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Li H, Chalavi S, Rasooli A, Rodríguez‐Nieto G, Seer C, Mikkelsen M, Edden RAE, Sunaert S, Peeters R, Mantini D, Swinnen SP. Baseline GABA+ levels in areas associated with sensorimotor control predict initial and long-term motor learning progress. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26537. [PMID: 38140712 PMCID: PMC10789216 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity relies on the balance between excitation and inhibition in the brain. As the primary inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate (Glu), play critical roles in synaptic plasticity and learning. However, the role of these neurometabolites in motor learning is still unclear. Furthermore, it remains to be investigated which neurometabolite levels from the regions composing the sensorimotor network predict future learning outcome. Here, we studied the role of baseline neurometabolite levels in four task-related brain areas during different stages of motor skill learning under two different feedback (FB) conditions. Fifty-one healthy participants were trained on a bimanual motor task over 5 days while receiving either concurrent augmented visual FB (CA-VFB group, N = 25) or terminal intrinsic visual FB (TA-VFB group, N = 26) of their performance. Additionally, MRS-measured baseline GABA+ (GABA + macromolecules) and Glx (Glu + glutamine) levels were measured in the primary motor cortex (M1), primary somatosensory cortex (S1), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and medial temporal cortex (MT/V5). Behaviorally, our results revealed that the CA-VFB group outperformed the TA-VFB group during task performance in the presence of augmented VFB, while the TA-VFB group outperformed the CA-VFB group in the absence of augmented FB. Moreover, baseline M1 GABA+ levels positively predicted and DLPFC GABA+ levels negatively predicted both initial and long-term motor learning progress in the TA-VFB group. In contrast, baseline S1 GABA+ levels positively predicted initial and long-term motor learning progress in the CA-VFB group. Glx levels did not predict learning progress. Together, these findings suggest that baseline GABA+ levels predict motor learning capability, yet depending on the FB training conditions afforded to the participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Li
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research GroupGroup Biomedical Sciences, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Sima Chalavi
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research GroupGroup Biomedical Sciences, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Amirhossein Rasooli
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research GroupGroup Biomedical Sciences, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Geraldine Rodríguez‐Nieto
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research GroupGroup Biomedical Sciences, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Caroline Seer
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research GroupGroup Biomedical Sciences, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Mark Mikkelsen
- Department of RadiologyWeill Cornell MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Richard A. E. Edden
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological ScienceJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain ImagingKennedy Krieger InstituteBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Stefan Sunaert
- KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Department of Imaging and PathologyKU Leuven and University Hospital Leuven (UZ Leuven)LeuvenBelgium
| | - Ron Peeters
- Department of Imaging and PathologyKU Leuven and University Hospital Leuven (UZ Leuven)LeuvenBelgium
| | - Dante Mantini
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research GroupGroup Biomedical Sciences, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Stephan P. Swinnen
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research GroupGroup Biomedical Sciences, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
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2
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Bramson B, Meijer S, van Nuland A, Toni I, Roelofs K. Anxious individuals shift emotion control from lateral frontal pole to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4880. [PMID: 37573436 PMCID: PMC10423291 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40666-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxious individuals consistently fail in controlling emotional behavior, leading to excessive avoidance, a trait that prevents learning through exposure. Although the origin of this failure is unclear, one candidate system involves control of emotional actions, coordinated through lateral frontopolar cortex (FPl) via amygdala and sensorimotor connections. Using structural, functional, and neurochemical evidence, we show how FPl-based emotional action control fails in highly-anxious individuals. Their FPl is overexcitable, as indexed by GABA/glutamate ratio at rest, and receives stronger amygdalofugal projections than non-anxious male participants. Yet, high-anxious individuals fail to recruit FPl during emotional action control, relying instead on dorsolateral and medial prefrontal areas. This functional anatomical shift is proportional to FPl excitability and amygdalofugal projections strength. The findings characterize circuit-level vulnerabilities in anxious individuals, showing that even mild emotional challenges can saturate FPl neural range, leading to a neural bottleneck in the control of emotional action tendencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Bramson
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Behavioral Science Institute (BSI), Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 HR, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Sjoerd Meijer
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Annelies van Nuland
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ivan Toni
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Behavioral Science Institute (BSI), Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 HR, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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3
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Rolls ET. The hippocampus, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and episodic and semantic memory. Prog Neurobiol 2022; 217:102334. [PMID: 35870682 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The human ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC)/anterior cingulate cortex is implicated in reward and emotion, but also in memory. It is shown how the human orbitofrontal cortex connecting with the vmPFC and anterior cingulate cortex provide a route to the hippocampus for reward and emotional value to be incorporated into episodic memory, enabling memory of where a reward was seen. It is proposed that this value component results in primarily episodic memories with some value component to be repeatedly recalled from the hippocampus so that they are more likely to become incorporated into neocortical semantic and autobiographical memories. The same orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate regions also connect in humans to the septal and basal forebrain cholinergic nuclei, thereby helping to consolidate memory, and helping to account for why damage to the vMPFC impairs memory. The human hippocampus and vmPFC thus contribute in complementary ways to forming episodic and semantic memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmund T Rolls
- Oxford Centre for Computational Neuroscience, Oxford, UK; University of Warwick, Department of Computer Science, Coventry, UK.
