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Zhou Q, Zheng Y, Guo X, Wang Y, Pu C, Shi C, Yu X. Abnormal hedonic process in patients with stable schizophrenia: Relationships to negative symptoms and social functioning. Schizophr Res Cogn 2024; 38:100325. [PMID: 39263562 PMCID: PMC11388758 DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2024.100325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 08/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Background Anhedonia is a deficit of dynamic reward process, and a large proportion of schizophrenia patients continue to experience anhedonia even during the stable phase. However, few studies have examined the multiple aspects of performance in reward processing in patients with stable schizophrenia and evidence suggests that physical and cognitive effort may involve different neural mechanisms. Methods Parallel measures of effort-based expenditure for reward tasks (EEfRT) and self-report questionnaires of pleasure were applied in 61 patients with stable schizophrenia (SSZ) and 46 healthy controls (HCs), and percentages of hard task choices (HTC%) were used to assess motivation in reward processing. Negative symptoms, neurocognitive and social function were evaluated in SSZ patients, and associations with performance in reward tasks were explored. Results SSZ patients reported more severe consummatory and anticipatory anhedonia and social anhedonia. HTC% in reward tasks of SSZ patients were significantly lower than that of HCs, especially in cognitive-effort tasks. HTC% in cognitive tasks were correlated with motivation and pleasure dimension of negative symptoms, whereas HTC% in physical tasks were associated with expression dimension. Anticipatory anhedonia and negative symptoms were correlated with Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP) scores. Conclusion Patients with stable schizophrenia have social anhedonia, physically consummatory and anticipatory anhedonia and reduced reward motivation. They are less willing to make cognitive effort than physical effort for reward. The different associations of physical and cognitive effort with negative symptoms indicate physical and cognitive effort may represent disparate neuropsychological processes. Anticipatory anhedonia is closely related to social functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhou
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Zheng
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Xiaodong Guo
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chengcheng Pu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Chuan Shi
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Xin Yu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
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Olivares-García R, López-Cruz L, Carratalá-Ros C, Matas-Navarro P, Salamone JD, Correa M. Mild forced exercise in young mice prevents anergia induced by dopamine depletion in late adulthood: Relation to CDNF and DARPP-32 phosphorylation patterns in nucleus accumbens. Neuropharmacology 2024; 262:110197. [PMID: 39442910 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2024] [Revised: 09/16/2024] [Accepted: 10/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/25/2024]
Abstract
Mesolimbic dopamine (DA) plays a critical role in behavioral activation and exertion of effort in motivated behaviors. DA antagonism and depletion in nucleus accumbens (Nacb) induces anergia in effort-based decision-making tasks. Exercise improves motor function in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the beneficial effects of physical exercise on anergia, a symptom present in many psychiatric and neurological pathologies needs to be studied. During 9 weeks, young CD1 male mice were trained to run at a moderate speed in automatically turning running wheels (RW) (forced exercise group) or locked in static RWs (control group) in 1 h daily sessions. Both groups were tested in a 3-choice-T-maze task developed for the assessment of preference between active (RW) vs. sedentary reinforcers, and vulnerability to DA depletion-induced anergia was studied after tetrabenazine administration (TBZ; VMAT-2 blocker). Exercise did not change spontaneous preferences, did not affect body weight, plasma corticosterone levels or measures of anxiety, but it increased the cerebral DA neurotrophic factor (CDNF) in Nacb core, suggesting a neuroprotective effect in this nucleus. After TBZ administration, only the non-trained group showed a shift in relative preferences from active to sedentary options, reducing time running but increasing consumption of pellets, thus showing a typical anergic but not anhedonic effect. Moreover, only in the non-trained group, phosphorylation of DARPP-32(Thr34) increased after TBZ administration. These results are the first to show that mild forced exercise carried out from a young age to adulthood could act on Nacb-related functions, and prevent the anergia-inducing effects of DA depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura López-Cruz
- School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences, The Open University, MK7 6AA, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Carla Carratalá-Ros
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Campus de Riu Sec, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Paula Matas-Navarro
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Campus de Riu Sec, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - John D Salamone
- Behavioral Neuroscience Div., University of Connecticut, 06269-1020, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Mercè Correa
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Campus de Riu Sec, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain.
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Ecevitoglu A, Beard KR, Srynath S, Edelstein GA, Olivares-Garcia R, Martinez-Verdu A, Meka N, Correa M, Salamone JD. Pharmacological characterization of sex differences in the effects of dopaminergic drugs on effort-based decision making in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:2033-2044. [PMID: 38842701 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06615-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Motivational dysfunctions related to effort exertion are common in psychiatric disorders. Dopamine systems regulate exertion of effort and effort-based choice in humans and rodents. OBJECTIVES Previous rodent studies mainly employed male rats, and it is imperative to conduct studies in male and female rats. METHODS The present studies compared the effort-related effects of IP injections of the dopamine antagonists ecopipam and haloperidol, and the vesicular monoamine transport-2 inhibitor tetrabenazine (TBZ), in male and female rats using the fixed ratio 5/chow feeding choice task. RESULTS Ecopipam (0.05-0.2 mg/kg) and haloperidol (0.05-0.15 mg/kg) induced a low-effort bias, decreasing lever pressing and increasing chow intake in males and females in the same dose range. With lever pressing, there was a modest but significant dose x sex interaction after ecopipam injection, but there was no significant interaction after administration of haloperidol. In the first study with TBZ (0.25-1.0 mg/kg), there was a robust sex difference. TBZ shifted choice from lever pressing to chow intake in male rats, but was ineffective in females. In a second experiment, 2.0 mg/kg affected choice behavior in both males and females. TBZ increased accumbens c-Fos immunoreactivity in a sex-dependent manner, with males significantly increasing at 1.0 mg/kg, while females showed augmented immunoreactivity at 2.0 mg/kg. CONCLUSIONS The neural and behavioral effects of TBZ differed across sexes, emphasizing the importance of conducting studies in male and female rats. This research has implications for understanding the effort-related motivational dysfunctions seen in psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alev Ecevitoglu
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Kathryn R Beard
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Sonia Srynath
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Gayle A Edelstein
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Regulo Olivares-Garcia
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Campus de Riu Sec, Castelló, 12071, Spain
| | - Andrea Martinez-Verdu
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Campus de Riu Sec, Castelló, 12071, Spain
| | - Nicolette Meka
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Merce Correa
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Campus de Riu Sec, Castelló, 12071, Spain
| | - John D Salamone
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
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Ecevitoglu A, Meka N, Rotolo RA, Edelstein GA, Srinath S, Beard KR, Carratala-Ros C, Presby RE, Cao J, Okorom A, Newman AH, Correa M, Salamone JD. Potential therapeutics for effort-related motivational dysfunction: assessing novel atypical dopamine transport inhibitors. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:1309-1317. [PMID: 38429498 PMCID: PMC11224370 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01826-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
People with depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders can experience motivational dysfunctions such as fatigue and anergia, which involve reduced exertion of effort in goal-directed activity. To model effort-related motivational dysfunction, effort-based choice tasks can be used, in which rats can select between obtaining a preferred reinforcer by high exertion of effort vs. a low effort/less preferred option. Preclinical data indicate that dopamine transport (DAT) inhibitors can reverse pharmacologically-induced low-effort biases and increase selection of high-effort options in effort-based choice tasks. Although classical DAT blockers like cocaine can produce undesirable effects such as liability for misuse and psychotic reactions, not all DAT inhibitors have the same neurochemical profile. The current study characterized the effort-related effects of novel DAT inhibitors that are modafinil analogs and have a range of binding profiles and neurochemical actions (JJC8-088, JJC8-089, RDS3-094, and JJC8-091) by using two different effort-related choice behavior tasks in male Sprague-Dawley rats. JJC8-088, JJC8-089, and RDS3-094 significantly reversed the low-effort bias induced by the VMAT-2 inhibitor tetrabenazine, increasing selection of high-effort fixed ratio 5 lever pressing vs. chow intake. In addition, JJC8-089 reversed the effects of tetrabenazine in female rats. JJC8-088 and JJC8-089 also increased selection of high-effort progressive ratio responding in a choice task. However, JJC8-091 failed to produce these outcomes, potentially due to its unique pharmacological profile (i.e., binding to an occluded conformation of DAT). Assessment of a broad range of DAT inhibitors with different neurochemical characteristics may lead to the identification of compounds that are useful for treating motivational dysfunction in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alev Ecevitoglu
- Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA
| | - Nicolette Meka
- Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA
| | - Renee A Rotolo
- Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA
| | - Gayle A Edelstein
- Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA
| | - Sonya Srinath
- Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA
| | - Kathryn R Beard
- Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA
| | - Carla Carratala-Ros
- Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA
- Area de Psicobiología. Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - Rose E Presby
- Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA
| | - Jianjing Cao
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, NIDA-Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Amarachi Okorom
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, NIDA-Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Amy H Newman
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, NIDA-Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Mercè Correa
- Area de Psicobiología. Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - John D Salamone
- Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA.
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Graney PL, Chen MY, Wood RI, Wagner CK. Developmental exposure to 17-α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate disrupts decision-making in adult female rats: A potential role for a dopaminergic mechanism. Horm Behav 2024; 163:105550. [PMID: 38669977 PMCID: PMC11180592 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The synthetic progestin, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC), is administered to pregnant individuals at risk for preterm birth and is likely transferred from mother to fetus. Yet, there is little information regarding the potential effects of 17-OHPC administration on behavioral and neural development in offspring. In rats, neonatal 17-OHPC exposure altered dopaminergic fiber distribution and density in the prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in neonates and adolescents, respectively. Additionally, neonatal 17-OHPC exposure in male rats increased response omissions in a delay discounting task of impulsive decision-making. Because developmental 17-OHPC exposure has differential effects in males and females, investigating the effects of 17-OHPC on impulsive decision-making in female rats is necessary. The present study tested the effects of developmental 17-OHPC exposure (P1-P14) in a delay discounting task in which female rats chose between a small immediate reward and a larger delayed (0, 15 30, or 45 s) reward. 17-OHPC-exposed females made more omissions than controls. There was no effect of 17-OHPC on large reward preference nor on response time, and omissions were similar during both free- and forced-choice trials. The present study also aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying omissions in 17-OHPC-exposed female rats. The dopamine transporter inhibitor, methylphenidate (MPH), was administered prior to delay discounting testing. MPH treatment did not reduce omissions in 17-OHPC-exposed females. If anything, MPH increased omissions in control females nearly fourfold during the longest delays. These results suggest that developmental 17-OHPC exposure increased omissions without affecting impulsivity or slowing decision-making. Furthermore, omissions may be regulated, at least in part, by dopaminergic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige L Graney
- Department of Psychology & Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.
