Differences in Learning Behavior Between OCD and Problem Gambling

A study published in PLOS Biology reports distinct patterns of reward-seeking behavior between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and problem gambling. OCD is associated with lower-than-normal learning rates when rewards are less than expected, while people with problem gambling exhibit boosted and blunted learning from rewards higher and lower than expected, respectively. The study highlights the benefits of using a neurocomputational approach to studying psychiatric disorders, which can help discern subtle differences between conditions and point toward different treatment approaches.