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Childhood trauma may be associated with changes in brain circuits involved in motivation and pleasure, potentially increasing the risk of anhedonia later in life, according to new research. The findings point to the hippocampus, a brain region best known for its role in memory, as a possible part of the pathway connecting early-life stress with difficulties experiencing pleasure.
Anhedonia refers to a reduced ability to experience pleasure or interest in activities that would normally feel rewarding. It can occur in several mental health conditions, including depression, and can also appear as a symptom without necessarily indicating a specific diagnosis.
How childhood trauma may affect the brain’s reward system
Researchers led by Kathleen O’Brien at Temple University and Vishnu Murty at the University of Oregon examined whether changes in hippocampal pathways could help explain why some people with a history of childhood trauma develop greater anhedonia.
The study combined questionnaires about childhood trauma and the ability to experience pleasure with functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI. The researchers focused on interactions between the hippocampus and areas of the brain involved in motivation and reward.
The results showed that people who reported childhood trauma and also had disrupted hippocampal pathways experienced more anhedonia than those who had experienced childhood trauma but did not show the same disruption.
Why the hippocampus matters
The hippocampus is traditionally associated with learning and memory, but researchers are increasingly studying its connections with the brain’s reward and motivation systems.
A 2026 review by members of the same research group described the hippocampus as an important regulator of reward-related learning and motivated behavior and proposed that changes in hippocampal function following childhood trauma could contribute to later reward-related difficulties. The authors also noted that the mechanisms linking trauma to these problems are still not fully understood.
The findings do not prove cause and effect
The new study should not be interpreted as proof that childhood trauma directly causes brain changes that inevitably lead to anhedonia.
Instead, the researchers found a relationship between childhood trauma, disrupted hippocampal connectivity and greater anhedonia. More research is needed to determine how these factors interact over time and whether changes in the hippocampus directly contribute to difficulties experiencing pleasure.
The researchers said future work could investigate whether the hippocampus contains potential targets for treatments designed to improve pleasure and motivation in people affected by childhood trauma.
For now, the findings add to growing evidence that the effects of childhood adversity can extend beyond emotional memories and may also involve brain networks that help regulate motivation, reward and the ability to experience pleasure.