UNM Study Probes Brain's Goal and Reward Response

Research may help understand motivation, decision-making and mental health disorders

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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A University of New Mexico study led by professor James Cavanagh is examining how the brain processes rewards and goals, which could provide insights into motivation, decision-making and mental health disorders like depression. Using brain-imaging techniques like EEG, Cavanagh's research focuses on a specific brain signal called "reward positivity" that may reflect the brain's recognition of goal completion rather than just reward systems.

Why it matters

Understanding how the brain responds to rewards and goals could lead to better treatments for mental health conditions like depression, particularly for symptoms like anhedonia, or reduced motivation to pursue pleasurable experiences. The research also suggests EEG-based measurements could help predict how patients respond to antidepressant medications, potentially improving treatment decisions.

The details

Cavanagh, a cognitive neuroscientist, studies how brain activity relates to higher-level cognitive processes. His research examines how the brain responds to feedback, rewards and goal-directed behavior using brain-imaging techniques like EEG. After reviewing two decades of research, Cavanagh and a collaborator concluded the "reward positivity" brain signal may reflect the brain's recognition of goal completion rather than just reward systems.

  • Cavanagh recently published a theoretical review examining the "reward positivity" brain signal.
  • The research was supported by a National Institutes of Health grant focused on major depressive disorder, particularly anhedonia.

The players

James Cavanagh

A cognitive neuroscientist in the Department of Psychology at the University of New Mexico who studies how brain activity relates to higher-level cognitive processes.

University of New Mexico

The university where Cavanagh conducts his research on the brain's goal and reward response.

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What they’re saying

“I measure brain activity with a variety of scans and try to link it to higher-level decision-making processes. I like doing the basic science, but I also like finding things that help explain psychiatric and neurological disorders.”

— James Cavanagh, Professor (It's (Probably) Not Rocket Science* podcast)

“The way I think about it now, it's like checking something off a to-do list. Goal achieved.”

— James Cavanagh, Professor (It's (Probably) Not Rocket Science* podcast)

What’s next

Researchers are exploring whether EEG-based measurements could help predict how patients respond to antidepressant medications, potentially improving treatment decisions.

The takeaway

This research on the brain's goal and reward response could lead to better understanding and treatment of mental health conditions like depression, by distinguishing between different types of motivational and emotional challenges.