1
|
Herms EN, Brown JW, Wisner KM, Hetrick WP, Zald DH, Purcell JR. Modeling Decision-Making in Schizophrenia: Associations Between Computationally Derived Risk Propensity and Self-Reported Risk Perception. Schizophr Bull 2024:sbae144. [PMID: 39241701 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbae144] [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] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Schizophrenia is associated with a decreased pursuit of risky rewards during uncertain-risk decision-making. However, putative mechanisms subserving this disadvantageous risky reward pursuit, such as contributions of cognition and relevant traits, remain poorly understood. STUDY DESIGN Participants (30 schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder [SZ]; 30 comparison participants [CP]) completed the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Computational modeling captured subprocesses of uncertain-risk decision-making: Risk Propensity, Prior Belief of Success, Learning Rate, and Behavioral Consistency. IQ, self-reported risk-specific processes (ie, Perceived Risks and Expected Benefit of Risks), and non-risk-specific traits (ie, defeatist beliefs; hedonic tone) were examined for relationships with Risk Propensity to determine what contributed to differences in risky reward pursuit. STUDY RESULTS On the BART, the SZ group exhibited lower Risk Propensity, higher Prior Beliefs of Success, and comparable Learning Rates. Furthermore, Risk Propensity was positively associated with IQ across groups. Linear models predicting Risk Propensity revealed 2 interactions: 1 between group and Perceived Risk, and 1 between IQ and Perceived Risk. Specifically, in both the SZ group and individuals with below median IQ, lower Perceived Risks was related to lower Risk Propensity. Thus, lower perception of financial risks was associated with a less advantageous pursuit of uncertain-risk rewards. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest consistently decreased risk-taking on the BART in SZ may reflect risk imperception, the failure to accurately perceive and leverage relevant information to guide the advantageous pursuit of risky rewards. Additionally, our results highlight the importance of cognition in uncertain-risk decision-making.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma N Herms
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Joshua W Brown
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Krista M Wisner
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - William P Hetrick
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - David H Zald
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - John R Purcell
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Han Y, Gao F, Wang X, Xia J, Du H, Liu X, Cai S, Tan C, Fan J, Zhu X. Neural correlates of risk taking in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder during risky decision-making. J Affect Disord 2024; 345:192-199. [PMID: 37890535 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.10.099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The risk preference during decision-making and the neural substrates involved in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) remained unclear. The current study was designed to evaluate the risk-taking behaviors during decision-making and neural correlates in patients with OCD, thereby providing a deeper insight into their impaired decision-making function. METHODS Fifty-one patients with OCD and 50 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. All subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans while completing the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART). The behavior indicator and cognitive model parameter in BART, as well as the neural correlates of risk-taking behaviors were analyzed. RESULTS Compared to HCs, the OCD group performed a significantly higher level of risk-averse behaviors, and the cognitive model parameter revealed that patients with OCD tend to decrease their risk level after receiving negative feedbacks during BART. The fMRI results based on prespecified brain regions showed that the OCD group exhibited significantly decreased activation modulated by risk levels both in the left and right insula. LIMITATIONS The effect of medication in this study could not be completely ruled out, and it is difficult to temporally separate different states of decision-making in the BART. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with OCD exhibited a higher level of risk aversion during decision-making process, and the dysfunction of the insula may be the neural basis of the increased risk aversion in OCD. These findings provide further insights into the mechanism of risk aversion and impaired decision-making function in individuals with OCD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Han
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Feng Gao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Jie Xia
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Hongyu Du
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Xingze Liu
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Sainan Cai
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Changlian Tan
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jie Fan
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China.
| | - Xiongzhao Zhu
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Howatt BC, Young ME. The effects of sound in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task. Behav Res Methods 2023; 55:3433-3445. [PMID: 36127564 PMCID: PMC10107752 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-022-01966-6] [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] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we examined the effects of pairing sounds with positive and negative outcomes in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). A number of published studies using the BART incorporate sounds into the task, where a slot machine or cash register sound is produced when rewards are collected and a popping sound is produced when balloons pop. However, some studies do not use sound, and other studies do not specify whether sound was used. Given that sensory information contributes to the intensity of experiences, it is possible that outcome-related sounds in the BART influence risk-taking behaviors, and inconsistent use of sounds across the many BART variations may affect how results are interpreted. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of sounds paired with outcomes in the BART, and whether the presence or valence of a sound would systematically alter participants' risk-taking. Across two experiments using Bayesian censored regressions, we show that sounds, regardless of the outcomes they were paired with or their valence, did not affect risk-taking in an adult, non-clinical sample. We consider the implications of these results within methodological and theoretical contexts and encourage researchers to continue dissociating the role of auditory stimuli in feedback processing and subsequent responding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian C Howatt
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, 492 Bluemont Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506-5302, USA.
| | - Michael E Young
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, 492 Bluemont Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506-5302, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Compagne C, Mayer JT, Gabriel D, Comte A, Magnin E, Bennabi D, Tannou T. Adaptations of the balloon analog risk task for neuroimaging settings: a systematic review. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1237734. [PMID: 37790591 PMCID: PMC10544912 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1237734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART), a computerized behavioral paradigm, is one of the most common tools used to assess the risk-taking propensity of an individual. Since its initial behavioral version, the BART has been adapted to neuroimaging technique to explore brain networks of risk-taking behavior. However, while there are a variety of paradigms adapted to neuroimaging to date, no consensus has been reached on the best paradigm with the appropriate parameters to study the brain during risk-taking assessed by the BART. In this review of the literature, we aimed to identify the most appropriate BART parameters to adapt the initial paradigm to neuroimaging and increase the reliability of this tool. Methods A systematic review focused on the BART versions adapted to neuroimaging was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Results A total of 105 articles with 6,879 subjects identified from the PubMed database met the inclusion criteria. The BART was adapted in four neuroimaging techniques, mostly in functional magnetic resonance imaging or electroencephalography settings. Discussion First, to adapt the BART to neuroimaging, a delay was included between each trial, the total number of inflations was reduced between 12 and 30 pumps, and the number of trials was increased between 80 and 100 balloons, enabling us to respect the recording constraints of neuroimaging. Second, explicit feedback about the balloon burst limited the decisions under ambiguity associated with the first trials. Third, employing an outcome index that provides more informative measures than the standard average pump score, along with a model incorporating an exponential monotonic increase in explosion probability and a maximum explosion probability between 50 and 75%, can yield a reliable estimation of risk profile. Additionally, enhancing participant motivation can be achieved by increasing the reward in line with the risk level and implementing payment based on their performance in the BART. Although there is no universal adaptation of the BART to neuroimaging, and depending on the objectives of a study, an adjustment of parameters optimizes its evaluation and clinical utility in assessing risk-taking.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charline Compagne
- UR LINC, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
- CIC-1431 INSERM, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Besançon, France
| | - Juliana Teti Mayer
- UR LINC, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
- Centre Département de Psychiatrie de l’Adulte, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Besançon, France
| | - Damien Gabriel
- UR LINC, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
- CIC-1431 INSERM, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Besançon, France
- Plateforme de Neuroimagerie Fonctionnelle Neuraxess, Besançon, France
| | - Alexandre Comte
- UR LINC, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
- Centre Département de Psychiatrie de l’Adulte, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Besançon, France
| | - Eloi Magnin
- UR LINC, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
- CHU Département de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Besançon, France
| | - Djamila Bennabi
- UR LINC, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
- Centre Département de Psychiatrie de l’Adulte, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Besançon, France
- Centre Expert Dépression Résistante Fondamentale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Besançon, France
| | - Thomas Tannou
- UR LINC, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
- Plateforme de Neuroimagerie Fonctionnelle Neuraxess, Besançon, France
- CIUSS Centre-Sud de l’Ile de Montréal, Centre de Recherche de l’Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Purcell JR, Brown JW, Tullar RL, Bloomer BF, Kim DJ, Moussa-Tooks AB, Dolan-Bennett K, Bangert BM, Wisner KM, Lundin NB, O'Donnell BF, Hetrick WP. Insular and Striatal Correlates of Uncertain Risky Reward Pursuit in Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:726-737. [PMID: 36869757 PMCID: PMC10154703 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Risk-taking in specific contexts can be beneficial, leading to rewarding outcomes. Schizophrenia is associated with disadvantageous decision-making, as subjects pursue uncertain risky rewards less than controls. However, it is unclear whether this behavior is associated with more risk sensitivity or less reward incentivization. Matching on demographics and intelligence quotient (IQ), we determined whether risk-taking was more associated with brain activation in regions affiliated with risk evaluation or reward processing. STUDY DESIGN Subjects (30 schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder, 30 controls) completed a modified, fMRI Balloon Analogue Risk Task. Brain activation was modeled during decisions to pursue risky rewards and parametrically modeled according to risk level. STUDY RESULTS The schizophrenia group exhibited less risky-reward pursuit despite previous adverse outcomes (Average Explosions; F(1,59) = 4.06, P = .048) but the comparable point at which risk-taking was volitionally discontinued (Adjusted Pumps; F(1,59) = 2.65, P = .11). Less activation was found in schizophrenia via whole brain and region of interest (ROI) analyses in the right (F(1,59) = 14.91, P < 0.001) and left (F(1,59) = 16.34, P < 0.001) nucleus accumbens (NAcc) during decisions to pursue rewards relative to riskiness. Risk-taking correlated with IQ in schizophrenia, but not controls. Path analyses of average ROI activation revealed less statistically determined influence of anterior insula upon dorsal anterior cingulate bilaterally (left: χ2 = 12.73, P < .001; right: χ2 = 9.54, P = .002) during risky reward pursuit in schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS NAcc activation in schizophrenia varied less according to the relative riskiness of uncertain rewards compared to controls, suggesting aberrations in reward processing. The lack of activation differences in other regions suggests similar risk evaluation. Less insular influence on the anterior cingulate may relate to attenuated salience attribution or inability for risk-related brain region collaboration to sufficiently perceive situational risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John R Purcell
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Joshua W Brown
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Rachel L Tullar
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Bess F Bloomer
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Dae-Jin Kim
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Alexandra B Moussa-Tooks