| | - Michael Y Chen
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Ruth I Wood
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christine K Wagner
- Department of Psychology & Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
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6
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Hales CA, Silveira MM, Calderhead L, Mortazavi L, Hathaway BA, Winstanley CA. Insight into differing decision-making strategies that underlie cognitively effort-based decision making using computational modeling in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:947-962. [PMID: 38172238 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06521-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE The rat cognitive effort task (rCET), a rodent model of cognitive rather than physical effort, requires animals to choose between an easy or hard visuospatial discrimination, with a correct hard choice more highly rewarded. Like in humans, there is stable individual variation in choice behavior. In previous reports, animals were divided into two groups-workers and slackers-based on their mean preference for the harder option. Although these groups differed in their response to pharmacological challenges, the rationale for using this criterion for grouping was not robust. METHODS We collated experimental data from multiple cohorts of male and female rats performing the rCET and used a model-based framework combining drift diffusion modeling with cluster analysis to identify the decision-making processes underlying variation in choice behavior. RESULTS We verified that workers and slackers are statistically different groups but also found distinct intra-group profiles. These subgroups exhibited dissociable performance during the attentional phase, linked to distinct decision-making profiles during choice. Reanalysis of previous pharmacology data using this model-based framework showed that serotonergic drug effects were explained by changes in decision boundaries and non-decision times, while scopolamine's effects were driven by changes in decision starting points and rates of evidence accumulation. CONCLUSIONS Modeling revealed the decision-making processes that are associated with cognitive effort costs, and how these differ across individuals. Reanalysis of drug data provided insight into the mechanisms through which different neurotransmitter systems impact cognitively effortful attention and decision-making processes, with relevance to multiple psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire A Hales
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Mason M Silveira
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Fashion Business School, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, London, UK
| | - Lucas Calderhead
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Leili Mortazavi
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Brett A Hathaway
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Catharine A Winstanley
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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7
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Jiang H, Zheng Y. Dissociable neural after-effects of cognitive and physical effort expenditure during reward evaluation. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:1500-1512. [PMID: 37821754 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01131-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
The reward after-effect of effort expenditure refers to the phenomenon that previous effort investment changes the subjective value of rewards when obtained. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the after-effects of effort exertion are still not fully understood. We investigated the modulation of reward after-effects by effort type (cognitive vs. physical) through the lens of neural dynamics. Thirty-two participants performed a physically or cognitively demanding task during an effort phase and then played a simple gambling game during a subsequent reward phase to earn monetary rewards while their electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded. We found that previous effort expenditure decreased electrocortical activity during feedback evaluation. Importantly, this effort effect occurred in a domain-general manner during the early stage (as indexed by the reward positivity) but in a domain-specific manner during the later and more elaborative stage (as indexed by the P3 and delta oscillation) of reward evaluation. Additionally, effort expenditure enhanced P3 sensitivity to feedback valence regardless of effort type. Our findings suggest that cognitive and physical effort, although bearing some surface resemblance to each other, may have dissociable neural influences on the reward after-effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiping Jiang
- Department of Psychology, Guangzhou University, 230 Wai Huan Xi Road, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, China
- Department of Psychology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Ya Zheng
- Department of Psychology, Guangzhou University, 230 Wai Huan Xi Road, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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Roberts BZ, O'Connor MA, Kenton JA, Barnes SA, Young JW. Short-active gestational photoperiod reduces effortful choice behavior in mice, partial normalization by d-amphetamine. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2303-2315. [PMID: 36806900 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06337-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Seasonal birth patterns consistently implicate winter gestation as a risk factor for several psychiatric conditions. We recently demonstrated that short-active (SA; 19:5 light:dark)-i.e., "winter-like"-photoperiod exposure across gestation and early life (E0-P28) induces psychiatrically relevant behavioral abnormalities in adult mice, including reduced immobility in the forced swim test (FST) and effortful amotivation. It is unknown, however, whether these effects were driven primarily by prenatal or postnatal mechanisms, and whether perinatal SA photoperiod would similarly reduce effort expenditure in a task relevant to everyday decision-making. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS We first tested male and female mice exposed to either gestational (E0-P0) or postnatal (E0-P28) SA photoperiod in the FST to determine whether the previously observed alteration was driven primarily by prenatal versus postnatal photoperiod. We then assessed whether SA gestational photoperiod reduces effortful choice behavior in the cross-species effort-based decision-making task (EBDMT) and whether any such deficit could be remediated by d-amphetamine (0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg, i.p.). RESULTS Mice exposed to prenatal, but not postnatal, SA photoperiod exhibited reduced FST immobility relative to controls and also demonstrated condition-dependently reduced preference for high-effort/high-reward versus low-effort/low-reward contingencies in the EBDMT. This effortful choice deficit was normalized by 0.1 mg/kg amphetamine. CONCLUSIONS These data: (1) suggest a greater contribution of gestational versus postnatal light conditions to the behavioral effects of perinatal SA photoperiod; and (2) implicate altered dopamine signaling in the behavioral phenotype of the SA-born mouse and possibly in the etiology of winter gestation-associated cases of psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Z Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Molly A O'Connor
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Johnny A Kenton
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Samuel A Barnes
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA.
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, USA.
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9
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Chong TTJ, Fortunato E, Bellgrove MA. Amphetamines Improve the Motivation to Invest Effort in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. J Neurosci 2023; 43:6898-6908. [PMID: 37666665 PMCID: PMC10573750 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0982-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Prevailing frameworks propose that a key feature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is lower motivation. An important component of motivation is the willingness to engage in cognitively or physically effortful behavior. However, the degree to which effort sensitivity is impaired in ADHD has rarely been tested, and the efficacy of stimulant medication in ameliorating any such impairments is unclear. Here, we tested 20 individuals with ADHD (11 males, 9 females) who were managed with amphetamine-based medication (dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine), and 24 controls (8 males, 16 females). Individuals with ADHD were tested over two counterbalanced sessions, ON and OFF their usual amphetamine-based medication. In each session, participants performed an effort-based decision-making task, in which they were required to choose how much cognitive or physical effort they were willing to engage in return for reward. Our results revealed three main findings. First, individuals with ADHD had lower motivation relative to controls to invest effort in both the cognitive and physical domains. Second, amphetamine increased motivation uniformly across both domains. Finally, the net effect of amphetamine treatment was to mostly restore motivation across both domains of effort relative to healthy controls. These data provide clear evidence for a heightened sensitivity to both cognitive and physical effort in ADHD, and reveal the efficacy of amphetamine-based drugs in restoring effort sensitivity to levels similar to controls. These findings confirm the existence of reduced motivational drive in ADHD, and more broadly provide direct causal evidence for a domain-general role of catecholamines in motivating effortful behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A core feature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is thought to be a heightened aversion to effort. Surprisingly, however, the degree to which effort sensitivity is impaired in ADHD has rarely been tested. More broadly, the relative efficacy of catecholamines in motivating the investment of cognitive and physical effort is unclear. We tested 20 individuals with ADHD ON and OFF amphetamines, and compared their behavior on an effort-based decision-making task to 24 controls. When tested OFF medication, the ADHD group was less cognitively and physically motivated than controls. However, amphetamines led to a comparable increase in motivation across both domains. This demonstrates the efficacy of catecholamines in facilitating domain-general effort, and highlights the broader potential of such drugs to treat disorders of motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor T-J Chong
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria 3065, Australia
| | - Erika Fortunato
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Mark A Bellgrove
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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Agrati D, Uriarte N. What can challenging reproductive contexts tell us about the rat's maternal behavior? Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1239681. [PMID: 37521725 PMCID: PMC10375047 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1239681] [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: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal behavior in mammals encompasses a complex repertoire of activities that ensure the survival of the offspring and shape their neural and behavioral development. The laboratory rat has been employed as a classic model for investigating maternal behavior, and recently with the use of advanced techniques, the knowledge of its neural basis has been expanded significantly. However, the standard laboratory testing conditions in which rats take care of a single litter impose constraints on the study of maternal flexibility. Interestingly, the reproductive characteristics of this species, including the existence of a fertile postpartum estrus, allow us to study maternal behavior in more complex and ethologically relevant contexts, even in laboratory settings. Here we review how maternal and sexual motivations interact during the postpartum estrus, shaping the behavioral response of females according to the presence of the pups and males. Next, we describe how impregnation during the postpartum estrus creates a new reproductive context in which mothers simultaneously care for two successive litters, adapting their responses to different behavioral and physiological demands of pups. These findings illustrate the behavioral adaptability of maternal rats to pups' needs and the presence of other reinforcers, as well as its dependence on the context. In our view, future perspectives in the field, by incorporating the use of cutting-edge techniques, should analyze maternal flexibility and its neural substrates in models that incorporate complex and challenging contexts. This approach would allow a more comprehensive understanding of brain circuits involved in the adaptive and flexible nature of parenting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniella Agrati
- Sección Fisiología y Nutrición, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Natalia Uriarte
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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Fatahi Z, Fatahi M, Mirramezani Alizamini M, Ghorbani A, Zibaii MI, Haghparast A. Exogenous Cannabinoids Impair Effort-Related Decision-Making via Affecting Neural Synchronization between the Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Nucleus Accumbens. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13030413. [PMID: 36979223 PMCID: PMC10046840 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13030413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans and animals frequently make an endeavor-based choice based on assessing reinforcement value and response costs. The cortical-limbic-striatal pathway mediates endeavor-based choice behavior, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Furthermore, cannabinoid agonists demonstratively impairs decision-making processes. In this study, neural synchronization and functional connectivity between the NAc and ACC while endeavor-related decision-making and reaching reward were evaluated. The effect of exogenous cannabinoids on this synchronization was then assessed. A T-maze decision-making task with a differential expense (low vs. high endeavor) and remuneration (low vs. high remuneration) was performed and local field potentials (LFP) from the ACC and NAc were registered simultaneously. Results showed functional connectivity during endeavor-related decision-making while the animals chose the high endeavor/high remuneration in both regions’ delta/beta (1–4 and 13–30 Hertz) frequency bands. Furthermore, functional connectivity existed between both areas in delta/theta (1–4 and 4–12) frequencies while reaching a remuneration. However, neural simultaneity was not observed while the animals received cannabinoid agonists, making a decision and reaching remuneration. The obtained results demonstrated that functional connectivity and neural simultaneity between the NAc and ACC in delta/beta and delta/theta frequencies have a role in endeavor-related decision-making and reaching remuneration, respectively. The effect of exogenous cannabinoids on decision-making impairment is relevant to changes in the ACC and NAC brain wave frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Fatahi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tehran P.O. Box 19615-1178, Iran
| | - Mohammad Fatahi
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran P.O. Box 14395-515, Iran
| | - Mirmohammadali Mirramezani Alizamini
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ahmad Ghorbani
- Laser and Plasma Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran P.O. Box 19839-6941, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ismail Zibaii
- Laser and Plasma Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran P.O. Box 19839-6941, Iran
