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Algermissen J, den Ouden HEM. Pupil dilation reflects effortful action invigoration in overcoming aversive Pavlovian biases. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:720-739. [PMID: 38773022 PMCID: PMC11233311 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01191-y] [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: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
"Pavlovian" or "motivational" biases describe the phenomenon that the valence of prospective outcomes modulates action invigoration: Reward prospect invigorates action, whereas punishment prospect suppresses it. The adaptive role of these biases in decision-making is still unclear. One idea is that they constitute a fast-and-frugal decision strategy in situations characterized by high arousal, e.g., in presence of a predator, which demand a quick response. In this pre-registered study (N = 35), we tested whether such a situation-induced via subliminally presented angry versus neutral faces-leads to increased reliance on Pavlovian biases. We measured trial-by-trial arousal by tracking pupil diameter while participants performed an orthogonalized Motivational Go/NoGo Task. Pavlovian biases were present in responses, reaction times, and even gaze, with lower gaze dispersion under aversive cues reflecting "freezing of gaze." The subliminally presented faces did not affect responses, reaction times, or pupil diameter, suggesting that the arousal manipulation was ineffective. However, pupil dilations reflected facets of bias suppression, specifically the physical (but not cognitive) effort needed to overcome aversive inhibition: Particularly strong and sustained dilations occurred when participants managed to perform Go responses to aversive cues. Conversely, no such dilations occurred when they managed to inhibit responses to Win cues. These results suggest that pupil diameter does not reflect response conflict per se nor the inhibition of prepotent responses, but specifically effortful action invigoration as needed to overcome aversive inhibition. We discuss our results in the context of the "value of work" theory of striatal dopamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Algermissen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Radboud University, Cognition, and Behaviour, Thomas van Aquinostraat 4, 6526 GD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Hanneke E M den Ouden
- Donders Institute for Brain, Radboud University, Cognition, and Behaviour, Thomas van Aquinostraat 4, 6526 GD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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2
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Crombag HS, Duka T, Stephens DN. The Continuing Challenges of Studying Parallel Behaviours in Humans and Animal Models. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38976140 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2024_485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
The use of animal models continues to be essential for carrying out research into clinical phenomena, including addiction. However, the complexity of the clinical condition inevitably means that even the best animal models are inadequate, and this may go some way to account for the apparent failures of discoveries from animal models, including the identification of potential novel therapies, to translate to the clinic. We argue here that it is overambitious and misguided in the first place to attempt to model complex, multifacetted human disorders such as addiction in animals, and especially in rodents, and that all too frequently "validity" of such models is limited to superficial similarities, referred to as "face validity", that reflect quite different underlying phenomena and biological processes from the clinical situation. Instead, a more profitable approach is to identify (a) well-defined intermediate human behavioural phenotypes that reflect defined, limited aspects of, or contributors to, the human clinical disorder, and (b) to develop animal models that are homologous with those discrete human behavioural phenotypes in terms of psychological processes, and underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Examples of past and continuing weaknesses and suggestions for more limited approaches that may allow better homology between the test animal and human condition are made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans S Crombag
- School of Psychology and Sussex Neuroscience, The University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
| | - Theodora Duka
- School of Psychology and Sussex Neuroscience, The University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - David N Stephens
- School of Psychology and Sussex Neuroscience, The University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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3
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Cherkasova MV, Clark L, Barton JJS, Stoessl AJ, Winstanley CA. Risk-promoting effects of reward-paired cues in human sign- and goal-trackers. Behav Brain Res 2024; 461:114865. [PMID: 38220058 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114865] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Animal research suggests trait-like individual variation in the degree of incentive salience attribution to reward-predictive cues, defined phenotypically as sign-tracking (high) and goal-tracking (low incentive salience attribution). While these phenotypes have been linked to addiction features in rodents, their translational validity is less clear. Here, we examined whether sign- and goal-tracking in healthy human volunteers modulates the effects of reward-paired cues on decision making. Sign-tracking was measured in a Pavlovian conditioning paradigm as the amount of eye gaze fixation on the reward-predictive cue versus the location of impending reward delivery. In Study 1 (Cherkasova et al., 2018), participants were randomly assigned to perform a binary choice task in which rewards were either accompanied (cued, n = 63) or unaccompanied (uncued, n = 68) by money images and casino jingles. In Study 2, participants (n = 58) performed cued and uncued versions of the task in a within-subjects design. Across both studies, cues promoted riskier choice. Sign-tracking was not associated with risky choice in either study. Goal-tracking rather than sign-tracking was significantly associated with greater risk-promoting effects of cues in Study 1 but not in Study 2, although the direction of findings was consistent across both studies. These findings are at odds with the notion of sign-trackers being preferentially susceptible to the influence of reward cues on behavior and point to the role of mechanisms besides incentive salience in mediating such influences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariya V Cherkasova
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Luke Clark
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jason J S Barton
- Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - A Jon Stoessl
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Catharine A Winstanley
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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4
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Dinu LM, Georgescu AL, Singh SN, Byrom NC, Overton PG, Singer BF, Dommett EJ. Sign-tracking and goal-tracking in humans: Utilising eye-tracking in clinical and non-clinical populations. Behav Brain Res 2024; 461:114846. [PMID: 38184207 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114846] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Pavlovian conditioning, learned behaviour varies according to the perceived value of environmental cues. For goal-trackers (GT), the cue merely predicts a reward, whilst for sign-trackers (ST), the cue holds incentive value. The sign-tracking/goal-tracking model is well-validated in animals, but translational work is lacking. Despite the model's relevance to several conditions, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we are unaware of any studies that have examined the model in clinical populations. METHODS The current study used an eye-tracking Pavlovian conditioning paradigm to identify ST and GT in non-clinical (N = 54) and ADHD (N = 57) participants. Eye movements were recorded whilst performing the task. Dwell time was measured for two areas of interest: sign (i.e., cue) and goal (i.e., reward), and an eye-gaze index (EGI) was computed based on the dwell time sign-to-goal ratio. Higher EGI values indicate sign-tracking behaviour. ST and GT were determined using median and tertiary split approaches in both samples. RESULTS Despite greater propensity for sign-tracking in those with ADHD, there was no significant difference between groups. The oculomotor conditioned response was reward-specific (CS+) and present, at least partly, from the start of the task indicating dispositional and learned components. There were no differences in externalising behaviours between ST and GT for either sample. CONCLUSIONS Sign-tracking is associated with CS+ trials only. There may be both dispositional and learned components to sign-tracking, potentially more common in those with ADHD. This holds translational potential for understanding individual differences in reward-learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larisa-Maria Dinu
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK.
