Balancing brain chemicals for boosting meta-control

Introduction

Cognitive control enables us to flexibly adapt behaviour to achieve our goals given a constantly changing environment. It is a hallmark of the human mind and exquisitely vulnerable in health and disease. Cognitive control often implies goal-directed instrumental effort to inhibit unwanted, yet hardwired or overlearnt biases, and is commonly associated with the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and dopamine (DA).

Importance of Cognitive Control

However, the mechanisms of the broader construct of flexible cognitive control remain unclear. The urgency of addressing this is evidenced by robust predictive associations between flexible control and consequential life outcomes for health, wealth, and well-being.

CHEMCONTROL Approach

CHEMCONTROL approaches the problem from a novel angle, reconceptualizing it as meta-level decision-making between distinct control strategies. I propose to shift attention away from the classic focus on instrumental effort, implicating PFC and DA, towards a richer meta-control framework that takes into account outcome controllability.

Redefining PFC Function

CHEMCONTROL radically upgrades the value of an opponent, cognitively effortless strategy that releases hardwired Pavlovian biases, implicating serotonin (5-HT). It redefines PFC function as making meta-level decisions between expensive dopaminergic versus frugal serotonergic strategies based on estimating outcome controllability.

Methodology

We have recently validated a computational procedure for quantifying controllability estimates. I will combine this procedure with:

1. High-resolution fMRI to compare neural activity in DA and 5-HT systems.
2. Novel PET designs to compare DA and 5-HT release.
3. Psychopharmacology to causally manipulate key model components.
4. Ultrasound neuromodulation to further investigate the mechanisms.

Conclusion

CHEMCONTROL will unravel the mechanisms of (boosting) meta-control, revolutionizing strategies for promoting efficacy and resilience in a rapidly changing world.