1
|
Giovanniello JR, Paredes N, Wiener A, Ramírez-Armenta K, Oragwam C, Uwadia HO, Yu AL, Lim K, Pimenta JS, Vilchez GE, Nnamdi G, Wang A, Sehgal M, Reis FM, Sias AC, Silva AJ, Adhikari A, Malvaez M, Wassum KM. A dual-pathway architecture enables chronic stress to disrupt agency and promote habit formation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.03.560731. [PMID: 37873076 PMCID: PMC10592885 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.03.560731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress can change how we learn and, thus, how we make decisions. Here we investigated the neuronal circuit mechanisms that enable this. Using a multifaceted systems neuroscience approach in male and female mice, we reveal a dual pathway, amygdala-striatal neuronal circuit architecture by which a recent history of chronic stress disrupts the action-outcome learning underlying adaptive agency and promotes the formation of inflexible habits. We found that the basolateral amygdala projection to the dorsomedial striatum is activated by rewarding events to support the action-outcome learning needed for flexible, goal-directed decision making. Chronic stress attenuates this to disrupt action-outcome learning and, therefore, agency. Conversely, the central amygdala projection to the dorsomedial striatum mediates habit formation. Following stress this pathway is progressively recruited to learning to promote the premature formation of inflexible habits. Thus, stress exerts opposing effects on two amygdala-striatal pathways to disrupt agency and promote habit. These data provide neuronal circuit insights into how chronic stress shapes learning and decision making, and help understand how stress can lead to the disrupted decision making and pathological habits that characterize substance use disorders and mental health conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anna Wiener
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | | | | | - Abigail L Yu
- Dept. of Physiology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Kayla Lim
- Dept. of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | | | - Gift Nnamdi
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Alicia Wang
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Megha Sehgal
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | - Ana C Sias
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Alcino J Silva
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Avishek Adhikari
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Kate M Wassum
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wehrli JM, Xia Y, Meister L, Tursunova S, Kleim B, Bach DR, Quednow BB. Forget me not: The effect of doxycycline on human declarative memory. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2024; 89:1-9. [PMID: 39217739 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.08.006] [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: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Investigations into neuroprotective drugs are in high demand for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis or Alzheimer's disease, but also psychiatric disorders, such as depression, trauma, and substance use. One potential drug class being investigated are tetracyclines impacting on a variety of neuroprotective mechanisms. At the same time, tetracyclines like doxycycline have been suggested to affect human fear and spatial memory as well as reducing declarative memory retention. Based on the assumed necessity for synaptic consolidation in hippocampus-dependent learning, we hypothesised declarative memory may be similarly impaired by doxycycline as fear and spatial memory. Therefore, in this study we investigate the potential diminishing effects of doxycycline on consolidation of declarative memory in healthy humans. Additionally, to test for effect specificity we assessed motor memory, sustained attention, and processing speed. We administered a neuropsychological test battery in three independent randomized placebo-controlled double-blind trials (RCTs), in which healthy young volunteers (total N = 252) either received a single oral dose doxycycline (200 mg, n = 126) or placebo (n = 126) in a between-subject design. We found no evidence for a detrimental effect of doxycycline on declarative memory; instead, doxycycline improved declarative learning (p-value=0.022, Cohen's d=0.15) and memory consolidation (p=0.040, d=0.26). Contrarily, doxycycline slightly reduced motor learning (p=0.001, d=0.10) but subtly strengthened long-term motor memory (p=0.001, d=0.10). These results suggest that doxycycline can improve declarative learning and memory without having long term negative effects on other cognitive domains in healthy humans. Our results give hope to further investigate doxycycline in neuroprotective treatment applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jelena M Wehrli
- Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Zurich 8032, Switzerland.
