anhedonia

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anhedonia

·June 6, 2021·4 min read

Functional Brain Network Predicts Real-Life Social Network in Both Individuals With Schizophrenia and Social Anhedonia

Patients with schizophrenia, but not those with social anhedonia, exhibited deficits in real-life social network size. Those with schizophrenia and those with social anhedonia had reversals functional connectivity to one another. People with schizophrenia showed decreased segregation and functional connectivity in brain areas associated with social behaviors, while those with social anhedonia had an increase in connectivity and segregation.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·April 12, 2021·5 min read

Profound Loss of Pleasure Related to Early-Onset Dementia

Study links anhedonia, or the loss of pleasure, to the early onset of frontotemporal dementia. Neuroimaging revealed symptoms of anhedonia were marked by atrophy in the frontal and striatal brain areas of those with FTD.

This shows a sad looking man looking out of a window at the rain

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 3, 2021·6 min read

Researchers Identify Brain Ion Channel as New Approach to Treating Depression

Ezogabine, a drug that opens up the KCNQ2/3 type potassium channel, significantly improved symptoms of depression and anhedonia.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 14, 2021·3 min read

The Science Behind Why Hobbies Can Improve Our Mental Health

From helping to reduce depression to boosting dopamine in the reward system, researchers review how taking up a hobby can have positive effects on mental health.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 16, 2020·2 min read

The molecular mechanisms of depression

Study reveals how the brain's opioid system is linked to mood changes associated with depression and anxiety. Neuroimaging revealed, in those with depression, there is a decreased number of opioid receptors in specific areas of the brain.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·January 18, 2020·4 min read

What people who don’t like music might tell us about social interaction

Musical anhedonia, a neurological condition where people don't enjoy music, affects 5% of the population. Researchers are exploring if this same condition could also be what impairs social bonding for some people on the autism spectrum.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·January 18, 2020·2 min read

Music helps researchers find link between prediction and pleasure

Exposing subjects to music composed in an unfamiliar scale, researchers test whether reward can be derived solely from newly formed predictions.

This is a chemical stick and ball model of dopamine

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·December 27, 2019·4 min read

Dopamine fasting: an expert reviews the latest craze in Silicon Valley

The latest Silicon Valley crazy of dopamine fasting promises to "reset" the brain to be more effective and appreciate the smaller things in life more easily, but does it work? Researchers look at the effect of dopamine fasting on brain health.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 2, 2019·3 min read

Why stress doesn’t always cause depression

Rats susceptible to anhedonia have more serotonin neurons in the ventral dorsal raphe nucleus. However, activating neurons in the central amygdala reduced the serotonin signaling and lowered the effects of social stress.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 4, 2019·3 min read

Promising steps towards hope for a treatment for schizophrenia

Mu-opioid receptor (MOR) levels are significantly reduced in the striatum in those with schizophrenia. A lack of MOR system stimulation contributes to negative feelings, such as a lack of motivation and anhedonia, associated with the condition. Increasing MOR levels could help to reduce some of the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Electrophysiology Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain Psychology

·September 26, 2019·4 min read

Molecular link between chronic pain and depression revealed

Inhibitory inputs to the neural circuit between the dorsolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (dlBNST) to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) increase when a person is in chronic pain. This alteration is mediated by enhanced corticotropin-releasing factor signaling within the dlBNST, leading to suppression of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system. The result is depressive mood and anhedonia associated with chronic pain.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 5, 2019·4 min read

Brain circuit connects feeding and mood in response to stress

A new study identifies a novel neural network regulating feeding and mood in response to chronic stress. Inhibiting the POMC to ventral tegmental area circuit increases body weight and food intake while reducing depressive symptoms in mouse models.

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