Dissociable roles of reward prediction error in the contrasting mood dynamics of depression and anxiety.

Depression dampens mood fluctuations through RPE hyposensitivity, while anxiety heightens them via RPE hypersensitivity, revealing distinct computational signatures in mood disorders.

• Why it matters: Understanding the specific roles of reward prediction errors in mood fluctuations is crucial for developing targeted treatments for depression and anxiety, which often show contrasting symptoms but are interrelated.
• What they did: Using a computational model of mood during a gambling task with 2043 participants, along with questionnaires to distinguish anxiety- and depression-specific traits, the study identified different RPE sensitivities linked to each condition.
• The result: Findings demonstrate that depression reduces mood variability through hyposensitivity to RPE, whereas anxiety increases it via hypersensitivity, providing insights for personalized management of mood disorders.