The study seeks to bring together literature on decision-making, the effects of work-related demands and stress, and individual differences in trait anxiety on near and far transfer effects of emotional working memory training (eWM). A sample of 31 students and working participants underwent emotional working memory training through an adaptive dual n-back method or a placebo face match training task for 14 days. Pre- and post-training measures were taken of a near transfer task, digit span, medium transfer measure of executive control, emotional Stroop, and a far transfer task of decision-making under uncertainty, the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). In line with previous studies, eWM was expected to show gains in transfer task performance between pre- and post-training, and, especially for those scoring high on trait anxiety and workplace measures of stress demands (taken from COPSOQ), for whom there is more scope for improvement in emotional regulation. Gains in emotional Stroop specifically were further expected to show support for the effects of eWM training on emotional well-being in addition to decision-making. Results fell short of replicating previous work on transfer gains, though interference effects in Stroop did lessen in the eWM training group. Relationships between work demands, anxiety, stress and performance in the training itself, reinforce previous research showing that work stress and anxiety lead to cognitive failures, highlighting the importance of intervention studies in the organizational field, but they were not linked to benefits of the training. Resource and methodological limitations of the current study are considered, especially those involved in conducting pre-post designs and cognitive testing online.

Lo scopo della presenta ricerca è analizzare il ruolo del sistema di ricompensa in relazione al costrutto BIS/BAS (Behavioural Inhibition System/ Behavioural Activation System) in un contesto sano e di dipendenza da sostanza. Il lavoro ha inoltre esplorato l'asimmetria cerebrale frontale nelle scelte decisionali che implicano stimoli di ricompensa e condizioni punizione. I risultati hanno confermato l'ipotesi di un anomalia del sistema di ricompensa in individui con alto BAS e in pazienti con dipendenza da sostanza, che sovrastimavano la ricompensa immediata a scapito di quella a lungo termine durante l’Iowa Gambling Task. Un’altra componente cruciale emersa da questo progetto è una iper-attivazione del lobo frontale di sinistra rispetto a quello di destra in risposta alle opzioni più rischiose. Questo "effetto di sbilanciamento inter-emisferico” potrebbe essere considerato come un indicatore critico del comportamento decisionale disfunzionale nella dipendenza o come fattore di vulnerabilità allo sviluppo di dipendenze. Infine, questo "modello di squilibrio corticale" è stato applicato ad altre forme di dipendenza comportamentale, misurate con l’Internet Addiction Test (IAT). In effetti, un aumento dell'attività frontale di sinistra è stata osservata per gli individui ad alto IAT in risposta a stimoli premianti. In particolare, i risultati ottenuti sottolineano l'importanza di un modello integrato di dipendenza che tiene conto del sistema motivazionale (BIS/BAS) correlato alla lateralizzazione dell'attività corticale. / The aim of this PhD research was intended to analyze the role of the reward system by the BIS/BAS (Behavioural Inhibition System/ Behavioural Activation System) construct in healthy and addiction context. It explored the frontal brain asymmetry in decisional choices implying reward stimuli and punishment conditions. Results confirmed the hypothesis of a “reward bias” induced by high-BAS individuals and patients suffering from Substance Use Disorder (SUD) to overestimate the immediate reward to the detriment of the delayed reward during the Iowa Gambling Task. Another critical component is the frontal left-hyper activation of the brain in response to more risky options. This "inter-hemisphere" unbalancing effect can be considered as a critical indicator of the dysfunctional decision behavior in dependence or as a vulnerability factor to the development of addiction. Finally, this “cortical imbalance model” was applied to other forms of behavioural addiction, measured by the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Indeed, an increased left frontal activity was observed for high-IAT individuals in response to rewarding stimuli. In particular, the results underlined the importance of an integrated model of addiction that takes into account the motivational system (BIS / BAS) related to the lateralization of cortical activity.

Decision-making is necessary to adapt to the variable environment in everyday life. During this process, our goal is to select the most beneficial course of action in order to obtain the best outcome, to develop efficient choice strategies. That is, estimating the probability to obtain any of the available outcomes as well as their value. Moreover, poor decision-making ability is a common symptom to several psychiatric disorders, such as pathological gambling, depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.The cognitive and emotional mechanisms controlling decision-making processes depend, among others, on the striatum, Basal Ganglia’s main input nucleus. The striatum is divided into the dorsal striatum, responsible for motor and cognitive control that initiate actions (Dorsomedial Striatum, DMS) and generate habits (Dorsolateral Striatum, DLS), and Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) which manages reward and the influence of motivation on motor behavior. A2A-expressing and D1-expressing medium spiny neurons (iMSNs and dMSNs, respectively), accounting for 95% of striatal neurons act in coordination to generate adaptive behavioral responses. It has been shown that imbalanced activity between these two populations leads to abnormal behaviors: overactivation of striatonigral neurons promotes an increased locomotion as well as a higher sensitivity for reward, whereas overactivation of striatopallidal neurons produces the exact opposite effects. However, the specific contributions to decision-making of these two populations in each striatal territory remains unclear. Here, we made use of a chemogenetic (DREADD) tool to manipulate striatal projection neurons’ activity within each specific striatal area and tested their role in a decision-making operant protocol. To do so, we used two different mouse models that allowed us to target specifically iMSNs (A2A-Cre mice) or dMSNs (D1-Cre mice) and induce neuronal-specific expression of the hM3Dq DREADD receptor. CNO-mediated activation of these receptors led to neuronal activation. Then, we tested DREADD-dependent activation of MSNs during the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), a test used to assess the influence of different rewards on choice and to evaluate the ability of mice to develop advantageous choice strategies. We found an exclusive role of DMS’ dMSNs in controlling choice preference, as DREADD-induced activation of these neurons produced a loss of preference. Manipulations of MSNs in other striatal areas led to altered task performance without affecting choice preference.These results contribute to a better understanding of the role of the striatum on decision-making and moreover, suggest the existence of a high level of functional specialization in this area, a fact that could be explained by the local circuits in which each MSN population is involved. / Doctorat en Sciences biomédicales et pharmaceutiques (Médecine) / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Neuropsychological deficits may perpetuate the risk and chronicity of psychiatric disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder, characterized by significant suicide risk, intense affect and behavioural dysregulation, is frequently associated with the executive function (EF) deficits of decision making and inhibitory control. However, the role of inhibitory control on decision making remains poorly understood. This study examined the relationships among working memory, cognitive and motor inhibitory control, and IGT decision-making performance in 41 women with BPD and 41 healthy controls. Associations among EF and suicide risk were also explored. Experimental tasks included the Iowa Gambling Task, Digit Span, Stroop and Stop Tasks, and Raven’s Matrices. Only IGT decision-making deficits distinguished BPD subjects from healthy controls. Weaker yet normal range IQ and EFs in BPD women did not explain their disadvantageous IGT performance. Contrary to expectations, IGT deficits in BPD women did not predict any suicidal risk; however, intact interference control was as sensitive to suicidal risk as was depression. Normal interference control was associated with a reduction in suicide risk. While IGT decision making may be a marker for BPD, Stroop interference control is more sensitive to suicide risk and may represent a vulnerability for suicide that exists beyond psychiatric diagnosis.

Neuropsychological deficits may perpetuate the risk and chronicity of psychiatric disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder, characterized by significant suicide risk, intense affect and behavioural dysregulation, is frequently associated with the executive function (EF) deficits of decision making and inhibitory control. However, the role of inhibitory control on decision making remains poorly understood. This study examined the relationships among working memory, cognitive and motor inhibitory control, and IGT decision-making performance in 41 women with BPD and 41 healthy controls. Associations among EF and suicide risk were also explored. Experimental tasks included the Iowa Gambling Task, Digit Span, Stroop and Stop Tasks, and Raven’s Matrices. Only IGT decision-making deficits distinguished BPD subjects from healthy controls. Weaker yet normal range IQ and EFs in BPD women did not explain their disadvantageous IGT performance. Contrary to expectations, IGT deficits in BPD women did not predict any suicidal risk; however, intact interference control was as sensitive to suicidal risk as was depression. Normal interference control was associated with a reduction in suicide risk. While IGT decision making may be a marker for BPD, Stroop interference control is more sensitive to suicide risk and may represent a vulnerability for suicide that exists beyond psychiatric diagnosis.

