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Pu J, Huang YH, Chen H, Lui SSY, Wang Y, Chan RCK. Differential manifestations of anhedonia in people with social anhedonia and subsyndromal depression. Asian J Psychiatr 2024; 100:104188. [PMID: 39089075 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024]
Abstract
Empirical findings suggested that anhedonia, a reduced capability to access pleasure and a core symptom in both schizophrenia and the major depressive disorder, can be present in people with high levels of social anhedonia and people with subsyndromal depression. Few studies have adopted a multidimensional framework to investigate anhedonia in these subclinical samples. We recruited 35 participants with high social anhedonia (SA), 53 participants with subsyndromal depression (SD), 20 participants with co-occurrence of both traits (CO), and 47 participants with low levels of both traits (CN) to complete a self-report questionnaire capturing the pleasure experience, and the Monetary Incentives Delay (MID) Task and the Social Incentives Delay (SID) Task capturing the motivation of reward. Results indicated that people with SA, SD and CO exhibited lower abstract anticipatory pleasure compared to CN. Moreover, people with SD and CO exhibited specific impairment in response to social incentives. Together, our findings characterized the multidimensional features of anhedonia performances of subclinical samples with SA, SD and CO, which may contribute to the formulation of early identification of at-risk groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Pu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology and Behavioral Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi-Hang Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Chen
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Simon S Y Lui
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Sepcial Administrative Region, China
| | - Yi Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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2
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Scheggi S. Still controversial issues on assessing anhedonia in experimental modeling of depression. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:345. [PMID: 39191774 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-03057-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2024] [Revised: 08/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Simona Scheggi
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
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3
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Beltrán J, Jacob Y, Mehta M, Hossain T, Adams A, Fontaine S, Torous J, McDonough C, Johnson M, Delgado A, Murrough JW, Morris LS. Relationships between depression, anxiety, and motivation in the real-world: Effects of physical activity and screentime. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.08.06.24311477. [PMID: 39148830 PMCID: PMC11326346 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.06.24311477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Background Mood and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and comorbid worldwide, with variability in symptom severity that fluctuates over time. Digital phenotyping, a growing field that aims to characterize clinical, cognitive and behavioral features via personal digital devices, enables continuous quantification of symptom severity in the real world, and in real-time. Methods In this study, N=114 individuals with a mood or anxiety disorder (MA) or healthy controls (HC) were enrolled and completed 30-days of ecological momentary assessments (EMA) of symptom severity. Novel real-world measures of anxiety, distress and depression were developed based on the established Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ). The full MASQ was also completed in the laboratory (in-lab). Additional EMA measures related to extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, and passive activity data were also collected over the same 30-days. Mixed-effects models adjusting for time and individual tested the association between real-world symptom severity EMA and the corresponding full MASQ sub-scores. A graph theory neural network model (DEPNA) was applied to all data to estimate symptom interactions. Results There was overall good adherence over 30-days (MA=69.5%, HC=71.2% completion), with no group difference (t(58)=0.874, p=0.386). Real-world measures of anxiety/distress/depression were associated with their corresponding MASQ measure within the MA group (t's > 2.33, p's < 0.024). Physical activity (steps) was negatively associated with real-world distress and depression (IRRs > 0.93, p's ≤ 0.05). Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation were negatively associated with real-world distress/depression (IRR's > 0.82, p's < 0.001). DEPNA revealed that both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation significantly influenced other symptom severity measures to a greater extent in the MA group compared to the HC group (extrinsic/intrinsic motivation: t(46) = 2.62, p < 0.02, q FDR < 0.05, Cohen's d = 0.76; t(46) = 2.69, p < 0.01, q FDR < 0.05, Cohen's d = 0.78 respectively), and that intrinsic motivation significantly influenced steps (t(46) = 3.24, p < 0.003, q FDR < 0.05, Cohen's d = 0.94). Conclusions Novel real-world measures of anxiety, distress and depression significantly related to their corresponding established in-lab measures of these symptom domains in individuals with mood and anxiety disorders. Novel, exploratory measures of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation also significantly related to real-world mood and anxiety symptoms and had the greatest influencing degree on patients' overall symptom profile. This suggests that measures of cognitive constructs related to drive and activity may be useful in characterizing phenotypes in the real-world.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Beltrán
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Y. Jacob
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - M. Mehta
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
- The Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK
| | - T. Hossain
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
- Tufts University, Boston, MA
| | - A. Adams
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - S. Fontaine
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - J. Torous
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - C. McDonough
- Department of Population Health Science & Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - M. Johnson
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - A. Delgado
- Department of Population Health Science & Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - J. W. Murrough
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
- VISN 2 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY
| | - L. S. Morris
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
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Hird EJ, Slanina-Davies A, Lewis G, Hamer M, Roiser JP. From movement to motivation: a proposed framework to understand the antidepressant effect of exercise. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:273. [PMID: 38961071 PMCID: PMC11222551 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02922-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, exerting a profound negative impact on quality of life in those who experience it. Depression is associated with disruptions to several closely related neural and cognitive processes, including dopamine transmission, fronto-striatal brain activity and connectivity, reward processing and motivation. Physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, reduces depressive symptoms, but the mechanisms driving its antidepressant effects are poorly understood. Here we propose a novel hypothesis for understanding the antidepressant effects of exercise, centred on motivation, across different levels of explanation. There is robust evidence that aerobic exercise decreases systemic inflammation. Inflammation is known to reduce dopamine transmission, which in turn is strongly implicated in effort-based decision making for reward. Drawing on a broad range of research in humans and animals, we propose that by reducing inflammation and boosting dopamine transmission, with consequent effects on effort-based decision making for reward, exercise initially specifically improves 'interest-activity' symptoms of depression-namely anhedonia, fatigue and subjective cognitive impairment - by increasing propensity to exert effort. Extending this framework to the topic of cognitive control, we explain how cognitive impairment in depression may also be conceptualised through an effort-based decision-making framework, which may help to explain the impact of exercise on cognitive impairment. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of exercise could inform the development of novel intervention strategies, in particular personalised interventions and boost social prescribing.
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Affiliation(s)
- E J Hird
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
| | - A Slanina-Davies
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - G Lewis
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - M Hamer
- Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - J P Roiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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Bi R, Zhao Y, Li S, Xu F, Peng W, Tan S, Zhang D. Brain stimulation over the left DLPFC enhances motivation for effortful rewards in patients with major depressive disorder. J Affect Disord 2024; 356:414-423. [PMID: 38640975 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.04.064] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amotivation is a typical feature in major depressive disorder (MDD), which produces reduced willingness to exert effort. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is a crucial structure in goal-directed actions and therefore is a potential target in modulating effortful motivation. However, it remains unclear whether the intervention is effective for patients with MDD. METHODS We employed transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), computational modelling and event-related potentials (ERPs) to reveal the causal relationship between the left DLPFC and motivation for effortful rewards in MDD. Fifty patients underwent both active and sham TMS sessions, each followed by performing an Effort-Expenditure for Rewards Task, during which participants chose and implemented between low-effort/low-reward and high-effort/high-reward options. RESULTS The patients showed increased willingness to exert effort for rewards during the DLPFC facilitated session, compared with the sham session. They also had a trend in larger P3 amplitude for motivated attention toward chosen options, larger CNV during preparing for effort exertion, and larger SPN during anticipating a high reward. Besides, while behavior indexes for effortful choices were negatively related to depression severity in the sham session, this correlation was weakened in the active stimulation session. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide behavioral, computational, and neural evidence for the left DLPFC on effortful motivation for rewards. Facilitated DLPFC improves motor preparation and value anticipation after making decisions especially for highly effortful rewards in MDD. Facilitated DLPFC also has a potential function in enhancing motivated attention during cost-benefit trade-off. This neuromodulation effect provides a potential treatment for improving motivation in clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Bi
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yanli Zhao
- Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Sijin Li
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Feng Xu
- Shenzhen Yingchi Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Weiwei Peng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Shuping Tan
- Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing 100096, China.
| | - Dandan Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen 518060, China.
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Ferstl M, Kühnel A, Klaus J, Lin WM, Kroemer NB. Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation conditions increased invigoration and wanting in depression. Compr Psychiatry 2024; 132:152488. [PMID: 38657358 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2024.152488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often marked by impaired motivation and reward processing, known as anhedonia. Many patients do not respond to first-line treatments, and improvements in motivation can be slow, creating an urgent need for rapid interventions. Recently, we demonstrated that transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) acutely boosts effort invigoration in healthy participants, but its effects on depression remain unclear. OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of taVNS on effort invigoration and maintenance in a sample that includes patients with MDD, evaluating the generalizability of our findings. METHODS We used a single-blind, randomized crossover design in 30 patients with MDD and 29 matched (age, sex, and BMI) healthy control participants (HCP). RESULTS Consistent with prior findings, taVNS increased effort invigoration for rewards in both groups during Session 1 (p = .040), particularly for less wanted rewards in HCP (pboot < 0.001). However, invigoration remained elevated in all participants, and no acute changes were observed in Session 2 (Δinvigoration = 3.3, p = .12). Crucially, throughout Session 1, we found taVNS-induced increases in effort invigoration (pboot = 0.008) and wanting (pboot = 0.010) in patients with MDD, with gains in wanting maintained across sessions (Δwanting = 0.06, p = .97). CONCLUSIONS Our study replicates the invigorating effects of taVNS in Session 1 and reveals its generalizability to depression. Furthermore, we expand upon previous research by showing taVNS-induced conditioning effects on invigoration and wanting within Session 1 in patients that were largely sustained. While enduring motivational improvements present challenges for crossover designs, they are highly desirable in interventions and warrant further follow-up research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Ferstl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anne Kühnel
- Section of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Johannes Klaus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wy Ming Lin
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Hector Research Institute for Education Science and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nils B Kroemer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Section of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Germany.