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4
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Wang H, Feng T, Zhao Z, Bai X, Han G, Wang J, Dai Z, Wang R, Zhao W, Ren F, Gao F. Classification of Alzheimer's Disease Based on Deep Learning of Brain Structural and Metabolic Data. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:927217. [PMID: 35903535 PMCID: PMC9315355 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.927217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
To improve the diagnosis and classification of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a modeling method is proposed based on the combining magnetic resonance images (MRI) brain structural data with metabolite levels of the frontal and parietal regions. First, multi-atlas brain segmentation technology based on T1-weighted images and edited magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) were used to extract data of 279 brain regions and levels of 12 metabolites from regions of interest (ROIs) in the frontal and parietal regions. The t-test combined with false discovery rate (FDR) correction was used to reduce the dimensionality in the data, and MRI structural data of 54 brain regions and levels of 4 metabolites that obviously correlated with AD were screened out. Lastly, the stacked auto-encoder neural network (SAE) was used to classify AD and healthy controls (HCs), which judged the effect of classification method by fivefold cross validation. The results indicated that the mean accuracy of the five experimental model increased from 96 to 100%, the AUC value increased from 0.97 to 1, specificity increased from 90 to 100%, and F1 value increased from 0.97 to 1. Comparing the effect of each metabolite on model performance revealed that the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) + levels in the parietal region resulted in the most significant improvement in model performance, with the accuracy rate increasing from 96 to 98%, the AUC value increased from 0.97 to 0.99 and the specificity increasing from 90 to 95%. Moreover, the GABA + levels in the parietal region was significantly correlated with Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores of patients with AD (r = 0.627), and the F statistics were largest (F = 25.538), which supports the hypothesis that dysfunctional GABAergic system play an important role in the pathogenesis of AD. Overall, our findings support that a comprehensive method that combines MRI structural and metabolic data of brain regions can improve model classification efficiency of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiquan Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China
| | - Tianzi Feng
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhe Zhao
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xue Bai
- Department of Radiology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Guang Han
- School of Life Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jinhai Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zongrui Dai
- Westa College, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Rong Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China
| | - Weibiao Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China
| | - Fuxin Ren
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Fei Gao
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
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5
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Petitet P, Spitz G, Emir UE, Johansen-Berg H, O'Shea J. Age-related decline in cortical inhibitory tone strengthens motor memory. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118681. [PMID: 34728243 PMCID: PMC8752967 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Ageing disrupts the finely tuned excitation/inhibition balance (E:I) across cortex via a natural decline in inhibitory tone (γ-amino butyric acid, GABA), causing functional decrements. However, in young adults, experimentally lowering GABA in sensorimotor cortex enhances a specific domain of sensorimotor function: adaptation memory. Here, we tested the hypothesis that as sensorimotor cortical GABA declines naturally with age, adaptation memory would increase, and the former would explain the latter. Results confirmed this prediction. To probe causality, we used brain stimulation to further lower sensorimotor cortical GABA during adaptation. Across individuals, how stimulation changed memory depended on sensorimotor cortical E:I. In those with low E:I, stimulation increased memory; in those with high E:I stimulation reduced memory. Thus, we identified a form of motor memory that is naturally strengthened by age, depends causally on sensorimotor cortex neurochemistry, and may be a potent target for motor skill preservation strategies in healthy ageing and neurorehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Petitet
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (NDCN), John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom; Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, Equipe Trajectoires, Inserm UMR-S 1028, CNRS UMR 5292, Université Lyon 1, Bron, France.
| | - Gershon Spitz
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (NDCN), John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Uzay E Emir
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
| | - Heidi Johansen-Berg
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (NDCN), John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | - Jacinta O'Shea
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (NDCN), John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity (OHBA), University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Warneford Lane, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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6
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Koolschijn RS, Shpektor A, Clarke WT, Ip IB, Dupret D, Emir UE, Barron HC. Memory recall involves a transient break in excitatory-inhibitory balance. eLife 2021; 10:e70071. [PMID: 34622779 PMCID: PMC8516417 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain has a remarkable capacity to acquire and store memories that can later be selectively recalled. These processes are supported by the hippocampus which is thought to index memory recall by reinstating information stored across distributed neocortical circuits. However, the mechanism that supports this interaction remains unclear. Here, in humans, we show that recall of a visual cue from a paired associate is accompanied by a transient increase in the ratio between glutamate and GABA in visual cortex. Moreover, these excitatory-inhibitory fluctuations are predicted by activity in the hippocampus. These data suggest the hippocampus gates memory recall by indexing information stored across neocortical circuits using a disinhibitory mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée S Koolschijn
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Shpektor
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - William T Clarke
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - I Betina Ip
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David Dupret
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Uzay E Emir
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, United States
| | - Helen C Barron
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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7
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Abstract
The rise of computational modeling in the past decade has led to a substantial increase in the number of papers that report parameter estimates of computational cognitive models. A common application of computational cognitive models is to quantify individual differences in behavior by estimating how these are expressed in differences in parameters. For these inferences to hold, models need to be identified, meaning that one set of parameters is most likely, given the behavior under consideration. For many models, model identification can be achieved up to a scaling constraint, which means that under the assumption that one parameter has a specific value, all remaining parameters are identified. In the current note, we argue that this scaling constraint implies a strong assumption about the cognitive process that the model is intended to explain, and warn against an overinterpretation of the associative relations found in this way. We will illustrate these points using signal detection theory, reinforcement learning models, and the linear ballistic accumulator model, and provide suggestions for a clearer interpretation of modeling results.
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8
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Zacharopoulos G, Sella F, Cohen Kadosh K, Hartwright C, Emir U, Cohen Kadosh R. Predicting learning and achievement using GABA and glutamate concentrations in human development. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001325. [PMID: 34292934 PMCID: PMC8297926 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has highlighted the role of glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in learning and plasticity. What is currently unknown is how this knowledge translates to real-life complex cognitive abilities that emerge slowly and how the link between these neurotransmitters and human learning and plasticity is shaped by development. While some have suggested a generic role of glutamate and GABA in learning and plasticity, others have hypothesized that their involvement shapes sensitive periods during development. Here we used a cross-sectional longitudinal design with 255 individuals (spanning primary school to university) to show that glutamate and GABA in the intraparietal sulcus explain unique variance both in current and future mathematical achievement (approximately 1.5 years). Furthermore, our findings reveal a dynamic and dissociable role of GABA and glutamate in predicting learning, which is reversed during development, and therefore provide novel implications for models of learning and plasticity during childhood and adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Zacharopoulos
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Sella
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, United Kingdom
| | - Kathrin Cohen Kadosh
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte Hartwright
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- School of Psychology, Aston University, United Kingdom
| | - Uzay Emir
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University, United States of America
| | - Roi Cohen Kadosh
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
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9
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Keren H, Zheng C, Jangraw DC, Chang K, Vitale A, Rutledge RB, Pereira F, Nielson DM, Stringaris A. The temporal representation of experience in subjective mood. eLife 2021; 10:62051. [PMID: 34128464 PMCID: PMC8241441 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans refer to their mood state regularly in day-to-day as well as clinical interactions. Theoretical accounts suggest that when reporting on our mood we integrate over the history of our experiences; yet, the temporal structure of this integration remains unexamined. Here, we use a computational approach to quantitatively answer this question and show that early events exert a stronger influence on reported mood (a primacy weighting) compared to recent events. We show that a Primacy model accounts better for mood reports compared to a range of alternative temporal representations across random, consistent, or dynamic reward environments, different age groups, and in both healthy and depressed participants. Moreover, we find evidence for neural encoding of the Primacy, but not the Recency, model in frontal brain regions related to mood regulation. These findings hold implications for the timing of events in experimental or clinical settings and suggest new directions for individualized mood interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Keren
- Section of Clinical and Computational Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Charles Zheng
- Machine Learning Team, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - David C Jangraw
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Katharine Chang
- Section of Clinical and Computational Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Aria Vitale
- Section of Clinical and Computational Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Robb B Rutledge
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, United States.,Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Francisco Pereira
- Machine Learning Team, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Dylan M Nielson
- Section of Clinical and Computational Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Argyris Stringaris
- Section of Clinical and Computational Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
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10
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Kaiser LF, Gruendler TOJ, Speck O, Luettgau L, Jocham G. Dissociable roles of cortical excitation-inhibition balance during patch-leaving versus value-guided decisions. Nat Commun 2021; 12:904. [PMID: 33568654 PMCID: PMC7875994 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20875-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In a dynamic world, it is essential to decide when to leave an exploited resource. Such patch-leaving decisions involve balancing the cost of moving against the gain expected from the alternative patch. This contrasts with value-guided decisions that typically involve maximizing reward by selecting the current best option. Patterns of neuronal activity pertaining to patch-leaving decisions have been reported in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), whereas competition via mutual inhibition in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is thought to underlie value-guided choice. Here, we show that the balance between cortical excitation and inhibition (E/I balance), measured by the ratio of GABA and glutamate concentrations, plays a dissociable role for the two kinds of decisions. Patch-leaving decision behaviour relates to E/I balance in dACC. In contrast, value-guided decision-making relates to E/I balance in vmPFC. These results support mechanistic accounts of value-guided choice and provide evidence for a role of dACC E/I balance in patch-leaving decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca F. Kaiser
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Biological Psychology of Decision Making, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany ,grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Theo O. J. Gruendler
- grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany ,Center for Military Mental Health, Military Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver Speck
- grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany ,grid.418723.b0000 0001 2109 6265Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany ,grid.424247.30000 0004 0438 0426German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany ,grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Physics, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Lennart Luettgau
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Biological Psychology of Decision Making, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany ,grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Jocham
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Biological Psychology of Decision Making, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany ,grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
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11
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Procyk E, Fontanier V, Sarazin M, Delord B, Goussi C, Wilson CRE. The midcingulate cortex and temporal integration. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 158:395-419. [PMID: 33785153 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The ability to integrate information across time at multiple timescales is a vital element of adaptive behavior, because it provides the capacity to link events separated in time, extract useful information from previous events and actions, and to construct plans for behavior over time. Here we make the argument that this information integration capacity is a central function of the midcingulate cortex (MCC), by reviewing the anatomical, intrinsic network, neurophysiological, and behavioral properties of MCC. The MCC is the region of the medial wall situated dorsal to the corpus callosum and sometimes referred to as dACC. It is positioned within the densely connected core network of the primate brain, with a rich diversity of cognitive, somatomotor and autonomic connections. Furthermore, the MCC shows strong local network inhibition which appears to control the metastability of the region-an established feature of many cortical networks in which the neural dynamics move through a series of quasi-stationary states. We propose that the strong local inhibition in MCC leads to particularly long dynamic state durations, and so less frequent transitions. Apparently as a result of these anatomical features and synaptic and ionic determinants, the MCC cells display the longest neuronal timescales among a range of recorded cortical areas. We conclude that the anatomical position, intrinsic properties, and local network interactions of MCC make it a uniquely positioned cortical area to perform the integration of diverse information over time that is necessary for behavioral adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Procyk
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France.
| | - Vincent Fontanier
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France
| | - Matthieu Sarazin
- Institute of Intelligent Systems and Robotics (ISIR), Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7222, Paris, France
| | - Bruno Delord
- Institute of Intelligent Systems and Robotics (ISIR), Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7222, Paris, France
| | - Clément Goussi
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France
| | - Charles R E Wilson
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France.
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12
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Oliva V, Gregory R, Davies WE, Harrison L, Moran R, Pickering AE, Brooks JCW. Parallel cortical-brainstem pathways to attentional analgesia. Neuroimage 2020; 226:117548. [PMID: 33186712 PMCID: PMC7836236 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain demands attention, yet pain can be reduced by focusing attention elsewhere. The neural processes involved in this robust psychophysical phenomenon, attentional analgesia, are still being defined. Our previous fMRI study linked activity in the brainstem triad of locus coeruleus (LC), rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) and periaqueductal grey (PAG) with attentional analgesia. Here we identify and model the functional interactions between these regions and the cortex in healthy human subjects (n = 57), who received painful thermal stimuli whilst simultaneously performing a visual attention task. RVM activity encoded pain intensity while contralateral LC activity correlated with attentional analgesia. Psycho-Physiological Interaction analysis and Dynamic Causal Modelling identified two parallel paths between forebrain and brainstem. These connections are modulated by attentional demand: a bidirectional anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) - right-LC loop, and a top-down influence of task on ACC-PAG-RVM. By recruiting discrete brainstem circuits, the ACC is able to modulate nociceptive input to reduce pain in situations of conflicting attentional demand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Oliva
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
| | - Rob Gregory
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom; Anaesthesia, Pain and Critical Care Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University Hospitals Bristol, Bristol BS2 8HW, United Kingdom
| | - Wendy-Elizabeth Davies
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom; Anaesthesia, Pain and Critical Care Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University Hospitals Bristol, Bristol BS2 8HW, United Kingdom
| | - Lee Harrison
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TU, United Kingdom
| | - Rosalyn Moran
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony E Pickering
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom; Anaesthesia, Pain and Critical Care Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University Hospitals Bristol, Bristol BS2 8HW, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan C W Brooks
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TU, United Kingdom.
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13
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Strasser A, Luksys G, Xin L, Pessiglione M, Gruetter R, Sandi C. Glutamine-to-glutamate ratio in the nucleus accumbens predicts effort-based motivated performance in humans. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:2048-2057. [PMID: 32688366 PMCID: PMC7547698 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0760-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Substantial evidence implicates the nucleus accumbens in motivated performance, but very little is known about the neurochemical underpinnings of individual differences in motivation. Here, we applied 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) at ultra-high-field in the nucleus accumbens and inquired whether levels of glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln), GABA or their ratios predict interindividual differences in effort-based motivated task performance. Given the incentive value of social competition, we also examined differences in performance under self-motivated or competition settings. Our results indicate that higher accumbal Gln-to-Glu ratio predicts better overall performance and reduced effort perception. As performance is the outcome of multiple cognitive, motor and physiological processes, we applied computational modeling to estimate best-fitting individual parameters related to specific processes modeled with utility, effort and performance functions. This model-based analysis revealed that accumbal Gln-to-Glu ratio specifically relates to stamina; i.e., the capacity to maintain performance over long periods. It also indicated that competition boosts performance from task onset, particularly for low Gln-to-Glu individuals. In conclusion, our findings provide novel insights implicating accumbal Gln and Glu balance on the prediction of specific computational components of motivated performance. This approach and findings can help developing therapeutic strategies based on targeting metabolism to ameliorate deficits in effort engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Strasser
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute (BMI), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gediminas Luksys
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences (CDBS), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. .,ZJU-UoE Institute, Zhejiang University International Campus, Haining, China.
| | - Lijing Xin
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Animal Imaging and Technology Core (AIT), Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Pessiglione
- grid.411439.a0000 0001 2150 9058Motivation, Brain and Behavior Team, Brain and Spine Institute (ICM), Paris, France
| | - Rolf Gruetter
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Laboratory of Functional and Metabolic Imaging, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland ,grid.9851.50000 0001 2165 4204Department of Radiology, University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland ,grid.8591.50000 0001 2322 4988Department of Radiology, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute (BMI), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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14
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Barron HC. Neural inhibition for continual learning and memory. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 67:85-94. [PMID: 33129012 PMCID: PMC7116367 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In humans, the concentration of cortical GABA decreases during learning. Inhibitory plasticity provides homeostatic control to restore network stability. Memories are held dormant unless latent inhibitory connections are unmasked. Cortical inhibition protects overlapping memories from interference. The emerging model suggests neural inhibition promotes continual learning.
Humans are able to continually learn new information and acquire skills that meet the demands of an ever-changing environment. Yet, this new learning does not necessarily occur at the expense of old memories. The specialised biological mechanisms that permit continual learning in humans and other mammals are not fully understood. Here I explore the possibility that neural inhibition plays an important role. I present recent findings from studies in humans that suggest inhibition regulates the stability of neural networks to gate cortical plasticity and memory retrieval. These studies use non-invasive methods to obtain an indirect measure of neural inhibition and corroborate comparable findings in animals. Together these studies reveal a model whereby neural inhibition protects memories from interference to permit continual learning. Neural inhibition may, therefore, play a critical role in the computations that underlie higher-order cognition and adaptive behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen C Barron
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TH, UK; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK.
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15
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Steel A, Mikkelsen M, Edden RAE, Robertson CE. Regional balance between glutamate+glutamine and GABA+ in the resting human brain. Neuroimage 2020; 220:117112. [PMID: 32619710 PMCID: PMC9652611 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Models of healthy brain function and psychiatric conditions assume that excitatory and inhibitory activity are balanced in the human brain at multiple spatial and temporal scales. In human neuroimaging, concentrations of the major excitatory (glutamate) and inhibitory (γ-aminobutyric acid, GABA) neurotransmitters are measured in vivo using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). However, despite the central importance of E/I balance to theories of brain function, a relationship between regional glutamate and GABA levels in the human brain has not been shown. We addressed this question in a large corpus of edited MRS data collected at 19 different sites (n = 220). Consistent with the notion of E/I balance, we found that levels of glutamate+glutamine (Glx) and GABA+ were highly correlated (R = 0.52, p = 2.86 x 10−14). This relationship held when controlling for site, scanner vendor, and demographics. Controlling for neurochemicals associated with neuronal density and metabolism (i.e. N-acetylaspartate and creatine) significantly reduced the correlation between GABA+ and Glx, suggesting that the levels of GABA+ and Glx may be critically linked to regional metabolism. These results are consistent with the notion that excitation and inhibition are balanced in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Steel
- Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
| | - Mark Mikkelsen
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Richard A E Edden
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Caroline E Robertson
- Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
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16
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Francoeur MJ, Mair RG. Effects of choice on neuronal activity in anterior cingulate, prelimbic, and infralimbic cortices in the rat: Comparison of serial lever pressing with delayed nonmatching to position. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 51:2052-2069. [PMID: 31829477 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The ability to choose between response alternatives based on their likely consequences depends on distributed neural circuits that involve rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). To understand the effects of choice on mPFC function, we compared the activity of mPFC neurons in rats performing two tasks: dynamic delayed nonmatching to position (dDNMTP), a task with a prefrontal-dependent conditional choice, and serial lever pressing (SLP), a task lacking a choice but trained in the same apparatus with sequences of actions and reinforcements matched to dDNMTP. More neurons exhibited event-related responses during dDNMTP than SLP. Average firing rate during recording sessions was higher during dDNMTP for neurons with event-related responses, but lower for neurons with activity unrelated to behavioural events. Thus, compared to SLP, dDNMTP appears to enhance the activity of neurons that represent behaviourally relevant information and to suppress the activity of neurons that do not. dDNMTP was associated with responses related to preparation and memory delay that were not observed during SLP as well as enhanced responses related to movement and reinforcement. These results provide evidence that choice in the dDNMTP task is associated with adaptive changes in background firing rates and coding properties of mPFC neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert G Mair
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
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17
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Shen J, Shenkar D, An L, Tomar JS. Local and Interregional Neurochemical Associations Measured by Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for Studying Brain Functions and Psychiatric Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:802. [PMID: 32848957 PMCID: PMC7432119 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies have found significant correlations among neurometabolites (e.g., between glutamate and GABA) across individual subjects and altered correlations in neuropsychiatric disorders. In this article, we discuss neurochemical associations among several major neurometabolites which underpin these observations by MRS. We also illustrate the role of spectral editing in eliminating unwanted correlations caused by spectral overlapping. Finally, we describe the prospects of mapping macroscopic neurochemical associations across the brain and characterizing excitation-inhibition balance of neural networks using glutamate- and GABA-editing MRS imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Shen
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Dina Shenkar
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Li An
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jyoti Singh Tomar
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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18
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Spurny B, Seiger R, Moser P, Vanicek T, Reed MB, Heckova E, Michenthaler P, Basaran A, Gryglewski G, Klöbl M, Trattnig S, Kasper S, Bogner W, Lanzenberger R. Hippocampal GABA levels correlate with retrieval performance in an associative learning paradigm. Neuroimage 2020; 204:116244. [PMID: 31606475 PMCID: PMC7610791 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural plasticity is a complex process dependent on neurochemical underpinnings. Next to the glutamatergic system which contributes to memory formation via long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), the main inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA is crucially involved in neuroplastic processes. Hence, we investigated changes in glutamate and GABA levels in the brain in healthy participants performing an associative learning paradigm. Twenty healthy participants (10 female, 25 ± 5 years) underwent paired multi-voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging before and after completing 21 days of a facial associative learning paradigm in a longitudinal study design. Changes of GABA and glutamate were compared to retrieval success in the hippocampus, insula and thalamus. No changes in GABA and glutamate concentration were found after 21 days of associative learning. However, baseline hippocampal GABA levels were significantly correlated with initial retrieval success (pcor = 0.013, r = 0.690). In contrast to the thalamus and insula (pcor>0.1), higher baseline GABA levels in the hippocampus were associated with better retrieval performance in an associative learning paradigm. Therefore, our findings support the importance of hippocampal GABA levels in memory formation in the human brain in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Spurny
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Rene Seiger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Philipp Moser
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, High Field MR Centre, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Vanicek
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Murray B Reed
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Heckova
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, High Field MR Centre, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Michenthaler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Alim Basaran
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Gryglewski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Manfred Klöbl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Siegfried Trattnig
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, High Field MR Centre, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Clinical Molecular MR Imaging, Vienna, Austria
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Bogner
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, High Field MR Centre, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
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19
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Frangou P, Emir UE, Karlaftis VM, Nettekoven C, Hinson EL, Larcombe S, Bridge H, Stagg CJ, Kourtzi Z. Learning to optimize perceptual decisions through suppressive interactions in the human brain. Nat Commun 2019; 10:474. [PMID: 30692533 PMCID: PMC6349878 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08313-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Translating noisy sensory signals to perceptual decisions is critical for successful interactions in complex environments. Learning is known to improve perceptual judgments by filtering external noise and task-irrelevant information. Yet, little is known about the brain mechanisms that mediate learning-dependent suppression. Here, we employ ultra-high field magnetic resonance spectroscopy of GABA to test whether suppressive processing in decision-related and visual areas facilitates perceptual judgments during training. We demonstrate that parietal GABA relates to suppression of task-irrelevant information, while learning-dependent changes in visual GABA relate to enhanced performance in target detection and feature discrimination tasks. Combining GABA measurements with functional brain connectivity demonstrates that training on a target detection task involves local connectivity and disinhibition of visual cortex, while training on a feature discrimination task involves inter-cortical interactions that relate to suppressive visual processing. Our findings provide evidence that learning optimizes perceptual decisions through suppressive interactions in decision-related networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polytimi Frangou
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Uzay E Emir
- Purdue University School of Health Sciences, 550 Stadium Mall Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | | | - Caroline Nettekoven
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Emily L Hinson
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Stephanie Larcombe
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Holly Bridge
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Charlotte J Stagg
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Zoe Kourtzi
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
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20
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Scholl J, Klein-Flügge M. Understanding psychiatric disorder by capturing ecologically relevant features of learning and decision-making. Behav Brain Res 2018; 355:56-75. [PMID: 28966147 PMCID: PMC6152580 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.09.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent research in cognitive neuroscience has begun to uncover the processes underlying increasingly complex voluntary behaviours, including learning and decision-making. Partly this success has been possible by progressing from simple experimental tasks to paradigms that incorporate more ecological features. More specifically, the premise is that to understand cognitions and brain functions relevant for real life, we need to introduce some of the ecological challenges that we have evolved to solve. This often entails an increase in task complexity, which can be managed by using computational models to help parse complex behaviours into specific component mechanisms. Here we propose that using computational models with tasks that capture ecologically relevant learning and decision-making processes may provide a critical advantage for capturing the mechanisms underlying symptoms of disorders in psychiatry. As a result, it may help develop mechanistic approaches towards diagnosis and treatment. We begin this review by mapping out the basic concepts and models of learning and decision-making. We then move on to consider specific challenges that emerge in realistic environments and describe how they can be captured by tasks. These include changes of context, uncertainty, reflexive/emotional biases, cost-benefit decision-making, and balancing exploration and exploitation. Where appropriate we highlight future or current links to psychiatry. We particularly draw examples from research on clinical depression, a disorder that greatly compromises motivated behaviours in real-life, but where simpler paradigms have yielded mixed results. Finally, we highlight several paradigms that could be used to help provide new insights into the mechanisms of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Scholl
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SR, United Kingdom.
| | - Miriam Klein-Flügge
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SR, United Kingdom.
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21
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Frangou P, Correia M, Kourtzi Z. GABA, not BOLD, reveals dissociable learning-dependent plasticity mechanisms in the human brain. eLife 2018; 7:35854. [PMID: 30355444 PMCID: PMC6202049 DOI: 10.7554/elife.35854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Experience and training have been shown to facilitate our ability to extract and discriminate meaningful patterns from cluttered environments. Yet, the human brain mechanisms that mediate our ability to learn by suppressing noisy and irrelevant signals remain largely unknown. To test the role of suppression in perceptual learning, we combine fMRI with MR Spectroscopy measurements of GABA, as fMRI alone does not allow us to discern inhibitory vs. excitatory mechanisms. Our results demonstrate that task-dependent GABAergic inhibition relates to functional brain plasticity and behavioral improvement. Specifically, GABAergic inhibition in the occipito-temporal cortex relates to dissociable learning mechanisms: decreased GABA for noise filtering, while increased GABA for feature template retuning. Perturbing cortical excitability during training with tDCs alters performance in a task-specific manner, providing evidence for a direct link between suppression and behavioral improvement. Our findings propose dissociable GABAergic mechanisms that optimize our ability to make perceptual decisions through training. When searching for a friend in the crowd or telling identical twins apart, your visual system must solve a complex puzzle. It must ignore all irrelevant information (e.g., unfamiliar faces in the crowd) and focus on key features (e.g., your friend’s familiar face) that will allow you to make a decision. We become better at solving complex visual discriminations with practice. But exactly how the brain achieves this improved performance is unclear. To answer this question, Frangou et al. trained healthy volunteers on two such visual tasks. The first (target detection task) involved locating a target (e.g. circular shape made of dots among randomly distributed dots in the background), a task similar to identifying a friend in the crowd. The second (feature discrimination task) involved assigning highly alike shapes in two different categories, similar to telling apart identical twins. To solve this problem, volunteers had to identify distinct features that allowed them to distinguishthese shapes. During training on this task, they updated and refined the representation of these distinct features in their brain. This enabled them to make finer discriminations and assign each image correctly to one of the two categories. While the volunteers trained on the tasks, Frangou et al. measured levels of a chemical called GABA in brain areas that process visual information. GABA is the brain's main inhibitory molecule and controls the activity of neurons. As the volunteers learned the two tasks, their brains showed opposite changes in GABA levels. In the first, target detection task, individuals did better if their GABA decreased during training. In the second, feature discrimination task, they achieved more if their GABA increased during training. To confirm these findings, Frangou et al. used a second technique to activate or suppress processing in visual areas of the brain. Activating visual areas enhanced performance on the target detection task. Suppressing them enhanced performance on the fine discrimination task. These changes are thus consistent with those seen in GABA levels. As well as revealing how we learn to make decisions based on the information from our eyes, these findings suggest that adjusting brain activity could help patients regain skills lost as a result of eye-related or neurological conditions. Understanding the role of GABA in brain plasticity is also relevant to conditions like autism and psychosis, which have been shown to relate to changes in brain inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polytimi Frangou
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marta Correia
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Zoe Kourtzi
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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22
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Kolling N, Scholl J, Chekroud A, Trier HA, Rushworth MFS. Prospection, Perseverance, and Insight in Sequential Behavior. Neuron 2018; 99:1069-1082.e7. [PMID: 30189202 PMCID: PMC6127030 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Real-world decisions have benefits occurring only later and dependent on additional decisions taken in the interim. We investigated this in a novel decision-making task in humans (n = 76) while measuring brain activity with fMRI (n = 24). Modeling revealed that participants computed the prospective value of decisions: they planned their future behavior taking into account how their decisions might affect which states they would encounter and how they themselves might respond in these states. They considered their own likely future behavioral biases (e.g., failure to adapt to changes in prospective value) and avoided situations in which they might be prone to such biases. Three neural networks in adjacent medial frontal regions were linked to distinct components of prospective decision making: activity in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, area 8 m/9, and perigenual anterior cingulate cortex reflected prospective value, anticipated changes in prospective value, and the degree to which prospective value influenced decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Kolling
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Centre of Human Brain Activity, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Jacqueline Scholl
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Adam Chekroud
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hailey A Trier
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Matthew F S Rushworth
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (MRI), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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23
