Aberrant probabilistic reinforcement learning in first-degree relatives of individuals with bipolar disorder

Contains fulltext : 215845.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) Background: Motivational dysregulation represents a core vulnerability factor for bipolar disorder. Whether this also comprises aberrant learning of stimulus-reinforcer contingencies is less clear. Methods: To answer this question, we compared healthy first-degree relatives of individuals with bipolar disorder (n = 42) known to convey an increased risk of developing a bipolar spectrum disorder and healthy individuals (n = 97). Further, we investigated the effects of the behavioral activation system (BAS) on reinforcement learning across the entire sample. All participants were assessed with a probabilistic learning task t…