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Schmidt C, Gleesborg C, Schmidt H, Kvamme TL, Voon V, Møller A. Neural fingerprints of gambling disorder using diffusion tensor imaging. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2023; 333:111657. [PMID: 37354808 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2023.111657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Gambling disorder (GD) is a behavioral addiction associated with personal, social and occupational consequences. Thus, examining GD's clinical relationship with its neural substrates is critical. We compared neural fingerprints using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in GD subjects undergoing treatment relative to healthy volunteers (HV). Fifty-three (25 GD, 28 age-matched HV) males were scanned with structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DTI. We applied probabilistic tractography based on DTI scanning data, preprocessed and analyzed using permutation testing of individual connectivity weights between regions for group comparison. Permutation-based comparisons between group-averaged connectomes highlighted significant structural differences. The GD group demonstrated increased connectivity, and striatal network reorganisation, contrasted by reduced connectivity within and to frontal lobe nodes. Modularity analysis revealed that the GD group had fewer hubs integrating information across the brain. We highlight GD neural changes involved in controlling risk-seeking behaviors. The observed striatal restructuring converges with previous research, and the increased connectivity affects subnetworks highly active in gambling situations, although these findings are not significant when correcting for multiple comparisons. Modularity analysis underlines that, despite connectivity increases, the GD connectome loses hubs, impeding its neuronal network coherence. Together, these results demonstrate the feasibility of using whole-brain computational modeling in assessing GD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casper Schmidt
- Department of Communication and Psychology, Aalborg University, Rendsburggade 14, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark; Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience/MINDLab, Danish Neuroscience Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, Building 1A, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark; Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET-Centre, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, Indgang J, Plan 2, J220, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark; Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom.
| | - Carsten Gleesborg
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience/MINDLab, Danish Neuroscience Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, Building 1A, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark; Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET-Centre, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, Indgang J, Plan 2, J220, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Hema Schmidt
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience/MINDLab, Danish Neuroscience Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, Building 1A, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark; Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET-Centre, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, Indgang J, Plan 2, J220, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Timo L Kvamme
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience/MINDLab, Danish Neuroscience Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, Building 1A, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Valerie Voon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom; Behavioral and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Rd, Fulbourn, Cambridge, CB21 5HH, United Kingdom.
| | - Arne Møller
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience/MINDLab, Danish Neuroscience Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, Building 1A, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark; Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET-Centre, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, Indgang J, Plan 2, J220, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
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Timm A, Schmidt-Wilcke T, Blenk S, Studer B. Altered social decision making in patients with chronic pain. Psychol Med 2023; 53:2466-2475. [PMID: 34736548 PMCID: PMC10123842 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721004359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic pain affects up to 20% of the population, impairs quality of life and reduces social participation. Previous research reported that pain-related perceived injustice covaries with these negative consequences. The current study probed whether chronic pain patients responded more strongly to disadvantageous social inequity than healthy individuals. METHODS We administered the Ultimatum Game, a neuroeconomic social exchange game, where a sum of money is split between two players to a large sample of patients with chronic pain disorder with somatic and psychological factors (n = 102) and healthy controls (n = 101). Anonymised, and in truth experimentally controlled, co-players proposed a split, and our participants either accepted or rejected these offers. RESULTS Chronic pain patients were hypersensitive to disadvantageous inequity and punished their co-players for proposed unequal splits more often than healthy controls. Furthermore, this systematic shift in social decision making was independent of patients' performance on tests of executive functions and risk-sensitive (non-social) decision making . CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that chronic pain is associated with anomalies in social decision making (compared to healthy controls) and hypersensitivity to social inequity that is likely to negatively impact social partaking and thereby the quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja Timm
- Medical Faculty, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Mauritius Hospital Meerbusch, Meerbusch, Germany
| | - Tobias Schmidt-Wilcke
- Medical Faculty, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Mauritius Hospital Meerbusch, Meerbusch, Germany
| | - Sandra Blenk
- Centre for Pain Medicine, St.Vinzenz Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Bettina Studer
- Medical Faculty, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Mauritius Hospital Meerbusch, Meerbusch, Germany
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3
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Mestre-Bach G, Potenza MN. Potential Biological Markers and Treatment Implications for Binge Eating Disorder and Behavioral Addictions. Nutrients 2023; 15:827. [PMID: 36839185 PMCID: PMC9962023 DOI: 10.3390/nu15040827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The reward system is highly relevant to behavioral addictions such as gambling disorder (GD), internet gaming disorder (IGD), and food addiction/binge eating disorder (FA/BED). Among other brain regions, the ventral striatum (VS) has been implicated in reward processing. The main objective of the present state-of-the-art review was to explore in depth the specific role of the VS in GD, IGD and FA/BED, understanding it as a possible biomarker of these conditions. Studies analyzing brain changes following interventions for these disorders, and especially those that had explored possible treatment-related changes in VS, are discussed. More evidence is needed on how existing treatments (both pharmacological and psychobehavioral) for behavioral addictions affect the activation of the VS and related circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Mestre-Bach
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, 26006 Logroño, Spain
| | - Marc N. Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, CT 06109, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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4
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Bell RP, Towe SL, Lalee Z, Huettel SA, Meade CS. Neural sensitivity to risk in adults with co-occurring HIV infection and cocaine use disorder. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 20:859-872. [PMID: 32648056 PMCID: PMC7773226 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00806-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Persons with co-occurring HIV infection and cocaine use disorder tend to engage in riskier decision-making. However, the neural correlates of sensitivity to risk are not well-characterized in this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the neural interaction effects of HIV infection and cocaine use disorder to sensitivity to risk. The sample included 79 adults who differed on HIV status and cocaine use disorder. During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), participants completed a Wheel of Fortune (WoF) task that assessed neural activation in response to variations of monetary risk (i.e., lower probability of winning a larger reward). Across groups, neural activation to increasing risk was in cortical and subcortical regions similar to previous investigations using the WoF in nondrug-using populations. Our analyses showed that there was a synergistic effect between HIV infection and cocaine use in the left precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus, and right postcentral gyrus, lateral occipital cortex, cerebellum, and posterior parietal cortex. HIV+ individuals with cocaine use disorder displayed neural hyperactivation to increasing risk that was not observed in the other groups. These results support a synergistic effect of co-occurring HIV infection and cocaine dependence in neural processing of risk probability that may reflect compensation. Future studies can further investigate and validate how neural activation to increasing risk is associated with risk-taking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan P Bell
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 102848, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Sheri L Towe
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 102848, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Zahra Lalee
- Duke University Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Scott A Huettel
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 102848, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Duke University Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Christina S Meade
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 102848, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
- Duke University Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
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5
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Decomposing the neural pathways in a simple, value-based choice. Neuroimage 2020; 214:116764. [PMID: 32205252 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the neural implementation of value-based choice has been an important focus of neuroscience for several decades. Although a consensus has emerged regarding the brain regions involved, including ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), posterior parietal cortex (PPC), and the ventral striatum (vSTR), the multifaceted nature of decision processes is one cause of persistent debate regarding organization of the value-based choice network. In the current study, we isolate neural activity related to valuation and choice selection using a gambling task where expected gains and losses are dissociated from choice outcomes. We apply multilevel mediation analysis to formally test whether brain regions identified as part of the value-based choice network mediate between perceptions of expected value and choice to accept or decline a gamble. Our approach additionally makes predictions regarding interregional relationships to elucidate the chain of processing events within the value-based decision network. Finally, we use dynamic causal modelling (DCM) to compare plausible models of interregional relationships in value-based choice. We observe that activity in vmPFC does not predict take/pass choices, but rather is highly associated with outcome evaluation. By contrast, both PPC and bilateral vSTR (bilaterally) mediate the relationship between expected value and choice. Interregional mediation analyses reveal that vSTR fully mediates between PPC and choice, and this is supported by DCM. Together these results suggest that vSTR, and not vmPFC nor PPC, functions as an important driver of choice.
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Huo H, Seger CA, Zhou D, Chen Z, Xu T, Zhang R, Feng T, Chen Q. The assessment dimension of regulatory mode mediates the relation between frontoparietal connectivity and risk-taking: Evidence from voxel-base morphometry and functional connectivity analysis. Brain Cogn 2020; 140:105533. [PMID: 32018217 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
We used voxel-based morphometry and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to investigate whether the regulatory mode orientation of assessment (the tendency of each individual to self-regulate by critically evaluating alternatives) interacts with neural systems underlying risk-taking. Across a sample of 112 participants, propensity for risk-taking (measured using the Wheel of Fortune task) was negatively correlated with assessment orientation, such that a greater tendency to critically evaluate alternatives was associated with a lower tendency for risk-taking. VBM revealed a negative correlation between assessment orientation and right inferior parietal lobe (RIPL) gray matter volume. Resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) between this same RIPL region and the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) was positively correlated with assessment orientation in an independent sample of 41 participants. Most importantly, based on the rs-FC results, a mediation analysis indicated that assessment orientation played a completely mediating role in the relation between the functional connectivity of RIPL-LIFG and risk-taking. These results suggest that assessment orientation may affect risk-taking via the RIPL and its connectivity with LIFG. On the whole, the present study yields the insights into how the assessment dimension of regulatory mode affects risk-taking, and provides a novel account of the neural substrate of this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hangfeng Huo
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Carol A Seger
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Department of Psychology and Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Neurosciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Dandan Zhou
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiyi Chen
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ting Xu
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tingyong Feng
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China.
| | - Qi Chen
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China.
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7
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Sacré P, Subramanian S, Kerr MSD, Kahn K, Johnson MA, Bulacio J, González-Martínez JA, Sarma SV, Gale JT. The influences and neural correlates of past and present during gambling in humans. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17111. [PMID: 29214997 PMCID: PMC5719351 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16862-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
During financial decision-making tasks, humans often make "rational" decisions, where they maximize expected reward. However, this rationality may compete with a bias that reflects past outcomes. That is, if one just lost money or won money, this may impact future decisions. It is unclear how past outcomes influence future decisions in humans, and how neural circuits encode present and past information. In this study, six human subjects performed a financial decision-making task while we recorded local field potentials from multiple brain structures. We constructed a model for each subject characterizing bets on each trial as a function of present and past information. The models suggest that some patients are more influenced by previous trial outcomes (i.e., previous return and risk) than others who stick to more fixed decision strategies. In addition, past return and present risk modulated with the activity in the cuneus; while present return and past risk modulated with the activity in the superior temporal gyrus and the angular gyrus, respectively. Our findings suggest that these structures play a role in decision-making beyond their classical functions by incorporating predictions and risks in humans' decision strategy, and provide new insight into how humans link their internal biases to decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Sacré
- Institute for Computational Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21218, USA.
