@misc{ChenNebeMojtahedzadehetal.2020, author = {Chen, Hao and Nebe, Stephan and Mojtahedzadeh, Negin and Kuitunen-Paul, Soren and Garbusow, Maria and Schad, Daniel and Rapp, Michael A. and Huys, Quentin J. M. and Heinz, Andreas and Smolka, Michael N.}, title = {Susceptibility to interference between Pavlovian and instrumental control is associated with early hazardous alcohol use}, series = {Zweitver{\"o}ffentlichungen der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Zweitver{\"o}ffentlichungen der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {4}, issn = {1866-8364}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-56960}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-569609}, pages = {16}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) tasks examine the influence of Pavlovian stimuli on ongoing instrumental behaviour. Previous studies reported associations between a strong PIT effect, high-risk drinking and alcohol use disorder. This study investigated whether susceptibility to interference between Pavlovian and instrumental control is linked to risky alcohol use in a community sample of 18-year-old male adults. Participants (N = 191) were instructed to 'collect good shells' and 'leave bad shells' during the presentation of appetitive (monetary reward), aversive (monetary loss) or neutral Pavlovian stimuli. We compared instrumental error rates (ER) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain responses between the congruent and incongruent conditions, as well as among high-risk and low-risk drinking groups. On average, individuals showed a substantial PIT effect, that is, increased ER when Pavlovian cues and instrumental stimuli were in conflict compared with congruent trials. Neural PIT correlates were found in the ventral striatum and the dorsomedial and lateral prefrontal cortices (lPFC). Importantly, high-risk drinking was associated with a stronger behavioural PIT effect, a decreased lPFC response and an increased neural response in the ventral striatum on the trend level. Moreover, high-risk drinkers showed weaker connectivity from the ventral striatum to the lPFC during incongruent trials. Our study links interference during PIT to drinking behaviour in healthy, young adults. High-risk drinkers showed higher susceptibility to Pavlovian cues, especially when they conflicted with instrumental behaviour, indicating lower interference control abilities. Increased activity in the ventral striatum (bottom-up), decreased lPFC response (top-down), and their altered interplay may contribute to poor interference control in the high-risk drinkers.}, language = {en} } @article{ObstSchadHuysetal.2018, author = {Obst, Elisabeth and Schad, Daniel and Huys, Quentin J. M. and Sebold, Miriam and Nebe, Stephan and Sommer, Christian and Smolka, Michael N. and Zimmermann, Ulrich S.}, title = {Drunk decisions}, series = {Journal of Psychopharmacology}, volume = {32}, journal = {Journal of Psychopharmacology}, number = {8}, publisher = {Sage Publ.}, address = {London}, issn = {0269-8811}, doi = {10.1177/0269881118772454}, pages = {855 -- 866}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Background: Studies in humans and animals suggest a shift from goal-directed to habitual decision-making in addiction. We therefore tested whether acute alcohol administration reduces goal-directed and promotes habitual decision-making, and whether these effects are moderated by self-reported drinking problems. Methods: Fifty-three socially drinking males completed the two-step task in a randomised crossover design while receiving an intravenous infusion of ethanol (blood alcohol level=80 mg\%), or placebo. To minimise potential bias by long-standing heavy drinking and subsequent neuropsychological impairment, we tested 18- to 19-year-old adolescents. Results: Alcohol administration consistently reduced habitual, model-free decisions, while its effects on goal-directed, model-based behaviour varied as a function of drinking problems measured with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. While adolescents with low risk for drinking problems (scoring <8) exhibited an alcohol-induced numerical reduction in goal-directed choices, intermediate-risk drinkers showed a shift away from habitual towards goal-directed decision-making, such that alcohol possibly even improved their performance. Conclusions: We assume that alcohol disrupted basic cognitive functions underlying habitual and goal-directed decisions in low-risk drinkers, thereby enhancing hasty choices. Further, we speculate that intermediate-risk drinkers benefited from alcohol as a negative reinforcer that reduced unpleasant emotional states, possibly displaying a novel risk factor for drinking in adolescence.}, language = {en} } @article{GarbusowSchadSommeretal.2014, author = {Garbusow, Maria and Schad, Daniel and Sommer, Christian and Juenger, Elisabeth and Sebold, Miriam and Friedel, Eva and Wendt, Jean and Kathmann, Norbert and Schlagenhauf, Florian and Zimmermann, Ulrich S. and Heinz, Andreas and Huys, Quentin J. M. and Rapp, Michael A.