Deficits in motivation and pleasure are common in depression, and thought to be caused by alterations in the ways in which the brain anticipates, evaluates, and adaptively uses reward-related information. However, reward processing is a complex, multi-circuit phenomenon, and the precise neural mechanisms that contribute to the absence or reduction of pleasure and motivation are not well understood. Variation in the clinical presentation of depression has long been a rule rather than an exception, including individual variation in symptoms, severity, and treatment response. This heterogeneity complicates understanding of depression and thwarts progress toward disease classification and treatment planning. Discovery of depression-specific biomarkers that account for neurobiological variation that presumably underlies distinct clinical manifestations is critical to this larger effort.
Our studies require some in-person visits to our research lab, located at 42nd Ave and Clement St in San Francisco.
Because this study includes an MRI, part of the screening process will be to ensure you don't have any metal in your body, you do not have head or neck tattoos, and you are comfortable inside the MRI scanner.
18-70 years with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) for MDD group, or without for unaffected comparison (UC) group
Negative metal screen for MRI safety
Past or present neurological problems (including seizures and head trauma resulting in neurological or cognitive symptoms)
Loss of consciousness (LOC) greater than 30 minutes or any LOC with neurologic symptoms
Major medical conditions (e.g., seizure disorders, treatment with anticonvulsant medication, endocrine disorders, significant cardiac pathology)
Substance dependence, within the past year, or failed urine toxicology on the day of neuroimaging sessions
Individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (age range 18 - 70)
Case-control
Cross-sectional
cross-sectional MRI and EEG assessments (NO INTERVENTION)
Other interventionn/a there is no intervention in this observational study
Stimulus preceding negativity
Stimulus preceding negativity (EEG measure of reward anticipation) of reward-related brain activation patterns and EEG responses on participants
Reward positivity
Reward positivity (EEG measure of reward feedback) of reward-related brain activation patterns and EEG responses on participants
Late positive potential
Late positive potential (EEG measure of affective salience) of reward-related brain activation patterns and EEG responses on participants
fMRI response to win vs. loss reward feedback
fMRI response to win vs. loss reward feedback of reward-related brain activation patterns and EEG responses on participants
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