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Katherine Dolan-Bennett
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Science, Washington University, St. Louise, MO, USA
| | - Brianna M Bangert
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Krista M Wisner
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Nancy B Lundin
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Brian F O'Donnell
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - William P Hetrick
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Di Plinio S, Pettorruso M, Ebisch SJH. Appropriately Tuning Stochastic-Psychometric Properties of the Balloon Analog Risk Task. Front Psychol 2022; 13:881179. [PMID: 35619789 PMCID: PMC9127525 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.881179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) allows to experimentally assess individuals’ risk-taking profiles in an ecologically sound setting. Many psychological and neuroscientific studies implemented the BART for its simplicity and intuitive nature. However, some issues in the design of the BART are systematically unconsidered in experimental paradigms, which may bias the estimation of individual risk-taking profiles. Since there are no methodological guidelines for implementing the BART, many variables (e.g., the maximum explosion probabilities, the rationale underlying stochastic events) vary inconstantly across experiments, possibly producing contrasting results. Moreover, the standard version of the BART is affected by the interaction of an individual-dependent, unavoidable source of stochasticity with a trial-dependent, more ambiguous source of stochasticity (i.e., the probability of the balloon to explode). This paper shows the most appropriate experimental choices for having the lowest error in the approximation of risk-taking profiles. Performance tests of a series of simulated data suggest that a more controlled, eventually non-stochastic version of the BART, better approximates original risk-taking profiles. Selecting optimal BART parameters is particularly important in neuroscience experiments to optimize the number of trials in a time window appropriate for acquiring neuroimaging data. We also provide helpful suggestions to researchers in many fields to allow the implementation of optimized risk-taking experiments using the BART.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Di Plinio
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, G D'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Mauro Pettorruso
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, G D'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Sjoerd J H Ebisch
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, G D'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.,Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), G D'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Turiaco F, Bruno A, Mento C, Cedro C, Pandolfo G, Muscatello MRA. Impulsivity and Metacognition in a Psychiatric Population. CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2022; 19:97-102. [PMID: 35601246 PMCID: PMC9112996 DOI: 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20220203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The main purpose of this study was to examine a possible relationship among the three constructs of impulsivity, according to Barratt's theory and metacognition subdimensions, as described in Wells and Cartwright-Hatton's theory, in various psychiatric disorders, in order to explore the potential predictive role of impulsivity on metacognition. METHOD The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11) and the Metacognitions Questionnaire (MCQ-30) were administered to a sample of 100 patients affected by psychiatric disorders. Linear regression was used first to study the relationship between impulsivity as an independent variable and metacognition as a dependent variable and then to evaluate the relationship between the three construct of impulsivity and the five subdimensions of metacognition. RESULTS BIS-11 total score was a valid predictor of Total MCQ-30 (p <.0001), whereas Attentive Impulsiveness was a good predictor of the factors "Negative Beliefs" (p <.0001), "Cognitive Confidence" (p =.004) and "Need to control thoughts" (p =.002). CONCLUSIONS since "Attentive Impulsiveness", "Negative believes", "Cognitive Confidence" and "Need to Control Thought" are psychological constructs, psychotherapy is the more effective tool to intervene on their imbalance. In particular, literature demonstrates the effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy and Mindfulness therapies in rebalancing impulsivity and enhancing metacognitive skills.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Turiaco
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy.,Corresponding author Dr. Fabrizio Turiaco-Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy. Phone: 0039-3407002062
| | - Antonio Bruno
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Carmela Mento
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Clemente Cedro
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Gianluca Pandolfo
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Coon J, Lee MD. A Bayesian method for measuring risk propensity in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task. Behav Res Methods 2022; 54:1010-1026. [PMID: 34405388 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01634-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) is widely-used to measure risk propensity in theoretical, clinical, and applied research. In the task, people choose either to pump a balloon to increase its value at the risk of the balloon bursting and losing all value, or to bank the current value of the balloon. Risk propensity is most commonly measured as the average number of pumps on trials for which the balloon does not burst. Burst trials are excluded because they necessarily underestimate the number of pumps people intended to make. However, their exclusion discards relevant information about people's risk propensity. A better measure of risk propensity uses the statistical method of censoring to incorporate all of the trials. We develop a new Bayesian method, based on censoring, for measuring both risk propensity and behavioral consistency in the BART. Through applications to previous data we demonstrate how the method can be extended to consider the correlation of risk propensity with external measures, and to compare differences in risk propensity between groups. We provide implementations of all of these methods in R, MATLAB, and the GUI-based statistical software JASP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Coon
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-5100, USA
| | - Michael D Lee
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-5100, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Purcell JR, Herms EN, Morales J, Hetrick WP, Wisner KM, Brown JW. A review of risky decision-making in psychosis-spectrum disorders. Clin Psychol Rev 2022; 91:102112. [PMID: 34990988 PMCID: PMC8754677 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The investigation of risky decision-making has a prominent place in clinical science, with sundry behavioral tasks aimed at empirically quantifying the psychological construct of risk-taking. However, use of differing behavioral tasks has resulted in lack of agreement on risky decision-making within psychosis-spectrum disorders, as findings fail to converge upon the typical, binary conceptualization of increased risk-seeking or risk-aversion. The current review synthesizes the behavioral, risky decision-making literature to elucidate how specific task parameters may contribute to differences in task performance, and their associations with psychosis symptomatology and cognitive functioning. A paring of the literature suggests that: 1) Explicit risk-taking may be characterized by risk imperception, evidenced by less discrimination between choices of varying degrees of risk, potentially secondary to cognitive deficits. 2) Ambiguous risk-taking findings are inconclusive with few published studies. 3) Uncertain risk-taking findings, consistently interpreted as more risk-averse, have not parsed risk attitudes from confounding processes that may impact decision-making (e.g. risk imperception, reward processing, motivation). Thus, overgeneralized interpretations of task-specific risk-seeking/aversion should be curtailed, as they may fail to appropriately characterize decision-making phenomena. Future research in psychosis-spectrum disorders would benefit from empirically isolating contributions of specific processes during risky decision-making, including the newly hypothesized risk imperception.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John R Purcell
- Indiana University, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA; Indiana University, Program in Neuroscience, USA.
| | - Emma N Herms
- Indiana University, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA
| | - Jaime Morales
- Indiana University, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA; Indiana University, Program in Neuroscience, USA
| | - William P Hetrick
- Indiana University, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA; Indiana University, Program in Neuroscience, USA
| | - Krista M Wisner
- Indiana University, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA; Indiana University, Program in Neuroscience, USA
| | - Joshua W Brown
- Indiana University, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA; Indiana University, Program in Neuroscience, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Mikhael JG, Gershman SJ. Impulsivity and risk-seeking as Bayesian inference under dopaminergic control. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:465-476. [PMID: 34376813 PMCID: PMC8674258 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01125-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Bayesian models successfully account for several of dopamine (DA)'s effects on contextual calibration in interval timing and reward estimation. In these models, tonic levels of DA control the precision of stimulus encoding, which is weighed against contextual information when making decisions. When DA levels are high, the animal relies more heavily on the (highly precise) stimulus encoding, whereas when DA levels are low, the context affects decisions more strongly. Here, we extend this idea to intertemporal choice and probability discounting tasks. In intertemporal choice tasks, agents must choose between a small reward delivered soon and a large reward delivered later, whereas in probability discounting tasks, agents must choose between a small reward that is always delivered and a large reward that may be omitted with some probability. Beginning with the principle that animals will seek to maximize their reward rates, we show that the Bayesian model predicts a number of curious empirical findings in both tasks. First, the model predicts that higher DA levels should normally promote selection of the larger/later option, which is often taken to imply that DA decreases 'impulsivity,' and promote selection of the large/risky option, often taken to imply that DA increases 'risk-seeking.' However, if the temporal precision is sufficiently decreased, higher DA levels should have the opposite effect-promoting selection of the smaller/sooner option (higher impulsivity) and the small/safe option (lower risk-seeking). Second, high enough levels of DA can result in preference reversals. Third, selectively decreasing the temporal precision, without manipulating DA, should promote selection of the larger/later and large/risky options. Fourth, when a different post-reward delay is associated with each option, animals will not learn the option-delay contingencies, but this learning can be salvaged when the post-reward delays are made more salient. Finally, the Bayesian model predicts correlations among behavioral phenotypes: Animals that are better timers will also appear less impulsive.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John G. Mikhael
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XProgram in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMD-PhD Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Samuel J. Gershman
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.116068.80000 0001 2341 2786Center for Brains, Minds and Machines, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Altered risky decision making in patients with early non-affective psychosis. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2021; 271:723-731. [PMID: 30806772 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-019-00994-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal risky decision making may represent an important factor contributing to functional impairment in psychotic disorders. Previous research revealed impaired decision making under risk in patients with chronic schizophrenia. However, risky decision making is under-studied in the early course of illness. We examined risky decision making in 33 patients with early non-affective psychosis and 32 demographically matched controls, using two well-validated experimental paradigms, balloon analogue risk task (BART) and Risky-Gains task (RGT), which modeled and assessed actual risk-taking behaviors in deliberative and time-pressured decision-making situations, respectively. Our results showed that patients exhibited suboptimal decision making on the BART and were more risk averse than controls by having fewer average balloon pumps in non-burst trials, lower explosion rate and lower total points gained. On the RGT, patients also behaved more conservatively than controls, with lower overall rate in choosing the risky option. Intriguingly, patients performed comparably to controls in adjusting risk-taking pattern following punished trials, suggesting relatively preserved sensitivity to punishment in early psychosis. Risk-taking measures showed no significant correlations with any symptom dimensions, impulsivity traits, cognitive functions or antipsychotic treatment after correcting for multiple comparisons. This study is the first to investigate risk-taking propensity in early psychosis based on BART/RGT performance, and consistently indicate that patients with early psychosis displayed altered risky decision making with increased risk aversion relative to healthy participants. Further investigation is warranted to clarify the longitudinal course of aberrant risky decision making and its relationship with functional outcome in early psychosis.