| | - Abbas Haghparast
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tehran P.O. Box 19615-1178, Iran
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Tehran P.O. Box 19395-5531, Iran
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Sun X, Liu M, Xu X, Shi C, Zhang L, Yao Z, Chen J, Wang Q. Accumbal adenosine A 2A receptor inactivation biases for large and costly rewards in the effort- but not delay-based decision making. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109273. [PMID: 36252615 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The cost-benefit decision-making (CBDM) is critical to normal human activity and a diminished willingness to expend effort to obtain rewards is a prevalent/noted characteristic of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease. Numerous studies have identified nucleus accumbens (NAc) as an important locus for CBDM control but their neuromodulatory and behavioral mechanisms remain largely under-explored. Adenosine A2A receptors (A2ARs), which are highly concentrated in the striatopallidal neurons, can integrate glutamate and dopamine signals for controlling effort-related choice behaviors. While the involvement of A2ARs in effort-based decision making is well documented, the role of other decision variables (reward discrimination) in effort-based decision making and the role of A2AR in delay-based decision making are less clear. In this study, we have developed a well-controlled CBDM behavioral paradigm to manipulate effort/cost and reward independently or in combination, allowing a dissection of four behavioral elements: effort-based CBDM (E-CBDM), delay-based CBDM (D-CBDM), reward discrimination (RD), effort discrimination (ED), and determined the effect of genetic knockdown (KD) of NAc A2AR on the four behavioral elements. We found that A2AR KD in NAc increased the choice for larger, more costly reward in the E-CBDM, but not D-CBDM. Furthermore, this high-effort/high-reward bias was attributable to the increased willingness to engage in effort but not the effect of discrimination of reward magnitude. Our findings substantiate an important role of the NAc A2AR in control of E-CBDM and support that pharmacologically targeting NAc A2ARs would be a useful strategy for treating the aberrant effort-based decision making in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoting Sun
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory and Eye-Brain Research Center, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Min Liu
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory and Eye-Brain Research Center, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Xinyu Xu
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory and Eye-Brain Research Center, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Chennan Shi
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory and Eye-Brain Research Center, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Liping Zhang
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory and Eye-Brain Research Center, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Zhimo Yao
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory and Eye-Brain Research Center, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Jiangfan Chen
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory and Eye-Brain Research Center, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
| | - Qin Wang
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory and Eye-Brain Research Center, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
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Critical review of RDoC approaches to the study of motivation with animal models: effort valuation/willingness to work. Emerg Top Life Sci 2022; 6:515-528. [PMID: 36218385 DOI: 10.1042/etls20220008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The NIMH research domain criteria (RDoC) approach was instigated to refocus mental health research on the neural circuits that mediate psychological functions, with the idea that this would foster an understanding of the neural basis of specific psychiatric dysfunctions (i.e. 'symptoms and circuits') and ultimately facilitate treatment. As a general idea, this attempt to go beyond traditional diagnostic categories and focus on neural circuit dysfunctions related to specific symptoms spanning multiple disorders has many advantages. For example, motivational dysfunctions are present in multiple disorders, including depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, and other conditions. A critical aspect of motivation is effort valuation/willingness to work, and several clinical studies have identified alterations in effort-based decision making in various patient groups. In parallel, formal animal models focusing on the exertion of effort and effort-based decision making have been developed. This paper reviews the literature on models of effort-based motivational function in the context of a discussion of the RDoC approach, with an emphasis on the dissociable nature of distinct aspects of motivation. For example, conditions associated with depression and schizophrenia blunt the selection of high-effort activities as measured by several tasks in animal models (e.g. lever pressing, barrier climbing, wheel running). Nevertheless, these manipulations also leave fundamental aspects of hedonic reactivity, food motivation, and reinforcement intact. This pattern of effects demonstrates that the general emphasis of the RDoC on the specificity of the neural circuits mediating behavioral pathologies, and the dissociative nature of these dysfunctions, is a valid concept. Nevertheless, the specific placement of effort-related processes as simply a 'sub-construct' of 'reward processing' is empirically and conceptually problematic. Thus, while the RDoC is an excellent general framework for new ways to approach research and therapeutics, it still needs further refinement.
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Simonsson E, Stiernman LJ, Lundquist A, Rosendahl E, Hedlund M, Lindelöf N, Boraxbekk CJ. Dopamine D2/3-receptor availability and its association with autonomous motivation to exercise in older adults: An exploratory [11C]-raclopride study. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:997131. [DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.997131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundAutonomous motivation to exercise occurs when the activity is voluntary and with a perceived inherent satisfaction from the activity itself. It has been suggested that autonomous motivation is related to striatal dopamine D2/3-receptor (D2/3R) availability within the brain. In this study, we hypothesized that D2/3R availability in three striatal regions (nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, and putamen) would be positively associated with self-reported autonomous motivation to exercise. We also examined this relationship with additional exploratory analyses across a set of a priori extrastriatal regions of interest (ROI).MethodsOur sample comprised 49 older adults (28 females) between 64 and 78 years of age. The D2/3R availability was quantified from positron emission tomography using the non-displaceable binding potential of [11C]-raclopride ligand. The exercise-related autonomous motivation was assessed with the Swedish version of the Behavioral Regulations in Exercise Questionnaire-2.ResultsNo significant associations were observed between self-reported autonomous motivation to exercise and D2/3R availability within the striatum (nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, and putamen) using semi-partial correlations controlling for ROI volume on D2/3R availability. For exploratory analyses, positive associations were observed for the superior (r = 0.289, p = 0.023) and middle frontal gyrus (r = 0.330, p = 0.011), but not for the inferior frontal gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, or anterior insular cortex.ConclusionThis study could not confirm the suggested link between striatal D2/3R availability and subjective autonomous motivation to exercise among older adults. The exploratory findings, however, propose that frontal brain regions may be involved in the intrinsic regulation of exercise-related behaviors, though this has to be confirmed by future studies using a more suitable ligand and objective measures of physical activity levels.
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Seib DR, Princz-Lebel O, Chahley ER, Floresco SB, Snyder JS. Hippocampal neurogenesis promotes effortful responding but does not regulate effort-based choice. Hippocampus 2022; 32:818-827. [PMID: 36177887 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental trait of depression is low motivation. Hippocampal neurogenesis has been associated with motivational deficits but detailed evidence on how it regulates human-relevant behavioral traits is still missing. We used the hGFAP-TK rat model to deplete actively dividing neural stem cells in the rat hippocampus. Use of the effort-discounting operant task allowed us to identify specific and detailed deficits in motivation behavior. In this task, rats are given a choice between small and large food rewards, where 2-20 lever presses are required to obtain the large reward (four sugar pellets) versus one press to receive the smaller reward (two sugar pellets). We found that depleting adult neurogenesis did not affect effort-based choice or general motivation to complete the task. However, lack of adult neurogenesis reduced the pressing rate and thus increased time to complete the required presses to obtain a reward. In summary, the present study finds that adult hippocampal neurogenesis specifically reduces response vigor to obtain rewards and thus deepens our understanding in how neurogenesis shapes depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Désirée R Seib
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Oren Princz-Lebel
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Erin R Chahley
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stan B Floresco
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jason S Snyder
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Donovan A, Källström M, Wood RI. Effort-based decision making in response to high-dose androgens: role of dopamine receptors. Behav Pharmacol 2022; 33:435-441. [PMID: 36148834 PMCID: PMC9512319 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are performance-enhancing drugs used by both world-class and rank-and-file athletes. AAS abuse has been linked with risky decision-making, ranging from drunk driving to abusing multiple drugs. Our lab uses operant behavior in rats to test the effects of AAS (testosterone) on decision making. In our previous study, testosterone caused rats to work harder for food reward during an effort discounting (ED) task. ED is sensitive to dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, and AAS alter accumbens dopamine receptor expression. Accordingly, we determined if testosterone increases response to dopamine receptor antagonists during ED. METHODS Rats were treated chronically with high-dose testosterone (7.5 mg/kg; n = 9) or vehicle (n = 9). We measured baseline preference for the large reward in an ED task, where rats choose between a small easy reward (one lever press for one sugar pellet) and a large difficult reward (2, 5, 10, or 15 presses for three pellets). Preference for the large reward was measured after administration of D1-like (SCH23390, 0.01 mg/kg) or D2-like (eticlopride, 0.06 mg/kg) receptor antagonists. RESULTS At baseline, testosterone- and vehicle-treated rats showed similar preference for the large reward lever (FR5, testosterone: 68.6 ± 9.7% and vehicle: 85.7 ± 2.5%). SCH23390 reduced large reward preference significantly in both groups (FR5, testosterone: 41.3 ± 9.2%; vehicle: 49.1 ± 8.2%; F(1,16) = 17.7; P < 0.05). Eticlopride decreased large reward preference in both groups, but more strongly in testosterone-treated rats (FR5: testosterone: 37.0 ± 9.7%; vehicle: 56.3 ± 7.8%; F(1,16) = 35.3; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Testosterone increases response to dopamine D2-like receptor blockade, and this contributes to previously observed changes in decision-making behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Donovan
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Malin Källström
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ruth I. Wood
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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Kempster P, Ma A. Parkinson’s disease, dopaminergic drugs and the plant world. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:970714. [PMID: 36133818 PMCID: PMC9483127 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.970714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A large proportion of drugs used for the treatment of neurological disorders relate to naturally occurring compounds, many of which are plant alkaloids. This is particularly true of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The pharmacopoeia of PD has strong botanical origins, while major discoveries about the neurochemistry of the basal ganglia came from the study of phytochemicals. This article narrates the development of pharmacotherapy for PD in terms of historically important plant-derived substances—tropane and hamala alkaloids, reserpine, levodopa, apomorphine, and ergoline dopamine receptor agonists. Alkaloids are nitrogen-containing secondary metabolic products that tend to be biologically active. They appear to be involved in plants’ adaptation to herbivorous animals, though their exact purpose and the ways in which they work are uncertain. A sizable group of alkaloids influence animal dopaminergic systems, highlighting a key biological relationship. While animals must acquire the energy that plants harness, plants need to engage with the animal attribute that they lack—movement—in order to maximize their reproductive fitness. Neuroactive flowering plant compounds have been interacting with vertebrate and invertebrate motor systems for 100 million years. A deep evolutionary connection helps to explain why the pharmacological treatment of PD is imprinted with the power of these mysterious botanical chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Kempster
- Neurosciences Department, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- School of Clinical Sciences of Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: Peter Kempster,
| | - Andrew Ma
- Neurosciences Department, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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Depow GJ, Lin H, Inzlicht M. Cognitive effort for self, strangers, and charities. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15009. [PMID: 36056071 PMCID: PMC9440104 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19163-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Effort is aversive and often avoided, even when earning benefits for oneself. Yet, people sometimes work hard for others. How do people decide who is worth their effort? Prior work shows people avoid physical effort for strangers relative to themselves, but invest more physical effort for charity. Here, we find that people avoid cognitive effort for others relative to themselves, even when the cause is a personally meaningful charity. In two studies, participants repeatedly decided whether to invest cognitive effort to gain financial rewards for themselves and others. In Study 1, participants (N = 51; 150 choices) were less willing to invest cognitive effort for a charity than themselves. In Study 2, participants (N = 47; 225 choices) were more willing to work cognitively for a charity than an intragroup stranger, but again preferred cognitive exertion that benefited themselves. Computational modeling suggests that, unlike prior physical effort findings, cognitive effort discounted the subjective value of rewards linearly. Exploratory machine learning analyses suggest that people who represented others more similarly to themselves were more willing to invest effort on their behalf, opening up new avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J Depow
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada.
