Chiaki Oshiyama1, Chihiro Sutoh2, Hiroyasu Miwa3, Satoshi Okabayashi4, Hiroyuki Hamada5, Daisuke Matsuzawa6, Yoshiyuki Hirano7, Tetsuya Takahashi8, Shin-Ichi Niwa9, Manabu Honda10, Kazuyuki Sakatsume11, Takuichi Nishimura12, Eiji Shimizu13. 1. United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, Fukui University, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka Japan; Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 269-0856, Japan; Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-0856, Japan; Department of Functional Brain Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan. Electronic address: chiaki-51@akane.waseda.jp. 2. Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 269-0856, Japan. Electronic address: csutoh@graduate.chiba-u.jp. 3. Human Informatics Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), AIST Waterfront, 2-3-26, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan. Electronic address: h.miwa@aist.go.jp. 4. Department of Fashion Sociology and Sciences, Bunka Gakuen University, 3-22-1, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-8523, Japan. Electronic address: okabayashi@bunka.ac.jp. 5. Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 269-0856, Japan. 6. Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 269-0856, Japan; Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-0856, Japan. 7. United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, Fukui University, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka Japan; Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-0856, Japan. Electronic address: hirano@chiba-u.jp. 8. Health Administration Center, University of Fukui, 3-9-1, Bunkyou, Fukui 910-0017, Japan. Electronic address: takahash@u-fukui.ac.jp. 9. Aizu Medical Center, Fukushima Medical University, 21-2, Tanizawa-Maeda, Kawahigashi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima 969-3482, Japan. Electronic address: si-niwa@fmu.ac.jp. 10. Department of Functional Brain Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan. Electronic address: honda@ncnp.go.jp. 11. Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, 1-6-1, Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8050, Japan. Electronic address: sakatsume@waseda.jp. 12. Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), AIST Waterfront, 2-4-7, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan. Electronic address: takuichi.nishimura@aist.go.jp. 13. United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, Fukui University, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka Japan; Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 269-0856, Japan; Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-0856, Japan. Electronic address: eiji@faculty.chiba-u.jp.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Men score higher on mental rotation tasks compared to women and suffer from depression and anxiety at half the rate of women. The objective of this study was to confirm the gender-specific effects of depression and anxiety on mental rotation performance. METHODS: We collected data in non-experimental conditions from 325 university students at three universities. Participants completed rating scales of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and then simultaneously performed a mental rotation task using tablet devices. RESULTS: We observed no significant difference between men and women in the depressive and anxiety symptoms and task response time. Men had a significantly higher correct answer rate compared with women. The scores of depression and anxiety of all participants were positively correlated. Task response time correlated positively with intensity of depressive symptoms and anxiety in women, but not in men. Women with high depressive symptoms had significantly longer response times than did women with low depressive symptoms, while men had no differences due to depressive symptoms. LIMITATIONS: We did not directly examine brain functions; therefore, the underlying neurobiological results are only based on previous knowledge and action data. CONCLUSIONS: The pathology of depression and anxiety was reflected in the correct answer rate and response time in relation to the gender difference of brain function used in mental rotation.
BACKGROUND:Men score higher on mental rotation tasks compared to women and suffer from depression and anxiety at half the rate of women. The objective of this study was to confirm the gender-specific effects of depression and anxiety on mental rotation performance. METHODS: We collected data in non-experimental conditions from 325 university students at three universities. Participants completed rating scales of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and then simultaneously performed a mental rotation task using tablet devices. RESULTS: We observed no significant difference between men and women in the depressive and anxiety symptoms and task response time. Men had a significantly higher correct answer rate compared with women. The scores of depression and anxiety of all participants were positively correlated. Task response time correlated positively with intensity of depressive symptoms and anxiety in women, but not in men. Women with high depressive symptoms had significantly longer response times than did women with low depressive symptoms, while men had no differences due to depressive symptoms. LIMITATIONS: We did not directly examine brain functions; therefore, the underlying neurobiological results are only based on previous knowledge and action data. CONCLUSIONS: The pathology of depression and anxiety was reflected in the correct answer rate and response time in relation to the gender difference of brain function used in mental rotation.