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Pitliya RJ, Burani K, Nelson BD, Hajcak G, Jin J. Reward-Related Brain Activity Mediates the Relationship Between Decision-Making Deficits and Pediatric Depression Symptom Severity. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024:S2451-9022(24)00165-4. [PMID: 38942146 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanisms that link neural and behavioral indices of reduced reward sensitivity in depression, particularly in children, remain unclear. Reward positivity (RewP), a neural index of reward processing, has been consistently associated with depression. Separately, recent studies using the drift-diffusion model on behavioral data have delineated computational indices of reward sensitivity. Therefore, in the current study, we examined whether RewP is a neural mediator of drift-diffusion model-based indices of reward processing in predicting pediatric depression across varying levels of symptom severity. METHODS A community sample of 166 girls, ages 8 to 14 years, completed 2 tasks. The first was a reward guessing task from which RewP was computed using electroencephalography; the second was a probabilistic reward-based decision-making task. On this second task, drift-diffusion model analysis was applied to behavioral data to quantify the efficiency of accumulating reward-related evidence (drift rate) and potential baseline bias (starting point) toward the differently rewarded choices. Depression severity was measured using the self-report Children's Depression Inventory. RESULTS RewP was correlated with drift rate, but not starting point bias, toward the more rewarded choice. Furthermore, RewP completely mediated the association between a slower drift rate toward the more rewarded option and higher depression symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that reduced neural sensitivity to reward feedback may be a neural mechanism that underlies behavioral insensitivity to reward in children and adolescents with higher depression symptom severity, offering novel insights into the relationship between neural and computational indices of reward processing in this context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riddhi J Pitliya
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kreshnik Burani
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Brady D Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Greg Hajcak
- School of Education and Counseling Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California
| | - Jingwen Jin
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Bustamante LA, Barch DM, Solis J, Oshinowo T, Grahek I, Konova AB, Daw ND, Cohen JD. Major depression symptom severity associations with willingness to exert effort and patch foraging strategy. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.02.18.24302985. [PMID: 38947009 PMCID: PMC11213125 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.18.24302985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) can experience reduced motivation and cognitive function, leading to challenges with goal-directed behavior. When selecting goals, people maximize 'expected value' by selecting actions that maximize potential reward while minimizing associated costs, including effort 'costs' and the opportunity cost of time. In MDD, differential weighing of costs and benefits are theorized mechanisms underlying changes in goal-directed cognition and may contribute to symptom heterogeneity. We used the Effort Foraging Task to quantify cognitive and physical effort costs, and patch leaving thresholds in low effort conditions (hypothesized to reflect perceived opportunity cost of time) and investigated their shared versus distinct relationships to clinical features in participants with MDD (N=52, 43 in-episode) and comparisons (N=27). Contrary to our predictions, none of the decision-making measures differed with MDD diagnosis. However, each of the measures were related to symptom severity, over and above effects of ability (i.e., performance). Greater anxiety symptoms were selectively associated with lower cognitive effort cost (i.e. greater willingness to exert effort). Anhedonia symptoms were associated with increased physical effort costs. Finally, greater physical anergia was related to decreased patch leaving thresholds. Markers of effort-based decision-making may inform understanding of MDD heterogeneity. Increased willingness to exert cognitive effort may contribute to anxiety symptoms such as rumination and worry. The association of decreased leaving thresholds with symptom severity is consistent with reward rate-based accounts of reduced vigor in MDD. Future research should address subtypes of depression with or without anxiety, which may relate differentially to cognitive effort decisions.
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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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Du X, Yao L, Sun L, Chen X, Jiang J. Neural mechanisms of social comparison in subthreshold depression. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae222. [PMID: 38813967 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae222] [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: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Social comparison is a common phenomenon in our daily life, through which people get to know themselves, and plays an important role in depression. In this study, event-related potential (ERP) was used to explore the temporal course of social comparison processing in the subthreshold depression group. Electrophysiological recordings were acquired from 30 subthreshold depressed individuals and 31 healthy individuals while they conducted the adapted dot estimation task. The ERP results revealed that there was a significant difference of feedback-related negativity (FRN) in the process of social comparison. Especially only in the subthreshold depression, the FRN amplitudes of worse off than some, better off than many comparisons were larger than those of upward comparisons and downward comparisons. Our results suggested that the abnormal reward sensitivity for worse off than some, better off than many comparisons might be prodromal symptoms in the subthreshold depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Du
- College of Educational Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Li Yao
- College of Educational Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Tsinghua High School, Chongqing, China
| | - Le Sun
- College of Educational Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoyi Chen
- College of Educational Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jun Jiang
- Department of Basic Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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11
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Wen H, Wu M, Wang Z, Gao B, Zheng Y. Aberrant effort-based reward dynamics in anhedonia. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae193. [PMID: 38741268 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae193] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Anhedonia is a transdiagnostic symptom and associated with a spectrum of reward deficits among which the motivational dysfunction is poorly understood. Previous studies have established the abnormal cost-benefit trade-off as a contributor to motivational deficits in anhedonia and its relevant psychiatric diseases. However, it remains elusive how the anhedonic neural dynamics underlying reward processing are modulated by effort expenditure. Using an effort-based monetary incentive delay task, the current event-related potential study examined the neural dynamics underlying the effort-reward interplay in anhedonia using a nonclinical sample who scored high or low on an anhedonia questionnaire. We found that effort prospectively decreased reward effect on the contingent variation negativity and the target-P3 but retrospectively enhanced outcome effect on the feedback-P3 following effort expenditure. Compared to the low-anhedonia group, the high-anhedonia group displayed a diminished effort effect on the target-P3 during effort expenditure and an increased effort-enhancement effect for neutral trials during the feedback-P3 period following effort expenditure. Our findings suggest that anhedonia is associated with an inefficient control and motivation allocation along the efforted-based reward dynamics from effort preparation to effort production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailing Wen
- Department of Psychology, Dalian Medical University, 9 West Section, Lvshun South Road, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Menglin Wu
- Department of Psychology, Dalian Medical University, 9 West Section, Lvshun South Road, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Zhao Wang
- Department of Psychology, Dalian Medical University, 9 West Section, Lvshun South Road, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Bo Gao
- Department of Psychology, Dalian Medical University, 9 West Section, Lvshun South Road, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Ya Zheng
- Department of Psychology, Guangzhou University, 230 Wai Huan Xi Road, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China
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Kotańska M, Łanocha M, Bednarski M, Marcinkowska M. MM165 - A Small Hybrid Molecule Modulates the Kynurenine Pathway and Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Memory Deficits and Inflammation. Neurochem Res 2024; 49:1200-1211. [PMID: 38381245 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-024-04105-z] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunctions are now recognized as core symptoms of various psychiatric disorders e.g., major depressive disorder. Sustained immune activation may leads to cognitive dysfunctions. Proinflammatory cytokines shunt the metabolism of tryptophan towards kynurenine and quinolinic acid may accumulate at toxic concentrations. This acid triggers an increase in neuronal nitric oxide synthase function and promotes oxidative stress. The searching for small molecules that can regulate tryptophan metabolites produced in the kynurenic pathway has become an important goal in developing treatments for various central nervous system diseases with an inflammatory component. Previously we have identified a small hybrid molecule - MM165 which significantly reduces depressive-like symptoms caused by inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide administration. In the present study, we investigated whether this compound would mitigate cognitive deficits induced by lipopolysaccharide administration and whether treatment with it would affect the plasma or brain levels of quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid. Neuroinflammation was induced in rats by administering lipopolysaccharide at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg body weight for 10 days. We conducted two tests: novel object recognition and object location, to assess the effect on memory impairment in animals previously treated with lipopolysaccharide. In plasma collected from rats, the concentrations of C-reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor alfa were determined. The concentrations of kynurenic acid and quinolinic acid were determined in plasma and homogenates obtained from the cerebral cortex of rats. Interleukin 6 in the cerebral cortex of rats was determined. Additionally, the body and spleen mass and spontaneous activity were measured in rats. Our study shows that MM165 may mitigate cognitive deficits induced by inflammation after administration of lipopolysaccharide and alter the concentrations of tryptophan metabolites in the brain. Compounds exhibiting a mechanism of action analogous to that of MM165 may serve as foundational structures for the development of a new class of antidepressants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Kotańska
- Department of Pharmacological Screening, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna, 30-688, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Michał Łanocha
- Department of Pharmacological Screening, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna, 30-688, Krakow, Poland
| | - Marek Bednarski
- Department of Pharmacological Screening, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna, 30-688, Krakow, Poland
| | - Monika Marcinkowska
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna, 30-688, Krakow, Poland
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Culbreth AJ, Moran EK, Mahaphanit W, Erickson MA, Boudewyn MA, Frank MJ, Barch DM, MacDonald AW, Ragland JD, Luck SJ, Silverstein SM, Carter CS, Gold JM. A Transdiagnostic Study of Effort-Cost Decision-Making in Psychotic and Mood Disorders. Schizophr Bull 2024; 50:339-348. [PMID: 37901911 PMCID: PMC10919776 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research suggests that effort-cost decision-making (ECDM), the estimation of work required to obtain reward, may be a relevant framework for understanding motivational impairment in psychotic and mood pathology. Specifically, research has suggested that people with psychotic and mood pathology experience effort as more costly than controls, and thus pursue effortful goals less frequently. This study examined ECDM across psychotic and mood pathology. HYPOTHESIS We hypothesized that patient groups would show reduced willingness to expend effort compared to controls. STUDY DESIGN People with schizophrenia (N = 33), schizoaffective disorder (N = 28), bipolar disorder (N = 39), major depressive disorder (N = 40), and controls (N = 70) completed a physical ECDM task. Participants decided between completing a low-effort or high-effort option for small or larger rewards, respectively. Reward magnitude, reward probability, and effort magnitude varied trial-by-trial. Data were analyzed using standard and hierarchical logistic regression analyses to assess the subject-specific contribution of various factors to choice. Negative symptoms were measured with a clinician-rated interview. STUDY RESULTS There was a significant effect of group, driven by reduced choice of high-effort options in schizophrenia. Hierarchical logistic regression revealed that reduced choice of high-effort options in schizophrenia was driven by weaker contributions of probability information. Use of reward information was inversely associated with motivational impairment in schizophrenia. Surprisingly, individuals with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder did not differ from controls. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide support for ECDM deficits in schizophrenia. Additionally, differences between groups in ECDM suggest a seemingly similar behavioral phenotype, reduced motivation, could arise from disparate mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Culbreth
- Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Erin K Moran
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, USA
| | - Wasita Mahaphanit
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA
| | - Molly A Erickson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
| | - Megan A Boudewyn
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA
| | - Michael J Frank
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistics, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, USA
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, USA
- Department of Radiology, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, USA
| | | | - J Daniel Ragland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, USA
| | - Steven J Luck
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, USA
| | - Steven M Silverstein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, USA
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, USA
| | - James M Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
