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Age-dependent Pavlovian biases influence motor decision-making
Xiuli Chen1, Robb B Rutledge2,3, Harriet R Brown3
1School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Plos Computational Biology
|July 7, 2018
Summary
Pavlovian biases, crucial for motor decisions, decline with age, reducing optimal choices. This age-related shift impacts both motor and economic decision-making across the lifespan.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Computational Modeling
Background:
- Motor decision-making involves balancing rewards and punishments against action success probability.
- Two key mechanisms govern decisions: instrumental (value-dependent) and Pavlovian (value-independent).
- Ageing is linked to reduced risk-taking in economic decisions due to diminished Pavlovian biases.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate age-related changes in motor decision-making processes.
- Determine if decreased risk-taking in motor tasks stems from Pavlovian or instrumental processes.
- Model motor decision-making using both instrumental and Pavlovian parameters.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a novel app-based motor decision-making task with a 'go/no-go' motor gamble.
- Employed an approach-avoidance computational model to assess reward and punishment sensitivity.
- Analyzed data from a large cohort (n=26,532) and a subset (n=17,220) also performing an economic task.
Main Results:
- Motor decision-making is best explained by a model incorporating both instrumental and Pavlovian parameters.
- Identified age-related alterations in reward and punishment sensitivity across both instrumental and Pavlovian processes.
- Observed a significant decrease in Pavlovian attraction to rewards with ageing, correlating with reduced choice optimality.
Conclusions:
- Pavlovian biases are fundamental to understanding motor decision-making and its age-related modifications.
- Ageing impacts motor decision-making through reduced Pavlovian reward attraction, affecting behavioral optimality.
- Similar decision-making tendencies in motor and economic domains suggest shared underlying mechanisms influenced by ageing.
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