| | - Sandya Subramanian
- Institute for Computational Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21218, USA
| | - Matthew S D Kerr
- Institute for Computational Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21218, USA
| | - Kevin Kahn
- Institute for Computational Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21218, USA
| | - Matthew A Johnson
- Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, USA
| | - Juan Bulacio
- Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, USA
| | | | - Sridevi V Sarma
- Institute for Computational Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21218, USA.
| | - John T Gale
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
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8
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Von Siebenthal Z, Boucher O, Rouleau I, Lassonde M, Lepore F, Nguyen DK. Decision-making impairments following insular and medial temporal lobe resection for drug-resistant epilepsy. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2017; 12:128-137. [PMID: 27798255 PMCID: PMC5390706 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Besides the prefrontal cortex, the insula and medial structures of the temporal lobe are thought to be involved in risky decision-making. However, their respective contributions to decision processes remain unclear due to the lack of studies involving patients with isolated insular damage. We assessed adult patients who underwent resection of the insula (n = 13) or of the anterior temporal lobe (including medial structures) (n = 13) as part of their epilepsy surgery, and a group of healthy volunteers (n = 20), on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and on the Cups Task. Groups were matched on sociodemographic, estimated-IQ and surgery-related factors. On the IGT, patients with temporal lobe resection performed significantly worse than both the insular and healthy control groups, as they failed to learn which decks were advantageous on the long-term. On the Cups Task, the insular and temporal groups both showed impaired sensitivity to expected value in the loss domain, when compared with healthy controls. These findings provide clinical evidence that the insula and mesiotemporal structures are specifically involved in risky decision-making when facing a potential loss, and that temporal structures are also involved in learning the association between behavior and consequences in the long-term.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivier Boucher
- Département de psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Isabelle Rouleau
- Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Hôpital Notre-Dame, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.,Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maryse Lassonde
- Département de psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Franco Lepore
- Département de psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Dang K Nguyen
- Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Hôpital Notre-Dame, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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9
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Bobadilla-Suarez S, Sunstein CR, Sharot T. The intrinsic value of choice: The propensity to under-delegate in the face of potential gains and losses. JOURNAL OF RISK AND UNCERTAINTY 2017; 54:187-202. [PMID: 29070920 PMCID: PMC5652145 DOI: 10.1007/s11166-017-9259-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Human beings are often faced with a pervasive problem: whether to make their own decision or to delegate the decision task to someone else. Here, we test whether people are inclined to forgo monetary rewards in order to retain agency when faced with choices that could lead to losses and gains. In a simple choice task, we show that participants choose to pay in order to control their own payoff more than they should if they were to maximize monetary rewards and minimize monetary losses. This tendency cannot be explained by participants' overconfidence in their own ability, as their perceived ability was elicited and accounted for. Nor can the results be explained by lack of information. Rather, the results seem to reflect an intrinsic value for choice, which emerges in the domain of both gains and of losses. Moreover, our data indicate that participants are aware that they are making suboptimal choices in the normative sense, but do so anyway, presumably for psychological gains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Bobadilla-Suarez
- Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, WC1H 0AP, London, UK
- The Alan Turing Institute, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB UK
| | | | - Tali Sharot
- Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, WC1H 0AP, London, UK
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10
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Pedroni A, Gianotti LRR, Koenig T, Lehmann D, Faber P, Knoch D. Temporal Characteristics of EEG Microstates Mediate Trial-by-Trial Risk Taking. Brain Topogr 2016; 30:149-159. [PMID: 27933418 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-016-0539-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
People seem to have difficulties when perceiving events whose outcome has no influence on the outcome of future events. This illusion that patterns exist where there are none may lead to adverse consequences, such as escalating losses in financial trading or gambling debt. Despite the enormous social consequences of these cognitive biases, however, their neural underpinnings are poorly understood. Attempts to investigate them have so far relied on evoked neural activity, whereas spontaneous brain activity has been treated as noise to be averaged out. Here, we focus on the spontaneous electroencephalographic (EEG) activity during inter-trial-intervals (ITI) in a sequential risky decision-making task. Using multilevel mediation analyses, our results show that the percentage of time covered by two EEG microstates (i.e., functional brain-states of coherent activity) mediate the influence of outcomes of prior decisions on subsequent risk taking on a trial-by-trial basis. The devised multilevel mediation analysis of the temporal characteristics of EEG microstates during ITI provides a new window into the neurobiology of decision making by bringing the spontaneous brain activity to the forefront of the analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Pedroni
- Department of Psychology, Methods of Plasticity Research, University of Zurich, Andreasstrasse 15, 8050, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Lorena R R Gianotti
- Department of Social Psychology and Social Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Fabrikstrasse 8, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, The KEY Institute for Brain-Mind Research, University Hospital of Psychiatry, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Thomas Koenig
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Dietrich Lehmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, The KEY Institute for Brain-Mind Research, University Hospital of Psychiatry, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Faber
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, The KEY Institute for Brain-Mind Research, University Hospital of Psychiatry, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daria Knoch
- Department of Social Psychology and Social Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Fabrikstrasse 8, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
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11
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Studer B, Knecht S. A benefit-cost framework of motivation for a specific activity. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2016; 229:25-47. [PMID: 27926441 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2016.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
How can an individual be motivated to perform a target exercise or activity? This question arises in training, therapeutic, and education settings alike, yet despite-or even because of-the large range of extant motivation theories, finding a clear answer to this question can be challenging. Here we propose an application-friendly framework of motivation for a specific activity or exercise that incorporates core concepts from several well-regarded psychological and economic theories of motivation. The key assumption of this framework is that motivation for performing a given activity is determined by the expected benefits and the expected costs of (performance of) the activity. Benefits comprise positive feelings, gains, and rewards experienced during performance of the activity (intrinsic benefits) or achieved through the activity (extrinsic benefits). Costs entail effort requirements, time demands, and other expenditure (intrinsic costs) as well as unwanted associated outcomes and missing out on alternative activities (extrinsic costs). The expected benefits and costs of a given exercise are subjective and state dependent. We discuss convergence of the proposed framework with a selection of extant motivation theories and briefly outline neurobiological correlates of its main components and assumptions. One particular strength of our framework is that it allows to specify five pathways to increasing motivation for a target exercise, which we illustrate and discuss with reference to previous empirical data.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Studer
- Mauritius Hospital, Meerbusch, Germany; Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - S Knecht
- Mauritius Hospital, Meerbusch, Germany; Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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12
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Studer B, Scheibehenne B, Clark L. Psychophysiological arousal and inter- and intraindividual differences in risk-sensitive decision making. Psychophysiology 2016; 53:940-50. [PMID: 26927730 PMCID: PMC4869679 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The current study assessed peripheral responses during decision making under explicit risk, and tested whether intraindividual variability in choice behavior can be explained by fluctuations in peripheral arousal. Electrodermal activity (EDA) and heart rate (HR) were monitored in healthy volunteers (N = 68) during the Roulette Betting Task. In this task, participants were presented with risky gambles to bet on, with the chances of winning varying across trials. Hierarchical Bayesian analyses demonstrated that EDA and HR acceleration responses during the decision phase were sensitive to the chances of winning. Interindividual differences in this peripheral reactivity during risky decision making were related to trait sensitivity to punishment and trait sensitivity to reward. Moreover, trial-by-trial variation in EDA and HR acceleration responses predicted a small portion of intraindividual variability in betting choices. Our results show that psychophysiological responses are sensitive to explicit risk and can help explain intraindividual heterogeneity in choice behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Studer
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (BCNI), Department of Psychology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, University of DusseldorfDusseldorfGermany
| | | | - Luke Clark
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (BCNI), Department of Psychology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Centre for Gambling Research at UBC, Department of Psychology, University of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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Macoveanu J, Henningsson S, Pinborg A, Jensen P, Knudsen GM, Frokjaer VG, Siebner HR. Sex-Steroid Hormone Manipulation Reduces Brain Response to Reward. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:1057-65. [PMID: 26245498 PMCID: PMC4748430 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mood disorders are twice as frequent in women than in men. Risk mechanisms for major depression include adverse responses to acute changes in sex-steroid hormone levels, eg, postpartum in women. Such adverse responses may involve an altered processing of rewards. Here, we examine how women's vulnerability for mood disorders is linked to sex-steroid dynamics by investigating the effects of a pharmacologically induced fluctuation in ovarian sex steroids on the brain response to monetary rewards. In a double-blinded placebo controlled study, healthy women were randomized to receive either placebo or the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) goserelin, which causes a net decrease in sex-steroid levels. Fifty-eight women performed a gambling task while undergoing functional MRI at baseline, during the mid-follicular phase, and again following the intervention. The gambling task enabled us to map regional brain activity related to the magnitude of risk during choice and to monetary reward. The GnRHa intervention caused a net reduction in ovarian sex steroids (estradiol and testosterone) and increased depression symptoms. Compared with placebo, GnRHa reduced amygdala's reactivity to high monetary rewards. There was a positive association between the individual changes in testosterone and changes in bilateral insula response to monetary rewards. Our data provide evidence for the involvement of sex-steroid hormones in reward processing. A blunted amygdala response to rewarding stimuli following a rapid decline in sex-steroid hormones may reflect a reduced engagement in positive experiences. Abnormal reward processing may constitute a neurobiological mechanism by which sex-steroid fluctuations provoke mood disorders in susceptible women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Macoveanu
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark,Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Kettegaard Alle 30, Hvidovre DK-2650, Denmark, Tel: +0045 3195 3196, E-mail:
| | - Susanne Henningsson
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark,Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anja Pinborg
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Gynecology and Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Peter Jensen
- Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gitte M Knudsen
- Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vibe G Frokjaer
- Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hartwig R Siebner
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark,Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
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14
