Dynamic belief updating under stress: context-dependency and temporal dynamics

背景：众所周知，压力对认知有重大影响，对精神病理学有重要意义。这些压力效应被认为是依赖于上下文的，即压力似乎增强了与正在进行的压力源直接相关的信息的认知加工，而它损害了与压力源无关的信息的加工。虽然压力对学习和决策的影响有很好的记录，但压力如何以及通过何种机制影响动态信念更新，作为统计学习的基本过程，在很大程度上是未知的。目的：该项目旨在确定（i）是否压力改变动态信念更新，（ii）是否这样的压力效应是依赖于上下文的，（iii）是否这样的压力效应是由去甲肾上腺素唤醒或皮质醇，（iv）哪些神经机制参与了假定的压力对动态信念更新的影响。假设条件：我们预测，与任务无关的压力将损害动态信念更新，而压力则有相反的增强作用，与信念更新任务直接相关。我们进一步预测，去甲肾上腺素能觉醒在这些情境依赖性应激效应中起着关键作用，调节皮层网络重置并促进向优先处理或应激源相关信息的显着网络的转变。皮质醇的延迟活动预计会损害信念更新能力。计划的方法：为了验证这些假设，我们计划了两个复杂的实验。在这些实验中，参与者将暴露于压力或控制操纵，而他们在MRI扫描仪中完成动态信念更新任务（Confetti-cannon任务）。重要的是，虽然压力源在实验1中与任务无关，但它将与实验2中的信念更新任务直接相关。将通过瞳孔测量、主观、自主和内分泌测量评估应激系统活动和阶段性觉醒。预期影响：该项目将产生新的见解的调制动态信念更新的急性压力，以及在此涉及的机制。了解压力如何改变动态的信念更新，可能会链接觉醒相关的变化，健康参与者的信念更新异常的信念更新与压力相关的精神病理学。下一步，该项目的目标可能是调节压力引起的信念更新变化，或直接测试它们在压力相关疾病（如焦虑症或精神病）中的相关性。

Background: Stress is known to have a major impact on cognition, with critical implications for psychopathology. These stress effects are assumed to be context-dependent, i.e. stress appears to enhance the cognitive processing of information directly relevant to the ongoing stressor, while it impairs the processing of information irrelevant to the stressor. Although stress effects on learning and decision-making are well documented, how – and through which mechanisms – stress affects dynamic belief updating, as a fundamental process of statistical learning, is largely unknown. Aims: This project aims to determine (i) whether stress alters dynamic belief updating, (ii) whether such stress effects are context dependent, (iii) whether such stress effects are driven by noradrenergic arousal or cortisol, and (iv) which neural mechanisms are involved in putative stress effects on dynamic belief updating. Hypotheses: We predict that task-unrelated stress will impair dynamic belief updating, whereas there is an opposite, enhancing effect of stress that is directly linked to the belief updating task. We further predict that noradrenergic arousal plays a key role in these context-dependent stress effects, modulating a cortical network reset and promoting a shift towards a salience network that prioritizes the processing or stressor-relevant information. The delayed activity of cortisol is expected to impair the belief updating capacity. Planned methods: To test these hypotheses, we plan two complex experiments. In these experiments, participants will be exposed to a stress or control manipulation while they complete a dynamic belief updating task (Confetti-cannon task) in an MRI scanner. Critically, while the stressor will be task-unrelated in experiment 1, it will be directly linked to the belief updating task in experiment 2. Stress system activity and phasic arousal will be assessed via pupillometry, subjective, autonomic, and endocrine measurements. Expected impact: This project will yield novel insights into the modulation of dynamic belief updating by acute stress as well as the mechanisms involved herein. Understanding how stress alters dynamic belief updating may link arousal-related changes of belief updating in healthy participants to aberrant belief updating in stress-related psychopathology. In a next step, this project may aim to modulate the stress-induced changes in belief updating or to directly test their relevance in stress-related disorders, such as anxiety disorders or psychosis.