1
|
Aster HC, Waltmann M, Busch A, Romanos M, Gamer M, Maria van Noort B, Beck A, Kappel V, Deserno L. Impaired flexible reward learning in ADHD patients is associated with blunted reinforcement sensitivity and neural signals in ventral striatum and parietal cortex. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 42:103588. [PMID: 38471434 PMCID: PMC10943992 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Reward-based learning and decision-making are prime candidates to understand symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, only limited evidence is available regarding the neurocomputational underpinnings of the alterations seen in ADHD. This concerns flexible behavioral adaption in dynamically changing environments, which is challenging for individuals with ADHD. One previous study points to elevated choice switching in adolescent ADHD, which was accompanied by disrupted learning signals in medial prefrontal cortex. Here, we investigated young adults with ADHD (n = 17) as compared to age- and sex-matched controls (n = 17) using a probabilistic reversal learning experiment during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The task requires continuous learning to guide flexible behavioral adaptation to changing reward contingencies. To disentangle the neurocomputational underpinnings of the behavioral data, we used reinforcement learning (RL) models, which informed the analysis of fMRI data. ADHD patients performed worse than controls particularly in trials before reversals, i.e., when reward contingencies were stable. This pattern resulted from 'noisy' choice switching regardless of previous feedback. RL modelling showed decreased reinforcement sensitivity and enhanced learning rates for negative feedback in ADHD patients. At the neural level, this was reflected in a diminished representation of choice probability in the left posterior parietal cortex in ADHD. Moreover, modelling showed a marginal reduction of learning about the unchosen option, which was paralleled by a marginal reduction in learning signals incorporating the unchosen option in the left ventral striatum. Taken together, we show that impaired flexible behavior in ADHD is due to excessive choice switching ('hyper-flexibility'), which can be detrimental or beneficial depending on the learning environment. Computationally, this resulted from blunted sensitivity to reinforcement of which we detected neural correlates in the attention-control network, specifically in the parietal cortex. These neurocomputational findings remain preliminary due to the relatively small sample size.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Christoph Aster
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Maria Waltmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anika Busch
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marcel Romanos
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Gamer
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Betteke Maria van Noort
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité University Medicine, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Berlin, Germany; MSB Medical School Berlin, Department of Psychology, Germany
| | - Anne Beck
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Health and Medical University, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Viola Kappel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité University Medicine, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lorenz Deserno
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kalhan S, Garrido MI, Hester R, Redish AD. Reward prediction-errors weighted by cue salience produces addictive behaviours in simulations, with asymmetrical learning and steeper delay discounting. Neural Netw 2023; 168:631-650. [PMID: 37844522 DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2023.09.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunction in learning and motivational systems are thought to contribute to addictive behaviours. Previous models have suggested that dopaminergic roles in learning and motivation could produce addictive behaviours through pharmacological manipulations that provide excess dopaminergic signalling towards these learning and motivational systems. Redish (2004) suggested a role based on dopaminergic signals of value prediction error, while (Zhang et al., 2009) suggested a role based on dopaminergic signals of motivation. However, both models present significant limitations. They do not explain the reduced sensitivity to drug-related costs/negative consequences, the increased impulsivity generally found in people with a substance use disorder, craving behaviours, and non-pharmacological dependence, all of which are key hallmarks of addictive behaviours. Here, we propose a novel mathematical definition of salience, that combines aspects of dopamine's role in both learning and motivation within the reinforcement learning framework. Using a single parameter regime, we simulated addictive behaviours that the (Zhang et al., 2009; Redish, 2004) models also produce but we went further in simulating the downweighting of drug-related negative prediction-errors, steeper delay discounting of drug rewards, craving behaviours and aspects of behavioural/non-pharmacological addictions. The current salience model builds on our recently proposed conceptual theory that salience modulates internal representation updating and may contribute to addictive behaviours by producing misaligned internal representations (Kalhan et al., 2021). Critically, our current mathematical model of salience argues that the seemingly disparate learning and motivational aspects of dopaminergic functioning may interact through a salience mechanism that modulates internal representation updating.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shivam Kalhan
- University of Melbourne, School of Psychological Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Marta I Garrido
- University of Melbourne, School of Psychological Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Graeme Clark Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Robert Hester
- University of Melbourne, School of Psychological Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - A David Redish
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Manuali L. The Coherent Dual Theory of Addictive Desire. PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2022.2151425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Manuali
- McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Cognitive flexibility assessment with a new Reversal learning task paradigm compared with the Wisconsin card sorting test exploring the moderating effect of gender and stress. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022; 87:1439-1453. [DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01763-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
|
5
|
