Spared internal but impaired external reward prediction error signals in major depressive disorder during reinforcement learning Vrije Universiteit Brussel Ghent University
BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) creates debilitating effects on a wide range of cognitive functions, including reinforcement learning (RL). In this study, we sought to assess whether reward processing as such, or alternatively the complex interplay between motivation and reward might potentially account for the abnormal reward-based learning in MDD.
METHODS: A total of 35 treatment resistant MDD patients and 44 age matched ...