Impaired Maturation of Cognitive Control in Adolescents Who Develop Major Depressive Disorder

Abstract

This study examined whether development of two forms of cognitive control (proactive and reactive) between early and midadolescence was associated with the onset of major depressive disorder (MDD) during the same period and if it prospectively predicted MDD onset between mid- and late adolescence. Adolescents (N = 165) completed 3 waves of assessments, at 12 (T1), 16 (T2), and 18 (T3) years of age. Diagnostic interviews were conducted at each time point to identify three groups of adolescents: “early MDD,” those who developed MDD between early (T1) and mid- (T2) adolescence (n = 23); “late MDD,” those who developed MDD between mid- (T2) and late (T3) adolescence (n = 20); and “controls,” those who did not develop MDD (n = 122). A modified Stroop task was completed at T1 and T2 to examine development of proactive and reactive cognitive control. Adolescents with early MDD exhibited significant declines in reactive control, as well as a trend level decline for proactive control, during this period compared to controls. No significant differences in reactive or proactive control were identified in adolescents with late MDD compared to controls, but they did exhibit significant improvements in proactive control compared to those with early MDD. These findings suggest that normative maturation of reactive, and possibly proactive, cognitive control abilities are impaired in adolescents who develop MDD between early and midadolescence. This has implications for understanding the mechanisms underlying certain forms of behavioral dysregulation that are commonly seen in MDD.

Notes

¹The final sample of 165 did not differ from the original screening sample of 2,453 on SES or gender (p > .05).

²Similar analyses on error scores failed to identify any significant effects of development of response accuracy on MDD onset between T1 and T2, or between T2 and T3.

³Similar analyses using the Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression scores as the outcome variable also failed to identify any significant effects of development of response accuracy on change in depressive symptomatology between T1 and T2, or between T2 and T3.