| | - Alexandra-Livia Georgescu
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Samriddhi N Singh
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Nicola C Byrom
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Paul G Overton
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Cathedral Court, Sheffield S1 2LT, UK
| | - Bryan F Singer
- School of Psychology, Sussex Addiction Research & Intervention Centre, Sussex Neuroscience, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
| | - Eleanor J Dommett
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
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Pool ER, Pauli WM, Cross L, O'Doherty JP. Neural substrates of parallel devaluation-sensitive and devaluation-insensitive Pavlovian learning in humans. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8057. [PMID: 38052792 PMCID: PMC10697955 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43747-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We aim to differentiate the brain regions involved in the learning and encoding of Pavlovian associations sensitive to changes in outcome value from those that are not sensitive to such changes by combining a learning task with outcome devaluation, eye-tracking, and functional magnetic resonance imaging in humans. Contrary to theoretical expectation, voxels correlating with reward prediction errors in the ventral striatum and subgenual cingulate appear to be sensitive to devaluation. Moreover, regions encoding state prediction errors appear to be devaluation insensitive. We can also distinguish regions encoding predictions about outcome taste identity from predictions about expected spatial location. Regions encoding predictions about taste identity seem devaluation sensitive while those encoding predictions about an outcome's spatial location seem devaluation insensitive. These findings suggest the existence of multiple and distinct associative mechanisms in the brain and help identify putative neural correlates for the parallel expression of both devaluation sensitive and insensitive conditioned behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva R Pool
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
| | - Wolfgang M Pauli
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Computation and Neural Systems Program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Logan Cross
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - John P O'Doherty
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Computation and Neural Systems Program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
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6
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Zeng S, McLaughlin EFB, Ramesh A, Morrison SE. Propensity for risky choices despite lower cue reactivity in adolescent rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1297293. [PMID: 38053922 PMCID: PMC10694209 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1297293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of heightened risk-taking across species. Salient audiovisual cues associated with rewards are a common feature of gambling environments and have been connected to increased risky decision-making. We have previously shown that, in adult male rats, sign tracking - a behavioral measure of cue reactivity - predicts an individual's propensity for suboptimal risky choices in a rodent gambling task (rGT) with win-paired cues. However, adolescents perform less sign tracking than adult animals, suggesting that they are less cue-reactive than adults in some circumstances. Therefore, we investigated the performance of adolescent male rats on the rGT with win cues and examined its relationship with their sign-tracking behavior. We found that adolescents make more risky choices and fewer optimal choices on the rGT compared with adults, evidence of the validity of the rGT as a model of adolescent gambling behavior. We also confirmed that adolescents perform less sign tracking than adults, and we found that, unlike in adults, adolescents' sign tracking was unrelated to their risk-taking in the rGT. This implies that adolescent risk-taking is less likely than that of adults to be driven by reward-related cues. Finally, we found that adults trained on the rGT as adolescents retained an adolescent-like propensity toward risky choices, suggesting that early exposure to a gambling environment may have a long-lasting impact on risk-taking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sara E. Morrison
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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7
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Gibney KD, Kypriotakis G, Versace F. Individual differences in late positive potential amplitude and theta power predict cue-induced eating. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 7:100106. [PMID: 37711965 PMCID: PMC10501046 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2023.100106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Cue-induced reward-seeking behaviors are regulated by both the affective and cognitive control systems of the brain. This study aimed at investigating how individual differences in affective and cognitive responses to cues predicting food rewards contribute to the regulation of cue-induced eating. We recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) from 59 adults while they viewed emotional and food-related images that preceded the delivery of food rewards (candies) or non-food objects (beads). We measured the amplitude of the late positive potential (LPP) in response to a variety of motivationally relevant images and power in the theta (4-8 Hz) frequency band after candies or beads were dispensed to the participants. We found that individuals with larger LPP responses to food images than to pleasant images (C>P group) ate significantly more during the experiment than those with the opposite response pattern (P>C group, p < 0.001). Furthermore, we found that individuals with higher theta power after dispensation of the candy than of the bead (θCA>θBE) ate significantly more than those with the opposite response pattern (θBE>θCA, p < 0.001). Finally, we found that the crossed P>C and θBE>θCA group ate less (p < 0.001) than did the other three groups formed by crossing the LPP and theta group assignments, who exhibited similar eating behavior on average (p = 0.662). These findings demonstrate that individual differences in both affective and cognitive responses to reward-related cues underlie vulnerability to cue-induced behaviors, underscoring the need for individualized treatments to mitigate maladaptive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyla D. Gibney
- Neuroscience Graduate Program MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - George Kypriotakis
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Francesco Versace
- Neuroscience Graduate Program MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
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8
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Colaizzi JM, Flagel SB, Gearhardt AN, Borowitz MA, Kuplicki R, Zotev V, Clark G, Coronado J, Abbott T, Paulus MP. The propensity to sign-track is associated with externalizing behavior and distinct patterns of reward-related brain activation in youth. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4402. [PMID: 36928057 PMCID: PMC10020483 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30906-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Externalizing behaviors in childhood often predict impulse control disorders in adulthood; however, the underlying bio-behavioral risk factors are incompletely understood. In animals, the propensity to sign-track, or the degree to which incentive motivational value is attributed to reward cues, is associated with externalizing-type behaviors and deficits in executive control. Using a Pavlovian conditioned approach paradigm, we quantified sign-tracking in 40 healthy 9-12-year-olds. We also measured parent-reported externalizing behaviors and anticipatory neural activations to outcome-predicting cues using the monetary incentive delay fMRI task. Sign-tracking was associated with attentional and inhibitory control deficits and the degree of amygdala, but not cortical, activation during reward anticipation. These findings support the hypothesis that youth with a propensity to sign-track are prone to externalizing tendencies, with an over-reliance on subcortical cue-reactive brain systems. This research highlights sign-tracking as a promising experimental approach delineating the behavioral and neural circuitry of individuals at risk for externalizing disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna M Colaizzi
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK, USA.
