Week 12-13 Article 1

Question 1

What is the relationship between sensitivity to social evaluation and depression in adolescents?

Answer 1

Sensitivity to social evaluation is proposed as a potential marker or risk factor for depression, increasing with pubertal maturation.

Question 2

How does pubertal development relate to adolescent depression?

Answer 2

Pubertal development involves neural plasticity and changes in hormones like testosterone and estradiol, which may contribute to increased sensitivity to social rejection and risk for depression.

Question 3

What is the significance of peer relationships during adolescence?

Answer 3

Peer relationships gain increased affective and motivational salience, with social status becoming more important due to neural and endocrine changes.

Question 4

How do MDD and healthy youth differ in neural response to peer feedback?

Answer 4

MDD youth show heightened neural response to rejection but not to acceptance, compared to healthy controls.

Question 5

How is pubertal maturation linked to neural response to rejection?

Answer 5

More advanced pubertal maturation is associated with increased reactivity to rejection

Question 6

What paradigm was used in the study to examine peer rejection and acceptance?

Answer 6

A simulated online peer interaction task provided rigged acceptance and rejection feedback during functional neuroimaging.

Question 7

How do depressed youth respond to peer acceptance differently from healthy controls?

Answer 7

Increased amygdala response to acceptance compared to controls.

Question 8

What was hypothesized about the neural response to peer acceptance in depressed youth?

Answer 8

It was unclear whether depressed youth would show blunted or increased reactivity in reward-related regions

Question 9

How were participants for the study selected?

Answer 9

Adolescents aged 11–17 were recruited, with MDD diagnosed using DSM-IV criteria. Controls had no psychiatric history.

Question 10

How was pubertal development hypothesized to influence neural response to peer rejection and acceptance?

Answer 10

Advanced pubertal development was expected to increase neural responses in regions involved in social and affective processing.

Question 11

What was the purpose of the Chatroom Interact Task?

Answer 11

To investigate reactions to social acceptance and rejection from virtual peers in an online setting.

Question 12

What happened on Day 1 of the Chatroom Interact Task?

Answer 12

Participants selected their top five males and females (from 30 profiles) for potential interaction and provided their own profile and photo.

Question 13

What occurred on Day 2 of the Chatroom Interact Task?

Answer 13

Participants were told they had been matched with four peers and participated in a structured ‘chat game’ simulating real-time peer interaction.

Question 14

How was the task structured during the Chatroom Interact Task?

Answer 14

Participants answered the question “Who would you rather talk to about…” on topics like music and friends, displayed with peer photos. Feedback highlighted the chosen person.

Question 15

How were the accept and reject conditions structured in the Chatroom Interact Task?

Answer 15

Participants experienced two accept blocks (chosen 2/3 of the time) and two reject blocks (rejected 2/3 of the time), split by gender of peers.

Question 16

What analyses were focused on in the Chatroom Interact Task?

Answer 16

Analyses focused on Blocks 2–5, where participants were chosen or rejected by virtual peers.

Question 17

What questionnaire followed the Chatroom Interact Task?

Answer 17

Participants rated feelings (happy, sad, angry, nervous, included, excluded) on a 1–5 scale to assess mood after the task.

Question 18

How did MDD youth rate their feelings after the Chatroom Interact Task compared to CON youth?

Answer 18

MDD youth felt more sad, nervous, and excluded and less happy, but ratings of feeling “included” were similar between groups.

Question 19

How did the sgACC and left anterior insula respond to rejection in MDD youth compared to CON youth?

Answer 19

MDD youth showed increased activation in both regions during rejection trials.

Question 20

What was unique about the left NAcc’s response to rejection in MDD youth?

Answer 20

MDD youth showed sustained activity, while CON youth exhibited deactivation from baseline during rejection trials.

Question 21

What was observed in the bilateral amygdala’s response to rejection in healthy controls versus MDD youth?

Answer 21

Controls showed deactivation relative to baseline, which was attenuated in MDD youth.

Question 22

How did pubertal maturation interact with group differences in sgACC and amygdala responses?

Answer 22

Pubertal maturation predicted increased activity in controls but not in MDD youth, who showed heightened responses earlier in puberty.

Question 23

What implications do these findings have for early intervention in adolescent depression?

Answer 23

They highlight the importance of addressing heightened neural sensitivity to social rejection as a potential risk factor for depression.

Question 24

What is a proposed reason for increased risk of behavioral and emotional health problems in adolescence?

Answer 24

Increased reactivity to social and emotional stimuli due to pubertal maturation.

Question 25

How might early pubertal maturation, especially in girls, affect psychosocial stress?

Answer 25

It is associated with increased psychosocial stress and adversity.

Question 26

Why is it unclear whether neural sensitivity to peer rejection is a risk factor or a correlate of depression?

Answer 26

The study is cross-sectional and does not establish causation.

Question 27

What are some study limitations mentioned?

Answer 27

Cross-sectional design, no adult comparison group, small sample size for gender analysis, and reliance on self-reported pubertal status.

Question 28

What role could virtual reality play in adolescent depression interventions?

Answer 28

It may enhance exposure and coping responses to negative peer evaluation.

Question 29

How might positive online social interactions impact adolescent well-being?

Answer 29

They can improve self-esteem, perceived relational value, and decrease negative affect.