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Hur KH, Meisler SL, Yassin W, Frederick BB, Kohut SJ. Prefrontal-Limbic Circuitry Is Associated With Reward Sensitivity in Nonhuman Primates. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 96:473-485. [PMID: 38432521 PMCID: PMC11338745 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.02.1011] [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: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormal reward sensitivity is a risk factor for psychiatric disorders, including eating disorders such as overeating and binge-eating disorder, but the brain structural mechanisms that underlie it are not completely understood. Here, we sought to investigate the relationship between multimodal whole-brain structural features and reward sensitivity in nonhuman primates. METHODS Reward sensitivity was evaluated through behavioral economic analysis in which monkeys (adult rhesus macaques; 7 female, 5 male) responded for sweetened condensed milk (10%, 30%, 56%), Gatorade, or water using an operant procedure in which the response requirement increased incrementally across sessions (i.e., fixed ratio 1, 3, 10). Animals were divided into high (n = 6) or low (n = 6) reward sensitivity groups based on essential value for 30% milk. Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure gray matter volume and white matter microstructure. Brain structural features were compared between groups, and their correlations with reward sensitivity for various stimuli was investigated. RESULTS Animals in the high sensitivity group had greater dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, centromedial amygdaloid complex, and middle cingulate cortex volumes than animals in the low sensitivity group. Furthermore, compared with monkeys in the low sensitivity group, high sensitivity monkeys had lower fractional anisotropy in the left dorsal cingulate bundle connecting the centromedial amygdaloid complex and middle cingulate cortex to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus 1 connecting the middle cingulate cortex to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that neuroanatomical variation in prefrontal-limbic circuitry is associated with reward sensitivity. These brain structural features may serve as predictive biomarkers for vulnerability to food-based and other reward-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang-Hyun Hur
- Behavioral Neuroimaging Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Steven L Meisler
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Walid Yassin
- Behavioral Neuroimaging Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Blaise B Frederick
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - Stephen J Kohut
- Behavioral Neuroimaging Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts.
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2
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Potsch L, Rief W. How to improve reward sensitivity - Predictors of long-term effects of a randomized controlled online intervention trial. J Affect Disord 2024:S0165-0327(24)01485-X. [PMID: 39243822 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 08/31/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reward sensitivity is a central maintaining factor of depression. Current treatments fail at sufficiently and reliably modifying reward processing. Therefore, we employed interventions targeting reward sensitivity and evaluated the long-term efficacy of different online interventions, additionally exploring predictors of changes in reward sensitivity. METHODS This four-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) tested the long-term stability of treatment effects during a four-month follow-up in 127 participants of a two-week online intervention (behavioral activation vs. mindfulness and gratitude vs. combination of both). In addition, we investigated predictors of treatment success defined as improvement in reward sensitivity. Predictors we investigated were depressive expectations, stress and the type of reward implemented in the exercises of the intervention (physical activities and social encounters). RESULTS The improvement concerning reward sensitivity, as well as the reduction of anhedonia and depressive symptoms was stable over a four-month follow-up. We did not find evidence for differences between the active intervention groups. Positive changes in depressive expectations were a significant predictor of long-term improvements in reward sensitivity. LIMITATIONS Only self-report measures were used and the interpretation of the long-term efficacy of the online interventions is limited since the waitlist control condition was not extended to the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians should focus on violating depressive expectations to facilitate updating the prediction and anticipation of future rewarding experiences. This could be a vital mechanism of change in reward sensitivity. However, future research still needs to unravel what kind of interventions are most effective in targeting reward insensitivity. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study was preregistered at Clinical Trials (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT06072209).
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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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3
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Smith LT, Bishop OC, Nusslock R, Alloy LB. The path from mood symptoms to substance use: A longitudinal examination in individuals with and at risk for bipolar spectrum disorders. J Affect Disord 2024; 360:33-41. [PMID: 38815758 PMCID: PMC11185173 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.05.146] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescent substance use poses a critical public health challenge, intertwined with risk-taking behavior, criminality, functional impairment, and comorbid mental and physical health issues. Adolescents with bipolar spectrum disorders (BSD) exhibit heightened susceptibility to substance use, necessitating a nuanced exploration of the bipolar-substance use relationship. METHODS This study addressed gaps in the literature by employing a prospective, longitudinal design with 443 Philadelphia-area adolescents, tracking BSD symptoms and substance use. We predicted that BSD symptoms would be associated with increases in substance use, and that these effects would be more pronounced for individuals with a BSD and those with high reward sensitivity. RESULTS Hypomanic symptoms predicted subsequent substance use, with a stronger association observed in individuals diagnosed with BSD. Contrary to expectations, depressive symptoms did not exhibit a similar relationship. Although the hypothesized moderating role of reward sensitivity was not supported, higher reward sensitivity predicted increased substance use. LIMITATIONS Symptoms and substance use are only captured for the month prior to each session due to the assessment timeline. This highlights the benefits of frequent assessments over a shorter time frame to monitor real-time changes. Alternative classification methods for reward sensitivity, such as brain or behavior-based assessments, might yield different results. CONCLUSIONS This study's contributions include evaluating substance use broadly, utilizing a longitudinal design for temporal clarity, and shifting the focus from substance use predicting mood symptoms to the inverse. The findings underscore the need for continued exploration of mood symptom predictors of substance use, emphasizing the role of reward sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan T Smith
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Olivia C Bishop
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, United States of America
| | - Lauren B Alloy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, United States of America.
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4
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Kirchner L, Rief W, Müller L, Buchwald H, Fuhrmann K, Berg M. Depressive symptoms and the processing of unexpected social feedback: Differences in surprise levels, feedback acceptance, and "immunizing" cognition. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0307035. [PMID: 39186743 PMCID: PMC11346924 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307035] [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: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Negative social expectations are a key symptom of depression. It has been suggested that individuals with depressive symptoms tend to maintain these expectations by devaluing new experiences that do not fit prior expectations. However, our understanding of the role of such "immunizing" cognition in response to unexpected social feedback in depression, as well as the cognitive mechanisms involved, remains limited. This study investigated the association between depressive symptoms and the cognitive processing of unexpected positive or negative social feedback using a novel, video-based approach featuring naturalistic social stimuli in a subclinical online sample (N = 155). We also examined how surprise levels, feedback acceptance and immunizing cognition relate to other cognitive processes, such as attributional style and rumination, using cross-sectional network analyses. Robust multiple linear regression analyses revealed that depressive symptoms were associated with higher surprise levels (R2adj. = .27), lower feedback acceptance (R2adj. = .19), and higher levels of immunizing cognition (R2adj. = .09) in response to unexpected positive social feedback, but only partially to unexpected negative social feedback. The network analysis suggested that self-efficacy expectations for coping with negative feelings and acceptance of positive social feedback had the strongest expected influence on the different cognitive processes. Our study highlights the challenges that individuals with depressive symptoms face in utilizing positive social feedback to modify negative expectations. For clinicians, our findings suggest the importance of promoting acceptance of positive social feedback, while simultaneously inhibiting immunizing cognition and avoiding the use of overly positive feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Kirchner
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Winfried Rief
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Lilly Müller
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Hannah Buchwald
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kari Fuhrmann
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Max Berg
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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5
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Forys BJ, Winstanley CA, Kingstone A, Todd RM. Short-Term Memory Capacity Predicts Willingness to Expend Cognitive Effort for Reward. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0068-24.2024. [PMID: 38866500 PMCID: PMC11218033 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0068-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
We must often decide whether the effort required for a task is worth the reward. Past rodent work suggests that willingness to deploy cognitive effort can be driven by individual differences in perceived reward value, depression, or chronic stress. However, many factors driving cognitive effort deployment-such as short-term memory ability-cannot easily be captured in rodents. Furthermore, we do not fully understand how individual differences in short-term memory ability, depression, chronic stress, and reward anticipation impact cognitive effort deployment for reward. Here, we examined whether these factors predict cognitive effort deployment for higher reward in an online visual short-term memory task. Undergraduate participants were grouped into high and low effort groups (n HighEffort = 348, n LowEffort = 81; n Female = 332, n Male = 92, M Age = 20.37, Range Age = 16-42) based on decisions in this task. After completing a monetary incentive task to measure reward anticipation, participants completed short-term memory task trials where they could choose to encode either fewer (low effort/reward) or more (high effort/reward) squares before reporting whether or not the color of a target square matched the square previously in that location. We found that only greater short-term memory ability predicted whether participants chose a much higher proportion of high versus low effort trials. Drift diffusion modeling showed that high effort group participants were more biased than low effort group participants toward selecting high effort trials. Our findings highlight the role of individual differences in cognitive effort ability in explaining cognitive effort deployment choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon J Forys
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Catharine A Winstanley
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Alan Kingstone
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Rebecca M Todd
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Isıklı S, Bektaş AB, Tamer Ş, Atabay M, Arkalı BD, Bağcı B, Bayrakcı A, Sebold M, Zorlu N. Effort-cost decision-making associated with negative symptoms in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Behav Brain Res 2024; 467:114996. [PMID: 38609021 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114996] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Motivational deficits and reduced goal-directed behavior for external rewards have long been considered an important features of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). Negative symptoms have also a high prevalence in bipolar disorder (BP). We used a transdiagnostic approach in order to examine association between negative symptoms and effort allocation for monetary rewards. 41 patients with SCZ and 34 patients with BP were enrolled in the study along with 41 healthy controls (HC). Effort-Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT) was used to measure subjects' effort allocation for monetary rewards. Generalized estimating equation models were used to analyze EEfRT choice behavior. Negative symptoms were assessed using the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS). SCZ and BP groups expended lower effort to obtain a monetary rewards compared to HC. Severity of negative symptoms was negatively correlated with EEfRT performance in both diagnostic groups. Each diagnostic group showed lower effort allocation for monetary rewards compared to HC suggesting reduced motivation for monetary rewards. In addition, our results suggest that abnormal effort-based decision-making might be a transdiagnostic factor underlying negative symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serhan Isıklı
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Aslıhan Bilge Bektaş
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Şule Tamer
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Murat Atabay
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Bilgesu Deniz Arkalı
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Başak Bağcı
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Adem Bayrakcı
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Miriam Sebold
- Department of Business and Law, Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences, Aschaffenburg, Germany
| | - Nabi Zorlu
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
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7
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Qiu Y, Dou H, Wang J, Zhang H, Zhang S, Shen D, Li H, Lei Y. Reduced generalization of reward among individuals with subthreshold depression: Behavioral and EEG evidence. Int J Psychophysiol 2024; 200:112339. [PMID: 38554769 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112339] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Altered stimulus generalization has been well-documented in anxiety disorders; however, there is a paucity of research investigating this phenomenon in the context of depression. Depression is characterized by impaired reward processing and heightened attention to negative stimuli. It is hypothesized that individuals with depression exhibit reduced generalization of reward stimuli and enhanced generalization of loss stimuli. Nevertheless, no study has examined this process and its underlying neural mechanisms. In the present study, we recruited 25 participants with subthreshold depression (SD group) and 24 age-matched healthy controls (HC group). Participants completed an acquisition task, in which they learned to associate three distinct pure tones (conditioned stimuli, CSs) with a reward, a loss, or no outcome. Subsequently, a generalization session was conducted, during which similar tones (generalization stimuli, GSs) were presented, and participants were required to classify them as a reward tone, a loss tone, or neither. The results revealed that the SD group exhibited reduced generalization errors in the early phase of generalization, suggesting a diminished ability to generalize reward-related stimuli. The event-related potential (ERP) results indicated that the SD group exhibited decreased generalization of positive valence to reward-related GSs and heightened generalization of negative valence to loss-related GSs, as reflected by the N1 and P2 components. However, the late positive potential (LPP) was not modulated by depression in reward generalization or loss generalization. These findings suggested that individuals with subthreshold depression may have a blunted or reduced ability to generalize reward stimuli, shedding light on potential treatment strategies targeting this particular process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Qiu
- College of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Center for Neurogenetics, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Haoran Dou
- Institution for Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China; Center for Neurogenetics, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Jinxia Wang
- Institution for Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China; Center for Neurogenetics, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518057, China; Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland
| | - Huoyin Zhang
- College of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Center for Neurogenetics, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Shiyunmeng Zhang
- College of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Center for Neurogenetics, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Die Shen
- College of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Center for Neurogenetics, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Hong Li
- College of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Center for studies of Psychological Applications Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Educational Science, Ministry of Education School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; Center for Neurogenetics, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518057, China.
| | - Yi Lei
- Institution for Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China; Center for Neurogenetics, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518057, China.