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Weiss AR, Gillies MJ, Philiastides MG, Apps MA, Whittington MA, FitzGerald JJ, Boccard SG, Aziz TZ, Green AL. Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortices Differentially Lateralize Prediction Errors and Outcome Valence in a Decision-Making Task. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:203. [PMID: 29872384 PMCID: PMC5972193 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) is proposed to facilitate learning by signaling mismatches between the expected outcome of decisions and the actual outcomes in the form of prediction errors. The dACC is also proposed to discriminate outcome valence-whether a result has positive (either expected or desirable) or negative (either unexpected or undesirable) value. However, direct electrophysiological recordings from human dACC to validate these separate, but integrated, dimensions have not been previously performed. We hypothesized that local field potentials (LFPs) would reveal changes in the dACC related to prediction error and valence and used the unique opportunity offered by deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in the dACC of three human subjects to test this hypothesis. We used a cognitive task that involved the presentation of object pairs, a motor response, and audiovisual feedback to guide future object selection choices. The dACC displayed distinctly lateralized theta frequency (3-8 Hz) event-related potential responses-the left hemisphere dACC signaled outcome valence and prediction errors while the right hemisphere dACC was involved in prediction formation. Multivariate analyses provided evidence that the human dACC response to decision outcomes reflects two spatiotemporally distinct early and late systems that are consistent with both our lateralized electrophysiological results and the involvement of the theta frequency oscillatory activity in dACC cognitive processing. Further findings suggested that dACC does not respond to other phases of action-outcome-feedback tasks such as the motor response which supports the notion that dACC primarily signals information that is crucial for behavioral monitoring and not for motor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Weiss
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Neurophysiological Pharmacology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Martin J Gillies
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Marios G Philiastides
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew A Apps
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - James J FitzGerald
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra G Boccard
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tipu Z Aziz
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander L Green
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Kluger DS, Schubotz RI. Strategic adaptation to non-reward prediction error qualities and irreducible uncertainty in fMRI. Cortex 2017; 97:32-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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25
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Medial Frontal Lobe Neurochemistry in Autism Spectrum Disorder is Marked by Reduced N-Acetylaspartate and Unchanged Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid and Glutamate + Glutamine Levels. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 48:1467-1482. [PMID: 29177616 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3406-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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26
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Beyond negative valence: 2-week administration of a serotonergic antidepressant enhances both reward and effort learning signals. PLoS Biol 2017; 15:e2000756. [PMID: 28207733 PMCID: PMC5331946 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2000756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
To make good decisions, humans need to learn about and integrate different sources of appetitive and aversive information. While serotonin has been linked to value-based decision-making, its role in learning is less clear, with acute manipulations often producing inconsistent results. Here, we show that when the effects of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI, citalopram) are studied over longer timescales, learning is robustly improved. We measured brain activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in volunteers as they performed a concurrent appetitive (money) and aversive (effort) learning task. We found that 2 weeks of citalopram enhanced reward and effort learning signals in a widespread network of brain regions, including ventromedial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex. At a behavioral level, this was accompanied by more robust reward learning. This suggests that serotonin can modulate the ability to learn via a mechanism that is independent of stimulus valence. Such effects may partly underlie SSRIs’ impact in treating psychological illnesses. Our results highlight both a specific function in learning for serotonin and the importance of studying its role across longer timescales. Drugs acting on the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain are commonly prescribed to treat depression, but we still lack a complete understanding of their effects on the brain and behavior. We do, however, know that patients who suffer from depression learn about the links between their choices and pleasant and unpleasant outcomes in a different manner than healthy controls. Neural markers of learning are also weakened in depressed people. Here, we looked at the effects of a short-term course (2 weeks) of a serotonergic antidepressant on brain and behavior in healthy volunteers while they learnt to predict what consequences their choices had in a simple computer task. We found that the antidepressant increased how strongly brain areas concerned with predictions of pleasant and unpleasant consequences became active during learning of the task. At the same time, participants who had taken the antidepressant also performed better on the task. Our results suggest that serotonergic drugs might exert their beneficial clinical effects by changing how the brain learns.
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