Collapse
|
12
|
Pratt DN, Barch DM, Carter CS, Gold JM, Ragland JD, Silverstein SM, MacDonald AW. Reliability and Replicability of Implicit and Explicit Reinforcement Learning Paradigms in People With Psychotic Disorders. Schizophr Bull 2021; 47:731-739. [PMID: 33914891 PMCID: PMC8084427 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Motivational deficits in people with psychosis may be a result of impairments in reinforcement learning (RL). Therefore, behavioral paradigms that can accurately measure these impairments and their change over time are essential. METHODS We examined the reliability and replicability of 2 RL paradigms (1 implicit and 1 explicit, each with positive and negative reinforcement components) given at 2 time points to healthy controls (n = 75), and people with bipolar disorder (n = 62), schizoaffective disorder (n = 60), and schizophrenia (n = 68). RESULTS Internal consistency was acceptable (mean α = 0.78 ± 0.15), but test-retest reliability was fair to low (mean intraclass correlation = 0.33 ± 0.25) for both implicit and explicit RL. There were no clear effects of practice for these tasks. Largely, performance on these tasks shows intact implicit and impaired explicit RL in psychosis. Symptom presentation did not relate to performance in any robust way. CONCLUSIONS Our findings replicate previous literature showing spared implicit RL and impaired explicit reinforcement in psychosis. This suggests typical basal ganglia dopamine release, but atypical recruitment of the orbitofrontal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. However, we found that these tasks have only fair to low test-retest reliability and thus may not be useful for assessing change over time in clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle N Pratt
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA
| | - James M Gold
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - John D Ragland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Zbtb16 regulates social cognitive behaviors and neocortical development. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:242. [PMID: 33895774 PMCID: PMC8068730 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01358-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Zinc finger and BTB domain containing 16 (ZBTB16) play the roles in the neural progenitor cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation during development, however, how the function of ZBTB16 is involved in brain function and behaviors unknown. Here we show the deletion of Zbtb16 in mice leads to social impairment, repetitive behaviors, risk-taking behaviors, and cognitive impairment. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the behavioral phenotypes, we conducted histological analyses and observed impairments in thinning of neocortical layer 6 (L6) and a reduction of TBR1+ neurons in Zbtb16 KO mice. Furthermore, we found increased dendritic spines and microglia, as well as developmental defects in oligodendrocytes and neocortical myelination in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of Zbtb16 KO mice. Using genomics approaches, we identified the Zbtb16 transcriptome that includes genes involved in neocortical maturation such as neurogenesis and myelination, and both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) pathobiology. Co-expression networks further identified Zbtb16-correlated modules that are unique to ASD or SCZ, respectively. Our study provides insight into the novel roles of ZBTB16 in behaviors and neocortical development related to the disorders.
Collapse
|
14
|
Culbreth AJ, Waltz JA, Frank MJ, Gold JM. Retention of Value Representations Across Time in People With Schizophrenia and Healthy Control Subjects. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2021; 6:420-428. [PMID: 32712211 PMCID: PMC7708393 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The current study aimed to further etiological understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying negative symptoms in people with schizophrenia. Specifically, we tested whether negative symptom severity is associated with reduced retention of reward-related information over time and thus a degraded ability to utilize such information to guide future action selection. METHODS Forty-four patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 28 healthy control volunteers performed a probabilistic reinforcement-learning task involving stimulus pairs in which choices resulted in reward or in loss avoidance. Following training, participants indicated their valuation of learned stimuli in a test/transfer phase. The test/transfer phase was administered immediately following training and 1 week later. Percent retention was defined as accuracy at week-long delay divided by accuracy at immediate delay. RESULTS Healthy control subjects and people with schizophrenia showed similarly robust retention of reinforcement learning over a 1-week delay interval. However, in the schizophrenia group, negative symptom severity was associated with reduced retention of information regarding the value of actions across a week-long interval. This pattern was particularly notable for stimuli associated with reward compared with loss avoidance. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that although individuals with schizophrenia may initially learn about rewarding aspects of their environment, such learning decays at a more rapid rate in patients with severe negative symptoms. Thus, previously learned reward-related information may be more difficult to access to guide future decision making and to motivate action selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Culbreth
- Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - James A Waltz
- Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Michael J Frank
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistics, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - James M Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Wong SCY, Ng MCM, Chan JKN, Luk MSK, Lui SSY, Chen EYH, Chang WC. Altered Risk-Taking Behavior in Early-Stage Bipolar Disorder With a History of Psychosis. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:763545. [PMID: 34867547 PMCID: PMC8637446 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.763545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered risk-taking propensity is an important determinant of functional impairment in bipolar disorder. However, prior studies primarily assessed patients with chronic illness, and risk-taking has not been evaluated in the early illness course. This study investigated risk-taking behavior in 39 euthymic early-stage bipolar disorder patients aged 16-40 years who were treated within 3 years from their first-episode mania with psychotic features and 36 demographically-matched healthy controls using the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART), a well-validated risk-taking performance-based paradigm requiring participants to make responses for cumulative gain at increasing risk of loss. Relationships of risk-taking indices with symptoms, self-reported impulsivity, cognitive functions, and treatment characteristics were also assessed. Our results showed that patients exhibited significantly lower adjusted scores (i.e., average balloon pumps in unexploded trials) (p = 0.001), lower explosion rate (p = 0.007) and lower cumulative scores (p = 0.003) than controls on BART, indicating their suboptimal risk-taking performance with increased propensity for risk aversion. Risk-taking indices were not correlated with any symptom dimensions, self-reported impulsivity, cognitive functions or antipsychotic dose. No significant difference was observed between patients with and without antipsychotic medications on self-reported impulsivity or any of the BART performance indices. This is the first study to examine risk-taking behavior in early-stage bipolar disorder with history of psychosis and indicates that patients displayed altered risk-taking with increased risk aversion compared with controls. Further research is needed to clarify longitudinal trajectory of risk-taking propensity and its relationships with psychosis and functional outcome in the early stage of bipolar disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Chi Yiu Wong
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Mary Chung Mun Ng
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Joe Kwun Nam Chan
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Martha Sin Ki Luk
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Simon Sai Yu Lui
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Eric Yu Hai Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wing Chung Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Boka E, Pozzo JD, Goetz D, Remsen B, Walsh-Messinger J, Getz M, Antonius D, Malaspina D. Ineffective risk-reward learning in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2020; 293:113370. [PMID: 32798934 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The underpinnings of poor decision-making in schizophrenia could reflect excessively risky or inhibited behaviors. This study employed the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) to compare decision-making in schizophrenia cases to that of healthy controls. Individuals with schizophrenia performed significantly differently across three trials, failing to improve their performance as shown by the control group. In the control group, cognitive ability, measured with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III) showed that Perceptual Organization scores predicted Average Inflations per Trial, Total Balloon Pops, and Total Earnings. Although the schizophrenia cases failed to learn, group performance on the BART was not associated with cognitive ability, but regression analyses showed 41.4% of average inflations per trial were explained by Excitement, Delusions, Emotional Withdrawal, and Poor Rapport; total balloon pops were only explained by emotional withdrawal and Total Earnings were reduced by Delusions, Excitement and Poor Rapport. Only healthy participants demonstrated a relation between cognitive ability performance improvement across trials. Schizophrenia cases showed less risk-taking, and earned significantly less money overall. Identifying the determinants of poor decision-making could inform interventions and possible treatments to improve their function and perhaps be of relevance to public safety if decisions are overly risky.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emeka Boka
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Genetics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jill Del Pozzo
- Department of Psychology, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, USA
| | - Deborah Goetz
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Genetics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brooke Remsen
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Genetics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julie Walsh-Messinger
- Department of Psychology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - Mara Getz
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Genetics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel Antonius
- Department of Psychiatry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
| | - Dolores Malaspina
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Genetics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Waltz JA, Wilson RC, Albrecht MA, Frank MJ, Gold JM. Differential Effects of Psychotic Illness on Directed and Random Exploration. COMPUTATIONAL PSYCHIATRY (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2020; 4:18-39. [PMID: 33768158 PMCID: PMC7990386 DOI: 10.1162/cpsy_a_00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with a number of deficits in decision-making, but the scope, nature, and cause of these deficits are not completely understood. Here we focus on a particular type of decision, known as the explore/exploit dilemma, in which people must choose between exploiting options that yield relatively known rewards and exploring more ambiguous options of uncertain reward probability or magnitude. Previous work has shown that healthy people use two distinct strategies to decide when to explore: directed exploration, which involves choosing options that would reduce uncertainty about the reward values (information seeking), and random exploration (exploring by chance), which describes behavioral variability that is not goal directed. We administered a recently developed gambling task designed to quantify both directed and random exploration to 108 patients with schizophrenia (PSZ) and 33 healthy volunteers (HVs). We found that PSZ patients show reduced directed exploration relative to HVs, but no difference in random exploration. Moreover, patients' directed exploration behavior clusters into two qualitatively different behavioral phenotypes. In the first phenotype, which accounts for the majority of the patients (79%) and is consistent with previously reported behavior, directed exploration is only marginally (but significantly) reduced, suggesting that these patients can use directed exploration, but at a slightly lower level than community controls. In contrast, the second phenotype, comprising 21% of patients, exhibit a form of "extreme ambiguity aversion," in which they almost never choose more informative options, even when they are clearly of higher value. Moreover, in PSZ, deficits in directed exploration were related to measures of intellectual function, whereas random exploration was related to positive symptoms. Taken together, our results suggest that schizophrenia has differential effects on directed and random exploration and that investigating the explore/exploit dilemma in psychosis patients may reveal subgroups of patients with qualitatively different patterns of exploration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James A. Waltz
