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Origins and consequences of mood flexibility: a computational perspective
Mathias Pessiglione1, Roeland Heerema1, Jean Daunizeau1
1Motivation Brain & Behavior (MBB) lab, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 75013 Paris, France; Sorbonne Universités, Inserm Unité 1127, CNRS unité 7225, Paris, France.
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
|February 10, 2023
Summary
A stable mood (euthymia) is usually favored, but this study suggests flexible moods are more adaptive. Our MAGNETO model shows mood flexibility aids survival but can lead to manic or depressive episodes.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Neuroscience
- Computational modeling
Background:
- A stable, neutral mood (euthymia) is considered optimal for decision-making and mental health.
- However, mood's role in adapting to environmental fluctuations and natural selection remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose that a flexible mood, responsive to life events, is evolutionarily advantageous.
- To introduce the MAGNETO model for simulating mood dynamics and their impact on behavior.
Main Methods:
- Developed the MAGNETO computational model where mood represents a global expected value influencing foraging decisions.
- Simulated agent behavior under varying parameters, comparing flexible mood agents with stable mood (euthymic) agents.
Main Results:
- Flexible mood agents demonstrated superior performance compared to stable mood agents, especially when rewards and costs were temporally correlated.
- Extreme parameters in simulations resulted in emergent behaviors resembling manic (incessant foraging) and depressive (inaction) episodes.
Conclusions:
- Mood flexibility may be an adaptive trait for natural selection, enabling behavioral adjustments to environmental changes.
- The MAGNETO model provides a framework for understanding both the adaptive functions of mood fluctuations and the origins of mood disorders.
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