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Hird EJ, Slanina-Davies A, Lewis G, Hamer M, Roiser JP. From movement to motivation: a proposed framework to understand the antidepressant effect of exercise. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:273. [PMID: 38961071 PMCID: PMC11222551 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02922-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, exerting a profound negative impact on quality of life in those who experience it. Depression is associated with disruptions to several closely related neural and cognitive processes, including dopamine transmission, fronto-striatal brain activity and connectivity, reward processing and motivation. Physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, reduces depressive symptoms, but the mechanisms driving its antidepressant effects are poorly understood. Here we propose a novel hypothesis for understanding the antidepressant effects of exercise, centred on motivation, across different levels of explanation. There is robust evidence that aerobic exercise decreases systemic inflammation. Inflammation is known to reduce dopamine transmission, which in turn is strongly implicated in effort-based decision making for reward. Drawing on a broad range of research in humans and animals, we propose that by reducing inflammation and boosting dopamine transmission, with consequent effects on effort-based decision making for reward, exercise initially specifically improves 'interest-activity' symptoms of depression-namely anhedonia, fatigue and subjective cognitive impairment - by increasing propensity to exert effort. Extending this framework to the topic of cognitive control, we explain how cognitive impairment in depression may also be conceptualised through an effort-based decision-making framework, which may help to explain the impact of exercise on cognitive impairment. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of exercise could inform the development of novel intervention strategies, in particular personalised interventions and boost social prescribing.
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Affiliation(s)
- E J Hird
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
| | - A Slanina-Davies
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - G Lewis
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - M Hamer
- Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - J P Roiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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2
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Wardle MC, Webber HE, Yoon JH, Heads AM, Stotts AL, Lane SD, Schmitz JM. Behavioral therapies targeting reward mechanisms in substance use disorders. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 240:173787. [PMID: 38705285 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173787] [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: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Behavioral therapies are considered best practices in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD) and used as first-line approaches for SUDs without FDA-approved pharmacotherapies. Decades of research on the neuroscience of drug reward and addiction have informed the development of current leading behavioral therapies that, while differing in focus and technique, have in common the overarching goal of shifting reward responding away from drug and toward natural non-drug rewards. This review begins by describing key neurobiological processes of reward in addiction, followed by a description of how various behavioral therapies address specific reward processes. Based on this review, a conceptual 'map' is crafted to pinpoint gaps and areas of overlap, serving as a guide for selecting and integrating behavioral therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret C Wardle
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Heather E Webber
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Jin H Yoon
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Angela M Heads
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Angela L Stotts
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, United States of America
| | - Scott D Lane
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Joy M Schmitz
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America.
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3
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Ferstl M, Kühnel A, Klaus J, Lin WM, Kroemer NB. Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation conditions increased invigoration and wanting in depression. Compr Psychiatry 2024; 132:152488. [PMID: 38657358 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2024.152488] [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: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often marked by impaired motivation and reward processing, known as anhedonia. Many patients do not respond to first-line treatments, and improvements in motivation can be slow, creating an urgent need for rapid interventions. Recently, we demonstrated that transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) acutely boosts effort invigoration in healthy participants, but its effects on depression remain unclear. OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of taVNS on effort invigoration and maintenance in a sample that includes patients with MDD, evaluating the generalizability of our findings. METHODS We used a single-blind, randomized crossover design in 30 patients with MDD and 29 matched (age, sex, and BMI) healthy control participants (HCP). RESULTS Consistent with prior findings, taVNS increased effort invigoration for rewards in both groups during Session 1 (p = .040), particularly for less wanted rewards in HCP (pboot < 0.001). However, invigoration remained elevated in all participants, and no acute changes were observed in Session 2 (Δinvigoration = 3.3, p = .12). Crucially, throughout Session 1, we found taVNS-induced increases in effort invigoration (pboot = 0.008) and wanting (pboot = 0.010) in patients with MDD, with gains in wanting maintained across sessions (Δwanting = 0.06, p = .97). CONCLUSIONS Our study replicates the invigorating effects of taVNS in Session 1 and reveals its generalizability to depression. Furthermore, we expand upon previous research by showing taVNS-induced conditioning effects on invigoration and wanting within Session 1 in patients that were largely sustained. While enduring motivational improvements present challenges for crossover designs, they are highly desirable in interventions and warrant further follow-up research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Ferstl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anne Kühnel
- Section of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Johannes Klaus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wy Ming Lin
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Hector Research Institute for Education Science and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nils B Kroemer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Section of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Germany.
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4
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Lopez-Gamundi P, Mas-Herrero E, Marco-Pallares J. Disentangling effort from probability of success: Temporal dynamics of frontal midline theta in effort-based reward processing. Cortex 2024; 176:94-112. [PMID: 38763111 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.03.014] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
The ability to weigh a reward against the effort required to acquire it is critical for decision-making. However, extant experimental paradigms oftentimes confound increased effort demand with decreased reward probability, thereby obscuring neural correlates underlying these cognitive processes. To resolve this issue, we designed novel tasks that disentangled probability of success - and therefore reward probability - from effort demand. In Experiment 1, reward magnitude and effort demand were varied while reward probability was kept constant. In Experiment 2, effort demand and reward probability were varied while reward magnitude remained fixed. Electroencephalogram (EEG) data was recorded to explore how frontal midline theta (FMT; an electrophysiological index of mPFC function) and component P3 (an index of incentive salience) respond to effort demand, and reward magnitude and probability. We found no evidence that FMT tracked effort demands or net value during cue evaluation. At feedback, however, FMT power was enhanced for high compared to low effort trials, but not modulated by reward magnitude or probability. Conversely, P3 was sensitive to reward magnitude and probability at both cue and feedback phases and only integrated expended effort costs at feedback, such that P3 amplitudes continued to scale with reward magnitude and probability but were also increased for high compared to low effort reward feedback. These findings suggest that, when likelihood of success is equal, FMT power does not track net value of prospective effort-based rewards. Instead, expended cognitive effort potentiates FMT power and enhances the saliency of rewards at feedback. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The way the brain weighs rewards against the effort required to achieve them is critical for understanding motivational disorders. Current paradigms confound increased effort demand with decreased reward probability, making it difficult to disentangle neural activity associated with effort costs from those associated with reward likelihood. Here, we explored the temporal dynamics of effort-based reward (via frontal midline theta (FMT) and component P3) while participants underwent a novel paradigm that kept probability of reward constant between mental effort demand conditions. Our findings suggest that the FMT does not track net value and that expended effort enhances, instead of attenuates, the saliency of rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Lopez-Gamundi
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Duran i Reynals, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.
| | - Ernest Mas-Herrero
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Duran i Reynals, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Josep Marco-Pallares
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Duran i Reynals, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.
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5
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Nguyen NH, Mazza TM, Hess JL, Albert AB, Elfstrom S, Forken P, Blatt SD, Fremont WP, Faraone SV, Glatt SJ. Novel genome-wide associations for effort valuation and psychopathology in children and adults. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2024; 195:e32964. [PMID: 37953388 PMCID: PMC11076170 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative was established by the US National Institute of Mental Health as a multilevel, disorder-agnostic framework for analysis of human psychopathology through designated domains and constructs, including the "Positive Valence Systems" domain focused on reward-related behavior. This study investigates the reward valuation subconstruct of "effort" and its association with genetic markers, functional neurobiological pathways, and polygenic risk scores for psychopathology in 1215 children aged 6-12 and their parents (n = 1044). All participants completed the effort expenditure for rewards task (EEfRT), which assesses "effort" according to two quantitative measures: hard-task choice and reward sensitivity. Genetic association analyses were undertaken in MAGMA, utilizing EEfRT outcome variables as genome-wide association studies phenotypes to compute SNP and gene-level associations. Genome-wide association analyses found two distinct genetic loci that were significantly associated with measures of reward sensitivity and a separate genetic locus associated with hard task choice. Gene-set enrichment analysis yielded significant associations between "effort" and multiple gene sets involved in reward processing-related pathways, including dopamine receptor signaling, limbic system and forebrain development, and biological response to cocaine. These results serve to establish "effort" as a relevant construct for understanding reward-related behavior at the genetic level and support the RDoC framework for assessing disorder-agnostic psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas H. Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Norton College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York USA
| | - T. Mitchell Mazza
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York USA
| | - Jonathan L. Hess
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Norton College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York USA
| | - Avery B. Albert
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Norton College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York USA
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York USA
| | - Sarah Elfstrom
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Norton College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York USA
| | - Patricia Forken
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Norton College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York USA
| | - Steven D. Blatt
- Department of Pediatrics, Norton College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Wanda P. Fremont
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Norton College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York USA
| | - Stephen V. Faraone
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Norton College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York USA
| | - Stephen J. Glatt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Norton College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York USA
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6
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Brassard SL, Liu H, Dosanjh J, MacKillop J, Balodis I. Neurobiological foundations and clinical relevance of effort-based decision-making. Brain Imaging Behav 2024:10.1007/s11682-024-00890-x. [PMID: 38819540 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-024-00890-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Applying effort-based decision-making tasks provides insights into specific variables influencing choice behaviors. The current review summarizes the structural and functional neuroanatomy of effort-based decision-making. Across 39 examined studies, the review highlights the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in forming reward-based predictions, the ventral striatum encoding expected subjective values driven by reward size, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex for monitoring choices to maximize rewards, and specific motor areas preparing for effort expenditure. Neuromodulation techniques, along with shifting environmental and internal states, are promising novel treatment interventions for altering neural alterations underlying decision-making. Our review further articulates the translational promise of this construct into the development, maintenance and treatment of psychiatric conditions, particularly those characterized by reward-, effort- and valuation-related deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Brassard
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Hanson Liu
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jadyn Dosanjh
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Iris Balodis
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
- Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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7
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Zhao X, Wu S, Li X, Liu Z, Lu W, Lin K, Shao R. Common neural deficits across reward functions in major depression: a meta-analysis of fMRI studies. Psychol Med 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38777630 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291724001235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by deficient reward functions in the brain. However, existing findings on functional alterations during reward anticipation, reward processing, and learning among MDD patients are inconsistent, and it was unclear whether a common reward system implicated in multiple reward functions is altered in MDD. Here we meta-analyzed 18 past studies that compared brain reward functions between adult MDD patients (N = 477, mean age = 26.50 years, female = 59.40%) and healthy controls (N = 506, mean age = 28.11 years, females = 55.58%), and particularly examined group differences across multiple reward functions. Jack-knife sensitivity and subgroup meta-analyses were conducted to test robustness of findings across patient comorbidity, task paradigm, and reward nature. Meta-regression analyses assessed the moderating effect of patient symptom severity and anhedonia scores. We found during reward anticipation, MDD patients showed lower activities in the lateral prefrontal-thalamus circuitry. During reward processing, patients displayed reduced activities in the right striatum and prefrontal cortex, but increased activities in the left temporal cortex. During reward learning, patients showed reduced activity in the lateral prefrontal-thalamic-striatal circuitry and the right parahippocampal-occipital circuitry but higher activities in bilateral cerebellum and the left visual cortex. MDD patients showed decreased activity in the right thalamus during both reward anticipation and learning, and in the right caudate during both reward processing and learning. Larger functional changes in MDD were observed among patients with more severe symptoms and higher anhedonia levels. The thalamic-striatal circuitry functional alterations could be the key neural mechanism underlying MDD patients overarching reward function deficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanhao Zhao
- Department of Affective Disorder, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Shiyun Wu
- Department of Affective Disorder, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Xian Li
- Department of Affective Disorder, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Zhongwan Liu
- Department of Affective Disorder, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Weicong Lu
- Department of Affective Disorder, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Kangguang Lin
- Department of Affective Disorder, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Robin Shao
- Department of Affective Disorder, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
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8
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Uwajeh K, Egbuchulem K, Afolabi O. MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: COGNITIVE, EMOTIVE AND MOTIVATIONAL CONSEQUENCES IN ADOLESCENTS. Ann Ib Postgrad Med 2024; 22:116-120. [PMID: 38939890 PMCID: PMC11205714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- K. Uwajeh
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of California, Southern California, United States of America
| | - K.I Egbuchulem
- Division of Paediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State
| | - O.A Afolabi
- Department of Psychiatry, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State
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9
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Sacu S, Dubois M, Hezemans FH, Aggensteiner PM, Monninger M, Brandeis D, Banaschewski T, Hauser TU, Holz NE. Early-Life Adversities Are Associated With Lower Expected Value Signaling in the Adult Brain. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01249-6. [PMID: 38636886 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.04.005] [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: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early adverse experiences are assumed to affect fundamental processes of reward learning and decision making. However, computational neuroimaging studies investigating these circuits in the context of adversity are sparse and limited to studies conducted in adolescent samples, leaving the long-term effects unexplored. METHODS Using data from a longitudinal birth cohort study (n = 156; 87 female), we investigated associations between adversities and computational markers of reward learning (i.e., expected value, prediction errors). At age 33 years, all participants completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging-based passive avoidance task. Psychopathology measures were collected at the time of functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We applied a principal component analysis to capture common variations across 7 adversity measures. The resulting adversity factors (factor 1: postnatal psychosocial adversities and prenatal maternal smoking; factor 2: prenatal maternal stress and obstetric adversity; factor 3: lower maternal stimulation) were linked with psychopathology and neural responses in the core reward network using multiple regression analysis. RESULTS We found that the adversity dimension primarily informed by lower maternal stimulation was linked to lower expected value representation in the right putamen, right nucleus accumbens, and anterior cingulate cortex. Expected value encoding in the right nucleus accumbens further mediated the relationship between this adversity dimension and psychopathology and predicted higher withdrawn symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggested that early adverse experiences in caregiver context might have a long-term disruptive effect on reward learning in reward-related brain regions, which can be associated with suboptimal decision making and thereby may increase the vulnerability of developing psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seda Sacu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; German Center for Mental Health, Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Ulm, Germany
| | - Magda Dubois
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Frank H Hezemans
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Department of Computational Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Mental Health, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Pascal-M Aggensteiner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; German Center for Mental Health, Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Ulm, Germany
| | - Maximilian Monninger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Daniel Brandeis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; German Center for Mental Health, Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Ulm, Germany
| | - Tobias U Hauser
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Mental Health, Tübingen, Germany; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nathalie E Holz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; German Center for Mental Health, Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Ulm, Germany; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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10
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Pratt DN, Treadway MT, Strauss GP, Mittal VA. Diminished differentiation of rewards in individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024:10.1007/s00406-024-01794-z. [PMID: 38598109 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-024-01794-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Reward processing is impaired in people with schizophrenia, which may begin in the clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis period. The Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task has been important in understanding the neural correlates of reward processing deficits in various psychiatric disorders. Previous research has found that CHR individuals have an imprecise mental representation of rewards, which leads to a diminished differentiation between rewards, though this has not been observed behaviorally. A total of 19 CHR individuals and 20 controls were given a novel variant of the MID task, designed to examine how modulating reward context may impact responses to reward cues, a process often referred to as "adaptive coding." Both groups appeared to update their behavior in response to the rewards available in this adaptive task. However, when compared to controls who showed a more graded decrease in response time to increasing reward contexts, CHR individuals appeared to have a sharp decrease in response time in the low reward context that is nearly stable across higher reward contexts. This is largely driven by the exponential component of the response time distribution, which is often interpreted to be more cognitively or effortfully influenced. Response times are related to negative symptoms, but not positive symptoms, disorganized symptoms, or estimated intelligence. Although an adaptive coding effect was not observed, these results provide novel insight into the reward processing mechanisms and volitional processes in the CHR population, as this was the first study to observe the diminished differentiation of rewards behaviorally.
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Affiliation(s)
- D N Pratt
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
| | - M T Treadway
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - G P Strauss
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - V A Mittal
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Institutes for Policy Research (IPR) and Innovations in Developmental Sciences (DevSci), Psychiatry, Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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11
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Babinski DE, Kujawa A, Pegg S, Leslie JM, Pothoven C, Waschbusch DA, Sharp C. Social and Monetary Reward Processing in Youth with Early Emerging Personality Pathology: An RDoC-Informed Study. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024; 52:567-578. [PMID: 38008786 PMCID: PMC10963144 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01147-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
Very little is known about the mechanisms underlying the development of personality disorders, hindering efforts to address early risk for these costly and stigmatized disorders. In this study, we examined associations between social and monetary reward processing, measured at the neurophysiological level, and personality pathology, operationalized through the Level of Personality Functioning (LPF), in a sample of early adolescent females (Mage = 12.21 years old, SD = 1.21). Female youth with (n = 80) and without (n = 30) a mental health history completed laboratory tasks assessing social and monetary reward responsiveness using electroencephalogram (EEG) and completed ratings of personality pathology. Commonly co-occurring psychopathology, including depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD) were also assessed. At the bivariate level, significant associations did not emerge between psychopathology and reward processing variables. When covarying symptoms of depression, anxiety, ADHD, ODD, and CD, an enhanced reward positivity (RewP) component to social reward feedback (accounting for response to social rejection) was associated with higher levels of personality impairment. Results were specific to social rather than monetary reward processing. Depression, anxiety, and ODD also explained unique variance in LPF. These findings suggest that alterations in social reward processing may be a key marker for early emerging personality pathology. Future work examining the role of social reward processing on the development of LPF across adolescence may guide efforts to prevent the profound social dysfunction associated with personality pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dara E Babinski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
| | - Autumn Kujawa
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Samantha Pegg
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Julia M Leslie
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Cameron Pothoven
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Daniel A Waschbusch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Carla Sharp
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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12
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Ramer NE, Perhamus GR, Colder CR. Reinforcement sensitivity theory and externalizing problems across early adolescence: Testing within-person reciprocal associations. Dev Psychol 2024; 60:545-559. [PMID: 38190217 PMCID: PMC10922213 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001689] [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] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Temperament and externalizing problems are closely linked, but research on how they codevelop across adolescence remains sparse and equivocal. Reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) provides a useful framework for understanding temperament and externalizing problems associations. During adolescence, oppositional problems are posited to be linked to an overactive behavioral approach system (BAS) while conduct problems are linked to an underactive behavioral inhibition system (BIS). However, this research mostly uses adult samples and cross-sectional designs and tests only between-person associations. Moreover, most studies typically test only one direction of effects (i.e., temperament predicts externalizing problems) and do not consider alternative models of associations, such as reciprocal associations. To address these limitations, we use three annual waves of a longitudinal, community-based sample of 387 early adolescents (mean Wave 1 age = 11.61 years, 55% female, 83% non-Hispanic White) to test reciprocal associations between BIS and BAS and oppositional and conduct problems. Latent curve models with structured residuals are used to test hypotheses and disaggregate between- and within-person associations. Evidence supports within-person reciprocal associations between BAS and oppositional problems and between BIS and combined conduct and oppositional problems. Results potentially inform developmental theories of temperament and externalizing problems linkages and interventions with adolescents who are engaging in oppositional problems and more severe conduct problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nolan E. Ramer
- Department of Psychology, Park Hall Room 204. University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425
| | - Gretchen R. Perhamus
- Department of Psychology, Park Hall Room 204. University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260
| | - Craig R. Colder
- Department of Psychology, Park Hall Room 204. University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260
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13
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Potsch L, Rief W. Effectiveness of behavioral activation and mindfulness in increasing reward sensitivity and reducing depressive symptoms - A randomized controlled trial. Behav Res Ther 2024; 173:104455. [PMID: 38128402 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104455] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Reward insensitivity is a potential key mechanism regarding the maintenance of depression. However, there is a lack of research examining and comparing the effectiveness of different psychological interventions in modifying reward insensitivity. This four-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigated a two-week online intervention. After screening for eligibility, a total of 336 participants were randomized, and 224 participated per-protocol. Participants were assigned to either a) behavioral activation, b) mindfulness and gratitude, c) a combination of both, or d) a waitlist control condition. They received videos and implemented daily exercises. Reward sensitivity and depressive symptoms served as primary outcomes. Behavioral activation and mindfulness significantly improved depressive symptoms and reward sensitivity. However, the effects of behavioral activation were not superior. The combination treatment versus the waiting group was insignificant regarding reward insensitivity. Explorative analyses revealed that all intervention groups reduced anhedonia substantially. Our findings imply that brief online interventions with behavioral activation and mindfulness-based approaches can impact reward insensitivity, while effects for a combination were less clear. Nonetheless, our results do not allow us to infer the differential effectiveness of the interventions. There is a clear need for treatments better targeting maintaining factors of depression, such as reward insensitivity. Clinical trial registration number: NCT05402150.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Potsch
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, D-35032, Marburg, Germany.