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert C. Wilson
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Matthew A. Albrecht
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- School of Public Health, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Michael J. Frank
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Brown Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - James M. Gold
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Abstract
We report on the ongoing R21 project “Social Reward Learning in Schizophrenia”. Impairments in social cognition are a hallmark of schizophrenia. However, little work has been done on social reward learning deficits in schizophrenia. The overall goal of the project is to assess social reward learning in schizophrenia. A probabilistic reward learning (PRL) task is being used in the MRI scanner to evaluate reward learning to negative and positive social feedback. Monetary reward learning is used as a comparison to assess specificity. Behavioral outcomes and brain areas, included those involved in reward, are assessed in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and controls. It is also critical to determine whether decreased expected value (EV) of social stimuli and/or reward prediction error (RPE) learning underlie social reward learning deficits to inform potential treatment pathways. Our central hypothesis is that the pattern of social learning deficits is an extension of a more general reward learning impairment in schizophrenia and that social reward learning deficits critically contribute to deficits in social motivation and pleasure. We hypothesize that people with schizophrenia will show impaired behavioral social reward learning compared to controls, as well as decreased ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) EV signaling at time of choice and decreased striatal RPE signaling at time of outcome, with potentially greater impairment to positive than negative feedback. The grant is in its second year. It is hoped that this innovative approach may lead to novel and more targeted treatment approaches for social cognitive impairments, using cognitive remediation and/or brain stimulation.
Collapse
|
19
|
Del Missier F, Galfano G, Venerus E, Ferrara D, Bruine de Bruin W, Penolazzi B. Decision-making competence in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2020; 215:457-459. [PMID: 31653581 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Del Missier
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, 34128, Italy; Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden.
| | - Giovanni Galfano
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, Padua, 35131, Italy
| | - Elisa Venerus
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, 34128, Italy
| | - Domenico Ferrara
- Centro di Salute Mentale Diurno di Sacile, Sacile, PN, 33077, Italy
| | - Wändi Bruine de Bruin
- Centre for Decision Research, Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom; Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
| | - Barbara Penolazzi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, 34128, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Runyon M, Buelow MT. Risky decision-making and delusion proneness: An initial examination. Heliyon 2019; 5:e02767. [PMID: 31844706 PMCID: PMC6895726 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Delusion proneness is an individual-differences characteristic, existing on a continuum from no delusional thoughts to a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Previous research found individuals high in delusion proneness request less information to make decisions, potentially making a decision without sufficient information (jumping to conclusions). The present study examined risky decision-making as a function of delusion proneness. Participants (n = 102) completed the Peters Delusions Inventory to assess delusion proneness, and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Game of Dice Task (GDT) to assess risky decision-making. Although no significant results emerged on the GDT, those scoring higher in delusion proneness decided more advantageously on the IGT than those scoring lower in delusion proneness. Exploratory analyses indicated no significant relationship between gender and task performance. The present study provides further insight into risky decision making as a function of delusion proneness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meisha Runyon
- The Ohio State University Newark, 1179 University Drive, Newark, OH, 43055, USA
| | - Melissa T Buelow
- The Ohio State University Newark, 1179 University Drive, Newark, OH, 43055, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Clayson PE, Wynn JK, Infantolino ZP, Hajcak G, Green MF, Horan WP. Reward processing in certain versus uncertain contexts in schizophrenia: An event-related potential (ERP) study. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 128:867-880. [PMID: 31657597 PMCID: PMC6822386 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Disturbances in motivation are prominent in the clinical presentation of people with schizophrenia and might reflect a disturbance in reward processing. Recent advances in affective neuroscience have subdivided reward processing into distinct components, but there are two limitations of the prior work in schizophrenia. First, studies typically focus on only one component rather than on the unfolding of reward processing across multiple stages. Second, studies have not considered the impact of certainty effects, which represent an important contextual factor that impacts processing. We examined whether individuals with schizophrenia show the typical certainty effects across three phases of reward processing: cue evaluation, feedback anticipation, and feedback receipt. Electroencephalography from 74 healthy controls and 92 people with schizophrenia was recorded during a cued gambling task under conditions in which cues indicated forthcoming reward outcomes that were certain or uncertain. Controls demonstrated the expected certainty effects across each stage. Initial cue evaluation (cue P300) was intact in the schizophrenia group, but people with schizophrenia showed diminished certainty effects during feedback anticipation (stimulus-preceding negativity [SPN]) and receipt (feedback reward positivity [fRewP] and feedback P300). During feedback receipt, event-related potentials in people with schizophrenia were similar to controls for the uncertain context but larger than controls for the certain context. Essentially, people with schizophrenia appeared to process certain feedback as though it were uncertain. These findings show, for the first time, that the fundamental distinction between certain and uncertain contexts is altered in schizophrenia at a neural level. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter E. Clayson
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Jonathan K. Wynn
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | | | - Greg Hajcak
- Department of Psychology and Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
| | - Michael. F. Green
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - William P. Horan
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Tikàsz A, Dumais A, Lipp O, Stip E, Lalonde P, Laurelli M, Lungu O, Potvin S. Reward-related decision-making in schizophrenia: A multimodal neuroimaging study. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2019; 286:45-52. [PMID: 30897449 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2019.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by important cognitive deficits, which ultimately compromise the patients' ability to make optimal decisions. Unfortunately, the neurobiological bases of impaired reward-related decision-making in schizophrenia have rarely been studied. The objective of this study is to examine the neural mechanisms involved in reward-related decision-making in schizophrenia, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Forty-seven schizophrenia patients (DSM-IV criteria) and 23 healthy subjects with no psychiatric disorders were scanned using fMRI while performing the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). A rapid event-related fMRI paradigm was used, separating decision and outcome events. Between-group differences in grey matter volumes were assessed with voxel-based morphometry. During the reward outcomes, increased activations were observed in schizophrenia in the left anterior insula, the putamen, and frontal sub-regions. Reduced grey matter volumes were observed in the left anterior insula in schizophrenia which spatially overlapped with functional alterations. Finally, schizophrenia patients made fewer gains on the BART. The fact that schizophrenia patients had increased activations in sub-cortical regions such as the striatum and insula in response to reward events suggests that the impaired decision-making abilities of these patients are mostly driven by an overvaluation of outcome stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andràs Tikàsz
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga, Montreal, Canada, H1N 3V2; Department of Psychiatry, University de Montréal, 2900 boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Canada, H3T 1J4; Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal, 10905 Henri-Bourassa, Montreal, Canada, H1C 1H1
| | - Alexandre Dumais
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga, Montreal, Canada, H1N 3V2; Department of Psychiatry, University de Montréal, 2900 boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Canada, H3T 1J4; Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal, 10905 Henri-Bourassa, Montreal, Canada, H1C 1H1
| | - Olivier Lipp
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga, Montreal, Canada, H1N 3V2; Department of Psychiatry, University de Montréal, 2900 boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Canada, H3T 1J4
| | - Emmanuel Stip
- Department of Psychiatry, University de Montréal, 2900 boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Canada, H3T 1J4; Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 1051 rue Sanguinet, Montreal, Canada, H2 × 3E4
| | - Pierre Lalonde
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga, Montreal, Canada, H1N 3V2; Department of Psychiatry, University de Montréal, 2900 boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Canada, H3T 1J4
| | - Mélanie Laurelli
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga, Montreal, Canada, H1N 3V2; Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal, 10905 Henri-Bourassa, Montreal, Canada, H1C 1H1
| | - Ovidiu Lungu
- Department of Psychiatry, University de Montréal, 2900 boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Canada, H3T 1J4; Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, 4565 Chemin Queen-Mary, Montreal, Canada, H3W 1W5; Centre for Research in Aging, Donald Berman Maimonides Geriatric Centre, 5795 Caldwell Avenue, Montreal, Canada, H4W 1W3
| | - Stéphane Potvin
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga, Montreal, Canada, H1N 3V2; Department of Psychiatry, University de Montréal, 2900 boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Canada, H3T 1J4.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Lau EYY, Wong ML, Rusak B, Lam YC, Wing YK, Tseng CH, Lee TMC. The coupling of short sleep duration and high sleep need predicts riskier decision making. Psychol Health 2019; 34:1196-1213. [PMID: 30966760 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2019.1594807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Objective: To examine how risk-related decision making might be associated with habitual sleep variables, including sleep variability, sleep duration and perceived sleep need in young adults cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Design: 166 participants completed a 7-day protocol with sleep and risk-related decision-making measures at baseline (T1) and 12 months later (T2). Results: Habitual short sleep duration (averaging < 6 h nightly) was identified in 11.0% in our sample. After controlling for baseline demographic factors and risk-taking measures, self-reported sleep need at T1 interacted with habitual short sleep in predicting risk taking at follow-up (F8,139=9.575, adjusted R2=.431, p<.001). T1 greater perceived sleep need predicted more risk taking among short sleepers, but decreased risk taking among normal sleepers at T2. Variable sleep timing was cross-sectionally correlated with making more Risky choices at baseline and fewer Safe choices after loss at follow up. Conclusions: Young adults with variable sleep timing and those with short sleep duration coupled with high perceived sleep need were more likely to take risks. The moderating effects of perceived sleep need suggest that individual differences may alter the impact of sleep loss and hence should be measured and accounted for in future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Yuet Ying Lau
