This study examined the theoretical basis for decision making behavior of patients with right or left temporal lobectomy and a control group when they participated in the Iowa Gambling Task. Two cognitive decision models, Expectancy Valence Model and Strategy Switching Heuristic Choice Model, were compared for best fit. The best fitting model was then chosen to provide the basis for parameter estimation (sources of decision making, i.e. cognitive, motivational, and response processes) and interpretation. Both models outperformed the baseline model. However comparison of G2 means between the two cognitive decision models showed the expectancy valence model having a higher mean and thus a better model between the two. Decision parameters were analyzed for the expectancy valence model. The analysis revealed that the parameters were not significant between the three groups. The data was simulated from the baseline model to determine whether the models are different from baseline.

Atualmente, diversos estudos sobre a tomada de decisão (TD) têm sido conduzidos, com base na Hipótese do Marcador Somático (HMS), utilizando como ferramenta de avaliação a Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Neste contexto, esta tese teve por objetivo geral analisar o processo de TD, bem como a tarefa usualmente utilizada para mensurá-lo, a IGT. Visando a atender esta finalidade, três estudos foram conduzidos, buscando investigar o processo decisório a partir de diferentes aspectos. O primeiro deles discutiu a TD dentro de uma perspectiva do desenvolvimento, comparando adultos jovens e adultos idosos em seu comportamento de escolha. Já o segundo, tratou de investigar a possível influência de componentes de impulsividade e diferentes processos cognitivos, como a memória de trabalho, o aprendizado associativo e reverso e a atenção, no processo de tomar decisões. O terceiro e último estudo averiguou o efeito da cultura na tomada de decisões, comparando o desempenho de indivíduos brasileiros e norte-americanos na IGT. Os resultados do primeiro estudo evidenciaram que tanto adultos jovens quanto adultos idosos apresentam um comportamento guiado, principalmente, pela expectativa de uma baixa freqüência de punições. Não houve diferenças significativas entre os dois grupos etários, quanto à quantidade de cartas retiradas de cada baralho, embora cada grupo tenha revelado um processo distinto de aprendizagem ao longo da tarefa. No segundo estudo, padrões distintos de correlações nos dois grupos etários foram verificados. Em se tratando dos adultos jovens, uma influência do aprendizado associativo e reverso no processo de TD mensurado pela IGT (conforme o critério tradicional de análise) foi observada. Ao se considerar as correlações constatadas nos participantes adultos idosos, averiguou-se uma associação entre o subteste dígitos (ordem direta e inversa) e os escores com base na freqüência (punição) alcançados na IGT. Finalmente, os achados do terceiro estudo apresentaram diferenças importantes entre os dois grupos culturais, revelando que tanto adultos jovens quanto adultos idosos norte-americanos atingem escores mais elevados na IGT. Considerados em conjunto, os resultados mostram que a IGT é uma tarefa complexa, sofrendo a influência, em alguma extensão, de outros processos cognitivos e de aspectos culturais e desenvolvimentais. / Several studies on decision making (DM) have been recently conducted, based on the Somatic Marker Hypothesis (SMH) and using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) as assessment tool. In that context, this dissertation aimed at analyzing the DM process and the task commonly used to measure it, i.e., IGT. To achieve that goal, three studies were performed to investigate the DM process based on different aspects. The first discussed DM within a development perspective, comparing young and older individuals in their choice behavior. The second investigated the possible influence of impulsivity components and other more basic cognitive processes, such as working memory, reverse learning and attention, on the DM process. Finally, the third study verified the effect of DM culture, comparing the performance of Brazilian and American individuals in IGT. The results of the first study demonstrated that both young and elderly individuals choose cards in decks "B" and "D," which indicates a behavior that is mainly guided by the expectation of a low frequency of punishments. There were no significant differences between both age groups as to the amount of cards taken from each deck, although each group has shown a different learning process during the task. In the second study, different correlation patterns between the age groups were observed. With regard to the young individuals, the performance in reversal learning was correlated with the score obtained in IGT, showing the importance of the ability of associating stimuli and further reversion into a proper choice process during the task. As for the older individuals, a correlation between the digit span and the IGT was found. Finally, the findings of the third study had major differences between both cultural groups, demonstrating that American young and elderly individuals reached higher IGT scores. Considered as a group, the results show that IGT is a complex task and, to a certain extent, is influenced by other cognitive processes and cultural and developmental aspects.

Atualmente, diversos estudos sobre a tomada de decisão (TD) têm sido conduzidos, com base na Hipótese do Marcador Somático (HMS), utilizando como ferramenta de avaliação a Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Neste contexto, esta tese teve por objetivo geral analisar o processo de TD, bem como a tarefa usualmente utilizada para mensurá-lo, a IGT. Visando a atender esta finalidade, três estudos foram conduzidos, buscando investigar o processo decisório a partir de diferentes aspectos. O primeiro deles discutiu a TD dentro de uma perspectiva do desenvolvimento, comparando adultos jovens e adultos idosos em seu comportamento de escolha. Já o segundo, tratou de investigar a possível influência de componentes de impulsividade e diferentes processos cognitivos, como a memória de trabalho, o aprendizado associativo e reverso e a atenção, no processo de tomar decisões. O terceiro e último estudo averiguou o efeito da cultura na tomada de decisões, comparando o desempenho de indivíduos brasileiros e norte-americanos na IGT. Os resultados do primeiro estudo evidenciaram que tanto adultos jovens quanto adultos idosos apresentam um comportamento guiado, principalmente, pela expectativa de uma baixa freqüência de punições. Não houve diferenças significativas entre os dois grupos etários, quanto à quantidade de cartas retiradas de cada baralho, embora cada grupo tenha revelado um processo distinto de aprendizagem ao longo da tarefa. No segundo estudo, padrões distintos de correlações nos dois grupos etários foram verificados. Em se tratando dos adultos jovens, uma influência do aprendizado associativo e reverso no processo de TD mensurado pela IGT (conforme o critério tradicional de análise) foi observada. Ao se considerar as correlações constatadas nos participantes adultos idosos, averiguou-se uma associação entre o subteste dígitos (ordem direta e inversa) e os escores com base na freqüência (punição) alcançados na IGT. Finalmente, os achados do terceiro estudo apresentaram diferenças importantes entre os dois grupos culturais, revelando que tanto adultos jovens quanto adultos idosos norte-americanos atingem escores mais elevados na IGT. Considerados em conjunto, os resultados mostram que a IGT é uma tarefa complexa, sofrendo a influência, em alguma extensão, de outros processos cognitivos e de aspectos culturais e desenvolvimentais. / Several studies on decision making (DM) have been recently conducted, based on the Somatic Marker Hypothesis (SMH) and using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) as assessment tool. In that context, this dissertation aimed at analyzing the DM process and the task commonly used to measure it, i.e., IGT. To achieve that goal, three studies were performed to investigate the DM process based on different aspects. The first discussed DM within a development perspective, comparing young and older individuals in their choice behavior. The second investigated the possible influence of impulsivity components and other more basic cognitive processes, such as working memory, reverse learning and attention, on the DM process. Finally, the third study verified the effect of DM culture, comparing the performance of Brazilian and American individuals in IGT. The results of the first study demonstrated that both young and elderly individuals choose cards in decks "B" and "D," which indicates a behavior that is mainly guided by the expectation of a low frequency of punishments. There were no significant differences between both age groups as to the amount of cards taken from each deck, although each group has shown a different learning process during the task. In the second study, different correlation patterns between the age groups were observed. With regard to the young individuals, the performance in reversal learning was correlated with the score obtained in IGT, showing the importance of the ability of associating stimuli and further reversion into a proper choice process during the task. As for the older individuals, a correlation between the digit span and the IGT was found. Finally, the findings of the third study had major differences between both cultural groups, demonstrating that American young and elderly individuals reached higher IGT scores. Considered as a group, the results show that IGT is a complex task and, to a certain extent, is influenced by other cognitive processes and cultural and developmental aspects.

Atualmente, diversos estudos sobre a tomada de decisão (TD) têm sido conduzidos, com base na Hipótese do Marcador Somático (HMS), utilizando como ferramenta de avaliação a Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Neste contexto, esta tese teve por objetivo geral analisar o processo de TD, bem como a tarefa usualmente utilizada para mensurá-lo, a IGT. Visando a atender esta finalidade, três estudos foram conduzidos, buscando investigar o processo decisório a partir de diferentes aspectos. O primeiro deles discutiu a TD dentro de uma perspectiva do desenvolvimento, comparando adultos jovens e adultos idosos em seu comportamento de escolha. Já o segundo, tratou de investigar a possível influência de componentes de impulsividade e diferentes processos cognitivos, como a memória de trabalho, o aprendizado associativo e reverso e a atenção, no processo de tomar decisões. O terceiro e último estudo averiguou o efeito da cultura na tomada de decisões, comparando o desempenho de indivíduos brasileiros e norte-americanos na IGT. Os resultados do primeiro estudo evidenciaram que tanto adultos jovens quanto adultos idosos apresentam um comportamento guiado, principalmente, pela expectativa de uma baixa freqüência de punições. Não houve diferenças significativas entre os dois grupos etários, quanto à quantidade de cartas retiradas de cada baralho, embora cada grupo tenha revelado um processo distinto de aprendizagem ao longo da tarefa. No segundo estudo, padrões distintos de correlações nos dois grupos etários foram verificados. Em se tratando dos adultos jovens, uma influência do aprendizado associativo e reverso no processo de TD mensurado pela IGT (conforme o critério tradicional de análise) foi observada. Ao se considerar as correlações constatadas nos participantes adultos idosos, averiguou-se uma associação entre o subteste dígitos (ordem direta e inversa) e os escores com base na freqüência (punição) alcançados na IGT. Finalmente, os achados do terceiro estudo apresentaram diferenças importantes entre os dois grupos culturais, revelando que tanto adultos jovens quanto adultos idosos norte-americanos atingem escores mais elevados na IGT. Considerados em conjunto, os resultados mostram que a IGT é uma tarefa complexa, sofrendo a influência, em alguma extensão, de outros processos cognitivos e de aspectos culturais e desenvolvimentais. / Several studies on decision making (DM) have been recently conducted, based on the Somatic Marker Hypothesis (SMH) and using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) as assessment tool. In that context, this dissertation aimed at analyzing the DM process and the task commonly used to measure it, i.e., IGT. To achieve that goal, three studies were performed to investigate the DM process based on different aspects. The first discussed DM within a development perspective, comparing young and older individuals in their choice behavior. The second investigated the possible influence of impulsivity components and other more basic cognitive processes, such as working memory, reverse learning and attention, on the DM process. Finally, the third study verified the effect of DM culture, comparing the performance of Brazilian and American individuals in IGT. The results of the first study demonstrated that both young and elderly individuals choose cards in decks "B" and "D," which indicates a behavior that is mainly guided by the expectation of a low frequency of punishments. There were no significant differences between both age groups as to the amount of cards taken from each deck, although each group has shown a different learning process during the task. In the second study, different correlation patterns between the age groups were observed. With regard to the young individuals, the performance in reversal learning was correlated with the score obtained in IGT, showing the importance of the ability of associating stimuli and further reversion into a proper choice process during the task. As for the older individuals, a correlation between the digit span and the IGT was found. Finally, the findings of the third study had major differences between both cultural groups, demonstrating that American young and elderly individuals reached higher IGT scores. Considered as a group, the results show that IGT is a complex task and, to a certain extent, is influenced by other cognitive processes and cultural and developmental aspects.

The relationship between Executive Functions and Peer Rejection was explored. Thirty-Five students in an urban elementary school, (mean 10.7 years of age (sd=2.8), 34% male, and 88% African American) completed measures of executive functions: KABC-II Rover, The Wisconsin Card Sort and NEPSY-II Statue (below age 9) or The Iowa Gambling Task (age 9 and up). Classmates reported who was not a preferred play mate: a measure of rejection. Executive Functions were not significantly related to Rejection across the sample, but among the children with the lowest Executive Functions, The Wisconsin Card Sort was significantly negatively related to Rejection (-0.61, p = .04) suggesting poor Cognitive Flexibility may be a risk factor for Rejection. Performance on the Iowa Gambling Task was found to be positively correlated with Rejection (0.4, p = .008) suggesting that high impulse control may also be a risk factor for rejection among adolescents. This was consistent with a finding of a positive correlation between Office Discipline Referrals and popularity (.4, p = .008) among the sample. Implications for practice are also discussed including the difficulty of managing behavior when bad behavior is related to popularity. Keywords: Iowa Gambling Task, Wisconsin Card Sort, Peer Rejection, Executive Functions, Urban children. / School Psychology

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.

Operant acquisition, operant expression, and decision-making differentially rely on brain areas that are differentially affected by antipsychotic and other dopaminergic drugs. The purpose of this thesis was to test if the known differential pharmacological and location of action of antipsychotic and other dopaminergic drugs predict the drug effects on operant acquisition, operant expression, and decision-making. Clozapine and to a lesser extent, risperidone but not metoclopramide or haloperidol affect the prefrontal cortex (PFC); haloperidol, metoclopramide, and to a lesser extent, risperidone affect the dorsolateral striatum (DLS). We used amphetamine as a broadly-acting indirect dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and norepinephrine agonist. We found that all antagonists altered operant acquisition and expression, but in different ways. The DA D2-like receptor antagonists blunted reinforcement impact during operant acquisition and induced an extinction-like decline in expression whereas the atypical antipsychotics with high PFC 5-HT-2A affinity maintained inactive lever presses during acquisition, but produced tolerance in expression. Curiously, risperidone and metoclopramide, but not clozapine or haloperidol, more potently suppressed lever pressing in acquisition than expression. In contrast, amphetamine suppressed operant expression, but not acquisition, at a dose range that increased locomotion and induced conditioned place preference. Amphetamine decreased sensitivity to reward presentation and inactive lever pressing during operant acquisition, but had the opposite effects during expression. A very different pattern was found in the rodent gambling task (rGT), a model of the 4- choice (deck) Iowa Gambling Task used in humans. The rGT puts small, immediate rewards that are advantageous in the long-term due to generally fewer and shorter associated penalties in conflict with large, immediate rewards that are disadvantageous in the long-term due to generally more and longer associated penalties. Two antipsychotics (risperidone, haloperidol) but not the anti-emetic (metoclopramide) enhanced performance by shifting preferences towards advantageous options, but the antipsychotic that induces PFC Fos (clozapine) impaired performance. Amphetamine decreased discrimination among different decks in the rGT. These data demonstrate the differential effects of clinically relevant drugs on decision-making and different stages of operant learning. The differential effects on operant responding and decision-making of different antipsychotic drugs provide important information regarding their therapeutic and side-effect profiles. / Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-14 16:12:57.629