Explain how what is known about the brain bases of memory and reward enhance psychopathologists’ understanding of mental illness

Recently, the ‘reward circuit’ of the brain i.e. the network of areas of the brain that
encode different aspects of value, motivation, pleasure, as well as decision-making has
been receiving significant focus regarding the study of pathophysiology of the mental
illnesses. Researchers have identified abnormalities in reward circuit functioning for
individuals with different psychiatric disorders such as depression, autism, substance use
disorder, and attention deficit hyperactive disorder. According to research, the reward
circuit influences essential domains of functioning that permeate various traditional
diagnostic classes. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how elements of cognitive,
social, and affective dysfunction impact disordered activity in vital brain networks. This
will enable psychiatric medicine to evolve to a more neuropathophysiological system of
diagnosis and treatment. Understanding how these brain areas interact as well as how
disordered interactions in this circuit influence particular symptoms of psychiatric
illnesses is crucial to understanding these illnesses and coming up with better diagnosis
and treatment options (Charney, Nestler & Pamela Sklar, 2017).

Reference

Charney, D. S., Nestler, E. J., & Pamela Sklar, M. D. (Eds.). (2017). Charney & Nestler's
Neurobiology of Mental Illness. Oxford University Press.