dmPFC Causal Modulation of Antidepressant Expectancies

The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC)- ventral striatum (VS) circuit has been consistently implicated in the formation of placebo effects, yet the causal contribution of this circuit to the formation of antidepressant placebo effects has not been demonstrated. We use dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) stimulation to enhance the representation of antidepressant expectancies in the vmPFC-VS circuit and ultimately cause mood improvement.