Projects
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
The primary purpose of this study is to explore a better way of measuring social anhedonia with tasks designed to measure how individuals respond to social rewards and to examine whether brief sessions of psychosocial training can change performance on those tasks. Social anhedonia refers to an inability to feel pleasure in interpersonal relationships and/or a lack of interest in pursuing social interactions. Although social anhedonia is frequent in psychosis, there is a lack of reliable behavioral measures that also engage relevant parts of the brain. This project will evaluate the role of social reward learning in social anhedonia using a perturbation-based neuroimaging approach.
Cognition Across the Lifespan in Mental Illness
The primary purpose of this study is to characterize a pattern of cognitive performance across multiple domains during adulthood in severe mental illness. Cognitive dysfunction is prevalent in several severe mental illnesses. Although cognitive dysfunction is thought to be related to poor outcome and the underlying pathophysiology of these disorders, the developmental course of cognitive dysfunction during adulthood is poorly understood. This project will assess cognitive processing utilizing behavioral testing and questionnaires.
The Role of the Lateral Habenula in Treatment-Resistant Depression
The primary purpose of this study is to explore the role of a specific part of the brain in treatment resistant depression using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The World Health Organization reports that Major Depressive Disorder is one of the most common causes of disability in the world. Accumulating evidence suggests the lateral habenula is a key brain region in the pathophysiology of depression; this project will assess neural activations to punishment-related cues in treatment-resistant depression using fMRI.