Understanding how stress affects decision-making for rewards
Corticostriatal and Corticoinsular Circuit Mechanisms Underlying Stress Effects on Effort-based Reward Processing
This study is looking at how stress affects how people with motivation issues, like depression, think about the effort needed to get rewards, and it aims to learn more about the brain areas involved in this process to help create better treatments.
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-11249389 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research investigates how stress influences the way individuals evaluate the effort required to obtain rewards. By using advanced imaging techniques and optogenetics, the study aims to explore specific brain circuits involved in this decision-making process, particularly in individuals with motivation disorders like depression. The goal is to understand how certain brain areas communicate and how their dysfunction may lead to impaired reward processing. This knowledge could help develop targeted treatments for those affected by these conditions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are individuals experiencing motivation disorders, such as depression or schizophrenia.
Not a fit: Patients without motivation-related disorders or those not experiencing significant stress may not benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatments for motivation-related disorders, enhancing patients' ability to pursue rewarding activities.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding brain circuits related to reward processing, suggesting that this approach could yield valuable insights.
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.