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong , Tai Po , Hong Kong.,Centre for Religious and Spirituality Education, The Education University of Hong Kong , Tai Po , Hong Kong
| | - Mark Lawrence Wong
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital , Chai Wan , Hong Kong
| | - Benjamin Rusak
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University , Halifax, Nova Scotia , Canada.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University , Halifax, Nova Scotia , Canada
| | - Yeuk Ching Lam
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong , Tai Po , Hong Kong.,Centre for Psychosocial Health, The Education University of Hong Kong , Tai Po , Hong Kong
| | - Yun Kwok Wing
- Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong , Shatin , Hong Kong
| | - Chia-Huei Tseng
- Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University , Sendai , Japan
| | - Tatia Mei Chun Lee
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam , Hong Kong
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Saperia S, Da Silva S, Siddiqui I, Agid O, Daskalakis ZJ, Ravindran A, Voineskos AN, Zakzanis KK, Remington G, Foussias G. Reward-driven decision-making impairments in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2019; 206:277-283. [PMID: 30442476 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The ability to use feedback to guide optimal decision-making is essential for goal-directed behaviour. While impairments in feedback-driven decision-making have been associated with schizophrenia and depression, this has been examined primarily in the context of binary probabilistic choice paradigms. In real-world decision-making, however, individuals must make choices when there are more than two competing options that vary in the frequency and magnitude of potential rewards and losses. Thus, the current study examined win-stay/lose-shift (WSLS) behaviour on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) in order to evaluate the influence of immediate rewards and losses in guiding real-world decision-making in patients with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. Fifty-one patients with schizophrenia, 43 patients with major depressive disorder, and 51 healthy controls completed the IGT, as well as a series of clinical and cognitive measures. WSLS was assessed by quantifying trial-by-trial behaviour following rewards and losses on the IGT. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed that patients with schizophrenia demonstrated intact lose-shift behaviour, but significantly reduced win-stay rates compared to healthy controls. In contrast, no WSLS impairments emerged in the depressed group. Win-stay impairments in the schizophrenia group were significantly related to deficits in motivation and cognition. Patients with schizophrenia exhibit impaired reward-driven decision-making in the context of multiple choices with concurrent rewards and losses, and this appears to be driven by a reduced propensity for advantageous win-stay behaviour. With the importance of reward learning and decision-making in generating goal-directed behaviour, these findings suggest a potential mechanism contributing to the motivation deficits seen in schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Saperia
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Susana Da Silva
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ishraq Siddiqui
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ofer Agid
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Z Jeff Daskalakis
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Arun Ravindran
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Aristotle N Voineskos
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Gary Remington
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - George Foussias
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Hanssen E, Fett AK, White TP, Caddy C, Reimers S, Shergill SS. Cooperation and sensitivity to social feedback during group interactions in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2018; 202:361-368. [PMID: 30005931 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.06.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/30/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia show reduced cooperation and less sensitivity to social cues in pairwise interactions, however, it remains unclear whether these mechanisms are also present in interactions within social groups. We used a public goods game to investigate cooperation and sensitivity to social feedback in group interactions in 27 patients with schizophrenia and 27 healthy controls. Participants played 40 trials in two conditions: 1) no fine (20 trials): participants had the choice of investing into the public good (i.e. cooperating) or not (i.e. defecting), 2) fine (20 trials): participants had the same choice but defectors could be punished by the other players. On the first trial, patients invested less in the public good than healthy controls. In the no fine condition, controls decreased their investments over time, but patients did not. The possibility of being fined for defecting and actually being fined led to significantly higher cooperation in both groups. This shows that the groups were equally sensitive to social enforcement and social feedback. Our findings suggest that patients tend to approach social group interactions with less cooperative behaviour, which could contribute to social dysfunction in daily-life. However, an intact sensitivity to social enforcement and feedback indicates that patients can adjust their behaviour accordingly in group interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Hanssen
- Department of Educational and Family studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands; CSI Lab, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychosis Studies, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Anne-Kathrin Fett
- CSI Lab, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychosis Studies, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, City, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas P White
- CSI Lab, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychosis Studies, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline Caddy
- CSI Lab, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychosis Studies, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stian Reimers
- Department of Psychology, City, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sukhi S Shergill
- CSI Lab, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychosis Studies, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Hoffmann F, Puetz VB, Viding E, Sethi A, Palmer A, McCrory EJ. Risk-taking, peer-influence and child maltreatment: a neurocognitive investigation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 13:124-134. [PMID: 29069467 PMCID: PMC5793726 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsx124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Maltreatment is associated with increased risk of a range of psychiatric disorders, many of which are characterized by altered risk-taking propensity. Currently, little is known about the neural correlates of risk-taking in children exposed to maltreatment, nor whether their risk-taking is atypically modulated by peer influence. Seventy-five 10- to 14-year-old children [maltreated (MT) group: N = 41; non-maltreated Group (NMT): N = 34] performed a Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), under three different peer influence conditions: while alone, while being observed by a peer and while being encouraged by a peer to take risks. The MT group engaged in less risk-taking irrespective of peer influence. There was no differential effect of peer influence on risk-taking behaviour across groups. At the neural level, the right anterior insula (rAI) exhibited altered risk sensitivity across conditions in the MT group. Across groups and conditions, rAI risk sensitivity was negatively associated with risk-taking and within the MT group greater rAI risk sensitivity was related to more anxiety symptoms. These findings suggest that children with a history of maltreatment show reduced risk-taking but typical responses to peer influence. Abnormal rAI functioning contributes to the pattern of reduced risk-taking and may predispose children exposed to maltreatment to develop future psychopathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ferdinand Hoffmann
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Vanessa B Puetz
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK.,Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, UK
| | - Essi Viding
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Arjun Sethi
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Amy Palmer
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Eamon J McCrory
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK.,Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Strawbridge RJ, Ward J, Lyall LM, Tunbridge EM, Cullen B, Graham N, Ferguson A, Johnston KJA, Lyall DM, Mackay D, Cavanagh J, Howard DM, Adams MJ, Deary I, Escott-Price V, O'Donovan M, McIntosh AM, Bailey MES, Pell JP, Harrison PJ, Smith DJ. Genetics of self-reported risk-taking behaviour, trans-ethnic consistency and relevance to brain gene expression. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:178. [PMID: 30181555 PMCID: PMC6123450 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0236-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Risk-taking behaviour is an important component of several psychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Previously, two genetic loci have been associated with self-reported risk taking and significant genetic overlap with psychiatric disorders was identified within a subsample of UK Biobank. Using the white British participants of the full UK Biobank cohort (n = 83,677 risk takers versus 244,662 controls) for our primary analysis, we conducted a genome-wide association study of self-reported risk-taking behaviour. In secondary analyses, we assessed sex-specific effects, trans-ethnic heterogeneity and genetic overlap with psychiatric traits. We also investigated the impact of risk-taking-associated SNPs on both gene expression and structural brain imaging. We identified 10 independent loci for risk-taking behaviour, of which eight were novel and two replicated previous findings. In addition, we found two further sex-specific risk-taking loci. There were strong positive genetic correlations between risk-taking and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Index genetic variants demonstrated effects generally consistent with the discovery analysis in individuals of non-British White, South Asian, African-Caribbean or mixed ethnicity. Polygenic risk scores comprising alleles associated with increased risk taking were associated with lower white matter integrity. Genotype-specific expression pattern analyses highlighted DPYSL5, CGREF1 and C15orf59 as plausible candidate genes. Overall, our findings substantially advance our understanding of the biology of risk-taking behaviour, including the possibility of sex-specific contributions, and reveal consistency across ethnicities. We further highlight several putative novel candidate genes, which may mediate these genetic effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rona J Strawbridge
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
- Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Joey Ward
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Laura M Lyall
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Elizabeth M Tunbridge
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Breda Cullen
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Nicholas Graham
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Amy Ferguson
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Keira J A Johnston
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- School of Life Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Division of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Donald M Lyall
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Daniel Mackay
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jonathan Cavanagh
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - David M Howard
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, EH10 5HF, UK
| | - Mark J Adams
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, EH10 5HF, UK
