Cancer cachexia isn't just weight loss—it's a hijacking of motivation 😔. Elevated IL-6 🔥 activates a brainstem-to-basal ganglia circuit 🧠 that suppresses dopamine 💊 in the nucleus accumbens, leading to effort-based apathy 💤.
Blocking IL-6 or boosting dopamine restores drive without changing weight, revealing a treatable neuroimmune pathway 💡.