Lei W, Liu K, Chen G, Tolomeo S, Liu C, Peng Z, Liu B, Liang X, Huang C, Xiang B, Zhou J, Zhao F, Yu R, Chen J. Blunted reward prediction error signals in internet gaming disorder. Psychol Med 2022; 52:2124-2133. [PMID: 33143778 DOI: 10.1017/s003329172000402x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a type of behavioural addictions. One of the key features of addiction is the excessive exposure to addictive objectives (e.g. drugs) reduces the sensitivity of the brain reward system to daily rewards (e.g. money). This is thought to be mediated via the signals expressed as dopaminergic reward prediction error (RPE). Emerging evidence highlights blunted RPE signals in drug addictions. However, no study has examined whether IGD also involves alterations in RPE signals that are observed in other types of addictions. METHODS To fill this gap, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 45 IGD and 42 healthy controls (HCs) during a reward-related prediction-error task and utilised a psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis to characterise the underlying neural correlates of RPE and related functional connectivity. RESULTS Relative to HCs, IGD individuals showed impaired reinforcement learning, blunted RPE signals in multiple regions of the brain reward system, including the right caudate, left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Moreover, the PPI analysis revealed a pattern of hyperconnectivity between the right caudate, right putamen, bilateral DLPFC, and right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in the IGD group. Finally, linear regression suggested that the connection between the right DLPFC and right dACC could significantly predict the variation of RPE signals in the left OFC. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight disrupted RPE signalling and hyperconnectivity between regions of the brain reward system in IGD. Reinforcement learning deficits may be crucial underlying characteristics of IGD pathophysiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Lei
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Laboratory of Neurological Diseases and Brain Function, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, China
| | - Kezhi Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Laboratory of Neurological Diseases and Brain Function, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Guangxiang Chen
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, China
- Radiology Department, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Serenella Tolomeo
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Cuizhen Liu
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhenlei Peng
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Boya Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xuemei Liang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Chaohua Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Bo Xiang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jia Zhou
- School of Humanities and Management Science, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Fulin Zhao
- Department of Medical Imaging, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Rongjun Yu
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Laboratory of Neurological Diseases and Brain Function, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bağci B, Düsmez S, Zorlu N, Bahtiyar G, Isikli S, Bayrakci A, Heinz A, Schad DJ, Sebold M. Computational analysis of probabilistic reversal learning deficits in male subjects with alcohol use disorder. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:960238. [PMID: 36339830 PMCID: PMC9626515 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.960238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorder is characterized by perseverative alcohol use despite negative consequences. This hallmark feature of addiction potentially relates to impairments in behavioral flexibility, which can be measured by probabilistic reversal learning (PRL) paradigms. We here aimed to examine the cognitive mechanisms underlying impaired PRL task performance in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUDP) using computational models of reinforcement learning. METHODS Twenty-eight early abstinent AUDP and 27 healthy controls (HC) performed an extensive PRL paradigm. We compared conventional behavioral variables of choices (perseveration; correct responses) between groups. Moreover, we fitted Bayesian computational models to the task data to compare differences in latent cognitive variables including reward and punishment learning and choice consistency between groups. RESULTS AUDP and HC did not significantly differ with regard to direct perseveration rates after reversals. However, AUDP made overall less correct responses and specifically showed decreased win-stay behavior compared to HC. Interestingly, AUDP showed premature switching after no or little negative feedback but elevated proneness to stay when accumulation of negative feedback would make switching a more optimal option. Computational modeling revealed that AUDP compared to HC showed enhanced learning from punishment, a tendency to learn less from positive feedback and lower choice consistency. CONCLUSION Our data do not support the assumption that AUDP are characterized by increased perseveration behavior. Instead our findings provide evidence that enhanced negative reinforcement and decreased non-drug-related reward learning as well as diminished choice consistency underlie dysfunctional choice behavior in AUDP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Başak Bağci
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Selin Düsmez
- Department of Psychiatry, Midyat State Hospital, Mardin, Turkey
| | - Nabi Zorlu
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Gökhan Bahtiyar
- Department of Psychiatry, Bingöl State Hospital, Bingöl, Turkey
| | - Serhan Isikli
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Adem Bayrakci
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité Campus Mitte (CCM), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel J Schad
- Department of Psychology, Health and Medical University, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Miriam Sebold
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité Campus Mitte (CCM), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Computational Mechanisms of Addiction: Recent Evidence and Its Relevance to Addiction Medicine. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40429-021-00399-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
|
8
|
Decreased information processing speed and decision-making performance in alcohol use disorder: combined neurostructural evidence from VBM and TBSS. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 15:205-215. [PMID: 32124275 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00248-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing condition characterized by excessive alcohol consumption despite its multifaceted adverse consequences, associated with impaired performance in several cognitive domains including decision-making. While choice deficits represent a core component of addictive behavior, possibly consecutive to brain changes preceding the onset of the addiction cycle, the evidence on grey-matter and white-matter damage underlying abnormal choices in AUD is still limited. To fill this gap, we assessed the neurostructural bases of decision-making performance in 22 early-abstinent alcoholic patients and 18 controls, by coupling the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT) with quantitative magnetic resonance imaging metrics of grey-matter density and white-matter integrity. Regardless of group, voxel based morphometry highlighted an inverse relationship between deliberation time and grey-matter density, with alcoholics displaying slower choices related to grey-matter atrophy in key nodes of the motor control network. In particular, grey-matter density in the supplementary motor area, reduced in alcoholic patients, explained a significant amount of variability in their increased deliberation time. Tract-based spatial statistics revealed a significant relationship between CGT deliberation time and all white-matter indices, involving the most relevant commissural, projection and associative tracts. The lack of choice impairments other than increased deliberation time highlights reduced processing speed, mediated both by grey-matter and white-matter alterations, as a possible marker of a generalized executive impairment extending to the output stages of decision-making. These results pave the way to further studies aiming to tailor novel rehabilitation strategies and assess their functional outcomes.
