A groundbreaking study from Emory University has uncovered a biological connection between inflammation and deficits in motivation in individuals with schizophrenia. The research, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, found that higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a blood biomarker of inflammation, were associated with reduced activity in brain regions involved in reward and motivation.
The study focused on the ventral striatum and prefrontal cortex, areas previously shown to be sensitive to inflammation in studies of depression. In people with schizophrenia, these brain changes were linked to negative symptoms such as difficulties in finding work or relationships, rather than to hallucinations or delusions.
Current antipsychotic medications often fail to address these motivational deficits, which are also strongly associated with poor functional outcomes in patients with schizophrenia. The findings suggest that treatments targeting inflammation may offer new hope for treating these symptoms.
The researchers tested the anti-inflammatory drug infliximab, commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, in a small group of patients with high inflammation and motivational deficits. The results support a precision medicine approach, where treatments are tailored to specific subgroups of patients based on their biological markers.
According to Dr. David Goldsmith, lead author of the study, “This is the first study in schizophrenia to link inflammation with both brain changes in reward circuits and specific motivational symptoms.” The findings have significant implications for the treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia, which remain one of the greatest unmet needs in the field.
Source: https://neurosciencenews.com/inflammation-motivation-schizophrenia-28959