Perseverative cognition reduces behavioral and electrophysiological markers of reward responsiveness in women with depressive symptoms

The impact of perseverative cognition in the development and maintenance of psychiatric disorders has been mainly investigated in the context of individuals’ responses to aversive situations. Limited and contrasting evidence has emerged about the role of perseverative cognition in the positive valence systems domain. The present study combined laboratory-based assessment of reward responsiveness and electrophysiology to examine the effects of worrisome and ruminative thoughts on reward functioning. Before and after the induction of perseverative cognition or a neutral procedure, 30 women with different severity of depressive symptoms performed the Probabilistic Reward Task (PRT), yielding an objective measure of participants’ ability to modulate behaviour as a function of reward. In order to assess manipulation effects on self-reported momentary mood and levels of state perseverative cognition, visual-analog scales were administered before and after each experimental session. Electroencephalography was recorded continuously throughout the protocol using an active electrode 64-channel actiCHamp system to derive event-related potentials following reward feedback. Compared to the neutral procedure, the induction of perseverative cognition led to a decreased reward responsiveness as evidenced by reduced response bias in the PRT. A slower responsiveness to reward after the induction of perseverative cognition was also supported by an increased latency of the feedback-related negativity (FRN) to positive feedback to the most frequently rewarded stimulus. A significant correlation emerged between the change of response bias and FRN latency, whereby a blunted response bias was associated with an increased FRN latency following induction. Moreover, individuals with higher dispositional levels of depressive rumination showed a greater reduction in response bias following induction. Current preliminary findings suggest that engendering state levels of perseverative cognition reduces reward responsiveness in women with depressive symptoms. Since perseverative cognition is considered a transdiagnostic risk factor for mood disorders, a better understanding of its influence on reward functioning could have important implications for precise treatment endeavors.