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14
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Fetcho RN, Parekh PK, Chou J, Kenwood M, Chalençon L, Estrin DJ, Johnson M, Liston C. A stress-sensitive frontostriatal circuit supporting effortful reward-seeking behavior. Neuron 2024; 112:473-487.e4. [PMID: 37963470 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.10.020] [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: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Effort valuation-a process for selecting actions based on the anticipated value of rewarding outcomes and expectations about the work required to obtain them-plays a fundamental role in decision-making. Effort valuation is disrupted in chronic stress states and is supported by the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), but the circuit-level mechanisms by which the ACC regulates effort-based decision-making are unclear. Here, we show that ACC neurons projecting to the nucleus accumbens (ACC-NAc) play a critical role in effort valuation behavior in mice. Activity in ACC-NAc cells integrates both reward- and effort-related information, encoding a reward-related signal that scales with effort requirements and is necessary for supporting future effortful decisions. Chronic corticosterone exposure reduces motivation, suppresses effortful reward-seeking, and disrupts ACC-NAc signals. Together, our results delineate a stress-sensitive ACC-NAc circuit that supports effortful reward-seeking behavior by integrating reward and effort signals and reinforcing effort allocation in the service of maximizing reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert N Fetcho
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA; Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Puja K Parekh
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Jolin Chou
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Margaux Kenwood
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Laura Chalençon
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - David J Estrin
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Megan Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Conor Liston
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA.
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15
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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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16
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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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17
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Kamenish K, Robinson ESJ. Neuropsychological Effects of Antidepressants: Translational Studies. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024; 66:101-130. [PMID: 37955824 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2023_446] [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: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Pharmacological treatments that improve mood were first identified serendipitously, but more than half a century later, how these drugs induce their antidepressant effects remains largely unknown. With the help of animal models, a detailed understanding of their pharmacological targets and acute and chronic effects on brain chemistry and neuronal function has been achieved, but it remains to be elucidated how these effects translate to clinical efficacy. Whilst the field has been dominated by the monoamine and neurotrophic hypotheses, the idea that the maladaptive cognitive process plays a critical role in the development and perpetuation of mood disorders has been discussed since the 1950s. Recently, studies using objective methods to quantify changes in emotional processing found acute effects with conventional antidepressants in both healthy volunteers and patients. These positive effects on emotional processing and cognition occur without a change in the subjective ratings of mood. Building from these studies, behavioural methods for animals that quantify similar cognitive affective processes have been developed. Integrating these behavioural approaches with pharmacology and targeted brain manipulations, a picture is beginning to emerge of the underlying mechanisms that may link the pharmacology of antidepressants, these neuropsychological constructs and clinical efficacy. In this chapter, we discuss findings from animal studies, experimental medicine and patients investigating the neuropsychological effects of antidepressant drugs. We discuss the possible neural circuits that contribute to these effects and discuss whether a neuropsychological model of antidepressant effects could explain the temporal differences in clinical benefits observed with conventional delayed-onset antidepressants versus rapid-acting antidepressants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Kamenish
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, UK
| | - Emma S J Robinson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, UK.
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18
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Bustamante LA, Oshinowo T, Lee JR, Tong E, Burton AR, Shenhav A, Cohen JD, Daw ND. Effort Foraging Task reveals positive correlation between individual differences in the cost of cognitive and physical effort in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221510120. [PMID: 38064507 PMCID: PMC10723129 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221510120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Effort-based decisions, in which people weigh potential future rewards against effort costs required to achieve those rewards involve both cognitive and physical effort, though the mechanistic relationship between them is not yet understood. Here, we use an individual differences approach to isolate and measure the computational processes underlying effort-based decisions and test the association between cognitive and physical domains. Patch foraging is an ecologically valid reward rate maximization problem with well-developed theoretical tools. We developed the Effort Foraging Task, which embedded cognitive or physical effort into patch foraging, to quantify the cost of both cognitive and physical effort indirectly, by their effects on foraging choices. Participants chose between harvesting a depleting patch, or traveling to a new patch that was costly in time and effort. Participants' exit thresholds (reflecting the reward they expected to receive by harvesting when they chose to travel to a new patch) were sensitive to cognitive and physical effort demands, allowing us to quantify the perceived effort cost in monetary terms. The indirect sequential choice style revealed effort-seeking behavior in a minority of participants (preferring high over low effort) that has apparently been missed by many previous approaches. Individual differences in cognitive and physical effort costs were positively correlated, suggesting that these are perceived and processed in common. We used canonical correlation analysis to probe the relationship of task measures to self-reported affect and motivation, and found correlations of cognitive effort with anxiety, cognitive function, behavioral activation, and self-efficacy, but no similar correlations with physical effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A. Bustamante
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO63130
| | - Temitope Oshinowo
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
| | - Jeremy R. Lee
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
| | - Elizabeth Tong
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
| | - Allison R. Burton
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
| | - Amitai Shenhav
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI02906
| | - Jonathan D. Cohen
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
| | - Nathaniel D. Daw
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
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19
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Luther L, Jarvis SA, Spilka MJ, Strauss GP. Global reward processing deficits predict negative symptoms transdiagnostically and transphasically in a severe mental illness-spectrum sample. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023:10.1007/s00406-023-01714-7. [PMID: 38051397 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01714-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Reward processing impairments are a key factor associated with negative symptoms in those with severe mental illnesses. However, past findings are inconsistent regarding which reward processing components are impaired and most strongly linked to negative symptoms. The current study examined the hypothesis that these mixed findings may be the result of multiple reward processing pathways (i.e., equifinality) to negative symptoms that cut across diagnostic boundaries and phases of illness. Participants included healthy controls (n = 100) who served as a reference sample and a severe mental illness-spectrum sample (n = 92) that included psychotic-like experiences, clinical high-risk for psychosis, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia participants. All participants completed tasks measuring four RDoC Positive Valence System constructs: value representation, reinforcement learning, effort-cost computation, and hedonic reactivity. A k-means cluster analysis of the severe mental illness-spectrum samples identified three clusters with differential reward processing profiles that were characterized by: (1) global reward processing deficits (22.8%), (2) selective impairments in hedonic reactivity alone (40.2%), and (3) preserved reward processing (37%). Elevated negative symptoms were only observed in the global reward processing cluster. All clusters contained participants from each clinical group, and the distribution of these groups did not significantly differ among the clusters. Findings identified one pathway contributing to negative symptoms that was transdiagnostic and transphasic. Future work further characterizing divergent pathways to negative symptoms may help to improve symptom trajectories and personalized treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Luther
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin St., Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
| | - Sierra A Jarvis
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin St., Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Michael J Spilka
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin St., Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Gregory P Strauss
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin St., Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
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20
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Marangoni C, Tam M, Robinson ESJ, Jackson MG. Pharmacological characterisation of the effort for reward task as a measure of motivation for reward in male mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2271-2284. [PMID: 37474757 PMCID: PMC10593616 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06420-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Motivational deficits are a common symptom shared across multiple psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Effort-based decision-making tasks are a translatable method for assessing motivational state. Much of the preclinical validation of the task derives from acute pharmacological manipulations in rats. However, mice currently offer a greater genetic toolkit to study risk genes and phenotypic models. Despite this, there is limited characterisation of their behaviour in this type of motivation task. OBJECTIVES Here, we investigate the effort for reward (EfR) task as a measure of motivational state in mice using drugs previously shown to modulate effort-based decision-making in rats and humans. METHOD Using male C57bl/6j mice, we test the effects of drugs which modulate DA transmission. We also test the effects of CP101-606 which does not act directly via DA modulation but has been shown to exert beneficial effects on motivational state. Finally, we test the sensitivity of the task to a chronic corticosterone (CORT) treatment. RESULTS Amphetamine, methylphenidate, and CP101606 in mice increased high-effort responses for high-value reward, while administration of haloperidol decreased high-effort responses. Surprisingly, tetrabenazine had no effect at the doses tested. Chronic, low-dose CORT consumption did not alter task performance. CONCLUSION These data suggest that the EfR task is sensitive to acute dopaminergic modulation and NR2B selective antagonism in mice. However, it may lack sensitivity to non-acute phenotypic models. Further work is required to demonstrate the utility of the task in this context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Marangoni
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Melissa Tam
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Emma S J Robinson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Megan G Jackson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
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21
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Roberts BZ, O'Connor MA, Kenton JA, Barnes SA, Young JW. Short-active gestational photoperiod reduces effortful choice behavior in mice, partial normalization by d-amphetamine. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2303-2315. [PMID: 36806900 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06337-3] [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: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Seasonal birth patterns consistently implicate winter gestation as a risk factor for several psychiatric conditions. We recently demonstrated that short-active (SA; 19:5 light:dark)-i.e., "winter-like"-photoperiod exposure across gestation and early life (E0-P28) induces psychiatrically relevant behavioral abnormalities in adult mice, including reduced immobility in the forced swim test (FST) and effortful amotivation. It is unknown, however, whether these effects were driven primarily by prenatal or postnatal mechanisms, and whether perinatal SA photoperiod would similarly reduce effort expenditure in a task relevant to everyday decision-making. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS We first tested male and female mice exposed to either gestational (E0-P0) or postnatal (E0-P28) SA photoperiod in the FST to determine whether the previously observed alteration was driven primarily by prenatal versus postnatal photoperiod. We then assessed whether SA gestational photoperiod reduces effortful choice behavior in the cross-species effort-based decision-making task (EBDMT) and whether any such deficit could be remediated by d-amphetamine (0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg, i.p.). RESULTS Mice exposed to prenatal, but not postnatal, SA photoperiod exhibited reduced FST immobility relative to controls and also demonstrated condition-dependently reduced preference for high-effort/high-reward versus low-effort/low-reward contingencies in the EBDMT. This effortful choice deficit was normalized by 0.1 mg/kg amphetamine. CONCLUSIONS These data: (1) suggest a greater contribution of gestational versus postnatal light conditions to the behavioral effects of perinatal SA photoperiod; and (2) implicate altered dopamine signaling in the behavioral phenotype of the SA-born mouse and possibly in the etiology of winter gestation-associated cases of psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Z Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Molly A O'Connor
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Johnny A Kenton
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Samuel A Barnes
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA.
