Release issued 19th August 2009

London, ON - Clinically depressed individuals are less capable of finding pleasure inactivities they previously enjoyed, a recent study has proven. Research conducted byDr. Elizabeth Osuch, a Lawson Health Research Institute (Lawson) researcher,Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistryat The University of Western Ontario, and Psychiatrist at London Health SciencesCentre's First Episode Mood & Anxiety Program (FEMAP) shows reduced brain functionin the reward center of the brain in depressed individuals, when compared to healthysubjects. The study is published in the August 26 issue of the NeuroReport and is thefirst scientific publication of data obtained by the newly developed research component of FEMAP.

To investigate the effects of depression on brain activity, Dr. Osuch and her team asked15 healthy subjects and 16 recently depressed subjects to provide a list of their favourite music as well as identify music that they neither liked nor disliked (neutral music). The subjects then listened to their musical selections for three minutes while a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner measured the neural activity in their brain.

The researchers found that the healthy subjects showed more brain activity in specific regions when they listed to their favourite music compared to the depressed subjects. More specifically, several regions of the brain that are associated with reward processing were shown to be less activated in the depressed individuals, suggesting that even the most basic capacity of enjoyment seems to be malfunctioning in the pleasure center of the brain in those who have depression. This was true in spite of no difference in how enjoyable the two groups rated listening to the music in the scanner.

"Our results revealed significant responses within the areas of the brain that are associated with reward processing in healthy individuals. They also showed significant deficits in these neurophysiological responses in recently depressed subjects compared to the healthy subjects," explains Dr. Osuch. "It is known that depressed individuals experience anhedonia-a loss of enjoyment in previously pleasurable activities. The study results show that for recently depressed individuals this loss of enjoyment is linked to very specific parts of the brain which are involved with experiencing pleasure. If we can target these areas of the brain through treatment, we have the potential to treat depression earlier, right at the source."

The First Episode Mood & Anxiety Program was founded in 2006 and is an innovative London Health Sciences Centre program that provides mental health services to older adolescents and young adults between the ages of 16 and 30 who have recently shown a mood and anxiety disorder. Clinical research to discover causes and improve treatments is integrated into the program as well. To improve access to the program, there is no physician referral requirement and youth can contact FEMAP directly to see if they are eligible.

The research was funded by internal grants awarded from Lawson Health Research Institute and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario.

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