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Shao R, Sun D, Lee TMC. The interaction of perceived control and Gambler's fallacy in risky decision making: An fMRI study. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:1218-34. [PMID: 26818937 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Limited recent evidence implicates the anterior/posterior cingulate (ACC/PCC) and lateral prefrontal networks as the neural substrates of risky decision-making biases such as illusions of control (IoC) and gambler's fallacy (GF). However, investigation is lacking on the dynamic interactive effect of those biases during decision making. Employing a card-guessing game that independently manipulates trial-by-trial perceived control and gamble outcome among 29 healthy female participants, we observed both IoC- and GF-type behaviors, as well as an interactive effect of previous control and previous outcome, with GF-type behaviors only following computer-selected, but not self-selected, outcomes. Imaging results implicated the ACC and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in agency processing, and the cerebellum and right DLPFC in previous outcome processing, in accordance with past literature. Critically, the right inferior parietal lobule (IPL) exhibited significant betting-related activities to the interaction of previous control and previous outcome, showing more positive signals to previous computer-selected winning versus losing outcomes but the reverse pattern following self-selected outcomes, as well as responding to the interactive effect of control and outcome during feedback. Associations were also found between participants' behavioral sensitivity to the interactive effect of previous control and previous outcome, and right IPL signals, as well as its functional connectivity with neural networks implicated in agency and previous outcome processing. We propose that the right IPL provides the neural substrate for the interaction of perceived control and GF, through coordinating activities in the anterior and posterior cingulate cortices and working conjunctively with lateral PFC and other parietal networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Shao
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,Laboratory of Cognitive Affective Neuroscience, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Delin Sun
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,Laboratory of Cognitive Affective Neuroscience, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Tatia M C Lee
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,Laboratory of Cognitive Affective Neuroscience, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,Institute of Clinical Neuropsychology, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Macoveanu J, Miskowiak K, Kessing LV, Vinberg M, Siebner HR. Healthy co-twins of patients with affective disorders show reduced risk-related activation of the insula during a monetary gambling task. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2016; 41:38-47. [PMID: 26395812 PMCID: PMC4688027 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.140220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthy first-degree relatives of patients with affective disorders are at increased risk for affective disorders and express discrete structural and functional abnormalities in the brain reward system. However, value-based decision making is not well understood in these at-risk individuals. METHODS We investigated healthy monozygotic and dizygotic twins with or without a co-twin history of affective disorders (high-risk and low-risk groups, respectively) using functional MRI during a gambling task. We assessed group differences in activity related to gambling risk over the entire brain. RESULTS We included 30 monozygotic and 37 dizygotic twins in our analysis. Neural activity in the anterior insula and ventral striatum increased linearly with the amount of gambling risk in the entire cohort. Individual neuroticism scores were positively correlated with the neural response in the ventral striatum to increasing gambling risk and negatively correlated with individual risk-taking behaviour. Compared with low-risk twins, the high-risk twins showed a bilateral reduction of risk-related activity in the middle insula extending into the temporal cortex with increasing gambling risk. Post hoc analyses revealed that this effect was strongest in dizygotic twins. LIMITATIONS The relatively old average age of the mono- and dizygotic twin cohort (49.2 yr) may indicate an increased resilience to affective disorders. The size of the monozygotic high-risk group was relatively small (n = 13). CONCLUSION The reduced processing of risk magnitude in the middle insula may indicate a deficient integration of exteroceptive information related to risk-related cues with interoceptive states in individuals at familial risk for affective disorders. Impaired risk processing might contribute to increased vulnerability to affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Macoveanu
- Correspondence to: J. Macoveanu, Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Kettegaard Allé 30, DK-2650 Hvidovre, Denmark;
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16
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Späti J, Chumbley J, Doerig N, Brakowski J, Holtforth MG, Seifritz E, Spinelli S. Valence and agency influence striatal response to feedback in patients with major depressive disorder. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2015; 40:394-400. [PMID: 26107160 PMCID: PMC4622637 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.140225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reduced sensitivity to positive feedback is common in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, findings regarding negative feedback are ambiguous, with both exaggerated and blunted responses being reported. The ventral striatum (VS) plays a major role in processing valenced feedback, and previous imaging studies have shown that the locus of controls (self agency v. external agency) over the outcome influences VS response to feedback. We investigated whether attributing the outcome to one's own action or to an external agent influences feedback processing in patients with MDD. We hypothesized that depressed participants would be less sensitive to the feedback attribution reflected by an altered VS response to self-attributed gains and losses. METHODS Using functional MRI and a motion prediction task, we investigated the neural responses to self-attributed (SA) and externally attributed (EA) monetary gains and losses in unmedicated patients with MDD and healthy controls. RESULTS We included 21 patients and 25 controls in our study. Consistent with our prediction, healthy controls showed a VS response influenced by feedback valence and attribution, whereas in depressed patients striatal activity was modulated by valence but was insensitive to attribution. This attribution insensitivity led to an altered ventral putamen response for SA - EA losses in patients with MDD compared with healthy controls. LIMITATIONS Depressed patients with comorbid anxiety disorder were included. CONCLUSION These results suggest an altered assignment of motivational salience to SA losses in patients with MDD. Altered striatal response to SA negative events may reinforce the belief of not being in control of negative outcomes contributing to a cycle of learned helplessness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Simona Spinelli
- Correspondence to: S. Spinelli, Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, August Forel-Strasse 7, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland;
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Abstract
