Abstract
Background
Previous studies have found that offspring of depressed parents exhibit reduced striatal
reward response to anticipating and receiving rewards, suggesting that this may constitute
a neurobiological risk marker for depression. The present study aimed to assess whether
maternal and paternal depression history have independent effects on offspring reward
processing and whether greater family history density of depression is associated
with increased blunting of striatal reward responses.
Methods
Data from the baseline visit of the ABCD (Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development)
Study were used. After exclusion criteria, 7233 9- and 10-year-old children (49% female)
were included in analyses. Neural responses to reward anticipation and receipt in
the monetary incentive delay task were examined in 6 striatal regions of interest.
Using mixed-effects models, we evaluated the effect of maternal or paternal depression
history on striatal reward response. We also evaluated the effect of family history
density on reward response.
Results
Across all 6 striatal regions of interest, neither maternal nor paternal depression
significantly predicted blunted response to reward anticipation or feedback. Contrary
to hypotheses, paternal depression history was associated with increased response
in the left caudate during anticipation, and maternal depression history was associated
with increased response in the left putamen during feedback. Family history density
was not associated with striatal reward response.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that family history of depression is not strongly associated
with blunted striatal reward response in 9- and 10-year-old children. Factors contributing
to heterogeneity across studies need to be examined in future research to reconcile
these results with past findings.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 12, 2022
Accepted:
September 30,
2022
Received in revised form:
September 9,
2022
Received:
April 8,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2022 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
