title: Reward processing after catecholamine depletion in unmedicated, remitted subjects with major depressive disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated whether performance on a reward processing task differs between fully remitted patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy control subjects after catecholamine depletion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen unmedicated subjects with remitted MDD (RMDD) and 13 healthy control subjects underwent catecholamine depletion with oral alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine (AMPT) in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study. The main outcome measure was the reaction time on the monetary incentive delay (MID) task.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A diagnosis x drug interaction was evident (p = .001), which was attributable to an increase in reaction time across all incentive levels after AMPT in RMDD subjects (p = .001) but no significant AMPT effect on reaction time in control subjects (p = .17). There was no drug x diagnosis interaction on control tasks involving working memory or attention. In the RMDD sample the AMPT-induced depressive symptoms correlated with AMPT-induced changes in reaction time at all incentive levels of the MID task (r values = .58-.82, p < .002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Under catecholamine depletion the RMDD subjects were robustly differentiated from control subjects by development of performance deficits on a reward processing task. These performance deficits correlated directly with the return of depressive symptoms after AMPT administration. The sensitivity of central reward processing systems to reductions in brain catecholamine levels thus seems to represent a trait-like marker in MDD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Culmannstrasse 8 8091, Zurich, Switzerland. g.hasler@bluewin.ch
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hasler
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Luckenbaugh
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Snow
authors.forename: Noah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Waldeck
authors.forename: Marilla
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geraci
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roiser
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Knutson
authors.forename: Dennis S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Charney
authors.forename: Wayne C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Drevets
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000661:Amphetamine; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000172:deficiency*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012201:Reward; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D000661:Amphetamine