Event-related-potential based evidence of cognitive dysfunction of processing emotional faces in major depressive disorder patients

In order to investigate the processes of emotional faces in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients, we recorded and analyzed the N170 and early posterior negativity (EPN) components elicited by schematic faces with happy and angry expressions. It was found that the N170 was significantly reduced in depressive patients than that in the control group, regardless of happy or angry faces. Neither MDD patients nor controls showed the affective effects of N170. The EPN was significantly delayed and lower in MDD patients than that in the control group. In controls, the EPN was significantly enhanced for happy than angry faces, but this emotional effect was not evident in MDD patients. These data provide further electrophysiological evidence for the dysfunction of processing emotional faces in MDD patients.