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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2020.04.03.024364

Dopaminergic modulation of reward discounting: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Castrellon, J. J.·Meade, J.·Greenwald, L.·Hurst, K.·Samanez-Larkin, G. R.
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Abstract

Although numerous studies have suggested that pharmacological alteration of the dopamine (DA) system modulates reward discounting, these studies have produced inconsistent findings. Here, we conducted a systematic review and pre-registered meta-analysis to evaluate DA drug-mediated effects on reward discounting of time, probability, and effort costs in studies of healthy rats. This produced a total of 1,343 articles to screen for inclusion/exclusion. From the literature, we identified 117 effects from approximately 1,549 individual rats. Using random-effects with maximum-likelihood estimation, we meta-analyzed placebo-controlled drug effects for (1) DA D1-like receptor agonists and (2) antagonists, (3) D2-like agonists and (4) antagonists, and (5) DA transporter-modulating drugs. Meta-analytic effects showed that DAT-modulating drugs decreased reward discounting. While D1-like and D2-like antagonists both increased discounting, agonist drugs for those receptors had no significant effect on discounting behavior. A number of these effects appear contingent on study design features like cost type, rat strain, and microinfusion location. These findings suggest a nuanced relationship between DA and discounting behavior and urge caution when drawing generalizations about the effects of pharmacologically manipulating dopamine on reward-based decision making.

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Castrellon, J. J., Meade, J., Greenwald, L., Hurst, K., Samanez-Larkin, G. R.. 2020-04-05. Dopaminergic modulation of reward discounting: a systematic review and meta-analysis. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.03.024364

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