Opening
The
lack of interest and pleasure (Anhedonia)
are the cardinal symptoms of major depression and are generally used as an
indication of abnormalities in reward systems. Although anhedonia symptoms
starts to remit along with depression, it’s suggested that the neurobiological
mechanisms which causes anhedonia could represent endophenotype kind of depression that might manifest in a change of
behavior and neural changes outside of acute depressive episodes. Young people
with no history of depression but at increased familial risk also have impaired
neural processing of reward, particularly affecting the orbitofrontal cortex and anterior
cingulate cortex. These cortical areas are known to be involved in reward-based
learning.
Studies in adult
patients with major depression have shown impaired decision making on
reward-based task. This is also found in young children around the age of 10-11
years. This observation is consistent with a recent study using Cambridge
Gambling Task (CGT). The goal of this research is to compare the differences in
decision making between young people who are at familial risk and a control
group who are not at risk.
Discussion
In
the study, 63 young people between the age of 16 to 20 years were recruited,
with the mean age of 18.9 ±1.0 years, consisted of 39 women and 24 men. The participants
does not have the risk of depression but has parents with a history of
depression (FH+). In the study they are tested using SCID-I to ensure there are
no personal history of depression, and the presence of major depression in a parent
was assessed by the family history method using the participant as an informant.
The criteria used included description of the symptoms of major depression together
with the prescription of specific antidepressant treatment. This was followed
up by direct verification from the affected parent (either by telephone or in
writing); where parental history could not be verified, participants were
excluded.
The research is
done using the CGT which analyzes decision making and risk-taking behavior. The
participants are shown 10 red boxes and blue boxes on top of a screen. The
ratio of red to blue boxes varies between 9:1, 8:2, 7:3, 6:4 and 5:5, and vice
versa in a random order. Participants are informed that a yellow token is
hidden inside one of the boxes and are asked to indicate in which color box is
the token most likely to be hidden, by pressing the color (RED or BLUE button).
Then they are asked to gamble the points that they have from a total of 100
points for their choice. This shows how confident they are in their answers and
how willing they are to risk the points that they have for a chance at a
greater reward.
From the results
of the study, there were no group differences of mood and anxiety states. There
were group differences in IQ, which was subsequently used as a covariate. CGT performance
did not differ significantly between FH+ and control participants. However, there was a significant group difference in risk
taking with the FH+ participants taking fewer risks irrespective of how high or
low the probability was of a favorable outcome.
Opinion
The
research about risk-taking in participants with parents who has a history of
depression is interesting. From the results we can see that although the
participants themselves didn’t have a personal history of depression, the FH+
group tends to take less risks compared to the control group.
From the research
data itself, someone with a familial risk of depression will affect their
risk-taking decisions. The study itself was done in an interesting fashion, the
use of the CGT certainly helped with the data gathering, and the process of the
experiment itself proved to be intriguing.
Summary
The
research about familial risk of depression is focused primarily towards young
people. The study itself was done with willing participants that were divided
between two groups, the FH+ group and the control group. The FH+ group being
the group parents who had a history with depression, while the control group
does not.
The study was done
using the CGT (Cambridge Gambling Task) and focuses on taking data about the
individual’s risk- taking behavior while also gathering some additional data in
the process. Risk-taking behavior was measured using 10 red and blue boxes, in
which one of them contained a yellow token. The participants were asked to
choose which color they thought might contain the yellow token while also
gambling their provided points in their decision to have a chance at a greater
reward.
The results has
shown that there are significant differences in risk-taking between the two
groups. The FH+ group considerably less risk with their points compared to the
control group. This shows the effect of familial risk of depression in young
people.
References
Z. N. Mannie, C.
Williams, M. Browning and P. J. Cowen. Decision
making in young people at familial risk of depression . Psychological
Medicine, available on CJO2014. doi:10.1017/S0033291714001482.