Mellick W, Prisciandaro JJ, Brenner H, Brown D, Tolliver BK. A Multimethod Examination of Sensitivity to Reward and Sensitivity to Punishment in Bipolar Disorder and Alcohol Dependence: Results from a 2 × 2 Factorial Design.
Psychopathology 2021;
54:70-77. [PMID:
33596587 PMCID:
PMC8058164 DOI:
10.1159/000512661]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Shared neurobehavioral characteristics of bipolar disorder (BD) and alcohol dependence (AD), including heightened sensitivity to reward (SR), may account for high rates of BD and AD co-occurrence (BD + AD). However, empirical research is lacking. The present multimethod investigation examined SR and sensitivity to punishment (SP) among these patient groups using a reliable and well-validated self-report questionnaire of SR and SP along with a laboratory task specifically designed to distinguish SR and SP activation.
METHODS
One-hundred participants formed 4 groups: BD + AD (n = 40), BD (n = 18), AD (n = 25), and healthy controls (n = 17). Clinical interviews were administered, and participants completed the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSR-Q) and the Point Score Reaction Test behavioral task. Pearson correlations, hierarchical linear regression, and 2 × 2 factorial general linear modeling with Bonferroni-corrected pairwise comparisons were performed.
RESULTS
BD and AD main effects were significant on self-reported SR and SP; however, BD × AD interactions were not. BD + AD individuals were significantly higher on self-reported SR than BD and AD individuals, yet all clinical groups were similar on SP. Behavioral response times did not distinguish groups nor did they associate with self-report data.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION
BD and AD had additive, rather than interactive, effects on self-reported SR and SP. The methods employed, paired with their application to the present sample, may account for a lack of positive findings with behavioral data.
Collapse