Exploring the Associations Between Affective and Non-Affective Cognitive Domains in Mood Disorders and Healthy Controls Using Network Analysis

IF 4.7 2区医学 Q1 PSYCHIATRY

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica Pub Date : 2026-04-05 Epub Date: 2026-03-03 DOI:10.1111/acps.70084

Hanne Lie Kjærstad, Astrid Endrup Iversen, Maj Vinberg, Lars Vedel Kessing, Jeff Zarp, Kamilla Woznica Miskowiak

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Introduction

Cognitive impairment is a core feature of mood disorders that contributes to reduced functioning and poorer prognosis, thereby emerging as an important treatment target. Persistent trait-related impairments present within both affective and non-affective cognition. Nevertheless, the relationship between affective and non-affective cognitive domains remains unclear, including whether impairments in emotion regulation and facial expression recognition are secondary to deficits in non-affective cognition. Mapping out the hierarchical structure of affective and non-affective cognitive domains may elucidate core cognitive impairments that represent the most relevant treatment targets.

Methods

Network analysis was employed to explore the associations between affective and non-affective cognitive domains in individuals with mood disorders (N = 380) and healthy controls (HC; N = 225) pooled from two previous studies. Partial correlation networks were constructed separately for individuals with mood disorders and HC comprising measures of non-affective cognition (working memory and executive function, attention and processing speed, verbal learning, and verbal memory) and affective cognition (emotion regulation success, facial expression recognition speed and accuracy).

Results

For both mood disorders and HC, ‘working memory and executive function’ and ‘attention and processing speed’ emerged as central cognitive domains. Emotion regulation showed a significantly weaker association with ‘working memory and executive function’ in mood disorders relative to HC. Additionally, facial expression recognition speed was associated with ‘attention and processing speed’ across both groups.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that working memory, executive function, attention, and processing speed are core cognitive domains in mood disorders. Further, the weak association between executive function and emotion regulation in mood disorders may indicate a reduced reliance on cognitive control processes during emotion regulation. These findings underscore the importance of targeting both affective and non-affective cognition in pro-cognitive interventions to improve emotion regulation and potentially mitigate the risk of mood episodes.

Abstract Image

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利用网络分析探讨情绪障碍和健康对照的情感和非情感认知域之间的联系。

认知障碍是情绪障碍的核心特征，导致功能下降和预后不良，因此成为重要的治疗靶点。在情感认知和非情感认知中都存在持续的特质相关障碍。然而，情感和非情感认知领域之间的关系尚不清楚，包括情绪调节和面部表情识别障碍是否继发于非情感认知缺陷。绘制情感和非情感认知领域的层次结构可以阐明代表最相关治疗目标的核心认知障碍。方法：采用网络分析方法，对两项既往研究中情绪障碍患者（N = 380）和健康对照（HC; N = 225）的情感和非情感认知域的关系进行探讨。对情绪障碍和HC个体分别构建了部分相关网络，包括非情感认知（工作记忆和执行功能、注意和处理速度、言语学习和言语记忆）和情感认知（情绪调节成功、面部表情识别速度和准确性）的测量。结果：对于情绪障碍和HC来说，“工作记忆和执行功能”以及“注意力和处理速度”都是主要的认知领域。在情绪障碍中，情绪调节与“工作记忆和执行功能”的关联明显弱于HC。此外，两组的面部表情识别速度与“注意力和处理速度”有关。结论：工作记忆、执行功能、注意力和处理速度是情绪障碍的核心认知领域。此外，情绪障碍的执行功能与情绪调节之间的弱关联可能表明情绪调节过程中对认知控制过程的依赖程度降低。这些发现强调了在亲认知干预中，针对情感和非情感认知来改善情绪调节和潜在地减轻情绪发作风险的重要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

11.20

自引率

3.00%

发文量

135

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica acts as an international forum for the dissemination of information advancing the science and practice of psychiatry. In particular we focus on communicating frontline research to clinical psychiatrists and psychiatric researchers. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica has traditionally been and remains a journal focusing predominantly on clinical psychiatry, but translational psychiatry is a topic of growing importance to our readers. Therefore, the journal welcomes submission of manuscripts based on both clinical- and more translational (e.g. preclinical and epidemiological) research. When preparing manuscripts based on translational studies for submission to Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, the authors should place emphasis on the clinical significance of the research question and the findings. Manuscripts based solely on preclinical research (e.g. animal models) are normally not considered for publication in the Journal.