Using the instructions below, write a short essay (length: 500 – 1000 words) describing how a clinical
disorder relates to reward processing in the brain. Although you are expected to answer the questions
below in your essay, please write the piece as an essay, not just as a series of answers to the questions.
Pick a condition from this list:
1. anorexia nervosa
2. borderline personality disorder
3. bipolar disorder
4. post-traumatic stress disorder
Part 1 (2 points): Describe the condition.
a. What are its primary characteristics?
b. What is its incidence? Does it tend to affect some populations more than others?
c. How is it diagnosed?
Part 2 (4 points): How does this disorder relate to reward processing and motivated behavior?
Behavioral:
a. Do individuals with this condition show changes in how they respond to rewards?
b. Do they show changes in sensitivity to positive and negative reinforcement?
c. Do they show changes in (hedonic) pleasure?
Neural:
d. What is known about the brain basis of the disorder, particularly as it relates to reward systems?
e. Are there documented changes in the brain’s reward systems in individuals suffering from this
condition?
If the answer to any of the above questions is generally unknown or unclear to scientists, state that
(along with any information about what is thought or hypothesized to be the answer).
Part 3 (2 points): How could an understanding of the brain systems for reward and motivated behavior
help in the development of new treatments for the disorder? For this section, I would like you to think
about the question and come up with some thoughts on your own, rather than relying just on existing
sources of information.
Sources (1 point):
Sources: Please use at least 3 sources, 2 of which must be something other than the textbook or
Wikipedia. Please list all your sources at the end in a section titled “References” or “Sources.” You
should list full citation information, including author and year, and insert the appropriate citations into
the text. A link alone is not sufficient.
Aspects of style and grammar (1 point):
Minimal spelling and grammar issues.
Written as an essay (not just answers to the questions) with a coherent structure and flow. Please edit
your essay to avoid excessive repetition of the same information.
