Does dopamine synthesis capacity predict individual variation in curiosity?

Lieshout, Lieke L. F. van; Bosch, van den Robert; Hofmans, Lieke; Lange, Floris P. de; Cools, Roshan

doi:10.1101/2020.10.13.337477

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…The current experiments did not provide convincing support for the hypothesis that the effect of outcome uncertainty was stronger for gains than losses (for replications see [38,39]). This suggests that the bias to seek information about positive compared with negative events operates largely independently from the outcome uncertainty effect.…”

Section: Multiple Drives Represent Independent Mechanisms Of Curiositycontrasting

confidence: 86%

Curiosity or savouring? Information seeking is modulated by both uncertainty and valence

et al. 2021

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Curiosity is pervasive in our everyday lives, but we know little about the factors that contribute to this drive. In the current study, we assessed whether curiosity about uncertain outcomes is modulated by the valence of the information, i.e. whether the information is good or bad news. Using a lottery task in which outcome uncertainty, expected value and outcome valence (gain versus loss) were manipulated independently, we found that curiosity is overall higher for gains compared with losses and that curiosity increased with increasing outcome uncertainty for both gains and losses. These effects of uncertainty and valence did not interact, indicating that the motivation to reduce uncertainty and the motivation to maximize positive information represent separate, independent drives.

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Section: Multiple Drives Represent Independent Mechanisms Of Curiositycontrasting

confidence: 86%

Curiosity or savouring? Information seeking is modulated by both uncertainty and valence

et al. 2021

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“…Therefore, dopamine may influence how expected negative outcomes are processed in the midbrain or ventral striatum, in turn making information about these outcomes less aversive. Using 18 F-FDOPA PET scanning to quantify individual dopamine synthesis capacity, Van Lieshout et al (2020) replicated the behavioral finding that curiosity increases as a function of outcome valence (i.e., higher for expected gains than for expected losses). Yet they found no evidence that individual differences in curiosity or the sensitivity to outcome valence was related to dopamine synthesis in ventral striatum, caudate or putamen.…”

Section: Valence-dependent Information-seeking: Neural Mechanisms Of the Preference For Good Newsmentioning

confidence: 73%

Information-seeking in the brain

Charpentier¹,

Dezza²

2021

Preprint

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Recent advancements in psychology, behavioral economics and neuroscience have shown the human pursuit of knowledge to be an essential aspect of human cognition. It drives intellectual development, is integral to social interactions, and is crucial for learning, decision-making and goal-directed behavior. Information appears to be valuable in and of itself, even when it has no apparent use, whereas at other times, instrumental information is actively and paradoxically avoided. With this complex role, a wide range of neural mechanisms can be deployed to assign value to information and drive decisions to seek (or avoid) information. Evidence points towards key roles for the mesolimbic system and the prefrontal cortex in these processes. Specifically, two different networks appear to be involved in the implementation of information-seeking behaviors. One network, overlapping with areas involved in processing primary and monetary rewards, appear to drive a general preference for information, as well as valence-dependent information-seeking. The other network, independent of reward processing, is recruited when information is acquired to reduce uncertainty. In this chapter, we review some of the most recent discoveries in the field to provide an overview of the neural basis of information-seeking.

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“…At the beginning of a session, we measured baseline subjective measures, mood and affect, as well as temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure at baseline (also recorded after drug administration). Other tasks completed by participants, the results of which have been reported elsewhere, included tasks assessing sensitivity to cognitive effort costs and benefits [24,27], tasks measuring creativity [68,69], and a Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer task [59]. Participants also completed two tasks in the fMRI scanner: one measuring striatal responsivity to reward cues and a reversal learning task [60].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…elsewhere, included tasks assessing sensitivity to cognitive effort costs and benefits [24,27], tasks measuring creativity [68,69], and a Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer task [59]. Participants also completed two tasks in the fMRI scanner: one measuring striatal responsivity to reward cues and a reversal learning task [60].…”

Section: General Procedures and Tasksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Striatal Dopamine Can Enhance Learning, Both Fast and Slow, and Also Make it Cheaper

Westbrook,

van den Bosch,

Hofmans

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Associations can be learned incrementally, via reinforcement learning (RL), or stored instantly in working memory (WM). While WM is fast, it is also capacity-limited and effortful. Striatal dopamine may promote RL plasticity, and WM, by facilitating updating and effort exertion. Yet, prior studies have failed to distinguish between dopamine's effects on RL versus WM. N = 100 participants completed a paradigm isolating these systems in a double-blind study measuring dopamine synthesis with [18F]-FDOPA imaging and manipulating dopamine with methylphenidate and sulpiride. Learning is enhanced among high synthesis capacity individuals and by methylphenidate, but impaired by sulpiride. Methylphenidate also blunts effort cost learning. Computational modeling reveals that individuals with high dopamine synthesis rely more on WM, while methylphenidate boosts their RL rates. The D2 antagonist sulpiride reduces accuracy due to diminished WM involvement and faster WM decay. We conclude that dopamine enhances both slow RL, and fast WM, by promoting plasticity and reducing effort sensitivity. These results also highlight the need to control for dopamine's effects on WM when testing its effects on RL.

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Does dopamine synthesis capacity predict individual variation in curiosity?

Cited by 5 publications

References 46 publications

Curiosity or savouring? Information seeking is modulated by both uncertainty and valence

Curiosity or savouring? Information seeking is modulated by both uncertainty and valence

Information-seeking in the brain

Striatal Dopamine Can Enhance Learning, Both Fast and Slow, and Also Make it Cheaper

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