| | - W Rief
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, D-35032, Marburg, Germany
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14
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Zhou HY, Zhou L, Zheng TX, Ma LP, Fan MX, Liu L, Zhao XD, Yan C. Unraveling the link between childhood maltreatment and depression: Insights from the role of ventral striatum and middle cingulate cortex in hedonic experience and emotion regulation. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38179683 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423001591] [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: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment is an established risk factor for psychopathology. However, it remains unclear how childhood traumatic events relate to mental health problems and how the brain is involved. This study examined the serial mediation effect of brain morphological alterations and emotion-/reward-related functions on linking the relationship from maltreatment to depression. We recruited 156 healthy adolescents and young adults and an additional sample of 31 adolescents with major depressive disorder for assessment of childhood maltreatment, depressive symptoms, cognitive reappraisal and anticipatory/consummatory pleasure. Structural MRI data were acquired to identify maltreatment-related cortical and subcortical morphological differences. The mediation models suggested that emotional maltreatment of abuse and neglect, was respectively associated with increased gray matter volume in the ventral striatum and greater thickness in the middle cingulate cortex. These structural alterations were further related to reduced anticipatory pleasure and disrupted cognitive reappraisal, which contributed to more severe depressive symptoms among healthy individuals. The above mediating effects were not replicated in our clinical group partly due to the small sample size. Preventative interventions can target emotional and reward systems to foster resilience and reduce the likelihood of future psychiatric disorders among individuals with a history of maltreatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Yu Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Changning Mental Health Centre, Shanghai, China
| | - Lan Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Li-Ping Ma
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE&STCSM), Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ming-Xia Fan
- Department of Physics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Materials Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chinese-German Institute of Mental Health, Shanghai Pu-dong New Area Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xu-Dong Zhao
- Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chinese-German Institute of Mental Health, Shanghai Pu-dong New Area Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Yan
- Shanghai Changning Mental Health Centre, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE&STCSM), Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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15
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Kaiser RH, Moser AD, Neilson C, Jones J, Peterson EC, Ruzic L, Rosenberg BM, Hough CM, Sandman C, Schneck CD, Miklowitz DJ. Neurocognitive risk phenotyping to predict mood symptoms in adolescence. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND CLINICAL SCIENCE 2024; 133:90-102. [PMID: 38059934 PMCID: PMC10752243 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Predicting mood disorders in adolescence is a challenge that motivates research to identify neurocognitive predictors of symptom expression and clinical profiles. This study used machine learning to test whether neurocognitive variables predicted future manic or anhedonic symptoms in two adolescent samples risk-enriched for lifetime mood disorders (Sample 1, n = 73, ages = 13-25, M [SD] = 19.22 [2.49] years, 68% lifetime mood disorder) or familial mood disorders (Sample 2, n = 154, ages = 13-21, M [SD] = 16.46 [1.95] years, 62% first-degree family history of mood disorder). Participants completed cognitive testing and functional magnetic resonance imaging at baseline, for behavioral and neural measures of reward processing and executive functioning. Next, participants completed a daily diary procedure for 8-16 weeks. Penalized mixed-effects models identified neurocognitive predictors of future mood symptoms and stress-reactive changes in mood symptoms. Results included the following. In both samples, adolescents showing ventral corticostriatal reward hyposensitivity and lower reward performance reported more severe stress-reactive anhedonia. Poorer executive functioning behavior was associated with heightened anhedonia overall in Sample 1, but lower stress-reactive anhedonia in both samples. In Sample 1, adolescents showing ventral corticostriatal reward hypersensitivity and poorer executive functioning reported more severe stress-reactive manic symptoms. Clustering analyses identified, and replicated, five neurocognitive subgroups. Adolescents characterized by neural or behavioral reward hyposensitivities together with average-to-poor executive functioning reported unipolar symptom profiles. Adolescents showing neural reward hypersensitivity together with poor behavioral executive functioning reported a bipolar symptom profile (Sample 1 only). Together, neurocognitive phenotypes may hold value for predicting symptom expression and profiles of mood pathology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Roselinde H Kaiser
- Research on Affective Disorders and Development (RADD) Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Amelia D Moser
- Research on Affective Disorders and Development (RADD) Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Chiara Neilson
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Jenna Jones
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Elena C Peterson
- Research on Affective Disorders and Development (RADD) Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Luke Ruzic
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
| | | | | | | | | | - David J Miklowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
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16
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Cheng Z, Moser AD, Jones M, Kaiser RH. Reinforcement learning and working memory in mood disorders: A computational analysis in a developmental transdiagnostic sample. J Affect Disord 2024; 344:423-431. [PMID: 37839471 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.10.084] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mood disorders commonly onset during adolescence and young adulthood and are conceptually and empirically related to reinforcement learning abnormalities. However, the nature of abnormalities associated with acute symptom severity versus lifetime diagnosis remains unclear, and prior research has often failed to disentangle working memory from reward processes. METHODS The present sample (N = 220) included adolescents and young adults with a lifetime history of unipolar disorders (n = 127), bipolar disorders (n = 28), or no history of psychopathology (n = 62), and varying severity of mood symptoms. Analyses fitted a reinforcement learning and working memory model to an instrumental learning task that varied working memory load, and tested associations between model parameters and diagnoses or current symptoms. RESULTS Current severity of manic or anhedonic symptoms negatively correlated with task performance. Participants reporting higher severity of current anhedonia, or with lifetime unipolar or bipolar disorders, showed lower reward learning rates. Participants reporting higher severity of current manic symptoms showed faster working memory decay and reduced use of working memory. LIMITATIONS Computational parameters should be interpreted in the task environment (a deterministic reward learning paradigm), and developmental population. Future work should test replication in other paradigms and populations. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate abnormalities in reinforcement learning processes that either scale with current symptom severity, or correspond with lifetime mood diagnoses. Findings may have implications for understanding reward processing anomalies related to state-like (current symptom) or trait-like (lifetime diagnosis) aspects of mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwei Cheng
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States; Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Amelia D Moser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States; Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Matt Jones
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Roselinde H Kaiser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States; Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States.
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17
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McInnes AN, Sullivan CRP, MacDonald AW, Widge AS. Psychometric validation and clinical correlates of an experiential foraging task. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.28.573439. [PMID: 38234810 PMCID: PMC10793407 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.28.573439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Measuring the function of decision-making systems is a central goal of computational psychiatry. Individual measures of decisional function could be used to describe neurocognitive profiles that underpin psychopathology and offer insights into deficits that are shared across traditional diagnostic classes. However, there are few demonstrably reliable and mechanistically relevant metrics of decision making that can accurately capture the complex overlapping domains of cognition whilst also quantifying the heterogeneity of function between individuals. The WebSurf task is a reverse-translational human experiential foraging paradigm which indexes naturalistic and clinically relevant decision-making. To determine its potential clinical utility, we examined the psychometric properties and clinical correlates of behavioural parameters extracted from WebSurf in an initial exploratory experiment and a pre-registered validation experiment. Behaviour was stable over repeated administrations of the task, as were individual differences. The ability to measure decision making consistently supports the potential utility of the task in predicting an individual's propensity for response to psychiatric treatment, in evaluating clinical change during treatment, and in defining neurocognitive profiles that relate to psychopathology. Specific aspects of WebSurf behaviour also correlate with anhedonic and externalising symptoms. Importantly, these behavioural parameters may measure dimensions of psychological variance that are not captured by traditional rating scales. WebSurf and related paradigms might therefore be useful platforms for computational approaches to precision psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron N. McInnes
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Christi R. P. Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Alik S. Widge
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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18
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Xiang S, Jia T, Xie C, Zhu Z, Cheng W, Schumann G, Robbins TW, Feng J. Fractionation of neural reward processing into independent components by novel decoding principle. Neuroimage 2023; 284:120463. [PMID: 37989457 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120463] [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: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
How to retrieve latent neurobehavioural processes from complex neurobiological signals is an important yet unresolved challenge. Here, we develop a novel approach, orthogonal-Decoding multi-Cognitive Processes (DeCoP), to reveal underlying latent neurobehavioural processing and show that its performance is superior to traditional non-orthogonal decoding in terms of both false inference and robustness. Processing value and salience information are two fundamental but mutually confounded pathways of reward reinforcement essential for decision making. During reward/punishment anticipation, we applied DeCoP to decode brain-wide responses into spatially overlapping, yet functionally independent, evaluation and readiness processes, which are modulated differentially by meso‑limbic vs nigro-striatal dopamine systems. Using DeCoP, we further demonstrated that most brain regions only encoded abstract information but not the exact input, except for dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and insula. Furthermore, we anticipate our novel analytical principle to be applied generally in decoding multiple latent neurobehavioral processes and thus advance both the design and hypothesis testing for cognitive tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shitong Xiang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), China
| | - Tianye Jia
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), China; Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, SGDP Centre, King's College London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom; Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Xie
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), China
| | - Zhichao Zhu
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), China
| | - Wei Cheng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), China
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), CCM, Charite Universitaetsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), China; Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), China; Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom; School of Mathematical Sciences and Centre for Computational Systems Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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19
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Zald DH. The influence of dopamine autoreceptors on temperament and addiction risk. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 155:105456. [PMID: 37926241 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105456] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
As a major regulator of dopamine (DA), DA autoreceptors (DAARs) exert substantial influence over DA-mediated behaviors. This paper reviews the physiological and behavioral impact of DAARs. Individual differences in DAAR functioning influences temperamental traits such as novelty responsivity and impulsivity, both of which are associated with vulnerability to addictive behavior in animal models and a broad array of externalizing behaviors in humans. DAARs additionally impact the response to psychostimulants and other drugs of abuse. Human PET studies of D2-like receptors in the midbrain provide evidence for parallels to the animal literature. These data lead to the proposal that weak DAAR regulation is a risk factor for addiction and externalizing problems. The review highlights the potential to build translational models of the functional role of DAARs in behavior. It also draws attention to key limitations in the current literature that would need to be addressed to further advance a weak DAAR regulation model of addiction and externalizing risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H Zald
- Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
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20
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Studies increasingly show the importance of reward processing in binge eating and provide evidence of associated changes in the neurobiological reward system. This review gives an up-to-date overview of the neurobiological substrates of reward processing subconstructs in binge eating. Neural findings are linked to different behavioral theories and the clinical relevance is discussed. RECENT FINDINGS Increased neural responses in the orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex as well as striatum during anticipation and receipt of food rewards are found in association to binge eating. Increased model-free learning is also found and associated with altered brain reward reactivity. Data in rest report reduced striatal dopamine release and lower frontostriatal connectivity. Mechanisms of onset of binge eating are less clear, but specific personality traits, related to frontostriatal dysconnectivity, probably increase the risk of binge eating onset. SUMMARY Both structural and task-based imaging studies show differences in the neurobiological reward system in binge eating. These changes are linked to specific reward processing, such as altered reward responsiveness to food cues, reinforcement learning, and habitual behavior. Findings are lined with different behavioral theories of binge eating, and a staging model is described, from onset to full illness development. Understanding the specific underlying aberrant reward mechanism in binge eating, associated with different stages of the illness, enables caregivers to focus their treatment more precisely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elske Vrieze
- Mind-body Research, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Belgium
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21
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Cooper AA, Kline AC, Baier AL, Feeny NC. Rethinking Research on Prediction and Prevention of Psychotherapy Dropout: A Mechanism-Oriented Approach. Behav Modif 2023; 47:1195-1218. [PMID: 30079755 DOI: 10.1177/0145445518792251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Dropout is a ubiquitous psychotherapy outcome in clinical practice and treatment research alike, yet it remains a poorly understood problem. Contemporary dropout research is dominated by models of prediction that lack a strong theoretical foundation, often drawing on data from clinical trials that report on dropout in an inconsistent and incomplete fashion. In this article, we assert that dropout is a critical treatment outcome that is worthy of investigation as a mechanistic process. After briefly describing the scope of the dropout problem, we discuss the many factors that limit the field's present understanding of dropout. We then articulate and illustrate a transdiagnostic conceptual framework for examining psychotherapy dropout in contemporary research, concluding with recommendations for future research. With a more comprehensive understanding of the factors affecting retention, research efforts can shift toward investigating key processes underlying treatment dropout, thus, boosting prediction and informing strategies to mitigate dropout in clinical practice.
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22
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Gagnon-Chauvin A, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Fornasier-Bélanger M, Courtemanche Y, Ayotte P, Bélanger RE, Muckle G, Saint-Amour D. Pre- and postnatal exposure to legacy environmental contaminants and sensation seeking in Inuit adolescents from Nunavik. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0002478. [PMID: 37851612 PMCID: PMC10584110 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Despite extensive evidence from cohort studies linking exposure to lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to numerous cognitive outcomes in children and adolescents, very few studies addressed reward sensitivity, a key dimension of emotional regulation. The present study aimed to examine associations between pre- and postnatal exposure to these environmental neurotoxicants and sensation seeking, a behavioral feature of reward. A total of 207 Inuit adolescents (mean age = 18.5, SD = 1.2) from Nunavik, Canada, completed the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-4) and Sensation Seeking- 2 (SS-2), two self-report questionnaires assessing proneness to sensation seeking. Prenatal, childhood and adolescent exposure to Pb, Hg and PCBs were measured in cord blood at birth and blood samples at 11 years of age and at time of testing. Multiple linear regression models were performed, potential confounders including participants' sociodemographic characteristics and nutrient fish intake were considered. Results showed that higher child blood levels of Pb (b = -0.18, p = 0.01) and PCB-153 (b = -0.16, p = 0.06) were associated with lower BSSS-4 total scores, while cord and adolescent blood PCB-153 levels were significantly related to lower SS2 total scores (b = -0.15, p = 0.04; b = -0.24, p = 0.004). Such associations persisted after further adjustment for co-exposure to concurrent contaminants. These associations were influenced by self-report positive affect and marginally moderated by sex. Sex differences were only observed for child PCB exposure, with the association for risk-taking sensation seeking observed only in girls but not in boys. Further research is warranted to assess the extent to which reduced sensation seeking in chronically exposed individuals affects their behaviors, well-being, and emotional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avril Gagnon-Chauvin
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal (Québec), Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal (Québec), Canada
| | - Sandra W. Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Joseph L. Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Mathieu Fornasier-Bélanger
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal (Québec), Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal (Québec), Canada
| | - Yohann Courtemanche
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec (Québec), Canada
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec (Québec), Canada
- Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Faculté de Médecine, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, Université Laval, Québec (Québec), Canada
| | - Richard E. Bélanger
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec (Québec), Canada
- Département de Pédiatrie, Université Laval, Centre mère-enfant Soleil du CHU de Québec, Québec (Québec), Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec (Québec), Canada
- École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec (Québec), Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal (Québec), Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal (Québec), Canada
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Blum K, Ashford JW, Kateb B, Sipple D, Braverman E, Dennen CA, Baron D, Badgaiyan R, Elman I, Cadet JL, Thanos PK, Hanna C, Bowirrat A, Modestino EJ, Yamamoto V, Gupta A, McLaughlin T, Makale M, Gold MS. Dopaminergic dysfunction: Role for genetic & epigenetic testing in the new psychiatry. J Neurol Sci 2023; 453:120809. [PMID: 37774561 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2023.120809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS), particularly linked to addictive disorders, costs billions of dollars globally and has resulted in over one million deaths in the United States (US). Illicit substance use has been steadily rising and in 2021 approximately 21.9% (61.2 million) of individuals living in the US aged 12 or older had used illicit drugs in the past year. However, only 1.5% (4.1 million) of these individuals had received any substance use treatment. This increase in use and failure to adequately treat or provide treatment to these individuals resulted in 106,699 overdose deaths in 2021 and increased in 2022. This article presents an alternative non-pharmaceutical treatment approach tied to gene-guided therapy, the subject of many decades of research. The cornerstone of this paradigm shift is the brain reward circuitry, brain stem physiology, and neurotransmitter deficits due to the effects of genetic and epigenetic insults on the interrelated cascade of neurotransmission and the net release of dopamine at the Ventral Tegmental Area -Nucleus Accumbens (VTA-NAc) reward site. The Genetic Addiction Risk Severity (GARS) test and pro-dopamine regulator nutraceutical KB220 were combined to induce "dopamine homeostasis" across the brain reward circuitry. This article aims to encourage four future actionable items: 1) the neurophysiologically accurate designation of, for example, "Hyperdopameism /Hyperdopameism" to replace the blaming nomenclature like alcoholism; 2) encouraging continued research into the nature of dysfunctional brainstem neurotransmitters across the brain reward circuitry; 3) early identification of people at risk for all RDS behaviors as a brain check (cognitive testing); 4) induction of dopamine homeostasis using "precision behavioral management" along with the coupling of GARS and precision Kb220 variants; 5) utilization of promising potential treatments include neuromodulating modalities such as Transmagnetic stimulation (TMS) and Deep Brain Stimulation(DBS), which target different areas of the neural circuitry involved in addiction and even neuroimmune agents like N-acetyl-cysteine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Blum
- Division of Addiction Research & Education, Center for Exercise, Sports and Mental Health, Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA; The Kenneth Blum Behavioral & Neurogenetic Institute, LLC., Austin, TX, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel.
| | - J Wesson Ashford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA; War Related Illness & Injury Study Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Babak Kateb
- Brain Mapping Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA; National Center for Nanobioelectronic, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Brain Technology and Innovation Park, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Eric Braverman
- The Kenneth Blum Behavioral & Neurogenetic Institute, LLC., Austin, TX, USA
| | - Catherine A Dennen
- Department of Family Medicine, Jefferson Health Northeast, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David Baron
- Division of Addiction Research & Education, Center for Exercise, Sports and Mental Health, Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Rajendra Badgaiyan
- Department of Psychiatry, South Texas Veteran Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital, San Antonio, TX, USA; Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Igor Elman
- Center for Pain and the Brain (PAIN Group), Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care & Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Waltham, MA, USA; Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jean Lud Cadet
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Panayotis K Thanos
- Department of Psychology & Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Clinical Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Colin Hanna
- Department of Psychology & Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Clinical Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Abdalla Bowirrat
- Department of Molecular Biology and Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | | | - Vicky Yamamoto
- Brain Mapping Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA; National Center for Nanobioelectronic, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Brain Technology and Innovation Park, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics, Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC-Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Thomas McLaughlin
- Division of Reward Deficiency Research, Reward Deficiency Syndrome Clinics of America, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Mlan Makale
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mark S Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington College of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Potsch L, Rief W. Transdiagnostic considerations of the relationship between reward sensitivity and psychopathological symptoms - a cross-lagged panel analysis. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:650. [PMID: 37667190 PMCID: PMC10478275 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05139-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reward sensitivity constitutes a potential key mechanism regarding the etiology and maintenance of mental disorders, especially depression. However, due to a lack of longitudinal studies, the temporal dynamics are not clear yet. Although some evidence indicates that reward processing could be a transdiagnostic mechanism of disorders, these observations could be also a product of comorbidity with depression. This study aimed at investigating the temporal dynamics of reward sensitivity and the course of psychopathological symptoms in a longitudinal investigation, while taking a possible mediating role of depression into account. METHODS We conducted a three-wave longitudinal online survey with a 4-week interval. A total of N = 453 participants filled out all three questionnaires. Reward sensitivity was assessed with the Positive Valence System Scale-21 (PVSS-21), depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), eating disorder symptoms with the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire-8 (EDE-Q-8), social anxiety with the Mini-social phobia inventory (Mini-SPIN) and alcohol consumption with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C). Cross-lagged panels and mediation analyses were calculated using path analyses. RESULTS Depressive and eating disorder symptoms predicted reward insensitivity at later points in time. Effects were larger from T2 to T3. A bidirectional relationship concerning social anxiety was found. Higher alcohol consumption predicted higher reward sensitivity. Depression at T2 fully mediated the association between psychopathological symptoms at T1 and reward sensitivity at T3 for social anxiety and eating disorder symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Our findings imply that reduced reward sensitivity seems to be a consequence rather than an antecedent of psychopathological symptoms. Comorbid depression plays a crucial role in other mental disorders regarding observed hyposensitivity towards rewards. Therefore, our results do not support a transdiagnostic notion of reward sensitivity, but they indicate a potential role of reward sensitivity for symptom persistence. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study was preregistered at the Open Science Framework (OSF) ( https://archive.org/details/osf-registrations-6n3s8-v1 ; registration DOI https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/6N3S8 ).
