title: Motivational deficits in effort-based decision making in individuals with subsyndromal depression, first-episode and remitted depression patients.
abstract: Anhedonia is a hallmark symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD). Preliminary findings suggest that anhedonia is characterized by reduced reward anticipation and motivation of obtaining reward. However, relatively little is known about reward-based decision-making in depression. We tested the hypothesis that anhedonia in MDD may reflect specific impairments in motivation on reward-based decision-making and the deficits might be associated with depressive symptoms severity. In study 1, individuals with and without depressive symptoms performed the modified version of the Effort Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT), a behavioral measure of cost/benefit decision-making. In study 2, MDD patients, remitted MDD patients and healthy controls were recruited for the same procedures. We found evidence for decreased willingness to make effort for rewards among individuals with subsyndromal depression; the effect was amplified in MDD patients, but dissipated in patients with remitted depression. We also found that reduced anticipatory and consummatory pleasure predicted decreased willingness to expend efforts to obtain rewards in MDD patients. For individuals with subsyndromal depression, the impairments were correlated with anticipatory anhedonia but not consummatory anhedonia. These data offer novel evidence that motivational deficits in MDD are correlated with depression severity and predicted by self-reported anhedonia.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, National Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; College of Business, Hunan Agriculture University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Xin-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: College of Business, Hunan Agriculture University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Cui-Ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, National Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Ye-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Eric F C
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, China. Electronic address: rckchan@psych.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Raymond C K
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, National Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China. Electronic address: xiegr2000@126.com.
authors.forename: Guang-Rong
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D059445:Anhedonia; D059031:Anticipation, Psychological; D003657:Decision Making; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D012201:Reward; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anhedonia; Depression; Effort-based decision-making; Motivation; Reward