Investigating Key Factors Influencing Behavioral Adaptation In Parkinsonian Subjects Through Neurocomputational Model Of The Basal Ganglia

: A neurocomputational model of the Basal Ganglia and Dopamine dynamics is used to investigate different factors that affect behavioral adaptation and flexibility in healthy and pathological subjects. Results show that high tonic dopamine levels, as those occurring in Parkinsonian subjects under levodopa treatment, can impair flexibility. A high learning rate makes adaptation quicker but also increases the vulnerability towards random punishments. Finally, a high exploration capacity (simulated by increasing the noise level) improves learning in the first epochs of a task but has a detrimental effect in subsequent stationary epochs. The best strategy requires a complex trade-off between exploitation and exploration. This study helps unmask the complexity of factors involved in adaptive behavior in humans and, in perspective, can support new therapies based on Dopamine treatmentClinical Relevance- This work analyzes the different factors contributing to impaired adaptive behavior and flexibility in patients (like Parkinsonian ones) affected by dopamine imbalances and Basal Ganglia dysfunction. Hence, it can contribute to a better understanding of dopamine treatment.