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Neural correlates of social exchanges during the Prisoner's Dilemma game in depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 January 2016

V. B. Gradin ,
A. Pérez ,
J. A. Macfarlane ,
I. Cavin ,
G. Waiter ,
E. B. Tone ,
B. Dritschel ,
A. Maiche  and
J. D. Steele
V. B. Gradin*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Psychology, CIBPsi, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
A. Pérez
Affiliation:
Faculty of Psychology, CIBPsi, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
J. A. Macfarlane
Affiliation:
Medical Physics, NHS Tayside, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
I. Cavin
Affiliation:
Medical Physics, NHS Tayside, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
G. Waiter
Affiliation:
Aberdeen Biomedical Imaging Centre, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
E. B. Tone
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
B. Dritschel
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of St Andrews, Fife, UK
A. Maiche
Affiliation:
Faculty of Psychology, CIBPsi, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
J. D. Steele
Affiliation:
School of Medicine (Neuroscience), University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, UK
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr V. Gradin, Faculty of Psychology, Center for Investigation of Basic Psychology (CIBPsi), Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11200, Uruguay. (Email: victoriagradin@gmail.com)
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Abstract

Background

Depression is a disabling disorder that significantly impacts on the interpersonal functioning of individuals. However, little is known about the neural substrates of such difficulties. In the last few years neuroeconomics, which combines imaging with multiplayer behavioural economic paradigms, has been used to study the neural substrates of normal and abnormal interpersonal interactions.

Method

This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate neural activity in unmedicated depressed participants (n = 25) and matched healthy controls (n = 25). During scanning, participants played a behavioural economic game, the Prisoner's Dilemma. In this game, the participant and a co-player independently choose either to cooperate or not cooperate with each other.

Results

Depressed participants reported higher levels of negative feelings (betrayal, guilt) during the game than did controls. Neural activation was compared between ‘imbalanced’ events [when one of the players cooperated and the other defected (‘CD’ and ‘DC’)] and ‘draw’ events [when both players either cooperated or defected (‘CC’ and ‘DD’)]. Participants preferentially activated the anterior insula and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a region implicated in cognitive control and regulation of emotions. Importantly, compared to controls depressed participants showed reduced activation in the left DLPFC, with the extent of signal reduction correlating with increased self-report feelings of guilt associated with DC outcomes.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that depression is associated with reduced activation of the DLPFC during social events that involve unreciprocated cooperation. This abnormality may underlie anomalies in cognitive control and top-down regulation of emotions during challenging social exchanges.

Keywords

DepressionfMRIneuroeconomicsPrisoner's Dilemma
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 46 , Issue 6 , April 2016 , pp. 1289 - 1300
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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