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Michely J, Martin IM, Dolan RJ, Hauser TU. Boosting Serotonin Increases Information Gathering by Reducing Subjective Cognitive Costs. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5848-5855. [PMID: 37524494 PMCID: PMC10423044 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1416-22.2023] [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: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Serotonin is implicated in the valuation of aversive costs, such as delay or physical effort. However, its role in governing sensitivity to cognitive effort, for example, deliberation costs during information gathering, is unclear. We show that treatment with a serotonergic antidepressant in healthy human individuals of either sex enhances a willingness to gather information when trying to maximize reward. Using computational modeling, we show this arises from a diminished sensitivity to subjective deliberation costs during the sampling process. This result is consistent with the notion that serotonin alleviates sensitivity to aversive costs in a domain-general fashion, with implications for its potential contribution to a positive impact on motivational deficits in psychiatric disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Gathering information about the world is essential for successfully navigating it. However, sampling information is costly, and we need to balance between gathering too little and too much information. The neurocomputational mechanisms underlying this arbitration between a putative gain, such as reward, and the associated costs, such as allocation of cognitive resources, remain unclear. In this study, we show that week-long daily treatment with a serotonergic antidepressant enhances a willingness to gather information when trying to maximize reward. Computational modeling indicates this arises from a reduced perception of aversive costs, rendering information gathering less cognitively effortful. This finding points to a candidate mechanism by which serotonergic treatment might help alleviate motivational deficits in a range of mental illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen Michely
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, 10117 Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Charité Clinician Scientist Program, Berlin, 10117 Germany
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, WC1B 5EH, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Ingrid M Martin
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, WC1N 3AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, WC1B 5EH, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Tobias U Hauser
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, WC1B 5EH, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG)
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Zakaria FH, Samhani I, Mustafa MZ, Shafin N. Pathophysiology of Depression: Stingless Bee Honey Promising as an Antidepressant. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27165091. [PMID: 36014336 PMCID: PMC9416360 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27165091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is a debilitating psychiatric disorder impacting an individual’s quality of life. It is the most prevalent mental illness across all age categories, incurring huge socio-economic impacts. Most depression treatments currently focus on the elevation of neurotransmitters according to the monoamine hypothesis. Conventional treatments include tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Despite numerous pharmacological strategies utilising conventional drugs, the discovery of alternative medicines from natural products is a must for safer and beneficial brain supplement. About 30% of patients have been reported to show resistance to drug treatments coupled with functional impairment, poor quality of life, and suicidal ideation with a high relapse rate. Hence, there is an urgency for novel discoveries of safer and highly effective depression treatments. Stingless bee honey (SBH) has been proven to contain a high level of antioxidants compared to other types of honey. This is a comprehensive review of the potential use of SBH as a new candidate for antidepressants from the perspective of the monoamine, inflammatory and neurotrophin hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatin Haniza Zakaria
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kota Bharu 16150, Malaysia
| | - Ismail Samhani
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Medical Campus, Jalan Sultan Mahmud, Kuala Terengganu 20400, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Zulkifli Mustafa
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kota Bharu 16150, Malaysia
- Correspondence: (M.Z.M.); (N.S.); Tel.: +609-7673000 (M.Z.M. & N.S.)
| | - Nazlahshaniza Shafin
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kota Bharu 16150, Malaysia
- Correspondence: (M.Z.M.); (N.S.); Tel.: +609-7673000 (M.Z.M. & N.S.)
