How stress changes brain circuits that control motivation and effort
Corticostriatal and Corticoinsular Circuit Mechanisms Underlying Stress Effects on Effort-based Reward Processing
This research is looking at whether stress alters specific brain circuits to reduce the drive to work for rewards in people with mood disorders like depression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Dallas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richardson, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11304487 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, scientists are using advanced lab methods to watch and control two groups of brain cells in the front part of the brain that communicate with reward and internal-state regions. They will use high-resolution calcium imaging to record these cells' activity while animals make choices that require different amounts of effort for rewards, and optogenetics to turn those cells on or off to see how behavior changes. The team will compare how prior stress shifts these signals and choice patterns to map which circuits cause reduced motivation. The findings aim to link specific circuit changes to the effort-related symptoms seen in depression and similar disorders.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with depression or other mood disorders who experience low motivation, lack of effort, or anhedonia could be potential candidates for future clinical trials based on this work.
Not a fit: Patients whose main problems are unrelated to motivation or effort (for example primary motor disorders or purely cognitive deficits) are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to precise brain circuits to target with new therapies (drugs or neuromodulation) to improve motivation in depression.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal and human studies have linked the anterior cingulate, nucleus accumbens, and insula to motivation and effort, but using projection-specific imaging and causal control of those circuits is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Richardson, United States
- University of Texas Dallas — Richardson, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Parekh, Puja — University of Texas Dallas
- Study coordinator: Parekh, Puja
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 below.