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Heise M, Bruijniks SJE, Renner F. Web-Based Imagery Behavioral Activation (WIMBA): Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Testing the Effects, Acceptability, and Feasibility of a Mental Imagery Activity Scheduling Training Delivered Online. CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY IN EUROPE 2024; 6:e12133. [PMID: 39119051 PMCID: PMC11303920 DOI: 10.32872/cpe.12133] [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] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Behavioral activation (BA) is an effective and efficacious treatment for depression. Activity scheduling is the central treatment component of BA and involves planning of potentially enjoyable and rewarding activities. Evidence from non-clinical studies suggests that mental imagery simulations of planned activities can increase motivation and anticipated pleasure for these activities. Method We describe a randomized controlled trial testing a mental imagery activity scheduling training delivered online in four weekly sessions (total training duration approximately 90 minutes) in a sample meeting diagnostic criteria of a major depressive episode, as indicated by the Diagnostic Short-Interview for Mental Disorders (Mini-DIPS), and not currently receiving treatment. Participants (N = 140) will be randomized to either mental imagery activity scheduling or a wait-list control condition. Depressive symptoms (BDI-II) and behavioral activation (BADS) are the primary outcomes; BDI-II will be measured at Session 1, Session 4, and at two-week follow-up, BADS at Sessions 1-4 and at two-week follow-up. Discussion It is discussed how the expected results may reflect mechanisms and effects of a mental imagery activity scheduling training delivered online in a sample of individuals with depression. Concluding we outline next steps for future research and highlight the potential of this novel treatment for dissemination in the wider community and integration into routine care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Heise
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Unit, Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sanne J. E. Bruijniks
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Unit, Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Fritz Renner
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Unit, Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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9
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Laino Chiavegatti G, Floresco SB. Acute stress differentially alters reward-related decision making and inhibitory control under threat of punishment. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 30:100633. [PMID: 38623397 PMCID: PMC11016806 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100633] [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: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute stress has various effects on cognition, executive function and certain forms of cost/benefit decision making. Recent studies in rodents indicate that acute stress differentially alters reward-related decisions involving particular types of costs and slows choice latencies. Yet, how stress alters decisions where rewards are linked to punishment is less clear. We examined how 1 h restraint stress, followed by behavioral testing 10 min later altered action-selection on two tasks involving reward-seeking under threat of punishment in well-trained male and female rats. One study used a risky decision-making task involving choice between a small/safe reward and a large/risky one that could coincide with shock, delivered with a probability that increased over blocks of trials. Stress increased risk aversion and punishment sensitivity, reducing preference for the larger/risky reward, while increasing decision latencies and trial omissions in both sexes, when rats were teste. A second study used a "behavioral control" task, requiring inhibition of approach towards a readily available reward associated with punishment. Here, food pellets were delivered over discrete trials, half of which coincided with a 12 s audiovisual cue, signalling that reward retrieval prior to cue termination would deliver shock. Stress exerted sex- and timing-dependent effects on inhibitory control. Males became more impulsive and received more shocks on the stress test, whereas females were unaffected on the stress test, and were actually less impulsive when tested 24 h later. None of the effects of restraint stress were recapitulated by systemic treatment with physiological doses of corticosterone. These findings suggest acute stress induces qualitatively distinct and sometimes sex-dependent effects on punished reward-seeking that are critically dependent on whether animals must either choose between different actions or withhold them to obtain rewards and avoid punishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Laino Chiavegatti
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stan B. Floresco
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Canada
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10
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Nusslock R, Alloy LB, Brody GH, Miller GE. Annual Research Review: Neuroimmune network model of depression: a developmental perspective. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 65:538-567. [PMID: 38426610 PMCID: PMC11090270 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13961] [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] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Depression is a serious public health problem, and adolescence is an 'age of risk' for the onset of Major Depressive Disorder. Recently, we and others have proposed neuroimmune network models that highlight bidirectional communication between the brain and the immune system in both mental and physical health, including depression. These models draw on research indicating that the cellular actors (particularly monocytes) and signaling molecules (particularly cytokines) that orchestrate inflammation in the periphery can directly modulate the structure and function of the brain. In the brain, inflammatory activity heightens sensitivity to threats in the cortico-amygdala circuit, lowers sensitivity to rewards in the cortico-striatal circuit, and alters executive control and emotion regulation in the prefrontal cortex. When dysregulated, and particularly under conditions of chronic stress, inflammation can generate feelings of dysphoria, distress, and anhedonia. This is proposed to initiate unhealthy, self-medicating behaviors (e.g. substance use, poor diet) to manage the dysphoria, which further heighten inflammation. Over time, dysregulation in these brain circuits and the inflammatory response may compound each other to form a positive feedback loop, whereby dysregulation in one organ system exacerbates the other. We and others suggest that this neuroimmune dysregulation is a dynamic joint vulnerability for depression, particularly during adolescence. We have three goals for the present paper. First, we extend neuroimmune network models of mental and physical health to generate a developmental framework of risk for the onset of depression during adolescence. Second, we examine how a neuroimmune network perspective can help explain the high rates of comorbidity between depression and other psychiatric disorders across development, and multimorbidity between depression and stress-related medical illnesses. Finally, we consider how identifying neuroimmune pathways to depression can facilitate a 'next generation' of behavioral and biological interventions that target neuroimmune signaling to treat, and ideally prevent, depression in youth and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA
| | - Lauren B. Alloy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. USA
| | - Gene H. Brody
- Center for Family Research, University of Georgia, Athens GA, USA
| | - Gregory E. Miller
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA
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11
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Zheng R, Bu C, Chen Y, Wei Y, Zhou B, Jiang Y, Zhu C, Wang K, Wang C, Li S, Han S, Zhang Y, Cheng J. Decreased intrinsic neural timescale in treatment-naïve adolescent depression. J Affect Disord 2024; 348:389-397. [PMID: 38160888 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.12.048] [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: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is mainly characterized by its core dysfunction in higher-order brain cortices involved in emotional and cognitive processes, whose neurobiological basis remains unclear. In this study, we applied a relatively new developed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) method of intrinsic neural timescale (INT), which reflects how long neural information is stored in a local brain area and reflects an ability of information integration, to investigate the local intrinsic neural dynamics using univariate and multivariate analyses in adolescent depression. METHOD Based on the rs-fMRI data of sixty-six treatment-naïve adolescents with MDD and fifty-two well-matched healthy controls (HCs), we calculated an INT by assessing the magnitude of autocorrelation of the resting-state brain activity, and then compared the difference of INT between the two groups. Correlation between abnormal INT and clinical features was performed. We also utilized multivariate pattern analysis to determine whether INT could differentiate MDD patients from HCs at the individual level. RESULT Compared with HCs, patients with MDD showed shorter INT widely distributed in cortical and partial subcortical regions. Interestingly, the decreased INT in the left hippocampus was related to disease severity of MDD. Furthermore, INT can distinguish MDD patients from HCs with the most discriminative regions located in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, angular, middle occipital gyrus, and cerebellar posterior lobe. CONCLUSION Our research aids in advancing understanding the brain abnormalities of treatment-naïve adolescents with MDD from the perspective of the local neural dynamics, highlighting the significant role of INT in understanding neurophysiological mechanisms. This study shows that the altered intrinsic timescales of local neural signals widely distributed in higher-order brain cortices regions may be the neurodynamic basis of cognitive and emotional disturbances in MDD patients, and provides preliminary support for the suggestion that these could be used to aid the identification of MDD patients in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiping Zheng
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, PR China
| | - Chunxiao Bu
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, PR China
| | - Yuan Chen
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, PR China
| | - Yarui Wei
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, PR China
| | - Bingqian Zhou
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, PR China
| | - Yu Jiang
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, PR China
| | - Chendi Zhu
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, PR China
| | - Kefan Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, PR China
| | - Caihong Wang
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, PR China
| | - Shuying Li
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, PR China
| | - Shaoqiang Han
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, PR China.
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, PR China.
| | - Jingliang Cheng
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, PR China.
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12
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Ramer NE, Perhamus GR, Colder CR. Reinforcement sensitivity theory and externalizing problems across early adolescence: Testing within-person reciprocal associations. Dev Psychol 2024; 60:545-559. [PMID: 38190217 PMCID: PMC10922213 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001689] [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: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Temperament and externalizing problems are closely linked, but research on how they codevelop across adolescence remains sparse and equivocal. Reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) provides a useful framework for understanding temperament and externalizing problems associations. During adolescence, oppositional problems are posited to be linked to an overactive behavioral approach system (BAS) while conduct problems are linked to an underactive behavioral inhibition system (BIS). However, this research mostly uses adult samples and cross-sectional designs and tests only between-person associations. Moreover, most studies typically test only one direction of effects (i.e., temperament predicts externalizing problems) and do not consider alternative models of associations, such as reciprocal associations. To address these limitations, we use three annual waves of a longitudinal, community-based sample of 387 early adolescents (mean Wave 1 age = 11.61 years, 55% female, 83% non-Hispanic White) to test reciprocal associations between BIS and BAS and oppositional and conduct problems. Latent curve models with structured residuals are used to test hypotheses and disaggregate between- and within-person associations. Evidence supports within-person reciprocal associations between BAS and oppositional problems and between BIS and combined conduct and oppositional problems. Results potentially inform developmental theories of temperament and externalizing problems linkages and interventions with adolescents who are engaging in oppositional problems and more severe conduct problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nolan E. Ramer
- Department of Psychology, Park Hall Room 204. University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425
| | - Gretchen R. Perhamus
- Department of Psychology, Park Hall Room 204. University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260
| | - Craig R. Colder
- Department of Psychology, Park Hall Room 204. University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260
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13
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Li X, Yu J, Jiang S, Fang L, Li Y, Ma S, Kong H, Qin X, Zhu D. Circadian rhythms of melatonin and its relationship with anhedonia in patients with mood disorders: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:165. [PMID: 38413912 PMCID: PMC10900661 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05606-5] [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: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mood disorders are strongly associated with melatonin disturbances. However, it is unclear whether there is a difference in melatonin concentrations and melatonin circadian rhythm profiles between depression and bipolar disorder. In addition, the relationship between anhedonia, a common symptom of affective disorders, and its melatonin circadian rhythm remains under-investigated. METHODS Thirty-four patients with depression disorder, 20 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder and 21 healthy controls participated in this study. The Revised Physical Anhedonia Scale (RPAS) was performed to assess anhedonia. Saliva samples were collected from all subjects at fixed time points (a total of 14 points) in two consecutive days for measuring the melatonin concentrations to fit circadian rhythms of subjects. Melatonin circadian rhythms were compared between the three groups using ANOVA. Partial correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were used to explore the correlation between melatonin rhythm variables and anhedonia. RESULTS We found that the peak phase of melatonin in the depression group was significantly advanced compared to the control group (P < 0.001) and the bipolar disorder group (P = 0.004). The peak phase of melatonin and RPAS showed a negative correlation (P = 0.003) in depression patients, which was also demonstrated in the multiple linear regression model (B=-2.47, P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that circadian rhythms of melatonin are differentiated in depression and bipolar disorder and correlate with anhedonia in depression. Future research needs to explore the neurobiological mechanisms linking anhedonia and melatonin circadian rhythms in depressed patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Li
- The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Hefei, China
- Department of Sleep Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, 230022, Hefei, China
- Department of Sleep Disorders, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, 230022, Hefei, China
| | - Jiakuai Yu
- Department of Sleep Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, 230022, Hefei, China
- Department of Sleep Disorders, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, 230022, Hefei, China
| | - Shuo Jiang
- Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, 230039, Hefei, China
| | - Liang Fang
- Department of Sleep Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, 230022, Hefei, China
- Department of Sleep Disorders, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, 230022, Hefei, China
| | - Yifei Li
- The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Hefei, China
- Department of Sleep Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, 230022, Hefei, China
- Department of Sleep Disorders, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, 230022, Hefei, China
| | - Shuangshuang Ma
- School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Hefei, China
| | - Hui Kong
- The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Hefei, China
- Department of Sleep Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, 230022, Hefei, China
- Department of Sleep Disorders, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, 230022, Hefei, China
| | - Ximing Qin
- Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, 230039, Hefei, China.