| | - Shelly B Flagel
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 205 Zina Pitcher Pl, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ashley N Gearhardt
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Michelle A Borowitz
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Rayus Kuplicki
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Vadim Zotev
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Grace Clark
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Jennifer Coronado
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Talia Abbott
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Martin P Paulus
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK, USA
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Musial MPM, Beck A, Rosenthal A, Charlet K, Bach P, Kiefer F, Vollstädt-Klein S, Walter H, Heinz A, Rothkirch M. Reward Processing in Alcohol-Dependent Patients and First-Degree Relatives: Functional Brain Activity During Anticipation of Monetary Gains and Losses. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:546-557. [PMID: 35863919 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.05.024] [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: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND According to the reward deficiency syndrome and allostatic hypotheses, hyposensitivity of mesocorticolimbic regions to non-alcohol-related stimuli predisposes to dependence or is long-lastingly enhanced by chronic substance use. To date, no study has directly compared mesocorticolimbic brain activity during non-drug reward anticipation between alcohol-dependent, at risk, and healthy subjects. METHODS Seventy-five abstinent alcohol-dependent human subjects (mean abstinence duration 957.66 days), 62 healthy first-degree relatives of alcohol-dependent individuals, and 76 healthy control subjects without family history of alcohol dependence performed a monetary incentive delay task. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data of the anticipation phase were analyzed, during which visual cues predicted that fast response to a target would result in monetary gain, avoidance of monetary loss, or a neutral outcome. RESULTS During gain anticipation, there were no significant group differences. During loss anticipation, abstinent alcohol-dependent subjects showed lower activity in the left anterior insula compared with healthy control subjects without family history of alcohol dependence only (Montreal Neurological Institute [MNI] -25 19 -5; t206 = 4.17, familywise error corrected p = .009). However, this effect was no longer significant when age was included as a covariate. There were no group differences between abstinent alcohol-dependent subjects and healthy first-degree relatives or between healthy first-degree relatives and healthy control subjects during loss anticipation, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Neither the neural reward deficiency syndrome nor the allostatic hypotheses are supported by the results. Future studies should investigate whether the incentive salience hypothesis allows for more accurate predictions regarding mesocorticolimbic brain activity of subjects with alcohol dependence and healthy individuals during reward and loss anticipation and further examine the neural substrates underlying a predisposition to dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena P M Musial
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Anne Beck
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Berlin, Germany; Health and Medical University, Campus Potsdam, Faculty of Health, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Annika Rosenthal
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrin Charlet
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Patrick Bach
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Falk Kiefer
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Medical Faculty of Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sabine Vollstädt-Klein
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Medical Faculty of Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcus Rothkirch
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Berlin, Germany
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10
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Cope LM, Gheidi A, Martz ME, Duval ER, Khalil H, Allerton T, Morrow JD. A mechanical task for measuring sign- and goal-tracking in humans: A proof-of-concept study. Behav Brain Res 2023; 436:114112. [PMID: 36115435 PMCID: PMC10153473 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cue-based associative learning (i.e., Pavlovian conditioning) is a foundational component of behavior in almost all forms of animal life and may provide insight into individual differences in addiction liability. Cues can take on incentive-motivational properties (i.e., incentive salience) through Pavlovian learning. Extensive testing with non-human animals (primarily rats) has demonstrated significant variation among individuals in the behaviors this type of learning evokes. So-named "sign-trackers" and "goal-trackers" have been examined in many studies of non-human animals, but this work in humans is still a nascent area of research. In the present proof-of-concept study, we used a Pavlovian conditioned approach task to investigate human sign- and goal-tracking in emerging adults. Conditioned behaviors that developed over the course of the task were directed toward the reward-cue and toward the reward location. Participants' eye-gaze and behavior during the task were submitted to a latent profile analysis, which revealed three groups defined as sign-trackers (n = 10), goal-trackers (n = 4), and intermediate responders (n = 36). Impulsivity was a significant predictor of the sign-tracking group relative to the goal-tracking group. The present study provides preliminary evidence that a simple procedure can produce learned Pavlovian conditioned approach behavior in humans. Though further investigation is required, findings provide a promising step toward the long-term goal of translating important insights gleaned from basic research into treatment strategies that can be applied to clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Cope
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Center, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - A Gheidi
- Biomedical Science Research Building, University of Michigan, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - M E Martz
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Center, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - E R Duval
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - H Khalil
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - T Allerton
- Biomedical Science Research Building, University of Michigan, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - J D Morrow
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Center, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Biomedical Science Research Building, University of Michigan, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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11
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Basal Forebrain Chemogenetic Inhibition Converts the Attentional Control Mode of Goal-Trackers to That of Sign-Trackers. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0418-22.2022. [PMID: 36635246 PMCID: PMC9794377 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0418-22.2022] [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: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Sign tracking versus goal tracking in rats indicate vulnerability and resistance, respectively, to Pavlovian cue-evoked addictive drug taking and relapse. Here, we tested hypotheses predicting that the opponent cognitive-behavioral styles indexed by sign tracking versus goal tracking include variations in attentional performance which differentially depend on basal forebrain projection systems. Pavlovian Conditioned Approach (PCA) testing was used to identify male and female sign-trackers (STs) and goal-trackers (GTs), as well as rats with an intermediate phenotype (INTs). Upon reaching asymptotic performance in an operant task requiring the detection of visual signals (hits) as well as the reporting of signal absence for 40 min per session, GTs scored more hits than STs, and hit rates across all phenotypes correlated with PCA scores. STs missed relatively more signals than GTs specifically during the last 15 min of a session. Chemogenetic inhibition of the basal forebrain decreased hit rates in GTs but was without effect in STs. Moreover, the decrease in hits in GTs manifested solely during the last 15 min of a session. Transfection efficacy in the horizontal limb of the diagonal band (HDB), but not substantia innominate (SI) or nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM), predicted the behavioral efficacy of chemogenetic inhibition in GTs. Furthermore, the total subregional transfection space, not transfection of just cholinergic neurons, correlated with performance effects. These results indicate that the cognitive-behavioral phenotype indexed by goal tracking, but not sign tracking, depends on activation of the basal forebrain-frontal cortical projection system and associated biases toward top-down or model-based performance.