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, USA.
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22
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Matas-Navarro P, Carratalá-Ros C, Olivares-García R, Martínez-Verdú A, Salamone JD, Correa M. Sex and age differences in mice models of effort-based decision-making and anergia in depression: the role of dopamine, and cerebral-dopamine-neurotrophic-factor. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2285-2302. [PMID: 37592005 PMCID: PMC10593617 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06430-7] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Mesolimbic dopamine (DA) regulates vigor in motivated behavior. While previous results have mainly been performed in male rodents, the present studies compared CD1 male and female mice in effort-based decision-making tests of motivation. These tests offered choices between several reinforcers that require different levels of effort (progressive ratio/choice task and 3-choice-T-maze task). Sweet reinforcers were used in both tasks. In the operant tasks, females worked harder as the task required more effort to access a 10% sucrose solution. Although males and females did not differ in preference for 10% vs 3% solutions under free concurrent presentation, females consumed more of the 10% solution when tested alone. The operant task requires a long period of training and changes in the DA system due to age can be mediating long-term changes in effort. Thus, age and sex factors were evaluated in the T-maze task, which requires only a short training period. Both sexes and ages were equally active when habituated to the running wheel (RW), but females consumed more sweet pellets than males, especially at an older age. Both sexes had a strong preference for the RW compared to more sedentary reinforcers in the 3-choice-T-maze test, but older animals spent less time running and ate more than the young ones. The DA-depleting agent tetrabenazine reduced time running in older mice but not in adolescents. Cerebral-dopamine-neurotrophic-factor was reduced in older mice of both sexes compared to adolescent mice. These results emphasize the importance of taking into account differences in sex and age when evaluating willingness to exert effort for specific reinforcers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Matas-Navarro
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Campus de Riu Sec, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, 12071, Castelló de la Plana, Spain
| | - Carla Carratalá-Ros
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Campus de Riu Sec, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, 12071, Castelló de la Plana, Spain
| | - Régulo Olivares-García
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Campus de Riu Sec, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, 12071, Castelló de la Plana, Spain
| | - Andrea Martínez-Verdú
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Campus de Riu Sec, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, 12071, Castelló de la Plana, Spain
| | - John D Salamone
- Behavioral Neuroscience Div., Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA
| | - Mercè Correa
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Campus de Riu Sec, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, 12071, Castelló de la Plana, Spain.
- Behavioral Neuroscience Div., Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA.
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Daniels S, El Mansari M, Hamoudeh R, Blier P. Ketamine promptly normalizes excess norepinephrine and enhances dopamine neuronal activity in Wistar Kyoto rats. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1276309. [PMID: 38026921 PMCID: PMC10644068 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1276309] [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: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ketamine acts primarily by blocking the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor at the phencyclidine site. The rapid antidepressant properties of ketamine were demonstrated in the clinic and several behavioral models of depression in rodents. We hypothesized that the normalization of abnormal activity of monoamine neurons in Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats contributes to the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine. A single administration of ketamine (10 mg/kg, i. p) or saline was administered to anesthetized WKY rats before in vivo electrophysiological recordings of dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) serotonin (5-HT), locus coeruleus (LC) norepinephrine (NE) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neuronal activity. Pyramidal neurons from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were also recorded before and after a ketamine injection. In the VTA, ketamine elicited a significant increase in the population activity of DA neurons. This enhancement was consistent with findings in other depression-like models in which such a decreased population activity was observed. In the LC, ketamine normalized increased NE neuron burst activity found in WKY rats. In the DRN, ketamine did not significantly reverse 5-HT neuronal activity in WKY rats, which is dampened compared to Wistar rats. Ketamine did not significantly alter the neuronal activity of mPFC pyramidal neurons. These findings demonstrate that ketamine normalized NE neuronal activity and enhanced DA neuronal activity in WKY rats, which may contribute to its rapid antidepressant effect.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mostafa El Mansari
- Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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24
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Saperia S, Felsky D, Da Silva S, Siddiqui I, Rector N, Remington G, Zakzanis KK, Foussias G. Modeling Effort-Based Decision Making: Individual Differences in Schizophrenia and Major Depressive Disorder. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:1041-1049. [PMID: 37290745 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A critical facet of motivation is effort-based decision making, which refers to the mental processes involved in deciding whether a potential reward is worth the effort. To advance understanding of how individuals with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder utilize cost-benefit information to guide choice behavior, this study aimed to characterize individual differences in the computations associated with effort-based decision making. METHODS One hundred forty-five participants (51 with schizophrenia, 43 with depression, and 51 healthy control participants) completed the Effort Expenditure for Rewards Task, with mixed effects modeling conducted to estimate the predictors of decision making. These model-derived, subject-specific coefficients were then clustered using k-means to test for the presence of discrete transdiagnostic subgroups with different profiles of reward, probability, and cost information utilization during effort-based decision making. RESULTS An optimal 2-cluster solution was identified, with no significant differences in the distribution of diagnostic groups between clusters. Cluster 1 (n = 76) was characterized by overall lower information utilization during decision making than cluster 2 (n = 61). Participants in this low information utilization cluster were also significantly older and more cognitively impaired, and their utilization of reward, probability, and cost was significantly correlated with clinical amotivation, depressive symptoms, and cognitive functioning. CONCLUSIONS Our findings revealed meaningful individual differences among participants with schizophrenia, depression, and healthy control participants in their utilization of cost-benefit information in the context of effortful decision making. These findings may provide insight into different processes associated with aberrant choice behavior and may potentially guide the identification of more individualized treatment targets for effort-based motivation deficits across disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Saperia
- Schizophrenia Division and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Slaight Family Centre for Youth in Transition, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel Felsky
- Schizophrenia Division and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Susana Da Silva
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ishraq Siddiqui
- Schizophrenia Division and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Slaight Family Centre for Youth in Transition, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Neil Rector
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gary Remington
- Schizophrenia Division and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - George Foussias
- Schizophrenia Division and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Slaight Family Centre for Youth in Transition, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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25
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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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26
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Barch DM, Culbreth AJ, Ben Zeev D, Campbell A, Nepal S, Moran EK. Dissociation of Cognitive Effort-Based Decision Making and Its Associations With Symptoms, Cognition, and Everyday Life Function Across Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, and Depression. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 94:501-510. [PMID: 37080416 PMCID: PMC10755814 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.04.007] [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: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anhedonia and amotivation are symptoms of many different mental health disorders that are frequently associated with functional disability, but it is not clear whether the same processes contribute to motivational impairments across disorders. This study focused on one possible factor, the willingness to exert cognitive effort, referred to as cognitive effort-cost decision making. METHODS We examined performance on the deck choice task as a measure of cognitive effort-cost decision making, in which people choose to complete an easy task for a small monetary reward or a harder task for larger rewards, in 5 groups: healthy control (n = 80), schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder (n = 50), bipolar disorder with psychosis (n = 58), current major depression (n = 60), and past major depression (n = 51). We examined cognitive effort-cost decision making in relation to clinician and self-reported motivation symptoms, working memory and cognitive control performance, and life function measured by ecological momentary assessment and passive sensing. RESULTS We found a significant diagnostic group × reward interaction (F8,588 = 4.37, p < .001, ηp2 = 0.056). Compared with the healthy control group, the schizophrenia/schizoaffective and bipolar disorder groups, but not the current or past major depressive disorder groups, showed a reduced willingness to exert effort at the higher reward values. In the schizophrenia/schizoaffective and bipolar disorder groups, but not the major depressive disorder groups, reduced willingness to exert cognitive effort for higher rewards was associated with greater clinician-rated motivation impairments, worse working memory and cognitive control performance, and less engagement in goal-directed activities measured by ecological momentary assessment. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the mechanisms contributing to motivational impairments differ among individuals with psychosis spectrum disorders versus depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Radiology, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
| | - Adam J Culbreth
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Dror Ben Zeev
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Andrew Campbell
- Department of Computer Science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Subigya Nepal
- Department of Computer Science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Erin K Moran
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
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27
