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Watson P, Prior K, Ridley N, Monds L, Manning V, Wiers RW, Le Pelley ME. Sign-tracking to non-drug reward is related to severity of alcohol-use problems in a sample of individuals seeking treatment. Addict Behav 2024; 154:108010. [PMID: 38479081 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108010] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A prominent neuroscientific theory of drug addiction is the incentive sensitization model. Individual differences in the tendency to ascribe motivational salience to cues that predict reward, and involuntary "sign-tracking" (orientation towards) such cues have been identified as potentially important in understanding vulnerability to addiction and relapse. However, to date this behaviour has not been assessed in a treatment-seeking clinical population, who typically represent those most susceptible to alcohol-related harms and episodes of relapse. This highlights a significant gap in the literature pertaining to incentive sensitization and drug dependence. METHODS Individuals accessing inpatient drug and alcohol services with alcohol as primary drug of concern were recruited to participate in a Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) intervention. At the baseline assessment, participants completed various self-report measures (including the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test; AUDIT) in addition to a visual search task measuring sign-tracking to cues signalling monetary reward. At 3-month follow up, abstinence from alcohol was the primary outcome measure. All analyses and hypotheses were pre-registered. RESULTS At baseline (57 participants), AUDIT scores correlated with sign-tracking to signals of monetary reward. In a subsequent regression analysis sign-tracking, gender and self-reported alcohol craving predicted abstinence at 3-month follow up (41 participants). CONCLUSIONS Our work demonstrates that involuntary sign-tracking to cues signalling non-drug reward is associated with problematic alcohol use and return to use at 3-month follow up, in a treatment-seeking sample. Whether this automatic prioritisation of cues signalling reward is a consequence or vulnerability for problematic alcohol use remains to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poppy Watson
- University of Technology Sydney, Australia; UNSW Sydney, Australia.
| | - Katrina Prior
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Nicole Ridley
- South Eastern Sydney Local Health District Drug and Alcohol Services, Sydney, Australia
| | - Lauren Monds
- Specialty of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Victoria Manning
- Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Turning Point, Eastern Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Reinout W Wiers
- Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
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2
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Böhmer J, Reinhardt P, Garbusow M, Marxen M, Smolka MN, Zimmermann US, Heinz A, Bzdok D, Friedel E, Kruschwitz JD, Walter H. Aberrant functional brain network organization is associated with relapse during 1-year follow-up in alcohol-dependent patients. Addict Biol 2023; 28:e13339. [PMID: 37855075 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13339] [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: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol dependence (AD) is a debilitating disease associated with high relapse rates even after long periods of abstinence. Thus, elucidating neurobiological substrates of relapse risk is fundamental for the development of novel targeted interventions that could promote long-lasting abstinence. In the present study, we analysed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) data from a sample of recently detoxified patients with AD (n = 93) who were followed up for 12 months after rsfMRI assessment. Specifically, we employed graph theoretic analyses to compare functional brain network topology and functional connectivity between future relapsers (REL, n = 59), future abstainers (ABS, n = 28) and age- and gender-matched controls (CON, n = 83). Our results suggest increased whole-brain network segregation, decreased global network integration and overall blunted connectivity strength in REL compared with CON. Conversely, we found evidence for a comparable network architecture in ABS relative to CON. At the nodal level, REL exhibited decreased integration and decoupling between multiple brain systems compared with CON, encompassing regions associated with higher-order executive functions, sensory and reward processing. Among patients with AD, increased coupling between nodes implicated in reward valuation and salience attribution constitutes a particular risk factor for future relapse. Importantly, aberrant network organization in REL was consistently associated with shorter abstinence duration during follow-up, portending to a putative neural signature of relapse risk in AD. Future research should further evaluate the potential diagnostic value of the identified changes in network topology and functional connectivity for relapse prediction at the individual subject level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Böhmer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pablo Reinhardt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Garbusow
