Dynamic belief updating in the anxiety phenotype: developmental aspects and salience context

焦虑表型的动态信念更新：发展方面和显着性背景

• 批准号: 521750153
• 负责人: Professorin Dr. Julia Asbrand
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Institut für Psychologie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Units
• 资助国家: 德国
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/521750153?language=en
• 关键词: Dynamic; belief; updating; anxiety; phenotype

Background: Learning is key to survival when facing dynamically changing environmental threats. Many environments are characterized by uncertainty due to (1) irreducible outcome variability, e.g., when the location of an attacking predator can only approximately be predicted, and (2) uncertainty arising from systematic changes, e.g., when the location in which a predator appears, changes systematically. An adequate consideration of these types of uncertainty requires dynamic belief updating (DynBU), promoting survival by balancing explorative vs. defensive behaviors. This pertains particularly to internal models of threats. Aims: We provide an in-depth behavioral and neural analysis of statistical learning, particularly DynBU, as a function of the anxiety phenotype across the lifespan. Further, the project examines if individual differences in DynBU in anxiety disorder (AD) patients can be related to intervention-driven changes (cognitive behavioral therapy) in threat expectations. Hypotheses: (1) We hypothesize an overestimation of how much should be learned from new outcomes (learning rate) in the anxiety phenotype, shaped by defensive reactions. This effect will particularly be dependent on the presence of expected uncertainty. We further assume a correlation between anxiety and learning-rate-related activity in the prefrontal and parietal cortex as well as a stronger involvement of the periaqueductal gray (PAG) in higher anxiety levels. (2) We hypothesize a negative correlation between age and the tendency to show overly high learning rates under expected uncertainty, as well as a moderation of this effect by the anxiety phenotype. On an exploratory level, (3) we will test the applicability of clinical and experimental paradigms in a younger group of children (aged 8 to 9 years), and (4) target the relation between DynBU and threat expectations during exposure treatment. Planned methods: Participants will report on relevant clinical information (see clinical backbone). They will further complete the common Confetti-Cannon-Task (comparison across all projects) and a salience context sensitive Predator-Task (comparison with project 5). Finally, an adult subsample will complete the Predator-Task in the MRI scanner, which will offer important insights into the neural systems of statistical learning under heightened defensive reactivity in the anxiety phenotype. Expected impact: The current project will enrich the RU’s goals, mainly aim 2 (developmental and environmental context influences) and aim 3 (clinical manifestations of DynBU). We will extend the RU’s clinical focus by including the anxiety phenotype from childhood to adulthood. A shared paradigm allows comparability across development (projects 6 & 7) and psychopathology (projects 2 & 9). This will allow for developing and testing innovative treatments focusing on uncertainty processing for the prevention and early intervention of AD during a putative second funding period.

背景：面对不断变化的环境威胁，学习是生存的关键。许多环境的特征在于不确定性，这是由于（1）不可约的结果可变性，例如，当攻击捕食者的位置只能近似预测时，以及（2）由系统变化引起的不确定性，例如，当捕食者出现的位置发生系统性变化时。充分考虑这些类型的不确定性需要动态信念更新（DynBU），通过平衡探索与防御行为来促进生存。这尤其适用于内部威胁模型。目的：我们提供了一个深入的行为和神经分析的统计学习，特别是DynBU，作为整个生命周期的焦虑表型的函数。此外，该项目还研究了焦虑症（AD）患者DynBU的个体差异是否与威胁预期的干预驱动变化（认知行为疗法）有关。假设：（1）我们假设高估了从焦虑表型的新结果（学习率）中应该学到多少，由防御反应形成。这种影响将特别取决于预期不确定性的存在。我们进一步假设焦虑和学习率相关的活动在前额叶和顶叶皮层，以及更强的参与导水管周围灰质（PAG）在更高的焦虑水平之间的相关性。(2)我们假设年龄与在预期不确定性下表现出过高学习率的倾向之间存在负相关，以及焦虑表型对这种影响的缓和。在探索性水平上，（3）我们将测试临床和实验范式在较年轻儿童组（8至9岁）中的适用性，以及（4）针对DynBU与暴露治疗期间的威胁预期之间的关系。计划的方法：参与者将报告相关临床信息（见临床主干）。他们将进一步完成共同的Confetti-Cannon-Task（所有项目的比较）和一个显著性上下文敏感的Predator-Task（与项目5的比较）。最后，成年子样本将在MRI扫描仪中完成捕食者任务，这将为焦虑表型中防御反应增强的统计学习神经系统提供重要见解。预期影响：目前的项目将丰富RU的目标，主要是目标2（发育和环境背景影响）和目标3（DynBU的临床表现）。我们将通过包括从儿童到成年的焦虑表型来扩展RU的临床重点。一个共享的范式允许跨发展（项目6和7）和精神病理学（项目2和9）的可比性。这将允许开发和测试创新的治疗方法，重点是在假定的第二个资助期内预防和早期干预AD的不确定性处理。