The role of functional neuroimaging in the neuropsychology of depression

Depressed individuals show impaired performance in tests of attention and c oncentration. They also exhibit PET resting state abnormalities in dorsal p refrontal cortex and anterior cingulate, regions known to be substrates of attentional processing in healthy individuals. This chapter outlines a stra tegy to study neuropsychological mechanisms in emotional disorders using fu nctional imaging methods. It reviews evidence strongly implicating the dors olateral prefrontal cortex, particularly in the right hemisphere, as a key brain structure in emotion/cognition interactions in negative mood stares. It will be argued that this neocortical region is a crucial convergence zon e, being the substrate of sustained attention to the external environment, and the main target of limbic-cortical influences during changes in mood st ate across health and disease.