Anhedonia: A Comprehensive Narrative Review

Abstract

Anhedonia is a transdiagnostic symptom defined as the lack of pleasure due to disruptions in reward processing pathways, specifically in the prefrontal cortex and striatum. This paper aims to investigate the complex nature of anhedonia as observed in many psychiatric disorders, as well as analyze its neurobiological mechanisms, computational models, and treatment options. To do this, we completed a thorough review of recent literature, including developments in the field. The literature shows that current interventions aimed at treating anhedonia are also often inadequate, which leads to a greater need for novel treatments like neurostimulation and personalized therapeutic models. Many studies suggest that using genetic and behavioral data could also improve treatment efficacy. Further research is necessary to develop individualized models and interventions for anhedonia. Future studies in the field should be aimed at exploring the social context of anhedonia and integrating computational models with neurobiological components to improve treatment options.