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Beerendonk L, Mejías JF, Nuiten SA, de Gee JW, Fahrenfort JJ, van Gaal S. A disinhibitory circuit mechanism explains a general principle of peak performance during mid-level arousal. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2312898121. [PMID: 38277436 PMCID: PMC10835062 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312898121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Perceptual decision-making is highly dependent on the momentary arousal state of the brain, which fluctuates over time on a scale of hours, minutes, and even seconds. The textbook relationship between momentary arousal and task performance is captured by an inverted U-shape, as put forward in the Yerkes-Dodson law. This law suggests optimal performance at moderate levels of arousal and impaired performance at low or high arousal levels. However, despite its popularity, the evidence for this relationship in humans is mixed at best. Here, we use pupil-indexed arousal and performance data from various perceptual decision-making tasks to provide converging evidence for the inverted U-shaped relationship between spontaneous arousal fluctuations and performance across different decision types (discrimination, detection) and sensory modalities (visual, auditory). To further understand this relationship, we built a neurobiologically plausible mechanistic model and show that it is possible to reproduce our findings by incorporating two types of interneurons that are both modulated by an arousal signal. The model architecture produces two dynamical regimes under the influence of arousal: one regime in which performance increases with arousal and another regime in which performance decreases with arousal, together forming an inverted U-shaped arousal-performance relationship. We conclude that the inverted U-shaped arousal-performance relationship is a general and robust property of sensory processing. It might be brought about by the influence of arousal on two types of interneurons that together act as a disinhibitory pathway for the neural populations that encode the available sensory evidence used for the decision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lola Beerendonk
- Research Priority Area Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1001NK, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1001NK, The Netherlands
| | - Jorge F. Mejías
- Research Priority Area Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1001NK, The Netherlands
- Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1098XH, The Netherlands
| | - Stijn A. Nuiten
- Research Priority Area Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1001NK, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1001NK, The Netherlands
- Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, Basel4002, Switzerland
| | - Jan Willem de Gee
- Research Priority Area Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1001NK, The Netherlands
- Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1098XH, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes J. Fahrenfort
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam1081HV, The Netherlands
- Department of Applied and Experimental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam1081HV, The Netherlands
| | - Simon van Gaal
- Research Priority Area Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1001NK, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1001NK, The Netherlands
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2
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Nuiten SA, de Gee JW, Zantvoord JB, Fahrenfort JJ, van Gaal S. Catecholaminergic neuromodulation and selective attention jointly shape perceptual decision-making. eLife 2023; 12:RP87022. [PMID: 38038722 PMCID: PMC10691802 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Perceptual decisions about sensory input are influenced by fluctuations in ongoing neural activity, most prominently driven by attention and neuromodulator systems. It is currently unknown if neuromodulator activity and attention differentially modulate perceptual decision-making and/or whether neuromodulatory systems in fact control attentional processes. To investigate the effects of two distinct neuromodulatory systems and spatial attention on perceptual decisions, we pharmacologically elevated cholinergic (through donepezil) and catecholaminergic (through atomoxetine) levels in humans performing a visuo-spatial attention task, while we measured electroencephalography (EEG). Both attention and catecholaminergic enhancement improved decision-making at the behavioral and algorithmic level, as reflected in increased perceptual sensitivity and the modulation of the drift rate parameter derived from drift diffusion modeling. Univariate analyses of EEG data time-locked to the attentional cue, the target stimulus, and the motor response further revealed that attention and catecholaminergic enhancement both modulated pre-stimulus cortical excitability, cue- and stimulus-evoked sensory activity, as well as parietal evidence accumulation signals. Interestingly, we observed both similar, unique, and interactive effects of attention and catecholaminergic neuromodulation on these behavioral, algorithmic, and neural markers of the decision-making process. Thereby, this study reveals an intricate relationship between attentional and catecholaminergic systems and advances our understanding about how these systems jointly shape various stages of perceptual decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stijn A Nuiten
- Department of Psychology, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Amsterdam Brain & Cognition, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Jan Willem de Gee
- Amsterdam Brain & Cognition, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Jasper B Zantvoord
