A study from Emory University published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry details advancements made in treatment for anyone whose depression leaves them feeling unmotivated. A lack of motivation is one of the biggest factors when treating depression, as it can lower quality of life and increase suicide risk.
The researchers found that persistent inflammation could be a big reason why people suffering from depression can feel a lack of motivation, as the inflammation inhibits important circuits in your brain. The study examined 42 unmedicated patients suffering from depression and elevated inflammation levels. The participants were randomly assigned a placebo or one dose of an anti-inflammatory drug called Infliximab, which is usually used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. They were observed for two weeks, and close tabs were kept on their motivation. Tests of their motivation included effort-based decision-making tasks and MRIs.
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Patients who took the anti-inflammatory exhibited a much greater willingness to exert effort than those who had taken the placebo. MRI scans showed heightened activity in portions of the brain necessary for motivation, like the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, ventral striatum, and putamen, along with heightened connectivity between the regions.
The researchers believe their work is not only finding new ways to treat the lack of motivation people feel when they are suffering from depression but might even be uncovering some of the root causes of a lack of motivation in general. Only time will tell before we see what form this discovery takes and how effective it can be when trials are presumably ramped up for large-scale testing down the line.
But so far, this is promising news for anyone who finds themselves wanting to do something with their lives but feeling physically, emotionally, and psychologically unable to do anything about it. Maybe all it took was reducing a little bit of inflammation in your brain to get you back into the right state of mind to get shit done.
