Worry modulates recognition memory and ERP correlates of retrieval

Worry, as a core cognitive feature of anxiety, is known to impair attention and memory. However, its effects on episodic memory retrieval and the associated neural mechanisms are still underexplored. The present study aimed to explore the relationship between of worry and episodic memory retrieval by examining recognition performance and associated neural responses. Specifically, we compared behavioral outcomes and event-related potential (ERP) components between individuals (N = 49) with high (HW) and low (LW) levels of worry during an episodic memory task involving non-emotional stimuli (old, new, and rearranged word pairs). Behavioral results indicated that the HW group demonstrated lower overall recognition accuracy and a lower correct rejection rate than the LW group. ERP results showed significant group differences in the P200 and FN400 components. The HW group showed enhanced P200 amplitudes reflecting early hypervigilance, and a more negative overall FN400 response. Crucially, while the LW group showed different neural responses across stimulus types, the HW group uniquely failed to differentiate rearranged stimuli from completely new ones. A significant three-way interaction also emerged for the late potential (LP), indicating that the HW participants exhibited an atypical positive shift in anterior brain regions for new and rearranged stimuli, failing to produce the expected monitoring negativity. Our data showed that trait worry is associated with an internal cognitive load that co-occurs with alterations in early attention, modulations of familiarity processing, and reduced cognitive control required to resolve associative conflict, consequently contributing to less accurate recognition performance.