| | - Hause Lin
- Hill/Levene Schools of Business, University of Regina, Regina, Canada
- Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
| | - Michael Inzlicht
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
- Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Treadway MT, Salamone JD. Vigor, Effort-Related Aspects of Motivation and Anhedonia. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2022; 58:325-353. [PMID: 35505057 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
In this chapter we provide an overview of the pharmacological and circuit mechanisms that determine the willingness to expend effort in pursuit of rewards. A particular focus will be on the role of the mesolimbic dopamine system, as well the contributing roles of limbic and cortical brains areas involved in the evaluation, selection, and invigoration of goal-directed actions. We begin with a review of preclinical studies, which have provided key insights into the brain systems that are necessary and sufficient for effort-based decision-making and have characterized novel compounds that enhance selection of high-effort activities. Next, we summarize translational studies identifying and expanding this circuitry in humans. Finally, we discuss the relevance of this work for understanding common motivational impairments as part of the broader anhedonia symptom domain associated with mental illness, and the identification of new treatment targets within this circuitry to improve motivation and effort-expenditure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John D Salamone
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
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Bogdanov M, LoParco S, Otto AR, Sharp M. Dopaminergic medication increases motivation to exert cognitive control by reducing subjective effort costs in Parkinson's patients. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 193:107652. [PMID: 35724812 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Engaging in demanding mental activities requires the allocation of cognitive control, which can be effortful and aversive. Individuals thus tend to avoid exerting cognitive effort if less demanding behavioral options are available. Recent accounts propose a key role for dopamine in motivating behavior by increasing the sensitivity to rewards associated with effort exertion. Whether dopamine additionally plays a specific role in modulating the sensitivity to the costs of cognitive effort, even in the absence of any incentives, is much less clear. To address this question, we assessed cognitive effort avoidance in patients (n = 38) with Parkinson's disease, a condition characterized by loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, both ON and OFF dopaminergic medication and compared them to healthy controls (n = 24). Effort avoidance was assessed using the Demand Selection Task (DST), in which participants could freely choose between performing a high-demand or a low-demand version of a task-switching paradigm. Critically, participants were not offered any incentives to choose the more effortful option, nor for good performance. While healthy controls and patients OFF their dopaminergic medications consistently preferred the low-demand option, effort avoidance in patients ON dopaminergic medications was reduced compared to patients OFF, a difference which seems to lessen over trials. These differences in preference could not be explained by altered task-switching performance. Although patients ON were less accurate at detecting the different effort levels, as measured during instructed forced-choice blocks, their detection ability was not associated with effort avoidance, unlike in the healthy controls and the patients OFF. Our findings provide evidence that dopamine replacement in Parkinson's patients increases the willingness to engage in cognitively demanding behavior, and that this cannot be explained by possible effects of dopamine replacement on performance nor on the ability to detect effort demands. These results suggest that dopamine plays a role in reducing the sensitivity to effort costs that is independent of its role in enhancing the sensitivity to the benefits of effort exertion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Bogdanov
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal QC H3A 1G1 Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal QC H3A 2B4 Canada.
| | - Sophia LoParco
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal QC H3A 1G1 Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal QC H3A 1A1 Canada
| | - A Ross Otto
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal QC H3A 1G1 Canada
| | - Madeleine Sharp
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal QC H3A 2B4 Canada
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Adolescence and Postpartum: Two Life Periods to Deepen Our Understanding of the Complexity of Female Rat Sexual Behavior. SEXES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/sexes3020022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The sexual behavior of the female rat has been extensively studied and used as a model for human female sexuality. The development of models that focus on sexual interaction from the female’s perspective has demonstrated the complexity of this behavior, in which motivational and affective aspects have great relevance. This review describes, from a historical perspective, some of the studies that have shed light on this complexity and presents the potential of two periods in the female’s life to expand our understanding of sexual behavior: adolescence and postpartum estrus. Cycling adolescent female rats can express sexual behavior even though some of the underlying circuitry is still developing. Therefore, this is an ideal time for studying the ontogeny of sexual behavior, the interaction of sexual and social motivations, and the neuroendocrine changes that lead to adult behavior. Female rats also show a fertile estrus a few hours after parturition. During this period, rats are simultaneously sexually and maternally motivated, making postpartum estrus an excellent model for exploring the interaction of these two social motivations. What we know so far about female sexual behavior in these unique periods of life reaffirms its richness and shows that much remains to be known.
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Babaev O, Cruces Solis H, Arban R. Dopamine modulating agents alter individual subdomains of motivation-related behavior assessed by touchscreen procedures. Neuropharmacology 2022; 211:109056. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Salamone J, Ecevitoglu A, Carratala-Ros C, Presby R, Edelstein G, Fleeher R, Rotolo R, Meka N, Srinath S, Masthay JC, Correa M. Complexities and Paradoxes in Understanding the Role of Dopamine in Incentive Motivation and Instrumental Action: Exertion of Effort vs. Anhedonia. Brain Res Bull 2022; 182:57-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Lemon C, Del Arco A. Intermittent social stress produces different short- and long-term effects on effort-based reward-seeking behavior. Behav Brain Res 2022; 417:113613. [PMID: 34600962 PMCID: PMC8670294 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies show that intermittent social defeat (ISD) stress increases self-administration of psychostimulants, which suggests that ISD promotes reward-seeking behavior and, ultimately, increases vulnerability to develop drug abuse. The present study investigates whether ISD alters cost/benefit evaluations to promote reward-seeking behavior and whether these alterations are time-dependent. Male rats performed two different tasks that assessed their motivation to seek and consume food rewards. An effort-discounting task in which rats chose between less and more effortful options (i.e., 1 lever-press versus 2, 5, 10 or 20 lever-presses) associated with low- and high-reward (i.e., 1 sugar pellet versus 3 sugar pellets), respectively; and a progressive ratio task in which rats had to increase their effort (more lever presses) to obtain a sugar pellet. ISD consisted of exposing animals to social defeat once every three days for ten days (4 stress episodes). Rats were tested 24-48 h after stress episodes, and 1 week and 6 weeks after the last stress episode. In the effort-discounting task, stressed animals showed a decrease in their preference for high rewards associated with more effort (i.e., 10 and 20 lever-presses). These effects were transient and not maintained one week after stress. In the progressive ratio task, stressed animals showed an increase in the number of lever presses to obtain rewards that emerged six weeks after the last stress episode. These results suggest different short- and long-term effects on the motivation for rewards after ISD and indicate temporal dynamic adaptations in the function of the brain reward system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Lemon
- HSERM, School of Applied Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
| | - Alberto Del Arco
- HSERM, School of Applied Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS,Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, Medical School, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS,Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
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25
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Jurgelis M, Boardman JM, Coxon JP, Drummond SPA, Chong TTJ. Sleep Restriction Reduces Cognitive but Not Physical Motivation. Nat Sci Sleep 2022; 14:2001-2012. [PMID: 36394069 PMCID: PMC9642807 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s368335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Motivation is an important driver of behaviour, and several frameworks distinguish the willingness of individuals to invest cognitive versus physical effort to achieve a goal. One outstanding question is whether sleep loss lowers motivation within specific domains of effort, or has a global effect on motivation across multiple domains. Here, we investigated the effects of sleep restriction on the motivation to invest cognitive or physical effort in return for reward. MATERIALS AND METHODS 24 healthy young adults (11 females) completed an effort-based decision-making task over two laboratory sessions - once while sleep restricted (three consecutive nights with a three-hour sleep opportunity), and the other while fully rested (nine-hour sleep opportunity on each night). In an initial reinforcement phase, participants were trained to ceiling performance across six levels of effort on separate cognitively and physically demanding tasks. Then, in the critical decision-making phase, participants revealed their preference for how much cognitive or physical effort they would be willing to invest for reward. RESULTS Sleep restriction reduced the willingness to exert cognitive effort, but spared motivation in the physical domain. Furthermore, the reduction in cognitive motivation appeared to be a primary motivational deficit, which could not be attributed to differences in reward-likelihood of different levels of effort or the temporal structure of the task. CONCLUSION The results suggest that sleep restriction has a selective effect on cognitive over physical motivation, which has significant implications for real-world settings in which individuals must maintain high levels of cognitive motivation in the face of chronic sleep loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mindaugas Jurgelis
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Johanna M Boardman
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - James P Coxon
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Sean P A Drummond
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Trevor T J Chong
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, 3065, Australia
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26
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McLauchlan DJ, Lancaster T, Craufurd D, Linden DEJ, Rosser AE. Different depression: motivational anhedonia governs antidepressant efficacy in Huntington's disease. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac278. [PMID: 36440100 PMCID: PMC9683390 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is more common in neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease than the general population. Antidepressant efficacy is well-established for depression within the general population: a recent meta-analysis showed serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants and mirtazapine outperformed other antidepressants. Despite the severe morbidity, antidepressant choice in Huntington's disease is based on Class IV evidence. We used complementary approaches to determine treatment choice for depression in Huntington's disease: propensity score analyses of antidepressant treatment outcome using the ENROLL-HD data set, and a dissection of the cognitive mechanisms underlying depression in Huntington's disease using a cognitive battery based on the Research Domain Criteria for Depression. Study 1 included ENROLL-HD 5486 gene-positive adult patients started on an antidepressant medication for depression. Our outcome measures were depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale or Problem Behaviours Assessment 'Depressed Mood' item) at first follow-up (primary outcome) and all follow-ups (secondary outcome). The intervention was antidepressant class. We used Svyglm&Twang in R to perform propensity scoring, using known variables (disease progression, medical comorbidity, psychiatric morbidity, sedatives, number of antidepressants, demographics and antidepressant contraindications) to determine the probability of receiving different antidepressants (propensity score) and then included the propensity score in a model of treatment efficacy. Study 2 recruited 51 gene-positive adult patients and 26 controls from the South Wales Huntington's Disease Management Service. Participants completed a motor assessment, in addition to measures of depression and apathy, followed by tasks measuring consummatory anhedonia, motivational anhedonia, learning from reward and punishment and reaction to negative outcome. We used generalised linear models to determine the association between task performance and depression scores. Study 1 showed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors outperformed serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors on the primary outcome (P = 0.048), whilst both selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (P = 0.00069) and bupropion (P = 0.0045) were superior to serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors on the secondary outcome. Study 2 demonstrated an association between depression score and effort for reward that was not explained by apathy. No other mechanisms were associated with depression score. We found that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and bupropion outperform serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors at alleviating depression in Huntington's disease. Moreover, motivational anhedonia appears the most significant mechanism underlying depression in Huntington's disease. Bupropion is improves motivational anhedonia and has a synergistic effect with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. This work provides the first large-scale, objective evidence to determine treatment choice for depression in Huntington's disease, and provides a model for determining antidepressant efficacy in other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan James McLauchlan
