Neural correlates of 'pessimistic' attitude in depression
Open accessAbstract
Background: Preparing for potentially threatening events in the future is essential for survival. Anticipating the future to be unpleasant is also a cognitive key feature of depression. We hypothesized that ‘pessimism’-related emotion processing would characterize brain activity in major depression. Method: During functional magnetic resonance imaging, depressed patients and a healthy control group were cued to expect and then perceive pictures of known emotional valences – pleasant, unpleasant and neutral – and stimuli of unknown valence that could have been either pleasant or unpleasant. Brain activation associated with the ‘unknown’ expectation was compared with the ‘known’ expectation conditions. Results: While anticipating pictures of unknown valence, activation patterns in depressed patients within the medial and dorsolateral prefrontal areas, inferior frontal gyrus, insula and medial thalamus were similar to activations associated with expecting unpleasant pictures, but not with expecting positive pictures. The activity within a majority of these areas correlated with the depression scores. Differences between healthy and depressed persons were found particularly for medial and dorsolateral prefrontal and insular activations. Conclusions: Brain activation in depression during expecting events of unknown emotional valence was comparable with activation while expecting certainly negative, but not positive events. This neurobiological finding is consistent with cognitive models supposing that depressed patients develop a ‘pessimistic’ attitude towards events with an unknown emotional meaning. Thereby, particularly the role of brain areas associated with the processing of cognitive and executive control and of the internal state is emphasized in contributing to major depression.
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A similar setup in depressed patients identified distinct regions potentially corresponding to a negative cognitive bias in MDD.
“A similar setup in depressed patients identified distinct regions potentially corresponding to a negative cognitive bias in MDD”
From SSRI Treatment Response Prediction in Depression Based on Brain Activation by Emotional Stimuli (2020) · cites this paper as [25]
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Neural circuits associated with positive and negative self-appraisal
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Self-citationPremkumar, P., Williams, S., Lythgoe, D. J., Andrew, C., Kuipers, E., & Kumari, V. (2011) · The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.3109/15622975.2011.604101 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“A study of patients with major depression (Herwig et al. 2010) found that activation of reward-related brain regions, namely nucleus accumbens, thalamus and insula, was decreased when patients were consciously attempting to enhance their mood state in response to positive images, suggesting…”
BackgroundSSRI Treatment Response Prediction in Depression Based on Brain Activation by Emotional Stimuli
Preuss, A., Bolliger, B., Schicho, W., Hättenschwiler, J., Seifritz, E., Brühl, A. B., & Herwig, U. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.538393 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“A similar setup in depressed patients identified distinct regions potentially corresponding to a negative cognitive bias in MDD (24, 25).”
BackgroundSelf-citationMu, Y., Li, Y., Zhang, Q., Ding, Z., Wang, M., Luο, X., Guo, X., & Xu, M. (2020) · General Psychiatry · doi:10.1136/gpsych-2019-100147 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Altered hypothalamic functional connectivity patterns in major depressive disorder
Wang, D., Xue, S., Tan, Z., Wang, Y., Lian, Z., & Sun, Y. (2019) · Neuroreport · doi:10.1097/wnr.0000000000001335 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Guo, Z., Liu, X., Jia, X., Hou, H., Cao, Y., Wei, F., Li, J., Chen, X., Zhang, Y., Shen, Y., et al. (2015) · Journal of Alzheimer s Disease · doi:10.3233/jad-150460 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Abnormal amygdala resting-state functional connectivity in primary dysmenorrhea
Shen, Z., Yu, S., Wang, M., She, T., Yang, Y., Wang, Y., Wei, W., Guo, X., Hu, Y., Liang, F., et al. (2019) · Neuroreport · doi:10.1097/wnr.0000000000001208 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Atrophy of bilateral nucleus accumbens in melancholic depression
Chu, Z., Yuan, L., He, M., Cheng, Y., Lu, Y., Xu, X., & Shen, Z. (2023) · Neuroreport · doi:10.1097/wnr.0000000000001915 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Negative bias of processing ambiguously cued emotional stimuli
Kaffenberger, T., Brühl, A. B., Baumgärtner, T., Jäncke, L., & Herwig, U. (2010) · Neuroreport · doi:10.1097/wnr.0b013e328337ff18 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“That provides neurobiological evidence for a ‘pessimistic’ bias in brain activation in response to events with ambiguous emotional impact, implicating that ambiguous expectation is associated with a preparation for the worse case [6].”
BackgroundSelf-citationCoronavirus : cerveau prédictif et gestion de la terreur
Bottemanne, H., Morlaàs, O., Schmidt, L., & Fossati, P. (2020) · L Encéphale · doi:10.1016/j.encep.2020.05.012 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Shi, W., He, Y., Li, Q., Tang, L., Li, B., Lin, Q., Min, Y., Yuan, Q., Zhu, P., Liang, R., et al. (2019) · Brain and Behavior · doi:10.1002/brb3.1421 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“The insular cortex participates in emotional processing (Herwig et al., 2010; Surguladze et al., 2010), and their dysfunction leads to the abnormal subjective sensory states of multiple mental disorders.”
BackgroundAge-dependent brain morphometry in Major Depressive disorder
Myoraku, A., Lang, A., Taylor, C. T., Mackin, R. S., Meyerhoff, D. J., Mueller, S. G., Strigo, I. A., & Tosun, D. (2021) · NeuroImage Clinical · doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102924 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“Additionally, functional connectivity of the insula has been associated with treatment response in MDD in both adolescents and adults (Johnstone et al., 2007; Herwig et al., 2010; Mutschler et al., 2012).”
