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Zhang Y, Wei M, Huang R, Jia S, Li L. College students with depression symptom are more sensitive to task difficulty in reinforcement learning. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2024; 85:101980. [PMID: 39033577 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2024.101980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is usually characterized by impairments in reward function, and shows altered motivation to reward in reinforcement learning. This study further explored whether task difficulty affects reinforcement learning in college students with and without depression symptom. METHODS The depression symptom group (20) and the no depression symptom group (26) completed a probabilistic reward learning task with low, medium, and high difficulty levels, in which task the response bias to reward and the discriminability of reward were analyzed. Additionally, electrophysiological responses to reward and loss feedback were recorded and analyzed while they performed a simple gambling task. RESULTS The depression symptom group showed more response bias to reward than the no depression symptom group when the task was easy and then exhibited more quickly decrease in response bias to reward as task difficulty increased. The no depression symptom group showed a decrease in response bias only in the high-difficulty condition. Further regression analyses showed that, the Feedback-related negativity (FRN) and theta oscillation could predict response bias change in the low-difficulty condition, the FRN and oscillations of theta and delta could predict response bias change in the medium and high-difficulty conditions. LIMITATIONS The electrophysiological responses to loss and reward were not recorded in the same task as the reinforcement learning behaviors. CONCLUSIONS College students with depression symptom are more sensitive to task difficulty during reinforcement learning. The FRN, and oscillations of theta and delta could predict reward leaning behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaru Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Meng Wei
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Rong Huang
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Shiwei Jia
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Li Li
- College of International Education, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
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2
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Frankfurt O'Brien S, Baptista I, Szeszko PR. Enhancing Conceptual Clarity regarding the Construct of Moral Injury. PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOSOMATICS 2024:1-10. [PMID: 39374594 DOI: 10.1159/000540030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 10/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The construct of "moral injury" is used widely in the research literature and media to broadly describe the impact of events involving perceived violations of one's sense of right and wrong (herein referred to as "potentially morally injurious events" [PMIEs]). SUMMARY In this theoretical review, we provided a brief overview of the "moral injury" construct and its limitations including the lack of consensus-drawn boundaries and operational definitions to guide hypothesis-driven research. We discussed whether this construct can be reliably distinguished from established psychiatric diagnoses and psychological constructs and the inherent challenges in separating or classifying the impact of high-magnitude stressful life events that likely form the majority of PMIEs. Assessments that purportedly measure "moral injury" are reviewed and limitations are discussed such as shared measurement variance with established psychological instruments. KEY MESSAGES We identified conceptual strategies for investigating behavioral and neurobiological features of PMIEs that could be used to inform the field of traumatic stress. We concluded that the construct of "moral injury" may provide an interpretive framework for positing why someone may be beset by guilt, shame, and/or rage whereas existing psychiatric diagnoses such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression provide comprehensive descriptions regarding what someone might experience following extremely stressful events. We proposed directions to better clarify the boundaries of "moral injury" versus established psychiatric categories that could be used to enhance the conceptualization and assessment of this construct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila Frankfurt O'Brien
- VISN17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, Texas, USA
- Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System, Temple, Texas, USA
| | - Isabelle Baptista
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA,
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA,
| | - Philip R Szeszko
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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3
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Lloyd A, Roiser JP, Skeen S, Freeman Z, Badalova A, Agunbiade A, Busakhwe C, DeFlorio C, Marcu A, Pirie H, Saleh R, Snyder T, Fearon P, Viding E. Reviewing explore/exploit decision-making as a transdiagnostic target for psychosis, depression, and anxiety. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:793-815. [PMID: 38653937 PMCID: PMC11390819 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01186-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
In many everyday decisions, individuals choose between trialling something novel or something they know well. Deciding when to try a new option or stick with an option that is already known to you, known as the "explore/exploit" dilemma, is an important feature of cognition that characterises a range of decision-making contexts encountered by humans. Recent evidence has suggested preferences in explore/exploit biases are associated with psychopathology, although this has typically been examined within individual disorders. The current review examined whether explore/exploit decision-making represents a promising transdiagnostic target for psychosis, depression, and anxiety. A systematic search of academic databases was conducted, yielding a total of 29 studies. Studies examining psychosis were mostly consistent in showing that individuals with psychosis explored more compared with individuals without psychosis. The literature on anxiety and depression was more heterogenous; some studies found that anxiety and depression were associated with more exploration, whereas other studies demonstrated reduced exploration in anxiety and depression. However, examining a subset of studies that employed case-control methods, there was some evidence that both anxiety and depression also were associated with increased exploration. Due to the heterogeneity across the literature, we suggest that there is insufficient evidence to conclude whether explore/exploit decision-making is a transdiagnostic target for psychosis, depression, and anxiety. However, alongside our advisory groups of lived experience advisors, we suggest that this context of decision-making is a promising candidate that merits further investigation using well-powered, longitudinal designs. Such work also should examine whether biases in explore/exploit choices are amenable to intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Lloyd
- Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP, UK.
| | - Jonathan P Roiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Skeen
- Institute for Life Course Health Research, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Ze Freeman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Aygun Badalova
- Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Anna Marcu
- Young People's Advisor Group, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Pasco Fearon
- Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP, UK
- Centre for Family Research, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Essi Viding
- Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP, UK
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Yi W, Chen W, Lan B, Yan L, Hu X, Wu J. A U-shaped relationship between chronic academic stress and the dynamics of reward processing. Neuroimage 2024; 300:120849. [PMID: 39265955 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 08/29/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the potential link between stress-induced reward dysfunctions and the development of mental problems, limited human research has investigated the specific impacts of chronic stress on the dynamics of reward processing. Here we aimed to investigate the relationship between chronic academic stress and the dynamics of reward processing (i.e., reward anticipation and reward consumption) using event-related potential (ERP) technology. Ninety healthy undergraduates who were preparing for the National Postgraduate Entrance Examination (NPEE) participated in the study and completed a two-door reward task, their chronic stress levels were assessed via the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The results showed that a lower magnitude of reward elicited more negative amplitudes of cue-N2 during the anticipatory phase, and reward omission elicited more negative amplitudes of FRN compared to reward delivery especially in high reward conditions during the consummatory phase. More importantly, the PSS score exhibited a U-shaped relationship with cue-N2 amplitudes regardless of reward magnitude during the anticipatory phase; and FRN amplitudes toward reward omission in high reward condition during the consummatory phase. These findings suggest that individuals exposed to either low or high levels of chronic stress, as opposed to moderate stress levels, exhibited a heightened reward anticipation, and an augmented violation of expectations or affective response when faced with relatively more negative outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yi
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, 3688#, Nanhai Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Wangxiao Chen
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, 3688#, Nanhai Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Biqi Lan
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, 3688#, Nanhai Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Linlin Yan
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Xiaoqing Hu
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Room 6.62, Jocky Club Tower, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jianhui Wu
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, 3688#, Nanhai Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518060, China.
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5
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Pines J, Hagan K, Lloyd C, Raffanello E, Hong S, Posner J, Walsh BT, Steinglass JE. Anticipatory and Consummatory Responses Across Reward Domains in Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa. Int J Eat Disord 2024. [PMID: 39238195 DOI: 10.1002/eat.24287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 08/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/24/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by a tendency to limit intake of food, with specific restriction of foods that are generally considered highly palatable. This observation raises questions about whether reward processing is disturbed in AN. This study examined whether adolescents with AN differ from healthy control peers (HC) in anticipatory and consummatory reward processing. METHOD Adolescents with AN (n = 71) and HC (n = 41) completed the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS). The TEPS Anticipatory Pleasure scale was divided into two further subscales (Food and Non-food). Anticipatory (Food and Non-food) and Consummatory Pleasure (Non-food) scores were compared between adolescents with AN and HC using independent t-tests. RESULTS TEPS scores were significantly lower among adolescents with AN than HC in Anticipatory Pleasure Food (t(110) = 7.80, p < 0.001) and Non-food (t(110) = 4.36, p < 0.001), and Consummatory Pleasure (t(110) = 2.60, p = 0.01) subscales. When controlling for BDI score, there was no significant group difference in TEPS Consummatory Pleasure scores (t(108) = 0.88, p = 0.38). Among adolescents with AN, Food Anticipatory Pleasure was significantly negatively correlated with all EDE-Q subscales and global score (r(68) = -0.38, p = 0.002) and positively correlated with food intake at a laboratory buffet meal (r(61) = 0.53, p < 0.001). DISCUSSION Measures of both anticipatory and consummatory reward were reduced among adolescents with AN with a short duration of illness. In this study, eating disorder symptoms were related to diminished reward responses in anticipation of food. Dampened anticipatory reward response may comprise a mechanism of illness in AN that should be subject to further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Pines
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kelsey Hagan
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Caitlin Lloyd
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Susie Hong
- Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - B Timothy Walsh
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Joanna E Steinglass
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
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6
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Bore MC, Liu X, Huang X, Kendrick KM, Zhou B, Zhang J, Klugah-Brown B, Becker B. Common and separable neural alterations in adult and adolescent depression - Evidence from neuroimaging meta-analyses. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105835. [PMID: 39084585 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Depression is a highly prevalent and debilitating mental disorder that often begins in adolescence. However, it remains unclear whether adults and adolescents with depression exhibit common or distinct brain dysfunctions during reward processing. We aimed to identify common and separable neurofunctional alterations during receipt of rewards and brain structure in adolescents and adults with depression. A coordinate-based meta-analysis was employed using Seed-based d mapping with permutation of subject images (SDM-PSI). Compared with healthy controls, both age groups exhibited common activity decreases in the right striatum (putamen, caudate) and subgenual ACC. Adults with depression showed decreased reactivity in the right putamen and subgenual ACC, while adolescents with depression showed decreased activity in the left mid cingulate, right caudate but increased reactivity in the right postcentral gyrus. This meta-analysis revealed shared (caudate) and separable (putamen and mid cingulate cortex) reward-related alterations in adults and adolescents with depression. The findings suggest age-specific neurofunctional alterations and stress the importance of adolescent-specific interventions that target social functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercy Chepngetich Bore
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiqin Liu
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoqi Huang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; The Xiaman Key Lab of Psychoradiology and Neuromodulation, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Zhou
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Benjamin Klugah-Brown
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Benjamin Becker
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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7
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Hahn A, Reed MB, Murgaš M, Vraka C, Klug S, Schmidt C, Godbersen GM, Eggerstorfer B, Gomola D, Silberbauer LR, Nics L, Philippe C, Hacker M, Lanzenberger R. Dynamics of human serotonin synthesis differentially link to reward anticipation and feedback. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02696-1. [PMID: 39179904 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02696-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) plays an essential role in reward processing, however, the possibilities to investigate 5-HT action in humans during emotional stimulation are particularly limited. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of assessing reward-specific dynamics in 5-HT synthesis using functional PET (fPET), combining its molecular specificity with the high temporal resolution of blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) fMRI. Sixteen healthy volunteers underwent simultaneous fPET/fMRI with the radioligand [11C]AMT, a substrate for tryptophan hydroxylase. During the scan, participants completed the monetary incentive delay task and arterial blood samples were acquired for quantifying 5-HT synthesis rates. BOLD fMRI was recorded as a proxy of neuronal activation, allowing differentiation of reward anticipation and feedback. Monetary gain and loss resulted in substantial increases in 5-HT synthesis in the ventral striatum (VStr, +21% from baseline) and the anterior insula (+41%). In the VStr, task-specific 5-HT synthesis was further correlated with BOLD signal changes during reward feedback (ρ = -0.65), but not anticipation. Conversely, 5-HT synthesis in the anterior insula correlated with BOLD reward anticipation (ρ = -0.61), but not feedback. In sum, we provide a robust tool to identify task-induced changes in 5-HT action in humans, linking the dynamics of 5-HT synthesis to distinct phases of reward processing in a regionally specific manner. Given the relevance of altered reward processing in psychiatric disorders such as addiction, depression and schizophrenia, our approach offers a tailored assessment of impaired 5-HT signaling during cognitive and emotional processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health (C3NMH), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Murray B Reed
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health (C3NMH), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matej Murgaš
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health (C3NMH), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Chrysoula Vraka
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Klug
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health (C3NMH), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health (C3NMH), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Godber M Godbersen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health (C3NMH), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin Eggerstorfer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health (C3NMH), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - David Gomola
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health (C3NMH), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leo R Silberbauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health (C3NMH), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Nics
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Cécile Philippe
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcus Hacker
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health (C3NMH), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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8
