Bessell A L, Watkins E R, Williams W H
Centre for Appearance Research, Faculty of Health & Life Science, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom.
J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2008 Jan;14(1):63-70. doi: 10.1017/S1355617708080065.
Individuals with acquired brain injuries (ABI) often experience depression following injury, with estimated rates between 20 and 40% within the first year and up to 50% thereafter (Fleminger et al., 2003). Previous studies with non-brain-injured individuals have identified that rumination is prevalent in both the development and maintenance of depression. The study aimed to explore how depressive rumination may contribute to overgeneral memory recall in ABI patients, by assessing the effects of manipulating ruminative self-focus on autobiographical memory performance across levels of brain injury. Fifty-eight ABI individuals with mild (28) to moderate/severe (30) cognitive impairments were assessed on measures of mood, rumination and autobiographical memory. They were then randomly assigned into matched groups for an intervention (a distraction) or a rumination task. Following intervention, they were re-assessed for autobiographical recall and rumination. Findings indicate that ruminative self-focus reduced specificity of autobiographical memory in individuals with ABI, suggesting that depressive rumination plays a role in the reduced access to autobiographical memories. Higher baseline levels of depression and rumination were also associated with less specificity in recall. These findings indicate the value of identifying and treating depression among this population.
后天性脑损伤（ABI）患者在受伤后常常会经历抑郁，据估计，第一年的发生率在20%至40%之间，此后高达50%（弗莱明格等人，2003年）。先前对非脑损伤个体的研究表明，沉思在抑郁症的发生和维持中都很普遍。该研究旨在通过评估在不同脑损伤程度下，操纵沉思性自我专注对自传体记忆表现的影响，来探究抑郁性沉思如何导致ABI患者过度概括性记忆回忆。对58名患有轻度（28名）至中度/重度（30名）认知障碍的ABI个体进行了情绪、沉思和自传体记忆测量。然后将他们随机分为匹配组，分别进行干预（分心任务）或沉思任务。干预后，再次评估他们的自传体回忆和沉思情况。研究结果表明，沉思性自我专注降低了ABI个体自传体记忆的特异性，这表明抑郁性沉思在自传体记忆提取减少中起作用。较高的抑郁和沉思基线水平也与回忆特异性较低有关。这些发现表明了在这一人群中识别和治疗抑郁症的价值。
