A recent study conducted by researchers at Emory University has uncovered a potential new way to treat one of the most challenging symptoms of depression—lack of motivation.
Published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, the research highlights the promise of using an anti-inflammatory drug, infliximab, to help patients who struggle with motivation due to depression.
Motivational difficulties are a common and debilitating aspect of depression. These impairments often lead to poorer treatment outcomes, reduced quality of life, and an increased risk of suicide.
Over the years, scientists have suggested that inflammation in the body might play a role in reducing motivation by affecting critical brain circuits involved in this aspect of behavior.
This study is groundbreaking because it’s the first to examine how infliximab, a drug that blocks the inflammatory molecule tumor necrosis factor (TNF), impacts both the motivation levels and brain activity of people with depression.
The study involved 42 patients who were not only suffering from depression but also showed signs of high inflammation, as indicated by a C-reactive protein (CRP) level greater than 3 mg/L. CRP is a standard blood test that can measure inflammation and is widely available in medical settings.
The researchers chose to focus on patients with high inflammation because they hypothesized that inflammation might be a key factor in why these individuals experience particularly low motivation.
The participants were randomly assigned to receive either a single dose of infliximab, which is commonly used to treat inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, or a placebo.
To measure changes in motivation, the research team used a combination of approaches over a two-week period.
These included tasks that assessed how much effort patients were willing to put into achieving rewards, self-reported questionnaires, and brain scans using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe changes in brain activity.
The results were promising. Patients who received infliximab showed a greater willingness to put in effort to achieve rewards compared to those who received the placebo.
This boost in motivation was closely linked to a reduction in the activity of inflammatory pathways, particularly those involving TNF, which infliximab specifically targets.
Moreover, the study found that these changes in motivation were mirrored by changes in brain activity. Specifically, there was increased activity in areas of the brain associated with motivation, such as the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, ventral striatum, and putamen.
Additionally, the connectivity between these brain regions improved, suggesting that the brain’s reward system was functioning more effectively.
Dr. Michael Treadway, a professor of psychology at Emory University and the study’s first author, expressed excitement about the findings. “This is the first time we’ve been able to see how an anti-inflammatory drug can directly affect the brain circuits involved in motivation,” he said.
“It’s encouraging to see that by reducing inflammation, we can make a positive impact on one of the most difficult symptoms of depression to treat.”
The study also showed that the relationship between the infliximab treatment and the improvement in motivation was directly related to the observed changes in TNF signaling and brain activity.
Additionally, the reduction in motivational deficits was associated with a stronger response in a brain network that is sensitive to rewards.
Dr. Andrew Miller, the senior author of the study and a professor of psychiatry at Emory University School of Medicine, emphasized the broader implications of these findings.
“This research supports the growing evidence that anti-inflammatory treatments could offer a new approach to treating motivational deficits in depression,” he said.
“By targeting the underlying inflammation, we’re not just treating the symptoms—we’re addressing one of the root causes, which could lead to more effective treatment options for patients.”
This study opens up a new avenue for understanding and treating the complex relationship between depression and motivation.
While more research is needed to confirm these findings and explore the long-term effects of anti-inflammatory treatments, the results offer hope for patients who have struggled with traditional therapies.
If you care about depression, please read studies about how dairy foods may influence depression risk, and B vitamins could help prevent depression and anxiety.
For more information about mental health, please see recent studies that ultra-processed foods may make you feel depressed, and extra-virgin olive oil could reduce depression symptoms.
The research findings can be found in Molecular Psychiatry.
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