Exploration of neuromodulators that control overcoming dissapointment

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K20862
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 10:Psychology and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Ogawa Masaaki 京都大学, 医学研究科, 特定准教授 (00716186)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ニューロモジュレーター

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Humans routinely set goals that are higher than the present situation. Even in cases of "disappointment" when things do not go as expected, they try to overcome them, which leads to success in the future. Lack of this mentality leads to inability to succeed socially and to problems such as depression after a setback. Despite this universal and important function, the neural mechanisms underlying the mentality of "overcoming disappointment" have been unclear. This study explored the role of multiple neuromodulators that control the mentality of overcoming reward-related disappointment and found brain regions in which their concentration increases at the moment of unexpected reward omission. We also found causal roles of the neural circuits in the mentality of overcoming disappointment.

Free Research Field

実験心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、心理学分野と神経科学分野の技術の融合を達成し、将来的に不確実な報酬に対する多面的な心理を担う多層的な神経機構の解明に発展させるための基礎となる成果を得た。本研究成果は、複数の神経伝達調節因子の異常が深く関わるうつ、依存症、統合失調症などの精神疾患症状の理解やそれらの心理的介入などの治療、不登校などの教育心理、社会的成功などの社会心理の神経機構の理解を変える潜在性がある。