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.
We successfully completed the work on this Project during our first funding period. Several other projects have taken up the results and are now continuing the research with their respective focus areas.
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
A02
How we create our own expectations – and the role that attention plays in this
Prof. Dr. Christian Büchel
A03
A06
How do expectations control our emotions - and what does attention have to do with it?
Prof. Dr. Stefanie Brassen
A08
Do positive expectations improve the effect of antidepressants?
Prof. Dr. Tilo Kircher
PD Dr. Irina Falkenberg
This project has been completed.
A09
How do social observations influence the efficacy of antidepressants?
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