This neurotransmitter increases drive and motivation and is one of the most important players in the brain's reward system. © magele-picture/stock.adobe.com
This neurotransmitter increases drive and motivation and is one of the most important players in the brain's reward system. © magele-picture/stock.adobe.com
How do positive expectations improve mood?
The significance of positive expectation in the treatment of depression is well documented, but little is known about the neural mechanism through which positive expectations improve mood. This project investigates these links and the role played by the neurotransmitter dopamine and reward processing in the brain.
The role of dopamine, reward learning and prefrontal activity in mood improved by expectation
This project investigates the neural, neurochemical and neurocomputational pathways underlying expectation effects on negative mood and anhedonia. Using EEG (electroencephalography) and pharmacological manipulation of the dopaminergic system as well as computational modelling of reward learning, we will explore how dopamine-dependent reward processing contributes to expectation effects on negative affect and depressive symptoms. The results will help us to understand prefrontal and orbitofrontal activity during the development of expectation effects on mood, depressive symptoms and pain.
Recommended reading:
Binz M, Endres D (2019) Where do human heuristics come from? Proc CogSci19, 7 pages. Preprint available at https://arxiv.org/abs/1902.07580.
Müller EM, Pechtel P, Cohen AL, Douglas SR, Pizzagalli DA (2015) Potentiated processing of negative feedback in depression is attenuated by anhedonia. Depression and Anxiety 32: 296-305. PubMed
Stolz C, Endres D, Müller EM (2019) Threat‐conditioned contexts modulate the late positive potential to faces - A mobile EEG/virtual reality study. Psychophysiol, 56(4): e13308. PubMed
In close cooperation with these projects
A01
How do anxiety and expectation control pain?
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Bingel
A02
Where can expectations and treatment of pain be seen in the brain?
Prof. Dr. Christian Büchel
A03
How does the prefrontal cortex process expectations of pain?
Prof. Dr. Michael Rose
A06
Can positive thinking help us to age more healthily?
Prof. Dr. Stefanie Brassen
A08
Do positive expectations improve the effect of antidepressants?
Prof. Dr. Tilo Kircher
PD Dr. Irina Falkenberg
A09
How is the effect of antidepressants influenced by treatment experiences?
Prof. Dr. Markus Wöhr
Prof. Dr. Rainer K.W. Schwarting
Project Lead
Prof. Dr. Erik Müller
Psychologist
Prof. Dr. Dominik Endres
Physicist
Team
Li-Ching Chuang
PhD Student, Psychologist
Nick Augustat
PhD Student, Psychologist