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Stimulation of the vagus nerve reduces learning in a go/no-go reinforcement learning task

View ORCID ProfileAnne Kühnel, View ORCID ProfileVanessa Teckentrup, View ORCID ProfileMonja P. Neuser, View ORCID ProfileQuentin J. M. Huys, View ORCID ProfileCaroline Burrasch, View ORCID ProfileMartin Walter, View ORCID ProfileNils B. Kroemer
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/535260
Anne Kühnel
1Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry and International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
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  • For correspondence: anne_kuehnel@psych.mpg.de nils.kroemer@uni-tuebingen.de
Vanessa Teckentrup
2Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Monja P. Neuser
2Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Quentin J. M. Huys
3Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London
4Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London
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Caroline Burrasch
2Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Martin Walter
2Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
5Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Germany
6Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Magdeburg, Germany
7Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
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Nils B. Kroemer
2Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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  • For correspondence: anne_kuehnel@psych.mpg.de nils.kroemer@uni-tuebingen.de
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Abstract

When facing decisions to approach rewards or to avoid punishments, we often figuratively go with our gut, and the impact of metabolic states such as hunger on motivation are well documented. However, whether and how vagal feedback signals from the gut influence instrumental actions is unknown. Here, we investigated the effect of non-invasive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) vs. sham (randomized cross-over design) on approach and avoidance behavior using an established go/no-go reinforcement learning paradigm (Guitart-Masip et al., 2012) in 39 healthy, participants after an overnight fast. First, mixed-effects logistic regression analysis of choice accuracy showed that tVNS acutely impaired decision-making, p = .045. Computational reinforcement learning models identified the cause of this as a reduction in the learning rate through tVNS (Δα = −0.092, pboot= .002), particularly after punishment (ΔαPun= −0.081, pboot= .012 vs. ΔαRew= −0.031, p = .22). However, tVNS had no effect on go biases, Pavlovian response biases or response time. Hence, tVNS appeared to influence learning rather than action execution. These results highlight a novel role of vagal afferent input in modulating reinforcement learning by tuning the learning rate according to homeostatic needs.

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Posted January 30, 2019.
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Stimulation of the vagus nerve reduces learning in a go/no-go reinforcement learning task
Anne Kühnel, Vanessa Teckentrup, Monja P. Neuser, Quentin J. M. Huys, Caroline Burrasch, Martin Walter, Nils B. Kroemer
bioRxiv 535260; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/535260
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Stimulation of the vagus nerve reduces learning in a go/no-go reinforcement learning task
Anne Kühnel, Vanessa Teckentrup, Monja P. Neuser, Quentin J. M. Huys, Caroline Burrasch, Martin Walter, Nils B. Kroemer
bioRxiv 535260; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/535260

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