Collapse
|
9
|
Alcohol. Alcohol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-816793-9.00001-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
|
10
|
Gueguen MCM, Schweitzer EM, Konova AB. Computational theory-driven studies of reinforcement learning and decision-making in addiction: What have we learned? Curr Opin Behav Sci 2020; 38:40-48. [PMID: 34423103 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2020.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Computational psychiatry provides a powerful new approach for linking the behavioral manifestations of addiction to their precise cognitive and neurobiological substrates. However, this emerging area of research is still limited in important ways. While research has identified features of reinforcement learning and decision-making in substance users that differ from health, less emphasis has been placed on capturing addiction cycles/states dynamically, within-person. In addition, the focus on few behavioral variables at a time has precluded more detailed consideration of related processes and heterogeneous clinical profiles. We propose that a longitudinal and multidimensional examination of value-based processes, a type of dynamic "computational fingerprint", will provide a more complete understanding of addiction as well as aid in developing better tailored and timed interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maëlle C M Gueguen
- Department of Psychiatry, University Behavioral Health Care, & the Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Piscataway, USA
| | - Emma M Schweitzer
- Department of Psychiatry, University Behavioral Health Care, & the Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Piscataway, USA.,Graduate Program in Cell Biology & Neuroscience, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Piscataway, USA
| | - Anna B Konova
- Department of Psychiatry, University Behavioral Health Care, & the Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Piscataway, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Klugah-Brown B, Di X, Zweerings J, Mathiak K, Becker B, Biswal B. Common and separable neural alterations in substance use disorders: A coordinate-based meta-analyses of functional neuroimaging studies in humans. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:4459-4477. [PMID: 32964613 PMCID: PMC7555084 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Delineating common and separable neural alterations in substance use disorders (SUD) is imperative to understand the neurobiological basis of the addictive process and to inform substance‐specific treatment strategies. Given numerous functional MRI (fMRI) studies in different SUDs, a meta‐analysis could provide an opportunity to determine robust shared and substance‐specific alterations. The present study employed a coordinate‐based meta‐analysis covering fMRI studies in individuals with addictive cocaine, cannabis, alcohol, and nicotine use. The primary meta‐analysis demonstrated common alterations in primary dorsal striatal, and frontal circuits engaged in reward/salience processing, habit formation, and executive control across different substances and task‐paradigms. Subsequent sub‐analyses revealed substance‐specific alterations in frontal and limbic regions, with marked frontal and insula‐thalamic alterations in alcohol and nicotine use disorders respectively. Examining task‐specific alterations across substances revealed pronounced frontal alterations during cognitive processes yet stronger striatal alterations during reward‐related processes. Finally, an exploratory meta‐analysis revealed that neurofunctional alterations in striatal and frontal reward processing regions can already be determined with a high probability in studies with subjects with comparably short durations of use. Together the findings emphasize the role of dysregulations in frontostriatal circuits and dissociable contributions of these systems in the domains of reward‐related and cognitive processes which may contribute to substance‐specific behavioral alterations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Klugah-Brown
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xin Di
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jana Zweerings
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Klaus Mathiak
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Bharat Biswal
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Voon V, Grodin E, Mandali A, Morris L, Doñamayor N, Weidacker K, Kwako L, Goldman D, Koob GF, Momenan R. Addictions NeuroImaging Assessment (ANIA): Towards an integrative framework for alcohol use disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:492-506. [PMID: 32298710 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol misuse and addiction are major international public health issues. Addiction can be characterized as a disorder of aberrant neurocircuitry interacting with environmental, genetic and social factors. Neuroimaging in alcohol misuse can thus provide a critical window into underlying neural mechanisms, highlighting possible treatment targets and acting as clinical biomarkers for predicting risk and treatment outcomes. This neuroimaging review on alcohol misuse in humans follows the Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) that proposes incorporating three functional neuroscience domains integral to the neurocircuitry of addiction: incentive salience and habits, negative emotional states, and executive function within the context of the addiction cycle. Here we review and integrate multiple imaging modalities focusing on underlying cognitive processes such as reward anticipation, negative emotionality, cue reactivity, impulsivity, compulsivity and executive function. We highlight limitations in the literature and propose a model forward in the use of neuroimaging as a tool to understanding underlying mechanisms and potential clinical applicability for phenotyping of heterogeneity and predicting risk and treatment outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Voon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, Cambridge, UK; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Trust, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Erica Grodin
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, UK
| | - Alekhya Mandali
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laurel Morris
- Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, Cambridge, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nuria Doñamayor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Laura Kwako
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, UK
| | - David Goldman
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, UK
| | - George F Koob
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, UK
| | - Reza Momenan
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, UK
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Pavlovian-To-Instrumental Transfer and Alcohol Consumption in Young Male Social Drinkers: Behavioral, Neural and Polygenic Correlates. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8081188. [PMID: 31398853 PMCID: PMC6723486 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8081188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Revised: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In animals and humans, behavior can be influenced by irrelevant stimuli, a phenomenon called Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT). In subjects with substance use disorder, PIT is even enhanced with functional activation in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and amygdala. While we observed enhanced behavioral and neural PIT effects in alcohol-dependent subjects, we here aimed to determine whether behavioral PIT is enhanced in young men with high-risk compared to low-risk drinking and subsequently related functional activation in an a-priori region of interest encompassing the NAcc and amygdala and related to polygenic risk for alcohol consumption. A representative sample of 18-year old men (n = 1937) was contacted: 445 were screened, 209 assessed: resulting in 191 valid behavioral, 139 imaging and 157 genetic datasets. None of the subjects fulfilled criteria for alcohol dependence according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-TextRevision (DSM-IV-TR). We measured how instrumental responding for rewards was influenced by background Pavlovian conditioned stimuli predicting action-independent rewards and losses. Behavioral PIT was enhanced in high-compared to low-risk drinkers (b = 0.09, SE = 0.03, z = 2.7, p < 0.009). Across all subjects, we observed PIT-related neural blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal in the right amygdala (t = 3.25, pSVC = 0.04, x = 26, y = -6, z = -12), but not in NAcc. The strength of the behavioral PIT effect was positively correlated with polygenic risk for alcohol consumption (rs = 0.17, p = 0.032). We conclude that behavioral PIT and polygenic risk for alcohol consumption might be a biomarker for a subclinical phenotype of risky alcohol consumption, even if no drug-related stimulus is present. The association between behavioral PIT effects and the amygdala might point to habitual processes related to out PIT task. In non-dependent young social drinkers, the amygdala rather than the NAcc is activated during PIT; possible different involvement in association with disease trajectory should be investigated in future studies.