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK.,Department of Neurology, Morriston Hospital, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Swansea SA6 6NL, UK
| | - Thomas Lancaster
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK.,Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Center, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - David Craufurd
- Manchester Center for Genomic Medicine, Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Center, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.,St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Center, Manchester M13 9WL, UK
| | - David E J Linden
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK.,Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Center, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK.,School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Fac. Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Anne E Rosser
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK.,Department of Neurology, Morriston Hospital, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Swansea SA6 6NL, UK.,School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
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Wardle MC, Pabon E, Webber HE, de Wit H. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol reduces willingness to exert effort in women. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:1487-1497. [PMID: 35102424 PMCID: PMC8803458 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-06032-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of cannabis has been clinically associated with decreased motivation to engage in normally rewarding activities. However, evidence from previous controlled studies is mixed. METHOD In this study, we examined the effects of acute delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) versus placebo on a task measuring willingness to exert effort for rewards. This is a secondary analysis of a larger study examining interactions between ovarian hormones and THC. In this within-subjects study, oral THC and placebo were administered under double-blind conditions in counterbalanced order to healthy young adult (M age = 24 years) women with previous cannabis experience who were not regular users. Forty subjects completed three 4-h sessions with PL, 7.5 and 15 mg THC, while an additional 18 completed only PL and 15 mg THC sessions (design abridged due to pandemic). At each session, they completed a task consisting of making repeated choices between a hard and an easy task, which were worth varying amounts of money at varying probabilities. RESULTS THC dose-dependently decreased hard task choices (drug effect, b = - 0.79, SE = 0.29, z = - 2.67, p < 0.01), especially at moderate to high expected values of reward (drug × probability × amount interaction, b = 0.77, SE = 0.38, z = 1.99, p = 0.04). THC also slowed task performance (drug effect, b = 0.01, SE = 0.005, t(5.24) = 2.11, p = 0.04), but the effect of THC on choice was still significant after controlling for this psychomotor slowing. CONCLUSIONS These findings support the idea that cannabis acutely reduces motivation to earn non-drug rewards. Still to be determined are the neurochemical mechanisms underlying this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret C. Wardle
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois Chicago, 1007 W. Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60607 USA
| | - Elisa Pabon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| | - Heather E. Webber
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1941 East Rd, Houston, TX 77054 USA
| | - Harriet de Wit
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL 60637 USA
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Heightened effort discounting is a common feature of both apathy and fatigue. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22283. [PMID: 34782630 PMCID: PMC8593117 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01287-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Apathy and fatigue have distinct aetiologies, yet can manifest in phenotypically similar ways. In particular, each can give rise to diminished goal-directed behaviour, which is often cited as a key characteristic of both traits. An important issue therefore is whether currently available approaches are capable of distinguishing between them. Here, we examined the relationship between commonly administered inventories of apathy and fatigue, and a measure of goal-directed activity that assesses the motivation to engage in effortful behaviour. 103 healthy adults completed self-report inventories on apathy (the Dimensional Apathy Scale), and fatigue (the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, and/or Modified Fatigue Impact Scale). In addition, all participants performed an effort discounting task, in which they made choices about their willingness to engage in physically effortful activity. Importantly, self-report ratings of apathy and fatigue were strongly correlated, suggesting that these inventories were insensitive to the fundamental differences between the two traits. Furthermore, greater effort discounting was strongly associated with higher ratings across all inventories, suggesting that a common feature of both traits is a lower motivation to engage in effortful behaviour. These results have significant implications for the assessment of both apathy and fatigue, particularly in clinical groups in which they commonly co-exist.
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Roughley S, Marcus A, Killcross S. Dopamine D1 and D2 Receptors Are Important for Learning About Neutral-Valence Relationships in Sensory Preconditioning. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:740992. [PMID: 34526883 PMCID: PMC8435570 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.740992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine neurotransmission has been ascribed multiple functions with respect to both motivational and associative processes in reward-based learning, though these have proven difficult to tease apart. In order to better describe the role of dopamine in associative learning, this series of experiments examined the potential of dopamine D1- and D2-receptor antagonism (or combined antagonism) to influence the ability of rats to learn neutral valence stimulus-stimulus associations. Using a sensory preconditioning task, rats were first exposed to pairings of two neutral stimuli (S2-S1). Subsequently, S1 was paired with a mild foot-shock and resulting fear to both S1 (directly conditioned) and S2 (preconditioned) was examined. Initial experiments demonstrated the validity of the procedure in that measures of sensory preconditioning were shown to be contingent on pairings of the two sensory stimuli. Subsequent experiments indicated that systemic administration of dopamine D1- or D2-receptor antagonists attenuated learning when administered prior to S2-S1 pairings. However, the administration of a more generic D1R/D2R antagonist was without effect. These effects remained constant regardless of the affective valence of the conditioning environment and did not differ between male and female rats. The results are discussed in the context of recent suggestions that dopaminergic systems encode more than a simple reward prediction error, and provide potential avenues for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Abigail Marcus
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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30
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Cavanagh JF, Gregg D, Light GA, Olguin SL, Sharp RF, Bismark AW, Bhakta SG, Swerdlow NR, Brigman JL, Young JW. Electrophysiological biomarkers of behavioral dimensions from cross-species paradigms. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:482. [PMID: 34535625 PMCID: PMC8448772 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01562-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
There has been a fundamental failure to translate preclinically supported research into clinically efficacious treatments for psychiatric disorders. One of the greatest impediments toward improving this species gap has been the difficulty of identifying translatable neurophysiological signals that are related to specific behavioral constructs. Here, we present evidence from three paradigms that were completed by humans and mice using analogous procedures, with each task eliciting candidate a priori defined electrophysiological signals underlying effortful motivation, reinforcement learning, and cognitive control. The effortful motivation was assessed using a progressive ratio breakpoint task, yielding a similar decrease in alpha-band activity over time in both species. Reinforcement learning was assessed via feedback in a probabilistic learning task with delta power significantly modulated by reward surprise in both species. Additionally, cognitive control was assessed in the five-choice continuous performance task, yielding response-locked theta power seen across species, and modulated by difficulty in humans. Together, these successes, and also the teachings from these failures, provide a roadmap towards the use of electrophysiology as a method for translating findings from the preclinical assays to the clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- James F. Cavanagh
- grid.266832.b0000 0001 2188 8502Psychology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM USA
| | - David Gregg
- grid.266832.b0000 0001 2188 8502Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA
| | - Gregory A. Light
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804 USA ,grid.410371.00000 0004 0419 2708VISN-22 Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Sarah L. Olguin
- grid.266832.b0000 0001 2188 8502Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA
| | - Richard F. Sharp
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804 USA
| | - Andrew W. Bismark
- grid.410371.00000 0004 0419 2708VISN-22 Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Savita G. Bhakta
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804 USA
| | - Neal R. Swerdlow
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804 USA
| | - Jonathan L. Brigman
- grid.266832.b0000 0001 2188 8502Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA
| | - Jared W. Young
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804 USA ,grid.410371.00000 0004 0419 2708VISN-22 Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA USA
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31
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Toschi C, Hervig MES, Moazen P, Parker MG, Dalley JW, Gether U, Robbins TW. Adaptive aspects of impulsivity and interactions with effects of catecholaminergic agents in the 5-choice serial reaction time task: implications for ADHD. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2601-2615. [PMID: 34104987 PMCID: PMC8373759 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05883-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Work in humans has shown that impulsivity can be advantageous in certain settings. However, evidence for so-called functional impulsivity is lacking in experimental animals. AIMS This study investigated the contexts in which high impulsive (HI) rats show an advantage in performance compared with mid- (MI) and low impulsive (LI) rats. We also assessed the effects of dopaminergic and noradrenergic agents to investigate underlying neurotransmitter mechanisms. METHODS We tested rats on a variable inter-trial interval (ITI) version of the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT). Rats received systemic injections of methylphenidate (MPH, 1 mg/kg and 3 mg/kg), atomoxetine (ATO, 0.3 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg), amphetamine (AMPH, 0.2 mg/kg), the alpha-2a adrenoceptor antagonist atipamezole (ATI, 0.3 mg/kg) and the alpha-1 adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine (PHEN, 1 mg/kg) prior to behavioural testing. RESULTS Unlike LI rats, HI rats exhibited superior performance, earning more reinforcers, on short ITI trials, when the task required rapid responding. MPH, AMPH and ATI improved performance on short ITI trials and increased impulsivity in long ITI trials, recapitulating the behavioural profile of HI. In contrast, ATO and PHEN impaired performance on short ITI trials and decreased impulsivity, thus mimicking the behavioural profile of LI rats. The effects of ATO were greater on MI rats and LI rats. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that impulsivity can be advantageous when rapid focusing and actions are required, an effect that may depend on increased dopamine neurotransmission. Conversely, activation of the noradrenergic system, with ATO and PHEN, led to a general inhibition of responding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Toschi
