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Ngetich R, Villalba-García C, Soborun Y, Vékony T, Czakó A, Demetrovics Z, Németh D. Learning and memory processes in behavioural addiction: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105747. [PMID: 38870547 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Similar to addictive substances, addictive behaviours such as gambling and gaming are associated with maladaptive modulation of key brain areas and functional networks implicated in learning and memory. Therefore, this review sought to understand how different learning and memory processes relate to behavioural addictions and to unravel their underlying neural mechanisms. Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we systematically searched four databases - PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science using the agreed-upon search string. Findings suggest altered executive function-dependent learning processes and enhanced habit learning in behavioural addiction. Whereas the relationship between working memory and behavioural addiction is influenced by addiction type, working memory aspect, and task nature. Additionally, long-term memory is incoherent in individuals with addictive behaviours. Consistently, neurophysiological evidence indicates alterations in brain areas and networks implicated in learning and memory processes in behavioural addictions. Overall, the present review argues that, like substance use disorders, alteration in learning and memory processes may underlie the development and maintenance of behavioural addictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Ngetich
- Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Gibraltar
| | | | - Yanisha Soborun
- Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Gibraltar
| | - Teodóra Vékony
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron, France; Department of Education and Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Atlántico Medio, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Andrea Czakó
- Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Gibraltar; Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Demetrovics
- Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Gibraltar; Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
| | - Dezső Németh
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron, France; Department of Education and Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Atlántico Medio, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; BML-NAP Research Group, Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University & Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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2
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Zhang Z, Shao H, Liu C, Song H, Wu X, Cao D, Zhu M, Fu Y, Wang J, Gao Y. Descending dopaminergic pathway facilitates itch signal processing via activating spinal GRPR + neurons. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e56098. [PMID: 37522391 PMCID: PMC10561366 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202256098] [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: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A11 dopaminergic neurons regulate somatosensory transduction by projecting from the diencephalon to the spinal cord, but the function of this descending projection in itch remained elusive. Here, we report that dopaminergic projection neurons from the A11 nucleus to the spinal dorsal horn (dopaminergicA11-SDH ) are activated by pruritogens. Inhibition of these neurons alleviates itch-induced scratching behaviors. Furthermore, chemogenetic inhibition of spinal dopamine receptor D1-expressing (DRD1+ ) neurons decreases acute or chronic itch-induced scratching. Mechanistically, spinal DRD1+ neurons are excitatory and mostly co-localize with gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), an endogenous neuropeptide for itch. In addition, DRD1+ neurons form synapses with GRP receptor-expressing (GRPR+ ) neurons and activate these neurons via AMPA receptor (AMPAR). Finally, spontaneous itch and enhanced acute itch induced by activating spinal DRD1+ neurons are relieved by antagonists against AMPAR and GRPR. Thus, the descending dopaminergic pathway facilitates spinal itch transmission via activating DRD1+ neurons and releasing glutamate and GRP, which directly augments GRPR signaling. Interruption of this descending pathway may be used to treat chronic itch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi‐Jun Zhang
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co‐Innovation Center of NeuroregenerationNantong UniversityJiangsuChina
- Department of Human Anatomy, School of MedicineNantong UniversityJiangsuChina
| | - Han‐Yu Shao
- Department of Human Anatomy, School of MedicineNantong UniversityJiangsuChina
| | - Chuan Liu
- Department of Human Anatomy, School of MedicineNantong UniversityJiangsuChina
| | - Hao‐Lin Song
- Department of Human Anatomy, School of MedicineNantong UniversityJiangsuChina
| | - Xiao‐Bo Wu
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co‐Innovation Center of NeuroregenerationNantong UniversityJiangsuChina
| | - De‐Li Cao
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co‐Innovation Center of NeuroregenerationNantong UniversityJiangsuChina
| | - Meixuan Zhu
- University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNCUSA
| | - Yuan‐Yuan Fu
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co‐Innovation Center of NeuroregenerationNantong UniversityJiangsuChina
| | - Juan Wang
- Department of Human Anatomy, School of MedicineNantong UniversityJiangsuChina
| | - Yong‐Jing Gao
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co‐Innovation Center of NeuroregenerationNantong UniversityJiangsuChina
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3
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Liebenow B, Jones R, DiMarco E, Trattner JD, Humphries J, Sands LP, Spry KP, Johnson CK, Farkas EB, Jiang A, Kishida KT. Computational reinforcement learning, reward (and punishment), and dopamine in psychiatric disorders. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:886297. [PMID: 36339844 PMCID: PMC9630918 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.886297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the DSM-5, psychiatric diagnoses are made based on self-reported symptoms and clinician-identified signs. Though helpful in choosing potential interventions based on the available regimens, this conceptualization of psychiatric diseases can limit basic science investigation into their underlying causes. The reward prediction error (RPE) hypothesis of dopamine neuron function posits that phasic dopamine signals encode the difference between the rewards a person expects and experiences. The computational framework from which this hypothesis was derived, temporal difference reinforcement learning (TDRL), is largely focused on reward processing rather than punishment learning. Many psychiatric disorders are characterized by aberrant behaviors, expectations, reward processing, and hypothesized dopaminergic signaling, but also characterized by suffering and the inability to change one's behavior despite negative consequences. In this review, we provide an overview of the RPE theory of phasic dopamine neuron activity and review the gains that have been made through the use of computational reinforcement learning theory as a framework for understanding changes in reward processing. The relative dearth of explicit accounts of punishment learning in computational reinforcement learning theory and its application in neuroscience is highlighted as a significant gap in current computational psychiatric research. Four disorders comprise the main focus of this review: two disorders of traditionally hypothesized hyperdopaminergic function, addiction and schizophrenia, followed by two disorders of traditionally hypothesized hypodopaminergic function, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Insights gained from a reward processing based reinforcement learning framework about underlying dopaminergic mechanisms and the role of punishment learning (when available) are explored in each disorder. Concluding remarks focus on the future directions required to characterize neuropsychiatric disorders with a hypothesized cause of underlying dopaminergic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Liebenow
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Rachel Jones
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Emily DiMarco
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Jonathan D. Trattner
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Joseph Humphries
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - L. Paul Sands
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Kasey P. Spry
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Christina K. Johnson
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Evelyn B. Farkas
- Georgia State University Undergraduate Neuroscience Institute, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Angela Jiang
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Kenneth T. Kishida
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
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4
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Ojala KE, Tzovara A, Poser BA, Lutti A, Bach DR. Asymmetric representation of aversive prediction errors in Pavlovian threat conditioning. Neuroimage 2022; 263:119579. [PMID: 35995374 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Survival in biological environments requires learning associations between predictive sensory cues and threatening outcomes. Such aversive learning may be implemented through reinforcement learning algorithms that are driven by the signed difference between expected and encountered outcomes, termed prediction errors (PEs). While PE-based learning is well established for reward learning, the role of putative PE signals in aversive learning is less clear. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging in humans (21 healthy men and women) to investigate the neural representation of PEs during maintenance of learned aversive associations. Four visual cues, each with a different probability (0, 33, 66, 100%) of being followed by an aversive outcome (electric shock), were repeatedly presented to participants. We found that neural activity at omission (US-) but not occurrence of the aversive outcome (US+) encoded PEs in the medial prefrontal cortex. More expected omission of aversive outcome was associated with lower neural activity. No neural signals fulfilled axiomatic criteria, which specify necessary and sufficient components of PE signals, for signed PE representation in a whole-brain search or in a-priori regions of interest. Our results might suggest that, different from reward learning, aversive learning does not involve signed PE signals that are represented within the same brain region for all conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karita E Ojala
- Computational Psychiatry Research, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Zurich 8032, Switzerland; Neuroscience Centre Zurich, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland.
| | - Athina Tzovara
- Computational Psychiatry Research, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Zurich 8032, Switzerland; Neuroscience Centre Zurich, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland; Institute of Computer Science, University of Bern, Neubrückstrasse 10, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Benedikt A Poser
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55 EV 6299, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Antoine Lutti
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Chemin de Mont-Paisible 16, Lausanne 1011, Switzerland
| | - Dominik R Bach
- Computational Psychiatry Research, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Zurich 8032, Switzerland; Neuroscience Centre Zurich, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging and Max-Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, 10-12 Russell Square, London WC1B 5EH, United Kingdom.
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5
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Dose-response effects of d-amphetamine on effort-based decision-making and reinforcement learning. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1078-1085. [PMID: 32722661 PMCID: PMC8115674 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0779-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Effort-related decision-making and reward learning are both dopamine-dependent, but preclinical research suggests they depend on different dopamine signaling dynamics. Therefore, the same dose of a dopaminergic medication could have differential effects on effort for reward vs. reward learning. However, no study has tested how effort and reward learning respond to the same dopaminergic medication within subjects. The current study aimed to test the effect of therapeutic doses of d-amphetamine on effort for reward and reward learning in the same healthy volunteers. Participants (n = 30) completed the Effort Expenditure for Reward Task (EEfRT) measure of effort-related decision-making, and the Probabilistic Reward Task (PRT) measure of reward learning, under placebo and two doses of d-amphetamine (10 mg, and 20 mg). Secondarily, we examined whether the individual characteristics of baseline working memory and willingness to exert effort for reward moderated the effects of d-amphetamine. d-Amphetamine increased willingness to exert effort, particularly at low to intermediate expected values of reward. Computational modeling analyses suggested this was due to decreased effort discounting rather than probability discounting or decision consistency. Both baseline effort and working memory emerged as moderators of this effect, such that d-amphetamine increased effort more in individuals with lower working memory and lower baseline effort, also primarily at low to intermediate expected values of reward. In contrast, d-amphetamine had no significant effect on reward learning. These results have implications for treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, which may be characterized by multiple underlying reward dysfunctions.
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Raimo S, Cropano M, Trojano L, Santangelo G. The neural basis of gambling disorder: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:279-302. [PMID: 33275954 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Previous imaging studies suggested that impairments of prefrontal-striatal and limbic circuits are correlated to excessive gambling. However, the neural underpinnings of gambling disorder (GD) continue to be the topic of debate. The present study aimed to identify structural changes in GD and differentiate the specific brain activity patterns associated with decision-making and reward-processing. We performed a systematic review complemented by Activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analyses on morphometric and functional studies on neural correlates of GD. The ALE meta-analysis on structural studies revealed that patients with GD showed significant cortical grey-matter thinning in the right ventrolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortex compared to healthy subjects. The ALE meta-analyses on functional studies revealed that patients with GD showed a significant hyperactivation in the medial prefrontal cortex and in the right ventral striatum during decision-making and gain processing compared to healthy subjects. These findings suggest that GD is related to an alteration of brain mechanisms underlying top-down control and appraisal of gambling-related stimuli and provided indications to develop new interventions in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Raimo
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | - Maria Cropano
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | - Luigi Trojano
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | - Gabriella Santangelo
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy.
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7
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Using pharmacological manipulations to study the role of dopamine in human reward functioning: A review of studies in healthy adults. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:123-158. [PMID: 33202256 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) plays a key role in reward processing and is implicated in psychological disorders such as depression, substance use, and schizophrenia. The role of DA in reward processing is an area of highly active research. One approach to this question is drug challenge studies with drugs known to alter DA function. These studies provide good experimental control and can be performed in parallel in laboratory animals and humans. This review aimed to summarize results of studies using pharmacological manipulations of DA in healthy adults. 'Reward' is a complex process, so we separated 'phases' of reward, including anticipation, evaluation of cost and benefits of upcoming reward, execution of actions to obtain reward, pleasure in response to receiving a reward, and reward learning. Results indicated that i) DAergic drugs have different effects on different phases of reward; ii) the relationship between DA and reward functioning appears unlikely to be linear; iii) our ability to detect the effects of DAergic drugs varies depending on whether subjective, behavioral, imaging measures are used.
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Jara-Rizzo MF, Navas JF, Rodas JA, Perales JC. Decision-making inflexibility in a reversal learning task is associated with severity of problem gambling symptoms but not with a diagnosis of substance use disorder. BMC Psychol 2020; 8:120. [PMID: 33168098 PMCID: PMC7654010 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-020-00482-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Decisions made by individuals with disordered gambling are markedly inflexible. However, whether anomalies in learning from feedback are gambling-specific, or extend beyond gambling contexts, remains an open question. More generally, addictive disorders-including gambling disorder-have been proposed to be facilitated by individual differences in feedback-driven decision-making inflexibility, which has been studied in the lab with the Probabilistic Reversal Learning Task (PRLT). In this task, participants are first asked to learn which of two choice options is more advantageous, on the basis of trial-by-trial feedback, but, once preferences are established, reward contingencies are reversed, so that the advantageous option becomes disadvantageous and vice versa. Inflexibility is revealed by a less effective reacquisition of preferences after reversal, which can be distinguished from more generalized learning deficits. METHODS In the present study, we compared PRLT performance across two groups of 25 treatment-seeking patients diagnosed with an addictive disorder and who reported gambling problems, and 25 matched controls [18 Males/7 Females in both groups, Mage(SDage) = 25.24 (8.42) and 24.96 (7.90), for patients and controls, respectively]. Beyond testing for differences in the shape of PRLT learning curves across groups, the specific effect of problematic gambling symptoms' severity was also assessed independently of group assignment. In order to surpass previous methodological problems, full acquisition and reacquisition curves were fitted using generalized mixed-effect models. RESULTS Results showed that (1) controls did not significantly differ from patients in global PRLT performance nor showed specific signs of decision-making inflexibility; and (2) regardless of whether group affiliation was controlled for or not, gambling severity was specifically associated with more inefficient learning in phases with reversed contingencies. CONCLUSION Decision-making inflexibility, as revealed by difficulty to reacquire decisional preferences based on feedback after contingency reversals, seems to be associated with gambling problems, but not necessarily with a substance-use disorder diagnosis. This result aligns with gambling disorder models in which domain-general compulsivity is linked to vulnerability to develop gambling-specific problems with exposure to gambling opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan F Navas
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose A Rodas
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Ecuador
- School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - José C Perales
- Department of Experimental Psychology; Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Centre (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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Antons S, Brand M, Potenza MN. Neurobiology of cue-reactivity, craving, and inhibitory control in non-substance addictive behaviors. J Neurol Sci 2020; 415:116952. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2020.116952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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10
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Hagerty SL, YorkWilliams SL, Bidwell LC, Weiland BJ, Sabbineni A, Blaine SK, Bryan AD, Hutchison KE. DRD2 methylation is associated with executive control network connectivity and severity of alcohol problems among a sample of polysubstance users. Addict Biol 2020; 25:e12684. [PMID: 30370960 PMCID: PMC7326368 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Chronic exposure to alcohol and other drugs of abuse has been associated with deleterious consequences, including functional connectivity deficits within neural networks associated with executive control. Altered functional connectivity within the executive control network (ECN) might underlie the progressive inability to control consumption of alcohol and other drugs as substance use disorders progress. Genetic and epigenetic factors have been associated with substance use disorders (SUDs). For example, dopamine receptor 2 (DRD2) functioning has been associated with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and related phenotypes, including correlates of executive functioning. The present study aims to explore the relationship between a continuous measure of alcohol-related problems, epigenetic markers (methylation) within the DRD2 gene, and functional connectivity within the ECN among a sample of polysubstance users. A community sample of 658 subjects, whose consumption of alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis span across a spectrum of quantity and frequency of use, were obtained across previous studies in polysubstance using populations. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging was analyzed to identify intrinsic connectivity networks using a priori regions of interest. Methylation measurement of functionally relevant sites within the DRD2 gene was achieved via pyrosequencing. Regression-based models, including mediation and moderation models, tested the association between DRD2 methylation, functional connectivity within intrinsic neural networks (including the ECN), and severity of alcohol problems. Results suggest that average DRD2 methylation was negatively associated with right ECN (RECN) and left ECN (LECN) connectivity, but not associated with other networks tested, and DRD2 methylation was significantly associated with alcohol problems severity. Mediation models were not supported, although moderation models suggested that connectivity between edges within the RECN moderated the relationship between DRD2 methylation and AUD severity. Results support a theoretical model in which epigenetic factors are associated with neurobiological correlates of alcohol consumption among a sample of polysubstance users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Hagerty
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Sophie L. YorkWilliams
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - L. Cinnamon Bidwell
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Barbara J. Weiland
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Amithrupa Sabbineni
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Sara K. Blaine
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Angela D. Bryan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Kent E. Hutchison
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
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11
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Abstract
Purpose of Review To address variation in the severity of gambling disorder, this review evaluates the contribution of mesocorticolimbic dopamine neurons to potential behavioral endophenotypes, the influence of individual differences in the dopamine system on gambling and related behaviors, and the possible role for dopaminergic medications in the treatment of gambling disorder. Recent Findings Newer work has suggested that dopaminergic dysfunction can lead to increased reward anticipation and a greater sensitivity to uncertainty, which in turn may drive addictive gambling behaviors. In addition, increased impulsivity, a well-recognized risk factor for gambling disorder, has been linked to dopaminergic dysfunction. More recently, emerging evidence has suggested that dopaminergic medications can influence the discounting of delayed rewards. Summary Dopaminergic drugs that increase the salience of long-term over short-term goals may ameliorate symptoms of impulsive individuals with gambling disorder. More broadly, improved understanding of intermediate behavioral and other phenotypes with a defined neurobiological substrate may allow for personalized treatment of gambling disorder and other psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Kayser
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California at San Francisco
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12
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van Holst RJ, Sescousse G, Janssen LK, Janssen M, Berry AS, Jagust WJ, Cools R. Increased Striatal Dopamine Synthesis Capacity in Gambling Addiction. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:1036-1043. [PMID: 28728675 PMCID: PMC6698370 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hypothesis that dopamine plays an important role in the pathophysiology of pathological gambling is pervasive. However, there is little to no direct evidence for a categorical difference between pathological gamblers and healthy control subjects in terms of dopamine transmission in a drug-free state. Here we provide evidence for this hypothesis by comparing dopamine synthesis capacity in the dorsal and ventral parts of the striatum in 13 pathological gamblers and 15 healthy control subjects. METHODS This was achieved using [18F]fluoro-levo-dihydroxyphenylalanine dynamic positron emission tomography scans and striatal regions of interest that were hand-drawn based on visual inspection of individual structural magnetic resonance imaging scans. RESULTS Our results show that dopamine synthesis capacity was increased in pathological gamblers compared with healthy control subjects. Dopamine synthesis was 16% higher in the caudate body, 17% higher in the dorsal putamen, and 17% higher in the ventral striatum in pathological gamblers compared with control subjects. Moreover, dopamine synthesis capacity in the dorsal putamen and caudate head was positively correlated with gambling distortions in pathological gamblers. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results provide empirical evidence for increased striatal dopamine synthesis in pathological gambling.
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13
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Potenza MN. Searching for Replicable Dopamine-Related Findings in Gambling Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:984-986. [PMID: 29804589 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marc N Potenza
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, and the Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, Connecticut; Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, Connecticut.
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14
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Greater mindful eating practice is associated with better reversal learning. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5702. [PMID: 29632306 PMCID: PMC5890263 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24001-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions are thought to reduce compulsive behavior such as overeating by promoting behavioral flexibility. Here the main aim was to provide support for mindfulness-mediated improvements in reversal learning, a direct measure of behavioral flexibility. We investigated whether an 8-week mindful eating intervention improved outcome-based reversal learning relative to an educational cooking (i.e., active control) intervention in a non-clinical population. Sixty-five healthy participants with a wide BMI range (19–35 kg/m2), who were motivated to change their eating habits, performed a deterministic reversal learning task that enabled the investigation of reward- and punishment-based reversal learning at baseline and following the intervention. No group differences in reversal learning were observed. However, time invested in the mindful eating, but not the educational cooking intervention correlated positively with changes in reversal learning, in a manner independent of outcome valence. These findings suggest that greater amount of mindfulness practice can lead to increased behavioral flexibility, which, in turn, might help overcome compulsive eating in clinical populations.
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15
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Dopaminergic Drug Effects on Probability Weighting during Risky Decision Making. eNeuro 2018; 5:eN-NWR-0330-17. [PMID: 29632870 PMCID: PMC5889481 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0330-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine has been associated with risky decision-making, as well as with pathological gambling, a behavioral addiction characterized by excessive risk-taking behavior. However, the specific mechanisms through which dopamine might act to foster risk-taking and pathological gambling remain elusive. Here we test the hypothesis that this might be achieved, in part, via modulation of subjective probability weighting during decision making. Human healthy controls (n = 21) and pathological gamblers (n = 16) played a decision-making task involving choices between sure monetary options and risky gambles both in the gain and loss domains. Each participant played the task twice, either under placebo or the dopamine D2/D3 receptor antagonist sulpiride, in a double-blind counterbalanced design. A prospect theory modelling approach was used to estimate subjective probability weighting and sensitivity to monetary outcomes. Consistent with prospect theory, we found that participants presented a distortion in the subjective weighting of probabilities, i.e., they overweighted low probabilities and underweighted moderate to high probabilities, both in the gain and loss domains. Compared with placebo, sulpiride attenuated this distortion in the gain domain. Across drugs, the groups did not differ in their probability weighting, although gamblers consistently underweighted losing probabilities in the placebo condition. Overall, our results reveal that dopamine D2/D3 receptor antagonism modulates the subjective weighting of probabilities in the gain domain, in the direction of more objective, economically rational decision making.
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16
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Abstract
Neuroimaging studies in animal models and human subjects have each revealed that relatively low striatal dopamine D2-like receptor binding potential is associated with poor impulse control and with vulnerability for addiction-related behaviors. These studies cannot, however, disambiguate the roles for various pools of D2 receptors found in the striatum (e.g., those expressed on medium spiny striato-pallidal neurons vs on dopamine-releasing nerve terminals) in these behavioral outcomes. To clarify the role of the latter pool, namely, D2 autoreceptors, we studied mice carrying a conditional DRD2 gene, with or without Cre-recombinase expressed under the transcriptional control of the dopamine transporter gene locus (autoDrd2-KO, n = 19 and controls, n = 21). These mice were tested for locomotor response to cocaine, and spatial reversal learning was assessed in operant conditioning chambers. As predicted, compared to control mice, autoDrd2-KO animals demonstrated heightened sensitivity to the locomotor stimulating effect of cocaine (10 mg/kg, i.p.), confirming previous research using a similar genetic model. In the spatial reversal learning task, autoDrd2-KO mice were slower to reach a learning criterion and had difficulty sustaining a prolonged nose poke response, measurements conceptually related to impaired response inhibition. Rate of learning of the initial discrimination and latencies to collect rewards, to initiate trials and to produce a response were unaffected by genetic deletion of D2 autoreceptors, discarding possible motor and motivational factors. Together, these findings confirm the role of D2 autoreceptors in reversal learning and suggest a broader involvement in behavioral inhibition mechanisms.
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17
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Compulsivity-related neurocognitive performance deficits in gambling disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 84:204-217. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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18
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Kertzman SG, Poyurovski M, Faragian S, Weizman R, Cohen K, Aizer A, Weizman A, Dannon PN. Distinct Response Inhibition Patterns in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Patients and Pathological Gamblers. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:652. [PMID: 30564153 PMCID: PMC6288432 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and pathological gambling (PG) are common disorders. The cognitive models of OCD and PG focus on abnormalities in response inhibition. Although, these functions have been studied in different PG and OCD samples, no study has compared the response inhibition in both. Methods: Medication-naïve OCD (n = 61) and PG subjects (n = 109) and healthy controls (n = 131) performed CPT and Go/NoGo tasks. Results: Compared to healthy controls (HC), PG and OCD groups underperformed on speed and exhibited larger time variability on the CPT and Go/NoGo task. Only in OCD patients, a positive correlation between omission errors and response time (RT) was observed in the CPT. At the Go/NoGo task, a negative correlation between false alarms and RT (a fast-errors trade-off) was significant only in the PG group. The HC group had greater sensitivity values (d') than the OCD and PG groups in the Go/NoGo task. The PG group displayed lower d' values and more conservative response criterion in the CPT. In addition, only the OCD group expressed a high switching cost compared to both the PG and HC groups in terms of the RT and d' values. Conclusions: Both the PG and OCD groups demonstrated impaired response inhibition compared to the HC group. On several measures, the OCD and PG groups showed comparable impairments, and in others these were distinct. Thus, it appears that distinct neurocognitive patterns are involved in performance of the CPT and the Go/NoGo tasks among OCD and PG subjects whose cognitive status is currently under intensive investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Semion G Kertzman
- Psychiatry Division, Beer-Yaakov-Ness Ziona Mental Health Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michael Poyurovski
- Tirat Carmel Mental Health Center, Israel University, Tirat Carmel, Israel.,Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Sarit Faragian
- Tirat Carmel Mental Health Center, Israel University, Tirat Carmel, Israel
| | - Ronit Weizman
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Koby Cohen
- Department of Behavioral Science, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Anat Aizer
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Abraham Weizman
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Research Unit, Geha Mental Health Center and Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Pinhas N Dannon
- Psychiatry Division, Beer-Yaakov-Ness Ziona Mental Health Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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19
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Jiménez-Murcia S, Fernández-Aranda F, Mestre-Bach G, Granero R, Tárrega S, Torrubia R, Aymamí N, Gómez-Peña M, Soriano-Mas C, Steward T, Moragas L, Baño M, Del Pino-Gutiérrez A, Menchón JM. Exploring the Relationship between Reward and Punishment Sensitivity and Gambling Disorder in a Clinical Sample: A Path Modeling Analysis. J Gambl Stud 2017; 33:579-597. [PMID: 27447184 DOI: 10.1007/s10899-016-9631-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Most individuals will gamble during their lifetime, yet only a select few will develop gambling disorder. Gray's Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory holds promise for providing insight into gambling disorder etiology and symptomatology as it ascertains that neurobiological differences in reward and punishment sensitivity play a crucial role in determining an individual's affect and motives. The aim of the study was to assess a mediational pathway, which included patients' sex, personality traits, reward and punishment sensitivity, and gambling-severity variables. The Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire, the South Oaks Gambling Screen, the Symptom Checklist-Revised, and the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised were administered to a sample of gambling disorder outpatients (N = 831), diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria, attending a specialized outpatient unit. Sociodemographic variables were also recorded. A structural equation model found that both reward and punishment sensitivity were positively and directly associated with increased gambling severity, sociodemographic variables, and certain personality traits while also revealing a complex mediational role for these dimensions. To this end, our findings suggest that the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire could be a useful tool for gaining a better understanding of different gambling disorder phenotypes and developing tailored interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Jiménez-Murcia
- Pathological Gambling Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain. .,Ciber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CB 06/03), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos, 3-5. Pabellón 11-Planta 0, 28029, Madrid, Spain. .,Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Campus de Bellvitge - Pavelló de Govern, Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Fernando Fernández-Aranda
- Pathological Gambling Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.,Ciber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CB 06/03), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos, 3-5. Pabellón 11-Planta 0, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Campus de Bellvitge - Pavelló de Govern, Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Mestre-Bach
- Pathological Gambling Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.,Ciber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CB 06/03), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos, 3-5. Pabellón 11-Planta 0, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roser Granero
- Ciber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CB 06/03), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos, 3-5. Pabellón 11-Planta 0, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, C/Fortuna Edifici B, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salomé Tárrega
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, C/Fortuna Edifici B, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Torrubia
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Av. de Can Domènech, 737, 08193, Cerdanyola, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Neus Aymamí
- Pathological Gambling Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mónica Gómez-Peña
- Pathological Gambling Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Soriano-Mas
- Pathological Gambling Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, C/Fortuna Edifici B, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain.,Ciber de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5. Pabellón 11-Planta 0, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Trevor Steward
- Pathological Gambling Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.,Ciber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CB 06/03), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos, 3-5. Pabellón 11-Planta 0, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Moragas
- Pathological Gambling Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Baño
- Pathological Gambling Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Amparo Del Pino-Gutiérrez
- Nursing Department of Mental Health, Public Health, Maternal and Child Health, Nursing School, University of Barcelona, Campus de Bellvitge - Pavelló de Govern, Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José M Menchón
- Pathological Gambling Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.,Ciber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CB 06/03), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos, 3-5. Pabellón 11-Planta 0, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,Ciber de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5. Pabellón 11-Planta 0, 28029, Madrid, Spain
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20
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Timmer MHM, Sescousse G, van der Schaaf ME, Esselink RAJ, Cools R. Reward learning deficits in Parkinson's disease depend on depression. Psychol Med 2017; 47:2302-2311. [PMID: 28374660 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291717000769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is one of the most common and debilitating non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). The neurocognitive mechanisms underlying depression in PD are unclear and treatment is often suboptimal. METHODS We investigated the role of striatal dopamine in reversal learning from reward and punishment by combining a controlled medication withdrawal procedure with functional magnetic resonance imaging in 22 non-depressed PD patients and 19 PD patients with past or present depression. RESULTS PD patients with a depression (history) exhibited impaired reward v. punishment reversal learning as well as reduced reward v. punishment-related BOLD signal in the striatum (putamen) compared with non-depressed PD patients. No effects of dopaminergic medication were observed. CONCLUSIONS The present findings demonstrate that impairments in reversal learning from reward v. punishment and associated striatal signalling depend on the presence of (a history of) depression in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- M H M Timmer
- Donders Institute for Brain,Cognition and Behaviour,Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging,Radboud University,Nijmegen,The Netherlands
| | - G Sescousse
- Donders Institute for Brain,Cognition and Behaviour,Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging,Radboud University,Nijmegen,The Netherlands
| | - M E van der Schaaf
- Donders Institute for Brain,Cognition and Behaviour,Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging,Radboud University,Nijmegen,The Netherlands
| | - R A J Esselink
- Department of Neurology and Parkinson Center Nijmegen (ParC),Radboud University Medical Center,Nijmegen,The Netherlands
| | - R Cools
- Donders Institute for Brain,Cognition and Behaviour,Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging,Radboud University,Nijmegen,The Netherlands
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21
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Abstract
Causal learning is the ability to progressively incorporate raw information about dependencies between events, or between one's behavior and its outcomes, into beliefs of the causal structure of the world. In spite of the fact that some cognitive biases in gambling disorder can be described as alterations of causal learning involving gambling-relevant cues, behaviors, and outcomes, general causal learning mechanisms in gamblers have not been systematically investigated. In the present study, we compared gambling disorder patients against controls in an instrumental causal learning task. Evidence of illusion of control, namely, overestimation of the relationship between one's behavior and an uncorrelated outcome, showed up only in gamblers with strong current symptoms. Interestingly, this effect was part of a more complex pattern, in which gambling disorder patients manifested a poorer ability to discriminate between null and positive contingencies. Additionally, anomalies were related to gambling severity and current gambling disorder symptoms. Gambling-related biases, as measured by a standard psychometric tool, correlated with performance in the causal learning task, but not in the expected direction. Indeed, performance of gamblers with stronger biases tended to resemble the one of controls, which could imply that anomalies of causal learning processes play a role in gambling disorder, but do not seem to underlie gambling-specific biases, at least in a simple, direct way.
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22
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Sescousse G, Janssen LK, Hashemi MM, Timmer MHM, Geurts DEM, ter Huurne NP, Clark L, Cools R. Amplified Striatal Responses to Near-Miss Outcomes in Pathological Gamblers. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:2614-23. [PMID: 27006113 PMCID: PMC4987843 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Near-misses in gambling games are losing events that come close to a win. Near-misses were previously shown to recruit reward-related brain regions including the ventral striatum, and to invigorate gambling behavior, supposedly by fostering an illusion of control. Given that pathological gamblers are particularly vulnerable to such cognitive illusions, their persistent gambling behavior might result from an amplified striatal sensitivity to near-misses. In addition, animal studies have shown that behavioral responses to near-miss-like events are sensitive to dopamine, but this dopaminergic influence has not been tested in humans. To investigate these hypotheses, we recruited 22 pathological gamblers and 22 healthy controls who played a slot machine task delivering wins, near-misses and full-misses, inside an fMRI scanner. Each participant played the task twice, once under placebo and once under a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist (sulpiride 400 mg), in a double-blind, counter-balanced design. Participants were asked about their motivation to continue gambling throughout the task. Across all participants, near-misses elicited higher motivation to continue gambling and increased striatal responses compared with full-misses. Crucially, pathological gamblers showed amplified striatal responses to near-misses compared with controls. These group differences were not observed following win outcomes. In contrast to our hypothesis, sulpiride did not induce any reliable modulation of brain responses to near-misses. Together, our results demonstrate that pathological gamblers have amplified brain responses to near-misses, which likely contribute to their persistent gambling behavior. However, there is no evidence that these responses are influenced by dopamine. These results have implications for treatment and gambling regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Sescousse
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lieneke K Janssen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mahur M Hashemi
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Monique H M Timmer
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk E M Geurts
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Niels P ter Huurne
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Luke Clark
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Gambling Research at UBC, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Roshan Cools
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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23
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Waltz JA. The neural underpinnings of cognitive flexibility and their disruption in psychotic illness. Neuroscience 2016; 345:203-217. [PMID: 27282085 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Revised: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) has long been associated with a variety of cognitive deficits, including reduced cognitive flexibility. More recent findings, however, point to tremendous inter-individual variability among patients on measures of cognitive flexibility/set-shifting. With an eye toward shedding light on potential sources of variability in set-shifting abilities among SZ patients, I examine the neural substrates of underlying probabilistic reversal learning (PRL) - a paradigmatic measure of cognitive flexibility - as well as neuromodulatory influences upon these systems. Finally, I report on behavioral and neuroimaging studies of PRL in SZ patients, discussing the potentially influences of illness profile and antipsychotic medications on cognitive flexibility in SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Waltz
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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24
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Laoye BJ, Okurumeh OA, Obagaye OV, Olagunju MO, Bankole OO, Olubiyi OO, Ogundele OM. Dopamine binds calmodulin during autoregulation of dopaminergic D2 receptor signaling through CaMKIIα-calmodulin complex. J Recept Signal Transduct Res 2015; 36:271-7. [DOI: 10.3109/10799893.2015.1091476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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