Hemispheric specialization for emotional word processing is a function of SSRI responsiveness.

Amy Walsh, John McDowall, Gina M Grimshaw

Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Brain and cognition 2010 Dec

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Vulnerability to depression and non-response to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are associated with specific neurophysiological characteristics including greater right hemisphere (RH) relative to left hemisphere (LH) activity. The present study investigated the relationship between hemispheric specialization and processing of emotional words using a divided visual field paradigm administered to never-depressed and previously-depressed individuals, who were subdivided into SSRI responders and non-responders. SSRI responders and never-depressed participants were similar in their left hemispheric lateralization for evaluating emotional words. In contrast, SSRI non-responders showed a relative shift towards RH processing of negative words, and a strong bias toward negative evaluation of words presented to the RH. The results are discussed within the context of a biological-cognitive model of vulnerability to depression. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation

Amy Walsh, John McDowall, Gina M Grimshaw. Hemispheric specialization for emotional word processing is a function of SSRI responsiveness. Brain and cognition. 2010 Dec;74(3):332-40