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12
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Neural correlates of ‘Liking’ and ‘Wanting’ in short-term eating behaviours and long-term energy balance. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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13
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Pearce AL, Fuchs BA, Keller KL. The role of reinforcement learning and value-based decision-making frameworks in understanding food choice and eating behaviors. Front Nutr 2022; 9:1021868. [PMID: 36483928 PMCID: PMC9722736 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1021868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The obesogenic food environment includes easy access to highly-palatable, energy-dense, "ultra-processed" foods that are heavily marketed to consumers; therefore, it is critical to understand the neurocognitive processes the underlie overeating in response to environmental food-cues (e.g., food images, food branding/advertisements). Eating habits are learned through reinforcement, which is the process through which environmental food cues become valued and influence behavior. This process is supported by multiple behavioral control systems (e.g., Pavlovian, Habitual, Goal-Directed). Therefore, using neurocognitive frameworks for reinforcement learning and value-based decision-making can improve our understanding of food-choice and eating behaviors. Specifically, the role of reinforcement learning in eating behaviors was considered using the frameworks of (1) Sign-versus Goal-Tracking Phenotypes; (2) Model-Free versus Model-Based; and (3) the Utility or Value-Based Model. The sign-and goal-tracking phenotypes may contribute a mechanistic insight on the role of food-cue incentive salience in two prevailing models of overconsumption-the Extended Behavioral Susceptibility Theory and the Reactivity to Embedded Food Cues in Advertising Model. Similarly, the model-free versus model-based framework may contribute insight to the Extended Behavioral Susceptibility Theory and the Healthy Food Promotion Model. Finally, the value-based model provides a framework for understanding how all three learning systems are integrated to influence food choice. Together, these frameworks can provide mechanistic insight to existing models of food choice and overconsumption and may contribute to the development of future prevention and treatment efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaina L. Pearce
- Social Science Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Bari A. Fuchs
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Kathleen L. Keller
- Social Science Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Food Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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14
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Webber HE, de Dios C, Wardle MC, Suchting R, Green CE, Schmitz JM, Lane SD, Versace F. Electrophysiological responses to emotional and cocaine cues reveal individual neuroaffective profiles in cocaine users. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2022; 30:514-524. [PMID: 33630644 PMCID: PMC8406778 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Smokers with stronger neuroaffective responses to drug-related cues compared to nondrug-related pleasant images (C > P) are more vulnerable to compulsive smoking than individuals with the opposite brain reactivity profile (P > C). However, it is unknown if these neurobehavioral profiles exist in individuals abusing other drugs. We tested whether individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD) show similar neuroaffective profiles to smokers. We also monitored eye movements to assess attentional bias toward cues and we further performed exploratory analyses on demographics, personality, and drug use between profiles. Participants with CUD (n = 43) viewed pleasant, unpleasant, cocaine, and neutral images while we recorded electroencephalogram. For each picture category, we computed the amplitude of the late positive potential (LPP), an event-related potential component that reflects motivational relevance. k-means clustering classified participants based on their LPP responses. In line with what has been observed in smokers, clustering participants using LPP responses revealed the presence of two groups: one with larger LPPs to pleasant images compared to cocaine images (P > C) and one group with larger LPPs to cocaine images compared to pleasant images (C > P). Individuals with the C > P reactivity profile also had higher attentional bias toward drug cues. The two groups did not differ on demographic and drug use characteristics, however individuals with the C > P profile reported lower distress tolerance, higher anhedonia, and higher posttraumatic stress symptoms compared to the P > C group. This is the first study to report the presence of these neuroaffective profiles in individuals with CUD, indicating that this pattern may cut across addiction populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather E. Webber
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston,
Houston, TX
| | - Constanza de Dios
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston,
Houston, TX
| | - Margaret C. Wardle
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at
Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Robert Suchting
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston,
Houston, TX
| | - Charles E. Green
- Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School,
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Joy M. Schmitz
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston,
Houston, TX
| | - Scott D. Lane
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston,
Houston, TX
| | - Francesco Versace
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas
MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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15
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Safavi S, Dayan P. Multistability, perceptual value, and internal foraging. Neuron 2022; 110:3076-3090. [PMID: 36041434 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Substantial experimental, theoretical, and computational insights into sensory processing have been derived from the phenomena of perceptual multistability-when two or more percepts alternate or switch in response to a single sensory input. Here, we review a range of findings suggesting that alternations can be seen as internal choices by the brain responding to values. We discuss how elements of external, experimenter-controlled values and internal, uncertainty- and aesthetics-dependent values influence multistability. We then consider the implications for the involvement in switching of regions, such as the anterior cingulate cortex, which are more conventionally tied to value-dependent operations such as cognitive control and foraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Safavi
- University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Peter Dayan
- University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
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16
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From skinner box to daily life: Sign-tracker phenotype co-segregates with impulsivity, compulsivity, and addiction tendencies in humans. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:1358-1369. [PMID: 35672650 PMCID: PMC9622514 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-01014-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Pavlovian conditioning holds the potential to incentivize environmental cues, leading to approach behavior toward them, even outside our awareness. Animal models suggest that this is particularly true for the so-called sign-tracker (ST) phenotype, which is considered to reflect a predisposition toward developing addiction-related behaviours. Despite its potential clinical relevance, few studies have demonstrated the translational validity of this model, likely due to difficulties in studying Pavlovian processes in humans. To fill this gap, we combined an ecological momentary assessment with ambulatory peripheral autonomic monitoring to test the hypothesis that traits associated with ST in preclinical studies would be associated with attribution of high incentive salience to reward-related cues. Several times for 2 days, participants were asked to rate the attractiveness of several preselected ecological rewards (e.g., coffee) and the preceding cues (the smell of coffee) while their electrocardiogram was recorded. While no absolute difference in subjective and physiological measures of motivational approach to daily cues compared with rewards emerged, individuals with high levels of impulsivity, obsessive-compulsive, and addiction-prone behaviors rated as more attractive and showed a greater increase in sympathetic arousal to cues versus rewards. The opposite pattern emerged for those with low levels in those dispositional traits, who responded more (both subjectively and physiologically) to rewards compared with their preceding cues. This study represents an attempt to answer the call to parcel complex behaviors into smaller constructs, improving the early detection of those who are vulnerable to develop psychopathological disorders, particularly in the domain of impulse control such as addiction.
