Sex-based modulation of cognitive processes could set the stage for individual differences in vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders. While value-based decision making processes in particular have been proposed to be influenced by sex differences, the overall correct performance in decision making tasks often show variable or minimal differences across sexes. Computational tools allow us to uncover latent variables that define different decision making approaches, even in animals with similar correct performance. Here, we quantify sex differences in mice in the latent variables underlying behavior in a classic value-based decision making task: a restless two-armed bandit. While male and female mice had similar accuracy, they achieved this performance via different patterns of exploration. Male mice tended to make more exploratory choices overall, largely because they appeared to get 'stuck' in exploration once they had started. Female mice tended to explore less but learned more quickly during exploration. Together, these results suggest that sex exerts stronger influences on decision making during periods of learning and exploration than during stable choices. Exploration during decision making is altered in people diagnosed with addictions, depression, and neurodevelopmental disabilities, pinpointing the neural mechanisms of exploration as a highly translational avenue for conferring sex-modulated vulnerability to neuropsychiatric diagnoses.
Keywords: computational biology; decision making; exploration; explore-exploit; mouse; neuroscience; reinforcement learning; sex differences; systems biology.
When faced with a decision to make, humans and other animals reflect on past experiences of similar situations to choose the best option. However, in an uncertain situation, this decision process requires balancing two competing priorities: exploiting options that are expected to be rewarding (exploitation), and exploring alternatives that could be more valuable (exploration). Decision making and exploration are disrupted in many mental disorders, some of which can differ in either presentation or risk of development across women and men. This raises the question of whether sex differences in exploration and exploitation could contribute to the vulnerability to these conditions. To shed light on this question, Chen et al. studied exploration in male and female mice as they played a video game. The mice had the option to touch one of two locations on a screen for a chance to win a small reward. The likelihood of success was different between the two options, and so the mice were incentivized to determine which was the more rewarding button. While the mice were similarly successful in finding rewards regardless of sex, on average male mice were more likely to keep exploring between the options while female mice more quickly gained confidence in an option. These differences were stronger during uncertain periods of learning and exploration than when making choices in a well-known situation, indicating that periods of uncertainty are when the influence of sex on cognition are most visible. However, not every female or male mouse was the same – there was as much variability within a sex as was seen between sexes. These results indicate that sex mechanisms, along with many other influences cause individual differences in the cognitive processes important for decision making. The approach used by Chen et al. could help to study individual differences in cognition in other species, and shed light on how individual differences in decision-making processes could contribute to risk and resilience to mental disorders.
© 2021, Chen et al.