Understanding why people lose pleasure from social interactions after a first psychotic episode
Official title: Determining the role of social reward learning in social anhedonia in first-episode psychosis using motivational interviewing as a probe in a perturbation-based neuroimaging approach
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11234304 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses brain scans and motivational interviewing to look at how people within two years of their first psychotic episode learn and respond to social rewards.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | October 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $738,793 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH129351-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11234304 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People within two years of their first psychotic episode who report reduced interest in or enjoyment of social interactions are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without a history of psychosis, those whose psychotic episode was more than two years ago, or anyone with contraindications to MRI (for example, certain metal implants) are unlikely to be eligible or benefit directly from participating.
What this research studies
If you’ve had a first psychotic episode and find less enjoyment in social life, this research invites you to take part. Participants at two sites will complete two different social reward tasks while having functional MRI scans, and will also take part in motivational interviewing as a probe to change social cues. The team will use a perturbation-based neuroimaging approach (briefly altering social signals during tasks) to see how the brain’s reward systems respond. The findings aim to connect specific brain patterns with social anhedonia to guide future treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to brain-based targets for new treatments to help people regain pleasure and interest in social relationships.
How similar studies have gone: Previous neuroscience work links social reward problems to psychosis, but using motivational interviewing as a perturbation during fMRI is a relatively new and untested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, Junghee — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Lee, Junghee
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How estrogen (estradiol) affects brain reward signals in women whose loss of pleasure or psychotic symptoms started around menopause
This project looks at whether estradiol changes how the brain responds to rewards in women who developed loss of pleasure (anhedonia) or psychotic symptoms during the menopause transition.
-
Investigating how estradiol affects brain responses to rewards in women experiencing menopause-related mood disorders.
This study is looking at how hormonal changes during menopause affect mood issues like feeling less pleasure and experiencing psychosis, and it's for women going through perimenopause to help find better ways to treat these feelings.
-
The impact of childhood trauma on brain function and feelings of pleasure in those at risk for psychosis
This study looks at how childhood trauma might change how the brain works, especially in a part called the hippocampus, and how this could lead to feelings of not enjoying things, which can happen in people at risk of developing psychosis, with the hope of finding ways to help them feel better before serious symptoms a
-
Exploring how social reward learning affects enjoyment in social interactions for those experiencing early psychosis
This study is looking at how people who have just had their first episode of psychosis learn from social experiences and why some find it hard to enjoy social interactions, with the hope of finding better ways to help them connect with others.
-
Psychosis in diverse settings across the world
This project studies how psychotic disorders show up and respond to treatment in adults with diverse backgrounds, including populations in Africa, the Caribbean, and other Global South settings.
-
Psychosis in Diverse Settings: Understanding Symptoms and Treatment Across Global South
A human-facing study will look at how psychotic disorders present and respond to treatment in adults from Africa, the Caribbean, and other Global South settings, using genetic and clinical data.
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.