1
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Hettwer MD, Dorfschmidt L, Puhlmann LMC, Jacob LM, Paquola C, Bethlehem RAI, Bullmore ET, Eickhoff SB, Valk SL. Longitudinal variation in resilient psychosocial functioning is associated with ongoing cortical myelination and functional reorganization during adolescence. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6283. [PMID: 39075054 PMCID: PMC11286871 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50292-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of dynamic brain remodeling and susceptibility to psychiatric risk factors, mediated by the protracted consolidation of association cortices. Here, we investigated whether longitudinal variation in adolescents' resilience to psychosocial stressors during this vulnerable period is associated with ongoing myeloarchitectural maturation and consolidation of functional networks. We used repeated myelin-sensitive Magnetic Transfer (MT) and resting-state functional neuroimaging (n = 141), and captured adversity exposure by adverse life events, dysfunctional family settings, and socio-economic status at two timepoints, one to two years apart. Development toward more resilient psychosocial functioning was associated with increasing myelination in the anterolateral prefrontal cortex, which showed stabilized functional connectivity. Studying depth-specific intracortical MT profiles and the cortex-wide synchronization of myeloarchitectural maturation, we further observed wide-spread myeloarchitectural reconfiguration of association cortices paralleled by attenuated functional reorganization with increasingly resilient outcomes. Together, resilient/susceptible psychosocial functioning showed considerable intra-individual change associated with multi-modal cortical refinement processes at the local and system-level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike D Hettwer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany.
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Lena Dorfschmidt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Lifespan Brain Institute, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lara M C Puhlmann
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Mainz, Germany
| | - Linda M Jacob
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Casey Paquola
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | | | | | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany.
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
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2
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Cheng TW, Mills KL, Pfeifer JH. Revisiting adolescence as a sensitive period for sociocultural processing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105820. [PMID: 39032845 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105820] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
CHENG, T.W., K.L. Mills and J.H. Pfeifer. Revisiting adolescence as a sensitive period for sociocultural processing. NEUROSCI BIOBEHAV REV XX(X) XXX-XXX, 2024. Waves of research and public discourse have characterized adolescence as periods of developmental risk and opportunity. Underlying this discussion is the recognition that adolescence is a period of major biological and social transition when experience may have an outsized effect on development. This article updates and expands upon prior work suggesting that adolescence may be a sensitive period for sociocultural processing specifically. By integrating evidence from developmental psychology and neuroscience, we identify how trajectories of social and neurobiological development may relate to adolescents' ability to adapt to and learn from their social environments. However, we also highlight gaps in the literature, including challenges in attributing developmental change to adolescent experiences. We discuss the importance of better understanding variability in biology (e.g., pubertal development) and cultural environments, as well as distinguishing between sensitive periods and periods of heightened sensitivity. Finally, we look toward future directions and translational implications of this research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa W Cheng
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1227 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA; Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland St., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Kathryn L Mills
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1227 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA.
| | - Jennifer H Pfeifer
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1227 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA.
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3
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Hensums M, van den Bos W, Overbeek G, Larsen H. YouTube vloggers set the stage: How public (non)compliance with COVID-19 regulations affects adolescents. J Adolesc 2024; 96:429-442. [PMID: 37337475 DOI: 10.1002/jad.12207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION YouTube vloggers may be important socialization figures, yet their influence on adolescents' health-related behaviors and cognitions is largely untested. In this two-study mixed-method project, we first assessed the extent of (non)compliance to COVID-19 regulations by vloggers on YouTube and how viewers reacted to this. Second, we experimentally assessed the effects of vlogger behavior paired with viewer evaluations on adolescents' COVID-19-related attitudes, intentions, and behavior. METHODS For Study 1, we coded 240 vlogs of eight popular Dutch vloggers on YouTube recorded in the period of February 2020-March 2021. For our 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment in Study 2, Dutch adolescents (N = 285, Mage = 12.99, SD = 1.02, 41.8% girls) were randomly assigned to conditions in which they saw vlogs showing either compliance or noncompliance to COVID-19 regulations, and to conditions in which they saw either supportive or dismissive comments under these vlogs. RESULTS Study 1: Vloggers' noncompliance with COVID-19 regulations was not uncommon and received relatively more viewer support than compliance, suggesting that portrayed noncompliance may be potentially influential. Study 2: Adolescents were more worried about COVID-19 after they watched a compliant (vs. noncompliant) vlogger. Also, vlogger noncompliance decreased adolescents' perceived importance of COVID-19 regulations and rule-setting for adolescents who identified strongly with the vloggers they watched. CONCLUSIONS Vloggers' (non)compliance affects adolescents' COVID-19-related worrying, and attitudes and behavior of adolescents who identify with vloggers strongly. This seems concerning given the sometimes harmful and risky behaviors vloggers portray online but could potentially also be employed to encourage healthy behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maud Hensums
- Department of Preventive Youth Care, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Research Priority Area Yield, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter van den Bos
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Psychology Research Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Research Priority Area Yield, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Center for Adaptive Rationality, UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Geertjan Overbeek
- Department of Preventive Youth Care, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Research Priority Area Yield, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Helle Larsen
