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Updated: May 1, 2026
Investigations on Alterations of Hippocampal Circuit Function Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: November 19, 2012
Impaired upper alpha synchronisation during working memory retention in depression and depression following traumatic
Neil W Bailey1, Rebecca A Segrave1, Kate E Hoy1
1Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Central Clinical School, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Abstract:
Rates of major depressive disorder (MDD) following traumatic brain injury (TBI) are higher than in the general population. Individuals with depression following traumatic brain injury (TBI-MDD) exhibit working memory (WM) impairments. Electrophysiological evidence has suggested that parieto-occipital upper alpha synchronisation may enhance WM retention by inhibiting irrelevant processes. The current research assessed whether retention period WM parieto-occipital upper alpha activity is disrupted in groups with TBI-only (N=20), MDD (N=17), and TBI-MDD (N=15) compared to healthy controls (N=31). Behavioural data indicated poorer performance in MDD and TBI-MDD. Parietal-occipital upper alpha was reduced in the MDD and TBI-MDD groups, but was unaffected in TBI-only. These results suggest inhibitory deficits may account for WM impairments in MDD and TBI-MDD, and that for individuals with TBI-MDD it may be the depression rather than the TBI that impairs WM.
