Clarifying the Role of Psychomotor Retardation in Reward-Based Reinforcement Learning Deficits in MDD: A Computational and fMRI Study

The goal of the proposed project is to identify the impact of psychomotor retardation on reward-based reinforcement learning in MDD using laboratory assessments of psychomotor functioning, a psychomotor manipulation during reinforcement learning, computational modeling, and neuroimaging. This comprehensive, multimethod research project will help to clarify the critical role of psychomotor retardation on the course of MDD and identify specific mechanisms of MDD that could be targeted in future studies of depression.