Neural Substrates Goal-Directed Learning in Human Brain

人脑中的神经基质目标导向学习

• 批准号: 7143116
• 负责人: JOHN P O'DOHERTY
• 金额: $ 7.97万
• 依托单位: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-09-01 至 2008-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7143116
• 关键词: behavioral /social science research tag; brain mapping; clinical research; compulsive behavior; conditioning; functional magnetic resonance imaging; goal oriented behavior; habits; human subject; learning; neuropsychology; psychological adaptation; psychological reinforcement; reinforcer; stimulus /response

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ability to orient toward specific goals in the environment and control actions flexibly in pursuit of those goals is a hallmark of adaptive behavior. Instrumental conditioning is the simplest form of such behavior in which an animal or human learns to perform an action or sequence of actions in order to obtain reward or avoid punishment. Instrumental conditioning is composed of two distinct components: a goal-directed and a habit-learning component. In goal-directed learning, associations are formed between a given action and the goal-state (future reward or punishment). Instrumental behavior under goal-directed control can be altered rapidly following a change in the action-reward contingencies, or a decrease in the reward value of the goal itself. In habit learning, associations are made between the context (configuration of cues in the environment) and the given action, without encoding the goal itself. In contrast to goal-directed learning, habit learning is inflexible and leads to compulsive behavior. Once an action has become a habit (which happens over the course of learning), it is liable to be performed irrespective of the current value of the goal state. The aim of this project is to determine the neural substrates of goal-directed learning and habit learning in the human brain, and characterize the process by which a goal-directed action becomes transferred to a habit. This will be accomplished by scanning human subjects using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure neural responses during performance of simple instrumental conditioning tasks. We will use specific task manipulations, track changes in fMRI signals over the course of learning, and apply formal computational models to fMRI data in order to uncover these different components in instrumental conditioning. This R03 application is to support the initial development of a research program by the principal investigator who has just started in a faculty position as a prelude to a subsequent application under the R01 mechanism. Uncovering the neural mechanisms mediating goal-directed and habit learning could have important implications for understanding how some behaviors become "habitized" - compulsive and difficult to change using "willpower", as is the case in obsessive compulsive disorders, eating disorders, compulsive gambling and drug addiction. This research could ultimately be relevant in developing treatments for such conditions in which habitized or compulsive behaviors are returned to goal-directed control.

描述（由申请人提供）：适应环境中特定目标并灵活控制行动以实现这些目标的能力是适应性行为的标志。工具性条件反射是此类行为的最简单形式，其中动物或人类学习执行一个动作或一系列动作以获得奖励或避免惩罚。工具调节由两个不同的部分组成：目标导向部分和习惯学习部分。在目标导向的学习中，给定的动作和目标状态（未来的奖励或惩罚）之间形成关联。随着行动奖励意外事件的变化或目标本身奖励价值的减少，目标导向控制下的工具行为可以迅速改变。在习惯学习中，在上下文（环境中线索的配置）和给定的动作之间建立关联，而不对目标本身进行编码。与目标导向的学习相反，习惯学习缺乏灵活性，会导致强迫行为。一旦某个动作成为习惯（在学习过程中发生），无论目标状态的当前值如何，都可能会执行该动作。该项目的目的是确定人脑中目标导向学习和习惯学习的神经基础，并描述目标导向行动转变为习惯的过程。这将通过使用功能磁共振成像（fMRI）扫描人类受试者来测量执行简单仪器调节任务期间的神经反应来实现。我们将使用特定的任务操作，在学习过程中跟踪功能磁共振成像信号的变化，并将正式的计算模型应用于功能磁共振成像数据，以揭示仪器调理中的这些不同组成部分。此 R03 申请旨在支持刚刚担任教职的首席研究员的研究项目的初步开发，作为 R01 机制下后续申请的前奏。揭示介导目标导向和习惯学习的神经机制可能对理解某些行为如何变得“习惯化”具有重要意义——强迫性的且难以用“意志力”改变的行为，如强迫症、饮食失调、强迫性赌博和毒瘾。这项研究最终可能与开发针对这种情况的治疗方法有关，在这种情况下，习惯性或强迫性行为会回归目标导向的控制。