Reducing inflammation to improve motivation and reward processing in schizophrenia
Targeting Inflammation-Induced Changes in Brain Reward Signaling and Motivational Deficits in Patients with Schizophrenia Using an Anti-Inflammatory Challenge
This project gives an anti-inflammatory treatment to people with schizophrenia to see if it improves motivation and how the brain responds to rewards.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11247093 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you would receive an anti-inflammatory challenge (a drug that blocks TNF) while researchers measure blood inflammation markers, motivation-related behavior, and brain activity during reward and effort tasks using fMRI. They will collect these measurements before and after treatment to look for changes in ventral striatum and anterior insula responses that relate to motivation. The team will link changes in peripheral TNF and other inflammatory markers to changes in negative symptoms and task performance. Overall, the work aims to find out whether lowering inflammation can change brain reward signaling and improve everyday motivation.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with a diagnosis of schizophrenia who have prominent motivational deficits or negative symptoms and who are medically stable (typically on stable antipsychotic treatment) are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without significant motivational symptoms, those with active infections or immune disorders, pregnant individuals, or those unable to travel to the study site may not be eligible or likely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new treatments that reduce negative symptoms and improve motivation and daily functioning for people with schizophrenia.
How similar studies have performed: Some smaller studies and experimental inflammation-challenge work in depression and early schizophrenia research suggest anti-inflammatory approaches can alter reward circuitry, but definitive large trials in schizophrenia remain limited.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Emory University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goldsmith, David Ryan — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Goldsmith, David Ryan
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.