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Marxen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Collaborative Research Centre (SFB 940) "Volition and Cognitive Control", Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Collaborative Research Centre (SFB 940) "Volition and Cognitive Control", Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrich S Zimmermann
- Department of Addiction Medicine and Psychotherapy, kbo-Isar-Amper-Klinikum München-Ost, Haar, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre (BIC), Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Danilo Bzdok
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre (BIC), Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, Canada
| | - Eva Friedel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johann D Kruschwitz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Collaborative Research Centre (SFB 940) "Volition and Cognitive Control", Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Collaborative Research Centre (SFB 940) "Volition and Cognitive Control", Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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3
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Rosenthal A, Chen K, Beck A, Romanczuk-Seiferth N. Modifying Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer by approach avoidance training in healthy subjects: a proof of concept study. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10074. [PMID: 37344561 PMCID: PMC10284857 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37083-3] [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: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The modulation of instrumental action by conditioned Pavlovian cues is hypothesized to play a role in the emergence and maintenance of maladaptive behavior. The Pavlovian to Instrumental transfer task (PIT) is designed to examine the magnitude of the influence of cues on behavior and we aim to manipulate the motivational value of Pavlovian cues to reduce their effect on instrumental responding. To this end, we utilized a joystick-based modification of approach and avoidance propensities that has shown success in clinical populations. To examine changes in PIT, we subjected 35 healthy participants to a series of experimental procedures: (1) Instrumental training was followed by (2) Pavlovian conditioning of neutral stimuli that were associated with monetary reward or loss. (3) In a subsequent joystick task, approach and avoidance tendencies toward conditioned cues were assessed. (4) In a transfer test, the PIT effect as the impact of conditioned cues on instrumental behavior was measured. (5) The explicit knowledge of cue-reward contingencies was assessed in a forced-choice phase. (6, 7) systematic joystick training was followed by a posttest (8) the transfer task and forced-choice test were repeated. We found no effect of training on approach-avoidance propensities in the context of this proof of concept study. A higher response rate towards negative stimuli during PIT after systematic training compared to sham training was seen. On the other hand, we saw an increased PIT effect after sham training. These results contribute to the understanding of the strength of the influence of cues on instrumental behavior. Our findings further stress the importance of context, instructions and operationalization of instrumental behavior in the framework of transfer effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Rosenthal
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences|CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ke Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences|CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Beck
- Faculty of Health, Health and Medical University, Campus Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Nina Romanczuk-Seiferth
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences|CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, MSB Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Goldway N, Eldar E, Shoval G, Hartley CA. Computational Mechanisms of Addiction and Anxiety: A Developmental Perspective. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:739-750. [PMID: 36775050 PMCID: PMC10038924 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
A central goal of computational psychiatry is to identify systematic relationships between transdiagnostic dimensions of psychiatric symptomatology and the latent learning and decision-making computations that inform individuals' thoughts, feelings, and choices. Most psychiatric disorders emerge prior to adulthood, yet little work has extended these computational approaches to study the development of psychopathology. Here, we lay out a roadmap for future studies implementing this approach by developing empirically and theoretically informed hypotheses about how developmental changes in model-based control of action and Pavlovian learning processes may modulate vulnerability to anxiety and addiction. We highlight how insights from studies leveraging computational approaches to characterize the normative developmental trajectories of clinically relevant learning and decision-making processes may suggest promising avenues for future developmental computational psychiatry research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noam Goldway
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York
| | - Eran Eldar
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gal Shoval
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey; Child and Adolescent Division, Geha Mental Health Center, Petah Tikva, Israel; Department of Psychiatry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Catherine A Hartley
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York.
