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Jansen M, Overgaauw S, de Bruijn ERA. L-DOPA and oxytocin influence the neural correlates of performance monitoring for self and others. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:1079-1092. [PMID: 38286857 PMCID: PMC11031497 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06541-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE The ability to monitor the consequences of our actions for others is imperative for flexible and adaptive behavior, and allows us to act in a (pro)social manner. Yet, little is known about the neurochemical mechanisms underlying alterations in (pro)social performance monitoring. OBJECTIVE The aim of this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was to improve our understanding of the role of dopamine and oxytocin and their potential overlap in the neural mechanisms underlying performance monitoring for own versus others' outcomes. METHOD Using a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over design, 30 healthy male volunteers were administered oxytocin (24 international units), the dopamine precursor L-DOPA (100 mg + 25 mg carbidopa), or placebo in three sessions. Participants performed a computerized cannon shooting game in two recipient conditions where mistakes resulted in negative monetary consequences for (1) oneself or (2) an anonymous other participant. RESULTS Results indicated reduced error-correct differentiation in the ventral striatum after L-DOPA compared to placebo, independent of recipient. Hence, pharmacological manipulation of dopamine via L-DOPA modulated performance-monitoring activity in a brain region associated with reward prediction and processing in a domain-general manner. In contrast, oxytocin modulated the BOLD response in a recipient-specific manner, such that it specifically enhanced activity for errors that affected the other in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC), a region previously implicated in the processing of social rewards and prediction errors. Behaviorally, we also found reduced target sizes-indicative of better performance-after oxytocin, regardless of recipient. Moreover, after oxytocin lower target sizes specifically predicted higher pgACC activity when performing for others. CONCLUSIONS These different behavioral and neural patterns after oxytocin compared to L-DOPA administration highlight a divergent role of each neurochemical in modulating the neural mechanisms underlying social performance monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrthe Jansen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Sandy Overgaauw
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ellen R A de Bruijn
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, The Netherlands
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2
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Batten SR, Bang D, Kopell BH, Davis AN, Heflin M, Fu Q, Perl O, Ziafat K, Hashemi A, Saez I, Barbosa LS, Twomey T, Lohrenz T, White JP, Dayan P, Charney AW, Figee M, Mayberg HS, Kishida KT, Gu X, Montague PR. Dopamine and serotonin in human substantia nigra track social context and value signals during economic exchange. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:718-728. [PMID: 38409356 PMCID: PMC11045309 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01831-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Dopamine and serotonin are hypothesized to guide social behaviours. In humans, however, we have not yet been able to study neuromodulator dynamics as social interaction unfolds. Here, we obtained subsecond estimates of dopamine and serotonin from human substantia nigra pars reticulata during the ultimatum game. Participants, who were patients with Parkinson's disease undergoing awake brain surgery, had to accept or reject monetary offers of varying fairness from human and computer players. They rejected more offers in the human than the computer condition, an effect of social context associated with higher overall levels of dopamine but not serotonin. Regardless of the social context, relative changes in dopamine tracked trial-by-trial changes in offer value-akin to reward prediction errors-whereas serotonin tracked the current offer value. These results show that dopamine and serotonin fluctuations in one of the basal ganglia's main output structures reflect distinct social context and value signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth R Batten
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA.
| | - Dan Bang
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA.
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK.
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Brian H Kopell
- Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neuromodulation, Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arianna N Davis
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew Heflin
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qixiu Fu
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ofer Perl
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kimia Ziafat
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alice Hashemi
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ignacio Saez
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leonardo S Barbosa
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Thomas Twomey
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Terry Lohrenz
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Jason P White
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Peter Dayan
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Alexander W Charney
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martijn Figee
- Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neuromodulation, Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Helen S Mayberg
- Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neuromodulation, Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kenneth T Kishida
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Xiaosi Gu
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - P Read Montague
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA.
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK.
- Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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3
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Jansen M, Lockwood PL, Cutler J, de Bruijn ERA. l-DOPA and oxytocin influence the neurocomputational mechanisms of self-benefitting and prosocial reinforcement learning. Neuroimage 2023; 270:119983. [PMID: 36848972 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans learn through reinforcement, particularly when outcomes are unexpected. Recent research suggests similar mechanisms drive how we learn to benefit other people, that is, how we learn to be prosocial. Yet the neurochemical mechanisms underlying such prosocial computations remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated whether pharmacological manipulation of oxytocin and dopamine influence the neurocomputational mechanisms underlying self-benefitting and prosocial reinforcement learning. Using a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over design, we administered intranasal oxytocin (24 IU), dopamine precursor l-DOPA (100 mg + 25 mg carbidopa), or placebo over three sessions. Participants performed a probabilistic reinforcement learning task with potential rewards for themselves, another participant, or no one, during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Computational models of reinforcement learning were used to calculate prediction errors (PEs) and learning rates. Participants behavior was best explained by a model with different learning rates for each recipient, but these were unaffected by either drug. On the neural level, however, both drugs blunted PE signaling in the ventral striatum and led to negative signaling of PEs in the anterior mid-cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, inferior parietal gyrus, and precentral gyrus, compared to placebo, and regardless of recipient. Oxytocin (versus placebo) administration was additionally associated with opposing tracking of self-benefitting versus prosocial PEs in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, insula and superior temporal gyrus. These findings suggest that both l-DOPA and oxytocin induce a context-independent shift from positive towards negative tracking of PEs during learning. Moreover, oxytocin may have opposing effects on PE signaling when learning to benefit oneself versus another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrthe Jansen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Patricia L Lockwood
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK
| | - Jo Cutler
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK
| | - Ellen R A de Bruijn
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
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4
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Simsek M, Yucebas S, Ogel K. Behavioral changes observed in substance users in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/14659891.2022.2069609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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5
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Soutschek A, Jetter A, Tobler PN. Towards a Unifying Account of Dopamine’s Role in Cost-Benefit Decision Making. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 3:179-186. [PMID: 37124350 PMCID: PMC10140448 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine is thought to play a crucial role in cost-benefit decision making, but so far there is no consensus on the precise role of dopamine in decision making. Here, we review the literature on dopaminergic manipulations of cost-benefit decision making in humans and evaluate how well different theoretical accounts explain the existing body of evidence. Reduced D2 stimulation tends to increase the willingness to bear delay and risk costs (i.e., wait for later rewards, take riskier options), while increased D1 and D2 receptor stimulation increases willingness to bear effort costs. We argue that the empirical findings can best be explained by combining the strengths of two theoretical accounts: in cost-benefit decision making, dopamine may play a dual role both in promoting the pursuit of psychologically close options (e.g., sooner and safer rewards) and in computing which costs are acceptable for a reward at stake. Moreover, we identify several limiting factors in the study designs of previous investigations that prevented a fuller understanding of dopamine's role in value-based choice. Together, the proposed theoretical framework and the methodological suggestions for future studies may bring us closer to a unifying account of dopamine in healthy and impaired cost-benefit decision making.
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6
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Gross J, Faber NS, Kappes A, Nussberger AM, Cowen PJ, Browning M, Kahane G, Savulescu J, Crockett MJ, De Dreu CK. When Helping Is Risky: The Behavioral and Neurobiological Trade-off of Social and Risk Preferences. Psychol Sci 2021; 32:1842-1855. [PMID: 34705578 PMCID: PMC7614101 DOI: 10.1177/09567976211015942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Helping other people can entail risks for the helper. For example, when treating infectious patients, medical volunteers risk their own health. In such situations, decisions to help should depend on the individual's valuation of others' well-being (social preferences) and the degree of personal risk the individual finds acceptable (risk preferences). We investigated how these distinct preferences are psychologically and neurobiologically integrated when helping is risky. We used incentivized decision-making tasks (Study 1; N = 292 adults) and manipulated dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the brain by administering methylphenidate, atomoxetine, or a placebo (Study 2; N = 154 adults). We found that social and risk preferences are independent drivers of risky helping. Methylphenidate increased risky helping by selectively altering risk preferences rather than social preferences. Atomoxetine influenced neither risk preferences nor social preferences and did not affect risky helping. This suggests that methylphenidate-altered dopamine concentrations affect helping decisions that entail a risk to the helper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Gross
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University,Corresponding author: Jörg Gross, Leiden University, Institute of Psychology, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2300 RB Leiden, , +31 71 527 2727
| | - Nadira S. Faber
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter,Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford
| | | | | | - Philip J Cowen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford
| | - Michael Browning
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford
| | - Guy Kahane
- Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford
| | | | | | - Carsten K.W. De Dreu
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University,Center for Research in Experimental Economics and Political Decision Making (CREED), University of Amsterdam
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7
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Dopamine manipulations modulate paranoid social inferences in healthy people. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:214. [PMID: 32624569 PMCID: PMC7335741 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-00912-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered dopamine transmission is thought to influence the formation of persecutory delusions. However, despite extensive evidence from clinical studies there is little experimental evidence on how modulating the dopamine system changes social attributions related to paranoia, and the salience of beliefs more generally. Twenty seven healthy male participants received 150mg L-DOPA, 3 mg haloperidol, or placebo in a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study, over three within-subject sessions. Participants completed a multi-round Dictator Game modified to measure social attributions, and a measure of belief salience spanning themes of politics, religion, science, morality, and the paranormal. We preregistered predictions that altering dopamine function would affect (i) attributions of harmful intent and (ii) salience of paranormal beliefs. As predicted, haloperidol reduced attributions of harmful intent across all conditions compared to placebo. L-DOPA reduced attributions of harmful intent in fair conditions compared to placebo. Unexpectedly, haloperidol increased attributions of self-interest about opponents' decisions. There was no change in belief salience within any theme. These results could not be explained by scepticism or subjective mood. Our findings demonstrate the selective involvement of dopamine in social inferences related to paranoia in healthy individuals.