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17
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Liakoni V, Lehmann MP, Modirshanechi A, Brea J, Lutti A, Gerstner W, Preuschoff K. Brain signals of a Surprise-Actor-Critic model: Evidence for multiple learning modules in human decision making. Neuroimage 2021; 246:118780. [PMID: 34875383 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning how to reach a reward over long series of actions is a remarkable capability of humans, and potentially guided by multiple parallel learning modules. Current brain imaging of learning modules is limited by (i) simple experimental paradigms, (ii) entanglement of brain signals of different learning modules, and (iii) a limited number of computational models considered as candidates for explaining behavior. Here, we address these three limitations and (i) introduce a complex sequential decision making task with surprising events that allows us to (ii) dissociate correlates of reward prediction errors from those of surprise in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); and (iii) we test behavior against a large repertoire of model-free, model-based, and hybrid reinforcement learning algorithms, including a novel surprise-modulated actor-critic algorithm. Surprise, derived from an approximate Bayesian approach for learning the world-model, is extracted in our algorithm from a state prediction error. Surprise is then used to modulate the learning rate of a model-free actor, which itself learns via the reward prediction error from model-free value estimation by the critic. We find that action choices are well explained by pure model-free policy gradient, but reaction times and neural data are not. We identify signatures of both model-free and surprise-based learning signals in blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses, supporting the existence of multiple parallel learning modules in the brain. Our results extend previous fMRI findings to a multi-step setting and emphasize the role of policy gradient and surprise signalling in human learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Liakoni
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Marco P Lehmann
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alireza Modirshanechi
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johanni Brea
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Lutti
- Laboratoire de recherche en neuroimagerie (LREN), Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Wulfram Gerstner
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kerstin Preuschoff
- Geneva Finance Research Institute & Interfaculty Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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18
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Computational Mechanisms of Addiction: Recent Evidence and Its Relevance to Addiction Medicine. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40429-021-00399-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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19
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Finke JB, Roesmann K, Stalder T, Klucken T. Pupil dilation as an index of Pavlovian conditioning. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:351-368. [PMID: 34499928 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.005] [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] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The use of pupillometry to track emotional learning processes in humans is generating an increasing interest. Here, we provide a first systematic review and meta-analysis on the value of pupil dilation as a marker of Pavlovian conditioning, focusing on the roles of UCS valence (aversive vs. appetitive), the time course across trials and response intervals within trials. Based on data from 39 independent samples (total n = 1303), our results revealed strong evidence for the overall validity of conditioned pupil responses, with a trend for larger effects in aversive (average g = 0.73) vs. appetitive conditioning (g = 0.39). Response differentiation increased over the course of acquisition. Substantial differentiation effects were found in both early and late response windows. Moderator analyses revealed a consistent influence of UCS modality on differential conditioning, while evidence for moderation by contingency instructions and length of acquisition phase was mixed. The results highlight pupil dilation as a sensitive and reliable index of Pavlovian conditioning across valence categories and stimulus modalities. Important implications regarding methodological considerations and research goals are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes B Finke
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany.
| | - Kati Roesmann
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
| | - Tobias Stalder
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
| | - Tim Klucken
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
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20
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Flagel SB, Robinson TE, Sarter M. Comment on Pohorala et al.: Sign-tracking as a predictor of addiction vulnerability. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2661-2664. [PMID: 34308488 PMCID: PMC9248762 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05927-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shelly B Flagel
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Terry E Robinson
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Martin Sarter
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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21
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Sign tracking predicts suboptimal behavior in a rodent gambling task. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2645-2660. [PMID: 34191111 PMCID: PMC8500220 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05887-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Reward-associated cues can promote maladaptive behavior, including risky decision-making in a gambling setting. A propensity for sign tracking over goal tracking-i.e., interaction with a reward-predictive cue rather than the site of reward-demonstrates an individual's tendency to transfer motivational value to a cue. However, the relationship of sign tracking to risky decision-making remains unclear. OBJECTIVES To determine whether sign tracking predicts risky choice, we used a Pavlovian conditioned approach task to evaluate the tendency of male rats to sign track to a lever cue and then trained rats on a rodent gambling task (rGT) with win-associated cues. We also tested the effects of D-amphetamine, quinpirole (a D2/D3 receptor agonist), and PD128907 (a D3 receptor agonist) on gambling behavior in sign tracker and goal tracker individuals. RESULTS Increased sign tracking relative to goal tracking was associated with suboptimal performance on the rGT, including decreased selection of the optimal choice, increased selection of a high-risk/high-reward option, and increased impulsive premature choices. Amphetamine increased choices of a low-risk/low-reward option at the expense of optimal and high-risk choices, whereas quinpirole and PD128907 had little effect on choice allocation, but reduced impulsivity. Drug effects were similar across sign tracker and goal tracker individuals. CONCLUSIONS Cue reactivity, as measured by sign tracking, is predictive and may be an important driver of risky and impulsive choices in a gambling setting laden with salient audiovisual cues. Evaluating an individual's sign tracking behavior may be an avenue to predict vulnerability to pathological gambling and the efficacy of treatments.
