Profound loss of pleasure related to early-onset dementia

Profound loss of pleasure related to early-onset dementia
Neuroimaging findings show gray matter intensity decreases related to anhedonia, apathy and depression. Anhedonia in FTD was related to degeneration of the regions circled in green, which are ‘hedonic hotspots’ (related to reward-seeking) in the brain. Credit: University of Sydney

People with early-onset dementia are often mistaken for having depression and now Australian research has discovered the cause: a profound loss of ability to experience pleasure—for example a delicious meal or beautiful sunset—related to degeneration of ‘hedonic hotspots’ in the brain where pleasure mechanisms are concentrated.

The University of Sydney-led research revealed marked…

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