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Pupil dilation when viewing sad stimuli may be biomarker of pediatric depression risk

Physiological reactivity to sad stimuli, measured via pupil dilation, may be a biomarker of depression risk among children of mothers with major depressive disorder, according to study findings in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology.

“Children of depressed mothers are three to four times more likely to experience major depressive disorder (MDD) by early adulthood than are offspring of mothers with no history of MDD,” study researcher Katie L. Burkhouse, MS, of Binghamton University in Binghamton, N.Y., and colleagues wrote. “The identification of physiological or neural risk factors, in particular, for this population can aid clinicians and researchers in objectively measuring specific biomarkers of risk early in development, even in the absence of overt behavioral signs. Biomarkers, in turn, have the potential to increase our ability to predict the development of new depressive episodes in at-risk children, and to identify specific targets for treatment.”

To determine if physiological reactivity via pupil dilation to depression-associated stimuli is a biomarker of depression risk, researchers evaluated 47 mother-child pairs. Mothers (mean age, 41.7 years) had a history of MDD. Pupil dilation was assessed when children (mean age, 11.19 years) viewed angry, happy and sad faces. Follow-up occurred 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after baseline assessment to evaluate depressive symptoms and depression diagnosis among children.

Children who exhibited greater pupil dilation when viewing sad faces had increased trajectories of depressive symptoms during follow-up and had a shorter time to depression onset.

This association was not found when children viewed angry or happy faces, according to researchers.

“The current study contributes to existing research on the intergenerational transmission of depression by providing promising evidence for one promising biological marker of risk: pupillary reactivity to sad facial stimuli,” Burkhouse and colleagues wrote. “These findings may help to pave the way for future intervention efforts designed to reduce depression risk among children and adolescents.” – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.