Reward processing – mycolab.ai

Associations Between Escitalopram and Psilocybin Therapy and Brain Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Major Depressive Disorder

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This study compared how two depression treatments—a common antidepressant called escitalopram and psilocybin therapy—affect brain connectivity and depression symptoms. Both treatments reduced feelings of lacking pleasure and impulsive behaviors in depressed patients. The research found that while both worked, they affected different parts of the brain’s reward system in distinct ways, suggesting they may work through different mechanisms.

Anhedonia: Current and future treatments

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Anhedonia is the inability to feel pleasure from activities, which is a significant problem affecting many people with depression and other psychiatric conditions. This review examined many different treatments for anhedonia including medications, brain stimulation techniques, and psychological therapies. The research shows that newer medications like vortioxetine and ketamine work better for anhedonia than older antidepressants, and combining multiple approaches including therapy and lifestyle changes gives the best results.

Cell adhesion presence during adolescence controls the architecture of projection-defined prefrontal cortical neurons and reward-related action strategies later in life

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During teenage years, the brain undergoes important structural changes that set the stage for adult decision-making abilities. This study found that a cell adhesion protein called β1-integrin plays a critical role during adolescence in stabilizing connections between brain cells in the prefrontal cortex. When this protein was missing during the teenage years, adult mice struggled to make good decisions about rewards and could not adjust their behavior when circumstances changed. The research suggests that proper brain development during adolescence requires these cellular adhesion molecules to build the neural circuits needed for intelligent decision-making later in life.

Research Keyword: Reward processing

Associations Between Escitalopram and Psilocybin Therapy and Brain Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Major Depressive Disorder

Anhedonia: Current and future treatments

Cell adhesion presence during adolescence controls the architecture of projection-defined prefrontal cortical neurons and reward-related action strategies later in life