Diminished anticipatory pleasure predicts anhedonia in women with endometrisois: a case-control study

Abstract

Anhedonia, a diminished response to pleasurable stimuli extensively studied in mental disorders and chronic pain, has been reported as prevalent among patients with deep endometriosis. Anhedonia is considered a multifaceted transdiagnostic construct involving cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes related to the anticipation and experience of pleasure. In this study, we aim to expand on previous findings by exploring the presence of anhedonia in patients with ultrasound diagnosed (UD) endometriosis compared to a control group, and by examining how its anticipatory and consummatory components contribute to the loss of pleasure in this condition.