Reward-learning and the novelty-seeking personality: A between-and within-subjects study of the effects of dopamine agonists on young parkinsons patients

Nikoletta Bódi, Szabolcs Kéri, Helga Nagy, Ahmed Moustafa, Catherine E. Myers, Nathaniel Daw, György Dibó, Annamária Takáts, Dániel Bereczki, Mark A. Gluck

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Parkinsons disease is characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic pathways projecting to the striatum. These pathways are implicated in reward prediction. In this study, we investigated reward and punishment processing in young, never-medicated Parkinsons disease patients, recently medicated patients receiving the dopamine receptor agonists pramipexole and ropinirole and healthy controls. The never-medicated patients were also re-evaluated after 12 weeks of treatment with dopamine agonists. Reward and punishment processing was assessed by a feedback-based probabilistic classification task. Personality characteristics were measured by the temperament and character inventory. Results revealed that never-medicated patients with Parkinsons disease showed selective deficits on reward processing and novelty seeking, which were remediated by dopamine agonists. These medications disrupted punishment processing. In addition, dopamine agonists increased the correlation between reward processing and novelty seeking, whereas these drugs decreased the correlation between punishment processing and harm avoidance. Our finding that dopamine agonist administration in young patients with Parkinsons disease resulted in increased novelty seeking, enhanced reward processing, and decreased punishment processing may shed light on the cognitive and personality bases of the impulse control disorders, which arise as side-effects of dopamine agonist therapy in some Parkinsons disease patients.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2385-2395
Number of pages11
JournalBrain
Volume132
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2009

Keywords

  • Dopamine
  • Novelty seeking
  • Parkinsons disease
  • Pramipexole
  • Reward
  • Ropinirole

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Neurology

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