title: Corticostriatal control of goal-directed action is impaired in schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Goal-directed actions depend on our capacity to integrate the anticipated consequences of an action with the value of those consequences, with the latter derived from direct experience or inferred from predictive stimuli. Schizophrenia is associated with poor goal-directed performance, but whether this reflects a deficit in experienced or predicted value or in integrating these values with action-outcome information is unknown, as is the locus of any associated neuropathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed the contribution of these sources of value to goal-directed actions in people with schizophrenia (SZ) (n = 18) and healthy adults (n = 18). Participants learned to use specific actions to liberate snack foods from a vending machine. They also learned about the reward value of the foods, changes in reward value, and the relationship between various predictive stimuli and food delivery. We then evaluated the ability of subjects to use experienced or predicted value to guide goal-directed actions while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acquisition and sensitivity to experienced changes in outcome value did not differ in SZ and healthy adults. The SZ were, however, deficient in their ability to integrate action-outcome learning with outcome values to guide choice, more so when actions were guided by experienced than by predicted values. These effects were differentially associated with reductions in activity in caudate and limbic structures, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This novel assessment of goal-directed learning revealed dysfunction in corticostriatal control associated with a profound deficit in integrating changes in experienced value with the action-outcome association in schizophrenia.
authors: Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Darlinghurst, Australia.
authors: Richard W
authors: RW
authors: Morris
authors: Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown.
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Quail
authors: Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown.
authors: Kristi R
authors: KR
authors: Griffiths
authors: Schizophrenia Research Institute, Darlinghurst, Australia; School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Melissa J
authors: MJ
authors: Green
authors: Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown. Electronic address: bernard.balleine@sydney.edu.au.
authors: Bernard W
authors: BW
authors: Balleine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012201:Reward; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
keywords: Choice; Decision-making; Executive dysfunction; Predictive learning; Reinforcement learning; Reward