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Psychology Research Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Research Priority Area Yield, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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4
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Gregorová K, Eldar E, Deserno L, Reiter AMF. A cognitive-computational account of mood swings in adolescence. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:290-303. [PMID: 38503636 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Teenagers have a reputation for being fickle, in both their choices and their moods. This variability may help adolescents as they begin to independently navigate novel environments. Recently, however, adolescent moodiness has also been linked to psychopathology. Here, we consider adolescents' mood swings from a novel computational perspective, grounded in reinforcement learning (RL). This model proposes that mood is determined by surprises about outcomes in the environment, and how much we learn from these surprises. It additionally suggests that mood biases learning and choice in a bidirectional manner. Integrating independent lines of research, we sketch a cognitive-computational account of how adolescents' mood, learning, and choice dynamics influence each other, with implications for normative and psychopathological development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klára Gregorová
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Würzburg 97080, Germany; Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität, Würzburg 97070, Germany; German Center of Prevention Research on Mental Health, Würzburg 97080, Germany
| | - Eran Eldar
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel; Department of Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel
| | - Lorenz Deserno
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Würzburg 97080, Germany; Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität, Würzburg 97070, Germany; Department of Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden 01069, Germany
| | - Andrea M F Reiter
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Würzburg 97080, Germany; Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität, Würzburg 97070, Germany; German Center of Prevention Research on Mental Health, Würzburg 97080, Germany; Collaborative Research Centre 940 Volition and Cognitive Control, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden 01069, Germany.
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5
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Zhou Y, Han S, Kang P, Tobler PN, Hein G. The social transmission of empathy relies on observational reinforcement learning. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313073121. [PMID: 38381794 PMCID: PMC10907261 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313073121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Theories of moral development propose that empathy is transmitted across individuals. However, the mechanisms through which empathy is socially transmitted remain unclear. Here, we combine computational learning models and functional MRI to investigate whether, and if so, how empathic and non-empathic responses observed in others affect the empathy of female observers. The results of three independent studies showed that watching empathic or non-empathic responses generates a learning signal that respectively increases or decreases empathy ratings of the observer. A fourth study revealed that the learning-related transmission of empathy is stronger when observing human rather than computer demonstrators. Finally, we show that the social transmission of empathy alters empathy-related responses in the anterior insula, i.e., the same region that correlated with empathy baseline ratings, as well as its functional connectivity with the temporoparietal junction. Together, our findings provide a computational and neural mechanism for the social transmission of empathy that accounts for changes in individual empathic responses in empathic and non-empathic social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany
| | - Shihui Han
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Pyungwon Kang
- Department of Economics and Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research, University of Zurich and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich CH-8006, Switzerland
| | - Philippe N. Tobler
- Department of Economics and Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research, University of Zurich and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich CH-8006, Switzerland
| | - Grit Hein
- Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany
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6
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Loades ME, Midgley N, Herring GT, O'Keeffe S, Reynolds S, Goodyer IM. In Context: Lessons About Adolescent Unipolar Depression From the Improving Mood With Psychoanalytic and Cognitive Therapies Trial. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 63:122-135. [PMID: 37121393 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.03.017] [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: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
This paper summarizes the results of the Improving Mood with Psychoanalytic and Cognitive Therapies (IMPACT) study and its implications for psychological treatment of adolescents with moderate to severe unipolar major depression. IMPACT was a pragmatic, superiority, randomized controlled trial conducted in the United Kingdom, which compared the clinical and cost-effectiveness of short-term psychoanalytic therapy (STPP), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and a brief psychosocial intervention (BPI) in reducing depression symptoms in 465 adolescents with unipolar major depression, aged 11 to 17 years. Although this was a clinically heterogeneous group of adolescents, some symptoms (eg, sleep and concentration difficulties, irritability/anger) were common and disabling. The trial reported no significant difference among the 3 treatments in reducing depression symptoms. One year after treatment, 84% of participants showed improvement in depressive symptoms (<50% of baseline symptoms) and improved psychosocial functioning, achieving this through different symptom reduction trajectories. Although participants attended fewer treatment sessions than planned, the 3 treatments were delivered with fidelity to their respective models. Ending treatment without therapist agreement occurred in 37% of cases. This was not associated with outcomes by treatment group. Adolescents emphasized the importance of the therapeutic relationship in all 3 treatments. Results suggest that although most adolescents respond to time-limited, structured psychological therapy, subgroups of depressed adolescents are likely to need additional treatment or support. These include adolescents who live in complex circumstances and/or who believe that their needs are not met in therapy, some who stop treatment early, and the 16% to 18% of adolescents who do not respond to treatment. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Improving Mood and Preventing Relapse With Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy; https://www.isrctn.com; ISRCTN83033550.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nick Midgley
- University College London, United Kingdom and Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, United Kingdom.