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Downing St., CB2 3EB, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Mona El-Sayed Hervig
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Downing St., CB2 3EB, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Parisa Moazen
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Downing St., CB2 3EB, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maximilian G Parker
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Downing St., CB2 3EB, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jeffrey W Dalley
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Downing St., CB2 3EB, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ulrik Gether
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Downing St., CB2 3EB, Cambridge, UK
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Kempster PA, Perju-Dumbrava L. The Thermodynamic Consequences of Parkinson's Disease. Front Neurol 2021; 12:685314. [PMID: 34512508 PMCID: PMC8427692 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.685314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Several lines of evidence point to a pervasive disturbance of energy balance in Parkinson's disease (PD). Weight loss, common and multifactorial, is the most observable sign of this. Bradykinesia may be best understood as an underinvestment of energy in voluntary movement. This accords with rodent experiments that emphasise the importance of dopamine in allocating motor energy expenditure. Oxygen consumption studies in PD suggest that, when activities are standardised for work performed, these inappropriate energy thrift settings are actually wasteful. That the dopaminergic deficit of PD creates a problem with energy efficiency highlights the role played by the basal ganglia, and by dopamine, in thermodynamic governance. This involves more than balancing energy, since living things maintain their internal order by controlling transformations of energy, resisting probabilistic trends to more random states. This review will also look at recent research in PD on the analysis of entropy-an information theory metric of predictability in a message-in recordings from the basal ganglia. Close relationships between energy and information converge around the concept of entropy. This is especially relevant to the motor system, which regulates energy exchange with the outside world through its flow of information. The malignant syndrome in PD, a counterpart of neuroleptic malignant syndrome, demonstrates how much thermodynamic disruption can result from breakdown of motor signalling in an extreme hypodopaminergic state. The macroenergetic disturbances of PD are consistent with a unifying hypothesis of dopamine's neurotransmitter actions-to adapt energy expenditure to prevailing economic circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A. Kempster
- Neurosciences Department, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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Hori Y, Nagai Y, Mimura K, Suhara T, Higuchi M, Bouret S, Minamimoto T. D1- and D2-like receptors differentially mediate the effects of dopaminergic transmission on cost-benefit evaluation and motivation in monkeys. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001055. [PMID: 34197448 PMCID: PMC8248602 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been widely accepted that dopamine (DA) plays a major role in motivation, yet the specific contribution of DA signaling at D1-like receptor (D1R) and D2-like receptor (D2R) to cost–benefit trade-off remains unclear. Here, by combining pharmacological manipulation of DA receptors (DARs) and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, we assessed the relationship between the degree of D1R/D2R blockade and changes in benefit- and cost-based motivation for goal-directed behavior of macaque monkeys. We found that the degree of blockade of either D1R or D2R was associated with a reduction of the positive impact of reward amount and increasing delay discounting. Workload discounting was selectively increased by D2R antagonism. In addition, blocking both D1R and D2R had a synergistic effect on delay discounting but an antagonist effect on workload discounting. These results provide fundamental insight into the distinct mechanisms of DA action in the regulation of the benefit- and cost-based motivation, which have important implications for motivational alterations in both neurological and psychiatric disorders. Using quantitatively controlled pharmacological manipulations, this study teases apart the role of D1- and D2-like dopamine receptors in motivation and goal-directed behavior in monkeys, revealing complementary roles of two dopamine receptor subtypes in the computation of the cost/benefit trade-off to guide action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukiko Hori
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yuji Nagai
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Koki Mimura
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Suhara
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Makoto Higuchi
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Sebastien Bouret
- Team Motivation Brain & Behavior, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Takafumi Minamimoto
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Westbrook A, Frank MJ, Cools R. A mosaic of cost-benefit control over cortico-striatal circuitry. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 25:710-721. [PMID: 34120845 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine contributes to cognitive control through well-established effects in both the striatum and cortex. Although earlier work suggests that dopamine affects cognitive control capacity, more recent work suggests that striatal dopamine may also impact on cognitive motivation. We consider the emerging perspective that striatal dopamine boosts control by making people more sensitive to the benefits versus the costs of cognitive effort, and we discuss how this sensitivity shapes competition between controlled and prepotent actions. We propose that dopamine signaling in distinct cortico-striatal subregions mediates different types of cost-benefit tradeoffs, and also discuss mechanisms for the local control of dopamine release, enabling selectivity among cortico-striatal circuits. In so doing, we show how this cost-benefit mosaic can reconcile seemingly conflicting findings about the impact of dopamine signaling on cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Westbrook
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Michael J Frank
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Roshan Cools
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Dose-response effects of d-amphetamine on effort-based decision-making and reinforcement learning. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1078-1085. [PMID: 32722661 PMCID: PMC8115674 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0779-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Effort-related decision-making and reward learning are both dopamine-dependent, but preclinical research suggests they depend on different dopamine signaling dynamics. Therefore, the same dose of a dopaminergic medication could have differential effects on effort for reward vs. reward learning. However, no study has tested how effort and reward learning respond to the same dopaminergic medication within subjects. The current study aimed to test the effect of therapeutic doses of d-amphetamine on effort for reward and reward learning in the same healthy volunteers. Participants (n = 30) completed the Effort Expenditure for Reward Task (EEfRT) measure of effort-related decision-making, and the Probabilistic Reward Task (PRT) measure of reward learning, under placebo and two doses of d-amphetamine (10 mg, and 20 mg). Secondarily, we examined whether the individual characteristics of baseline working memory and willingness to exert effort for reward moderated the effects of d-amphetamine. d-Amphetamine increased willingness to exert effort, particularly at low to intermediate expected values of reward. Computational modeling analyses suggested this was due to decreased effort discounting rather than probability discounting or decision consistency. Both baseline effort and working memory emerged as moderators of this effect, such that d-amphetamine increased effort more in individuals with lower working memory and lower baseline effort, also primarily at low to intermediate expected values of reward. In contrast, d-amphetamine had no significant effect on reward learning. These results have implications for treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, which may be characterized by multiple underlying reward dysfunctions.
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Dopaminergic modulation of reward discounting in healthy rats: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:711-723. [PMID: 33215269 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05723-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Although numerous studies have suggested that pharmacological alteration of the dopamine (DA) system modulates reward discounting, these studies have produced inconsistent findings. OBJECTIVES Here, we conducted a systematic review and pre-registered meta-analysis to evaluate DA drug-mediated effects on reward discounting of time, probability, and effort costs in studies of healthy rats. This produced a total of 1343 articles to screen for inclusion/exclusion. From the literature, we identified 117 effects from approximately 1549 individual rats. METHODS Using random effects with maximum-likelihood estimation, we meta-analyzed placebo-controlled drug effects for (1) DA D1-like receptor agonists and (2) antagonists, (3) D2-like agonists and (4) antagonists, and (5) DA transporter-modulating drugs. RESULTS Meta-analytic effects showed that DAT-modulating drugs decreased reward discounting. While D1-like and D2-like antagonists both increased discounting, agonist drugs for those receptors had no significant effect on discounting behavior. A number of these effects appear contingent on study design features like cost type, rat strain, and microinfusion location. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest a nuanced relationship between DA and discounting behavior and urge caution when drawing generalizations about the effects of pharmacologically manipulating dopamine on reward-based decision-making.
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Carratalá-Ros C, Olivares-García R, Martínez-Verdú A, Arias-Sandoval E, Salamone JD, Correa M. Energizing effects of bupropion on effortful behaviors in mice under positive and negative test conditions: modulation of DARPP-32 phosphorylation patterns. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:3357-3373. [PMID: 34498115 PMCID: PMC8629809 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05950-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Motivational symptoms such as anergia, fatigue, and reduced exertion of effort are seen in depressed people. To model this, nucleus accumbens (Nacb) dopamine (DA) depletions are used to induce a low-effort bias in rodents tested on effort-based decision-making. We evaluated the effect of the catecholamine uptake blocker bupropion on its own, and after administration of tetrabenazine (TBZ), which blocks vesicular storage, depletes DA, and induces depressive symptoms in humans. Male CD1 mice were tested on a 3-choice-T-maze task that assessed preference between a reinforcer involving voluntary physical activity (running wheel, RW) vs. sedentary activities (sweet food pellet intake or a neutral non-social odor). Mice also were tested on the forced swim test (FST), two anxiety-related measures (dark-light box (DL), and elevated plus maze (EPM)). Expression of phosphorylated DARPP-32 (Thr34 and Thr75) was evaluated by immunohistochemistry as a marker of DA-related signal transduction. Bupropion increased selection of RW activity on the T-maze. TBZ reduced time running, but increased time-consuming sucrose, indicating an induction of a low-effort bias, but not an effect on primary sucrose motivation. In the FST, bupropion reduced immobility, increasing swimming and climbing, and TBZ produced the opposite effects. Bupropion reversed the effects of TBZ on the T-maze and the FST, and also on pDARPP32-Thr34 expression in Nacb core. None of these manipulations affected anxiety-related parameters. Thus, bupropion improved active behaviors, which were negatively motivated in the FST, and active behaviors that were positively motivated in the T-maze task, which has implications for using catecholamine uptake inhibitors for treating anergia and fatigue-like symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Carratalá-Ros
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Campus de Riu Sec, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | | | - Andrea Martínez-Verdú
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Campus de Riu Sec, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Edgar Arias-Sandoval
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Campus de Riu Sec, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - John D. Salamone
- Behavioral Neuroscience Division, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1020 USA
| | - Mercè Correa
- Àrea de Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Campus de Riu Sec, 12071, Castelló, Spain.
