Social cognition and suicide-related behaviors in depression: a cross-sectional, exploratory study

Senna, Sofia; Schwab, Bianca; Melo, Hiago Murilo; Diaz, Alexandre Paim; Schwarzbold, Marcelo Libório

doi:10.47626/1516-4446-2021-2407

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 14 publications

(19 reference statements)

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“…Our findings demonstrate novel links between reward sensitivity and sub-clinical substance use with the effects of social context in modulating corticostriatal connectivity, particularly underscoring the significance of close social relations in shaping neural responses to reward. Given links between aberrant reward sensitivity, social cognition, and suicidal ideation (Alloy et al, 2016; Nusslock et al, 2012; Senna et al, 2022; Szanto et al, 2012), as well as existing links between neural reward response and depression (Gotlib et al, 2010; Nelson et al, 2016), further research is warranted into whether individuals with mood disorders would show differential corticostriatal connectivity in social contexts based on their sensitivity to reward. Future longitudinal research should continue to investigate the predictive value of corticostriatal connectivity in clinical populations and explore interventions that modulate reward responses (Nagy et al, 2020), particularly in conjunction with social skill and support interventions (Ait Oumeziane et al, 2019; Narr et al, 2019; Piccirillo et al, 2021; Sequeira et al, 2021; Zhang et al, 2014) with the aim of preventing and addressing substance use and mood disorders.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Context and Reward Sensitivity Enhance Corticostriatal Function during Experiences of Shared Rewards

Zaff,

Wyngaarden,

Dennison

et al. 2023

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Although prior research has demonstrated enhanced striatal response when sharing rewards with close social connections, less is known about how individual differences affect ventral striatal (VS) activation and connectivity when experiencing rewards within social contexts. Given that self-reported reward sensitivity and level of substance use have been associated with differences in VS activation, we set out to investigate whether these factors would be independently associated with enhancements to neural reward responses within social contexts. In this pre-registered study, participants (N=45) underwent fMRI while playing a card guessing game in which correct or incorrect guesses resulted in monetary gains and losses that were shared evenly with either a close friend, stranger (confederate), or non-human partner. Consistent with our prior work, we found increased VS activation when sharing rewards with a socially close peer as opposed to an out-of-network stranger. As self-reported reward sensitivity increased, the difference in VS response to rewards shared with friends and strangers decreased. We also found enhanced connectivity between the VS and temporoparietal junction when sharing rewards with close friends as opposed to strangers. Finally, exploratory analyses revealed that as reward sensitivity and sub-clinical substance use increase, the difference in VS connectivity with the right fusiform face area increases as a function of social context. These findings demonstrate that responsivity to the context of close friends may be tied to individual reward sensitivity or sub-clinical substance use habits; together these factors may inform predictions of risk for future mental health disorders.

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