GLP-1semaglutidemajor depressive disorderglp-1cognition

Oral semaglutide shifts explore-exploit decision-making in depression trial

In 72 patients with major depressive disorder, 16 weeks of treatment increased exploitation, directed exploration and perseveration on a four-armed bandit task.

By Maren Holt · Senior Reporter, GLP-1

Oct 20 20:00 ETSource: Psychological medicine

The wire

01Secondary analysis of a randomized trial assigned 35 patients with MDD to oral semaglutide and 37 to placebo; computational modeling showed increased exploitation (ATE 0.0242, p<0.001) and directed exploration (ATE 0.0619, p=0.013).
02The authors report effects were moderated by but ultimately independent of weight loss, adding to the evidence base on neuropsychiatric effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists in psychiatric populations.
03This is a secondary analysis of a small trial using a laboratory task, not a clinical depression outcome, and the clinical meaning of the modeled parameter shifts is unestablished.

From the source

Semaglutide modulates explore/exploit decision-making in major depressive disorder: A randomized clinical trial
Psychological medicine · 2026 Oct 21 · Zhang Z, Chen N, Wang D et al.

Read at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Source URL https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42904347/