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Affiliation(s)
- L Potsch
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, D-35032, Marburg, Germany.
| | - W Rief
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, D-35032, Marburg, Germany
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Mackin DM, Goldstein BL, Mumper E, Kujawa A, Kessel EM, Olino TM, Nelson BD, Hajcak G, Klein DN. Longitudinal Associations Between Reward Responsiveness and Depression Across Adolescence. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 62:816-828. [PMID: 36764607 PMCID: PMC10313752 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2022.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Lower neural response to reward predicts subsequent depression during adolescence. Both pubertal development and biological sex have important effects on reward system development and depression during this period. However, relations among these variables across the transition from childhood to adolescence are not well characterized. METHOD Depressive symptoms, pubertal status, and the reward positivity (RewP) event-related potential component, a neural indicator of reward responsivity, were assessed in 609 community-recruited youth at 9, 12, and 15 years of age. Structural equation modeling was used to examine concurrent and prospective relations within and between depression and reward responsiveness as well as the influence of pubertal status and biological sex on these variables across assessments. RESULTS Stability paths for depression, the RewP, and pubertal status were significant across assessments. Compared with male participants, female participants reported more advanced pubertal status at all assessments, a smaller RewP at age 9, and higher levels of depression at age 15. More advanced pubertal status was associated with a larger RewP at age 15. Most importantly, there were bidirectional prospective effects between the RewP and depression from ages 12 to 15; a lower RewP at age 12 predicted increases in depression at age 15, whereas increased depression at age 12 predicted a lower RewP at age 15. CONCLUSION These findings indicate that there are bidirectional prospective effects between reward responsiveness and depression that emerge between ages 12 and 15. This may be a crucial time for studying bidirectional reward responsiveness-depression associations across time.
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Treadway MT. Treating Motivational and Consummatory Aspects of Anhedonia. FOCUS (AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC PUBLISHING) 2023; 21:278-280. [PMID: 37404972 PMCID: PMC10316214 DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.20230008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Treadway
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, and Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta
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27
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Linkovski O, Eitan R. When radical uncertainty is too much: Clinical aspects of Conviction Narrative Theory. Behav Brain Sci 2023; 46:e101. [PMID: 37154123 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x2200259x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
We propose extrapolating Conviction Narrative Theory (CNT) to clinical psychology and psychiatry. We demonstrate how CNT principles may benefit assessment, therapy, and possibly even modify public health views of neuropsychiatric disorders. Our commentary focuses on hoarding disorder as a model, elaborates on discrepancies in the scientific literature and suggests how the CNT may resolve them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Linkovski
- Department of Psychology and The Gonda Interdisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel https://linkovskilab.com
| | - Renana Eitan
- Department of Psychiatry, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Tel-Aviv 6423906, Israel https://www.tasmc.org.il/sites/en/Personnel/pages/eitan-renana.aspx
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Hagan K, Datta N, Stern M, Bohon C. Aberrant reward-related neural activation: Dimensional correlate of binge-eating severity or categorical marker of binge eating? J Psychiatr Res 2023; 161:54-61. [PMID: 36898327 PMCID: PMC10149604 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Binge eating (BE) is characterized by consuming an objectively large amount of food in a short period of time and experiencing loss of control over one's eating. The neural underpinnings of monetary reward anticipation and their association with BE severity remain poorly understood. Fifty-nine women aged 18 to 35 (M = 25.67, SD = 5.11) with a range of average weekly BE frequency (M = 1.96, SD = 1.89, range = 0-7) completed the Monetary Incentive Delay Task during fMRI scanning. Mean percent signal change within the left and right nucleus accumbens (NAc) during anticipation of monetary gain (versus non-gain) was extracted from a priori-defined functional 5 mm spheres and correlated with average weekly BE frequency. Exploratory voxel-wise whole-brain analyses examined the association between neural activation during anticipation of monetary reward and average weekly BE frequency. Body mass index and depression severity were covariates of non-interest in analyses. Mean percent signal change in the left and right NAc inversely correlated with average weekly BE frequency. Whole-brain analysis revealed no significant associations between neural activation during reward anticipation and average weekly BE frequency. In exploratory case-control analyses, mean percent signal change in the right NAc was significantly lower in women with BE (n = 41) versus women without BE (n = 18), but whole-brain analyses revealed no significant group differences in neural activation during reward anticipation. Decreased right NAc activity during monetary reward anticipation may distinguish women with and without BE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey Hagan
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Nandini Datta
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - May Stern
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Cara Bohon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Equip Health, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
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29
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Lewis CA, Grahlow M, Kühnel A, Derntl B, Kroemer NB. Women compared with men work harder for small rewards. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5456. [PMID: 37016145 PMCID: PMC10073246 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32391-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In cost-benefit decision-making, women and men often show different trade-offs. However, surprisingly little is known about sex differences in instrumental tasks, where physical effort is exerted to gain rewards. To this end, we tested 81 individuals (47 women) with an effort allocation task, where participants had to repeatedly press a button to collect food and money tokens. We analyzed the motivational phases of invigoration and effort maintenance with varying reward magnitude, difficulty, and reward type. Whereas women and men did not differ in invigoration, we found that women showed higher effort maintenance as well as higher subjective wanting and exertion ratings for small rewards compared with men. Notably, men increased their effort more than women for higher rewards to match women's levels of performance. Crucially, we found no sex differences depending on reward type or difficulty, indicating that sex differences were specific to the encoding of the magnitude of benefits, not costs. To summarize, women exerted higher physical effort for small rewards, which corresponded with an elevated subjective value in women compared with men. Therefore, sex differences in perceived reward magnitude may contribute to differential behavioral preferences highlighting the potential of cost-benefit decision-making to provide insights about potential mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Emotion Neuroimaging Lab, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and Plasticity, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Melina Grahlow
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anne Kühnel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Venusberg Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Nils B Kroemer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Venusberg Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
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Kaiser RH, Moser AD, Neilson C, Peterson EC, Jones J, Hough CM, Rosenberg BM, Sandman CF, Schneck CD, Miklowitz DJ, Friedman NP. Mood Symptom Dimensions and Developmental Differences in Neurocognition in Adolescence. Clin Psychol Sci 2023; 11:308-325. [PMID: 37309523 PMCID: PMC10259862 DOI: 10.1177/21677026221111389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Adolescence is critical period of neurocognitive development as well as increased prevalence of mood pathology. This cross-sectional study replicated developmental patterns of neurocognition and tested whether mood symptoms moderated developmental effects. Participants were 419 adolescents (n=246 with current mood disorders) who completed reward learning and executive functioning tasks, and reported on age, puberty, and mood symptoms. Structural equation modeling revealed a quadratic relationship between puberty and reward learning performance that was moderated by symptom severity: in early puberty, adolescents reporting higher manic symptoms exhibited heightened reward learning performance (better maximizing of rewards on learning tasks), whereas adolescents reporting elevated anhedonia showed blunted reward learning performance. Models also showed a linear relationship between age and executive functioning that was moderated by manic symptoms: adolescents reporting higher mania showed poorer executive functioning at older ages. Findings suggest neurocognitive development is altered in adolescents with mood pathology and suggest directions for longitudinal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roselinde H Kaiser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
- Renée Crown Wellness Institute, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Amelia D Moser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Chiara Neilson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Elena C Peterson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Jenna Jones
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Naomi P Friedman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder
- Institute of Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
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31
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Bodell LP, Racine SE. A mechanistic staging model of reward processing alterations in individuals with binge-type eating disorders. Int J Eat Disord 2023; 56:516-522. [PMID: 36519302 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Altered reward processing is thought to characterize binge-type eating disorders, but the exact nature of these alterations is unclear. A more fine-grained understanding of whether specific aspects of reward processing contribute to the development or maintenance of binge eating may point to new therapeutic targets and personalized treatments. The incentive sensitization theory of addiction proposes that repeated use of a substance increases the desire to approach a reward ('wanting') but not pleasure when consuming the reward ('liking'), suggesting that reward processes driving addiction change over time. We hypothesize that the same may be true for binge eating. Further, consistent with the maladaptive scaling hypothesis, reward processing may be heightened for multiple reinforcers in at-risk individuals but become tuned toward food once binge eating is initiated. In this article, we propose a mechanistic staging model of reward processing in binge-type eating disorders that synthesizes existing data and posits that alterations of reward processing depend on illness stage and reward type. We outline translational methods for testing key hypotheses and discuss clinical implications. Considering reward processing alterations in relation to illness stage has the potential to improve treatment outcomes by ensuring that the mechanisms targeted are personalized to the individual patient. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Individuals with binge-type eating disorders experience alterations in their desire for, and pleasure from, food. We believe that the exact nature of these alterations in reward processing change over the course of illness-from the at-risk state to an established illness. If true, treatments for binge-type eating disorders that target reward processing should be personalized to the illness stage of the patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay P Bodell
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarah E Racine
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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32
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Greenwald MK, Moses TEH, Lundahl LH, Roehrs TA. Anhedonia modulates benzodiazepine and opioid demand among persons in treatment for opioid use disorder. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1103739. [PMID: 36741122 PMCID: PMC9892948 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1103739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Benzodiazepine (BZD) misuse is a significant public health problem, particularly in conjunction with opioid use, due to increased risks of overdose and death. One putative mechanism underlying BZD misuse is affective dysregulation, via exaggerated negative affect (e.g., anxiety, depression, stress-reactivity) and/or impaired positive affect (anhedonia). Similar to other misused substances, BZD consumption is sensitive to price and individual differences. Although purchase tasks and demand curve analysis can shed light on determinants of substance use, few studies have examined BZD demand, nor factors related to demand. Methods This ongoing study is examining simulated economic demand for alprazolam (among BZD lifetime misusers based on self-report and DSM-5 diagnosis; n = 23 total; 14 male, 9 female) and each participant's preferred-opioid/route using hypothetical purchase tasks among patients with opioid use disorder (n = 59 total; 38 male, 21 female) who are not clinically stable, i.e., defined as being early in treatment or in treatment longer but with recent substance use. Aims are to determine whether: (1) BZD misusers differ from never-misusers on preferred-opioid economic demand, affective dysregulation (using questionnaire and performance measures), insomnia/behavioral alertness, psychiatric diagnoses or medications, or urinalysis results; and (2) alprazolam demand among BZD misusers is related to affective dysregulation or other measures. Results Lifetime BZD misuse is significantly (p < 0.05) related to current major depressive disorder diagnosis, opioid-negative and methadone-negative urinalysis, higher trait anxiety, greater self-reported affective dysregulation, and younger age, but not preferred-opioid demand or insomnia/behavioral alertness. Alprazolam and opioid demand are each significantly positively related to higher anhedonia and, to a lesser extent, depression symptoms but no other measures of negative-affective dysregulation, psychiatric conditions or medications (including opioid agonist therapy or inpatient/outpatient treatment modality), or sleep-related problems. Conclusion Anhedonia (positive-affective deficit) robustly predicted increased BZD and opioid demand; these factors could modulate treatment response. Routine assessment and effective treatment of anhedonia in populations with concurrent opioid and sedative use disorder may improve treatment outcomes. Clinical trial registration https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03696017, identifier NCT03696017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark K. Greenwald
- Substance Abuse Research Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Tabitha E. H. Moses
- Substance Abuse Research Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Leslie H. Lundahl
- Substance Abuse Research Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Timothy A. Roehrs
- Substance Abuse Research Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
- Sleep Disorders Center, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, United States
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Dysregulated affective arousal regulates reward-based decision making in patients with schizophrenia: an integrated study. SCHIZOPHRENIA 2022; 8:26. [PMID: 35314840 PMCID: PMC8938557 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-022-00234-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder. Dysregulated decision-making and affective processing have been implicated in patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and have significant impacts on their cognitive and social functions. However, little is known about how affective arousal influences reward-based decision-making in SZ. Taking advantage of a two-choice probabilistic gambling task and utilizing three facial expressions as affective primes (i.e., neutral, angry, and happy conditions) in each trial, we investigated how affective arousal influences reward-related choice based on behavioral, model fitting, and feedback-related negativity (FRN) data in 38 SZ and 26 healthy controls (CTRL). We also correlated our measurements with patients’ symptom severity. Compared with the CTRL group, SZ expressed blunted responses to angry facial primes. They had lower total game scores and displayed more maladaptive choice strategies (i.e., less win-stay and more lose-shift) and errors in monitoring rewards. Model fitting results revealed that the SZ group had a higher learning rate and lower choice consistency, especially in the happy condition. Brain activity data further indicated that SZ had smaller amplitudes of FRN than their controls in the angry and happy conditions. Importantly, the SZ group exhibited attenuated affective influence on decision-making, and their impairments in decision-making were only correlated with their clinical symptoms in the angry condition. Our findings imply the affective processing is dysregulated in SZ and it is selectively involved in the regulation of choice strategies, choice behaviors, and FRN in SZ, which lead to impairments in reward-related decision-making, especially in the angry condition.
