Decreased anticipated pleasure correlates with increased salience network resting state functional connectivity in adolescents with depressive symptomatology

Ewelina Rzepa,Ciara Mccabe

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.07.013

Abstract

Previous studies have found dysfunctional resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) in depressed patients. Examining RSFC might aid biomarker discovery for depression. However RSFC in young people at risk of depression has yet to be examined.35 healthy adolescents (13–18 yrs old.) were recruited. 17 scoring high on the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ > 27 (High Risk: HR), and 18 scoring low on the MFQ < 15 (Low Risk: LR) matched on age and gender. We selected seed regions in the salience network (SN: amygdala and pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC)) and the central executive network (CEN: dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC)). Mood and anhedonia measures were correlated with brain connectivity.We found decreased RSFC in the HR group between the amygdala and the pgACC and hippocampus and precuneus. We also found decreased RSFC in the HR group between the pgACC and the putamen and between the dmPFC and the precuneus. The pgACC RSFC with the insula/orbitofrontal cortex correlated inversely with the anticipation of pleasure in all subjects. Increased RSFC was observed between the pgACC and the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala and the temporal pole in the HR group compared to the LR group.Our findings are the first to show that adolescents with depression symptoms have dysfunctional RSFC between seeds in the SN and CEN with nodes in the Default Mode Network. As increased connectivity between the pgACC and the insula correlated with decreased ability to anticipate pleasure, we suggest this might be mechanism underlying the risk of experiencing anhedonia, a suggested biomarker for depression.

Highlights

Adolescence is a crucial developmental period where the incidence of depression increases significantly, and reports have emphasised that around 8% of adolescents are affected by depression by the age of 16 (Saluja et al, 2004)
As increased connectivity between the pgACC and the insula correlated with decreased ability to anticipate pleasure, we suggest this might be mechanism underlying the risk of experiencing anhedonia, a suggested biomarker for depression
We hypothesised deceased resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) in key regions that have been found decreased in adults with depression such as regions in the Salience Network (SN) and Central Executive Network (CEN)

Summary

Introduction

Adolescence is a crucial developmental period where the incidence of depression increases significantly, and reports have emphasised that around 8% of adolescents are affected by depression by the age of 16 (Saluja et al, 2004). McCabe / Journal of Psychiatric Research 82 (2016) 40e47 et al, 2014; Ramasubbu et al, 2014; Sheline et al, 2010), whilst others find reduced connectivity (Liston et al, 2014; Tahmasian et al, 2013; Ye et al, 2012) in these regions in MDD. These inconsistencies might be related to differences in the MDD population studied (adults, elderly, adolescents), medication history and depression severity

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