Memory and loss of pleasure (anhedonia)
Testing a Memory-Based Hypothesis for Anhedonia
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · NIH-11258876
This project looks at whether problems remembering how rewarding past experiences felt may help explain why adults with depression, PTSD, or schizophrenia stop enjoying things.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (IRVINE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11258876 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will compare how adults with reduced ability to feel pleasure remember rewarding experiences versus adults without that problem. They will use memory and reward tasks, collect brain-related measures, and apply computational/AI approaches to link memory signals with pleasure responses. The team aims to define a biological signature of anhedonia by combining behavior, brain markers, and algorithmic analysis. Findings could clarify whether memory problems help drive the loss of pleasure across psychiatric conditions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults (21+) who experience clinically significant anhedonia as part of depression, schizophrenia, PTSD, or related conditions and can attend study visits.
Not a fit: Children, people without experienced loss of pleasure, or those whose symptoms are unrelated to memory processes may not benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to clearer biological definitions of anhedonia that help improve diagnosis and point to targeted treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has suggested links between reward circuitry and memory in anhedonia, but this study takes a more focused, computational approach to test the memory-based idea.
Where this research is happening
IRVINE, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE — IRVINE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: YASSA, MICHAEL A — UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE
- Study coordinator: YASSA, MICHAEL A
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.