Changes in Neural Reward Processing Following Amplification of Positivity Treatment for Depression and Anxiety: Outcomes from a Randomized Waitlist Controlled Trial

The positive valence system (PVS) is an important yet understudied treatment target in anxiety and depression. A pilot trial (NCT02330627) evaluating the efficacy of Amplification of Positivity (AMP), a new transdiagnostic positive activity intervention protocol for anxiety and depression, showed that, compared to a waitlist control group, patients in the treatment group had significantly larger improvements in positive affect—returning participants, on average, to normative levels of positive emotional functioning. The neural mechanisms underlying these changes are unknown but may increase our understanding of the underlying mechanisms that eventually lead to improved, more targeted treatments. The present study therefore investigated the neural reward-processing-related changes following AMP.