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D'Onofrio AM, Pizzuto DA, Batir R, Perrone E, Cocciolillo F, Cavallo F, Kotzalidis GD, Simonetti A, d'Andrea G, Pettorruso M, Sani G, Di Giuda D, Camardese G. Dopaminergic dysfunction in the left putamen of patients with major depressive disorder. J Affect Disord 2024; 357:107-115. [PMID: 38636713 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.04.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Dopaminergic transmission impairment has been identified as one of the main neurobiological correlates of both depression and clinical symptoms commonly associated with its spectrum such as anhedonia and psychomotor retardation. OBJECTIVES We examined the relationship between dopaminergic deficit in the striatum, as measured by 123I-FP-CIT SPECT imaging, and specific psychopathological dimensions in patients with major depressive disorder. METHODS To our knowledge this is the first study with a sample of >120 subjects. After check for inclusion and exclusion criteria, 121 (67 females, 54 males) patients were chosen retrospectively from an extensive 1106 patients database of 123I-FP-CIT SPECT scans obtained at the Nuclear Medicine Unit of Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS in Rome. These individuals had undergone striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) assessments based on the recommendation of their referring clinicians, who were either neurologists or psychiatrists. At the time of SPECT imaging, each participant underwent psychiatric and psychometric evaluations. We used the following psychometric scales: Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Snaith Hamilton Pleasure Scale, and Depression Retardation Rating Scale. RESULTS We found a negative correlation between levels of depression (p = 0.007), anxiety (p = 0.035), anhedonia (p = 0.028) and psychomotor retardation (p = 0.014) and DAT availability in the left putamen. We further stratified the sample and found that DAT availability in the left putamen was lower in seriously depressed patients (p = 0.027) and in patients with significant psychomotor retardation (p = 0.048). CONCLUSION To our knowledge this is the first study to have such a high number of sample. Our study reveals a pivotal role of dopaminergic dysfunction in patients with major depressive disorder. Elevated levels of depression, anxiety, anhedonia, and psychomotor retardation appear to be associated with reduced DAT availability specifically in the left putamen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Maria D'Onofrio
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Daniele Antonio Pizzuto
- Nuclear Medicine Institute, University Department of Radiological and Hematological Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Rana Batir
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Perrone
- Nuclear Medicine Institute, University Department of Radiological and Hematological Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Cocciolillo
- Nuclear Medicine Institute, University Department of Radiological and Hematological Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Cavallo
- Nuclear Medicine Institute, University Department of Radiological and Hematological Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Georgios Demetrios Kotzalidis
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessio Simonetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Giacomo d'Andrea
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Mauro Pettorruso
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Gabriele Sani
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; Department of Neurosciences, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Di Giuda
- Nuclear Medicine Institute, University Department of Radiological and Hematological Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; Medicine Unit, Diagnostic Imaging, Radiotherapy and Hematology Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Camardese
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; Department of Neurosciences, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
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9
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Hird EJ, Slanina-Davies A, Lewis G, Hamer M, Roiser JP. From movement to motivation: a proposed framework to understand the antidepressant effect of exercise. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:273. [PMID: 38961071 PMCID: PMC11222551 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02922-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, exerting a profound negative impact on quality of life in those who experience it. Depression is associated with disruptions to several closely related neural and cognitive processes, including dopamine transmission, fronto-striatal brain activity and connectivity, reward processing and motivation. Physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, reduces depressive symptoms, but the mechanisms driving its antidepressant effects are poorly understood. Here we propose a novel hypothesis for understanding the antidepressant effects of exercise, centred on motivation, across different levels of explanation. There is robust evidence that aerobic exercise decreases systemic inflammation. Inflammation is known to reduce dopamine transmission, which in turn is strongly implicated in effort-based decision making for reward. Drawing on a broad range of research in humans and animals, we propose that by reducing inflammation and boosting dopamine transmission, with consequent effects on effort-based decision making for reward, exercise initially specifically improves 'interest-activity' symptoms of depression-namely anhedonia, fatigue and subjective cognitive impairment - by increasing propensity to exert effort. Extending this framework to the topic of cognitive control, we explain how cognitive impairment in depression may also be conceptualised through an effort-based decision-making framework, which may help to explain the impact of exercise on cognitive impairment. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of exercise could inform the development of novel intervention strategies, in particular personalised interventions and boost social prescribing.
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Affiliation(s)
- E J Hird
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
| | - A Slanina-Davies
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - G Lewis
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - M Hamer
- Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - J P Roiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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10
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Effah R, Ioannidis K, Grant JE, Chamberlain SR. Exploring decision-making performance in young adults with mental health disorders: a comparative study using the Cambridge gambling task. Psychol Med 2024; 54:1890-1896. [PMID: 38721767 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291724000746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/20/2024]
Abstract
Decision-making deficits, assessed cognitively, are often associated with mental health symptoms, however, this relationship is not fully understood. This paper explores the relationship between mental health disorders and decision-making, using the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT). Our study investigated how decision-making varied across 20 different mental health conditions compared to controls in a sample of 572 young adults from the Minneapolis and Chicago metropolitan areas, using a computerized laboratory-based task. Almost all mental health conditions were associated with at least mild (i.e. at least small effect size) impairment in all three studied parameters of the CGT (risk adjustment, quality of decision-making and overall proportion of bet). Notably, binge eating disorder had the largest cognitive impairment and gambling disorder had moderate impairment. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was associated with impaired decision-making while obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression showed moderate impairment. Additionally, half of the disorders assessed had moderate to large impairment in risk adjustment.These findings suggest that mental health conditions may have a more complex cognitive profile than previously thought, and a better understanding of these impairments may aid in risk assessment and targeted clinical interventions. This study underscores the need for further research to determine the causal pathways between mental health conditions and cognition, as well as to better understand the day-to-day impact of such deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Effah
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - K Ioannidis
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - J E Grant
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - S R Chamberlain
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
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11
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Kalisch R, Russo SJ, Müller MB. Neurobiology and systems biology of stress resilience. Physiol Rev 2024; 104:1205-1263. [PMID: 38483288 PMCID: PMC11381009 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00042.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress resilience is the phenomenon that some people maintain their mental health despite exposure to adversity or show only temporary impairments followed by quick recovery. Resilience research attempts to unravel the factors and mechanisms that make resilience possible and to harness its insights for the development of preventative interventions in individuals at risk for acquiring stress-related dysfunctions. Biological resilience research has been lagging behind the psychological and social sciences but has seen a massive surge in recent years. At the same time, progress in this field has been hampered by methodological challenges related to finding suitable operationalizations and study designs, replicating findings, and modeling resilience in animals. We embed a review of behavioral, neuroimaging, neurobiological, and systems biological findings in adults in a critical methods discussion. We find preliminary evidence that hippocampus-based pattern separation and prefrontal-based cognitive control functions protect against the development of pathological fears in the aftermath of singular, event-type stressors [as found in fear-related disorders, including simpler forms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)] by facilitating the perception of safety. Reward system-based pursuit and savoring of positive reinforcers appear to protect against the development of more generalized dysfunctions of the anxious-depressive spectrum resulting from more severe or longer-lasting stressors (as in depression, generalized or comorbid anxiety, or severe PTSD). Links between preserved functioning of these neural systems under stress and neuroplasticity, immunoregulation, gut microbiome composition, and integrity of the gut barrier and the blood-brain barrier are beginning to emerge. On this basis, avenues for biological interventions are pointed out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffael Kalisch
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
- Neuroimaging Center (NIC), Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States
- Brain and Body Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States
| | - Marianne B Müller
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
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12
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Jung M, Han KM. Behavioral Activation and Brain Network Changes in Depression. J Clin Neurol 2024; 20:362-377. [PMID: 38951971 PMCID: PMC11220350 DOI: 10.3988/jcn.2024.0148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Behavioral activation (BA) is a well-established method of evidence-based treatment for depression. There are clear links between the neural mechanisms underlying reward processing and BA treatment for depressive symptoms, including anhedonia; however, integrated interpretations of these two domains are lacking. Here we examine brain imaging studies involving BA treatments to investigate how changes in brain networks, including the reward networks, mediate the therapeutic effects of BA, and whether brain circuits are predictors of BA treatment responses. Increased activation of the prefrontal and subcortical regions associated with reward processing has been reported after BA treatment. Activation of these regions improves anhedonia. Conversely, some studies have found decreased activation of prefrontal regions after BA treatment in response to cognitive control stimuli in sad contexts, which indicates that the therapeutic mechanism of BA may involve disengagement from negative or sad contexts. Furthermore, the decrease in resting-state functional connectivity of the default-mode network after BA treatment appears to facilitate the ability to counteract depressive rumination, thereby promoting enjoyable and valuable activities. Conflicting results suggest that an intact neural response to rewards or defective reward functioning is predictive of the efficacy of BA treatments. Increasing the benefits of BA treatments requires identification of the unique individual characteristics determining which of these conflicting findings are relevant for the personalized treatment of each individual with depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjee Jung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyu-Man Han
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
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13
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Chung YS, van den Berg B, Roberts KC, Woldorff MG, Gaffrey MS. Electrical brain activations in preadolescents during a probabilistic reward-learning task reflect cognitive processes and behavioral strategy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.16.562326. [PMID: 37905129 PMCID: PMC10614771 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.16.562326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Both adults and children learn through feedback which environmental events and choices are associated with higher probability of reward, an ability thought to be supported by the development of fronto-striatal reward circuits. Recent developmental studies have applied computational models of reward learning to investigate such learning in children. However, tasks and measures effective for assaying the cascade of reward-learning neural processes in children have been limited. Using a child-version of a probabilistic reward-learning task while recording event-related-potential (ERP) measures of electrical brain activity, this study examined key processes of reward learning in preadolescents (8-12 years old; n=30), namely: (1) reward-feedback sensitivity, as measured by the early-latency, reward-related, frontal ERP positivity, (2) rapid attentional shifting of processing toward favored visual stimuli, as measured by the N2pc component, and (3) longer-latency attention-related responses to reward feedback as a function of behavioral strategies (i.e., Win-Stay-Lose-Shift), as measured by the central-parietal P300. Consistent with our prior work in adults, the behavioral findings indicate preadolescents can learn stimulus-reward outcome associations, but at varying levels of performance. Neurally, poor preadolescent learners (those with slower learning rates) showed greater reward-related positivity amplitudes relative to good learners, suggesting greater reward-feedback sensitivity. We also found attention shifting towards to-be-chosen stimuli, as evidenced by the N2pc, but not to more highly rewarded stimuli as we have observed in adults. Lastly, we found the behavioral learning strategy (i.e., Win-Stay-Lose-Shift) reflected by the feedback-elicited parietal P300. These findings provide novel insights into the key neural processes underlying reinforcement learning in preadolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Sun Chung
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Reuben-Cooke Building, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | | | - Kenneth C. Roberts
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience and Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708 USA
| | - Marty G. Woldorff
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Reuben-Cooke Building, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience and Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708 USA
| | - Michael S. Gaffrey
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Reuben-Cooke Building, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Children’s Wisconsin, 9000 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI, 53226
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Division of Pediatric Psychology and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226
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14
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Ferstl M, Kühnel A, Klaus J, Lin WM, Kroemer NB. Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation conditions increased invigoration and wanting in depression. Compr Psychiatry 2024; 132:152488. [PMID: 38657358 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2024.152488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often marked by impaired motivation and reward processing, known as anhedonia. Many patients do not respond to first-line treatments, and improvements in motivation can be slow, creating an urgent need for rapid interventions. Recently, we demonstrated that transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) acutely boosts effort invigoration in healthy participants, but its effects on depression remain unclear. OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of taVNS on effort invigoration and maintenance in a sample that includes patients with MDD, evaluating the generalizability of our findings. METHODS We used a single-blind, randomized crossover design in 30 patients with MDD and 29 matched (age, sex, and BMI) healthy control participants (HCP). RESULTS Consistent with prior findings, taVNS increased effort invigoration for rewards in both groups during Session 1 (p = .040), particularly for less wanted rewards in HCP (pboot < 0.001). However, invigoration remained elevated in all participants, and no acute changes were observed in Session 2 (Δinvigoration = 3.3, p = .12). Crucially, throughout Session 1, we found taVNS-induced increases in effort invigoration (pboot = 0.008) and wanting (pboot = 0.010) in patients with MDD, with gains in wanting maintained across sessions (Δwanting = 0.06, p = .97). CONCLUSIONS Our study replicates the invigorating effects of taVNS in Session 1 and reveals its generalizability to depression. Furthermore, we expand upon previous research by showing taVNS-induced conditioning effects on invigoration and wanting within Session 1 in patients that were largely sustained. While enduring motivational improvements present challenges for crossover designs, they are highly desirable in interventions and warrant further follow-up research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Ferstl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anne Kühnel
- Section of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Johannes Klaus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wy Ming Lin
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Hector Research Institute for Education Science and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nils B Kroemer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Section of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Germany.
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15
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Malamud J, Lewis G, Moutoussis M, Duffy L, Bone J, Srinivasan R, Lewis G, Huys QJM. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor sertraline alters learning from aversive reinforcements in patients with depression: evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Psychol Med 2024; 54:2719-2731. [PMID: 38629200 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291724000837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are first-line pharmacological treatments for depression and anxiety. However, little is known about how pharmacological action is related to cognitive and affective processes. Here, we examine whether specific reinforcement learning processes mediate the treatment effects of SSRIs. METHODS The PANDA trial was a multicentre, double-blind, randomized clinical trial in UK primary care comparing the SSRI sertraline with placebo for depression and anxiety. Participants (N = 655) performed an affective Go/NoGo task three times during the trial and computational models were used to infer reinforcement learning processes. RESULTS There was poor task performance: only 54% of the task runs were informative, with more informative task runs in the placebo than in the active group. There was no evidence for the preregistered hypothesis that Pavlovian inhibition was affected by sertraline. Exploratory analyses revealed that in the sertraline group, early increases in Pavlovian inhibition were associated with improvements in depression after 12 weeks. Furthermore, sertraline increased how fast participants learned from losses and faster learning from losses was associated with more severe generalized anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The study findings indicate a relationship between aversive reinforcement learning mechanisms and aspects of depression, anxiety, and SSRI treatment, but these relationships did not align with the initial hypotheses. Poor task performance limits the interpretability and likely generalizability of the findings, and highlights the critical importance of developing acceptable and reliable tasks for use in clinical studies. FUNDING This article presents research supported by NIHR Program Grants for Applied Research (RP-PG-0610-10048), the NIHR BRC, and UCL, with additional support from IMPRS COMP2PSYCH (JM, QH) and a Wellcome Trust grant (QH).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolanda Malamud
- Applied Computational Psychiatry Lab, Mental Health Neuroscience Department, Division of Psychiatry and Max Planck Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gemma Lewis
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Michael Moutoussis
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry & Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Larisa Duffy
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jessica Bone
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
- Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Glyn Lewis
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Quentin J M Huys
- Applied Computational Psychiatry Lab, Mental Health Neuroscience Department, Division of Psychiatry and Max Planck Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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16
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Valton V, Mkrtchian A, Moses-Payne M, Gray A, Kieslich K, VanUrk S, Samborska V, Halahakoon D, Manohar SG, Dayan P, Husain M, Roiser JP. A computational approach to understanding effort-based decision-making in depression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.17.599286. [PMID: 39372799 PMCID: PMC11452193 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.17.599286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2024]
Abstract
Background Motivational dysfunction is a core feature of depression, and can have debilitating effects on everyday function. However, it is unclear which disrupted cognitive processes underlie impaired motivation, and whether impairments persist following remission. Decision-making concerning exerting effort to collect rewards offers a promising framework for understanding motivation, especially when examined with computational tools which can offer precise quantification of latent processes. Methods Effort-based decision-making was assessed using the Apple Gathering Task, in which participants decide whether to exert effort via a grip-force device to obtain varying levels of reward; effort levels were individually calibrated and varied parametrically. We present a comprehensive computational analysis of decision-making, initially validating our model in healthy volunteers (N=67), before applying it in a case-control study including current (N=41) and remitted (N=46) unmedicated depressed individuals, and healthy volunteers with (N=36) and without (N=57) a family history of depression. Results Four fundamental computational mechanisms that drive patterns of effort-based decisions, which replicated across samples, were identified: an overall bias to accept effort challenges; reward sensitivity; and linear and quadratic effort sensitivity. Traditional model-agnostic analyses showed that both depressed groups showed lower willingness to exert effort. In contrast with previous findings, computational analysis revealed that this difference was driven by lower effort acceptance bias, but not altered effort or reward sensitivity. Conclusions This work provides insight into the computational mechanisms underlying motivational dysfunction in depression. Lower willingness to exert effort could represent a trait-like factor contributing to symptoms, and might represent a fruitful target for treatment and prevention.
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17
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Wilkinson MP, Robinson ES, Mellor JR. Analysis of hippocampal synaptic function in a rodent model of early life stress. Wellcome Open Res 2024; 9:300. [PMID: 39221440 PMCID: PMC11362746 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.22276.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Early life stress (ELS) is an important risk factor in the aetiology of depression. Developmental glucocorticoid exposure impacts multiple brain regions with the hippocampus being particularly vulnerable. Hippocampal mediated behaviours are dependent upon the ability of neurones to undergo long-term potentiation (LTP), an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) mediated process. In this study we investigated the effect of ELS upon hippocampal NMDAR function. Methods Hooded Long-Evans rat pups (n=82) were either undisturbed or maternally separated for 180 minutes per day (MS180) between post-natal day (PND) 1 and PND14. Model validation consisted of sucrose preference (n=18) and novelty supressed feeding (NSFT, n=34) tests alongside assessment of corticosterone (CORT) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) cFos reactivity to stress and hippocampal neurogenesis (all n=18). AMPA/NMDA ratios (n=19), miniEPSC currents (n=19) and LTP (n=15) were assessed in whole-cell patch clamp experiments in CA1 pyramidal neurones. Results MS180 animals showed increased feeding latency in the NSFT alongside increased overall CORT in the restraint stress experiment and increased PVN cFos expression in males but no changes in neurogenesis or sucrose preference. MS180 was associated with a lower AMPA/NMDA ratio with no change in miniEPSC amplitude or area. There was no difference in short- or long-term potentiation between MS180 and control animals nor were there any changes during the induction protocol. Conclusions The MS180 model showed a behavioural phenotype consistent with previous work. MS180 animals showed increased NMDAR function with preliminary evidence suggesting that this was not concurrent with an increase in LTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P. Wilkinson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, England, BS8 1TD, UK
- Hello Bio Ltd, Bristol, BS11 0QL, UK
| | - Emma S.J. Robinson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, England, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Jack R. Mellor
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, England, BS8 1TD, UK
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18
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Pacheco-Romero AM, Martín-García Ó, Rey-Sáez R, Boemo T, Blanco I, Vázquez C, Sánchez-López Á. An integrative analysis of potential mechanisms of reduced positive affect in daily life in depression: an ESM study. Cogn Emot 2024; 38:587-604. [PMID: 38329805 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2024.2314066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Decreased levels of positive affect (PA) are a hallmark of depression. Current models propose as potential main mechanisms a dysfunctional use of emotion regulation (ER) strategies (i.e. dampening, positive rumination), and a maladaptive activation of pro-hedonic goals. However, the role of these mechanisms in PA in daily life remains understudied. We used a 10-day ESM design to assess how these mechanisms influence each other and contribute to depressive symptomatology-related low momentary PA in 139 individuals. Higher depressive symptoms were associated with lower PA, pro-hedonic goals, more frequent use of positive rumination, and higher use of dampening. Further, experiencing higher levels of PA predicted lower following time point use of dampening in individuals with higher symptoms. Finally, using positive rumination was more beneficial (i.e. predicted higher PA increases one moment later) for individuals with higher symptomatology. Our findings suggest that moment-to-moment changes in PA daily life are affected by, and have an effect on, both pro-hedonic goals and the use of dampening and positive rumination, highlighting specific cognitive-affective mechanisms that should be considered when designing interventions aimed at improving low PA characterising depression symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Mar Pacheco-Romero
- Department of Personality, Assessment and Clinical Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Óscar Martín-García
- Department of Personality, Assessment and Clinical Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo Rey-Sáez
- Department of Basic Psychology, Autónoma University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa Boemo
- Department of Personality, Assessment and Clinical Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Iván Blanco
- Department of Personality, Assessment and Clinical Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmelo Vázquez
- Department of Personality, Assessment and Clinical Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro Sánchez-López
- Department of Personality, Assessment and Clinical Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Lütkenherm IK, Locke SM, Robinson OJ. Reward Sensitivity and Noise Contribute to Negative Affective Bias: A Learning Signal Detection Theory Approach in Decision-Making. COMPUTATIONAL PSYCHIATRY (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 8:70-84. [PMID: 38774427 PMCID: PMC11104415 DOI: 10.5334/cpsy.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
In patients with mood disorders, negative affective biases - systematically prioritising and interpreting information negatively - are common. A translational cognitive task testing this bias has shown that depressed patients have a reduced preference for a high reward under ambiguous decision-making conditions. The precise mechanisms underscoring this bias are, however, not yet understood. We therefore developed a set of measures to probe the underlying source of the behavioural bias by testing its relationship to a participant's reward sensitivity, value sensitivity and reward learning rate. One-hundred-forty-eight participants completed three online behavioural tasks: the original ambiguous-cue decision-making task probing negative affective bias, a probabilistic reward learning task probing reward sensitivity and reward learning rate, and a gambling task probing value sensitivity. We modelled the learning task through a dynamic signal detection theory model and the gambling task through an expectation-maximisation prospect theory model. Reward sensitivity from the probabilistic reward task (β = 0.131, p = 0.024) and setting noise from the probabilistic reward task (β = -0.187, p = 0.028) both predicted the affective bias score in a logistic regression. Increased negative affective bias, at least on this specific task, may therefore be driven in part by a combination of reduced sensitivity to rewards and more variable responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shannon M. Locke
- Laboratoire des Systèmes Perceptifs, Département d’Études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, Paris, FR
| | - Oliver J. Robinson
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
- Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, UK
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20
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Dillon DG, Belleau EL, Origlio J, McKee M, Jahan A, Meyer A, Souther MK, Brunner D, Kuhn M, Ang YS, Cusin C, Fava M, Pizzagalli DA. Using Drift Diffusion and RL Models to Disentangle Effects of Depression On Decision-Making vs. Learning in the Probabilistic Reward Task. COMPUTATIONAL PSYCHIATRY (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 8:46-69. [PMID: 38774430 PMCID: PMC11104335 DOI: 10.5334/cpsy.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
The Probabilistic Reward Task (PRT) is widely used to investigate the impact of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) on reinforcement learning (RL), and recent studies have used it to provide insight into decision-making mechanisms affected by MDD. The current project used PRT data from unmedicated, treatment-seeking adults with MDD to extend these efforts by: (1) providing a more detailed analysis of standard PRT metrics-response bias and discriminability-to better understand how the task is performed; (2) analyzing the data with two computational models and providing psychometric analyses of both; and (3) determining whether response bias, discriminability, or model parameters predicted responses to treatment with placebo or the atypical antidepressant bupropion. Analysis of standard metrics replicated recent work by demonstrating a dependency between response bias and response time (RT), and by showing that reward totals in the PRT are governed by discriminability. Behavior was well-captured by the Hierarchical Drift Diffusion Model (HDDM), which models decision-making processes; the HDDM showed excellent internal consistency and acceptable retest reliability. A separate "belief" model reproduced the evolution of response bias over time better than the HDDM, but its psychometric properties were weaker. Finally, the predictive utility of the PRT was limited by small samples; nevertheless, depressed adults who responded to bupropion showed larger pre-treatment starting point biases in the HDDM than non-responders, indicating greater sensitivity to the PRT's asymmetric reinforcement contingencies. Together, these findings enhance our understanding of reward and decision-making mechanisms that are implicated in MDD and probed by the PRT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel G. Dillon
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
| | - Emily L. Belleau
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
| | - Julianne Origlio
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA, USA
| | - Madison McKee
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA, USA
| | - Aava Jahan
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA, USA
| | - Ashley Meyer
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA, USA
| | - Min Kang Souther
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont MA, USA
| | - Devon Brunner
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont MA, USA
| | - Manuel Kuhn
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont MA, USA
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA, USA
| | - Yuen Siang Ang
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont MA, USA
| | - Cristina Cusin
- Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA, USA
| | - Maurizio Fava
- Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA, USA
| | - Diego A. Pizzagalli
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont MA, USA
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA, USA
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Lakshmi PM, Kishore MT, Roopesh BN, Jacob P, Rusanov D, Hallford DJ. Future thinking and anticipatory pleasure in adolescents with major depression: Association with depression symptoms and executive functions. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 29:526-539. [PMID: 37807910 DOI: 10.1177/13591045231205004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Impairments in episodic future thinking and anticipatory pleasure were noted to explain the depressive symptoms in adults however similar studies are not there in adolescents. This study examined whether there are impairments in episodic future thinking and anticipatory pleasure in clinically-depressed adolescents as compared to non-depressed adolescents, and their association with depression when controlled for executive functions and anxiety symptoms among the depressed adolescents. METHODS The study included 29 adolescents with major depression and 29 adolescents from local schools through convenient sampling technique. All the participants were assessed with standardized measures of depression and anxiety, episodic future thinking, anticipatory pleasure and executive functioning. RESULTS Depressed adolescents significantly differed from the non-depressed adolescents in autobiographical memory specificity, anticipatory pleasure, and specific dimensions of executive functions. The ANCOVAs indicated executive function slightly attenuated group differences on future specificity which were still non-significant (all p's > .05). For memory specificity and for anticipatory pleasure, group differences were still significant at p < .05 level. CONCLUSION Adolescents with major depressive episode may display similar, but less pronounced, impairments in future thinking than what is previously reported in adults. Though, autobiographical specificity is prominent. The deficits are attributable to depression than executive functioning deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja M Lakshmi
- Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - M Thomas Kishore
- Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Bangalore N Roopesh
- Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Preeti Jacob
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, India
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22
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Nikitina IL, Vtornikova NI, Kelmanson IA. Clinical heterogeneity of sleep quality, emotional and behavioral characteristics, and eating habits in adolescents with obesity: A cluster analysis. Eur J Pediatr 2024; 183:1571-1584. [PMID: 38177526 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-023-05406-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
This study aims to examine the role of sleep quality, emotional and behavioral characteristics, and eating behavior in adolescents with obesity by means of cluster analysis. One hundred ninety-four adolescents (78 girls, 116 boys) aged 12-17 (mean 14.3 ± 2.7) with obesity (ICD-10 code E 66.0) entered the study. The Adolescent Sleep Wake Scale was used to evaluate sleep quality. The Achenbach Youth Self-Report for Ages 11-18 questionnaire was used to evaluate emotional and behavioral disturbances. The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire was used to assess maladaptive eating. k-Means cluster analysis was used to clarify heterogeneity. Four clusters were identified: the first included anxious, depressed, socially withdrawn adolescents with thought problems and somatic complaints, non-aggressive, obedient, and having mean values on the sleep quality scale, inclined to restrict their food consumption. The second consisted of rule-breaking youngsters with poor sleep quality, reluctant to restrict their food consumption. The third comprised subjects with the highest values on the sleep quality and lowest values on emotional and behavioral problems, aimed at restricting food consumption. The fourth comprised adolescents with obvious signs of emotional disorders, poorest sleep quality, disinhibited behavior, and emotional and external eating. No statistically significant difference was found between the clusters in sex distribution. Patient allocation to the second or fourth cluster was associated with significantly higher body mass index values, as opposed to the reference third cluster. Conclusion: There is significant variation in teenagers with obesity who have divergent psychological profiles, which should be taken into account. What is Known: • Patients with obesity present with different clinical characteristics. What is New: • Adolescents with obesity may be partitioned into clusters described in terms of emotional, behavioral patterns, including sleep characteristics, and maladaptive eating habits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina L Nikitina
- Department of Children's Diseases With Clinics, Institute for Medical Education of the V.A. Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 2 Akkuratova Str., St. Petersburg, 197341, Russia
| | - Natalia I Vtornikova
- Department of Children's Diseases With Clinics, Institute for Medical Education of the V.A. Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 2 Akkuratova Str., St. Petersburg, 197341, Russia
| | - Igor A Kelmanson
- Department of Children's Diseases With Clinics, Institute for Medical Education of the V.A. Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 2 Akkuratova Str., St. Petersburg, 197341, Russia.
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23
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Esfand SM, Null KE, Duda JM, de Leeuw J, Pizzagalli DA. Lifetime history of major depressive disorder is associated with decreased reward learning: Evidence from a novel online version of the probabilistic reward task. J Affect Disord 2024; 350:1007-1015. [PMID: 38278332 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Probabilistic Reward Task (PRT) is a signal detection task that assesses reward learning. In laboratory versions of the task, individuals with current or past major depressive disorder (MDD) were characterized by reduced response bias towards a more frequently rewarded stimuli, compared to controls. Our main goal was to develop and validate a novel online version of the PRT, and, in exploratory analyses, evaluate whether lifetime history of depression was associated with blunted reward learning. METHODS 429 participants recruited via CloudResearch completed questionnaires assessing psychiatric history and an online PRT featuring visually appealing stimuli. 108 participants reported either current or past diagnosis of MDD (lifetime MDD group), and were compared to 321 without lifetime MDD. RESULTS Participants showed overall increase in response bias, validating the online PRT. Females with lifetime MDD (N = 43), compared to females without prior history of MDD (N = 173), exhibited blunted response bias towards the more frequently rewarded stimulus (i.e., reduced reward learning). LIMITATIONS Participants did not undergo a structured clinical interview, thus we cannot confirm whether they met full diagnostic criteria for depression. CONCLUSIONS The online PRT yielded similar psychometric properties as laboratory versions of the task. In exploratory analyses, females with lifetime MDD showed a lower propensity to modulate behavior as a function of rewards, which might contribute to heightened vulnerability for developing MDD in females. Future studies should consider social, cultural, and neurobiological factors contributing to sex differences in reward responsiveness and how factors may relate to disease prognosis and treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiba M Esfand
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Kaylee E Null
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Jessica M Duda
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | | | - Diego A Pizzagalli
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
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24
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O'Driscoll C, Singh A, Chichua I, Clodic J, Desai A, Nikolova D, Yap AJ, Zhou I, Pilling S. An Ecological Mobile Momentary Intervention to Support Dynamic Goal Pursuit: Feasibility and Acceptability Study. JMIR Form Res 2024; 8:e49857. [PMID: 38506904 PMCID: PMC10993123 DOI: 10.2196/49857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals can experience difficulties pursuing their goals amid multiple competing priorities in their environment. Effective goal dynamics require flexible and generalizable pursuit skills. Supporting successful goal pursuit requires a perpetually adapting intervention responsive to internal states. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to (1) develop a flexible intervention that can adapt to an individual's changing short to medium-term goals and be applied to their daily life and (2) examine the feasibility and acceptability of the just-in-time adaptive intervention for goal pursuit. METHODS This study involved 3 iterations to test and systematically enhance all aspects of the intervention. During the pilot phase, 73 participants engaged in an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) over 1 month. After week 1, they attended an intervention training session and received just-in-time intervention prompts during the following 3 weeks. The training employed the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behavior (COM-B) framework for goal setting, along with mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII). Subsequent prompts, triggered by variability in goal pursuit, guided the participants to engage in MCII in relation to their current goal. We evaluated feasibility and acceptability, efficacy, and individual change processes by combining intensive (single-case experimental design) and extensive methods. RESULTS The results suggest that the digital intervention was feasible and acceptable to participants. Compliance with the intervention was high (n=63, 86%). The participants endorsed high acceptability ratings relating to both the study procedures and the intervention. All participants (N=73, 100%) demonstrated significant improvements in goal pursuit with an average difference of 0.495 units in the outcome (P<.001). The results of the dynamic network modeling suggest that self-monitoring behavior (EMA) and implementing the MCII strategy may aid in goal reprioritization, where goal pursuit itself is a driver of further goal pursuit. CONCLUSIONS This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of a just-in-time adaptive intervention among a nonclinical adult sample. This intervention used self-monitoring of behavior, the COM-B framework, and MCII strategies to improve dynamic goal pursuit. It was delivered via an Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI) procedure. Future research should consider the utility of this approach as an additional intervention element within psychological interventions to improve goal pursuit. Sustaining goal pursuit throughout interventions is central to their effectiveness and warrants further evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciarán O'Driscoll
- CORE Data Lab, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aneesha Singh
- UCL Interaction Centre, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Iya Chichua
- CORE Data Lab, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joachim Clodic
- CORE Data Lab, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anjali Desai
- CORE Data Lab, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dara Nikolova
- CORE Data Lab, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Jie Yap
- CORE Data Lab, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Zhou
- CORE Data Lab, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Pilling
- CORE Data Lab, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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25
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Vike NL, Bari S, Kim BW, Katsaggelos AK, Blood AJ, Breiter HC. Characterizing major depressive disorder and substance use disorder using heatmaps and variable interactions: The utility of operant behavior and brain structure relationships. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299528. [PMID: 38466739 PMCID: PMC10927130 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rates of depression and addiction have risen drastically over the past decade, but the lack of integrative techniques remains a barrier to accurate diagnoses of these mental illnesses. Changes in reward/aversion behavior and corresponding brain structures have been identified in those with major depressive disorder (MDD) and cocaine-dependence polysubstance abuse disorder (CD). Assessment of statistical interactions between computational behavior and brain structure may quantitatively segregate MDD and CD. METHODS Here, 111 participants [40 controls (CTRL), 25 MDD, 46 CD] underwent structural brain MRI and completed an operant keypress task to produce computational judgment metrics. Three analyses were performed: (1) linear regression to evaluate groupwise (CTRL v. MDD v. CD) differences in structure-behavior associations, (2) qualitative and quantitative heatmap assessment of structure-behavior association patterns, and (3) the k-nearest neighbor machine learning approach using brain structure and keypress variable inputs to discriminate groups. RESULTS This study yielded three primary findings. First, CTRL, MDD, and CD participants had distinct structure-behavior linear relationships, with only 7.8% of associations overlapping between any two groups. Second, the three groups had statistically distinct slopes and qualitatively distinct association patterns. Third, a machine learning approach could discriminate between CTRL and CD, but not MDD participants. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate that variable interactions between computational behavior and brain structure, and the patterns of these interactions, segregate MDD and CD. This work raises the hypothesis that analysis of interactions between operant tasks and structural neuroimaging might aide in the objective classification of MDD, CD and other mental health conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L. Vike
- Department of Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Sumra Bari
- Department of Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Byoung Woo Kim
- Department of Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Aggelos K. Katsaggelos
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Computer Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Anne J. Blood
- Department of Psychiatry, Mood and Motor Control Laboratory (MAML), Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Genetics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Hans C. Breiter
- Department of Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Mood and Motor Control Laboratory (MAML), Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Genetics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
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26
