BIO

Since I was eleven I've known I wanted to be a neuroscientist and have strived to work towards that dream with everything I do. I haven't had much experience in research in my earlier career so getting the opportunity to finally be involved in something I've only seen from afar has been an incredible journey. My two semesters here so far have only furthered my desire to continue in research and am currently pursuing my B.A in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience. I'm ecstatic to see where my further research career continues.

Effects of menstrual cycle phase on the association between the neural response to rewards and anhedonia

Abstract

Depression is a debilitating psychiatric disorder that substantially impacts both
individuals and society. Incidence of depression is doubled in women as compared to
men, so it is important to understand biological factors that may increase depression in
women. Anhedonia, or a loss of pleasure, is a core symptom of depression that has
been associated with blunted neural responses to reward (i.e., the reward positivity
[RewP]); however, there is a lack of research examining the effects of the human
menstrual cycle on this association. In the present study, we sought to examine whether
the RewP-anhedonia association differed as a function of menstrual cycle phase (early
follicular, ovulatory, and mid-luteal) in 73 women. Participants completed a baseline
study visit wherein self-reported anhedonia symptoms were collected. Next, during
each cycle phase, participants’ brain responses to monetary loss and gain feedback
were monitored using EEG during a gambling task. Results indicated a significant
association between a blunted RewP and increased anhedonia symptoms while women
were in the ovulatory phase of their cycle; there were no RewP-anhedonia associations
during early follicular and mid-luteal phases. Our study provides novel evidence that the
RewP-anhedonia association may be specific to when the RewP is measured in the
ovulatory phase in women. The ovulatory phase is characterized by high estrogen—a
hormone suggested to enhance reward sensitivity. Thus, lack of sensitivity to the
reward-bolstering effects of estrogen may be associated with increased depression. Our
results also underscore the importance of accounting for menstrual cycle phases in
event-related potential studies.

Keywords: Menstrual cycle, reward positivity, anhedonia, RewP-anhedonia, EEG