| | - Daomin Zhu
- The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Hefei, China.
- Department of Sleep Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, 230022, Hefei, China.
- Department of Sleep Disorders, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, 230022, Hefei, China.
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14
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Wolpe N, Holton R, Fletcher PC. What Is Mental Effort: A Clinical Perspective. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)00065-9. [PMID: 38309319 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Although mental effort is a frequently used term, it is poorly defined and understood. Consequently, its usage is frequently loose and potentially misleading. In neuroscience research, the term is used to mean both the cognitive work that is done to meet task demands and the subjective experience of performing that work. We argue that conflating these two meanings hampers progress in understanding cognitive impairments in neuropsychiatric conditions because cognitive work and the subjective experience of it have distinct underlying mechanisms. We suggest that the most coherent and clinically useful perspective on mental effort is that it is a subjective experience. This makes a clear distinction between cognitive impairments that arise from changes in the cognitive apparatus, as in dementia and brain injury, and those that arise from subjective difficulties in carrying out the cognitive work, as in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, and other motivational disorders. We review recent advances in neuroscience research that suggests that the experience of effort has emerged to control task switches so as to minimize costs relative to benefits. We consider how these advances can contribute to our understanding of the experience of increased effort perception in clinical populations. This more specific framing of mental effort will offer a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of cognitive impairments in differing clinical groups and will ultimately facilitate better therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noham Wolpe
- Department of Physical Therapy, The Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Richard Holton
- Faculty of Philosophy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Paul C Fletcher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Elizabeth House, Fulbourn, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Wellcome Trust Medical Research Council Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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15
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Potsch L, Rief W. Effectiveness of behavioral activation and mindfulness in increasing reward sensitivity and reducing depressive symptoms - A randomized controlled trial. Behav Res Ther 2024; 173:104455. [PMID: 38128402 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104455] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Reward insensitivity is a potential key mechanism regarding the maintenance of depression. However, there is a lack of research examining and comparing the effectiveness of different psychological interventions in modifying reward insensitivity. This four-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigated a two-week online intervention. After screening for eligibility, a total of 336 participants were randomized, and 224 participated per-protocol. Participants were assigned to either a) behavioral activation, b) mindfulness and gratitude, c) a combination of both, or d) a waitlist control condition. They received videos and implemented daily exercises. Reward sensitivity and depressive symptoms served as primary outcomes. Behavioral activation and mindfulness significantly improved depressive symptoms and reward sensitivity. However, the effects of behavioral activation were not superior. The combination treatment versus the waiting group was insignificant regarding reward insensitivity. Explorative analyses revealed that all intervention groups reduced anhedonia substantially. Our findings imply that brief online interventions with behavioral activation and mindfulness-based approaches can impact reward insensitivity, while effects for a combination were less clear. Nonetheless, our results do not allow us to infer the differential effectiveness of the interventions. There is a clear need for treatments better targeting maintaining factors of depression, such as reward insensitivity. Clinical trial registration number: NCT05402150.
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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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16
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Kaiser RH, Moser AD, Neilson C, Jones J, Peterson EC, Ruzic L, Rosenberg BM, Hough CM, Sandman C, Schneck CD, Miklowitz DJ. Neurocognitive risk phenotyping to predict mood symptoms in adolescence. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND CLINICAL SCIENCE 2024; 133:90-102. [PMID: 38059934 PMCID: PMC10752243 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Predicting mood disorders in adolescence is a challenge that motivates research to identify neurocognitive predictors of symptom expression and clinical profiles. This study used machine learning to test whether neurocognitive variables predicted future manic or anhedonic symptoms in two adolescent samples risk-enriched for lifetime mood disorders (Sample 1, n = 73, ages = 13-25, M [SD] = 19.22 [2.49] years, 68% lifetime mood disorder) or familial mood disorders (Sample 2, n = 154, ages = 13-21, M [SD] = 16.46 [1.95] years, 62% first-degree family history of mood disorder). Participants completed cognitive testing and functional magnetic resonance imaging at baseline, for behavioral and neural measures of reward processing and executive functioning. Next, participants completed a daily diary procedure for 8-16 weeks. Penalized mixed-effects models identified neurocognitive predictors of future mood symptoms and stress-reactive changes in mood symptoms. Results included the following. In both samples, adolescents showing ventral corticostriatal reward hyposensitivity and lower reward performance reported more severe stress-reactive anhedonia. Poorer executive functioning behavior was associated with heightened anhedonia overall in Sample 1, but lower stress-reactive anhedonia in both samples. In Sample 1, adolescents showing ventral corticostriatal reward hypersensitivity and poorer executive functioning reported more severe stress-reactive manic symptoms. Clustering analyses identified, and replicated, five neurocognitive subgroups. Adolescents characterized by neural or behavioral reward hyposensitivities together with average-to-poor executive functioning reported unipolar symptom profiles. Adolescents showing neural reward hypersensitivity together with poor behavioral executive functioning reported a bipolar symptom profile (Sample 1 only). Together, neurocognitive phenotypes may hold value for predicting symptom expression and profiles of mood pathology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Roselinde H Kaiser
- Research on Affective Disorders and Development (RADD) Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Amelia D Moser
- Research on Affective Disorders and Development (RADD) Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Chiara Neilson
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Jenna Jones
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Elena C Peterson
- Research on Affective Disorders and Development (RADD) Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Luke Ruzic
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
| | | | | | | | | | - David J Miklowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
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17
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Duttweiler H, Granros M, Sheena M, Burkhouse KL. Neural reward responsiveness and daily positive affect functioning in adolescent girls. Int J Psychophysiol 2024; 195:112278. [PMID: 38065410 PMCID: PMC10863647 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2023.112278] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/31/2023]
Abstract
Deficits in reward processing have been implicated in the development of many forms of psychopathology, especially major depressive disorder (MDD). One facet of reward processing, known as reward responsivity, has been associated with the development and maintenance of depression across development. The reward positivity (RewP) is an event-related potential derived from electroencephalogram (EEG), which is thought to reflect reward responsivity. An attenuated RewP has been observed in both currently depressed individuals and youth at risk for depression, suggesting it may represent a biomarker of depression. Despite this, little is known about how the RewP translates to behavior and affect in the real world. In the current study, we examined how the RewP relates to real world emotional functioning, measured using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Thirty-eight female adolescents (ages 11-16, Mage = 13.9 years) participated in the study; approximately half of the sample were considered high risk due to maternal lifetime history of MDD. Adolescents completed a monetary reward task while EEG was recorded, followed by a 10-day period of EMA assessing daily affect and emotion regulation strategy use following positive events. Results revealed that the RewP was positively associated with subjective reports of positive, but not negative, daily affect. Results also revealed that the RewP was positively associated with focusing on positive feelings following a positive event (e.g., savoring). Findings from this preliminary study highlight how neural responses to reward in the lab relate to daily life emotional functioning, supporting the RewP as an ecologically valid marker of positive affect functioning among youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Duttweiler
- The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, United States of America
| | - Maria Granros
- University of Illinois Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, United States of America
| | - Michelle Sheena
- University of Illinois Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, United States of America
| | - Katie L Burkhouse
- The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, United States of America; The Ohio State University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, United States of America.
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18
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Cheng Z, Moser AD, Jones M, Kaiser RH. Reinforcement learning and working memory in mood disorders: A computational analysis in a developmental transdiagnostic sample. J Affect Disord 2024; 344:423-431. [PMID: 37839471 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.10.084] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mood disorders commonly onset during adolescence and young adulthood and are conceptually and empirically related to reinforcement learning abnormalities. However, the nature of abnormalities associated with acute symptom severity versus lifetime diagnosis remains unclear, and prior research has often failed to disentangle working memory from reward processes. METHODS The present sample (N = 220) included adolescents and young adults with a lifetime history of unipolar disorders (n = 127), bipolar disorders (n = 28), or no history of psychopathology (n = 62), and varying severity of mood symptoms. Analyses fitted a reinforcement learning and working memory model to an instrumental learning task that varied working memory load, and tested associations between model parameters and diagnoses or current symptoms. RESULTS Current severity of manic or anhedonic symptoms negatively correlated with task performance. Participants reporting higher severity of current anhedonia, or with lifetime unipolar or bipolar disorders, showed lower reward learning rates. Participants reporting higher severity of current manic symptoms showed faster working memory decay and reduced use of working memory. LIMITATIONS Computational parameters should be interpreted in the task environment (a deterministic reward learning paradigm), and developmental population. Future work should test replication in other paradigms and populations. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate abnormalities in reinforcement learning processes that either scale with current symptom severity, or correspond with lifetime mood diagnoses. Findings may have implications for understanding reward processing anomalies related to state-like (current symptom) or trait-like (lifetime diagnosis) aspects of mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwei Cheng
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States; Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Amelia D Moser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States; Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Matt Jones
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Roselinde H Kaiser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States; Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States.