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Hertz-Palmor N, Rozenblit D, Lavi S, Zeltser J, Kviatek Y, Lazarov A. Aberrant reward learning, but not negative reinforcement learning, is related to depressive symptoms: an attentional perspective. Psychol Med 2024; 54:794-807. [PMID: 37642177 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723002519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant reward functioning is implicated in depression. While attention precedes behavior and guides higher-order cognitive processes, reward learning from an attentional perspective - the effects of prior reward-learning on subsequent attention allocation - has been mainly overlooked. METHODS The present study explored the effects of reward-based attentional learning in depression using two separate, yet complimentary, studies. In study 1, participants with high (HD) and low (LD) levels of depression symptoms were trained to divert their gaze toward one type of stimuli over another using a novel gaze-contingent music reward paradigm - music played when fixating the desired stimulus type and stopped when gazing the alternate one. Attention allocation was assessed before, during, and following training. In study 2, using negative reinforcement, the same attention allocation pattern was trained while substituting the appetitive music reward for gazing the desired stimulus type with the removal of an aversive sound (i.e. white noise). RESULTS In study 1 both groups showed the intended shift in attention allocation during training (online reward learning), while generalization of learning at post-training was only evident among LD participants. Conversely, in study 2 both groups showed post-training generalization. Results were maintained when introducing anxiety as a covariate, and when using a more powerful sensitivity analysis. Finally, HD participants showed higher learning speed than LD participants during initial online learning, but only when using negative, not positive, reinforcement. CONCLUSIONS Deficient generalization of learning characterizes the attentional system of HD individuals, but only when using reward-based positive reinforcement, not negative reinforcement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimrod Hertz-Palmor
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Shani Lavi
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Jonathan Zeltser
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Yonatan Kviatek
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Amit Lazarov
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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27
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Myerson J, Montelongo M, Rufino K, Patriquin M, Salas R, Oh H. Examination of reward processing dysfunctions in the left dorsal striatum and other brain regions among psychiatric inpatients with substance use. Drug Alcohol Depend 2024; 256:111097. [PMID: 38266574 PMCID: PMC10923081 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substance misuse is a major public health issue and research has established attenuated reward responses to drug cues in those who misuse substances. Yet, little is known about whether the expectation of natural reinforcers engages distinct brain regions in substance misuse. METHODS Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we delivered juice at expected and unexpected times to examine reward processing dysfunctions. We focused on the responses within the left dorsal striatum (DS) in individuals with high-risk substance use (HRU, n = 65), low-risk substance use (psychiatric controls, PC, n = 65), and healthy controls (HC, n = 65). Additionally, we investigated whether the dysfunction in reward processing within the left DS is correlated with other common psychiatric symptoms. Finally, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the whole brain to investigate other non-hypothesized brain regions. RESULTS Compared to HC, HRU displayed lower responses to juice delivery (i.e., reward) in the left DS (p <.05). The whole-brain analysis demonstrated that compared to HC, HRU displayed significantly lower responses to reward stimuli in various brain regions, including the bilateral caudate, temporal gyrus, left frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and right thalamus. LIMITATIONS Participants were individuals with polysubstance use; therefore, we were not able to examine the effects of individual substances. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that HRU displays lower responses to reward stimuli within the left DS and other non-hypothesized brain regions. Our findings may help further elucidate reward processing dysfunctions related to substance misuse.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Katrina Rufino
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; The Menninger Clinic, Houston, TX, USA; The University of Houston Downtown, Houston, TX 77002, USA
| | - Michelle Patriquin
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; The Menninger Clinic, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ramiro Salas
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; The Menninger Clinic, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hyuntaek Oh
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; The Menninger Clinic, Houston, TX, USA.
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28
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Bore MC, Liu X, Gan X, Wang L, Xu T, Ferraro S, Li L, Zhou B, Zhang J, Vatansever D, Biswal B, Klugah-Brown B, Becker B. Distinct neurofunctional alterations during motivational and hedonic processing of natural and monetary rewards in depression - a neuroimaging meta-analysis. Psychol Med 2024; 54:639-651. [PMID: 37997708 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723003410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Reward processing dysfunctions are considered a candidate mechanism underlying anhedonia and apathy in depression. Neuroimaging studies have documented that neurofunctional alterations in mesocorticolimbic circuits may neurally mediate these dysfunctions. However, common and distinct neurofunctional alterations during motivational and hedonic evaluation of monetary and natural rewards in depression have not been systematically examined. Here, we capitalized on pre-registered neuroimaging meta-analyses to (1) establish general reward-related neural alterations in depression, (2) determine common and distinct alterations during the receipt and anticipation of monetary v. natural rewards, and, (3) characterize the differences on the behavioral, network, and molecular level. The pre-registered meta-analysis (https://osf.io/ay3r9) included 633 depressed patients and 644 healthy controls and revealed generally decreased subgenual anterior cingulate cortex and striatal reactivity toward rewards in depression. Subsequent comparative analyses indicated that monetary rewards led to decreased hedonic reactivity in the right ventral caudate while natural rewards led to decreased reactivity in the bilateral putamen in depressed individuals. These regions exhibited distinguishable profiles on the behavioral, network, and molecular level. Further analyses demonstrated that the right thalamus and left putamen showed decreased activation during the anticipation of monetary reward. The present results indicate that distinguishable neurofunctional alterations may neurally mediate reward-processing alterations in depression, in particular, with respect to monetary and natural rewards. Given that natural rewards prevail in everyday life, our findings suggest that reward-type specific interventions are warranted and challenge the generalizability of experimental tasks employing monetary incentives to capture reward dysregulations in everyday life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercy Chepngetich Bore
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiqin Liu
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xianyang Gan
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Lan Wang
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Ting Xu
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Stefania Ferraro
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Liyuan Li
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Zhou
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Deniz Vatansever
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Bharat Biswal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Benjamin Klugah-Brown
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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29
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Nguyen R, Sivakumaran S, Lambe EK, Kim JC. Ventral hippocampal cholecystokinin interneurons gate contextual reward memory. iScience 2024; 27:108824. [PMID: 38303709 PMCID: PMC10831933 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Associating contexts with rewards depends on hippocampal circuits, with local inhibitory interneurons positioned to play an important role in shaping activity. Here, we demonstrate that the encoding of context-reward memory requires a ventral hippocampus (vHPC) to nucleus accumbens (NAc) circuit that is gated by cholecystokinin (CCK) interneurons. In a sucrose conditioned place preference (CPP) task, optogenetically inhibiting vHPC-NAc terminals impaired the acquisition of place preference. Transsynaptic rabies tracing revealed vHPC-NAc neurons were monosynaptically innervated by CCK interneurons. Using intersectional genetic targeting of CCK interneurons, ex vivo optogenetic activation of CCK interneurons increased GABAergic transmission onto vHPC-NAc neurons, while in vivo optogenetic inhibition of CCK interneurons increased cFos in these projection neurons. Notably, CCK interneuron inhibition during sucrose CPP learning increased time spent in the sucrose-associated location, suggesting enhanced place-reward memory. Our findings reveal a previously unknown hippocampal microcircuit crucial for modulating the strength of contextual reward learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Nguyen
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Evelyn K. Lambe
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of OBGYN, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jun Chul Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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30
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Halahakoon DC, Kaltenboeck A, Martens M, Geddes JG, Harmer CJ, Cowen P, Browning M. Pramipexole Enhances Reward Learning by Preserving Value Estimates. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:286-296. [PMID: 37330165 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dopamine D2-like agonists show promise as treatments for depression. They are thought to act by enhancing reward learning; however, the mechanisms by which they achieve this are not clear. Reinforcement learning accounts describe 3 distinct candidate mechanisms: increased reward sensitivity, increased inverse decision-temperature, and decreased value decay. As these mechanisms produce equivalent effects on behavior, arbitrating between them requires measurement of how expectations and prediction errors are altered. We characterized the effects of 2 weeks of the D2-like agonist pramipexole on reward learning and used functional magnetic resonance imaging measures of expectation and prediction error to assess which of these 3 mechanistic processes were responsible for the behavioral effects. METHODS Forty healthy volunteers (50% female) were randomized to 2 weeks of pramipexole (titrated to 1 mg/day) or placebo in a double-blind, between-subject design. Participants completed a probabilistic instrumental learning task before and after the pharmacological intervention, with functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected at the second visit. Asymptotic choice accuracy and a reinforcement learning model were used to assess reward learning. RESULTS Pramipexole increased choice accuracy in the reward condition with no effect on losses. Participants who received pramipexole had increased blood oxygen level-dependent response in the orbital frontal cortex during the expectation of win trials but decreased blood oxygen level-dependent response to reward prediction errors in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. This pattern of results indicates that pramipexole enhances choice accuracy by reducing the decay of estimated values during reward learning. CONCLUSIONS The D2-like receptor agonist pramipexole enhances reward learning by preserving learned values. This is a plausible mechanism for pramipexole's antidepressant effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don Chamith Halahakoon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Oxford Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Kaltenboeck
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Clinical Division of Social Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marieke Martens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - John G Geddes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Oxford Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine J Harmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Oxford Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Philip Cowen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Oxford Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Browning
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Oxford Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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Pulcu E, Lin W, Han S, Browning M. Depression is associated with reduced outcome sensitivity in a dual valence, magnitude learning task. Psychol Med 2024; 54:631-636. [PMID: 37706290 PMCID: PMC11443165 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723002520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Learning from rewarded and punished choices is perturbed in depressed patients, suggesting that abnormal reinforcement learning may be a cognitive mechanism of the illness. However, previous studies have disagreed about whether this behavior is produced by alterations in the rate of learning or sensitivity to experienced outcomes. This previous work has generally assessed learning in response to binary outcomes of one valence, rather than to both rewarding and punishing continuous outcomes. METHODS A novel drifting reward and punishment magnitude reinforcement-learning task was administered to patients with current (n = 40) and remitted depression (n = 39), and healthy volunteers (n = 40) to capture potential differences in learning behavior. Standard questionnaires were administered to measure self-reported depressive symptom severity, trait and state anxiety and level of anhedonic symptoms. RESULTS Our findings demonstrate that patients with current depression adjust their learning behaviors to a lesser degree in response to trial-by-trial variations in reward and loss magnitudes than the other groups. Computational modeling revealed that this behavioral signature of current depressive state is better accounted for by reduced reward and punishment sensitivity (all p < 0.031), rather than a change in learning rate (p = 0.708). However, between-group differences were not related to self-reported symptom severity or comorbid anxiety disorders in the current depression group. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that current depression is associated with reduced outcome sensitivity rather than altered learning rate. Previous findings reported in this domain mainly from binary learning tasks seem to generalize to learning from continuous outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erdem Pulcu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Wanjun Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- University College London, Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, UK
| | - Sungwon Han
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael Browning
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
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Costello H, Husain M, Roiser JP. Apathy and Motivation: Biological Basis and Drug Treatment. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2024; 64:313-338. [PMID: 37585659 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-022423-014645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Apathy is a disabling syndrome associated with poor functional outcomes that is common across a broad range of neurological and psychiatric conditions. Currently, there are no established therapies specifically for the condition, and safe and effective treatments are urgently needed. Advances in the understanding of motivation and goal-directed behavior in humans and animals have shed light on the cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms contributing to apathy, providing an important foundation for the development of new treatments. Here, we review the cognitive components, neural circuitry, and pharmacology of apathy and motivation, highlighting converging evidence of shared transdiagnostic mechanisms. Though no pharmacological treatments have yet been licensed, we summarize trials of existing and novel compounds to date, identifying several promising candidates for clinical use and avenues of future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Costello
