Associations between trait anhedonia and emotional memory deficits in females with schizophrenia versus major depression

Abstract

Individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) and individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) demonstrate impaired emotional memory and decreased enjoyment of pleasant experiences (e.g., anhedonia). However, it is unclear whether these impairments reflect similar or different processes in the two diagnostic groups. This study compared emotional memory performance in three groups of females – controls, MDD, and SZ. Given that physical and social trait anhedonia has been shown to differentiate course of illness and emotional functioning within each disorder, the present study also examined whether trait anhedonia related to emotional memory differently in the groups. Participants viewed emotional and neutral images and twenty-four hours later completed an incidental recognition test. SZ participants demonstrated a trend for the worst memory performance. Across all groups, high intensity and negative images were remembered most accurately, while groups were not differentially influenced by the valence of the stimuli. Physical anhedonia was predictive of reduced memory for negative stimuli across all diagnostic groups. Group specific findings indicated that higher levels of social anhedonia were predictive of poorer memory, but only in the SZ group. Effects remained significant when controlling for depressive symptoms. Results are considered in light of the differing role of anhedonia in SZ and MDD.

Social anhedonia and social functioning: Loneliness as a mediator

“…First, due to the cross‐sectional design of the study, the temporal nature of the proposed relationships cannot be determined. We are viewing SA as relatively stable and trait‐like on the basis of how it has been treated in existing research (Loas, Monestes, Ingelaere, Noisette, & Herbener, ; Olsen, Bjorkquist, Bodapati, Shankman, & Herbener, ; Ritsner, ). Loneliness can fluctuate within an individual over the life span, although it is recognized that an individual can have an inherit trait‐like tendency toward feeling lonely (Gao et al, ).…”

Schizophrenia-Related Microdeletion Impairs Emotional Memory through MicroRNA-Dependent Disruption of Thalamic Inputs to the Amygdala

“…Past studies have noted a relation between emotional memory deficits and negative symptoms (Hall et al., 2007, Horan et al., 2006, Olsen et al., 2015). Individuals with SCZ have normal emotional responses to positive stimuli at the moment of exposure or consumption, but they do not use positive experiences to guide their decisions to engage in the same or similar activities in the future (Gard et al., 2007, Herbener, 2008, Horan et al., 2006).…”

Psychometric Properties of the Snaith–Hamilton Pleasure Scale and a Facet-Level Analysis of the Relationship Between Anhedonia and Extraversion in a Nonclinical Sample

“…For instance, the facet Positive emotions is negatively associated with major depressive disorder, and there is a negative relationship between the facet Gregariousness and negative symptoms of schizophrenia (Rector, Bagby, Huta & Ayearst, 2012). Moreover, the shared relationship between specific disorders and both anhedonia and extraversion further supports the link between extraversion and anhedonia (Chapman et al, 1976;Olsen et al, 2015;Rector et al, 2012;Watson et al, 2015) Recognition of a hierarchical understanding of personality is critical for understanding individual differences in both personality and psychopathology (Markon, Krueger & Watson, 2005). As the domain level of personality is important for use in empirical settings, the facet level is more useful in clinically applied settings and has greater predictive power than higher order traits (Reynolds & Clark, 2001).…”