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19
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Walsh RFL, Klugman J, Moriarity DP, Titone MK, Ng TH, Goel N, Alloy LB. Reward sensitivity and social rhythms during goal-striving: An ecological momentary assessment investigation of bipolar spectrum disorders. J Affect Disord 2024; 344:510-518. [PMID: 37852584 PMCID: PMC10842638 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.10.114] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The reward/circadian rhythm model of bipolar spectrum disorders (BSDs) posits that when individuals with hypersensitive reward systems encounter reward-relevant events, they experience social and circadian rhythm disruption, leading to mood symptoms. The aim of the current study is to test an element of this theoretical model by investigating changes in social rhythms during and after an ecologically-valid reward-relevant event and evaluating whether the strength of these associations differ by trait reward sensitivity and BSD diagnostic group. METHODS Young adults from three groups (low BSD risk with moderate reward sensitivity [MRew], high BSD risk with high reward sensitivity [HRew], and high reward sensitivity with BSD [HRew+BSD]) completed a reward responsiveness task and 20-day ecological momentary assessment study structured around a participant-specific goal occurring on day 15. Social rhythm disruption (SRD) and social rhythm regularity (SRR) were assessed daily. Multilevel models examined whether reward sensitivity and group moderated associations between study phase (baseline [days 1-5], goal-striving [days 16-20], or outcome [days 16-20]) and social rhythms. RESULTS Participants experienced greater SRD after the goal-striving event during the outcome phase, compared to the baseline phase. The HRew+BSD group had significant decreases in SRR during the outcome phase, and this pattern differed significantly from the low-risk and high-risk groups. Greater task reward responsiveness also was associated with significant decreases in SRR during the outcome phase. LIMITATIONS This study did not test whether social rhythm irregularity was associated with subsequent mood change. CONCLUSIONS Participants exhibited social rhythm changes over the course of this ecologically valid goal-striving period, providing evidence for the interplay between reward-activating events and social rhythms. The HRew+BSD group showed a distinct pattern in which their social rhythms were more irregular after completing reward-relevant goal-striving that was not observed for the low-BSD risk or high-BSD risk groups. These findings provide additional support for Interpersonal and Social Rhythms Therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel F L Walsh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Joshua Klugman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, United States of America; Department of Sociology, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Daniel P Moriarity
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Madison K Titone
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, United States of America; University of California San Diego, United States of America
| | - Tommy H Ng
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine College, United States of America
| | - Namni Goel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, United States of America
| | - Lauren B Alloy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, United States of America.
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20
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Schneider RL, Arch JJ. Values- versus monetary reward-enhanced exposure therapy for the treatment of social anxiety in emerging adulthood. J Anxiety Disord 2023; 100:102788. [PMID: 37866085 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102788] [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: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Exposure therapy represents the gold-standard treatment for social anxiety, yet evidence indicates the need for improvement. One promising avenue involves linking exposures to a motivator. The current study examined the impact of intrinsically-rewarding, personal values-enhanced versus extrinsically-rewarding, monetary-enhanced exposure on short-term social anxiety fear and avoidance outcomes, and evaluated impacted initial treatment motivation and exposure generalization. METHODS Sixty emerging adults ages 17-26 with significantly elevated social and public speaking anxiety were randomized to receive values-enhanced exposure, monetary reward-enhanced exposure, or exposure alone. They completed a laboratory session with a brief intervention and speech exposure, one-week follow-up with novel exposure, and online follow-up two weeks later. Subjective and behavioral anxiety measures were collected. RESULTS Linking exposures to values decreased self-reported anxiety following the speech exposure retest, which generalized to anticipatory anxiety prior to a novel speech task. Linking exposures to money temporarily increased speech length, but this difference did not remain during the novel task. Conditions showed similar improvements on other outcomes. CONCLUSION Extrinsic motivators can temporarily motivate exposure engagement, whereas a brief values intervention can enhance exposure learning and decrease subjective anxiety across feared situations compared to monetary enhancement. If replicated, this has pragmatic implications for exposure framing within social anxiety treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Schneider
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80302, USA.
| | - Joanna J Arch
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
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21
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Mellick WH, Tolliver BK, Brenner HM, Anton RF, Prisciandaro JJ. Alcohol Cue Processing in Co-Occurring Bipolar Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder. JAMA Psychiatry 2023; 80:1150-1159. [PMID: 37556131 PMCID: PMC10413222 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.2726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Importance Reward circuitry dysfunction is a candidate mechanism of co-occurring bipolar disorder and alcohol use disorder (BD + AUD) that remains understudied. This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research represents the first evaluation of alcohol cue reward processing in BD + AUD. Objective To determine how alcohol cue processing in individuals with BD + AUD may be distinct from that of individuals with AUD or BD alone. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional case-control study (April 2013-June 2018) followed a 2 × 2 factorial design and included individuals with BD + AUD, AUD alone, BD alone, and healthy controls. A well-validated visual alcohol cue reactivity fMRI paradigm was administered to eligible participants following their demonstration of 1 week or more of abstinence from alcohol and drugs assessed via serial biomarker testing. Study procedures were completed at the Medical University of South Carolina. Analysis took place between June and August 2022. Main Outcomes and Measures Past-week mood symptoms were rated by clinicians using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale and Young Mania Rating Scale. The Alcohol Dependence Scale, Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale were included questionnaires. Functional MRI whole-brain data were analyzed along with percent signal change within a priori regions of interest located in the ventral striatum, dorsal striatum, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Exploratory analyses of associations between cue reactivity and select behavioral correlates (alcohol craving, impulsivity, maximum number of alcohol drinks on a single occasion, and days since last alcohol drink) were also performed. Results Of 112 participants, 28 (25.0%) had BD + AUD, 26 (23.2%) had AUD alone, 31 (27.7%) had BD alone, and 27 (24.1%) were healthy controls. The mean (SD) age was 38.7 (11.6) years, 50 (45.5%) were female, 33 (30%) were smokers, and 37 (34.9%) reported recent alcohol consumption. Whole-brain analyses revealed a BD × AUD interaction (F = 10.64; P = .001; η2 = 0.09) within a cluster spanning portions of the right inferior frontal gyrus and insula. Region of interest analyses revealed a main association of BD (F = 8.02; P = .006; η2 = 0.07) within the dorsal striatum. In each instance, individuals with BD + AUD exhibited reduced activation compared with all other groups who did not significantly differ from one another. These hypoactivations were associated with increased impulsivity and obsessive-compulsive alcohol craving exclusively among individuals with BD + AUD. Conclusion and Relevance The findings of this study suggest conceptualizing reward dysfunction in BD + AUD by the potential interaction between blunted reward responsivity and deficient inhibitory control may help guide treatment development strategies. To this end, reduced right inferior frontal gyrus and insula alcohol cue reactivity represents a novel candidate biomarker of BD + AUD that may respond to pharmacological interventions targeting impulsivity-related neural mechanisms for improved executive control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bryan K. Tolliver
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
| | - Helena M. Brenner
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
| | - Raymond F. Anton
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
| | - James J. Prisciandaro
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
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22
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Zaff O, Wyngaarden JB, Dennison JB, Sazhin D, Chein J, McCloskey M, Alloy LB, Jarcho JM, Smith DV, Fareri DS. Social Context and Reward Sensitivity Enhance Corticostriatal Function during Experiences of Shared Rewards. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.19.562908. [PMID: 37905048 PMCID: PMC10614966 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.19.562908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Although prior research has demonstrated enhanced striatal response when sharing rewards with close social connections, less is known about how individual differences affect ventral striatal (VS) activation and connectivity when experiencing rewards within social contexts. Given that self-reported reward sensitivity and level of substance use have been associated with differences in VS activation, we set out to investigate whether these factors would be independently associated with enhancements to neural reward responses within social contexts. In this pre-registered study, participants (N=45) underwent fMRI while playing a card guessing game in which correct or incorrect guesses resulted in monetary gains and losses that were shared evenly with either a close friend, stranger (confederate), or non-human partner. Consistent with our prior work, we found increased VS activation when sharing rewards with a socially close peer as opposed to an out-of-network stranger. As self-reported reward sensitivity increased, the difference in VS response to rewards shared with friends and strangers decreased. We also found enhanced connectivity between the VS and temporoparietal junction when sharing rewards with close friends as opposed to strangers. Finally, exploratory analyses revealed that as reward sensitivity and sub-clinical substance use increase, the difference in VS connectivity with the right fusiform face area increases as a function of social context. These findings demonstrate that responsivity to the context of close friends may be tied to individual reward sensitivity or sub-clinical substance use habits; together these factors may inform predictions of risk for future mental health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ori Zaff
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - James B. Wyngaarden
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jeffrey B. Dennison
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel Sazhin
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jason Chein
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael McCloskey
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lauren B. Alloy
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Johanna M. Jarcho
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David V. Smith
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dominic S. Fareri
- Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, USA
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Zhu JH, Li SF, Wang P, Xin X, Zhao Q, Chen SC, Wang X. Correlation and pathways of behavioral activation systems mediating physical activity level and depressive symptoms among college students. World J Psychiatry 2023; 13:784-792. [PMID: 38058692 PMCID: PMC10696292 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v13.i10.784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is a common mental disorder among college students. The main symptoms include being persistent low mood, sad emotional experiences, lack of pleasure, listlessness, and impaired cognitive function accompanied by tendencies of self-harm and suicide. AIM To clarify the pathways and effects of the behavioral activation system between physical activity and depressive symptoms in college students with depressive symptoms. METHODS This cross-sectional research screened 3047 college students. Of these, 472 had depressive symptoms, with a depression detection rate of 15.49%. Furthermore, 442 college students with depressive symptoms were analyzed. A one-way analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation, linear regression, and structural equation modeling analyses were used to explore the correlations and pathways of the interactions between the variables. RESULTS Depressive symptoms were significantly negatively correlated with physical activity (r = -0.175, P < 0.001), the behavioral activation system (r = -0.197, P < 0.001), and drive (r = -0.113, P = 0.017). Furthermore, it was negatively correlated with fun-seeking (FS) (r = -0.055, P = 0.251); however, it was not significant. Physical activity was significantly positively correlated with reward responsiveness (RR) (r = 0.141, P = 0.003) and drive (r = 0.124, P = 0.009) and not significantly positively correlated with FS (r = 0.090, P = 0.058). The mediating effect of RR between physical activity and depressive symptoms was significant [B = -0.025, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): -0.051 to -0.008, P = 0.001]. The direct and total effects of physical activity on depressive symptoms and were significant (B = -0.150, 95%CI: -0.233 to -0.073, P < 0.001; B = -0.175, 95%CI: -0.260 to -0.099, P < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION As physical activity levels increased, depression scores among college students decreased. The mediating effect of RR between physical activity and depressive symptoms was significant. Therefore, colleges and universities should encourage college students with depression to increase their physical activity and improve their behavioral activation system. Particular attention should be paid to RR, which may reduce the prevalence of depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang-Hua Zhu
- Department of Physical Education, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Shu-Fan Li
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Peng Wang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xin Xin
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Qun Zhao