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8
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Oroz Artigas S, Liu L, Strang S, Burrasch C, Hermsteiner A, Münte TF, Park SQ. Enhancement in dopamine reduces generous behaviour in women. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226893. [PMID: 31891605 PMCID: PMC6938376 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Generosity is a human behavior common in social contexts. However, humans are not equally generous to everyone alike. Instead, generosity decreases as a function of social distance, an effect called social discounting. Studies show that such social discounting effect depends on diverse factors including personality traits, cultures, stress or hormonal levels. Recently, the importance of the neurotransmitter dopamine in regulating social interactions has been highlighted. However, it remains unclear how exactly dopamine agonist administration modulates generous behavior as a function of social discounting. Here, we investigate the causal effect of dopamine agonist administration on social discounting in a pharmacological intervention study. We employ a randomized, double-blind, within-subject design to investigate the impact of the D2/D3 receptor agonist pramipexole on social discounting by keeping gender constant. We apply hyperbolic social discount model to the data and provide evidence that women under pramipexole become less generous in general, especially towards close others. Our results highlight the crucial role of dopamine in social decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lu Liu
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Department of Decision Neuroscience & Nutrition, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Nuthetal, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetes, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Sabrina Strang
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | | | | | - Thomas F. Münte
- Department of Neurology, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Soyoung Q. Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Department of Decision Neuroscience & Nutrition, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Nuthetal, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetes, Neuherberg, Germany
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
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9
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Rățală CE, Fallon SJ, van der Schaaf ME, Ter Huurne N, Cools R, Sanfey AG. Catecholaminergic modulation of trust decisions. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:1807-1816. [PMID: 30706097 PMCID: PMC6602982 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-5165-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Trust is a key component of social interactions. In order to assess the trustworthiness of others, people rely on both information learned from previous encounters, as well as on implicit biases associated with specific facial features. OBJECTIVE Here, we investigated the role of catecholamine (dopamine and noradrenaline) transmission on trust decisions as a function of both experienced behavior and facial features. METHODS To increase catecholamine levels, methylphenidate (MPH, i.e., Ritalin®, 20 mg) was administered to participants (N = 24) prior to their playing a well-studied economic task, namely the Trust Game (Berg et al. 1995). We measured the amount of money invested with a variety of game partners. Across game partners, we manipulated two aspects of trust: the facial trust level (high facial trust, low facial trust, and non-social) and the likelihood of reciprocation (high, low). RESULTS Results demonstrated no main effect of MPH on investments, but rather a selective lowering of investments under MPH as compared with placebo with the game partners who were low on facial trustworthiness and were low reciprocators. CONCLUSION These results provide evidence that MPH administration impacts social trust decision-making, but does so in a context-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cătălina E Rățală
- Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, 3062, PA, The Netherlands.
