Tuning prefrontal brain circuits to help motivation and pleasure
Neuromodulatory control of prefrontal circuit function and reward-seeking
Testing whether targeting specific brain cells in the prefrontal cortex can quickly improve motivation and pleasure for people with depression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11247461 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research looks inside the prefrontal cortex — the brain area that helps decide if a reward is worth the effort — to understand why people with depression lose motivation and pleasure. The team uses advanced tools that can switch signaling in specific nerve cells (including somatostatin-expressing interneurons) on and off to see how those changes affect effort-based reward-seeking and mood-related behavior. They pair these rapid signaling experiments with studies of synapse formation to learn how short-term circuit changes might lead to longer-lasting antidepressant effects. Most work is done in lab models at Weill Cornell, with the goal of informing future treatments for patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with major depressive disorder who struggle with low motivation or loss of pleasure could be candidates for future clinical work based on these findings.
Not a fit: Patients whose symptoms are not driven by effort-related motivation or whose depression responds to other mechanisms may be less likely to benefit from this specific approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to faster-acting therapies that restore motivation and reduce anhedonia in people with depression.
How similar studies have performed: Prior preclinical studies, including work on rapid-acting antidepressants and synapse growth, have shown promise in changing motivation and mood in animals, but translation to human benefit remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liston, Conor M — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Liston, Conor M
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.