的受试者之间。另外，因为这个权利 后脑区在叙事加工中起着重要作用 据预测，这一地区的活动水平与 行为任务的性能，与以下相关的活动减少 表现较差。 考虑到焦虑和抑郁经常发生的事实，很可能 通过清楚地区分每一种存在的程度，我们将 能够更好地辨别大脑活动的潜在模式 描述这些情绪状态。因此，这一结果可能会为 之前的研究未能为大脑找到一致的结果 活跃性，尤指在后部区域测量的活动。此外， 行为任务是特别有趣的，因为叙事 交流是最常见的心理治疗模式。结果是 因此，可能会对治疗效果产生影响 抑郁和焦虑的个体。

In the project described in this proposal, I am examining the relationship between brain activity, as measured by EEG alpha, and the ability to perform a narrative task in depressed and anxious individuals. In my previous research, I have used behavioral methods to infer brain/behavior relationships (e.g., tachistoscopic presentation of stimuli to either the right or left visual field). This work has led to a model of brain functioning in emotion (Heller, 1990; 1993) that makes specific predictions about brain activity during depression and anxiety, with implications for the performance of behavioral tasks. In order to test the model, it became important to measure brain activity more directly. Therefore, I plan to examine patterns of EEG activity in conjunction with measuring behavioral functions with a narrative task. Evidence from studies employing EEG, blood flow and neuropsychological assessment suggests that different patterns of brain activity are associated with depression and anxiety. However, the results have been inconsistent, particularly with regard to the posterior region of the right hemisphere. One reason for this lack of clarity is likely to be that studies have not carefully separated depressed individuals with and without anxiety and vise versa. In the present study, I will examine brain activity in individuals in whom the degree of both depression and anxiety has been ascertained. It is hypothesized that depression and anxiety will each provide a unique contribution to the level of regional brain activity. In particular, high levels of anxiety are predicted to be correlated with high activity of right posterior regions; conversely, high levels of depression will be correlated with low right posterior activity. Since the patterns are hypothesized to be opposite, people who are both anxious and depressed are expected to display levels of activity midway between depressed and anxious subjects. In addition, because the right posterior region plays an important role in processing narrative information, level of activity in this area is predicted to correlate with performance on the behavioral task, with reduced activity associated with poorer performance. Given the fact that anxiety and depression often occur, it is likely that by clearly differentiating the degree to which each is present, we will be better able to discern the underlying patterns of brain activity that characterize these emotional states. The results may thus shed light on the failure in previous research to find consistent results for brain activity, particularly as measured over posterior regions. Furthermore, the behavioral task is of particular interest because narrative interchange is the most common mode of psychotherapy. The results are therefore likely to have implications regarding treatment efficacy in depressed and anxious individual.