Past research found performance differences between monolingual and bilingual children in the domain of executive functions (EF). Furthermore, recent studies have reported advantages in processing efficiency or mental effort in bilingual adults and children. These studies mostly focused on the investigation of “cold” EF tasks. Studies including measures of “hot” EF, i.e., tasks operating in an emotionally significant setting, are limited and hence results are inconclusive. In the present study, we extend previous research by investigating performance in a task of the “hot” EF domain by both behavioral data and mental effort via pupillary changes during task performance. Seventy-three monolingual and bilingual school children (mean age = 107.23 months, SD = 10.26) solved the Iowa Gambling Task in two different conditions. In the standard task, characterized by constant gains and occasional losses, children did not learn to improve their decision-making behavior. In a reversed task version, characterized by constant losses and occasional gains, both monolinguals and bilinguals learned to improve their decision-making behavior over the course of the task. In both versions of the task, children switched choices more often after losses than after gains. Bilinguals switched their choices less often than monolinguals in the reversed task, indicating a slightly more mature decision-making strategy. Mental effort did not differ between monolinguals and bilinguals. Conclusions of these findings for the bilingual advantage assumption will be discussed.

Dopamine agonist therapy and deep brain stimulation (DBS) are both linked to increased impulsivity in Parkinson’s disease (PD), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We trained intact and PD-like rats on a rat gambling task (rGT) measuring impulsive choice and premature responding. Animals were then retested with/without treatment, pramipexole (PPX) or DBS, administered chronically prior to rGT testing. Early PD-like rats did not exhibit major differences in rGT performance or treatment response. Our work suggests that DBS and PPX are not intrinsically linked with increases in impulsivity. Neither DBS nor PPX disrupted gambling-like behaviour in our paradigm, while differential effects on premature and perseverant responding in the task were observed with treatment. Based on our findings, the previously reported ability of PPX to increase impulsive choice might not be mediated by the dopamine D3 receptor. Interestingly, our work suggests that the effects of STN-DBS on impulse control might be amplitude-dependent.

Dopamine agonist therapy and deep brain stimulation (DBS) are both linked to increased impulsivity in Parkinson’s disease (PD), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We trained intact and PD-like rats on a rat gambling task (rGT) measuring impulsive choice and premature responding. Animals were then retested with/without treatment, pramipexole (PPX) or DBS, administered chronically prior to rGT testing. Early PD-like rats did not exhibit major differences in rGT performance or treatment response. Our work suggests that DBS and PPX are not intrinsically linked with increases in impulsivity. Neither DBS nor PPX disrupted gambling-like behaviour in our paradigm, while differential effects on premature and perseverant responding in the task were observed with treatment. Based on our findings, the previously reported ability of PPX to increase impulsive choice might not be mediated by the dopamine D3 receptor. Interestingly, our work suggests that the effects of STN-DBS on impulse control might be amplitude-dependent.

One of the factors significantly influencing our daily decisions is the so-called cognitive depletion.The theory of cognitive depletion postulates the existence of a limited mental resource that is necessary for self-regulation. If the resource is diminished by a task involving self-control, achievement in subsequent self-control task will be impaired. This project examines the effect of cognitive depletion on decisions in the Iowa Gambling Task designed to simulate real-life decision making involving gains and losses. Further, a possible effect of moderating factors that could be affected by cognitive depletion and consequently influence decisions in the Iowa Gambling Task -- risk preference and impulsivity -- is investigated. Dual-process theories postulate there are two systems involved in decision-making: faster, intuitive, emotional System 1 and slower, deliberative, rational System 2. It was found that cognitive depletion leads to enhancement of System 1. As advantageous decisions in the Iowa Gambling Task are closely related to emotional reactions -- domain of System 1 -- it was hypothesized that cognitive depletion will lead to not worse, or possibly even better results in depleted subjects. A controlled laboratory experiment was conducted involving 39 subjects in total. No difference was found in average desicions of depleted and non-depleted subjects in the Iowa Gambling Task, supporting the hypothesis. Further, short-term increase in impulsivity caused by cognitive depletion was very probably moderating choices in the IGT, leading to worse overall performance. Regarding risk preferences, we found that non-depleted subjects were generally more risk seeking in losses context, while depleted subjects exhibited rather loss aversion. This change in risk behaviors due to cognitive depletion very probably did not mediate choices in the Iowa Gambling Task.

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