BackgroundYe, J., Shen, Z., Xu, X., Yang, S., Chen, W., Liu, X., Lü, Y., Liu, F., Lü, J., Li, N., et al. (2017) · Neuroreport · doi:10.1097/wnr.0000000000000733 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Association of pessimism with cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality
Krittanawong, C., Maitra, N. S., Khawaja, M., Wang, Z., Fogg, S. E., Rozenkrantz, L., Virani, S. S., Levin, M., Storch, E. A., Tobler, P. N., et al. (2022) · Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases · doi:10.1016/j.pcad.2022.11.018 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Neuropsychologische Aspekte der Depression
Cueni, C., Abbruzzese, E., Brühl, A. B., & Herwig, U. (2011) · Zeitschrift für Psychiatrie Psychologie und Psychotherapie · doi:10.1024/1661-4747/a000060 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Self-citationMacoveanu, J., Miskowiak, K. W., Kessing, L. V., Vinberg, M., & Siebner, H. R. (2015) · Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience · doi:10.1503/jpn.140220 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
How mood shapes belief updating bias in depression
Bottemanne, H., Frileux, S., Sévoz‐Couche, C., Pelloux, Y., Colle, R., & Corruble, E. (2025) · Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3758/s13415-025-01297-x · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“…as more likely than positive ones (Alloy & Ahrens, 1987; Pyszczynski et al., 1987; Thimm et al., 2013), anticipate negative events more frequently (Herwig et al., 2010), and believe positive events are less likely to happen to them compared with others (Alloy & Ahrens, 1987; Pyszczynski et al.,…”
Liu, C., Lv, X., Guo, Z., Zhang, Z., Yang, M., Fang, J., & Wang, W. (2020) · Neuroreport · doi:10.1097/wnr.0000000000001534 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“our study and that of Herwig et al. (2010) Herwig et al. (2010) investigated brain activation using fMRI while expecting events of unknown emotional valence, including pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral. The activation of brain regions in MDD including the SMFG, IFG, insula, and medial thalamus were similar to activati…”
BackgroundResultInfluentialGorrino, I., Canessa, N., & Mattavelli, G. C. (2023) · Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1234837 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“This view is supported by growing evidence of structural and functional abnormalities, in this region, in patients with major depressive disorder (Herwig et al., 2010; Surguladze et al., 2010; Takahashi et al., 2010; Stratmann et al., 2014), bipolar disorder (Ellison-Wright and Bullmore, 2010; Hulvershorn et al.”
ResultWang, Y., Wang, Y., Zhou, J., Ge, C., Shi, Y., & Hu, Z. (2022) · Neuroreport · doi:10.1097/wnr.0000000000001794 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Mise à jour des croyances et congruence à l'humeur dans le trouble dépressif
Bottemanne, H., Frileux, S., Guesdon, A., & Fossati, P. (2021) · L Encéphale · doi:10.1016/j.encep.2021.06.015 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Li, Y., Zhang, G., Lv, W., Sun, Y., Zhang, K., Li, B., & Ma, C. (2025) · Food Bioscience · doi:10.1016/j.fbio.2025.107281 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
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Lai, C. (2012) · Journal of Neuropsychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.neuropsych.11070157 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
A Survey on Probable and Improbable Decisions About Headache Treatment
Pohl, H., Gantenbein, A. R., Sándor, P. S., & Andrée, C. (2020) · SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine · doi:10.1007/s42399-020-00556-x · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Vieira, R., Reis, J. S., Portugal‐Nunes, C., Coelho, A., Magalhães, R. J. D. S., Ferreira, S., Moreira, P. S., Sousa, N., Picó‐Pérez, M., & Bessa, J. M. (2022) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2022.09.165 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Alders, G. L., Milne, A. M., Minuzzi, L., Frey, B. N., MacQUEEN, G. M., & Hall, G. B. (2018) · Neuroreport · doi:10.1097/wnr.0000000000001163 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Wu, X., Shen, X., Li, Q., & Wang, P. (2024) · Neuroreport · doi:10.1097/wnr.0000000000002086 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“These symptoms and signs cause distress and interfere with personal functioning [2,3,4].”
Cordella, M., & Poiani, A. (2013) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-9605-2_3 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Towards a Wireless EEG System for Ambulatory Mental Health Applications
Jackson, G. (2013) · TSpace (University of Toronto) · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Seroto-nergic and noradrenergic modulation of emotion process-ing by sing dose antidepressants
Brühl, A. B., Kaffenberger, T., & Herwig, U. (2010) · Medical Entomology and Zoology
Self-citationThe role of self-relevance, attention and online interpretation of social cues in social anxiety
McKendrick, M. (2013) · STAX · doi:10.48730/85gf-gr83
- Authors
- Herwig, U., Brühl, A. B., Kaffenberger, T., Baumgartner, T., Boeker, H., & Jäncke, L.
- Affiliations
- Universität Ulm (DE)
- Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Zürich (CH)
- University of Zurich (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Herwig, U.
- Venue
- Psychological Medicine
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2009-09-07
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 789-800
- ISSN
- 0033-2917 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8978
- OpenAlex
- W2109230159
- Cited by
- 56
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 2.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- reroDoc Digital Library (submittedVersion)
- Bern Open Repository and Information System (University of Bern) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
- Funders
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (112631, 3200B0)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Keywords
- major depressive disorder, pessimism, emotional processing, medial prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, insula, medial thalamus, inferior frontal gyrus, cognitive control, executive function, internal state
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Arousal, Attitude, Brain, Brain Mapping, Cues, Major Depressive Disorder, Dominance, Cerebral, Emotions, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Motivation, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Set, Psychology
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