- Department of Physical Education, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Si-Cheng Chen
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xing Wang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
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Bowyer CB, Brush C, Patrick CJ, Hajcak G. Effort and Appetitive Responding in Depression: Examining Deficits in Motivational and Consummatory Stages of Reward Processing Using the Effort-Doors Task. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:1073-1082. [PMID: 37881575 PMCID: PMC10593868 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.08.002] [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: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Reward sensitivity is a dimensional construct central to understanding the nature of depression. Psychophysiological research on this construct has primarily focused on the reward positivity, an event-related potential (ERP) that indexes consummatory reward sensitivity. This study extended prior research by focusing on ERPs that index the motivational component of reward. Methods A novel effort-for-reward task was used to elicit motivational and consummatory ERPs. Groups consisting of 34 participants with depression and 32 participants without depression were compared across a range of reward-related ERPs. Results Participants with depression exhibited reduced responsivity to effort completion cues following high effort expenditure, reduced anticipation of rewards after low effort expenditure (i.e., the stimulus preceding negativity), and reduced reward positivity following high effort expenditure. ERPs occurring prior to reward receipt accounted for unique variance in depression status and differentiated between subgroups of depressed individuals. Conclusions Findings support the utility of leveraging multiple ERPs that index separate reward processing deficits to better characterize depression and depressive subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - C.J. Brush
- Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
| | | | - Greg Hajcak
- Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
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Nicoloro-SantaBarbara J, Majd M, Miskowiak K, Burns K, Goldstein BI, Burdick KE. Cognition in Bipolar Disorder: An Update for Clinicians. FOCUS (AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC PUBLISHING) 2023; 21:363-369. [PMID: 38695003 PMCID: PMC11058946 DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.20230012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Bipolar disorder is associated with cognitive deficits, which persist across mood states and affect functional outcomes. This article provides an overview of recent progress in measuring cognition in bipolar disorder and its implications for both research and clinical practice. The authors summarize work conducted over the past decade that has helped guide researchers and clinicians in the appropriate measurement of cognitive functioning in bipolar disorder, the design of research studies targeting this domain for treatment, and the implementation of screening and psychoeducational tools in the clinic. Much of this work was conducted by the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Targeting Cognition Task Force. Here, the authors also highlight the need for clinicians to be informed about this aspect of illness and to be equipped with the necessary information to assess, track, and intervene on cognitive problems when appropriate. Finally, the article identifies gaps in the literature and suggests potential future directions for research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Nicoloro-SantaBarbara
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston (Nicoloro-SantaBarbara, Majd, Burns, Burdick); Harvard Medical School, Boston (Nicoloro-SantaBarbara, Majd, Burdick); Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, and Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen (Miskowiak); Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto (Goldstein); and Department of Psychiatry and Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto (Goldstein)
| | - Marzieh Majd
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston (Nicoloro-SantaBarbara, Majd, Burns, Burdick); Harvard Medical School, Boston (Nicoloro-SantaBarbara, Majd, Burdick); Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, and Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen (Miskowiak); Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto (Goldstein); and Department of Psychiatry and Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto (Goldstein)
| | - Kamilla Miskowiak
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston (Nicoloro-SantaBarbara, Majd, Burns, Burdick); Harvard Medical School, Boston (Nicoloro-SantaBarbara, Majd, Burdick); Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, and Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen (Miskowiak); Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto (Goldstein); and Department of Psychiatry and Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto (Goldstein)
| | - Katharine Burns
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston (Nicoloro-SantaBarbara, Majd, Burns, Burdick); Harvard Medical School, Boston (Nicoloro-SantaBarbara, Majd, Burdick); Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, and Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen (Miskowiak); Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto (Goldstein); and Department of Psychiatry and Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto (Goldstein)
| | - Benjamin I Goldstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston (Nicoloro-SantaBarbara, Majd, Burns, Burdick); Harvard Medical School, Boston (Nicoloro-SantaBarbara, Majd, Burdick); Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, and Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen (Miskowiak); Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto (Goldstein); and Department of Psychiatry and Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto (Goldstein)
| | - Katherine E Burdick
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston (Nicoloro-SantaBarbara, Majd, Burns, Burdick); Harvard Medical School, Boston (Nicoloro-SantaBarbara, Majd, Burdick); Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, and Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen (Miskowiak); Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto (Goldstein); and Department of Psychiatry and Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto (Goldstein)
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Dalloul N, Moran EK, Gold JM, Carter CS, MacDonald AW, Ragland JD, Silverstein SM, Luck SJ, Barch DM. Transdiagnostic Predictors of Everyday Functioning: Examining the Relationships of Depression and Reinforcement Learning. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:1281-1293. [PMID: 37382553 PMCID: PMC10483466 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad095] [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: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Impairments in function (ie, the ability to independently accomplish daily tasks) have been established in psychotic disorders. Identifying factors that contribute to these deficits is essential to developing effective interventions. The current study had several goals: examine potential differential relationships across domains of neurocognition, assess whether reinforcement learning is related to function, identify if predictors of function are transdiagnostic, determine whether depression and positive symptoms contribute to function, and to explore whether the modality of assessment impacts observed relationships. STUDY DESIGN Data from 274 participants were examined with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder (SZ; n = 195) and bipolar disorder (BD; n = 79). To reduce dimensionality, a PCA was completed on neurocognitive tasks which resulted in 3 components. These components and clinical interview data were used to investigate predictors of functional domains across measures of function (self- and informant-report SLOF and UPSA). RESULTS Two components, working memory/processing speed/episodic memory (βs = 0.18-0.42), and negative/positive reinforcement learning (β = -0.04), predicted different functional domains. Predictors of function were largely transdiagnostic with two exceptions: reinforcement learning had a positive association with self-reported interpersonal relationships for SZ and a negative association for BD (β = 0.34), and the negative association between positive symptoms and self-reported social acceptability was stronger for BD than for SZ (β = 0.93). Depression robustly predicted self-reported but not informant-reported function, and anhedonia predicted all domains of informant-reported function. CONCLUSIONS These findings imply that reinforcement learning may differentially relate to function across disorders, traditional domains of neurocognition can be effective transdiagnostic targets for interventions, and positive symptoms and depression play a critical role in self-perceived functional impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada Dalloul
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Erin K Moran
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - James M Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Angus W MacDonald
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - J Daniel Ragland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Steven J Luck
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Radiology, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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27
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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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28
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Zhang W, Zhao C, Tang F, Luo W. Automatic Positive and Negative Emotion Regulation in Adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder. Psychopathology 2023; 57:111-122. [PMID: 37647878 DOI: 10.1159/000533334] [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: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD) exhibit hypoactivity to positive stimuli and hyperactivity to negative stimuli in terms of neural responses. Automatic emotion regulation (AER) activates triple networks (i.e., the central control network, default mode network, and salience network). Based on previous studies, we hypothesized that adolescents with MDD exhibit dissociable spatiotemporal deficits during positive and negative AER. METHODS We first collected EEG data from 32 adolescents with MDD and 35 healthy adolescents while they performed an implicit emotional Go/NoGo task. Then, we characterized the spatiotemporal dynamics of cortical activity during AER. RESULTS In Go trials, MDD adolescents exhibited reduced N2 amplitudes, enhanced theta power for positive pictures, and stronger bottom-up information flow from the left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) to the right superior frontal gyrus compared to top-down information flow than the controls. In contrast, in NoGo trials, MDD adolescents exhibited elevated P3 amplitudes, enhanced theta power, and stronger top-down information flows from the right middle frontal gyrus to the right OFC and the left insula than the controls. CONCLUSION Overall, adolescents with MDD exhibited impaired automatic attention to positive emotions and impaired automatic response inhibition. These findings have potential implications for the clinical treatment of adolescents with MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhai Zhang
- Mental Health Center, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, China
- The Big Data Centre for Neuroscience and AI, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang, China
| | - Cancan Zhao
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Fanggui Tang
- The Big Data Centre for Neuroscience and AI, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang, China
| | - Wenbo Luo
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
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Alloy LB, Walsh RFL, Smith LT, Maddox MA, Olino TM, Zee PC, Nusslock R. Circadian, Reward, and Emotion Systems in Teens prospective longitudinal study: protocol overview of an integrative reward-circadian rhythm model of first onset of bipolar spectrum disorder in adolescence. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:602. [PMID: 37592214 PMCID: PMC10436678 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05094-z] [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: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar spectrum disorders (BSDs) are associated with a heightened sensitivity to rewards and elevated reward-related brain function in cortico-striatal circuitry. A separate literature documents social and circadian rhythm disruption in BSDs. Recently, integrated reward-circadian models of BSDs have been proposed. These models draw on work indicating that the two systems influence each other and interact to affect mood functioning. When dysregulated, reward and circadian system signaling may combine to form a positive feedback loop, whereby dysregulation in one system exacerbates dysregulation in the other. Project CREST (Circadian, Reward, and Emotion Systems in Teens) provides a first systematic test of reward-circadian dysregulation as a synergistic and dynamic vulnerability for first onset of BSD and increases in bipolar symptoms during adolescence. METHODS This NIMH-funded R01 study is a 3-year prospective, longitudinal investigation of approximately 320 community adolescents from the broader Philadelphia area, United States of America. Eligible participants must be 13-16 years old, fluent in English, and without a prior BSD or hypomanic episode. They are being selected along the entire dimension of self-reported reward responsiveness, with oversampling at the high tail of the dimension in order to increase the likelihood of BSD onsets. At Times 1-6, every 6 months, participants will complete assessments of reward-relevant and social rhythm disruption life events and self-report and diagnostic assessments of bipolar symptoms and episodes. Yearly, at Times 1, 3, and 5, participants also will complete self-report measures of circadian chronotype (morningness-eveningness) and social rhythm regularity, a salivary dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) procedure to assess circadian phase, self-report, behavioral, and neural (fMRI) assessments of monetary and social reward responsiveness, and a 7-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) period. During each EMA period, participants will complete continuous measures of sleep/wake and activity (actigraphy), a daily sleep diary, and three within-day (morning, afternoon, evening) measures of life events coded for reward-relevance and social rhythm disruption, monetary and social reward responsiveness, positive and negative affect, and hypo/manic and depressive symptoms. The fMRI scan will occur on the day before and the DLMO procedure will occur on the first evening of the 7-day EMA period. DISCUSSION This study is an innovative integration of research on multi-organ systems involved in reward and circadian signaling in understanding first onset of BSD in adolescence. It has the potential to facilitate novel pharmacological, neural, and behavioral interventions to treat, and ideally prevent, bipolar conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren B Alloy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA.
| | - Rachel F L Walsh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Logan T Smith
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Mackenzie A Maddox
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Thomas M Olino
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Phyllis C Zee
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA
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30
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Dickey L, Pegg S, Cárdenas EF, Green H, Dao A, Waxmonsky J, Pérez-Edgar K, Kujawa A. Neural Predictors of Improvement With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents With Depression: An Examination of Reward Responsiveness and Emotion Regulation. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:1069-1082. [PMID: 37084164 PMCID: PMC10119540 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01054-z] [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] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Earlier depression onsets are associated with more debilitating courses and poorer life quality, highlighting the importance of effective early intervention. Many youths fail to improve with evidence-based treatments for depression, likely due in part to heterogeneity within the disorder. Multi-method assessment of individual differences in positive and negative emotion processing could improve predictions of treatment outcomes. The current study examined self-report and neurophysiological measures of reward responsiveness and emotion regulation as predictors of response to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Adolescents (14-18 years) with depression (N = 70) completed monetary reward and emotion regulation tasks while electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded, and self-report measures of reward responsiveness, emotion regulation, and depressive symptoms at intake. Adolescents then completed a 16-session group CBT program, with depressive symptoms and clinician-rated improvement assessed across treatment. Lower reward positivity amplitudes, reflecting reduced neural reward responsiveness, predicted lower depressive symptoms with treatment. Larger late positive potential residuals during reappraisal, potentially reflecting difficulty with emotion regulation, predicted greater clinician-rated improvement. Self-report measures were not significant predictors. Results support the clinical utility of EEG measures, with impairments in positive and negative emotion processing predicting greater change with interventions that target these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Dickey
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Samantha Pegg
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Emilia F Cárdenas
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Haley Green
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Anh Dao
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - James Waxmonsky
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Koraly Pérez-Edgar
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Autumn Kujawa
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Alloy LB, Chat IKY, Grehl MM, Stephenson AR, Adogli ZV, Olino TM, Ellman LM, Miller GE, Nusslock R. Reward and Immune Systems in Emotion (RISE) prospective longitudinal study: Protocol overview of an integrative reward-inflammation model of first onset of major depression in adolescence. Brain Behav Immun Health 2023; 30:100643. [PMID: 37304334 PMCID: PMC10250584 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Depression is associated with a reduced sensitivity to rewards and low reward-related brain function in cortico-striatal circuitry. A separate literature documents elevated peripheral inflammation in depression. Recently, integrated reward-inflammation models of depression have been proposed. These models draw on work indicating that peripheral inflammatory proteins access the brain, where they lower reward responsiveness. This blunted reward responsiveness is proposed to initiate unhealthy behaviors (substance use, poor diet), as well as sleep disruption and stress generation, which further heighten inflammation. Over time, dysregulation in reward responsiveness and immune signaling may synergize in a positive feedback loop, whereby dysregulation in each system exacerbates dysregulation in the other. Project RISE (Reward and Immune Systems in Emotion) provides a first systematic test of reward-immune dysregulation as a synergistic and dynamic vulnerability for first onset of major depressive disorder and increases in depressive symptoms during adolescence. Methods This NIMH-funded R01 study is a 3-year prospective, longitudinal investigation of approximately 300 community adolescents from the broader Philadelphia area, United States of America. Eligible participants must be 13-16 years old, fluent in English, and without a prior major depressive disorder. They are being selected along the entire dimension of self-reported reward responsiveness, with oversampling at the low tail of the dimension in order to increase the likelihood of major depression onsets. At Time 1 (T1), T3, and T5, each a year apart, participants complete blood draws to quantify biomarkers of low-grade inflammation, self-report and behavioral measures of reward responsiveness, and fMRI scans of reward neural activity and functional connectivity. At T1-T5 (with T2 and T4 six months between the yearly sessions), participants also complete diagnostic interviews and measures of depressive symptoms, reward-relevant life events, and behaviors that increase inflammation. Adversity history is assessed at T1 only. Discussion This study is an innovative integration of research on multi-organ systems involved in reward and inflammatory signaling in understanding first onset of major depression in adolescence. It has the potential to facilitate novel neuroimmune and behavioral interventions to treat, and ideally prevent, depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren B. Alloy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | - Iris K.-Y. Chat
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | - Mora M. Grehl
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | | | - Zoe V. Adogli
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | - Thomas M. Olino
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | - Lauren M. Ellman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
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Mesbah R, Koenders MA, van der Wee NJA, Giltay EJ, van Hemert AM, de Leeuw M. Association Between the Fronto-Limbic Network and Cognitive and Emotional Functioning in Individuals With Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry 2023; 80:432-440. [PMID: 36988918 PMCID: PMC10061312 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.0131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Importance Individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) experience cognitive and emotional dysfunctions. Various brain circuits are implicated in BD but have not been investigated in a meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. Objective To investigate the brain functioning of individuals with BD compared with healthy control individuals in the domains of emotion processing, reward processing, and working memory. Data Sources All fMRI experiments on BD published before March 2020, as identified in a literature search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PsycInfo, Emcare, Academic Search Premier, and ScienceDirect. The literature search was conducted on February 21, 2017, and March 2, 2020, and data were analyzed from January 2021 to January 2022. Study Selection fMRI experiments comparing adult individuals with BD and healthy control individuals were selected if they reported whole-brain results, including a task assessing at least 1 of the domains. In total, 2320 studies were screened, and 253 full-text articles were evaluated. Data Extraction and Synthesis A total of 49 studies were included after selection procedure. Coordinates reporting significant activation differences between individuals with BD and healthy control individuals were extracted. Differences in brain region activity were tested using the activation likelihood estimation method. Main Outcomes and Measures A whole-brain meta-analysis evaluated whether reported differences in brain activation in response to stimuli in 3 cognitive domains between individuals with BD and healthy control individuals were different. Results The study population included 999 individuals with BD (551 [55.2%] female) and 1027 healthy control individuals (532 [51.8%] female). Compared with healthy control individuals, individuals with BD showed amygdala and hippocampal hyperactivity and hypoactivation in the inferior frontal gyrus during emotion processing (20 studies; 324 individuals with BD and 369 healthy control individuals), hyperactivation in the orbitofrontal cortex during reward processing (9 studies; 195 individuals with BD and 213 healthy control individuals), and hyperactivation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex during working memory (20 studies; 530 individuals with BD and 417 healthy control individuals). Limbic hyperactivation was only found during euthymia in the emotion and reward processing domains; abnormalities in frontal cortex activity were also found in individuals with BD with mania and depression. Conclusions and Relevance This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed evidence for activity disturbances in key brain areas involved in cognitive and emotion processing in individuals with BD. Most of the regions are part of the fronto-limbic network. The results suggest that aberrations in the fronto-limbic network, present in both euthymic and symptomatic individuals, may be underlying cognitive and emotional dysfunctions in BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahele Mesbah
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Psychiatric Institute, Department of Mood Disorders, PsyQ Kralingen, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Manja A. Koenders
- Psychiatric Institute, Department of Mood Disorders, PsyQ Kralingen, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nic J. A. van der Wee
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Erik J. Giltay
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Albert M. van Hemert
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Max de Leeuw
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Psychiatric Institute, GGZ Rivierduinen, Bipolar Disorder Outpatient Clinic, Leiden, the Netherlands
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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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McFadyen J, Dolan RJ. Spatiotemporal Precision of Neuroimaging in Psychiatry. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:671-680. [PMID: 36376110 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant patterns of cognition, perception, and behavior seen in psychiatric disorders are thought to be driven by a complex interplay of neural processes that evolve at a rapid temporal scale. Understanding these dynamic processes in vivo in humans has been hampered by a trade-off between spatial and temporal resolutions inherent to current neuroimaging technology. A recent trend in psychiatric research has been the use of high temporal resolution imaging, particularly magnetoencephalography, often in conjunction with sophisticated machine learning decoding techniques. Developments here promise novel insights into the spatiotemporal dynamics of cognitive phenomena, including domains relevant to psychiatric illnesses such as reward and avoidance learning, memory, and planning. This review considers recent advances afforded by exploiting this increased spatiotemporal precision, with specific reference to applications that seek to drive a mechanistic understanding of psychopathology and the realization of preclinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica McFadyen
- UCL Max Planck Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research and Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Zhang A, Qiao D, Wang Y, Yang C, Wang Y, Sun N, Hu X, Liu Z, Zhang K. Distinguishing between bipolar depression and unipolar depression based on the reward circuit activities and clinical characteristics: A machine learning analysis. J Affect Disord 2023; 327:46-53. [PMID: 36708957 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Differentiating bipolar depression (BD) from unipolar depression (UD) is a major clinical challenge. Identifying the potential classifying biomarkers between these two diseases is vital to optimize personalized management of depressed individuals. METHODS Here, we aimed to integrate neuroimaging and clinical data with machine learning method to classify BD and UD at the individual level. Data were collected from 31 healthy controls (HC group) and 80 depressive patients with an average follow-up period of 7.51 years. Of these patients, 32 got diagnosis conversion from major depressive disorder (MDD) to BD (BD group) and 48 remain persistent diagnosis of MDD (MDD group). Using graph theory and functional connectivity (FC) analysis, we investigated the differences in reward circuit properties among three groups. Then we applied a support vector machine and leave-one-out cross-validation methods to classify BD and UD patients based on neuroimaging and clinical data. RESULTS Compared with MDD and HC, BD showed decreased degree centrality of right mediodorsal thalamus (MD) and nodal efficiency (NE) of left ventral pallidum. Compared with BD and HC, MDD showed decreased NE of right MD and increased FC between right MD and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and left ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Notably, the classifier obtained high classification accuracies (87.50 %) distinguishing BD and UD patients based on reward circuit properties and clinical features. LIMITATIONS The classifying model requires out-of-sample replication analysis. CONCLUSION The reward circuit dysfunction can not only provide additional information to assist clinical differential diagnosis, but also in turn informed treatment decision of depressive patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aixia Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Dan Qiao
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Yuchen Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Chunxia Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Yanfang Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Ning Sun
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Xiaodong Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Zhifen Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China.
| | - Kerang Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China.
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Kaiser RH, Moser AD, Neilson C, Peterson EC, Jones J, Hough CM, Rosenberg BM, Sandman CF, Schneck CD, Miklowitz DJ, Friedman NP. Mood Symptom Dimensions and Developmental Differences in Neurocognition in Adolescence. Clin Psychol Sci 2023; 11:308-325. [PMID: 37309523 PMCID: PMC10259862 DOI: 10.1177/21677026221111389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Adolescence is critical period of neurocognitive development as well as increased prevalence of mood pathology. This cross-sectional study replicated developmental patterns of neurocognition and tested whether mood symptoms moderated developmental effects. Participants were 419 adolescents (n=246 with current mood disorders) who completed reward learning and executive functioning tasks, and reported on age, puberty, and mood symptoms. Structural equation modeling revealed a quadratic relationship between puberty and reward learning performance that was moderated by symptom severity: in early puberty, adolescents reporting higher manic symptoms exhibited heightened reward learning performance (better maximizing of rewards on learning tasks), whereas adolescents reporting elevated anhedonia showed blunted reward learning performance. Models also showed a linear relationship between age and executive functioning that was moderated by manic symptoms: adolescents reporting higher mania showed poorer executive functioning at older ages. Findings suggest neurocognitive development is altered in adolescents with mood pathology and suggest directions for longitudinal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roselinde H Kaiser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
- Renée Crown Wellness Institute, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Amelia D Moser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Chiara Neilson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Elena C Peterson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Jenna Jones
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Naomi P Friedman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
- Institute of Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
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Forys BJ, Tomm RJ, Stamboliyska D, Terpstra AR, Clark L, Chakrabarty T, Floresco SB, Todd RM. Gender Impacts the Relationship between Mood Disorder Symptoms and Effortful Avoidance Performance. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0239-22.2023. [PMID: 36717265 PMCID: PMC9907394 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0239-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
We must often decide how much effort to exert or withhold to avoid undesirable outcomes or obtain rewards. In depression and anxiety, levels of avoidance can be excessive and reward-seeking may be reduced. Yet outstanding questions remain about the links between motivated action/inhibition and anxiety and depression levels, and whether they differ between men and women. Here, we examined the relationship between anxiety and depression scores, and performance on effortful active and inhibitory avoidance (Study 1) and reward seeking (Study 2) in humans. Undergraduates and paid online workers ([Formula: see text] = 545, [Formula: see text] = 310; [Formula: see text] = 368, [Formula: see text] = 450, [Formula: see text] = 22.58, [Formula: see text] = 17-62) were assessed on the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and performed an instructed online avoidance or reward-seeking task. Participants had to make multiple presses on active trials and withhold presses on inhibitory trials to avoid an unpleasant sound (Study 1) or obtain points toward a monetary reward (Study 2). Overall, men deployed more effort than women in both avoidance and reward-seeking, and anxiety scores were negatively associated with active reward-seeking performance based on sensitivity scores. Gender interacted with anxiety scores and inhibitory avoidance performance, such that women with higher anxiety showed worse avoidance performance. Our results illuminate effects of gender in the relationship between anxiety and depression levels and the motivation to actively and effortfully respond to obtain positive and avoid negative outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon J Forys
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Ryan J Tomm
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Dayana Stamboliyska
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Alex R Terpstra
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Luke Clark
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Trisha Chakrabarty
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Stan B Floresco
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Rebecca M Todd
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Walsh RFL, Smith LT, Klugman J, Titone MK, Ng TH, Goel N, Alloy LB. An examination of bidirectional associations between physical activity and mood symptoms among individuals diagnosed and at risk for bipolar spectrum disorders. Behav Res Ther 2023; 161:104255. [PMID: 36682182 PMCID: PMC9909602 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104255] [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: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Activation, a construct including energy and activity, is a central feature of Bipolar Spectrum Disorders (BSDs). Prior research found motor activity is associated with affect, and this relationship may be stronger for individuals with BSDs. The aims of this study were to investigate bidirectional relationships between physical activity and mood and evaluate whether bipolar risk status moderated potential associations. METHODS Young adults at low-risk, high-risk, and diagnosed with BSD participated in a 20-day EMA study in which they wore an actiwatch to measure physical activity and sleep/wake cycles. They also reported depressive and hypo/manic symptoms three times daily. Multilevel linear models were estimated to examine how bipolar risk group moderated bidirectional relationships between physical activity and mood symptoms at within-day and between-day timescales. RESULTS Physical activity was significantly associated with subsequent mood symptoms at the within-day level. The relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms was moderated by BSD risk group. An increase in physical activity resulted in a greater reduction of depressive symptoms for the BSD group compared to the low-risk and high-risk groups. CONCLUSIONS Interventions targeting activity like behavioral activation may improve residual inter-episode mood symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel F L Walsh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | - Logan T Smith
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | - Joshua Klugman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA; Department of Sociology, Temple University, USA
| | - Madison K Titone
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, USA; University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Tommy H Ng
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine College, USA
| | - Namni Goel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, USA
| | - Lauren B Alloy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA.
