Academic Editor: Yoshihiro Noda
Introduction: In the current study, we used the Stroop Color
and Word Test (SCWT) combined with an n-back component in functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) in order to activate the working memory and cognitive
interference in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) as compared to
healthy controls. Our hypothesis was that there would be
significant alterations in the selective visual attention processing regions of
the brain which may identify mechanisms underlying major depression.
Materials and Methods: Fifty participants, of which 24 were
patients with depression and 26 healthy controls were recruited.
Results: The first major finding of the current study was
hypoactivation in the lingual gyrus during the condition with instructions to
track the sequence of the words (word