Rumination, or extensive mind wandering defines one of the key cognitive symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD). Several symptoms included in the psychiatric disorder have been associated with altered connectivity within the large-scaled system default mode network (DMN). Although it’s well-known that antidepressant treatment, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) tend to positively affect symptoms and alterations of MDD, results are inconsistent regarding DMN connectivity pre-and-post treatment. This systematic review aims to compile findings from studies investigating DMN connectivity in MDD patients’ pre-and post SSRI and SNRItreatment, and to find possible correlations with symptomatic improvements. Five articles were included for further analysis after the literature search in MEDLINE ESBSCO and Scopus. Main findings are in alignment with previous research and suggest both hypo-and hyper DMN connectivity at baseline in MDD patients, and connectivity patterns significantly similar to healthy controls following antidepressant treatment. Future research might consider placebo controlled trials for more diverse, and quantified results, and also consider further investigation on both first-line treatments and other promising antidepressants.

This thesis presents research investigating the relationship between, and methods of, measuring circadian rhythms in mood disorders in a population of currently depressed and euthymic individuals with both depression and bipolar disorder. This was first assessed by comparing group differences in subjective sleep and circadian measures with objective sleep and circadian measures. The objective circadian measures involved actigraphy and melatonin profiling. This analysis showed group differences in subjective sleep and circadian parameters compared to controls, however no robust differences between mood groups. Objective melatonin profiling showed a mild agreement with subjective circadian parameters. Next, we studied the external validity of a subjective rating scale measuring biological rhythm disturbance, the Biological Rhythms Interview for Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN), against objective measures of sleep and circadian activity rhythmicity. The BRIAN demonstrated some promising external validity, namely correlations with wake after sleep onset (WASO) and sleep efficiency, as well as melatonin levels in each group. These studies provide evidence of the extent to which a self-report may help in assessing parameters of sleep and circadian rhythms in the clinical setting. In doing so, it is expected that the use of subjective ratings will provide insight into the impact of biological rhythms disturbances and mood disorders. Lastly, we conducted an overview of the preclinical and clinical literature investigating the impact of circadian disturbance on cognitive performance. The results from this literature review yielded patterns of rhythmicity in specific parameters in each of the attention, memory, and executive function domains in humans, whereas attention and memory are more of a primary focus in animal studies. However, we also found that there are significant gaps in the understanding of how disturbances in circadian rhythms may influence cognitive function. This review also highlights the importance of cross-species translational validity from a methodological perspective, in order to generate positive clinical results beginning at the preclinical stage in neuropsychiatric disorders. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Background: Individuals with depression have a higher incidence of comorbidity which significantly decreases their ability to function and increases their utilization of health care. Due to the severity of the economic burden resulting with depression, research is needed to further examine the most effective treatments for depression. Biofeedback is a therapy that teaches patients how to control the physical affects that manifest during depression. Aim: The purpose of this review of literature is to discover the benefits of biofeedback for patients diagnosed with depression. Method: An electronic literature search was conducted using various databases to retrieve articles examining biofeedback as an intervention for patients with depression or depressive symptoms. Results: Studies that used biofeedback as an intervention for depression reported significant physical benefits for patients, including decreased heart rate variability and respiratory rate, as well as improved function. Conclusion: Research indicates that treatments need to have the potential to empower individuals, relieve them of their negative symptoms, relieve their financial burden, and allow them the quality of life they deserve.

This research focuses on examining the neurological similarities between schizophrenia and major depressive disorder with psychotic features in order to compare the manifestations of psychosis in each disorder. Both disorders often involve symptoms of psychosis, although the overall disorders are very different from each other. The hypothesis for this research is that the neurological similarities between schizophrenia and major depressive disorder with psychotic features will provide researchers with the strategies needed to develop a treatment for psychotic symptoms. In order to test this hypothesis, five related studies were gathered for each disorder, and three studies were gathered for psychosis. These studies were then analyzed to pinpoint any similarities among factors for psychosis, and this analysis allowed for the determination of whether or not the hypothesis would be rejected. The results indicated that a lot of the similarities between the two disorders cannot be verified because of the lack of substantial research.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the treatment acceptability ratings of teachers of adolescents on three different types of commonly used interventions: (a) positive verbal praise, (b) token economy with response cost and extinction, and (c) psychotropic medication. Ratings of treatment acceptability were also assessed according to type of disorder (i.e., externalizing or internalizing). The participants were 101 teachers of adolescents recruited from a midwestern public school district. Participants were asked to read two case studies presented in a counterbalanced format. One case study focused on a youth who displayed symptoms related to an internalizing disorder (Major Depressive Disorder), while the other focused on a youth who displayed symptoms of an externalizing disorder (Conduct Disorder). After each case study, participants were asked to read three treatment vignettes. Each treatment vignette described one of the three previously mentioned interventions. The participants then rated the treatment acceptability of each intervention using a modified Abbreviated Acceptability Rating Profile. A 2 x 3 repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the data from the measures. Statistically significant differences were found among level of intervention intrusiveness, type of disorder, as well as interaction effects between the two main variables of interest. Overall, teachers indicated they found less intrusive interventions as more acceptable than the more intrusive interventions; interventions for externalizing disorders were also rated as more acceptable than interventions targeting internalizing disorders. A noteworthy exception was the most intrusive intervention, psychotropic medication, as equally acceptable for both disorders. The current study is unique in that previous researchers have not investigated treatment acceptability of internalizing disorders or among teachers of adolescents as a population. The findings of this study may be useful for teachers of adolescents experiencing classroom difficulties with youth displaying symptoms of either Conduct Disorder or Major Depressive Disorder. Recommendations for future research are discussed as well.

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