| | - Yanfang Xia
- Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Laura Meister
- Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Sarrina Tursunova
- Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Birgit Kleim
- Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Dominik R Bach
- Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Zurich 8032, Switzerland; University of Bonn, Transdisciplinary Research Area "Life and Health", Hertz Chair for Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, Bonn, Germany
| | - Boris B Quednow
- Experimental Pharmacopsychology and Psychological Addiction Research, Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Joint Center of University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Nebe S, Kretzschmar A, Brandt MC, Tobler PN. Characterizing Human Habits in the Lab. COLLABRA. PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 10:92949. [PMID: 38463460 PMCID: PMC7615722 DOI: 10.1525/collabra.92949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Habits pose a fundamental puzzle for those aiming to understand human behavior. They pervade our everyday lives and dominate some forms of psychopathology but are extremely hard to elicit in the lab. In this Registered Report, we developed novel experimental paradigms grounded in computational models, which suggest that habit strength should be proportional to the frequency of behavior and, in contrast to previous research, independent of value. Specifically, we manipulated how often participants performed responses in two tasks varying action repetition without, or separately from, variations in value. Moreover, we asked how this frequency-based habitization related to value-based operationalizations of habit and self-reported propensities for habitual behavior in real life. We find that choice frequency during training increases habit strength at test and that this form of habit shows little relation to value-based operationalizations of habit. Our findings empirically ground a novel perspective on the constituents of habits and suggest that habits may arise in the absence of external reinforcement. We further find no evidence for an overlap between different experimental approaches to measuring habits and no associations with self-reported real-life habits. Thus, our findings call for a rigorous reassessment of our understanding and measurement of human habitual behavior in the lab.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Nebe
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - André Kretzschmar
- Individual Differences and Assessment, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maike C. Brandt
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philippe N. Tobler
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Robinson AH, Mahlberg J, Chong TT, Verdejo‐Garcia A. Model-based and model-free mechanisms in methamphetamine use disorder. Addict Biol 2024; 29:e13356. [PMID: 38221809 PMCID: PMC10898847 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13356] [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: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
People with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) struggle to shift their behaviour from methamphetamine-orientated habits to goal-oriented choices. The model-based/model-free framework is well suited to understand this difficulty by unpacking the computational mechanisms that support experienced-based (model-free) and goal-directed (model-based) choices. We aimed to examine whether 1) participants with MUD differed from controls on behavioural proxies and/or computational mechanisms of model-based/model-free choices; 2) model-based/model-free decision-making correlated with MUD symptoms; and 3) model-based/model-free deficits improved over six weeks in the group with MUD. Participants with MUD and controls with similar age, IQ and socioeconomic status completed the Two-Step Task at treatment commencement (MUD n = 30, Controls n = 31) and six weeks later (MUD n = 23, Controls n = 26). We examined behavioural proxies of model-based/model-free decisions using mixed logistic regression, and their underlying mechanisms using computational modelling. At a behavioural level, participants with MUD were more likely to switch their choices following rewarded actions, although this pattern improved at follow up. At a computational level, groups were similar in their use of model-based mechanisms, but participants with MUD were less likely to apply model-free mechanisms and less likely to repeat rewarded actions. We did not find evidence that individual differences in model-based or model-free parameters were associated with greater severity of methamphetamine dependence, nor did we find that group differences in computational parameters changed between baseline and follow-up assessment. Decision-making challenges in people with MUD are likely related to difficulties in pursuing choices previously associated with positive outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex H. Robinson
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental HealthSchool of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Justin Mahlberg
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental HealthSchool of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Trevor T.‐J. Chong
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental HealthSchool of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Antonio Verdejo‐Garcia
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental HealthSchool of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zivi P, Sdoia S, Alfonsi V, Gorgoni M, Mari E, Quaglieri A, De Gennaro L, Giannini AM, Ferlazzo F. Decision-Making and Risk-Propensity Changes during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13050793. [PMID: 37239265 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13050793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The imposition of lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic placed individuals under conditions of environmental stress, threatening individual and collective wellbeing. This study aimed to investigate the temporal effects of isolation and confinement during and after the Italian lockdown on decision-making, risk propensity, and cognitive control processes. The present study covered almost the entire Italian lockdown period (each week from the end of March to mid-May 2020), plus a follow-up measure (September 2020). At each time-point, respondents completed online behavioral tasks, which involved measuring risk-propensity (Balloon Analogue Risk Task), decision-making (Iowa Gambling Task), and cognitive flexibility (Category Switch Task). They also filled in questionnaires regarding subjective stress and anxiety. The main findings showed that the decision-making abilities of the respondents were affected as the confinement progressed. Furthermore, individuals who were more subjectively impacted by the lockdown/isolation experience exhibited impaired decision-making, especially during the lockdown. The results of the study highlight that prolonged confinement may affect human decision making, and help understand individuals' misbehaviors during emergencies and develop effective countermeasures aimed at reducing the burden of the healthcare system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pierpaolo Zivi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Sdoia
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Alfonsi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuela Mari
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Quaglieri
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Giannini
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Ferlazzo
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Brandl F, Knolle F, Avram M, Leucht C, Yakushev I, Priller J, Leucht S, Ziegler S, Wunderlich K, Sorg C. Negative symptoms, striatal dopamine and model-free reward decision-making in schizophrenia. Brain 2023; 146:767-777. [PMID: 35875972 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Negative symptoms, such as lack of motivation or social withdrawal, are highly prevalent and debilitating in patients with schizophrenia. Underlying mechanisms of negative symptoms are incompletely understood, thereby preventing the development of targeted treatments. We hypothesized that in patients with schizophrenia during psychotic remission, impaired influences of both model-based and model-free reward predictions on decision-making ('reward prediction influence', RPI) underlie negative symptoms. We focused on psychotic remission, because psychotic symptoms might confound reward-based decision-making. Moreover, we hypothesized that impaired model-based/model-free RPIs depend on alterations of both associative striatum dopamine synthesis and storage (DSS) and executive functioning. Both factors influence RPI in healthy subjects and are typically impaired in schizophrenia. Twenty-five patients with schizophrenia with pronounced negative symptoms during psychotic remission and 24 healthy controls were included in the study. Negative symptom severity was measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale negative subscale, model-based/model-free RPI by the two-stage decision task, associative striatum DSS by 18F-DOPA positron emission tomography and executive functioning by the symbol coding task. Model-free RPI was selectively reduced in patients and associated with negative symptom severity as well as with reduced associative striatum DSS (in patients only) and executive functions (both in patients and controls). In contrast, model-based RPI was not altered in patients. Results provide evidence for impaired model-free reward prediction influence as a mechanism for negative symptoms in schizophrenia as well as for reduced associative striatum dopamine and executive dysfunction as relevant factors. Data suggest potential treatment targets for patients with schizophrenia and pronounced negative symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felix Brandl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany.,Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany.,TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany
| | - Franziska Knolle
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany.,TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB20SZ, UK
| | - Mihai Avram
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, 23538, Germany
| | - Claudia Leucht
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany
| | - Igor Yakushev
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany
| | - Josef Priller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany.,Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and DZNE, Berlin, 10117, Germany.,UK DRI at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK.,IoPPN, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Stefan Leucht
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany.,Department of Psychosis studies, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sibylle Ziegler
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Klaus Wunderlich
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Christian Sorg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany.,Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany.,TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Sebold M, Chen H, Önal A, Kuitunen-Paul S, Mojtahedzadeh N, Garbusow M, Nebe S, Wittchen HU, Huys QJM, Schlagenhauf F, Rapp MA, Smolka MN, Heinz A. Stronger Prejudices Are Associated With Decreased Model-Based Control. Front Psychol 2022; 12:767022. [PMID: 35069341 PMCID: PMC8767058 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.767022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Prejudices against minorities can be understood as habitually negative evaluations that are kept in spite of evidence to the contrary. Therefore, individuals with strong prejudices might be dominated by habitual or "automatic" reactions at the expense of more controlled reactions. Computational theories suggest individual differences in the balance between habitual/model-free and deliberative/model-based decision-making. Methods: 127 subjects performed the two Step task and completed the blatant and subtle prejudice scale. Results: By using analyses of choices and reaction times in combination with computational modeling, subjects with stronger blatant prejudices showed a shift away from model-based control. There was no association between these decision-making processes and subtle prejudices. Conclusion: These results support the idea that blatant prejudices toward minorities are related to a relative dominance of habitual decision-making. This finding has important implications for developing interventions that target to change prejudices across societies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Sebold
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Department for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Aleyna Önal
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sören Kuitunen-Paul
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Negin Mojtahedzadeh
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Maria Garbusow
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan Nebe
- Department of Economics, Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Ulrich Wittchen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Quentin J M Huys
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Florian Schlagenhauf
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael A Rapp
- Department for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Fronto-striatal structures related with model-based control as an endophenotype for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11951. [PMID: 34099768 PMCID: PMC8185095 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91179-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent theories suggest a shift from model-based goal-directed to model-free habitual decision-making in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). However, it is yet unclear, whether this shift in the decision process is heritable. We investigated 32 patients with OCD, 27 unaffected siblings (SIBs) and 31 healthy controls (HCs) using the two-step task. We computed behavioral and reaction time analyses and fitted a computational model to assess the balance between model-based and model-free control. 80 subjects also underwent structural imaging. We observed a significant ordered effect for the shift towards model-free control in the direction OCD > SIB > HC in our computational parameter of interest. However less directed analyses revealed no shift towards model-free control in OCDs. Nonetheless, we found evidence for reduced model-based control in OCDs compared to HCs and SIBs via 2nd stage reaction time analyses. In this measure SIBs also showed higher levels of model-based control than HCs. Across all subjects these effects were associated with the surface area of the left medial/right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Moreover, correlations between bilateral putamen/right caudate volumes and these effects varied as a function of group: they were negative in SIBs and OCDs, but positive in HCs. Associations between fronto-striatal regions and model-based reaction time effects point to a potential endophenotype for OCD.
Collapse
|
9
|
McIntosh RC, Khambaty T, Llabre MM, Perreira KM, Gonzalez HM, Kansal MM, Tarraf W, Schneiderman N. Paradoxical effect of cumulative stress exposure on information processing speed in Hispanics/Latinos with elevated heart rate variability. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 164:1-8. [PMID: 33524438 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress has a deleterious effect on prefrontal lobe functioning. Empirical evidence suggests elevated vagal tone, indexed by elevated heart rate variability (HRV), mitigates the effect of mental stress on frontal lobe function. Here, the mitigating effect of HRV on stress-related decrements in cognitive performance is assessed based on information processing speed (DSST), word fluency and verbal learning task performance. Artifact free electrocardiogram (ECG) data was analyzed from 1420 Hispanic/Latino adults from the Sociocultural Ancillary of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). A 12-lead ECG was used to collect short-term recordings of the root mean square of successive differences in all normal R-peak to R-peak intervals (RMSSD) and the change between adjacent beats and the standard deviation of those intervals (SDNN) as indices of total HRV. As predicted, an interaction emerged for HRV and stress on the task presumed to require the greatest prefrontal lobe involvement, i.e., the DSST. After accounting for sociodemographic factors, chronic stress was associated with better DSST performance amongst individuals at higher quartile of SDNN, but not RMSSD. The paradoxical effect for greater stress exposure on DSST performance may in part be explained by increased speed of information processing and decision making often reported in high-stress cohorts. The nature of this interaction highlights the importance of examining the relationship between stress and cognition across a spectrum of vagal tone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roger C McIntosh
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, United States of America.
| | - Tasneem Khambaty
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD 21250, United States of America.
| | - Maria M Llabre
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, United States of America.
| | - Krista M Perreira
- Department of Social Medicine, UNC at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill 27599, United States of America.
| | - Hector M Gonzalez
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, United States of America.
| | - Mayank M Kansal
- Internal Medicine/Cardiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States of America.
| | - Wassim Tarraf
- Institute of Gerontology and Department of Healthcare Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, United States of America.
| | - Neil Schneiderman
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
Abstract
Purpose of Review
Losing and regaining control over alcohol intake varies as a function of individual-level predictors across the lifespan. Specifically, the interplay of protective and risk factors for losing and regaining control, particularly in real-life settings, is thus far poorly understood. Individual differences in cognition, affect, emotion regulation, social factors, and personality traits, together with individual differences in brain structure and function, and biological markers of stress exposure may have different effects on alcohol consumption in different age groups. We will review current evidence for age-specific effects for losing and regaining control over alcohol intake and propose a framework for investigation across age groups.
Recent Findings
We find evidence for differences in relative impact of psychosocial predictors of alcohol consumption as a function of age that varies by gender. There is theoretical reason to assume that predictors vary in the time course of their taking effect: While e.g., early trauma and personality traits may be conceptualized as more distant antecedents of alcohol consumption, cognition, affect and emotion regulation can be conceptualized as co-correlates, where variation over periods of months may go along with changes in alcohol consumption. At the same time, craving, current stressors, and priming events may serve as short-term or immediate causes of alcohol consumption.
Summary
We propose a combination of longitudinal age cohorts to (i) identify individual-level differences (using latent growth curve models) and profiles (using latent growth mixture models) of the psychosocial and biological variables of interest that predict regaining or losing control, and ambulatory assessments every 2 days, in order to (ii) investigate effects of triggers and risk factors on current alcohol consumption. This approach will allow us to characterize age-related differences in the interplay between these factors in real-life settings.
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
Abstract
Purpose of Review
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a burdening chronic condition that is characterized by high relapse rates despite severe negative consequences. There has been a recent emergence of interest in (neuro)therapeutic intervention strategies that largely involve the detrimental change in mechanisms linked to addiction disorders. Most prominently, the latter include habitual decision-making, cue-induced behavioral tendencies, as well as the amplifying effects of stressful events on drinking behavior. This article discusses these learning mechanisms and modification thereof as possible targets of (neuro)therapeutic interventions for AUD.
Recent Findings
Psychological therapies that target dysregulated neurocognitive processes underlying addictive behavior may hold promise as effective treatments for AUD.
Summary
Despite the progression in psychological and neuroscience research in the field of AUD, many behavioral interventions fail to systematically integrate and apply such findings into treatment development. Future research should focus on the targeted modification of the aforementioned processes.