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Zalachoras I, Ramos-Fernández E, Hollis F, Trovo L, Rodrigues J, Strasser A, Zanoletti O, Steiner P, Preitner N, Xin L, Astori S, Sandi C. Glutathione in the nucleus accumbens regulates motivation to exert reward-incentivized effort. eLife 2022; 11:77791. [DOI: 10.7554/elife.77791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence is implicating mitochondrial function and metabolism in the nucleus accumbens in motivated performance. However, the brain is vulnerable to excessive oxidative insults resulting from neurometabolic processes, and whether antioxidant levels in the nucleus accumbens contribute to motivated performance is not known. Here, we identify a critical role for glutathione (GSH), the most important endogenous antioxidant in the brain, in motivation. Using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at ultra-high field in both male humans and rodent populations, we establish that higher accumbal GSH levels are highly predictive of better, and particularly, steady performance over time in effort-related tasks. Causality was established in in vivo experiments in rats that, first, showed that downregulating GSH levels through micro-injections of the GSH synthesis inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine in the nucleus accumbens impaired effort-based reward-incentivized performance. In addition, systemic treatment with the GSH precursor N-acetyl-cysteine increased accumbal GSH levels in rats and led to improved performance, potentially mediated by a cell-type-specific shift in glutamatergic inputs to accumbal medium spiny neurons. Our data indicate a close association between accumbal GSH levels and an individual’s capacity to exert reward-incentivized effort over time. They also suggest that improvement of accumbal antioxidant function may be a feasible approach to boost motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Zalachoras
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
| | - Eva Ramos-Fernández
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
| | - Fiona Hollis
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine
| | - Laura Trovo
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé SA, Vers-chez-les-Blanc
| | - João Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
| | - Alina Strasser
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
| | - Olivia Zanoletti
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
| | - Pascal Steiner
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé SA, Vers-chez-les-Blanc
| | - Nicolas Preitner
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé SA, Vers-chez-les-Blanc
| | - Lijing Xin
- Animal Imaging and Technology Core (AIT), Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), EPFL
| | - Simone Astori
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
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Leenaerts N, Jongen D, Ceccarini J, Van Oudenhove L, Vrieze E. The neurobiological reward system and binge eating: A critical systematic review of neuroimaging studies. Int J Eat Disord 2022; 55:1421-1458. [PMID: 35841198 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Changes in reward processing are hypothesized to play a role in the onset and maintenance of binge eating (BE). However, despite an increasing number of studies investigating the neurobiological reward system in individuals who binge eat, no comprehensive systematic review exists on this topic. Therefore, this review has the following objectives: (1) identify structural and functional changes in the brain reward system, either during rest or while performing a task; and (2) formulate directions for future research. METHODS A search was conducted of articles published until March 31, 2022. Neuroimaging studies were eligible if they wanted to study the reward system and included a group of individuals who binge eat together with a comparator group. Their results were summarized in a narrative synthesis. RESULTS A total of 58 articles were included. At rest, individuals who binge eat displayed a lower striatal dopamine release, a change in the volume of the striatum, frontal cortex, and insula, as well as a lower frontostriatal connectivity. While performing a task, there was a higher activity of the brain reward system when anticipating or receiving food, more model-free reinforcement learning, and more habitual behavior. Most studies only included one patient group, used general reward-related measures, and did not evaluate the impact of comorbidities, illness duration, race, or sex. DISCUSSION Confirming previous hypotheses, this review finds structural and functional changes in the neurobiological reward system in BE. Future studies should compare disorders, use measures that are specific to BE, and investigate the impact of confounding factors. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This systematic review finds that individuals who binge eat display structural and functional changes in the brain reward system. These changes could be related to a higher sensitivity to food, relying more on previous experiences when making decisions, and more habitual behavior. Future studies should use a task that is specific to binge eating, look across different patient groups, and investigate the impact of comorbidities, illness duration, race, and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Leenaerts
- Mind-body Research, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Daniëlle Jongen
- Laboratory for Brain-Gut Axis Studies (LaBGAS), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jenny Ceccarini
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lukas Van Oudenhove
- Laboratory for Brain-Gut Axis Studies (LaBGAS), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Elske Vrieze
- Mind-body Research, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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36
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Frank GKW, Shott ME, Sternheim LC, Swindle S, Pryor TL. Persistence, Reward Dependence, and Sensitivity to Reward Are Associated With Unexpected Salience Response in Girls but Not in Adult Women: Implications for Psychiatric Vulnerabilities. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:1170-1182. [PMID: 33872764 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescence is a critical period for the development of not only personality but also psychopathology. These processes may be specific to sex, and brain reward circuits may have a role. Here, we studied how reward processing and temperament associations differ across adolescent and adult females. METHODS A total of 29 adolescent girls and 41 adult women completed temperament assessments and performed a classical taste conditioning paradigm during brain imaging. Data were analyzed for the dopamine-related prediction error response. In addition, unexpected stimulus receipt or omission and expected receipt response were also analyzed. Heat maps identified cortical-subcortical brain response associations. RESULTS Adolescents showed stronger prediction error and unexpected receipt and omission responses (partial η2 = 0.063 to 0.166; p = .001 to .043) in insula, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and striatum than adults. Expected stimulus receipt response was similar between groups. In adolescents versus adults, persistence was more strongly positively related to prediction error (OFC, insula, striatum; Fisher's z = 1.704 to 3.008; p = .001 to .044) and unexpected stimulus receipt (OFC, insula; Fisher's z = 1.843 to 2.051; p = .014 to .033) and negatively with omission (OFC, insula, striatum; Fisher's z = -1.905 to -3.069; p = .001 to .028). Reward sensitivity and reward dependence correlated more positively with unexpected stimulus receipt and more negatively with stimulus omission response in adolescents. Adolescents showed significant correlations between the striatum and FC for unexpected stimulus receipt and omission that correlated with persistence but were absent in adults. CONCLUSIONS Associations between temperamental traits and brain reward response may provide neurotypical markers that contribute to developing adaptive or maladaptive behavior patterns when transitioning from adolescence to adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido K W Frank
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California; Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, UC San Diego Health, San Diego, California.
