Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41459591›Full record

ArticlePsychological medicine2025

Which aspects of anhedonia predict response to pharmacotherapy in major depressive disorder?

Rudolf Uher, Sakina J Rizvi, Lena C Quilty, Barbara Pavlova, Abraham Nunes, Jane A Foster, Raymond W Lam, Roumen Milev, Daniel J Müller, Valerie Taylor and 4 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Psychological medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Rudolf UherDepartment of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2998-0546
Sakina J RizviASR Suicide and Depression Studies Program, Department of Psychiatry, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Lena C QuiltyCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0934-4363
Barbara PavlovaDepartment of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Abraham NunesDepartment of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4955-9150
Jane A FosterDepartment of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8579-4705
Raymond W LamDepartment of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7142-4669
Roumen MilevDepartment of Psychiatry, Providence Care, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6884-171X
Daniel J MüllerDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Valerie TaylorCumming School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8948-638X
Claudio N SoaresDepartment of Psychiatry, Providence Care, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Susan RotzingerDepartment of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1980-3674
Sidney H KennedyDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5339-7185
Benicio N FreyDepartment of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8267-943X

Funding

Ontario Brain Institute
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAnhedonia is a multidimensional concept, and it is not known which aspects of it are linked to the heterogeneity of treatment responses in major depressive disorder (MDD). We examine the role of anhedonia dimensions in predicting response to antidepressant medication and adjunctive pharmacotherapy.

methodsIn CAN-BIND-1, 187 adults with MDD completed the Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS) and the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) before undergoing 8 weeks of treatment with escitalopram. At week 8, 90 nonresponders received adjunctive treatment with aripiprazole for an additional 8 weeks. Mixed-effects models tested the hobbies, food, social, and sensory subscales and items of DARS and SHAPS as predictors of change in the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).

resultsOf the four DARS subscales, sensory anhedonia predicted a worse treatment outcome with escitalopram (

conclusionsThe inability to enjoy sensory experiences and the lack of interest in food and social activities distinctly predict outcomes with serotonergic versus dopaminergic pharmacotherapy. These findings require replication and extension to other treatments.

Indexed as

AnhedoniaAntidepressive AgentsAripiprazoleEscitalopramMajor Depressive DisorderAdultCitalopramDrug Therapy, CombinationFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPsychiatric Status Rating ScalesTreatment OutcomeAntidepressive AgentsAripiprazoleCitalopramEscitalopramanhedoniaantidepressant medicationmajor depressive disorderpredictors of treatment response

Identifiers

PMID41459591
PMCPMC13092992

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.