| | - Ian Deary
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9YL, UK
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9YL, UK
| | | | - Michael O'Donovan
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Andrew M McIntosh
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, EH10 5HF, UK
| | - Mark E S Bailey
- School of Life Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jill P Pell
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Paul J Harrison
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Daniel J Smith
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Problem and Pathological Gambling in Schizophrenia: Exploring Links with Substance Use and Impulsivity. J Gambl Stud 2018; 34:673-688. [DOI: 10.1007/s10899-018-9757-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
|
29
|
Strawbridge RJ, Ward J, Cullen B, Tunbridge EM, Hartz S, Bierut L, Horton A, Bailey MES, Graham N, Ferguson A, Lyall DM, Mackay D, Pidgeon LM, Cavanagh J, Pell JP, O'Donovan M, Escott-Price V, Harrison PJ, Smith DJ. Genome-wide analysis of self-reported risk-taking behaviour and cross-disorder genetic correlations in the UK Biobank cohort. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:39. [PMID: 29391395 PMCID: PMC5804026 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-017-0079-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Revised: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Risk-taking behaviour is a key component of several psychiatric disorders and could influence lifestyle choices such as smoking, alcohol use, and diet. As a phenotype, risk-taking behaviour therefore fits within a Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach, whereby identifying genetic determinants of this trait has the potential to improve our understanding across different psychiatric disorders. Here we report a genome-wide association study in 116,255 UK Biobank participants who responded yes/no to the question "Would you consider yourself a risk taker?" Risk takers (compared with controls) were more likely to be men, smokers, and have a history of psychiatric disorder. Genetic loci associated with risk-taking behaviour were identified on chromosomes 3 (rs13084531) and 6 (rs9379971). The effects of both lead SNPs were comparable between men and women. The chromosome 3 locus highlights CADM2, previously implicated in cognitive and executive functions, but the chromosome 6 locus is challenging to interpret due to the complexity of the HLA region. Risk-taking behaviour shared significant genetic risk with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as with smoking and total obesity. Despite being based on only a single question, this study furthers our understanding of the biology of risk-taking behaviour, a trait that has a major impact on a range of common physical and mental health disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rona J Strawbridge
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
- Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Joey Ward
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Breda Cullen
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Elizabeth M Tunbridge
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Sarah Hartz
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Laura Bierut
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Amy Horton
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Transmontane Analytics, Tuscon, AZ, USA
| | - Mark E S Bailey
- School of Life Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Nicholas Graham
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Amy Ferguson
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Donald M Lyall
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Daniel Mackay
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Laura M Pidgeon
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jonathan Cavanagh
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jill P Pell
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Michael O'Donovan
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Paul J Harrison
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Daniel J Smith
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Waltz JA, Xu Z, Brown EC, Ruiz RR, Frank MJ, Gold JM. Motivational Deficits in Schizophrenia Are Associated With Reduced Differentiation Between Gain and Loss-Avoidance Feedback in the Striatum. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2017; 3:239-247. [PMID: 29486865 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/23/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The current study was designed to test the hypothesis that motivational deficits in schizophrenia (SZ) are tied to a reduced ability to differentially signal gains and instances of loss-avoidance in the brain, leading to reduced ability to form adaptive representations of expected value. METHODS We administered a reinforcement learning paradigm to 27 medicated SZ patients and 27 control subjects in which participants learned three probabilistic discriminations. In regions of interest in reward networks identified a priori, we examined contrasts between trial types with different expected values (e.g., expected gain-nonmonetary) and between outcomes with the same prediction error valence but different experienced values (e.g., gain-loss-avoidance outcome, miss-loss outcome). RESULTS Both whole-brain and region of interest analyses revealed that SZ patients showed reduced differentiation between gain and loss-avoidance outcomes in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and bilateral anterior insula. That is, SZ patients showed reduced contrasts between positive prediction errors of different objective values in these areas. In addition, we observed significant correlations between gain-loss-avoidance outcome contrasts in the ventral striatum and ratings for avolition/anhedonia and between expected gain-nonmonetary contrasts in the ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS These results provide further evidence for intact prediction error signaling in medicated SZ patients, especially with regard to loss-avoidance. By contrast, components of frontostriatal circuits appear to show reduced sensitivity to the absolute valence of expected and experienced outcomes, suggesting a mechanism by which motivational deficits may emerge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James A Waltz
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - Ziye Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Elliot C Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Rebecca R Ruiz
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Michael J Frank
- Department of Psychiatry and Brown Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - James M Gold
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Barch DM, Carter CS, Gold JM, Johnson SL, Kring AM, MacDonald AW, Pizzagalli DA, Ragland JD, Silverstein SM, Strauss ME. Explicit and implicit reinforcement learning across the psychosis spectrum. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017; 126:694-711. [PMID: 28406662 PMCID: PMC5503766 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Motivational and hedonic impairments are core features of a variety of types of psychopathology. An important aspect of motivational function is reinforcement learning (RL), including implicit (i.e., outside of conscious awareness) and explicit (i.e., including explicit representations about potential reward associations) learning, as well as both positive reinforcement (learning about actions that lead to reward) and punishment (learning to avoid actions that lead to loss). Here we present data from paradigms designed to assess both positive and negative components of both implicit and explicit RL, examine performance on each of these tasks among individuals with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder with psychosis, and examine their relative relationships to specific symptom domains transdiagnostically. None of the diagnostic groups differed significantly from controls on the implicit RL tasks in either bias toward a rewarded response or bias away from a punished response. However, on the explicit RL task, both the individuals with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder performed significantly worse than controls, but the individuals with bipolar did not. Worse performance on the explicit RL task, but not the implicit RL task, was related to worse motivation and pleasure symptoms across all diagnostic categories. Performance on explicit RL, but not implicit RL, was related to working memory, which accounted for some of the diagnostic group differences. However, working memory did not account for the relationship of explicit RL to motivation and pleasure symptoms. These findings suggest transdiagnostic relationships across the spectrum of psychotic disorders between motivation and pleasure impairments and explicit RL. (PsycINFO Database Record
Collapse
|
32
|
Yu LQ, Lee S, Katchmar N, Satterthwaite TD, Kable JW, Wolf DH. Steeper discounting of delayed rewards in schizophrenia but not first-degree relatives. Psychiatry Res 2017; 252:303-309. [PMID: 28301828 PMCID: PMC5438888 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.02.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2016] [Revised: 02/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Excessive discounting of future rewards has been related to a variety of risky behaviors and adverse clinical conditions. Prior work examining delay discounting in schizophrenia suggests an elevated discount rate. However, it remains uncertain whether this reflects the disease process itself or an underlying genetic vulnerability, whether it is selective for delay discounting or reflects pervasive changes in decision-making, and whether it is driven by specific clinical dimensions such as cognitive impairment. Here we investigated delay discounting, as well as loss aversion and risk aversion, in three groups: schizophrenia (SZ), unaffected first-degree family members (FM), and controls without a family history of psychosis (NC). SZ had elevated discounting, without changes in loss aversion or risk aversion. Contrary to expectations, the FM group did not show an intermediate phenotype in discounting. Higher discount rates correlated with lower cognitive performance on verbal reasoning, but this did not explain elevated discount rates in SZ. Group differences were driven primarily by the non-smoking majority of the sample. This study provides further evidence for elevated discounting in schizophrenia, and demonstrates that steeper discounting is not necessarily associated with familial risk, cannot be wholly accounted for by cognitive deficits, and is not attributable to smoking-related impulsivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Q. Yu
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA 19104, USA,Corresponding author: Linda Yu; 3720 Walnut St, Philadelphia PA 19104. Tel.: (215) 746-4371; Fax: (215) 898-7301.
| | - Sangil Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA 19104, USA
| | - Natalie Katchmar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Joseph W. Kable
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA 19104, USA
| | - Daniel H. Wolf
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Ambiguity aversion in schizophrenia: An fMRI study of decision-making under risk and ambiguity. Schizophr Res 2016; 178:94-101. [PMID: 27623361 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
When making decisions in everyday life, we often have to choose between uncertain outcomes. Economic studies have demonstrated that healthy people tend to prefer options with known probabilities (risk) than those with unknown probabilities (ambiguity), which is referred to as "ambiguity aversion." However, it remains unclear how patients with schizophrenia behave under ambiguity, despite growing evidence of their altered decision-making under uncertainty. In this study, combining economic tools and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we assessed the attitudes toward risk/ambiguity and investigated the neural correlates during decision-making under risk/ambiguity in schizophrenia. Although no significant difference in attitudes under risk was observed, patients with schizophrenia chose ambiguity significantly more often than the healthy controls. Attitudes under risk and ambiguity did not correlate across patients with schizophrenia. Furthermore, unlike in the healthy controls, activation of the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex was not increased during decision-making under ambiguity compared to under risk in schizophrenia. These results suggest that ambiguity aversion, a well-established subjective bias, is attenuated in patients with schizophrenia, highlighting the need to distinguish between risk and ambiguity when assessing decision-making under these situations. Our findings, comprising important clinical implications, contribute to improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying altered decision-making in patients with schizophrenia.
