Motivation and value influences in the relative balance of goal-directed and habitual behaviours in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Abstract

Our decisions are based on parallel and competing systems of goal-directed and habitual learning, systems which can be impaired in pathological behaviours. Here we focus on the influence of motivation and compare reward and loss outcomes in subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) on model-based goal-directed and model-free habitual behaviours using the two-step task. We further investigate the relationship with acquisition learning using a one-step probabilistic learning task. Forty-eight OCD subjects and 96 healthy volunteers were tested on a reward and 30 OCD subjects and 53 healthy volunteers on the loss version of the two-step task. Thirty-six OCD subjects and 72 healthy volunteers were also tested on a one-step reversal task. OCD subjects compared with healthy volunteers were less goal oriented (model-based) and more habitual (model-free) to reward outcomes with a shift towards greater model-based and lower habitual choices to loss outcomes. OCD subjects also had enhanced acquisition learning to loss outcomes on the one-step task, which correlated with goal-directed learning in the two-step task. OCD subjects had greater stay behaviours or perseveration in the one-step task irrespective of outcome. Compulsion severity was correlated with habitual learning in the reward condition. Obsession severity was correlated with greater switching after loss outcomes. In healthy volunteers, we further show that greater reward magnitudes are associated with a shift towards greater goal-directed learning further emphasizing the role of outcome salience. Our results highlight an important influence of motivation on learning processes in OCD and suggest that distinct clinical strategies based on valence may be warranted.

Model-Based Control in Dimensional Psychiatry

“…These results contrast with a study using a loss version of the twostep task where OCD subjects demonstrated the opposite, with more pronounced model-based behaviors to avoid loss outcomes (42). These different findings may reflect task differences related to losses as compared to shock outcomes or habitual behaviours during early learning versus over-training.…”

“…Similarly, on the two-step task to reward outcomes, OCD subjects were impaired in model-based control, a finding replicated at two sites, with compulsivity severity correlating negatively with model-based control and positively with model-free control (18,42). Severity of self-reported obsessive-compulsive symptoms in a large online M A N U S C R I P T…”

“…Similarly, greater outcome salience (e.g. greater reward value or losses relative to gains) enhanced model-based control (42).…”

Slips of Action and Sequential Decisions: A Cross-Validation Study of Tasks Assessing Habitual and Goal-Directed Action Control

“…The average weighting parameter ω from the two-step task lies around 0.70, which is high compared to previous studies using the two-step task in healthy samples (Schad et al, 2014; Deserno et al, 2015a,b; Voon et al, 2015a,b; Morris et al, 2016; Worbe et al, 2016) and quantitatively indicates high involvement of the MB system. A predominant involvement of the MB system within this highly educated sample could lead to low variability or even a bottom-effect in the habitual system, rendering it harder to capture correlations between the MF/habit systems.…”

Don't Think, Just Feel the Music: Individuals with Strong Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer Effects Rely Less on Model-based Reinforcement Learning

“…After an outcome devaluation (e.g., through satiation), the MB system can change preferences quickly, but the MF system cannot. Individual variation in the balance between MB and MF decisions, with a shift toward MF and away from MB learning, is associated with addictive and impulsive traits in animals (Huys et al, 2014;Everitt & Robbins, 2005), and a bias has been reported in conditions such as addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder where behavioral preferences persist against explicit desires (Voon et al, , 2015Gillan et al, 2011Gillan et al, , 2014Sebold et al, 2014;Sjoerds et al, 2013).…”