| | - Megan E Shott
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Lot C Sternheim
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Skylar Swindle
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
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37
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Spann DJ, Straub KT, Hua JPY, Pellegrini AM, Kerns JG. Examining associations between social anhedonia and convergent thinking using the Remote Associates Test. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2022; 27:458-470. [PMID: 36166749 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2022.2126302] [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] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Social anhedonia (SocAnh) predicts increased risk of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, with evidence that these disorders are associated with increased creativity. However, it is still largely unknown whether SocAnh is associated with one central aspect of creative thinking, convergent thinking.Methods: In two studies, college students with either extreme levels of SocAnh (n = 44 and n = 70) or controls with an average level of SocAnh (n = 111 and n = 100) completed a convergent thinking task, the Remote Associates Test, and also completed measures of current affect. In the second study, participants also completed a divergent thinking task.Results: In both studies, the SocAnh group had better performance than controls on the convergent thinking task. Further, this group difference remained after removing shared variance with current affect. In Study 2, groups did not differ on divergent thinking.Conclusions: Overall, consistent with research linking schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and creativity, the current research suggests that SocAnh is associated with increases in some aspects of creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desmond J Spann
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Kelsey T Straub
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Jessica P Y Hua
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.,Sierra Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Centers, San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Mental Health Service, San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Amelia M Pellegrini
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - John G Kerns
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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38
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Mei D, Ke Z, Li Z, Zhang W, Gao D, Yin L. Self-deception: Distorted metacognitive process in ambiguous contexts. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 44:948-969. [PMID: 36308407 PMCID: PMC9875939 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
As one of the commonly used folk psychological concepts, self-deception has been intensively discussed yet is short of solid ground from cognitive neuroscience. Self-deception is a biased cognitive process of information to obtain or maintain a false belief that could be both self-enhancing or self-diminishing. Study 1 (N = 152) captured self-deception by adopting a modified numerical discrimination task that provided cheating opportunities, quantifying errors in predicting future performance (via item-response theory model), and measuring the belief of how good they are at solving the task (i.e., self-efficacy belief). By examining whether self-efficacy belief is based upon actual ability (true belief) or prediction errors (false belief), Study 1 showed that self-deception occurred in the effortless (easier access to answer cues) rather than effortful (harder access to answer cues) cheating opportunity conditions, suggesting high ambiguity in attributions facilitates self-deception. Studies 2 and 3 probed the neural source of self-deception, linking self-deception with the metacognitive process. Both studies replicated behavioral results from Study 1. Study 2 (ERP study; N = 55) found that the amplitude of frontal slow wave significantly differed between participants with positive/self-enhancing and negative/self-diminishing self-deceiving tendencies in incorrect predictions while remaining similar in correct predictions. Study 3 (functional magnetic resonance imaging study; N = 33) identified self-deceiving associated activity in the anterior medial prefrontal cortex and showed that effortless cheating context increased cheating behaviors that further facilitated self-deception. Our findings suggest self-deception is a false belief associated with a distorted metacognitive mental process that requires ambiguity in attributions of behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmei Mei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, and Department of PsychologySun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina,School of PsychologyGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Zijun Ke
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, and Department of PsychologySun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Zhihao Li
- School of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive ScienceShenzhen UniversityShenzhenGuangdongChina
| | - Wenjian Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, and Department of PsychologySun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Dingguo Gao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, and Department of PsychologySun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Lijun Yin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, and Department of PsychologySun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
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Zeng J, Yan J, Cao H, Su Y, Song Y, Luo Y, Yang X. Neural substrates of reward anticipation and outcome in schizophrenia: a meta-analysis of fMRI findings in the monetary incentive delay task. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:448. [PMID: 36244990 PMCID: PMC9573872 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02201-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic reward system is a core feature of schizophrenia (SZ), yet its precise contributions to different stages of reward processing and their relevance to disease symptomology are not fully understood. We performed a coordinate-based meta-analysis, using the monetary incentive delay task, to identify which brain regions are implicated in different reward phases in functional magnetic resonance imaging in SZ. A total of 17 studies (368 SZ and 428 controls) were included in the reward anticipation, and 10 studies (229 SZ and 281 controls) were included in the reward outcome. Our meta-analysis revealed that during anticipation, patients showed hypoactivation in the striatum, anterior cingulate cortex, median cingulate cortex (MCC), amygdala, precentral gyrus, and superior temporal gyrus compared with controls. Striatum hypoactivation was negatively associated with negative symptoms and positively associated with the proportion of second-generation antipsychotic users (percentage of SGA users). During outcome, patients displayed hyperactivation in the striatum, insula, amygdala, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, cerebellum, postcentral gyrus, and MCC, and hypoactivation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Hypoactivity of mPFC during outcome was negatively associated with positive symptoms. Moderator analysis showed that the percentage of SGA users was a significant moderator of the association between symptom severity and brain activity in both the anticipation and outcome stages. Our findings identified the neural substrates for different reward phases in SZ and may help explain the neuropathological mechanisms underlying reward processing deficits in the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguang Zeng
- grid.190737.b0000 0001 0154 0904School of Economics and Business Administration, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044 China
| | - Jiangnan Yan
- grid.190737.b0000 0001 0154 0904School of Economics and Business Administration, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044 China
| | - Hengyi Cao
- grid.250903.d0000 0000 9566 0634Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Hempstead, NY USA ,grid.440243.50000 0004 0453 5950Division of Psychiatry Research, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY USA
| | - Yueyue Su
- grid.190737.b0000 0001 0154 0904School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044 China
| | - Yuan Song
- grid.190737.b0000 0001 0154 0904School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044 China
| | - Ya Luo
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Department of Psychiatry, State Key Lab of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Xun Yang
- School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China.
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40
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Fields JS, Browne RK, Wieman ST, Lord KA, Orsillo SM, Liverant GI. Associations between valued living and responsiveness to daily rewards. JOURNAL OF CONTEXTUAL BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcbs.2022.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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41
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Juarascio AS, Presseller EK, Wilkinson ML, Kelkar A, Srivastava P, Chen JY, Dengler J, Manasse SM, Medaglia J. Correcting the reward imbalance in binge eating: A pilot randomized trial of reward re-training treatment. Appetite 2022; 176:106103. [PMID: 35662619 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral treatments for psychological disorders characterized by reward-driven maladaptive behaviors (e.g., substance use disorder, eating disorders, behavioral addictions) primarily seek to reduce hyper-reward response to disorder-specific stimuli. Suboptimal outcomes for these treatments highlight the need to also target hypo-reward response to day-to-day life activities. The present study sought to conduct an initial test of a novel behavioral treatment, Reward Re-Training (RRT) to target hyper- and hypo-reward response in individuals with binge eating. Individuals with binge eating (N = 23) were randomly assigned to either 10 weeks of outpatient, group-based RRT treatment or a waitlist control. RRT was found to be feasible and acceptable, demonstrated large impacts on both hypo- and hyper-reward response (measured by self-report (pre-to post-treatment ηp2 range 0.38-0.58) and neural activation via fMRI), and was efficacious in reducing eating disorder pathology (ηp2 range 0.40-0.64, including binge eating, ηp2 = 0.64) compared to waitlist control (ηp2 range 0.00-0.04). This pilot data provides preliminary support for the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a novel treatment targeting reward imbalance for individuals with binge eating. Future evaluations of RRT may benefit from an active treatment comparison condition and a follow-up assessment to examine persistence of positive outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne S Juarascio
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA; Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Science, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Emily K Presseller
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA; Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Science, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA.
| | - Megan L Wilkinson
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA; Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Science, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Apoorva Kelkar
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Paakhi Srivastava
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Science, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Joanna Y Chen
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Julia Dengler
- Department of Bioengineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Stephanie M Manasse
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Science, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - John Medaglia
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
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Chat IKY, Dunning EE, Bart CP, Carroll AL, Grehl MM, Damme KS, Abramson LY, Nusslock R, Alloy LB. The Interplay between Reward-Relevant Life Events and Trait Reward Sensitivity in Neural Responses to Reward Cues. Clin Psychol Sci 2022; 10:869-884. [PMID: 36381350 PMCID: PMC9662616 DOI: 10.1177/21677026211056627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
The reward hypersensitivity model posits that trait reward hypersensitivity should elicit hyper/hypo approach motivation following exposure to recent life events that activate (goal-striving and goal-attainment) or deactivate (goal-failure) the reward system, respectively. To test these hypotheses, eighty-seven young adults with high (HRew) versus moderate (MRew) trait reward sensitivity reported frequency of life events via the Life Event Interview. Brain activation was assessed during the fMRI Monetary Incentive Delay task. Greater exposure to goal-striving events was associated with higher nucleus accumbens (NAc) reward anticipation among HRew participants and lower orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) reward anticipation among MRew participants. Greater exposure to goal-failure events was associated with higher NAc and OFC reward anticipation only among HRew participants. This study demonstrated different neural reward anticipation (but not outcome) following reward-relevant events for HRew versus MRew individuals. Trait reward sensitivity and reward-relevant life events may jointly modulate reward-related brain function, with implications for understanding psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Ka-Yi Chat
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Erin E. Dunning
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Corinne P. Bart
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ann L. Carroll
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Mora M. Grehl
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | | | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Lauren B. Alloy
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Canonica T, Zalachoras I. Motivational disturbances in rodent models of neuropsychiatric disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:940672. [PMID: 36051635 PMCID: PMC9426724 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.940672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivated behavior is integral to the survival of individuals, continuously directing actions toward rewards or away from punishments. The orchestration of motivated behavior depends on interactions among different brain circuits, primarily within the dopaminergic system, that subserve the analysis of factors such as the effort necessary for obtaining the reward and the desirability of the reward. Impairments in motivated behavior accompany a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders, decreasing the patients’ quality of life. Despite its importance, motivation is often overlooked as a parameter in neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we review motivational impairments in rodent models of schizophrenia, depression, and Parkinson’s disease, focusing on studies investigating effort-related behavior in operant conditioning tasks and on pharmacological interventions targeting the dopaminergic system. Similar motivational disturbances accompany these conditions, suggesting that treatments aimed at ameliorating motivation levels may be beneficial for various neuropsychiatric disorders.
