Researchers find high level of inflammation markers in the blood of people with depression. The research indicates persistent inflammation affects brain areas associated with the more stubborn symptoms of depression.
Ezogabine, a drug that opens up the KCNQ2/3 type potassium channel, significantly improved symptoms of depression and anhedonia.
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.
Both those with schizophrenia and those with social anhedonia have alterations in the social brain network and a diminished correlation with real-world social network size.
Scientists have laid bare a novel molecular mechanism responsible for the major depression symptom, anhedonia, the loss of the ability to experience pleasure. The brain circuit involved in this newly elucidated pathway is largely identical between rodents and humans, upping the odds that the findings point toward new therapies for depression and other disorders. Additionally, opinion leaders hailed the study’s inventive methodology, saying it may offer a much sounder approach to testing new antidepressants.
Researchers report personality traits and psychological health impact how we value personal control when making decisions. The study reports brain activity in the motivation system is dampened in those with passive personalities and depression when we receive rewards that we have earned or feel in personal control of situations.
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.
Exposing subjects to music composed in an unfamiliar scale, researchers test whether reward can be derived solely from newly formed predictions.
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.
It is possible for those with anhedonia to enjoy experiences and feel pleasure, however, those with the disorder find it hard to maintain their positive emotions, a new study reports.
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.
Stanford researchers have identified five new categories of specific symptoms and brain area activation that can be applied to the diagnosis of anxiety and depression in a more specific manner.