Collapse
|
14
|
Colombo M, Heinz A. Explanatory integration, computational phenotypes, and dimensional psychiatry: The case of alcohol use disorder. THEORY & PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/0959354319867392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We compare three theoretical frameworks for pursuing explanatory integration in psychiatry: a new dimensional framework grounded in the notion of computational phenotype, a mechanistic framework, and a network of symptoms framework. Considering the phenomenon of alcoholism, we argue that the dimensional framework is the best for effectively integrating computational and mechanistic explanations with phenomenological analyses.
Collapse
|
15
|
Waller R, Murray L, Shaw DS, Forbes EE, Hyde LW. Accelerated alcohol use across adolescence predicts early adult symptoms of alcohol use disorder via reward-related neural function. Psychol Med 2019; 49:675-684. [PMID: 29871712 PMCID: PMC7066874 DOI: 10.1017/s003329171800137x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use is commonly initiated during adolescence, with earlier onset known to increase the risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Altered function in neural reward circuitry is thought to increase the risk for AUD. To test the hypothesis that adolescent alcohol misuse primes the brain for alcohol-related psychopathology in early adulthood, we examined whether adolescent alcohol consumption rates predicted reward responsivity in the ventral striatum (VS), and in turn, AUD symptoms in adulthood. METHODS A total of 139 low income, racially diverse urban males reported on their alcohol use at ages 11, 12, 15, and 17; completed self-reports of personality, psychiatric interviews, and a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan at age 20; and completed a psychiatric interview at age 22. We measured adolescent alcohol use trajectories using latent growth curve modeling and measured neural responses to monetary reward using a VS region of interest. We tested indirect effects of adolescent alcohol use on AUD symptoms at age 22 via VS reward-related reactivity at age 20. RESULTS Greater acceleration in adolescent alcohol use predicted increased VS response during reward anticipation at age 20. VS reactivity to reward anticipation at age 20 predicted AUD symptoms at age 22, over and above concurrent symptoms. Accelerated adolescent alcohol use predicted AUD symptoms in early adulthood via greater VS reactivity to reward anticipation. CONCLUSIONS Prospective findings support a pathway through which adolescent alcohol use increases the risk for AUD in early adulthood by impacting reward-related neural functioning. These results highlight increased VS reward-related reactivity as a biomarker for AUD vulnerability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Waller
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Laura Murray
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Daniel S. Shaw
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Erika E. Forbes
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Luke W. Hyde
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, USA
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
- Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
van Holst RJ, Sescousse G, Janssen LK, Janssen M, Berry AS, Jagust WJ, Cools R. Increased Striatal Dopamine Synthesis Capacity in Gambling Addiction. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:1036-1043. [PMID: 28728675 PMCID: PMC6698370 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hypothesis that dopamine plays an important role in the pathophysiology of pathological gambling is pervasive. However, there is little to no direct evidence for a categorical difference between pathological gamblers and healthy control subjects in terms of dopamine transmission in a drug-free state. Here we provide evidence for this hypothesis by comparing dopamine synthesis capacity in the dorsal and ventral parts of the striatum in 13 pathological gamblers and 15 healthy control subjects. METHODS This was achieved using [18F]fluoro-levo-dihydroxyphenylalanine dynamic positron emission tomography scans and striatal regions of interest that were hand-drawn based on visual inspection of individual structural magnetic resonance imaging scans. RESULTS Our results show that dopamine synthesis capacity was increased in pathological gamblers compared with healthy control subjects. Dopamine synthesis was 16% higher in the caudate body, 17% higher in the dorsal putamen, and 17% higher in the ventral striatum in pathological gamblers compared with control subjects. Moreover, dopamine synthesis capacity in the dorsal putamen and caudate head was positively correlated with gambling distortions in pathological gamblers. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results provide empirical evidence for increased striatal dopamine synthesis in pathological gambling.
