Catecholamines reduce choice history biases in perceptual decision making

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Psychopharmacology

Background:

• Noradrenaline (NA) is a neuromodulator affecting cognition and decision-making.
• Choice history bias, repeating or alternating choices, is common in perceptual decisions under uncertainty.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the causal role of catecholamines, specifically noradrenaline, in modulating choice history bias.
• To determine if pharmacological elevation of noradrenaline affects prior expectations in perceptual decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Administered atomoxetine, a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, to human participants.
• Quantified changes in choice history bias during a visual perceptual decision task.
• Utilized behavioral modeling to analyze the underlying mechanisms of bias reduction.

Main Results:

• Atomoxetine significantly decreased individual choice history biases (repetition or alternation) compared to placebo.
• Behavioral modeling revealed that noradrenaline reduced bias in sensory evidence accumulation, not the starting point.
• No significant effects of atomoxetine were observed on response time or choice accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Catecholamines, via noradrenaline, causally reduce the impact of specific priors on perceptual decision-making.
• The effect is mediated by altering evidence accumulation processes.
• Findings link noradrenergic system function to the regulation of prior influence in cognition.