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Moriarity DP, Kautz MM, Ghias K, Pennypacker K, Harmon-Jones E, Alloy LB. Protocol for project MIME: Motivation, inflammation, and Mood in Emerging Adults. Brain Behav Immun Health 2022; 26:100520. [PMID: 36187406 PMCID: PMC9523276 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Atypical inflammatory biology is gaining evidence as a risk factor for mood psychopathology; however, little work has attempted to integrate inflammation into extant psychosocial frameworks of risk. Recent work using secondary data analysis has investigated the possibility of an immunocognitive model of mood disorders, in which cognitive vulnerabilities (i.e., rumination on positive or negative affect) increase the effect that arousal-related characteristics (e.g., reward sensitivity) have on inflammatory biology in ways that may confer risk for depression and hypo/mania symptoms. Project MIME (Motivation, Inflammation, and Mood in Emerging Adults) was designed to test this model in the context of a novel, reward-salient stressor (the Anger Incentive Delay Task, AIDT). Methods This NIMH-funded study will result in a dataset of approximately 100 college undergraduates from a large university in Pennsylvania, United States of America. Eligible participants are recruited from an online screener, have to be 18–22 years old, fluent in English, and successfully answer several items designed to test whether participants randomly answer questions on the screener. Eligible participants are invited to an in-person visit in which they completed the AIDT, blood draws pre- and 50 minutes post-AIDT, and self-report questionnaires. Participants also complete a set of online questionnaires two weeks after the in-person visit. Discussion Consistent with calls from the NIH director, this study seeks to diversify the tools used in stress research by validating a novel reward-salient stressor (in contrast to the field's reliance on social stressors) with respect to affective and immunological stress reactivity. In addition to this methodological goal, Project MIME is the first study specifically designed to test the immunocognitive model of mood psychopathology. Given the integration of several malleable treatment targets (approach behavior, emotion regulation, inflammation) into this model, results from this study could inform comprehensive, flexible intervention strategies for mood disorder prevention and treatment.
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Using expectation violation models to improve the outcome of psychological treatments. Clin Psychol Rev 2022; 98:102212. [PMID: 36371900 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Expectations are a central maintaining mechanism in mental disorders and most psychological treatments aim to directly or indirectly modify clinically relevant expectations. Therefore, it is crucial to examine why patients with mental disorders maintain dysfunctional expectations, even in light of disconfirming evidence, and how expectation-violating situations should be created in treatment settings to optimize treatment outcome and reduce the risk of treatment failures. The different psychological subdisciplines offer various approaches for understanding the underlying mechanisms of expectation development, persistence, and change. Here, we convey recommendations on how to improve psychological treatments by considering these different perspectives. Based on our expectation violation model, we argue that the outcome of expectation violation depends on several characteristics: features of the expectation-violating situation; the dynamics between the magnitude of expectation violation and cognitive immunization processes; dealing with uncertainties during and after expectation change; controlled and automatic attention processes; and the costs of expectation changes. Personality factors further add to predict outcomes and may offer a basis for personalized treatment planning. We conclude with a list of recommendations derived from basic psychology that could contribute to improved treatment outcome and to reduced risks of treatment failures.
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McNeilly EA, Saragosa-Harris NM, Mills KL, Dahl RE, Magis-Weinberg L. Reward sensitivity and internalizing symptoms during the transition to puberty: An examination of 9-and 10-year-olds in the ABCD Study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 58:101172. [PMID: 36368089 PMCID: PMC9649995 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Early pubertal timing has been linked to increased risk for internalizing psychopathology in adolescents. Work in older adolescents and adults suggests that heightened reward sensitivity may buffer risk for internalizing symptoms. However, few studies have investigated these associations during the early transition to puberty, a window of vulnerability to mental health risk. In this preregistered study, we investigated the associations among pubertal timing, internalizing symptoms, and reward sensitivity in a large, population-based sample of 11,224 9-10 year-olds from the ABCD Study®. Using split-half analysis, we tested for within-sample replications of hypothesized effects across two age- and sex-matched subsets of the sample. Early pubertal timing was associated with higher internalizing symptoms in female and male participants across samples, with 9-10 year-olds in the mid-pubertal stage at the highest risk for internalizing symptoms. Additionally, early pubertal timing was robustly associated with greater self-reported reward sensitivity in both female and male participants. We observed inconsistent evidence for a moderating role of reward sensitivity across measurement domains (self-report, behavioral, and fMRI data), several of which differed by sex, but none of these interactions replicated across samples. Together, these findings provide unique insights into early indicators of risk for internalizing psychopathology during the transition to puberty in a large, population-based, demographically diverse sample of youth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kathryn L Mills
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, USA; PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Ronald E Dahl
- Institute of Human Development, University of California, Berkeley, USA; School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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Family History of Depression and Neural Reward Sensitivity: Findings From the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022:S2451-9022(22)00244-0. [PMID: 36797123 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have found that offspring of depressed parents exhibit reduced striatal reward response to anticipating and receiving rewards, suggesting that this may constitute a neurobiological risk marker for depression. The present study aimed to assess whether maternal and paternal depression history have independent effects on offspring reward processing and whether greater family history density of depression is associated with increased blunting of striatal reward responses. METHODS Data from the baseline visit of the ABCD (Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development) Study were used. After exclusion criteria, 7233 9- and 10-year-old children (49% female) were included in analyses. Neural responses to reward anticipation and receipt in the monetary incentive delay task were examined in 6 striatal regions of interest. Using mixed-effects models, we evaluated the effect of maternal or paternal depression history on striatal reward response. We also evaluated the effect of family history density on reward response. RESULTS Across all 6 striatal regions of interest, neither maternal nor paternal depression significantly predicted blunted response to reward anticipation or feedback. Contrary to hypotheses, paternal depression history was associated with increased response in the left caudate during anticipation, and maternal depression history was associated with increased response in the left putamen during feedback. Family history density was not associated with striatal reward response. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that family history of depression is not strongly associated with blunted striatal reward response in 9- and 10-year-old children. Factors contributing to heterogeneity across studies need to be examined in future research to reconcile these results with past findings.
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Carroll AL, Damme KS, Alloy LB, Bart CP, Ng TH, Titone MK, Chein J, Cichocki AC, Armstrong CC, Nusslock R. Risk for bipolar spectrum disorders associated with positive urgency and orbitofrontal cortical grey matter volume. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103225. [PMID: 36242853 PMCID: PMC9668630 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103225] [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] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Bipolar spectrum disorders (BSDs) are associated with reward hypersensitivity, impulsivity, and structural abnormalities within the brain's reward system. Using a behavioral high-risk study design based on reward sensitivity, this paper had two primary objectives: 1) investigate whether elevated positive urgency, the tendency to act rashly when experiencing extreme positive affect, is a risk for or correlate of BSDs, and 2) examine the nature of the relationship between positive urgency and grey matter volume in fronto-striatal reward regions, among individuals at differential risk for BSD. Young adults (ages 18-28) screened to be moderately reward sensitive (MReward; N = 42), highly reward sensitive (HReward; N = 48), or highly reward sensitive with a lifetime BSD (HReward + BSD; N = 32) completed a structural MRI scan and the positive urgency subscale of the UPPS-P scale. Positive urgency scores varied with BSD risk (MReward < HReward < HReward + BSD; ps≤0.05), and positive urgency interacted with BSD risk group in predicting lateral OFC volume (p <.001). Specifically, the MReward group showed a negative relationship between positive urgency and lateral OFC volume. By contrast, there was no relationship between positive urgency and lateral OFC grey matter volume among the HReward and HReward + BSD groups. The results suggest that heightened trait positive urgency is a pre-existing vulnerability for BSD that worsens with illness onset, and there is a distinct relationship between positive urgency and lateral OFC volume among individuals at high versus low risk for BSD. These findings have implications for understanding the expression and development of impulsivity in BSDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann L. Carroll
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, United States,Corresponding author at: Northwestern University, Department of Psychology, Swift Hall, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, United States.
| | - Katherine S.F. Damme
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, United States,Institute for Innovation in Developmental Sciences, Chicago IL, United States
| | - Lauren B. Alloy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia PA, United States
| | - Corinne P. Bart
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia PA, United States
| | - Tommy H. Ng
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia PA, United States
| | - Madison K. Titone
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia PA, United States
| | - Jason Chein
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia PA, United States
| | - Anna C. Cichocki
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, United States
| | - Casey C. Armstrong
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, United States
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, United States,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, United States
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44
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Lüdtke T, Westermann S. Negative expectations regarding interpersonal interactions in daily life are associated with subclinical depressive symptoms in a student sample: A prospective experience sampling study. MOTIVATION AND EMOTION 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11031-022-09985-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDysfunctional expectations and interpersonal problems are associated with depression, so we measured expected emotions towards interaction partners and compared them with actual emotions. We hypothesized that, between persons, individuals with higher subclinical depression would display stronger, more stable, and less accurate negative expectations. Within persons, we hypothesized that momentary negative expectations would predict subsequent negative affect. Fifty-three students completed 6 days of Experience Sampling, consisting of one morning expectation-assessment (9 am), three assessments on actual interpersonal emotions (1 pm, 5 pm, 9 pm), and six random affect-assessments. We regressed expected emotions, experienced emotions, expectation fluctuations, and expectation violations on subclinical depression. Using mixed model analyses, we further examined whether negative expectations preceded negative affect, and whether expectation violations preceded adjustments of expectations. Higher subclinical depression predicted more negative expectations. Within persons, worse-than-expected interpersonal interactions preceded negative affect whereas better-than-expected interactions preceded reductions of negative expectations. Despite problems with skewed data, our approach appears well-suited to examine interpersonal expectations in vivo.