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Chen K, Schlagenhauf F, Sebold M, Kuitunen-Paul S, Chen H, Huys QJM, Heinz A, Smolka MN, Zimmermann US, Garbusow M. The Association of Non-Drug-Related Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer Effect in Nucleus Accumbens With Relapse in Alcohol Dependence: A Replication. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:558-565. [PMID: 38426251 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) paradigm measures the effects of Pavlovian conditioned cues on instrumental behavior in the laboratory. A previous study conducted by our research group observed activity in the left nucleus accumbens (NAcc) elicited by a non-drug-related PIT task across patients with alcohol dependence (AD) and healthy control subjects, and the left NAcc PIT effect differentiated patients who subsequently relapsed from those who remained abstinent. In this study, we aimed to examine whether such effects were present in a larger sample collected at a later date. METHODS A total of 129 recently detoxified patients with AD (21 females) and 74 healthy, age- and gender-matched control subjects (12 females) performing a PIT task during functional magnetic resonance imaging were examined. After task assessments, patients were followed for 6 months. Forty-seven patients relapsed and 37 remained abstinent. RESULTS We found a significant behavioral non-drug-related PIT effect and PIT-related activity in the NAcc across all participants. Moreover, subsequent relapsers showed stronger behavioral and left NAcc PIT effects than abstainers. These findings are consistent with our previous findings. CONCLUSIONS Behavioral non-drug-related PIT and neural PIT correlates are associated with prospective relapse risk in AD. This study replicated previous findings and provides evidence for the clinical relevance of PIT mechanisms to treatment outcome in AD. The observed difference between prospective relapsers and abstainers in the NAcc PIT effect in our study is small overall. Future studies are needed to further elucidate the mechanisms and the possible modulators of neural PIT in relapse in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Campus Mitte, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Florian Schlagenhauf
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Campus Mitte, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Miriam Sebold
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Campus Mitte, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Sören Kuitunen-Paul
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Quentin J M Huys
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Campus Mitte, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrich S Zimmermann
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Department of Addiction Medicine and Psychotherapy, kbo Isar-Amper-Klinikum Region München, Germany
| | - Maria Garbusow
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Campus Mitte, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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6
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Watson P, Mahlberg J. Mechanisms underlying performance in a cued go/no-go Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer paradigm. Behav Brain Res 2023; 446:114413. [PMID: 37001819 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Environmental cues that remind us of rewarding outcomes (drugs, food) play a significant role in addiction relapse. In the lab the Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) task has been used to formally examine how cues associated with reward or punishment can bias ongoing instrumental responding. Using a version of this paradigm that integrates PIT with a go/no-go task many studies have related stronger PIT effects (with non-drug rewards) to problematic alcohol use including risky alcohol users relative to non-risky drinkers, individuals with alcohol dependence versus healthy controls and individuals in recovery from alcohol use disorder who are more likely to relapse. However the theoretical importance of these findings and the implications for models of addiction was previously not clear. Understanding if this task indexes the general motivating effects of reward cues on instrumental responding (and whether this is sensitive to shifts in motivation for those outcomes) is critical for understanding these previous results within the context of addiction. Thus, in the current study we aimed to delineate the associative mechanisms that drive the stimulus effects observed in this PIT task. Specifically, we wished to examine whether the cueing effects observed in the cued-go/no-go task were selective in their effect on action, insofar as Pavlovian cues specifically invigorated (or suppressed) responding only if they were associated with congruent outcomes. We conclude that the PIT measured with this task is general in nature. Surprisingly however, the biasing effects of Pavlovian cues on instrumental responding did not appear to be sensitive to outcome devaluation.