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC location University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Johannes J Fahrenfort
- Department of Psychology, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Amsterdam Brain & Cognition, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology - Cognitive Psychology, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Simon van Gaal
- Department of Psychology, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Amsterdam Brain & Cognition, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
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3
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Mazancieux A, Mauconduit F, Amadon A, Willem de Gee J, Donner TH, Meyniel F. Brainstem fMRI signaling of surprise across different types of deviant stimuli. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113405. [PMID: 37950868 PMCID: PMC10698303 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Detection of deviant stimuli is crucial to orient and adapt our behavior. Previous work shows that deviant stimuli elicit phasic activation of the locus coeruleus (LC), which releases noradrenaline and controls central arousal. However, it is unclear whether the detection of behaviorally relevant deviant stimuli selectively triggers LC responses or other neuromodulatory systems (dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine). We combine human functional MRI (fMRI) recordings optimized for brainstem imaging with pupillometry to perform a mapping of deviant-related responses in subcortical structures. Participants have to detect deviant items in a "local-global" paradigm that distinguishes between deviance based on the stimulus probability and the sequence structure. fMRI responses to deviant stimuli are distributed in many cortical areas. Both types of deviance elicit responses in the pupil, LC, and other neuromodulatory systems. Our results reveal that the detection of task-relevant deviant items recruits the same multiple subcortical systems across computationally different types of deviance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Mazancieux
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France.
| | - Franck Mauconduit
- NeuroSpin, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - Alexis Amadon
- NeuroSpin, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jan Willem de Gee
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tobias H Donner
- Section Computational Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Florent Meyniel
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France; Institut de neuromodulation, GHU Paris, psychiatrie et neurosciences, centre hospitalier Sainte-Anne, pôle hospitalo-universitaire 15, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
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4
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Willem de Gee J, Mridha Z, McGinley M. Graded recruitment of pupil-linked neuromodulation by parametric stimulation of the vagus nerve. Brain Stimul 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.01.155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
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5
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Colizoli O, de Gee JW, van der Zwaag W, Donner TH. Functional magnetic resonance imaging responses during perceptual decision-making at 3 and 7 T in human cortex, striatum, and brainstem. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 43:1265-1279. [PMID: 34816533 PMCID: PMC8837598 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
While functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at ultra‐high field (7 T) promises a general increase in sensitivity compared to lower field strengths, the benefits may be most pronounced for specific applications. The current study aimed to evaluate the relative benefit of 7 over 3 T fMRI for the assessment of responses evoked in different brain regions by a well‐controlled cognitive task. At 3 and 7 T, the same participants made challenging perceptual decisions about visual motion combined with monetary rewards for correct choices. Previous work on this task has extensively characterized the underlying cognitive computations and single‐cell responses in cortical and subcortical structures. We quantified the evoked fMRI responses in extrastriate visual cortical areas, the striatum, and the brainstem during the decision interval and the post‐feedback interval of the task. The dependence of response amplitudes on field strength during the decision interval differed between cortical, striatal, and brainstem regions, with a generally bigger 7 versus 3 T benefit in subcortical structures. We also found stronger responses during relatively easier than harder decisions at 7 T for dopaminergic midbrain nuclei, in line with reward expectation. Our results demonstrate the potential of 7 T fMRI for illuminating the contribution of small brainstem nuclei to the orchestration of cognitive computations in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olympia Colizoli
- Section Computational Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Willem de Gee
- Section Computational Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Tobias H Donner
- Section Computational Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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6
