Using the grip strength effort task to measure reward processing dysfunction in schizophrenia and major depressive disorder.

The aims of the Reward Task Optimisation Consortium (RTOC) study (Bilderbeck et al., 2020) were to explore the validity, reliability, and feasibility of a battery of reward processing tasks for the development of new treatments for anhedonia. We report our findings from the Grip Strength Effort Task (GSET), an effort-based decision-making task in which participants chose to either perform easy trials that required less physical effort for low monetary reward or hard trials that required more effort for potentially larger rewards.

Differing terminology used to describe antimicrobial resistance can influence comprehension and subsequent behavioural intent.

Background: Despite global campaigns, the public's understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a global emergency remains limited. Behaviour change is crucial in preserving antimicrobials but requires improved understanding of AMR at a population level.

Methods: Members of the public co-designed intervention arms, selecting three alternatives to AMR to be evaluated in a four-armed online randomised behavioural experiment.

Effects of repeated intravenous esketamine administration on affective biases.

Objectives: While neuropsychological effects of conventional antidepressants are well-documented, more research is needed for rapid-acting antidepressants. This study examines the effects of esketamine on emotion processing and cognitive functioning, both acutely and sub-chronically.

Methods: Eighteen treatment-resistant depression (TRD) patients received repeated intravenous esketamine infusions.

Use of experimental medicine approaches for the development of novel psychiatric treatments based on orexin receptor modulation.

Despite progress in understanding the pathological mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders, translation from animal models into clinical use remains a significant bottleneck. Preclinical studies have implicated the orexin neuropeptide system as a potential target for psychiatric disorders through its role in regulating emotional, cognitive, and behavioral processes. Clinical studies are investigating orexin modulation in addiction and mood disorders.