Understanding how the brain processes rewards and goals may help researchers better understand motivation, decision-making and mental health disorders such as depression. In the latest episode of The University of New Mexico's award-winning podcast, It's (Probably) Not Rocket Science, host Cameron Goeldner talks with professor James Cavanagh, who is working to uncover how those processes function in real time.
Cavanagh, a cognitive neuroscientist in UNM's Department of Psychology, studies how brain activity relates to higher-level cognitive processes. Using brain-imaging techniques such as electroencephalography, or EEG, his research examines how the brain responds to feedback, rewards and goal-directed behavior.
"I measure brain activity with a variety of scans and try to link it to higher-level decision-making processes," Cavanagh said. "I like doing the basic science, but I also like finding things that help explain psychiatric and neurological disorders."
A brain signal tied to achievement
Cavanagh recently published a theoretical review examining a specific brain signal known as "reward positivity," an electrical response detected by EEG when people receive positive feedback or achieve a goal.
EEG allows researchers to measure event-related brain responses that occur within milliseconds of a stimulus. These responses appear as consistent patterns of electrical activity across individuals, offering insight into how the brain processes information.
"We're really watching the brain learn things, see things and react to things," Cavanagh said.
For years, researchers believed this brain response was tied directly to reward systems. But after reviewing two decades of research, Cavanagh and his collaborator concluded the signal may instead reflect something broader: the brain's recognition of goal completion.
"The way I think about it now, it's like checking something off a to-do list," Cavanagh said. "Goal achieved."
Connecting neuroscience and mental health
The research was supported by a National Institutes of Health grant focused on major depressive disorder, particularly anhedonia, the reduced motivation to pursue pleasurable experiences.
Cavanagh's work suggests this brain signal could help researchers distinguish between different types of motivational and emotional challenges in mental health conditions.
"We're trying to understand whether anhedonia is not liking things, or not putting effort into getting things you like," he said.
Researchers are also exploring whether EEG-based measurements could help predict how patients respond to antidepressant medications, potentially improving treatment decisions.
"If you can do a quick test to predict what medication someone might thrive on, you're probably improving the current clinical status quo," Cavanagh said.
Collaboration across campus
Cavanagh's research involves collaboration across UNM, including partnerships with the Health Sciences Center and neuroscience researchers studying both human and animal models. These collaborations allow scientists to translate laboratory findings into clinical applications.
"It's one of the reasons I came to UNM and have stayed," Cavanagh said. "You can walk to collaborators, and that makes top-tier research possible."
In addition to this work, Cavanagh is currently studying cognitive changes associated with Parkinson's disease, using EEG to better understand how neurological disorders affect thinking and behavior over time.
The joy of discovery
Cavanagh said his path into neuroscience developed gradually through collaboration, mentorship and curiosity.
"You find something that captivates you and you keep going," he said. "That joy of discovery is what keeps you moving forward."
He credits federal research funding agencies such as the NIH for making large-scale neuroscience research possible and enabling discoveries that may improve mental health treatment in the future.
"Support your funding agencies," Cavanagh said. "They're supporting cutting-edge work."
To hear more about Cavanagh's research on brain activity, motivation and mental health, listen to It's (Probably) Not Rocket Science, available at podcast.unm.edu, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow IPNRS on Instagram and TikTok.