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Blain B, Pinhorn I, Sharot T. Sensitivity to intrinsic rewards is domain general and related to mental health. NATURE MENTAL HEALTH 2023; 1:679-691. [PMID: 38665692 PMCID: PMC11041740 DOI: 10.1038/s44220-023-00116-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Humans frequently engage in intrinsically rewarding activities (for example, consuming art, reading). Despite such activities seeming diverse, we show that sensitivity to intrinsic rewards is domain general and associated with mental health. In this cross-sectional study, participants online (N = 483) were presented with putative visual, cognitive and social intrinsic rewards as well as monetary rewards and neutral stimuli. All rewards elicited positive feelings (were 'liked'), generated consummatory behaviour (were 'wanted') and increased the likelihood of the action leading to them (were 'reinforcing'). Factor analysis revealed that ~40% of response variance across stimuli was explained by a general sensitivity to all rewards, but not to neutral stimuli. Affective aspects of mental health were associated with sensitivity to intrinsic, but not monetary, rewards. These results may help explain thriving and suffering: individuals with high reward sensitivity will engage in a variety of intrinsically rewarding activities, eventually finding those they excel at, whereas low sensitivity individuals will not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastien Blain
- Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Centre d’Economie de la Sorbonne, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris, France
| | - India Pinhorn
- Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Tali Sharot
- Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA USA
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28
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Boyle CC, Bower JE, Eisenberger NI, Irwin MR. Stress to inflammation and anhedonia: Mechanistic insights from preclinical and clinical models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105307. [PMID: 37419230 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Anhedonia, as evidenced by impaired pleasurable response to reward, reduced reward motivation, and/or deficits in reward-related learning, is a common feature of depression. Such deficits in reward processing are also an important clinical target as a risk factor for depression onset. Unfortunately, reward-related deficits remain difficult to treat. To address this gap and inform the development of effective prevention and treatment strategies, it is critical to understand the mechanisms that drive impairments in reward function. Stress-induced inflammation is a plausible mechanism of reward deficits. The purpose of this paper is to review evidence for two components of this psychobiological pathway: 1) the effects of stress on reward function; and 2) the effects of inflammation on reward function. Within these two areas, we draw upon preclinical and clinical models, distinguish between acute and chronic effects of stress and inflammation, and address specific domains of reward dysregulation. By addressing these contextual factors, the review reveals a nuanced literature which might be targeted for additional scientific inquiry to inform the development of precise interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe C Boyle
- Norman Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, USA.
| | - Julienne E Bower
- Norman Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, USA; Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Michael R Irwin
- Norman Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, USA
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29
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Slaney C, Perkins AM, Davis R, Penton-Voak I, Munafò MR, Houghton CJ, Robinson ESJ. Objective measures of reward sensitivity and motivation in people with high v. low anhedonia. Psychol Med 2023; 53:4324-4332. [PMID: 35545891 PMCID: PMC10388304 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722001052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anhedonia - a diminished interest or pleasure in activities - is a core self-reported symptom of depression which is poorly understood and often resistant to conventional antidepressants. This symptom may occur due to dysfunction in one or more sub-components of reward processing: motivation, consummatory experience and/or learning. However, the precise impairments remain elusive. Dissociating these components (ideally, using cross-species measures) and relating them to the subjective experience of anhedonia is critical as it may benefit fundamental biology research and novel drug development. METHODS Using a battery of behavioural tasks based on rodent assays, we examined reward motivation (Joystick-Operated Runway Task, JORT; and Effort-Expenditure for Rewards Task, EEfRT) and reward sensitivity (Sweet Taste Test) in a non-clinical population who scored high (N = 32) or low (N = 34) on an anhedonia questionnaire (Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale). RESULTS Compared to the low anhedonia group, the high anhedonia group displayed marginal impairments in effort-based decision-making (EEfRT) and reduced reward sensitivity (Sweet Taste Test). However, we found no evidence of a difference between groups in physical effort exerted for reward (JORT). Interestingly, whilst the EEfRT and Sweet Taste Test correlated with anhedonia measures, they did not correlate with each other. This poses the question of whether there are subgroups within anhedonia; however, further work is required to directly test this hypothesis. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that anhedonia is a heterogeneous symptom associated with impairments in reward sensitivity and effort-based decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Slaney
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Adam M. Perkins
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Robert Davis
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London SE14 6NW, UK
| | - Ian Penton-Voak
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marcus R. Munafò
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol BS8 2BN, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Conor J. Houghton
- Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK
| | - Emma S. J. Robinson
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
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Effects of an experimentally induced inflammatory stimulus on motivational behavior in remitted depressed patients. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 161:106-111. [PMID: 36917867 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.03.019] [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: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute inflammation is associated with sickness behavior characterized by reduced motivation for pleasurable activities in humans. The current study investigated the effect of an experimentally induced inflammatory stimulus on motivational reward in people who remitted from depression. METHODS This randomized, double-blind crossover study involved 12 participants, 5 with remitted major depressive disorder (rMDD) and 7 healthy controls (HC), who received an injection of typhoid vaccine and placebo (or vice-versa) intramuscularly at least one week apart. At baseline and between 4 and 6 h post-injection on both days, participant mood was measured using the profile of mood states (POMS), and injection blood samples were collected for cytokines measurement. All participants completed the Effort Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT), a behavioral paradigm measuring effort-based decision-making before and 4 h post-both injections. Generalized linear mixed modeling was used to evaluate group differences in choosing the hard over easy task to obtain a monetary reward. RESULTS Typhoid vaccine increased IL-6 in all participants. On the EEfRT, a significant interaction between treatment condition (typhoid vs. placebo) and participant group (HC vs. rMDD) was found (p = .004). Analyses of simple effects within treatment conditions found that after placebo, HCs were more likely to choose the harder task than rMDD (OR = 3.21; p = .013). However, after the typhoid vaccine, no differences were found between rMDD and HC (p = .397). Analyses within participant groups found that the probability of choosing a hard task was higher after placebo for HC (OR = 1.37; p = .045), but not different within rMDD (p = .241). For HC at baseline, mood was significantly lower following injection with typhoid vaccine, relative to placebo (b = -1.03, p < .001); however, this effect should be considered coincidental, given that mood rating was taken prior to injection. For rMDD patients 4-6 h post-injection, mood was significantly lower following typhoid vaccine, relative to placebo (b = -0.981, p < .001 b = -0.77, p < .001). Finally, for HC receiving placebo, mood was significantly lower 4-6 h post-injection, relative to baseline (b = -1.76, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS Our preliminary findings suggest persistent deficits in motivational reward processing function despite clinical improvement in remitted depressed patients.
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Dutcher EG, Lopez-Cruz L, Pama EAC, Lynall ME, Bevers ICR, Jones JA, Khan S, Sawiak SJ, Milton AL, Clatworthy MR, Robbins TW, Bullmore ET, Dalley JW. Early-life stress biases responding to negative feedback and increases amygdala volume and vulnerability to later-life stress. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:81. [PMID: 36882404 PMCID: PMC9992709 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02385-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress (ELS) or adversity, particularly in the form of childhood neglect and abuse, is associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes in adulthood. However, whether these relationships are mediated by the consequences of ELS itself or by other exposures that frequently co-occur with ELS is unclear. To address this question, we carried out a longitudinal study in rats to isolate the effects of ELS on regional brain volumes and behavioral phenotypes relevant to anxiety and depression. We used the repeated maternal separation (RMS) model of chronic ELS, and conducted behavioral measurements throughout adulthood, including of probabilistic reversal learning (PRL), responding on a progressive ratio task, sucrose preference, novelty preference, novelty reactivity, and putative anxiety-like behavior on the elevated plus maze. Our behavioral assessment was combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for quantitation of regional brain volumes at three time points: immediately following RMS, young adulthood without further stress, and late adulthood with further stress. We found that RMS caused long-lasting, sexually dimorphic biased responding to negative feedback on the PRL task. RMS also slowed response time on the PRL task, but without this directly impacting task performance. RMS animals were also uniquely sensitive to a second stressor, which disproportionately impaired their performance and slowed their responding on the PRL task. MRI at the time of the adult stress revealed a larger amygdala volume in RMS animals compared with controls. These behavioral and neurobiological effects persisted well into adulthood despite a lack of effects on conventional tests of 'depression-like' and 'anxiety-like' behavior, and a lack of any evidence of anhedonia. Our findings indicate that ELS has long-lasting cognitive and neurobehavioral effects that interact with stress in adulthood and may have relevance for understanding the etiology of anxiety and depression in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan G Dutcher
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Laura Lopez-Cruz
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - E A Claudia Pama
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Mary-Ellen Lynall
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
- Molecular Immunity Unit, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, CB2 OQH, UK
| | - Iris C R Bevers
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525 XZ, The Netherlands
| | - Jolyon A Jones
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Shahid Khan
- GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Stephen J Sawiak
- Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EL, UK
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Amy L Milton
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Menna R Clatworthy
- Molecular Immunity Unit, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, CB2 OQH, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Jeffrey W Dalley
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK.