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22
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Pohořalá V, Enkel T, Bartsch D, Spanagel R, Bernardi RE. Sign- and goal-tracking score does not correlate with addiction-like behavior following prolonged cocaine self-administration. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2335-2346. [PMID: 33950271 PMCID: PMC8292273 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05858-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE In classical conditioning, sign-tracking reflects behavior directed toward a conditioned stimulus (CS) in expectation of a reward (unconditioned stimulus, US); in contrast, goal-tracking describes behavior directed toward the location of delivery of a US. As cues previously paired with drugs of abuse promote drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior in both animals and humans and thus contribute to the severity of substance abuse, sign-tracking may represent a maladaptive cue-focused behavior that may increase addiction vulnerability as compared to goal-tracking. Recent studies do, in fact, support this possibility. Previous work in this area has focused primarily on paradigms using relatively limited exposure to drug rather than extended drug intake. OBJECTIVES Here, we used the DSM-IV-based 3-criteria (3-CRIT) model and examined whether a relationship exists between sign- or goal-tracking phenotypes and the prevalence of criteria associated with addiction-like behavior following extended cocaine self-administration as measured in this model. METHODS Forty-six male Sprague Dawley rats underwent a Pavlovian conditioned approach (PCA) procedure and were characterized along a continuum as goal-trackers (GTs), intermediates (INTs), or sign-trackers (STs). The animals were subsequently trained to intravenous self-administer cocaine during 45 self-administration (SA) sessions and characterized for the 3 criteria outlined in the model: persistence of drug-seeking, motivation for cocaine-taking, and resistance to punishment. RESULTS We performed correlational analyses on the traits measured, finding no relationships between PCA score and addiction-like characteristics measured using the 3-CRIT model of addiction. However, STs showed significantly greater resistance to punishment than GTs. CONCLUSIONS Phenotyping along a continuum of PCA scores may not be a valid predictor for identifying vulnerability to the addiction-like behaviors examined using the 3-CRIT model. However, PCA phenotype may predict a single feature of the 3-CRIT model, resistance to punishment, among those rats classified as either STs or GTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Pohořalá
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Thomas Enkel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Dusan Bartsch
- Department of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rick E Bernardi
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
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23
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Fronto-striatal structures related with model-based control as an endophenotype for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11951. [PMID: 34099768 PMCID: PMC8185095 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91179-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent theories suggest a shift from model-based goal-directed to model-free habitual decision-making in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). However, it is yet unclear, whether this shift in the decision process is heritable. We investigated 32 patients with OCD, 27 unaffected siblings (SIBs) and 31 healthy controls (HCs) using the two-step task. We computed behavioral and reaction time analyses and fitted a computational model to assess the balance between model-based and model-free control. 80 subjects also underwent structural imaging. We observed a significant ordered effect for the shift towards model-free control in the direction OCD > SIB > HC in our computational parameter of interest. However less directed analyses revealed no shift towards model-free control in OCDs. Nonetheless, we found evidence for reduced model-based control in OCDs compared to HCs and SIBs via 2nd stage reaction time analyses. In this measure SIBs also showed higher levels of model-based control than HCs. Across all subjects these effects were associated with the surface area of the left medial/right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Moreover, correlations between bilateral putamen/right caudate volumes and these effects varied as a function of group: they were negative in SIBs and OCDs, but positive in HCs. Associations between fronto-striatal regions and model-based reaction time effects point to a potential endophenotype for OCD.
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25
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Sebold M, Garbusow M, Cerci D, Chen K, Sommer C, Huys QJM, Nebe S, Rapp M, Veer IM, Zimmermann US, Smolka MN, Walter H, Heinz A, Friedel E. Association of the OPRM1 A118G polymorphism and Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer: Clinical relevance for alcohol dependence. J Psychopharmacol 2021; 35:566-578. [PMID: 33726538 PMCID: PMC8155738 DOI: 10.1177/0269881121991992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) quantifies the extent to which a stimulus that has been associated with reward or punishment alters operant behaviour. In alcohol dependence (AD), the PIT effect serves as a paradigmatic model of cue-induced relapse. Preclinical studies have suggested a critical role of the opioid system in modulating Pavlovian-instrumental interactions. The A118G polymorphism of the OPRM1 gene affects opioid receptor availability and function. Furthermore, this polymorphism interacts with cue-induced approach behaviour and is a potential biomarker for pharmacological treatment response in AD. In this study, we tested whether the OPRM1 polymorphism is associated with the PIT effect and relapse in AD. METHODS Using a PIT task, we examined three independent samples: young healthy subjects (N = 161), detoxified alcohol-dependent patients (N = 186) and age-matched healthy controls (N = 105). We used data from a larger study designed to assess the role of learning mechanisms in the development and maintenance of AD. Subjects were genotyped for the A118G (rs1799971) polymorphism of the OPRM1 gene. Relapse was assessed after three months. RESULTS In all three samples, participants with the minor OPRM1 G-Allele (G+ carriers) showed increased expression of the PIT effect in the absence of learning differences. Relapse was not associated with the OPRM1 polymorphism. Instead, G+ carriers displaying increased PIT effects were particularly prone to relapse. CONCLUSION These results support a role for the opioid system in incentive salience motivation. Furthermore, they inform a mechanistic model of aberrant salience processing and are in line with the pharmacological potential of opioid receptor targets in the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Sebold
- Department of Psychiatry and
Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie
Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health,
Berlin, Germany
- Department for Social and Preventive
Medicine, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Maria Garbusow
- Department of Psychiatry and
Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie
Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health,
Berlin, Germany
| | - Deniz Cerci
- Klinik für Forensische Psychiatrie,
Universitätsmedizin Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Ke Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and
Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie
Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health,
Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Quentin JM Huys
- Division of Psychiatry, University
College London, London, UK
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational
Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
| | - Stephan Nebe
- Department of Economics, University of
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Rapp
- Department for Social and Preventive
Medicine, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ilya M Veer
- Department of Psychiatry and
Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie
Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health,
Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrich S Zimmermann
- Technical University of Dresden,
Dresden, Germany
- Department of Addiction Medicine and
Psychotherapy, kbo Isar-Amper-Klinikum, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and
Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie
Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health,
Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and
Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie
Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health,
Berlin, Germany
| | - Eva Friedel
- Department of Psychiatry and
Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie
Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health,
Berlin, Germany
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26
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Sayão A, Alves H, Furukawa E, Schultz Wenk T, Cagy M, Gutierrez-Arango S, Tripp G, Caparelli-Dáquer E. Development of a Classical Conditioning Task for Humans Examining Phasic Heart Rate Responses to Signaled Appetitive Stimuli: A Pilot Study. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:639372. [PMID: 33867950 PMCID: PMC8052094 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.639372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac responses to appetitive stimuli have been studied as indices of motivational states and attentional processes, the former being associated with cardiac acceleration and latter deceleration. Very few studies have examined heart rate changes in appetitive classical conditioning in humans. The current study describes the development and pilot testing of a classical conditioning task to assess cardiac responses to appetitive stimuli and cues that reliably precede them. Data from 18 adults were examined. They were shown initially neutral visual stimuli (putative CS) on a computer screen followed by pictures of high-caloric food (US). Phasic cardiac deceleration to food images was observed, consistent with an orienting response to motivationally significant stimuli. Similar responses were observed to non-appetitive stimuli when they were preceded by the cue associated with the food images, suggesting that attentional processes were engaged by conditioned stimuli. These autonomic changes provide significant information about classical conditioning effects in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Sayão
- Lab of Electric Stimulation of the Nervous System Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Heloisa Alves
- Psychology Department, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA, United States
| | - Emi Furukawa
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Thomas Schultz Wenk
- Lab of Electric Stimulation of the Nervous System Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mauricio Cagy
- Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Graduate Studies and Research in Engineering, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Gail Tripp
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Egas Caparelli-Dáquer
- Lab of Electric Stimulation of the Nervous System Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Abstract
Abstract
Purpose of Review
Current theories of alcohol use disorders (AUD) highlight the importance of Pavlovian and instrumental learning processes mainly based on preclinical animal studies. Here, we summarize available evidence for alterations of those processes in human participants with AUD with a focus on habitual versus goal-directed instrumental learning, Pavlovian conditioning, and Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) paradigms.