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de Gee JW, Correa CMC, Weaver M, Donner TH, van Gaal S. Pupil Dilation and the Slow Wave ERP Reflect Surprise about Choice Outcome Resulting from Intrinsic Variability in Decision Confidence. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:3565-3578. [PMID: 33822917 PMCID: PMC8196307 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Central to human and animal cognition is the ability to learn from feedback in order to optimize future rewards. Such a learning signal might be encoded and broadcasted by the brain's arousal systems, including the noradrenergic locus coeruleus. Pupil responses and the positive slow wave component of event-related potentials reflect rapid changes in the arousal level of the brain. Here, we ask whether and how these variables may reflect surprise: the mismatch between one's expectation about being correct and the outcome of a decision, when expectations fluctuate due to internal factors (e.g., engagement). We show that during an elementary decision task in the face of uncertainty both physiological markers of phasic arousal reflect surprise. We further show that pupil responses and slow wave event-related potential are unrelated to each other and that prediction error computations depend on feedback awareness. These results further advance our understanding of the role of central arousal systems in decision-making under uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Willem de Gee
- Department of Psychology, Amsterdam Brain & Cognition (ABC), University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018WS, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Building N43, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, 1250 Moursund St, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Camile M C Correa
- Department of Psychology, Amsterdam Brain & Cognition (ABC), University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018WS, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Centre of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, 44 Nørrebrogade Building 1A, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Matthew Weaver
- Department of Psychology, Amsterdam Brain & Cognition (ABC), University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018WS, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tobias H Donner
- Department of Psychology, Amsterdam Brain & Cognition (ABC), University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018WS, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Building N43, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Simon van Gaal
- Department of Psychology, Amsterdam Brain & Cognition (ABC), University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018WS, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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7
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Mridha Z, de Gee JW, Shi Y, Alkashgari R, Williams J, Suminski A, Ward MP, Zhang W, McGinley MJ. Graded recruitment of pupil-linked neuromodulation by parametric stimulation of the vagus nerve. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1539. [PMID: 33750784 PMCID: PMC7943774 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21730-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is thought to affect neural activity by recruiting brain-wide release of neuromodulators. VNS is used in treatment-resistant epilepsy, and is increasingly being explored for other disorders, such as depression, and as a cognitive enhancer. However, the promise of VNS is only partially fulfilled due to a lack of mechanistic understanding of the transfer function between stimulation parameters and neuromodulatory response, together with a lack of biosensors for assaying stimulation efficacy in real time. We here develop an approach to VNS in head-fixed mice on a treadmill and show that pupil dilation is a reliable and convenient biosensor for VNS-evoked cortical neuromodulation. In an 'optimal' zone of stimulation parameters, current leakage and off-target effects are minimized and the extent of pupil dilation tracks VNS-evoked basal-forebrain cholinergic axon activity in neocortex. Thus, pupil dilation is a sensitive readout of the moment-by-moment, titratable effects of VNS on brain state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zakir Mridha
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jan Willem de Gee
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yanchen Shi
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | - Matthew P Ward
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Wenhao Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthew James McGinley
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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8
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de Gee JW, Tsetsos K, Schwabe L, Urai AE, McCormick D, McGinley MJ, Donner TH. Pupil-linked phasic arousal predicts a reduction of choice bias across species and decision domains. eLife 2020; 9:e54014. [PMID: 32543372 PMCID: PMC7297536 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Decisions are often made by accumulating ambiguous evidence over time. The brain's arousal systems are activated during such decisions. In previous work in humans, we found that evoked responses of arousal systems during decisions are reported by rapid dilations of the pupil and track a suppression of biases in the accumulation of decision-relevant evidence (de Gee et al., 2017). Here, we show that this arousal-related suppression in decision bias acts on both conservative and liberal biases, and generalizes from humans to mice, and from perceptual to memory-based decisions. In challenging sound-detection tasks, the impact of spontaneous or experimentally induced choice biases was reduced under high phasic arousal. Similar bias suppression occurred when evidence was drawn from memory. All of these behavioral effects were explained by reduced evidence accumulation biases. Our results point to a general principle of interplay between phasic arousal and decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Willem de Gee
