Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by decreased Pavlovian influence on instrumental behavior.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by uncontrollable repetitive actions thought to rely on abnormalities within fundamental instrumental learning systems. We investigated cognitive and computational mechanisms underlying Pavlovian biases on instrumental behavior in both clinical OC...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2022-10-01
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| Series: | PLoS Computational Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009945 |
| _version_ | 1811169463522820096 |
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| author | Ziwen Peng Luning He Rongzhen Wen Tom Verguts Carol A Seger Qi Chen |
| author_facet | Ziwen Peng Luning He Rongzhen Wen Tom Verguts Carol A Seger Qi Chen |
| author_sort | Ziwen Peng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by uncontrollable repetitive actions thought to rely on abnormalities within fundamental instrumental learning systems. We investigated cognitive and computational mechanisms underlying Pavlovian biases on instrumental behavior in both clinical OCD patients and healthy controls using a Pavlovian-Instrumental Transfer (PIT) task. PIT is typically evidenced by increased responding in the presence of a positive (previously rewarded) Pavlovian cue, and reduced responding in the presence of a negative cue. Thirty OCD patients and thirty-one healthy controls completed the Pavlovian Instrumental Transfer test, which included instrumental training, Pavlovian training for positive, negative and neutral cues, and a PIT phase in which participants performed the instrumental task in the presence of the Pavlovian cues. Modified Rescorla-Wagner models were fitted to trial-by-trial data of participants to estimate underlying computational mechanism and quantify individual differences during training and transfer stages. Bayesian hierarchical methods were used to estimate free parameters and compare the models. Behavioral and computational results indicated a weaker Pavlovian influence on instrumental behavior in OCD patients than in HC, especially for negative Pavlovian cues. Our results contrast with the increased PIT effects reported for another set of disorders characterized by compulsivity, substance use disorders, in which PIT is enhanced. A possible reason for the reduced PIT in OCD may be impairment in using the contextual information provided by the cues to appropriately adjust behavior, especially when inhibiting responding when a negative cue is present. This study provides deeper insight into our understanding of deficits in OCD from the perspective of Pavlovian influences on instrumental behavior and may have implications for OCD treatment modalities focused on reducing compulsive behaviors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T16:42:49Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1553-734X 1553-7358 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T16:42:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Computational Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-fd540c4ae3e145d3b22175d178faa34a2023-02-08T05:31:00ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Computational Biology1553-734X1553-73582022-10-011810e100994510.1371/journal.pcbi.1009945Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by decreased Pavlovian influence on instrumental behavior.Ziwen PengLuning HeRongzhen WenTom VergutsCarol A SegerQi ChenObsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by uncontrollable repetitive actions thought to rely on abnormalities within fundamental instrumental learning systems. We investigated cognitive and computational mechanisms underlying Pavlovian biases on instrumental behavior in both clinical OCD patients and healthy controls using a Pavlovian-Instrumental Transfer (PIT) task. PIT is typically evidenced by increased responding in the presence of a positive (previously rewarded) Pavlovian cue, and reduced responding in the presence of a negative cue. Thirty OCD patients and thirty-one healthy controls completed the Pavlovian Instrumental Transfer test, which included instrumental training, Pavlovian training for positive, negative and neutral cues, and a PIT phase in which participants performed the instrumental task in the presence of the Pavlovian cues. Modified Rescorla-Wagner models were fitted to trial-by-trial data of participants to estimate underlying computational mechanism and quantify individual differences during training and transfer stages. Bayesian hierarchical methods were used to estimate free parameters and compare the models. Behavioral and computational results indicated a weaker Pavlovian influence on instrumental behavior in OCD patients than in HC, especially for negative Pavlovian cues. Our results contrast with the increased PIT effects reported for another set of disorders characterized by compulsivity, substance use disorders, in which PIT is enhanced. A possible reason for the reduced PIT in OCD may be impairment in using the contextual information provided by the cues to appropriately adjust behavior, especially when inhibiting responding when a negative cue is present. This study provides deeper insight into our understanding of deficits in OCD from the perspective of Pavlovian influences on instrumental behavior and may have implications for OCD treatment modalities focused on reducing compulsive behaviors.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009945 |
| spellingShingle | Ziwen Peng Luning He Rongzhen Wen Tom Verguts Carol A Seger Qi Chen Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by decreased Pavlovian influence on instrumental behavior. PLoS Computational Biology |
| title | Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by decreased Pavlovian influence on instrumental behavior. |
| title_full | Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by decreased Pavlovian influence on instrumental behavior. |
| title_fullStr | Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by decreased Pavlovian influence on instrumental behavior. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by decreased Pavlovian influence on instrumental behavior. |
| title_short | Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by decreased Pavlovian influence on instrumental behavior. |
| title_sort | obsessive compulsive disorder is characterized by decreased pavlovian influence on instrumental behavior |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009945 |
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