Grant: CIHR Clinician Scientist - Phase 1

Schizophrenia is an illness that affects approximately 1% of the population, and is accompanied by profound functional impairment and enormous emotional and financial costs. The symptoms of this illness are commonly thought of in separate categories, including Positive (hallucinations and delusions), Cognitive (memory, attention, and planning problems), and Negative symptoms (including decreased facial expressions, reduced speech, difficulty in experiencing pleasure, and a lack of motivation). Despite advances in treatment, particularly for positive symptoms, recovery of functioning in those with schizophrenia remains elusive. There has been a lack of effective methods for the treatment of negative symptoms despite research suggesting that these symptoms have a substantial impact on functioning in schizophrenia. The research program being undertaken aims to advance understanding of the core components of negative symptoms in schizophrenia, and to guide the development of effective treatments. We have already begun a long-term study of negative symptoms, which for the first time looks specifically at both motivation and pleasure and their impact on functioning in schizophrenia over the course of one year. Initial results from this work indicate that lack of motivation is the critical link to functioning, while this is not the case with other symptoms, including the experience of pleasure. Based on this work, we have also begun the development a novel test of motivation with direct relevance to the everyday lives of individuals with schizophrenia, using virtual reality technology. This unique and innovative method will be combined with functional brain imaging to explore the neurobiology of motivational problems in schizophrenia, which will ultimately guide the development of new strategies for treatment of schizophrenia and the promotion of functional recovery.