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7
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Slagter SK, Gradassi A, van Duijvenvoorde ACK, van den Bos W. Identifying who adolescents prefer as source of information within their social network. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20277. [PMID: 37985792 PMCID: PMC10662136 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46994-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescents are highly influenced by their peers within their social networks. This social influence can stem from both unsolicited peer pressure and the active search for guidance. While extensive research examined the mechanisms of peer pressure, little is known about who adolescents prefer as a source of information. To address this gap, we conducted two independent studies using a novel social search paradigm that allows participants to choose which social sources they wish to observe. In both studies, adolescents demonstrated a preference for their friends over non-friends, as well as for peers who were perceived as trustworthy. Across both studies, we found mixed evidence for the role of perceived popularity as a selection criterion. Notable, study 2 revealed the significance of "cool", "admirable" and "acting mean" as additional characteristics of preferred peers, traits that are often associated with elevated peer status. It also revealed an interest for peers perceived as being smart. These findings highlight the active role adolescents have in choosing social sources and emphasize the importance of multiple peer characteristics. Future research should investigate whether adolescents' interest in these types of peers is contingent upon specific social contexts, age groups, and peer cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scarlett K Slagter
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1001 NK, The Netherlands.
| | - Andrea Gradassi
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1001 NK, The Netherlands
| | - Anna C K van Duijvenvoorde
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter van den Bos
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1001 NK, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Human Behavior, Berlin, Germany
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8
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Reiter AMF, Hula A, Vanes L, Hauser TU, Kokorikou D, Goodyer IM, Fonagy P, Moutoussis M, Dolan RJ. Self-reported childhood family adversity is linked to an attenuated gain of trust during adolescence. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6920. [PMID: 37903767 PMCID: PMC10616102 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41531-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A longstanding proposal in developmental research is that childhood family experiences provide a template that shapes a capacity for trust-based social relationships. We leveraged longitudinal data from a cohort of healthy adolescents (n = 570, aged 14-25), which included decision-making and psychometric data, to characterise normative developmental trajectories of trust behaviour and inter-individual differences therein. Extending on previous cross-sectional findings from the same cohort, we show that a task-based measure of trust increases longitudinally from adolescence into young adulthood. Computational modelling suggests this is due to a decrease in social risk aversion. Self-reported family adversity attenuates this developmental gain in trust behaviour, and within our computational model, this relates to a higher 'irritability' parameter in those reporting greater adversity. Unconditional trust at measurement time point T1 predicts the longitudinal trajectory of self-reported peer relation quality, particularly so for those with higher family adversity, consistent with trust acting as a resilience factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea M F Reiter
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK.
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK.
