Abstract
Background: Little is known about neural mechanisms of postpartum depression (PPD). Previous research notes ventral striatal activity and dopamine release increases with maternal attachment but decreases in major depressive disorder. This study tests the hypothesis that striatal response to reward is altered in PPD. Methods: Subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging blood oxygenation level-dependent acquisition during a fast event-related card-guessing, monetary reward task. Time series data from an independent sample of 10 healthy mothers were used to establish the ventral striatal region of interest (ROI). Repeated-measures analysis of variance of time series data in the established ROI was then conducted for a discrete group of healthy (n = 12) and depressed, unmedicated mothers (n = 12). Results: Data from the independent sample of 10 healthy mothers established an ROI in the left ventral striatum (-13, 12, -4, 477 mm 3), with cluster significance p <.01, corrected. There was a significant quadratic interaction of time × group [F(1,22) = 5.22, p =.032] in this ROI in the healthy (n = 12) and depressed mothers (n = 12). This effect represents a nonlinear attenuation of ventral striatal response with time that was greater in depressed than healthy mothers. Conclusions: Rapid attenuation of ventral striatal response to reward receipt in postpartum depression might represent an important neural mechanism of postpartum depression. Additional study with infant stimuli and in relationship to motherinfant behavior is needed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 395-399 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Biological psychiatry |
Volume | 70 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 15 2011 |
Funding
This research was supported by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) R01 MH079164 and National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression Young Investigator Award to ELM-K and National Science Foundation (NSF) Supplemental Funding Grant SBE-0354420 and NSF Grant DRL-0815945 to JAF. The contribution of ELM-K, KAW, JAJ, and ATS to this work was supported by R01 MH079164. The contribution of DF and JAF to the work was supported by NSF Supplemental Funding Grant SBE-0354420 and NSF Grant DRL-0815945 . The contribution of MLP was supported by MH076971. The author KLW has also received grant support from Nova-Gyne (donation of transdermal placebo patches for an NIMH-funded study of estradiol patch for postpartum depression treatment) and served on an advisory board for Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical. Dr. Wisner receives additional grant support from the NIMH . Dr. Phillips receives grant support from the NIMH , the US Army Research Office , and The Pennsylvania Department of Health . Dr. Fiez receives grant support from the NSF and the National Institutes of Health . All other authors report no biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest.
Keywords
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging
- monetary reward
- postpartum depression
- ventral striatum
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biological Psychiatry