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
| | - Masud Husain
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan P Roiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
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Halahakoon DC, Browning M. Pramipexole for the Treatment of Depression: Efficacy and Mechanisms. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024; 66:49-65. [PMID: 37982928 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2023_458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Dopaminergic mechanisms are a plausible treatment target for patients with clinical depression but are relatively underexplored in conventional antidepressant medications. There is continuing interest in the potential antidepressant effects of the dopamine receptor agonist, pramipexole, with data from both case series and controlled trials indicating that this agent may produce benefit for patients with difficult-to-treat depression. Pramipexole's therapeutic utility in depression is likely to be expressed through alterations in reward mechanisms which are strongly influenced by dopamine pathways and are known to function abnormally in depressed patients. Our work in healthy participants using brain imaging in conjunction with computational modelling suggests that repeated pramipexole facilitates reward learning by inhibiting value decay. This mechanism needs to be confirmed in larger clinical trials in depressed patients. Such studies will also allow assessment of whether baseline performance in reward learning in depression predicts therapeutic response to pramipexole treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don Chamith Halahakoon
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael Browning
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
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Dercon Q, Mehrhof SZ, Sandhu TR, Hitchcock C, Lawson RP, Pizzagalli DA, Dalgleish T, Nord CL. A core component of psychological therapy causes adaptive changes in computational learning mechanisms. Psychol Med 2024; 54:327-337. [PMID: 37288530 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723001587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive distancing is an emotion regulation strategy commonly used in psychological treatment of various mental health disorders, but its therapeutic mechanisms are unknown. METHODS 935 participants completed an online reinforcement learning task involving choices between pairs of symbols with differing reward contingencies. Half (49.1%) of the sample was randomised to a cognitive self-distancing intervention and were trained to regulate or 'take a step back' from their emotional response to feedback throughout. Established computational (Q-learning) models were then fit to individuals' choices to derive reinforcement learning parameters capturing clarity of choice values (inverse temperature) and their sensitivity to positive and negative feedback (learning rates). RESULTS Cognitive distancing improved task performance, including when participants were later tested on novel combinations of symbols without feedback. Group differences in computational model-derived parameters revealed that cognitive distancing resulted in clearer representations of option values (estimated 0.17 higher inverse temperatures). Simultaneously, distancing caused increased sensitivity to negative feedback (estimated 19% higher loss learning rates). Exploratory analyses suggested this resulted from an evolving shift in strategy by distanced participants: initially, choices were more determined by expected value differences between symbols, but as the task progressed, they became more sensitive to negative feedback, with evidence for a difference strongest by the end of training. CONCLUSIONS Adaptive effects on the computations that underlie learning from reward and loss may explain the therapeutic benefits of cognitive distancing. Over time and with practice, cognitive distancing may improve symptoms of mental health disorders by promoting more effective engagement with negative information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Dercon
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UCL Institute of Mental Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sara Z Mehrhof
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Timothy R Sandhu
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Caitlin Hitchcock
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rebecca P Lawson
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Diego A Pizzagalli
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Tim Dalgleish
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Camilla L Nord
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Mukherjee D, van Geen C, Kable J. Leveraging Decision Science to Characterize Depression. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 32:462-470. [PMID: 38313830 PMCID: PMC10836825 DOI: 10.1177/09637214231194962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
This brief review examines the potential to use decision science to objectively characterize depression. We provide a brief overview of the existing literature examining different domains of decision-making in depression. Because this overview highlights the specific role of reinforcement learning as an important decision process affected in the disorder, we then introduce reinforcement learning modeling and explain how this approach has identified specific reinforcement learning deficits in depression. We conclude with ideas for future research at the intersection of decision science and depression, emphasizing the potential for decision science to help uncover underlying mechanisms and targets for the treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dahlia Mukherjee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
- Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University
| | | | - Joseph Kable
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania
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Pouyan N, Younesi Sisi F, Kargar A, Scheidegger M, McIntyre RS, Morrow JD. The effects of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) on the Positive Valence Systems: A Research Domain Criteria (RDoC)-Informed Systematic Review. CNS Drugs 2023; 37:1027-1063. [PMID: 37999867 PMCID: PMC10703966 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-023-01044-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The renewed interest in psychedelic research provides growing evidence of potentially unique effects on various aspects of reward processing systems. Using the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework, as proposed by the National Institute of Mental Health, we aim to synthesize the existing literature concerning the impact of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on the RDoC's Positive Valence Systems (PVS) domain, and to identify potential avenues for further research. METHODS Two LSD-related terms (lysergic acid diethylamide and LSD) and 13 PVS-related terms (reward, happiness, bliss, motivation, reinforcement learning, operant, conditioning, satisfaction, decision making, habit, valence, affect, mood) were used to search electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, PsychINFO, and Web of Science for relevant articles. A manual search of the reference list resulted in nine additional articles. After screening, articles and data were evaluated and included based on their relevance to the objective of investigating the effects of LSD on the PVS. Articles and data were excluded if they did not provide information about the PVS, were observational in nature, lacked comparators or reference groups, or were duplicates. A risk of bias assessment was performed using the National Toxicology Program's Office of Health Assessment and Translation (NTP OHAT) risk of bias (RoB) tool. Data from the included articles were collected and structured based on the RDoC bio-behavioral matrix, specifically focusing on the PVS domain and its three constituent constructs: reward responsiveness, reward learning, and reward valuation. RESULTS We reviewed 28 clinical studies with 477 participants. Lysergic acid diethylamide, assessed at self-report (23 studies), molecular (5 studies), circuit (4 studies), and paradigm (3 studies) levels, exhibited dose-dependent mood improvement (20 short-term and 3 long-term studies). The subjective and neural effects of LSD were linked to the 5-HT2A receptor (molecular). Animal studies (14 studies) suggested LSD could mildly reinforce conditioned place preference without aversion and reduce responsiveness to other rewards. Findings on reward learning were inconsistent but hinted at potential associative learning enhancements. Reward valuation measures indicated potential reductions in effort expenditure for other reinforcers. CONCLUSION Our findings are consistent with our previous work, which indicated classical psychedelics, primarily serotonin 2A receptor agonists, enhanced reward responsiveness in healthy individuals and patient populations. Lysergic acid diethylamide exhibits a unique profile in the reward learning and valuation constructs. Using the RDoC-based framework, we identified areas for future research, enhancing our understanding of the impact of LSD on reward processing. However, applying RDoC to psychedelic research faces limitations due to diverse study designs that were not initially RDoC-oriented. Limitations include subjective outcome measure selection aligned with RDoC constructs and potential bias in synthesizing varied studies. Additionally, some human studies were open-label, introducing potential bias compared to randomized, blinded studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niloufar Pouyan
- Michigan Psychedelic Center (M-PsyC), and Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center (CPFRC), University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, and Program in Biomedical Sciences (PIBS), University of Michigan Medical School, 1135 Catherine Street, Box 5619, 2960 Taubman Health Science Library, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Aracell Zist Darou pharmaceutical, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Farnaz Younesi Sisi
- Yaadmaan Institute for Brain, Cognition and Memory Studies, Tehran, Iran
- Cognitive Neurology and Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Kargar
- Cognitive Neurology and Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Milan Scheidegger
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roger S McIntyre
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit (MDPU), University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jonathan D Morrow
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, and Program in Biomedical Sciences (PIBS), University of Michigan Medical School, 1135 Catherine Street, Box 5619, 2960 Taubman Health Science Library, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Arch JJ, Bright EE, Finkelstein LB, Fink RM, Mitchell JL, Andorsky DJ, Kutner JS. Anxiety and Depression in Metastatic Cancer: A Critical Review of Negative Impacts on Advance Care Planning and End-of-Life Decision Making With Practical Recommendations. JCO Oncol Pract 2023; 19:1097-1108. [PMID: 37831973 PMCID: PMC10732500 DOI: 10.1200/op.23.00287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Providers treating adults with advanced cancer increasingly seek to engage patients and surrogates in advance care planning (ACP) and end-of-life (EOL) decision making; however, anxiety and depression may interfere with engagement. The intersection of these two key phenomena is examined among patients with metastatic cancer and their surrogates: the need to prepare for and engage in ACP and EOL decision making and the high prevalence of anxiety and depression. METHODS Using a critical review framework, we examine the specific ways that anxiety and depression are likely to affect both ACP and EOL decision making. RESULTS The review indicates that depression is associated with reduced compliance with treatment recommendations, and high anxiety may result in avoidance of difficult discussions involved in ACP and EOL decision making. Depression and anxiety are associated with increased decisional regret in the context of cancer treatment decision making, as well as a preference for passive (not active) decision making in an intensive care unit setting. Anxiety about death in patients with advanced cancer is associated with lower rates of completion of an advance directive or discussion of EOL wishes with the oncologist. Patients with advanced cancer and elevated anxiety report higher discordance between wanted versus received life-sustaining treatments, less trust in their physicians, and less comprehension of the information communicated by their physicians. CONCLUSION Anxiety and depression are commonly elevated among adults with advanced cancer and health care surrogates, and can result in less engagement and satisfaction with ACP, cancer treatment, and EOL decisions. We offer practical strategies and sample scripts for oncology care providers to use to reduce the effects of anxiety and depression in these contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna J. Arch
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO
| | - Emma E. Bright
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Lauren B. Finkelstein
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Regina M. Fink
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
- University of Colorado College of Nursing, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | | | | | - Jean S. Kutner
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
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Szopa A, Herbet M, Poleszak E, Serefko A, Czylkowska A, Piątkowska-Chmiel I, Kasperek K, Wróbel A, Prewencka P, Szewczyk B. Evaluation of Antidepressive-like Behaviours and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Mice Receiving Imipramine-Zinc Complex Compound. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14157. [PMID: 37762458 PMCID: PMC10531591 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The study aimed to evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of an imipramine-zinc (IMI-Zn) complex compound on mice and assess the level of oxidative stress parameters. The research also investigated whether the IMI-Zn complex showed superior antidepressant activity compared to individual treatments of both compounds at effective doses and their joint administration at subtherapeutic doses. The study was conducted on mice. Forced swim (FST), tail suspension (TST), and locomotor activity tests were used for behavioral studies. The results demonstrated the IMI-Zn complex's dose-dependent antidepressant potential when orally administered to mice. Its efficacy was similar to the separate administration of therapeutic doses of imipramine (IMI) and zinc (Zn) and their joint administration at subtherapeutic doses. Moreover, subjecting mice to acute stress did not significantly affect the activity of on glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR), and total antioxidant status (TAS), possibly due to the short exposure time to the stress stimulus. By developing the IMI-Zn complex, it might be possible to simplify the treatment approach, potentially improving patient compliance by combining the therapeutic effects of both IMI and Zn within a single compound, thus addressing one of the contributing factors to non-compliance in depression therapy. The IMI-Zn complex could be a valuable strategy to optimize therapeutic outcomes and balance efficacy and tolerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Szopa
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Care, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodźki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Mariola Herbet
- Department of Toxicology, Medical University of Lublin, 8 Chodźki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.H.); (I.P.-C.); (K.K.)
| | - Ewa Poleszak
- Laboratory of Preclinical Testing, Chair and Department of Applied and Social Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodźki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Anna Serefko
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Care, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodźki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Agnieszka Czylkowska
- Institute of General and Ecological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Łódź, Poland;
| | - Iwona Piątkowska-Chmiel
- Department of Toxicology, Medical University of Lublin, 8 Chodźki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.H.); (I.P.-C.); (K.K.)
| | - Kamila Kasperek
- Department of Toxicology, Medical University of Lublin, 8 Chodźki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.H.); (I.P.-C.); (K.K.)
| | - Andrzej Wróbel
- Second Department of Gynecology, Medical University of Lublin, 8 Jaczewskiego Street, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Paulina Prewencka
- Scientific Circle, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Care, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodźki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Bernadeta Szewczyk
- Department of Neurobiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smętna Street, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
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Potsch L, Rief W. Transdiagnostic considerations of the relationship between reward sensitivity and psychopathological symptoms - a cross-lagged panel analysis. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:650. [PMID: 37667190 PMCID: PMC10478275 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05139-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reward sensitivity constitutes a potential key mechanism regarding the etiology and maintenance of mental disorders, especially depression. However, due to a lack of longitudinal studies, the temporal dynamics are not clear yet. Although some evidence indicates that reward processing could be a transdiagnostic mechanism of disorders, these observations could be also a product of comorbidity with depression. This study aimed at investigating the temporal dynamics of reward sensitivity and the course of psychopathological symptoms in a longitudinal investigation, while taking a possible mediating role of depression into account. METHODS We conducted a three-wave longitudinal online survey with a 4-week interval. A total of N = 453 participants filled out all three questionnaires. Reward sensitivity was assessed with the Positive Valence System Scale-21 (PVSS-21), depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), eating disorder symptoms with the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire-8 (EDE-Q-8), social anxiety with the Mini-social phobia inventory (Mini-SPIN) and alcohol consumption with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C). Cross-lagged panels and mediation analyses were calculated using path analyses. RESULTS Depressive and eating disorder symptoms predicted reward insensitivity at later points in time. Effects were larger from T2 to T3. A bidirectional relationship concerning social anxiety was found. Higher alcohol consumption predicted higher reward sensitivity. Depression at T2 fully mediated the association between psychopathological symptoms at T1 and reward sensitivity at T3 for social anxiety and eating disorder symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Our findings imply that reduced reward sensitivity seems to be a consequence rather than an antecedent of psychopathological symptoms. Comorbid depression plays a crucial role in other mental disorders regarding observed hyposensitivity towards rewards. Therefore, our results do not support a transdiagnostic notion of reward sensitivity, but they indicate a potential role of reward sensitivity for symptom persistence. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study was preregistered at the Open Science Framework (OSF) ( https://archive.org/details/osf-registrations-6n3s8-v1 ; registration DOI https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/6N3S8 ).
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Affiliation(s)
- L Potsch
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, D-35032, Marburg, Germany.
| | - W Rief
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, D-35032, Marburg, Germany
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Bress JN, Arslanoglou E, Banerjee S, Alexopoulos GS, Kiosses DN. Positive valence system function and anhedonia in middle-aged and older adults at high suicide risk. Biol Psychol 2023; 182:108647. [PMID: 37499781 PMCID: PMC10529097 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Positive valence systems are disrupted in late-life depression and in individuals at risk for suicide. The reward positivity (RewP) is an event-related potential measure of positive valence system function that relates to depression and anhedonia in children and young adults. However, it is unclear whether a reliable RewP signal can be elicited in middle-aged and older adults at high risk for suicide and, if so, whether this signal is similarly associated with clinical symptoms. In the current study, a RewP was elicited with a standard gambling task in middle-aged and older adults (N = 31) at discharge from a hospitalization for suicidal thought or behaviors. The resulting electrocortical response differed significantly for monetary wins compared to losses. Internal reliability of the RewP and the feedback negativity (FN) to monetary loss was good to excellent. Internal reliability of difference measures was lower but still largely acceptable, with residualized differences scores demonstrating stronger reliability than subtraction-based scores. A smaller residualized RewP, after accounting for the influence of the FN, was associated with greater severity of lassitude, an index of appetitive anhedonia. These findings set the groundwork for future studies of positive valence system function and depression in middle-aged and older adults at high risk for suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer N Bress
- Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, New York.
| | - Elizabeth Arslanoglou
- Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, New York
| | - Samprit Banerjee
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - George S Alexopoulos
- Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, New York
| | - Dimitris N Kiosses
- Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, New York
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Slaney C, Perkins AM, Davis R, Penton-Voak I, Munafò MR, Houghton CJ, Robinson ESJ. Objective measures of reward sensitivity and motivation in people with high v. low anhedonia. Psychol Med 2023; 53:4324-4332. [PMID: 35545891 PMCID: PMC10388304 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722001052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anhedonia - a diminished interest or pleasure in activities - is a core self-reported symptom of depression which is poorly understood and often resistant to conventional antidepressants. This symptom may occur due to dysfunction in one or more sub-components of reward processing: motivation, consummatory experience and/or learning. However, the precise impairments remain elusive. Dissociating these components (ideally, using cross-species measures) and relating them to the subjective experience of anhedonia is critical as it may benefit fundamental biology research and novel drug development. METHODS Using a battery of behavioural tasks based on rodent assays, we examined reward motivation (Joystick-Operated Runway Task, JORT; and Effort-Expenditure for Rewards Task, EEfRT) and reward sensitivity (Sweet Taste Test) in a non-clinical population who scored high (N = 32) or low (N = 34) on an anhedonia questionnaire (Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale). RESULTS Compared to the low anhedonia group, the high anhedonia group displayed marginal impairments in effort-based decision-making (EEfRT) and reduced reward sensitivity (Sweet Taste Test). However, we found no evidence of a difference between groups in physical effort exerted for reward (JORT). Interestingly, whilst the EEfRT and Sweet Taste Test correlated with anhedonia measures, they did not correlate with each other. This poses the question of whether there are subgroups within anhedonia; however, further work is required to directly test this hypothesis. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that anhedonia is a heterogeneous symptom associated with impairments in reward sensitivity and effort-based decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Slaney
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Adam M. Perkins
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Robert Davis
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London SE14 6NW, UK
| | - Ian Penton-Voak
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marcus R. Munafò
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol BS8 2BN, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Conor J. Houghton
- Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK
| | - Emma S. J. Robinson
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
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Westbrook A, Yang X, Bylsma LM, Daches S, George CJ, Seidman AJ, Jennings JR, Kovacs M. Economic Choice and Heart Rate Fractal Scaling Indicate That Cognitive Effort Is Reduced by Depression and Boosted by Sad Mood. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:687-694. [PMID: 35948258 PMCID: PMC10919246 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with depression typically exhibit diminished cognitive control. Control is subjectively costly, prompting speculation that control deficits reflect reduced cognitive effort. Evidence that people with depression exert less cognitive effort is mixed, however, and motivation may depend on state affect. METHODS We used a cognitive effort discounting task to measure propensity to expend cognitive effort and fractal structure in the temporal dynamics of interbeat intervals to assess on-task effort exertion for 49 healthy control subjects, 36 people with current depression, and 67 people with remitted depression. RESULTS People with depression discounted more steeply, indicating that they were less willing to exert cognitive effort than people with remitted depression and never-depressed control subjects. Also, steeper discounting predicted worse functioning in daily life. Surprisingly, a sad mood induction selectively boosted motivation among participants with depression, erasing differences between them and control subjects. During task performance, depressed participants with the lowest cognitive motivation showed blunted autonomic reactivity as a function of load. CONCLUSIONS Discounting patterns supported the hypothesis that people with current depression would be less willing to exert cognitive effort, and steeper discounting predicted lower global functioning in daily life. Heart rate fractal scaling proved to be a highly sensitive index of cognitive load, and data implied that people with lower motivation for cognitive effort had a diminished physiological capacity to respond to rising cognitive demands. State affect appeared to influence motivation among people with current depression given that they were more willing to exert cognitive effort following a sad mood induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Westbrook
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
| | - Xiao Yang
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia
| | - Lauren M Bylsma
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Shimrit Daches
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Charles J George
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Andrew J Seidman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - J Richard Jennings
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Maria Kovacs
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Waters S, De Giorgi R, Quinton AMG, Gillespie AL, Murphy SE, Cowen PJ, Harmer CJ. An online experimental medicine trial on the effect of 28-day simvastatin administration on emotional processing, reward learning, working memory and salivary cortisol in healthy volunteers at risk for depression: OxSTEP protocol. BJPsych Open 2023; 9:e110. [PMID: 37313755 PMCID: PMC10304861 DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2023.44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests inflammation may be a key mechanism by which psychosocial stress, including loneliness, predisposes to depression. Observational and clinical studies have suggested simvastatin, with its anti-inflammatory properties, may have a potential use in the treatment of depression. Previous experimental medicine trials investigating 7-day use of statins showed conflicting results, with simvastatin displaying a more positive effect on emotional processing compared with atorvastatin. It is possible that statins require longer administration in predisposed individuals before showing the expected positive effects on emotional processing. AIMS Here, we aim to test the neuropsychological effects of 28-day simvastatin administration versus placebo, in healthy volunteers at risk for depression owing to loneliness. METHOD This is a remote experimental medicine study. One hundred participants across the UK will be recruited and randomised to either 28-day 20 mg simvastatin or placebo in a double-blind fashion. Before and after administration, participants will complete an online testing session involving tasks of emotional processing and reward learning, processes related to vulnerability to depression. Working memory will also be assessed and waking salivary cortisol samples will be collected. The primary outcome will be accuracy in identifying emotions in a facial expression recognition task, comparing the two groups across time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shona Waters
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Riccardo De Giorgi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK; and Warneford Hospital, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | | | | | | | - Philip J. Cowen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK; and Warneford Hospital, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, UK
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Lucantonio F, Li S, Lu J, Roeglin J, Bontempi L, Shields BC, Zarate CA, Tadross MR, Pignatelli M. Ketamine rescues anhedonia by cell-type and input specific adaptations in the Nucleus Accumbens. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.08.544088. [PMID: 37333325 PMCID: PMC10274891 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.08.544088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Ketamine's role in providing a rapid and sustained antidepressant response, particularly for patients unresponsive to conventional treatments, is increasingly recognized. A core symptom of depression, anhedonia, or the loss of enjoyment or interest in previously pleasurable activities, is known to be significantly alleviated by ketamine. While several hypotheses have been proposed regarding the mechanisms by which ketamine alleviates anhedonia, the specific circuits and synaptic changes responsible for its sustained therapeutic effects are not yet understood. Here, we show that the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a major hub of the reward circuitry, is essential for ketamine's effect in rescuing anhedonia in mice subjected to chronic stress, a critical risk factor in the genesis of depression in humans. Specifically, a single exposure to ketamine rescues stress-induced decreased strength of excitatory synapses on NAc D1 dopamine receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs). By using a novel cell-specific pharmacology method, we demonstrate that this cell-type specific neuroadaptation is necessary for the sustained therapeutic effects of ketamine. To test for causal sufficiency, we artificially mimicked ketamine-induced increase in excitatory strength on D1-MSNs and found that this recapitulates the behavioral amelioration induced by ketamine. Finally, to determine the presynaptic origin of the relevant glutamatergic inputs for ketamine-elicited synaptic and behavioral effects, we used a combination of opto- and chemogenetics. We found that ketamine rescues stress-induced reduction in excitatory strength at medial prefrontal cortex and ventral hippocampus inputs to NAc D1-MSNs. Chemogenetically preventing ketamine-evoked plasticity at those unique inputs to the NAc reveals a ketamine-operated input-specific control of hedonic behavior. These results establish that ketamine rescues stress-induced anhedonia via cell-type-specific adaptations as well as information integration in the NAc via discrete excitatory synapses.