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45
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Hu W, Zhao X, Liu Y, Ren Y, Wei Z, Tang Z, Tian Y, Sun Y, Yang J. Reward sensitivity modulates the brain reward pathway in stress resilience via the inherent neuroendocrine system. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 20:100485. [PMID: 36132434 PMCID: PMC9483565 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In the previous 10 years, researchers have suggested a critical role for the brain reward system in stress resilience. However, no study has provided an empirical link between activity in the mesostriatal reward regions during stress and the recovery of cortisol stress response. Moreover, although reward sensitivity as a trait has been demonstrated to promote stress resilience, it remains unclear whether it modulates the brain reward system in stress resilience and how this effect is achieved by the inherent neuroendocrine system. To investigate these uncertainties, 70 young adults were recruited to participate in a ScanSTRESS task, and their brain imaging data and saliva samples (for cortisol assay) were collected during the task. In addition, we assessed reward sensitivity, cortisol awakening response, and intrinsic functional connectivity of the brain in all the participants. We found that left putamen activation during stress exposure positively predicted cortisol recovery. In addition, reward sensitivity was positively linked with activation of the left putamen, and this relationship was serially mediated by the cortisol awakening response and right hippocampus-left inferior frontal gyrus intrinsic connectivity. These findings suggest that reward sensitivity modulates reward pathways in stress resilience through the interplay of the diurnal stress response system and network of the hippocampus-prefrontal circuitry. Summarily, the current study built a model to highlight the dynamic and multifaceted interaction between pertinent allostatic factors in the reward-resilience pathway and uncovered new insight into the resilience function of the mesostriatal reward system during stress. Cortisol recovery can be predicted by activation of the left putamen in stress. Activation of the left putamen was positively linked with reward sensitivity. This relationship was serially mediated by the cortisol awakening response and right hippocampus-left inferior frontal gyrus intrinsic coupling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyu Hu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Xiaolin Zhao
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yadong Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yipeng Ren
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Zhenni Wei
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Zihan Tang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yun Tian
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yadong Sun
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Juan Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
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46
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Macoveanu J, Stougaard ME, Kjærstad HL, Knudsen GM, Vinberg M, Kessing LV, Miskowiak KW. Trajectory of aberrant reward processing in patients with bipolar disorder - A longitudinal fMRI study. J Affect Disord 2022; 312:235-244. [PMID: 35760195 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.06.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder (BD), and especially the mania phenotype, is characterized by heightened reward responsivity and aberrant reward processing. In this longitudinal fMRI study, we investigated neuronal response during reward anticipation as the computed expected value (EV) and outcome evaluation as reward prediction error (RPE) in recently diagnosed patients with BD. METHODS Eighty remitted patients with BD and 60 healthy controls (HC) underwent fMRI during which they performed a card guessing task. Of these, 41 patients and 36 HC were re-scanned after 16 months. We compared reward-related neural activity between groups at baseline and longitudinally and assessed the impact of mood relapse. RESULTS Patients showed lower RPE signal in areas of the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) than HC. In these regions, the HC showed decrease in RPE signal over time, which was absent in patients. Patients further exhibited decreased EV signal in the occipital cortex across baseline and follow-up. Patients who remained in remission showed normalization of the EV signal at follow-up. Baseline activity in the identified regions was not associated with subsequent relapse. LIMITATIONS Follow-up scans were only available in a relatively small sample. Medication status, follow-up time and BD illness duration prior to diagnosis varied. CONCLUSIONS Lower RPE signal in the vlPFC in patients with BD at baseline and its lack of normative reduction over time may represent a trait marker of dysfunctional reward-based learning or habituation. The increase in EV signal in the occipital cortex over time in patients who remained in remission may indicate normalization of reward anticipation activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Macoveanu
- Copenhagen Affective Disorder research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
| | - M E Stougaard
- Copenhagen Affective Disorder research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
| | - H L Kjærstad
- Copenhagen Affective Disorder research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
| | - G M Knudsen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - M Vinberg
- Copenhagen Affective Disorder research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark; Mental Health Centre, Northern Zealand, Copenhagen University Hospital-Mental Health Services CPH, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - L V Kessing
- Copenhagen Affective Disorder research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - K W Miskowiak
- Copenhagen Affective Disorder research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark; Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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47
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Chat IKY, Dunning EE, Bart CP, Carroll AL, Grehl MM, Damme KS, Abramson LY, Nusslock R, Alloy LB. The Interplay between Reward-Relevant Life Events and Trait Reward Sensitivity in Neural Responses to Reward Cues. Clin Psychol Sci 2022; 10:869-884. [PMID: 36381350 PMCID: PMC9662616 DOI: 10.1177/21677026211056627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
The reward hypersensitivity model posits that trait reward hypersensitivity should elicit hyper/hypo approach motivation following exposure to recent life events that activate (goal-striving and goal-attainment) or deactivate (goal-failure) the reward system, respectively. To test these hypotheses, eighty-seven young adults with high (HRew) versus moderate (MRew) trait reward sensitivity reported frequency of life events via the Life Event Interview. Brain activation was assessed during the fMRI Monetary Incentive Delay task. Greater exposure to goal-striving events was associated with higher nucleus accumbens (NAc) reward anticipation among HRew participants and lower orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) reward anticipation among MRew participants. Greater exposure to goal-failure events was associated with higher NAc and OFC reward anticipation only among HRew participants. This study demonstrated different neural reward anticipation (but not outcome) following reward-relevant events for HRew versus MRew individuals. Trait reward sensitivity and reward-relevant life events may jointly modulate reward-related brain function, with implications for understanding psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Ka-Yi Chat
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Erin E. Dunning
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Corinne P. Bart
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ann L. Carroll
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Mora M. Grehl
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | | | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Lauren B. Alloy
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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48
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Rong Y, Chen N, Dong J, Li Q, Yue X, Hu L, Wei P. Expectations of immediate and delayed reward differentially affect cognitive task performance. Neuroimage 2022; 262:119582. [PMID: 35995376 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study used a modified Monetary Incentive Delay task to examine the neural mechanisms underlying anticipating and receiving an immediate or delayed reward and examined the influence of pursuing these rewards on cognitive task performance. A pre-cue indicating the potential of gaining a monetary reward (immediate-, delayed-, vs. no-reward) was followed by a target stimulus requiring a fast and accurate response. Then, response-contingent feedback was presented indicating whether or not the participant would receive the corresponding reward. Linear mixed-effect models revealed the fastest behavioural responses and the strongest neural activity, as reflected in event-related-potentials and event-related-spectral-perturbation responses, for immediate reward, followed by delayed reward, with the slowest behavioural responses and the weakest neural activities observed in the no-reward condition. Expectations related to the cue-P3 component and the cue-delta activities predicted behavioural performance, especially in the immediate reward condition. Moreover, exploratory analyses revealed that depression moderated the relationship between target-locked neural activity and behavioural performance in the delayed reward condition, with lower neural activity being related to worse behavioural performance amongst participants scoring high on depression. These results indicate that differential value representations formed through delay discounting directly affect neural responses in reward processing and directly influence the effort invested in the current task, which is reflected by behavioural responses and is in agreement with the expected value of control theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yachao Rong
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition and School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Ningxuan Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition and School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Jiarui Dong
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition and School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Qi Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition and School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Xiaodong Yue
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition and School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Li Hu
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ping Wei
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition and School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China.
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49
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Wang YY, Wang Y, Huang J, Sun XH, Wang XZ, Zhang SX, Zhu GH, Lui SSY, Cheung EFC, Sun HW, Chan RCK. Shared and distinct reward neural mechanisms among patients with schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder: an effort-based functional imaging study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 272:859-871. [PMID: 35079855 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-021-01376-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Unwillingness to exert effort for rewards has been found in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ), major depressive disorder (MDD), and bipolar disorder (BD), but the underlying shared and distinct reward neural mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to compare the neural correlates of such impairments across different diagnoses. The neural responses in an effort-expenditure for reward task (EEfRT) were assessed in 20 SCZ patients, 23 MDD patients, 17 BD patients, and 30 healthy controls (HC). The results found shared activation in the cingulate gyrus, the medial frontal gyrus, and the middle frontal gyrus during the EEfRT administration. Compared to HC, SCZ patients exhibited stronger variations of functional connectivity between the right caudate and the left amygdala, the left hippocampus and the left putamen, with increase in reward magnitude. In MDD patients, an enhanced activation compared to HC in the right superior temporal gyrus was found with the increase of reward magnitude. The variations of functional connectivity between the caudate and the right cingulate gyrus, the left postcentral gyrus and the left inferior parietal lobule with increase in reward magnitude were weaker than that found in HC. In BD patients, the degree of activation in the left precuneus was increased, but that in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was decreased with increase in reward probability compared to HC. These findings demonstrate both shared and distinct reward neural mechanisms associated with EEfRT in patients with SCZ, MDD, and BD, implicating potential intervention targets to alleviate amotivation in these clinical disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Yu Wang
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, Shandong, 261053, China
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory; CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory; CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Jia Huang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory; CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Xi-He Sun
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Shandong, 261031, China
| | - Xi-Zhen Wang
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Shandong, 261031, China
| | - Shu-Xian Zhang
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Shandong, 261031, China
| | - Guo-Hui Zhu
- Mental Health Centre of Weifang City, Shandong, 261071, China
| | - Simon S Y Lui
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Eric F C Cheung
- Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Hong-Wei Sun
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, Shandong, 261053, China
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory; CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100048, China.
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50
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Gray ZJ, Shields GS, Sichko S, Bui TQ, Vinograd M, Olvera-Alvarez HA, Slavich GM. Neural and peripheral markers of reward during positive social evaluation are associated with less clinician-rated depression symptom severity in adolescence. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2022; 11:100149. [PMID: 35856064 PMCID: PMC9287766 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100149] [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: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Although blunted sensitivity to reward is thought to play a key role in promoting risk for depression, most research on this topic has utilized monetary reward paradigms and focused on currently depressed adults. To address this issue, we analyzed neural reward and β-endorphin data from the Psychobiology of Stress and Adolescent Depression (PSY SAD) Study, which recruited a well-characterized sample of adolescent girls at high vs. low risk for major depressive disorder (MDD) (N = 52, M age = 14.90, SD = 1.35) based on their mothers' lifetime history of MDD. As hypothesized, greater striatal activity while receiving positive (vs. neutral) social evaluation was associated with lower depression symptom severity as independently assessed by the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS). This association was present for girls at high but not low risk for MDD, suggesting that this neural response may represent a pre-clinical marker of risk for depression. Consistent with these results, higher post-social evaluation levels of a peripheral marker of reward sensitivity, β-endorphin, were related to lower clinician-rated depression symptom severity. Together, these results indicate that neural and peripheral markers of responsivity to social reward are both related to depression severity, which may have implications for understanding the pathophysiology of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zach J. Gray
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Grant S. Shields
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Stassja Sichko
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Theresa Q. Bui
- Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Meghan Vinograd
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - George M. Slavich
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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