Key result
At-risk and depressed women displayed anomalies in the neural regulation of thought suppression, showing less activation in prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices than controls.
Why the study?
What are the neural correlates underlying thought suppression in young women with or at-risk for depression compared to healthy controls?
Observational
What are the neural correlates underlying thought suppression in young women with or at-risk for depression compared to healthy controls?
At-risk women display anomalies in the neural regulation of thought suppression that resemble the dysregulation found in depressed individuals.
Neural correlates of thought suppression in depression vulnerability are mapped; hypothesis-generating for targeted interventions but should not yet change practice.
Ruminative brooding is associated with increased vulnerability to major depression. Individuals who regularly ruminate will often try to reduce the frequency of their negative thoughts by actively suppressing them. We aim to identify the neural correlates underlying thought suppression in at-risk and depressed individuals. Three groups of women were studied; a major depressive disorder group, an at-risk group (having a first degree relative with depression) and controls. Participants performed a mixed block-event fMRI paradigm involving thought suppression, free thought and motor control periods. Participants identified the re-emergence of "to-be-suppressed" thoughts ("popping" back into conscious awareness) with a button press. During thought suppression the control group showed the greatest activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, followed by the at-risk, then depressed group. During the re-emergence of intrusive thoughts compared to successful re-suppression of those thoughts, the control group showed the greatest activation of the anterior cingulate cortices, followed by the at-risk, then depressed group. At-risk participants displayed anomalies in the neural regulation of thought suppression resembling the dysregulation found in depressed individuals. The predictive value of these changes in the onset of depression remains to be determined.
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Carew et al. (2015) conducted an observational in Major depressive disorder. Depression or at-risk status vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortices during thought suppression. At-risk and depressed women displayed anomalies in the neural regulation of thought suppression, showing less activation in prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices than controls.
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