December 21, 2023
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Overview
NIMH is issuing this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) to encourage research on task-based behavioral measures that engage brain systems relevant to anhedonia. These behavioral measures are expected to be used as a proxy for brain target engagement, therefore neuroimaging or other brain measures with similar spatial resolution should be used to demonstrate that the proposed behavioral tasks engage brain systems relevant to anhedonia. The goal is to identify a battery of behavioral tasks that can be used as quantitative tools for future use in the evaluation of dysfunction within domains of mental health relevant to anhedonia and for future treatment development.
Background
Anhedonia is typically defined as an inability to experience pleasure and/or a lack of interest in pursuing activities that were previously pleasurable. It is both a central feature of major depressive disorder (MDD) and a potential trait marker for vulnerability to other psychiatric conditions and suicidality. Despite its prevalence, there are currently no reliable, validated behavioral measures that can be used for the development and assessment of treatments for anhedonia. Clinical and imaging studies suggest that anhedonia is more multifaceted than a simple loss of pleasure, and more aptly characterized as a state arising from disruptions in the constituent brain systems underlying reward, motivation, and/or hedonic processing. These findings suggest a potential for using behavioral tasks that target these brain systems as transdiagnostic readouts in the development of interventions for anhedonia associated with mental illnesses.
Research Objectives
This NOSI recognizes the need to identify behavioral tasks that can be used as readouts for the engagement of specific brain systems postulated to be dysfunctional in anhedonia. Candidate behavioral tasks are expected to tap into functional domains implicated in anhedonia that can be reliably identified at neurobiological levels (e.g. neuroimaging). The outcomes sought are quantitative behavioral tasks that can be used in the future as a more precise way of defining clinical features of anhedonia for use in both diagnosis and treatment development. It is expected that the knowledge derived from these basic experimental research studies will help to establish links among dysfunctional brain circuits, domains of function, and symptoms of anhedonia while paving the way for back and forward translation, diagnosis and treatment development.
To be considered under this NOSI, applications should:
Please note that this NOSI encourages basic neuroscience research studies in human subjects that will serve as the initial proof of concept, therefore applications should be submitted to the NIH Parent R01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required (PA-20-184). These basic experimental studies in both healthy and clinical populations are designed to understand a biological or behavioral process and not to test the safety or demonstrate the efficacy/effectiveness of an intervention. Investigators seeking to develop treatments and/or test the effectiveness of treatment and interventions should submit applications under NIMH clinical trial NOFOs
Specific Areas of Research Interest
Examples of specific research areas of interest to NIMH include, but are not limited to, the following:
This NOSI encourages the inclusion of methods for demonstrating that the candidate task(s) engage the targeted brain system, are quantitative, and show specificity and reliability. Researchers proposing to further develop and validate tasks may want to consult the NIMH Advisory Council workgroup report on behavioral assessment methods for RDoC constructs for a review of existing tasks and discussion of task characteristics
Research Areas of Low Program Priority Under This NOSI
Application and Submission Information
This notice applies to due dates on or after February 5, 2024, and subsequent receipt dates through January 8, 2027.
Submit applications for this initiative using one of the following notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) or any reissues of these announcements through the expiration date of this notice.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the notice of funding opportunity used for submission must be followed, with the following additions:
Applications nonresponsive to terms of this NOSI will not be considered for the NOSI initiative.
Please direct all inquiries to the Scientific/Research, Peer Review, and Financial/Grants Management contacts in Section VII of the listed notice of funding opportunity.
Scientific/Research Contact(s)
Andrew Rossi, Ph.D.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-443-1576
Email: rossia@mail.nih.gov
Aleksandra Vicentic, Ph.D.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-443-1576
Email: vicentica@mail.nih.gov