Collapse
|
34
|
Reddy LF, Waltz JA, Green MF, Wynn JK, Horan WP. Probabilistic Reversal Learning in Schizophrenia: Stability of Deficits and Potential Causal Mechanisms. Schizophr Bull 2016; 42:942-51. [PMID: 26884546 PMCID: PMC4903059 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbv226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Although individuals with schizophrenia show impaired feedback-driven learning on probabilistic reversal learning (PRL) tasks, the specific factors that contribute to these deficits remain unknown. Recent work has suggested several potential causes including neurocognitive impairments, clinical symptoms, and specific types of feedback-related errors. To examine this issue, we administered a PRL task to 126 stable schizophrenia outpatients and 72 matched controls, and patients were retested 4 weeks later. The task involved an initial probabilistic discrimination learning phase and subsequent reversal phases in which subjects had to adjust their responses to sudden shifts in the reinforcement contingencies. Patients showed poorer performance than controls for both the initial discrimination and reversal learning phases of the task, and performance overall showed good test-retest reliability among patients. A subgroup analysis of patients (n = 64) and controls (n = 49) with good initial discrimination learning revealed no between-group differences in reversal learning, indicating that the patients who were able to achieve all of the initial probabilistic discriminations were not impaired in reversal learning. Regarding potential contributors to impaired discrimination learning, several factors were associated with poor PRL, including higher levels of neurocognitive impairment, poor learning from both positive and negative feedback, and higher levels of indiscriminate response shifting. The results suggest that poor PRL performance in schizophrenia can be the product of multiple mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lena Felice Reddy
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 22 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Los Angeles, CA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA;
| | - James A. Waltz
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Michael F. Green
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 22 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Los Angeles, CA;,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Jonathan K. Wynn
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 22 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Los Angeles, CA;,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| | - William P. Horan
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 22 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Los Angeles, CA;,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Piantadosi PT, Khayambashi S, Schluter MG, Kutarna A, Floresco SB. Perturbations in reward-related decision-making induced by reduced prefrontal cortical GABA transmission: Relevance for psychiatric disorders. Neuropharmacology 2016; 101:279-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2015] [Revised: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
|
36
|
Zhang L, Tang J, Dong Y, Ji Y, Tao R, Liang Z, Chen J, Wu Y, Wang K. Similarities and Differences in Decision-Making Impairments between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:259. [PMID: 26441583 PMCID: PMC4585296 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Although individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCH) share overlapping characteristics and may perform similarly on many cognitive tasks, cognitive dysfunctions common to both disorders do not necessarily share the same underlying mechanisms. Decision-making is currently a major research interest for both ASD and SCH. The aim of the present study was to make direct comparisons of decision-making and disorder-specific underlying neuropsychological mechanisms between the two disorders. Thirty-seven participants with ASD, 46 patients with SCH, and 80 healthy controls (HC) were assessed with the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), which measures decision-making under ambiguity, and the Game of Dice Task (GDT), which measures decision-making under risk. The results revealed that both the ASD and SCH groups had deficits for both the IGT and the GDT compared with the HC. More importantly, in the IGT, participants with ASD displayed a preference for deck A, indicating that they had more sensitivity to the magnitude of loss than to the frequency of loss, whereas patients with SCH displayed a preference for deck B, indicating that they showed more sensitivity to the frequency of loss than to the magnitude of loss. In the GDT, the impaired performance might be due to the deficits in executive functions in patients with SCH, whereas the impaired performance might be due to the deficits in feedback processing in participants with ASD. These findings demonstrate that there are similar impairments in decision-making tasks between ASD and SCH; however, these two disorders may have different impairment mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Long Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei , China ; Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Anhui Medical University , Hefei , China
| | - Jiulai Tang
- Department of Children Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei , China
| | - Yi Dong
- Mental Health Center of Anhui Province , Hefei , China
| | - Yifu Ji
- Mental Health Center of Anhui Province , Hefei , China
| | - Rui Tao
- Mental Health Center of Anhui Province , Hefei , China
| | - Zhitu Liang
- Hefei Chunya Mutual Association , Hefei , China
| | - Jingsong Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation, Hefei Jingu Hospital , Hefei , China
| | - Yun Wu
- Department of Psychology, Peking University , Beijing , China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei , China ; Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Anhui Medical University , Hefei , China
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Cheng GLF, Lee TMC. Altering risky decision-making: Influence of impulsivity on the neuromodulation of prefrontal cortex. Soc Neurosci 2015; 11:353-64. [DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2015.1085895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
38
|
Fischer BA, McMahon RP, Kelly DL, Wehring HJ, Meyer WA, Feldman S, Carpenter WT, Gorelick DA. Risk-taking in schizophrenia and controls with and without cannabis dependence. Schizophr Res 2015; 161:471-7. [PMID: 25467541 PMCID: PMC4308438 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Revised: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 11/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Risk-based decision making is altered in people with schizophrenia and in people with cannabis use compared to healthy controls; the pattern of risk-assessment in people with co-occurring schizophrenia and cannabis dependence is poorly understood. This study examined measures of risk-taking and decision-making in people with and without schizophrenia and/or cannabis dependence. METHODS Participants with schizophrenia (n=24), cannabis dependence (n=23), schizophrenia and co-occurring cannabis dependence (n=18), and healthy controls (n=24) were recruited from the community via advertisements and completed a one-visit battery of symptom, risk-based decision making, gambling behavior, cognitive, and addiction assessments. This report presents self-assessments of self-mastery, optimism, impulsivity, and sensation seeking and a behavioral assessment of risk (Balloon Analog Risk Task [BART]). RESULTS On self-report measures, participants with schizophrenia and co-occurring cannabis dependence were intermediate between those with only cannabis dependence or only schizophrenia on ratings of self-mastery, sensation-seeking, and impulsivity. There were no group differences on ratings of optimism. Their behavior on the BART was most similar to participants with only cannabis dependence or healthy controls, rather than to participants with only schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS People with schizophrenia and co-occurring cannabis dependence may represent a unique group in terms of risk-perception and risk-taking. This has implications for interventions designed to influence health behaviors such as motivational interviewing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bernard A Fischer
- Veterans Affairs Capital Network (VISN 5) Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Department of Veterans Affairs, Baltimore, MD, USA; Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Robert P McMahon
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Deanna L Kelly
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Heidi J Wehring
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Walter A Meyer
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Stephanie Feldman
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - William T Carpenter
- Veterans Affairs Capital Network (VISN 5) Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Department of Veterans Affairs, Baltimore, MD, USA; Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David A Gorelick
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Motivational Deficits in Schizophrenia and the Representation of Expected Value. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2015; 27:375-410. [PMID: 26370946 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2015_385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Motivational deficits (avolition and anhedonia) have historically been considered important negative symptoms of schizophrenia (SZ). Numerous studies have attempted to identify the neural substrates of avolition and anhedonia in schizophrenia , but these studies have not produced much agreement. Deficits in various aspects of reinforcement processing have been observed in individuals with schizophrenia, but it is not exactly clear which of these deficits actually engender motivational impairments in SZ. The purpose of this chapter is to examine how various reinforcement-related behavioral and neural signals could contribute to motivational impairments in both schizophrenia and psychiatric illness, in general. In particular, we describe different aspects of the concept of expected value (EV), such as the distinction between the EV of stimuli and the expected value of actions, the acquisition of value versus the estimation of value, and the discounting of value as a consequence of time or effort required. We conclude that avolition and anhedonia in SZ are most commonly tied to aberrant signals for expected value, in the context of learning. We discuss implications for further research on the neural substrates of motivational impairments in psychiatric illness.
Collapse
|
40
|
Mechanisms Underlying Motivational Deficits in Psychopathology: Similarities and Differences in Depression and Schizophrenia. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2015; 27:411-49. [PMID: 26026289 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2015_376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Motivational and hedonic impairments are core aspects of a variety of types of psychopathology. These impairments cut across diagnostic categories and may be critical to understanding major aspects of the functional impairments accompanying psychopathology. Given the centrality of motivational and hedonic systems to psychopathology, the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative includes a "positive valence" systems domain that outlines a number of constructs that may be key to understanding the nature and mechanisms of motivational and hedonic impairments in psychopathology. These component constructs include initial responsiveness to reward, reward anticipation or expectancy, incentive or reinforcement learning, effort valuation, and action selection. Here, we review behavioral and neuroimaging studies providing evidence for impairments in these constructs in individuals with psychosis versus in individuals with depressive pathology. There are important differences in the nature of reward-related and hedonic deficits associated with psychosis versus depression that have major implications for our understanding of etiology and treatment development. In particular, the literature strongly suggests the presence of impairments in in-the-moment hedonics or "liking" in individuals with depressive pathology, particularly among those who experience anhedonia. Such deficits may propagate forward and contribute to impairments in other constructs that are dependent on hedonic responses, such as anticipation, learning, effort, and action selection. Such hedonic impairments could reflect alterations in dopamine and/or opioid signaling in the striatum related to depression or specifically to anhedonia in depressed populations. In contrast, the literature points to relatively intact in-the-moment hedonic processing in psychosis, but provides much evidence for impairments in other components involved in translating reward to action selection. Particularly, individuals with schizophrenia exhibit altered reward prediction and associated striatal and prefrontal activation, impaired reward learning, and impaired reward-modulated action selection.
