Comorbid anxiety increases cognitive control activation in Major Depressive Disorder

Natania A. Crane; Lisanne M. Jenkins; Catherine Dion; Kortni K. Meyers; Anne L. Weldon; Laura B. Gabriel; Sara J. Walker; David T. Hsu; Douglas C. Noll; Heide Klumpp; K. Luan Phan; Jon Kar Zubieta; Scott A. Langenecker

doi:10.1002/da.22541

Comorbid anxiety increases cognitive control activation in Major Depressive Disorder

Natania A. Crane, Lisanne M. Jenkins, Catherine Dion, Kortni K. Meyers, Anne L. Weldon, Laura B. Gabriel, Sara J. Walker, David T. Hsu, Douglas C. Noll, Heide Klumpp, K. Luan Phan, Jon Kar Zubieta, Scott A. Langenecker^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders often co-occur, with poorer treatment response and long-term outcomes. However, little is known about the shared and distinct neural mechanisms of comorbid MDD and anxiety (MDD+Anx). This study examined how MDD and MDD+Anx differentially impact cognitive control. Methods: Eighteen MDD, 29 MDD+Anx, and 54 healthy controls (HC) completed the Parametric Go/No-Go (PGNG) during fMRI, including Target, Commission, and Rejection trials. Results: MDD+Anx had more activation in the anterior dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and caudate during Rejections, and inferior parietal lobule during correct Targets than MDD and HC. During Rejections HC had greater activation in a number of cognitive control regions compared to MDD; in the posterior cingulate compared to MDD+Anx; and in the fusiform gyrus compared to all MDD. During Commissions HC had greater activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus than all MDD. MDD had more activation in the mid-cingulate, inferior parietal lobule, and superior temporal gyrus than MDD+Anx during Commissions. Conclusions: Despite similar performance, MDD and MDD+Anx showed distinct differences in neural mechanisms of cognitive control in relation to each other, as well as some shared differences in relation to HC. The results were consistent with our hypothesis of hypervigilance in MDD+Anx within the cognitive control network, but inconsistent with our hypothesis that there would be greater engagement of salience and emotion network regions. Comorbidity of depression and anxiety may cause increased heterogeneity in study samples, requiring further specificity in detection and measurement of intermediate phenotypes and treatment Targets.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	967-977
Number of pages	11
Journal	Depression and anxiety
Volume	33
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22541
State	Published - Oct 1 2016

Funding

This study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (K23MH074459, PI: S. A. L.), a NARSAD Young Investigator Award (S. A. L.); and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (F31DA038388, PI: N. A. C.). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIMH, NIDA, or the National Institutes of Health. S. A. L. reports consulting work with Easter Seals, Inc. that was not related to the study. The authors declare no other real or potential conflicts of interest.

Keywords

Major Depressive Disorder
anxiety
cognitive control
fMRI
inferior parietal lobule

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Clinical Psychology
Psychiatry and Mental health

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10.1002/da.22541

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title = "Comorbid anxiety increases cognitive control activation in Major Depressive Disorder",

abstract = "Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders often co-occur, with poorer treatment response and long-term outcomes. However, little is known about the shared and distinct neural mechanisms of comorbid MDD and anxiety (MDD+Anx). This study examined how MDD and MDD+Anx differentially impact cognitive control. Methods: Eighteen MDD, 29 MDD+Anx, and 54 healthy controls (HC) completed the Parametric Go/No-Go (PGNG) during fMRI, including Target, Commission, and Rejection trials. Results: MDD+Anx had more activation in the anterior dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and caudate during Rejections, and inferior parietal lobule during correct Targets than MDD and HC. During Rejections HC had greater activation in a number of cognitive control regions compared to MDD; in the posterior cingulate compared to MDD+Anx; and in the fusiform gyrus compared to all MDD. During Commissions HC had greater activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus than all MDD. MDD had more activation in the mid-cingulate, inferior parietal lobule, and superior temporal gyrus than MDD+Anx during Commissions. Conclusions: Despite similar performance, MDD and MDD+Anx showed distinct differences in neural mechanisms of cognitive control in relation to each other, as well as some shared differences in relation to HC. The results were consistent with our hypothesis of hypervigilance in MDD+Anx within the cognitive control network, but inconsistent with our hypothesis that there would be greater engagement of salience and emotion network regions. Comorbidity of depression and anxiety may cause increased heterogeneity in study samples, requiring further specificity in detection and measurement of intermediate phenotypes and treatment Targets.",