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Chen H, Belanger MJ, Garbusow M, Kuitunen-Paul S, Huys QJM, Heinz A, Rapp MA, Smolka MN. Susceptibility to interference between Pavlovian and instrumental control predisposes risky alcohol use developmental trajectory from ages 18 to 24. Addict Biol 2023; 28:e13263. [PMID: 36692874 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13263] [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: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Pavlovian cues can influence ongoing instrumental behaviour via Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) processes. While appetitive Pavlovian cues tend to promote instrumental approach, they are detrimental when avoidance behaviour is required, and vice versa for aversive cues. We recently reported that susceptibility to interference between Pavlovian and instrumental control assessed via a PIT task was associated with risky alcohol use at age 18. We now investigated whether such susceptibility also predicts drinking trajectories until age 24, based on AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) consumption and binge drinking (gramme alcohol/drinking occasion) scores. The interference PIT effect, assessed at ages 18 and 21 during fMRI, was characterized by increased error rates (ER) and enhanced neural responses in the ventral striatum (VS), the lateral and dorsomedial prefrontal cortices (dmPFC) during conflict, that is, when an instrumental approach was required in the presence of an aversive Pavlovian cue or vice versa. We found that a stronger VS response during conflict at age 18 was associated with a higher starting point of both drinking trajectories but predicted a decrease in binge drinking. At age 21, high ER and enhanced neural responses in the dmPFC were associated with increasing AUDIT-C scores over the next 3 years until age 24. Overall, susceptibility to interference between Pavlovian and instrumental control might be viewed as a predisposing mechanism towards hazardous alcohol use during young adulthood, and the identified high-risk group may profit from targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Matthew J Belanger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Maria Garbusow
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sören Kuitunen-Paul
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Quentin J M Huys
- Division of Psychiatry and Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael A Rapp
- Social and Preventive Medicine, Area of Excellence Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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8
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Rosenthal A, Garbusow M, Romanczuk-Seiferth N, Beck A. Effects of a brief mindfulness meditation practice on Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer in alcohol use disorder - a pilot study. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1134458. [PMID: 37168079 PMCID: PMC10164967 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1134458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pavlovian conditioned contextual cues have been suggested to modulate instrumental action and might explain maladaptive behavior such as relapse in participants suffering from alcohol use disorder (AUD). Pavlovian-to-Instrumental transfer (PIT) experimentally assesses the magnitude of this context-dependent effect and studies have shown a larger PIT effect in AUD populations. Taken this into account, a reduction of the influence of cues on behavior seems warranted and one approach that could alter such cue reactivity is mindfulness. Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to be efficient in the treatment of AUD, but underlying mechanisms are yet to be elucidated. Therefore, we aim at investigating the effect of a brief mindful body scan meditation on the magnitude of the PIT effect in AUD subjects and matched controls. Methods Using a randomized within-subjects design, we compared the effect of a short audio guided body scan meditation against a control condition (audio of nature sounds) on PIT in healthy (n = 35) and AUD (n = 27) participants. Results We found no differences in PIT effect between healthy and AUD participants as well as between conditions. However, a significant interaction effect points to a decreased PIT effect after body scan meditation in AUD subjects only. Discussion These pilot results suggest that AUD might be susceptible to mindfulness-induced changes in PIT, with these findings contributing to entangling the underlying mechanisms of the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in AUD. However, further investigation should confirm these preliminary results and the efficacy of mindfulness meditation practice in decreasing the PIT effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Rosenthal
- Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Berlin University of Medicine, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- *Correspondence: Annika Rosenthal,
| | - Maria Garbusow
- Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Berlin University of Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nina Romanczuk-Seiferth
- Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Berlin University of Medicine, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, MSB Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Beck