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Grèzes J, Risch N, Courtet P, Olié E, Mennella R. Depression and approach-avoidance decisions to emotional displays: The role of anhedonia. Behav Res Ther 2023; 164:104306. [PMID: 37043847 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Depression is linked to dysfunctional appetitive and aversive motivational systems and effort-based decision-making, yet whether such deficits extend to social decisions remains unclear. Participants (23 non-depressed, 48 depressed - 24 with a past history of suicide attempt) completed a social decision-making task consisting in freely choosing whether to approach or avoid individuals displaying happy or angry expressions. Occasionally, participants had to make a further effort (change button press) to obtain the desired outcome. All participants preferentially avoided anger on their first choice. Yet, depressed patients less often chose to approach happy individuals, as a function of anhedonia severity. Depressed patients were also less inclined than controls to change their response when the anticipated outcome of their first choice was undesirable (approach angry and avoid happy). Again, such effect correlated with anhedonia severity. Our results support that both altered valuation and willingness to exert effort impact approach-avoidance decisions in social contexts in depression. On this basis, we propose a new integrating framework for reconciling different hypotheses on the effect of depression and anhedonia on motivational responses to emotional stimuli.
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Gill H, McIntyre RS, Hawco C, Rodrigues NB, Gill B, DiVincenzo JD, Lieberman JM, Marks CA, Cha DS, Lipsitz O, Nazal H, Jasrai A, Rosenblat JD, Mansur RB. Evaluating the neural substrates of effort-expenditure for reward in adults with major depressive disorder and obesity. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2023; 329:111592. [PMID: 36708594 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2023.111592] [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: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Converging evidence has suggested that disturbances in monetary reward processing may subserve the shared biosignature between major depressive disorder (MDD) and obesity. However, there remains a paucity of studies that have evaluated the deficits in specific subcomponents of reward functioning in populations with MDD and obesity comorbidity. We evaluated the association between effort-expenditure for monetary reward and neural activation in regions associated with reward-based decision making (i.e., the caudate nucleus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and hippocampus) in people with MDD and obesity comorbidity. We acquired structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 12 participants and performed a spherical region-of-interest analysis (ROI) using previously defined peak MNI coordinates. A one-sample t-test was employed to compare ROI-specific blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal change during the task choice selection window (i.e., high-effort vs. low-effort task) of the effort-expenditure for reward task (EEfRT). We observed no change in activation of the caudate nucleus, ACC or hippocampus in participants with increased BMI when contrasting the high effort > low effort reward magnitude condition for the EEfRT. The findings from our exploratory study evaluated the disturbances in fundamental reward processes, including cost-benefit decision making, in people MDD and obesity. Future studies should further investigate this relationship with a larger sample size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hartej Gill
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence, Mississauga, ON, Canada; Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Roger S McIntyre
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence, Mississauga, ON, Canada; Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Colin Hawco
- Campbell Family Mental Health Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Nelson B Rodrigues
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Barjot Gill
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joshua D DiVincenzo
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence, Mississauga, ON, Canada; Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan M Lieberman
- Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - CéAnn A Marks
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Danielle S Cha
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence, Mississauga, ON, Canada; Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Orly Lipsitz
- Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Hana Nazal
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ashitija Jasrai
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joshua D Rosenblat
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence, Mississauga, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rodrigo B Mansur
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Renz KE, Schlier B, Lincoln TM. Are effort-based decision-making tasks worth the effort?-A study on the associations between effort-based decision-making tasks and self-report measures. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res 2023; 32:e1943. [PMID: 36088538 PMCID: PMC9976602 DOI: 10.1002/mpr.1943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Amotivation is a common symptom in various mental disorders, including psychotic or depressive disorders. Effort-based decision-making (EBDM)-tasks quantifying amotivation at a behavioral level have been on the rise. Task performance has been shown to differentiate patient groups from healthy controls. However, findings on indicators of construct validity, such as the correlations between different tasks and between tasks and self-reported/observer-rated amotivation in clinical and healthy samples have been inconclusive. METHODS In a representative community sample (N = 90), we tested the construct validity of the Deck Choice Task, the Expenditure for Rewards Task and the Balloon Task. We calculated correlations between the EBDM-tasks and between the EBDM-tasks and self-reported amotivation, apathy, anticipatory pleasure, and BIS/BAS. RESULTS Correlations between tasks were low to moderate (0.198 ≤ r ≤ 0.358), with the Balloon Task showing the largest correlations with the other tasks, but no significant correlations between any EBDM-task and the self-report measures. CONCLUSION Although different EBDM-tasks are conceptualized to measure the same construct, a large part of what each task measures could not be accounted for by the other tasks. Moreover, the tasks did not appear to substantially capture what was measured in established self-report instruments for amotivation in our sample, which could be interpreted as questioning the construct validity of EBDM-tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina E Renz
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Björn Schlier
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tania M Lincoln
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Anhedonia in Relation to Reward and Effort Learning in Young People with Depression Symptoms. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13020341. [PMID: 36831884 PMCID: PMC9953984 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13020341] [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: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Anhedonia, a central depression symptom, is associated with impairments in reward processing. However, it is not well understood which sub-components of reward processing (anticipation, motivation, consummation, and learning) are impaired in association with anhedonia in depression. In particular, it is unclear how learning about different rewards and the effort needed to obtain them might be associated with anhedonia and depression symptoms. Therefore, we examined learning in young people (N = 132, mean age 20, range 17-25 yrs.) with a range of depression and anhedonia symptoms using a probabilistic instrumental learning task. The task required participants to learn which options to choose to maximize their reward outcomes across three conditions (chocolate taste, puppy images, or money) and to minimize the physical effort required to obtain the rewards. Additionally, we collected questionnaire measures of anticipatory and consummatory anhedonia, as well as subjective reports of "liking", "wanting" and "willingness to exert effort" for the rewards used in the task. We found that as anticipatory anhedonia increased, subjective liking and wanting of rewards decreased. Moreover, higher anticipatory anhedonia was significantly associated with lower reward learning accuracy, and participants demonstrated significantly higher reward learning than effort learning accuracy. To our knowledge, this is the first study observing an association of anhedonia with reward liking, wanting, and learning when reward and effort learning are measured simultaneously. Our findings suggest an impaired ability to learn from rewarding outcomes could contribute to anhedonia in young people. Future longitudinal research is needed to confirm this and reveal the specific aspects of reward learning that predict anhedonia. These aspects could then be targeted by novel anhedonia interventions.
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Vinckier F, Jaffre C, Gauthier C, Smajda S, Abdel-Ahad P, Le Bouc R, Daunizeau J, Fefeu M, Borderies N, Plaze M, Gaillard R, Pessiglione M. Elevated Effort Cost Identified by Computational Modeling as a Distinctive Feature Explaining Multiple Behaviors in Patients With Depression. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:1158-1169. [PMID: 35952972 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Motivational deficit is a core clinical manifestation of depression and a strong predictor of treatment failure. However, the underlying mechanisms, which cannot be accessed through conventional questionnaire-based scoring, remain largely unknown. According to decision theory, apathy could result either from biased subjective estimates (of action costs or outcomes) or from dysfunctional processes (in making decisions or allocating resources). METHODS Here, we combined a series of behavioral tasks with computational modeling to elucidate the motivational deficits of 35 patients with unipolar or bipolar depression under various treatments compared with 35 matched healthy control subjects. RESULTS The most striking feature, which was observed independent of medication across preference tasks (likeability ratings and binary decisions), performance tasks (physical and mental effort exertion), and instrumental learning tasks (updating choices to maximize outcomes), was an elevated sensitivity to effort cost. By contrast, sensitivity to action outcomes (reward and punishment) and task-specific processes were relatively spared. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight effort cost as a critical dimension that might explain multiple behavioral changes in patients with depression. More generally, they validate a test battery for computational phenotyping of motivational states, which could orientate toward specific medication or rehabilitation therapy, and thereby help pave the way for more personalized medicine in psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Vinckier
- Motivation, Brain & Behavior lab Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Paris, France.
