Neural activation during cognitive reappraisal in girls at high risk for depression

Although emotion dysregulation, one of the core features of depression, has long been thought to be a vulnerability factor for major depressive disorder (MDD), surprisingly few functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have investigated neural correlates of emotion regulation strategies i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry 2017-07, Vol.77, p.49-56
Main Authors: Simsek, F., Oguz, K., Kitis, O., Akan, S.T., Kempton, M.J., Gonul, A.S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Amygdala - physiology
Brain Mapping
Case-Control Studies
Cognition - physiology
Depression
Depressive Disorder, Major - physiopathology
Depressive Disorder, Major - psychology
Emotion regulation
Emotions - physiology
Female
fMRI
High risk
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Photic Stimulation
Prodromal Symptoms
Reappraisal
Young Adult
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Summary:Although emotion dysregulation, one of the core features of depression, has long been thought to be a vulnerability factor for major depressive disorder (MDD), surprisingly few functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have investigated neural correlates of emotion regulation strategies in unaffected high risk individuals. Sixteen high risk (RSK) young women and fifteen matched low risk controls (CTL) were scanned using fMRI while performing an emotion regulation task. During this task, participants were instructed to reappraise their negative emotions elicited by International Affective Picture System images (IAPS). In addition, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Strategies Scale (DERS) was used to assess participants' emotion dysregulation levels. Both RSK and CTL individuals show increased amygdala activation in response to negative emotional stimuli, however no difference was found between groups in using cognitive reappraisal strategies and functions of brain regions implicated in cognitive reappraisal. Interestingly, our psychometric test results indicate that high risk individuals are characterised by lower perceived emotional clarity (EC). Results of the current study suggest depression vulnerability may not be linked to the effectiveness of cognitive reappraisal. Alternatively, lower EC may be a vulnerability factor for depression. •Emotion dysregulation is one of the core features of depression.•It is not clear whether emotion dysregulation precedes long before the first depressive episode in high risk individuals.•Girls at high risk for depression use efficiently cognitive emotion regulation strategies to ameliorate their induced negative emotions.•High risk girls show significant difficulties in understanding, identifying, and differentiating their own emotions (low emotional clarity).•Low emotional clarity may be a new endophenotype for depression.
ISSN:0278-5846
1878-4216
DOI:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.03.022