A flexible framework for simulating and fitting generalized drift-diffusion models

Abstract
Data availability
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Abstract

The drift-diffusion model (DDM) is an important decision-making model in cognitive neuroscience. However, innovations in model form have been limited by methodological challenges. Here, we introduce the generalized drift-diffusion model (GDDM) framework for building and fitting DDM extensions, and provide a software package which implements the framework. The GDDM framework augments traditional DDM parameters through arbitrary user-defined functions. Models are solved numerically by directly solving the Fokker-Planck equation using efficient numerical methods, yielding a 100-fold or greater speedup over standard methodology. This speed allows GDDMs to be fit to data using maximum likelihood on the full response time (RT) distribution. We demonstrate fitting of GDDMs within our framework to both animal and human datasets from perceptual decision-making tasks, with better accuracy and fewer parameters than several DDMs implemented using the latest methodology, to test hypothesized decision-making mechanisms. Overall, our framework will allow for decision-making model innovation and novel experimental designs.

Data availability

The two analyzed datasets, which have been previously published, are both is publicly available for download:1. Roitman & Shadlen, 2002, J Neurosci: https://shadlenlab.columbia.edu/resources/RoitmanDataCode.html2. Evans & Hawkins, 2019, Cognition: https://osf.io/2vnam/

The following previously published data sets were used

1. Roitman JD
2. Shadlen MN
(2002) Data from: Roitman and Shadlen (2002)
Shadlen Lab website.

https://shadlenlab.columbia.edu/resources/RoitmanDataCode.html
1. Evans NJ
2. Hawkins GE
(2019) Data from: Evans and Hawkins (2019)
OSF: 2vnam.

https://osf.io/2vnam/

Article and author information

Author details

Maxwell Shinn

Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, United States

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

"This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0002-7424-4230
Norman H Lam

Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, United States

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
John D Murray

Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Physics, Yale University, New Haven, United States

For correspondence
john.murray@yale.edu

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

"This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0003-4115-8181

Funding

National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH112746)

John D Murray

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

Copyright

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.