Probabalistic reinforcement learning impairments predict negative symptom severity and risk for conversion in youth at clinical high-risk for psychosis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Elucidation of transphasic mechanisms (i.e., mechanisms that occur across illness phases) underlying negative symptoms could inform early intervention and prevention efforts and additionally identify treatment targets that could be effective regardless of illness stage. This study examined whether a key reinforcement learning behavioral pattern characterized by reduced difficulty learning from rewards that have been found to underlie negative symptoms in those with a schizophrenia diagnosis also contributes to negative symptoms in those at clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis.

Methods

CHR youth (n = 46) and 51 healthy controls (CN) completed an explicit reinforcement learning task with two phases. During the acquisition phase, participants learned to sele

SUBMITTER: Luther L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12017368 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature