Jochen Michely: A computational framework for mood-reward dynamics: from neurochemical mechanisms to clinical translation

Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Abstract

Rewards shape human behaviour in two fundamental ways. They guide how we learn and decide, through reward prediction errors (RPEs) that update value representations and steer future choices. They also influence how we feel, with evidence that mood improvement depends not only on a reward’s magnitude but also on the RPE it elicits. RPEs thus provide a shared computational currency for both learning and changes in mood, suggesting that these processes interact dynamically, rather than operate in isolation. In this talk, I will outline a computational framework that formalizes these mood-reward dynamics, in which mood serves as a momentum signal, integrating recent reward history to bias subsequent valuation and shape future behaviour. I will then present experimental evidence on their neurochemical basis, highlighting how pharmacological modulation alters the way mood feeds back into reward processing during learning. Finally, I will consider the broader clinical implications of this work, including ongoing efforts to explore how maladaptive mood-reward coupling may contribute to mood disorders, and how these dynamics can inform our understanding of antidepressant treatment movements.

 

Guests are welcome!

Talk by a new member of the BCCN Berlin

 

Organized by

Michael Brecht / Lisa Rosenblum