Cancer takes a devastating toll on the body—but the psychological burden can be just as profound. Many patients, even those with a long history of resilience and optimism, experience notable emotional downturns. New research points to a biological explanation: the lack of motivation and emotional withdrawal may be a direct result of cancer cachexia, a wasting syndrome that is commonly observed in advanced cancer patients.
In a Science study titled, “A neuroimmune circuit mediates cancer cachexia-associated apathy,” researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WashU Medicine), identified a brain-immune system circuit responsible for the motivational decline in cachexia. Inflammation disrupts brain signaling and suppresses dopamine, which…