A new study from Emory University suggests that a drug used to treat inflammation in arthritis might help people with depression feel more motivated.
This is exciting news because low motivation is a very common symptom of depression and makes it harder for people to get better.
The study was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. It looked at how a drug called infliximab affects motivation in people who have both depression and high levels of inflammation. Infliximab is usually used to treat diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. It works by blocking a substance in the body that causes inflammation.
More and more research is showing that inflammation in the body might play a role in mental health problems like depression. In this study, researchers wanted to know if reducing inflammation could help people feel more motivated. The team studied 42 patients who were not taking other medications for depression.
All of them had high levels of a substance in their blood called C-reactive protein (CRP), which shows that there is inflammation in the body. CRP levels higher than 3 mg/L are considered high.
The participants were randomly given either one dose of infliximab or a placebo, which is a harmless substance that has no real effect.
The patients were then watched for two weeks to see if anything changed. Researchers used different tools to measure motivation, including tests that looked at how much effort someone would use to earn a reward, brain scans, and surveys.
The results were promising. People who got the infliximab were more willing to work for rewards compared to those who got the placebo. Their brain scans also showed changes in areas of the brain related to motivation, such as the prefrontal cortex and the ventral striatum.
This suggests that the drug helped improve brain function in areas linked to feeling motivated.
Dr. Michael Treadway, the lead author and a professor at Emory University, said that this is the first study to show how an anti-inflammatory drug can directly change the brain’s motivation system. He believes the findings give new hope to people with depression, especially those who feel stuck or unable to take action.
Dr. Andrew Miller, a professor of psychiatry and co-author of the study, said that targeting inflammation could be a better way to treat depression for some people, especially when lack of motivation is the biggest issue.
This study is important because it shows a new way to think about treating depression. Instead of just focusing on the brain, it looks at how problems in the body—like inflammation—can affect mental health. It opens the door to new treatments that help people feel better both mentally and physically.
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.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