Recent Findings
The balance between habitual and goal-directed control in AUD participants has been studied using outcome devaluation or sequential decision-making procedures, which have found some evidence of reduced goal-directed/model-based control, but little evidence for stronger habitual responding. The employed Pavlovian learning and PIT paradigms have shown considerable differences regarding experimental procedures, e.g., alcohol-related or conventional reinforcers or stimuli.
Summary
While studies of basic learning processes in human participants with AUD support a role of Pavlovian and instrumental learning mechanisms in the development and maintenance of drug addiction, current studies are characterized by large variability regarding methodology, sample characteristics, and results, and translation from animal paradigms to human research remains challenging. Longitudinal approaches with reliable and ecologically valid paradigms of Pavlovian and instrumental processes, including alcohol-related cues and outcomes, are warranted and should be combined with state-of-the-art imaging techniques, computational approaches, and ecological momentary assessment methods.
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Behavioral determinants in the expression of the Kamin blocking effect: Implications for associative learning theory. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 124:16-34. [PMID: 33497781 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Associative learning makes important contributions to our behavior and decisions. The Kamin blocking effect is an associative learning phenomenon that plays a central role in understanding of the psychological principles underlying associative learning. However, several recent failures to replicate the blocking effect suggest that the conditions necessary for blocking are poorly understood. To understand the conditions necessary for blocking, here we review studies into the expression of blocking in subjects that either approach and interact with the conditioned cue (sign trackers) or approach and interact with the reward location (goal trackers) during appetitive classical conditioning. Psychological theory and the neurophysiological correlates of appetitive classical conditioning make opposing predictions regarding the expression of blocking in sign and goal trackers. We reconcile these opposing predictions in a qualitative model using two parallel learning processes. Such models offer a better framework for understanding the psychological associative structures acquired during learning, their interactions contributing to the conditioned response, and how they affect subsequent learning and the expression of the Kamin blocking effect.
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Liu C, Yücel M, Suo C, Le Pelley ME, Tiego J, Rotaru K, Fontenelle LF, Albertella L. Reward-Related Attentional Capture Moderates the Association between Fear-Driven Motives and Heavy Drinking. Eur Addict Res 2021; 27:351-361. [PMID: 33706304 DOI: 10.1159/000513470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To date, there has been little investigation on how motivational and cognitive mechanisms interact to influence problematic drinking behaviours. Towards this aim, the current study examined whether reward-related attentional capture is associated with reward, fear (relief), and habit drinking motives, and further, whether it interacts with these motives in relation to problematic drinking patterns. METHODS Ninety participants (mean age = 34.8 years, SD = 9.1, 54% male) who reported having consumed alcohol in the past month completed an online visual search task that measured reward-related attentional capture as well as the Habit Reward Fear Scale, a measure of drinking motives. Participants also completed measures of psychological distress, impulsivity, compulsive drinking, and consumption items of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Regression analyses examined the associations between motives for alcohol consumption and reward-related attentional capture, as well as the associations between reward-related attentional capture, motives, and their interaction, with alcohol consumption and problems. RESULTS Greater reward-related attentional capture was associated with greater reward motives. Further, reward-related attentional capture also interacted with fear motives in relation to alcohol consumption. Follow-up analyses showed that this interaction was driven by greater fear motives being associated with heavier drinking among those with lower reward-related attentional capture (i.e., "goal-trackers"). CONCLUSION These findings have implications for understanding how cognition may interact with motives in association with problematic drinking. Specifically, the findings highlight different potential pathways to problematic drinking according to an individual's cognitive-motivational profile and may inform tailored interventions to target profile-specific mechanisms. Finally, these findings offer support for contemporary models of addiction that view excessive goal-directed behaviour under negative affect as a critical contributor to addictive behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Chao Suo
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mike E Le Pelley
- School of Psychology, UNSW, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jeggan Tiego
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kristian Rotaru
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Monash Business School, Monash University, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia
| | - Leonardo F Fontenelle
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia, .,Institute of Psychiatry, Obsessive, Compulsive, and Anxiety Research Program, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, .,D'Or Institute for Research and Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
| | - Lucy Albertella
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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30
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Huys QJM, Browning M, Paulus MP, Frank MJ. Advances in the computational understanding of mental illness. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:3-19. [PMID: 32620005 PMCID: PMC7688938 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0746-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Computational psychiatry is a rapidly growing field attempting to translate advances in computational neuroscience and machine learning into improved outcomes for patients suffering from mental illness. It encompasses both data-driven and theory-driven efforts. Here, recent advances in theory-driven work are reviewed. We argue that the brain is a computational organ. As such, an understanding of the illnesses arising from it will require a computational framework. The review divides work up into three theoretical approaches that have deep mathematical connections: dynamical systems, Bayesian inference and reinforcement learning. We discuss both general and specific challenges for the field, and suggest ways forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin J M Huys
- Division of Psychiatry and Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK.
