Mary Patton, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has received a $747,000 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to study why people with certain mental illnesses lose motivation and how that can be treated.
The project focuses on a common and deeply disruptive symptom seen in schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions: amotivation, or the inability to start or sustain goal-directed activities. This symptom can greatly affect daily functioning and quality of life, yet treatments for it remain limited.
Read more on the UT Health Science Center News website.