Reward-related Brain Functioning as an Endophenotype for Depression

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议的本指导研究科学家发展奖（MRSDA）的目的是培养候选人在情感神经科学和青少年发展方面的相关知识，以理解积极情绪（一种潜在的内表型）在青少年抑郁症发展中的作用。了解内源性表型的作用对于识别抑郁症高危人群至关重要。尽管许多研究表明，积极情绪与抑郁和抑郁风险有关，但很少有人在进行抑郁症内表型关键测试时检查与奖励相关的大脑功能。青春期是解决这个问题的一个特别重要的阶段，因为它是抑郁症发病的高峰期。该候选人擅长使用行为和自我报告方法评估积极情绪，抑郁父母后代的早期儿童发展，青少年抑郁症和纵向数据分析。他试图通过MRSDA建立这方面的专业知识：(1)向专家导师和顾问学习功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）方法，以研究青少年大脑发育、奖励相关的大脑功能和抑郁症的病理生理学；(2)完成情感神经科学、功能磁共振成像、数据分析、研究伦理等课程；(3)参加fMRI和神经成像数据分析的研讨会；(4)进行一项研究，检查积极情绪的关键测试，作为奖励相关的大脑功能，作为抑郁症的一种内表型。匹兹堡大学在情感神经科学、青少年发展和青少年抑郁症等领域拥有丰富的资源，为开展这种培训提供了绝佳的环境。候选人的导师，博士。Erika Forbes和Jennifer Silk，在抑郁症，青少年发展和青少年抑郁症中与情感相关的大脑功能方面有着广泛的专业知识。提出的训练将在一项纵向研究的背景下进行：(1)父母有（N = 45）和没有（N = 30）抑郁史的非抑郁青少年之间奖励相关脑功能的差异；(2)奖励相关脑功能与抑郁症状在18个月期间的预期关系；(3)奖励相关脑功能和积极情绪自我报告对抑郁症状发展的前瞻性预测。这将为识别抑郁症风险的每种方法的比较效用提供证据。与国家精神卫生研究所概述的优先事项一致，拟议的MRSDA有可能通过调查行为和生物过程来解决风险机制。此外，培训与研究的结合将为候选人的独立研究生涯提供跳板，以进一步阐明积极情绪在青少年抑郁症发展中的作用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The aim of the proposed This Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (MRSDA) is to train the candidate in affective neuroscience and adolescent development relevant to understanding the role of positive emotionality, a potential endophenotype, in the development of depression in youth. Understanding the role of endophenotypes is critical for identifying those at greatest risk for depression. Although a number of studies demonstrate that positive emotionality is implicated in depression and risk for depression, few have examined reward-related brain function in the service of conducting critical tests of endophenotypes for depression. Adolescence is a particularly important point in the lifespan to address this issue because it is the peak time of onset for depression. The candidate has expertise in assessing positive emotionality using behavioral and self- report methods, early childhood development in offspring of depressed parents, youth depression, and longitudinal data analysis. He seeks to build on this expertise through this MRSDA to (1) learn from expert mentors and consultants about functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) approaches to investigating adolescent brain development, reward-related brain function, and pathophysiology of depression; (2) complete coursework in affective neuroscience, fMRI, data analysis, and research ethics; (3) attend workshops on fMRI and neuroimaging data analysis; and (4) conduct a study examining critical tests of positive emotionality, operationalized as reward-related brain functioning, as an endophenotype for depression. The University of Pittsburgh is a phenomenal environment to pursue this training as it has extensive resources in the areas of affective neuroscience, adolescent development, and adolescent depression. The candidate's mentors, Drs. Erika Forbes and Jennifer Silk, have extensive expertise in affect-related brain functioning in depression, adolescent development, and adolescent depression. The proposed training will occur in the context of a longitudinal study examining: (1) differences in reward-related brain functioning between non-depressed adolescents of parents with (N = 45) and without (N = 30) a history of depression; (2) the prospective relationship between reward-related brain functioning and depressive symptoms over an eighteen month period; and (3) prediction of the development of depressive symptoms prospectively predicted by reward- related brain functioning and self-report measures of positive emotionality. This will provide evidence for the comparative utility of each approach of identifying those at risk for depression. Consistent with the priorities outlined by the National Institute of Mental Health, the proposed MRSDA has the potential to address mechanisms of risk through investigating behavioral and biological processes. Further, the combination of training and research will serve as a spring board for the candidate's independent research career to further elucidate the role of positive emotionality in the development of depression during adolescence.