Dopamine Treatment for Depression with Inflammation and Loss of Pleasure
Official title: Dopaminergic Therapy for Inflammation-Related Anhedonia in Depression
Funded at Emory University · NIH-11145195 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work explores if a dopamine-boosting medication can help people with depression who experience a loss of pleasure and have signs of inflammation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2020 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $696,294 |
| NIH project number | 5R33MH121625-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11145195 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this type of work would be adults aged 21 and older who have major depressive disorder, experience anhedonia, and show signs of inflammation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose depression is not linked to inflammation or anhedonia may not find direct benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
Depression is a common condition, and for some, current treatments don't fully help, especially with feelings of anhedonia, which is a reduced ability to feel pleasure. We know that inflammation in the body can contribute to depression symptoms and affect how the brain's reward system, which uses dopamine, works. This project looks at whether increasing dopamine levels might improve brain connections related to reward and reduce anhedonia in individuals with depression and high inflammation. We are specifically interested in how a medication that boosts dopamine might affect brain activity in areas linked to motivation and pleasure.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatment options for individuals with depression who have inflammation and experience a significant loss of pleasure.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data from this team suggests that a dopamine precursor can increase brain connectivity in relevant areas for patients with high inflammation, indicating a promising direction.
Where this research is happening
-
Emory University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Felger, Jennifer C — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Felger, Jennifer C
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This project looks at whether changing sleep timing and how long high-school teens sleep can help brain responses to reward and stress and reduce depressive symptoms and loss of pleasure.
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Using dopamine therapy to treat lack of pleasure in depression caused by inflammation
This study is looking at how inflammation in the body might impact the brain's ability to produce dopamine, which helps with feelings of pleasure and motivation, and it's for people with depression who might not be feeling joy in their lives; by giving a medication called levodopa, the researchers hope to boost dopamin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.