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Health and Medical University, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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Garbusow M, Ebrahimi C, Riemerschmid C, Daldrup L, Rothkirch M, Chen K, Chen H, Belanger MJ, Hentschel A, Smolka MN, Heinz A, Pilhatsch M, Rapp MA. Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer across Mental Disorders: A Review. Neuropsychobiology 2022; 81:418-437. [PMID: 35843212 DOI: 10.1159/000525579] [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: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A mechanism known as Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) describes a phenomenon by which the values of environmental cues acquired through Pavlovian conditioning can motivate instrumental behavior. PIT may be one basic mechanism of action control that can characterize mental disorders on a dimensional level beyond current classification systems. Therefore, we review human PIT studies investigating subclinical and clinical mental syndromes. The literature prevails an inhomogeneous picture concerning PIT. While enhanced PIT effects seem to be present in non-substance-related disorders, overweight people, and most studies with AUD patients, no altered PIT effects were reported in tobacco use disorder and obesity. Regarding AUD and relapsing alcohol-dependent patients, there is mixed evidence of enhanced or no PIT effects. Additionally, there is evidence for aberrant corticostriatal activation and genetic risk, e.g., in association with high-risk alcohol consumption and relapse after alcohol detoxification. In patients with anorexia nervosa, stronger PIT effects elicited by low caloric stimuli were associated with increased disease severity. In patients with depression, enhanced aversive PIT effects and a loss of action-specificity associated with poorer treatment outcomes were reported. Schizophrenic patients showed disrupted specific but intact general PIT effects. Patients with chronic back pain showed reduced PIT effects. We provide possible reasons to understand heterogeneity in PIT effects within and across mental disorders. Further, we strengthen the importance of reliable experimental tasks and provide test-retest data of a PIT task showing moderate to good reliability. Finally, we point toward stress as a possible underlying factor that may explain stronger PIT effects in mental disorders, as there is some evidence that stress per se interacts with the impact of environmental cues on behavior by selectively increasing cue-triggered wanting. To conclude, we discuss the results of the literature review in the light of Research Domain Criteria, suggesting future studies that comprehensively assess PIT across psychopathological dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Garbusow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Ebrahimi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carlotta Riemerschmid
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Luisa Daldrup
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcus Rothkirch
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ke Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Matthew J Belanger
- Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Angela Hentschel
- Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maximilan Pilhatsch
- Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Elblandklinikum, Radebeul, Germany
| | - Michael A Rapp
- Area of Excellence Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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10
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Degni LAE, Dalbagno D, Starita F, Benassi M, di Pellegrino G, Garofalo S. General Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer in humans: Evidence from Bayesian inference. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:945503. [PMID: 36051636 PMCID: PMC9426756 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.945503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
When repeatedly paired with rewarding outcomes (i.e., Pavlovian conditioning), environmental cues may acquire predictive and motivational significance and later enhance instrumental responding for the same (i.e., outcome-specific transfer) or motivationally similar (i.e., general transfer) outcomes. Although outcome-specific and general Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer (PIT) are characterized by different neural substrates and behavioral mechanisms, general transfer has never been studied in isolation from outcome-specific transfer in humans. The first aim of the present study was to test whether the general transfer effect could emerge in isolation and independently of outcome-specific transfer. Our results showed that general transfer can be elicited without the concurrent presence of outcome-specific transfer, supporting the idea that outcome-specific and general transfer can be studied independently of each other. The second aim of the present study was to clarify whether the affordance-like properties of the outcomes can affect the general transfer. In fact, a critical difference in current studies on general transfer concerns the use of cues associated with outcomes for which an action was previously learned (or not) during the instrumental training. This apparently minor difference affects the affordance-like properties of the outcome and may also be transferred to the cue, in turn impacting general transfer. Results revealed a general transfer of the same magnitude regardless of whether cues were associated with reward earned or not during instrumental conditioning. These findings increase the current knowledge on the incentive motivational mechanism behind general transfer, indicating that it is independent of the motor features of the outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi A. E. Degni
- Center for studies and research in Cognitive Neuroscience (CsrNC), Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
| | - Daniela Dalbagno
- Center for studies and research in Cognitive Neuroscience (CsrNC), Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
| | - Francesca Starita
- Center for studies and research in Cognitive Neuroscience (CsrNC), Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
| | - Mariagrazia Benassi
- Psychometrics and Neuropsychology Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe di Pellegrino
- Center for studies and research in Cognitive Neuroscience (CsrNC), Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
