Semaglutide and Effort-Based Decision-Making in Major Depressive Disorder
JAMA Psychiatry 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2026.0594April 29, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT
Does oral semaglutide improve reward-related dysfunction in a clinical population with major depressive disorder (MDD)?In this 16-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, fixed-dose randomized clinical trial, semaglutide-treated participants exhibited a pattern of increased willingness to exert physical efforts with higher expected values of reward. Sensitivity to effort was significantly reduced by treatment with semaglutide.To our knowledge, this is the first study assessing the multidimensional effects of a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist on reward-related abnormalities in a population with MDD.
Link to the article in your story
We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)
Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.
Need more information? Contact us.