- Department of Child and Adolescence Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Centre of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- CRC Cognitive Control, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Andreas Hula
- Austrian Institute of Technology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lucy Vanes
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tobias U Hauser
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Danae Kokorikou
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ian M Goodyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter Fonagy
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Michael Moutoussis
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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9
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Towner E, Chierchia G, Blakemore SJ. Sensitivity and specificity in affective and social learning in adolescence. Trends Cogn Sci 2023:S1364-6613(23)00092-X. [PMID: 37198089 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of heightened affective and social sensitivity. In this review we address how this increased sensitivity influences associative learning. Based on recent evidence from human and rodent studies, as well as advances in computational biology, we suggest that, compared to other age groups, adolescents show features of heightened Pavlovian learning but tend to perform worse than adults at instrumental learning. Because Pavlovian learning does not involve decision-making, whereas instrumental learning does, we propose that these developmental differences might be due to heightened sensitivity to rewards and threats in adolescence, coupled with a lower specificity of responding. We discuss the implications of these findings for adolescent mental health and education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Towner
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Gabriele Chierchia
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK
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10
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Minich M, Falk EB, Cooper N, Cosme D, Chan HY, Pei R, O'Donnell MB, Cascio CN. Neural correlates associated with conformity in adolescent and young adult men. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101215. [PMID: 36841181 PMCID: PMC9982604 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Social influence affects us throughout our lives, shaping our attitudes, behaviors, and preferences. Thus, the current study aimed to examine whether key age groups (adolescence versus young adulthood) were associated with differences in neural correlates associated with processing social feedback and conformity (i.e., conflict detection, positive valuation, and mentalizing) among young men. We recruited 153 participants across 5 studies, who completed a social influence task during an fMRI scan. Overall, participants were more likely to conform by changing their ratings when misaligned with others, and adolescents were more likely to conform when misaligned (compared to aligned) with others compared to young adults. Further, we found that adolescents showed increased activity in mentalizing (TPJ, dmPFC) and positive valuation regions (VS, vmPFC), compared to young adults, in response to misalignment with others. In contrast, young adults showed increased activity in conflict detection regions (AI, dACC) when exposed to feedback that they were misaligned with others and when conforming to that feedback. Overall, our results offer initial evidence that adolescent and young adult men engage different neural processes when they find out they are misaligned with others and when conforming to the recommendations of others, and this difference appears to track with brain responses in conflict detection, mentalizing and value regions. DATA STATEMENT: Raw data and analysis codes are available upon request.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Minich
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.
| | | | | | | | | | - Rui Pei
- University of Pennsylvania, United States; Stanford University, United States
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11
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Waltmann M, Herzog N, Reiter AMF, Villringer A, Horstmann A, Deserno L. Diminished reinforcement sensitivity in adolescence is associated with enhanced response switching and reduced coding of choice probability in the medial frontal pole. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101226. [PMID: 36905874 PMCID: PMC10005907 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101226] [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: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Precisely charting the maturation of core neurocognitive functions such as reinforcement learning (RL) and flexible adaptation to changing action-outcome contingencies is key for developmental neuroscience and adjacent fields like developmental psychiatry. However, research in this area is both sparse and conflicted, especially regarding potentially asymmetric development of learning for different motives (obtain wins vs avoid losses) and learning from valenced feedback (positive vs negative). In the current study, we investigated the development of RL from adolescence to adulthood, using a probabilistic reversal learning task modified to experimentally separate motivational context and feedback valence, in a sample of 95 healthy participants between 12 and 45. We show that adolescence is characterized by enhanced novelty seeking and response shifting especially after negative feedback, which leads to poorer returns when reward contingencies are stable. Computationally, this is accounted for by reduced impact of positive feedback on behavior. We also show, using fMRI, that activity of the medial frontopolar cortex reflecting choice probability is attenuated in adolescence. We argue that this can be interpreted as reflecting diminished confidence in upcoming choices. Interestingly, we find no age-related differences between learning in win and loss contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Waltmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Centre of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Nadine Herzog
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andrea M F Reiter
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Centre of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; CRC-940 Volition and Cognitive Control, Faculty of Psychology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Annette Horstmann
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lorenz Deserno
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Centre of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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12
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Wittmann MK, Scheuplein M, Gibbons SG, Noonan MP. Local and global reward learning in the lateral frontal cortex show differential development during human adolescence. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002010. [PMID: 36862726 PMCID: PMC10013901 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Reward-guided choice is fundamental for adaptive behaviour and depends on several component processes supported by prefrontal cortex. Here, across three studies, we show that two such component processes, linking reward to specific choices and estimating the global reward state, develop during human adolescence and are linked to the lateral portions of the prefrontal cortex. These processes reflect the assignment of rewards contingently to local choices, or noncontingently, to choices that make up the global reward history. Using matched experimental tasks and analysis platforms, we show the influence of both mechanisms increase during adolescence (study 1) and that lesions to lateral frontal cortex (that included and/or disconnected both orbitofrontal and insula cortex) in human adult patients (study 2) and macaque monkeys (study 3) impair both local and global reward learning. Developmental effects were distinguishable from the influence of a decision bias on choice behaviour, known to depend on medial prefrontal cortex. Differences in local and global assignments of reward to choices across adolescence, in the context of delayed grey matter maturation of the lateral orbitofrontal and anterior insula cortex, may underlie changes in adaptive behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco K. Wittmann
