%X BACKGROUND: Changes in reflexive emotional responses are hallmarks of depression, but how emotional reflexes make an impact on adaptive decision-making in depression has not been examined formally. Using a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT) task, we compared the influence of affectively valenced stimuli on decision-making in depression and generalized anxiety disorder compared with healthy controls; and related this to the longitudinal course of the illness. METHOD: A total of 40 subjects with a current DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of major depressive disorder, dysthymia, generalized anxiety disorder, or a combination thereof, and 40 matched healthy controls performed a PIT task that assesses how instrumental approach and withdrawal behaviours are influenced by appetitive and aversive Pavlovian conditioned stimuli (CSs). Patients were followed up after 4-6 months. Analyses focused on patients with depression alone (n = 25). RESULTS: In healthy controls, Pavlovian CSs exerted action-specific effects, with appetitive CSs boosting active approach and aversive CSs active withdrawal. This action-specificity was absent in currently depressed subjects. Greater action-specificity in patients was associated with better recovery over the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Depression is associated with an abnormal influence of emotional reactions on decision-making in a way that may predict recovery.
%L discovery1481113
%O Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
%J Psychological Medicine
%A QJ Huys
%A M Gölzer
%A E Friedel
%A A Heinz
%A R Cools
%A P Dayan
%A RJ Dolan
%V 46
%P 1027-1035
%T The specificity of Pavlovian regulation is associated with recovery from depression
%K Decision-making, Pavlovian-instrumental transfer, emotional reactions, major depressive disorder
%N 5
%C England
%D 2016