| | - Sara Garofalo
- Center for studies and research in Cognitive Neuroscience (CsrNC), Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
- Psychometrics and Neuropsychology Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
- *Correspondence: Sara Garofalo,
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11
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Chen K, Garbusow M, Sebold M, Kuitunen-Paul S, Smolka MN, Huys QJ, Zimmermann US, Schlagenhauf F, Heinz A. Alcohol approach bias is associated with both behavioral and neural Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer effects in alcohol-dependent patients. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2022. [PMID: 37519476 PMCID: PMC10382691 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Even after qualified detoxification, alcohol-dependent (AD) patients may relapse to drinking alcohol despite their decision to abstain. Two mechanisms may play important roles. First, the impact of environmental cues on instrumental behavior (i.e., Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer [PIT] effect), which was found to be stronger in prospectively relapsing AD patients than in abstaining patients. Second, an automatic approach bias toward alcohol stimuli was observed in AD patients, and interventions targeting this bias reduced the relapse risk in some studies. Previous findings suggest a potential behavioral and neurobiological overlap between these two mechanisms. Methods In this study, we examined the association between alcohol approach bias and both behavioral and neural non-drug-related PIT effects in AD patients after detoxification. A total of 100 AD patients (17 females) performed a PIT task and an alcohol approach/avoidance task. Patients were followed for 6 months. Results A stronger alcohol approach bias was associated with both a more pronounced behavioral PIT effect and stronger PIT-related neural activity in the right nucleus accumbens. Moreover, the association between alcohol approach bias and behavioral PIT increased with the severity of alcohol dependence and trait impulsivity and was stronger in patients who relapsed during follow-up in the exploratory analysis. Conclusions These findings indicate partial behavioral and neurobiological overlap between alcohol approach bias and the PIT effect assessed with our tasks. The association was stronger in patients with more severe alcohol dependence.
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12
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Moe FD, Moltu C, McKay JR, Nesvåg S, Bjornestad J. Is the relapse concept in studies of substance use disorders a 'one size fits all' concept? A systematic review of relapse operationalisations. Drug Alcohol Rev 2021; 41:743-758. [PMID: 34792839 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
ISSUES Relapse is a theoretical construct and empirical object of inquiry. It is unclear how relapse is operationalised with regard to the various phases in substance use disorders (SUD). The aim was to investigate relapse operationalisations in SUDs studies after short- and long-term abstinence and remission, recovery and slip/lapse. APPROACH Systematic review using the following databases: Epistemonikos, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL and DARE), MEDLINE, EMBASE, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Web of Science and PsycINFO. Search returned 3426 articles, with 276 meeting the following inclusion criteria: empirical study published in English in a peer-reviewed journal; samples meet diagnostic criteria for dependence syndrome or moderate-severe drug use disorder or alcohol use disorder; reports relapse, abstinence, recovery, remission, slip or lapse. Review protocol registration: PROSPERO (CRD42020154062). KEY FINDINGS Thirty-two percent of the studies had no definition of 'relapse'. Most relapse operationalisations were defined according to measure (26%), time (17%), use (26%) and amount and frequency (27%). Of the 16 studies with a follow-up duration of up to 2 years, one (6%) contained a definition of 'long-term abstinence'. Of the 64 studies with a follow-up duration of more than 2 years, four (6%) contained a definition of 'long-term abstinence'. Of those, one (2%) mentioned 'early relapse' and one (2%) mentioned 'late relapse'. IMPLICATIONS Future research is needed to explore the possible difference between early and late relapse. Moreover, working to increase consensus on relapse operationalisations in SUD research is warranted. CONCLUSIONS We identified no consensus on relapse operationalisations nor agreement on the differentiation between early and late relapse. The clinical utility of current relapse operationalisations seems low and may compromise knowledge accumulation about relapse and implementation of research into treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik D Moe
- Department of Social Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Christian Moltu
- Department of Psychiatry, District General Hospital of Førde, Førde, Norway
| | - James R McKay
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.,Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, USA.,Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Sverre Nesvåg
- Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.,Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Jone Bjornestad
- Department of Social Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway.,Department of Psychiatry, District General Hospital of Førde, Førde, Norway.,TIPS-Network for Clinical Research in Psychosis, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
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13
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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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14