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Hofmans L, Papadopetraki D, van den Bosch R, Määttä JI, Froböse MI, Zandbelt BB, Westbrook A, Verkes RJ, Cools R. Methylphenidate boosts choices of mental labor over leisure depending on striatal dopamine synthesis capacity. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:2170-2179. [PMID: 32919405 PMCID: PMC7784967 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00834-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The cognitive enhancing effects of methylphenidate are well established, but the mechanisms remain unclear. We recently demonstrated that methylphenidate boosts cognitive motivation by enhancing the weight on the benefits of a cognitive task in a manner that depended on striatal dopamine. Here, we considered the complementary hypothesis that methylphenidate might also act by changing the weight on the opportunity cost of a cognitive task, that is, the cost of foregoing alternative opportunity. To this end, 50 healthy participants (25 women) completed a novel cognitive effort-discounting task that required choices between task and leisure. They were tested on methylphenidate, placebo, as well as the selective D2-receptor agent sulpiride, the latter to strengthen inference about dopamine receptor selectivity of methylphenidate's effects. Furthermore, they also underwent an [18F]DOPA PET scan to quantify striatal dopamine synthesis capacity. Methylphenidate boosted choices of cognitive effort over leisure across the group, and this effect was greatest in participants with more striatal dopamine synthesis capacity. The effects of sulpiride did not reach significance. This study strengthens the motivational account of methylphenidate's effects on cognition, and suggests that methylphenidate reduces the cost of mental labor by increasing striatal dopamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieke Hofmans
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Danae Papadopetraki
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ruben van den Bosch
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica I Määttä
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Monja I Froböse
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bram B Zandbelt
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew Westbrook
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistics and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Robbert-Jan Verkes
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Forensic Psychiatric Centre Nijmegen, Pompestichting, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Criminal Law, Law School, Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Roshan Cools
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Atkins KJ, Andrews SC, Stout JC, Chong TTJ. Dissociable Motivational Deficits in Pre-manifest Huntington's Disease. CELL REPORTS MEDICINE 2020; 1:100152. [PMID: 33377123 PMCID: PMC7762769 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2020.100152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Motivation is characterized by a willingness to overcome both cognitive and physical effort costs. Impairments in motivation are common in striatal disorders, such as Huntington’s disease (HD), but whether these impairments are isolated to particular domains of behavior is controversial. We ask whether HD differentially affects the willingness of individuals to overcome cognitive versus physical effort. We tested 20 individuals with pre-manifest HD and compared their behavior to 20 controls. Across separate trials, participants made choices about how much cognitive or physical effort they were willing to invest for reward. Our key results were that individuals with pre-manifest HD were less willing than controls to invest cognitive effort but were no different in their overall preference for physical effort. These results cannot be explained by group differences in neuropsychological or psychiatric profiles. This dissociation of cognitive- and physical-effort-based decisions provides important evidence for separable, domain-specific mechanisms of motivation. We examine cognitive and physical effort discounting in pre-manifest HD Individuals with pre-manifest HD are less cognitively motivated than controls There are no differences in physical motivation between the two groups This dissociation is not confounded by neuropsychological or psychiatric factors
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly J Atkins
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Sophie C Andrews
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2033, Australia
| | - Julie C Stout
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Trevor T-J Chong
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3065, Australia
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40
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Rotolo RA, Kalaba P, Dragacevic V, Presby RE, Neri J, Robertson E, Yang JH, Correa M, Bakulev V, Volkova NN, Pifl C, Lubec G, Salamone JD. Behavioral and dopamine transporter binding properties of the modafinil analog (S, S)-CE-158: reversal of the motivational effects of tetrabenazine and enhancement of progressive ratio responding. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:3459-3470. [PMID: 32770257 PMCID: PMC7572767 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05625-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Atypical dopamine (DA) transport blockers such as modafinil and its analogs may be useful for treating motivational symptoms of depression and other disorders. Previous research has shown that the DA depleting agent tetrabenazine can reliably induce motivational deficits in rats, as evidenced by a shift towards a low-effort bias in effort-based choice tasks. This is consistent with human studies showing that people with major depression show a bias towards low-effort activities. OBJECTIVES Recent studies demonstrated that the atypical DA transport (DAT) inhibitor (S)-CE-123 reversed tetrabenazine-induced motivational deficits, increased progressive ratio (PROG) lever pressing, and increased extracellular DA in the nucleus accumbens. In the present studies, a recently synthesized modafinil analog, (S, S)-CE-158, was assessed in a series of neurochemical and behavioral studies in rats. RESULTS (S, S)-CE-158 demonstrated the ability to reverse the effort-related effects of tetrabenazine and increase selection of high-effort PROG lever pressing in rats tested on PROG/chow feeding choice task. (S, S)-CE-158 showed a high selectivity for inhibiting DAT compared with other monoamine transporters, and systemic administration of (S, S)-CE-158 increased extracellular DA in the nucleus accumbens during the behaviorally active time course, which is consistent with the effects of (S)-CE-123 and other DAT inhibitors that enhance high-effort responding. CONCLUSIONS These studies provide an initial neurochemical characterization of a novel atypical DAT inhibitor, and demonstrate that this compound is active in models of effort-related choice. This research could contribute to the development of novel compounds for the treatment of motivational dysfunctions in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee A. Rotolo
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Predrag Kalaba
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria,Department of Neuroproteomics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Vladimir Dragacevic
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rose E. Presby
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Julia Neri
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Emily Robertson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Jen-Hau Yang
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Merce Correa
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA,Àrea de Psicobiologia, Campus de Riu Sec, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Vasiliy Bakulev
- Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, 19 Mira St., Yekaterinburg 620002, Russia
| | - Natalia N. Volkova
- Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, 19 Mira St., Yekaterinburg 620002, Russia
| | - Christian Pifl
- Centre for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - John D. Salamone
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA,Corresponding authors: John D. Salamone () and Gert Lubec ()
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Chang WC, Westbrook A, Strauss GP, Chu AOK, Chong CSY, Siu CMW, Chan SKW, Lee EHM, Hui CLM, Suen YM, Lo TL, Chen EYH. Abnormal cognitive effort allocation and its association with amotivation in first-episode psychosis. Psychol Med 2020; 50:2599-2609. [PMID: 31576787 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291719002769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormal effort-based decision-making represents a potential mechanism underlying motivational deficits (amotivation) in psychotic disorders. Previous research identified effort allocation impairment in chronic schizophrenia and focused mostly on physical effort modality. No study has investigated cognitive effort allocation in first-episode psychosis (FEP). METHOD Cognitive effort allocation was examined in 40 FEP patients and 44 demographically-matched healthy controls, using Cognitive Effort-Discounting (COGED) paradigm which quantified participants' willingness to expend cognitive effort in terms of explicit, continuous discounting of monetary rewards based on parametrically-varied cognitive demands (levels N of N-back task). Relationship between reward-discounting and amotivation was investigated. Group differences in reward-magnitude and effort-cost sensitivity, and differential associations of these sensitivity indices with amotivation were explored. RESULTS Patients displayed significantly greater reward-discounting than controls. In particular, such discounting was most pronounced in patients with high levels of amotivation even when N-back performance and reward base amount were taken into consideration. Moreover, patients exhibited reduced reward-benefit sensitivity and effort-cost sensitivity relative to controls, and that decreased sensitivity to reward-benefit but not effort-cost was correlated with diminished motivation. Reward-discounting and sensitivity indices were generally unrelated to other symptom dimensions, antipsychotic dose and cognitive deficits. CONCLUSION This study provides the first evidence of cognitive effort-based decision-making impairment in FEP, and indicates that decreased effort expenditure is associated with amotivation. Our findings further suggest that abnormal effort allocation and amotivation might primarily be related to blunted reward valuation. Prospective research is required to clarify the utility of effort-based measures in predicting amotivation and functional outcome in FEP.
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Affiliation(s)
- W C Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - A Westbrook
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistics, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI02906, USA
| | - G P Strauss
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA30602, USA
| | - A O K Chu
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - C S Y Chong
- Department of Psychiatry, Kwai Chung Hospital, Hong Kong
| | - C M W Siu
- Department of Psychiatry, Kwai Chung Hospital, Hong Kong
| | - S K W Chan
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - E H M Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - C L M Hui
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Y M Suen
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - T L Lo
- Department of Psychiatry, Kwai Chung Hospital, Hong Kong
| | - E Y H Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Silveira MM, Wittekindt SN, Ebsary S, Winstanley CA. Evaluation of cognitive effort in rats is not critically dependent on ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:852-860. [PMID: 32810880 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Organisms must frequently evaluate the amount of effort to invest in pursuing future rewards. Despite explicit awareness of the potential benefits of cognitive work, individuals vary in their willingness to attempt cognitively demanding tasks, regardless of intellectual ability. Such differences may suggest that the degree to which cognitive effort degrades perceived outcome value is a subjective, rather than objective, process, similar to risk and delay discounting. Although numerous studies suggest the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is important for allowing subjective value estimates to be updated and/or used in cost/benefit decision-making, the causal role of the OFC in valuations of mental effort has received scant investigation. We therefore trained 24 female Long-Evans rats on the rodent cognitive effort task (rCET) and assessed performance following temporary bilateral inactivation of the ventrolateral OFC (vlOFC). In the rCET, rats decide at trial outset whether to perform an easy or hard attentional challenge, namely to localize a brief visual stimulus to one of five possible locations. The difficulty of the challenge is determined by the stimulus duration (1.0 vs. 0.2s for easy vs. hard trials respectively), and success on hard trials results in double the sugar pellet rewards. Somewhat surprisingly, inactivations of the vlOFC did not affect rats' willingness or ability to exert cognitive effort for larger rewards, despite increasing omissions and motor impulsivity on-task. When considered with previous work, it appears the vlOFC plays a minimal role in cognitive effort allocation specifically, and in valuations of effort more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason M Silveira
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sebastian N Wittekindt
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sophie Ebsary
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Catharine A Winstanley
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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43
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Palidis DJ, Gribble PL. EEG correlates of physical effort and reward processing during reinforcement learning. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:610-622. [PMID: 32727262 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00370.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Effort-based decision making is often modeled using subjective value, a function of reward discounted by effort. We asked whether EEG event-related potential (ERP) correlates of reward processing are also modulated by physical effort. Human participants performed a task in which they were required to accurately produce target levels of muscle activation to receive rewards. Quadriceps muscle activation was recorded with electromyography (EMG) during isometric knee extension. On a given trial, the target muscle activation required either low or high effort. The effort was determined probabilistically according to a binary choice, such that the responses were associated with 20% and 80% probability of high effort. This contingency could only be learned through experience, and it reversed periodically. Binary reinforcement feedback depended on accurately producing the target muscle activity. Participants adaptively avoided effort by switching responses more frequently after choices that resulted in hard effort. Feedback after participants' choices that revealed the resulting effort requirement did not elicit modulation of the feedback-related negativity/reward positivity (FRN/RP). However, the neural response to reinforcement outcome after effort production was increased by preceding physical effort. Source decomposition revealed separable early and late positive deflections contributing to the ERP. The main effect of reward outcome, characteristic of the FRN/RP, loaded onto the earlier component, whereas the reward × effort interaction was observed only in the later positivity, which resembled the P300. Thus, retrospective effort modulates reward processing. This may explain paradoxical behavioral findings whereby rewards requiring more effort to obtain can become more powerful reinforcers.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Choices probabilistically determined the physical effort requirements for a subsequent task, and reward depended on task performance. Feedback revealing whether choices resulted in easy or hard effort did not elicit reinforcement learning signals. However, the neural responses to reinforcement were modulated by preceding effort. Thus, effort itself was not treated as loss or punishment, but it affected the responses to subsequent reinforcement outcomes. This may explain how effort can enhance the motivational effect of reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios J Palidis
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul L Gribble
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, Connecticut
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44
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Michely J, Viswanathan S, Hauser TU, Delker L, Dolan RJ, Grefkes C. The role of dopamine in dynamic effort-reward integration. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1448-1453. [PMID: 32268344 PMCID: PMC7360543 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0669-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
When deciding to act, the neurotransmitter dopamine is implicated in a valuation of prospective effort and reward. However, its role in dynamic effort-reward integration during action, a process central to everyday behaviour, remains unclear. In a placebo-controlled, within-subject, study, we probed the impact of increasing brain dopamine levels (150 mg of levodopa) and blocking dopamine receptors (1.5 mg of haloperidol) in the context of a novel dynamic effort task in healthy human subjects. We show that modulating homoeostatic dopamine balance distinctly alters implicit and explicit effort allocation as a function of instantaneous reward. Pharmacologically boosting dopamine enhanced motor vigour, reflected in an implicit increase in effort allocation for high rewards. Conversely, pharmacological blockade of dopamine attenuated sensitivity to differences in reward context, reflected in reduced strategic effort discounting. These findings implicate dopamine in an integration of momentary physical experience and instantaneous reward, suggesting a key role of dopamine in acting to maximise reward on the fly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen Michely
- 0000000121901201grid.83440.3bWellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG UK ,0000000121901201grid.83440.3bMax Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, WC1B 5EH UK ,0000 0000 8852 305Xgrid.411097.aMedical Faculty, University of Cologne and Department of Neurology, University Hospital Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Shivakumar Viswanathan
- 0000 0001 2297 375Xgrid.8385.6Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience & Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Juelich, 52425 Juelich, Germany
| | - Tobias U. Hauser
- 0000000121901201grid.83440.3bWellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG UK ,0000000121901201grid.83440.3bMax Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, WC1B 5EH UK
| | - Laura Delker
- 0000 0000 8852 305Xgrid.411097.aMedical Faculty, University of Cologne and Department of Neurology, University Hospital Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Raymond J. Dolan
- 0000000121901201grid.83440.3bWellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG UK ,0000000121901201grid.83440.3bMax Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, WC1B 5EH UK
| | - Christian Grefkes
- Medical Faculty, University of Cologne and Department of Neurology, University Hospital Cologne, 50937, Cologne, Germany. .,Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience & Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Juelich, 52425, Juelich, Germany.
