In new pre-clinical research, scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), led by Scott Thompson, Ph.D., Professor of Physiology, have identified changes in brain activity linked to the pleasure and reward system.
The research, published in the journal, Nature, provides news insights into how the brain processes rewards, and advances our understanding of addiction and depression. The research, which was conducted by Tara LeGates, Ph.D., a Research Associate in the Department of Physiology, discovered that the strength of signals between two brain regions, the hippocampus and the nucleus accumbens, is critical for processing information related to a rewarding stimulus, such as its location.
"These two parts of the brain are known to be important in processing rewarding experiences," said Dr. Thompson." The communication between these regions is stronger in addiction, although the mechanisms underlying this were unknown. We also suspected that opposite changes in the strength of this communication would occur in depression. A weakening of their connections could explain the defect in reward processing that causes the symptom of anhedonia in depressed patients." Anhedonia is the inability to enjoy normally pleasurable experiences, such as food, being with friends or family, and sex.
[For more on this study by University of Maryland School of Medicine, go to https://medicalxpress.com/news...rain-depression.html]
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