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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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van Timmeren T, Quail SL, Balleine BW, Geurts DEM, Goudriaan AE, van Holst RJ. Intact corticostriatal control of goal-directed action in Alcohol Use Disorder: a Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer and outcome-devaluation study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4949. [PMID: 32188908 PMCID: PMC7087408 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61892-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Deficits in instrumental, goal-directed control, combined with the influence of drug-associated Pavlovian-conditioned stimuli, are thought to influence the development and maintenance of addiction. However, direct evidence has mainly come from animal studies. We sought to establish whether alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by behavioral or neurobiological deficits in (i) the integration of Pavlovian and instrumental values and (ii) goal-directed control; and (iii) whether duration or severity of AUD is associated with such deficits. The influence of cues predicting food rewards on instrumental action was assessed in a Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) test, measuring both specific and general PIT, and goal-directed behavior in an outcome-devaluation test. Brain activity was measured using functional MRI in 38 abstinent individuals with AUD and 22 matched healthy control individuals (HCs). We found significant specific and general PIT and outcome-devaluation effects across groups indicating goal-directed control, mediated by distinct corticostriatal signals, but no significant differences between individuals with AUD and healthy controls. Bayesian analyses provided substantial-to-strong evidence for the absence of group differences for these effects, or any relationship with duration or severity of AUD. These results suggest intact ability to integrate action-outcome associations on specific and general PIT and goal-directed learning in AUD during abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim van Timmeren
- 0000000084992262grid.7177.6Amsterdam UMC, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1100 DD Netherlands ,0000000084992262grid.7177.6Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1018 WS The Netherlands ,0000000084992262grid.7177.6ABC Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1001 NK The Netherlands
| | - Stephanie L. Quail
- 0000 0004 4902 0432grid.1005.4Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, 2052 Sydney, New South Wales Australia
| | - Bernard W. Balleine
- 0000 0004 4902 0432grid.1005.4Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, 2052 Sydney, New South Wales Australia
| | - Dirk E. M. Geurts
- 0000000122931605grid.5590.9Donders Institute for Cognition, Brain and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6500 HB Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Anna E. Goudriaan
- 0000000084992262grid.7177.6Amsterdam UMC, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1100 DD Netherlands ,0000000084992262grid.7177.6ABC Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1001 NK The Netherlands ,0000 0004 0378 2028grid.491093.6Arkin, 1033 NN Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ruth J. van Holst
- 0000000084992262grid.7177.6Amsterdam UMC, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1100 DD Netherlands ,0000000084992262grid.7177.6ABC Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1001 NK The Netherlands
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16
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Takahashi TT, Vengeliene V, Enkel T, Reithofer S, Spanagel R. Pavlovian to Instrumental Transfer Responses Do Not Correlate With Addiction-Like Behavior in Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:129. [PMID: 31275122 PMCID: PMC6591257 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pavlovian learning plays a prominent role in the etiology of addiction. The influence of Pavlovian conditioning on the expression of an instrumental response can be studied using the Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) paradigm. This paradigm consists of independent Pavlovian conditioning and instrumental training prior to the combination of both during the test. During this test, the reward is not available, and an increase in the instrumental responding during conditioned stimuli presentation is a measure of PIT. Recent studies have reported a higher PIT in alcohol and nicotine dependent patients, suggesting that enhanced PIT might be a marker for dependence vulnerability. However, these studies did not use standard PIT procedures, and a clear correlation between an enhanced PIT and drug-related and addictive behaviors has so far not been demonstrated. For a systematic evaluation rats were trained in a cocaine addiction model. Addicted-like and non-addicted-like rats were subsequently assessed in the PIT paradigm. In a further experiment, rats were first tested in the PIT paradigm and thereafter subjected to cocaine self-administration (CSA) training. Our results revealed that addicted-like rats did not differ from non-addicted-like in their performance in the PIT test. However, CSA behavior showed a positive correlation with PIT. This data suggests that stronger PIT may predict higher motivational impact of conditioned stimuli on drug self-administration and improved learning of drug-cue association rather than the risk to develop addiction as such.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiane T Takahashi
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Valentina Vengeliene
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Thomas Enkel
- Faculty of Medicine Mannheim, Department of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sara Reithofer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
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