Collapse
|
17
|
Graziane NM, Neumann PA, Dong Y. A Focus on Reward Prediction and the Lateral Habenula: Functional Alterations and the Behavioral Outcomes Induced by Drugs of Abuse. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2018; 10:12. [PMID: 29896097 PMCID: PMC5987018 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2018.00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The lateral habenula (LHb) regulates reward learning and controls the updating of reward-related information. Drugs of abuse have the capacity to hijack the cellular and neurocircuit mechanisms mediating reward learning, forming non-adaptable, compulsive behaviors geared toward obtaining illicit substances. Here, we discuss current findings demonstrating how drugs of abuse alter intrinsic and synaptic LHb neuronal function. Additionally, we discuss evidence for how drug-induced LHb alterations may affect the ability to predict reward, potentially facilitating an addiction-like state. Altogether, we combine ex vivo and in vivo results for an overview of how drugs of abuse alter LHb function and how these functional alterations affect the ability to learn and update behavioral responses to hedonic external stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M Graziane
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Peter A Neumann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Yan Dong
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Galandra C, Basso G, Cappa S, Canessa N. The alcoholic brain: neural bases of impaired reward-based decision-making in alcohol use disorders. Neurol Sci 2017; 39:423-435. [PMID: 29188399 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-017-3205-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Neuroeconomics is providing insights into the neural bases of decision-making in normal and pathological conditions. In the neuropsychiatric domain, this discipline investigates how abnormal functioning of neural systems associated with reward processing and cognitive control promotes different disorders, and whether such evidence may inform treatments. This endeavor is crucial when studying different types of addiction, which share a core promoting mechanism in the imbalance between impulsive subcortical neural signals associated with immediate pleasurable outcomes and inhibitory signals mediated by a prefrontal reflective system. The resulting impairment in behavioral control represents a hallmark of alcohol use disorders (AUDs), a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by excessive alcohol consumption despite devastating consequences. This review aims to summarize available magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence on reward-related decision-making alterations in AUDs, and to envision possible future research directions. We review functional MRI (fMRI) studies using tasks involving monetary rewards, as well as MRI studies relating decision-making parameters to neurostructural gray- or white-matter metrics. The available data suggest that excessive alcohol exposure affects neural signaling within brain networks underlying adaptive behavioral learning via the implementation of prediction errors. Namely, weaker ventromedial prefrontal cortex activity and altered connectivity between ventral striatum and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex likely underpin a shift from goal-directed to habitual actions which, in turn, might underpin compulsive alcohol consumption and relapsing episodes despite adverse consequences. Overall, these data highlight abnormal fronto-striatal connectivity as a candidate neurobiological marker of impaired choice in AUDs. Further studies are needed, however, to unveil its implications in the multiple facets of decision-making.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Galandra
- Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, 27100, Pavia, Italy.,IRCCS Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Gianpaolo Basso
- IRCCS Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, 27100, Pavia, Italy.,School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Cappa
- Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, 27100, Pavia, Italy.,IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio - Fatebenefratelli, 25125, Brescia, Italy
| | - Nicola Canessa
- Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, 27100, Pavia, Italy. .,Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, IRCCS Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Behavioral and Neural Signatures of Reduced Updating of Alternative Options in Alcohol-Dependent Patients during Flexible Decision-Making. J Neurosci 2017; 36:10935-10948. [PMID: 27798176 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4322-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Addicted individuals continue substance use despite the knowledge of harmful consequences and often report having no choice but to consume. Computational psychiatry accounts have linked this clinical observation to difficulties in making flexible and goal-directed decisions in dynamic environments via consideration of potential alternative choices. To probe this in alcohol-dependent patients (n = 43) versus healthy volunteers (n = 35), human participants performed an anticorrelated decision-making task during functional neuroimaging. Via computational modeling, we investigated behavioral and neural signatures of inference regarding the alternative option. While healthy control subjects exploited the anticorrelated structure of the task to guide decision-making, alcohol-dependent patients were relatively better explained by a model-free strategy due to reduced inference on the alternative option after punishment. Whereas model-free prediction error signals were preserved, alcohol-dependent patients exhibited blunted medial prefrontal signatures of inference on the alternative option. This reduction was associated with patients' behavioral deficit in updating the alternative choice option and their obsessive-compulsive drinking habits. All results remained significant when adjusting for potential confounders (e.g., neuropsychological measures and gray matter density). A disturbed integration of alternative choice options implemented by the medial prefrontal cortex appears to be one important explanation for the puzzling question of why addicted individuals continue drug consumption despite negative consequences. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In addiction, patients maintain substance use despite devastating consequences and often report having no choice but to consume. These clinical observations have been theoretically linked to disturbed mechanisms of inference, for example, to difficulties when learning statistical regularities of the environmental structure to guide decisions. Using computational modeling, we demonstrate disturbed inference on alternative choice options in alcohol addiction. Patients neglecting "what might have happened" was accompanied by blunted coding of inference regarding alternative choice options in the medial prefrontal cortex. An impaired integration of alternative choice options implemented by the medial prefrontal cortex might contribute to ongoing drug consumption in the face of evident negative consequences.
Collapse
|
20
|
Lesage E, Aronson SE, Sutherland MT, Ross TJ, Salmeron BJ, Stein EA. Neural Signatures of Cognitive Flexibility and Reward Sensitivity Following Nicotinic Receptor Stimulation in Dependent Smokers: A Randomized Trial. JAMA Psychiatry 2017; 74:632-640. [PMID: 28403383 PMCID: PMC5539833 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Withdrawal from nicotine is an important contributor to smoking relapse. Understanding how reward-based decision making is affected by abstinence and by pharmacotherapies such as nicotine replacement therapy and varenicline tartrate may aid cessation treatment. OBJECTIVE To independently assess the effects of nicotine dependence and stimulation of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor on the ability to interpret valence information (reward sensitivity) and subsequently alter behavior as reward contingencies change (cognitive flexibility) in a probabilistic reversal learning task. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Nicotine-dependent smokers and nonsmokers completed a probabilistic reversal learning task during acquisition of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a 2-drug, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover design conducted from January 21, 2009, to September 29, 2011. Smokers were abstinent from cigarette smoking for 12 hours for all sessions. In a fully Latin square fashion, participants in both groups underwent MRI twice while receiving varenicline and twice while receiving a placebo pill, wearing either a nicotine or a placebo patch. Imaging analysis was performed from June 15, 2015, to August 10, 2016. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES A well-established computational model captured effects of smoking status and administration of nicotine and varenicline on probabilistic reversal learning choice behavior. Neural effects of smoking status, nicotine, and varenicline were tested for on MRI contrasts that captured reward sensitivity and cognitive flexibility. RESULTS The study included 24 nicotine-dependent smokers (12 women and 12 men; mean [SD] age, 35.8 [9.9] years) and 20 nonsmokers (10 women and 10 men; mean [SD] age, 30.4 [7.2] years). Computational modeling indicated that abstinent smokers were biased toward response shifting and that their decisions were less sensitive to the available evidence, suggesting increased impulsivity during withdrawal. These behavioral impairments were mitigated with nicotine and varenicline. Similarly, decreased mesocorticolimbic activity associated with cognitive flexibility in abstinent smokers was restored to the level of nonsmokers following stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (familywise error-corrected P < .05). Conversely, neural signatures of decreased reward sensitivity in smokers (vs nonsmokers; familywise error-corrected P < .05) in the dorsal striatum and anterior cingulate cortex were not mitigated by nicotine or varenicline. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE There was a double dissociation between the effects of chronic nicotine dependence on neural representations of reward sensitivity and acute effects of stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on behavioral and neural signatures of cognitive flexibility in smokers. These chronic and acute pharmacologic effects were observed in overlapping mesocorticolimbic regions, suggesting that available pharmacotherapies may alleviate deficits in the same circuitry for certain mental computations but not for others. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00830739.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elise Lesage
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sarah E. Aronson
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland,School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore
| | - Matthew T. Sutherland
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland,Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami
| | - Thomas J. Ross
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Betty Jo Salmeron
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Elliot A. Stein
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
García-García I, Zeighami Y, Dagher A. Reward Prediction Errors in Drug Addiction and Parkinson's Disease: from Neurophysiology to Neuroimaging. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2017; 17:46. [PMID: 28417291 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-017-0755-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Surprises are important sources of learning. Cognitive scientists often refer to surprises as "reward prediction errors," a parameter that captures discrepancies between expectations and actual outcomes. Here, we integrate neurophysiological and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) results addressing the processing of reward prediction errors and how they might be altered in drug addiction and Parkinson's disease. RECENT FINDINGS By increasing phasic dopamine responses, drugs might accentuate prediction error signals, causing increases in fMRI activity in mesolimbic areas in response to drugs. Chronic substance dependence, by contrast, has been linked with compromised dopaminergic function, which might be associated with blunted fMRI responses to pleasant non-drug stimuli in mesocorticolimbic areas. In Parkinson's disease, dopamine replacement therapies seem to induce impairments in learning from negative outcomes. The present review provides a holistic overview of reward prediction errors across different pathologies and might inform future clinical strategies targeting impulsive/compulsive disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabel García-García
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
| | - Yashar Zeighami
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Alain Dagher
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex contributes to the impaired behavioral adaptation in alcohol dependence. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2017; 15:80-94. [PMID: 28491495 PMCID: PMC5413198 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Substance-dependent individuals often lack the ability to adjust decisions flexibly in response to the changes in reward contingencies. Prediction errors (PEs) are thought to mediate flexible decision-making by updating the reward values associated with available actions. In this study, we explored whether the neurobiological correlates of PEs are altered in alcohol dependence. Behavioral, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were simultaneously acquired from 34 abstinent alcohol-dependent patients (ADP) and 26 healthy controls (HC) during a probabilistic reward-guided decision-making task with dynamically changing reinforcement contingencies. A hierarchical Bayesian inference method was used to fit and compare learning models with different assumptions about the amount of task-related information subjects may have inferred during the experiment. Here, we observed that the best-fitting model was a modified Rescorla-Wagner type model, the “double-update” model, which assumes that subjects infer the knowledge that reward contingencies are anti-correlated, and integrate both actual and hypothetical outcomes into their decisions. Moreover, comparison of the best-fitting model's parameters showed that ADP were less sensitive to punishments compared to HC. Hence, decisions of ADP after punishments were loosely coupled with the expected reward values assigned to them. A correlation analysis between the model-generated PEs and the fMRI data revealed a reduced association between these PEs and the BOLD activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of ADP. A hemispheric asymmetry was observed in the DLPFC when positive and negative PE signals were analyzed separately. The right DLPFC activity in ADP showed a reduced correlation with positive PEs. On the other hand, ADP, particularly the patients with high dependence severity, recruited the left DLPFC to a lesser extent than HC for processing negative PE signals. These results suggest that the DLPFC, which has been linked to adaptive control of action selection, may play an important role in cognitive inflexibility observed in alcohol dependence when reinforcement contingencies change. Particularly, the left DLPFC may contribute to this impaired behavioral adaptation, possibly by impeding the extinction of the actions that no longer lead to a reward. Alcohol-dependent patients (ADP) had difficulty adapting to the reversals. The impaired adaptation was associated with a decrease in punishment sensitivity. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of ADP failed to track prediction errors. A reduced tracking of the negative prediction error was present in the left DLPFC. The clinical severity of dependence was correlated with abnormal DLPFC activity.
Collapse
|
23
|
Boulos LJ, Darcq E, Kieffer BL. Translating the Habenula-From Rodents to Humans. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:296-305. [PMID: 27527822 PMCID: PMC5143215 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 05/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The habenula (Hb) is a central structure connecting forebrain to midbrain regions. This microstructure regulates monoaminergic systems, notably dopamine and serotonin, and integrates cognitive with emotional and sensory processing. Early preclinical data have described Hb as a brain nucleus activated in anticipation of aversive outcomes. Evidence has now accumulated to show that the Hb encodes both rewarding and aversive aspects of external stimuli, thus driving motivated behaviors and decision making. Human Hb research is still nascent but develops rapidly, alongside with the growth of neuroimaging and deep brain stimulation techniques. Not surprisingly, Hb dysfunction has been associated with psychiatric disorders, and studies in patients have established evidence for Hb involvement in major depression, addiction, and schizophrenia, as well as in pain and analgesia. Here, we summarize current knowledge from animal research and overview the existing human literature on anatomy and function of the Hb. We also discuss challenges and future directions in targeting this small brain structure in both rodents and humans. By combining animal data and human experimental studies, this review addresses the translational potential of preclinical Hb research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura-Joy Boulos
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Darcq
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Brigitte Lina Kieffer
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Stephan KE, Siemerkus J, Bischof M, Haker H. Hat Computational Psychiatry Relevanz für die klinische Praxis der Psychiatrie? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1024/1661-4747/a000296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Zusammenfassung. Computational Psychiatry (CP) ist ein junges Wissenschaftsfeld an der Schnittstelle zwischen der klinischen Psychiatrie und den mathematischen Neurowissenschaften, das sich in den letzten Jahren zu entfalten begonnen hat. Dieser Artikel widmet sich den möglichen klinischen Implikationen dieser jungen Disziplin. Wir (i) beginnen mit einer kurzen Übersicht über die Geschichte, Ziele und Inhalte der CP, (ii) beschreiben die zentralen Themen, Modelle und Theorien der CP, (iii) untersuchen die Relevanz und das Potenzial modell-basierter diagnostischer Tests (computational assays) für die Lösung zentraler Probleme in der klinischen Psychiatrie, und (iv) stellen zukünftige Herausforderungen und Chancen der CP dar.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Klaas Enno Stephan
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institut für Biomedizinische Technik, Universität Zürich & ETH Zürich, Schweiz
| | - Jakob Siemerkus
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institut für Biomedizinische Technik, Universität Zürich & ETH Zürich, Schweiz
- Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik, Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Zürich, Schweiz
| | - Martin Bischof
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institut für Biomedizinische Technik, Universität Zürich & ETH Zürich, Schweiz
- Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik, Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Zürich, Schweiz
| | - Helene Haker
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institut für Biomedizinische Technik, Universität Zürich & ETH Zürich, Schweiz
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Thiruchselvam T, Malik S, Le Foll B. A review of positron emission tomography studies exploring the dopaminergic system in substance use with a focus on tobacco as a co-variate. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2016; 43:197-214. [PMID: 27901585 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2016.1257633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
With the evolving sensitivity of positron emission tomography (PET) and the emergence of novel radiotracers, greater insight has been gained into the dopaminergic system as it relates to substance use. In this review, we summarize PET investigations from the last ten years that explore the dopaminergic system in tobacco, alcohol, stimulant, opiates, and cannabis addiction. In light of the prevalence of substance co-use, this review will also explore the effect of tobacco and other substance abuse co-morbidity on the dopaminergic system across study samples in the reviewed literature. In non-dependence, increased DA transmission following acute stimulant administration is a robust and consistent observation but is less detectable following acute alcohol and tobacco, where it likely represents a conditioned effect mediating reward expectation. Chronic drug exposure is generally associated with a hypo-functioning pre-synaptic dopamine system and lower D2/D3 receptor availability relative to healthy controls. Emerging evidence also shows that stimulant use disorders in particular may also be associated with greater D3 receptor availability relative to controls. A defined role for the dopaminergic system in cannabis and opiate use is yet to be elucidated. Future work is also needed to delineate the potential interactive effects of acute and chronic tobacco and substance co-use on the dopaminergic system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thulasi Thiruchselvam
- b Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute , Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , ON , Canada
| | - Saima Malik
- b Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute , Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , ON , Canada
| | - Bernard Le Foll
- a Addiction Medicine Service, Ambulatory Care and Structured Treatments , Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , ON , Canada.,b Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute , Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , ON , Canada.,c Department of Family and Community Medicine , Pharmacology and Toxicology, Psychiatry, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto , Toronto , ON , Canada.,d Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Center for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , ON , Canada
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Donohue SE, Harris JA, Heinze HJ, Woldorff MG, Schoenfeld MA. An electrophysiological marker of the desire to quit in smokers. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 44:2735-2741. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Donohue
- Department of Neurology; Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg; Leipziger Strasse 44 39120 Magdeburg Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology; Magdeburg Germany
| | - Joseph A. Harris
- Department of Neurology; Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg; Leipziger Strasse 44 39120 Magdeburg Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology; Magdeburg Germany
| | - Hans-Jochen Heinze
- Department of Neurology; Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg; Leipziger Strasse 44 39120 Magdeburg Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology; Magdeburg Germany
| | - Marty G. Woldorff
- Department of Neurology; Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg; Leipziger Strasse 44 39120 Magdeburg Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology; Magdeburg Germany
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience; Duke University; Durham NC USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Duke University; Durham NC USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience; Duke University; Durham NC USA
| | - Mircea A. Schoenfeld
