Catecholaminergic modulation of meta-learning
The remarkable expedience of human learning is thought to be underpinned by meta-learning, whereby slow accumulative learning processes are rapidly adjusted to the current learning environment. To date, the neurobiological implementation of meta-learning remains unclear. A burgeoning literature argu...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2019-12-01
|
Series: | eLife |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/51439 |
id |
doaj-3595c7cbfb774e99ad570fdbf7453334 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-3595c7cbfb774e99ad570fdbf74533342021-05-05T18:11:46ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2019-12-01810.7554/eLife.51439Catecholaminergic modulation of meta-learningJennifer L Cook0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4916-8667Jennifer C Swart1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0989-332XMonja I Froböse2Andreea O Diaconescu3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3633-9757Dirk EM Geurts4Hanneke EM den Ouden5Roshan Cools6School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, NetherlandsDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, NetherlandsTranslational Neuromodeling Unit, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics,CAMH, University of Toronto, Toronto, CanadaDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, NetherlandsDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, NetherlandsDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, NetherlandsThe remarkable expedience of human learning is thought to be underpinned by meta-learning, whereby slow accumulative learning processes are rapidly adjusted to the current learning environment. To date, the neurobiological implementation of meta-learning remains unclear. A burgeoning literature argues for an important role for the catecholamines dopamine and noradrenaline in meta-learning. Here, we tested the hypothesis that enhancing catecholamine function modulates the ability to optimise a meta-learning parameter (learning rate) as a function of environmental volatility. 102 participants completed a task which required learning in stable phases, where the probability of reinforcement was constant, and volatile phases, where probabilities changed every 10–30 trials. The catecholamine transporter blocker methylphenidate enhanced participants’ ability to adapt learning rate: Under methylphenidate, compared with placebo, participants exhibited higher learning rates in volatile relative to stable phases. Furthermore, this effect was significant only with respect to direct learning based on the participants’ own experience, there was no significant effect on inferred-value learning where stimulus values had to be inferred. These data demonstrate a causal link between catecholaminergic modulation and the adjustment of the meta-learning parameter learning rate.https://elifesciences.org/articles/51439meta-learningmethylphenidatenoradrenalinedopaminevolatilitylearning rate |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Jennifer L Cook Jennifer C Swart Monja I Froböse Andreea O Diaconescu Dirk EM Geurts Hanneke EM den Ouden Roshan Cools |
spellingShingle |
Jennifer L Cook Jennifer C Swart Monja I Froböse Andreea O Diaconescu Dirk EM Geurts Hanneke EM den Ouden Roshan Cools Catecholaminergic modulation of meta-learning eLife meta-learning methylphenidate noradrenaline dopamine volatility learning rate |
author_facet |
Jennifer L Cook Jennifer C Swart Monja I Froböse Andreea O Diaconescu Dirk EM Geurts Hanneke EM den Ouden Roshan Cools |
author_sort |
Jennifer L Cook |
title |
Catecholaminergic modulation of meta-learning |
title_short |
Catecholaminergic modulation of meta-learning |
title_full |
Catecholaminergic modulation of meta-learning |
title_fullStr |
Catecholaminergic modulation of meta-learning |
title_full_unstemmed |
Catecholaminergic modulation of meta-learning |
title_sort |
catecholaminergic modulation of meta-learning |
publisher |
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
series |
eLife |
issn |
2050-084X |
publishDate |
2019-12-01 |
description |
The remarkable expedience of human learning is thought to be underpinned by meta-learning, whereby slow accumulative learning processes are rapidly adjusted to the current learning environment. To date, the neurobiological implementation of meta-learning remains unclear. A burgeoning literature argues for an important role for the catecholamines dopamine and noradrenaline in meta-learning. Here, we tested the hypothesis that enhancing catecholamine function modulates the ability to optimise a meta-learning parameter (learning rate) as a function of environmental volatility. 102 participants completed a task which required learning in stable phases, where the probability of reinforcement was constant, and volatile phases, where probabilities changed every 10–30 trials. The catecholamine transporter blocker methylphenidate enhanced participants’ ability to adapt learning rate: Under methylphenidate, compared with placebo, participants exhibited higher learning rates in volatile relative to stable phases. Furthermore, this effect was significant only with respect to direct learning based on the participants’ own experience, there was no significant effect on inferred-value learning where stimulus values had to be inferred. These data demonstrate a causal link between catecholaminergic modulation and the adjustment of the meta-learning parameter learning rate. |
topic |
meta-learning methylphenidate noradrenaline dopamine volatility learning rate |
url |
https://elifesciences.org/articles/51439 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT jenniferlcook catecholaminergicmodulationofmetalearning AT jennifercswart catecholaminergicmodulationofmetalearning AT monjaifrobose catecholaminergicmodulationofmetalearning AT andreeaodiaconescu catecholaminergicmodulationofmetalearning AT dirkemgeurts catecholaminergicmodulationofmetalearning AT hannekeemdenouden catecholaminergicmodulationofmetalearning AT roshancools catecholaminergicmodulationofmetalearning |
_version_ |
1721458717568794624 |