Anti-Inflammatory Treatments Show Promise in Treating Low Motivation

People who have depression also can experience low levels of motivation. Researchers have revealed a promising new avenue for treating motivational deficits associated with depression. These motivational impairments have been linked with poor treatment outcomes, diminished quality of life, and heightened suicide risk.

Growing evidence suggests a potential cause of low motivation may be persistent inflammation, which suppresses activity within key circuits in the brain. “These findings build on growing evidence that anti-inflammatory treatments hold promise as a novel approach for addressing motivational deficits in depression,” says senior author Andrew Miller, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory School of Medicine. “By targeting inflammation, we’re not only addressing the biological underpinnings of these deficits but also offering new hope for more effective treatment options.”

This study, published in Nature, is the first of its kind to examine the effects of infliximab (a potent anti-inflammatory medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis) on behavioral and brain markers of motivation in 42 medically stable, unmedicated depressed patients.

The study focused on patients who were not only depressed, but also exhibited high inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.

Patients who received infliximab demonstrated a greater willingness to exert effort in pursuit of rewards, compared with those who received the placebo. “This is the first study to reveal the impact of an anti-inflammatory drug on brain circuits related to Anti-Inflammatory Treatments Show Promise in Treating Low Motivation motivation,” says first author Michael Treadway, Winship Distinguished Research Professor in Psychology. “It’s exciting to see how modulating inflammation can directly influence motivation, one of the most challenging symptoms to treat in depression.”

 

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