- Department of Neurology; Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg; Leipziger Strasse 44 39120 Magdeburg Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology; Magdeburg Germany
- Kliniken Schmieder Heidelberg; Heidelberg Germany
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Model-Free Temporal-Difference Learning and Dopamine in Alcohol Dependence: Examining Concepts From Theory and Animals in Human Imaging. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2016; 1:401-410. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
|
28
|
Yang X, Tian F, Zhang H, Zeng J, Chen T, Wang S, Jia Z, Gong Q. Cortical and subcortical gray matter shrinkage in alcohol-use disorders: a voxel-based meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 66:92-103. [PMID: 27108216 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Revised: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xun Yang
- School of Sociality and Psychology, Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu 610041, China; Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Fangfang Tian
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Handi Zhang
- School of Sociality and Psychology, Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jianguang Zeng
- School of Accounting, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Taolin Chen
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Song Wang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhiyun Jia
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Wiers CE, Cabrera E, Skarda E, Volkow ND, Wang GJ. PET imaging for addiction medicine: From neural mechanisms to clinical considerations. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2015; 224:175-201. [PMID: 26822359 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2015.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) has been shown to be an effective imaging technique to study neurometabolic and neurochemical processes involved in addiction. That is, PET has been used to research neurobiological differences in substance abusers versus healthy controls and the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of abused drugs. Over the past years, the research scope has shifted to investigating neurobiological effects of abstinence and treatment, and their predictive power for relapse and other clinical outcomes. This chapter provides an overview of PET methodology, recent human PET studies on drug addiction and their implications for clinical treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Corinde E Wiers
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Cabrera
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Emily Skarda
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nora D Volkow
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gene-Jack Wang
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Lateral prefrontal model-based signatures are reduced in healthy individuals with high trait impulsivity. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5:e659. [PMID: 26460483 PMCID: PMC4930122 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Revised: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
High impulsivity is an important risk factor for addiction with evidence from endophenotype studies. In addiction, behavioral control is shifted toward the habitual end. Habitual control can be described by retrospective updating of reward expectations in 'model-free' temporal-difference algorithms. Goal-directed control relies on the prospective consideration of actions and their outcomes, which can be captured by forward-planning 'model-based' algorithms. So far, no studies have examined behavioral and neural signatures of model-free and model-based control in healthy high-impulsive individuals. Fifty healthy participants were drawn from the upper and lower ends of 452 individuals, completing the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. All participants performed a sequential decision-making task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and underwent structural MRI. Behavioral and fMRI data were analyzed by means of computational algorithms reflecting model-free and model-based control. Both groups did not differ regarding the balance of model-free and model-based control, but high-impulsive individuals showed a subtle but significant accentuation of model-free control alone. Right lateral prefrontal model-based signatures were reduced in high-impulsive individuals. Effects of smoking, drinking, general cognition or gray matter density did not account for the findings. Irrespectively of impulsivity, gray matter density in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was positively associated with model-based control. The present study supports the idea that high levels of impulsivity are accompanied by behavioral and neural signatures in favor of model-free behavioral control. Behavioral results in healthy high-impulsive individuals were qualitatively different to findings in patients with the same task. The predictive relevance of these results remains an important target for future longitudinal studies.
Collapse
|
31
|
Prefrontal and Striatal Glutamate Differently Relate to Striatal Dopamine: Potential Regulatory Mechanisms of Striatal Presynaptic Dopamine Function? J Neurosci 2015; 35:9615-21. [PMID: 26134644 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0329-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Theoretical and animal work has proposed that prefrontal cortex (PFC) glutamate inhibits dopaminergic inputs to the ventral striatum (VS) indirectly, whereas direct VS glutamatergic afferents have been suggested to enhance dopaminergic inputs to the VS. In the present study, we aimed to investigate relationships of glutamate and dopamine measures in prefrontostriatal circuitries of healthy humans. We hypothesized that PFC and VS glutamate, as well as their balance, are differently associated with VS dopamine. Glutamate concentrations in the left lateral PFC and left striatum were assessed using 3-Tesla proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Striatal presynaptic dopamine synthesis capacity was measured by fluorine-18-l-dihydroxyphenylalanine (F-18-FDOPA) positron emission tomography. First, a negative relationship was observed between glutamate concentrations in lateral PFC and VS dopamine synthesis capacity (n = 28). Second, a positive relationship was revealed between striatal glutamate and VS dopamine synthesis capacity (n = 26). Additionally, the intraindividual difference between PFC and striatal glutamate concentrations correlated negatively with VS dopamine synthesis capacity (n = 24). The present results indicate an involvement of a balance in PFC and striatal glutamate in the regulation of VS dopamine synthesis capacity. This notion points toward a potential mechanism how VS presynaptic dopamine levels are kept in a fine-tuned range. A disruption of this mechanism may account for alterations in striatal dopamine turnover as observed in mental diseases (e.g., in schizophrenia). SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The present work demonstrates complementary relationships between prefrontal and striatal glutamate and ventral striatal presynaptic dopamine using human imaging measures: a negative correlation between prefrontal glutamate and presynaptic dopamine and a positive relationship between striatal glutamate and presynaptic dopamine are revealed. The results may reflect a regulatory role of prefrontal and striatal glutamate for ventral striatal presynaptic dopamine levels. Such glutamate-dopamine relationships improve our understanding of neurochemical interactions in prefrontostriatal circuits and have implications for the neurobiology of mental disease.
Collapse
|
32
|
Huys QJ, Tobler PN, Hasler G, Flagel SB. The role of learning-related dopamine signals in addiction vulnerability. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2014; 211:31-77. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63425-2.00003-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|