}, title = {Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer in alcohol dependence: a pilot study}, series = {Neuropsychobiology : international journal of experimental and clinical research in biological psychiatry, pharmacopsychiatry, Biological Psychology/Pharmacopsychology and Pharmacoelectroencephalography}, volume = {70}, journal = {Neuropsychobiology : international journal of experimental and clinical research in biological psychiatry, pharmacopsychiatry, Biological Psychology/Pharmacopsychology and Pharmacoelectroencephalography}, number = {2}, publisher = {Karger}, address = {Basel}, issn = {0302-282X}, doi = {10.1159/000363507}, pages = {111 -- 121}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Background: Pavlovian processes are thought to play an important role in the development, maintenance and relapse of alcohol dependence, possibly by influencing and usurping ongoing thought and behavior. The influence of pavlovian stimuli on ongoing behavior is paradigmatically measured by pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) tasks. These involve multiple stages and are complex. Whether increased PIT is involved in human alcohol dependence is uncertain. We therefore aimed to establish and validate a modified PIT paradigm that would be robust, consistent and tolerated by healthy controls as well as by patients suffering from alcohol dependence, and to explore whether alcohol dependence is associated with enhanced PIT. Methods: Thirty-two recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients and 32 age- and gender-matched healthy controls performed a PIT task with instrumental go/no-go approach behaviors. The task involved both pavlovian stimuli associated with monetary rewards and losses, and images of drinks. Results: Both patients and healthy controls showed a robust and temporally stable PIT effect. Strengths of PIT effects to drug-related and monetary conditioned stimuli were highly correlated. Patients more frequently showed a PIT effect, and the effect was stronger in response to aversively conditioned CSs (conditioned suppression), but there was no group difference in response to appetitive CSs. Conclusion: The implementation of PIT has favorably robust properties in chronic alcohol-dependent patients and in healthy controls. It shows internal consistency between monetary and drug-related cues. The findings support an association of alcohol dependence with an increased propensity towards PIT.}, language = {en} } @article{SeboldDesernoNebeetal.2014, author = {Sebold, Miriam and Deserno, Lorenz and Nebe, Stefan and Schad, Daniel and Garbusow, Maria and Haegele, Claudia and Keller, Juergen and Juenger, Elisabeth and Kathmann, Norbert and Smolka, Michael N. and Rapp, Michael A. and Schlagenhauf, Florian and Heinz, Andreas and Huys, Quentin J. M.}, title = {Model-based and model-free decisions in alcohol dependence}, series = {Neuropsychobiology : international journal of experimental and clinical research in biological psychiatry, pharmacopsychiatry, Biological Psychology/Pharmacopsychology and Pharmacoelectroencephalography}, volume = {70}, journal = {Neuropsychobiology : international journal of experimental and clinical research in biological psychiatry, pharmacopsychiatry, Biological Psychology/Pharmacopsychology and Pharmacoelectroencephalography}, number = {2}, publisher = {Karger}, address = {Basel}, issn = {0302-282X}, doi = {10.1159/000362840}, pages = {122 -- 131}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Background: Human and animal work suggests a shift from goal-directed to habitual decision-making in addiction. However, the evidence for this in human alcohol dependence is as yet inconclusive. Methods: Twenty-six healthy controls and 26 recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients underwent behavioral testing with a 2-step task designed to disentangle goal-directed and habitual response patterns. Results: Alcohol-dependent patients showed less evidence of goal-directed choices than healthy controls, particularly after losses. There was no difference in the strength of the habitual component. The group differences did not survive controlling for performance on the Digit Symbol Substitution Task. Conclusion: Chronic alcohol use appears to selectively impair goal-directed function, rather than promoting habitual responding. It appears to do so particularly after nonrewards, and this may be mediated by the effects of alcohol on more general cognitive functions subserved by the prefrontal cortex.}, language = {en} } @article{SchadGarbusowFriedeletal.2018, author = {Schad, Daniel and Garbusow, Maria and Friedel, Eva and Sommer, Christian and Sebold, Miriam and H{\"a}gele, Claudia and Bernhardt, Nadine and Nebe, Stephan and Kuitunen-Paul, S{\"o}ren and Liu, Shuyan and Eichmann, Uta and Beck, Anne and Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich and Walter, Henrik and Sterzer, Philipp and Zimmermann, Ulrich S. and Smolka, Michael N. and Schlagenhauf, Florian and Huys, Quentin J. M. and Heinz, Andreas and Rapp, Michael A.}, title = {Neural correlates of instrumental responding in the context of alcohol-related cues index disorder severity and relapse risk}, series = {European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience : official organ of the German Society for Biological Psychiatry}, volume = {269}, journal = {European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience : official organ of the German Society for Biological Psychiatry}, number = {3}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {0940-1334}, doi = {10.1007/s00406-017-0860-4}, pages = {295 -- 308}, year = {2018}, abstract = {The influence of Pavlovian conditioned stimuli on ongoing behavior may contribute to explaining how alcohol cues stimulate drug seeking and intake. Using a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer task, we investigated the effects of alcohol-related cues on approach behavior (i.e., instrumental response behavior) and its neural correlates, and related both to the relapse after detoxification in alcohol-dependent patients. Thirty-one recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients and 24 healthy controls underwent instrumental training, where approach or non-approach towards initially neutral stimuli was reinforced by monetary incentives. Approach behavior was tested during extinction with either alcohol-related or neutral stimuli (as Pavlovian cues) presented in the background during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Patients were subsequently followed up for 6 months. We observed that alcohol-related background stimuli inhibited the approach behavior in detoxified alcohol-dependent patients (t = -3.86, p < .001), but not in healthy controls (t = -0.92, p = .36). This behavioral inhibition was associated with neural activation in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) (t((30)) = 2.06, p < .05). Interestingly, both the effects were only present in subsequent abstainers, but not relapsers and in those with mild but not severe dependence. Our data show that alcohol-related cues can acquire inhibitory behavioral features typical of aversive stimuli despite being accompanied by a stronger NAcc activation, suggesting salience attribution. The fact that these findings are restricted to abstinence and milder illness suggests that they may be potential resilience factors.}, language = {en} } @article{SeboldSchadNebeetal.2016, author = {Sebold, Miriam and Schad, Daniel and Nebe, Stephan and Garbusow, Maria and Juenger, Elisabeth and Kroemer, Nils B. and Kathmann, Norbert and Zimmermann, Ulrich S. and Smolka, Michael N. and Rapp, Michael A. and Heinz, Andreas and Huys, Quentin J. M.}, title = {Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer Effects Rely Less on Model-based Reinforcement Learning}, series = {Journal of cognitive neuroscience}, volume = {28}, journal = {Journal of cognitive neuroscience}, publisher = {MIT Press}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {0898-929X}, doi = {10.1162/jocn_a_00945}, pages = {985 -- 995}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Behavioral choice can be characterized along two axes. One axis distinguishes reflexive, model-free systems that slowly accumulate values through experience and a model-based system that uses knowledge to reason prospectively. The second axis distinguishes Pavlovian valuation of stimuli from instrumental valuation of actions or stimulus-action pairs. This results in four values and many possible interactions between them, with important consequences for accounts of individual variation. We here explored whether individual variation along one axis was related to individual variation along the other. Specifically, we asked whether individuals' balance between model-based and model-free learning was related to their tendency to show Pavlovian interferences with instrumental decisions. In two independent samples with a total of 243 participants, Pavlovian-instrumental transfer effects were negatively correlated with the strength of model-based reasoning in a two-step task. This suggests a potential common underlying substrate predisposing individuals to both have strong Pavlovian interference and be less model-based and provides a framework within which to interpret the observation of both effects in addiction.}, language = {en} } @article{SchadJuengerSeboldetal.2014, author = {Schad, Daniel and Juenger, Elisabeth and Sebold, Miriam and Garbusow, Maria and Bernhardt, Nadine and Javadi, Amir-Homayoun and Zimmermann, Ulrich S. and Smolka, Michael N. and Heinz, Andreas and Rapp, Michael A. and Huys, Quentin J. M.}, title = {Processing speed enhances model-based over model-free reinforcement learning in the presence of high working memory functioning}, series = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {5}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, publisher = {Frontiers Research Foundation}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01450}, pages = {10}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Theories of decision-making and its neural substrates have long assumed the existence of two distinct and competing valuation systems, variously described as goal-directed vs. habitual, or, more recently and based on statistical arguments, as model-free vs. model-based reinforcement-learning. Though both have been shown to control choices, the cognitive abilities associated with these systems are under ongoing investigation. Here we examine the link to cognitive abilities, and find that individual differences in processing speed covary with a shift from model-free to model-based choice control in the presence of above-average working memory function. This suggests shared cognitive and neural processes; provides a bridge between literatures on intelligence and valuation; and may guide the development of process models of different valuation components. Furthermore, it provides a rationale for individual differences in the tendency to deploy valuation systems, which may be important for understanding the manifold neuropsychiatric diseases associated with malfunctions of valuation.}, language = {en} } @article{DesernoBeckHuysetal.2015, author = {Deserno, Lorenz and Beck, Anne and Huys, Quentin J. M. and Lorenz, Robert C. and Buchert, Ralph and Buchholz, Hans-Georg and Plotkin, Michail and Kumakara, Yoshitaka and Cumming, Paul and Heinze, Hans-Jochen and Grace, Anthony A. and Rapp, Michael A. and Schlagenhauf, Florian and Heinz, Andreas}, title = {Chronic alcohol intake abolishes the relationship between dopamine synthesis capacity and learning signals in the ventral striatum}, series = {European journal of neuroscience}, volume = {41}, journal = {European journal of neuroscience}, number = {4}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0953-816X}, doi = {10.1111/ejn.12802}, pages = {477 -- 486}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Drugs of abuse elicit dopamine release in the ventral striatum, possibly biasing dopamine-driven reinforcement learning towards drug-related reward at the expense of non-drug-related reward. Indeed, in alcohol-dependent patients, reactivity in dopaminergic target areas is shifted from non-drug-related stimuli towards drug-related stimuli. Such hijacked' dopamine signals may impair flexible learning from non-drug-related rewards, and thus promote craving for the drug of abuse. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure ventral striatal activation by reward prediction errors (RPEs) during a probabilistic reversal learning task in recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients and healthy controls (N=27). All participants also underwent 6-[F-18]fluoro-DOPA positron emission tomography to assess ventral striatal dopamine synthesis capacity. Neither ventral striatal activation by RPEs nor striatal dopamine synthesis capacity differed between groups. However, ventral striatal coding of RPEs correlated inversely with craving in patients. Furthermore, we found a negative correlation between ventral striatal coding of RPEs and dopamine synthesis capacity in healthy controls, but not in alcohol-dependent patients. Moderator analyses showed that the magnitude of the association between dopamine synthesis capacity and RPE coding depended on the amount of chronic, habitual alcohol intake. Despite the relatively small sample size, a power analysis supports the reported results. Using a multimodal imaging approach, this study suggests that dopaminergic modulation of neural learning signals is disrupted in alcohol dependence in proportion to long-term alcohol intake of patients. Alcohol intake may perpetuate itself by interfering with dopaminergic modulation of neural learning signals in the ventral striatum, thus increasing craving for habitual drug intake.}, language = {en} } @misc{GarbusowSommerNebeetal.2018, author = {Garbusow, Maria and Sommer, Christian and Nebe, Stephan and Sebold, Miriam and Kuitunen-Paul, S{\"o}ren and Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich and Smolka, Michael N. and Zimmermann, Ulrich S. and Rapp, Michael A. and Huys, Quentin J. M. and Schlagenhauf, Florian and Heinz, Andreas}, title = {Multi-level evidence of general pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer in alcohol use disorder}, series = {Alcoholism : clinical and experimental research ; the official journal of the American Medical Society on Alcoholism and the Research Society on Alcoholism}, volume = {42}, journal = {Alcoholism : clinical and experimental research ; the official journal of the American Medical