As a popular form of recreational risk taking, gambling games offer a paradigm for decision neuroscience research. As an individual behavior, gambling becomes dysfunctional in a subset of the population, with debilitating consequences. Gambling disorder has been recently reconceptualized as a "behavioral addiction" in the DSM-5, based on emerging parallels with substance use disorders. Why do some individuals undergo this transition from recreational to disordered gambling? The biomedical model of problem gambling is a "brain disorder" account that posits an underlying neurobiological abnormality. This article first delineates the neural circuitry that underpins gambling-related decision making, comprising ventral striatum, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, dopaminergic midbrain, and insula, and presents evidence for pathophysiology in this circuitry in gambling disorder. These biological dispositions become translated into clinical disorder through the effects of gambling games. This influence is better articulated in a public health approach that describes the interplay between the player and the (gambling) product. Certain forms of gambling, including electronic gambling machines, appear to be overrepresented in problem gamblers. These games harness psychological features, including variable ratio schedules, near-misses, "losses disguised as wins," and the illusion of control, which modulate the core decision-making circuitry that is perturbed in gambling disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Spencer Murch
- Centre for Gambling Research at UBC, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Luke Clark
- Centre for Gambling Research at UBC, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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18
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Fujihara K, Narita K, Suzuki Y, Takei Y, Suda M, Tagawa M, Ujita K, Sakai Y, Narumoto J, Near J, Fukuda M. Relationship of γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamate+glutamine concentrations in the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex with performance of Cambridge Gambling Task. Neuroimage 2015; 109:102-8. [PMID: 25583607 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Revised: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), consisting of the perigenual ACC (pgACC) and mid-ACC (i.e., affective and cognitive areas, respectively), plays a significant role in the performance of gambling tasks, which are used to measure decision-making behavior under conditions of risk. Although recent neuroimaging studies have suggested that the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration in the pgACC is associated with decision-making behavior, knowledge regarding the relationship of GABA concentrations in subdivisions of the ACC with gambling task performance is still limited. The aim of our magnetic resonance spectroscopy study is to investigate in 20 healthy males the relationship of concentrations of GABA and glutamate+glutamine (Glx) in the pgACC, mid-ACC, and occipital cortex (OC) with multiple indexes of decision-making behavior under conditions of risk, using the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT). The GABA/creatine (Cr) ratio in the pgACC negatively correlated with delay aversion score, which corresponds to the impulsivity index. The Glx/Cr ratio in the pgACC negatively correlated with risk adjustment score, which is reported to reflect the ability to change the amount of the bet depending on the probability of winning or losing. The scores of CGT did not significantly correlate with the GABA/Cr or Glx/Cr ratio in the mid-ACC or OC. Results of this study suggest that in the pgACC, but not in the mid-ACC or OC, GABA and Glx concentrations play a distinct role in regulating impulsiveness and risk probability during decision-making behavior under conditions of risk, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuyuki Fujihara
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Kosuke Narita
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
| | - Yusuke Suzuki
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Yuichi Takei
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Masashi Suda
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Minami Tagawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Koichi Ujita
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Yuki Sakai
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jin Narumoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jamie Near
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute and Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Masato Fukuda
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
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Studer B, Manes F, Humphreys G, Robbins TW, Clark L. Risk-sensitive decision-making in patients with posterior parietal and ventromedial prefrontal cortex injury. Cereb Cortex 2015; 25:1-9. [PMID: 23926113 PMCID: PMC4259274 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful choice under risk requires the integration of information about outcome probabilities and values and implicates a brain network including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and posterior parietal cortex (pPAR). Damage to the vmPFC is linked to poor decision-making and increased risk-taking. Electrophysiological and neuroimaging data implicate the pPAR in the processing of reward probability during choice, but the causal contribution of this area has not been established. We compared patients with lesions to the pPAR (n = 13), vmPFC (n = 13), and healthy volunteers (n = 22) on the Roulette Betting Task, a measure of risk-sensitive decision-making. Both lesion groups were impaired in adjusting their bets to the probability of winning. This impairment was correlated with the extent of pPAR, but not vmPFC, damage. In addition, the vmPFC group chose higher bets than healthy controls overall, an effect that correlated with lesion volume in the medial orbitofrontal cortex. Both lesion groups earned fewer points than healthy controls. The groups did not differ on 2 tasks assessing probabilistic reasoning outside of a risk-reward context. Our results demonstrate the causal involvement of both the pPAR and vmPFC in risk-sensitive choice and indicate distinguishable roles of these areas in probability processing and risk appetite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Studer
- Department of Psychology
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (BCNI), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Facundo Manes
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology (INECO), Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina and
| | - Glyn Humphreys
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Department of Psychology
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (BCNI), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,
| | - Luke Clark
- Department of Psychology
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (BCNI), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,
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20
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Chumbley J, Späti J, Dörig N, Brakowski J, Grosse Holtforth M, Seifritz E, Spinelli S. BDNF Val66Met polymorphism influence on striatal blood-level-dependent response to monetary feedback depends on valence and agency. Neuroscience 2014; 280:130-41. [PMID: 25234319 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Revised: 09/01/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Animal work implicates the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in function of the ventral striatum (VS), a region known for its role in processing valenced feedback. Recent evidence in humans shows that BDNF Val66Met polymorphism modulates VS activity in anticipation of monetary feedback. However, it remains unclear whether the polymorphism impacts the processing of self-attributed feedback differently from feedback attributed to an external agent. In this study, we emphasize the importance of the feedback attribution because agency is central to computational accounts of the striatum and cognitive accounts of valence processing. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging and a task, in which financial gains/losses are either attributable to performance (self-attributed, SA) or chance (externally-attributed, EA) to ask whether BDNF Val66Met polymorphism predicts VS activity. We found that BDNF Val66Met polymorphism influenced how feedback valence and agency information were combined in the VS and in the right inferior frontal junction (IFJ). Specifically, Met carriers' VS response to valenced feedback depended on agency information, while Val/Val carriers' VS response did not. This context-specific modulation of valence effectively amplified VS responses to SA losses in Met carriers. The IFJ response to SA losses also differentiated Val/Val from Met carriers. These results may point to a reduced allocation of attention and altered motivational salience to SA losses in Val/Val compared to Met carriers. Implications for major depressive disorder are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Chumbley
- Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - J Späti
- Department of Psychophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - N Dörig
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center, University and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - J Brakowski
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - M Grosse Holtforth
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - E Seifritz
- Neuroscience Center, University and ETH Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - S Spinelli
- Neuroscience Center, University and ETH Zurich, Switzerland; Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
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21
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Studer B, Cen D, Walsh V. The angular gyrus and visuospatial attention in decision-making under risk. Neuroimage 2014; 103:75-80. [PMID: 25219333 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2014] [Revised: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent neuroimaging studies on decision-making under risk indicate that the angular gyrus (AG) is sensitive to the probability and variance of outcomes during choice. A separate body of research has established the AG as a key area in visual attention. The current study used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in healthy volunteers to test whether the causal contribution of the AG to decision-making is independent of or linked to the guidance of visuospatial attention. A within-subject design compared decision making on a laboratory gambling task under three conditions: following rTMS to the AG, following rTMS to the premotor cortex (PMC, as an active control condition) and without TMS. The task presented two different trial types, 'visual' and 'auditory' trials, which entailed a high versus minimal demand for visuospatial attention, respectively. Our results showed a systematic effect of rTMS to the AG upon decision-making behavior in visual trials. Without TMS and following rTMS to the control region, decision latencies reflected the odds of winning; this relationship was disrupted by rTMS to the AG. In contrast, no significant effects of rTMS to the AG (or to the PMC) upon choice behavior in auditory trials were found. Thus, rTMS to the AG affected decision-making only in the task condition requiring visuospatial attention. The current findings suggest that the AG contributes to decision-making by guiding attention to relevant information about reward and punishment in the visual environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Studer
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Danlu Cen
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Vincent Walsh
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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22
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Späti J, Chumbley J, Brakowski J, Dörig N, Grosse Holtforth M, Seifritz E, Spinelli S. Functional lateralization of the anterior insula during feedback processing. Hum Brain Mapp 2014; 35:4428-39. [PMID: 24753396 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2013] [Revised: 12/19/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Effective adaptive behavior rests on an appropriate understanding of how much responsibility we have over outcomes in the environment. This attribution of agency to ourselves or to an external event influences our behavioral and affective response to the outcomes. Despite its special importance to understanding human motivation and affect, the neural mechanisms involved in self-attributed rewards and punishments remain unclear. Previous evidence implicates the anterior insula (AI) in evaluating the consequences of our own actions. However, it is unclear if the AI has a general role in feedback evaluation (positive and negative) or plays a specific role during error processing. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and a motion prediction task, we investigate neural responses to self- and externally attributed monetary gains and losses. We found that attribution effects vary according to the valence of feedback: significant valence × attribution interactions in the right AI, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), the midbrain, and the right ventral putamen. Self-attributed losses were associated with increased activity in the midbrain, the ACC and the right AI, and negative BOLD response in the ventral putamen. However, higher BOLD activity to self-attributed feedback (losses and gains) was observed in the left AI, the thalamus, and the cerebellar vermis. These results suggest a functional lateralization of the AI. The right AI, together with the midbrain and the ACC, is mainly involved in processing the salience of the outcome, whereas the left is part of a cerebello-thalamic-cortical pathway involved in cognitive control processes important for subsequent behavioral adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Späti
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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23
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Preuschoff K, Mohr PNC, Hsu M. Decision making under uncertainty. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:218. [PMID: 24311997 PMCID: PMC3834552 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Preuschoff
- Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland ; Laboratoire de Recherché en Neuroimagerie, Le Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois Lausanne, Switzerland
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24
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Porchet RI, Boekhoudt L, Studer B, Gandamaneni PK, Rani N, Binnamangala S, Müller U, Clark L. Opioidergic and dopaminergic manipulation of gambling tendencies: a preliminary study in male recreational gamblers. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:138. [PMID: 24109443 PMCID: PMC3791382 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Gambling is characterized by cognitive distortions in the processing of chance and skill that are exacerbated in pathological gambling. Opioid and dopamine dysregulation is implicated in pathological gambling, but it is unclear whether these neurotransmitters modulate gambling distortions. The objective of the current study was to assess the effects of the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone and the dopamine D2 receptor antagonist haloperidol on gambling behavior. Male recreational gamblers (n = 62) were assigned to receive single oral doses of naltrexone 50 mg, haloperidol 2 mg or placebo, in a parallel-groups design. At 2.5 h post-dosing, participants completed a slot machine task to elicit monetary wins, "near-misses," and a manipulation of personal choice, and a roulette game to elicit two biases in sequential processing, the gambler's fallacy and the hot hand belief. Psychophysiological responses (electrodermal activity and heart rate) were taken during the slot machine task, and plasma prolactin increase was assessed. The tasks successfully induced the gambling effects of interest. Some of these effects differed across treatment groups, although the direction of effect was not in line with our predictions. Differences were driven by the naltrexone group, which displayed a greater physiological response to wins, and marginally higher confidence ratings on winning streaks. Prolactin levels increased in the naltrexone group, but did not differ between haloperidol and placebo, implying that naltrexone but not haloperidol may have been functionally active at these doses. Our results support opioid modulation of cognition during gambling-like tasks, but did not support the more specific hypothesis that naltrexone may act to ameliorate cognitive distortions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roseline I. Porchet
