BACKGROUND Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) often begins during adolescence when the brain is still maturing. To better understand the neurobiological underpinnings of MDD early in development, this study examined brain function in response to emotional faces in adolescents with MDD and healthy (HC) adolescents using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). METHOD Thirty-two unmedicated adolescents with MDD and 23 healthy age- and gender-matched controls completed an fMRI task viewing happy and fearful faces. Frontolimbic regions of interest (ROI; bilateral amygdala, insula, subgenual and rostral anterior cingulate cortices) and whole-brain analyses were conducted to examine between-group differences in brain function. RESULTS ROI analyses revealed that patients had greater bilateral amygdala activity than HC in response to viewing fearful versus happy faces, which remained significant when controlling for comorbid anxiety. Whole-brain analyses revealed that adolescents with MDD had lower activation compared to HC in a right hemisphere cluster comprised of the insula, superior/middle temporal gyrus, and Heschl's gyrus when viewing fearful faces. Brain activity in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex was inversely correlated with depression severity. LIMITATIONS Limitations include a cross-sectional design with a modest sample size and use of a limited range of emotional stimuli. CONCLUSIONS Results replicate previous studies that suggest emotion processing in adolescent MDD is associated with abnormalities within fronto-limbic brain regions. Findings implicate elevated amygdalar arousal to negative stimuli in adolescents with depression and provide new evidence for a deficit in functioning of the saliency network, which may be a future target for early intervention and MDD treatment.

Neurobiological disturbances associated with reward and/or habit learning are theorized to maintain symptoms of anorexia nervosa (AN). Although research has investigated responses in brain regions associated with reward and habit to disorder-specific cues (e.g., food) and presumed rewards (e.g., money), little is known about the functional organization of the circuits underlying these constructs independent of stimulus. This study aimed to provide initial data on the synchrony of networks associated with reward and habit in AN by comparing resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) patterns between AN and healthy control (HC) participants in these circuits and delineating how these patterns relate to symptoms. Using theoretically selected seeds in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), ventral caudate, and dorsal caudate, reflecting a continuum from reward- to habit- oriented regions, RSFC patterns were compared between AN restricting subtype (n = 19) and HC (n = 19) participants (cluster threshold: p < .01). Exploratory correlations between RSFC z-scores and Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) scores, BMI, and illness duration were conducted. The AN group demonstrated lower RSFC between the NAcc and superior frontal gyrus, between the ventral caudate and frontal and posterior regions, and between the dorsal caudate and frontal, temporal, and posterior regions. In the AN group, lower NAcc- superior frontal gyrus RSFC correlated with greater EDE Global scores (r = −.58, CI: −.83, −.13). These resting-state synchrony disruptions of the ventral and dorsal frontostriatal circuits, considered in context of the broader literature, support the utility of further investigating possible reward and habit disturbances supporting symptoms in AN.

No abstract

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a noninvasive technique that measures brain activation, has been increasingly used in the past decade, particularly among older adults. Use of fMRI in research with stroke survivors in recent years has substantially contributed to researchers’ understanding of the pathophysiology of stroke sequelae. However, despite the increasing popularity and use of fMRI, little is known about the patient experience of fMRI under research circumstances. The current research brief reports the findings of a pilot study undertaken to understand stroke survivors’ experiences with fMRI under research circumstances. Nine ischemic stroke patients underwent two MRI sessions, each of which lasted 1.5 hours and included several fMRI tasks. Patients were asked about their experiences and to share any advice. All participants reported that they did not feel claustrophobic; in addition, the importance of educating participants about fMRI was a universal theme that emerged. Knowledge of participant experiences may help with enrollment strategies for fMRI studies and improve research outcomes related to the fMRI experience.