While insomnia is the second most common mental disorder, progress in our understanding
of underlying neurobiological mechanisms has been limited. The present review addresses …

There is a large and growing body of evidence on the health benefits of engagement in
leisure activities (voluntary, enjoyable non-work activities, such as hobbies, arts …

Emotions arise from activations of specialized neuronal populations in several parts of the
cerebral cortex, notably the anterior cingulate, insula, ventromedial prefrontal, and …

The orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala are involved in emotion and in motivation, but the
relationship between these functions performed by these brain structures is not clear. To …

Motivational processes are complex and multifaceted, with both directional and activational
aspects. Behavioral activation and exertion of effort are functions that enable organisms to …

Emotions are centered in subjective experiences that people represent, in part, with
hundreds, if not thousands, of semantic terms. Claims about the distribution of reported …

Apathy and anhedonia are common syndromes of motivation that are associated with a wide
range of brain disorders and have no established therapies. Research using animal models …

Progress in psychological science can be limited by a number of factors, not least of which
are the starting assumptions of scientists themselves. We believe that some influential …

Emotions are fundamental to our experience and behavior, affecting and motivating all
aspects of our lives. Scientists of various disciplines have been fascinated by emotions for …

Pleasure is mediated by well-developed mesocorticolimbic circuitry and serves adaptive
functions. In affective disorders, anhedonia (lack of pleasure) or dysphoria (negative affect) …