- Camden and Islington NHS Trust, London, UK.
| | - Michael Browning
- Computational Psychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Martin P Paulus
- Laureate Institute For Brain Research (LIBR), Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Michael J Frank
- Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Neuroscience Graduate Program, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Carney Center for Computational Brain Science, Carney Institute for Brain Science Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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31
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Beyond a Cognitive Dichotomy: Can Multiple Decision Systems Prove Useful to Distinguish Compulsive and Impulsive Symptom Dimensions? Biol Psychiatry 2020; 88:e49-e51. [PMID: 32334806 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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32
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyan Liu
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Campus Charité Mitte), Berlin, Germany
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- Max Planck Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research & Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, England
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Campus Charité Mitte), Berlin, Germany
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33
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Colaizzi JM, Flagel SB, Joyner MA, Gearhardt AN, Stewart JL, Paulus MP. Mapping sign-tracking and goal-tracking onto human behaviors. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 111:84-94. [PMID: 31972203 PMCID: PMC8087151 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
As evidenced through classic Pavlovian learning mechanisms, environmental cues can become incentivized and influence behavior. These stimulus-outcome associations are relevant in everyday life but may be particularly important for the development of impulse control disorders including addiction. Rodent studies have elucidated specific learning profiles termed 'sign-tracking' and 'goal-tracking' which map onto individual differences in impulsivity and other behaviors associated with impulse control disorders' etiology, course, and relapse. Whereas goal-trackers are biased toward the outcome, sign-trackers fixate on features that are associated with but not necessary for achieving an outcome; a pattern of behavior that often leads to escalation of reward-seeking that can be maladaptive. The vast majority of the sign- and goal-tracking research has been conducted using rodent models and very few have bridged this concept into the domain of human behavior. In this review, we discuss the attributes of sign- and goal-tracking profiles, how these are manifested neurobiologically, and how these distinct learning styles could be an important tool for clinical interventions in human addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna M Colaizzi
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK, USA.
| | - Shelly B Flagel
- University of Michigan Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, 205 Zina Pitcher Pl, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Michelle A Joyner
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ashley N Gearhardt
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | | | - Martin P Paulus
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK, USA
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34
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Adams RA, Moutoussis M, Nour MM, Dahoun T, Lewis D, Illingworth B, Veronese M, Mathys C, de Boer L, Guitart-Masip M, Friston KJ, Howes OD, Roiser JP. Variability in Action Selection Relates to Striatal Dopamine 2/3 Receptor Availability in Humans: A PET Neuroimaging Study Using Reinforcement Learning and Active Inference Models. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:3573-3589. [PMID: 32083297 PMCID: PMC7233027 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Choosing actions that result in advantageous outcomes is a fundamental function of nervous systems. All computational decision-making models contain a mechanism that controls the variability of (or confidence in) action selection, but its neural implementation is unclear-especially in humans. We investigated this mechanism using two influential decision-making frameworks: active inference (AI) and reinforcement learning (RL). In AI, the precision (inverse variance) of beliefs about policies controls action selection variability-similar to decision 'noise' parameters in RL-and is thought to be encoded by striatal dopamine signaling. We tested this hypothesis by administering a 'go/no-go' task to 75 healthy participants, and measuring striatal dopamine 2/3 receptor (D2/3R) availability in a subset (n = 25) using [11C]-(+)-PHNO positron emission tomography. In behavioral model comparison, RL performed best across the whole group but AI performed best in participants performing above chance levels. Limbic striatal D2/3R availability had linear relationships with AI policy precision (P = 0.029) as well as with RL irreducible decision 'noise' (P = 0.020), and this relationship with D2/3R availability was confirmed with a 'decision stochasticity' factor that aggregated across both models (P = 0.0006). These findings are consistent with occupancy of inhibitory striatal D2/3Rs decreasing the variability of action selection in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick A Adams
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, UK.,Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London W1T 7NF, UK.,Psychiatric Imaging Group, Robert Steiner MRI Unit, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Michael Moutoussis
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,Max Planck-UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Matthew M Nour
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, Robert Steiner MRI Unit, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK.,Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Tarik Dahoun
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, Robert Steiner MRI Unit, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Declan Lewis
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Benjamin Illingworth
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Mattia Veronese
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Christoph Mathys
- Max Planck-UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London WC1B 5EH, UK.,Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), 34136 Trieste, Italy.,Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lieke de Boer
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute, 171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marc Guitart-Masip
- Max Planck-UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London WC1B 5EH, UK.,Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute, 171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karl J Friston
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Oliver D Howes
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, Robert Steiner MRI Unit, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK.,Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Jonathan P Roiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
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Kuhn BN, Kalivas PW, Bobadilla AC. Understanding Addiction Using Animal Models. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:262. [PMID: 31849622 PMCID: PMC6895146 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is a neuropsychiatric disorder with grave personal consequences that has an extraordinary global economic impact. Despite decades of research, the options available to treat addiction are often ineffective because our rudimentary understanding of drug-induced pathology in brain circuits and synaptic physiology inhibits the rational design of successful therapies. This understanding will arise first from animal models of addiction where experimentation at the level of circuits and molecular biology is possible. We will review the most common preclinical models of addictive behavior and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each. This includes non-contingent models in which animals are passively exposed to rewarding substances, as well as widely used contingent models such as drug self-administration and relapse. For the latter, we elaborate on the different ways of mimicking craving and relapse, which include using acute stress, drug administration or exposure to cues and contexts previously paired with drug self-administration. We further describe paradigms where drug-taking is challenged by alternative rewards, such as appetitive foods or social interaction. In an attempt to better model the individual vulnerability to drug abuse that characterizes human addiction, the field has also established preclinical paradigms in which drug-induced behaviors are ranked by various criteria of drug use in the presence of negative consequences. Separation of more vulnerable animals according to these criteria, along with other innate predispositions including goal- or sign-tracking, sensation-seeking behavior or impulsivity, has established individual genetic susceptibilities to developing drug addiction and relapse vulnerability. We further examine current models of behavioral addictions such as gambling, a disorder included in the DSM-5, and exercise, mentioned in the DSM-5 but not included yet due to insufficient peer-reviewed evidence. Finally, after reviewing the face validity of the aforementioned models, we consider the most common standardized tests used by pharmaceutical companies to assess the addictive potential of a drug during clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany N Kuhn
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Ana-Clara Bobadilla
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
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