Increased fronto-striatal reward prediction errors moderate decision making in obsessive–compulsive disorder
Open accessAbstract
Background: Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) has been linked to functional abnormalities in fronto-striatal networks as well as impairments in decision making and learning. Little is known about the neurocognitive mechanisms causing these decision-making and learning deficits in OCD, and how they relate to dysfunction in fronto-striatal networks. Method: We investigated neural mechanisms of decision making in OCD patients, including early and late onset of disorder, in terms of reward prediction errors (RPEs) using functional magnetic resonance imaging. RPEs index a mismatch between expected and received outcomes, encoded by the dopaminergic system, and are known to drive learning and decision making in humans and animals. We used reinforcement learning models and RPE signals to infer the learning mechanisms and to compare behavioural parameters and neural RPE responses of the OCD patients with those of healthy matched controls. Results: Patients with OCD showed significantly increased RPE responses in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the putamen compared with controls. OCD patients also had a significantly lower perseveration parameter than controls. Conclusions: Enhanced RPE signals in the ACC and putamen extend previous findings of fronto-striatal deficits in OCD. These abnormally strong RPEs suggest a hyper-responsive learning network in patients with OCD, which might explain their indecisiveness and intolerance of uncertainty.
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Altered dopaminergic signals during reward learning occur in OCD.
“Altered dopaminergic signals during reward learning have also been reported in OCD [153].”
From Toward a neurocircuit-based taxonomy to guide treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (2021) · cites this paper as [153]
Recently, Hauser et al. (2017) reported increased brain signals in response to reward prediction errors in the anterior cingulate cortex and the putamen, indicating an overactivation of the monitoring system.
“Recently, Hauser et al. (2017) reported increased brain signals in response to reward prediction errors in the anterior cingulate cortex and the putamen, indicating an overactivation of the monitoring system.”
From Dopaminergic drug treatment remediates exaggerated cingulate prediction error responses in obsessive-compulsive disorder (2019) · cites this paper as Hauser et al. 2017
A recent study reported stronger fronto-striatal reward prediction error signals in OCD using an fMRI reinforcement learning paradigm.
“Pronounced anterior cingulate prediction error signals are consistent with a recent study reporting stronger fronto-striatal reward prediction error signals in OCD, also using an fMRI reinforcement learning paradigm (Hauser et al. 2017).”
From Dopaminergic drug treatment remediates exaggerated cingulate prediction error responses in obsessive-compulsive disorder (2019) · cites this paper as Hauser et al. 2017
In stimulant-dependent individuals, pramipexole has been shown to reduce behavioral perseveration during learning tasks, a behavior frequently found in OCD.
“In stimulant-dependent individuals, pramipexole has also been shown to reduce behavioral perseveration during learning tasks (Ersche et al. 2011), a behavior frequently found in OCD (Giele et al. 2016; Hauser et al. 2017; Morris et al. 2017).”
From Dopaminergic drug treatment remediates exaggerated cingulate prediction error responses in obsessive-compulsive disorder (2019) · cites this paper as Hauser et al. 2017
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References 92 · Cited by 86
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Delmo C, Weiffenbach O, Stalder C, Poustka F (2001). Diagnostisches Interview Kiddie-SADS-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL). 5. Auflage der deutschen Forschungsversion, erweitert um ICD-10-Diagnostik (5th Edition of the German Research Version with the Addition of ICD-10 Diagnosis). Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie des Kindes-und Jugendalters: Frankfurt.
- Authors
- Hauser, T. U., Iannaccone, R., Dolan, R. J., Ball, J., Hättenschwiler, J., Drechsler, R., Rufer, M., Brandeis, D., Walitza, S., & Brem, S.
- Affiliations
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (GB)
- University of Zurich (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Hauser, T. U.
- Venue
- Psychological Medicine
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2017-01-09
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1246-1258
- ISSN
- 0033-2917 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8978
- OpenAlex
- W2567996319
- Cited by
- 86
- References
- 92
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5
- FWCI
- 9.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- ETH Zürich Research Collection
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Wellcome Trust (095844/Z/11/Z, 098362/Z/12/Z, 091593/Z/10/Z, 095844)
- University of Cambridge
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (130237, 151641, 091593/Z/10/Z)
- Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (098362/Z/12/Z)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- obsessive-compulsive disorder, reward prediction error, decision-making, fronto-striatal network, anterior cingulate cortex, putamen, reinforcement learning models, perseveration, intolerance of uncertainty, dopaminergic system, early-onset OCD, late-onset OCD
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Decision Making, Female, Gyrus Cinguli, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Putamen, Reinforcement, Psychology, Reward, Young Adult
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