Neuropharmacology

Biography

Biography: Silvia Laurentino

Abstract

Of the various behavioral issues involved in mood disorders, decisional conflicts are of special importance. Neural circuitry involved in the decision-making process and social emotion involves the same circuits as major depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the decision making process in risk/reward situations in addition to moral conflict in depressed patients, using neuropsycho-physiological methods. Methods: Forty patients were studied, 20 with depression and 20 without. After had applied the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) and Hamilton Depression scale (HAM-D), the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and moral dilemmas were applied to analyze the decision-making behavior. The Skin Response (SCR) was recorded to examine the emotional arousal. Besides, an EEG was conducted to measure the Frontal Alpha Asymmetry Index (FAAI) and the sLORETA to identify cortical areas. Results: Depressed patients presented a lower net score (p<0.03) and poor emotional learning response. Furthermore, the FAAI and sLORETA study revealed more right activation in the neural circuits involved in the social and decision-making process in different frequencies bands. Conclusion: People with major depression have a dysfunction in the circuits that modulate cognitive, emotional and social behavior, and also, impairment in cognitive fluidity for evaluating strategies for risk-reward and personal moral conflict. The EEG and sLORETA help to confirm that not only cortical areas, but also the oscillation of brain frequencies participate in the regulation of decision-making behavior in depressed patients. It´s important to understand which pharmacological approach could improve the decision-making process in major depression.