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Maximilian Scheuplein
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sophie G. Gibbons
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford, United Kingdom
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - MaryAnn P. Noonan
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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13
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van Duijvenvoorde ACK, van Hoorn J, Blankenstein NE. Risks and rewards in adolescent decision-making. Curr Opin Psychol 2022; 48:101457. [PMID: 36088823 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Adolescent decision-making has been characterized as risky, and a heightened reward sensitivity may be one of the aspects contributing to riskier choice-behavior. Previous studies have targeted reward-sensitivity in adolescence and the neurobiological mechanisms of reward processing in the adolescent brain. In recent examples, researchers aim to disentangle the contributions of risk- and reward-sensitivity to adolescent risk-taking. Here, we discuss recent findings of adolescent's risk preferences and the associated neural mechanisms. We highlight potential frameworks that target individual differences in risk preferences in an effort to understand adolescent risk-taking, and with an ultimate goal of leveraging undesirable levels of risk taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C K van Duijvenvoorde
- Leiden University, Dept of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Jorien van Hoorn
- Leiden University, Dept of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, the Netherlands; Levvel, Academic Center for Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Neeltje E Blankenstein
- Leiden University, Dept of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, the Netherlands
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14
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Hofmans L, van den Bos W. Social learning across adolescence: A Bayesian neurocognitive perspective. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 58:101151. [PMID: 36183664 PMCID: PMC9526184 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of social re-orientation in which we are generally more prone to peer influence and the updating of our beliefs based on social information, also called social learning, than in any other stage of our life. However, how do we know when to use social information and whose information to use and how does this ability develop across adolescence? Here, we review the social learning literature from a behavioral, neural and computational viewpoint, focusing on the development of brain systems related to executive functioning, value-based decision-making and social cognition. We put forward a Bayesian reinforcement learning framework that incorporates social learning about value associated with particular behavior and uncertainty in our environment and experiences. We discuss how this framework can inform us about developmental changes in social learning, including how the assessment of uncertainty and the ability to adaptively discriminate between information from different social sources change across adolescence. By combining reward-based decision-making in the domains of both informational and normative influence, this framework explains both negative and positive social peer influence in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieke Hofmans
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands,Correspondence to: Nieuwe Achtergracht 129, room G1.05, 1018WS Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Wouter van den Bos
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands,Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands,Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
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15
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Molleman L, Ciranka S, van den Bos W. Social influence in adolescence as a double-edged sword. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220045. [PMID: 35765838 PMCID: PMC9240690 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Social learning is fundamental to human development, helping individuals adapt to changing circumstances and cooperate in groups. During the formative years of adolescence, the social environment shapes people's socio-cognitive skills needed in adulthood. Although peer influence among adolescents is traditionally associated with risky and unruly conduct, with long-term negative effects on educational, economic and health outcomes, recent findings suggest that peers may also have a positive impact. Here, we present a series of experiments with 10-20-year-olds (n = 146) showing that positive and negative peer effects reflect a domain-general factor of social information use which declines during adolescence. Exposure to disobedient peers provoked rule breaking, and selfish peers reduced prosocial behaviour, particularly in early adolescence. However, compliant peers also promoted rule compliance and fair peers increased prosociality. A belief formation task further revealed that younger adolescents tend to assimilate social information, while older adolescents prioritize personal views. Our results highlight early adolescence as a key window for peer-based interventions to improve developmental trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Molleman
- Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,Social Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands,Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Simon Ciranka
- Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wouter van den Bos
- Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
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16
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Dekkers TJ, de Water E, Scheres A. Impulsive and risky decision-making in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): The need for a developmental perspective. Curr Opin Psychol 2021; 44:330-336. [PMID: 34953445 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Impulsive and risky decision-making peaks in adolescence, and is consistently associated with the neurodevelopmental disorder Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), regardless of age. In this brief review, we demonstrate the similarity of theoretical models explaining impulsive and risky decision-making that originate in two relatively distinct literatures (i.e., on adolescence and on ADHD). We summarize research thus far and conclude that the presence of ADHD during adolescence further exacerbates the tendency that is already present in adolescents to make impulsive and risky decisions. We also conclude that much is still unknown about the developmental trajectories of individuals with ADHD with regard to impulsive and risky decision making, and we therefore provide several hypotheses that warrant further longitudinal research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tycho J Dekkers
- University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Levvel, Academic Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry en Specialized Youthcare, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Groningen, the Netherlands; Accare Child Study Center, Groningen, the Netherlands; Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Erik de Water
- Great Lakes Neurobehavioral Center, Edina, MN, United States
| | - Anouk Scheres
- Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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