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, 6500, HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Sean J Fallon
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, 6500, HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke E van der Schaaf
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, 6500, HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Niels Ter Huurne
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, 6500, HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Roshan Cools
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, 6500, HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alan G Sanfey
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, 6500, HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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10
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Tamir DI, Hughes BL. Social Rewards: From Basic Social Building Blocks to Complex Social Behavior. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2018; 13:700-717. [DOI: 10.1177/1745691618776263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Humans are social creatures, engaging almost constantly in social behaviors that serve ultimate social goals, such as forming strong bonds with one another. However, most social behaviors provide only incremental progress toward an ultimate goal. Instead, the drive to engage in any individual social act may derive from its proximal value rather than its ultimate goal. Thus, this proximal value forms the foundation on which the complexities of human sociality are built. We describe two complementary approaches for using proximal social rewards to understand social behaviors and their ultimate goals: (a) decontextualizing social rewards—paring down complex social interactions can help identify which basic building blocks remain valuable even in minimalistic contexts—and (b) recontextualizing social rewards—reintroducing motivational and contextual factors into the study of social experience can help identify how proximal rewards serve their ultimate function. We discuss how this dual-approach framework can inform future research by bridging basic social building blocks and real-world social goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana I. Tamir
- Department of Psychology and Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University
| | - Brent L. Hughes
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside
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11
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Eddy CM, Cook JL. Emotions in action: The relationship between motor function and social cognition across multiple clinical populations. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 86:229-244. [PMID: 29857027 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Clare M Eddy
- National Centre for Mental Health and College of Medical and Dental Sciences, BSMHFT, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jennifer L Cook
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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12
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Spee B, Ishizu T, Leder H, Mikuni J, Kawabata H, Pelowski M. Neuropsychopharmacological aesthetics: A theoretical consideration of pharmacological approaches to causative brain study in aesthetics and art. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2018; 237:343-372. [PMID: 29779743 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Recent developments in neuroaesthetics have heightened the need for causative approaches to more deeply understand the mechanism underlying perception, emotion, and aesthetic experiences. This has recently been the topic for empirical work, employing several causative methods for changing brain activity, as well as comparative assessments of individuals with brain damage or disease. However, one area of study with high potential, and indeed a long history of often nonscientific use in the area of aesthetics and art, employing psychopharmacological chemicals as means of changing brain function, has not been systematically utilized. This chapter reviews the literature on this topic, analyzing neuroendocrinological (neurochemical) approaches and mechanisms that might be used to causatively study the aesthetic brain. We focus on four relevant neuromodulatory systems potentially related to aesthetic experience: the dopaminergic, serotonergic, cannabinoid, and the opioidergic system. We build a bridge to psychopharmacological methods and review drug-induced behavioral and neurobiological consequences. We conclude with a discussion of hypotheses and suggestions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Spee
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Psychology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tomohiro Ishizu
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Psychology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Helmut Leder
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Psychology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Mikuni
- Department of Psychology, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
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13
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The dopaminergic reward system underpins gender differences in social preferences. Nat Hum Behav 2017; 1:819-827. [DOI: 10.1038/s41562-017-0226-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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14
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Yildirim BO, Derksen JJL. Mesocorticolimbic dopamine functioning in primary psychopathy: A source of within-group heterogeneity. Psychiatry Res 2015; 229:633-77. [PMID: 26277034 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Revised: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Despite similar emotional deficiencies, primary psychopathic individuals can be situated on a continuum that spans from controlled to disinhibited. The constructs on which primary psychopaths are found to diverge, such as self-control, cognitive flexibility, and executive functioning, are crucially regulated by dopamine (DA). As such, the goal of this review is to examine which specific alterations in the meso-cortico-limbic DA system and corresponding genes (e.g., TH, DAT, COMT, DRD2, DRD4) might bias development towards a more controlled or disinhibited expression of primary psychopathy. Based on empirical data, it is argued that primary psychopathy is generally related to a higher tonic and population activity of striatal DA neurons and lower levels of D2-type DA receptors in meso-cortico-limbic projections, which may boost motivational drive towards incentive-laden goals, dampen punishment sensitivity, and increase future reward-expectancy. However, increasingly higher levels of DA activity in the striatum (moderate versus pathological elevations), lower levels of DA functionality in the prefrontal cortex, and higher D1-to-D2-type receptor ratios in meso-cortico-limbic projections may lead to increasingly disinhibited and impetuous phenotypes of primary psychopathy. Finally, in order to provide a more coherent view on etiological mechanisms, we discuss interactions between DA and serotonin that are relevant for primary psychopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bariş O Yildirim