- Department of Psychology, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
| | - Linde Boekhoudt
- Department of Psychology, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
| | - Bettina Studer
- Department of Psychology, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College LondonLondon, UK
| | - Praveen K. Gandamaneni
- Department of Psychiatry, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustCambridge, UK
| | - Nisha Rani
- Department of Psychiatry, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustCambridge, UK
| | - Somashekar Binnamangala
- Department of Psychiatry, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustCambridge, UK
| | - Ulrich Müller
- Department of Psychology, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
| | - Luke Clark
- Department of Psychology, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
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Clithero JA, Rangel A. Informatic parcellation of the network involved in the computation of subjective value. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2013; 9:1289-302. [PMID: 23887811 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nst106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 449] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how the brain computes value is a basic question in neuroscience. Although individual studies have driven this progress, meta-analyses provide an opportunity to test hypotheses that require large collections of data. We carry out a meta-analysis of a large set of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of value computation to address several key questions. First, what is the full set of brain areas that reliably correlate with stimulus values when they need to be computed? Second, is this set of areas organized into dissociable functional networks? Third, is a distinct network of regions involved in the computation of stimulus values at decision and outcome? Finally, are different brain areas involved in the computation of stimulus values for different reward modalities? Our results demonstrate the centrality of ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), ventral striatum and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in the computation of value across tasks, reward modalities and stages of the decision-making process. We also find evidence of distinct subnetworks of co-activation within VMPFC, one involving central VMPFC and dorsal PCC and another involving more anterior VMPFC, left angular gyrus and ventral PCC. Finally, we identify a posterior-to-anterior gradient of value representations corresponding to concrete-to-abstract rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Clithero
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences and Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Antonio Rangel
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences and Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences and Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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Abstract
Qualitative poor decision-making and associated altered neuronal activation patterns have been described for the users of several drugs, amongst others for stimulants like amphetamine and MDMA. Deficits in decision-making might be caused by an augmented attraction to short-term rewarding properties despite negative long-term consequences, leading to rigid stimulus-response patterns. In the present imaging study, we investigated decision-making and associated neuronal activation in three groups differing in their exposure to amphetamine and MDMA. An established paradigm on risky choices was used to evaluate decision-making performance and corresponding functional magnet resonance imaging (fMRI) activation. Subjects could choose between a low-risk control gamble and an experimental gamble, which always differed in the probability of winning or losing, as well as the magnitudes of monetary gain or loss. Experienced users (EU), users with low exposure to stimulants and drug-naive controls, did not differ from each other in behavioral performance. In accordance with our hypotheses, the anticipation of reward led to an activation of primarily the frontal cortex and the striatum in low-exposure users and drug-naive controls. In contrast, frontal and parietal activation was observed in all groups when the actual outcome of an experimental gamble was presented. EU displayed more activation compared to both control groups when there was a high probability of winning. The study at hand supports the hypothesis that neuronal activation patterns might even differ between drug users and healthy controls when no behavioral deficits are apparent. In EU, the probability of the occurrence of an event has more influence on neuronal activation than on the actual magnitude of reinforcing properties of this event.
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Xue G, He Q, Lu ZL, Levin IP, Dong Q, Bechara A. Agency modulates the lateral and medial prefrontal cortex responses in belief-based decision making. PLoS One 2013; 8:e65274. [PMID: 23762332 PMCID: PMC3675124 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2012] [Accepted: 04/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many real-life decisions in complex and changing environments are guided by the decision maker's beliefs, such as her perceived control over decision outcomes (i.e., agency), leading to phenomena like the "illusion of control". However, the neural mechanisms underlying the "agency" effect on belief-based decisions are not well understood. Using functional imaging and a card guessing game, we revealed that the agency manipulation (i.e., either asking the subjects (SG) or the computer (CG) to guess the location of the winning card) not only affected the size of subjects' bets, but also their "world model" regarding the outcome dependency. Functional imaging results revealed that the decision-related activation in the lateral and medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) was significantly modulated by agency and previous outcome. Specifically, these PFC regions showed stronger activation when subjects made decisions after losses than after wins under the CG condition, but the pattern was reversed under the SG condition. Furthermore, subjects with high external attribution of negative events were more affected by agency at the behavioral and neural levels. These results suggest that the prefrontal decision-making system can be modulated by abstract beliefs, and are thus vulnerable to factors such as false agency and attribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gui Xue
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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