Collapse
|
41
|
Potvin S, Tikàsz A, Dinh-Williams LLA, Bourque J, Mendrek A. Cigarette Cravings, Impulsivity, and the Brain. Front Psychiatry 2015; 6:125. [PMID: 26441686 PMCID: PMC4562259 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Craving is a core feature of tobacco use disorder as well as a significant predictor of smoking relapse. Studies have shown that appetitive smoking-related stimuli (e.g., someone smoking) trigger significant cravings in smokers impede their self-control capacities and promote drug seeking behavior. In this review, we begin by an overview of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies investigating the neural correlates of smokers to appetitive smoking cues. The literature reveals a complex and vastly distributed neuronal network underlying smokers' craving response that recruits regions involved in self-referential processing, planning/regulatory processes, emotional responding, attentional biases, and automatic conducts. We then selectively review important factors contributing to the heterogeneity of results that significantly limit the implications of these findings, namely between- (abstinence, smoking expectancies, and self-regulation) and within-studies factors (severity of smoking dependence, sex-differences, motivation to quit, and genetic factors). Remarkably, we found that little to no attention has been devoted to examine the influence of personality traits on the neural correlates of cigarette cravings in fMRI studies. Impulsivity has been linked with craving and relapse in substance and tobacco use, which prompted our research team to examine the influence of impulsivity on cigarette cravings in an fMRI study. We found that the influence of impulsivity on cigarette cravings was mediated by fronto-cingulate mechanisms. Given the high prevalence of cigarette smoking in several psychiatric disorders that are characterized by significant levels of impulsivity, we conclude by identifying psychiatric patients as a target population whose tobacco-smoking habits deserve further behavioral and neuro-imaging investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Potvin
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal , Montreal, QC , Canada ; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal , Montreal, QC , Canada
| | - Andràs Tikàsz
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal , Montreal, QC , Canada ; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal , Montreal, QC , Canada
| | | | - Josiane Bourque
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal , Montreal, QC , Canada ; Centre de Recherche de l'Hôpital Sainte-Justine , Montreal, QC , Canada
| | - Adrianna Mendrek
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal , Montreal, QC , Canada ; Department of Psychology, Bishop's University , Lennoxville, QC , Canada
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Brown EC, Hack SM, Gold JM, Carpenter WT, Fischer BA, Prentice KP, Waltz JA. Integrating frequency and magnitude information in decision-making in schizophrenia: An account of patient performance on the Iowa Gambling Task. J Psychiatr Res 2015; 66-67:16-23. [PMID: 25959618 PMCID: PMC4458199 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2014] [Revised: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT; Bechara et al., 1994) has frequently been used to assess risky decision making in clinical populations, including patients with schizophrenia (SZ). Poor performance on the IGT is often attributed to reduced sensitivity to punishment, which contrasts with recent findings from reinforcement learning studies in schizophrenia. METHODS In order to investigate possible sources of IGT performance deficits in SZ patients, we combined data from the IGT from 59 SZ patients and 43 demographically-matched controls with data from the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) in the same participants. Our analyses sought to specifically uncover the role of punishment sensitivity and delineate the capacity to integrate frequency and magnitude information in decision-making under risk. RESULTS Although SZ patients, on average, made more choices from disadvantageous decks than controls did on the IGT, they avoided decks with frequent punishments at a rate similar to controls. Patients also exhibited excessive loss-avoidance behavior on the BART. CONCLUSIONS We argue that, rather than stemming from reduced sensitivity to negative consequences, performance deficits on the IGT in SZ patients are more likely the result of a reinforcement learning deficit, specifically involving the integration of frequencies and magnitudes of rewards and punishments in the trial-by-trial estimation of expected value.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elliot C Brown
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC), Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Samantha M Hack
- Veterans Affairs Capital Network (VISN 5) Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James M Gold
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC), Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - William T Carpenter
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC), Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Veterans Affairs Capital Network (VISN 5) Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bernard A Fischer
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC), Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Veterans Affairs Capital Network (VISN 5) Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kristen P Prentice
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC), Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James A Waltz
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC), Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Impulsivity and risk taking in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:456-63. [PMID: 23963117 PMCID: PMC3870783 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2013] [Revised: 07/23/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Impulsive risk taking contributes to deleterious outcomes among clinical populations. Indeed, pathological impulsivity and risk taking are common in patients with serious mental illness, and have severe clinical repercussions including novelty seeking, response disinhibition, aggression, and substance abuse. Thus, the current study seeks to examine self-reported impulsivity (Barratt Impulsivity Scale) and performance-based behavioral risk taking (Balloon Analogue Risk Task) in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Participants included 68 individuals with bipolar disorder, 38 with schizophrenia, and 36 healthy controls. Self-reported impulsivity was elevated in the bipolar group compared with schizophrenia patients and healthy controls, who did not differ from each other. On the risk-taking task, schizophrenia patients were significantly more risk averse than the bipolar patients and controls. Aside from the diagnostic group differences, there was a significant effect of antipsychotic (AP) medication within the bipolar group: bipolar patients taking AP medications were more risk averse than those not taking AP medications. This difference in risk taking because of AP medications was not explained by history of psychosis. Similarly, the differences in risk taking between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were not fully explained by AP effects. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.
Collapse
|
44
|
Dent CL, Isles AR, Humby T. Measuring risk-taking in mice: balancing the risk between seeking reward and danger. Eur J Neurosci 2013; 39:520-30. [PMID: 24283296 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2013] [Revised: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Assessing risk is an essential part of human behaviour and may be disrupted in a number of psychiatric conditions. Currently, in many animal experimental designs the basis of the potential 'risk' is loss or attenuation of reward, which fail to capture 'real-life' risky situations where there is a trade-off between a separate cost and reward. The development of rodent tasks where two separate and conflicting factors are traded against each other has begun to address this discrepancy. Here, we discuss the merits of these risk-taking tasks and describe the development of a novel test for mice - the 'predator-odour risk-taking' task. This paradigm encapsulates a naturalistic approach to measuring risk-taking behaviour where mice have to balance the benefit of gaining a food reward with the cost of exposure to a predator odour using a range of different odours (rat, cat and fox). We show that the 'predator-odour risk-taking' task was sensitive to the trade-off between cost and benefit by demonstrating reduced motivation to collect food reward in the presence of these different predator odours in two strains of mice and, also, if the value of the food reward was reduced. The 'predator-odour risk-taking' task therefore provides a strong platform for the investigation of the genetic substrates of risk-taking behaviour using mouse models, and adds a further dimension to other recently developed rodent tests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire L Dent
- Behavioural Genetics Group, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Schools of Psychology & Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Hypothetical decision making in schizophrenia: the role of expected value computation and "irrational" biases. Psychiatry Res 2013; 209:142-9. [PMID: 23664664 PMCID: PMC3759571 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2013.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2012] [Revised: 01/23/2013] [Accepted: 02/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to examine the contributions to decision making (DM) deficits in schizophrenia (SZ) patients of expected value (EV) estimation and loss aversion. Patients diagnosed with SZ (n=46) and healthy controls (n=34) completed two gambling tasks. In one task, participants chose between two options with the same EV across two conditions: Loss frames and Keep frames. A second task involved accepting or rejecting gambles, in which gain and loss amounts varied, determining the EV of each trial. SZ patients showed a reduced "framing effect" relative to controls, as they did not show an increased tendency to gamble when faced with a certain loss. SZ patients also showed a reduced tendency to modify behavior as a function of EV. The degree to which choices tracked EV correlated significantly with several cognitive measures in both patients and controls. SZ patients show distinct deviations from normal behavior under risk when their decisions are based on prospective outcomes. These deviations are two-fold: cognitive deficits prevent value-based DM in more-impaired patients, and in less-impaired patients there is a lack of influence from well-established subjective biases found in healthy people. These abnormalities likely affect everyday DM strategies in schizophrenia patients.
Collapse
|
46
|
Can risk-taking be an endophenotype for bipolar disorder? A study on patients with bipolar disorder type I and their first-degree relatives. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2013; 19:474-82. [PMID: 23410848 PMCID: PMC4180758 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617713000015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Risk-taking behavior and impulsivity are core features of bipolar disorder. Whether they are part of the inherited aspect of the illness is not clear. We aimed to evaluate risk-taking behavior as a potential endophenotype for bipolar disorders, and its relationship with impulsivity and illness features. The Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11) were used to assess risk-taking behavior and impulsivity respectively in 30 euthymic bipolar I patients (BD), their 25 asymptomatic first-degree relatives (BD-R), and 30 healthy controls (HC). The primary BART outcome measure was the behavioral adjustment score (number of pumps after trials where the balloon did not pop minus the number of pumps after trials where the balloon popped). BD (p < .001) and BD-R (p = .001) had similar and significantly lower adjustment scores than HC. Only BD scored significantly higher on BIS-11 total (p = .01) and motor (p = .04) subscales than HC. Neither the BART, nor impulsivity scores associated with illness features. A limitation of this study is medicated patients and a heterogeneous BD-R were included. Riskiness may be a candidate endophenotype for bipolar disorder as it appears independently from illness features, presents similarly in BD and BD-R groups and differs from impulsivity.
Collapse
|
47
|
Pietruska K, Armony JL. Differential effects of trait anger on optimism and risk behaviour. Cogn Emot 2013; 27:318-25. [DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2012.703130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
|