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45
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Bogaert L, Dunn BD, Walentynowicz M, Raes F. ‘It just doesn't feel right’ and other reasons why some people fear and avoid positive emotions. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2023; 235:103901. [PMID: 37018932 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.103901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The need to further our understanding of positive affect dysregulation in depression has been widely acknowledged. Two related relevant concepts in this realm, are Avoidance Of Positivity (AOP; referring to avoidance behaviour towards positivity) and Fear Of Positivity (FOP; referring to anxious or unpleasant feelings related to positivity). However, traditionally manifestations of AOP and FOP are considered in isolation, and self-report scales used to measure both concepts show considerable content overlap. Therefore, the first study aim was to examine how AOP and FOP relate to one another, depressive symptomatology and anhedonia, through new clearly delineated scales. For exploratory purposes, general and state-specific versions were developed. The second aim was to uncover beliefs that underlie the tendency towards AOP/FOP. An adult community sample (n = 197) completed online measures of AOP, FOP, depressive symptoms and anhedonia, and answered open-ended questions about reasons for AOP and FOP. Cross-sectionally, preliminary evidence was found for AOP and FOP being positively associated with one another, depressive symptomatology and anhedonia. Even after controlling for depressive symptomatology, anhedonia remained positively associated with AOP and FOP. So, AOP and FOP may be viable candidate mechanisms maintaining anhedonia that are worth further investigation and may be appropriate to target during treatment. Answers to the open-ended questions (n = 77) reflected various beliefs underlying AOP/FOP, which were broader than simply anticipating negative consequences of feeling positive and also touched on themes of unworthiness and social inappropriateness of feeling positive. Some theoretical and clinical implications of different beliefs underlying AOP/FOP are discussed.
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46
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Kolobaric A, Mizuno A, Yang X, George CJ, Seidman A, Aizenstein HJ, Kovacs M, Karim HT. History of major depressive disorder is associated with differences in implicit learning of emotional faces. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 161:324-332. [PMID: 36996725 PMCID: PMC10202097 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder is often associated with worsened reward learning, with blunted reward response persisting after remission. In this study, we developed a probabilistic learning task with social rewards as a learning signal. We examined the impacts of depression on social rewards (facial affect displays) as an implicit learning signal. Fifty-seven participants without a history of depression and sixty-two participants with a history of depression (current or remitted) completed a structured clinical interview and an implicit learning task with social reward. Participants underwent an open-ended interview to evaluate whether they knew the rule consciously. Linear mixed effects models revealed that participants without a history of depression learned faster and showed a stronger preference towards the positive than the negative stimulus when compared to the participants with a history of depression. In contrast, those with a history depression learned slower on average and displayed greater variability in stimulus preference. We did not detect any differences in learning between those with current and remitted depression. The results indicate that on a probabilistic social reward task, people with a history of depression exhibit slower reward learning and greater variability in their learning behavior. Improving our understanding of alterations in social reward learning and their associations with depression and anhedonia may help to develop translatable psychotherapeutic approaches for modification of maladaptive emotion regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Akiko Mizuno
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xiao Yang
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | | | - Andrew Seidman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Howard J Aizenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Maria Kovacs
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Helmet T Karim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Hill KE, Kujawa A, Humphreys KL. Caregivers' positive emotion socialization tendencies are associated with positive affect in preschool age children. Infant Ment Health J 2023; 44:437-447. [PMID: 36840976 PMCID: PMC10198901 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.22036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Longstanding theories of emotion socialization postulate that caregiver emotional and behavioral reactions to a child's emotions together shape the child's emotion displays over time. Despite the notable importance of positive valence system function, the majority of research on caregiver emotion socialization focuses on negative valence system emotions. In the current project, we leveraged a relatively large cross-sectional study of caregivers (N = 234; 93.59% White) of preschool aged children to investigate whether and to what degree, caregiver (1) emotional experiences, or (2) external behaviors, in the context of preschoolers' positive emotion displays in caregiver-child interactions, are associated with children's general positive affect tendencies. Results indicated that, in the context of everyday caregiver-child interactions, caregiver-reported positively valenced emotions but not approach behaviors were positively associated with child general positive affect tendencies. However, when examining specific caregiver behaviors in response to everyday child positive emotion displays, caregiver report of narrating the child's emotion and joining in the emotion with their child was positively associated with child general positive affect tendencies. Together, these results suggest that in everyday caregiver-child interactions, caregivers' emotional experiences and attunement with the child play a role in shaping preschoolers' overall tendencies toward positive affect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaylin E Hill
- Psychology & Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Autumn Kujawa
- Psychology & Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Kathryn L Humphreys
- Psychology & Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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48
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Rengasamy M, Nance M, Eckstrand K, Forbes E. Splitting the reward: Differences in inflammatory marker associations with neural connectivity between reward anticipation and reward outcome in adolescents at high risk for depression. J Affect Disord 2023; 327:128-136. [PMID: 36736795 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescent depression is associated with both dysfunction in neural reward processing and peripheral inflammatory markers (PIMs), such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive-protein (CRP), and tumor-necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). Few adolescent studies have examined neural-inflammatory marker associations and associated behavioral correlates, which would contribute to a better understanding of developmental processes linked to depression. METHODS 36 adolescents at high risk of depression completed an fMRI reward task (during anticipation and outcome), blood draw for PIMs (IL-6, CRP, and TNFα), and a behavioral task assessing motivation to expend effort. Analyses examined associations of task-dependent functional connectivity (FC; ventral striatum to frontal and default mode network brain regions), and if the interaction of PIMs and task-dependent FC predicted motivation to expend effort. RESULTS For anticipation contrast, TNFα was associated with increased task-dependent FC between the LVS and PCC/vmPFC. In moderation analyses, for anticipation contrasts, the combination of higher IL-6 and stronger FC (LVS-precuneus/PCC) was associated with lower motivation to expend effort, while for outcome contrasts, the combination of higher IL-6 and stronger FC (VS-precuneus/PCC) was associated with greater motivation to expend effort. CONCLUSIONS Our findings in adolescents during an important developmental time period suggest that PIMs are directly linked to greater FC between the VS and DMN brain regions during win anticipation, consistent with prior studies. Effects of PIMs on motivation to expend effort may vary the strength/type of neural reward processing (anticipation or outcome), which could guide better understanding how inflammatory markers and neural reward substrates contribute to development of depression in high-risk adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manivel Rengasamy
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry, United States of America.
| | - Melissa Nance
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry, United States of America
| | - Kristen Eckstrand
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry, United States of America
| | - Erika Forbes
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry, United States of America
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49
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Kruithof ES, Klaus J, Schutter DJLG. The human cerebellum in reward anticipation and reward outcome processing: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 149:105171. [PMID: 37060968 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
The cerebellum generates internal prediction models and actively compares anticipated and actual outcomes in order to reach a desired end state. In this process, reward can serve as a reinforcer that shapes internal prediction models, enabling context-appropriate behavior. While the involvement of the cerebellum in reward processing has been established in animals, there is no detailed account of which cerebellar regions are involved in reward anticipation and reward outcome processing in humans. To this end, an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies was performed to investigate cerebellar functional activity patterns associated with reward anticipation and reward outcome processing in healthy adults. Results showed that reward anticipation (k=31) was associated with regional activity in the bilateral anterior lobe, bilateral lobule VI, left Crus I and the posterior vermis, while reward outcome (k=16) was associated with regional activity in the declive and left lobule VI. The findings of this meta-analysis show distinct involvement of the cerebellum in reward anticipation and reward outcome processing as part of a predictive coding routine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline S Kruithof
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Jana Klaus
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Dennis J L G Schutter
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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50
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Jangraw DC, Keren H, Sun H, Bedder RL, Rutledge RB, Pereira F, Thomas AG, Pine DS, Zheng C, Nielson DM, Stringaris A. A highly replicable decline in mood during rest and simple tasks. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:596-610. [PMID: 36849591 PMCID: PMC10192073 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01519-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Does our mood change as time passes? This question is central to behavioural and affective science, yet it remains largely unexamined. To investigate, we intermixed subjective momentary mood ratings into repetitive psychology paradigms. Here we demonstrate that task and rest periods lowered participants' mood, an effect we call 'Mood Drift Over Time'. This finding was replicated in 19 cohorts totalling 28,482 adult and adolescent participants. The drift was relatively large (-13.8% after 7.3 min of rest, Cohen's d = 0.574) and was consistent across cohorts. Behaviour was also impacted: participants were less likely to gamble in a task that followed a rest period. Importantly, the drift slope was inversely related to reward sensitivity. We show that accounting for time using a linear term significantly improves the fit of a computational model of mood. Our work provides conceptual and methodological reasons for researchers to account for time's effects when studying mood and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Jangraw
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.
| | - Hanna Keren
- Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Haorui Sun
- Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Rachel L Bedder
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
| | - Robb B Rutledge
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Adam G Thomas
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Daniel S Pine
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Charles Zheng
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Argyris Stringaris
- Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Faculty of Brain Sciences, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
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