Sex Differences in the Relationship Between Inflammation and Reward Sensitivity: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Endotoxin.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There are robust sex differences in the prevalence of depression. Inflammation and anhedonia may play a role in understanding these sex differences. Indeed, sex differences in inflammation-induced neural responses to reward may provide insight into the sex gaps in depression, but no study has examined this question.

Methods

As such, the current study examined whether there were sex differences in reward-related neural activity (i.e., ventral striatum [VS] activity) in response to an experimental inflammatory challenge. Human participants (N = 115; 69 female) were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or low-dose endotoxin, which increases inflammation in a safe, time-limited manner. Two hours after receiving placebo or endotoxin (the height of the inflammato

SUBMITTER: Moieni M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6612452 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature