1
|
Colwell MJ, Tagomori H, Shang F, Cheng HI, Wigg CE, Browning M, Cowen PJ, Murphy SE, Harmer CJ. Direct serotonin release in humans shapes aversive learning and inhibition. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6617. [PMID: 39122687 PMCID: PMC11315928 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50394-x] [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: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The role of serotonin in human behaviour is informed by approaches which allow in vivo modification of synaptic serotonin. However, characterising the effects of increased serotonin signalling in human models of behaviour is challenging given the limitations of available experimental probes, notably selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Here we use a now-accessible approach to directly increase synaptic serotonin in humans (a selective serotonin releasing agent) and examine its influence on domains of behaviour historically considered core functions of serotonin. Computational techniques, including reinforcement learning and drift diffusion modelling, explain participant behaviour at baseline and after week-long intervention. Reinforcement learning models reveal that increasing synaptic serotonin reduces sensitivity for outcomes in aversive contexts. Furthermore, increasing synaptic serotonin enhances behavioural inhibition, and shifts bias towards impulse control during exposure to aversive emotional probes. These effects are seen in the context of overall improvements in memory for neutral verbal information. Our findings highlight the direct effects of increasing synaptic serotonin on human behaviour, underlining its role in guiding decision-making within aversive and more neutral contexts, and offering implications for longstanding theories of central serotonin function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Colwell
- University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
| | - Hosana Tagomori
- University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Fei Shang
- University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Hoi Iao Cheng
- University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Chloe E Wigg
- University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael Browning
- University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip J Cowen
- University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Susannah E Murphy
- University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Catherine J Harmer
- University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hoy CW, de Hemptinne C, Wang SS, Harmer CJ, Apps MAJ, Husain M, Starr PA, Little S. Beta and theta oscillations track effort and previous reward in the human basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex during decision making. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2322869121. [PMID: 39047043 PMCID: PMC11295073 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2322869121] [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: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Choosing whether to exert effort to obtain rewards is fundamental to human motivated behavior. However, the neural dynamics underlying the evaluation of reward and effort in humans is poorly understood. Here, we report an exploratory investigation into this with chronic intracranial recordings from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and basal ganglia (BG; subthalamic nuclei and globus pallidus) in people with Parkinson's disease performing a decision-making task with offers that varied in levels of reward and physical effort required. This revealed dissociable neural signatures of reward and effort, with BG beta (12 to 20 Hz) oscillations tracking effort on a single-trial basis and PFC theta (4 to 7 Hz) signaling previous trial reward, with no effects of net subjective value. Stimulation of PFC increased overall acceptance of offers and sensitivity to reward while decreasing the impact of effort on choices. This work uncovers oscillatory mechanisms that guide fundamental decisions to exert effort for reward across BG and PFC, supports a causal role of PFC for such choices, and seeds hypotheses for future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colin W. Hoy
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Coralie de Hemptinne
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL32608
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL32608
| | - Sarah S. Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Catherine J. Harmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, OxfordOX3 7JX, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew A. J. Apps
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX2 6GG, United Kingdom
- Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham UKB15 2TT, United Kingdom
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, BirminghamB15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Masud Husain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX2 6GG, United Kingdom
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, OxfordOX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Philip A. Starr
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Little
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Song EJ, Tozzi L, Williams LM. Brain Circuit-Derived Biotypes for Treatment Selection in Mood Disorders: A Critical Review and Illustration of a Functional Neuroimaging Tool for Clinical Translation. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01175-2. [PMID: 38552866 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Although the lifetime burden due to major depressive disorder is increasing, we lack tools for selecting the most effective treatments for each patient. One-third to one-half of patients with major depressive disorder do not respond to treatment, and we lack strategies for selecting among available treatments or expediting access to new treatment options. This critical review concentrates on functional neuroimaging as a modality of measurement for precision psychiatry. We begin by summarizing the current landscape of how functional neuroimaging-derived circuit predictors can forecast treatment outcomes in depression. Then, we outline the opportunities and challenges in integrating circuit predictors into clinical practice. We highlight one standardized and reproducible approach for quantifying brain circuit function at an individual level, which could serve as a model for clinical translation. We conclude by evaluating the prospects and practicality of employing neuroimaging tools, such as the one that we propose, in routine clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Jiayi Song
- Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health and Wellness, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, California; Stanford School of Engineering, Stanford, California
| | - Leonardo Tozzi
- Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health and Wellness, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, California
| | - Leanne M Williams
- Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health and Wellness, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, California; Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center of Excellence (MIRECC), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nour MM, Jauhar S. From Molecular to Algorithmic Mechanisms of Drug Action. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:204-206. [PMID: 38143099 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew M Nour
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Sameer Jauhar
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Halahakoon DC, Browning M. Pramipexole for the Treatment of Depression: Efficacy and Mechanisms. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024; 66:49-65. [PMID: 37982928 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2023_458] [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] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Dopaminergic mechanisms are a plausible treatment target for patients with clinical depression but are relatively underexplored in conventional antidepressant medications. There is continuing interest in the potential antidepressant effects of the dopamine receptor agonist, pramipexole, with data from both case series and controlled trials indicating that this agent may produce benefit for patients with difficult-to-treat depression. Pramipexole's therapeutic utility in depression is likely to be expressed through alterations in reward mechanisms which are strongly influenced by dopamine pathways and are known to function abnormally in depressed patients. Our work in healthy participants using brain imaging in conjunction with computational modelling suggests that repeated pramipexole facilitates reward learning by inhibiting value decay. This mechanism needs to be confirmed in larger clinical trials in depressed patients. Such studies will also allow assessment of whether baseline performance in reward learning in depression predicts therapeutic response to pramipexole treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Don Chamith Halahakoon
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael Browning
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hoy CW, de Hemptinne C, Wang SS, Harmer CJ, Apps MAJ, Husain M, Starr PA, Little S. Beta and theta oscillations track effort and previous reward in human basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex during decision making. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.05.570285. [PMID: 38106063 PMCID: PMC10723308 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.05.570285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Choosing whether to exert effort to obtain rewards is fundamental to human motivated behavior. However, the neural dynamics underlying the evaluation of reward and effort in humans is poorly understood. Here, we investigate this with chronic intracranial recordings from prefrontal cortex (PFC) and basal ganglia (BG; subthalamic nuclei and globus pallidus) in people with Parkinson's disease performing a decision-making task with offers that varied in levels of reward and physical effort required. This revealed dissociable neural signatures of reward and effort, with BG beta (12-20 Hz) oscillations tracking subjective effort on a single trial basis and PFC theta (4-7 Hz) signaling previous trial reward. Stimulation of PFC increased overall acceptance of offers in addition to increasing the impact of reward on choices. This work uncovers oscillatory mechanisms that guide fundamental decisions to exert effort for reward across BG and PFC, as well as supporting a causal role of PFC for such choices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colin W. Hoy
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Coralie de Hemptinne
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sarah S. Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Mathew A. J. Apps
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Masud Husain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip A. Starr
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Simon Little
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Browning M. Enhancing reward learning in the absence of an effect on reward. Brain 2023; 146:3574-3575. [PMID: 37471505 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
This scientific commentary refers to ‘Impulse control disorder in Parkinson’s disease is associated with abnormal frontal value signalling’ by Tichelaar et al. (https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad162).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Browning
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Trust, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|