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Associability-modulated loss learning is increased in posttraumatic stress disorder

Disproportionate reactions to unexpected stimuli in the environment are a cardinal symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Here, we test whether these heightened responses are associated with disruptions in distinct components of reinforcement learning. Specifically, using functional neuroi...

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Autores principales: Brown, Vanessa M, Zhu, Lusha, Wang, John M, Frueh, B Christopher, King-Casas, Brooks, Chiu, Pearl H
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5760201/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29313489
http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.30150
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author Brown, Vanessa M
Zhu, Lusha
Wang, John M
Frueh, B Christopher
King-Casas, Brooks
Chiu, Pearl H
author_facet Brown, Vanessa M
Zhu, Lusha
Wang, John M
Frueh, B Christopher
King-Casas, Brooks
Chiu, Pearl H
author_sort Brown, Vanessa M
collection PubMed
description Disproportionate reactions to unexpected stimuli in the environment are a cardinal symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Here, we test whether these heightened responses are associated with disruptions in distinct components of reinforcement learning. Specifically, using functional neuroimaging, a loss-learning task, and a computational model-based approach, we assessed the mechanistic hypothesis that overreactions to stimuli in PTSD arise from anomalous gating of attention during learning (i.e., associability). Behavioral choices of combat-deployed veterans with and without PTSD were fit to a reinforcement learning model, generating trial-by-trial prediction errors (signaling unexpected outcomes) and associability values (signaling attention allocation to the unexpected outcomes). Neural substrates of associability value and behavioral parameter estimates of associability updating, but not prediction error, increased with PTSD during loss learning. Moreover, the interaction of PTSD severity with neural markers of associability value predicted behavioral choices. These results indicate that increased attention-based learning may underlie aspects of PTSD and suggest potential neuromechanistic treatment targets.
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spelling pubmed-57602012018-01-10 Associability-modulated loss learning is increased in posttraumatic stress disorder Brown, Vanessa M Zhu, Lusha Wang, John M Frueh, B Christopher King-Casas, Brooks Chiu, Pearl H eLife Neuroscience Disproportionate reactions to unexpected stimuli in the environment are a cardinal symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Here, we test whether these heightened responses are associated with disruptions in distinct components of reinforcement learning. Specifically, using functional neuroimaging, a loss-learning task, and a computational model-based approach, we assessed the mechanistic hypothesis that overreactions to stimuli in PTSD arise from anomalous gating of attention during learning (i.e., associability). Behavioral choices of combat-deployed veterans with and without PTSD were fit to a reinforcement learning model, generating trial-by-trial prediction errors (signaling unexpected outcomes) and associability values (signaling attention allocation to the unexpected outcomes). Neural substrates of associability value and behavioral parameter estimates of associability updating, but not prediction error, increased with PTSD during loss learning. Moreover, the interaction of PTSD severity with neural markers of associability value predicted behavioral choices. These results indicate that increased attention-based learning may underlie aspects of PTSD and suggest potential neuromechanistic treatment targets. eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd 2018-01-09 /pmc/articles/PMC5760201/ /pubmed/29313489 http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.30150 Text en © 2017, Brown et al http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
spellingShingle Neuroscience
Brown, Vanessa M
Zhu, Lusha
Wang, John M
Frueh, B Christopher
King-Casas, Brooks
Chiu, Pearl H
Associability-modulated loss learning is increased in posttraumatic stress disorder
title Associability-modulated loss learning is increased in posttraumatic stress disorder
title_full Associability-modulated loss learning is increased in posttraumatic stress disorder
title_fullStr Associability-modulated loss learning is increased in posttraumatic stress disorder
title_full_unstemmed Associability-modulated loss learning is increased in posttraumatic stress disorder
title_short Associability-modulated loss learning is increased in posttraumatic stress disorder
title_sort associability-modulated loss learning is increased in posttraumatic stress disorder
topic Neuroscience
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5760201/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29313489
http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.30150
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