The DOI matches its Crossref record; 100 of the 101 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Reward functioning in PTSD: A systematic review exploring the mechanisms underlying anhedonia
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder. An important diagnostic feature of PTSD is anhedonia, which may result from deficits in reward functioning. This has however never been studied systematically in PTSD. To determine if PTSD is associated with reward impairments, we conducted a systematic review of studies in which reward functioning was compared between PTSD patients and healthy control participants, or investigated in relation to PTSD symptom severity. A total of 29 studies were included, covering reward anticipation and approach ('wanting'), and hedonic responses to reward ('liking'). Overall, results were mixed, although decreased reward anticipation and approach and reduced hedonic responses were repeatedly observed in PTSD patients compared to healthy controls. Decreased reward functioning was seen more often in female than in male PTSD samples and most often in response to social positive stimuli. Though more research is needed, these findings are a first step in understanding the possible mechanisms underlying anhedonia in PTSD.
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In the citing paper
“Deficits in reward functioning may be a mechanism underlying anhedonia (lack of pleasure) associated with PTSD (68).”
From A Biopsychosocial Overview of the Opioid Crisis: Considering Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Health (2019) · cites this paper as [68]
In the citing paper
“While early research focused on fear-related processes, a growing recognition of alterations in reward processing (115, 116) led to a reconceptualization of PTSD as an imbalance between approach (reward-related) and avoidance (fear-related) systems (117–119).”
From A transdiagnostic perspective on social anhedonia (2019) · cites this paper as [118]
In the citing paper
“Overall, however, a tendency to both reduced consummatory and motivational reward was noted, especially in females with PTSD and in response to positive social stimuli compared to nonsocial stimuli, suggestive of social anhedonia (118).”
From A transdiagnostic perspective on social anhedonia (2019) · cites this paper as [118]
In the citing paper
“Reduced motivation to approach socially rewarding stimuli may be particularly evident in those with PTSD when greater effort is needed to gain reward (118), suggesting reduced sensitivity in the cognitive underpinning for “wanting” social connections.”
From A transdiagnostic perspective on social anhedonia (2019) · cites this paper as [118]
In the citing paper
“Specifically, decreased sensitivity to social rewards is documented in schizophrenia (61), eating disorders (93), PTSD (118), and autism spectrum disorders (146).”
From A transdiagnostic perspective on social anhedonia (2019) · cites this paper as [118]
Citations
Cites
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Brain circuit dysfunction in post-traumatic stress disorder: from mouse to man
Fenster, R. J., Lebois, L. A. M., Ressler, K. J., & Suh, J. (2018) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/s41583-018-0039-7 · Cited by 456
Esterman, M. S., & Rothlein, D. (2019) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.03.005 · Cited by 337
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The C factor: cognitive dysfunction as a transdiagnostic dimension in psychopathology
Abramovitch, A., Short, T., & Schweiger, A. (2021) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102007 · Cited by 269
Watson, D., Levin‐Aspenson, H. F., Waszczuk, M. A., Conway, C. C., Dalgleish, T., Dretsch, M. N., Eaton, N. R., Forbes, M. K., Forbush, K. T., Hobbs, K. A., et al. (2022) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.20943 · Cited by 311
Metadata
- Authors
- Nawijn, L., van Zuiden, M., Frijling, J. L., Koch, S. B. J., Veltman, D. J., & Olff, M.
- Affiliations
- Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam (NL)
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Nawijn, Laura
- Venue
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-04
- Volume
- 51
- Pages
- 189-204
- ISSN
- 0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2016541117
- Semantic Scholar
- 64b3d956bb37a28b619fb4c589c5d80de9f5effb
- Cited by
- 250
- References
- 101
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 5
- FWCI
- 2.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion)
- Amsterdam UMC (VU Amsterdam) - Institutional Repository (publishedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- ZonMw (91210041)
- Academic Medical Center Research Council (110614)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- post-traumatic stress disorder, anhedonia, reward processing, reward anticipation, approach behavior, hedonic response, sex differences, social reward, symptom severity
- MeSH terms
- Brain, Humans, Reward, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Anhedonia
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