Recent studies indicate that a diminished neural response to rewards in adolescents can forecast the initial occurrence of depression, but does not predict anxiety or suicidal thoughts. This finding holds true regardless of existing signs of depression or anxiety, as well as age or gender, which are generally known as significant risk factors for depression. The research published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging by Elsevier marks a significant advancement in applying neuroscience to better understand and evaluate mental health risks.
Recent studies indicate that a diminished neural response to rewards in adolescents can forecast the initial occurrence of depression, but does not predict anxiety or suicidal thoughts. This finding holds true regardless of existing signs of depression or anxiety, as well as age or gender, which are generally known as significant risk factors for depression. The research published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging by Elsevier marks a significant advancement in applying neuroscience to better understand and evaluate mental health risks.
The rise of mood and anxiety disorders in young people is increasingly concerning, as these can have enduring effects. Few studies have pinpointed early neural indicators that could signify the risk of developing these disorders during adolescence. This is crucial given that half of the children who face a single episode of depression or anxiety will likely experience subsequent episodes. Out of those who have had two episodes, around 80% will face a third or more.
Researchers from the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, studied a group of 145 teenagers (64.8% female) who had a family history of depression or anxiety disorders, putting them at a notably high risk of similar issues themselves. These families were part of the Calgary Biopsychosocial Risk for Adolescent Internalizing Disorders (CBRAID) study, a long-term research initiative investigating early risk factors associated with mood and anxiety disorders in adolescents.
Participants were assessed through nine- and 18-month follow-up evaluations to determine whether they had developed major depressive disorder, an anxiety disorder, or suicidal ideation. Researchers discovered that a reduced response to reward feedback (known as reward positivity) observed during a gaming task while undergoing an EEG scan—where participants were informed of winning or losing—was a predictor of first-onset depression but not anxiety or suicidality. This implies that adolescents who derive less pleasure or satisfaction from rewards may be more susceptible to experiencing depression for the first time in their lives.
Gia-Huy L. Hoang, the lead author and a second-year master’s student in neuroscience at the University of Calgary, mentions, “Research indicates that children with depressive or anxiety disorders—which often co-occur—commonly show a muted response to rewards. Our study suggests that the brain’s reaction to rewards could specifically indicate a risk for depression, rather than for anxiety or suicidality among teens. Measuring reward response through EEG is a straightforward and cost-effective method for these assessments.”
Dr. Cameron S. Carter, Editor-in-Chief of Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging from the University of California Irvine, highlights, “Depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts are closely intertwined, representing prevalent and debilitating issues that typically emerge during adolescence. Reward processing is heavily associated with both depression and anxiety. However, we know little about whether a muted response to rewards can predict these conditions and the risk of depression, anxiety, or suicidality. Identifying specific biomarkers that reveal risk for these initial occurrences is vital for understanding and addressing mental health concerns.”
Senior investigator Dr. Daniel C. Kopala-Sibley from the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, The Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, and Department of Psychiatry at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, concludes, “Our findings are crucial as we strive to comprehend the brain mechanisms behind why some adolescents experience their first depressive episode, which may enhance our capability to identify those at risk and provide interventions to prevent the onset of these disorders.”
