Using Drift Diffusion and RL Models to Disentangle Effects of Depression On Decision-Making vs. Learning in the Probabilistic Reward Task.

The Probabilistic Reward Task (PRT) is widely used to investigate the impact of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) on reinforcement learning (RL), and recent studies have used it to provide insight into decision-making mechanisms affected by MDD. The current project used PRT data from unmedicated, treatment-seeking adults with MDD to extend these efforts by: (1) providing a more detailed analysis of standard PRT metrics-response bias and discriminability-to better understand how the task is performed; (2) analyzing the data with two computational models and providing psychometric analyses of both; and (3) determining whether response bias, discriminability, or model parameters predicted responses to treatment with placebo or the atypical antidepressant bupropion. Analysis of standard metrics replicated recent work by demonstrating a dependency between response bias and response time (RT), and by showing that reward totals in the PRT are governed by discriminability.

Community-Delivered Heated Hatha Yoga as a Treatment for Depressive Symptoms: An Uncontrolled Pilot Study.

There are no known studies of concurrent exposure to high temperature and yoga for the treatment of depression. This study explored acceptability and feasibility of heated (Bikram) yoga as a treatment for individuals with depressive symptoms. An 8-week, open-label pilot study of heated yoga for depressive symptoms.

Patient primary language in a culturally focused intervention for Latino Americans with depression.

Background: This study examined whether a culturally focused psychiatric consultation program (CFP) for Latino Americans was equally effective in reducing depressive symptoms in English-speaking and Spanish-speaking patients.

Methods: The CFP utilizes the Engagement Interview Protocol (EIP), a semi-standardized protocol eliciting patient narratives about illness beliefs. The sample included 118 Latino American patients presenting with depressive symptoms.

Val66Met polymorphism association with serum BDNF and inflammatory biomarkers in major depression.

Objectives: Current evidence supports participation of neurotrophic and inflammatory factors in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). Some studies reported an association between the Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265) of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene with MDD and peripheral BDNF levels. However, no previous studies have examined the association of this polymorphism with inflammation.