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45
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Griesius S, Mellor JR, Robinson ES. Comparison of acute treatment with delayed-onset versus rapid-acting antidepressants on effort-related choice behaviour. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:2381-2394. [PMID: 32435818 PMCID: PMC7351874 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05541-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Reward-related impairments are common in major depressive disorder (MDD) and may contribute to the loss of interest in pleasurable activities. A novel approach to studying reward-related decision-making are effort-based tasks; however, direct comparisons between delayed-onset and rapid-acting antidepressants (ADs) have not yet been carried out. OBJECTIVES To investigate the effects of conventional delayed-onset ADs versus rapid-acting ADs, ketamine and scopolamine, on effort-related choice behaviour. METHODS Female Lister hooded rats were trained in an operant effort for reward task (EfRT) where animals choose between working for a high value-high effort reward and consuming low value-low effort chow. Using a within-subject study design, animals were then tested following acute treatment with different monoaminergic ADs, and the rapid-acting ADs ketamine or scopolamine. RESULTS Consistent with previous findings, we found choice behaviour was sensitive to dopaminergic manipulations. We observed that pre-feeding altered choice behaviour and that the use of high or low value reward differentially affected behaviour. Monoamine re-uptake inhibitors and rapid-acting ADs resulted in similar, general patterns of reduced motivation without any evidence for specific effects, and we did not observe any clear differences between these classes of antidepressant. CONCLUSIONS Motivational changes induced by dopaminergic manipulations and pre-feeding differentially affect effort choice behaviour. However, both conventional delayed-onset ADs and ketamine and scopolamine appear to have detrimental effects on motivation in this task at the higher doses tested without any evidence of specificity for effort-related choice behaviour, in contrast to their specificity in tasks which look at more cognitive aspects of reward processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simonas Griesius
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
| | - Jack R Mellor
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Emma Sj Robinson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
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46
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Yang JH, Presby RE, Cayer S, Rotolo RA, Perrino PA, Fitch RH, Correa M, Chesler EJ, Salamone JD. Effort-related decision making in humanized COMT mice: Effects of Val 158Met polymorphisms and possible implications for negative symptoms in humans. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 196:172975. [PMID: 32593787 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) is an enzyme that metabolizes catecholamines, and is crucial for clearance of dopamine (DA) in prefrontal cortex. Val158Met polymorphism, which causes a valine (Val) to methionine (Met) substitution at codon 158, is reported to be associated with human psychopathologies in some studies. The Val/Val variant of the enzyme results in higher dopamine metabolism, which results in reduced dopamine transmission. Thus, it is important to investigate the relation between Val158Met polymorphisms using rodent models of psychiatric symptoms, including negative symptoms such as motivational dysfunction. In the present study, humanized COMT transgenic mice with two genotype groups (Val/Val (Val) and Met/Met (Met) homozygotes) and wild-type (WT) mice from the S129 background were tested using a touchscreen effort-based choice paradigm. Mice were trained to choose between delivery of a preferred liquid diet that reinforced panel pressing on various fixed ratio (FR) schedules (high-effort alternative), vs. intake of pellets concurrently available in the chamber (low-effort alternative). Panel pressing requirements were controlled by varying the FR levels (FR1, 2, 4, 8, 16) in ascending and descending sequences across weeks of testing. All mice were able to acquire the initial touchscreen operant training, and there was an inverse relationship between the number of reinforcers delivered by panel pressing and pellet intake across different FR levels. There was a significant group x FR level interaction in the ascending limb, with panel presses in the Val group being significantly lower than the WT group in FR1-8, and lower than Met in FR4. These findings indicate that the humanized Val allele in mice modulates FR/pellet-choice performance, as marked by lower levels of panel pressing in the Val group when the ratio requirement was moderately high. These studies may contribute to the understanding of the role of COMT polymorphisms in negative symptoms such as motivational dysfunctions in schizophrenic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Hau Yang
- Behavioral Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; Present address: Dept. of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Rose E Presby
- Behavioral Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Suzanne Cayer
- Behavioral Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Renee A Rotolo
- Behavioral Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Peter A Perrino
- Behavioral Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - R Holly Fitch
- Behavioral Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Merce Correa
- Behavioral Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; Area de Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | | | - John D Salamone
- Behavioral Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
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47
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Morris LS, Norbury A, Smith DA, Harrison NA, Voon V, Murrough JW. Dissociating self-generated volition from externally-generated motivation. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232949. [PMID: 32428020 PMCID: PMC7236980 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Insight into motivational processes may be gained by examining measures of willingness to exert effort for rewards, which have been linked to neuropsychiatric symptoms of anhedonia and apathy. However, while much work has focused on the development of models of motivation based on classic tasks of externally-generated levels of effort for reward, there has been less focus on the question of self-generated motivation or volition. We developed a task that aims to capture separate measures of self-generated and externally-generated motivation, with two task variants for physical and cognitive effort, and sought to test and validate this measure in two populations of healthy volunteers (N = 27 and N = 28). Similar to previous reports, a sigmoid function represented a better overall fit to the effort-reward data than a linear or Weibull model. Individual sigmoid function shapes were governed by two free parameters: bias (the amount of reward needed for effort initiation) and reward insensitivity (the amount of increase in reward needed to accelerate effort expenditure). For both physical and cognitive effort, bias was higher in the self-generated condition, indicating reduced self-generated volitional effort initiation, compared to externally-generated effort initiation, across effort domains. Bias against initial effort initiation in the self-generated condition was related to a specific dimensional measure of anticipatory anhedonia. For physical effort only, reward insensitivity was also higher in the self-generated condition compared to the externally-generated motivation condition, indicating lower self-generated effort acceleration. This work provides a novel objective measure of self-generated motivation that may provide insights into mechanisms of anhedonia and related symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel S. Morris
- Department of Psychiatry, Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Agnes Norbury
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Derek A. Smith
- Department of Radiology, BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Neil A. Harrison
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neuroscience, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Valerie Voon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - James W. Murrough
- Department of Psychiatry, Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
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48
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Jahn CI, Varazzani C, Sallet J, Walton ME, Bouret S. Noradrenergic But Not Dopaminergic Neurons Signal Task State Changes and Predict Reengagement After a Failure. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:4979-4994. [PMID: 32390051 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The two catecholamines, noradrenaline and dopamine, have been shown to play comparable roles in behavior. Both noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurons respond to cues predicting reward availability and novelty. However, even though both are thought to be involved in motivating actions, their roles in motivation have seldom been directly compared. We therefore examined the activity of putative noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus and putative midbrain dopaminergic neurons in monkeys cued to perform effortful actions for rewards. The activity in both regions correlated with engagement with a presented option. By contrast, only noradrenaline neurons were also (i) predictive of engagement in a subsequent trial following a failure to engage and (ii) more strongly activated in nonrepeated trials, when cues indicated a new task condition. This suggests that while both catecholaminergic neurons are involved in promoting action, noradrenergic neurons are sensitive to task state changes, and their influence on behavior extends beyond the immediately rewarded action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline I Jahn
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior Team, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, 75013 Paris, France.,Sorbonne Paris Cité universités, Université Paris Descartes, Frontières du Vivant, 75005 Paris, France.,Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13SR, UK
| | - Chiara Varazzani
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior Team, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, 75013 Paris, France.,Sorbonne Paris Cité universités, Université Paris Descartes, Frontières du Vivant, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Sallet
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13SR, UK.,Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Université Lyon, Université Lyon 1, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Mark E Walton
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13SR, UK
| | - Sébastien Bouret
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior Team, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, 75013 Paris, France
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49
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Silveira MM, Wittekindt SN, Mortazavi L, Hathaway BA, Winstanley CA. Investigating serotonergic contributions to cognitive effort allocation, attention, and impulsive action in female rats. J Psychopharmacol 2020; 34:452-466. [PMID: 31913079 DOI: 10.1177/0269881119896043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals must frequently evaluate whether it is worth allocating cognitive effort for desired outcomes. Motivational deficits are a common feature of psychiatric illness such as major depression. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are commonly used to treat this disorder, yet some data suggest these compounds are ineffective at treating amotivation, and may even exacerbate it. AIMS Here we used the rodent Cognitive Effort Task (rCET) to assess serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) contributions to decision-making with cognitive effort costs. METHODS The rCET is a modified version of the 5-choice serial reaction time task, a well-validated test of visuospatial attention and impulse control. At the start of each rCET trial, rats chose one of two levers, which set the difficulty of an attentional challenge, namely the localization of a visual stimulus illuminated for 0.2 or 1 s on hard versus easy trials. Successful completion of hard trials was rewarded with double the sugar pellets. Twenty-four female Long-Evans rats were trained on the rCET and systemically administered the 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT, the 5-HT2A antagonist M100907, the 5-HT2C agonist Ro-60-0175, as well as the 5-HT2C antagonist SB 242, 084. RESULTS 5-HT2A antagonism dose-dependently reduced premature responding, while 5-HT2C antagonism had the opposite effect. 8-OH-DPAT impaired accuracy of target detection at higher doses, while Ro-60-0175 dose-dependently improved accuracy on difficult trials. However, none of the drugs affected the rats' choice of the harder option. CONCLUSION When considered with existing work evaluating decision-making with physical effort costs, it appears that serotonergic signalling plays a minor role in guiding effort allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason M Silveira
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sebastian N Wittekindt
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Leili Mortazavi
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Brett A Hathaway
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Catharine A Winstanley
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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50
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Westbrook A, van den Bosch R, Määttä JI, Hofmans L, Papadopetraki D, Cools R, Frank MJ. Dopamine promotes cognitive effort by biasing the benefits versus costs of cognitive work. Science 2020; 367:1362-1366. [PMID: 32193325 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz5891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Stimulants such as methylphenidate are increasingly used for cognitive enhancement but precise mechanisms are unknown. We found that methylphenidate boosts willingness to expend cognitive effort by altering the benefit-to-cost ratio of cognitive work. Willingness to expend effort was greater for participants with higher striatal dopamine synthesis capacity, whereas methylphenidate and sulpiride, a selective D2 receptor antagonist, increased cognitive motivation more for participants with lower synthesis capacity. A sequential sampling model informed by momentary gaze revealed that decisions to expend effort are related to amplification of benefit-versus-cost information attended early in the decision process, whereas the effect of benefits is strengthened with higher synthesis capacity and by methylphenidate. These findings demonstrate that methylphenidate boosts the perceived benefits versus costs of cognitive effort by modulating striatal dopamine signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Westbrook
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. .,Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - R van den Bosch
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - J I Määttä
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - L Hofmans
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - D Papadopetraki
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - R Cools
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - M J Frank
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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