Stress-induced hedonic deficit is a promising candidate mechanism linking stressful experiences to depression. These findings indicate that acute stress reduces reward responsiveness, particularly in individuals with anhedonic symptoms. Regression analyses indicate that self-report measures of anhedonia predicted stress-induced hedonic deficits even after controlling for anxiety symptoms. As hypothesized based on preclinical findings, stress, particularly the threat-of-shock condition, impaired reward responsiveness. Importantly, the impact of a particular stressor varies across individuals. Stress increased negative affect and anxiety. Epidemiological research has found that stress can induce depressive symptoms (Lloyd, 1980 Kendler, Karkowski, & Prescott, 1999) and is associated with poorer treatment prognosis and more frequent relapse (Tennant, 2002). Eighty female participants completed the task under both a stress condition, either threat-of-shock (n = 38) or negative performance feedback (n = 42), and a no-stress condition. To test if acute stress reduces reward responsiveness (i.e., the ability to modulate behavior as a function of past reward), a signal-detection task coupled with a differential reinforcement schedule was utilized. Stress, one of the strongest risk factors for depression, has been linked to "anhedonic" behavior and dysfunctional reward-related neural circuitry in preclinical models.
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