Collapse
|
12
|
Addiction as Learned Behavior Patterns. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8081086. [PMID: 31344831 PMCID: PMC6723628 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8081086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) have to cope with drug-related cues and contexts which can affect instrumental drug seeking, as shown with Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) tasks among humans and animals. Our review addresses two potential mechanisms that may contribute to habitual or even compulsive drug seeking and taking. One mechanism is represented by Pavlovian and PIT effects on drug intake. The other is a shift from goal-directed to habitual drug intake, which can be accessed via model-based versus model-free decision-making in respective learning tasks. We discuss the impact of these learning mechanisms on drug consumption. First, we describe how Pavlovian and instrumental learning mechanisms interact in drug addiction. Secondly, we address the effects of acute and chronic stress exposure on behavioral and neural PIT effects in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Thirdly, we discuss how these learning mechanisms and their respective neurobiological correlates can contribute to losing versus regaining control over drug intake. Utilizing mobile technology (mobile applications on smartphones including games that measure learning mechanisms, activity bracelets), computational models, and real-world data may help to better identify patients with a high relapse risk and to offer targeted behavioral and pharmacotherapeutic interventions for vulnerable patients.
Collapse
|
13
|
Zhang L, Kong M, Li Z, Zhao X, Gao L. Chronic Stress and Moral Decision-Making: An Exploration With the CNI Model. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1702. [PMID: 30254597 PMCID: PMC6141736 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is prevalent in our daily life, and people often make moral decision-making in a stressful state. Several studies indicated the influence of acute stress on moral decision-making and behavior. The present study extended the investigation to chronic stress, and employed a new approach, the CNI model, to add new insights regarding the mechanism underlying the association between chronic stress and moral decision-making. A total of 197 undergraduates completed the Perceived Stress Scale and made moral decision-making on a series of deliberately designed moral dilemmas. The results indicated that higher chronic stress was related to more deontological moral choices. The process-dissociation analyses revealed that chronic stress was marginally significantly associated with deontological inclinations but not with utilitarian inclinations. And the CNI model analyses suggested that the high-stress group (above the median) showed a stronger general preference for inaction than the low-stress group (below the median) did, but there were no significant differences in sensitivity to consequences or sensitivity to moral norms between the two groups. Finally, the implications of the findings were discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisong Zhang
- Institute of Disability Research, Nanjing Normal University of Special Education, Nanjing, China.,School of Social and Behavior Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ming Kong
- Department of Psychology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhongquan Li
- School of Social and Behavior Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xia Zhao
- School of Social and Behavior Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Liuping Gao
- School of Social and Behavior Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Heller AS, Ezie CEC, Otto AR, Timpano KR. Model-based learning and individual differences in depression: The moderating role of stress. Behav Res Ther 2018; 111:19-26. [PMID: 30273768 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Inflexible decision-making has been proposed as a transdiagnostic risk factor for mood disorders. Evidence suggests that inflexible decision-making may emerge only when individuals are experiencing increased negative affect or stress. 151 participants completed symptom measures of depression and anxiety, followed by a two-stage decision-making task that distinguishes between habitual and goal-directed choice. An experimental manipulation to induce stress was introduced halfway through the task. Individuals with higher depression levels became less model-based after the manipulation than those with lower depression levels. There was no relationship between trait anxiety and the impact of the manipulation on decision-making. Controlling for main effects of anxiety did not attenuate the association between depression and impact of stress. Anhedonia was associated with the impact of the manipulation on model-based decision-making. These results suggest that risk for depression is associated with reflexive decision-making, but these effects may only emerge under conditions of stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron S Heller
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA.
| | - C E Chiemeka Ezie
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - A Ross Otto
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 McGill College Avenue, Montréal, QC, H3A 1G1, Canada
| | - Kiara R Timpano
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Herbert J. Testosterone, Cortisol and Financial Risk-Taking. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:101. [PMID: 29867399 PMCID: PMC5964298 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Both testosterone and cortisol have major actions on financial decision-making closely related to their primary biological functions, reproductive success and response to stress, respectively. Financial risk-taking represents a particular example of strategic decisions made in the context of choice under conditions of uncertainty. Such decisions have multiple components, and this article considers how much we know of how either hormone affects risk-appetite, reward value, information processing and estimation of the costs and benefits of potential success or failure, both personal and social. It also considers how far we can map these actions on neural mechanisms underlying risk appetite and decision-making, with particular reference to areas of the brain concerned in either cognitive or emotional functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joe Herbert
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|