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Cools R, Tichelaar JG, Helmich RCG, Bloem BR, Esselink RAJ, Smulders K, Timmer MHM. Role of dopamine and clinical heterogeneity in cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2022; 269:309-343. [PMID: 35248200 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is commonly treated with dopaminergic medication, which enhances some, while impairing other cognitive functions. It can even contribute to impulse control disorder and addiction. We describe the history of research supporting the dopamine overdose hypothesis, which accounts for the large within-patient variability in dopaminergic medication effects across different tasks by referring to the spatially non-uniform pattern of dopamine depletion in dorsal versus ventral striatum. However, there is tremendous variability in dopaminergic medication effects not just within patients across distinct tasks, but also across different patients. In the second part of this chapter we review recent studies addressing the large individual variability in the negative side effects of dopaminergic medication on functions that implicate dopamine, such as value-based learning and choice. These studies begin to unravel the mechanisms of dopamine overdosing, thus revising the strict version of the overdose hypothesis. For example, the work shows that the canonical boosting of reward-versus punishment-based choice by medication is greater in patients with depression and a non-tremor phenotype, which both implicate, among other pathology, more rather than less severe dysregulation of the mesolimbic dopamine system. Future longitudinal cohort studies are needed to identify how to optimally combine different clinical, personality, cognitive, neural, genetic and molecular predictors of detrimental medication effects in order to account for as much of the relevant variability as possible. This will provide a useful tool for precision neurology, allowing individual and contextual tailoring of (the dose of) dopaminergic medication in order to maximize its cognitive benefits, yet minimize its side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshan Cools
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jorryt G Tichelaar
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rick C G Helmich
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan R Bloem
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rianne A J Esselink
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Katrijn Smulders
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Monique H M Timmer
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Yee DM, Leng X, Shenhav A, Braver TS. Aversive motivation and cognitive control. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 133:104493. [PMID: 34910931 PMCID: PMC8792354 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Aversive motivation plays a prominent role in driving individuals to exert cognitive control. However, the complexity of behavioral responses attributed to aversive incentives creates significant challenges for developing a clear understanding of the neural mechanisms of this motivation-control interaction. We review the animal learning, systems neuroscience, and computational literatures to highlight the importance of experimental paradigms that incorporate both motivational context manipulations and mixed motivational components (e.g., bundling of appetitive and aversive incentives). Specifically, we postulate that to understand aversive incentive effects on cognitive control allocation, a critical contextual factor is whether such incentives are associated with negative reinforcement or punishment. We further illustrate how the inclusion of mixed motivational components in experimental paradigms enables increased precision in the measurement of aversive influences on cognitive control. A sharpened experimental and theoretical focus regarding the manipulation and assessment of distinct motivational dimensions promises to advance understanding of the neural, monoaminergic, and computational mechanisms that underlie the interaction of motivation and cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debbie M Yee
- Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, USA; Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in Saint Louis, USA.
| | - Xiamin Leng
- Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, USA; Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, USA
| | - Amitai Shenhav
- Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, USA; Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, USA
| | - Todd S Braver
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in Saint Louis, USA
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The Best Laid Plans: Computational Principles of Anterior Cingulate Cortex. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 25:316-329. [PMID: 33593641 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Despite continual debate for the past 30 years about the function of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), its key contribution to neurocognition remains unknown. However, recent computational modeling work has provided insight into this question. Here we review computational models that illustrate three core principles of ACC function, related to hierarchy, world models, and cost. We also discuss four constraints on the neural implementation of these principles, related to modularity, binding, encoding, and learning and regulation. These observations suggest a role for ACC in hierarchical model-based hierarchical reinforcement learning (HMB-HRL), which instantiates a mechanism motivating the execution of high-level plans.
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Dubois M, Habicht J, Michely J, Moran R, Dolan RJ, Hauser TU. Human complex exploration strategies are enriched by noradrenaline-modulated heuristics. eLife 2021; 10:e59907. [PMID: 33393461 PMCID: PMC7815309 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
An exploration-exploitation trade-off, the arbitration between sampling a lesser-known against a known rich option, is thought to be solved using computationally demanding exploration algorithms. Given known limitations in human cognitive resources, we hypothesised the presence of additional cheaper strategies. We examined for such heuristics in choice behaviour where we show this involves a value-free random exploration, that ignores all prior knowledge, and a novelty exploration that targets novel options alone. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled drug study, assessing contributions of dopamine (400 mg amisulpride) and noradrenaline (40 mg propranolol), we show that value-free random exploration is attenuated under the influence of propranolol, but not under amisulpride. Our findings demonstrate that humans deploy distinct computationally cheap exploration strategies and that value-free random exploration is under noradrenergic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Dubois
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchLondonUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Johanna Habicht
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchLondonUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Jochen Michely
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchLondonUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Rani Moran
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchLondonUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Ray J Dolan
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchLondonUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Tobias U Hauser
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchLondonUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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Hofmans L, Papadopetraki D, van den Bosch R, Määttä JI, Froböse MI, Zandbelt BB, Westbrook A, Verkes RJ, Cools R. Methylphenidate boosts choices of mental labor over leisure depending on striatal dopamine synthesis capacity. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:2170-2179. [PMID: 32919405 PMCID: PMC7784967 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00834-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The cognitive enhancing effects of methylphenidate are well established, but the mechanisms remain unclear. We recently demonstrated that methylphenidate boosts cognitive motivation by enhancing the weight on the benefits of a cognitive task in a manner that depended on striatal dopamine. Here, we considered the complementary hypothesis that methylphenidate might also act by changing the weight on the opportunity cost of a cognitive task, that is, the cost of foregoing alternative opportunity. To this end, 50 healthy participants (25 women) completed a novel cognitive effort-discounting task that required choices between task and leisure. They were tested on methylphenidate, placebo, as well as the selective D2-receptor agent sulpiride, the latter to strengthen inference about dopamine receptor selectivity of methylphenidate's effects. Furthermore, they also underwent an [18F]DOPA PET scan to quantify striatal dopamine synthesis capacity. Methylphenidate boosted choices of cognitive effort over leisure across the group, and this effect was greatest in participants with more striatal dopamine synthesis capacity. The effects of sulpiride did not reach significance. This study strengthens the motivational account of methylphenidate's effects on cognition, and suggests that methylphenidate reduces the cost of mental labor by increasing striatal dopamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieke Hofmans
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Danae Papadopetraki
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ruben van den Bosch
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica I Määttä
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Monja I Froböse
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bram B Zandbelt
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew Westbrook
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistics and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Robbert-Jan Verkes
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Forensic Psychiatric Centre Nijmegen, Pompestichting, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Criminal Law, Law School, Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Roshan Cools
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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8
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Cools R. Chemistry of the Adaptive Mind: Lessons from Dopamine. Neuron 2019; 104:113-131. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.09.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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10
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Dunn TL, Gaspar C, Risko EF. Cue awareness in avoiding effortful control. Neuropsychologia 2019; 123:77-91. [PMID: 29772220 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Revised: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Based on a recent metacognitive account, cognitive effort is the result of an inferential evaluation made over explicitly available cues. Following from this account, we present here a pre-registered experiment that tested the specific hypothesis that explicit awareness of cues that are aligned with cognitive demand is a prerequisite in avoiding effortful lines of action. We attempted to modulate levels of effort avoidance behavior by introducing an incentive (between-subjects) to monitor two lines of action that, unbeknownst to individuals, varied in the probability of a task switch. Importantly, previous research has demonstrated that the difference in these probabilities is relatively opaque to individuals. We did not find strong evidence for our incentive manipulation having an effect on demand avoidance as indexed by individuals' choices in a block of the task where avoiding effort was instructed. However, we do find that being aware of the task-switching cue appears to increase the likelihood of demand avoidance. We consider these results within the context of the metacognition of cognitive effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy L Dunn
- Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States.
| | - Connor Gaspar
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Canada
| | - Evan F Risko
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Canada
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Cools R, Froböse M, Aarts E, Hofmans L. Dopamine and the motivation of cognitive control. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2019; 163:123-143. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-804281-6.00007-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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