Early-life stress is associated with a preponderance of habitual responding in a novel instrumental avoidance learning paradigm.

ABSTRACT: There is substantial evidence linking early-life stress (ELS) to negative health outcomes in adulthood, including addiction. However, the neurocognitive and behavioral mechanisms through which ELS increases these risks remain unclear. To address this gap in knowledge, we developed a novel instrumental learning paradigm to explore the effects of ELS on the balance of habitual versus goal-directed learning. Habits efficiently reproduce repetitive behaviors but are inflexible whenreward contingencies related to those behaviors change. Persisting in performing a response after its outcome has been devalued is the hallmark of habitual behavior in instrumental learning. Participants with a history of higher ELS were significantly more likely to make habitual responses in this instrumental avoida

SUBMITTER: Gordon AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7683304 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature