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Sporrer JK, Johann A, Chumbley J, Robinson OJ, Bach DR. Induced worry increases risk aversion in patients with generalized anxiety. Behav Brain Res 2024; 474:115192. [PMID: 39127128 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115192] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 07/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by disruptions in decision-making, including an enhanced aversion to uncertain outcomes (i.e., risk aversion), which is not specific to negative outcomes (i.e., no loss aversion). It is unknown if this uncertainty bias is a trait-like causal factor contributing to anxiety symptoms, or a state-like feature triggered by anxiety symptoms such as worry chains. Here, in-patients with Major Depression Disorder (MDD), with (N = 16) or without (N = 24) Generalized anxiety (GA) symptoms, and healthy controls (N = 23), completed an economic decision-making task before and after worry induction. They were asked to choose between a certain monetary payoff, and an uncertain gamble, allowing for estimation of risk and loss aversion through a computational prospect-theoretic model. There were no significant differences in risk and loss aversion between any of the three groups at baseline. After worry induction, patients with GA symptoms, compared to those without, showed increased risk aversion. This increase was modulated by the severity of anxiety symptoms. These findings suggest that decision-making disruptions in anxiety disorder may be driven by anxiety symptoms such as worry, rather than causing them. This could shape etiological models, motivate standardization of emotional state in research on decision-making in anxiety disorders, support treatment strategies primarily aimed at worry management, and could guide novel interventions focusing on uncertainty exposure across aversive and appetitive domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana K Sporrer
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, and Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandra Johann
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Justin Chumbley
- Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences, MSD, Zürich, Switzerland; Translational Neuromodeling Unit, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Oliver J Robinson
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dominik R Bach
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, and Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatry Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; University of Bonn, Transdisciplinary Research Area "Life and Health", Hertz Chair for Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, Bonn, Germany.
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2
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Molins F, Sahin F, Serrano MÁ. The Genetics of Risk Aversion: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:14307. [PMID: 36361187 PMCID: PMC9657847 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Risk and loss aversion are phenomena with an important influence on decision-making, especially in economic contexts. At present, it remains unclear whether both are related, as well as whether they could have an emotional origin. The objective of this review, following the PRISMA statements, is to find consistencies in the genetic bases of risk and loss aversion with the aim of understanding their nature and shedding light on the above issues. A total of 23 empirical research met the inclusion criteria and were included from PubMed and ScienceDirect. All of them reported genetic measures from human samples and studied risk and loss aversion within an economic framework. The results for risk aversion, although with many limitations, attributed mainly to their heterogeneity and the lack of control in the studies, point to the implication of multiple polymorphisms related to the regulation of the serotonergic and dopaminergic pathways. In general, studies found the highest levels of risk aversion were associated with alleles that are linked to lower (higher) sensitivity or levels of dopamine (serotonin). For loss aversion, the scarcity of results prevents us from drawing clear conclusions, although the limited evidence seems to point in the same direction as for risk aversion. Therefore, it seems that risk aversion could have a stable genetical base which, in turn, is closely linked to emotions, but more research is needed to answer whether this phenomenon is related to loss aversion, as well as if the latter could also have an emotional origin. We also provide recommendations for future studies on genetics and economic behavior.
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3
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The Effects of Citalopram and Thalamic Dopamine D2/3 Receptor Availability on Decision-Making and Loss Aversion in Alcohol Dependence. PSYCHIATRY JOURNAL 2022; 2022:5663274. [PMID: 36249526 PMCID: PMC9553840 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5663274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed for patients who misuse alcohol, especially in the context of comorbid depressive symptoms. Deficits in impulse control and decision-making are linked to routine alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of a single dose of citalopram on measures of impulsivity, decision-making, and/or brain dopamine receptor availability in alcohol-dependent individuals. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject, outpatient study was conducted with active alcohol-dependent (DSM-IV-TR criteria) participants (n = 12) and matched healthy controls (n = 13). Serial doses of both citalopram (40 mg) and saline were administered intravenously before laboratory tests of decision-making (Balloon Analogue Risk Task, delay discounting task, and Loss Aversion Gambling Task) and positron emission tomography with [18F]-fallypride to measure dopamine D2/3 receptor availability, separated by at least one week. Alcohol-dependent participants demonstrated greater loss aversion than healthy controls, but there were no group differences in risk taking on the Balloon Analogue Risk Task. Citalopram increased delay discounting across groups, with no group difference in the effect. There were no effects of citalopram on risk taking on the Balloon Analogue Risk Task. PET showed a negative correlation between thalamic dopamine D2/3 receptor availability and loss aversion across groups. The effect of citalopram to decrease the valuation of monetary reward as a function of delay raises the possibility that SSRIs can influence risky decision-making in clinical populations. In addition, these results suggest that altered thalamic dopamine signaling may play an important role in disproportionately valuing losses in patients with Alcohol Use Disorder. This trial is registered under ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT01657760.
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Greenburgh A, Barnby JM, Delpech R, Kenny A, Bell V, Raihani N. What motivates avoidance in paranoia? Three failures to find a betrayal aversion effect. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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5
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Nagaya K. Why and Under What Conditions Does Loss Aversion Emerge? JAPANESE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jpr.12385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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6
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Brain and Behavior Correlates of Risk Taking in Pediatric Anxiety Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:707-715. [PMID: 33451676 PMCID: PMC9037066 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Avoidant behavior is a defining feature of pediatric anxiety disorders. Although prior research has examined it from the perspective of early information processing events, there has been relatively less consideration of the processes by which anxious youth make avoidant decisions and how these choices are reinforced over time. Studies of risk taking are valuable in this regard because they consider how individuals identify the pros and cons of their choices, how they weigh potential gains and losses and estimate their respective probabilities, and how they tolerate the uncertainty intrinsic to any decision. In this review, we place risk taking within existing models of information processing in pediatric anxiety disorders and highlight the particular value of this construct for informing models of developmental psychopathology and individual differences in outcome over time. We review existing behavioral and neurobiological studies of risk taking in anxious youth and conclude by identifying directions for future research.
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Baker AE, Galván A. Threat or thrill? the neural mechanisms underlying the development of anxiety and risk taking in adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100841. [PMID: 32829216 PMCID: PMC7451699 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety is common in adolescence and has been linked to a plethora of negative outcomes across development. While previous studies of anxiety have focused on threat sensitivity, less work has considered the concurrent development of threat- and reward-related neural circuitry and how these circuits interact and compete during puberty to influence typical adolescent behaviors such as increased risk taking and exploration. The current review integrates relevant findings from clinical and developmental neuroimaging studies to paint a multidimensional picture of adolescent-onset anxiety against the backdrop of typical adolescent development. Ultimately, this paper argues that longitudinal neuroimaging studies tracking approach and avoidance motivations across development are needed to fully understand the mechanisms underlying the development of anxiety in adolescence and to identify and provide effective interventions for at-risk youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda E Baker
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 502 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
| | - Adriana Galván
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 502 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, 757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States.
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Sediyama CYN, de Castro Martins C, Teodoro MLM. Association of Loss Aversion, Personality Traits, Depressive, Anxious, and Suicidal Symptoms: Systematic Review. CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2020; 17:286-294. [PMID: 34909006 PMCID: PMC8629034 DOI: 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20200505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Loss aversion is defined as the individual perception of losses with a more significant impact than the gains of the same proportion, where people would be more sensitive to the possibility of losing objects or money than to the possibility of winning, even the same quantities. However, studies relating to loss aversion and psychological factors are still incipient. The aim of the present literature review was to identify and analyze the results of studies that investigated loss aversion regarding personality traits and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies. METHOD A systematic review was done through PUBMED and Scopus databases. Descriptors were defined according to each database specificities. RESULTS At first, 103 articles were encountered. After evaluation of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, there were a total of 14 remaining articles that were group together into six categories related to loss aversion, depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies, and personality. CONCLUSIONS The present study contributes to the literature mapping in the Behavioural Economics field. However, discrepancies were found among the studies, which made it difficult to acquire more conclusive findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Yumi Nogueira Sediyama
- Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) Belo Horizonte - MG, Faculty of Philosophy and Human Sciences, Program Psychology Cognition and Behavior,Corresponding author Cristina Yumi Nogueira Sediyama Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627 Pampulha, Belo Horizonte MG, Brazil - 31270-901 E-mail:
| | - Carolina de Castro Martins
- Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) Belo Horizonte - MG, Faculty of Philosophy and Human Sciences, Program Psychology Cognition and Behavior
| | - Maycoln Leôni Martins Teodoro
- Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) Belo Horizonte - MG, Faculty of Philosophy and Human Sciences, Program Psychology Cognition and Behavior
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Xu P, Van Dam NT, van Tol MJ, Shen X, Cui Z, Gu R, Qin S, Aleman A, Fan J, Luo YJ. Amygdala-prefrontal connectivity modulates loss aversion bias in anxious individuals. Neuroimage 2020; 218:116957. [PMID: 32442639 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxious individuals tend to make pessimistic judgments in decision making under uncertainty. While this phenomenon is commonly attributed to risk aversion, loss aversion is a critical but often overlooked factor. In this study, we simultaneously examined risk aversion and loss aversion during decision making in high and low trait anxious individuals in a variable gain/loss gambling task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Although high relative to low anxious individuals showed significant increased risk aversive behavior reflected by decreased overall gamble decisions, there was no group difference in subjective aversion to risk. Instead, loss aversion rather than risk aversion dominantly contributed to predict behavioral decisions, which was associated with attenuated functional connectivity between the amygdala-based emotional system and the prefrontal control regions. Our findings suggest a dominant role of loss aversion in maladaptive risk assessment of anxious individuals, underpinned by disorganization of emotion-related and cognitive-control-related brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China; Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, 518057, China; Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 AW, Groningen, the Netherlands; Great Bay Neuroscience and Technology Research Institute (Hong Kong), Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Nicholas T Van Dam
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Marie-José van Tol
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 AW, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Xueyi Shen
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Zaixu Cui
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Ruolei Gu
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - André Aleman
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China; Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 AW, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jin Fan
- Department of Psychology, Queens College, The City University of New York, Flushing, NY, 11367, USA.
| | - Yue-Jia Luo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China; Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
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10
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The serotonin transporter gene could play a role in anti-predator behaviour in a forest passerine. J ETHOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-019-00593-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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11
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Bernhardt N, Obst E, Nebe S, Pooseh S, Wurst FM, Weinmann W, Smolka MN, Zimmermann US. Acute alcohol effects on impulsive choice in adolescents. J Psychopharmacol 2019; 33:316-325. [PMID: 30676200 DOI: 10.1177/0269881118822063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurodevelopmental and alcohol-induced changes in decision-making have been proposed to critically influence impulsive behaviour in adolescents. OBJECTIVE This study tested the influence of acute alcohol administration on impulsive choice in adolescents. METHODS Fifty-four males aged 18-19 years were tested in a single-blind placebo-controlled cross-over design. During alcohol administration (infusion resulting in an arterial blood alcohol concentration of 80 mg%) and placebo condition (saline infusion), participants performed a task battery providing estimates of delay discounting, probability discounting for gains, for losses and loss aversion, and also rated subjectively experienced alcohol effects. Additionally, baseline alcohol consumption (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, blood phosphatidylethanol levels), motives (Drinking Motive Questionnaire, Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire and Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale), family history and self-report measures of impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Substance Use Risk Profile Scale) were provided. RESULTS No overall effects of treatment on choice behaviour were found. However, individual differences were observed. In the alcohol condition, more impulsive choice tendencies for delay discounting were associated with higher subjectively experienced alcohol effects. Further, higher risk aversion for probabilistic gains and higher loss aversion during alcohol condition were related to higher levels of real-life alcohol consumption and a family history of alcohol problems, respectively. Finally, the time to make a decision was substantially shortened for choices involving negative prospects. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to common beliefs, acute alcohol intoxication did not generally incite impulsive decision-making. It rather appears that alcohol-induced behavioural changes in adolescents vary considerably depending on prior experiences and subjective effects of alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Bernhardt
- 1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Obst
- 1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stephan Nebe
- 1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,2 Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shakoor Pooseh
- 1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,3 Freiburg Centre for Data Analysis and Modelling, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Friedrich M Wurst
- 4 Psychiatric University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.,5 Centre for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, UKE Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Weinmann
- 6 Institute of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Toxicology and Chemistry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Michael N Smolka
- 1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrich S Zimmermann
- 1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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12
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George SA, Sheynin J, Gonzalez R, Liberzon I, Abelson JL. Diminished Value Discrimination in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Prospect Theory Model of Decision-Making Under Risk. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:469. [PMID: 31338043 PMCID: PMC6628634 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: It has been hypothesized that people diagnosed with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) exhibit behavioral aberrations when faced with the potential for negative outcomes, but the specific cognitive aspects of decision-making that may be altered have not been systematically studied in clinical populations. Here, we studied decision-making in a clinical cohort using a task that allows for examination of the decision weights and values associated with different choice outcomes. Methods: Patients diagnosed with OCD (n = 10), generalized anxiety disorder (n = 15), social anxiety disorder (n = 14), and healthy controls (n = 20) were given a decision-making task and choices were modeled using a cumulative prospect theory framework. Results: We found OCD patients to have lower value discrimination than controls, as well as less optimal performance on the task, an effect that was mostly driven by trials with only positive outcomes. Discussion: Our results shed light on the cognitive processes that drive altered decision-making under risk in OCD. Specifically, they demonstrate that OCD patients have diminished sensitivity to positive outcomes, which might be associated with risk aversion and altered learning of gain. These findings also extend prior reports, suggesting that altered cognitive processing during decision-making is linked to altered perception of value, but not probability, in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie A George
- Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Dixie State University, St George, UT, United States
| | - Jony Sheynin
- Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Richard Gonzalez
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Israel Liberzon
- Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - James L Abelson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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Neukam PT, Kroemer NB, Deza Araujo YI, Hellrung L, Pooseh S, Rietschel M, Witt SH, Schwarzenbolz U, Henle T, Smolka MN. Risk-seeking for losses is associated with 5-HTTLPR, but not with transient changes in 5-HT levels. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:2151-2165. [PMID: 29730700 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4913-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Serotonin (5-HT) plays a key role in different aspects of value-based decision-making. A recent framework proposed that tonic 5-HT (together with dopamine, DA) codes future average reward expectations, providing a baseline against which possible choice outcomes are compared to guide decision-making. OBJECTIVES To test whether high 5-HT levels decrease loss aversion, risk-seeking for gains, and risk-seeking for losses. METHODS In a first session, 611 participants were genotyped for 5-HTTLPR and performed a mixed gambles (MGA) task and two probability discounting tasks for gains and losses, respectively (PDG/PDL). Afterwards, a subsample of 105 participants (44 with S/S, 6 with S/L, 55 with L/L genotype) completed the pharmacological study using a crossover design with tryptophan depletion (ATD), loading (ATL), and balanced (BAL) conditions. The same decision constructs were assessed. RESULTS We found increased risk-seeking for losses in S/S compared to L/L individuals at the first visit (p = 0.002). Neither tryptophan depletion nor loading affected decision-making, nor did we observe an interaction between intervention and 5-HTTLPR genotype. CONCLUSION Our data do not support the idea that transient changes of tonic 5-HT affect value-based decision-making. We provide evidence for an association of 5-HTTLPR with risk-seeking for losses, independent of acute 5-HT levels. This indicates that the association of 5-HTTLPR and risk-seeking for losses is mediated via other mechanisms, possibly by differences in the structural development of neural circuits of the 5-HT system during early life phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp T Neukam
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nils B Kroemer
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yacila I Deza Araujo
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lydia Hellrung
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Economics, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Shakoor Pooseh
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie H Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Uwe Schwarzenbolz
- Institute of Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas Henle
- Institute of Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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Gärtner A, Strobel A, Reif A, Lesch KP, Enge S. Genetic variation in serotonin function impacts on altruistic punishment in the ultimatum game: A longitudinal approach. Brain Cogn 2018; 125:37-44. [PMID: 29859448 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 05/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Growing evidence demonstrates that the serotonin system influences punishment behavior in social decision-making and that individual differences in the propensity to punish are, at least in part, due to genetic variation. However, the specific genes and their mechanisms by which they influence punishment behavior are not yet fully characterized. Here, we examined whether serotonin system-related gene variation impacts on altruistic punishment in the ultimatum game by using a longitudinal approach with three time points, covering a time frame up to four months in young adults (N = 106). Specifically, we investigated additive effects of 5-HTTLPR and TPH2 G-703T genotypes by using a composite score. This composite score was significantly associated with altruistic punishment, with individuals carrying both the S-allele and the G-allele demonstrating less punishment behavior. The results suggest that serotonin system-related gene variation contributes to individual differences in altruistic punishment. Furthermore, comparably high test-retest correlations suggest that punishment behavior in the ultimatum game represents a relatively stable, trait-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Gärtner
- Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Alexander Strobel
- Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia; Department of Translational Neuroscience, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Sören Enge
- Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, MSB Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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15
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Bernhardt N, Nebe S, Pooseh S, Sebold M, Sommer C, Birkenstock J, Zimmermann US, Heinz A, Smolka MN. Impulsive Decision Making in Young Adult Social Drinkers and Detoxified Alcohol-Dependent Patients: A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:1794-1807. [DOI: 10.1111/acer.13481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Bernhardt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
| | - Stephan Nebe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
| | - Shakoor Pooseh
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
| | - Miriam Sebold
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin; corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health; Berlin Germany
| | - Christian Sommer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
| | - Julian Birkenstock
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
| | - Ulrich S. Zimmermann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin; corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health; Berlin Germany
| | - Michael N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
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16
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Enhanced Risk Aversion, But Not Loss Aversion, in Unmedicated Pathological Anxiety. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:1014-1022. [PMID: 28126210 PMCID: PMC5466268 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anxiety disorders are associated with disruptions in both emotional processing and decision making. As a result, anxious individuals often make decisions that favor harm avoidance. However, this bias could be driven by enhanced aversion to uncertainty about the decision outcome (e.g., risk) or aversion to negative outcomes (e.g., loss). Distinguishing between these possibilities may provide a better cognitive understanding of anxiety disorders and hence inform treatment strategies. METHODS To address this question, unmedicated individuals with pathological anxiety (n = 25) and matched healthy control subjects (n = 23) completed a gambling task featuring a decision between a gamble and a safe (certain) option on every trial. Choices on one type of gamble-involving weighing a potential win against a potential loss (mixed)-could be driven by both loss and risk aversion, whereas choices on the other type-featuring only wins (gain only)-were exclusively driven by risk aversion. By fitting a computational prospect theory model to participants' choices, we were able to reliably estimate risk and loss aversion and their respective contribution to gambling decisions. RESULTS Relative to healthy control subjects, pathologically anxious participants exhibited enhanced risk aversion but equivalent levels of loss aversion. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with pathological anxiety demonstrate clear avoidance biases in their decision making. These findings suggest that this may be driven by a reduced propensity to take risks rather than a stronger aversion to losses. This important clarification suggests that psychological interventions for anxiety should focus on reducing risk sensitivity rather than reducing sensitivity to negative outcomes per se.
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17
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Enge S, Mothes H, Fleischhauer M, Reif A, Strobel A. Genetic variation of dopamine and serotonin function modulates the feedback-related negativity during altruistic punishment. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2996. [PMID: 28592831 PMCID: PMC5462809 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02594-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Why do humans cooperate and often punish norm violations of others? In the present study, we sought to investigate the genetic bases of altruistic punishment (AP), which refers to the costly punishment of norm violations with potential benefit for other individuals. Recent evidence suggests that norm violations and unfairness are indexed by the feedback-related negativity (FRN), an anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) generated neural response to expectancy violations. Given evidence on the role of serotonin and dopamine in AP as well as in FRN-generation, we explored the impact of genetic variation of serotonin and dopamine function on FRN and AP behavior in response to unfair vs. fair monetary offers in a Dictator Game (DG) with punishment option. In a sample of 45 healthy participants we observed larger FRN amplitudes to unfair DG assignments both for 7-repeat allele carriers of the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) exon III polymorphism and for l/l-genotype carriers of the serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLRP). Moreover, 5-HTTLPR l/l-genotype carriers punished unfair offers more strongly. These findings support the role of serotonin and dopamine in AP, potentially via their influence on neural mechanisms implicated in the monitoring of expectancy violations and their relation to impulsive and punishment behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sören Enge
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, MSB Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany. .,Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Hendrik Mothes
- Department of Sports Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Monika Fleischhauer
- Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany.,PFH Private Hochschule Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Alexander Strobel
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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18
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Sip KE, Gonzalez R, Taylor SF, Stern ER. Increased Loss Aversion in Unmedicated Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2017; 8:309. [PMID: 29379449 PMCID: PMC5775273 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients show abnormalities in decision-making and, clinically, appear to show heightened sensitivity to potential negative outcomes. Despite the importance of these cognitive processes in OCD, few studies have examined the disorder within an economic decision-making framework. Here, we investigated loss aversion, a key construct in the prospect theory that describes the tendency for individuals to be more sensitive to potential losses than gains when making decisions. METHODS Across two study sites, groups of unmedicated OCD patients (n = 14), medicated OCD patients (n = 29), and healthy controls (n = 34) accepted or rejected a series of 50/50 gambles containing varying loss/gain values. Loss aversion was calculated as the ratio of the likelihood of rejecting a gamble with increasing potential losses to the likelihood of accepting a gamble with increasing potential gains. Decision times to accept or reject were also examined and correlated with loss aversion. RESULTS Unmedicated OCD patients exhibited significantly more loss aversion compared to medicated OCD or controls, an effect that was replicated across both sites and remained significant even after controlling for OCD symptom severity, trait anxiety, and sex. Post hoc analyses further indicated that unmedicated patients' increased likelihood to reject a gamble as its loss value increased could not be explained solely by greater risk aversion among patients. Unmedicated patients were also slower to accept than reject gambles, effects that were not found in the other two groups. Loss aversion was correlated with decision times in unmedicated patients but not in the other two groups. DISCUSSION These data identify abnormalities of decision-making in a subgroup of OCD patients not taking psychotropic medication. The findings help elucidate the cognitive mechanisms of the disorder and suggest that future treatments could aim to target abnormalities of loss/gain processing during decision-making in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamila E Sip
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Friedman Brain Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Richard Gonzalez
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Stephan F Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Emily R Stern
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Friedman Brain Institute, New York, NY, United States
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19
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Charpentier CJ, Hindocha C, Roiser JP, Robinson OJ. Anxiety promotes memory for mood-congruent faces but does not alter loss aversion. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24746. [PMID: 27098489 PMCID: PMC4838853 DOI: 10.1038/srep24746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological anxiety is associated with disrupted cognitive processing, including working memory and decision-making. In healthy individuals, experimentally-induced state anxiety or high trait anxiety often results in the deployment of adaptive harm-avoidant behaviours. However, how these processes affect cognition is largely unknown. To investigate this question, we implemented a translational within-subjects anxiety induction, threat of shock, in healthy participants reporting a wide range of trait anxiety scores. Participants completed a gambling task, embedded within an emotional working memory task, with some blocks under unpredictable threat and others safe from shock. Relative to the safe condition, threat of shock improved recall of threat-congruent (fearful) face location, especially in highly trait anxious participants. This suggests that threat boosts working memory for mood-congruent stimuli in vulnerable individuals, mirroring memory biases in clinical anxiety. By contrast, Bayesian analysis indicated that gambling decisions were better explained by models that did not include threat or treat anxiety, suggesting that: (i) higher-level executive functions are robust to these anxiety manipulations; and (ii) decreased risk-taking may be specific to pathological anxiety. These findings provide insight into the complex interactions between trait anxiety, acute state anxiety and cognition, and may help understand the cognitive mechanisms underlying adaptive anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline J Charpentier
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK.,Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK
| | - Chandni Hindocha
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK.,Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, WC1E 7HB
| | - Jonathan P Roiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Oliver J Robinson
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
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20
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Charpentier CJ, De Martino B, Sim AL, Sharot T, Roiser JP. Emotion-induced loss aversion and striatal-amygdala coupling in low-anxious individuals. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2015; 11:569-79. [PMID: 26589451 PMCID: PMC4814785 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsv139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Adapting behavior to changes in the environment is a crucial ability for survival but such adaptation varies widely across individuals. Here, we asked how humans alter their economic decision-making in response to emotional cues, and whether this is related to trait anxiety. Developing an emotional decision-making task for functional magnetic resonance imaging, in which gambling decisions were preceded by emotional and non-emotional primes, we assessed emotional influences on loss aversion, the tendency to overweigh potential monetary losses relative to gains. Our behavioral results revealed that only low-anxious individuals exhibited increased loss aversion under emotional conditions. This emotional modulation of decision-making was accompanied by a corresponding emotion-elicited increase in amygdala-striatal functional connectivity, which correlated with the behavioral effect across participants. Consistent with prior reports of ‘neural loss aversion’, both amygdala and ventral striatum tracked losses more strongly than gains, and amygdala loss aversion signals were exaggerated by emotion, suggesting a potential role for this structure in integrating value and emotion cues. Increased loss aversion and striatal-amygdala coupling induced by emotional cues may reflect the engagement of adaptive harm-avoidance mechanisms in low-anxious individuals, possibly promoting resilience to psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline J Charpentier
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, UK, Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK, and
| | | | - Alena L Sim
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Tali Sharot
- Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK, and
| | - Jonathan P Roiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
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21
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Palosaari E, Punamäki RL, Peltonen K, Diab M, Qouta SR. Negative Social Relationships Predict Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among War-Affected Children Via Posttraumatic Cognitions. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2015; 44:845-57. [DOI: 10.1007/s10802-015-0070-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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22
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Rutter JL, Volkow ND. Re-defininG AddiC(CH3)Tion: genomics and epigenomics on substance use disorders. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2014; 2:273-9. [PMID: 25077169 PMCID: PMC4113267 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 05/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joni L Rutter
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
| | - Nora D Volkow
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
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