Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

BACKGROUND: significant frontal cortex dysfunction. It is hypothesised that performance on frontal lobe tasks may be sensitive to induced fluctuations in mood state in non-clinical samples. METHODS: Subjects performed one of two neuropsychological tasks immediately subsequent to a musical mood induction procedure designed to induce either elation or depression. Mood was assessed using self-report measures. Salivary cortisol levels were also measured in an attempt to objectively validate mood induction effects. The tasks used were verbal fluency and Damasio's Gambling Game. Two groups of subjects were recruited: a group with previous (subclinical) hypomanic experience (n=23) and a control group without previous hypomanic experience (n=23). RESULTS: The positive and negative mood inductions produced robust and contrasting effects on self-reported mood, but had no significant differential effects on salivary cortisol levels and neuropsychological performance. LIMITATIONS: The findings are restricted by the absence of a neutral mood control condition. CONCLUSIONS: Salivary cortisol recording does not provide a simple and reliable method of validating psychological mood induction. Performance on frontal lobe tests appears to be insensitive to normal mood fluctuations, which supports the argument that the deficits in mood disorder patient groups may instead reflect core disturbances of neurobiological processes.

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Affect Disord

Publication Date

03/2001

Volume

63

Pages

179 - 187

Keywords

Adult, Affect, Depression, Female, Frontal Lobe, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Male, Mood Disorders, Neuropsychological Tests, Risk-Taking, Saliva, Verbal Behavior