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Radboud University Nijmegen, De Kluyskamp 1002, 6545 JD Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jan J L Derksen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Room: A.07.04B, Radboud University Nijmegen, Montessorilaan 3, 6525 HR Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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15
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Crockett MJ, Siegel JZ, Kurth-Nelson Z, Ousdal OT, Story G, Frieband C, Grosse-Rueskamp JM, Dayan P, Dolan RJ. Dissociable Effects of Serotonin and Dopamine on the Valuation of Harm in Moral Decision Making. Curr Biol 2015; 25:1852-9. [PMID: 26144968 PMCID: PMC4518463 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2015] [Revised: 05/09/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
An aversion to harming others is a core component of human morality and is disturbed in antisocial behavior. Deficient harm aversion may underlie instrumental and reactive aggression, which both feature in psychopathy. Past work has highlighted monoaminergic influences on aggression, but a mechanistic account of how monoamines regulate antisocial motives remains elusive. We previously observed that most people show a greater aversion to inflicting pain on others than themselves. Here, we investigated whether this hyperaltruistic disposition is susceptible to monoaminergic control. We observed dissociable effects of the serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram and the dopamine precursor levodopa on decisions to inflict pain on oneself and others for financial gain. Computational models of choice behavior showed that citalopram increased harm aversion for both self and others, while levodopa reduced hyperaltruism. The effects of citalopram were stronger than those of levodopa. Crucially, neither drug influenced the physical perception of pain or other components of choice such as motor impulsivity or loss aversion, suggesting a direct and specific influence of serotonin and dopamine on the valuation of harm. We also found evidence for dose dependency of these effects. Finally, the drugs had dissociable effects on response times, with citalopram enhancing behavioral inhibition and levodopa reducing slowing related to being responsible for another's fate. These distinct roles of serotonin and dopamine in modulating moral behavior have implications for potential treatments of social dysfunction that is a common feature as well as a risk factor for many psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly J Crockett
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, 9 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Jenifer Z Siegel
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, 9 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Zeb Kurth-Nelson
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK; Max Planck-UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Olga T Ousdal
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK; Department of Radiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies vei 65, 5021 Bergen, Norway
| | - Giles Story
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Carolyn Frieband
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Johanna M Grosse-Rueskamp
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Peter Dayan
- Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, Alexandra House, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK; Max Planck-UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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16
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Sáez I, Zhu L, Set E, Kayser A, Hsu M. Dopamine modulates egalitarian behavior in humans. Curr Biol 2015; 25:912-9. [PMID: 25802148 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.01.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Revised: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Egalitarian motives form a powerful force in promoting prosocial behavior and enabling large-scale cooperation in the human species [1]. At the neural level, there is substantial, albeit correlational, evidence suggesting a link between dopamine and such behavior [2, 3]. However, important questions remain about the specific role of dopamine in setting or modulating behavioral sensitivity to prosocial concerns. Here, using a combination of pharmacological tools and economic games, we provide critical evidence for a causal involvement of dopamine in human egalitarian tendencies. Specifically, using the brain penetrant catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitor tolcapone [4, 5], we investigated the causal relationship between dopaminergic mechanisms and two prosocial concerns at the core of a number of widely used economic games: (1) the extent to which individuals directly value the material payoffs of others, i.e., generosity, and (2) the extent to which they are averse to differences between their own payoffs and those of others, i.e., inequity. We found that dopaminergic augmentation via COMT inhibition increased egalitarian tendencies in participants who played an extended version of the dictator game [6]. Strikingly, computational modeling of choice behavior [7] revealed that tolcapone exerted selective effects on inequity aversion, and not on other computational components such as the extent to which individuals directly value the material payoffs of others. Together, these data shed light on the causal relationship between neurochemical systems and human prosocial behavior and have potential implications for our understanding of the complex array of social impairments accompanying neuropsychiatric disorders involving dopaminergic dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Sáez
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, 175 Li Ka Shing Center, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, 2220 Piedmont Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Lusha Zhu
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, 2 Riverside Circle, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
| | - Eric Set
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, 175 Li Ka Shing Center, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, 2220 Piedmont Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Andrew Kayser
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, 175 Li Ka Shing Center, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 500 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Neurology, VA Northern California Health Care System, 150 Muir Road, Martinez, CA 94553, USA.
| | - Ming Hsu
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, 175 Li Ka Shing Center, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, 2220 Piedmont Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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