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44
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Harel EV, Shetreet E, Tennyson R, Fava M, Bar M. Constricted semantic relations in acute depression. J Affect Disord 2022; 311:565-571. [PMID: 35597474 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.05.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been suggested that mood influences the breadth of associated information available for retrieval, with positive mood broadening and negative mood constricting the scope of associations. In this study, we asked whether this mood-associations connection is related to controlled processes which were linked to clinical symptoms in depression. METHODS We used the semantic priming paradigm, which allows the dissociation of automatic and controlled processes by using short and long intervals between prime and target words. We further examined whether the strength of semantic relations (weak or strong) influence the priming effects in both neurotypical and depressed individuals. RESULTS Experiment 1, testing neurotypical individuals, showed priming effects for strong semantically-related words regardless of interval length, but priming effects for weak semantically-related words were smaller in short intervals than in long intervals. Experiment 2, testing depressed individuals in long intervals, showed smaller priming effects for weak semantically-related words than shown by neurotypicals, but priming effects for strong semantically-related words which were comparable between the groups. LIMITATIONS This study cannot determine the source for the differences in priming effects between depressed individuals and neurotypicals, and further studies are needed. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to show priming impairments in depressed individuals. We discuss our results in light of leading theories concerning cognitive impairment in depression, as well as the newly emerged field of digital psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiran Vadim Harel
- Beer Yaakov Mental Health Center, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Einat Shetreet
- Depratment of Linguistics, Tel Aviv University, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
| | - Robert Tennyson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for Studies of Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Maurizio Fava
- Division of Clinical Research, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Moshe Bar
- Gonda Center for Brain Research, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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White O, Roeder N, Blum K, Eiden RD, Thanos PK. Prenatal Effects of Nicotine on Obesity Risks: A Narrative Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159477. [PMID: 35954830 PMCID: PMC9368674 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine usage by mothers throughout pregnancy has been observed to relate to numerous deleterious effects in children, especially relating to obesity. Children who have prenatally been exposed to nicotine tend to have lower birth weights, with an elevated risk of becoming overweight throughout development and into their adolescent and adult life. There are numerous theories as to how this occurs: catch-up growth theory, thrifty phenotype theory, neurotransmitter or endocrine imbalances theory, and a more recent examination on the genetic factors relating to obesity risk. In addition to the negative effect on bodyweight and BMI, individuals with obesity may also suffer from numerous comorbidities involving metabolic disease. These may include type 1 and 2 diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and liver disease. Predisposition for obesity with nicotine usage may also be associated with genetic risk alleles for obesity, such as the DRD2 A1 variant. This is important for prenatally nicotine-exposed individuals as an opportunity to provide early prevention and intervention of obesity-related risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia White
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Clinical Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (O.W.); (N.R.)
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Nicole Roeder
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Clinical Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (O.W.); (N.R.)
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Kenneth Blum
- Division of Addiction Research, Center for Psychiatry, Medicine & Primary Care (Office of Provost), Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA;
| | - Rina D. Eiden
- Department of Psychology, Social Science Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801, USA;
| | - Panayotis K. Thanos
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Clinical Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (O.W.); (N.R.)
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(716)-881-7520
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Altered brain activation during reward anticipation in bipolar disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:300. [PMID: 35902559 PMCID: PMC9334601 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02075-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Although altered reward sensitivity has been observed in individuals with bipolar disorder (BD), the brain function findings related to reward processing remain unexplored and inconsistent. This meta-analysis aimed to identify brain activation alterations underlying reward anticipation in BD. A systematic literature research was conducted to identify fMRI studies of reward-relevant tasks performed by BD individuals. Using Anisotropic Effect Size Signed Differential Mapping, whole-brain and ROI of the ventral striatum (VS) coordinate-based meta-analyses were performed to explore brain regions showing anomalous activation in individuals with BD compared to healthy controls (HC), respectively. A total of 21 studies were identified in the meta-analysis, 15 of which were included in the whole-brain meta-analysis and 17 in the ROI meta-analysis. The whole-brain meta-analysis revealed hypoactivation in the bilateral angular gyrus and right inferior frontal gyrus during reward anticipation in individuals with BD compared to HC. No significant activation differences were observed in bilateral VS between two groups by whole-brain or ROI-based meta-analysis. Individuals with BD type I and individuals with euthymic BD showed altered activation in prefrontal, angular, fusiform, middle occipital gyrus, and striatum. Hypoactivation in the right angular gyrus was positively correlated with the illness duration of BD. The present study reveals the potential neural mechanism underlying impairment in reward anticipation in BD. Some clinical features such as clinical subtype, mood state, and duration of illness confound the underlying neurobiological abnormality reward anticipation in BD. These findings may have implications for identifying clinically relevant biomarkers to guide intervention strategies for BD.
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Martz ME, Hardee JE, Cope LM, McCurry KL, Soules M, Zucker RA, Heitzeg MM. Nucleus Accumbens Response to Reward among Children with a Family History of Alcohol Use Problems: Convergent Findings from the ABCD Study® and Michigan Longitudinal Study. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12070913. [PMID: 35884720 PMCID: PMC9320357 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12070913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Having a family history of alcohol use problems (FH+) conveys risk for alcohol use in offspring. Reward-related brain functioning may play a role in this vulnerability. The present study investigated brain function in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) associated with the anticipation of reward in youth with two biological parents with alcohol use problems (FH+2), one biological parent with alcohol use problems (FH+1), and no biological parents with alcohol use problems (FH-). Participants were from the large, national Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (mean age: 9.93; 48% female; FH+2 n = 223, FH+1 n = 1447, FH- n = 9690) and the Michigan Longitudinal Study (MLS), consisting of community-recruited families with high rates of alcohol use disorder (mean age: 10.54; 39.3% female; FH+2 n = 40, FH+1 n = 51, FH- n = 40). Reward anticipation was measured by the monetary incentive delay task. Regression models were used to assess associations between FH status and the anticipation of large rewards in right and left NAcc regions of interest. In both studies, FH+2 youth showed blunted anticipatory reward responding in the right NAcc compared to FH+1 youth. In the MLS, FH+2 youth also had blunted anticipatory reward responding in the right NAcc compared to the FH- group. Convergent results across two separate samples provide insights into a unique vulnerability of FH+2 youth and suggest that binary FH+ versus FH- categorizations may obscure important differences within FH+ youth.
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Grants
- U01DA041048, U01DA050989, U01DA051016, U01DA041022, U01DA051018, U01DA051037, U01DA050987, U01 DA041174, U01DA041106, U01DA041117, U01DA041028, U01DA 041134, U01DA050988, U01DA051039, U01DA041156, U01DA04 1025, U01DA041120, U01DA051038, U01DA041148, U01DA NIH HHS
- R01 AA12217 NIAAA NIH HHS
- T32 AA007477 NIAAA NIH HHS
- R01 DA027261 NIDA NIH HHS
- K01 AA024804 NIAAA NIH HHS
- R37 AA07065 NIAAA NIH HHS
- K01 AA027558 NIAAA NIH HHS
- K01 DA044270 NIDA NIH HHS
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Dan O, Wertheimer E, Levy I. A Neuroeconomics Approach to Obesity. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:860-868. [PMID: 34861975 PMCID: PMC8960474 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Obesity is a heterogeneous condition that is affected by physiological, behavioral, and environmental factors. Value-based decision making is a useful framework for integrating these factors at the individual level. The disciplines of behavioral economics and reinforcement learning provide tools for identifying specific cognitive and motivational processes that may contribute to the development and maintenance of obesity. Neuroeconomics complements these disciplines by studying the neural mechanisms underlying these processes. We surveyed recent literature on individual decision characteristics that are most frequently implicated in obesity: discounting the value of future outcomes, attitudes toward uncertainty, and learning from rewards and punishments. Our survey highlighted both consistent and inconsistent behavioral findings. These findings underscore the need to examine multiple processes within individuals to identify unique behavioral profiles associated with obesity. Such individual characterization will inform future studies on the neurobiology of obesity as well as the design of effective interventions that are individually tailored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ohad Dan
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University,Wu-Tsai Institute, Yale University
| | - Emily Wertheimer
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University,Wu-Tsai Institute, Yale University
| | - Ifat Levy
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
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49
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Dennison JB, Sazhin D, Smith DV. Decision neuroscience and neuroeconomics: Recent progress and ongoing challenges. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2022; 13:e1589. [PMID: 35137549 PMCID: PMC9124684 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In the past decade, decision neuroscience and neuroeconomics have developed many new insights in the study of decision making. This review provides an overarching update on how the field has advanced in this time period. Although our initial review a decade ago outlined several theoretical, conceptual, methodological, empirical, and practical challenges, there has only been limited progress in resolving these challenges. We summarize significant trends in decision neuroscience through the lens of the challenges outlined for the field and review examples where the field has had significant, direct, and applicable impacts across economics and psychology. First, we review progress on topics including reward learning, explore-exploit decisions, risk and ambiguity, intertemporal choice, and valuation. Next, we assess the impacts of emotion, social rewards, and social context on decision making. Then, we follow up with how individual differences impact choices and new exciting developments in the prediction and neuroforecasting of future decisions. Finally, we consider how trends in decision-neuroscience research reflect progress toward resolving past challenges, discuss new and exciting applications of recent research, and identify new challenges for the field. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Reasoning and Decision Making Psychology > Emotion and Motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey B Dennison
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daniel Sazhin
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David V Smith
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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50
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Costello H, Berry AJ, Reeves S, Weil RS, Joyce EM, Howard R, Roiser JP. Disrupted reward processing in Parkinson's disease and its relationship with dopamine state and neuropsychiatric syndromes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2022; 93:555-562. [PMID: 34930778 PMCID: PMC9016258 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2021-327762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and predict poorer outcomes. Reward processing dysfunction is a candidate mechanism for the development of psychiatric symptoms including depression and impulse control disorders (ICDs). We aimed to determine whether reward processing is impaired in PD and its relationship with neuropsychiatric syndromes and dopamine replacement therapy. METHODS The Ovid MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo databases were searched for articles published up to 5 November 2020. Studies reporting reward processing task performance by patients with PD and healthy controls were included. Summary statistics comparing reward processing between groups were converted to standardised mean difference (SMD) scores and meta-analysed using a random effects model. RESULTS We identified 55 studies containing 2578 participants (1638 PD and 940 healthy controls). Studies assessing three subcomponent categories of reward processing tasks were included: option valuation (n=12), reinforcement learning (n=37) and reward response vigour (n=6). Across all studies, patients with PD on medication exhibited a small-to-medium impairment versus healthy controls (SMD=0.34; 95% CI 0.14 to 0.53), with greater impairments observed off dopaminergic medication in within-subjects designs (SMD=0.43, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.57). Within-subjects subcomponent analysis revealed impaired processing off medication on option valuation (SMD=0.57, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.75) and reward response vigour (SMD=0.36, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.59) tasks. However, the opposite applied for reinforcement learning, which relative to healthy controls was impaired on-medication (SMD=0.45, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.65) but not off-medication (SMD=0.28, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.59). ICD was the only neuropsychiatric syndrome with sufficient studies (n=13) for meta-analysis, but no significant impairment was identified compared tonon-ICD patients (SMD=-0.02, 95% CI -0.43 to 0.39). CONCLUSION Reward processing disruption in PD differs according to subcomponent and dopamine medication state, and warrants further study as a potential treatment target and mechanism underlying associated neuropsychiatric syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Costello
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alex J Berry
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Suzanne Reeves
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rimona S Weil
- Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Eileen M Joyce
- Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Robert Howard
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan P Roiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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