ABSTRACT
Background: Based on fMRI studies midcingulate cortex (MCC) has been proposed to have a role in conflict monitoring and response inhibition, or more general in cognitive control [1]. However, it is not known whether this activation predicts real world psychological functioning. Actual stressors like the COVID-19 pandemic and its concomitants can easily generate negative emotions and trigger ruminative thoughts [2]. Frequent or increased ruminative thoughts to an actual naturalistic stressor might reflect deficits in cognitive control function. Thus, the aim of our study was to explore whether the recruitment of MCC when cognitive control is needed, measured before the pandemic, was associated with state and content specific ruminative thoughts during the first wave of pandemic. Methods: In our study 30 healthy subjects (16 female;mean age: 27) participated. They were enrolled in the fMRI study before the Covid-19 pandemic. In the scanner, we used the Emotion-Face Stroop Task [3] in which happy or fear word is overlaid on happy or fearful facial expression resulting congruent or incongruent conditions. In this task participants are instructed to identify the facial expression while ignoring the emotional label on the face, thus participants have to inhibit the prepotent response. Incongruent trials – when there is a mismatch between the facial expression and the label on it – generate emotional interference and requires control to successfully inhibit the prepotent response. We contacted our participants in June 2020 and asked them to fill out questionnaires on trait level rumination and Covid-related ruminative thoughts [2]. Results: In our analysis, we focused on the contrast of incongruent versus congruent trials and used a mask for MCC to test our a-priori hypothesis. We performed a small volume correction (SVC) analysis in Statistical Parameter Mapping using voxel-wise threshold p<0.05, FWE corrected. We found that Covid-related rumination was associated positively with the recruitment of MCC (peak MNI coordinates x/y/z = -6/-1/32;t(1,28) = 5.20, SVC, pFWE = 0.008), implying that those who scored higher on Covid-related ruminative thoughts showed higher involvement of MCC when more effort was needed to exert control over the prepotent response. The results did not change when gender and trait level brooding – the maladaptive component of rumination – were controlled for. Conclusion: Our result is in line with a recent study [4] showing that ruminative thoughts after a stressful task was predicted by cognitive control. Our results might suggest that healthy subjects who have to recruit MCC more to incongruent trials versus congruent one are more vulnerable to stress related (state) ruminative thoughts. Thus, those who need more inhibitory control to inhibit a prepotent response or more responsive to emotional interference might have difficulties in regulating their thoughts or emotions in an enduring stressful situation. Cognitive control trainings targeting inhibitory control over negative emotional information might help those who react to an actual naturalistic stressors with increased rumination, pointing out the need for identifying people who are at risk in times of stress. Conflict of interest Disclosure statement: This study was supported by the Hungarian Brain Research Program (Grants: 2017-1.2.1-NKP-2017-00002 KTIA_NAP_13-2- 2015-0001) and by the Thematic Excellence Programme (Tématerületi Kiválósági Program, 2020-4.1.1.-TKP2020) of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology in Hungary, within the framework of the Neurology and Translational Biotechnology thematic programmes of the Semmelweis University. The preparation of this poster for GK was supported by the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office (FK128614).