Initial and Sustained Attentional Bias Toward Emotional Faces in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder.

ABSTRACT: Major depressive disorder (MDD) represents a prevalent mental health condition characterized by prominent attentional biases, particularly toward negative stimuli. While extensive research has established the significance of negative attentional bias in depression, critical gaps remain in understanding the temporal dynamics and valence-specificity of these biases. This study employed eye-tracking technology to systematically examine the attentional processing of emotional faces (happy, fearful, sad) in MDD patients (n = 61) versus healthy controls (HC, n = 47), assessing both the initial orientation (initial gaze preference) and sustained attention (first dwell time). Key findings revealed the following: (1) while both groups showed an initial vigilance toward threatening faces (fea

SUBMITTER: Wei H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12734090 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature