Methamphetamine-induced adaptation of learning rate dynamics depend on baseline performance
The ability to calibrate learning according to new information is a fundamental component of an organism’s ability to adapt to changing conditions. Yet, the exact neural mechanisms guiding dynamic learning rate adjustments remain unclear. Catecholamines appear to play a critical role in adjusting th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2025-07-01
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| Series: | eLife |
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| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/101413 |
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| author | Hans Kirschner Hanna M Molla Matthew R Nassar Harriet de Wit Markus Ullsperger |
| author_facet | Hans Kirschner Hanna M Molla Matthew R Nassar Harriet de Wit Markus Ullsperger |
| author_sort | Hans Kirschner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The ability to calibrate learning according to new information is a fundamental component of an organism’s ability to adapt to changing conditions. Yet, the exact neural mechanisms guiding dynamic learning rate adjustments remain unclear. Catecholamines appear to play a critical role in adjusting the degree to which we use new information over time, but individuals vary widely in the manner in which they adjust to changes. Here, we studied the effects of a low dose of methamphetamine (MA), and individual differences in these effects, on probabilistic reversal learning dynamics in a within-subject, double-blind, randomized design. Participants first completed a reversal learning task during a drug-free baseline session to provide a measure of baseline performance. Then they completed the task during two sessions, one with MA (20 mg oral) and one with placebo (PL). First, we showed that, relative to PL, MA modulates the ability to dynamically adjust learning from prediction errors. Second, this effect was more pronounced in participants who performed moderately low at baseline. These results present novel evidence for the involvement of catecholaminergic transmission on learning flexibility and highlights that baseline performance modulates the effect of the drug. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-df921575b7514bfbb58176f5807fd833 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj-art-df921575b7514bfbb58176f5807fd8332025-08-20T03:13:25ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2025-07-011310.7554/eLife.101413Methamphetamine-induced adaptation of learning rate dynamics depend on baseline performanceHans Kirschner0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9747-1746Hanna M Molla1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2971-4512Matthew R Nassar2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5397-535XHarriet de Wit3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7211-8994Markus Ullsperger4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3970-1982Institute of Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, United StatesRobert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, United StatesInstitute of Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Center for Intervention and Research on Adaptive and Maladaptive Brain Circuits Underlying Mental Health (C-I-R-C), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, GermanyThe ability to calibrate learning according to new information is a fundamental component of an organism’s ability to adapt to changing conditions. Yet, the exact neural mechanisms guiding dynamic learning rate adjustments remain unclear. Catecholamines appear to play a critical role in adjusting the degree to which we use new information over time, but individuals vary widely in the manner in which they adjust to changes. Here, we studied the effects of a low dose of methamphetamine (MA), and individual differences in these effects, on probabilistic reversal learning dynamics in a within-subject, double-blind, randomized design. Participants first completed a reversal learning task during a drug-free baseline session to provide a measure of baseline performance. Then they completed the task during two sessions, one with MA (20 mg oral) and one with placebo (PL). First, we showed that, relative to PL, MA modulates the ability to dynamically adjust learning from prediction errors. Second, this effect was more pronounced in participants who performed moderately low at baseline. These results present novel evidence for the involvement of catecholaminergic transmission on learning flexibility and highlights that baseline performance modulates the effect of the drug.https://elifesciences.org/articles/101413learningcomputational neurosciencecatecholamines |
| spellingShingle | Hans Kirschner Hanna M Molla Matthew R Nassar Harriet de Wit Markus Ullsperger Methamphetamine-induced adaptation of learning rate dynamics depend on baseline performance eLife learning computational neuroscience catecholamines |
| title | Methamphetamine-induced adaptation of learning rate dynamics depend on baseline performance |
| title_full | Methamphetamine-induced adaptation of learning rate dynamics depend on baseline performance |
| title_fullStr | Methamphetamine-induced adaptation of learning rate dynamics depend on baseline performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Methamphetamine-induced adaptation of learning rate dynamics depend on baseline performance |
| title_short | Methamphetamine-induced adaptation of learning rate dynamics depend on baseline performance |
| title_sort | methamphetamine induced adaptation of learning rate dynamics depend on baseline performance |
| topic | learning computational neuroscience catecholamines |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/101413 |
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