Neurophysiology of Executive Cognitive Functions under depression: A Theoretical Review

Depression is associated with executive cognitive deficits, frequently unexplored and untreated, what have an impact on remission and recurrence of this affection. To understand the neurocognitive mechanisms of executive processes, a literature search was conducted using bibliographic databases in neurosciences and cognitive sciences. The review focus on experiments using electrophysiological techniques, non-invasive tools with high temporal resolution. Depression shows alterations in brain activity linked with cognition: P3 diminished amplitudes and prolonged latencies, indicating executive attentional dysfunction; similar activity characterizes Mismatch Negativity (MMN), reflecting difficulties for change detection, voluntary effort, and mental shifting. Besides, depression tends to increase N1 latencies related with discrimination, and amplitudes of Loudness Dependence of Auditory Evoked Potentials (LDAEP), suggesting inhibitory control’s deficits. Regarding feedback processing, the alterations of Error-Related Negativity (ERN), Correct Response Negativity (CRN), and Error Positivity (Pe), at Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC), and frontal regions, are related with troubles for error awareness, cognitive control, and error monitoring in depression.Lastly, the ability to interpret coherently the information value of Negative Feedback (NF), and a propensity to commit perseverative and non-perseverative errors, need further investigation. Depressive individuals commit both errors in more occasions than controls, what seems to relate with fronto-striatal networks’ alterations, producing visual attention deficits and difficulties for inhibiting incoming information. Results show a variety of brain and executive cognitive components that are impaired under depression, although further research may clarify controversies resulting from depression heterogeneity and methodology used.