| | - Claire Jaffre
- Motivation, Brain & Behavior lab Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Claire Gauthier
- Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Sarah Smajda
- Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Abdel-Ahad
- Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Raphaël Le Bouc
- Motivation, Brain & Behavior lab Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France; Urgences cérébro-vasculaires, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Sorbonne University, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France; Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jean Daunizeau
- Motivation, Brain & Behavior lab Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France; Sorbonne Universités, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Mylène Fefeu
- Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Borderies
- Motivation, Brain & Behavior lab Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Marion Plaze
- Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Raphaël Gaillard
- Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, experimental neuropathology unit, Paris, France
| | - Mathias Pessiglione
- Motivation, Brain & Behavior lab Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France; Sorbonne Universités, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France
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Aquino GA, Sousa CNS, Medeiros IS, Almeida JC, Cysne Filho FMS, Santos Júnior MA, Vasconcelos SMM. Behavioral alterations, brain oxidative stress, and elevated levels of corticosterone associated with a pressure injury model in male mice. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 2022; 33:789-801. [PMID: 34390639 DOI: 10.1515/jbcpp-2021-0056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Sustained stress can cause physiological disruption in crucial systems like the endocrine, autonomic, and central nervous system. In general, skin damages are physical stress present in hospitalized patients. Also, these pressure injuries lead to pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the neurobiology of mood disorders. Here, we aimed to investigate the behavioral alterations, oxidative stress, and corticosterone levels in the brain areas of mice submitted to the model of pressure injury (PI). METHODS The male mice behaviors were assessed in the open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze test (EPM), tail suspension test (TST), and sucrose preference test (SPT). Then, we isolated the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (HP), and striatum (ST) by brain dissection. The nonprotein sulfhydryl groups (NP-SH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in the brain, and also the plasma corticosterone levels were verified. RESULTS PI model decreased the locomotor activity of animals (p<0.05). Considering the EPM test, the PI group showed a decrease in the open arm activity (p<0.01), and an increase in the closed arm activity (p<0.05). PI group showed an increment in the immobility time (p<0.001), and reduced sucrose consumption (p<0.0001) compared to the control groups. Regarding the oxidative/nitrosative profile, all brain areas from the PI group exhibited a reduction in the NP-SH levels (p<0.0001-p<0.01), and an increase in the MDA level (p<0.001-p<0.01). Moreover, the PI male mice presented increased levels of plasma corticosterone (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the PI model induces depressive and anxiety-like behaviors. Furthermore, it induces pathophysiological mechanisms like the neurobiology of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A Aquino
- Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, Núcleo de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento de Medicamentos, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Caren N S Sousa
- Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, Núcleo de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento de Medicamentos, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Ingridy S Medeiros
- Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, Núcleo de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento de Medicamentos, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Jamily C Almeida
- Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, Núcleo de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento de Medicamentos, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Francisco M S Cysne Filho
- Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, Núcleo de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento de Medicamentos, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Manuel A Santos Júnior
- Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, Núcleo de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento de Medicamentos, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Silvânia M M Vasconcelos
- Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, Núcleo de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento de Medicamentos, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
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Shamai-Leshem D, Linetzky M, Bar-Haim Y. Attention Biases in Previously Depressed Individuals: A Meta-Analysis and Implications for Depression Recurrence. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10608-022-10331-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Kong X, Zhang P, Xiao F, Fang S, Ji X, Wang X, Lin P, Li H, Yao S, Wang X. State-independent and -dependent behavioral and neuroelectrophysiological characteristics during dynamic decision-making in patients with current and remitted depression. J Affect Disord 2022; 309:85-94. [PMID: 35472481 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.04.120] [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: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is unclear whether the altered decision-making (DM) observed in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) is neurophysiological and whether it improves with remission of depressive symptoms. The aim of this study was to identify developmental patterns of DM behavior, related cognitive characteristics, and electrophysiological abnormalities in patients with MDD across clinical stages. METHODS A sample of 48 first-episode MDD patients (FD group), 41 remitted MDD patients (RD group), and 43 healthy controls (HCs) completed psychometric assessments and performed the balloon analogue risk task (BART) while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. RESULTS The RD group had lower depressiveness, self-blame, rumination, and catastrophizing tendencies, and higher mental resilience scores than the FD group, but retained significant differences from HCs. MDD patients showed a more conservative DM strategy than HCs, with no significant difference between the FD and RD groups. Compared to the FD group, the RD group had a smaller FRN for negative feedback and a trend toward a smaller P3 for positive feedback. Compared with HCs, the RD group had a smaller P3 during the positive feedback phase. FRN amplitude correlated positively with depression level and negatively with mental resilience. LIMITATIONS Because a comparative cross-section design was employed, longitudinal studies are needed to make causal inferences. CONCLUSION MDD patients presented a stable risk-avoidance bias in actively depressed and remission periods, consistent with a state-independent impairment pattern. Significantly reduced FRN amplitudes during remission indicated a state-dependent impairment pattern, and FRN amplitudes correlated with depression level. An abnormal feedback P3 component may be a state-independent characteristic that may become more pronounced with MDD progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Kong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Panwen Zhang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Shanghai Songjiang Jiuting Middle School, Shanghai, China
| | - Fan Xiao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Shulin Fang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Xinlei Ji
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Xiaosheng Wang
- Department of Human Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Pan Lin
- Department of Psychology and Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Huanhuan Li
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Shuqiao Yao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
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Klawohn J, Joyner K, Santopetro N, Brush CJ, Hajcak G. Depression reduces neural correlates of reward salience with increasing effort over the course of the progressive ratio task. J Affect Disord 2022; 307:294-300. [PMID: 35339572 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.03.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depressive disorders have been associated with altered effort-cost decision making (ECDM) in behavioral investigations, such as a decreased willingness to expend effort for reward attainment. However, little is known about neural mechanisms implicated in altered ECDM. METHODS The study investigates neural correlates of reward attainment during a progressive ratio task in participants with a current depressive disorder (n = 65) and never-depressed healthy individuals (n = 44). On each trial, participants completed an increasing number of button presses to attain a fixed monetary reward, indicated by an auditory reward signal. Participants could decide to quit the task anytime (breakpoint). EEG was recorded during the task and P300 amplitudes were examined in response to the auditory signal of reward attainment. RESULTS There was no difference in breakpoint, as both groups completed comparable numbers of button presses. In contrast, results from mixed-effects models of trial-level ERP responses indicated depression-related effects on P300 amplitudes over the course of the task. Generally, the reward-locked P300 increased with ascending effort expenditure; however, compared to healthy participants, individuals with current depression were characterized by an attenuated trajectory of the reward-locked P300, pointing towards decreased reactivity to reward attainment with increasing effort. LIMITATIONS Sample size and reward magnitude were possibly not large enough to detect differences in breakpoint. CONCLUSIONS The results of the current study demonstrate that the investigation of reward-related P300 trajectory may represent an informative novel addition to the progressive ratio task, which could help shed light on depression-related alterations in motivation and ECDM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Klawohn
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA; Department of Medicine, MSB Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Keanan Joyner
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | | | - C J Brush
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA
| | - Greg Hajcak
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA
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Copperi F, Kim JD, Diano S. Melanocortin Signaling Connecting Systemic Metabolism With Mood Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:879-887. [PMID: 34344535 PMCID: PMC8643363 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Obesity and mood disorders are often overlapping pathologies that are prevalent public health concerns. Many studies have indicated a positive correlation between depression and obesity, although weight loss and decreased appetite are also recognized as features of depression. Accordingly, DSM-5 defines two subtypes of depression associated with changes in feeding: melancholic depression, characterized by anhedonia and associated with decreased feeding and appetite; and atypical depression, characterized by fatigue, sleepiness, hyperphagia, and weight gain. The central nervous system plays a key role in the regulation of feeding and mood, thus suggesting that overlapping neuronal circuits may be involved in their modulation. However, these circuits have yet to be completely characterized. The central melanocortin system, a circuitry characterized by the expression of specific peptides (pro-opiomelanocortins, agouti-related protein, and neuropeptide Y) and their melanocortin receptors, has been shown to be a key player in the regulation of feeding. In addition, the melanocortin system has also been shown to affect anxiety and depressive-like behavior, thus suggesting a possible role of the melanocortin system as a biological substrate linking feeding and depression. However, more studies are needed to fully understand this complex system and its role in regulating metabolic and mood disorders. In this review, we will discuss the current literature on the role of the melanocortin system in human and animal models in feeding and mood regulation, providing evidence of the biological interplay between anxiety, major depressive disorders, appetite, and body weight regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Copperi
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032
| | - Jung Dae Kim
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032
| | - Sabrina Diano
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.
