Distinct reinforcement learning profiles distinguish between language and attentional neurodevelopmental disorders

Abstract

Background Theoretical models posit abnormalities in cortico-striatal pathways in two of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders (Developmental dyslexia, DD, and Attention deficit hyperactive disorder, ADHD), but it is still unclear what distinct cortico-striatal dysfunction might distinguish language disorders from others that exhibit very different symptomatology. Although impairments in tasks that depend on the cortico-striatal network, including reinforcement learning (RL), have been implicated in both disorders, there has been little attempt to dissociate between different types of RL or to compare learning processes in these two types of disorders. The present study builds upon prior research indicating the existence of two learning manifestations of RL and evaluates whether these processes can be differentiated in language and attention deficit disorders. We used a two-step RL task shown to dissociate model-based from model-free learning in human learners. Results Our results show that, relative to neurotypicals, DD individuals showed an impairment in model-free but not in model-based learning, whereas in ADHD the ability to use both model-free and model-based learning strategies was significantly compromised. Conclusions Thus, learning impairments in DD may be linked to a selective deficit in the ability to form action-outcome associations based on previous history, whereas in ADHD some learning deficits may be related to an incapacity to pursue rewards based on the tasks' structure. Our results indicate how different patterns of learning deficits may underlie different disorders, and how computation-minded experimental approaches can differentiate between them.

Differential processing of delay versus uncertainty in male but not female 16p11.2 hemideletion mice

“…At the beginning of our study, we set out to challenge decision-making in 16p11.2 hemideletion mice in order to determine the impact of a copy number variant related to neurodevelopmental disorders. We chose delay and probability discounting tasks because they assess different aspects of reward-guided decision-making, of which is altered in neurodevelopmental disorders (Clements et al, 2022; Damiano et al, 2012; Mosner et al, 2017; Nissan et al, 2023). Using our battery of decision-making tasks, we provide evidence that 16p11.2 hemideletion impacts choices in two types of discounting tasks.…”

Impact of AI-Powered Solutions in Rehabilitation Process: Recent Improvements and Future Trends

“…The work of 60 considers the cortical Striatal pathway for two common neurodevelopmental disorders. Differentiation between corticostriatal dysfunction in learning and attentional disorder has been studied through RL approaches by observing the cognitive processes involved.…”

Do model-based and model-free reinforcement learning correspond to goal-directed and habitual actions, respectively? A systematic review.

“…Findings show that individual participants tend to utilise a combination of model-based and model-free RL in the two-step task (Glascher et al, 2010;Daw et al, 2011). Individual differences in the likelihood to prefer model-based over model-free RL could be linked to individual variances in working memory (Otto et al, 2013), temporal discounting (Shenhav et al, 2016), cognitive control (Daw et al, 2005;Otto et al, 2015), social cognition (Hackel et al, 2019), psychiatric conditions associated with compulsivity and social isolation (Gillan et al, 2016), and neurodevelopmental disorders (Nissan et al, 2023).…”

“…Developmentally, RL research has yielded fruitful insights into the gradual maturation of a goal-directed and modelbased cognitive system across adolescence and adulthood (Decker et al, 2016). In fact, performance 28 on the two-step task has been used to distinguish between developmental disorders (Nissan et al, 2023). Additionally, the widespread interest in RL has generated many new studies and unexpected findings in the areas of goal-directed and habitual research.…”