Anhedonia News and Research

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Methylglyoxal detoxification deficits can be involved in the development of schizophrenia

Methylglyoxal (MG) is a highly reactive α-ketoaldehyde formed endogenously as a byproduct of the glycolytic pathway. MG accumulates under conditions of hyperglycemia, impaired glucose metabolism, or oxidative stress.

2 Jul 2021

UIC discovery may lead to new treatments for alcohol use disorder and depression

A discovery from researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago may lead to new treatments for individuals who suffer from alcohol use disorder and depression.

14 Jun 2021

Lactate has antidepressant effect in mice, shows study

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Neuroscientists from Synapsy - the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research into Mental Illness - based at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and Lausanne University (UNIL) have recently demonstrated that lactate, a molecule produced by the body during exercise, has an antidepressant effect in mice.

28 May 2021

Study demonstrates profound anhedonia in people with frontotemporal dementia

People with early-onset dementia are often mistaken for having depression and now Australian research has discovered the cause: a profound loss of ability to experience pleasure - for example a delicious meal or beautiful sunset - related to degeneration of 'hedonic hotspots' in the brain where pleasure mechanisms are concentrated.

12 Apr 2021

$4 million NIH grant supports research for tackling teenage depression

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), in 2017 approximately 13% of adolescents in the United States, or 3.2 million children aged 12 to 17, had at least one major episode of depression.

11 Nov 2020

Study shows possibility to predict who would benefit from exercise and behavioral therapy

Aerobic exercise clearly benefits young adults with major depression, and a Rutgers-led study suggests it may be possible to predict those who would benefit from behavioral therapy with exercise.

24 Aug 2020

First-of-its-kind trial identifies a viable target for treating anhedonia

A first-of-its-kind trial has demonstrated that a receptor involved in the brain's reward system may be a viable target for treating anhedonia (or lack of pleasure), a key symptom of several mood and anxiety disorders.

31 Mar 2020

Study offers significant promise for treating an aspect of schizophrenia

Research by a University of Georgia psychologist shows that targeting one particular symptom of schizophrenia has a positive effect on other symptoms, offering significant promise for treating an aspect of schizophrenia that currently has no pharmaceutical options.

28 Jan 2020

Harnessing biology and technology to develop much-needed treatments for depression

New research into the biology of depression, along with new and evolving technologies, provides the basis for developing the next generation of treatments for major depressive disorder, according to the special January/February issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry.

9 Jan 2020

Brain function changes could help diagnose and manage depression

Ever heard of the lateral habenula? Very few, outside of neuroscience, probably have. Yet a new study, published in the journal Neuron, shows that characteristic changes in the way this area of the brain fires can result in a total loss of will to do anything – which is characteristic of one form of depression.

29 Oct 2019

Implantable brain chip could solve obesity epidemic

Scientists have developed tiny brain chips that alter the area of the brain involved in binge eating. The device is now being tested in humans with obesity.

19 Aug 2019

Individual differences in pleasure are due to genetic variation, research suggests

Differences in how our brains respond when we're anticipating a financial reward are due, in part, to genetic differences, according to research with identical and fraternal twins published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

9 Aug 2019

White matter structure in the brain reflects individual differences in music sensitivity

The white matter structure in the brain reflects music sensitivity, according to a study by the research group on Cognition and Brain Plasticity of the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona and the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute.

29 Jun 2019