Society on Alcoholism and the Research Society on Alcoholism}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0145-6008}, pages = {128A -- 128A}, year = {2018}, language = {en} } @misc{SeboldNebeGarbusowetal.2017, author = {Sebold, Miriam and Nebe, Stephan and Garbusow, Maria and Schad, Daniel and Sommer, Christian and Rapp, Michael A. and Smolka, Michael N. and Huys, Quentin J. M. and Schlagenhauf, Florian and Heinz, Andreas}, title = {Neurobiological correlates of learning and decision-making in alcohol dependence}, series = {European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists}, volume = {41}, journal = {European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Paris}, issn = {0924-9338}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.084}, pages = {S11 -- S11}, year = {2017}, language = {en} } @article{NebeKroemerSchadetal.2017, author = {Nebe, Stephan and Kroemer, Nils B. and Schad, Daniel and Bernhardt, Nadine and Sebold, Miriam and Mueller, Dirk K. and Scholl, Lucie and Kuitunen-Paul, S{\"o}ren and Heinz, Andreas and Rapp, Michael A. and Huys, Quentin J. M. and Smolka, Michael N.}, title = {No association of goal-directed and habitual control with alcohol consumption in young adults}, series = {Addiction biology}, volume = {23}, journal = {Addiction biology}, number = {1}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1355-6215}, doi = {10.1111/adb.12490}, pages = {379 -- 393}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Alcohol dependence is a mental disorder that has been associated with an imbalance in behavioral control favoring model-free habitual over model-based goal-directed strategies. It is as yet unknown, however, whether such an imbalance reflects a predisposing vulnerability or results as a consequence of repeated and/or excessive alcohol exposure. We, therefore, examined the association of alcohol consumption with model-based goal-directed and model-free habitual control in 188 18-year-old social drinkers in a two-step sequential decision-making task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging before prolonged alcohol misuse could have led to severe neurobiological adaptations. Behaviorally, participants showed a mixture of model-free and model-based decision-making as observed previously. Measures of impulsivity were positively related to alcohol consumption. In contrast, neither model-free nor model-based decision weights nor the trade-off between them were associated with alcohol consumption. There were also no significant associations between alcohol consumption and neural correlates of model-free or model-based decision quantities in either ventral striatum or ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Exploratory whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging analyses with a lenient threshold revealed early onset of drinking to be associated with an enhanced representation of model-free reward prediction errors in the posterior putamen. These results suggest that an imbalance between model-based goal-directed and model-free habitual control might rather not be a trait marker of alcohol intake per se.}, language = {en} } @article{SeboldChenOenaletal.2022, author = {Sebold, Miriam and Chen, Hao and {\"O}nal, Aleyna and Kuitunen-Paul, S{\"o}ren and Mojtahedzadeh, Negin and Garbusow, Maria and Nebe, Stephan and Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich and Huys, Quentin J. M. and Schlagenhauf, Florian and Rapp, Michael A. and Smolka, Michael N. and Heinz, Andreas}, title = {Stronger prejudices are associated with decreased model-based control}, series = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, publisher = {Frontiers Research Foundation}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2021.767022}, pages = {10}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background: Prejudices against minorities can be understood as habitually negative evaluations that are kept in spite of evidence to the contrary. Therefore, individuals with strong prejudices might be dominated by habitual or "automatic" reactions at the expense of more controlled reactions. Computational theories suggest individual differences in the balance between habitual/model-free and deliberative/model-based decision-making. Methods: 127 subjects performed the two Step task and completed the blatant and subtle prejudice scale. Results: By using analyses of choices and reaction times in combination with computational modeling, subjects with stronger blatant prejudices showed a shift away from model-based control. There was no association between these decision-making processes and subtle prejudices. Conclusion: These results support the idea that blatant prejudices toward minorities are related to a relative dominance of habitual decision-making. This finding has important implications for developing interventions that target to change prejudices across societies.}, language = {en} }