Publication Date

Summer 2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Advisor

Valerie Carr; Christina Tzeng; Jill Citron

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders in the US and is characterized by depressed mood and loss of interest. Many MDD patients also experience difficulties with executive function, including working memory. Neuroimaging studies reveal structural and functional brain differences between MDD patients and healthy controls that may underlie these working memory difficulties, but findings have been mixed. A quantitative synthesis of neuroimaging data through a meta-analytic approach offers a promising avenue to identify commonalities across studies. We conducted separate meta?analyses of structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, with the latter focused on studies utilizing the N-back task. We predicted reduced volume in individuals with MDD relative to controls in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex, whereas we had no strong predictions regarding functional differences due to mixed and often contradictory findings in the literature. No significant effects were found for either the structural or functional meta-analyses when using a statistically conservative approach. Follow-up exploratory analyses revealed reduced volume in depressed individuals in the left superior frontal gyrus and right fusiform gyrus, as well as hyperactivity in the left anterior cingulate cortex. Should these findings be replicated in the future, it would suggest that these neural differences may explain reduced working memory abilities in MDD, potentially supporting the development of customized interventions targeting these regions. Keywords: Working Memory, Major Depressive Disorder, Neuroimaging, Meta-Analysis

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