Early emotional processing deficits in depersonalization: An exploration with event-related potentials in an undergraduate sample

Cwem Quaedflieg, T. Giesbrecht, E. Meijer, H. Merckelbach, P. J. de Jong, H. Thorsteinsson, T. Smeets, D. Simeon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Emotional stimuli may draw attention to such an extent that they hamper the processing of subsequent signals, a phenomenon termed emotion-induced blindness (EIB). As depersonalization is associated with self-reported attenuated emotional responses, the present study explored whether individuals scoring high on the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS; n=15) exhibit a diminished EIB effect relative to low CDS scoring individuals (n=15), and whether attentional processes reflected in event-related potentials (ERPs) are implicated in this effect. We obtained an EIB effect such that emotional distractors that preceded targets with a lag of 200ms reduced correct detection of targets. Although the magnitude of this effect was similar for high and low CDS participants, high CDS participants exhibited a significantly lower ERP amplitude at the frontal lead in the 200-300ms window than did low CDS individuals to targets that followed emotional versus neutral distractors. This latter effect was significantly related to the Alienation factor of the CDS. This pattern suggests that difficulties in the discrimination between emotional and neutral stimuli relate to the feeling of unreality in depersonalization.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)223-229
JournalPsychiatry Research-Neuroimaging
Volume212
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013
Externally publishedYes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Early emotional processing deficits in depersonalization: An exploration with event-related potentials in an undergraduate sample'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this