Pharmacological investigations of effort-based decision-making in humans: Naltrexone and nicotine
Many mental health disorders are characterized by an impaired ability, or willingness, to exert effort to obtain rewards. This impairment is modeled in effort-based decision tasks, and neuropharmacological studies implicate dopamine in this process. However, other transmitter systems such as opioide...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2022-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9534411/?tool=EBI |
| _version_ | 1811195960054775808 |
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| author | Cecilia Nunez Jennifer K. Hoots Scott T. Schepers Michael Bower Harriet de Wit Margaret C. Wardle |
| author_facet | Cecilia Nunez Jennifer K. Hoots Scott T. Schepers Michael Bower Harriet de Wit Margaret C. Wardle |
| author_sort | Cecilia Nunez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many mental health disorders are characterized by an impaired ability, or willingness, to exert effort to obtain rewards. This impairment is modeled in effort-based decision tasks, and neuropharmacological studies implicate dopamine in this process. However, other transmitter systems such as opioidergic and cholinergic systems have received less attention. Here, in two separate studies we tested the acute effects of naltrexone and nicotine on effort-based decision-making in healthy adults. In Study 1, we compared naltrexone (50mg and 25mg) to placebo, and in Study 2, a pilot study, we compared nicotine (7mg) to placebo. In both studies, participants completed the Effort Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT), which measured effort-based decision-making related to monetary rewards. Although subjects expended greater effort for larger reward magnitude and when there was a higher probability of receiving the reward, neither naltrexone nor nicotine affected willingness to exert effort for monetary rewards. Although the drugs produced significant and typical drug effects on measures of mood and behavior, they did not alter effort-based decision-making. This has implications both for the clinical use of these drugs, as well as for understanding the neuropharmacology of effort-related behavior. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:50:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d06022d173b84c028e40370d30382124 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:50:47Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-d06022d173b84c028e40370d303821242022-12-22T03:54:44ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-011710Pharmacological investigations of effort-based decision-making in humans: Naltrexone and nicotineCecilia NunezJennifer K. HootsScott T. SchepersMichael BowerHarriet de WitMargaret C. WardleMany mental health disorders are characterized by an impaired ability, or willingness, to exert effort to obtain rewards. This impairment is modeled in effort-based decision tasks, and neuropharmacological studies implicate dopamine in this process. However, other transmitter systems such as opioidergic and cholinergic systems have received less attention. Here, in two separate studies we tested the acute effects of naltrexone and nicotine on effort-based decision-making in healthy adults. In Study 1, we compared naltrexone (50mg and 25mg) to placebo, and in Study 2, a pilot study, we compared nicotine (7mg) to placebo. In both studies, participants completed the Effort Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT), which measured effort-based decision-making related to monetary rewards. Although subjects expended greater effort for larger reward magnitude and when there was a higher probability of receiving the reward, neither naltrexone nor nicotine affected willingness to exert effort for monetary rewards. Although the drugs produced significant and typical drug effects on measures of mood and behavior, they did not alter effort-based decision-making. This has implications both for the clinical use of these drugs, as well as for understanding the neuropharmacology of effort-related behavior.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9534411/?tool=EBI |
| spellingShingle | Cecilia Nunez Jennifer K. Hoots Scott T. Schepers Michael Bower Harriet de Wit Margaret C. Wardle Pharmacological investigations of effort-based decision-making in humans: Naltrexone and nicotine PLoS ONE |
| title | Pharmacological investigations of effort-based decision-making in humans: Naltrexone and nicotine |
| title_full | Pharmacological investigations of effort-based decision-making in humans: Naltrexone and nicotine |
| title_fullStr | Pharmacological investigations of effort-based decision-making in humans: Naltrexone and nicotine |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pharmacological investigations of effort-based decision-making in humans: Naltrexone and nicotine |
| title_short | Pharmacological investigations of effort-based decision-making in humans: Naltrexone and nicotine |
| title_sort | pharmacological investigations of effort based decision making in humans naltrexone and nicotine |
| url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9534411/?tool=EBI |
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