The largest brain imaging study of children ever
conducted in the United States has revealed
structural differences in the brains of those whose
parents have depression. Depression is a common and
debilitating mental health condition that typically
arises during adolescence. While the causes of
depression are complex, having a parent with
depression is one of the biggest known risk factors.
Studies have consistently shown that adolescent
children of parents with depression are two to three
times more likely to develop depression than those
with no parental history of depression. However, the
brain mechanisms that underlie this familial risk
are unclear. The researchers analyzed brain images
from over 7,000 children participating in the
Adolescent Brain Cognitive development (ABCD) study,
led by the NIH. About one-third of the children were
in the high-risk group because they had a parent
with depression. In the high-risk children, the
right putamen a brain structure linked to reward,
motivation, and the experience of pleasure was
smaller than in children with no parental history of
depression. These findings highlight a potential
risk factor that may lead to the development of
depressive disorders during a peak period of onset.
However, in prior research, smaller putamen volumes
also has been linked to anhedonia a reduced ability
to experience pleasure which is implicated in
depression, substance use, psychosis, and suicidal
behaviors. Thus, it may be that smaller putamen
volume is a transdiagnostic risk factor that may
confer vulnerability to broad-based mental
disorders. Researcher said that Understanding
differences in the brains of children with familial
risk factors for depression may help to improve
early identification of those at greatest risk for
developing depression themselves, and lead to
improved diagnosis and treatment. |