keywords = "Major Depressive Disorder, anxiety, cognitive control, fMRI, inferior parietal lobule",

author = "Crane, {Natania A.} and Jenkins, {Lisanne M.} and Catherine Dion and Meyers, {Kortni K.} and Weldon, {Anne L.} and Gabriel, {Laura B.} and Walker, {Sara J.} and Hsu, {David T.} and Noll, {Douglas C.} and Heide Klumpp and Phan, {K. Luan} and Zubieta, {Jon Kar} and Langenecker, {Scott A.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.",

year = "2016",

month = oct,

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doi = "10.1002/da.22541",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "33",

pages = "967--977",

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T1 - Comorbid anxiety increases cognitive control activation in Major Depressive Disorder

AU - Crane, Natania A.

AU - Jenkins, Lisanne M.

AU - Dion, Catherine

AU - Meyers, Kortni K.

AU - Weldon, Anne L.

AU - Gabriel, Laura B.

AU - Walker, Sara J.

AU - Hsu, David T.

AU - Noll, Douglas C.

AU - Klumpp, Heide

AU - Phan, K. Luan

AU - Zubieta, Jon Kar

AU - Langenecker, Scott A.

PY - 2016/10/1

Y1 - 2016/10/1

N2 - Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders often co-occur, with poorer treatment response and long-term outcomes. However, little is known about the shared and distinct neural mechanisms of comorbid MDD and anxiety (MDD+Anx). This study examined how MDD and MDD+Anx differentially impact cognitive control. Methods: Eighteen MDD, 29 MDD+Anx, and 54 healthy controls (HC) completed the Parametric Go/No-Go (PGNG) during fMRI, including Target, Commission, and Rejection trials. Results: MDD+Anx had more activation in the anterior dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and caudate during Rejections, and inferior parietal lobule during correct Targets than MDD and HC. During Rejections HC had greater activation in a number of cognitive control regions compared to MDD; in the posterior cingulate compared to MDD+Anx; and in the fusiform gyrus compared to all MDD. During Commissions HC had greater activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus than all MDD. MDD had more activation in the mid-cingulate, inferior parietal lobule, and superior temporal gyrus than MDD+Anx during Commissions. Conclusions: Despite similar performance, MDD and MDD+Anx showed distinct differences in neural mechanisms of cognitive control in relation to each other, as well as some shared differences in relation to HC. The results were consistent with our hypothesis of hypervigilance in MDD+Anx within the cognitive control network, but inconsistent with our hypothesis that there would be greater engagement of salience and emotion network regions. Comorbidity of depression and anxiety may cause increased heterogeneity in study samples, requiring further specificity in detection and measurement of intermediate phenotypes and treatment Targets.

AB - Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders often co-occur, with poorer treatment response and long-term outcomes. However, little is known about the shared and distinct neural mechanisms of comorbid MDD and anxiety (MDD+Anx). This study examined how MDD and MDD+Anx differentially impact cognitive control. Methods: Eighteen MDD, 29 MDD+Anx, and 54 healthy controls (HC) completed the Parametric Go/No-Go (PGNG) during fMRI, including Target, Commission, and Rejection trials. Results: MDD+Anx had more activation in the anterior dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and caudate during Rejections, and inferior parietal lobule during correct Targets than MDD and HC. During Rejections HC had greater activation in a number of cognitive control regions compared to MDD; in the posterior cingulate compared to MDD+Anx; and in the fusiform gyrus compared to all MDD. During Commissions HC had greater activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus than all MDD. MDD had more activation in the mid-cingulate, inferior parietal lobule, and superior temporal gyrus than MDD+Anx during Commissions. Conclusions: Despite similar performance, MDD and MDD+Anx showed distinct differences in neural mechanisms of cognitive control in relation to each other, as well as some shared differences in relation to HC. The results were consistent with our hypothesis of hypervigilance in MDD+Anx within the cognitive control network, but inconsistent with our hypothesis that there would be greater engagement of salience and emotion network regions. Comorbidity of depression and anxiety may cause increased heterogeneity in study samples, requiring further specificity in detection and measurement of intermediate phenotypes and treatment Targets.

KW - Major Depressive Disorder

KW - anxiety

KW - cognitive control

KW - fMRI

KW - inferior parietal lobule

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JO - Depression and anxiety

JF - Depression and anxiety

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ER -

Comorbid anxiety increases cognitive control activation in Major Depressive Disorder

Abstract

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Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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