# Developmental changes in reward responsivity: Associations with depression risk markers

> **NIH NIH R01** · TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH · 2020 · $596,528

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract: Major depressive disorder is a burdensome disease that is prevalent in the
general population. Despite much research on risk for and etiology of depression, processes related to the
development of depression are only beginning to be understood. Family history of depressive disorders and
developmental status are well established risk factors for depressive disorders. Offspring of depressed parents
are at increased risk for depression and depression rates increase in adolescence. However, these broad risks
have been considered individually and as distal influences on the emergence of depression. More proximal
processes require further investigation. Attenuated reward responsivity (RR) has been linked to the etiology of
depression in studies using subjective report, objective behavioral, and neural functioning measures. Of
particular importance, RR is related to risk factors for depression and is influenced by developmental
processes. Specifically, never depressed offspring of depressed parents demonstrate attenuated responses to
reward. Studies also find that reward responsiveness normatively increases across adolescence. Questions
emerge concerning how family history of depression may influence the development of RR in adolescence and
how these may influence the development of youth depressive symptoms. These longitudinal processes have
not been comprehensively examined previously. This proposal will apply a true developmental
psychopathology perspective in examining risk for depression. We hypothesize that offspring of depressed
parents will demonstrate attenuated increases in reward function during adolescence and failure to
demonstrate normative increases in reward function will be associated with emergent depressive symptoms.
We will combine high-risk offspring and longitudinal developmental methods to address our aims. We will
recruit 9-10 (n = 140) and 12-13 (n = 140) year old youth. Youth participants will be assessed on RR using self-
and parent-reports, behavioral performance, and neuroimaging methods. Our expectation is that offspring of
depressed parents will demonstrate attenuated increases in reward responsiveness and this developmental
change will be associated with the emergence of depressive symptoms. This is the first research program to
examine the interplay between family risk status for depression and development using a longitudinal design
and including rigorous behavioral and neuroimaging components. The results of this work will have powerful
implications for understanding the timing and nature of the development of RR in the transition to and through
adolescence. Identification of periods of malleability will permit identification of when in development
intervention efforts may target RR to prevent the development of depressive disorders. Our work will also
identify specific mechanisms of attenuated reward responsivity development that will implicate prevention
efforts, including individual cogniti...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9850290
- **Project number:** 5R01MH107495-05
- **Recipient organization:** TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** Thomas M Olino
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $596,528
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-04-01 → 2022-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9850290

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9850290, Developmental changes in reward responsivity: Associations with depression risk markers (5R01MH107495-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9850290. Licensed CC0.

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