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Electrical brain activations in preadolescents during a probabilistic reward-learning task reflect cognitive processes and behavioral strategy.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Chung, YS; van den Berg, B; Roberts, KC; Bagdasarov, A; Woldorff, MG; Gaffrey, MS
Published in: bioRxiv
July 1, 2024

Both adults and children learn through feedback which environmental events and choices are associated with higher probability of reward, an ability thought to be supported by the development of fronto-striatal reward circuits. Recent developmental studies have applied computational models of reward learning to investigate such learning in children. However, tasks and measures effective for assaying the cascade of reward-learning neural processes in children have been limited. Using a child-version of a probabilistic reward-learning task while recording event-related-potential (ERP) measures of electrical brain activity, this study examined key processes of reward learning in preadolescents (8-12 years old; n=30), namely: (1) reward-feedback sensitivity, as measured by the early-latency, reward-related, frontal ERP positivity, (2) rapid attentional shifting of processing toward favored visual stimuli, as measured by the N2pc component, and (3) longer-latency attention-related responses to reward feedback as a function of behavioral strategies (i.e., Win-Stay-Lose-Shift), as measured by the central-parietal P300. Consistent with our prior work in adults, the behavioral findings indicate preadolescents can learn stimulus-reward outcome associations, but at varying levels of performance. Neurally, poor preadolescent learners (those with slower learning rates) showed greater reward-related positivity amplitudes relative to good learners, suggesting greater reward-feedback sensitivity. We also found attention shifting towards to-be-chosen stimuli, as evidenced by the N2pc, but not to more highly rewarded stimuli as we have observed in adults. Lastly, we found the behavioral learning strategy (i.e., Win-Stay-Lose-Shift) reflected by the feedback-elicited parietal P300. These findings provide novel insights into the key neural processes underlying reinforcement learning in preadolescents.

Duke Scholars

Published In

bioRxiv

DOI

EISSN

2692-8205

Publication Date

July 1, 2024

Location

United States
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
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Chung, Y. S., van den Berg, B., Roberts, K. C., Bagdasarov, A., Woldorff, M. G., & Gaffrey, M. S. (2024). Electrical brain activations in preadolescents during a probabilistic reward-learning task reflect cognitive processes and behavioral strategy. BioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.10.16.562326
Chung, Yu Sun, Berry van den Berg, Kenneth C. Roberts, Armen Bagdasarov, Marty G. Woldorff, and Michael S. Gaffrey. “Electrical brain activations in preadolescents during a probabilistic reward-learning task reflect cognitive processes and behavioral strategy.BioRxiv, July 1, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.10.16.562326.
Chung YS, van den Berg B, Roberts KC, Bagdasarov A, Woldorff MG, Gaffrey MS. Electrical brain activations in preadolescents during a probabilistic reward-learning task reflect cognitive processes and behavioral strategy. bioRxiv. 2024 Jul 1;
Chung YS, van den Berg B, Roberts KC, Bagdasarov A, Woldorff MG, Gaffrey MS. Electrical brain activations in preadolescents during a probabilistic reward-learning task reflect cognitive processes and behavioral strategy. bioRxiv. 2024 Jul 1;

Published In

bioRxiv

DOI

EISSN

2692-8205

Publication Date

July 1, 2024

Location

United States