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
- Department of Psychology, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Konstantinos Tsetsos
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Universität HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Anne E Urai
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
- Department of Psychology, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryCold Spring HarborUnited States
| | - David McCormick
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of OregonEugeneUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| | - Matthew J McGinley
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| | - Tobias H Donner
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
- Department of Psychology, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
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9
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Abstract
Perceptual choices depend not only on the current sensory input but also on the behavioral context, such as the history of one's own choices. Yet, it remains unknown how such history signals shape the dynamics of later decision formation. In models of decision formation, it is commonly assumed that choice history shifts the starting point of accumulation toward the bound reflecting the previous choice. We here present results that challenge this idea. We fit bounded-accumulation decision models to human perceptual choice data, and estimated bias parameters that depended on observers' previous choices. Across multiple task protocols and sensory modalities, individual history biases in overt behavior were consistently explained by a history-dependent change in the evidence accumulation, rather than in its starting point. Choice history signals thus seem to bias the interpretation of current sensory input, akin to shifting endogenous attention toward (or away from) the previously selected interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne E Urai
- Department of Neurophysiology and PathophysiologyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Jan Willem de Gee
- Department of Neurophysiology and PathophysiologyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Konstantinos Tsetsos
- Department of Neurophysiology and PathophysiologyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Tobias H Donner
- Department of Neurophysiology and PathophysiologyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Amsterdam Brain and CognitionUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
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10
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Kloosterman NA, de Gee JW, Werkle-Bergner M, Lindenberger U, Garrett DD, Fahrenfort JJ. Humans strategically shift decision bias by flexibly adjusting sensory evidence accumulation. eLife 2019; 8:e37321. [PMID: 30724733 PMCID: PMC6365056 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Decision bias is traditionally conceptualized as an internal reference against which sensory evidence is compared. Instead, we show that individuals implement decision bias by shifting the rate of sensory evidence accumulation toward a decision bound. Participants performed a target detection task while we recorded EEG. We experimentally manipulated participants' decision criterion for reporting targets using different stimulus-response reward contingencies, inducing either a liberal or a conservative bias. Drift diffusion modeling revealed that a liberal strategy biased sensory evidence accumulation toward target-present choices. Moreover, a liberal bias resulted in stronger midfrontal pre-stimulus 2-6 Hz (theta) power and suppression of pre-stimulus 8-12 Hz (alpha) power in posterior cortex. Alpha suppression in turn was linked to the output activity in visual cortex, as expressed through 59-100 Hz (gamma) power. These findings show that observers can intentionally control cortical excitability to strategically bias evidence accumulation toward the decision bound that maximizes reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels A Kloosterman
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchMax Planck Institute for Human DevelopmentBerlinGermany
- Center for Lifespan PsychologyMax Planck Institute for Human DevelopmentBerlinGermany
| | - Jan Willem de Gee
- Department of Neurophysiology and PathophysiologyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Markus Werkle-Bergner
- Center for Lifespan PsychologyMax Planck Institute for Human DevelopmentBerlinGermany
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchMax Planck Institute for Human DevelopmentBerlinGermany
- Center for Lifespan PsychologyMax Planck Institute for Human DevelopmentBerlinGermany
| | - Douglas D Garrett
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchMax Planck Institute for Human DevelopmentBerlinGermany
- Center for Lifespan PsychologyMax Planck Institute for Human DevelopmentBerlinGermany
| | - Johannes Jacobus Fahrenfort
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of Experimental and Applied PsychologyVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
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11
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Colizoli O, de Gee JW, Urai AE, Donner TH. Author Correction: Task-evoked pupil responses reflect internal belief states. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15904. [PMID: 30349070 PMCID: PMC6198003 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33559-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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12
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Abstract
Perceptual decisions about the state of the environment are often made in the face of uncertain evidence. Internal uncertainty signals are considered important regulators of learning and decision-making. A growing body of work has implicated the brain's arousal systems in uncertainty signaling. Here, we found that two specific computational variables, postulated by recent theoretical work, evoke boosts of arousal at different times during a perceptual decision: decision confidence (the observer's internally estimated probability that a choice was correct given the evidence) before feedback, and prediction errors (deviations from expected reward) after feedback. We monitored pupil diameter, a peripheral marker of central arousal state, while subjects performed a challenging perceptual choice task with a delayed monetary reward. We quantified evoked pupil responses during decision formation and after reward-linked feedback. During both intervals, decision difficulty and accuracy had interacting effects on pupil responses. Pupil responses negatively scaled with decision confidence prior to feedback and scaled with uncertainty-dependent prediction errors after feedback. This pattern of pupil responses during both intervals was in line with a model using the observer's graded belief about choice accuracy to anticipate rewards and compute prediction errors. We conclude that pupil-linked arousal systems are modulated by internal belief states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olympia Colizoli
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Willem de Gee
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anne E Urai
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tobias H Donner
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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13
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de Gee JW, Colizoli O, Kloosterman NA, Knapen T, Nieuwenhuis S, Donner TH. Dynamic modulation of decision biases by brainstem arousal systems. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28383284 PMCID: PMC5409827 DOI: 10.7554/elife.23232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Decision-makers often arrive at different choices when faced with repeated presentations of the same evidence. Variability of behavior is commonly attributed to noise in the brain's decision-making machinery. We hypothesized that phasic responses of brainstem arousal systems are a significant source of this variability. We tracked pupil responses (a proxy of phasic arousal) during sensory-motor decisions in humans, across different sensory modalities and task protocols. Large pupil responses generally predicted a reduction in decision bias. Using fMRI, we showed that the pupil-linked bias reduction was (i) accompanied by a modulation of choice-encoding pattern signals in parietal and prefrontal cortex and (ii) predicted by phasic, pupil-linked responses of a number of neuromodulatory brainstem centers involved in the control of cortical arousal state, including the noradrenergic locus coeruleus. We conclude that phasic arousal suppresses decision bias on a trial-by-trial basis, thus accounting for a significant component of the variability of choice behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Willem de Gee
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Olympia Colizoli
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Niels A Kloosterman
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tomas Knapen
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Tobias H Donner
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Knapen T, de Gee JW, Brascamp J, Nuiten S, Hoppenbrouwers S, Theeuwes J. Cognitive and Ocular Factors Jointly Determine Pupil Responses under Equiluminance. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155574. [PMID: 27191166 PMCID: PMC4871560 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in pupil diameter can reflect high-level cognitive signals that depend on central neuromodulatory mechanisms. However, brain mechanisms that adjust pupil size are also exquisitely sensitive to changes in luminance and other events that would be considered a nuisance in cognitive experiments recording pupil size. We implemented a simple auditory experiment involving no changes in visual stimulation. Using finite impulse-response fitting we found pupil responses triggered by different types of events. Among these are pupil responses to auditory events and associated surprise: cognitive effects. However, these cognitive responses were overshadowed by pupil responses associated with blinks and eye movements, both inevitable nuisance factors that lead to changes in effective luminance. Of note, these latter pupil responses were not recording artifacts caused by blinks and eye movements, but endogenous pupil responses that occurred in the wake of these events. Furthermore, we identified slow (tonic) changes in pupil size that differentially influenced faster (phasic) pupil responses. Fitting all pupil responses using gamma functions, we provide accurate characterisations of cognitive and non-cognitive response shapes, and quantify each response's dependence on tonic pupil size. These results allow us to create a set of recommendations for pupil size analysis in cognitive neuroscience, which we have implemented in freely available software.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Knapen
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Jan Willem de Gee
- Dept. of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Dept. of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jan Brascamp
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Stijn Nuiten
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sylco Hoppenbrouwers
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jan Theeuwes
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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