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Wilke SA, Lavi K, Byeon S, Donohue KC, Sohal VS. Convergence of Clinically Relevant Manipulations on Dopamine-Regulated Prefrontal Activity Underlying Stress Coping Responses. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:810-820. [PMID: 35090617 PMCID: PMC11182612 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is pleiotropic and influenced by diverse genetic, environmental, and pharmacological factors. Identifying patterns of circuit activity on which many of these factors converge would be important, because studying these patterns could reveal underlying pathophysiological processes and/or novel therapies. Depression is commonly assumed to involve changes within prefrontal circuits, and dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) agonists are increasingly used as adjunctive antidepressants. Nevertheless, how D2Rs influence disease-relevant patterns of prefrontal circuit activity remains unknown. METHODS We used brain slice calcium imaging to measure how patterns of prefrontal activity are modulated by D2Rs, antidepressants, and manipulations that increase depression susceptibility. To validate the idea that prefrontal D2Rs might contribute to antidepressant responses, we used optogenetic and genetic manipulations to test how dopamine, D2Rs, and D2R+ neurons contribute to stress-coping behavior. RESULTS Patterns of positively correlated activity in prefrontal microcircuits are specifically enhanced by D2R stimulation as well as by two mechanistically distinct antidepressants, ketamine and fluoxetine. Conversely, this D2R-driven effect was disrupted in two etiologically distinct depression models, a genetic susceptibility model and mice that are susceptible to chronic social defeat. Phasic stimulation of dopaminergic afferents to the prefrontal cortex and closed-loop stimulation of D2R+ neurons increased effortful responses to tail suspension stress, whereas prefrontal D2R deletion reduced the duration of individual struggling episodes. CONCLUSIONS Correlated prefrontal microcircuit activity represents a point of convergence for multiple depression-related manipulations. Prefrontal D2Rs enhance this activity. Through this mechanism, prefrontal D2Rs may promote network states associated with antidepressant actions and effortful responses to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Wilke
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Karen Lavi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Sujin Byeon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Kevin C Donohue
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Vikaas S Sohal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
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Liang JN, Hu WT, Gu YT, Cheng TH, Geng JS, Wang KL, Wang LJ, Yao XR, Shen JF, Wang YY. Impairment of response inhibition to emotional face stimuli in individuals with subclinical depression. Psych J 2022; 11:327-334. [PMID: 35419989 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Response inhibition, a crucial component of executive function, is closely related to personal impulse control, social adaption, and mental health. Previous studies have found response inhibition deficit in patients with major depressive disorder, but whether it also exists in individuals with subclinical depression (SD) remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the ability of response inhibition to emotional face stimuli both under explicit and implicit conditions in individuals with SD. Thirty-six subclinical depressed college students and 39 healthy individuals were recruited and administered the non-emotional, explicit, and implicit emotional stop-signal tasks (SSTs). Mixed-model analyses of variance were used to analyze the differences between and within groups. In implicit emotional SST, the results showed a significant longer stop-signal response time, a shorter stop-signal delay time, a shorter go reaction time, and a similar proportion of stop success in the SD group compared to healthy controls. However, the above indices showed no significant difference between the two groups in the non-emotional SST and explicit emotional SST. These findings suggest a possible defect of response inhibition in implicit emotional processing in individuals with SD, which may potentially serve as a marker of susceptibility to depression and thus be applied to early screening and intervention for major depressive disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Ning Liang
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Wen-Ting Hu
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Yu-Ting Gu
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Tian-Hua Cheng
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Jia-Sen Geng
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Kui-Lai Wang
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Li-Jun Wang
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Xin-Ran Yao
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Jian-Fei Shen
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Yan-Yu Wang
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
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Salamone J, Ecevitoglu A, Carratala-Ros C, Presby R, Edelstein G, Fleeher R, Rotolo R, Meka N, Srinath S, Masthay JC, Correa M. Complexities and Paradoxes in Understanding the Role of Dopamine in Incentive Motivation and Instrumental Action: Exertion of Effort vs. Anhedonia. Brain Res Bull 2022; 182:57-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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45
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Ohmann HA, Kuper N, Wacker J. Examining the reliability and validity of two versions of the Effort-Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262902. [PMID: 35089948 PMCID: PMC8797221 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The Effort-Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT) has gained validity evidence from several studies. However, various modifications have been applied to the original version, which have never been compared systematically. In Study 1, we tested 120 healthy participants to directly compare two versions of the EEfRT. In Study 2, we tested a larger sample of 394 healthy participants to further examine the original EEfRT. We replicated the split-half reliability of both task versions. However, self-reported personality traits (e.g., trait BAS) correlated with only some task performance parameters in Study 1, which did not replicate for the original EEfRT in Study 2. Our results indicate complex and sometimes inconsistent relations between different personality traits, task properties, and reward attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanno Andreas Ohmann
- Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Niclas Kuper
- Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Jan Wacker
- Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Schaub AC, Kirschner M, Schweinfurth N, Mählmann L, Kettelhack C, Engeli EE, Doll JPK, Borgwardt S, Lang UE, Kaiser S, Walter M, Herdener M, Wrege J, Schmidt A. Neural mapping of anhedonia across psychiatric diagnoses: A transdiagnostic neuroimaging analysis. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 32:102825. [PMID: 34544030 PMCID: PMC8455863 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102825] [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: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Anhedonia is present in many different psychiatric disorders. Anhedonia has been associated with abnormal reward-related striatal dopamine functioning. This study tested whether transdiagnostic anhedonia expression mapped onto striatal volume. Our findings suggest volumetric abnormalities in the putamen and cerebellum as a common neural substrate of anhedonia severity that cut across psychiatric entities.
Anhedonia has been associated with abnormal reward-related striatal dopamine functioning in patients with different psychiatric disorders. Here, we tested whether anhedonia expression mapped onto striatal volume across several psychiatric diagnoses. T1-weighted images from 313 participants including 89 healthy controls (HC), 22 patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), 50 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), 45 patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), 49 patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP), 43 patients with cocaine use disorder (CUD) and 15 patients with schizophrenia (SZ) were included. Anhedonia was assessed with subscores of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and/or the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was conducted for identifying dimensional symptom-structure associations using region of interest (ROI, dorsal and ventral striatum) and whole-brain analyses, as well as for group comparisons of striatal volume. ROI analyses revealed significant negative relationships between putamen volume and BDI and SANS anhedonia scores across OUD, MDD, BPD, CUD and SZ patients (n = 175) and MDD, FEP and SZ patients (n = 114), respectively. Whole-brain VBM analyses confirmed these associations and further showed negative relationships between anhedonia severity and volume of the bilateral cerebellum. There were group differences in right accumbens volume, which however were not related to anhedonia expression across the different diagnoses. Our findings indicate volumetric abnormalities in the putamen and cerebellum as a common neural substrate of anhedonia severity that cut across psychiatric entities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthias Kirschner
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nina Schweinfurth
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Laura Mählmann
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Cedric Kettelhack
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Etna E Engeli
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jessica P K Doll
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Borgwardt
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Undine E Lang
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Kaiser
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland
| | - Marc Walter
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Herdener
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Wrege
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - André Schmidt
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland.
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Metts A, Arnaudova I, Staples-Bradley L, Sun M, Zinbarg R, Nusslock R, Wassum KM, Craske MG. Disruption in Pavlovian-Instrumental Transfer as a Function of Depression and Anxiety. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-021-09941-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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48
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Kieslich K, Valton V, Roiser JP. Pleasure, Reward Value, Prediction Error and Anhedonia. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2022; 58:281-304. [PMID: 35156187 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In order to develop effective treatments for anhedonia we need to understand its underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Anhedonia is conceptually strongly linked to reward processing, which involves a variety of cognitive and neural operations. This chapter reviews the evidence for impairments in experiencing hedonic response (pleasure), reward valuation and reward learning based on outcomes (commonly conceptualised in terms of "reward prediction error"). Synthesising behavioural and neuroimaging findings, we examine case-control studies of patients with depression and schizophrenia, including those focusing specifically on anhedonia. Overall, there is reliable evidence that depression and schizophrenia are associated with disrupted reward processing. In contrast to the historical definition of anhedonia, there is surprisingly limited evidence for impairment in the ability to experience pleasure in depression and schizophrenia. There is some evidence that learning about reward and reward prediction error signals are impaired in depression and schizophrenia, but the literature is inconsistent. The strongest evidence is for impairments in the representation of reward value and how this is used to guide action. Future studies would benefit from focusing on impairments in reward processing specifically in anhedonic samples, including transdiagnostically, and from using designs separating different components of reward processing, formulating them in computational terms, and moving beyond cross-sectional designs to provide an assessment of causality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karel Kieslich
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Vincent Valton
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan P Roiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
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Influences of dopaminergic system dysfunction on late-life depression. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:180-191. [PMID: 34404915 PMCID: PMC8850529 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01265-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in cognition, reward processing, and motor function are clinical features relevant to both aging and depression. Individuals with late-life depression often show impairment across these domains, all of which are moderated by the functioning of dopaminergic circuits. As dopaminergic function declines with normal aging and increased inflammatory burden, the role of dopamine may be particularly salient for late-life depression. We review the literature examining the role of dopamine in the pathogenesis of depression, as well as how dopamine function changes with aging and is influenced by inflammation. Applying a Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Initiative perspective, we then review work examining how dopaminergic signaling affects these domains, specifically focusing on Cognitive, Positive Valence, and Sensorimotor Systems. We propose a unified model incorporating the effects of aging and low-grade inflammation on dopaminergic functioning, with a resulting negative effect on cognition, reward processing, and motor function. Interplay between these systems may influence development of a depressive phenotype, with an initial deficit in one domain reinforcing decline in others. This model extends RDoC concepts into late-life depression while also providing opportunities for novel and personalized interventions.
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50
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Bi R, Dong W, Zheng Z, Li S, Zhang D. Altered motivation of effortful decision-making for self and others in subthreshold depression. Depress Anxiety 2022; 39:633-645. [PMID: 35657301 PMCID: PMC9543190 DOI: 10.1002/da.23267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amotivation is a typical feature in major depressive disorders and refers to individuals exhibiting reduced willingness to exert effort for rewards. However, the motivation pattern when deciding whether to exert effort for self versus others in people with depression remains unclear. METHODS We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging study and employed an adapted Effort-Expenditure for Rewards Task in subthreshold depressive (SD) participants (n = 33) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 32). This required participants to choose between a fixed low-effort/low-reward and a variable high-effort/high-reward option, and then immediately exert effort to obtain corresponding rewards for themselves or for unfamiliar people. RESULTS Compared with the HC group, the SD group showed blunted activity in the left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex/dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, bilateral anterior insula (AI), and right putamen-left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex functional connectivity when choosing to exert effort for themselves. Additionally, the SD group exhibited increased willingness and greater activation in the bilateral AI when choosing to exert effort for others. Furthermore, these brain activations and functional connectivity were positively related to self-reported motivation. CONCLUSIONS These findings show altered motivation during effort-based decision-making in individuals with the mild depressive state, particularly with higher motivation for others. Thus, this suggests that motivational behaviors and prefrontal-striatal circuitry are altered in individuals with SD, which can be utilized to discover treatment targets and develop strategies to address mental illness caused by motivation disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Bi
- School of PsychologyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
| | - Wanxin Dong
- School of PsychologyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
| | - Zixin Zheng
- School of PsychologyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
| | - Sijin Li
- School of PsychologyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
| | - Dandan Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological SciencesSichuan Normal UniversityChengduChina,Shenzhen‐Hong Kong Institute of Brain ScienceShenzhenChina,Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) CenterShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
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