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Investigation of reward learning and feedback sensitivity in non-clinical participants with a history of early life stress

View ORCID ProfileMatthew P Wilkinson, View ORCID ProfileChloe L Slaney, Jack R Mellor, Emma S J Robinson
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.13.380444
Matthew P Wilkinson
1University of Bristol, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD
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  • ORCID record for Matthew P Wilkinson
Chloe L Slaney
1University of Bristol, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD
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  • ORCID record for Chloe L Slaney
Jack R Mellor
1University of Bristol, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD
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Emma S J Robinson
1University of Bristol, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD
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  • For correspondence: Emma.S.J.Robinson@bristol.ac.uk
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Abstract

Early life stress (ELS) is an important risk factor for the development of depression. Impairments in reward learning and feedback sensitivity are suggested to be an intermediate phenotype in depression aetiology therefore we hypothesised that similar impairments are present in healthy adults with a history of ELS. We recruited 64 adults with high levels of ELS and no diagnosis of a current mental health disorder and 65 controls. Participants completed the probabilistic reversal learning task and probabilistic reward task followed by depression, anhedonia, social status, and stress scales. Participants with high levels of ELS showed decreased positive feedback sensitivity in the probabilistic reversal learning task compared to controls. High ELS participants also trended towards possessing a decreased model-free learning rate. This was coupled with a decreased learning ability in the acquisition phase of block 1 following the practice session. Neither group showed a reward induced response bias in the probabilistic reward task however high ELS participants exhibited decreased stimuli discrimination. Due to the PRT not meeting its primary endpoint a separate cohort of control participants were tested in a modified PRT where they showed a response bias. This indicates the PRT can be successfully carried out online. Overall, these data suggest that healthy participants without a mental health diagnosis and high levels of ELS show deficits in positive feedback sensitivity and reward learning in the probabilistic reversal learning task that are distinct from depressed patients. These deficits may be relevant to increased depression vulnerability.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • We have additionally included some control experiments using a modified online probabilistic reward task (PRT) in a healthy adult population. Within this experiment we observed a response bias suggesting the online PRT can be successfully used online.

  • https://osf.io/538yk

  • https://osf.io/63e8j/

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.
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Posted June 09, 2021.
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Investigation of reward learning and feedback sensitivity in non-clinical participants with a history of early life stress
Matthew P Wilkinson, Chloe L Slaney, Jack R Mellor, Emma S J Robinson
bioRxiv 2020.11.13.380444; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.13.380444
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Investigation of reward learning and feedback sensitivity in non-clinical participants with a history of early life stress
Matthew P Wilkinson, Chloe L Slaney, Jack R Mellor, Emma S J Robinson
bioRxiv 2020.11.13.380444; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.13.380444

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